Skyping a Contract Signing By Angela Breidenbach

After authors Angela Breidenbach and Valerie Comer collaborated on a Christmas anthology, they decided to get the marketing ball rolling in a unique and fun way. I asked Angela to share their idea. -- Sandy

Angela: Snowflake Tiara is a Christmas anthology coming out Sep. 1, 2014. Two novellas set in the same town at Christmas 125 years apart. My novella, The Debutante Queen, opens the day before Montana becomes a state in 1889 while Valerie Comer’s novella, The Model Queen, opens during the current holidays. In our research, we found out 1889 was Helena’s silver anniversary and 2014 would be the 150-year anniversary for Helena MT! Delighted to celebrate these historic events!

We dreamed up this book concept at ACFW 2012 while attending the same workshop. Talk about mischievous girls passing notes in class! Valerie asked me if I’d write a 2-1 with her and the notes started flying. Then after conference, the emails kept us brainstorming and researching and emailing.

Techie vs Necessity

Valerie knew about an app for smart phones called Viber. It allows us to call and text for free between Canada and Montana. What a blessing when we just need to talk an idea out. We’ve tried Google Hangouts, Skype, and Viber to communicate for our collaborative efforts. If one happens to fail, and they do sometimes, we switch to another. We’re getting techier by the minute out of necessity! (Techier is a word, right??)

One afternoon we’d switched between all of our communication back up plans trying to choose an antique tiara for our story and book cover. It’s an important element and had to be one that would work in both 1889 and 2014. I have no idea who thought of it now, but we decided to buy identical tiaras. We could wear them to signings, events, and have one for the book cover photo shoot.

Big Ideas

When the story concept moved to contract, my co-writer and I were so excited that we wanted to sign our contracts together. But being in different countries, a few hundred miles apart, we needed to set an appointment to see each other’s faces and Skype the contract signing. Valerie owns an app, Call Recorder, which records Skype calls. It costs about $30 a year. She suggested we wear our tiaras and sign together while recording the first official event on the journey for Snowflake Tiara’s release. I imagine we’ll have some more fun recorded Skype events since this one was so well received.

Making a Splash!

Most of the time we laughed too hard for the recording to work. I highly recommend this for the pure laughter, but it is good marketing as well. Both Valerie and I are on Mac computers. She used the movie program to edit out a few blips, though we thought about a blooper reel. Then we had our final product. We had no idea the Skype recording would cause so much response! We hope Snowflake Tiara continues to create such a splash.

Would you like more info on how to record a call on Skype? Valerie wrote a lesson.

As a writer, what marketing ideas have you had that could be considered out of the ordinary? 

~~~

A little about Angie:

Angela Breidenbach is a captivating speaker, coach, and author of A Healing Heart, from the Abingdon Press Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life (women’s Bible study & small group book), and countless articles, devotions, and compilations. New book, Snowflake Tiara, coming September 2014. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition/fitness coach. Angela volunteers as the Christian Author Network's public relations director. Her professional positions include editor with Choose Now Publishing and support editor for the Thinking About Suicide blog. Angela is owned by #Muse, the dog-like cat, whose antics and articles can be found on his new blog, A-Muse-ings. #Muse also knows social media and visits facebook, twitter, and Pinterest sharing his favorite books as the most well read cat in the world.

http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com

Twitter/Pinterest: @AngBreidenbach

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbachInspirationalSpeakerAuthor

About Snowflake Tiara:

The Debutante Queen (1889) by Angela Breidenbach

While other women are marching for women’s voting rights, Calista Blythe is more interested in helping orphans. She enters the Miss Snowflake Pageant designed to draw winter tourists to Helena, Montana, hoping the prize money will buy one small street urchin’s freedom from cruel servitude. Pageant organizer Albert Shanahan is delighted his beautiful friend will compete. If only winning wouldn’t mean she must remain single for the full year of her reign. But when Albert discovers what Calista is hiding in his inn’s stable, will he help her or disqualify her from the pageant—and his heart?

The Model Queen (2014) by Valerie Comer
Supermodel Marissa Hiller left her glam days far behind to farm in Montana after agency photographer Jase Mackie challenged her motives for drawing attention to hungry children in Africa. When the Miss Snowflake Pageant is resurrected, Marissa’s organic cooperative persuades her to represent them for the sake of the single moms she’s helping…and because her triple-great grandmother competed in the first pageant. There’s more at stake than a tiara when she discovers Jase is out West as the official photographer, ready to mess with her heart once again. Can Jase make amends and convince her his love is pure?

What book does Angie currently have out?

A Healing Heart.

What if the one man who tried to destroy her business is the only man that can now help? Will Joel help Mara as she recovers from a heart attack or take everything she has left?

Five Things Writers Forget First – Part 5 – by Angela Breidenbach

Welcome to another Writer’s Journey Wednesday! (Dawn here) Thanks for joining us as Angela Breidenbach completes her fabulous series, “Five Things Writers Forget First.”

During March,
On Writer’s Journey Wednesdays,
Angie has been sharing:

Part 1: I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence

Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger

Part 5
Confident Writer

After years of trying, I hadn’t achieved anything. I had to get educated. But at my age? I’d been raising kids and working to feed them while other women went to college and blossomed into their true calling. My calling felt foreign and unknown after ignoring it for so long.

I made the decision to go to a writer’s meeting. At the door, my resolve almost melted. I didn’t want to be embarrassed among people who knew the craft when I knew nothing. Desire overcame fear when I asked myself, “Would I be happy to die never trying?” I pictured myself in old age, looking back, eyes wrenched with regret. The fear of failure lessened in the face of the regret. The goal outweighed the fear.

I needed a holistic view of my career as a part of my future. I slammed right into failure. I couldn’t do a thing because the project I’d set for myself was humongous. I saw only the mass and not the pieces. Ocean liners change direction one degree at a time. Why did I think I needed to flip from one thing to the next without preparation and patience?

The words holistic life hit me full force. I can’t separate who I am from my family, friends, job, etc. without losing part of me. POP! The fireworks blazed. I had to stop making it just about the schedule and be about creating a fulfilled lifestyle. This fulfillment had to incorporate real life to be sustainable. I learned about my likes, dislikes, sleep cycles, and biorhythms for optimum productivity.

In business, problems get solved when you work the chain of command backwards. If a disaster occurs, start at the disaster and trace back through to where the problem began. Holes in communication or the breakdown in the procedures are more visible. It’s a great practice for goal setting too as both the big overview and the small details appear.

Work from the farthest date and note deadlines in reverse to create steady and consistent schedule with each goal. The final weekly planning calendar has something toward every goal and review of a month-at-a-glance daily assures it happens. Remember we’re working on a holistic, fulfilled life. Confidence is not natural. It’s built one degree at a time. Every small success is a leap into confidence.

Five things to take away from this article:

1. Be willing to change.
2. Change must be a holistic or failure boom-a-rangs back to the old ways.
3. Change one degree (thing) at a time for long term success.
4. Be consistent by breaking down goals into small steps and regularly scheduling them.
5. Talk publicly about plans and goals. People asking about progress creates accountability.

How will you put consistency into your goals and dreams?
How will consistency create confidence for you?

Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009, author of Creative Cooking for Colitis, works with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, and the Jadyn Fred Foundation. Angela also teaches online classes and coaches one-on-one in courageous confidence, personal growth, and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

Angela’s cookbook, Creative Cooking for Colitis, is being released Easter weekend as an e-cookbook. You have a chance to win a free copy by visiting her new blog, http://colitiscooking.blogspot.com/

Confidence Coach & Purposeful Living Educator
Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
Personal growth = Powerful living!

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://colitiscooking.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach
http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/angiebreidenbach
http://www.christianwomenaffiliate.com

Five Things Writers Forget First – Part 4 – by Angela Breidenbach

Welcome to another Writer’s Journey Wednesday! (Dawn here) I hope you’ve been able to join us this month for Angela Breidenbach’s series, “Five Things Writers Forget First.” I’ve appreciated her heart and vulnerability in sharing how God has worked in her life. Each week she’s brought personal stories many of us could relate to from our own experiences. Today, enjoy “God Weaves Our Dreams.”


During March, on
Writer’s Journey Wednesdays,
Angie is sharing:




Part 1: I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence

Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger

Part 4
Spiritual Sense

God Weaves Our Dreams

For five years I've wanted to fulfill my calling and use the gifts I felt God had given me. Last year, I said it again. It was burning in my gut!

I went to Seattle on a financial management business meeting with my husband and son and wrote myself out of our business! The story is so much longer, but I prayed and prayed. And that is the important part, because I couldn't see the outcome. I had no idea how it would happen.

God asked me to give him my paycheck, all of it. I was so scared that I battled God for months. Recurring thoughts about needing that paycheck for groceries went nose to nose against trust. When I finally verbalized it, accepted it, and gave it over...he brought along what he had in store for me. I'm still pinching myself! As I thank God, sometimes he brings to mind the steps it took and I marvel at how I didn't see it back then or along the way.

I couldn't recognize something as mundane as a paycheck was actually a part of God's miracle weaving. I'm stunned at God's creativity in even using teensy incidents. Sometimes decisions that I kicked myself for because, at the time they seemed so smart, but later cost money I didn't have. I'd regret the decision, and then God turned it back around to have been totally necessary to His result. It felt like a tilt-a-whirl, often dizzy with confusion. Why wasn't it happening? Why was I making such wrong choices? Like I was going round and round and not getting anywhere but to Nausea Worry Land.

What I am doing now is a culmination of dozens of seemingly disconnected experiences, those I thought were wrong or off track, God wove together so tightly I would not be able to do this without each strand, each fine thread.

I want to encourage all of you to keep praying for your dreams, keep moving into your decisions, and keep on planning because He knows what He's doing with all that weaving even if we don't. Remember it took five years to get me here and I was often in the dark, thinking I was lost. What I found was God had simply turned off the theater lights in order to show the special feature.

With Creative Cooking for Colitis coming out in the next few weeks, several freelance projects coming through, and wonderful speaking engagements I understand that each one had a completely unrelated pre-requisite. Had I not gone through those difficult learning times, I wouldn’t have the expertise I need now to live my dream of writing and speaking.

Trust that God has a plan for everything in your life. Won’t it be amazing to see how the various pieces weave together?

Courage isn't from having courage—it's from doing in the face of fear because it needs to be done.



Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Angela also teaches online classes and coaches one-on-one in courageous confidence, personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational nonfiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:

http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://colitiscooking.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach
http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/angiebreidenbach
http://www.christianwomenaffiliate.com/

Five Things Writers Forget First – Part 3 – by Angela Breidenbach

This Writer’s Journey Wednesday, please welcome back Angela Breidenbach as she shares Part 3 in her series “Five Things Writers Forget First.” Enjoy!

During March, On Writer’s
Journey Wednesdays,
Angie shares:
Part 1: I’m using my brain, right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence

Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger

Part 3
Emotional Stability: Wrangling the Overwhelm

Do you feel all alone in trying to figure out how to manage all the commitments? Outside demands take a toll on inside contentedness especially when they interfere with out goals.

Too often we let circumstances begin to control not only our day, but also our reactions and emotions. Tension and anger build up. Confusion takes over. We can’t see how to organize or delegate. We start to drown. Depression sets in and we feel helpless, overwhelmed. So we push harder, with less effectiveness, completely out of control.

One real way to protect our emotional health is to do only what is uniquely suited for you and delegate what can be done by someone else. It takes planning. Planning takes a few minutes of time. Time becomes a tool instead of a drill sergeant.

Stop. Stop right where you are and pray! Breathe in deeply. Exhale out all your worries. Breathe in God’s presence. Exhale out the frenetic to-do list. Breathe in God’s list. Exhale out your fear of forgetting.

Total time spent: sixty seconds. Really? We don’t have time to pray?

Next, sit and write a new to-do list with God in the lead. It doesn’t matter if it’s handwritten or on a computer. What’s important is writing fresh out of prayer. Your mind is on things above. Isn’t the goal to live out our purpose?

It’s too easy to feel every item is a must. An excellent focus is to find what can be delegated first. Friends are an excellent resource to point out those items. Talk through the list with good friends who will ask hard questions, point out what needs releasing.

“Without good advice, everything goes wrong—It takes careful planning for things to go right.” Proverbs 15:22 CEV

Scared to release? Ask yourself, “Am I stealing someone else’s blessing by doing this by myself?” Your friends will probably know who should be doing that task, may be better suited to it, and may feel useless because you’ve been doing what they should. Isn’t it a bit arrogant to feel we must do it all and thereby steal someone else’s sweet spot? I don’t want to answer to that sin when standing in front of God’s throne.

Sometimes we forget that we are not in this all alone. The point is to view your list from a different perspective. Focus on delegation rather than being the only one to complete all the tasks. Then work those that only you can do. Work toward your life purpose every day.
1. Pray
2. Make the List
3. Star Delegate items
4. Talk it over with good friends
5. Choose Important tasks for that day only (tomorrow has enough worry)
6. Check your list and make sure it includes your life goals every day
7. Start the first item on the list
8. Physically mark the list when you finish
9. Send up a prayer of gratitude for each completed task
10. Celebrate each completed task

Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Full Spirit Magazine’s president, Angela also teaches online classes in personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational non-fiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

Purposeful Living Educator & Coach.
Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/

Personal growth = Powerful living!

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/

http://www.fullspiritmagazine.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/

http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach

http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.

Five Things Writers Forget First – Part 2 – by Angela Breidenbach

Please welcome back Angela Breidenbach as she shares Part 2 in her series “Five Things Writers Forget First.” Enjoy!

During March, on
Writer’s Journey Wednesdays,
Angie will share:

Part 1: I’m using my brain, right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence

Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster,

and stronger

Part 2
Mental Integrity

Holy cow! I can’t remember anything today! What’s wrong with me?

Have you ever had a day like that? A month? Oh yes, I’ve had a winter like that. One thing after another piled on as if I’d been in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps. My credit card erred pulling two payments and fritzing out my finances for weeks. I lost track of how many phone calls and bank visits it took to correct it. My horse’s death from a slip on ice into a shallow pond, my cat’s lung cancer and subsequent death, my own illness and injury from trying to help the horse . . .

Almost each day I woke up, another stress filled incident occurred for over six weeks. Not simple worries, drawn out hurting and grieving, complicated issues needing lengthy follow up. I lost track of my schedule. I’d only be interrupted to handle the next emergency! I couldn’t seem to get life back in synch.

My writing screeched to a halt. No memory of the ideas I’d wanted to put on the page. Perfect! Now add writer’s block to the long list.

I’m a certified Stephen Minister, certified life coach, and it took weeks for me to recognize my sense of despair. Writer’s block? What I really had was emotional trauma and a need for mental self-care.

I pulled out my journal and began to shovel the avalanche, the writing only God will see. The waterfall of words like a sudden thaw hit those Swiss Alps. Pages flowed into the river of thoughts between God and me. Not formal prayer, mind you, just words from my soul to His. No, I didn’t have writer’s block! I’d let circumstances become bigger than God. I began to feel hope if I would take my worries to God, He would help me through them. I needed to lean on God’s strength instead of my own.

He gently led me to wisdom. I start with prayer before I even open my eyes. I pray for clarity, memory, and for God to control my to-do list. I clear my mind of ownership and ask for God’s leadership. Mornings that start with handing over “my” problems, are much more productive days. It’s a mystery to me why the Holy Spirit works this way, but who am I to tell God to do it differently?

He’s led me to productivity beyond my capability. I’ve been stunned with the results of starting my day differently. Am I completely successful? Oh no. I consider it mental conditioning. New habits must be practiced until they become second skin, like muscle memory in athletes. We run this race for the ultimate goal. I’m waking up in prayer and reaching for the Bible on my nightstand without conscious thought. I have a sense of purpose directly related to those prayers and mental focus that’s measurable.

I’ve tested it, you know. I race around to get something done quickly end up losing time. Specific dates I didn’t give my mental state over to God for His leadership and direction, I can pinpoint them on the calendar. I felt overwhelmed and unproductive. It’s amazing, this connection of mental well being to prayer and relationship with the Lord. It’s the best mental conditioning to lessen stress and build mental productivity.

Are you feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and maybe even have writer’s block?

In what ways have you built mental conditioning?


Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Full Spirit Magazine’s president, Angela also teaches online classes in personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational non-fiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

Purposeful Living Educator & Coach.
Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
Personal growth = Powerful living!

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
http://www.fullspiritmagazine.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach
http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.

Five Things Writers Forget First - Part 1 - by Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach is a friend, fellow writer, and life coach. She also currently serves as Mrs. Montana International 2009. I was thrilled when she agreed to write a series for Seriously Write pertaining to self care. It can be easy for us to get so wrapped up in juggling everything we do, we forget that we also need to take care of ourselves!

During March, on Writer’s Journey Wednesdays, please join us for:

Part 1: I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence

Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger

Part 1
I’m Using My Brain, Right?

Ever had pages and pages of drivel? It’s likely you forgot to take care of your physical well-being.

Yeah, so? It’s the brain that matters.

Exactly. We forget how important it is to be a good steward of our physical selves in order to be on top of our mental capability.

When our bodies run down so does our mental connection to creativity and logic. One of area that catches me regularly is forgetting to eat. Not that I don’t get hungry, but I get into a zone and want to keep going. So I’ll put off breakfast, then lunch, then suddenly I’m starving and will grab the very first easy to eat thing I can stuff into my mouth. Trust me, it’s not usually protein and yet that is a much better source to fuel the brain than sugar.

I noticed my mind wandering when I needed to meet a deadline. I noticed my attitude slipping over something I should have been excited. I begin to wear down and get a headache leading to distraction. I can actually go back and track when my writing begins to fall apart. You’ll never guess … oh, maybe you will. Right about the time my stomach started growling and my head started twinging. So was that really productive?

Let’s take a look at the demands we put on our bodies. Blood flow to the brain, oxygen, and nutrition are crucial to intelligent, creative thinking patterns. We need our hands and wrists to function for writing/typing, we need our derriere and lower back to support sustained sitting, and we need vibrant mental health for our creativity. So why act in less than intelligent ways to drag down the creative intelligence God gifted us with through the miracle of the body?

What are intelligent ways to write better, faster, and stronger? Fuel our bodies properly, stretch our muscles, and gird our loins. Lol, yes, I know that’s an old biblical phrase. But it means to strengthen our core. Huge importance needs to be placed on this simple advice. Does your back burn or ache? Do your shoulders feel clenched so tightly that concrete feels softer? All right, does your sitting spot hurt?

All of these are avoidable by breaking to eat and hydrate. Stretching out often will not only reduce muscle pain and soreness, but will lengthen your life by keeping joints supple. I actually record a 15-minute stretch class on TV every day. I break to do it now when I start to feel tension. Sometimes I’ll do several in a row. By building the strength and fluidity of my core body, I’ve surprised myself by how quickly I can reenter the writing zone with clarity and how much more confident I feel. It also helps me to not associate writing and physical pain. Ah, the mental side we forget so often. We’ll explore that element next week.

In the meantime, I’d like to challenge you to be more aware of the stewardship over your physical self because without proper attention, the breakdown of your body will create barriers to a clear head and effective writing. Do you really want to explain one day to God why you weren’t more effective with the blessing he gave you?

How can we be better stewards of the gift of writing? By caring for the physical house God put the creative brain and spirit inside.

Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Full Spirit Magazine’s president, Angela also teaches online classes in personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational non-fiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

Purposeful Living Educator & Coach.Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/Personal growth = Powerful living!

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:

http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/

http://www.fullspiritmagazine.com/

http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/

http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach

http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach

http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.

The Treasured Voice by Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach is a friend, fellow writer, and a life coach. She also currently serves as Mrs. Montana International 2009. This Fortifying Friday, sit back and enjoy what she has to share with you.

The Treasured Voice

What kind of a personality do you have?
What is your primary love language?
What area of the country are you from?
How were you raised?
Who raised you?
What kind of education do you have?
What faith choices have you made?
Are you a night owl, early bird, or somewhere in between?
What hardships, addictions, hurts have you lived through?

We see the world and our place in it through the answers to questions like these. These filters determine understanding, response, and decisions.

There are millions of things that have gone into the people we are today. Even if someone were to mirror our life exactly, genetics come into play. How we see the world is a unique blend of nuances impossible to recreate.

As a writer, we have the opportunity to use the voice God gave us on the written page to create an intimate bond with readers. Intimacy created because of the private invitation to leap off the page and enter their mind. One-on-one communication under the surface.

Each experience we've lived through becomes a gem of wisdom to fill our special treasure chest. Rather than bury treasure, as Christians, we share it. Only to discover our treasure multiplies in Christ exponentially.

Gems are cut into various sizes and shapes. Some for jewelry, some for museum display, and even some for the practical use of sandblasting. Each rock has its own varying design and purpose.

It's the same with us. The Lord sees our full value and purchases us with his son. He sees the potential and the right cut for our purpose, the purpose he designed for us. We each have multi-faceted nuances that make who we are, what we do in this life, and how we voice it to the world remarkable.

We're on a treasure hunt. The intent is to uncover the gems of wisdom God has given us to enrich the lives of others.

May your treasure sparkle!
Angie

Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Angela’s calling is as a purposeful life coach and educator. She’s also certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer and is a multi-award winning inspirational author and speaker. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.

Purposeful Living Educator & Coach
Helping people battle inner pirates and uncover gems of wisdom to live a rich life.
Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
Personal growth = Powerful living!

You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach
http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week