What's the purpose?

*This post is the first in a five part series on God’s call on your life.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

I’m sure I’d read Jeremiah 29:11 hundreds of times before, but it didn’t take root in my heart until I came to understand that God has a call on my life, something He wants me to do, a specific plan He’s designed Himself.

I was beginning the last year of my Masters degree, graduation looming in the not too distant future. And I had no clue where I would work. My desire was to teach at my alma mater, a small liberal arts college with about 2500 students, but the English Department had no openings. My next best plan was to find a similar university and teach there. So I diligently checked job lists and sent my resume to several colleges, none of which had the decency to acknowledge my application with even a “thank you, but we’re not interested.”

When it was clear my plan wasn’t working, I decided to pray. Not that I thought my lack of employment mattered much to God when there were so many more important things—like healing the sick and saving the lost—for Him to concern Himself with. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so I plunged ahead with my prayers, all the time hoping the Lord wouldn’t be offended at my audacity in approaching Him for something so insignificant in comparison to the other things that required His attention.

One Sunday morning two months before graduation, I attended church as usual, but that was the only thing typical about the day. A guest evangelist preached on Jeremiah 28:11. I don’t recall the specifics, but I do remember his assurance that God has a plan for all of us. Something about that verse beckoned for my attention. I couldn’t wait to study the Scripture for myself.

I’d been a Christian for a number of years at this point, but I honestly never thought God might have something specifically planned for my life beyond being saved and living for Him. Never considered that He calls people other than pastors, evangelists, and missionaries to serve Him.

God thought about me? A revolutionary idea. He concerned Himself with my day-to-day existence?

I realized my focus was all wrong. Rather than worrying about employment, I needed to ask God what He was calling me to do. What were His thoughts for me? What was His plan? It wasn’t up to me to figure out what to do next. My job was to place myself squarely in the Lord’s care, to be still and listen as He revealed His purpose for my life.

Jeremiah 29:11 literally sets us free from worry over the future. If God has a plan, we don’t have to worry. We can trust that He will work out the details of our lives in His good time. That’s exactly what He did for me. First, God confirmed that He absolutely had called me to teach; that was His plan for my life. Then, He opened an amazing door that was well beyond anything I had hoped for. On a whim— a God moment?—I sent my resume to a large university and to my amazement was hired. It turned out to be the perfect place for me to begin my teaching career.

His plans for us are good— and they far exceed our imagination.

--Cheryl

What's with the new title?

For everything there is a season, and a time for very purpose under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

For those of you who have been with us from the days of the Writers' Pointe, and for our newcomers, you may be asking yourself, "What's up with the title? Just for this season? What?"

The title reflects the new focus of the blog, of the ministry we feel called to.

Cheryl and I are two people who have been pulled out of one Season of our lives and thrust into another. It's like going straight from Summer to Winter without the windy, beautiful, get-you-acclimated-to-the-coming-cold Fall in the middle.

And what is both scary and exciting at the same time, is I know this isn't going to be the last abrupt Season change for me. God is continually prepping me for the next step on my journey (as a side note, I've found the abruptness of the change comes after I've tried to ignore what God is leading me to do. Funny, that.)

I'm still a writer. I'm still cranking out happily-ever-afters and shredding my manuscripts with a purple pen (because red just seems so violent). So I'll still be nodding in my posts to my writing ministry. It's as much a part of who I am as what I do.

But what we want to do with this blog is broaden the focus. We understand that the women we come in contact with everyday are all at different stages (or Seasons if you will) of their life. And surely what God has to say to an often stubborn, intractable writer is just as applicable to the young woman struggling with finding Mr. Right or the lady battling with job instability in an unhealthy economy.

We've got some pretty cool ideas for how to incorporate your thoughts, feelings, fears, experiences, etc. into the blog. We're also open to suggestions and feedback. And I don't think I'm being crazy when I say God has quite a few words of encouragement for us ladies out here. And I, for one, am pretty excited to see what he's going to do with this.

--Mandy

We're Back

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Cheryl and I decided it was best to step back from the Writers' Pointe and focus on our own writing projects.

We did that.

And I'm pleased, and humbled, to say God has moved in crazy, unexpected ways in our lives.

Cheryl has been asked to be a regular contributor for Christiandevotions.us. She's also completed a proposal for her Non-fiction Christian living book and is in the process of touching up chapters and compulsively editing.

Last month, Cheryl was appointed to the SC Commission on Women.

A few weeks ago, she won the SC Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching award for North Greenville University.

She's also been approached to be a part of several collaborative projects.

And Mandy . . .

Well, I signed my first book contract last week.

I have another under consideration at the same house and am working on my third manuscript (who would have thought I'd even finish the first one . . . definitely a God thing!)

So, we've decided to come back to the blog (renamed Just for this Season) and share our journeys with you. Our hope is that by allowing others to see the life-transforming changes and opportunities God has worked for us, it will be an encouragement to our readers. We also hope you'll do us the honor of sharing your journey (whether it be writing, homemaking, finishing school, etc) with us.

--Mandy

Uh Oh -- Formerly Titled "Hiatus"

I was supposed to have posted the following update about a month ago. Obviously, I did not.

Rather than chalk this up to my usual tendency to be forgetful, I will point this as a demonstration of exactly how hectic (wonderfully so) life has become.

So in its original state, here is the post formerly known as HIATUS . . .

Our silence over the past month (which I suppose would now be two months) or so has been deafening, we know. Cheryl and I have both been swamped with our own projects and commitments, and finding the time to post has become exceedingly difficult.

That being said, we both plan to take an undetermined amount of time in order to dedicate ourselves to our writing. By no means are we forgetting about the blog, but believing that this season of our lives is meant for other things, we have to take a few steps back.

We may post periodically if something extremely wonderful or noteworthy happens.

--Mandy and Cheryl

Let me add that we appreciate all our readers and wish you the best in your writing journeys--wherever they may take you.

--Mandy

Writer's Block: Fact or Fiction?

Writer’s Block--is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing. (Wikipedia)


Confession time: I like to blame quite a bit on writer’s block. And when I say “quite a bit,” what I really mean is every time I sit down at the computer and can’t seem to form a coherent thought, I growl in frustration and claim I’m suffering from “the block.” This is usually accompanied by a beleaguered sigh and a back of the hand delicately placed on the forehead (because I tend to the dramatic).


It’s actually a pretty handy excuse to be lazy when you need one because, really, who can argue with a “phenomenon” that is so intangible and hard to refute?


Am I the literary world’s equivalent of a hypochondriac, claiming every uninspired moment to be symptomatic of a deeper and incurable problem? Or am I allowing myself to believe that my mind can really shut me out so I don’t have to name the real causes of my lack of productivity . . .


Laziness.


Fear.


Apathy.


The list goes on depending on the circumstances and my mood.


I’m certainly not a scientist or a psychologist. And I can’t answer definitively whether the “phenomenon” of writer’s block is real or imagined. Perhaps it is different for everyone. But what I do know (from painful, personal experience) is that the excuse (whether real or not) can quickly become a crutch—a tool that can prevent me from actually working when there aren’t any roadblocks in my mind.


So what if writer’s block is real, and what if you have it? Or what if, you’re like most of us and are simply (a) disillusioned (b) tired or (c) not that into it anymore? Is there a sure-fire way to bring back the creative juices so you can dash off a prize-winning piece?


I’m not so sure, and I certainly don’t have the answer. If there is a cure, and someone knows the secret, I’m as eager as anyone else to hear it.


I guess for myself, the secret (which is not so great a secret, I suppose) is to continuously remind myself what I love about the craft. To move on to something else for a while if I’m bored. To seek motivation and inspiration from family and friends. And sometimes (just every once in a long while) to admit that I’m stalling, to face the ugly reasons why, and to push on anyway.

--Mandy

Motivation

“Why do you write?” I recently asked the students enrolled in one of my writing classes.

They stared at me.

I stared at them, struggling against the smile that threatened.

Students shifted in their desks, heads dropped, and finally one then another began to answer as they realized there was no single right answer.

“I just like to write,” one said.

“Writing helps me deal with things in my life,” another answered.

“I feel like I have stories I want to share with others,” someone else ventured.

As my students’ answers indicate, our reasons for writing are as diverse as we are. At times, we write to communicate with others or to deal with difficult emotions. Sometimes, we write for personal understanding, catharsis, or simply because we like doing it.

Whatever your reason, whether your goal is to convey a message, express your emotions, or leave a legacy, find what motivates you . . . and write.

Audience. Whether you’re composing a poem, short story, novel, or memoir, you have a tremendous responsibility to your readers. (No pressure, right?) They want to hear what you have to say; so when you’re tempted to believe your writing has no relevance and put it on the backburner, remember, there are those waiting to hear from you. No one else can communicate in the exactly the same way you can.

Catharsis. Oftentimes, I find that writing helps me make sense of my emotions or work through difficult situations in my life. Something about seeing my concerns on the page brings understanding and helps me deal with pain and frustration. Working through muddled emotions can be a powerful motivation.

Memorial. Writing helps us chronicle the past and leave a legacy for future generations. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were instructed to leave a pile of stones as a memorial as they were about to end their journey through the wilderness and enter the Promised Land. The stones were a reminder not only that they had passed through a given land, but also that God had been faithful to them no matter what they encountered on the journey.

Writing can serve the same purpose. As we chronicle personal and family history or the changes in our society, our writing becomes a memorial for future generations that we existed and that God was faithful to us in every circumstance of life. I want my son to know the heritage of hardworking, committed people in his family. To understand that when all else fails, God will stand with him. And yes, I will tell him the stories that have been passed down to me, but my writing will give him a concrete memorial of those who’ve come before him and encouragement that he, too, can face the challenges life throws his way.

So when writing feels like a burden and you can’t find the motivation to put pen to paper (or more accurately fingertips to keyboard), remember all the good reasons why we write. Let your writing provide catharsis, establish a concrete legacy, or communicate to your readers a message they want and need to hear.

--Cheryl

A Bump in the Road to Publication

It was always my intention, when blogging and sharing with everyone, to be excruciatingly and heartbreakingly honest about my own personal journey to becoming a published novelist.

So in the interest of being truthful, I have to say . . .

Rejection stinks. It does . . . really, really badly.

Enjoy the excerpt from my latest "make you feel good" letter I received.

" . . . I believe your writing has a lot of potential, and particularly enjoyed your gift for sharp characterization and witty dialogue. (I'll admit, I laughed out loud at the marriage proposal scene in chapter one.) Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I had some trouble with plausibility elements in your plot . . ."

My first reaction upon scanning the note was: Seriously? Plausibility elements? Did she READ my manuscript? Plausibility elements . . . HA! What does that even mean anyway?

Needless to say, I was not a very happy person. I looked at my husband with an evil glare, about to begin a tirade.

"Why don't you call Cheryl?" he asked hastily, with a bit of fear in his voice.

So I did. And I ranted. And I questioned. And I battled the sense of failure that threatened to overwhelm me.

I spent the rest of the afternoon obsessing on the phone over each minute plot twist and each character trait. I analyzed the emotions and the motivations, wondering where I crossed from amusing story to the land of the unrealistic.

And we found them--the "plausibility elements" I refused to believe existed. I won't go into the details other than to say I had wrapped up my novel with a beautiful, shiny, unbelievable fictional bow (I'll let Cheryl explain that one later). To make a long story short, the revised idea is even better than the original. I'm reenergized in my quest to publish the next great American novel (or something like it).

All is not lost. That's what I really learned last weekend. And I have a suspicion that, before long, I'll actually be thankful for this rejection.

--Mandy