Helper, Missionary, Prophet, Teacher: Write to Serve

A guest post by Dan and Denise Harmer:

His writing has been translated into hundreds of languages, sold more than any in history, and touched untold millions of lives, yet we don’t even know his name. Our mystery servant writer was none other than the faithful amanuensis (scribe) of the apostle Paul. At times this author labored in a dank prison cell recording each word. Talk about a collaboration. The Holy Spirit working through Paul while this guy jots down each line, lifting his feet on occasion to allow the rats to scurry by.

Fast forward two thousand years. I would give away body parts to have a drop of that impact and influence for Christ, yet since the time I first conceived this post, I have realized struggles with my own servant’s heart attitude. My pastor is fond of saying “If you want to check to see if you have a servant’s heart, take note of how you react when someone treats you like one.”

Ouch!

I have the honor, right now, of collaborating with a Marine. An officer serving his second stint in Afghanistan. Read more

WORDS…

 

“Words: They are more than tools used in the transfer of simple information from mind to mind…. I was attempting to use them as paint, spreading them on a canvas rather than paper. I wanted to write to the body and to the senses as well as the mind.  Did I? It’s a tricky goal, and perhaps I shouldn’t admit to having aimed so high. The admission can make failure more obvious.”

~N.D. Wilson, Preface to Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl:
Wide Eyed Wonder in God’s Spoken World

May we all dare to aim high as we use the amazing gift of words entrusted in our hands …

 

A Question for You:  How high do you aim when you are using words to transmit the message you want to communicate to your reader?  How much do you wrestle with words to make the message as powerful and effective as it can possibly be?

Related Posts:

1. Energize Your Writing with Dynamic Verbs

2. Tip #5: Revision Strategy – Cut Adverbial Fat

3. Figures of Speech: Handle with Care

Book Beginnings: A Different Dream for My Child

A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children is Jolene Philo’s first book.  In this “Book Beginnings” preview, Jolene shares a taste of what promises to be an inspirational and perspective-changing look at this jouney.

When my editor emailed the final cover design for my book, A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children. I opened it, and chills ran down my spine.

The picture of two hands, those of a parent and child, caused the first chill. For months, a similar image had flashed into my mind whenever I tried to picture the book’s cover. The second chill came when I realized the book title was intact. Because of its length, I expected it to be changed. But the designer arranged the title and subtitle so it flows beautifully.

The tiny teddy bear in the top, right corner of the cover made me gasp and brought on the third chill. The little bear was a dead ringer for the one our son received from a neighbor when, at almost three weeks old, he was released from neo-natal intensive care. The little brown bear had a red ribbon around its neck and music box key poking from its back. When our fragile baby, still recovering from surgery, lay in his infant carrier, we would wind the key and perch the bear in front of Allen. Read more

The Most Important Question We Will Ever Ask

“Why?”

Yes, the most important question we will ever ask is “why?”  Or better yet, “Can you help me understand?”

If you read my recent book review of The Noticer by Andy Andrews, and the subsequent update I added yesterday, you’ll discover that today’s post echoes the central theme of the book: “Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.”

For the last five years, I have been trying to influence college students to question what they see, hear, or read. When we question — in the true spirit of wanting to know and understand — we are willing to withhold judgment until we have a complete picture or a clear perspective.

Today, with Andy’s permission, I want to share a note he wrote back when I asked “why?” At first, I tried to excerpt the note to give you the gist of his response, but then I realized that the sincerity and concern with which he wrote would be lost.  So I include the entire piece.

Why share this personal note? Read on… Read more

Why I Write…

“Words are powerful. They help us process both the joys and the struggles of life. That’s why I write.

Words reflect who we are: parents, teachers, sons, daughters, children of the King. Words revive us when the hard bits of life, the struggles and the sorrows, tempt us to despair. Words allow us to rejoice and to share the lessons we learn in every circumstance, even the hard ones.”

~ Jolene Philo
www.jolenephilo.com

Stay tuned for an upcoming glimpse into Jolene’s first book, A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children, scheduled for release in September 2009 by Discovery House Publishers.

Question: Why do you write? Share your thoughts below.

Related Reading:

1. The Dusty Drawer: A Call to Write

2. Communicating the Vision: An Interview with Kathi Macias

3. From ‘Samaritan Woman’ to ‘Anna’: An Interview with Jeanne Sant

Figures of Speech: Handle with Care

I had to break away from reading an article a colleague wants me to edit to share this piece of timeless writing advice on the use of figures of speech:

“The simile is a common device and useful one, but similes coming in rapid fire, one right on top of another, are more distracting than illuminating. Readers need time to catch their breath: they can’t be expected to compare everything with something else, and not relief in sight.

When you use a metaphor, do not mix it up. That is, don’t start by calling something a swordfish and end by calling it an hourglass.”

Some of you may recall that these words of writing wisdom come from The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.  In my opinion, every writer should own a copy, have it always handy, and review it often.  I have one at work, one at home, and the illustrated edition on order — it’s a gem full of writing-nutritious eye candy!

Mmm… I’ll have to think of a better metaphor.

Do you have some examples of good — and not so good — uses of figures of speech to share?

The Power of a Personal Letter

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With Twitter, Facebook, and email always at our fingertips, personal letters are a rarity. Yet, we all love to receive them. Today, putting away my textbooks and teaching notes to begin my teaching sabbatical (to fully enjoy my daughter’s last year of high school), I was moved — again — by a handwritten note from one of my students: “Thank you for sharing your dreams and struggles. Knowing them makes you more approachable and helps me when I struggle because I know you really understand me.” 

Her note, like others I’ve received over the years, was inspired by a letter I wrote for my College Composition students and share with them the first week of the semester:   Read more

Lessons from the Littlest: Interview with Cherise Bopape

I can’t count the times the children in my life — my daughter, niece, or nephew — have amazed me over the years with their profound, childish candor. “I need to write that down,” I said many times.  But I rarely did until years later.  So when I learned that Cherise Bopape not only saves all the precious gems from the mouths of her children, but has written an entire devotional inspired by them, I knew I had to interview her and share her with all of you. Cherise is one amazing lady.  She has mastered the art of taking her life experiences — both painful and joyful — to bless others and glorify God.

Read more

Ambushed by Grace: An Interview with Shelly Beach

In “Five Reasons to Unleashed the Servant Writer in You,” I suggested that tragedy, pain, or discouragement don’t have to be wasted years or detours.  They can be a source of hope and encouragement because these experiences give us the empathy and love to serve others who are experiencing similar circumstances.  That’s exactly what Shelly Beach has done with her latest book, Ambushed by Grace.  Writing from her own experience as a caregiver for parents with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s in her home, Shelly has written a practical book of hope and encouragement for those on the caregiving journey, a journey that can be laden with fear, anger, exhaustion, confusion, and every emotion imaginable.

I’m thrilled to bring you this exclusive interview with Shelly Beach, a kindred spirit who models for us the discipline of writing to serve — to bless others with the story and life experiences God has entrusted with us.  May this conversation inspire you to pick up her book and use it as a roadmap for the one you can write one day and as the perfect gift for the weary caregiver in your life. Read more

Imitating Ezra: Spiritually Preparing Myself to Serve Others

Editor’s Note: This is a guest article by Christian author and speaker, Kathy Howard, who challenges us with a timely message for every aspiring or seasoned author.

One of my heroes is a writer named Ezra, who lived about 450 years before the birth of Christ. The Bible describes this priest and scribe as a man who “had devoted himself to the study and observance of the law of the LORD and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10, NIV). Ezra passionately pursued God through the study and obedience of His Word. As he learned from God, Ezra then taught others and helped them apply God’s Word to their lives.

God has led me along a similar path. He gave me an insatiable desire to study His Word. As I study, His Word disciplines and refines me. God is faithfully shaping me into the woman He wants me to be. Meanwhile, He regularly brings teaching opportunities my way to share what He has taught me. Writing Bible studies allows me to teach the truth of God’s Word to a much larger classroom.

Why I Write

I usually write to meet specific needs in the church. For instance, a number of years ago, God began to bring adults to our church that had never studied the Bible before, but wanted to. I immediately found some material and began a short-term class. I soon realized that this material was insufficient to meet their needs. After teaching several of these classes, I began to write a curriculum specifically geared to this unique market. Read more

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