They Get Me

art trade by kaitousamurai2

“For where two or three

have gathered together

in My name,

I am there

in their midst.” 

Matthew 18:20 nasb

Support groups come in all types of packages for all types of people in common situations—weight, grief, alcohol, depression, divorce, cancer, etc. People turn to such groups to find counsel, solace, information, and encouragement to keep pressing forward.

Over the years, I’ve belonged to a few. 

"Consider How to Stimulate One Another"

“I will stand like a guard and watch.
    I will wait to see

what the Lord will say to me.
I will wait and learn

how He answers my questions.”

Habakkuk 2:1 erv

A writers’ group is about support and accountability. So today, Saturday, February 22, 2014, after our discussion the writers of our new Christian group in Billings, Montana, shared what we’ll commit to do between this meeting our next one. Things like “write” “finish” “complete” were among those commitments.

Steadfast: firm, persistent, determined, disciplined

 

Happy & Blessed New Year!

Out with the old…in with the new!

Leave the past in the past and set your face toward the future…

2013 was not a star-studded year for me—physically, emotionally, or even spiritually—

A grateful heart is a gratified heart

In April of this year I accepted the challenge of blogging every day of the month using the alphabet as my guide. But if you’ve followed me at all, you know our move took precedence over all of my life. Nevertheless, I continued to blog through the alphabet with my most recent letter being “S” for Settled.

Fast forward to today and new challenges to make me write—daily blogging for November and writing devotionals with the intention of publication submissions…

A Month of Challenges

"You know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize.

So run to win! 

All those who compete in the games

use self-control so they can win a crown.

That crown is an earthly thing

that lasts only a short time,

but our crown will never be destroyed.

 So I do not run without a goal..." 

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Today, November 1, 2013, I accept the challenges thrown down before me - body, spirit, and soul...

The Day Sally lost her Head

 [At our writers' group Christmas party we did a little writing. We each started a story and then the each paper was passed to the next person. Each added a few lines after only reading what the writer before them wrote, but not what all had written before them. We enjoyed the laughs that followed in trying to read them all. This is mine...or at least the first paragraph.]

The flowers bloomed beneath her window. A bumble bee fluttered from blossom to blossom. Sally reached her chubby hand toward the yellow daisy, but the bee flew away.

Please, don’t go.” She sobbed “I wanted to play with you. I don’t have anyone to play with.”

Friendless, she continued to search the garden for a companion. A butterfly flitted nearby, but was too fast to catch. 

A David Psalm of Benefits (Psalm 103)

“O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!

O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!”

Psalm 103:1-2 msg

Sit down and sing

“Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin.” Proverbs 16:18 ncv

 

I stood in the front row and lifted my voice strong and loud. The last note like an explanation point to say “wasn’t that fantastic.” I beamed. The audience applauded. My fellow singers patted me on the back and showered me with accolades of praise.

My name is Merrie and I’m addicted to praise.

Surviving the A to Z Blogging Challenge

“…I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 nlt

 

“I think I’m going to sign up for this A-Z Blogging Challenge,” my friend Angela wrote in an email. 

She included the link, so I took a look. After some prayer. “I don’t have time and think I’ll pass.”

That was around mid-March. Then, a week later, something overtook my sanity and I signed up to accept the challenge. While in my “out of my mind” state, I decided to use Women of the Bible as my theme. It was a Holy Spirit decision because it was time for me to stretch my writing muscles.

Around and around I go

Have you ever had something nag you and nag you…I’m not talking about your spouse or kids or mom…I’m talking about the desire to pursue something? When I began my writing journey five years, I wasn’t sure what I should write—devotionals, short fiction stories, or the almighty novel. It's been a vicious circle

Devotionals, short inspirational, pieces come to me without much effort, yet they don’t seem to satisfy the need. The pull to write fiction won’t go away. Writing the almighty novel seems out of my league. Yet, I don’t know where to market short fiction stories.

Devotionals run anywhere from 150 words to 500. Short stories vary greatly in word count from 1500-30,000 and have a slimmer market. The novel…well, it averages 80,000 – 100,000 (adult fiction).

Around and around I go. Do I take the easier more familiar road of devotionals or should I tackle one of the trails marked “rough narrow terrain ahead?”

The question perplexes me. The nagging is stuck in my craw. Fear and doubt hold me in there grips. Nevertheless, I’ve set myself a deadline of July15th to decide the road I’ll follow. (Your prayers are very welcome.)

“May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me…” Psalm 69:6 (nasb)

Check back in the coming weeks and see what I decide.

Building a Platform

Recently, my eldest son said to me (via his Facebook status post), “Wondering why Merrie Hansen hasn't been posting to her blog...it only takes a couple minutes mom!” My response, “It may only take a ‘couple of minutes’ but without a topic, it takes a bit longer.” So, here’s my couple of minutes…and with a topic, Son!

“…Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets…” Habakkuk 2:2 (nasb)

For several months, I’ve been haunted by the words of Terry Burns, author/agent, stressing the importance of building a platform. Because of other interruptions in my life, I set the research aside until last week. It doesn’t require a hammer, saw, or 2x4’s. What I found from a quick search the internet was a writers’ platform is marketing my resume. Sounds simple enough. Yet, because my writing experience is limited, so are my credentials.

My writing journey began five years ago. I remember it well. For several days, I woke in the wee hours of the morning feeling the need to “write this down.” By the third or fourth day, I began to ask the Lord, “Why are you giving me these?” I sensed He wanted me to do something more than keep them in a notebook. I thought of Moses standing before the burning bush asking “why me,” because I asked, “Who am I to write?”

What do I have to offer? Do I share my life’s story? Would the experiences I’ve encountered interested anyone else? Are my 30+ years on the roller coast ride of being a wife, mother, and homemaker enough to share with the world? Fiction or non-fiction?

I didn’t know what I was doing or how to accomplish it. Yet, like Isaiah, I responded, “Here I am, Lord. Use me.” Then, I did as I usually do; I prayed…and did research. I sought the advice of close friends, as well as enlisted their prayers.

As I waited to hear from those friends and for God to stir of my spirit, I continued to write my little pieces. Life went on as normal, until the following week. I flipped to the back pages of the book I was reading looking for the next volume in the series. There it was—in black and white—“Let us teach you to write.”

The book: “The Rapture” by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

The ad: a writing course with the Christian Writers’ Guild

After more prayer for discernment and with the blessing of my husband, on June 1, 2006, I began their 26-month apprentice course. Since then, I’ve attended writers’ conferences, launched Merrie Hansen.com with weekly devotionals, and joined a support group and a critique group. Despite few submissions for publication, God saw fit to have one of my articles published in “Just Between Us,” a magazine for Christian women.

However, I feel my writing topics are sporadic, and I continue to seek the answer to the all-important question for building my platform: “Who am I to write?”

Would you help me answer this question?

DAY 119 - What’s Up?

It took me two months to update the “What’s Up” page of my writer’s website, www.MerrieHansen.com because of the struggle of winter depression, but as my motto declares, I want to be open about my struggles as well as my victories in "livin’ my life out loud for Jesus."

I feel bad for falling short of my goals for 2010 in my life, in writing, and in getting ready to return to the Appalachian Trail. With leaves popping out everywhere, lilacs in bloom, and my allergies high, I feel certain that spring is definitely here! I am walking more often, eating better, writing again, and putting myself back into society.

Last week, I walked or hiked 4 of 7 days, for 14½ miles over 11 hours. I carried my backpack with about 10 lbs for 8 of those miles (4½ hours). I also spent about 40 minutes one morning getting some resistance training with the treadmill, hand-weights, balance ball, and stretch tubes (or whatever they’re called). It has felt amazing. I have also been eating wiser and healthier. I have about 16 weeks to get in shape for our 60-mile trek.

As for writing, I’ve mainly been focused on getting my weekly devotionals written for the website; but began reading a very inspiring book this week called “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. I originally picked it up at the library for research on writing short stories, but am enthralled by the context and lessons on “seven decisions that determine personal success.” (I highly recommend this book.)

I mentioned being back in society because the winter pulled me away from interacting with people. Yes, I continued to attend two different Bible studies, one with a group of women and the other a mixed group of men, women, married, divorced, and widowed, but I was not fully engaged until a couple of weeks ago. I went because I knew I needed to be with people, but dreaded the travel to and from. The women’s group stopped meeting just before Easter, while the mixed one was just getting started. The transition was odd for me,;however, I’m enjoying being in a group with my husband after many, many years.

I praise God for sustaining me through the dark, cold, dreary winter and for His Faithfulness in the return of spring sunshine and warmth. Onward I go with my face to the Son, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Philippians 3:13-14 & Hebrews 12:2

God bless you all.