Preslaysa

prayer journaling pt 7

February 28, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

Listening to God.

At first, it seems like an elusive concept fraught with the potential for error. But if we have safeguards in place, it’s easy for His children to hear His voice. Jesus promised this to us in John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow Me.”

The main safeguard we should use when listening to the voice of God during our prayer time is His Word. In fact, scripture is a wonderful conversation piece when learning to hear from Him. With the Holy Spirit as our teacher and our counselor, we can easily interact with Him through the Word. In fact, God commands us to do so in scripture:

“Take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.” (Hosea 14:2)

One way I actively dialogue with God is by praying back the truths of scripture to Him. If there’s something I don’t understand in His Word, I’ll ask Him about it. If I don’t sense an answer from Him right away, I’ll wait on it (waiting can be a challenge!!) If there’s a scripture which leaps off the page for me, I’ll slow down and listen to what God wants to say to me through that scripture. Sometimes its a rebuke, or an encouragement, or direction, or chastening.

Then I’ll write down my thoughts as they come to me. As I write my thoughts, I ask God what is the one thing I should do to get started on the path He wants me to take. This can be related to a character issue I’m struggling with, preparation for something in the future, a relational issue or any other aspect of my life.

If I sense Him leading me to do something, I write it on a ‘to do’ list in the back of my prayer journal. After my prayer time, I’m usually still thinking about what He’s asking of me. If it’s a major decision, I’ll talk it over with my spouse since he’s the spiritual head of our family. I don’t make major decisions after one prayer session. Hastiness is unwise. Sometimes, it takes months or years of planning and preparation before we make a major move. As I talk over major decisions with my spouse, we usually get direction or confirmation through the Word, conversations, books, sermons. Then we’ll start planning… If we don’t get confirmation or direction, we wait.

If it’s a character issue or something that just deals with me, I’ll ask God for practical ways I can incorporate His direction into my life. I don’t always get an answer right away but, if I wait, I’ll get further direction on how to do this. Often times, He’ll tell me to drop activities or simplify my life in some way to make room for what He wants me to do.

I’m still taking gradual steps on learning to abide in Him, but thus far, this has been the most effective way for me.

Next week, we’ll talk about writing His word on our hearts!

Fiction Fridays: Interview with Novelist Shellie Neumeier

February 25, 2011 By Preslaysa 3 Comments

Fiction Fridays: Author Interview with Shellie Neumeier

Today we’re interviewing novelist Shellie Neumeier on The Literary Mama. Shellie is the author of Young Adult novel Driven which releases on March 1st. I’m pleased to welcome Shellie to The Literary Mama.

Shellie, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with The Literary Mama. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My husband and I are raising our four wonderful kiddos and two goofy greyhounds deep in the heart of Wisconsin farm country. So deep, my eldest had feared her first vehicle would be a farm tractor. (It wasn’t, she inherited my old minivan.)

My undergraduate degree is in Secondary Education, which means I can teach psychology, sociology, and social studies to sixth through twelfth graders. But after raising my own children (and seeing the horror each expressed when I announced “hey, I can teach your social studies class, isn’t that great?”), I decided to write young adult fiction instead.

Can you tell us what Driven is about?

Robyn Stanley can’t help but notice the handsome new guy at her school. She ignores, however, the arrival of another being at Brookfield Central High School—a demon assigned to destroy her…

Robyn loves her friends, enjoys her youth group, and looks forward to meeting cute Caleb Montague. But when a caustic news reporter challenges her school’s prayer team, Robyn must choose: defend their right to meet on campus and pray for whomever they wish or back down at the principal’s request.

Now she must learn what God wants her to do. And she had better learn fast, because there’s a supernatural enemy in town whose sole mission is to stop her—no matter the cost.

In Driven you address the influence of demonic activity in the lives of human beings. How does the element of the supernatural hinder and/or help the characters in the story?

In Driven, Sebastian is the demon sent to stop Robyn’s purpose at any cost. He thwarts her every decision and leaves her scrambling to learn God’s lessons. However, neither Robyn nor Sebastian realize just how much his efforts help or hinder her until it’s too late.

What led to your decision to write for teens?

What inspired me to write for teens was the desire to encourage the next generation. To let them know that God does have a plan for them and it’s a good one, even though it may not seem that way right now. This generation of young adults has almost unlimited access to their world with the ease of travel and the internet. They have the amazing opportunity to change their world unlike any previous generation, but they’re also bombarded with harsh realism and even harsher dramatized “realism” at a very young age. It would be very easy to forget that they have a purpose and it comes from God.

What do you hope readers walk away with knowing after reading Driven?

Hopefully my readers will come away with a renewed sense of power. A sense of I-can-do-that, whatever “that” God has placed in their lives. And of course I hope they come away having enjoyed a great read.

Do you have any upcoming titles?

I’m currently working in conjunction with another author on a novel that walks through one family’s struggle to overcome grief and loss in order to save their heritage. I also have a young adult novel in the editing stage that deals with a sixteen year-old boy fighting to go home after one fit of rage lands him in a half-way house.

Do you have any hobbies?

I love to hike with my family and our dogs, but when the weather doesn’t cooperate, I prefer to read a great book.

Fun question: If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

After tithing and securing my children’s college tuition (I’m a mom, I have to be practical), I’d love to take my whole family on a cruise to somewhere warm and sunny. (It’s March in Wisconsin—I can dream)

How can readers get in touch with you?

They can contact me through my website: http://shellieneumeier.com or email me at Neumeier(dot)shellie(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Shellie.

You can order copies of Shellie’s books at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Risen Fiction

Word Wednesdays: He knows us in the wilderness

February 23, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah, And the wadis of the Arnon, And the slope of the wadis that extends to the site of Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.” From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.” (Numbers 21:13-15, NASB)

Today’s passage from the book of Numbers, takes account of Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land. While they were in the wilderness, they encountered many enemies and complained against God. The Israelites complained so much they desired to return to Egypt, the place where they were enslaved for hundreds of years.

When we encounter wilderness times in our lives, it’s easy to complain. Feeling as if God has abandoned us, we may long for the yesteryears, when things were “better.” But if we do this, we can miss out on many of the hidden blessings that come along with wilderness seasons in our lives.

This happened with me when I first decided to leave my full time job to prepare for raising children at home. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have a school teacher or a parent or a boss dictating how I should spend my days. It felt both empowering and scary. What would I do with all this time God has given me? It also felt convicting as I pondered how I have been been a poor steward of my time in past seasons of my life.

But, during my personal wilderness, God has shown me this is a perfect time to draw near to Him and allow Him to mold me in areas which I have been weak in. Areas like time management, home management and in spending personal time with Him. The wilderness is a training ground for growth.

And we are not alone during the wilderness. Just like the Israelite’s battles were carefully recodrded in the “Book of the Wars of the Lord,” so our days even the seemingly dry days, are recorded in His book concerning us.

The question is: What will you do with them?

prayer journaling pt 6

February 21, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

Giving thanks.

It can be tough sometimes, especially after having a rough day at work or at home. But giving thanks lifts our spirits and pulls us from the mire of murmuring and complaining.

When I reach this section of my prayer journal, I try not to be general. Instead, I look for specific instances from the prior day for which I can be thankful. This enables me to see each day as a gift…even the rough ones.

I’ve read that regular gratitude also has wonderful health benefits!! So there’s more to thankfulness than just a positive mental attitude, it can shape other important areas of life.

Here a review of the sections to keep in the Talking to God section of your prayer journal which I’ve gleaned from Becky Tirabassi’s book ‘Change Your Life’:

1) Praise: We choose a psalm as a starting point to give praises to God

2) Admit: We confess anything that has been heavy on your conscience. Also, we ask God to help us in that particular area.

3) Request: We present our needs and concerns to God.

4) Thanks: We thank Him for different things He’s done in our lives.

P.S. You don’t need a fancy journal to use. I have a marble composition notebook which suits me just fine!

Next week we’ll switch gears and talk about the Listening to God portion of our prayer journals. This is where we stop our chattering and listen for His voice for guidance, direction and wisdom.

Fiction Fridays: Early Morning Writing

February 18, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

Because of my current stage of life, mother to an infant, I’ve been devising different methods to find time to write. Right now, my best time is early in the morning before the day starts. The house is quiet and I have ample time for my brain synapses to fire their sparks. So now, after I spend time with Jesus, I turn on the laptop and start writing. After writing early in the morning, I feel like I’ve satisfied my creative itch, had ‘me’ time and can now face the daily life of being a SAHM with peace and confidence.

Getting up early can be uncomfotable. Every time the alarm goes off, I have to tell myself why I’m getting up so early. To motivate myself to do something I wouldn’t naturally do, I have to think far ahead into the future and see where my NOT performing the action today would lead. I’ve done that with exercise, cleaning the house, reading the Bible, prayer, writing, marriage and parenting. I keep these negative consequences in mind whenever I decide not to perform a beneficial activity.

I’m more motivated by the pain of regret than the pleasure of achievement. Funny huh?

If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never done, take some time out and perform this exercise. With a pad and pen write what could happen if you never performed that activity. What type of person would you be one year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now? Twenty years from now? What things would you regret?

Then, with those potential consequences in mind, get started on your goal. Getting started could mean make a plan of action, making a phone call, gathering research or reading a book.

Also, anytime you decide not to do something towards your goal, think back to what you wrote about your potential regrets. That’s enough motivation to get you going!

Prayer Journaling, pt 5

February 14, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

The first day I used my prayer journal, I opened my Bible and found this verse:

Psalm 116:1-2 “I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT)

He hears and answers my prayers. After reading this, I eagerly scribbled my requests to Him. I had so many! After praising Him and after confessing my sins to Him, I had a clear line of communication to present my concerns. I started out with one simple request:

Help me.

Help me be the person you intend me to be.

Help me manage my days so I can be effective through my roles as a wife, mother and writer.

Help me develop in the fruit of the Spirit.

Help me.

Today, I pray for my family and the most pressing concern on my mind at the moment. For instance, I had issues with this website last year. I had to untangle some complicated CSS code to get it to operate I asked God to help me with the CSS code. Later that day, while I was working on a web page, the solution became clear. Problem solved.

This experience humbled me. It showed me God is intimately concerned with the minute details of my life. And, if I rely on Him for the “small” things and stop trying to work things out in my own strength, He’ll come alongside and help me.

So present your requests to Him. He hears. He answers. He bends down to listen.

Next Monday, we’ll talk about giving thanks.

Fiction Fridays: Interview with Novelist Amanda Stephan

February 11, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

I’m psyched about today’s author interview on The Literary Mama. Amanda Stephan is the author of The Price of Trust. I’m pleased to welcome Amanda to The Literary Mama.

Amanda, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with The Literary Mama. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thank you, Preslaysa for having me on here today! I’m a homeschooling, Christian romance author that loves to do many different things, but I’d have to say my passion is writing.

Where did you get the inspiration for The Price of Trust?

I got the inspiration for my book from some incidents in my life before I met my husband, and I built a fictional story around them.

What theme(s) did you explore while writing The Price of Trust?

The main theme of my novel is learning to trust when your past experiences with people have taught you otherwise. What do you hope readers walk away with knowing? When people are done reading my book, I hope they know that God will help them through even the most difficult times in our lives ~ if we just let him.

How do you balance writing with your daily life?

My writing schedule is very eclectic. Being a homeschooling mother, it’s rather difficult to find time to sit and write down my thoughts, so I usually wait until the kids are in bed.

How did you know you were called to write?

I’ve been writing stories since I was young, but never considered trying to have anything published. I only sent The Price of Trust in because my husband asked me to. That was a very big, scary step for me.

What did you do to learn the craft of fiction writing?

Read! A LOT! Then, when I finished a book, I would dissect it. What did I like about the writer’s style? What didn’t I like and why? But I’d have to say, the thing that helps me the most while I’m writing is Easy Grammar by Wanda Phillips. Without a good grammatical foundation, the rest is going to be difficult – to say the least!

Do you have any other titles currently available for readers?

I’m currently working on my fifth and sixth novels, but I don’t have any more out yet as I’m seeking representation for them. I’m actually writing a sort of sequel to The Price of Trust, but both are going to be stand alone novels.

How can readers get in touch with you?

You can find me on my website, www.thepriceoftrust.com, my blog – http://thisnthatnthose.blogspot.com, and twitter – http://www.twitter.com/amandastephan

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Amanda. Thank you again for having me here, it’s been a pleasure!

You can order copies of Amanda’s books on:

Amanda’s Website, Christianbook

Word Wednesdays: Getting Blotted out of His book

February 9, 2011 By Preslaysa Leave a Comment

“The Lord said to Moses, whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.”

(Exodus 32:33, NIV)

From Exodus 32:32, we learned that God wrote a book and it has you in it. In Exodus 32:33, we see that if we don’t confess our sins, God can blot us out of His book. In other words, we can lose out on the opportunity for salvation with Him.

What’s Salvation?

Note: I’ve resposted the Jan 26th post here.

The Plan of Salvation

First: Jesus died. Acts 2:22, NASB says “this Man (Jesus), delivered over by the predetermined plan and forknowledge of God, you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men who put Him to death”

Second: Jesus rose from the dead. Acts 2:24, NASB says “but God raised Him Jesus) from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”

Third: Jesus is presently exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father. Acts 2:33, NASB says “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear”

The Next Step

First: Repent. The Greek word for repent is ‘metanoeo‘ and it literally means to “perceive afterwards, to change one’s mind or purpose and it always involves a change for the better.” The first step involves your personal decision to make Jesus Lord of your life. (Acts 2:38)

Second: Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10, paraphrased)

Then what?

God empowers you with the gift of the Holy Spirit and you receive His eternal life. You then embark on the lifelong journey of growing in your faith. Following His leading enables you to grow.

Concluding Thoughts..

That was a lot from one verse in Exodus but its invaluable truth. I first heard the gospel as an eleven year old at a flea market! One day, I sent up a random prayer to God asking Him why church was so boring, lol. He replied by sending someone my way to clearly lay out the gospel and give me an opportunity to make that decision for myself. Years later, that decision continues to shape my life.

For Readers

As one added benefits to my readers, if you have recently made a personal decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life, I would like to send you a New Testament and a pamphlet on growing in your Christian walk. In addition, I’ll commit to personally praying for you once a week for a year during my personal prayer time so you won’t feel alone as you embark on the life of faith. Email me at preslaysa(dot)c(dot)williams(at)gmail(dot)com with your name and mailing address.

BTW, this offer stands if you are reading this post months or years later after the date of this posting.