My Words, His Gift to Me

First of all let me say I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Easter and I pray you took the time to remember the true meaning of Easter. I enjoyed my Easter I helped out Mrs Cheryl with the kiddos yesterday I truly enjoy working with her.

This is of course my writers blog but I would not be the writer I am without my faith.  The good Lord gave me a gift for words and I pray that I use those words for his glory.  Whether I am writing fiction or nonfiction I want my first question to be "Am I writing something that is pleasing and glorifying to the good Lord?"

I came across a verse in Psalm 45:1
Psalm 45[a]
    For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b] A wedding song.

 1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
   as I recite my verses for the king;
   my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Life is full of writing opportunities and ideas and I find the ideas all around me my kittens for one have got me to thinking about reworking a children's book I wrote when I was 16 called Timmie the Kitten.

I think we as writers and readers tend to look at the world around us and allow ourselves to get lost in thoughts and story ideas and that is a good thing but as a writer I do not want to get so wrapped up in the story that I forget the one who gave me the gift.  I do not ever want to forget Jesus's sacrifice on the cross.

I want to close this entry with Matthew 28

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

 ¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.  ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
 ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
 ⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

 ¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

 ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

He Was and is Truly the King of the World

The other day my focus was on Palm Sunday but now Easter is approaching and I wonder how many of us take the time to reflect on Christ's sacrifice on the cross for us.  Now tell me how many of the other so-called God's have Sacrificed the Way, Christ sacrificed for us.

Even Easter has become a commercialized holiday in which so many have taken Christ out of it.  Easter should be a time for us to reflect on what Christ has given us and on the sacrifices that took place near Galilee.  Our Savior the King of the world was treated worse than a common criminal yet he endured this for us.

I do not want to lose sight of the true meaning of Easter and all that Christ sacrificed for us.

Good Friday marks the death of Christ but on Easter Sunday he rose again.  So we are not only memorializing his sacrifice more importantly we are showing that with his resurrection he proved without a doubt he was and is the Messiah.

Luke 23

 ¹ Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
 ³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
   “You have said so,” Jesus replied.
 ⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
 ⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
 ⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
 ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
 ¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” ^{[17] [a]
 18} But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
 ²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
 ²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
 ²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 ²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then    “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
   and to the hills, “Cover us!”’^[b]
   31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
 ³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
 ³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
 ³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷ and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
 ³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
 ³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
 ⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
 ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[d]”
 ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

 ⁴⁴ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”^[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.  ⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

 ⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.  ⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

As our children prepare to open Easter baskets and enjoy chocolate bunnies let's not forget to remind them that Easter is not about baskets of candy I see nothing wrong with them as long as we do not lose sight of the true meaning.

God bless love Michelle

What Are We Celebrating

Palm Sunday April 1, 2012

What Are We Celebrating

As Christians we celebrate Palm Sunday to memorialize Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We tend to forget what this season is all about.  We lose sight of what we are truly celebrating.  This season represents everything Christ did for us while we were yet sinners.

Jesus not only died on the cross for us but he endured three days in hell for us.  Now tell me if any other so-called savior would do such a thing. 

Matthew 21: 1 as they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent to disciples, 2 saying to them “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once he will find a donkey tied their with her colt by her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them and he will send them right away."

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,

see your King comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks for Jesus to sit on.  8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  9. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosana son of David !"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

11 The crowds answered "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Did they realize that Jesus was much more than a prophet.  In fact he came to this Earth in human form to die for our sins.

We live in a much different time and place than Jesus did, some things are universal and have no time for age.  Just like in the days of Christ we have people hungering for so much more than what this world has to offer.  So many of our young people are trying to find ways of instant gratification instead of  seeking out Christ.

Perhaps if we as Christians have the fire that our forefathers had we would see a different outcome.  Our children would know what we're truly celebrating when we celebrate Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Writing in Shades of Hope

I know I made a vow to myself to blog more often, but here I am in the midst of a new project, Shades of Hope, a young adult Christian Novel, dealing with overcoming not only disability, but other issues as well, more painful than even a disability, because I felt the good Lord calling me to do this.

I may not have been blogging as often as I should, but I have been writing, and have nearly sixty pages on Shades of Hope, and am passionate about what I am writing about, that in itself is important right?

I try to write at least two thousand words a day, sometimes more, and sometimes less, but I generally try to write a chapter, and two thousand words I feel is a good chapter amount for a young adult book, that is dealing with as many painful subject matters as Shades of Hope, because I do not want to spend to long focusing on one thing, nor do I want to spend two little times.

As a Christian Writer, I try to make sure I write nothing that would allow others to question my faith, but I do tend to deal with painful subjects, some may say are even taboo, but in a way that shows the light of the Lord, shinning in the end.  I try to teach my Characters a lesson, and show them the importance of leaning on Christ, but I am not perfect, and I do have my faults.  I may not be the greatest writer but I think of myself as a good writer, not because of anything I do, but because the Lord so often moves my pen.

1 John 1

The Incarnation of the Word of Life

 ¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our^[a] joy complete.

Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness

 ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[b] sin.

 ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Hope In Writing

Why do I write what I want, why do I stive to make all my stories, no matter how serious or dramatic they are, portray a Christian message?  The answer is simple, our Hope, is in the Lord, and I want to share that in a creative way.  The Lord gave me the gift of words, so shouldn't the words I write, glorify the one who gave me the gift.
“then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”” Acts 4:10,12 NIV
I do not try to write in such a way that makes you feel like I am cramming something down your throat, because I know from experience that more than often does not work, but I can not write in a way that compromises my faith either.  I write in a way that I find works for me, my stories are creations the Lord has given me some mysteries, some more dramatic, and some inspirational, but my words are my gift from the Lord, and my words are my gift back to him.
As a writer the greatest compliment I could get is to have someone say that a story I have created, a character who came from my imagination has touched their lives in some way.  I am sure many of my fellow authors feel that way as well.  As novelists we want our stories to be believable, while being fiction.
In Christs Love
Michelle~

Make Money Writing Interview With Janice Hanna Thompson

Please note book does not go free until Monday-Friday, thank you...

In Christs Love

Michelle

Janice Thompson/booksbyjanice@aol.com

Welcome, Janice. Can you tell us about your latest venture?

Thanks for having me. I’m thrilled to share about my latest book, MAKE MONEY WRITING, which is now available from amazon for kindle users. The book, which is loaded with helpful hints for freelancers, is free from March 12^th – March 17^th. After that, it will sell for $4.49.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your writing experience?

Sure! I write under the names “Janice Thompson” and “Janice Hanna.” I just signed contract #79 (For QUEEN OF THE WAVES) and have written in a variety of genres, including romance, historical, contemporary, cozy mystery, juvenile fiction, non-fiction and more. I’m best known for my light-hearted contemporary novels and for my quirky characters. I’m pretty passionate about writing, and even more passionate about helping others discover their writing talents and abilities. For the past seven years I’ve worked as a full-time freelancer, earning my living with my books, teachings, articles, and write-for-hire work.

Why did you decide to write this book?

For several years now I’ve divided my time between freelance writing and teaching. So many aspiring writers discover that I’ve published several books and they come to me to ask the inevitable, “How do I get published?” question, usually followed by, “Is there really money to be made in publishing?” Over the past couple years I’ve put together several freelance writing courses to answer their questions, but I felt the need to do more, so I compiled all of my mini-teachings into one book.

Will readers get all of the same materials they would get in one of your courses?

No, the courses are very specific to their individual topics. MAKE MONEY WRITING covers a variety of areas of interest to the freelance writer, including: earning top dollar, magazine article writing, write-for-hire work, writing the novel and/or non-fiction book, the submission process, succeeding as a freelancer, and more. The book is not a textbook. Instead, it is motivational in tone and focuses on offering encouragement to freelancers and giving them basic tips for success in each of the areas listed above.

Can you tell us a little more about the book?  

Sure! It might make more sense to share some of the chapter titles because they will give you an idea of some of the topics readers will find in the book.

Earning Top Dollar

Jumping the Hurdles

In the Beginning. . .the Writer Set Goals

What Industry Pros are Saying about Goal-Setting

Write. . .for Hire!

Revolutionize Your Writing

Girls Just Wanta Have Funds

Double Your Word Count in Two Weeks

Cash in on Magazine Articles

Sync Up

Freelance Lingo

Stop, Drop and Roll (Adding the Crisis Scene)

From Mii to Wii (learning how to incorporate the “we” factor)

Make ‘Em Laugh

Elevating Your Elevator Pitch

Seven Days to Better Writing

Five Things a Writer can Learn from American Idol

Got Moxie?

Becoming a Public Speaker

Writers are from Mars, Readers are from Venus

. . .and much, much more!

What other projects are you working on?

I’m currently writing QUEEN OF THE WAVES, a novel set aboard the Titanic. Very compelling story, I must say! And I’m tickled about my upcoming release, Wedding Belles.

You mentioned your courses. Can you tell us what’s going on in that world?

Yes, thanks for asking. I’m tickled about the recent release of my Non-Fiction Writing Course. I recorded this course in the studio several months ago and had a blast doing it. I’m convinced this is the most comprehensive package I’ve ever put together. Non-Fiction writers should be able to take this course and find some degree of success building their platform, writing short pieces and fully developing a non-fiction book. There’s even information on how to pitch (and ultimately market) the non-fiction book.

Here are the ten topics within the course:

From Magazines to Books: Building Your Platform

Understanding Non-Fiction Book Types

Best Selling Topics

Compiling Your Information (Braiding the Book)

33 Tips to Strengthen Your Writing

Incorporating Fiction Techniques in Your Non-Fiction

The Submission Process

Making the Sale (Includes all aspects of the contract/sale/edits/production)

Marketing Your Book

How to Stay in the Game

As with all of my courses, this one is available online at www.freelancewritingcourses.com. 

How can readers get the free kindle book?

They can follow this link to amazon: http://amzn.to/yBeVBh. The book will be free from March 12^th – March 17^th and will revert to is usual $4.49 price after that.

Janice, how can readers reach you?

I love to chat with my readers! To learn more about my books, visit:

www.janicehannathompson.com

To learn more about my writing courses, including my new non-fiction course, visit:

www.freelancewritingcourses.com

Facebook: JaniceHannaThompson

Twitter: booksbyjanice

The Stories We Tell

I was doing a google search for Young Adult Christian Novels dealing with young adults who inspire despite having a disability, and I wanted fictional stories, but I am afraid I did not get many hits, so I started thinking about Sienna's story, and knew this is what the Lord was telling me too.

I have learned more in the past few weeks as an author, because I have been studying more,  and  I have been praying over what I write as well.  Sienna's character speaks to me at all the hours of the day or night, and I try to put the best of what she tells me on the page.

As a writer you have to also be a reader, and that means reading a lot, thankfully that is something I truly enjoy.  I have discovered some good Christian Novels for teens, but not so many on the subject matter I have, so I have been reading some of what's available.

Their are many wonderful Christian authors out their, that I admire and look up to.  Everyone from Collen Coble, to BJ Robinson, Frank Perretti and Tedd Deeker, when I am in the mood for a Christian Horror type book it's generally a Tedd Deeker that I pick up.

I have learned too the importance of showing and not telling, their is a difference, that sometimes in the moment can be hard.

She was nervous.  Simply tells us something, but if we say she tapped her pencil, as she nervously studied, twirling her finger through her hair she prayed that she would make it through the test.

Okay perhaps not the best or most creative of examples but you get the idea.

In Christ's Love:
Michelle

Isaiah 40:30-31

New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.