Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 75

Want a Free Kindle Reader?

Would you love to be able to read the many free novels available from Amazon, but without actually purchasing a Kindle? I can show you how.



In case you don't already know, Amazon has free Kindle apps for your PC, iPad, iPhone or Android phone. All you have to do is visit the appropriate link listed below, follow the download instructions, and in no time you too can be reading the hundreds of books offered for free on Amazon everyday.



Kindle Cloud Reader

For reading in a web browser, you'll want the Kindle Cloud Reader. Here's the link: https://read.amazon.com/



Phones


iPhone - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_iph_ln_ar?docId=1000301301
Android device - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_and_ln_ar?docId=165849822
Windows Phone 7 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_wp_ln_ar?docId=1000623751
Blackberry - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=klm_lnd_inst?docId=1000468551

Computers


Windows - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_ln_ar?docId=1000426311 
Mac - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_mac_ln_ar?docId=1000464931

Tablets


iPad - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipa_ln_ar?docId=1000490441 
Android Tablet - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_and_ln_ar?docId=165849822

Yep, it's that easy! Now you'll be able to download all the free books you could ever want! =)

New Toys At WordVessel!

I'm tickled pink with the new changes at WordVessel. In anticipation of the "Wanna Write a Book?" series, WordVessel has added the WV Forum and WV Chat Room. Please check both of them out in the tabs section directly under the header.



The Forum is for discussion threads--feel free to comment on the threads already started or create your own. The Chat Room is for real-time online chat. I hope these new toys enable us to interact more easily and over a broader range of topics.



As always, please feel free to share your comments, suggestions, questions, etc. in the comments! (Or head to the toy rooms and play!) =)



Blessings,

Cathy

Finding Your God-Given Purpose

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby
villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ~Mark
1:38 (NIV)



Jesus knew His purpose and wasn't swayed by the
agendas of others, no matter how worthy their cause. He spoke the above
words the day after a time of prolonged healing of people with various
illnesses and diseases. The next day the people came back for more, and
when the disciples found Him, they basically told Him what He needed to
do.



Healing people was a good thing. It changed lives. It brought
sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and the ability to walk to the
lame. While this was part of His purpose (Luke 4:17-19), it wasn't His
main focus. As important as physical healing was, His primary purpose
was spiritual in nature.



In another instance, as recorded in John 4, Jesus returned to Galilee from Judea. Verse four states: Now he had to go through Samaria. (Another translation uses the word "must.")



Did He really have
to go through Samaria? Not necessarily. There was an alternate route.
In fact, most of the Jewish people of His day avoided Samaria because of
ancient hostilities. They simply chose to walk around Samaria on the
east side of the Jordan to reach Galilee.



Not Jesus. Though He was
fully human, He was also fully God, and part of His mission for that
particular day involved a walk through Samaria for a divine appointment
with a woman at a well.



We will all face times when other people
try to sell us their agenda for our lives. Some might even claim it as a
"special word from the Lord." They may ridicule, shun, or attempt to
shame us for not doing what they claim we need to do. Their plan or pet
project may look good and be for a worthy cause, making the choice all
the more difficult.



It's okay to hear others out. God may indeed be
using them to help you. But if after prayer and seeking God, You feel
Him leading You another direction, follow Him. Keep your heart in tune
with His Spirit dwelling within you. He alone knows why He placed you at
this exact moment in time, and He will guide and direct you as You
allow Him complete rule of your life.



Isaiah 30 illustrates this
point so perfectly. An alliance with the mighty nation of Egypt seemed
like the smart solution to Israel's problems. The only problem? They
were carrying out plans that weren't from God. After prophesying the
negative consequences of their flawed plans, Isaiah relates how
compassionate God longed to be to them, how He would one day restore
them, and then speaks these words: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”



Friend,
whether you find yourself in the after-affects of a bad alliance or
frustrated by the edicts of well-intentioned but misguided people, know that our
great God has a perfect plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). All you need to do is listen
to His voice and follow. God's Word promises that, in His sovereignty,
His purpose for you will stand (Proverbs 19:21).



Father, forgive me
for times I've given in to human demands or my own flawed agenda rather
than following Your divine plan for my life. Thank You, that in Your
compassion, You always draw me back to Yourself. God, my times are in
Your hands. I commit my life anew to doing the work You've given me. May I stay closely in step with Your Spirit so I can discern exactly
what You would have me do. May I prayerfully consider the requests of
others, but may the final decision be of Your determination. Amen.

What Types of Posts Do You Want?

Now that my schedule has somewhat stabilized, I intend to start blogging some more. But I realize after a pretty hit-and-miss blogging schedule over the past couple of years that the WordVessel readership may have changed somewhat.



I don't want to write just to hear myself talk. Ideally, the blog posts will be something that you, the reader, would find beneficial. So I've added a right sidebar poll gadget to get your input.



Most of the posts over the past couple of years have been devotional posts. But just last week, I launched the "Wanna Write A Book?" article series, and that seems to have garnered some attention. Since this is an author blog, readers may prefer just "life in general" type posts. Or you may have other ideas. (While you can't be specific on this last choice, it will at least let me know if I need to do further research.)



Please take a second to participate in the poll. It's only one question so it won't take long. You'll find it in the sidebar at the top right hand side of WordVessel. You are allowed to vote on more than one choice.



Thanks so much for dropping by, and as always, I love hearing from you in the comments section!



Live loved,

Cathy =)

Inspiration

Inspiration is all around us. From such diverse locations, such as the whispering autumn foliage displayed against the backdrop of clear blue sky to a mind-boggling newspaper article, there will always be plenty of things to write about.



But before you get too excited, let me also point out that not every nugget of inspiration is story-worthy in and of itself. Instead writers must learn to jot down those inspirational moments and later try to organize them into something a reader would want to read.



Have a good idea for a character? Great. But how are you going to make that character grab a reader by the throat and not let go?



Unearthed a spiritual theme that spoke to you? Wonderful. But has it been written about so much that it's now blase and trite?



Found the perfect setting for a murder mystery? Awesome. But without fleshed-out characters and a nail-biting plot, your story hasn't yet arrived.



Let me illustrate. While I was still working on A Path Less Traveled,  I was out for my walk one day when a line of dialogue sounded in my head. It was by no means earth-shattering--nothing that would make the reader pause to exclaim: "Wow! What an awesome line of dialogue!"



Instead this prissy voice who'd taken up residence in my brain said, "Tyler, Dent, and Snodgrass. Hold please." (Huh? What's a writer to do with inspiration like that?)



I'll tell you. It served as a jumping off point for book 3, a newly-planted seed if you will, and I began to build the story from there. First of all, I knew the name Tyler. Andy had appeared in the first two books in the Miller's Creek novels. And I was pretty sure of the voice that spoke in my head. It had to be Gracie Soldano, the sweet country girl with the voice of an angel from book one, and the one who wanted to be an attorney in book two and voiced that desire to Andy.



Secondly, the way she spoke the line gave me another glimpse into Gracie's personality. This young woman was an ultra-organized over-achiever, a perfectionist who had her entire life plan already mapped out. From there I asked a question writers are taught to ask: "Why?" What was her motive for being the way she was? What had happened in her short life that caused her to be a perfectionist? (More about motive later...)



Third, I asked another question writers are trained to ask: "What if?" (Also more on this in another post...) What if this prissy perfectionist with a life plan is confronted by the type of guy she'd never in a million years imagine as her Mr. Right? Instead of patting her on the back for her "good" works and OCD, he confronts her idea of personal perfection and turns her lopsided beliefs on their proverbial head.



NOW we're getting somewhere...



You see how this whole writing a book thing is a process? It's like pulling a thread on your sweater and slowly unraveling the whole thing. (Please don't try this...especially in public.)



Hopefully, this discussion of inspiration has helped you focus your thoughts and show you what to do when the writing muse bops you upside the head. The main thing to remember is that inspiration is just a cliff to hurl yourself off into the tempestuous waters of story land.



Writing Assignment:

Carry a pen and paper around with you for a week. As ideas come to you, jot them down, and move on. At the end of the week, when you have a little extra time, look back over your scribbles and see if there's a way to combine them to create a story idea that will keep readers turning the pages. Do this for a few weeks in a row, and you might just have the humble beginnings of your story.



As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. (And the results of the writing assignment!) 



Live loved,

Cathy =)

Wanna Write a Book?

It's been said that every person has a story to tell, and I believe it. No one can tell the story you have to tell in the way that you tell it. No one sees through the same parameters from which you view your story. Your story is uniquely you.



I've had all sorts of questions directed at me in the few years I've been writing publicly, but they basically all boil down to one question: How do you go about writing a book?



That's why I've decided to start a new series of posts on WordVessel about writing books. While I am certainly no expert, I can at least share what I've learned in my own journey. Hopefully the information will be helpful to those of you who would like to someday write your story. To start with we'll cover fiction writing, but as I launch out into the world of non-fiction, I'll include what I learn there, too.



I will do my best to cover such topics as inspiration, coming up with ideas, developing ideas, theme, character, plot, story structure, scene, word choice, strong writing, things to avoid, editing, formatting, independent publishing, marketing, book tours, blogging, social media, and much more.



I'll collect all these writing posts under one tab in the WordVessel header to provide easy access to all the information. My plan is to present the content in as organized a fashion as I can, but if you have a certain topic you'd like for me to cover sooner rather than later, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do.



Happy Writing!

Mark of Protection

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. ~Ezekiel 9:3-6



Historical Background

Ezekiel was a prophet of God who lived during the time in which God punished Israel and Judah for their idolatry. The book of Ezekiel contains both warning to the people about the destruction about to come upon them and a promise of hope for the remnant God would spare. The prophet was most likely ridiculed for his strange behavior--things like shaving his hair and using it to prophesy, not mourning at his wife's funeral to show God's reaction to what He was about to do to these people, and using a drawing and other items to depict the destruction of Jerusalem. But the point here is that Ezekiel was completely obedient to what God told him to do, no matter how ridiculous it may have seemed.



God's Glory Departs

In this vision of Ezekiel, we first see something we don't want to see. God is leaving His mercy seat within the temple and heading out the door. Why? In the previous chapter, Ezekiel is shown that within even God's temple, the worship of idols was taking place. We should never forget that God will not share His glory with another. Because of His holiness, He cannot abide in the same place as idolatry.



The Mark

Next we see a man with a writing kit who is told to put a mark on those who are grieved over the evil they see taking place. The original Hebrew word for mark is tau, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. I find it particularly interesting that at the time Ezekiel wrote these words, the visual representation of this Hebrew letter resembles our letter "t," which in turn resembles the cross of Christ. Tau's meaning is absolute and all-encompassing truth, just as Christ is Truth and the Beginning and the End.



Marks were frequently used as a type of brand or seal of ownership. Those who had servants would mark them not only as a sign of ownership, but protection. It's interesting to see how this idea is used throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis 4:15, the mark given to Cain from God protected him. In Exodus 12, blood from the first Passover's sacrifice was placed over the doors as a sign or token of God's protection from the destroyer. In Ephesians 1, Paul refers to believers as those who have been sealed by the Spirit, another sign of God's ownership. And of course, in Revelation 7:3, believers are sealed on their foreheads as both a sign of His ownership and His protection.



I find significance in the location of the mark on their foreheads. It wasn't hidden, but placed out in the open where everyone could see. And at the top of a doorway or the top of our bodies, grace flows down to cover us completely.



Where It Begins

In Ezekiel's vision, God's destruction was to begin at God's sanctuary with the elders who were in the front of the temple. This is not an isolated example. In 1 Peter 4:17-18 the same idea is reiterated. All of us need to constantly be aware of anything in our lives that takes precedence over God. If the religious leaders of Ezekiel's day were not spared, then why would He spare anyone? The answer lies in God's mark of ownership. Are you covered by the blood of the slain Lamb? (If not, please see the "Ready" button in the sidebar of this post, or contact me at catbry1 (at) yahoo (dot) com.)



Father God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for its all-encompassing Truth. Thank You, Lord, that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, then went to the cross to buy us back. May we live our lives in light of that perfect Truth. Open our eyes to our sinful selves. Help us to see the areas in which we've compromised what You would have us be. May we live our lives in remembrance of Whose we are, and all that was accomplished on our behalf because of Your great love for us. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Kindle Giveaway at Upcoming Book Launch

I'm T.H.R.I.L.L.E.D. to announce that The Way of Grace (book three in the Miller's Creek Novels) is set to release at the end of this month! (With all the flux in our lives over the past two years, there have been times I thought I'd never make it to this place, which explains all the capital letters and exclamation points!!!!)



Anyhoo, the book launch party for the new book is slated for Monday, October 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. (CST) right here at WordVessel. Even if you can't stay the entire time, please hop on over for as much as you can stand. You won't want to miss the fun. Plans are in the works for a cyperspace scavenger hunt and LOTS of fun and prizes--including a Kindle.



You're invited to this Miller's Creek shindig, so pull out your pen and write it on your calendar:




The Way of Grace Book Launch Party

Monday, October 1, 2012

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. (CST)

http://WordVessel.blogspot.com




(Though it's not required in order to attend, you can RSVP in the comments below, at the Facebook Event Page, or on my Facebook Author Page. And PLEASE!--Invite everyone you know.

The more the merrier...)




Looking forward to the fun! See you there!

A House Divided

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and
every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” –Jesus (Matthew
12:25)




In my humble opinion, America stands on the cusp of total devastation. We’ve become a house divided in every sense: politically, morally,
and especially spiritually.




It’s easy to shrink back, tuck our head in the sand, poke
our fingers in our ears and sing “la la la” at the top of our lungs so we don’t
have to deal with it. But we’d best not if we want to avoid the consequences of our apathy. Like
ancient Rome and countless other examples, America’s greatest danger is
imploding from within.




What can we do to make a difference?




Individually and As a Nation We Must:



·       
Guard Against Pride




o  
God detests pride (Proverbs 8:13) and rightfully
so, because pride puts “us” and “me” on the throne that belongs to Him. We must
remember that “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
(Proverbs 16:18)

o  
In our pride, we soon fall into “us” versus
“them” and “me” versus “you” thinking. And of course “us” and “me” are always
rights and “them” and “you” are always wrong. Division at its finest.

o  
The only way to combat pride is with humility.
God’s Word has much to say about humility: in seeking God (2 Chron. 7:14), in
considering others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4), in modeling
the example of Christ (Philippians 2:6-7). (Interestingly enough, the
Philippians passages are preceded by a call for unity.)



·       
Guard Against False Idols




o  
The “god” of self: We like to believe
idol worship no longer exists, that it was an Old Testament problem. All
false idols are dangerous, but this idol is particularly seductive and deadly,
the same sin that had Lucifer booted from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15). Humans have
the tendency to make God over into our image and/or into the image of what we want Him to be. We
develop “itching ear syndrome,” and choose teachers who tell us what we want
to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).

o  
The “god” of country: Another area of
pride in our lives is nationalism. We even sing about it boastfully: “I’m proud
to be an American…” Now don’t get me wrong. I love being an American. I’m glad
I was born here. I still think this is a great country. BUT… if we have more
trust in what our country and military might can do for us than what the LORD
God Almighty can do for us, we are worshiping a false idol. We must be wary of
thinking we’re better than others, that we have a special connection to God,
that He would never allow destruction to reach our shores. All you have to do
is read the book of Jeremiah to see the fallacy of this type of thinking.
Israel was God’s chosen people, yet He didn’t spare them. And the reason they
were brought low? Idol worship. Our national motto isn’t “In America I trust.”
We need to embrace the power and truth of Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots
and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

o  
The “god” of greed/materialism: This is a
huge problem in our country. When guarding our nest eggs and padding our
pockets becomes more important than obedience to God, we should be concerned.
This little-g god is pervasive because we think we need “stuff” and “money” to
survive. Wrong! God gives us every breath and every heartbeat. We can't survive without Him! Instead of worshiping
at the altar of the “almighty dollar,” we need to worship at the feet of Almighty
God.

·       
Individually and As The Bride of Christ We
Must:

o  
Remember Whose we are – All we are and all we
have is because of Him. We didn’t acquire it on our own, and there’s nothing
we’ve done to merit it.

o  
Humble ourselves – This goes hand in hand with
the point directly above. Only as we assume a position of humility can we put
God in His proper place.

o  
Seek God’s face instead of His hand – Our
prayers easily become a letter to Santa Claus or a magic genie wish list. We
were created to be in an intimate relationship with Him. If we seek His hand
rather than His face, our prayers are powerless and we miss the greatest
blessing.

o  
Honor Him with our hearts and lives, and not
just our lips – Yes, we should praise Him with our lips, but we must guard
against the type of behavior found in Isaiah 29:13 – “These people come near to
Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
Me.” Remember the aftermath of September 11th? People flocked to
churches, and our congressman sang “God Bless America” from the steps of the
Capitol. It would be interesting to see how many of those people are still in
church and how many of those congressmen would be willing to sing “Amazing
Grace” in front of national monuments today. God won’t be manipulated into
doing what we want, especially when our hearts are far from Him.

o  
Repent – Now here’s a word you don’t hear much
anymore. We hear “repent” and bristle. Our hackles rise. We puff out our chests
and lift our chin. But why? Repentance is simply a turning away from—from sin
and false idols and self. In turning away from all those things, we turn to
God.

o  
Pray – We need to pray like never before—for
humility; for wisdom; for our leaders; for salvation; for God's will; for changed hearts; for
deliverance from evil, both within and without. The list is endless.




To summarize: If we would avoid the consequences of
division, we must take Biblically-mandated and spiritually-proven steps to bring about unity and
healing. It all begins with giving God His rightful place—in our nation, in our
churches, and in our lives. If we choose to ignore God and His Word, we also choose the consequences for doing so.

Living By Faith

But My righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him....And without faith it is impossible to please God... ~Hebrews 10:38; 11:6



Biblical faith is our belief in Someone we can't see. For the Christ-follower, faith is belief in Him and an assurance that He is working in our lives and in the world to bring about His holy and righteous and just purposes. Our faith believes His Word--that He created the world from nothing by merely speaking it into existence, and that one day He'll return to take His chosen ones on to eternal glory.



Faith also implies a leaning on, a willingness to depend on the object of our faith--God--according to what we believe He is telling us to do. For some, like Abraham, His call is to launch out into the unknown in faith, believing He will sustain us. For others, like Habakkuk, His message is one of staying put, of enduring in the midst of difficulty even when we don't understand.



Either way, our faith in God is proved as we lean on Him in response to His leadership and guidance. We cannot judge or condemn another person's walk of faith because their journey is different than ours. Unless God reveals it to us, we have no way of knowing what He has spoken to their hearts.



APPLICATION:

Living by faith requires total commitment to Christ, where we seek His will in every decision, every word, every thought, every action. It can be scary and frightening to step out into the unknown or to endure under the most difficult of situations, but as we stay in step with His Spirit, God's peace and joy will surround us and He'll hold us up with His mighty hand.



Heavenly Father, how grateful we are to serve the Almighty and Living LORD. You are our refuge and strong tower, our portion and salvation. We denounce worldly things which often demand our allegiance and faith, whether material wealth, governments, and even our abilities and personal strength. We lean on You and You alone, and pray that You will grow and increase our faith. In the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.