YOU  HAVE  SOMETHING  TO  OFFER!

It has been a while since I have been on here. There has been a lot going on in my world that I will be working up to share about. There is a lot going on in everyone’s world I am learning! That is why there is so much for people to write about!  I love that people use their experience, strength, and hope to  create topics for books, whether it be fiction or nonfiction.

Have you ever thought about writing a book? You have something worth saying! I have heard it said that we are to write what we know. There is a lot of power in that. Everyone has a story. By telling our stories, we can help others to know they are not alone in the things they have experienced.  Or if your life story is based on a unique adventure, you will give others courage to step out of their comfort zones.  Don’t shortchange yourself. Make a list of the things you have experienced in your life. Maybe you have traveled to several places that most people haven’t. Perhaps you come from a large family or maybe you are an only child. Both of those would offer unique circumstances and challenges. Have you experienced tragedy or gone through physical challenges? What are  your interests or talents? Draw on all of those things. Can you see how they can all be used in nonfiction AND fiction writing?

I want to also encourage you to write what you DON’T know.  We run into this a lot in fiction writing.  Writing what you don’t know forces you to do some research. There is a lot of fun in that! In fiction, you are creating new worlds! New people are being introduced along with new neighborhoods, new environments, maybe even new planets. New ideas and concepts are entering the scene allowing for a variety of problem solving skills.  I watch movies and am in awe of the creativity of the problems and solutions laid out for the characters.  Think about some of your favorites. I would love to hear about them!

I have made some beautiful connections from around the world through the words I have written. Some projects force you to be very vulnerable, but keep in mind there are people that are going through the same things and don’t have words of encouragement at their fingertips. You could be that lifeline for them.  I have friends on Facebook  who live on the East Coast, in Australia, England, and Africa.  I would never have met one of them if I hadn’t been brave enough to put myself out there.  We may not be close enough to go have coffee together, but we are connected through the heart. We have something in common.

My hope is that you would have the assurance to know that you have something to offer.  I love helping people on their writing journeys. I have written this today to let YOU know that you have a connection now to help you on each step of  your writing process.  I love how this person wrote a book about things to write about! So perfect!

A few of my friends and I love to create opportunities for new and seasoned writers through the Idaho Creative Authors Network. We love to start the year out with a one-day Writers Retreat and that is coming up on Feburary 15 at The Learning Lab in Garden City. It is a great time to get away from all the distractions at home and come and spend the day focused on our writing.

So be strong, be brave, and write on!

Visit us at Idaho Creative Authors Network

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The Taboo I am Willing to Talk About

There is a topic that is constantly discussed on radio and TV talk shows. The topic has strong supporters and opposers. I will drop a few hints for you:  it is a topic that affects 1 in 4 women IN  THE  CHURCH.  In the United States alone it has involved 1.37 million in a year. Hitler’s horrific impact actually pales in comparison to the results of this topic.

I am sure you have guessed the subject by now.   Abortion.

Here is the thought I have been pondering. As wide spread and as loud as people seem to get about this issue, why is it not talked about.   Did that just sound like a complete contradiction? Let me explain. Politically, people will take a stand. Groups of people have no problem getting together with their signs to protest one way or the other. Churches will preach their belief  on the topic. But when it comes to one on one interaction with these groups, people all of a sudden have something else to do. Why is that?

We live in a time that people seem to be in such a hurry. Maybe it has always been that way, I don’t know. What I do know is that people seem to be afraid to look each other in the eye. What do you think the basis of that fear is? Are we afraid people will tell us the truth if we provide a safe place for them to open up? Are we concerned that we won’t be equipped to handle the things they tell us? Are we afraid that person will have to be another one we cross off our friend’s list because they don’t quite measure up to those with whom we choose to associate? On the other hand, why don’t we volunteer information and let people really get to know us? Why don’t we look people in the eye? Are we worried about judgment and rejection?  Are we naïve to think we are the only ones to experience certain things? Are we afraid we might have something to offer and it will take us too far out of our comfort zone?

Abortion is a touchy subject, no doubt. However, it is one that needs to be discussed. We have young women in our schools and our churches that are finding themselves in difficult circumstances and don’t have anywhere to turn. Statistics show that 74% of women who choose abortion state that it is for social reasons, namely they feel it will interfere with school or work.  These women/girls do not have a support system willing to come alongside them.  We have women in our churches that are hiding their secret, afraid of being judged. They may go for years, living in torment because they feel there is nowhere safe to turn.

We have to start truly ‘seeing’ people. If we could find the combination to the safe behind the eyes of people, we could enter a dimension that nobody has ever visited. Countless people (men and women) are hurting, entangled in the chains of their past and are aching to be set free. You could be the one to help them!  Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and open up about this topic? If you know somebody who has been involved in this decision, are you willing to extend love to them and help them heal? If you are one who has made this decision, are you willing to break your silence and save lives?!

I am going to be doing a series of blogs discussing the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of abortion. Many lives are lost due to this act, but many minds are forever tormented following this decision. Please invite people to this site or send them to the following links. Thank you for wanting to make an impact! 

http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Behind-Eyes-JoEllen-Claypool-ebook/dp/B00FD65ZTM/

https://www.facebook.com/TheSecretsBehindTheEyes?ref=hl

Honestly?

I just finished reading Phil Callaway's book, To Be Perfectly Honest. Phil's editor had challenged him to live a full year being completely honest with everyone about everything. His biggest fear was whether he would be happily married by the end of the year. This Christian humorist writes in the style of a daily journal. There was not a page that I read that I was not laughing. The only time I cried was when it was over. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a book so much.
Through this experience, not only did the author get honest with family and friends but also with himself and God. He became very transparent with his anger towards God for the illnesses that his loved ones were experiencing. Although the experiment proves difficult at first, in fact he had to start over on day two, he realizes that living a lieless life is possible and has decided to extend the project for another 72 years.
You will appreciate the honesty and the humor in this book. It will really make you examine your hearts and realize how dishonest we really can be in our daily situations. In fact he feels he learned to lie in church of all places. He explains that when somebody came up and asked how he was doing the HONEST answer would have been "Well, I'm lusting, gossiping and lieing......and enjoying all three" but instead he gives this answer "Oh just struggling to get through the book of John, Brother."
You will live with him through this year as he tells how he deals with the jokes, that really aren't funny told by people at church (to laugh or not to laugh - what's the honest thing to do) , to the heathens he golfs with , to the random email scammers and how he witnesses to them. You will be absorbed with every word of this book.
What are your thoughts? Is there a time that lieing is acceptable or do we just justify it .

*Disclaimer of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Multnomah Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. These opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255.

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