Delayed Gratification

Delayed gratification. Or you may remember the idea as deferred gratification. These are terms you probably haven’t encountered in quite a while. Do you even recall what it means?

Thankful

Have you ever thought about what it means to give thanks? Wouldn't you be thankful rather than give it away?

A Teachable Spirit

I was nervous when I submitted my first story to an editor to be published in an anthology because I didn’t know if I was a good writer and because anything new is usually exciting and scary at the same time. Not only did I have no idea what to expect but, as any writer understands, I was super sensitive about this baby I had birthed, these words on a page.

How To Encourage Someone Who Is Hurting

Sometimes it's difficult to know how to help someone going through a painful season in their life. When my world as I knew it came crashing to an end, compassionate people met my needs in a variety of ways. Hopefully, some of the ideas below will help you show love and kindness to someone who is hurting.

George Muller's Incredible Trust

By Fran Lee Strickland @FranLStrickland

A few years ago I read a book that forever changed how I view money and God’s ability to provide for those who trust in Him. It is the true life story of a man who petitioned God through prayer to meet his every financial need. Before he became a Christian he attended seminary at the behest of his biological father because preaching was one of the best ways to make a good living in nineteenth century Prussia. Neither he nor his father believed in Christ so it was purely a decision to insure his future earning potential.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Mr. Müller documents his raucous youth and disregard for the heart of God even as he attended seminary. Eventually he realizes he at least needs to act as a Christian if he’s going to be a preacher. After all, it just wouldn’t look right to the congregation if he didn’t outwardly walk the talk. He writes of his many attempts to turn his life around through his own resolutions and the sheer futility of that struggle. After multiple tries  to be “the real deal”, he pretty much gave up on the idea. Soon afterwards he was introduced to a man whom he claimed was the first person he had ever seen pray on his knees. This humble act of submission and the man’s genuine commitment opened his eyes and heart to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and it became the turning point in his life. 

When George Müller began preaching in 1832 at Bethesda Chapel in Bristol, England, he was by then a committed Christian. To make a long beautiful story short, he determined not to ask any human being for financial sustenance, He would depend wholly only God. As a result, he decided to move the tithing box away from the front of his podium so he would be unable to see what each parishioner tithed. He did this because he did not want to bias his sermons toward those who gave more to the church than others. In addition, he instructed his deacons to pray each week about what his salary should be. He would be content with what the Holy Spirit led them to pay him.

Click to access Amazon

The book, The Autobiography of George Müller, is his daily journal of financial struggle and how God met every need. It is an amazing story of how Mr. Müller not only trusted God for his and his wife’s needs as they ministered to others, but how God prompted him to build orphanages for the children whose parents had died in the war. Before all was said and done, Mr. Müller built several orphanages and clothed, fed, and educated thousands of children without ever asking anyone for financial help and without going into debt. His only requests were in the forms of prayers. The donations whether they were money, food, clothing or other items sometimes came from acquaintances and sometimes from strangers, but they came—often just in the nick of time. He recorded daily each of the needs he encountered and how each one was met.


One of my favorite stories that he chronicles is about a sweet woman who contributed much of her inheritance to the church and orphanages. When she told Mr. Müller what she intended to do he sat her down and had a long conversation with her to ensure she had “counted the cost” of giving away funds she might need later to survive her twilight years. She responded that she would give five shillings more as proof of her decision to give cheerfully to the Lord. Meanwhile she sewed clothing to earn money for her daily needs. As a result of giving so much to the church she did indeed end up penniless when she was elderly having given up her luxuries and retirement fund so others could have food and shelter. When she became so feeble that she could no longer sew to make a living, she recounted God’s provision to her that was provided in the form of other people who stepped forward willingly and selflessly to take care of her without her ever having to ask for help. Her story, observed by Mr. Müller,  was a faith builder for a man who was trusting his own daily needs to Christ.

George Müller’s life has been an inspiration to many. Even today his legacy lives on through the George Müller Charitable Trust. The trust exists today to advance evangelical Christianity and to aid any disadvantaged persons including orphans. The trust receives donations by check or electronic donations online but never solicits or participates in fund raising activities remaining true to its founder's belief in prayer. I encourage you to learn more about Mr. Müller through his own autobiography, his other writings, and the links below.

Müllers                  georgemuller.org              Wikipedia - George Müller

I would love to hear who has inspired you with his or her unshakeable faith!

Money, Frugality and Stewardship

By Fran Lee Strickland @FranLStrickland

I like to generate posts that “entertain, encourage and inspire” so this month I want to offer encouragement as well as information on the subject of money. Not only do most of us need encouragement with money, we need information on how to make it, spend it wisely, invest for the future, and how to manage debt or avoid debt all together.

Since so many blogs are established on the subject already, there is no need for me to re-create the wheel so to speak, so I’m going to point you to other blogs that are already well written, well researched, and speak to everything from saving money to earning to sharing, all important aspects of the medium we use to barter for goods and services.

Like I said, there are hundreds of blogs on everything finance, both secular and faith based. So that you do not become overwhelmed, I have chosen five that I like because of their content, appearance, and simplicity. Four of them are faith based. I personally believe you just can’t beat biblical wisdom for money management because I have witnessed these principles work well in the lives of those who practice them. I’m still, even at my age, working to incorporate faith based tithing, saving, and debt management into my own life.  If I had heeded these truths early on in life, I would be financially sound now. But, it’s never too late to start! I believe if you are breathing, there is always hope.

• One of my favorite blogs on all things finance is Wisebread, Living Large on a Small Budget. There are articles about frugal living, budgeting, travel, entrepreneurship, making extra money, investing, and the list goes on. This is a secular blog with access to the Money Tips Network that seeks to provide informative money tips from trusted personal finance blogs of which Wisebread is one.

Wise Bread: Living Large on a Small Budget

• Another good resource for money management is Dave Ramsey. He is well known for the Debt Snowball Plan for getting out of debt. His website hosts several good articles as well as financial tools. He is also the author of the popular book, The Total Money Makeover. His is a rags to riches, back to rags, then back to riches story. I always figure if someone has been there, done that, and then gained control their advice is probably worth heeding.

Dave Ramsey

• I discovered the blog, The Frugal Girl, when I was researching stewardship of all resources, not just money and found a post directed to Christians about environmentalism. You can read it here: Dear Christians: It's Ok To Care About the Earth. I agree with Kristen that we should be very conscious of preserving the earth for future generations. Kristen also blogs about “wise spending, DIY, contentment and simplicity.”

The Frugal Girl

• I came across the next blog when I was looking for ideas of how to make extra money. The article I found can be read here: 50 Ways To Make Money. I really like the idea of roasting and selling coffee! The website for Bible Money Matters has a pop up that invites you to subscribe to its email. By doing so, you are notified when a new post is uploaded to the site. Otherwise, click through the pop up, and you have access to many well-written posts concerning all things money.

Bible Money Matters

• The site SeedTime Christian Personal Finance caught my attention because of the free finance lessons via email. I signed up for the Investing Basics Course. Immediately, I received an email with a checklist for the course which includes subjects from 5 Traditional and 5 Non-traditional Ways to Invest Your Money to information on Roth IRAs to Investing in Your Beliefs. The lesson titles intrigue me and I look forward to receiving the daily teachings. I also received an email outlining some lessons for purchase if I want to pursue further study in other areas.

SeedTime - Christian Personal Finance

My hope is that whether you are struggling financially, simply wondering how to make a little extra money, or seeking information on how to save for retirement, you will find encouragement and answers in the blogs I have shared. Be sure to look for my next post that will highlight a man whose life story forever changed the way I view my relationship with money and strengthened my belief that God can and will provide.

Before you go, I would love to hear from you. Did any of these resources provide guidance that was new information and did you find encouragement to help you become your own successful money manager?

Disconnected

Today I had a problem connecting to the wireless network in my home. The router seemed to be working, but my phone and computer refused to communicate even with cellular data enabled and I was frustrated at being disconnected from the world. I couldn’t check the weather, listen to my playlist, download a new app, check updates on social media, or post to my blog until the connection was restored.

I am naturally introverted so I tend to enjoy my quiet time, but after a while I get tired of me and long for interaction with friends and family who provide stimulating conversation and warm fellowship. This longing reminds me that humans are not designed to live in isolation and that we should seek connection with others, but we also need to step away from the world regularly and seek time with God.

People are not electronics and cannot stay connected to the world all the time. Overload can occur and frequently does with current busy schedules. This happened to Jesus after he heard about the beheading of his cousin, John the Baptist, and the crowds continually pressed upon him seeking healing. He realized that he was running on empty and needed to disconnect from the world for a while and spend time with God. Matthew 14:22-25 tells us,

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from the land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” (NIV)

The notes in my Bible indicate that Jesus stayed on the mountain by himself for six to nine hours. That is quite a long time! He spent much of that time in prayer and because of it he left the mountain refreshed enough to perform a miracle. His example shows us how important it is to take time to disconnect from the world to pray, meditate on scripture, and relax. Who knows? Perhaps we might, like Jesus, be refreshed enough by God to do something above our own natural strength?

How did Jesus disconnect?

• Found a quiet place with no distractions
• Spent time in prayer
• Guarded his quiet time regardless of the storm brewing nearby

How do you disconnect from the world and spend time with God?

Into the Darkness

By Fran Lee Strickland 

“As the people stood in the distance, Moses entered into the deep darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:21 (TLB)

My last post was entitled ‘Light Trumps Darkness’ and discussed how “all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle” and how Jesus’ light dispels the darkness. In light of that, pardon the pun, it may seem contradictory this week for me to talk about going into the darkness instead of moving toward the light.

In the verse above Moses enters into a darkness that is deep. I interpret this to mean that it is not a short period of time nor is it just a minor tough spot in his journey of life. I believe it is another turning point in his destiny to fulfill God’s will not only for his own life, but the life of many others. You would think he had already traversed his initiation into his destiny by gathering the courage to go before Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, to ask for the release of his people, the Israelites. If that were not enough, after the Israelites were released by the ruler of Egypt, Moses then led them to a place where his faith was again tested. Did he really believe God would or could provide a way for them to safely navigate the Red Sea to safety? I imagine Moses was sweating bullets as he stood at the edge of that water with a panicked, unorganized, emotionally and physically worn down, hoard of people.

And if that wasn’t enough, once in the desert with these now rebellious, grumbly people, he is appointed to climb Mt Sinai to seek the will of God. Again.

If God is light, then why does Moses go into the darkness to find him?

Light Shines Brighter In The Dark

One evening after dark my son and I waited for electrical linemen to arrive and access why we were the only house in the area without electricity. I lit a candle in the kitchen and we waited outside on the patio because without air conditioning the temperature inside the house was warmer than it was outside.

The flickering light of the candle in the kitchen flowed through the windows and onto the patio where we were sitting. I commented how much light that little candle was generating.

 My son said, “Light always shines brighter in complete darkness.” He wasn’t quoting a Bible verse, just making an observation, but his words reminded me of John 1:5 which the Holman Christian Standard translation says, “The light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness has not overcome it.” The New Living Translation puts it this way. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

And there is my favorite translation written by Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, also known as St Francis of Assisi, who said it this way.

 

         “All the darkness in the world cannot

extinguish the light of a single candle.”

 

Francis of Assisi

 

 The livescience.com website says that “if you were standing atop a mountain surveying a larger-than-usual patch of the planet, you could perceive bright lights hundreds of miles distant. On a dark night, you could even see a candle flame flickering up to 30 miles away.”

 The maritimenz.govt.nz website makes this comment in its history of lighthouses. “Peculiarly, the light which could be seen for miles by seafarers, was only just bright enough to read a book by inside the light room.”
 

 So how does this relate to us as writers?

The way I see it, as Christian writers the words we pen are flickers of light that penetrate the world around us. I find both comfort and encouragement in the Apostle John’s words because he tells us that a world which appears hopelessly dark at times will never be completely so because of the light that Christ emits through us.

 Livescience.com tells us that the Andromeda galaxy is made up of 1 trillion stars that are visible to the naked eye even though they are located 2.6 million light-years from Earth. That’s a long way! Francis of Assisi’s light traveled to us through 800 years as he continues to inspire us in his own words “to cherish those for whom Christ died.”

 Dear Writer, I challenge you to dispel the darkness with the light of your words!

 

Persevere To Reach Your Goal

I’ve been writing my first novel for quite a while now. Actually, long enough that those people close to me and who care, are beginning to think I’m never going to complete it. I admit it has been a more challenging project than I ever imagined. Some people seem to effortlessly churn out story after story, but I know there is no “effortlessly” when it comes to writing.

Writing is hard work.

It takes a lot of perseverance to complete a project as lengthy as writing a novel. So what exactly does it mean to persevere?

The definition of persevere is to stay steady on course through difficulties and obstacles.

Shortly after beginning the novel, my marriage slammed into a block wall and disintegrated. After picking myself up from that unforeseen disruption, I shook off the dust and debris, cleared my head, and continued to write and to study the craft of writing despite moving to a new house, raising a teenage son, and learning to manage my finances on one income.

Because I work full time in accounting, the weekends are usually the only time that I can write. If I lose writing time then it is difficult to make it up during the week unless I give up my lunch break and write, which I’ve done, or give up a couple to three hours of sleep to write, which I’ve done. Perseverance. It’s a painful, exhausting word. But it produces rewards.

I set out to write a novel, but in the process I’ve been drawn to other types of writing that have produced fruit along the way, one of which is this blog. Writing for the blog keeps my writing muscle strengthened and provides a way to communicate with my readers! And though I take time to write for this blog as well as pen a devotion now and then, still, I plug along on the novel, slow and steady, plotting, writing, re-writing, editing, and writing some more. Perseverance pushes me through the derailments, distractions, detours, and discouragements.

So how do you develop perseverance?

Connections

Ok. I’m pumped. I’ve just returned from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in North Carolina, and I’m ready to write, write, write! I am so grateful to have been able to meet and network with so many talented writers. It is soul soothing to be around people that get me. People who understand that there are always imaginary characters in imaginary settings running around in my head. They listen intently as I speak of stories that haven’t happened and never will except on the printed page. They agree wholeheartedly when I describe the wellspring of emotions that I experience on a regular basis as a writer. It is an exciting, exasperating journey and there is none other like it.

I fellowshipped with old friends and made some new friends. Cara, it was so fun to meet you in such a God moment way! Diana, thank you for the impromptu prayer you whispered in my ear. What a blessing you are. Elva, always you are my mentor and friend and inspiration on so many levels. God uses you in remarkable ways! Mary, I want to see those pictures! Edie, you are an amazing woman. Great conference! Ramona, you may not realize it yet, but you’ve just amped up my deadline. This first novel will be finished this summer! You’ve encouraged me, and I thank you for that. Yvonne, thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me to be part of your “Moments” series. Lori, though I don’t see you often, you are often in my thoughts, and I cherish your friendship. Beth, I know that your accomplishments are bittersweet because they are born of pain, but you, as the speaker said, have the unique opportunity to save lives. You will go far, my friend. David, this whole experience was so much richer because you shared it with me.

The list could go on, and on, and on. Connections. It is my belief that people do not cross our paths by accident. I learned several years ago that God places people in our lives at just the right time to encourage us, hold us up during tough times, help us heal or to enrich us. I value each connection I share with those who intersect with my life.

And if it were not for Lisa, I would not be where I am on this writing journey. Lisa does not aspire to be a writer, but she has an incredible gift of words. Four or five years ago, she was the friend that checked on me every single day during and after my divorce offering soothing words of hope. She prayed with me, listened to me say the same things over and over, and over and over until I got it all out of my system. She cried with me, wiped my tears, fought for my sanity and defended me whether I was right or wrong.

In the middle of all that pain, I shared with her my lifelong desire to be a writer. Next thing I knew, she started writing a story. Not to be outdone, I picked up my dormant manuscript and starting writing again. Somewhere along the way, she abandoned her story and picked up mine. She would read, re-read, critique, suggest, and help plot. She accompanied me to the first writing conference that jumpstarted my passion for the writer’s life, then she stepped back gracefully and let me run with it while she turned in another direction to use her beautiful words to lift up, pray for, and encourage others. Thank you, Lisa, for always being there. My sister by heart. For putting up with my moods and for calling me out when need be. Thank you for your encouragement and selfless friendship.

Do you have positive connections in your life? Do you believe you would not be where you are if not for them? If so, please join me in giving them a shout out so the world can celebrate with you!  

The End of the Rope

All of us have reached a point in our lives when we feel like we are at the end of the rope. In fact, I would say this probably happens several times over the course of one’s life. The past couple of months have been one of those times for me. It has not been any one thing that has caused me all the distress, but several relentless events that converged together at the same time with enough persistence to catapult me into despair. Grains of sand, Jentezen Franklin called them in one of his sermons, little grains of sand that alone would be considered inconveniences or irritants but several grains banded together in your shoes can wear the skin off your feet over an extended period of time.

And so, after a couple of months of lonely holidays as a divorcee, excruciating deadlines at my day job with long hours, the beginnings of a head cold, writing frustrations, and monetary shortages, I had a meltdown. Any one or two of these things would have been manageable, but all of them together left me exhausted, feeling hopeless, and lacking direction.

I am an accountant by day and a writer by night. This past Saturday I had to work extra hours on my day job because of a looming accounting deadline. Already burned out from the long hours for the past sixty days, I literally had to force myself to get dressed and move forward. I wanted to curl up in a warm place and sleep through the rest of the winter, but I pushed those thoughts aside and dressed for work.

Around lunch time a writing friend and mentor called to check on me. I didn’t mean to unload my burdens on her, but she phoned right when I felt like letting go of the end of the rope. She said, “Well, let’s just pray about this right now.”

She asked God to give me wisdom in my work and for my hectic schedule, specifically praying that I gain wisdom to see the big picture rather than wallow in the details. Definitely something I needed since I was buried deep in the details. I felt like a dog chasing his tail, stuck in an endless cycle that was going no where, frustration building to a frenzy.

My friend’s prayer was effective. By the end of the day I had a clear vision of how to handle the situation in which I now found myself. As I stood in the doorway of my office and surveyed the mess of papers strung out all over my desk and the floor, I asked God for his long range wisdom for my situation. Once I stepped aside and allowed God to infuse me with His wisdom, He revealed to me that pride clouded my ability to think clearly. Pride had kept me from seeking professional help in an area that I was supposed to be quite capable. I didn’t want to admit that I couldn’t figure out the problem myself, but once I realized pride kept me in this cycle of frustration, I began to formulate a viable long range plan for dealing with the time consuming problems that kept me in over my head. If I had sought wisdom earlier, I could have been spared much of the extra work and frustration.

Why do we always wait until we are at the end of our rope to cry out? It doesn't make sense, but as humans with short sighted mentalities, we hang onto that slippery cord as long as we possibly can. We stare downward into the abyss over which we dangle precariously in despair of what lies beneath before something causes us to look upward and send that signal for help.

Have you ever had a situation in which a prayer for wisdom helped you understand what was compounding your frustration? If so, please share!

 

 

Divine Moments

The dream in my heart has always been to write fiction novels that entertain, encourage and inspire, and for the past four years I have pursued that goal by putting one word after another onto the pages until sentences became paragraphs and eventually those paragraphs grew into a few chapters. And, yet, that project is still unfinished.

I look forward to the day when it is completed. The process has certainly given me a whole new appreciation for the meaning of perseverance, but in the meantime, God has steered me in a different direction, one in which I am writing more nonfiction than fiction. And, that's okay, because only He knows why and for what He designed me. I'm just the tool in His shed.

Earlier this year I was honored and so excited to be part of a project entitled Divine Moments, a compilation of true stories about God's amazing presence in our lives. The project was spearheaded by Yvonne Lehman and includes fifty stories written by thirty seven different authors. The book is a project of love and exhibits the passion each writer has for sharing the amazing power of God with the world. All author royalties will be donated to Samaritan's Purse, a Christian organization that provides spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.

And it is with equal excitement that I am looking forward to the release of the next book in this series entitled Christmas Moments that will be out in time for the holiday season. Like the original, all author royalties will be donated to Samaritan's Purse.

These stories weave a common thread which suggests that perhaps the only explanation is that God had a hand in it.

Do you remember a time in your own life when you felt God's divine intervention? I look forward to hearing your story.

The Not Knowing

 “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?”

Proverbs 20:24

Recently, a friend of mine related a conversation she shared with a co-worker about those times in our lives as a Christian that she calls the period of “not knowing.” It’s that moment or long pause or seeming eternity when we take a step of obedience to God but do not know where to go from there nor where it will ultimately lead.

The story I’m about to relate to you is not a biblical one, nor necessarily biblically sound, but it made me realize how we can’t always anticipate the impact of our choices to obey God.

You may or may not remember Joan of Arcadia, a television series that aired from 2003 to 2005. Joan was a modern day teenager who could hear God speak through various people that wandered in and out of her life. God would give her assignments that seemed to her offbeat or sometimes downright ridiculous. She struggled to understand what her part played in the task. She would ask God if she really had a choice whether or not to do what He asked. He always confirmed her freewill.

In Episode 4 of Season 1, God asked Joan to build a boat. Her response was, “I don’t know how to build a boat.”

“You’ll figure it out,” He told her.

Discipline and Destiny

After watching this lesson by Dr. Charles Stanley on the importance of developing discipline, I realize how important it is for us to practice discipline in all areas of our lives. As a writer, I am aware of how lack of discipline affects productivity. I hope you will be blessed by Dr. Stanley's words.


Discipline Determines Destiny

Writers - Develop A Relationship With Your Readers

Fran Lee Strickland

Writing fiction is more complicated than ever. Gone are the days when an introverted lover of words can just lock herself into a room and hammer out page after page until the two most loved words in a writer's vocabulary are typed..... The End. These days an aspiring writer, or even an established one for that matter, must interact with her readers along the journey. There is blogging to be done. Pins to be pinned. And status updates to be updated.

The writing should be the hard part, but I am quickly learning that it may very well be the easy portion of this journey. Technology today provides so much opportunity to meet the world while sitting comfortably in your living room. Stepping out from behind my page of words to greet the public is, to say the least, somewhat intimidating, but I am convinced that God gives us the grace to do what He has called us to do.

So it is with reservation, but confidence, that I'm taking classes on blogging, learning about self promotion, marketing, publicity, and making connections with published authors, editors, and agents. If you are passionate about being a writer and are seeking guidance about the steps you should take, from the actual writing to reader relationship, I would like to share some of what I've learned while writing my first novel. And, yes, I'm still working on it. Because of a full time career in finance management my writing time is restricted to evenings and weekends.

1. First of all, pray. Ask God to guide your words and to send the right people to help you along the way. He will. I am still amazed at the number of well established people in the industry whom I have met within the last two years.

2. Join a local writer's group. The ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) organization www.acfw.com has regional chapters all over the country. They are a wonderful resource for taking online classes, networking with other writers, and learning about writing opportunities.

3. Attend writing conferences. You will learn things you didn't even know you needed to know and your attendance will indicate to those potential editors that you are serious about your writing. Forking out dollars for the registration fee, accommodations and food shows you are willing to make the investment necessary to establish your writing career.

4. Join a critique group. Fortunately, my writing group, the  ACFW-SC Chapter, provides a speaker for each meeting but also reserves time for critique sessions. Having someone critique your work and give good knowledgeable feedback is invaluable. It will sharpen your skills.

5. Think about your platform as you write. Select themes and ideas from your story that you can use to create Pinterest boards and to blog about. Your readers will want to interact with you about the characters, settings, and ideas.

6. Learn to blog. It will be your form of expression. Your readers will get to know you and you will earn their trust. Reveal things about yourself. Let them know you are interested in them. What was it Theodore Roosevelt said? People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. For more information on managing the social media environment visit The Write Conversation.

Writing is a two way relationship. Long after you have penned the words "The End", the story preceding those words will linger in your reader's minds and they will have questions. After all, isn't that why we write? To stimulate the mind, entertain the senses and encourage our readers. In return they will motivate us to keep writing. How many times have you heard someone say, "I can't wait until her next book comes out". Can you imagine any more beautiful words?