READ: Review, The Plan a Woman in a Plan B World by Debbie Taylor Williams
Cancer diagnosis. Financial reversals. Death of a child. Job loss. Marital betrayal. We plan for few—if any—of these situations. So what do we do when they confront us? Author, speaker, and Bible teacher Debbie Taylor Williams tackles this question and more in her new book, The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World (Leafwood Publishers, 2010). Powerful stories, personal examples, and sound biblical exposition fill the pages of this practical, inspirational volume. Williams begins with the accurate premise that, in a fallen world, reality’s hammer often shatters our crystalline dreams. Down-to-earth and sympathetic, the author offers her readers no excuses. Instead, she suggests ways to transform life’s Plan B into the abundant life God intends for every believer. In “Live Out Loud,” the book’s extended first section, Williams avoids pat answers as she helps readers tackle what she calls “land mines” (wrong thinking) and replace them with the truths of Scripture. Two brief final sections cover the importance of both relationships (“Love Out Loud”) and humor (“Laugh Out Loud”). One chapter contains a complete set of discussion starters, thoughtful questions matched to each chapter that are ideal for either individual or small group consideration. As I wrote this review, a power outage shut down my computer. It lasted mere seconds but caused me to readjust my schedule as I waited for the computer to restart and the programs to load. This minor Plan B served as a tangible reminder of the unexpected changes our lives often include. The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World helps prepare readers move from groans to grace—and victory. What about you? Have you lived as a Plan A woman (or man) in a Plan B World? What has God taught you through the Plan Bs? Let’s...
read morePRAY: Prayerwalking: The Secret of My Success
My tongue-in-cheek title makes me smile. Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean success in material terms. And I’m the least likely person to point to any spiritual successes. The title came to me this morning while I was (you’ll never guess) prayerwalking. Prayerwalking is in some ways a secret because, except for any neighbors who frequent this blog, people don’t realize I’m doing it. To anyone else, I’m one more homemaker out for her morning constitutional. And actually, prayerwalking started that way for me. I knew I should walk or do some form of exercise every day. When my children were small, I found ways to accomplish that in the house (they still groan about the Stormie O’Martian exercise video). But about ten years ago, God allowed me to start a near-daily habit of prayerwalking. (I say “near” because I rarely prayerwalk on Sunday, and I sometimes miss other days, too). Prayerwalking was also a secret because, for a time, God kept its value secret from me. I thought I was out there for the exercise. He knew my spirit needed work and refreshment as much as my body did. Before too many weeks of regular walking, I found my mind wandering. Eventually, it wandered to the people and situations for whom I needed to pray. I knew God had called me to be a knee in the body of Christ. I already thrived on multi-tasking. Why not use my exercise time as a time for intercession, too? I didn’t—and don’t—take my prayer list along with me. I simply walk and allow God’s Holy Spirit to bring people and situations to my mind and heart. I almost always start with prayer for family and close friends or coworkers. But often—as happened today—God lays someone on my heart about whom I’ve not thought for a while. It has become my joy to lift each one before Him. Sometimes He allows me to see a part of the reason I was praying, sometimes not. I enjoy praying for the people I pass in my neighborhood, too. Those construction workers on the corner don’t realize I’m praying for their safety, their marriages, and their job security. The students headed for the bus stop don’t know I’m lifting them up as they face the challenges of their day. The success? I have a healthier body and (arguably) mind. I know the heart of God more and more. God has used this time to teach me new things about Himself and about my living, growing relationship with Him. I get to join Him in His work. And yes, He often gives me a new insight for my writing as I prayerwalk. In fact, as I shared with beginning writers this past weekend, if I’m stuck in a paragraph or passage, I often leave my office and put on my walking shoes. When prayerwalking combines with prayerwriting, God does amazing things. Have you tried the discipline of prayerwalking? Or has God allowed you to combine prayer with another area of your life? Comment back to me. I’d love to hear the secret of your...
read moreWRITE: The Accidental Ghostwriter, Part II
As promised (after a short break while I traveled and taught at the Quad-Cities Christian Writers’ Conference—more on that another time), I’ll answer some common questions about ghostwriting. I taught a ghostwriting seminar at the conference, in fact, so I should have more than enough questions and answers to share. How did you get started ghostwriting? For this answer, I’ll refer you to Part I of my “Accidental Ghostwriter” blogs. I call myself an “accidental” ghostwriter in the sense that I did not pursue this particular niche of my professional life. I also believe that God was intentional in this process and that there are no accidents as our lives are surrendered to him. Why would someone want to use a ghostwriter? I could answer this question in several ways, so I will. People use ghostwriters for a variety of reasons. Some don’t have time to write their books themselves. They have a busy speaking, ministry, and/or business schedule. They’ve learned that their time is best spent doing what they do well. So they pay me (or another ghostwriter like me) to do what I do well—write. Others have the desire or time to write but not the ability. Perhaps they can’t write or organize their thoughts at all. Perhaps they can write, but not at the level traditional publishing requires. In today’s competitive market, publication requires both a large platform (potential market/audience ready to buy your book) and excellent writing. The authors I serve usually have the first. And with my assistance, they can have the second as well. Isn’t ghostwriting dishonest? That’s probably the stickiest question of all. My answer would be that I see nothing dishonest about my side of it. The author contributes his or her work/story/message, and I provide the writing. Our contract states what (if anything) I can say about my contributions. If someone else wrote a book for me, I’d want to put his or her name on the cover (generally as a “with” or collaborative writer status). But the authors I serve don’t always have that choice. Many entities are involved in a book moving from Point A to Point B, and neither the author nor the ghostwriter is the ultimate decision-maker. I rest in God’s sovereignty and authority over all. My friend and mentor Cec Murphey’s reputation and experience now allow his name to appear on the cover of every book he ghostwrites. But that wasn’t always the case. For now, I’m content to know that the books I’ve written would not exist without the authors I serve and their message or ministry. I don’t want to take anything away from them. Ghostwriting has helped me grow spiritually as I’ve laid down the right to take credit (in some cases) for my work. God owns it all—and I don’t think he’s concerned about either my reputation or his own. How do you find ghostwriting clients? I don’t. God brings them to me. In the case of Brent and Deanna Higgins (the authors whose book I Would Die for You began my ghostwriting journey), God showed me the value of the potential in their son’s life and writings. I offered to do whatever I could to help them without knowing I’d end up ghostwriting their book. Since that time I’ve never...
read moreREAD: Review, Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky
I’m a big fan of our local library. Although our family owns more than our share of books, we have the privilege of reading many others that we find on our regular trips there. My husband brought home the one I’ll review today. He didn’t know I had longed to read it, although the words “Christy Award Winner” may have caught his eye. Enjoy my review. You can find the book at this Amazon link, wherever Christian books are sold. And who knows? You may discover it on your next library visit! Click. The camera closes in on a woman in a hospital bed. The tubes and machines indicate that she’s fighting for her life. But is she? Click. A man waits at her bedside, remembering. Click. A college friendship blooms into the love God planted long before. Click. The pain of a genetic curse of blindness deepens with the revelation of past secrets and present betrayal. These scenes—and many more—make Beyond the Night the stuff movies are made of. We follow author Marlo Schalesky’s camera of words as she records the love-memories of Paul and Maddy. Through vivid description, realistic dialogue, and judicious use of flashbacks, she unwinds a story that combines the power of enduring love with the angst of hidden wounds, the depth of true-to-life characters with a page-turning storyline. The imperfections of Schalesky’s characters help us identify with each one. Their tender, tangled relationships remind us of our own lives. And the book’s surprising, hope-filled conclusion draws us back to the essentials. At times, the author said a little too much. I wanted to draw my own conclusions about Paul and Maddy, and she made most of them for me. But I find that a minor flaw in a work that delighted and inspired me. I hope to read more from Marlo Schalesky and look forward to my next opportunity to look through her multifaceted...
read moreWRITE: The Accidental Ghostwriter, Part I
(REMINDER: Read and leave a comment with your email address on my previous post, “READ: Words of Comfort for Times of Loss” for two opportunities to win!)“What kind of ghosts do you write about?” Someone once asked me that question after she heard that I was a ghostwriter. Some of you know that although my business cards say, “Book Doctor/Writer/Editor,” quite a bit of my work is ghostwriting. What does that mean? I write for others. I take their messages or stories (via interviews, printed or audio materials, or a rough manuscript) and turn them into books. Their names go on the covers, mine (generally) doesn’t. I prefer the term “collaborative writer” since I wouldn’t have a book to write without the author’s message, and he/she wouldn’t have a book to sell without my writing. But true collaborators generally share cover credit. So far, I’ve been more hidden than not–hence the “ghost” part of the term. A friend wrote the other day to ask another, more common question. “Why do you ghostwrite? Why don’t you just write on your own?” Because so many people have asked me this, I decided to turn my answer into a blog post. I ghostwrite, first of all, because God has led me to do so. I call myself an accidental ghostwriter because I never set out to become one. I’ve loved to write since my early childhood (I blogged about that in February). After I came to know Christ in college, he told me he’d use my writing someday. That’s why I went to seminary for a theology degree and took as many writing classes as the school offered (one). As a pastor’s wife and homeschool mom of five, I then took a long hiatus from publishing. I kept writing and writing because writers write, but I didn’t pursue publication. From 2000-2005 my writing dream took a more visible form. I wrote and published a number of homeschool articles and sermon illustrations. A dear friend and professional editor mentored me as I took on some editing work. But I knew God wanted more, and I prayed about my next steps. In August, 2005 I became involved in a prayer project for a young man who was critically ill. The day he died, I volunteered to help his parents get his passionate message of surrender to Christ out in any way I could. I had no idea what that would entail, but that offer became I Would Die for You (Revell, 2008). This project is the one that has brought me all the rest. It became a Young Adult bestseller, earned back its modest advance, and is now in its fourth printing. I’m so grateful God used me to help extend this young man’s story and message. Today, I ghostwrite because: a. I believe God has equipped me for this work. b. I enjoy serving others who have a message or ministry to share but lack the ability to write effectively. c. Ghostwriting allows me to do what I love to do. The authors I serve have people who want to buy their books, and God has given me the ability to write them. Together, we make a great combination. And finally d. Ghostwriting has helped build my writing resume and brought me an...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
