Flip a Coin

Wrestling with God makes for tasty conversations.

The Lord gives us visions of new things for our future. He wants us to talk with Him. He wants to discuss new things headed our way. This allows us to break-through the small things. Small things along the way non-worthy to Him or not representative by His plan for our lives.

Over a two-week holiday break from Bible study, I pondered over new things. One being which Bible study to attend for the new year. Praying over things, even something as small as which Bible study, helps bring clarity. Our vision aligning with His plan navigates our future with purpose. His purpose. His calling. For. Our. Life.

Each week, I meet with a group at my church. The group is called MOMs. You may know of a group similar to this called MOPs. Maybe your church has one or you've heard others talking about it. MOMs and MOPs basically are the same. Only difference: MOMs is geared towards mothers with all age children, MOPs is geared towards mothers with preschoolers only.

One day out of the month at MOMs we meet as a large group for breakfast, worship, fellowship and have a speaker. The other weeks we meet for Bible study.

Semester to Semester - August-December January-May - we start a new Bible study. Leaders often change semester to semester. I even led one semester.

The church has a length approval system for the studies. We might not always know in an orderly fashion which study will be offered. What's the chain of command for approval? I don't have a clue. Trust. Believe. Wait. Patience. Is the name of the game.

Not knowing the Bible study or even the leaders, I begin praying. Praying for God's direction.

I even flipped a coin.

You see there's usually more than one study offered:

A Bible study study (I typically do): Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer ect.
L3 (I have done this once before): a study tool my church offers to help you learn how to read the Bible. A different passage of scripture reading allotted each day. Then you journal, examine, apply to your life and pray.

Proverbs 18:18 Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents.

Tails-my answer was L3.
Heads- His answer was the Bible study.

When I flipped the coin it landed on tails-L3. Victory rein in my heart. His voice even louder over my soul, "I already told you, Ashley. You will attend the Bible study."

I wrestled with Him, "Are you sure, Lord?"

L3 would be an easy out for me. 2016 is a big year for my family. My husband and I both turn 40. We will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Our oldest daughter plans to attend a University in the Fall. Adjusting to an only child feeling left at home with my youngest. Somewhere in between, I want to conquer a passion of mine, finishing up publishing my second book.

L3 has a cool blogger/writer in there-
My heart longs to sit by her. I want to sap up knowledge being around her.

L3 has a leader I know. One I adore her leadership.

L3 my mouth waters when I pass their room. That's how it usually is with what we want or think we need, right?!

An announcement email came confirming the new study/leaders. God confirmed loud for the last time, "Do the Bible study." A giddy feeling, like a kid, rushed over my body. I heard Him. Bible study here I come. The study will be one of Kelly Minter's, What Love Is. I can't wait. I am so happy I listened.

Proverbs 16:33 We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.

I don't recommend flipping a coin with God. He does not want to argue with us. We are not His powerful opponent. He is the almighty powerful One.

Ways to help seek His vision for our life:

His word-the Bible
Conscience He built in us
Counsel from other godly people
Prayer

We've got to look, listen and be alert for His calling over our lives.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Do you look?
Do you listen?
Are you alert?

Answer Two or More

You may have more to offer than you realize.

Are you a note taker? Do you have little slips of paper laying around with scribbled words? How about the margins of books you read, do you write on those margins? Do you pull out a pen and paper when the preacher preaches? Are the notes on your phone full of things you write down? Are your tweets or facebook status' of strong conversational wisdom you and God have discussed? Do you blog? Are you a leader?

If you said yes to 2 or more of these questions then consider yourself a writer. Although you don't have some fancy platform of readers yet doesn't mean you are not a writer. You may be further in your writing calling then you realize, whether it's the early stages or advanced stages. In Gods timing, He will prompt you in the direction you need to go. Make yourself available to His calling on your life as a writer. Now is the time to be okay with what stage of writing you are in. It shall pass. You shall grow.

Continue on the 2 or more questions you answered yes to. Build on a few more from the list. This may require you to drop one of the ones you already answered yes to.

You don't have to have a book published to be a writer.

If you write, you are a writer.

Say it, "I am a writer."

You need to see yourself as God does. You are valuable to His kingdom. He loves you and your worth is greater in Him than mankind. Don't deny the value He already created for your life.

Matthew 10:29-31 TLB

"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.

Write.

The Room is Empty

I am aware of the space surrounding me.

Thanksgiving day passed. Everyone returned to school and work. The blind next to me raised halfway allows sunlight to shine on my face. I sit at my writing place. The Christmas tree lights shine across the room into the dark of the tree branches. I ponder finding joy in the loneliness of writing. 

A soul longs for quiet moments, but how quiet? How do you find the balance blocking out the chatter of the world, the chatter of the enemy, self-doubt, the lonely?

I am encouraged to ask myself first "did you pray" before starting a day of writing.  

Praying I know brings peace. 

The peace embraces the silence of loneliness. 

Communicating this to our souls as a writer brings the importance of writing to a higher understand. It's beyond us. It's an act of obedience reminding us to whom we belong, that we are loved, we are truly important, and we are secure in Him. 

So I ask you-the-writer, "Did you think to pray?" before starting a day of writing. 

View the time of writing as your time with God.

Focus on the need for Him.

Let Him fill you up.

He will equip you reminding you, you are His. You are secure. There's no room for lonely thoughts of doubt when the room is full of Him. We must not allow loneliness to consume our soul. Loneliness is known as a lack of purpose. As an obedient child of God's, we have all the purpose in the world of writing.  

Allowing the lonely time to strengthen our prayer life is refreshing. I am reminded of this in Isaiah 66:9, a time of loneliness (suffering) is also a time of something new being born. Writing is a form of birth. Laboring those lonely pains births a new writing, a new prayer life.

Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never! Isaiah 66:9 TLB

Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NIV

In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord. “If I cause you the pain, I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation,” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NCV

Let the lonely be a launching pad to your greatest calling.

You are called to write.

advance HIS kingdom

It’s no secret that in order to get a book published,
most self-publish. Unless you have a major
platform of some kinda traditional publishing
house will hardly look at you!

Early on in my publishing process, I contacted
several publishing houses/agents, via
email or snail mail. Their response was
always quick and encouraging,
but was always a “no-go”.

After several months of attempts, I decided
to move on. Self-publishing had definitely
been an option but something I saw as kinda
“cheesy”.

I thought in order to make my book
become a reality, I needed an agent to find me that
perfect publishing house.

The more I researched self-publishing, the more I
learned the in’s and out’s. I realized just how many
authors self-published. And were successful at it!

Even if you go with a traditional
publishing house, you yourself
have so much legwork to do in order
to make the sales, just like self-publishing.

For over a year each self-published author
I came across gave me a new piece of insight. These
pieces helped me complete my knowledge on self-publishing.

One late night, while waiting for my editor to do her awesome
job, I surfed the net. I was looking for answers to one of my
many questions regarding self-publishing! I felt
the need for reassure just one more time to complete
my puzzle to self-publishing successfully.

It was to my complete surprise when I stumbled
across a blog, Journey to Self-Publishing by Natalie Wickham.
I literally stayed up until 3am reading her
entire blog. Pouring over each blog entry, I
gained such peace about self-publishing. Her blog
confirmed so much I already knew, but what I really gained,
that I hadn’t anywhere else, was to keep God first in my story!

This completely washed over my body. There it was right
in front of me. I knew it all along! But couldn’t get it until that
very moment. It was in the days ahead, I fully gained the
peaceful knowledge knowing my book was all
about God and not me.

Five years prior, I knew this,
when I felt lead to share my story. But I
had drifted into a deep dark place in my life. A
place I had never been-a place that holds
another story in it's self-a place I had to go
in order to get Daddy’s Briefcase out.

I emailed Natalie immediately, thanking her for sharing
her knowledge, talent with the world. She is such a kind
generous person, just an all-round cool girl you would meet
in town somewhere. A friendship bonded between the two of us at that
moment. She has been so supportive along the way.

Today, I have Natalie here as a guest. She has agreed to
answer a few questions for us. Please welcome, Natalie Wickham
author of Pajama School -stories from the life of
a homeschool graduate.

Natalie, what is the one thing you enjoyed most about actually making Pajama School become a reality-a book?

The doors it has opened for me to communicate with more audiences. The fact that you have written and published a book immediately gains you credibility with some audiences. They somehow assume that you know what you’re talking about even if it has nothing to do with the book and they’ve never even read it in the first place! “Enjoy” isn’t exactly the word I’d use for some of the opportunities I’ve had, but I am so grateful for how God has used even the most difficult ones to humble me and teach me to find strength and sufficiency in Him.

Did you have those days of thinking it wouldn’t happen?

Oh, yes! I love to journal and write as I feel inspired, but there’s something about deciding to write a book that zaps you of all your inspiration! I think it must be God’s way of teaching us perseverance. The turning point for me was when a friend casually remarked, “just write a page a day and in 200 days, you’ll have 200 pages.” There was something about having it broken down into such a small, achievable goal that convinced me I could push through and finish the book.

Have you been amazed at the people you have met along the way?

Absolutely! That has been the most rewarding part, by far. Whether through blogging, speaking at conferences, corresponding with readers by e-mail, or talking about the book and publishing process in person with various ones I meet, I have developed some wonderful friendships and met some beautiful and encouraging people.

Do you see God continually working through Pajama School?

It always brightens my day to get an e-mail from a mom who was encouraged by Pajama School , or a dad who found it insightful, or a young person who was challenged to think more deeply about certain life issues. I love having meaningful conversations with people, so I see my book as a way to reach a little beyond my immediate sphere of friends to share with more people. God continually uses the whole experience of writing, speaking, and marketing to work in my heart – that’s for sure!

Tell us a little about what it was like for you to self-publish Pajama School?

Hard! From the initial idea to final publication, it was a two-year process that involved hundreds of hours of writing, research, planning, and working to see it to the end. Since I had no prior experience in the publishing industry, there was a huge learning curve, but the entire experience was very educational and enlightening. It’s always cool to learn about a new industry, and I’ve really enjoyed walking others through the process to help them successfully publish their books as well.

Will you write another book?

Surprisingly, yes. For the first year and a half after publication of Pajama School , I was convinced I would never write and publish another book. But lo and behold, at the beginning of this year, I started to get an itch to write another book. I started praying about some ideas that the Lord had put on my heart – not just for one book, actually, but for a series. It’s kind of a long story, but the Lord orchestrated a connection with a wonderful lady who had a similar vision and we’ve been working together on a book. Both of us have other full-time responsibilities, so it’s been crazy trying to squeeze in the time to write, but we’re hoping to release the book by the end of the year. We’ll see!

Tell us about any of your latest happenings?

Perhaps the most unusual happening for me lately is the lack of happenings. Someone once said that the biggest enemy of the best things in life is the good things in life. Because of my goal to finish the afore-mentioned book by the end of the year, I’ve intentionally blocked off every hour I’m not teaching this month to devote to that project. This has been incredibly difficult (because I want to meet with that friend who just e-mailed about getting together, or I wish I could help that person with the project they’re working on, or people are depending on me to get that information posted on-line, etc.), but it’s also been pretty revealing. I need to look to God for wisdom on what to include, or not include, in my schedule of “happenings” so that I am accomplishing His purposes for my time!

Several months after Pajama School was released,
while Christmas shopping, I tossed a copy in my cart.
And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t buying it to read. I was buying it
to feel, touch, hold Natalie’s finished product as a
self-published author. I saw homeschool as kinda “silly”!
After several weeks, I couldn’t stand it,
it felt so good, I started reading Pajama School.
As I turned those pages, I was very touched.

Natalie’s story of homeschool opened my eyes fully
to a whole new world. My outlook on homeschool is
completely different now. Homeschoolers are just like you and I,
or anyone else who has been to school. They just do it at home.
Her story goes beyond schooling, it’s about her life, her family.
Just where all of our learning begins at home, something I
stress to others all the time when they ask me
where my kids go to school, which is a small
private Christian school!

Reading her story reiterated
me realizing the things I do for my kids
is really teaching them a viable lesson.

Now does this mean I am going start homeschooling
my kids? Chances are absolutely not, but I know if it’s
brought to me fully by God, then yes. And I will be so
thankful for the insight Natalie has provided me.
Natalie is a girl who is fully after God’s heart and I
thank Him for her. She is very much into
“advancing His kingdom” as she says.

You may also visit Natalie at Pajama School Blog !