Friday Update: By Grace, Chosen to Serve

Paula Wiseman — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:08:50 +0000

What am I writing? I finished the draft of Contingency and submitted the summary and first chapter to a contest. The prize is having an agent look at it. I’d be happy with some positive feedback. I’ve also begun working with Amanda on plotting the next book. I’m not going to start the actual writing until next month at the earliest.

What have I learned? No online geek stuff, but I’m learning MediaShout. Our computer master at church upgraded us, so if I have hopes of getting VBS on the big screen, I need to get a handle on the software. So far it’s fairly intuitive, but I’ll be building my cues this week.

What am I reading? Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah. He intertwines the story of John Newton and his tremendous hymn with Paul’s life and writings especially from Romans. He covers what grace means for us past, present and future. I think we have a decent grasp of grace’s role in our salvation, and how it results in our eternal life, but we’re less clear on what it means for us to walk in grace each day. I never cease to be impressed/amused by Dr. Jeremiah’s knack for alliteration. His chapter titles- The Captivating Presence of Grace, The Converting Power of Grace, The Comforting Provision… The Confident Promise… The Continual Praise… and five more! The book fits well with Max Lucado’s In the Grip of Grace. Both of these make me want to go back and read The Grace Awakening by Chuck Swindoll.That may be my favorite book.

On a side note- we got a pool pass this year, so I envisioned reading by the pool for an hour or two a day… Thanks to a mild, wet summer, it ain’t happened. So like the addict I am, for every book I’ve read, I’ve bought 2 or 3 more and have made NO headway on my stack. Oh well, maybe next week.

What has God taught me? In 2 Chronicles 29:11 Hezekiah encourages the priests and Levites “…do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him…” The Lord has chosen me… me… chosen by God. Okay, this was not new information, but a refresher never hurts. God doesn’t just save us because it’s a nice thing to do. He saves us for a purpose, for some kingdom work of eternal significance. Nothing I do (for Him) is wasted, no matter how small it may seem to me. God says to me, “Now, do not be negligent… Don’t sit on this grace, on this calling. Fulfill all that I have for you.”

Friday Update- Catching Up

Paula Wiseman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:10:08 +0000

What am I writing? – After incorporating the changes Mary DeMuth suggested for my opening, I’m proofreading then entering Contingency in a contest. The prize is a look at the first chapter by an agent. After this, I’m taking the rest of July off. (We’ll see how well I stick to that ) The next project looks like Claire and Mike Jamison’s story. Claire was Nick’s attorney from the 5th book, and she was a scene stealer. Her ex-husband Mike, left her for another guy and she turned all her hurt and bitterness on him in divorce court. As this story opens, their oldest daughter is getting married and she wants her father to give her away. How will Claire deal with this and with facing Mike again? It has the makings of a great one. I hope I can capture it all. Interestingly, the book that has stayed with me the longest is the story of Doug and Cass’ struggle with his Alzheimer’s. That’s the one that constantly runs through my head even now.

What have I learned? – No geeky stuff this week. I was too busy catching up. However, if you Twitter, I will recommend the new and improved Mr. Tweet. Refollow helps organize your followers with a slick interface.

What have I read? – One of the glorious things about vacation was that I got to read a book a day! I finished The Great Influenza. In the 1918 pandemic an estimated 50 million (!) people died. Adjusted for today’s population, that would mean 1.75 million deaths in the United States. Now consider the Tribulation when 25% of the people succumb through disease or famine or war. That’s 95 million people, just in the U.S. It causes the mind to reel.

Next, I read Karen Rabbit’s Trading Fathers. It’s memoir about learning to trust God after her father molested her. She describes the freedom and healing that come in forgiveness and in turning things over to her Abba Father to deal with. A tough topic but she treated it with frankness balanced with sensitivity.

The Mom Factor by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend is a look at how our mothers impacted us. I enjoy reading these kinds of books, not just for myself, but they are invaluable when I build characters. I grabbed tremendous insights for Nick and his mother when I get to rewriting Stolen Blessings.

Sin, Pride and Self-Acceptance by Terry D. Cooper was not what I expected. It is a summary overview of all the theological viewpoints of what man’s greatest sin struggle is. Is it pride or is our inability to approach God rooted in our inability to accept ourselves? I’m old school, so I agreed more with the ‘pride’ people, but it was good to read a balanced, thoughtful treatment of all sides. I felt like I was in seminary that day. I need a good brain workout like that.

In the Grip of Grace is an old Max Lucado book that I bought for a dollar. It’s a conceptual overview of the first eight chapters of Romans. There’s very little sermonizing, and much more explanation and application. It would be a great introduction for new Christians or for someone mentoring new believers.

Finally, I read Soul Repair by Jeff Van Vonderen and Dale and Juanita Ryan. This book was really the heart of what I wanted to accomplish on my trip. They introduce four types of damage done to our spiritual selves, whether it be spiritual abuse of authority, addiction to the ’stuff’ of faith, trying to single-handedly bring changes in the lives of those around us or spiritual anorexia where, for whatever reason, we have difficulty receiving from God. They also invite us to examine the distorted images of God we may have developed. They offer several steps toward rebuilding genuine intimacy with the God of the Bible. I highly recommend it.

What have I learned? – In Soul Repair, there was a look at the parable of the prodigal son. I recently taught that on Wednesday and in Sunday school. If God brings something in front of you that many times, He’s trying to say something. The story is so rich in meaning and there are so many lessons we can take from it. This time, I realized I have a lot in common with both sons. I could feel how awkward it would be to be the guest of honor at the banquet the father threw. Everyone, all the friends and family knew what the boy had done. Did they welcome him as the father did? Were there uncomfortable moments between the boy and the other guests? The father didn’t care, though. He lavished his love on the boy. That’s what the young man (and I) needed to focus on. But then I’ve also accused God of not providing things I never asked for, just as the older boy did. I’ve harbored bitterness over a host of perceived slights that existed only in my mind. I need to hear the father’s words to the older son. “All I have is yours.”

Sage Words » Max Lucado

Friday Update: By Grace, Chosen to Serve

Friday Update- Catching Up