Inspiration

Prayers for the New Year

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon 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.

Merry Christmas!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon 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 them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and …

Category: Inspiration

4 Keys to Creativity

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

Category: Craft, Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Writers Give to Others

By Steve Laubeon 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 …

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

Are You a “Christian Writer?”

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

Category: Inspiration, Platform, The Writing Life, Theology

Veterans Day – 100th Anniversary

By Steve Laubeon 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 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 …

Category: Inspiration, Personal

Lessons Learned As a Literary Agent

By Dan Balowon 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 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 …

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

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 …

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

Making Decisions for Others

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

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

Søren Kierkegaard on Writing

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

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