A True Confession

When did you fall in love with good books?

It happened to me in the fifth grade when a teacher put me in charge of the school library. I attended a small rural school whose library operated on the honor system, so everything was a mess: books without library cards and cards without books, shelves with books stacked every which way and books piled on the floor, text blocks without covers and covers without text. My teacher explained the shelving scheme and card system, then gave me an hour a day to set things right.

That assignment immersed me in the world of books for the first time. I read dozens of books during that stint, including the “Hardy Boys” series by Franklin W. Dixon. Those books transported me to times and places quite different from my own, and I relished each new adventure.

In high school, I learned that Franklin W. Dixon was a pen name used by various authors who wrote the “Hardy Boy” books. Likewise, Nancy Drew was a pen name that a variety of authors used to write detective books for adolescent girls. I wanted to do that, too.

I had another pivotal encounter during my high-school years. During my junior year, I felt God calling me to ministry. I supposed that meant I had to abandon my love of writing. I met with my pastor to admit my dilemma.

He smiled and said, "I don't see why you have to choose. I do both." With that, he opened a file drawer and showed me tear sheets from dozens of magazines that had published articles he had written. "When I preach, I'm able to share the truth with a few hundred people," he said. "But when I put that message in a magazine article, I reach thousands--perhaps tens of thousands. So I do both."

That day, I answered God's call to become a Christian writer.

The eagerness to write adventurous stories comes back to me every time I read a good novel, regardless of the genre, so I confess I’m still smitten. And I'm still answering God's call. What about you? When did you fall in love with good books? What won your heart? And how does that affect the writing you do?

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.

What makes a writer great?

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There’s not a reputable writer out there that doesn’t want to be the best in their craft. One way we scribes measure our success is by how many awards or best-sellers we have under our belt. Others measure it by how many books they’ve published or sold. A top-ten Amazon ranking, a New York Times Best-Seller list: what writer hasn’t drooled over those prospects?

But as I’ve written before, being God’s writer involves much more. And today, I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite writers. You probably don’t know her because you won’t find her writing at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. But you will find her words in hundreds of homes and hearts. Maybe even thousands.

Her name is Marcia Ousley. I want you to remember her name because when you are in the depths of despair during times of rejection and frustration in your writing career, remembering her will put your writing gift into perspective. This writing journey isn’t all about us. Never was. Never will be.

Marcia was my dear friend who passed away on June 6, 2017 at 12:32 a.m. I miss her much more than I imagined. Marcia was a cheerleader. I could always depend on her to ask me about my writing life, my teaching life, my life in general. I never heard her say a harsh word or criticize anyone. She was soft-spoken, gentle, and the absolute epitome of what Jesus is like in the flesh. Oh, I know she wasn’t perfect. But she was as close as any mortal could be.

Cancer struck Marcia fast and mercilessly. Within months of her diagnosis she became very ill and passed away. Sadly, hundreds of people in Indiana and elsewhere lost their strongest and best encourager. This is because Marcia had and shared the gift of writing through penning dozens of handwritten letters and notes each week. In this day of email and texting, Marcia still used her precious hands to hold a pen and write loving and very personalized messages to those she loved and cared about. She even wrote to those she didn’t know very well at all.

Marcia and her husband, Homer, didn’t have children. But she was a highly educated schoolteacher and taught in the public schools for nearly 30 years. Twice she received the coveted Distinguished Dekko Award for Teaching Excellence. Twice! She thought of each one of her students as her own, and never lost touch with them. She followed their lives all the way through adulthood, showed up to all their graduations and open houses, and attended their weddings and baby showers. She never stopped sending encouraging letters and cards to them even after they were grown with families of their own.

At our church she was in charge of the card ministry--a ministry that has yet to be filled. Writing encouraging notes with her own hand inside each card, she didn't simply sign, “Love, Marcia” but wrote a truly heart-felt paragraph or two to lift up the receiver. She never stopped writing. It was her gift, and she used it wisely. When she wrote for the church she didn’t sign her own name, she signed, “Love, The Congregation of Christian Fellowship Church.” Whew. That’s a long signature to write over and over again by hand..

When this earth lost Marcia, they lost one of the greatest writers that ever lived. I still can’t believe she’s gone, and it startles me how very much I miss her. Even though we never really “hung out,” I just knew that Marcia had my back. She never judged anyone. She was there for you through thick and thin. She was Jesus with skin on. If there’s anyone on this earth I wanted to imitate, it was Marcia. She was not only a writer but her outreach included volunteering at food pantries, visiting shut-ins and spreading God’s love everywhere she went.

As I sat in her funeral service, I found myself whispering in a repeated prayer, “When I grow up, I want to be like Marcia…” before it dawned on me, ahem, I’m more than grown-up now. And if there’s anyone I should want to be like it should be Jesus.

But the thing is, Marcia was so much like Jesus, that it’s not a far reach to want to imitate her, too. Just as the early Christians imitated Apostle Paul:

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

As far as I know, Marcia never won an award for her writing or saw her name on the Best-Seller List. But her name made the most important list of all: the Lamb’s Book of Life.

That’s The List we all should strive for, whether we’re a writer, carpenter or toilet scrubber. That list matters most of all, along with the words from our Father, “Well done.”

Please click to tweet: What makes a writer great?

"What Makes a Writer Great" first appeared on KarlaAkins.com. Karla is the author of several books including The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots and A Pair of Miracles. She currently serves as the president of ACFW-Indiana. 

Why you shouldn't worry about the publishing industry

A lot of Christian authors are fretting about Family Christian Stores filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy and what it could mean for the Christian publishing industry.

I'll admit it's scary. The store's financial crisis means publishers won't get paid. As a result, publishers will suffer financially and may be reluctant to take a risk on a new author. Exisiting authors may receive less money for contracts than they received in the past because the money isn't there.

 And so, the doors, which may have opened more easily for unpublished authors, could now be slamming shut. 

But that's no reason to stop writing.

Especially if God called you as His scribe.

Many are called to preach, but they don't get paid to do it.

 Many are called to sing, but they don't have contracts, and yet they sing every week in their worship services to the glory of God.

 Many are called to teach, but volunteer their time in Sunday School. 

I'm not saying that all writers should be glad to give their work away. But the reality is, not everyone is chosen to have a full-time paid writing life. Most writers are bi-vocational. And a lot of musicians, preachers and teachers are, too.

We can't peer into the future and know what will happen in the publishing industry. Publishers themselves are a bit in the dark.

There's only one thing I can guarantee: nothing is for certain.

And yet, I don't think there's been a better time to be a writer. A mere 20 years ago, writers couldn't find the audiences that we have access to now via the Internet.  Blogging wasn't a "thing" until the late 90s, and even then, many folks had no clue what it was. (I'm happy to say I did.)

Now, via our blogs and social media, we write and publish our thoughts immediately. I feel giddy thinking about it. What do you suppose Shakespeare or  Hemingway would have blogged about? Just think of the tools we have that they never dreamed of.

As never before, we have a global reach as writers. People in far away countries have read my books. I don't think it would have happened so quickly 10 or 20 years ago.

God placed us in this world for such a time as this. And we can trust Him with our call. We may not get to do the things we want, but we will definitely get to do the things He's created us for if we obey. We may never be interviewed on CNN or have our books listed in Publisher's Weekly, but that's okay. Because what really matters is that we're listed in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that those we write for have the chance to consider their place in its pages, too.

The devil would love nothing more than to silence you. Don't let him win. His voices aren't quitting. They continue to churn out filth and drivel in every language. And they take no shame in spewing their message via self-publishing.

Self-publishing is a viable option. I repeat. Do not be ashamed to self-publish. It's here to stay. It's not going away. It's just too easy now. (Having said that, do NOT publish until your work is pristine. I'll blog more about self-publishing later.)

I predict that traditional publishers will look at those who self-publish successfully, as much as they look at social media credentials and talent, when considering a contract.

Where it used to be considered unprofessional to self-publish, if you do it right and you're successful, it's now considered admirable. It shows you have the stick-to-it-ness and work ethic needed for a good author to be successful.

 However, the irony is this: if you're self-publishing successfully, why would you want to go the traditional route? (More about this later, too.) And herein is why publishing companies are in a bit of a quandary, wanting to play it safe (I don't blame them), and afraid to take risks on new voices.

There is room, nay, a need in this world for the Christian voice. If we quit writing, our voices, which are so often drowned out, will for certain never be heard. God delights in using the small things of this world, and He can use our voices to reach those He longs to draw to Him. Even if only three people read our blog--if they are the people God has brought to us, how exciting is that?

As Christian authors, our art has a different purpose than writing for our own pleasure or the pleasure of our readers. When we write, we also write for HIS pleasure and HIS purpose. What an extraordinary thought. If the only audience we have is the audience of THE ONE, isn't that all that matters?

When I think how our Christian brothers and sisters are struggling, suffering and dying under the oppression of ISIS, the perils of the Christian publishing industry in the United States pale in comparison, do they not?

One day we will face our Lord on the other side of eternity, and He's not going to ask us why we didn't make the best-seller's list. But we will give an account for how we used our gifts to reach a lost and dying world (Matthew 25:14-30).

Just because you're not published with a traditional company doesn't mean your writing doesn't count. If you don't have an agent, that doesn't mean your writing isn't legitimate in God's eyes.

Tweet this: His eyes are the only ones that matter.

Keep writing. Lives are at stake. It's not about ego or pleasure. As a Christian author, it's about redeeming the time we've been given to share the most important message of all: God's grace and His soon and coming return.

What will you do today to fulfill the call?

 Karla Akins is the author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots and narrative biographies for children. She currently serves as Vice President of ACFW-Indiana.

When she's not writing you can find her on her motorcycle looking for treasure.

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How can your writing bless your pastor?

October is Clergy Appreciation Month. There's a reason this is an important even to participate in, and I'm not just saying so because I'm a pastor's wife.

According to Dr. Richard J. Krejcir,1500 pastors leave the ministry each month, 50% of pastor's marriages will end in divorce, 70% constantly fight depression, and 40% have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.

(Stay with me, I'm getting to the writing part of this post. But I think it's important to share these startling statistics.)

According to Focus on the Family, 70% of pastors state they don't have close personal friends or anyone in whom they can confide. Most pastors work 60-70 hours a week and great demands are placed upon them and their families. 80% of pastors say ministry negatively affects their families. As a pastor's wife, and mother of of pastor's kids, I can say this is extremely true. Two of our children highly resent growing up as a pastor's child, and it breaks my heart. Not because of what we as parents expected of them, but because of how they were treated by church members.

I recently had the privilege of speaking one on one with a prominent evangelist's daughter, and she confirmed this. "Mother and Daddy never put any pressure on us, but other people did because of whose children we were."

So what does all of this have to do with you as a writer?

It's important for writers to share their gift. Christian writers have been given a powerful medium with which to change lives. Every time you write a poem for someone, a thank you note, or a tribute, you are using your gift for God's glory.  Too many times we measure our worth as a writer by what we've published, but that's not at all how God measures success.

Words are incredibly powerful and you've been given a precious responsibility. Writing a card or letter is just as important as anything else you will publish.You can use your gift of words to write a personal letter or note card for your pastor to take home and enjoy. Your written words will last a very long time, perhaps a lifetime. My husband keeps all his cards and letters and even puts some of them under the glass top on his desk. They are fuel for when the going gets tough.

Here are a few more ways to use your writing gift to show your pastor you appreciate them:

• E-mail your pastor an encouraging note each day of October.
• Text your pastor each day with an encouraging text. (I'm planning a "text mob" for my husband and have the congregation send him loving texts all on the same day.)
• Write an encouraging note or text or email to your pastor's kids.
• Write a tribute on the church's Facebook wall, your wall, the pastor's wall or use other social media to sing the praises of your pastor.
  
• I have a friend who owns her own store and she uses her store window to write encouraging
  
  words about my husband on her windows during pastor's appreciation month.
• If you attend a small church and the pastor's wife does a lot of the administration (typing bulletin, newsletter, etc.) offer to help her for a month -- or year!
• Use your writing gift to encourage the congregation to love their pastor. Send them each a note and suggest ideas.
• Write a letter to the editor extolling the virtues of your pastor.
• Write a prayer that your congregation can pray daily for your pastor and his family.
• Write a poem for your pastor (or a song).
• Write a skit about the gift of a pastor and recruit your friends to act it out. It can be funny or serious. (We did one years back called "Super Pastor" and it was hilarious.)
• Write a note telling your pastor something you learned from a sermon. That will knock his socks off!
• Write up some coupons for your pastor such as "a night out with childcare" -- get creative.
• Write a tribute to his wife. She needs encouragement too.

So what ways can you think of to use your writing gift to bless your pastor and others? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up... 

Thessalonians 5:11a, NIV

 

Karla Akins is the award-winning author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots. She's been a pastor's wife for more than 32 years. You can find Karla via her website and blog at KarlaAkins.com

All images in this post are public domain or provided/created by the author.

Are You Really Called to Write?

I am living the nightmare that every writer fears. My computer crashed several times and it is now totally swiped. I'm attempting to recover the lost files from here and there, and in that process, I've actually run across manuscripts I wrote in the past years and had abandoned. It is amazing to see the writer I was as compared to the writer I am today. And for a couple of the manuscripts, I'm wondering why I abandoned them. 

During this process, sometimes you will revisit your first inclinations to write, like me. Why did I ever start this process? When did it actually come together? Is it worth it to recover all those files? 

As a Christian I have one more  place to visit--did I actually get called to write? A flicker of self-doubt creases my brow as I attempt to reconnect my back up system for the third time in order to retrieve my massive files. Is it worth it? Have I missed another calling because of pursuing this? Did I get on the wrong boat and now I'm in the belly of the fish???

Am I really a writer?

New writers, and sometimes old writers, might visit this question while chalking up rejection slips or any number of setbacks. But it is an essential question for a Christian. We want to discern God’s calling for us, even if it is not writing. But what if God did call you to write? Or what if He really didn't?

There are many questions we ponder and pray about each time we feel “called” to a ministry (and your callings may be different than another's so don't go comparing yourself.) First of all, we know that all Christians are called to basic things as we live the life of a Christian. If you are a Christian, this isn't something new to you. But can you remember how you were called to write? Or is it hazy?

More than likely, your call to write was a bit like mine, a nagging tug, like a kid who wants a drink of water, a gentle whisper in my ear, "Crystal, Crystal, come here" when I was doing something else like peacefully sleeping in the night. But I thought I wanted the blazing angel messenger, urgently knocking at the door. He’d say,  “Crystal, God’s calling you to write, right now! Get to it because an agent, a big editor and a TV show is calling next.” (That wasn't my call.)

Or maybe, like me, you thought a billboard along the highway would blast a blatant message saying, “Write on, and I’ll bless your socks off, Crystal!” 

Everyone has a different way of discovering that call to write, just as each of us came to Christ on various paths with different experiences. Just look at examples of callings laid out in the Bible. Do you find any similarities in your calling to write to these Biblical examples? 

Let's look at how God called these people to do something for Him.  See if you recognize yourself in any of them and maybe you’ll find that you were called to write in a way you did not see before.

Samuel: Samuel got his call in the night as a little boy while living in the temple. God spoke directly to him, but he didn't realize it was God until he was told to just answer God. He carried through his calling to a ripe old age and even got called back from the dead by a king who did not carry out his own calling. 

Moses: God called Moses from a burning bush that was not consumed. What a story he had to tell! Dramatic, but during the call he doubted his abilities and ended up getting his brother called in on it too. Once he realized that God meant business, he became a mighty man of God. 

Gideon: Gideon had to throw down some fleece and needed signs and wonders from God to see his calling. 

Jonah: Jonah really didn't think God had it right when He called him to head to Ninevah. When Jonah thought he'd hid out well enough, that's when things got rough. Next thing Jonah knew, he thought he was dead in the water--albeit in the belly of a fish--but God delivered him to the shore to get on with what He told him to do. He kept some of his prejudices, but he ended up being used anyway. And he did end up in the right place.

Saul/Paul: Paul was struck down on the road to Damascus, was blinded, and Jesus asked him why he was persecuting Him (I bet he thought for just a second, "What are you doing to me?!") You definitely do not want to be on the wrong road, doing the wrong thing when God tracks you down like Paul. 

Timothy: Timothy was mentored by Paul and thought he'd just coast along on Paul's coattails but God (and Paul) knew Timothy had things of his own to accomplish. While he started off as Timid Timothy, he soon gathered confidence of his own in God's power and was able to even to minister to Paul when he was imprisoned. 

You may have your own comparison to make to a famous calling, but in the end each person's call is his own. God sees you and you alone when He makes His call to you. Listen carefully, because if God is calling you to write, then focus and don't be caught on the wrong road, on a ship headed the wrong way or doubting what you can do when God is behind you. (And God never said it would be easy, just because He's behind you.)

Can you relate to any of these callings? :)

Crystal Laine Miller