The Courage of Everyday Heroes | A Guest Post from Joan Campbell

By Joan Campbell @JoanCam1

As a fantasy writer, I’ve created my fair share of epic heroes. 

Generally, these characters are good with swords, bows, arrows—anything sharp, in fact. They’re faster, smarter and deadlier than the bad guys. They laugh in the face of danger and seem to have no fear. Courage should be their middle name (note to self for next book). These are the guys and girls who outwit, outplay and outlast, and if they don’t outlast it’s because they’ve heroically sacrificed themselves for another.

As much as we love these stereotypical heroes, I believe they do a disservice to the words ‘hero’ and ‘courage’.

Take a moment to consider this: who is the most courageous person you know?

It doesn’t take me long to cast my eyes around and find the true heroes in my life. My niece, battling major depression, who gets up every morning to take care of her little Pekinese and has just enrolled herself in a draftsman course. The man with a speech impediment who stands up to speak at Toastmasters. My daughter, on the Autism Spectrum, taking the first steps at independent living this year.

My list could go on.

• Women struggling to raise their children alone after their husband walked out on them.
• People fighting life-threatening illnesses with dignity.
• Grieving parents.
• Missionaries following a call on their lives to pack up and go to distant places.

These people are not laughing in the face of danger. They’re not always smarter or faster or stronger than their neighbour. They have plenty of fear, and wouldn’t call themselves courageous. But that is precisely what they are.

My country’s most courageous hero once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” (Nelson Mandela)

Each of us needs courage to get through the specific challenges we face. 

On my own journey as a Christian writer, I’m starting to realise that this is the one quality I need in abundance. It’s not always easy sitting in front of a flickering blank screen and starting to type. Fear creeps in. What if no-one likes this? What if I begin but then grind to a halt? Perhaps I don’t have what it takes to be a writer.

If you manage to conquer those fears and actually produce a manuscript, a whole new set of fears kick in. Literary agents give you the brush off and rejection letters from publishers start to pile up. It’s difficult to keep writing when everything seems to tell you to give up. It’s very easy for discouragement to set in.

Dis-COURAGE-ment. Have you ever noticed the word courage in the centre of that? 

Discouragement steals away our courage. It lets fear take hold of us and dictate our feelings and actions. Discouragement is not easy to shake, but shake it we must. Even if it’s taking just one small step forward. I’m not sure what that small step is for you. Perhaps:

• Getting dressed and putting on some make-up.
• Making a call you’ve been dreading to make.
• Writing a paragraph of your story.
• Sending off your CV to a company, or your manuscript to a publisher.

Others might not recognise the bravery in that single step, but take it nevertheless.

And be en-COURAGE-ed. I applaud you for taking the step. Well done, Brave One - you did well today!

We’d love to hear and celebrate your stories of courage and small steps. Please share them in the comments below.

About Joan Campbell

Joan Campbell is a contributing devotional writer for The Upper Room and Scripture Union. Her first book Encounters: Life Changing Moments with Jesus is a collection of short stories, reflections, prayers and art. She particularly loves writing engaging fiction with the underlying message of God’s grace.

Her fantasy trilogy The Poison Tree Path Chronicles, published by Enclave Publishing, consists of Chains of Gwyndorr (winner of the 2017 Illumination Award), Heirs of Tirragyl and Guardian of Ajalon (releasing 11 September 2018). She and her husband Roy live in Johannesburg, South Africa, about an hour away from Pretoria, where their two daughters study.

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Not Seeing the Whole Picture

Recently my husband and I took a holiday down to Victoria, where we saw a game of footy with our beloved Sydney Swans at the most famous football ground in Australia – the MCG. We also saw and thrilled to the recently opened Australian production of Les Miserables. What an amazing musical!  In between those two bits of culture, both of which we thoroughly enjoyed, we took a few days to explore The Great Ocean Road. It’s something we have talked about doing for years and never got around to. This time we managed it. We were very excited at the prospect.

Before we left, I read up a bit about The Great Ocean Road and people talked about the sheer cliffs and wonderful scenery. So what I expected from reports I had read was to drive along a road that ran along the edges of the limestone cliffs all the way and looked out onto water and sandy beaches and amazing rock formations.  What I was expecting was what I wanted to see. That is not quite the case. In fact some of the time the road veers inland so that you cannot even see the ocean let alone the cliffs. All you see are trees. As for the sandy beaches we have them near where we live too. For a time my husband and I found ourselves seriously underwhelmed.  We hadn’t travelled all this way to look at trees. We have them at home, along with picturesque water views close by.

Of course as any of you who have travelled the Great Ocean road will know that is not all there is. As we travelled on we did get to see the limestone cliffs, and the famous rock formations known as the twelve apostles or those that are left of them. They are slowly being worn away.

We saw various other landmarks that caused us to reach for the camera. This one is known as London bridge. It used to be all one formation until it split apart and two people who were on it at the time were left stranded until they could be helicoptered off.

These are just some other shots we took along the way.

 

 

Looking out onto the vast ocean from some of these spots really does make you feel you are at the end of the world. 

What we saw made us marvel anew at the might and beauty of our Creator.  Amazing to think He created all this for us to enjoy and yet he did and so much more. We stopped off at so many scenic lookouts we practically lost count.

The Ocean Road trip made me think about the writing life. When we begin writing we can have certain expectations of how it will pan out. If it doesn’t happen quite as we imagined we can be underwhelmed and wonder why. It can become discouraging and it is this sort of discouragement that causes some people to give up and yes, that thought has crossed my mind more than once, especially recently. But as we found on the Great Ocean Road, our first impressions were not all there was. We weren't seeing the whole picture. Even those times the ocean was hidden from our view it was still there. The majestic cliffs were still there even if we couldn’t see them at the time.

Thankfully even when we don’t see the whole picture of not just our writing lives but our whole lives, God does. He sees not only the beginning of the road but the stops and detours along the way. Most importantly He sees the ultimate end and I’m thankful for that. Maybe it’s enough to know it is all in His hands.

Dale writes fiction, poetry and children’s fiction, and has written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. As well as writing and reading, Dale loves to sing. She is involved in the music ministry at her church. More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

 

The Sacrifice of Thankfulness

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a time when families gather around a traditional turkey dinner. Some go to great lengths to commemorate the historical events which brought us the holiday, a tribute to the first autumn harvest shared by Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians in 1621. Later, proclaimed a national day of observance by President Abraham Lincoln.

 

Ideally, it’s a warm and cozy gathering of loved ones where you eat delectable treats, exchange warm laughter, and give thanks for the bounty in your life.

As a Christian, one can deepen that spirit of thankfulness by acknowledging that it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord…

But what if, even in the spirit of Thanksgiving, it hasn’t been a very good season? I know that here in the States, amid a struggling economy and the escalating unemployment, many people are dealing with very difficult conditions. A job lost; an illness or death in the family, relational tension or misunderstandings. Maybe weariness has moved in because circumstances have enacted mutiny and any kind of relief looks distant.

Life, in those moments, can leave you feeling vulnerable, confused, drained, frustrated, discouraged, and questioning.

I found several references in the Bible regarding thankfulness. Truly, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord. But when those periods in life occur when you just don’t feel it in your bones to muster the strength or desire, when every wall has caved in on you, it then becomes a sacrifice.

During trying situations, my own face has brushed the floor, prostrate, as I’ve uttered a desperate, heavenward cry. Just in case I missed something – if there is some unknown thing in my heart that needs dealt with, I say to my Lord: create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10), and, help me to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).

When all is checked and there’s nothing left to do, though my heart might not want to due to disappointment in life’s sharp twists and turns, my mouth will utter simple thanks. With trembling I lift up a cup in praise. This is my sacrifice. I can only hope it is pleasing to my Lord, a bittersweet aroma drifting up from the altar of my fragility. On occasion, I have even whispered in brokenness…don’t forget about me.

It is usually at that point when I greatly sense the Lord—in his mercy, compassion, and benevolence—his love for his child—bend his ear low and listen. I would feel him. Know that he is near. That he envelops me in his presence. And that I might receive divine instruction accompanied with comfort.

Peace.

“…what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4)

It is because of his great love for us that our concerns are more his than ours.

Thankfulness sometimes is a sacrifice. But it’s also a uniquely beautiful, divine, and pleasing surrender that has the power to uplift, instill hope, and transform when everything else fails.

Tessa Stockton is a multi-genre novelist of romance and intrigue. She is the author of The Unforgivable. Her second novel, The Unspeakable, a suspense/thriller set in Colombia, is scheduled for release in January 2013.  She also has several fantasy-romance novellas slated to follow thereafter. Visit www.TessaStockton.com

Treasured Possessions

This week I felt down about the non fiction writing project I’ve been working on. It’s started to feel like the never-ending story and still nowhere near being ready to send it off to a publisher. Of course the enemy chose that particular moment to inveigle himself in my feelings and tell me it was pointless and it would make no difference even if I finished it and got it published.

Discouraged, I looked at the cork board above my desk. That cork board, with letters pinned on it, hangs every day above my desk. Most days I hardly glance up at it. But this day I looked up and my gaze fell on a letter written to me several years ago. The letter came from the mother of a child who had read my first children’s book Chasing after the Wind.

The girl had been given the book as a birthday present. Only one problem, the girl was not a reader.

In fact, she was one of those students in the remedial reading group who had to read to someone for ten minutes each day. Knowing she had to read something, she reluctantly started on Chasing after the Wind.The novel co-incidentally starts with a girl who struggles with reading and is in a similar situation to this reluctant reader, until she encounters a friend and a book that changes her life.

It wasn’t long before the girl, like Chelsea in the story, found just reading that ten minutes a day wasn’t enough. The story had captured her and pulled her in. Probably initially because she could so relate to Chelsea, the main character in the novel. Soon, the girl was reading it every spare moment, her mother told me. For her mother and grandmother who watched this transformation it was heady stuff as this was the first book this girl had ever ‘got her in.’

This family was so excited, not only did the girl write to me a beautiful letter but her mother did as well and her grandmother came to visit when she was in the area. Reading that letter from the girl’s mother gave me a warm glow inside. I went back to the project I was working on thinking if a children’s book had that big an impact on one life, then I needed to continue to be obedient to God in what I write and that includes the current project, which is not really my project but God’s.

I was overwhelmed with love for God and how He encouraged me when I was feeling down. But why should I be surprised at that? Just as those letters to me are treasured possessions, I am God’s treasured possession. So are you.

Don’t take my word for it though. We know this because His Word tells us so. Isaiah 49:16 says
‘ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.’ Although this was originally spoken to Israel, it is also to all of us, who are the new Israel, brought into God’s kingdom by the death of our Lord Jesus. The Father loved each one of us enough to send is only Son to die for you and for me. If that doesn’t encourage and motivate us to continue in obedience even when we are feeling down, then I don’t know what will.

Streets on a Map, Dale’s latest novel was published by Ark House Press. Prior to that, Dale has had seven children’s books and Kaleidoscope a collection of poetry published. Many poems in Kaleidoscope have been previously published in Australia’s literary magazines. She has also written bible studies and Sunday school lessons.More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

BREAKING THROUGH THE WALLS - TO WRITE

Today Ray and I went with our adult children here for Christmas holidays from the Australian mainland to see the movie, Tin-Tin. It was a most enjoyable family film. Our children began reading Tin-Tin when they were quite young and have a number of those comics still on their shelves. In a couple of scenes the comment was made, “when you come to a wall, you’ve got to break through it!”

For this writer, those words accompanied me home in the car. Having this blog to write made the statement even more relevant. Why? Because over the last couple of weeks a number of invisible yet very real walls have appeared across my pathway to writing my next book! Breaking through them has required more than one type of “hammer.”

There has been the Wall of Sickness and now whooping cough which has infected our grand-children. We have six youngsters under ten years. The youngest is 10 weeks. By the grace of God and wise management by parents she has so far escaped its ravages. Prayer is sustaining the family as sleep has been in short supply. Christmas Day this year was certainly “different.” We did join them all in the open air for far too brief a time to give and receive gifts but no hugs, no kisses! I am a “hugger” so that was particularly difficult!

Over the years, the Wall of Distraction has often come to taunt me day in and day out. Before long my writing schedule is derailed and I become frustrated, even despondent. Fortunately I have a wonderful husband who prods me along. So many times he not only helps with tasks that should be my responsibility, but picks up the “axe” of priorities and helps me break through. I have to remember to let some things in the house and garden remain untidy, to delegate some responsibilities and try harder to ignore others. Having dealt with those levels of self-discipline, I still have to put seat on this chair, read back over some of what I’ve already written until I’ve crept back into the heads and hearts of the characters in my latest story.

At last! Fingers poise for a moment over the keyboard. A deep breathe, and off they go trying to keep up with those characters’ fears and problems, tears and triumphs. I am writing again at last!

None of this is easy. My having a perfectionist nature makes that very evident and something about myself I’ve had to come to grips with many times over the years. God sure knew how much I needed the help of a sympathetic “close enough is wonderful” husband to get me back on track to crash through that “Wall”.

Unfortunately, as in that Tin Tin story today, there are too many times series of Walls to break through when actually working on a manuscript.

Sometimes plots and characters just won’t “behave” as I thought they would or should in certain situations. This is the Wall of Disappointment when things don’t work out in the story. The encouragement of fellow writers through face to face contact at meetings, conferences, reading other writer’s blogs, tips on many aspects of writing help tear the walls down plank by plank or even brick by brick.

The Wall of Aging becomes an excuse as I find it takes more and more time to assemble fresh and stimulating words and plots. I can’t do much about the years but accepting a slower work rate allows for escape holes to appear in the barrier between me and my final edit.

There are all kinds of Walls of course that can slow or even stall the writing process. But my final one I’d like to mention here is the Wall of Criticism, especially from family and close friends. This is a hurtful barrier which I can only really conquer with the sense of conviction I’m doing what is pleasing to the Lord. I may not be a “World Winner”, but God will use what I’ve framed and had accepted by editors and publishers to be a blessing to someone somewhere.

Essentially, this is the best “Wall Breaker” I know. Nothing you do for the Lord, with the Lord and according to the Lord’s purposes will ever be contained by the “Walls” of the world, the Flesh or the Darkness. In fact, when all is said and done it has only been because HE is the one who has been my strength to break through the walls that would stop me writing – and being – what HE wants me to do and be.

What about your world – whether it is also that of the writer or some other tasks?

What kind of Walls do you discover may block the road you know you should be faithfully travelling on?



Ray and Mary with 2011
CALEB Award certificates.

 Mary Hawkins is a best-selling inspirational romance author. A Queensland farmer’s daughter, she became a registered nurse before going to Bible College. She and her minister husband have three adult children and five grandchildren, enjoyed over 46 years of ministry including church planting in Australia, two years in England, three short term mission trips to Africa and now live in Tasmania, Australia's island state. Her 19th title, Justice at Baragula was released May, 2011
Read more about her books, her husband Ray and his devotional books on their blog from the website: http://www.mary-hawkins.com/

LOST DONKEYS---By Christine Lindsay

You’ve heard the phrase, ‘cast your bread upon the waters and wait for it to come back to you’.

Well how about the one, ‘looking for lost donkeys’?

Nope? Never heard of that one?

Lately I’ve been testing the waters to see what direction I should take with my writing career. Not being independently wealthy I need to bring in an income. I know, I know, you’ve heard me whine about financial difficulties before, but debut novels don't sell a whole lot. Well we all have our crosses to bear. Ooops, there’s another well-worn phrase.

Thing is, we all have our stresses. And we all reach crossroads at frequent intervals where we have to make decisions----will I go in that direction . . . or in this direction?

Right now I’m prayerfully trying to decide if I should search for a full-time job outside the home which would mean I lose out on the time it would take to write another book. Or if I continue to write, it may mean more years of financial strain.

So last week I put out a number of resumes at various jobs, and I sent out a new book proposal to an agent. My fingers drum the table, which one of these diametrically different ventures will be my 'ship coming in'?

You may be looking for a job, deciding on what college to attend. Asking yourself, what should you focus on for a career. Should you stay at your current job or apply to other places? Perhaps your health is an issue? Or maybe you're like me, should you keep persevering to have a writing career?

There’s an incident in the life of Saul that each time I read it, gives me comfort. The young Saul had no idea that God had chosen him to be the first king of Israel. He just figured he was an ordinary guy whose father was a farmer and owned a string of donkeys. One day those donkeys went missing, and Saul’s father sent him out to look for them.

Saul travelled through various areas, the hill country of Ephraim, passed through the land of Shalishah, etc., etc., etc. He looked for ages and all over the place. Saul could not find those donkeys.

I can connect with Saul’s long and unfruitful search for those financially-strategic donkeys.

Funny thing is, God used that long and winding search to bring Saul to the prophet Samuel. The Lord had already revealed to Samuel that He had chosen Saul to be that first king. As Samuel unveiled this to Saul, he also told him that the donkeys he was searching for had been found and were already at home, and that God had a totally new direction for his life.

God knows which of those job resumes or if that book proposal is meant to be. I'm going to sit back and trust that He will safely bring home my lost donkey.

When you’re unclear about what direction to take in your life, or it seems that every iron you place in the fire doesn't get hot enough to provide for you, or you’re not sure which direction to cast your bread on the water, remember that God knows exactly where your lost donkeys are.


The story of Saul and the lost donkeys is found in I Samuel 9

To purchase Christine Lindsay's Award-winning debut novel, click here on Shadowed in Silk.

Or drop by her website, www.christinelindsay.com

Three "Demned Ds" by Rita Stella Galieh

I'll name them. Discouragement, Disappointment, & Depression.

I guess everyone who has ever lived has experienced their awful see-saw effect in their lives. Often it's when circumstances or grief overwhelms us. Or when things we hoped and planned for never eventuate. Maybe it's the downside of creeping depression. Perhaps the weight of disappointment dragging at us. Sometimes it's hormonal. Whatever. Each has the ability to crush us, body, soul, and spirit.

You just want to curl up and go to sleep. Or eat fast food or chocolate - a quick hit. Or wish for a dream holiday to escape reality for a time. This is when you need someone you can trust. Someone who won't think you're wallowing in self pity. Someone who understands perfectly, even before you can get the words out. And most of all, someone who won't judge.

If you have a friend like that, cherish them. But are they on call every hour of the day?

Oh, friends, you do have someone. Maybe someone you've been holding at arm's length for too long. Check this out for yourself. And if, after reading Psalm 139, your heart doesn't respond, read it again until it sinks in. Then believe it and hold onto this wonderful truth for all its worth.

Who else could know you better then you know yourself?

I have several booklet titles on Discouragement & Depression, and Loneliness. Perhaps you have a friend needing some encouragement, if so, leave a request in your comment & I'll post them to you gratis. May God bless you.

www.ritastellagalieh.com