The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. **Mark Twain

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Are you Afraid to write?

We all have dreams. There are things we want to accomplish for ourselves and for God. It's exciting when we start the journey of writing. We have a wonderful idea and we know that it will bless or encourage or even teach readers more about God.

As you begin to write you visualize the reader and his current mood. Perhaps you stop to watch the news or read an article in the paper. You realize how militant some people are. You understand that the words you have just put on paper will incite some people to attack you. You try to remove anything negative or offensive to anyone but as you refuse to take a stand, your writing looses it's strength.

In his book, Against the Night, Chuck Colson writes, "I believe that we do face a crisis in Western culture, and that it presents the greatest threat to civilization since the barbarians invaded Rome."

We serve a God who commands us to trust Him. Even when we face the "spirit of the antichrist," we need not fear "because the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world." I John 4:3-4

We need to pray all the time (Eph. 6:18) and be strong in the Lord and in his might power (Eph. 6:10) knowing that Jesus has already won the battle.

Pastor Samuel Namitiiti from Uganda stayed with me the last few days on his way to the Mt. Hermon Writer's conference. He was telling us about how his church was surrounded by Idi Amin's soldiers and how they machine gunned the church for over 30 minutes. He told how one young man stood and blew his trumpet during the entire time and how all the people prayed. After the shooting stopped not one person was hurt. Even with glass flying all around and bullets piercing different pieces of furniture no one was hurt.

Horrified, I asked if he was afraid. "No. I was concerned about what might happen to my family or what I was going to face - but I was not really afraid. You see, I realized that I am not a creature of this world. I am an eternal being with an eternal home. What happens in the span of this journey is inconsequential to the thin moment that separates me from my heavenly home. It's but a breath that takes me from here to there. Here is the test....there is the reward."

Wow! I can never say it enough - authors.....we can and MUST change the world.

Acts 18:9-11

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

God loves you and has called you to write,

Debbie

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