“God gives us encouraging voices throughout our life; we need to learn how to hear them.” ~ Janice Elsheimer

Janeen wouldn’t have written a book, she said, if someone hadn’t encouraged her a few years ago. One particular friend, and a couple others, took note of her ‘way with words,’ and gently urged her to write for publication. She thought they were just being kind until the day she received their gift subscription to Writer’s Digest Magazine. The gesture moved her deeply. She began to write with fervor.

That anyone would validate Janeen’s writing seemed to surprise her. Maybe because she grew up with a critical mother. But God knew what Janeen needed to get on the creative path. He sent just the right balcony friends to counteract a lifetime of living in the basement. Not that life will never be hard again, but Janeen is now using her God-given talents and gifts.

Has God sent encouragers across your path, too? Have you paid attention? Sometimes encouragement comes in different forms - through books, artists of old, other writers, even teachers from the past.

Your most important encourager of all is God.

“What we call artist’s block often stems from reliance on oneself as a source of ideas and energy apart from our reliance on the Holy Spirit. I believe that when artists seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God stirs within them and God reveals what they are to do and how they are to do it.” ~ Janice Elsheimer, The Creative Call

When experiencing a dry spell, it does me good to remember that apart from Him I can do nothing. I need to call on Him. Wait on Him. Let perseverance finish its work. Although God seldom answers my prayers in ways I expect, He is good. He is faithful. And He does all things well.

Exhausted? Pressured? Approaching deadline and you’re drawing blanks? Consider it all joy. When God reveals Himself, that one taste of His faithfulness will move you forward.

“All of life, even the painful or dull moments, is a gift. That’s the place to start if you want to learn to look through the rosy lens of gratitude.” ~ Thomas Kinkade, artist

Pausing to thank God for the joy of experiencing:

* the lovely fall scenery outside my office window.
* the smell of hazelnut coffee brewing in the morning.
* a myriad of comforts for my achy, aging body: heating pad, vibrating chair massager, wrist brace, gel inserts for my shoes, Birkenstocks for hurting feet.
* writerly conveniences: HP printer/scanner/fax/copier, digital camera, my laptop.
* warm fuzzies: emails/cards from friends, Facebook gifts, Southern Lady magazine.
* brisk autumn air as I walk to the mailbox.
* a new recipe for pumpkin bread.
* enjoying the renewal of friendships, new and old.
* anticipating the holidays and family get-togethers.
* brainstorming for future articles, devotionals, and blog posts.
* soaking up Scriptures that reveal the Father’s heart for me.
* falling into bed each night, knowing that I am loved without a shadow of doubt.

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For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Crystal . Blessings to all of you!

“I find television very educational. Every time someone switches it on, I go into another room and read a good book.” ~ Groucho Marx

When God Steps In: Stories of Everyday Grace
by Bonnie Bruno

My friend, Bonnie Bruno, has written a remarkable new book, When God Steps In. Herein Bonnie shares fifty true-to-life stories that cause us to recognize the sacred interruptions and Divine appointments of our own lives, and what they mean.

Life moves at a dizzying pace. Years slip away before we know it, leaving us with a stack of photo albums. But snapshots can’t adequately capture the pivotal events that stretch and define our lives—”aha” moments when God steps in to lovingly mold us into the people he designed us to become.

“Divine appointments and sacred interruptions may show up as ordinary, everyday events or as complex struggles—with the power to alter our lives forever.”

“A perfectly safe subject such as home, children, friends, can be ruined by an attitude of condescension, superiority and egotism on the author’s part. If you bring any of these attitudes to your material, no matter how good your writing, how fine your organization, or how cogent your arguments, that attitude will permeate and subtly poison the entire piece.” ~ Marjorie Holmes, Writing Articles from the Heart