I’m excited to include a guest blog from
Linda Gilden, a gifted writer and author of the new book Called to Write: Seven Principles to Become a Writer on Mission (co-authored with Edna Ellison). If you are currently writing or you want to be a writer, you will love this book and benefit from Linda’s wisdom and guidance. And I’m having a Give-away. Enter to win (details below) and she’ll send you an autographed copy!
(By the way, have you started getting the clues yet for the “Catch Us If You CAN Spring Scavenger Hunt”? Lots of books and even gift cards are being given away. Start!)
Here’s Linda’s article:
Do You Feel God’s Pleasure?
by Linda Gilden
“Linda, time to come home!” If you lived in my neighborhood you could hear my mother shout from the back door. Mama was calling me to do something.
My reaction? No matter what game I was in the middle of playing or what tree I was in the middle of climbing, I immediately dropped what I was doing, climbed on my bicycle and headed home.
How do you react when someone calls you? Coming home after a fun day of playing in the neighborhood may seem to be rather trivial. But isn’t the motivation the same as it is when we are called to our lifelong vocations?
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We want to please someone in authority.
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We want to do the right thing.
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We want to find joy in what we are doing.
That childhood response to my mother’s call prepared me to answer other calls during life. Learning to recognize and follow the voice of authority has served me well. Relying on my faith in God to guide me has been an enormous blessing.
But how do you know if you are called to do anything? (Tweet That!) Does God whisper in your ear or speak through a friend? What has He given you a passion for? What gives you unmatchable joy?
Answering the question – How do you really know you are called? – is a personal question. The answer can come only from God. Seeking that answer can take hours of soul-searching and prayer. Are doors opening that can only be His doing? Are there opportunities presented that could only be through divine intervention?
Once you have established what God is calling you to do, your goal should be to be the very best you can be. For me, as a writer, that meant learning all I could about the craft and educating myself how to write with excellence for His Kingdom. I knew He called me to write the message He has given me for the world and I needed to stay focused on that mission.
In the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell had several discussions with his sister about his running. In one of those discussions when she had expressed her displeasure in her brother’s choices, he said to her, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” Liddell was affirming God’s calling on his life.
I may not be a runner. But when I write and communicate clearly with others, I definitely “feel God’s pleasure!” (Tweet that!)
What about you? Have you discovered what God has called you to do? What gives you godly pleasure? Once you discover that calling, pour your whole heart into growing into the best you can be.
Linda Gildenis an author, speaker, editor, and writing coach. Author of over a thousand articles, the Love Notes series, Mommy Pick-Me-Ups, Mama Was the Queen of Christmas, Personality Perspectives,and the recently released Called to Write, Linda has ghostwritten or contributed to over thirty books. She directs the CLASS Christian Writers Conference and the Carolina Christian Writers Conference encouraging others to clearly communicate God’s love to the world. Linda lives in SC with her family – three grown children and their spouses, and five, soon-to-be-six, grandchildren – a great source of speaking and writing material! www.lindagilden.comCalled to Write will inspire you to acquire the art of writing and affirm your calling to write for the kingdom of God. Written by two award-winning authors and writing coaches, this book is filled with wisdom about how to keep your writing on track with a gospel focus, identifying seven key competencies every author needs to be a writer on mission. Understand the importance of staying grounded in your area of writing and receive inspiring how-to tips tat make this book extremely practical for every aspiring and established writer. Available at: amazon.com or newhopepublishers.com or CBD
Would you like to win a copy of Linda’s book? Put a comment in the comment section of my blog or email me at Kathyspeak (at) aol (dot) com. I’ll draw the winner on Monday, March 31st.
Oh, this is so much a blessing. I recently started writing my story of teen pregnancy as I knew the Lord wanted me to share this to help others. Reading this today was like a confirmation of things for me.. I would loe to win a copy of this !!! Love to make notes in my books to learn from them.
Blessings
Linda Finn
Faithful Acres Books
http://www.faithfulacres.net
I shared this on FB, Twitter and G+
So glad this was helpful, Linda. There is nothing more exciting than discovering the call of God on your life and then working hard to follow that call. Writing is an exciting and rewarding calling. But it can sometimes be difficult when God calls you to share a difficult part of your life. But He is faithful and will continue to guide you through it. Best of luck and many prayers as you start this new exciting journey!
Thank you, Linda (Finn) for putting your name in for this book. I know that it will empower you for all that God has for you. And thank you for passing the opportunity along to FB, Twitter and G+. That's a blessing to me and Linda G.
This book sounds wonderful. I have been praying about my calling and asking the Lord for direction. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book. Also, I am so glad I stumbled across your blog, read a couple of your books from years ago, so glad I found you again. Terry C., PA
Great to hear from you, Terry. I'm so glad you're interested in this book and I've put your name in the drawing "hat." And what an encouragement to know my books have been a blessing to you. That means a lot. Thanks for re-connecting!
Kathy, thank you for the kind words about our book. I fell in love with Linda's words in the first two chapters before she finished them. (She wrote two chapters, I wrote two, etc., until we finished seven chapters each.) What an adventure! God blessed us over and over as we wrote! I don't want a free book, but it would be my honor to sign the winner's book along with Linda. Blessings on all the commenters!
Great to hear from you, Edna. Both you and Linda are going to bless many through this book.
I am learning to find joy in Christ – no matter my circumstances. It is my joy to write about Him. I've decided to stop fretting about whether I have "book deal," because I can't make that happen. But I can write with excellence for the pleasure of the King at every opportunity. I'm reading a powerful book ("When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy") that reinforces the true joy of what Christ has accomplished for us. That perspective will certainly color all my writing in the days ahead. Linda and Edna, your book is bound to be a blessing!
I'll add my name to the list. The article is inspiring so I'm expecting the book to be even more so!
Hi Cathy. The Lord insructed me to write my first book about 5 years ago. In response to His Voice I have written and re-written my story.I am yet busy writing another draft. I have probably missed out on the competition, still hope that I could stand in line to win.
Hi Dawn, thanks for commenting here. I've put your name in the drawing. And that book sounds wonderful. I'll look into it. In fact, I just bought it. I love all things John Piper. I applaud your passion for fighting for joy!
Thank you, Bonnie. YOu're on the list!
Eloise, I'm proud of you for being persistent. One of the challenges we writers face is being satisfied with what we write–at some point! Let me encourage you to send it out! It most likely is better than you think. I think of my first book and by now I would have re-written it thousands of times. But it was published back in 1984. There's always room for improvement but our work will never bless others if we don't let the baby bird fly from the nest. Just know what you've been going through is shared by all of us. I put your name on the drawing list. Thank you for stopping by!
TA DA! Drum Roll! The winner is Jennifer Phillips! Congratulations, Jennifer. I'll give Linda Gilden your address and she'll autograph it to you and mail it to you. May it be a blessing for you!