Who are You?

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Baby Boomers, Getting Older, Getting to know you, New challenges

I’ve always heard; the older you get… the faster time goes. I didn’t believe it until I got – older.
At the fast pace we’re living today you might not take time to do what you want most to do. Do you even know what you want most to do?
Each tomorrow brings new challenges that demand your attention. But don’t leave yourself in the dust? Don’t forget you.
Life is a learning process from beginning to end, and our priorities change as the circumstances we find ourselves in, change. Many decisions must be made daily
Do you know who you are? Do you have a life goal you’re striving for? Something you always dreamed of, but thought you could never accomplish?
Don’t sell yourself short. Get to know you… the real you. The one God knows.

You have to know who you are before you can know where you want to go.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

What Happens When?

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corresponding, following Thunder. Making schedules, time lines

Making everything happen when it’s supposed to in your book isn’t always easy.
This is called “the time line” and I’d suggest you actually sit down and make a schedule month by month of what you intend to happen from the beginning to the end of your book.
If the book is covering a summer, everything needs to happen within four months. That is if you live in a part of the world with four seasons. Make the weather correspond with the activities. If the book is longer, don’t forget to have them dress accordingly as the weather becomes colder.
I had a terrible time keeping track of the wild Stallion Thunder in Thunder on the Wind. If it was a cool day Thunder would have his herd in Spring Valley; a grassy area surrounded by the mountains of Colorado. But, if it was really hot, he and his herd would be in the hidden meadow: a secret place inside Lazy Mountain; so named because it looked like a giant rock lying down. The main character ( a young boy of fourteen)was spending the summer at a place for wayward boys called Still Meadows Ranch. He and another one of the boys staying there was trying to figure out a way to capture this wild Mustang. So the weather would dictate where they would have to search.
If you can’t keep track of things, when you know what’s going on; imagine what a hard time those reading your book will have who don’t?
The smallest of details must be included without making the book boring.
Sound impossible? It’s not, if you keep good records of when things are supposed to happen, and follow it carefully.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

Excuses, Excuses

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Be willing to serve, Excuses for not serving, Serving Jesus, Striving to serve

There is no excuse good enough for not serving our Lord.
I’m too old, I’m too young. I can’t do that – I WON’T do that. I’ve already done that… twice! I’ve never done it that way before, and I don’t intend to start doing it that way now.”
Believe me, God has heard every excuse in the book, from the first one in the Garden of Eden, when Adam said, “That woman you gave me made me do it.”
But, once we chuck all the excuses why we can’t, and start embracing the many reasons why we must, the hole in our soul will be filled.
Sounds like I have this God thing pretty down pat, huh? Well, you can write anything on paper. All Christians are striving to grow in their faith and it will take an entire lifetime to become the person God wants us to become.
Mark Twain once said, “A person who can read, and never picks up a book, is no better off than one who cannot read at all.”
I think it’s the same with Jesus Christ: “Those who know Him, and don’t serve Him, might as well have never met Him.”

Living Water
It matters not the vessel
from which the wine
is poured.
But only that its contents
be used to serve
our Lord.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

The Decision

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becoming a millionaire freelancing, disilutionment, giving up, making money

Don’t expect to make a million dollars your first year being a Freelance Christian Writer.
Does that statement shock you?
I probably shouldn’t be quite so brazen. Just because I haven’t done so, doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Actually, I’m sure there are many who have become rich freelancing. I’m just not one of them!
I intended to make money when I first started out. But reality sunk in quite quickly.
My first book I had published was a children’s book entitled Frizzeldee’s Catastrophe. It didn’t sell very well, and I was never more hurt and disillusioned. I even entertained the thought of giving up writing altogether.
Then I needed to decide if I wanted to serve God and keep receiving ten and twenty dollar checks, or quit and receive none.
My mother called this cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I decided to keep serving God and not fret about how much money I was or was not making.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

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how to make a difference, Jesus as Master, John 13:16

Did you know you were created to make a difference? No one on this earth is here by accident.
Every one of His children has been given different gifts, and if you’re thinking you’re gift is too small to make a difference; nothing could be further from the truth.
Not many of us will part the red sea, hear God speak from a burning bush, as Moses did or be asked to build an ark as Noah did in Biblical times. But count on this. What you and I have to do is just as important to our Heavenly Father. Because He has a plan and we play a major part in that plan. We’re all children of the King and that alone makes us more important than we can even imagine. Not a haughty importance… a humble importance.
I have learned a mighty lesson through the pain and joy of being an author. The lesson I’ve learned is this; don’t love the gift more than the giver.
John 13:16 says “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than His Master, nor is a messenger greater than the One Who sent him.”
Treasure the gift you’ve been given never forgetting the One Who gave it.
We can make a difference.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

The Gift

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Being Forgotten, God's unseen power, Impossible Dreams, Writing Careers

Many times throughout my writing career, I’ve felt forgotten by God; like I was hanging by a mere thread to an impossible dream. I feared it was merely a delusion that I’d been called to share my Lord, with a thirsty world through the written word.
At these times, even though months had passed since I’d written anything; and longer since being noticed by an editor, I’d write something that totally blessed my soul. Or two articles in one month would be accepted for publication.
I know this is God’s way of showing me His hand is still upon me and the gift I’ve been given.
Isn’t this just like life itself? We often feel the stark hand of reality causing pain and confusion and we’ve been set adrift on the stormy sea.
At these anxious times Our Heavenly Father allows us to see a sunset that takes our breath away. Or the early morning dew on a previously unnoticed rose right outside our front door. Then we’re reminded anew of His undying love.
God isn’t the silent unseen power we so often fear Him to be.
His hand is guiding, His arms enfolding and His very breath is deep within us.
Enjoy!

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

When you feel forgotten by the Lord – search for answers in His word.

In The Beginning

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accomplishments, healing, Miracles, the first step

Don’t put off writing a novel just because you don’t have the entire book figured out in your head.
Just as the longest journey begins with the first step taken; the longest book begins with the first word written.
My book Stranger at my Table was more than three quarters finished and I hadn’t the slightest idea how it would end.
It needed a miracle ending… a believable miracle ending, and I didn’t feel I could do it.
It turned out I was right: I couldn’t. But I trusted God and having no idea in which direction I was heading; began writing. He guided my pen so quickly I could hardly keep up and the book concluded with true love doubted being the final victor.
God can and will heal all pain on paper and in life if we allow Him.
Because you see, He knows the beginning, the middle and the ending of every single story – including yours and mine.
Let Him write it.
Lend Him your pen for a lifetime. He’ll always dot the I’s and cross the T’s making your story finish with the miracle ending you alone could never accomplish.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

God puts the words into our hearts; then to the world our pens impart

Mighty is the pen, or Brush

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loving to write, the arts, the writing market

I guess I’ve always been interested in the arts. As a child I always dreamed of being an actress. As a teen I wanted to be an artist able to paint beautiful pictures. I don’t believe either will happen, however, because I’m not good at being anyone else and I can’t paint a stick… unless someone holds it real still.
I’m not saying I would rather act or paint than write, because if I were to stop writing, I believe I’d stop breathing.
No matter how long it has been between times I see a friend, the first question they ask is, “are you still writing?’ There have been times I’ve wondered why I am. Life is hard enough without adding rejections to the daily mix.
But, over the years things have definitely improved.
I like to keep a lot of things before the editor’s eyes and try to keep at least one hundred things out at a time.
When I first started writing, out of the numerous things sent out, I’d be fortunate to have three held for consideration. And out of those three maybe one would see print. Today possibly eight will be held and considered. And out of that eight five might be published. It varies from year to year, depending on the market. I average three or four sales a month, and there are many variables. Sometimes an article won’t see print even if it has been purchased.
I love writing, though, even if there are many what ifs and maybes.
And, who knows, perhaps one day I’ll pick up a brush and paint more than the living room.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

The Reason Why

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emotions, gifts, grace, Holy Spirit, hunger, mercy

I’m asked often why I write. Sometimes I wonder myself. A lot of effort, time and emotion go into each piece. Some things are written before my pen hits the paper. Other things take a longer time to come to fruition.
I guess the reason I write is to bring others to the realization that God is the sole creator of life and His Son Jesus Christ is Who He claims to be, the Holy Spirit is the third part of our Triune God and Heaven is for real.
My web site is entitled For His Mercy and Grace because I know without those two ingredients my life would not be complete.
One time I received a letter from a man who said he was planning on committing suicide until he saw one of my poems on top of a few magazines delivered to his cell. He read my poem and decided he wanted to live.
My fifteen-year-old Granddaughter has read all my books and told me they made her cry. The parts that made her cry were the ones in which I cried as I wrote them. Robert Frost once said, “No tears for the writer; no tears for the reader.” My writing has many tears shed over it; I pray not only mine.
There you have two reasons why I write, but I believe the actual reason is known only to God Who gave this gift to be shared with a hungry world.

For His Mercy and Grace
For His mercy and His Grace
has afforded me a way.
To share this love He’s given me
each and every day.
By seeing a promise in the sunrise -
joy behind each tear.
No matter what I’m facing…
His mercy makes things clear.
I can see beyond my understanding
to a place where blood atones.
Covering my transgressions
with Grace and Grace alone.

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

“Putting on paper what lies inside; is a treasure God gives for the author to find.”

Patience

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asking for patience, Does God answer prayer?, first prayer, queries

My first prayer as a new Christian was; “Lord, give me patience. So … He made me a writer.
From the very beginning patience was required at every turn. Whether waiting for the response from an editor on a poem sent out or hoping to receive the okay to submit a book from a query. A query is simply a short letter describing your book and asking whether a certain publishing house would be interested in seeing the entire manuscript.
It would take forever to hear from them it seemed, and often I’d hear no response whatsoever. I’m sure there were many reasons for this, but in my mind it caused anxiety and even anger at times. Why didn’t they at least let me know? As a new writer, I hadn’t written many things and I’d only have three or four things sent out at a time, and each poem, article or whatever written was watched for daily.
I can’t tell you why some places don’t respond, but I’ll just bet they’ve become busier over the years with the many more writers today and hundreds of pieces of work they receive each month. Today, I have written over one thousand things and try to keep two hundred different items circulating at all times. I know I’m busier today, and I’ve lost some of my own things “in the cracks” so to speak. This makes it more understandable when I don’t hear from an editor.
Having many things out at the same time is a blessing because even though they’re more difficult to keep track of, I hardly notice when I don’t hear from a certain editor right away.
It’s fascinating being a writer, and I don’t believe I’d want to live my life without the enjoyment I know daily because of it.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Does God answer every prayer?” Just ask for patience. On second thought, don’t. He does!

I write 4 Him,
Marcia

A writer speaks through her pen; listen with your heart.