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Get Ready

10/19/2017

Get Ready
Karen Porter
Bold Vision Books
$15.99 136 Pages
ISBN 9780985356309

As a young person, we often hear the words, “get ready.” At that stage of life, it usually means go to college, find a good job, prepare yourself well for the future. However, getting ready can come at many stages in our lives.

In her book, Get Ready, Karen Porter outlines how a person who is called by God, to serve in His Kingdom, can prepare for that assignment. This book is not only for pastors. It is for speakers, writers, missionaries, lay leaders, anyone who is feeling nudged by the Holy Spirit to step out and do more.

Get Ready is filled with tools, practical tools, that we all can put into place immediately. These are tried and true tools coming from the author’s own personal experience. Karen carefully, walks the reader through methods to establish or improve their quiet time. She has chapters on prayer and Bible study.

As a Christian leader, we must be constantly getting ready for the next opportunity God presents to us. You might say, we should “up our game.” How do you study the Bible? Has your prayer life become just a routine? Is your spiritual growth stagnant? Get Ready will help you recognize where you can make some changes and re-energize your spiritual life.

Get Ready is more than just a how-to book. It will become your personal devotional guide, opening your eyes to new insights about your own relationship with the Savior. This in turn will impact the way you minister to others.

Whether you are a young adult just starting out, someone who God has tapped on the shoulder, a person who is retiring and thinking about what to do with the rest of your life, or a seasoned senior who recognizes needs in your church or community, this book is for you. It will help you as you move ahead into the vision God has given you.

Gerry Wakeland

This book will give you the tools to find Him in your daily pursuit of spiritual growth, and these tools will help you capture what you learn so that you can use it when you write or speak or teach.

Karen Porter is a woman of many talents. She is a funny, yet deep, international speaker, the author of numerous books, and a successful businesswoman. As a speaking and writing coach she helps communicators identify their passion and accomplish their God given dreams. Karen is wife and business partner to George, mother to Cherry and Brett, and grandmother to five of the most amazing grandchildren ever. Most importantly, Karen Porter is a woman of God and communicates from that perspective.

Contact Karen at kaeporter@gmail.com or visit www.boldvisionbooks.com

Perseverance Pays Off

10/16/2017

By Gerry Wakeland

In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”

J.K. Rowling had just gotten a divorce, was on government aid, and could barely afford to feed her baby in 1994, just three years before the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, was published. When she was shopping it out, she was so poor she couldn’t afford a computer or even the cost of photocopying the 90,000-word novel, so she manually typed out each version to send to publishers. It was rejected dozens of times until finally Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, gave it a second chance after the CEO’s eight-year-old daughter fell in love with it.

It would have been easy for Rowling to just give up, get a job, and take care of her child, but she persevered.

It happens to all of us. God gives us a dream. He calls us to accomplish something for His Kingdom, something that will honor and glorify His name, something that will edify His children. We get excited and start off running.

Soon the enemy comes at us. “Who do you think you are? You can’t do that. You don’t have the skill, the education, or the finances.” Remember the enemy has but one goal, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10a) He wants to rob you of your God-given dream. He wants to destroy your confidence.

Friends, what I want to tell you today is this, don’t let him. If God has placed within your heart and soul a message that He wants you to share, don’t let anyone or anything stop you. It may not happen overnight. In fact, it usually doesn’t, but if you persevere it will come to pass.

Here are just a few examples:

The great mystery writer, Agatha Christie, waited four years before her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920.
Beatrix Potter self-published her classic, The Tales of Peter Rabbit.
Children’s author, Dr. Seuss, had over 58 of his stories rejected.
Alex Haley, author of Roots, wrote every day for eight years before finding success in his attempts.

When I came to Albuquerque in 2006, John Thurman came to my office and introduced himself. He said, “I’m writing a book.” John’s book, Getting a Grip on Depression, was released eight years later in 2014. Sometimes life gets in the way.

I met Aaron Zook in 2009 at the writer’s conference in Abiquiu. Aaron had a plan to write suspense and mystery stories for young adults. After much prayer and research, Aaron decided to use a self-publisher. Aaron is now awaiting the release of his fourth in a 12-book series and has a contract with Bold Vision Books.

When Kenn Edwards attended his first writer’s conference, he had but a glimmer of an idea. Was it even worthy pursuing? With a lot of encouragement from others, Kenn hired a writing coach to help him follow the dream God had given him. At one point during this writing project, Kenn quit. However, God gave Kenn new insight and got him back on track. Kenn’s book, My Footprint for God, was released in 2016.

Sally Walls came all the way from Alberta Canada to attend the writer’s conference in 2010. She was still in the midst of grieving the death of her teen age son. But even then, Sally knew she would write about this journey someday. Sally was getting ready, waiting on God’s timing. Sally’s memoir, Nightfall to Daybreak, was just released.

These are but a few stories of individuals that have taken the dream God gave them and stuck with it. They are living examples that perseverance pays off.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3

The Message was First Meant for Us

10/13/2017

By Lora Armendariz

The calling to spread God’s message to others can feel at first intimidating, overwhelming, and to be honest, a lot of work. However, there is sweet blessing built into our labor.

I was chatting with a woman who had just given her first ever Christian speech. While admitting she had been both nervous and unsure of herself, she said that she was blessed by the experience.

I asked her why and she said, “Because I felt like the process of figuring out my message, researching, and preparing enriched my life in an incredible way. I think I learned more from this than any of the women who listened to me talk.”

This surprised me. I had been one of those women who had listened to her speech and I had taken several notes and been deeply moved by what she shared.

My friend’s revelation got me thinking. I reviewed the hours I’ve spent preparing my own speeches, blog posts, and manuscripts. I am abundantly blessed in them. There are moments when I feel like God gave me His word, spoon fed me great things that I needed for growth and healing. It is as if the message was first for me and me alone.

As Christian communicators we get caught up in the numbers: numbers of follows, readers, people in our audience, books sold, and invitations to speak. But even if that aspect of our labor doesn’t seem favorable, we are blessed simply by the work.

We write our testimony and get to look back and see God’s plan woven into our life. We speak about breaking addictions or cultivating relationships, and are enlightened through our research and preparation. We write a non-fiction book about Christian living and become convicted that God is the only true way to live. We write a blog to uplift others and are ourselves filled with hope. We write a story and are thankful that God’s light shines through the darkness of our world.

The examples go on and on.

Perhaps one of the most precious gifts He has given us is this calling, this dream, this passion. As Christian communicators, dedicated to getting God’s message to the world, we are intimately blessed by our Heavenly Father. We are reminded to work closely with Him in prayer and in His Word.

Because any message we were called to share was first meant for us to hear.

Lora Armendariz is the author of Expressive Heart Devotions. She lives with her husband and two daughters in rural New Mexico. A busy stay-at-home mom, Lora finds joy in encouraging others with her writing. As the mother of a special needs child, Lora has discovered the importance of bringing God into all the small spaces of your day. Visit Lora’s website at loraarmendariz.com.

Nightfall to Daybreak

10/12/2017

Nightfall to Daybreak
Sally Walls
Tellwell Talent
$9.00 161 Pages
ISBN 978177202953-5

It’s every parent’s nightmare. That knock on the door, opened only to find a police officer on the other side. “Your son has just been killed,” he says. In an instant your world comes crashing down. What do you do?

Sally Walls’ new book, Nightfall to Daybreak, deals with that question on a very personal level. Sally can speak with authority because she has lived through the most difficult circumstances a mother can ever deal with, the death of a child.

Walls’ story is shared in two parts. Nightfall shares a poignant, yet sensitive picture of her son, Davis. Davis, the miracle baby, Davis, the track star, Davis the teen approaching manhood. Each story is woven with love and pain. We must all face loss at some point in our lives and loss is accompanied by pain. Yet, through the stories the author weaves quotes, scripture and statistics that while they do not dismiss the pain of loss, they help provide strength to cope.

The second part of Nightfall to Daybreak is devoted to daybreak. These stories are different. They are filled with encouragement. Encouragement received from others, encouragement received from God. These are still memories, but this time the memories are examples. Examples of how to move forward. They give the reader hope.

Loss is inevitable. Whether it’s a child, parent, or spouse, losing someone is tough. But Sally Walls demonstrates that you can move beyond the grief, the loss, the unrealized dreams. Mourning will and can bring the light of dawn. Sally is a living example. And she has chosen to share that with others, to offer a glimpse of the breaking sun pouring rays of hope into our hearts. I encourage you to read this book.

Maybe you’ve not experienced that knock on the door. Maybe you never will. But you might know someone that has or will. Nightfall to Daybreak is an excellent resource for churches, counselors, and libraries. It will shed rays of light into the darkness of life.

Gerry Wakeland

“This book shares the enduring love of a mother’s heart that loves beyond the grave, and the grace of God that sustained her. Not only is this a tribute to her son, it is also a companion for those who are grieving and those who are traveling alongside them.”
Jacqueline Nadworny, Fresh Insites Counseling

Sally Walls has a passion for encouragement and a heart for people. An engaging storyteller, Sally loves to speak into the lives of others, sharing her message of hope. Sally lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta where she is an active volunteer in her community and church. In her free time, Sally enjoys hiking, biking, and skiing in the fresh Rocky Mountain air.

To purchase a copy of Nightfall to Darkness, visit Sally at www.sallywalls.com or amazon.com.

Advice for Beginning Writers from the Pros

10/9/2017

From DiAnn Mills

Write every day.

Discipline is the key.

Read every day.

Beginning writes must be readers. Read everything you can get your hands on, not just books on writing. Read for style and technique.

Pray every day.

Your work must be bathed in prayer. Find yourself an accountability partner who knows your goals and will pray for you.

From Audra Grace Shelby

Everyone has a story, but not everyone can tell a story well. Train yourself to tell your story well. Attend writer’s conferences, workshops, classes and practice, practice, practice.

Write to teach not to entertain.

Just do it!

From Aaron Zook

Go to a writer’s conference. Why? Because you don’t know what you don’t know.

One of the hardest parts of writing is finding quality time to focus on writing. This is a must. Make time to write.

Get involved in a writer’s group. “Wisdom comes from many counselors.” You will only grow as high as your circle of friends and colleagues allows. Surround yourself with others who can help you grow.

From Karissa Culbreath

Read…read more, read everything differently, read for style, story line, and framing. Read analytically. Study how the author communicates.

Write…and rewrite. Journaling is a great writing tool. Write until you find your voice as an author.

Attend writer’s conferences. “This was the single best investment I made in my long-term goal as an author.”

There you have it. Twelve terrific tips to help beginning writers get started. It’s interesting how several of them overlap.

Here’s one last bonus tip:
Don’t wait. If God has called you to be a writer, to share your story, or a message He has given you, don’t wait for the circumstances to be perfect. Start writing now and trust Him to provide all the elements necessary for you to accomplish what He has called you to do. Just be obedient to the call.

Broken from Silence

10/5/2017

Broken from Silence
Susan Swafford
Self
$9.00 151 Pages
ISBN 9781505348477

As of the moment I began writing this review there had been 830, 089 legal abortions reported in the U.S. That’s more than the entire population of the state of Alaska, or North Dakota, or Wyoming. It is estimated that an abortion occurs somewhere in the world every 30 seconds. These are staggering statistics that should provoke us all to think.

These statistics represent more than a lost life. They represent a woman, a man, a family that are impacted by the decision to abort.

Imagine the lingering after effects women suffer after having an abortion. Guilt, shame, anger, anxiety, depression, sense of loss, repression and/or suppression are but a few of the feelings that will plague a woman who has struggled through the difficult decision of abortion for years. Feelings that can impact her life and the life of others.

Susan Swafford dealt with these feelings for years before Jesus broke through the guilt and shame, through the pain, to reveal His unconditional love. Broken from Silence is the first-hand account of that breakthrough.

This book is more than just a Bible study designed to help women be set free from the guilt and shame of abortion. It is the very personal account of one woman’s journey and how with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, she completed the journey to experience victory. Now her passion is to help other women do the same.

In her book, Swafford talks about understanding the character of God. This is a key component on the pathway to wholeness. The book includes chapters on the downward spiral, the bitter root, forgiveness and the time to mourn. All necessary as we strive to experience freedom in Christ.

These are not easy topics. However, the author leads the reader through passage after passage of scripture to demonstrate the truth and the character of our Savior.

Broken from Silence is designed to be a journey of healing for those who suffer from the guilt and shame of abortion. Through her personal story, Susan Swafford leads women to find the strength, healing and hope that can only be found in Christ. This thought provoking study books helps women to understand the character of God, who they are in Christ, the healing power of forgiveness, and the truth that will set them free and enable them to be Broken from Silence.

Gerry Wakeland

God used this 10-week Bible study to break the chains that held me in bondage. Now as a volunteer counselor for Care Net, a pregnancy resource center, I see many women who had had abortions and need healing. I pray they will take this study and be “Broken from Silence.”
Johanne Glover, Care Net

Susan Swafford is a writer teacher, and public speaker in the Pro-Life Movement. That’s just one of Susan’s passions. She is the founder of CORE Advantage, an organization that focuses on cultivating opportunities that result in excellence and she is actively involved in WIN, a women’s investing network. Add to that wife, mother and grandmother and you will see the picture of a truly blessed woman.

Broken from Silence may be purchased at Amazon.com. To talk with Susan about her ministry to post abortive women, you can contact her at 505 896-2990.

The Writer’s Calling

10/2/2017

By Linda Gilden

Every person has a calling. But finding God’s ultimate purpose for his or her life takes a lot of prayer, exploration, and listening. Often people don’t discover God’s purpose until they have explored many different options. How do you know if God has called you to be a writer? There is no easy answer and the answer is different and personal for each person. I did a lot of things in early adulthood I really enjoyed. But when I discovered writing, a whole new world opened up to me. I felt a passion I had never had before. I walked by my computer and it beckoned me. I couldn’t not write.

Eric Liddell said it best in the movie Chariots of Fire when he responded to his sister’s questions. “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” What do you do that makes you feel God’s pleasure? What are you so passionate about that when you do it you feel an immediate connection with God? For me, it is writing and encouraging others.

What is it for you? Has God called you to be a writer? A speaker? Or something totally different. Ask God to equip you with an undeniable passion for whatever He has called you to be.

In a way everyone is a writer. In 2 Corinthians 3:3 says, “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Even if we don’t put words on paper people are “reading” our lives. My prayer for myself and each of us is that our message, God’s message through us, is a bestseller!

Linda Gilden is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She finds great joy (and excellent writing material) in time spent with her family. Her favorite activity is floating in a pool with a good book surrounded by splashing children!

To find out more about Linda, her writing, and her ministry, visitwww.lindagilden.com. You can also connect with her onTwitter @LindaGilden and Facebook at Author Linda Gilden

MEET KARISSA CULBREATH

9/29/2017

Karissa Culbreath never had plans to write a children’s book. In fact, she said, she is pretty sure there is a seventh-grade teacher out there somewhere, scratching her head in amazement over this accomplishment.

Karissa’s first book, Daddy’s Little Girl, started as a spark of an idea. Like a votive candle in a dark room, the flame started to glow and the light started to grow. Soon the room was filled with the vision. Karissa immediately recognized this could only be from God.

Karissa McCall grew up in Albuquerque, NM. The daughter of educators, Karissa describes herself as a “pew baby.” Her parents made certain that Karissa and her two siblings knew the importance of having the Lord in their lives.

Karissa attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN where she studied microbiology and immunology. Not your typical field of study for a children’s author. But remember, that was not in the plans…yet. She moved on to Vanderbilt, also in Nashville, where she earned her PhD.

Karissa, husband, and their two kids.

While in grad school, Karissa met and married her husband Brian and the couple moved to Chapel Hill, NC where Dr. Karissa Culbreath completed a two-year fellowship in clinical microbiology. Soon after, Karissa found herself on the other side of the world in Malawi Africa where she spent an incredible two months building laboratories to improve the diagnostics for treating TB and HIV, still a major threat to the people in that region. It was in Malawi that Karissa discovered her passion. It wasn’t writing. It was helping these people, helping them improve their health.

Karissa had a husband and a life waiting stateside, she boarded a plane and flew home. The couple moved to Albuquerque, where Karissa had grown up and Brian found employment as a graphic designer. Karissa soon found her place as the Director of Infectious Disease at TriCore Labs.

Karissa is the proud mother of two of the most talented and adorable children God ever created. Mikaela is five and Ethan is three. Her face lights up when she shares their antics. You can see right away how much Karissa loves her family. Her parents are an important part of her life as well. She partners with her father, now a pastor, in ministry.

Karissa and her father.

Life was good. Almost perfect. So where did this writing idea come from?

In 2013 Karissa and Brian left Mikaela with Karissa’s parents. They just wanted a brief respite, one night. That night in a hotel room, with a band playing in the distance, God revealed not only the idea for the book, but He revealed every single page in detail. Karissa’s little votive candle had suddenly become a flood light. She couldn’t write fast enough.

However, once she returned home, rough draft in hand, the enemy began his attack. She struggled with doubts. “Who am I? Am I good enough? Is this stupid? Will anyone read this?” If you are a new writer, a published author, you understand. You’ve had those very same thoughts.

Then came the distractions. And the logistics. How was she going to get this book published? She took a risk. She submitted the manuscript to a contest. She thought if the book was chosen she would know it was God’s plan. She never heard a word. Maybe it wasn’t God.

Then she attended the CLASS Christian Writers Conference in Albuquerque. “It was like drinking from a fountain.” She walked away from that conference with a “I can do this attitude.” She realized that self-publishing was her pathway. Immediately things began to fall into place. God gave her a clear vision for who her audience was. She found an illustrator who agreed to work with her and give her complete ownership of the illustrations.

In 2016, Daddy’s Little Girl went from a fragment of light in Karissa’s mind to a bright shining beacon for all to see. To God be the Glory.

There’s a lot more to this story and you can hear it in person when Karissa shares with attendees at the upcoming CLASS Writers Contreat. Karissa will be delivering our devotions each morning.

To learn more about Karissa and her ministry visit www.karissaculbreath.com.

Plan now to attend the 2017 CLASS Writers Contreat, November 8 -11. Visit www.classeminars.org/writers-contreat-2017.html.

Karissa and her family.

Desperate for God

9/28/2017

Desperate for God
Glenda Durano
BookCrafters
$7,00 102 Pages
ISBN 9781943650590

Crisis! Defined as a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. We all experience them. Sometimes more than one. The question is, how do we handle the crises in our life?

Glenda Durano, in her new book, Desperate for God, takes us through thirty days of trials that many of us have or will experience. Her words, based on her own personal experiences, will strengthen you and give you hope. They will lead and guide you to the One who will be there amid the tough times, no matter what.

Filled with substantiating scripture, her powerful stories are brief and to the point, easy to read, yet they hit home. Again, and again, they remind us that God is still sovereign. He remains on His throne and when we cry out to Him in desperation, He answers.

No matter where you are in your life today, Glenda’s experiences, demonstrating her faith and the power of her Savior, will encourage you. Her heartfelt words will assure you that you can have a deeper relationship with God. You don’t have to wait until you are in the midst of a crisis. Prepare now.

“After years of believing in God, I finally learned to believe Him.”
Glenda Durano

Desperate for God can be used as a daily devotion, a group study, or one of those books you turn to when you need a word of hope. It is a resource that you can turn to that will help you remember you are not alone.

Gerry Wakeland

Glenda Durano loves to share life lessons through speaking, writing, teaching and mentoring. She has been married to D.C. for over thirty years. The couple have two daughters. They presently live in Albuquerque, NM where Glenda uses her diverse professional skills to help high school students navigate the college planning process.

Like most of us, Glenda Durano finds herself fulfilling multiple roles every day: homemaker, church staff member, business owner, consultant, speaker, writer. Her ultimate desire is not to be known for what she does, but for who she is: wife mother, friend, and most importantly, child of God.

To learn more about Glenda Durano, her business, or her ministry, visit www.glendadurano.com. You can purchase your own copy of Desperate for God by contacting Glenda at glendadurano@gmail.com.

Pieces of the Publishing Puzzle that Fit

9/25/2017

By Lora Armendariz

A few days ago, all my daughter’s puzzles fell from their perch. The pieces mixed together. Unraveling that mess so that we could make pictures out of the pieces, frustrated my girl and me.

Turn the clock a few years back and it is good example of how I felt when I decided to step into the publishing world. I remember that I only knew of two pieces of the writers’ world that fit together: authoring a book and getting published. Yet the more I explored the more I encountered confusing ideas and suggestions about what to do with my writing.

In 2015, I went to my first ever writers’ conference, the CLASS Writers Contreat. That weekend a fiction author, Cynthia Ruchti, spent blessed time with me, talking about what I could do with my writing. Her advice was amazing. She has already been down the road of writing and publishing and has several books on the shelves of most bookstores around the nation. As we spoke, I felt like someone had come along side me and helped me find and fit together pieces of my own publishing puzzle.

Those days were priceless. Since then my writing career has exploded. I have a successful blog, a self-published devotional, and an active online ministry.

But, my puzzle isn’t finished. There are still many pieces that are missing, ones that cannot be placed until time and experience have revealed them to me. Still others I will excitedly move into place when hard work and dedication pay off.

Writing is a beautiful calling, but one that needs help from the experts and experienced. We are all trying to put our publishing puzzles together. We lose valuable time and waste precious energy when we struggle alone. Those authors who are ahead of us in the game are better at seeing the big picture. That is why conferences are essential to our growth. We are eager to commence, but we are frustrated by the complex task before us.

I for one, am grateful that I don’t have to struggle alone. This year, at the Writers Contreat, I will be able to hear from and pick the brains of successful authors and publishers of the Christian industry. I will also have a chance to receive teaching from ministry leaders who have hearts to encourage Christian communicators.

What an amazing opportunity. Get your publishing puzzle boxes ready!

Lora Armendariz is the author of Expressive Heart Devotions. She lives with her husband and two daughters in rural New Mexico. A busy stay-at-home mom, Lora finds joy in encouraging others with her writing. As the mother of a special needs child, Lora has discovered the importance of bringing God into all the small spaces of your day. Visit Lora’s website at www.loraarmendariz.com.