« March 2005 | Main | May 2005 »
Join Christian chick lit authors Stacy Hawkins Adams, Kristin Billerbeck, Neta Jackson and more in the Good Girl Book Club chat room, Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 8pm (EST).
Come in a little early and get comfy. You bring the latte, we'll bring the laughs!
Save "Joan of Arcadia"
Editoral by Joanne Brokaw
Rumor has it that one of the best shows on television is headed for the chopping block, and if it happens, TV will be worse for it.
CBS's "Joan of Arcadia", currently in its second season, chronicles the experiences of high school student Joan Girardi (played by Amber Tamblyn) and her daily encounters with God. In each episode, God typically gives Joan an assignment that is meant to both carry out His plan and teach Joan a lesson.
Christian critics have zeroed on the fact that the show isn't a biblically accurate portrayal of God, and therefore not fit for Christian audiences. That's baloney.
It's television, folks. There isn't anything on TV that is biblically accurate (including some of the so-called religious programming). Besides, the point of "Joan of Arcadia" isn't to teach Scripture, it's to entertain. And it does so in a well-written, mature manner that requires viewers to think about spiritual issues to get the point of the episode.
Joan's attitude toward God is a picture-perfect representation of how most people approach God - blaming him when things go wrong, doubting everything He asks, and resisting even the things He offers for our good. Joan's foot-stomping, eye-rolling, sarcastic questioning every week is in stark contrast to God's patient guidance towards the task at hand. What's so refreshing is Joan's gradual acceptance of each task, even when she doesn't understand or agree with it. In the end, God usually lets Joan see the bigger picture and how her small actions helped. But sometimes, her constant questioning is met with this response: "See how I'm not answering the why, Joan?" Instead, God asks Joan to trust Him. Sound familiar?
One problem for many Christian viewers is that in each episode, God shows up in various forms - sometimes as an old woman, as a handsome guy on the bus, as a gothic punk rocker, as a child. I've heard complaints that those portrayals are an attempt to make God politically correct. But in the first episode of the show, God explained to Joan that He doesn't appear to her in those forms, because He's always there. Instead, He lets her Him see in a way that she can understand, and each circumstance lends itself to a different form. The point is that the more Joan listens to and obeys God, the more she recognizes Him, whatever form He takes.
Joan's encounters with God have also led her family to examine their own faith, to believe in miracles, and to seek God. And even when the show is tackling a particularly difficult topic - marital infidelity, teen sex, lying, cheating, death - it's done with tact, compassion, restraint, humor and maturity. This is a show you can - and should - watch with your kids and then discuss afterwards. In fact, a non-denominational bible study can be found here.
"Joan of Arcadia" airs Friday nights on CBS. I urge you to check out a couple of episodes - not just one; get the whole picture before you decide - and if you think "Joan of Arcadia" should stay on the air, contact your local CBS affiliate. Then visit www.cbs.com and click the "feedback" section at the bottom of the webpage to voice your opinion.
When you consider the alternatives on prime time, wouldn't you rather watch a family drama that gets viewers thinking about God than a sitcom where immorality without consequences is celebrated?
Joanne Brokaw is an award-winning freelance writer from Western NY who covers music, entertainment and current events affecting the Christian community for publications across the US and Canada. Her humor column, This Life: Life Faith, and Everything In Between, is syndicated monthly.
Interview with Award-Winning novelist Robin Lee Hatcher about
her career and her upcoming releases VETERANS WAY and THE VICTORY CLUB.
MP3 File
Chat with Cheri Paris Edwards, debut author of PLENTY GOOD 
ROOM about foster care, her path to publication and how her relationship with Christ makes all the difference in her life.
MP3 File
Author Derek Jackson (A Man Inspired, Walk Worthy Press, 2005) is featured on GospelCity.com, a website featuring gospel music and more. Check it OUT.
Listen to our Word Praize interview with Derek Jackson.
What we're looking for:
Well thought-out columns: Think of pitching a column to a newspaper or magazine. Consider theme, your personality and what you're already doing. Here are some ideas:
Book reviews-nonfiction, fiction, genre specific, whatever your thing is, but from a Christian point of view.
Music reviews-Christian music, gospel, Indie artists. Again, what you love, but from a faith perspective.
Humor-Breezy, funny, yet informative. An urban Dave Berry from a Christian perspective would be interesting.
Devotionals-Limited. Make it honest, practical and short. (500 words)
Writing Industry:Interviews with Christian agents and editors, reports on Christian Conferences, Contests, Markets, etc.
Writing Craft: Your specialty--grammar, creative nonfiction, plotting, characterization, memoir, freelance writing, magazine queries, agent queries, editing. (A day in the life of a successful magazine freelancer column and a diary of a novelist who has just made a sale might be interesting). Columns from editors and agents welcome. Columns based on blogs of published authors regarding writing also welcome. Also interested in genre columns (suspense, romance, chick lit, mystery, thriller, etc, women's fiction, etc).
General:If you're an author, something along the theme of your books or something you love. If you've got a great blog with a good following, pitch us a column on that, revisiting and reslanting some of your best posts.
Fiction and poetry: Very limited. Some online serial slots available (some publishers do consider online work published. Check first. Original, unpublished work preferred).
Story Behind the Story: Piece based on author research or motivation for writing your book.
Basically, pitch your passion, the stuff you talk, email and write about when you're supposed to be doing your regular work. If that's too scary, pitch me your expertise, but with a twist. If you already write for a newspaper or magazine, check to see if it can be syndicated on the web. We'd love to have you.
Send pitches to mgriffith32@aol.com with PITCH: followed by your columns name in the subject. Include a short description, bio (75 words or less), link to a photo on the web and other clips if available. No attachments please. Allow 6-8 weeks for reply. Pitches accepted until May 1, 2005.
Thanks!
Professionalism: Somewhere in Time by Angie Poole
"Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time." -- Proverbs 12:11
I remember my first day in public accounting. Driven by sheer excitement and a pot of coffee, I jitterbugged down the brown-carpeted hallway to meet the office manager. What would my first assignment be? An audit? Tax returns? No-wait-an IRS audit! How cool would that be?
A ream of paperwork later, the office manager showed me to my cubicle, then turned to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She handed me a hardback red book entitled 1998. "This is your Time Book."
Smugness oozed from my fingertips and pooled around my new executive chair. "I already have a dayplanner. I've used one since I was in college." I extended the book back toward her.
She gave me the oh-you're-so-cute-but-you-don't-have-a-clue look. "Your dayplanner tells you where you're headed. Your Time Book shows you where you've been."
I remember being disappointed at my Time Book. It looked like a diary-nothing special. I'd read all of the time management books. I'd attended seminars. I had already heard about "time audits." What was the big deal about prioritizing, delegating, and paring down to what counts? I knew all that! Soon, I discovered the office manager was right-keeping track of my time took discipline and I didn't have a clue.
This first lesson in public accounting has proven to be my most valuable lesson to date: A professional knows where she spends her time.
All professionals have grasped this basic concept, from lawyers to auto mechanics. As clients, we've learned the hard way-we pay for their valuable time. They've invested their time in the know-how and we pay for their knowledge in billable hours.
For seven years, each of my working hours has been carefully documented to the last detail: client, project, and problems encountered. From my Time Book, my bosses can see if I'm an asset or a liability to their firm. In return I've learned my strengths and weaknesses, my most and least productive areas, and which assignments are profitable. Being a bean counter, I also have time codes for vacation and sick time, continuing education, administrative work, and-yes-even a time code for the Time Book.
As a writer, where are you spending your time? Are you carefully monitoring your billable hours or squandering them on non-billable emails, web surfing, or blog-hopping? Take a week (or even a day) and track where you spend your writing time. Divide your time into broad categories: researching, networking, administrative, and writing. Customize your sub-categories as needed: emails, blogging, querying, rewriting, mentoring, etc.
The importance of this exercise is to determine where your time is spent. Then determine if this time investment will have a payoff. And only you can be the judge of that.
Can non-writing time be productive? Sure, but make sure you're writing and not just talking about it. Any professional spends time learning and networking, as well as creating masterful literary prose. All work and no growth make Jack a dull boy.
Make your hours count!
Angie Poole is a full-time wife, mother, and certified public accountant. When she's not beancounting, chicken-frying Bambi, or perch fishing with her two girls, she's working on her second novel.
Working Full-Time and Writing by Camy Tang
Getting laid off from my job was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me.
Not in the way you'd think. It was great because God had given me the green light to take up my writing again after years of setting it aside. I now had tons of time to craft brilliant prose.
But I discovered the downfall of suddenly having enough time in the day to write and the freedom to write whenever I want.
"Downfall?" you ask. "What downfall? Honey, you have time to write!"
For some reason, my productivity plummeted. Not that it was a bad time, it was a great vacation and a chance to learn more about the writing craft. I wrote one manuscript, 85,000 words.
"Not bad," you reply. "Where's the downfall?"
When I had to return to the workforce, I realized I needed to change my writing style and habits if I didn't want to take ten years to chug out my next novel. After a few months collecting tips, hints, tricks, and everything I could to improve my output, I wrote my second novel in six months, while I was working full-time.
I learned how to make my writing time more efficient. I only have a limited amount of time and energy to spend on my favored pastime at the keyboard, and I learned how to up my productivity.
Every writer is different, and not all these tips will resonate with every writer. Pick and choose what seems like a good fit for your work, home and writing schedule.
Work for the Lord, not for men.
There are times when I feel like my true job is writing and my work is an evil necessity to pay the bills. While that might be true, God still calls us to do ALL our work for Him, in praise of Him. Working your day job with a stinky attitude isn't glorifying to God. Plus it could hinder you spiritually and damper your creativity.
"What?" you ask. "'Tude equals writer's block?"
It certainly happened for me. I felt far from God, and the only thing appearing on my computer monitor was garbage. I needed to do some serious praying to change my mind-set about my job. When I did, the writing got back on track.
Pray for a good attitude at work. God knows the desires of your heart and the right timing for everything.
Sometimes there's a definite purpose in His desiring you to work full-time rather than write full-time. God is using my time working to teach me tricks and tips to share with others. He's teaching me to be more responsible with my time now so that if I ever do write full-time, I'll be productive.
Writing does not mean oodles of money. Most writers are in the midlist of sales figures and cannot live on their income. Check out "Show Me the Money" by Brenda Hiatt, posted on Karen Fox's website. These are real-life figures from mostly midlist authors. Plus these authors spend much of their advances on promotion and marketing for their books.
Realistically, most authors must depend on his/her spouse's income to write full-time. Some writers save up money to enable a sabbatical from their job for a year or so.
My personal suggestion is to work and write at the same time, learning to write efficiently and saving money for that possible sabbatical. If/when you sell a manuscript, that might be a reasonable time to think about switching to writing for a living.
There are writers whom God chooses to step out in faith to write full-time, even though finances are tight. I applaud you. God hasn't spoken to me in that way, but I know when He does to other writers, He always provides for them.
I've memorized Colossians 3:23-24: Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. (NLT)
This helps me to keep a Christ-like attitude at work, to be a good witness for Him, and to patiently wait for Him to allow me to write full-time. Not that it always works, but you get the picture.
Next month: Utilizing small increments of time
Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California and works in biology research. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group. She writes Asian Christian fiction, and you can read more at her website or drop her an email for more information.
Daughters of the King by Gail M. Hayes, PhD (Walk Worthy Press) reviewed by Joanne Brokaw
It’s impossible to get a sense of my fashion style by looking at my closet. Inside, you’ll find silk blouses, jeans, denim skirts, and hoodie sweatshirts. There’s a gorgeous Jones NY black evening dress hanging next to a floral Wal-Mart special. There are Dollar Store flip flops, black Italian leather boots with silver buckles, and New Balance sneakers. My favorite pair of lounging pajamas - a.k.a. the freelancer uniform - hangs on the doorknob. For a long time, I was bothered by the fact that I didn’t fit into one fashion particular mold, and even more by my apparent inability to conform to my preconceived image of the perfect Christian woman. No soft-spoken, gentle and submissive flower here. I've always been a little talkative, opinionated, and assertive, wavering between red high heels and Keds instead of sticking with lace and pink fluff.
And then a few years ago, I read Daughters of the King, by Gail M. Hayes, PhD, and realized that I'm not only am I not a fashion nightmare, but my wardrobe choices are a reflection of my God-given personality, something to be celebrated and enjoyed.
I bring this up not to point out my fashion faux pas, but because Dr. Hayes’s book, Daughters of the King is being re-released May 1st (Walk Worthy Press), and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it the second time around.
Gail M. Hayes has an extensive background in fashion, retail and image consulting both in the US and in Europe. She consulted for a modeling agency in Europe, and in Germany operated her own boutique selling hand-painted silk. She's spoken about image and self esteem to women around the world. And throughout her career as an image strategist, Gail noticed that women with particular personality types tend to gravitate towards particular fashion styles, even after they become Christians.
As a child, for example, Gail's mother wanted to dress her in lace and ruffles. Gail preferred the elegant and dramatic, and wondered why she felt so out of place among what she calls "wisps of femininity". It was as an adult that she finally understood that she wasn’t different from other Christian women; she was exactly the way God intended her to be, with her penchant for purple suits, high heels, and her flair for dramatically large jewelry. From Gail’s experience, Daughters of the King was born.
The book begins with The Image Indicator - a brief quiz with questions about which shoes you find most comfortable, which style of dress is most appealing to you, how you wear your hair. Based on your score, you're then directed to one of six image types. Are you down to earth and comfortable? You might be "Jaunty Esprit". Do you prefer leather and high heels? You're probably "Sensual Exotic". Most comfortable with silk pearls? You're likely "Harmonic Refined".
After you've identified your image type, Gail goes on to explore your personality based on your fashion choices, and then encourage and guide you using Scripture. She talks about your working style, your spouse, family activities, even what type of house you likely live in. She's also able to point out some problem areas, and offer biblical guidance for bringing them under God's control. At the end of each chapter, she includes brief personality sketches of your Biblical sisters.
And for the most part, she's dead on. Sure, there are some things that miss the mark, but since each of us is different, she couldn't be right 100% of the time. But she’s so close, it’s eerie. So never mind if your Christian sisters wear lace and ribbons ("Chantilly Graceful"). If you prefer sequins and drama ("Elegant Flamboyant"), go for it, under God's control. I'm content to know that my eclectic personality has a name - "Creative Poetic". It sounds so much better than Messy Disorganized.
And one important note: Don’t be fooled by the African-American women dancing on the cover of the book’s new edition. Daughters of the King is for every woman, of every race or nationality, of every church denomination, who needs to know that the Lord created her in His magnificent image. Celebrate your God-given identity.
Joanne Brokaw is an award-winning freelance writer from Western NY who covers music, entertainment and current events affecting the Christian community for publications across the US and Canada. Her humor column, This Life: Life Faith, and Everything In Between, is syndicated monthly. She recently blogged about her experiences interviewing recording artists during the Gospel Music Association awards.
Chat with romance writer Ruth Axtell Morren, author of Wild 
Rose. Great thoughts about surrendering writing to God, triumphing over trends and more. Listen in!
MP3 File
Embarrassed To Discuss Your Prices?: Seven Common Reasons We Can't Talk About Fees And How To Overcome Them
by Karyn Greenstreet
Last week, a wonderfully-skilled electrician installed a new light fixture for us. He was competent, courteous and efficient. He answered all our questions simply, with skill and eloquence. I was amazed, as you might imagine, when I asked him, "How much do we owe you?" and his embarrassed reply was, "Gee, is $50 okay?"
With the quality of work he'd done and the amount of time he put into it, I would have expected to pay double that amount. His resistance to naming his price reminded me of my small business clients who have the same problem.
All entrepreneurs feel fear at some point, including attorneys, consultants, coaches, and writers. It's a natural part of starting or growing your business. It can be uncomfortable to take risks, to name your price and tell a prospective customer that you want to work with them.
Roberto Goizueta, the late chairman of Coca-Cola, said, "If you take risks, you may still fail; but if you do not take risks, you will surely fail. The greatest risk of all is to do nothing." Put this mantra into your head: Risk equals reward.
So, what's the problem?
I've discovered seven common reasons why we're afraid to discuss our fees:
Where does this come from? Is it part of your personality or is this a behavior you learned from your past experience or culture? In many families and cultures, it's taboo to talk about money or to ask to be paid. While it might be personally beneficial to look inside yourself for the reasons why you act this way, it's also important to get unstuck by using techniques which help you move forward, such as:
Talking about your prices can be uncomfortable. But with practice and persistence, and a willingness to overcome your fears, you can begin to have comfortable conversations with your prospective customers.
Karyn Greenstreet is a self-employment expert and small business coach. She shares tips, techniques and strategies with self-employed people to maintain motivation, stay focused, prioritize tasks, and increase revenue and profits.
Visit her website at www.PassionForBusiness.com
"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." (Malachi 3:6, NIV)
One April 8th, Jamila, a closed friend to my little sister and a member of our young adult choir passed from Lupus. She was twenty-three years old.
My sister believed that the disease beat her down.
But I believe she had fought the good fight. She was ready to go home.
And I don't want to get on my soapbox about what physical suffering does to the mind and the spirit. You see--I'm still in awe of the Pope and how he became the face of longsuffering for many.
So I'm still thankful that I'm still holding on. I know what lies ahead of us all and that is a big comfort.
My great grandma, Rosa, used to say that she was waiting for her change to come.
Now I believe that what she meant was holding on until her spirit matured into a place where she never felt defeated even unto death.
This weekend, I am reading Scott McKnight's The Jesus Creed. In his prologue, he talks about why this book is important and timely. I'm reading this book to edify my soul and to also bring some clarity to my calling as a writer. Sometimes I get carried away and want to write something, anything that will stop people from asking me about the progress of my book. I mean I can write something real thoughtless and hip in one good minute. But I'm still waiting for my change to come.
You see. I've stood at death's door twice and I know what I know. I know God exists. I know that we continue after our hearts stop and I'm still holding on.
Up until last week, I thought I existed just to be my daughter's mother, as if God only created me to bring her here and raise her. But in order for me to accomplish that task, I need to move on up in the Spirit. I need a change to come.
So I'm still holding on.
God still has me here. Getting better, feeling better, thinking better, and far more thankful than I've ever been.
This year will try me. I have prescription costs that exceed my monthly rent. I have an old soul as a daughter entering kindergarten. I have a fiancee fighting to obtain his Masters. And I have a unction to write a novel that explores some of these truths that I know for sure.
God never changes(Malachi 3:6.) My health might, but God never changes. The Pope fulfilled his mission and Jamila fulfilled hers.
Be Thankful this week. Be blessed. And Keep Holding on to God's Unchanging Hand.
Writing to see what the end gon' be,
Dee
Davidae 'Dee' Stewart is an editor, book reviewer, speaker and writer. Her works have appeared in Romantic Times, Gospel Today, Romance in Color, Soul Source, Precious Times, and Rejoice! She resides in Suwanee, Georgia with her daughter, Selah and is completing a christian fiction novel.
Author of TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED and BALANCING YOUR LIFE, Dr. Suzan Cook, former television producer and Presidential advisor, joins us to discuss her books, her upcoming Women in Ministry Conference and celebrating 25 years in the pulpit.
MP3 File
While working as a Community Outreach Worker, I became close with several young people in the foster care system and knew their struggle was profound. Later, serving as a foster parent allowed me insight into the complexities involved in opening your home to a stranger. Managing the behavior was challenging for me, but I was surprised by the difficulty I had in trusting that love could make a difference.
After two attempts, I gave up my license, and as I wrote Plenty Good Room, my failure as a foster parent was still stinging in my heart. I was grateful God had given me this story and with it, another chance to affect youth in foster care through my writing and wanted them to connect with the characters I was creating. Desiring that the story affect these youth positively, I endeavored in the story to celebrate the resiliency inherent in the human spirit, while trying to breathe dignity into each character, even those enmeshed in doing or having done the wrong thing.
While writing Minister Walker’s words, I reflected on the Scripture used and was reminded of God’s plan for us regarding love. Within my relationships with my children and other people’s children, God’s word reminded me that their love had provided me with the sustenance that fueled my own hope during difficult days. Long before I knew how to love myself, when I was almost lost, my love for young people brought me back to myself, helping me find focus until I could learn to love myself and realize how much God loved me.
Once I finished the book, I became aware of the statistics regarding youths in foster care and the disproportion of African-American/biracial young people in the system. The most conclusive study from 1999 stated that out of the almost 550,000 youths in foster care, 43% were African-American, though African-Americans only make up 12% of the population. In states with large urban cities, the disproportion is even more startling, for example; seventy-eight percent of the young people in foster care in Illinois are African-American, though these youth only make by 19% of the population. Read more:
Studies being done address this issue of disproportion, and the cultural complexities surrounding the reporting of child abuse cases. Also, reports are focusing on the frequency that youths are removed and the length of time that they are kept out of their homes. However, I believe that parents should reflect on our role more closely. God has a plan for our lives, and when we step outside of it, life becomes more challenging. My own experience makes me aware of the difficulties involved in being a single parent, and I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way. Nevertheless, I believe the responsibility is ours to bear when we bring these young people into the world.
While I hope to grow in skill technically as a writer and gain depth as a storyteller, I am proud of this first offering. I feel blessed that God led me to Denise Stinson and Walk Worthy Press and it is my hope that Plenty Good Room reminds the reader as it did me, that love can make a difference. God, out of His abundant love for us gave us life though His son Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. We too have that same capacity to love others and affect their lives, even while we struggle. We are the village often spoke of, and God will bless us for our efforts with our young people. We will receive unconditional love that enriches our lives in the process.
Cheri Paris Edwards lives in Illinois. The mother of two sons, she was employed as a Community Outreach Worker for ten years and now works at the University of Illinois. PLENTY GOOD ROOM is her first novel.
Cookie Aisle
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8
At the first of the year I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago. Deal with my wardrobe. I don’t consider myself a packrat and normally purge the house of unnecessary items quite often. My clothes are a different story. I’m not sure why but I keep old ratty t-shirts, jogging pants with holes (in places that should not be seen), worn-out shoes (is that my toe peeking through), and clothes that looked nice at one time, but now make me pause (what was I thinking).
This cleaning mission was spawned as a result of watching too many episodes of TLC’s What Not To Wear. Unlike other reality shows where the participant has to go through some type of surgery to complete a makeover, What Not To Wear provides the participant with $5000 to buy a whole new wardrobe. My dresser and closet was a spaghetti of clothes I SHOULD have stopped wearing a long time ago. There was no way I wanted the hosts, Stacy and Clinton, to show up at my door.
Thankfully some clothes I did have sense of enough to leave alone. Either my hips had gotten wider or the washing machine was playing a cruel joke. Being in denial, I like to blame the washing machine! While I no longer wore them, they continued to take up space. Well, I placed my sentiments to the side and in less than 30 minutes, I ripped clothes from the hangers and the dresser drawers. Then, I proceeded to place the clothes in a pile to give away and others into the trash can. Mission accomplished! Well … almost?
Any woman knows you have to replace what you no longer own. Right? I’m not a shopoholic, but the empty hangers indicated a trip to the mall to me. Well, one of my favorite stores to go to is JCPenney. I know I can usually count on them to have the conservative style I like to wear and checking out the Spring sale wouldn’t hurt. Speaking of conservative, I can take that to the extreme. I’m attracted to neutral colors like brown, black and navy which are not the most exciting colors in the world.
With a tad bit of boldness I checked out clothes with a little more color. After numerous trips to the dressing room, I noticed a pattern. Where before I rarely would wear “pink,” now I started noticing that pink was not so bad after all. I have heard it is the “in” color. Must be, it was hard to avoid it. Pink was so prevalent, that I found my eyes being drawn to a very nice pair of pink sandals. Keep in mind I’m a neutral woman, so this was out in left field for me. I looked them over because they were really cute, but I was prompted to think. How many other shopping expeditions have I bought something because it was cute? How many times has something cute ended up being forgotten in the back of the closet? Ok, these are cute shoes , but they would not be coming home with me.
JCPenney’s slogan is “It’s All Inside.” While they are referring to their product and services, “It’s All Inside” is so profound. As the days get warmer, we can easily get caught up with pretty flirty skirts, sandals, shades, etc , but what about our innermost parts. In 1 Samuel 16: 7, God told Samuel, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” I needed to replace some clothes in my closet only with the basics. The unnecesary purchases would only have me cleaning out the closet again!
Sometimes our heart gets cluttered with unnecessary items, just like our closets and dresser drawers. Unfortuntely, when we let these items or situations build up they cause our hearts to harden. Hardened hearts lack the sensitivity to hear the Holy Spirit and the decision making process becomes complex and messy. Mmmm, I see some connections to my crazy reasoning for hanging onto clothes.
What’s taking up residence in your heart? What needs to be cleaned and thrown out? Check out a little fashion advice below.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Romans 13:14, NIV)
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 NIV
Tyora "Ty" Moody is an aspiring writer, book reviewer and professional web developer. She tries to juggle various hats on her short frame. Those hats include being a military wife, Sunday School and bible study teacher and "momma" to one spoiled cat. Visit her blog or check out the web design portfolio.
Our condolences are with our catholic Word Praize friends and family over the loss of Pope John Paul II. He was beloved by the world and will be missed by all.
Chat with BET New Spirit author Maxine Billings ab
out her new book, A TEST OF FAITH.
MP3 File
