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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Inspiration » Page 10

Inspiration

Merry Christmas!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 20, 2018
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 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 them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed. (John 20:24-29 KJV)

Most people enjoy tangible, concrete things. I know I do. There are a lot of things we’d have a hard time surviving without. It is in that spirit that for most of us, Christmas presents the challenge of gifting. We feel gifts are expected, that somehow our love for others doesn’t exist unless we offer a gift—tangible proof of our love. Or, without realizing it, we may be feeding a need in ourselves, a need to show off by virtue of extravagance or to feed a shopping addiction. After all, we’re buying for others, so it’s okay to shop, right? I’ve noticed that shopping addicts tend to gift things they like with little regard for the recipient’s wishes.

The folly of overindulging in gift giving continues to roost with me as I help my mother sort her belongings. The majority of things she has no need for gave the gift-giver, and perhaps her, a momentary spark of joy. But later, a figurine, a ridiculously large makeup pallet, a plaque with a funny saying have become junk. Most of these gifts were from people she wasn’t that close to, and so were vague enough not to offend; hence they don’t capture the heart. We donate various items to a thrift store in hopes that someone else will think our junk is a treasure. And for what? To employ slave labor overseas? To churn the cycle of consumption? To keep garbage collectors and landfill employees working?

I’m not telling anyone to stop celebrating Christmas in any way that brings them joy and honors the Lord. I love giving gifts that are truly wanted and appreciated. What I am saying, as we celebrate Christmas and beyond, is that we don’t need to take the doubting spirit of Saint Thomas with us. Rather, let us celebrate the life of Christ by doing everything we can to show His love every day. Yes, that love can take the form of a tangible gift. But it doesn’t have to.

I have found that the more I know I am loved by a person because of who that person is and how they make me feel, the less obsessed I am by whether that person sends me a card or gives me a gift of any kind at any occasion. I know I’m loved so I don’t need the proof of a gift.

With love, every day can be the Christmas season.

Love is what I wish for you. Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Category: Inspiration

4 Keys to Creativity

By Bob Hostetleron December 12, 2018
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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 lives, our thinking, and our writing. So, since my weekly “midrash” (Bible study) group has been discussing the first chapters of …

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Category: Craft, Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Writers Give to Others

By Steve Laubeon December 10, 2018
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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 …

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Category: Book Business, Career, Encouragement, Faith, InspirationTag: Giving, Writing Craft

Are You a “Christian Writer?”

By Bob Hostetleron November 21, 2018
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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 others to judge. Still others may interpret the phrase “Christian writer” as referring to someone who writes only on Christian …

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Category: Inspiration, Platform, The Writing Life, Theology

Veterans Day – 100th Anniversary

By Steve Laubeon November 11, 2018
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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 U.S. in 1938 and was renamed as Veterans Day in 1954. It is our opportunity to thank and celebrate all those who have served our country in …

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Category: Inspiration, Personal

Lessons Learned As a Literary Agent

By Dan Balowon October 23, 2018
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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 for book publishers over the last thirty-five years. It’s been a great experience, for sure; but as I look back at the thousands of …

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Category: Agents, Book Business, Branding, Career, Conferences, Craft, Creativity, Encouragement, Inspiration, Marketing, Personal, Pitch, Platform, Self-Publishing, Social Media, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

A Writer’s Beatitudes

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2018
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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 on those inspired beatitudes, of course. But what if we tried to capture their perspective and redirected them …

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Category: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Making Decisions for Others

By Dan Balowon July 17, 2018
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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 of any successful player or team. Tonight is the major league baseball All-Star Game in Washington, DC. …

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Category: Book Business, Career, Encouragement, InspirationTag: Book Business

Søren Kierkegaard on Writing

By Steve Laubeon June 18, 2018
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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 with Fear and Trembling, Sickness Unto Death, and Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing. Recently I …

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Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Your Commitment to Your Reader

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 10, 2018
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When you’re working to get your book published, you feel you have lots of people to please. First, you have to be satisfied with your book. Then, you need to find an agent to partner with you to present your work to editors, who are her customers. Then the editor must sell your work to the editorial committee. Then it goes to the publishing committee. So along the way, you’ve had lots of people to …

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Category: Career, Editing, Inspiration, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Career, readers, The Writing Life
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