READ: Review, FINDING HOPE FOR YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH BREAST CANCER by Yvonne Ortega
Breast cancer. It’s the diagnosis nobody wants. It’s the diagnosis an estimated 1.3 million women worldwide receive each year. And it’s the diagnosis doctors gave Yvonne Ortega back in 2001. A popular speaker and certified counselor, Yvonne practiced the writer’s version of “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” When life gave her cancer, she wrote a book. In fact, many of the sixty devotionals contained within the pages of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer were written during her treatment and recovery period. The book’s format makes it a perfect match for battle-weary soldiers facing their own cancer wars. Each devotional contains a “Hope Builder” (a single Scripture verse or brief passage), key verse (quoted in full for easy reference), and one- to two-page devotional that ends with a brief prayer. Since the book moves chronologically through the author’s personal cancer journey, readers will identify with many of the emotions, experiences, and challenges she faces along the way. Yvonne’s performed a great service in the brief yet meaningful format of each piece. Readers can read a little—and gain a lot. The book’s primary strength, however, lies in the transparency the author brings to her subject. Writers—especially those who write from the perspective of faith—often fall prey to the temptation to make ourselves appear godly, righteous, and holier-than-thou. Ms. Ortega’s honesty about her moments of despair and days of doubt both endear her to her readers and add credence to the biblical, practical wisdom she shares. Because of Jesus, there is hope for your journey through breast cancer. Because of Yvonne Ortega, there is an attractive, thoughtful, and personal way to find it. BONUS: Please do as I intend and share this book with a friend or family member who’s traversing the cancer experience. And watch for my interview with Yvonne, coming soon in the “Write” portion of this blog. Most of those who follow Read.Write.Pray know of the passion God’s given me for prayer. Do you know someone facing breast or another form of cancer? Share (first names only, please) in the comments so we can share prayers along with words. I’d appreciate prayers for my friend Sally—first on the...
read moreWRITE: Letter to a New Writer
When I volunteered to assist Brent and Deanna Higgins in telling their son BJ’s story (later published by Revell as I Would Die for You), I had a huge adjustment to make. Although I’d written and edited for years, I’d never attempted anything longer than an e-book. I barely understood the concept of a book proposal. And I’d certainly never attempted to pitch a manuscript to an editor or agent. Although I didn’t know much about publishing, I had a growing relationship with Christ. I’d gone from knowing about Him to meeting Him in relationship to a complete, ongoing surrender to His will and ways. I could catch up on the things I needed to know about publishing. But my walk with Christ came first. Nearly five years later, I’m still learning, still walking with Jesus. My steps often falter, but he keeps me close. An online writers’ group, The Writers View 1 (Less experienced writers meet as The Writers View 2) serves as one of my tutors. Twice a week, a panelist asks a question and our group of more than 700 professional writers has the opportunity to respond. Last week, author Mary E. DeMuth asked us to share our advice in an imaginary letter to a new writer. She’s posting my response on her blog today and I decided to do the same. Dear New Writer, Congratulations on a high and holy calling. Mark it as such. That gives you a foundation to return to on the days when the reviews burn, the rejections multiply, and the inspiration falters. Please, new writer, remember who you are is more important than what you write. Continue to grow your roots deep in God. And don’t forget—you live in a fallen world. Observe Paul’s admonition to consider others more important than yourself. As you live out this principle, your words, your relationships, and your writing will grow. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and you healthy. Discover the personal meaning of this commandment. Do your best to add rest and refreshment to each day. My friend, please take care of your family. When deadlines come or contracts impinge, make sure they know who matters most. When success comes your way, don’t wait for your relatives to celebrate you. Throw a party for them instead. Yes, new writer, I encourage you to be wise. Learn and practice your craft. Study the markets. Find and listen to mentors. But don’t pay more attention to the ways of publishing than the things of God. Run to Jesus, new writer, and live. That, more than anything, gives you something to...
read morePRAY: Love, Honor, and Pray
As a motivator, guilt works—sometimes. As a mom, I’ve used it more often than I should. But I also found that shaming my children into action didn’t work nearly as well as positive words, Scriptural admonition, or honest heart-sharing. Guilt has, at times, seemed like a great way to motivate my husband. And I’ve succumbed to that temptation far too often. But husbands (at least the one I know) also seem to respond much better to respect and loving encouragement than to rants of any kind. Action flows from positive relationship, not negative emotion. If I were going to give one piece of marital advice to newlyweds, it would be to institute early the habit Tom and I now have: praying together every morning and every night. God used prayer to draw me to Himself, and it has remained a vital force in my walk with Christ. As a newlywed, I longed to share times of prayer with my husband, but somehow, it rarely happened. We prayed more when we were engaged than in our early years of marriage. Busy work and school schedules, multiple places of employment, our first two children arriving ten months apart—you name it, we had the excuse. Deep down, I didn’t want to press my husband to pray because I enjoyed the leverage that not praying gave me. He was the “spiritual head,” so if we didn’t pray together, it must be his fault. How’s that for twisted logic of the not-so-spiritual kind? I’m ashamed to admit it, but that’s how my thinking went. Yes, we prayed with our children every night and most morning. We prayed at key times and for particular events. But as a couple, our times of genuine prayer together went begging. It took a time of pain to change us. Several years ago, in the midst of a season of seeming despair, a dear friend shared with us the Scripture I’ve quoted here before, “Neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12, KJV). My husband and I made the determination not to allow the enemy to take us down and out. We had experienced deep loss, but we were not going to lose our walks with Christ or our love for one another. Because we didn’t know what to do, we prayed—and cried—and prayed together. Soon, our act of desperation became a habit. And our habit fulfilled a need for new levels of marital intimacy. It’s hard to pray with someone when you’re harboring anger or bitterness. So if we choose to continue our prayer habit, we also choose to resolve any issues between us. We choose not to let the sun go down on our anger. We choose to view one another from God’s perspective. We choose to pray—and we choose to love. Today, when one or the other of us is out of town, we do our best to call each night and morning so we can continue our prayer habit. We find it a beautiful blessing and benediction to our days. How has prayer affected your marriage, a friendship, or other relationship? Have you, like us, changed your habits through the years? I’d love to hear your...
read moreWRITE:Guatemala Lessons–The Greatest is Love
(Vera, right, shares the gospel. Photo Credit, Kim Zubke,who captioned this “Evangelism Machine in Action”) I’d prayed for and about my roommate since I knew my summer plans included the SUSIE Magazine Never the Same missions trip. After all, I’ve had the same roommate since I married him twenty-seven years ago. How and with whom would God match me for the trip? During training, God gave me the gift of rooming with Shari Braendel, who also writes for SUSIE Magazine. This fashionista extraordinaire is also a beautiful woman of God who shared prayers, love, and laughter with her less than fashion-savvy roommate. Shari’s new book, Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad (Zondervan, 2010) is the Color Me Beautiful (and more) of the 21st century. Check it out! Once I reached Guatemala, God blessed me with a second roommate and another amazing woman of God. Vera Amaral is tiny, Brazilian, and filled with the love of Jesus. When I first met her in Miami, she told me about a divine encounter with a hotel staffer who later came to Christ. In fact, if you look up “evangelism” in your dictionary, you’ll find Vera’s picture. Vera doesn’t write. A devoted number-cruncher, she works for an insurance company. What could a left-brained, accountant type teach the right-brained, creative one about her craft? Plenty. You see, Vera lives her love for Jesus. Her warmth, hugs, prayers, and conversation reveal her passion for Christ and her genuine concern for people. She shares the gospel not because God commands it, but because she cares so much about those for whom he sent his Son. Because Vera cares, she shares. And because she shares, God uses her to win the lost. Busboys, hotel clerks, hospital patients, street people, and more all came to know Christ because she cared enough to tell them. Because Vera cared, she had stories to tell. As I watched and prayed through some of her divine encounters, I realized that her passion for people must become mine. No matter what creative words or significant stories I may have, without love—genuine love, Jesus’ and Vera’s kind of love—my words become a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. Vera, thanks for the lessons in evangelism. You’ve trained and mentored many as you use the incredible gifts God’s given you. And thanks for the professional tips, too. I bet you never thought of yourself as a writing teacher. But guess what? Jesus knew. I’m so thankful he placed us together for those amazing ten days in Antigua. Because of your example, I’m never the same—and neither is my work. I love...
read moreREAD: Review, D.I.V.A.S. OF THE DIVINE by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert
Godly divas? Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But D.I.V.A.S. of the Divine: How to Live as a Designer Original in a Knock-off World (Henly Publishing, 2010) does not promote the traditional diva lifestyle. Instead, this combination workbook, Bible study, and journal provides readers with creative tools to build joy, balance, and accountability into their lives. As a pastor’s wife, I’ve seen the lack of these three elements in others’ walks with Christ as well as my own. In particular, accountability often goes missing from our overfilled, disconnected lives. D.I.V.A.S. (the acronym stands for Devoted Individuals Via prayer, Accountability, and Spiritual Growth) ensures that factor through a built-in component. The book’s first chapter encourages readers to find an accountability partner and offers four different ways to support and maintain such a relationship. The book consists of eight weeks of study that contain five sessions apiece. The authors recommend thirty to forty minutes per day to complete the daily devotionals. Each day’s study is also divided into three components: Devoted (Scripture reading and study of the week’s topic), Individual (a place to record personal insights and answers to questions) and Via prayer (pray and/or write out a prayer). Weekly group study is also encouraged as a part of the accountability/mentoring process, and a downloadable leader’s guide is now available from the publisher. McCrary and Holbert, both certified Christian life coaches, bring a personal yet professional touch to their work through the use of positive illustrations, creative questions, action plans, and exercises designed to move readers from observation to action. Jesus tells us, “For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20). Where two or more study D.I.V.A.S. of the Divine, they will find Him in their midst, rearranging their hearts and lives to fit His purposes. Want to know more? Check out the authors’ website or that of their publisher, Hensley...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
