Some of you may have noticed I have not written a blog in nearly a month. I have been battling writer’s block. I know in part it is due to exerting my energies into starting Faith Community Church. God has blessed our new church in ways that have been humbling and astounding. We have come so far in only three short months.
For some reason I could not write. Multiple times I opened a word document and stared at the screen watching the cursor blink. A few times I forced out a few sentences but ended up deleting them in disgust. No matter what I experienced from day to day I could not find any inspiration to write. The desire was still there but the inspiration would not come.
I would go to bed night after night feeling guilty like I was letting all of you readers down. I know many of you have checked this site repeatedly hoping for some inspiration, wondering how the Edwards family and the new church were doing, and possibly hoping to hear a message from the Lord. I felt the pressure to write something but honestly had nothing to write.
We have experienced thunderstorms, high winds, football and more football, but none of this inspired me to write.
This past Monday I went into the local library and found an isolated corner. While in there I cried out to God to inspire me to write again. I pleaded with God for anointing and inspiration. I did not feel anything. Nothing magical or mystical transpired.
Instead I sent an email to a publisher I met about nine months ago. He learned about me through a mutual friend and offered to take me to lunch while we still lived in Seminole. During lunch he told me about his publishing ministry and immediately my interests were peaked. In the months following our meeting he gave me a writing assignment. He asked me to write a book giving advice to young men entering the ministry.
I started the book back in the spring of 2011 but once we discerned the Lord calling us to start Faith Community Church and moving, the book got put on the back burner. That is where it has sat for the past six months.
While sitting in the library I sent this man an email telling him I had not forgotten about the book but felt stuck in writer’s block. I assured him I wanted to not only finish the book but to have him mentor me in writing. He is the kind of man I have been praying God would bring me into relationship with for years.
I opened the manuscript and began reading. Next thing I knew I started writing a new chapter. One chapter turned into two and then three. I sent them all in to the publisher. He made suggestions and I kept writing. Three chapters turned into six new chapters as I kept feeling inspired with the desire to write and finish this book. Yesterday I finished the book before lunch. What a sense of relief and accomplishment. The title of the book is Shepherd My Sheep.
Now begins the not so fun part. I have to reread the rough draft and rewrite certain parts of the book to put the best book possible forward. Though this is my least favorite part of the writing process it is one of the most valuable to the writing process. God wants excellence and so we press forward to tweak the manuscript.
On top of this my newest book, Sitting with the Savior, is scheduled for release before Christmas. I just finalized the front cover and the book is in the process of publication even as I write this. I should receive a sample copy before Thanksgiving. I will schedule several book signings in Paradise, Lufkin, on the campus of Howard Payne and Seminole.
All of this to say I am so grateful to God for allowing me to get back in the flow once again to write. Look forward to regular blog entries between now and the end of the year. I am thankful each of you come to this site and read what the Lord gives me. I see you as the reader as extended flock to love, nurture, and minister to through the written word. Thank you for your prayers.
For a long time I have believed God wants to do more with my writing ministry. I remember very well the early days of this blog and watching as a few people came to this site. With excitement I remember the benchmarks of surpassing one hundred hits, five hundred, and a thousand. I thanked God the day we went over ten thousand and today we are approaching thirty thousand.
I could not do this on my own. A servant of our Lord back in Seminole takes what I write, comes up with a picture to capture the essence of the blog and then posts them. Thank you Tim. I could not do this without you. I pray in the days ahead I keep you pretty busy as God gets me back in
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