Katie Ganshert's Blog, page 33

The Gift or the Giver?

So often, I catch myself setting my heart on an outcome rather than God.

So often, I catch myself praying for gifts when the Giver wants to give me Himself.

Here's the thing. 

We can pray for a thousand outcomes. God can give us every single one. And somehow, we can still end up miserable. Unsatisfied.

Which is why I want my prayers to change more and more.

From…

Lord, can you give me this? 

To…

Lord, can you give me You?

If insane success will draw me closer, then that is what I want.

If failing will ...

The Heart of the Matter: Figuring out Your Character's True Desire

As wonderful as craft books are, a lot of times, our best teacher is life and our keen observance of it.

Lately, I've been reading this book called Live a Praying Life by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. I'm not reading it to improve my writing. I'm reading it to better understand God's design for prayer. But as writers, we usually have that third eye (or ear) open and observant and aware. Ready to soak up some juicy insight. Some truth, some reflection of the human condition that we can apply to our...

Soul Mates

What say you?

Are they found or are they made?

Beauty from Pain

This theme unfolds all around us.

God bringing beauty from pain.

God breathing life into that which feels dead. 

It's a running theme in my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter.

It's a running theme in adoption.

Every single one is born out of pain. Out of sadness.

It starts with frightened pregnant teenagers who don't want to be mothers. It starts with houses steeped in addiction and abuse and neglect. It starts with countries afflicted by war and poverty and AIDS. It starts with parents who die a...

What Writers Can Learn from Gilmore Girls

A good friend recently introduced me to a show called Gilmore Girls. I know, I know. I'm late to this particular party. But better late than never, right?
 I'm just starting season four, and I have to tell you, this show is a great study for fiction writers. Because it has….
 A cast of quirky characters
 From Sookie the chef, to Jackson the produce guy, to Babette the cat-loving neighbor, to Kirk who pretty much works everywhere. This show is teaming with a cast of quirky and lovable...

When is it Time to Quit?

This question is from Sally Hepworth and I love it because it applies to so much more than writing. 

It's 18 seconds long. Meaning it's 18 seconds over my 2 minute (or under) goal. Sorry about that!

If you'd like to see more of my videos, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Let's Talk: How do you know when it's time to quit and when it's time to keep going? Have you ever felt like quitting something important in your life?

The Secret of Being Content

The other day, I came across these words from Paul:

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  -Philippians 4:11-12

Wow.

Talk about challenging.

Because seriously, content whatever the circumstances?

You mean as writers, we're to practice contentment whether we have an agent or...

The Mysterious Facebook Author Page

Raise your hand if this has ever been you. 
 You set up a Facebook Author page because it's what you're supposed to do.
 You publish it.
 You announce it.
 You invite people to "Like" it.
 And then you have no idea what to do with it. 
 The problem is exacerbated if you have a personal Facebook profile, because how do you differentiate the two? What should go on your personal profile and what should go on your page? Can you post duplicates or is that taboo?
 Don't think you're alone with these...

Would You Rather…

When you don't know what to post, a game of Would You Rather is a good fall back.

So, tell me.

When it comes to sharing an evening with the one you like…

Would you rather cook an intimate meal at home or go out to a restaurant? 

And for extra credit, what's your idea of the perfect date?

The Best Response

When a friend announces she's pregnant, our responses tend to be predictable.

Excited squeals. Enthusiastic hugs. Congrats all around. And eager voices that ask, "When are you due?" and "How are you feeling?" 

When Ryan and I found out we were pregnant with Brogan, we couldn't wait to tell people. We couldn't wait to share our news. We couldn't wait to share our joy.

And the same was true when we made the decision to adopt.

Our joy was the same. Our anticipation was the same.

Yet the responses...