Monday, February 8, 2021

Direction

 



Since last year I have been looking for direction on finishing my book which I started about 10 years ago. In 2017 I had open heart surgery and the urgency to write my memoir was resurrected and I finally got started on it. Then came the covid and a year of medical issue resulting in 3 stays in hospital last year. Finally I am feeling on top of it again, health wise, not out of the woods yet but I have direction as to some of my why's, and what to do with the why and a boast from the Lord that He has given me more time here on earth.

Recently I have been doing lots of research on writing a memoir and discovered that I really have my whole first book written. For a memoir is not a bio of my whole life but its about a particular incident or experience of an individual and attempts to highlight a point of view. Where a biography presents chronological event from the life of a particular person without specifically focusing on a particular experience.

Here is the reason why the book is already written. I have used the experience of growing up with an abusive father who called me and my two brother pitiful along with other cruel words and actions that took whatever love one could have for their father and ground it to dirt. I have use that as a platform to help others through counseling, speaking to women gathering So now with a clearer picture of my book I can draw from all the material and focus on that one part of my life.


Forgiveness is the center of my book, the core, the guts as they say. Forgiveness is the key to a healthy life, a life of freedom that is not bound up with bitterness, resentment and all those kinds of emotions that steal a free life.

Now, is there more life to write about, yes, yes, yes? But I had never before thought about writing more then one book which is why I was trying to piece together it all and have been totally overwhelmed. One incident that spanned about four years concerning my Dad would unlock the floodgates of forgiveness, a book, a memoir that I pray I can finish soon, and that it's contents will help others find forgiveness for what ails their hearts. That is what I have to finish, those four years. Pray for me as I set my sites on that and my health stay good so I can do what God told me 10 years ago to do.

Oh, one more thing. I have an enemy that does not want me to write this book. He uses mind games all the time to get me to put aside a God driven goal. He will tell me, there are so many books just like what you are writing , why one more? You are so inadequate to do this, no training to write. He plays these thoughts and others over and over in my head until I do exactly what I am doing right now, writing and exposing him. He hates anything that will lift up the Lord and put a stop to any glory that would go to Him. He has absolutely no love for me or any of God's creation, most of all he hates God.

Let me just close with this: it is important to know your enemy as it is to know your Savior. We spend all our time sometimes fighting the physically things such as another person and the enemy of our soul loves it. Two things I know for sure, in whom I have placed my trust in for my soul and life here on earth and my eternity. The other is who my enemy is, the devil, or satan, which ever one you prefer to call him and I will call him out when given the chance and that frees me to hear the direction the Lord wants to give me when I ask.


9 comments:

  1. Ignore that father of lies, Betty, and keep on writing!!! So proud of you for making this effort. Writing a book is no easy task - I can attest to that.
    Blessings!

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    1. I have a friend who just ask me to write the forward in his book, that encouraged me. I am learning a lot more recently for several different reasons but still it is just plain hard work. I am blog friends with a guy who is an author and he warned me about writing a memoir, how taxing it would be. It's not so much the writing of the story but the re-writing, editing, rewriting, editing and re-writing some more. I would much better get up and tell the story instead of write it. Again, thanks so much for all your encouragement, it means a lot.

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  2. I agree with Martha's comment Betty. If God says do something we really have no other option. Actually, I have been thinking of writing a devotional book based on my "Shadow" blog. We will see.

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  3. That is the bottom line, I do believe God wants me to write and so the struggle. I am a big fan of devotional books, New Morning Mercies is my go to and it usually lays in front of my computer so I can gleam from it often. So write one Bill, I will buy it.

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  4. I pray that God will set you totally free from any distraction or negative thought processes so that you will be able to think clearly and write with God's inspiration the story that you believe He wants you to share. There are many people out here who need to know the way of forgiveness. There are many who are still without courage to stand up to their enemies and so they drag on in a hopeless state, praying for someone to help unlock that door and set them free. Sometimes all it takes is another person's testimony that it can be done that gives them the courage to reach out in faith and believe. I will be praying for you to keep forging ahead as you let God lead the way. You will be an inspiration to many as you obey God and do what you believe He is asking you to do. Let us know when it is published...we'll be here waiting and praying.

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  5. Thank you so much Pamela for your encouraging words. Lately God is flooding me with opportunities to write so I know it's what I am suppose to do. I guess I just would like it to be easier, I am chuckling as I wrote that. Nothing worthwhile has ever been easy. I have sit some harder guidelines on my time so that has helped. We live in northern Mn. and the bitter cold has me mostly house bound so it's not a matter of time, it's always a matter of managing my time. Again, thank you for speaking the words I need to hear.

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  6. 'Forgiveness is the key to a healthy life, a life of freedom that is not bound up with bitterness, resentment and all those kinds of emotions that steal a free life.'

    Amen to your words and amen to creating your legacy in writing. You're so wise in seeing that the enemy prowls around and doesn't want your story to be told because of the testimony it will bring. He hates our gospel stories.

    You are filled with the Spirit and supported in prayer. Focus on the Lord as your forge ahead. All will be well, friend.

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  7. Linda, how are you doing sister in the Lord. You are always there to give an encouraging word, I pray you are receiving it too.

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  8. I’m enjoying reading all these recent blog posts and especially this one! I, too, and writing my memoir and am very interested in what you said. It’s different from a biography. That helped me - you saying that. My book is about how God led me through a dangerous and frightening childhood and redeemed my life over and over. I survived a dangerous and frightening 41 year long marriage. I survived and coped for so very long always knowing God was with me. We honored our mother to the very day she died even though she did not take care of us. Jimmy Wayne write a book Walk to Beautiful where he tells his story of an even worse childhood than we had (my siblings and I) and he told it with such grace. He inspired me to continue to write in such a way that it’s showing grace and not detailing or confessing the sins of others. That’s a real skill or gift to have and I’m praying God will give me the words and direction to finish the book. I’m halfway there!

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