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PrayerGift Mondays: Writing His Heart

June 27, 2011 in prayer for writers, prayergifts4shespeaks, She Speaks Conference with 15 Comments

I became an aspiring writer at the tender age of…37.

At 38, I attended my first She Speaks Conference where I learned to drop the “aspiring.”

I am a writer!

When I saw an advertisement for the 2008 Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference, God shone spotlights, strobe lights, flairs, and every other kind of light on it. I had no idea speaker/writer conferences existed! Naive much?

I registered for the pre-conference session, “How to Prepare a Powerful, Effective 15-Minute Publisher Meeting” taught by Jeannie Burlowski. I needed that session something fierce!

And…..I missed it.

In fact, I missed all the Friday goodness. You can read about the reason here. I was right where I belonged.

In a flurry of changed plane tickets, phone calls, and taxi cab rides, I drug my weary bones into the hotel. The moment I glanced at my conference materials, reality kicked in. I have publisher appointments tomorrow, and I have no idea what I’m doing!

Next morning, I shared my panic with LeAnn Rice, and she came to my rescue by asking Jeannie Burlowski to meet with me.

I have never felt as “heard” as I felt while sitting in the lobby with Jeannie. That girl’s picture should be in the dictionary next to the phrase, “active listener.”

She listened to me ramble about my book for about five minutes, asked me some clarifying questions, and then helped me put together my thoughts in a way that wouldn’t make the publishers hit the get-out gong.

Writers track sisters, the She Speaks Conference is full of LeAnn’s and Jeannie’s! The teaching volunteers are there to share everything they can possibly squeeze into a weekend! Come with open ears and open minds, and you’ll leave full.

My sisters-in-ink, this is my prayer for you.

Lord,

Thank you for using these prayergifts to birth a love of writing in me. Nothing satisfies my heart more than writing down what You lay on my heart.

You used the She Speaks Conference to help me believe in my calling and begin to develop the skills to pursue it. I want that for all my writers track sisters headed to She Speaks in a few weeks. It blesses my heart to pray for them; please give me Your heart for them as I write and pray tonight.

Write Your words onto their hearts.

Lord, writing is wonderful, but writing Your heart is beyond description! For my sisters, I ask You to open their hearts to receive Your words…words that heal, words that uplift, words that promote heart change. You’ve been using human hands to write down Your message since the beginning; my sisters are no different than Moses, David, and Paul. May their willing spirits hear You full-volume as You say, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)



Raise their skills toward excellence
 
As my sisters walk through those sliding doors in Charlotte, they come with varied skill sets, but all of them are anxious to learn and grow. They will be overwhelmed by all the practical information they will receive. Give them sharp minds and hearts to take it all in, but give them the wisdom to choose a few nuggets at a time on which to focus when they get home. Fill my sisters with urgency to present their best writing to You as a holy offering. (Numbers 18:29)
 
Increase their courage to be real

It’s hard to be real, Lord. Human nature urges us to hide our faults, challenges, and pain. But You want our healing to point to the Healer, and it won’t happen if we’re not willing to lay it out there in our writing. Give my sisters the courage to risk transparency. This world doesn’t need another book full of churchy platitudes. It needs gutsy accounts of how You can turn ashes to beauty! (Isaiah 61:3) As one of Your writer girls once said, “People are not looking for [us] to have it together. People are looking at what happens to [us] when [we] don’t.” (Beth Moore) May my sisters remember the way You, the source of all comfort, dealt so gently with their aching hearts; give them the grace to share that same comfort with others through their inspired words. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Take their offering and use it

Lord, when You take my writing and use it to encourage someone, my heart swells with delight. Nothing is more satisfying than to be Your instrument. You don’t need us, but You choose to use us for Your glory and the good of humankind. Thank You for that, Lord. Fill my sisters with joyful anticipation as they think of a future filled with those “useful” moments. Just as You took Elijah’s offering on Mount Carmel, take my sisters’ offerings and use them in such a way that people will say, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” (1 Kings 18:36-39)

Equip them with thick-skin

Lord, You know my scaredy-cat heart and how much I fear rejection. You know how much it hurt to receive those first few rejection letters. It felt like I had failed You. It felt like I’d made a mistake about this whole writing thing. It felt yucky. But sometimes, rejection is part of the greater plan! You were despised and rejected, and that rejection resulted in Your journey to the cross. Maybe our rejections can take us to the point of taking up our crosses and following You. (Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 16:24)

I still don’t like rejection, but You have taught me that no matter how many times I’m passed over, You still have a call on my life. You will still use my writing gift for Your glory and Your pleasure. You like my stuff! Like a proud daddy, You show it off and say, Look what my girl wrote for me!

Prepare my sisters for the reality of rejection, for it happens a lot more often than acceptance in the publishing world. Some of my sisters going to She Speaks will need more of Your help in this area than others. You know who they are…the ones with heart wounds not yet healed. The ones who still doubt their worth. The ones who don’t yet see themselves the way You see them. When that first rejection email comes, deliver it to them with Your grace and compassion. Whisper truth in their ears. It’s OK, my sweet one. I have glorious plans for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope-filled future. (Jeremiah 29:11)


Lord, Thank You. Thank You for taking us writer girls and using our writing as arrows pointing others to the only worthy destination: You. As my sisters get ready to head to 2011 She Speaks, prepare their hearts, pave the way, and provide the resources. Use this conference to create new friendships, to connect writers with mentors, agents, or publishers, and, most of all, to change every heart to a closer resemblance of Yours.

In the precious name of the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus, I pray, AMEN

Storms and Sunshine (Repost)

June 22, 2011 in grief, She Speaks Conference, weight loss with 2 Comments

While doing some blog maintenance, I discovered that yesterday was my three-year blog anniversary! To celebrate, I am reposting my very first post, written in the Charlotte airport after my first She Speaks conference. God has brought me through lots of storms in the past three years, but the Son never stopped shining on me. Love, LeeBird

Originally posted on June 21, 2008

The weather of my life has been unpredictable lately. If I were the meteorologist for the weather news of my heart, I would have been fired by now for bad reporting! The last two weeks have had both storms and sunshine–sometimes both in the same day or even the same hour.

I’ve been anticipating the “She Speaks” conference for months and months. I can still remember the day the advertisement for it popped up on my computer……it was as if God had put a spotlight on it with a flashing sign that said, “Sign up!”

My plan was to fly to Charlotte, NC a few days early so that I could dash over to TN to see one of my favorite cousins, the one who taught me how to have a quiet time with God.

The week before the conference week, I went to Louisiana to visit with my sister. While there, my Uncle Joe’s health took a turn for the worst; lung cancer was quickly stealing his days. My mom and I decided to head to Mississippi to see him and provide my aunt with support.

I had the privilege of sitting by my Uncle Joe’s bedside holding his work-worn hand. While there, I opened my devotional book to spend a little time with the Lord. The reading was about eternal life. Jeremiah 29:11 was the focus verse, “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.” I have always loved that verse, but was puzzled as to why it was used in a devotional about eternal life. The writer spoke about God’s plans for our lives and how most people think God’s plans for us end at death. Not true! God still has plans for us after we die–bigger and better plans even!

As I sat by Uncle Joe’s side, I told him about the reading I had done that morning.

I said, “Uncle Joe, what do you think God has planned for you in heaven?”

That precious man, who has worked for more than 40 years as a building superintendent, thoughtfully replied, “Hmm…I don’t know, Lee. Maybe a builder.”

I smiled and said, “Just think Uncle Joe! In heaven, there will be no deadlines, no intense summer heat, no undependable employees or complaining customers. Work will be sheer pleasure the way God intended it to be in the first place. We will be able to lay the product of our labor at the feet of Jesus as an offering.”

Uncle Joe’s face softened and his breathing calmed as he said, “That sounds real good, Lee.”

Later that day, as I prepared to leave, I leaned down to kiss Uncle Joe on the top of his fuzzy chemotherapy–shorn head. It broke my heart to look him in the eye and say a final goodbye. “I love you, Uncle Joe.” “I love you too, Lee. You be good.”

Well, I don’t need to tell you that I boo hooed like a baby most of the way back to Louisiana.

After a few days, I went back to Arizona to prepare for my trip to Charlotte for the She Speaks Conference. On Monday afternoon, I felt the Lord telling me to change my departing flight so that I could fly to Jackson, Mississippi. Uncle Joe was still alive, but barely.

My generous and supportive sister paid the extra fee for my flight and rental car.

I got into Jackson late Tuesday afternoon and drove the two hours to my uncle’s hospital bed. At 7:15, I walked into his room.

Although my body remained upright, I felt my heart faint as I saw how much Uncle Joe had deteriorated in less than a week. He had lost so much weight and was in a coma-like state.

My Aunt Venia’s face revealed the condition of her heart–completely broken over having to watch her soul mate and best friend suffer so.

As she sat on one side of his bed and I sat on the other, I said, “Let’s pray for him, Aunt Venia.”

I sighed deeply as the Holy Spirit gave me the words to say:

“Lord, we don’t understand all of this. We know that you have the power to heal and have chosen not to. That hurts our feelings, Lord. We want to see Uncle Joe whole and well. We don’t understand, but we know that Your ways are higher than our ways. We will understand one day why you are choosing to take Uncle Joe from us so early. We ask that you would show Uncle Joe and us mercy and go ahead and take him on to be with you in heaven so his suffering can end. Please, allow him to start his plans with you in heaven today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen”

Within minutes of our prayer, my sister and Uncle Joe’s son walked into the room. They stared at Uncle Joe in amazement and commented that his breathing had changed drastically. About 15 minutes after Aunt Venia and I prayed, Uncle Joe died with his wife holding his hand, his son stroking his head, and his nieces whispering, “I love you’s.”

What a privilege it was for me to be there to help usher my precious uncle to his new life in heaven. I have never experienced anything like it.

Uncle Joe’s funeral was Friday morning–the morning I was due to start the conference in Charlotte. God provided me with a cheap plane pass so that I could get into Charlotte by 9:00 p.m. that evening. I missed some of the conference, but God let me make it for what He wanted me to experience.

I was welcomed with loving, open arms by She Speaks staff members, Samantha and LeAnn. “Lee! You made it! We’ve been praying for you!”

My roommate, Wendy was in the room waiting impatiently. She hugged me tightly and called her husband to tell him I’d finally arrived.

Other friends I had met on the She Speaks blog also breathed a sigh of relief when I called them to announce my arrival. “We’ve been praying all evening!” bubbled Susan and Mary.

I was overwhelmed by the way these seemingly complete strangers had invested so much concern and care into my life.

Strangers no more. I have sisters–sisters who love me enough to pray, sisters who understand my desire to use my writing gifts to encourage others, sisters who make me laugh and cry.

Thank you God! You showed your faithfulness in the sunshine moments and the stormy moments. You are my provider through it all.

Blessed be Your Name!