Blog – Page 10

Not Just a Pretty Stack of Folders

November 4, 2015

I just made a trip to the office supply store for a new set of folders and two boxes of my favorite ballpoint pens. Don’t they just make you want to get busy and organize something? I love office and school supplies. They evoke the feeling of that first day of school every year during childhood when I would carry in a big bag of brand-new pencils, notebooks, rulers, paste, and other goodies, and then arrange them neatly in my new desk. (Never mind how the inside of the desk came to look after a few weeks.)

The reason for this most recent purchase was the need to corral the mounting stack of papers that keeps growing on my work table. Tired of riffling through piles, muttering, “I thought I put it right here,” I decided to whip those papers into order by categorizing them into labeled folders. I am aware that like the supplies in my childhood school desk, everything won’t stay put in these folders. There will be escapees, strewn hither and yon about the house.

No matter how foolproof my system may seem, when life happens, not every piece of paper will make it to its folder. And then there will be all those bits and pieces that don’t quite belong anywhere and up in the folder labeled “miscellaneous,” which over time will become fat and hard to find things in.

But the thought that hit me as I took the new supplies out of the bag and stacked them on the table was that no matter how appealing they look, they’re not doing a thing for me unless I unwrap them and put them to use. They have no value until I do something with them.

So it is with the many gifts God has give us – talent, money, time, resources, and information, as well as spiritual gifts. They’re not meant to be put up on a shelf and admired. He intended us to use them, and to enjoy using them to bless others. He says, “As each has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). So let’s be aware of the blessings God has given us and look for ways to pass the blessings on to others.

Pruning Needed

October 22, 2015

Writing a book is an accomplishment, but the work certainly doesn’t stop there. A couple weeks ago, I worked on what is called the “Review Edit” on A Widow’s Might where, after the editors carefully went over my manuscript and made corrections, it came back to me to either accept or reject each change. We sent it back and forth until we were all happy with it.

What a humbling experience to see what I thought was a nearly perfect manuscript come back with red markings all over it! Many changes were small, but others required some rewriting. In the process I had to give up some sentences or phrases I had thought were really good in order to make the message clear. While I didn’t enjoy seeing all those red marks and purple comments, I knew the editors and I were working together to produce the best, most readable book possible. So I accepted most of their changes, and this made the book much better.

The editing process is very much like the pruning of a vine or bush. As I worked on the manuscript, I thought of the scripture in John 15:1-2 where Jesus talks about pruning, saying He is the vine and the Father is the gardener who removes unproductive branches and prunes the productive branches so they’ll bear more fruit. This passage used to scare me. I thought it was talking about removing people from the Kingdom if they weren’t doing their job. But no, I think now that it means as we abide in Him, He removes activities and relationships from our lives that are no longer productive, and He trims and refines fruitful ones to make them healthier. He loves us and wants the best for us.

In Hebrews 12:5-11 we read about discipline. Although we don’t enjoy the process at the moment, the end result is well worth it: “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” I am very blessed to have editors who can spot the weaknesses in my book and get them out of there. And even more, I’m blessed to have a loving Father who prunes my life, helping me get rid of unproductive parts so what remains can be more fruitful.

A Book and its Cover

October 5, 2015

One of the questions I am asked most frequently these days is, “How are things going with the book?” The short answer is: very well. Praise God, who has blessed me with an editor who keeps things moving and is a joy to work with. Sometimes it can take a year or more from the time a book is accepted for publication until the finished product appears, but we’re moving along much faster than that! The proposed release date is February 2016, which will be here before we know it.

The process of getting a book from manuscript to the bookstore shelves involves many steps. I thought you might enjoy hearing about those steps. I did promise to share the journey with you.

The first step, once the contract was signed, was submitting the manuscript. Right as I was negotiating the contract, my daughter Julie suggested a change that involved moving some chapters around. This turned out to be a really good idea, so I had to do a little rewriting before sending it in.

I completed an editing form to help the editors get a feel for the message of the book. They began editing and proofreading as soon as they received the manuscript. Each editor goes through the book several times. While they were working on that, I found the photo of myself that I wanted them to use for publicity. I chose the one you see on my Facebook page, which was taken on the Alaska cruise ship, so I had to write the cruise line to obtain permission to use it. Because my publisher encourages authors to take an active role in producing and promoting the book, I wrote copy for the back cover (this is harder than it sounds!) and biographical information for the inside. I was also asked to find quotes from my book that could be used in the publisher’s promotional materials.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but cover design is very important. First, I went through thousands of photos on the two websites the publisher uses, searching for the perfect one. Their graphic designer does all the work of putting the cover together, but I had input into it, and the final say on the design. I wanted a picture that would convey the tone of the book. I had in mind Psalm 1:1-3, which describes a godly man: “He shall be like a tree, planted by rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.” This psalm forms the basis for my Chapter 2, “Spiritual Photosynthesis.” We decided on the image you see here, which contains all the elements: tree, water, and sunlight and depicts strength, depth, and joy. Would this cover make you want to pick up the book and see what it’s about?

Today I submitted what is called the first author review. This was my opportunity to see the changes the editors had made, and accept them or suggest other changes. There were a few parts where I need to do some rewriting or add more explanations. This is not disheartening; it’s just a part of the process. Now they’ll look at what I’ve done, accept or reject my changes, and propose other changes. The manuscript will go back and forth this way until we all agree on the final product.

My next steps while we’re in this editing process will be developing my Launch Team and looking for endorsements for the book. You’ll be hearing more about the Launch Team shortly, with an invitation to become a part of it and an opportunity to read the book before it’s published. I’m also working on lining up speaking engagements, and of course I’m having a lot of fun with my blog.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress. I hope you like the cover!

The Eclipse Behind the Clouds

September 30, 2015

Last weekend there was a lot of excitement over the coming Super Moon Total Eclipse, which also happened to be the fourth Blood Moon in a two-year tetrad, an event believed to have prophetic implications. My friend and former colleague Rich Koerner (www.richardjkoerner.com) took this beautiful photograph of the moon in the middle of the eclipse.

I am fascinated by the workings of our magnificent solar system and always look forward to an eclipse. The fact that scientists can tell us the exact second the moon will enter the earth’s shadow and come back out is amazing to me. This is possible because the positions and motions of the earth and moon in their orbits around the sun are predictable. Sunday night I was delighted over the early time of the eclipse, being able to watch without having to stay up half the night or set an alarm for 3 AM. The weather was nice, the sky was clear. What more could a person ask?

My favorite part is when the tiniest sliver of light becomes a mere point, then suddenly the light disappears altogether and the moon becomes an orange ball reflecting no direct sunlight. Red, orange, yellow, or even brown, it always looks amazing, seeming closer to the earth and very three-dimensional. By 8:45 the moon had dwindled to a narrow crescent. I went inside for a little while and texted my son and daughter to be sure they weren’t missing the spectacle, then headed back outside a few minutes before the really good part was scheduled to happen.

But alas! Instead of seeing the moon slipping into totality, I saw no moon. It simply wasn’t there! Clouds had moved in and were blocking the view. A neighbor and I stood in our prime viewing spot in disbelief. This cool, awesome thing was happening, we were out there ready to see it, and we were missing it. I was very disappointed to be missing my favorite part; nevertheless we knew the moon was right where it was supposed to be, in the earth’s shadow as predicted, even though we couldn’t see it.

We were about to go back inside and call it a night when we noticed some blackness in the sky moving toward where the moon was. Could it be? The clouds were moving away! Soon the fully eclipsed moon popped into view. Pondering the beauty and order of God’s creation, I thought of this verse from one of my favorite hymns:

Summer and winter, seed-time and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

I also thought of this scripture verse: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). The regularity and predictability of the moon and planets are constant reminders of the dependability of our Creator. He is faithful; we can trust Him. Like the eclipse behind the clouds, even when we can’t see Him at work in our lives, He is there. We can count on it.

By the way, if you missed this one, do not despair. Despite all the hype about the super moon, there will be another total eclipse visible from the U.S. in January, 2018.