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The Painful Side of Publishing

May 8, 2013 in Business, Karen, Personal, Publishing, Theology with 49 Comments

by Karen Ball

Ache

We’ll get back to focus next week, but something has been weighing heavy on my heart and I want to share it with you.

We all know that publishing is a tough gig. It was proven yet again by what happened last week with the B&H Publishing Group’s fiction division (see Steve’s blog about it). It’s easy to commiserate with the authors impacted by this sudden change, to pray for them and encourage them. But I saw something happening in a number of blogs and author loops, and I confess it troubles me. What I saw was people making caustic comments about the publisher and about the people who work at the publishing house. Even to the point of questioning their faith. As in “How can they call themselves a Christian publisher and do something like this?”

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A Moment of Silence

April 19, 2013 in Personal, Steve with 9 Comments

flags-half-mast

Sometimes it is appropriate to set aside our routine and spend a moment in silence. Please use the time you would have spent on our regular Fun Fridays post and pray. Pray for a world in need of redemption. Pray for far too many families shattered by senseless violence (and not just those in Boston). Evil has once again touched us in a tangible way.

Pray the following Psalm with us today:

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

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Gray Saturday

March 30, 2013 in Personal, Steve, Theology with 27 Comments

I wrote this many years ago and read it every Easter weekend as a reminder. May it speak to you in some small way.

Gray Saturday
by Steve Laube

Holy weekend is such a study in contrasts.

Friday is dark. Somber. Frightening in its hopelessness and pain.
I do not like Dark Fridays.
The nails bury themselves deep into my soul.
They become a singular stake through the heart of this sinner.
Piercing. Rending. Bloody.
Vanquishing this creature of the night who dares to follow his own way.
Christ’s death becomes mine.
The death I deserve.

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Dark Friday

March 29, 2013 in Personal, Steve, Theology with 28 Comments

I wrote this piece a few years ago and thought it appropriate to post every year on Dark Friday.

Take Me, Break Me
(a prayer)
by Steve Laube

Take my eyes Lord.

Strike me blind.

* * *

Then heal me Lord
That I may see with Your eyes.

 

Take my hands Lord.
Crush every bone.

* * *

Then heal me Lord
That I may touch with Your tenderness.

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Miracle

March 28, 2013 in Personal, Tamela, Theology with 16 Comments

by Tamela Hancock Murray

crown of thorns, cross and nail

This time of year, Christians contemplate the marvel that is the resurrection of Christ. Such an event seems magical, though God is never a genie, ready to grant our every wish. Even Jesus was not granted His plea in the Garden of Gethsemane as He asked the Father to take the cup of death from Him. But was there any other way? No, there was not. How else could have the miracle of the resurrection have taken place? How else would we Christians today be washed in His blood? As he chastened the disciples for their inability to stay awake even an hour, I think of how short I fall in my efforts to follow Him.

What Jesus did for us was nothing magical. Love is not magical, but the emotions we feel knowing we are loved are, well, magical. Little children can nibble chocolate bunnies to mark the awesome day that is Easter and then, as they mature, come to the realization and understanding about Jesus’ resurrection, and what He really means to us.

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A Time to Mourn

February 25, 2013 in Personal, Steve with 26 Comments

by Steve Laube

Autumn Pine Forest

This past weekend was a time to mourn. We attended two family funerals here in Phoenix. The first for my wife’s grandma, Izora Weed. An amazing woman who was 101 when she passed. The second was my wife’s Uncle Ken Merrick who brings to mind many fond memories.

It has been a tough year. The loss of far too many family friends (including another this past week). My father last September. The family members mentioned above. And even our family pet of 16 years.

Loss after loss. Grief after grief. Before long it becomes a question of “How much more of this can we take?”

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Dear Editors

February 21, 2013 in Editing, Personal, Publishing, Tamela with 24 Comments

by Tamela Hancock Murray

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Dear Editors:

When I first started writing, not for a letter grade in college, but in hopes of a paycheck — or at least a byline — I solicited you with many articles, devotionals, short stories, and book-length manuscripts. Each was posted with dreams of finding your favor. More often than not, you sliced those dreams with your pens of rejection.

And for that, I want to thank you.

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When You Hit the Wall of Discouragement

February 18, 2013 in Business, Personal, Steve, Writing with 29 Comments

by Steve Laube

 Depressed

I recently received the following question from a client (an award winning author):
Is it common for an author to hit a wall of discouragement? To feel as though they’re working so hard for so little? To question why they’re doing this?

Unfortunately it is quite common. Doesn’t mean it aches any less. Sort of like getting old…everyone does and it aches, but it is a common malady.

I recently read a blog by a writer in the general market who wrote, “Why am I doing this? I work so hard for so little money only to have critics tell me I have no talent at all.”

It truly comes down to whether your calling is stronger than the frustration and anguish of the writing process.

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2013 in Personal, Tamela, Writing with 20 Comments

by Tamela Hancock Murray

open book with red heart inside
Today is St. Valentine’s Day.

How appropriate for a literary agent who loves and represents lots of Christian romance novels!

Valentine’s Day is a favorite in our house. As a newlywed, I bought a heart-shaped cake on our first Valentine’s Day together to celebrate. Later, I bought a heart-shaped cake pan so I can bake a cake myself.  That first year I also cut my husband’s sandwich for his lunch into the shape of a heart. But he telephoned from work and said that my efforts made the sandwich too small! After all these years, I still like to treat him to an extra-special dinner and tie a balloon to his chair, though.

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Past, Present, and Future

January 3, 2013 in Personal, Tamela with 10 Comments

by Tamela Hancock Murray

years 2012 and 2013 in arrowsThe year 2012 proved to be another wonderful year in which God blessed our family.

We welcomed a new son-in-law into our family. Joel and Jill are happy in Daegu, South Korea. Of course, we wish they lived near us, but we still keep in close touch. Attending their July wedding meant we were privileged to visit South Korea, a memorable adventure made more special by Joel’s gracious family.

Our younger daughter, Ann, began her senior year in the last step of 13 years of Christian primary and secondary education. She has already been accepted by both colleges where she applied, and as of this writing, is leaning heavily toward attending Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

On a sad note, like Steve Laube’s family, we also lost our beloved cat this year. We adopted Dixie Belle from a shelter when she was reported to be five or six years old, meaning she was at least 21 when she passed away. She was a wonderful cat and we miss her.

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