World Book Blog Tour

The World Book Blog Tour provides a format to get acquainted with authors and their works. Each author is invited by a friend who in turn invites more friends. It is sort of a daisy chain of creativity. Thanks, readers, for taking a minute to check it out!

Thanks as well to Elizabeth Van Liere for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Elizabeth has enjoyed success as a writer for many years, and her book, “Dare to Live: Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It!”  offers easily digestible and highly nutritious bites of insight in the form of devotions, each served up with savory garnishes of humor and wisdom. Whatever your age, it might be just the boost you need in your spiritual walk!

These are the questions posed by the World Blog Tour:

 What am I working on?

In addition to my full time counseling ministry, I maintain a blog, “grace and truth” and an author website. This year I have completed drafts for several chapters of a new book about “being light.” Jesus said to his followers, “You are the light of the world…” I feel inspired to explore what it looks like to be “a city on a hill, a lamp on a stand” right where we live—everyday. I am toying with the question about whether this might be subtitled “On the Road Home” and become a sequel to “Milestones: On the Road Home.” (“Being Light” should stand alone. However, I do think it is a next step to intimacy with God and others, the theme of “Milestones.”)

 How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My extensive experience and training as a counselor have taught me how to help people go deeper. Following each short devotional I pose several questions designed to make the reader squirm a bit. The purpose is to challenge the reader to a deeper insight and, more importantly, to encourage change in the way we live our lives. My books are not passive experiences as they invite the reader to participate in the journey of following Jesus more closely, by taking the relational message of the Gospel of Christ to heart. Finally, suggested prayers tie each chapter together, acknowledging our need for God to do his will.

 Why do I write what I do?

Several years ago, a friend encouraged me to start a blog, and from that conversation “grace and truth”was born. As I saw the message spread worldwide, and as I got feedback about how helpful the blog was, a spark became a flame. Though I was initially reluctant to write “Milestones” the feedback from grateful readers has inspired me to keep writing! The idea that something I write causes someone to walk closer to Jesus gives me an indescribable charge! Writing has become a fun and creative way to multiply the ministry God has given me, broadening my investment in the Kingdom.

 

 How does my writing process work?

I have an idea or hear a phrase and begin to contemplate, what does this really mean, what are the implications, what would it look and feel like to really live this out? I ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten me—show me things I have not seen before—and I examine the concept in Scripture, not just an isolated verse. As sit down to write, the next sentence often surprises me! Only later do I go back and put on my analytical hat to eliminate errors, reduce redundancies, and to clarify confusing statements. The goal is to say what God wants to be said on a given subject, offering clear and honest encouragement.

 The authors I have invited to participate in the World Book Blog Tour next week are:

Cheryl Ott is a suicide survivor and author of Stubborn Love: A Recommitment to Live When Giving Up Seemed so Much Easier, an inspirational Keynote Speaker, and the founder of Anchor Of Hope, Int'l, an organization aimed at reducing the incidence of suicide. What makes Cheryl's story unique is that she has overcome a major depressive disorder and suicidal behavior after learning the skills necessary to live free from depression. She's experienced this freedom for more than a decade.

David Wolstenholm is the author of Combat Ready which was written by and for veterans and active-duty personnel. It takes you on the journey from beginning to end of the military life paralleled by the life of a Christian. Personal and combat stories are interwoven into the book to bring it to life.

Bryan Yeager is the administrative director of Samaritan Aviation. He has authored 2 books to date: Franchise, a fictional account of what might happen if a corporation devoted itself to significance—not success, and A Young Person’s Guide to Personal Happiness (Or How Not to Screw Up the Rest of Your Life).