WRITE: Florida Christian Writers Conference; Jerry B. Jenkins Reception
I mentioned in an earlier post that dyslexia has influenced my approach to writing and life. I’m not dyslexic, but one daughter and other friends are. I’ve learned a great deal from them and have found that the backwards approach provides unique perspective. Perhaps that’s why so much of my writing life has come about, well, backwards. I was writing when I could barely read. I was published before I knew anything about submissions (my teacher did it for me). I wrote book proposals and then books for authors and CBA publishers without following the typical steps of the publishing world. This Thursday through Sunday, I’ll complete a step I wish I’d taken long ago. I’m about to attend my first official writers’ conference! The Florida Christian Writers Conference (FCWC) is held annually at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, less than thirty minutes from my home. I had planned to go last year but a book deadline (for the books mentioned in my previous post) kept me at my computer. I’ve planned to attend other conferences in other years and cancelled those as well. My husband and I decided I would attend the FCWC this year no matter what. I had planned to commute, but God and a generous friend provided a scholarship for room and board. I know my Father has great plans for me there. I look forward to the things he will teach me. I look forward to the relationships I’ll build. I look forward to hearing from old friends like Cec Murphey and Eva Marie Everson along with others I hope will be new friends like Angela Hunt, Nancy Rue, and Jerry Jenkins. I’m interested to hear from Jerry especially because he has spent much of his life doing what I do now—and much more. Word Weavers, the local Christian writers’ group to which I belong, will host Jerry at an afternoon reception this Sunday, March 7, after the FCWC ends. For details, see the attached flyer. Jerry will speak about the craft of writing and the work of the Christian Writers Guild. Word Weavers will offer door prizes along with a reception and book signing. Join us! And please pray for me as I attend the FCWC. I’ll be the one taking the backwards approach—and watching for God at...
read moreREAD: Introducing Sexy Christians and the Sexy Christians Workbook
Today’s a special day. It marks the release of two books by some people who have become my dear friends. Dr. Ted and Diane Roberts of Pure Desire Ministries International have an amazing conference ministry along with wise teaching that flows from years of pastoral and counseling experience. And yes, I have a professional interest in these projects, too. Here’s what Ted says in the Acknowledgments: “Marti Pieper took our simple literary efforts and transformed them into something God will use as an instrument to heal thousands of marriages.” I was blessed to assist these authors and, although I can’t review the work, I do want to share the covers and official descriptions with you today. Congratulations, Ted and Diane! For more information, check out their website at www.sexychristians.com or www.puredesire.org. PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS: Sexy Christians: The Purpose, Power, and Passion of Biblical Intimacy and the Sexy Christians Workbook by Dr. Ted and Diane Roberts (Baker Books, 2010) “Sexy Christians.” The phrase sounds like an oxymoron, but God never intended it to be. Sexual fulfillment is, in fact, God’s idea. Yet many Christians seem to think the more spiritual they are, the less sexual they will be, and the more sexual they are, the less spiritual they will be. Dr. Ted and Diane Roberts want to turn this thinking on its head. Readers will learn why men and women see sex differently, what the greatest aphrodisiac is, and how to avoid the most lethal killer to a great sex life. The authors also explore what men’s and women’s sexual needs are and why they are so different, what sex is all about from God’s perspective, and what the differences are between male and female sexual response cycles. End-of-chapter questions encourage couples to apply the book’s principles at home. Readers and groups can go a step further with the Sexy Christians Workbook. Loaded with additional content, this workbook is designed to challenge couples to explore the rewarding work of...
read morePRAY: Legacy of Faith
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to share about the legacy of young missionary BJ Higgins, the subject of I Would Die for You (Revell, 2008). As I began, I mentioned a dear friend who went to be with the Lord this week. When I think about prayer, the first person on my mind and heart is Anne Clary Nigels. Anne was a wife, a mother, a grand- and great-grandmother, a teacher, an artist, a comedienne, and especially a prayer warrior and faithful disciple of Christ. When our family first came to Fort Johnson Baptist Church in Charleston, SC, people kept telling me, “Oh, you need to get to know Anne Nigels. You’ll love her!” For some reason, it took us several months to meet (it’s a large church with multiple services). My friends were right. When Anne and I met, we became instant and forever friends. We spoke often because of our mutual leadership in the prayer chain. And we prayed together often—over the phone and in person. Even after our move to Florida, we stayed in touch and never had a conversation that didn’t also include a prayer. What did Anne teach me? I can think of at least a few lessons. •LOVE GOD: Anne had a passion for the things of God. If I dropped by for a visit, I usually found her on her couch or on her back porch, God’s Word in hand. She studied the Word, she knew the Word, and she taught the Word. If you knew Anne, you knew that Jesus came first. •LOVE PEOPLE: I’ve never met a woman who loved her family more. When they triumphed, she rejoiced. When they hurt, she cried. And when her beloved husband Mac died a few months after his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, she grieved. But Anne’s love spread far beyond her family. Everyone who knew her experienced the warmth of her heart and the personal interest she took in their lives. •JUST PRAY IT: Anne not only received prayer requests—she prayed. Her rule was that if you wanted to become part of our church prayer chain, you had to be willing to pray out loud when a need was shared. This bothered some people, but Anne didn’t care. She taught me by example to pray passionately, fervently, and immediately. These days, I’m much less likely to tell someone, “I’ll pray for you” and much more likely to pray over them right away. That’s to Anne’s credit and God’s glory. •KEEP PRAYING: I don’t think it ever failed. If I mentioned a need she and I had discussed months before, Anne would say, “Oh, yes. I was just praying about that!” and ask for an update. She had an entire half-bathroom plastered with pictures of missionaries so she could remember to lift them and their needs before the Lord. Anne not only talked about prayer—she lived it. •IT’S NOT ABOUT ME: I never saw Anne point to herself or her reputation. In grief, she saw God’s mercy. In sickness (Anne had lupus and other physical issues) she found ways to point to God’s glory. She never met a stranger, and her many friends testify to her consistent efforts to draw them closer to the God she loved so much. •HAVE FUN: Anne took God...
read moreWRITE: My Writing Journey, Part 1
Someone asked it again last night: “How did you get into that type of work?” The question referred to my work as a collaborative writer. I responded with the short version (shared in my professional bio. under “About Marti” on this website). I’ll share the long version here. As I also note in “About Marti,” I’ve been a writer most of my life. I believe God designed me this way. Perhaps he gave you an ability to paint, draw, build computers, or fix cars. I have none of those skills—but I received the word gene in full force. My earliest stories and poems came about in second grade. Mrs. Esther Frederick was the wonderful, kind teacher (I called her my “grandma teacher”) who encouraged my work. For one of her assignments, every student studied a particular animal. Our finished projects all included clay sculptures, crayon drawings, and research reports printed on giant sheets of lined manuscript paper. With Mrs. Frederick’s blessing, mine also contained a section of original poems about my chosen animal, the chipmunk. I record one of these gems here in its entirety: Run, little chipmunk, run fast. Or Mr. Fox will get you and your babies will not last. Run, little chipmunk, run fast! The amazing part about this early effort is not that I could write well (I couldn’t—at least not yet). The amazing part is that my teacher saw the value of my potential. She never pointed out my coloring or sculpture deficiencies. Instead, she emphasized what I could do. She was the first person in my life who praised the way I put words together. She cast into me the vision that I could write so that, as early as age seven, I considered myself a writer. My story begins with a God-given ability and a grace-gift of encouragement from a wise teacher. When I teach others, including my children, I hope to affirm their abilities in the same way Mrs. Frederick did mine. Who encouraged you to develop your abilities? What gifts or talents showed up in your childhood that you still exhibit today? Comment back (here or on Facebook) to continue the conversation. I’ll continue my story in the next “WRITE”...
read moreREAD: The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin (Abingdon Press, 2009)
Did you ever anticipate something so much that you feared it would disappoint you? I wondered if I had done that as I turned the first pages of this book. I knew the author had a distinctive voice. I knew it was a “village” story in the tradition of Miss Read’s Fairacre or Jan Karon’s Mitford novels. I knew it had at least some relationship to prayer. And I knew it had received high praise. All this meant I was more pleased than surprised to find the book among the New Books at our local library. After all, Library Journal named it one of the top five Christian titles of 2009. Half-excited, half-fearful, I snatched it from the shelf. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow failed to meet my expectations. It surpassed them in ways I’m not sure I can articulate. How could I have anticipated a novel whose heroine, resident of a former funeral home, weighs more than 600 pounds? How could I have expected one small story that combines codependent relationships, lingering childhood wounds, and the obsessive hungers of love and hate in such an intriguing way? I don’t know quite how she did it, but Magnin drew me into the world of Bright’s Pond—and kept me there. The relationship between sisters Griselda and Agnes Sparrow perplexed and enthralled me. The complexity of all her characters, in fact, moved them off the page and into my heart. When trust broke and an idol fell, I mourned. But I also celebrated Magnin’s skill as an artist and skillful teller of truth. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow mixes the power of prayer and the frailty of human relationships in a readable, believable, humorous, and horrifying way. Magnin’s amazing debut novel caused me to examine what I believe. It also caused me to consider the impact of my own woundedness, seen and unseen. Visit Bright’s Pond soon, but don’t carry your expectations with you. This book, like the town’s celebrated Full Moon Café, carries a full menu of original, delightful treats. Take the time to read—and to savor—each...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
