Blog Hop

I was invited by my friend, Lisa M. Buske, to take part in a blog hop. You can read Lisa's blog by clicking here.   I met Lisa at a couple of women's conferences and then we became friends online. She spoke to the women at our church in 2013 and I never would have thought that a year later I would attend the same church when my husband accepted the call as pastor of New Haven Community Alliance Church.  :-)

Lisa M Buske, author and speaker since 2010, released her first book, Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey, on the 19^th anniversary of her only sister’s kidnapping, April 3, 2014. Lisa’s only sister remains missing, more than twenty years missing, yet Lisa and her family have not given up hope. Lisa uses the gifts God’s given her to share encouragement and hope with her audiences, whether you read her blog and books, or hear her speak at one of your events. Lisa spends her days as a teacher’s assistant in a Kindergarten class and her free time making memories with family and friends. Tragedy teaches an important life lesson, make the most of each day because tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. Lisa’s writing and speaking emphasize this and leave her audience smiling and looking for the rainbow, not the clouds.



It's my turn!

I have been asked to answer the following questions:

1.  What am I working on?

I have a couple of different books in the works that are totally different than my last three.

Throughout my life I've had the most humorous things happen to me and they always center around animals.  So I'm weaving these stories into a book that talks about the humorous side of ministry.  I already have a title in mind, "Bats in My Belfrey."  

Another book is a fictional book for young readers that will leave them with a character trait lesson at the end of each chapter.  It is inspired by five roosters we used to own.  

 

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

 

I have written three books, "Words of Encouragement for a Discouraged World," "One Clear, Still Night" and "Poured Out".  All three of them are women's devotionals and can be found here on my website, as well as on Amazon.  I think they are different than others written because each of the devotionals are written from my own situation, perspective, and struggles.  The lessons learned come from my quiet times with the Lord and the things He was showing me in my own life.  I didn't just sit down and pick a passage of scripture and then write something about it.  As I read each day and lived my life, these devotionals were very meaningful things I learned myself that I chose to share with others.

I've also included journaling lines at the end of each day's devotional so that women can journal their own thoughts and ways that the Lord is speaking to them.

3.  Why do I write what I do?

From the time I came to know the Lord as a young teen I was taught that in order to grow you need to read God's word.  My greatest times of growing and learning and being stretched were when I spent time hearing from Him through His written word.  It's been my goal to pass the desire to soak up the words of the Lord to other women.  I also have found that through my writing many women were encouraged and that is also my other reason for writing the devotionals.  I want to encourage women.

I'm fairly transparent in my writing and I think that helps other women realize that they are not alone in the things they deal with.  Everyone struggles with issues but not everyone is willing to admit they struggle.  I'm not talking about airing all our dirty laundry, but when we constantly feel like we need to put on a façade to the world, it helps no one.  When someone else can see that I have the same struggles they do, but can also see how God's word can help with that particular issue that is when they grow.

4.  How does my writing process work?

This question made me laugh because I don't think I have much of a process.  I have friends who take notes and layout where they want to go with their writing.  I just sit down and start typing.  Usually God speaks to me about something I've read and I mull it over in my brain over the course of days or weeks and then I decided to share it with either the women in my church or on the blog.  So I compose as I go.  Then I look over it and edit it a bit.  I may come back a few weeks later and reread it and think, "Oooh, I need to change this sentence or that word."  However, usually what you read here is the first draft.  Obviously, before any book is published I pour over each devotional and try to clean up the grammatical errors.  If I find a better way to word something I will do that.

Tag, You're IT!

Michele Bowman will be sharing on her blog next week about her writing.

Michele says, "I am a woman living by the grace of God.  Without Jesus, I can do nothing!  With Him I can do whatever He has planned for me.  I am not perfect.  I have bad hair days.  I eat too much ice cream while trying to eat healthy.  I do clean like crazy when company is coming.  I fall short every day.  But I am 'keeping it real' all the time.

Michele will be sharing on her blog, 4 Keeping it Real next Monday.  Be sure to hop on over there to read about her brand new book, When I Grow Up I Want to be a Daughter of the King, and her writing process.

Be sure to hop over to Lisa's blog and visit Michele's blog next Monday when she shares.