My mother claims that I was always a very sensitive child. She lovingly jokes that I am a cross between the disciples Peter and Thomas. What you see is what you get with me – passionate, outspoken, analytical, and transparent – all to a fault. Constantly reminded of my strong personality traits, the perceived affects of the same, and a highly touchy emotional barometer, I have envisioned that I live life much like a human pretzel – twisting and turning to afford damage control.
I believe that i…
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Added by Cami Bayer on November 18, 2009 at 1:00pm —
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Here I am, as I am each morning sitting on the left hand side of the recliner couch with my coffee cup filled. It is freshly brewed Cutters Point coffee of course, Fisherman’s Blend. My bible is open and I am reading over the prayer requests that the ladies filled out on Friday. This is my favorite time of day. Whinny, the long haired brown-black cat is looking at me. More like staring intently. Usually I am petting her by now and so she is waiting on me for that. My hands and thoughts are elsew…
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Added by Jean Davis on November 5, 2009 at 7:38am —
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The Baptist church at Olchon, Wales (like other Baptist churches and many other dissenters) endured "mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment" under the direction of King Charles II and the Church of England. The Baptist Church met in secret by night, in the woods, on Black Mountain or rough rock. (…
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Added by Lynn Squire on October 21, 2009 at 6:05am —
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It didn’t matter where I went. It didn’t matter who I was with. The heavy robe of rejection and depression weighed me down, clutched me in jaws to strong to break free of. I was invited to a College and Careers Retreat with a friend. I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want to miss it either. I just felt so backwards, unsociable, unwanted. I carried a burden of guilt and grief no one was able to take away. Sometimes the big pipe organ at church wooed me out of it a little with the song, “Great is…
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Added by Joanie Ellsworth on October 3, 2009 at 11:13am —
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Ellen
I was lying in bed asleep. I had the humidifier on since I had been struggling with a bad cold. Over the noise of the humidifier, all of the sudden I was awakened to the sound of trumpets. The call was distinctive and repetitive. I jerked the cord of the humidifier out thinking I had lost my mind! The same call sounded out – do doo doo doooooo dooooooo doo…over and over for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only just a minute or less. I tried to tell Dan, my husband, about th…
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Added by Joanie Ellsworth on October 3, 2009 at 11:04am —
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Taking My Product to the People
In my
first post in this series I discussed how I placed my writing ministry under the authority of my church. Last post I discussed my writing ministry in terms of
product. Thi…
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 23, 2009 at 10:00am —
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Please accept my apologies, dear readers, for my absence last week. We had a family medical emergency that led to many sleepless nights and long days in three different hospitals. But I'm back now and ready to move forward.
Marketing a Ministry
In my previous post on writing as a ministry, I wrote about putting my writing under the authority of my local church. Using a business analogy, the leadersh…
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 21, 2009 at 12:42pm —
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Betwixt by Joan Ellsworth Boggs
I want to move on. At least I think I do. I want to just get on with my life. I think. I’m not exactly sure what that means. God has to be in it. If I seek to remain in the past I believe I would wither and die a slow death. I can’t stay there and yet I don’t know how to move forward. The desire to press forward is strong, but is it strong enough to overcome this perplexing ravine that I see ahead? Is what I want the same as what God wants? If I press onward what…
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Added by Joanie Ellsworth on September 19, 2009 at 1:50pm —
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"What of the bones that lay silent in the earth?"
He asked, "Do you believe?"
I answer, "Yes, I believe!"
Of long lost ones, bones long since dry, I hear Him declare - "They shall come to life when I give them breath. You will see! Loved ones lost from years ago - restored! You will see."
The clatter of bones, the witness is clear; The bodies assembling before your eyes!
Tendons muscle, then the skin, all but the Spirit, the breath of God.
Can you imagine?
Row upon row, like men lost in battle,…
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Added by Joanie Ellsworth on September 19, 2009 at 10:57am —
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What can you do?
Who do you know?
Got a penny?
What time is it?
Where have you been?
Are you my friend?
What time is it?
Is it raining?
Who am I?
Do I know you?
What can I give?
Will it be enough?
How far can I go?
What is your name?
Can we play a game?
Isn't life funny?
Is there ever enough money?
Has this gone on too long?
Could it be a song?
Why stop here?
Will one more question hurt anything?
Do I really want to find out?
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Added by Angie Hall on September 18, 2009 at 2:10pm —
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I was wrong. I was out of line. I was full of frustration and anger. I allowed all of my thoughts and disappointments to boil over, and having nowhere to release my emotions, I exploded.
When we keep our emotions bottled up, it can be disastrous. Like a pressure cooker of canned goods, we let off steam in order to release the tension that builds up inside. “Pressure cookers have a reputation as a dangerous method of cooking with the risk of explosion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_cooki…
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Added by Yvonne Olson on September 17, 2009 at 9:29am —
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If you want to know which cover will be used on my book, visit
Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful.
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 14, 2009 at 6:46am —
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I found this piece tucked away in a box when I was cleaning out my basement. I do not remeber writing it or the situation I was in when I did. All I know is it was written on a Bethel Christian Assembly stationary. Maybe you can make sense of what I wrote:
I was on a sea that was smooth as glass, green like an emerald, but as dull as salt water. The sky was bright white, almost yellow. Before me was a seventy foot long tunnel that was one hundred feet high. I was in a small canoe when I heard a…
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Added by Eric Lundberg on September 9, 2009 at 5:01pm —
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The subject of writing as a ministry comes up frequently on the ACFW main loop or other Christian writing loops.
But I've made it more personal. Since the first time I decided to take up writing as a career, the ministry aspect nagged me. No doubt I want it to be a ministry, yet it is often viewed as a business. How then can it also be a ministry?
Many verses, people, and incidents placed in my way brought me to my final conclusion. Whatever I do, I must do it for the Lord. Hmm. That sounds li…
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 9, 2009 at 10:28am —
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Come over to my blog,
Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful to vote on a new cover for my book
Best of Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful.
I'd love to know what you think.
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 7, 2009 at 7:00am —
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I recieved a phone call this afternoon from the editor of American Family Magazine. They are using my article for their October issue. The article is a do-it-yourself on how to remodle your front porch. It is only a 400 word article but quite informative. The editor did give me some good advice on breaking into the writing field. I am encouraged by this but also challenged to persue the craft at a new level. As a new writer I have alot to learn and a long road ahead of me. This small publication…
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Added by Eric Lundberg on September 5, 2009 at 2:02pm —
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Hey, if you like fiction and you'd like to join a fun blog carnival you should come join us at Friday Fiction. My post is a chapter a week from a novella I've written (see
Faith, Fiction, Fun, and Fanciful).
If you want to join, add your url and name to the McLinky at the bottom of Vonny's blog,…
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Added by Lynn Squire on September 4, 2009 at 12:48pm —
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Lately, I have been a bit overwhelmed with the prospect of facing an editor with a manuscript. Not worried of the rejection necessarily, but of having to start all over from scratch. So I have been praying and thinking of what I could do to start small. I figured writing a few small articles for a magizine might help me get my foot in the door of the publishing world. I was surfing through craigslist last week and came across an ad seeking writers to submit articles for an up and coming family f…
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Added by Eric Lundberg on September 3, 2009 at 7:06pm —
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I'm squeezing clean, soapy water from a dish rag into the George Foreman sponge. As I watch this liquid, I see Jesus squeezing and pouring His anointing into me. Therefore, it excites my soul and spirit!
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Added by Char on August 24, 2009 at 12:11pm —
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While chopping two Leeks for homemade leek 7 potato soup, some interesting thoughts come about. I notice a familiar aroma, so it's not an exotic vegetable.
It looks like chives on steroids and smells strong like onion. Maybe, God said, "let's have it super-sized.
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Added by Char on August 24, 2009 at 12:08pm —
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