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Prayers for the New Year

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On January 10, 2019

I was reading an old prayer book when I discovered this:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

I decided to make this one of my primary prayers for 2019. Perhaps you can think about this prayer, too.

When your book is rejected:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

When someone lets you down:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

When you feel overwhelmed:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

When you struggle with failure:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

When you struggle with success:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

When everything is going well, as I hope will be your blessing in 2019 and beyond:

My God, grant that I may love Thee, and let the only reward of my love be to love Thee more and more.

May all of us love God more and more with each passing day.

Happy New Year.

 

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Merry Christmas!

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On December 20, 2018

 Tomorrow, December 21, is the feast day of Saint Thomas. Here is a suggested reading from The Book of Common Prayer: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto …

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4 Keys to Creativity

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Bob Hostetler

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On December 12, 2018

Maybe you’re not one of those writers who sometimes says (or thinks), “I’m just not very creative.” But you may sometimes be jealous of others’ creativity. Or wish at times that you were more so. Join the club. We could all use at least a little more creativity in our …

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Writers Give to Others

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On December 10, 2018

My hope is that this headline is true. While the writing profession (or obsession as some describe it) is a solitary one, it is in giving to others where its impact can be felt.

Time

The gift of time is precious as we are given a finite amount in this life. To mentor another writer. To blog freely. To teach at a conference or school setting. All are example of a beautiful way to both give and receive.

Talent

To use your talent to its fullest is a gift to others. To hone that talent so that it crescendos into the heart of a reader should be the goal of every writer. This talent must be shared. To hoard it for oneself would be a travesty and tantamount to the deadly sin of greed.

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Are You a “Christian Writer?”

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Bob Hostetler

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On November 21, 2018

I am a Christian writer. Sure. To some, that confession implies that I write Christian books. That happens to be true, but that’s not the only possibility. Others might infer that I am a writer of cheesy, preachy prose and poetry. I hope not, but I must leave it to …

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Veterans Day – 100th Anniversary

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On November 11, 2018

Today, November 11, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was set to honor  the end of World War I, which happened on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It became a legal holiday in the …

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Lessons Learned As a Literary Agent

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Dan Balow

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On October 23, 2018

Dan is leaving the agency at the end of this month to focus his attention on the work of Gilead Publishing, the company he started in 2016. Here are some parting thoughts. _____ I’ve been a literary agent for about 2,000 of the 13,000 total days spent working with and …

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A Writer’s Beatitudes

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Bob Hostetler

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On July 18, 2018

In the famous “Sermon on the Mount” passage in the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presented a series of eight “beatitudes.” Each was a saying that turned conventional wisdom on its head, showing how in God’s eyes the oppressed are blessed and the despised are prized. No one can improve …

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Making Decisions for Others

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Dan Balow

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On July 17, 2018

Because book publishing is surrounded by semi-regular failure, no matter if you are an agent, author, or publisher, the ability to deal with adversity is a defining characteristic of anyone who is successful in it. It’s a lot like baseball, where a high level of failure and adversity are part …

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Søren Kierkegaard on Writing

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On June 18, 2018

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher and writer in the mid-1800s. His works have been highly influential for the past 170 years. He is not without his critics but a couple years ago Christianity Today ran an article titled, “Why We Still Need Kierkegaard.” My own journey has included wrestling …

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