Change and the Future

If you were a regular reader of this blog, you will notice that though I used to write weekly (and more), it’s been a loooooong time since my last post. Well, that’s because there have been a lot of changes going on in this author’s life. I think it’s time I tell you about them.

First, I released my debut novel, At the Edge of a Dark Forest, a while back. I did this as an independent author with a little help from some friends. It was only meant to be a small way to get my fiction on a stage where it could be found, but it has become so much more. I have since discovered the benefits of indie publishing that are not only good for me, as an author, they are also good for me as a reader. I have recently become part of a community of other independent authors who have chosen this route not because their work wasn’t good enough, but because someone in the publishing world told them they could not sell a book on the topic to which God led them. These authors, who write what God has laid on their hearts, are crafting beautiful stories with a greater depth than what they would have produced following the lead of a marketing team, and discovering there are readers who’ve been waiting for it.

That’s what I want to do.

I’d never taken this path with the expectation of becoming rich or famous (tho’ if God chose to curse me in such away, I would bear it willingly—sigh!). I chose it in the hopes of sharing stories that I love to write with people who may enjoy and be inspired by them. In fact, I sometimes fear things like riches and fame, due to the temptations that often come with them. That’s where independent publishing suits me. I don’t need to be known to many in order to get the coveted contract or even make a living. I just need to publish the book God has laid on my heart and hope enough people are inspired to pay me to continue.

Perfect!

I’ve also discovered, through my indie author community, that the best platform to reach an audience is not through social media or blogging, but offering more books. I currently have three almost ready to go, so I like this idea. And this is where I feel God has gifted me—fiction. I’ve loved blogging over the past few years. God has shown me many things as I journaled “out loud,” but now I feel it is time to focus on my gift.

So what will I be doing next? First, I will be working on getting my next three novels out. Two of these were set on a university campus, which according to some publishers is a non-starter for them—another reason to indie publish. The other is a spin-off from the second in that series. The long-awaited, One Among Men (about a female Christian grad-student living in and running a hard-partying all-male dorm), will be released in January 2015, followed every 3-4 months by the other two. I also have ideas to continue the stories from the Dark Forest which will feature Manny, the holey-jean-wearing chauffer, in a modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I hope to find a girl for Sam Sakamoto, the hippo-therapist from At the Edge of a Dark Forest, as well—no ideas for him yet.

I will continue to post author interviews and articles on InfiniteCharacters.com, and will post here when God inspires me to. I have a new author website I’d love for you to visit www.ConnieAlmony.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter (or you can sign up for it in the right-hand sidebar here), and I am developing a search site to help readers find good Christian fiction written from the heart—IndieChristianFictionSearch.Blogspot.com. I’d love for you to check it out. Lots of great books to see there.

I am so excited about this new direction. Never before have I felt I was heading where God wanted me as I do today. I hope, when you read my fiction, you will feel the same.

For those of you who have come to this website to view my most-read post, Can God Heal Autism, I want you to know, though I have never felt called to write on this subject alone, God has led me to intersperse issues surrounding this disorder in some of my fiction. I have not forgotten you and will continue to pray for those who ask it of me. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the years.

God Bless!!!

Kym McNabney Shares about Prison Ministries

One of the greatest things about becoming a blogger is the connections I’ve made with other authors/bloggers and the various ministries I’ve come across to serve our big and powerful God. This week I had the great fortune to e-meet Kym McNabney and find out about her involvement in prison ministries through Willow Creek Community Church. I bet she has some stories to tell. In fact, she does, and thirteen are shared in the book, Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison, by Connie Cameron and Jeff Peck.
 
Find out more …
 
Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison, is an inspirational collection of true stories laid out in a daily format; one per day for 365 days. Each story will tell about a work of God in the lives of those who have experienced some aspect of prison. A single scripture verse will accompany each writing, pointing to the hope and truth found in God’s word.

While incarcerated, many inmates spiritually hit bottom and come face-to-face with the choices they have made. Thankfully, God uses Christian volunteers, prison chaplains, family members, outside friends, Christian pen pals, and other inmates, to share His love and truth with the lost behind bars. Regardless of how they are offered hope, inmate’s testimonies, along with their daily walk challenges, are moving and inspirational.

You will read amazing stories including Brandon, a prisoner who had a prayer warrior mother, and was also visited by a Christian volunteer. Brandon came to Christ while incarcerated, and witnessed constant gang activity behind bars, including preying upon the youth on the outside. Since his release, Brandon often risks his life in his ministry of intervening in the lives of youth who are at risk to become involved in gang activity.

The battle for the souls of inmates is fierce. One female prisoner said, “When I first arrived at prison in 2002, Christianity was openly practiced and Satanic practices were underground. Now it is just the opposite.” This inspirational book will remind Christians of their admonishment by Jesus to visit the imprisoned, to pray for them, and to share the gospel with them (Matthew 25:36). These collective, true stories will especially touch those who are uncomfortable with prison ministry, helping them to develop compassion for the shunned souls of society.

Quotes from inmate letters:
 
I was deeply moved by receiving the blessing of the gifts Willow sent. Being that I don’t have support from family and friends, I’ve come to understand my real family comes from God. God had showed me over the years that He’s the only one I need to depend on. Even though I didn’t hear from family and friends, I was relieved knowing that God always thinks of His people, by utilizing your church and staff to reach out to people such as myself. I want to thank you all personally for doing the work of our Father.

James, Pontiac CC

My purpose for writing you is to inform you that I have received the Christmas bag Willow sent to the prison, and wanted to say to all that worked on this touching idea, thank you, thank you, thank you.
To put all of your judgment about those in prison to the side, and sacrifice your time and money to send something that is helpful, was very heartwarming. 
 
A.J., Pontiac CC

Thank you so much for the gifts Willow gave me on Christmas, and your thoughts and prayers. It is because of all of you that I have finally decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
 
Johnathon, Ogle County Jail

Thank you so very much for thinking of us in prison. You put a huge smile on our faces. That was very thoughtful and I’m very grateful. I feel like the Spiritual Survival book was meant for me.

Samantha, Logan CC

I wish to offer my words of gratitude. What you did was more than give us snacks and trinkets. You even did more than speak to our spirituality. You showed us that you cared about us, despite our faults. You brought us some semblance of a Christmas season. Receiving those packages and digging through them with wonder and anticipation gave us a chance to remember how Christmas use to be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To take up your time and money to do that for us, without even knowing who we are, this is not something that will be soon forgotten.

Brian, Pontiac CC

Thank you for the Christmas cards. I thought I was not going to be able to send a Christmas card to my mom, but thanks to you I was able to. This is my first Christmas away from my family and no one send me a card. I was mad until I got this from you. It made my day.

Rayvone, Vienna CC

When I returned to my housing unit on December 18^th, I found a package on my desk that was donated by your congregation. This was the first time in 11 years that anyone has given me any type of gift for the Christmas holiday.
 
Ken, Pontiac CC

I am writing from Massachusetts to thank you for all that Willow dose with the prison ministry there in IL. I have a nephew that’s incarcerated in Cook County Jail. He asked for a Bible, and received one. He’s now exploring his faith.

Teresa G, aunt of an incarcerated nephew

Thank you all for thinking about us in here. So often society looks at us as expandable, incorrigible, evil, wicked, undesirable, etc. In fact most of us are not any of those things. We are guilty of our crimes 90% of the time, but our crimes are not the sum total of who we are. The gifts you send are Gods love in action.

Patrice, Pontiac CC

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Kym McNabney is wife and mother. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the treasurer for the ACFW Chicago Area Chapter. She fosters for Collie Rescue of Greater IL, and writes for their newsletter. The Coordinator for the pen pal program through Willow Creek Community Church, and involved in other areas of the prison and jail ministry. She had thirteen stories published in, Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison. When she’s not writing she loves to read, listen to music, and watch movies.

Blog, http://kymmcnabney.blogspot.com/
 
twitter, http://twitter.com/kymmcnabney
 
facebook, https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorKymMcNabney
 
pinterest, http://www.pinterest.com/kymmcnabney/
 
Other posts you might like:
 
3rdDay Rocker—Making Ministry from a Passion
 

March of the Minions
 

My Prayer Shawl Ministry

An Empty Vessel and the Metaphor of a Tree

Do you ever have those moments where you feel truly inspired by God and know you are on the right track? Many authors talk about writing the story God gave them. It’s a wonderful feeling as the Holy Spirit flows through your fingertips onto the page. But there’s another kind of Holy Spirit experience that’s even better than knowing it as it happens. It’s the moment you read back what you thought was a mundane, common-place scene and find the gems He left behind. That’s when you know you are being used as an Empty Vessel of the Lord. And there’s no greater feeling in the world, because the emptier you are of yourself, the more room you have for Him. And the more Him, the better!

I have many moments in my life I look back to and see God’s work in play, even times I’d put Him aside for what I’d deemed more important things. Though I’d neglected Him, He never treated me as though I were of lesser importance. I think that’s why those moments are so special to me now.

He still gives me these wonderful revelations of His presence in my life. One most recent was as I wrote the last scene of my novella, At the Edge of a Dark Forest.

In writing fiction, it’s important to get the pacing of the story just so. That way, the reader can feel they are in the moment with the character. In the final scene, my female protagonist, Carly, is going to a spot in the forest to see the male protagonist, Cole, for the first time in many months. I felt this walk in the woods needed to take a little time so the reader could feel Carly’s nervousness about seeing Cole again. I wanted to drag it out just a bit so as to heighten the suspense of what she’d find. So I added lots of details of the woods she traveled and thoughts of past moments there.

I asked myself, “What would she be thinking?”

She’d be thinking of the tree her father’s car hit when he meant to commit suicide. That was the moment where Cole and Carly’s two worlds intertwined.

“What would the tree look like now?”

I wrote the answer into the story, “New growth in broken spots and animals finding shelter in the holes.”

I added the crunch of the leaves under her feet and the exertion of the climb and ended the story. Phew! It always feels so good to type “The End” even when you know there are reams of edits to make afterwards. So I read through the scene several times, clarified points, elaborated on ideas and …

Then it hit me!

New growth in broken spots and animals finding shelter in the holes.

Wow, God!

That phrase, unbeknownst to me as I typed the words, was a perfect metaphor for Cole’s story. You see, Cole is a double amputee after having been injured from an IED in the Iraq War. Carly came into his life to provide him with her prototype prosthetics and train him how to use them.

New growth in broken spots …

But that was not the part that really shocked me. It was the last words of the sentence …

… and animals finding shelter in the holes.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Could the metaphor be more perfect? I sobbed at the realization, because I had nothing to do with its use. It was all God … when I wasn’t looking. There’s nothing more extraordinary then the feeling of being an Empty Vessel of the Lord. Thank you, God!

Oh yeah, if you’re wondering how the animals finding shelter in the holes relates to the story, well, there’s only one way to find out <wink>.

Other Posts you might like:

God on the Line

Let Him Steal Your Show

Do You Ever Feel Your Offering Is Too Small?

Blog Visiting and Third Day Video Fun

 

Today, I'm visiting Jo Huddleston's blog.

Come see what happens when you watch too many musicals as a kid, and find out what a 3D Gomer is.

There’s also a giveaway!!!

But before you do …

Watch this video and find out what color Tai Anderson's eyes are (3:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P3QPNkHk4s&list=PLc3T5BcYz4FJzrqYeDMk_lY_A40Oq2udJ

ADD Spells Red

As many of you know, I’ve published a novella based on a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This is part of a larger project with my critique partners, June Foster, Gail Pallotta, Vanessa Riley and Mildred Colvin. Today, June Foster is going to share a little of what she learned about ADD while researching her character, Red, for her novella, Red and the Wolf. Oh, how I relate!

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ADD Spells Red

Do you find yourself constantly late, overwhelmed by everyday jobs, forgetful, or disorganized? Are you ready to tear your hair out? Don't go bald. You might be struggling with Attention Deficit Disorder which affects adults as well as children. As an adult, the more responsibilities you have in your life, the greater the struggle.

In my fairytale novella Red and the Wolf, which is based on Little Red Riding Hood, Lilly Hood is a journalist who struggles with ADD. In doing research for her character, I discovered some interesting facts including the most common symptoms.

ADD adults can "zone out" even in the middle of a conversation. They're not trying to be rude but just can't help it sometimes. They might be reading the most fascinating book yet find it hard to focus. Frustrating. Overlooking details and finishing a task, another ADD symptom, can be a detriment to one's career. Lilly Hood, reporter for the Daily Scoop in Fairwilde, Alabama, would agree.

If you know someone who has begun multiple projects that remain unfinished, it's possible your friend could be plagued with ADD symptoms, since procrastination is another issue. Poor self-control and reckless or spontaneous behavior without regard for the consequences is an additional indication. In Red and the Wolf, heroine Lilly Hood displays one more common symptom—she can't keep her mouth shut. She constantly delivers a stream of words and conversation, especially when boyfriend Hunter Woods is trying to kiss her. What's she afraid of?

In doing research, I discovered an interesting concept. ADD adults can channel their symptoms into positive outcomes. There's hope. Since ADD people are high-energy and good brainstormers, they are capable of working long hours on a task. They always have a surplus of ideas, creativity, excitement, and interest to add to the mix. Too, they are flexible, results-oriented, and independent. So there is a bright side to Attention Deficit Disorder. Just ask Lilly Hood when she's not afraid to climb a tree and text her boyfriend for help after she's pursued by a vicious bear in the forest.

************

June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. Ryan's Father is available from WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, is available from Amazon.com. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives.

Red and the Wolf

Newspaper reporter Lilly Red Hood forgot her dinner date with handsome Hunter Woods, thanks to ADD she's had since childhood. In Hunter's absence fellow reporter Wolf Skinner moves in with less than honorable intentions. When Lilly gets lost in the Alabama forest, which of these gentlemen will be her hero?

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Other posts you might like:

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—By Rachel Phifer

D is For Dyslexia—By Molly Noble Bull

I’m Dyslexic—By Jane Perrine

Blog Tour

You may have noticed I haven't had a new blog post up in a bit. That is not to say I am not blogging. Believe me, I am blogging--just not here. I have been very busy on what we writers call a "blog tour" in order to promote my novella, At the Edge of a Dark Forest. I didn't mean to neglect you ;o).

If you'd like to see what I've been blogging about, here are the links of the tour so far:

March 3^rd—“Ink from an Earthen Vessel”—Ada Brownell

            An interview about “Minions for the Mighty”

March 14^th—James Callan

            Hippotherapy (therapy with horses) for disabled veterans

March 17^th—Seriously Write—Annette Irby

            An Empty Vessel and a Tree—How God shows up in my manuscript

March 20^th—Sweet South Blog—Natalie Monk
 

            Interview of Carly from At the Edge of a Dark Forest


 March 26^th—Writing Prompts Blog—Jennifer Hallmark

            Three Questions Wednesday

March 26^th—Roxanne Rustand, All Creatures Great and Small

            Hippotherapy (therapy with horses) for disabled veterans

March 31^st—Peering Through Life’s Window—Gail Palotta

            Author Interview talking about inspiration for the novella, At the Edge of a Dark Forest

April 3^rd—Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud

            DoesYour Man Slay Dragons for You?

April 6^th—Overcoming with God—Carrie Pagels

            Author Interview talking about how God prepared me to be the mother of a son with autism.

If you'd like to see the rest as it comes along, check out the Events/Blog Tour tab above. I will be sharing more here very soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Dark Forests and Military Service

You may have noticed the background of Living the Body of Christ has changed yet again. No, this isn’t my ADD kicking into overdrive because I’m bored of the old one. It’s me celebrating the cover art of my soon-to-be-released novella, At the Edge of a Dark Forest.
Whoopie!!!

Look out, March!!!

Here’s the blurb:

Cole Harrison, a war veteran, wears his disfigurement like a barrier to those who might love him, shielding them from the ugliness inside. He agrees to try and potentially invest in, a prototype prosthetic with the hope of saving a hopeless man’s dreams.

Carly Rose contracts to live with Cole and train him to use his new limbs, only to discover the darkness that wars against the man he could become.

At the Edge of a Dark Forest is a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Only it is not her love that will make him whole.

This endeavor started out as a series project with my critique partners (June Foster, Gail Palotta, Vanessa Riley and Mildred Colvin), but as the story grew from the inspiration of the military ministries series I did a couple of years ago, it quickly became a labor of love. You see, I have no family who fought in our most recent wars, but I have a few acquaintances whose husbands have. As I considered the men and women who’ve fought and died for my freedoms, I realized I’ve had no real “skin in the game.” This story is my small way to give something back. Additionally, I will be donating 10% of my earnings on At the Edge of a Dark Forest to Military Ministries, a subgroup of Campus Crusade for Christ. I hope it will help to bring God into the healing of our soldiers and their families.

Can you see the cross in the picture above. Tell me below.

Other posts you might like:

Broken by War, Saved by Grace

24 Ways to Put Military Ministries into Action

Sacrifice—No Greater Love

ENLIGHTENED—By Lauri Khodabandehloo

I recognized the subtle differences in my fourth and youngest daughter, first, by comparing her growth—physical and developmental—to her three older sisters. I noticed her difficulty pronouncing “dada,” saying it as if she had an accent, and her very odd way of pulling away from me even before she could walk, at ten months of age.

I recognized her total disinterest in looking at anyone, family members or strangers, almost as if we mattered very little in her life. I was sure she was hearing impaired. But not until I found myself on the bedroom floor at the side of my bed where I’d knelt to pray and then crumpled, heartbroken and crying out to God in hopeless despair did I accept the fact that she would never be like her sisters. And there on the floor beside the bed, where I’d pulled my dusty old Bible off the nightstand and turned to the book of Psalms, was where I found the words—the very truth—that would carry me every day after in peace that passes all understanding, no matter where my child’s challenges might take me.

Without thought of where to find the scripture that might ease my fears, or give me some hope to cling to, my eyes fell on the 139^th Psalm. There I read the answer to those unknown’s that had haunted my days since Farema’s unexpected birth. As I read the words of the Psalmist, I found the answer to how well God knows me:

You know when I sit, and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

As I read further, I learned through the words of the Psalm, that never was there a moment when God was not near to me, and no matter the disappointments in my life, God would not leave me on my own:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Just before that day in my room, I’d come to realize that raising a child with classic autism can be a devastating endeavor, permeating every aspect of family life. I had daydreamed of future years with the “empty nest” and a chance to do my thing until, without planning or anticipation, I found I was pregnant. Disappointed and distraught, I told myself it would only be a few years longer. But as I sat there on the floor, reading the Word of the Creator, I understood that my life and that of my daughter with all her special needs and challenges had already been planned—long before my own birth. God had it all under control!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

That day my outlook on raising my daughter changed dramatically. I no longer felt the weight of guilt that I’d secretly carried, believing that God had given me this burden, this child, as some sort of punishment for the times I’d chosen my own way instead of his. I began to look forward to each day filled with new and sometimes miraculous accomplishments that I’d been told by the doctors just wasn’t on the horizon for a girl like mine.

My freedom came with knowledge that God had made my daughter as he made each of us, exactly as he’d intentioned. For Farema and me, every day, hour and moment of our lives God has never once let us walk alone, or left us on our own; he has been faithful to hold us close to himself and guide us on this journey through life, including this amazing, puzzling, and mysterious world of autism.

********

Biography of Lauri Khodabandehloo

Lauri describes her childhood as perfect. She was raised by Christian parents, a mother who was a recording artist, nationally known as “Little Marcy” who sang about Jesus’ love in a child-like voice, and a father whose magnetic personality won him great success as a salesman for Word, Tyndale and Harvest House publishing companies. But although her early life was a road of blessings, walking the path God had designed for her, Lauri’s life took a detour, and she found herself walking the broken road of lost dreams and great sadness.

Through raising her fourth daughter, born with a devastating biological brain dysfunction known as Classic Autism, Lauri describes in her heartrending and vividly honest true life account how she found her way back to a closer, more personal relationship with her Lord.

In Lonely Girl, Gracious God, Lauri reveals the depth of autism’s devastation to family and loved ones, and the truth of God’s unfailing grace. She learns to trust Him in all things, and to see that God sometimes allows trials and pain to draw his children into a more personal relationship with Himself.

Today, Lauri hopes to bring comfort to those whose lives have been turned upside down by life’s disappointments and hardships by revealing to others what she has learned— that nothing in life is by accident for those who love the Lord.

Finding a new capacity for patience and perseverance as she struggles to find a life for her autistic daughter, Lauri comes to understand that often the sorrows of this life are God’s way of showing us that by His unfailing grace, He alone can satisfy the greatest longing of our hearts and that He will always be there to hold us steady as we walk that broken road, with newfound hope and confidence, that leads to His open, ever-loving arms.

Lauri is available to speak to women’s groups and conferences, certified by CLASSEMINARS, Inc., CLASS Communicator

Lonelygirlgraciousgod.com 2262 Dale Ave, Eugene, OR 97408 541-485-5450

Other posts you might like:

On Growth

Jake, The Encourager

Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids—An Interview with Dineen Miller

Are there people in your life who, when they speak, you sometimes feel the Holy Spirit moving through them? Dineen Miller, my guest today, is one of those people. I have yet to actually meet her in person, but every time I receive an interview from her, I am truly inspired. She has taken a topic which could leave many a spouse complaining about the person to whom they are yoked, and has turned it into a reason for praise. If you have no idea what that can look like, read on. You won’t be sorry.

Dineen has also been so gracious as to give away one free copy of her new book, Not Alone: Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids in a Spiritually Mismatched Home, to one lucky commenter. A winner will be chosen one week from today, so please include your email address in the body of the comment.

Welcome Dineen …

Can you tell us about your new book co-authored with Lynn Donovan?

I have yet to hear a mother say, “I’m a good mom.” As moms we doubt we’re enough to do the job, to raise our kids to know Jesus. The truth is, we’re not, nor do we have to be. God’s right there and He’s partnering with us to raise godly kids. That’s what our new book, Not Alone, is about. It’s for moms who are spiritually mismatched, divorced, separated, or single. God has our back. With His help, we CAN raise godly kids.

I suspect this book could inspire even mothers in spiritually matched households. We all need to place our full faith in God to help us raise our children.

What is the hardest part of raising Godly children in a spiritually mismatched family?

Having two parents with two different viewpoints, who technically have equal right and say to what their children will be taught. So the biggest challenge I’ve faced, and I see many of our readers face, is to do so respectfully and honor the prebelieving spouse’s views in the equation. Sometimes that spouse can be negative or disrespectful of the believing spouse’s faith views and will put down her beliefs in front of the children. It’s crucial in this case that Mom and Dad sit down and discuss respecting each other’s faith choices and to find ways to compromise if needed. Dad may not believe in God and can be honest with the kids about it, but He doesn't need to make Mom look foolish because she does believe in God.

Great advice!

Are there any blessings you’ve found raising children in a spiritually mismatched marriage?

Intentionality. Nothing is taken for granted. Especially eternity! I know being married to my husband (who’s a great guy and dad, by the way!) really pushed me to know the Bible. So my faith runs very deep and my girls have grown up with seeing their mother reading her Bible and pursuing her faith.

Plus they’ve witnessed first-hand the challenges of a spiritual mismatch. My oldest daughter just married a wonderful young man who’s a very strong believer. I started praying for my girls’ future husbands when they were little. My oldest daughter and her husband are a constant reminder to me of how incredibly faithful God is!

I love how God has worked you through this situation.

Can you give us one suggestion of what to do?

Pray and believe. A mother’s prayers are powerful. And we can teach our kids about God in the backyard, at the grocery store and anywhere it seems to be the right time to point something out that’s so clearly by Abba’s hand. The more we live our faith in our daily lives, the more our children catch it. We do our part, and God does the rest.

Amen!

Can you give us one warning of what not to do?

Don’t see your prebelieving spouse as the enemy, especially in the faith arena. I know that’s hard at times especially if he or she is very antagonistic about it, but I do believe that even then God is bigger. God is always bigger than our spouse’s unbelief. It’s not up to us the change them or make them believe (that applies to our children too). Our job is to love them with the unconditional love of Jesus and let Him do the saving part.

Study carefully the way Jesus interacted with people. You’ll learn a lot about what sacrificial love looks like and what it really means to love someone right where they are, and still see the potential God has placed in them. The exciting part is Abba wants to partner with us to help release that potential in the ones we love and pray for. When we can place our focus there and not on what’s missing, we become a major part of the equation.

Treat a person like trash, and they’ll become trash. Treat a person like you believe they can become what God has planned for them, and you will be on the front row witnessing miracles.

Did I say Amen, yet? Well, Amen again!!!

In our previous interview on InfiniteCharacters.com you talked about how being in a spiritually mismatched marriage has deepened your relationship with God. Can you elaborate on that?

When I first started going to church, I got very involved in several ministries and gobbled up everything I could get my hands on about faith and God. I think my husband got worried because he would ask me a lot of questions about what I believed. I would hesitate because I was afraid I would say the wrong thing. He was afraid I was being “led by the nose” without being sure of the “facts.” That really pushed me to read and study the Bible more so I could answer his questions intelligently and confidently. And I’ve been hooked ever since!

I love that!!!

You just won the Carol Award for The Soul Saver, your novel featuring a couple who is in a spiritually mismatched marriage. How does that feel?

AMAZING!!! That award and so many other things that happened around it are such gifts from God. I am truly living and experiencing Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

The Soul Saver was inspired by Abba and my life. I wrote it out of obedience and my love for Jesus. It’s all His. He is my delight and my GREATEST reward. So everything I do I see as chance to “delight” in Him. And the more I do that, the more He pours out these amazing blessings. One of my favorite parts of that award and story is on our blog. I hope your readers will take a moment to read it. I got to wash feet! http://www.spirituallyunequalmarriage.com/my_weblog/2013/09/blessed-to-wash-feet.html

Wow, just read that one. God is definitely intentional.

Do you have any fiction books on the horizon?

I’m working on a short story right now about a woman who spends a week with Jesus but doesn’t realize who He is. My husband wants to help me self-publish it and has even offered to read it. For that reason alone I will finish this story!

And I hope to finish a kind of sequel to The Soul Saver. It’s a completely different story and set of characters but carries the prophetic aspect of art. Instead of sculptures it’s paintings and the one painting them is an ex-mercenary. The book’s about seeing purpose in our pain and knowing who we are in Jesus. I hope one day soon it will have a home too!

Oh goody! I can’t wait. Make sure to let me know so I can interview you again.

Thank you, Connie! Always a pleasure being on your site. Love your interviews, my friend! Hugs!

And don’t forget to comment below to be entered to receive a free copy of Not Alone: Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids in a Spiritually Mismatched Home.

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Dineen Miller believes her years as a youth counselor, a Stephen Minister, a women’s ministry leader and a small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others through words of truth. She’s also a C.L.A.S.S. Communicator and has been featured on the Moody Radio Network, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk and FamilyLife Today. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, and they are the proud parents of two daughters and a son-in-law. Dineen is the coauthor of the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage and author of the ACFW Carol Award winning book, The Soul Saver. Visit Dineen online at MismatchedandThriving.com.

Other posts you might like:

Life with Depth—by Amy Ford

Where Did You First Meet God in the Bible?

A Change in Perspective—by Dineen Miller

Life with Depth—by Amy Ford

It is my pleasure to have Amy Ford on LBOC today. She is the co-founder of Embrace Grace, a non-profit ministry with the primary goal of empowering churches to be a safe and non-judging place for single girls to go when they find out they are pregnant. Discover more about her and her new book below.

Welcome Amy …

Sometimes I go a few weeks, and it happens WAY too fast, where I glance back and realize that I “coasted” those few weeks. I use that term when there is no acceleration or braking, really doing nothing … just going through life and seeing what happens or falls into my lap. I hate it when that happens! It’s so easy to do though. I never felt like I did something cool or out of the ordinary with investing into my husband or kids, or in general, never accomplished anything in life those few weeks.

I feel like life should be full of little accomplishments that are more than, “I made it through today.” I do realize that we go through seasons in life that are really hard, and maybe that’s all we can offer our world. But most of the time, there is so much more that we can give because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us!

I’m always so amazed at people that live life to the fullest every day, no matter what is happening in their life. There is an Embrace Grace girl that seems to be a “carpe diem” kind of girl, and somehow she also seems to have so much favor in her life too. She was texting me last night SO excited because she had just started her new job this week and had already invested time into a new co-worker she had just met, shared her testimony and how the Lord has impacted her life, and then asked the girl if she would like to ask Jesus into her heart and the girl said YES and so they prayed the prayer, right there at her lunch break. She doesn’t waste time. Every moment for her is an opportunity to impact her world.

For me, I think the hardest part is FINISHING. You know I always talk about the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book and how much I love it. Well one of my strengths is ACTIVATOR. It’s an awesome strength – and pair that up with me being a big dreamer and visionary and I can get things to happen … but the part I have MAJOR flaws with is FINISHING.

I can come up with ideas all the time. Sometimes I’ll even buy a cute “Idea” journal at Barnes and Noble so I can document all my dreams, goals and ideas … but then I lose it and it doesn’t happen. Or sometimes my “to-do” list seems so big and daunting, and I look at my day and somehow will just decide not to answer my phone all day and maybe just hide under my covers. And then I remember, it’s ONE step at a time. Just one. And then go to the next step. And don’t stop stepping. So then I have the bright idea of buying me a super cute “To-Do” list. I actually bought one yesterday! It’s on a cute clipboard with purple flowers. The only problem is, I lose it. I’m not sure why, it just happens. I have so many journals and to-do lists around my house that only have like 3 pages filled. It’s funny.

On Friday I got my final print copies of my book, A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope & Courage during an Unplanned Pregnancy in the mail. The publisher sent me 4 boxes full and as I opened them, I was amazed and reminded, I CAN finish something. I remember thinking, I want to write a book and had all these dreams and ideas about it, but when it came to actually sitting down to write, it was hard. I could come up with a lot of excuses of why I didn’t have the time. But it really just came down to … one step at a time. The to-do list was huge. 55,000 words written is a GIANT task. It was easy for me to say, that’s too hard and takes too long, plus I lost my notes on it a few days ago … but I didn’t. I might have gotten 100 words in one day, but then another day 4,000 and never quitting writing, until one day I realize, I’m DONE! I did it!

God has equipped us with everything we need in order to carry out the dreams inside of us. He knows our strengths and he knows our flaws … but you can still accomplish something. It might not be a book, maybe it’s going back to school, or leading someone to the Lord like the EG girl did, or getting plugged into a ministry … or even starting your own. There will always be something else to do that might interfere. You just gotta make time, clear your schedule, even if that means staying up super late like I did, to impact your world and change your own life while doing it.

Life is too short to coast through it. Live a life of depth. Be purposeful about your days. Accomplish one of your goals, even if it feels like it will take forever, just don’t quit … one step at a time. You might discover a whole new world by hearing God’s voice, and obeying His words! We get one shot at this time on earth, make it count!

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Amy is passionate about helping girls that are walking this journey of being single, pregnant and alone, since that represents her own journey. She is equally passionate about introducing Jesus in a fresh way to a generation of girls that are daddy-less and suffer from low self-esteem, lacking in knowledge of their worth and value—and Who our identity comes from.  She is the author of A Bump in Life: True Stories of Hope & Courage during an Unplanned Pregnancy that released October 1, 2013 with B&H Publishing. She has been a member of Gateway Church for 8 years. She is married to her sweet husband of 15 years, Ryan Ford and they have 4 children: Jess, Mackenzie, Landry & Judah Brave.

Other posts you might like:

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—by Rachel Phifer

Do You Ever Feel Your Offering to God is Too Small?

Did the Apostles Really ‘Dis’ Waitresses?

Captive in Iran—Book Commentary

When I first heard about Captive in Iran, by Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, I knew it would be interesting—a story of two women in an Iranian prison, jailed for their faith—but it was so much more than that. It was more than an opportunity to learn about another’s culture and how it oppresses the faith I take for granted in my own country. It was a reminder of God’s unending love, unceasing providence and extraordinary wisdom. Though the story is told through two women, I think they’d be the first to agree, it’s not their story—it’s God’s.

What did I gain from reading this account of how two women were unfairly imprisoned with no knowledge of the actual charges and no idea if they’d be executed for them? Hmmm. Let’s see …

I was inspired to maintain faith through storms, long periods of “drought” and to remember that God is always working behind the scenes.

I learned God uses all things for His glory, even in persecution.

I learned He is mightiest when all seems lost.

I learned the power of forgiveness, the power of friendship, the power of love, the power of prayer and even the power of blogging :o)!

I learned miracles happen today.

I learned not to judge others whose lives are very different from mine.

I learned what is really important in life.

I learned to appreciate freedom of religion.

I learned a lot about Iran I hadn’t known before, like the confusing laws about faith, the horrible treatment of women (sanctioned by the prevailing religious forces) and the propaganda against Christianity (like the selling of a false Christian gospel in the stores). I also learned about the “underground believers” who know the real Jesus Christ, but cannot acknowledge Him in public for fear of their safety.

Pray for these people!!!

Lastly, I learned how to evangelize. These women did not push their faith in prison, they just built friendships based on respect and trustworthiness and spoke truth when asked questions.

Read this book and pray for the people of Iran!

Other posts you might like:

A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy

When It Rains, He’s There

Let Me See Redemption Win

When You Don’t Fit the Mold—By Rachel Phifer

I was born with a thin skin. One of my earliest memories is sitting on the floor, rocking, trying to comfort myself because the noise of the television and people talking in the kitchen was overwhelming. My mother says I was eight before I stopped crying about getting dressed, “because the clothes touched me.” At school, the sound of pencils scratching against paper made me shiver and a sharp look from a teacher would reduce me to tears.

A few years ago, I read about something called sensory integration disorder. It was me all over. The experts describe it as having the knobs on your senses turned up at a constantly high volume.

Here’s the thing though. What I remember most about those early years of childhood is not tears, not trauma. I remember how lush the grass felt between my toes. I remember an orange harvest moon hanging so low in the sky I couldn’t believe it was out of reach. I remember crisp pages leafing between my eight-year old fingers, and the delight I felt as the voices at church flowed over me in song.

Is that a disorder?

And the words. Oh my goodness, the words. When I wrote, I could practically taste the words. I could feel their shape and rhythm. It’s as if I could take a word off my tongue and weigh it in my hand. I’m a writer because I have a sensory processing “disorder.”

We say someone has a “disability” or “disorder” – sensory issues or ADHD, Aspergers or dyslexia. but what we mean is “they don’t fit the mold.” You can’t have the light without the dark, or creativity without bursting the seams of what’s expected.

Successful people from Charles Schwab to Michael Phelps have been diagnosed with ADHD. Were they successful in spite of their condition or because of it? Einstein and Thomas Edison were irritations to their teacher because they were unable to do rote work, and Bill Gates dropped out of college. The fact is they were meant for something greater than the classroom. I’ve read that dyslexics tend to have strong spatial abilities. I know it was true of my dad. Writing a letter was painful for him, even as a grown man, but he was a skilled painter, photographer, athlete and gardener.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know disorders have a wide range of severity. And I know it can be frustrating to feel like your brain is on fire because there’s too much stimuli. It’s probably most frustrating of all to be the parent of a kid who struggles with school or the ability to carry on a normal conversation. But you can be sure that the God who brought giraffes and tigers and dolphins into being has more in store for us than simply living identical lives.

What we have to realize is that no gift is one dimensional. The same qualities that bring us joy will bring challenges.

So the one who is exploding with brilliant ideas will probably find a classroom stifling. The one who can memorize reams of data may find social skills a challenge. And the one who can paint masterpieces might be overwhelmed by a crowded party full of visual images.

In our less than perfect world, every gift comes with its share of frustrations and difficulties. But make no mistake. Every gift comes from God and is good by definition.

Note: In my book, The Language of Sparrows, one of my characters finds it difficult to handle crowds or make eye contact. But it is the same quality that gives her an uncanny ability to pick up new languages and sends foreign phrases murmuring through her dreams at night.

The Language of Sparrows …

Brilliant and fluent in too many languages to count, 15-year-old Sierra Wright can't seem to communicate what is important to her in any language. Though April Wright stubbornly keeps an upbeat attitude about her daughter's future, she has let her own dreams slip away. Just across the bridge lives old Luca, scarred from his time in a Romanian gulag years before. Though he has seemingly given up on people, Sierra is drawn to him despite his prickly edges.
No one else is comfortable with the unpredictable old man spending time alone with Sierra, not even Luca's son. Yet it is this unconventional relationship that will bring two families together to form friendships and unearth their family stories, stories that just might give them all the courage to soar on wings toward a new future.

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As the daughter of missionaries, Rachel Phifer grew up in Malawi, South Africa and Kenya, and managed to attend eleven schools by the time she graduated from high school. Books, empty notebooks and cool pens were her most reliable friends as she moved from one place to another. She holds a B.A. in English and psychology from Houston Baptist University, and lives in Houston with her family.

Website: www.rachelphifer.com

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-Sparrows-Rachel-Phifer/dp/0781410487

Other posts you might like:

D is for Dyslexia

I’m Dyslexic—By Jane Perrine

How to Treat A Child with Autism