Reflections of God in our Stories by Elizabeth Goddard

My husband teaches pottery classes and recently completed firing the clay pieces in his kiln. I love to see what amazing creations will come out of that kiln! Considering he can never be quite sure how the glazes will turn out, or if something cracked during the firing, he’s always anxious to see the fruit of his labors as well. And really, it was no surprise when the bowls and bottles turned out exquisite (I could be a little biased). Fortunately, nothing had cracked during the process.

My husband staged the stunning pieces against the base of a tree and took pictures which he then shared on social media. I admired the images and shared them on my social media as well, but what really caught my attention was that my husband was reflected in his pottery as he took the pictures.

While this shouldn’t surprise me, the moment was ‘revelatory,’ if you will. The deeper context. . .I could see my husband in his work. My thoughts jumped straight to God. Our creator, the master potter, wants to see Himself in us when he looks at us. After all, we’re His work. We are the clay and He’s the Master Potter.

God wants others to see Him in us as well. We should reflect him.

The same is true of our writing.

Our writing should reflect God. Readers should see, feel or sense God in our writing, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. But I don’t think it’s something we have to work at to make happen. It can occur on its own.

Let me explain . . .

Christian writers often have varying degrees of a spiritual message in their books. When I’m writing a novel, I usually don’t set out knowing the spiritual theme, but I allow that to grow organically. I admit that sometimes the message is far from obvious, and other times it’s overt. I’m often surprised that readers will take away a different spiritual message from one of my books—regarding the same book, one reader might say it had no spiritual message, while another reader might say it contained a deep spiritual thread. How can that be? Either the message is there, or it’s not.

How about the spiritual message is in the eye of the beholder. For example, how many people have looked at the images of pottery without noticing my husband’s reflection?

I believe as Christian writers, even if our books have no overt message, God is reflected throughout the stories, and it’s up to the reader to pick up on that or not. Christian writers—those who truly love God—can’t help but reflect the Creator in their work.

In my latest release, Don’t Keep Silent, I wrote the story and the various spiritual themes emerged on their own. In fact, the title came later, as did the scripture that confirms the title and the story:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8–9

As one reviewer put it, “A major theme of this book, indicated by the title, is knowing when to remain silent, and when to speak up. It reminds us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves; keeping quiet about wrongdoing is just another form of evil; and the implications of what can happen when we keep silent.” (Sara Wise http://semmiesspace.weebly.com)

So draw close to Him daily and your writing is sure to reflect Him, and in the end, I believe this is the ultimate reason God calls us to write, so that we can reveal Him to those who are looking for Him, as well as to some who are not.

Our writing should reflect God. Readers should see, feel or sense God in our writing, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. @bethgoddard #seriouslywrite

I believe as Christian writers, even if our books have no overt message, God is reflected throughout the stories, and it’s up to the reader to pick up on that or not. Christian writers—those who truly love God—can’t help but reflect the Creator in their work. @bethgoddard #seriouslywrite

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Don’t Keep Silent Blurb:

Investigative reporter Rae Burke will do anything to find her missing sister-in-law, even if it means facing Liam McKade, a man who almost lost his life saving hers. A former DEA agent, Liam thought he could find peace at his Wyoming ranch, but he just doesn't feel at home anywhere anymore. When the reporter who blew his cover on an important investigation inserts herself back into his life, he's less than thrilled. But Rae's keen investigative skills have led her down the right path--and directly into the dragon's mouth--leaving Liam no choice but to protect her. As the danger increases, the past they both tried to flee catches up to them, along with the feelings they once had for each other.

Bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth Goddard plunges you into a fast-paced, high-stakes story of honor, forgiveness, and justice.

With over one million books sold, Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of over forty romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES--a 2011 Carol Award winner. Four of her six Mountain Cove books have been contest finalists. Buried, Backfire and Deception are finalists in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, and Submerged is a Carol Award finalist. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dreams of writing full-time.

Ways to Connect:

Website: http://elizabethgoddard.com 

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Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/371401767951/ 

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-goddard

Giving Our Characters Our Hobbies by Patricia Bradley

After I read Shadows of the Past and learned that the author's hobby was pottery, I asked Patricia Bradley to share about adding personal hobbies to our stories. -- Sandy

Patricia: He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. Exodus 35:35 ESV

Thirteen years ago I had a character for a book, but I didn’t want her to have the same old-same old occupation. When I closed my eyes and brought her to mind, I saw her sitting at a potter’s wheel, outside under a spreading Oak. Occasionally, she would look up from her work and gaze in the distance. That was in January 2001.

I loved it! But there was a problem. I didn’t have the first clue how to use a wheel or clay. In fact when I was in the seventh grade my art teacher brought her wheel to class one day. After I had my try, she shook her head and said, “You’ll never be a potter. Get up and let someone else try.”

In May of 2001, I went to a Women’s Conference and one of the sessions featured a potter. After an awesome presentation, I asked where she learned to use a wheel, and she gave me the name of her instructor. I called him and signed up. And became this great potter.

No. The instructor did say he’d never seen a person so determined to learn how to throw on a wheel. That’s the way potters talk about working on the wheel. Throwing. You see, you take a ball of clay and throw it on the wheel then try to keep it there while the wheel is spinning 90 to nothing.

*Sigh*

But I was determined. I bought a wheel, clay, even a kiln. And sat down and practiced. And practiced. Remember the throwing bit? I occasionally threw the clay…out the door. But I kept at it. I think that’s the secret whether it’s writing or pottery or anything you want to get good at. About that time, I began working in the abstinence program in Mississippi, and I used the wheel and clay to show how to build a good foundation for your life and how to reclaim your character when you didn’t build that foundation.

It was seven years before I wrote the book that had a potter in it. In that time, I became quite accomplished at making vases, bowls, and mugs. I even began fashioning jewelry from my porcelain clay. While I don’t have time right now to play in the mud, I am itching to get back to it. But first, I have a third book in the Logan Point series to write. And guess what? My subplot character is a potter…creating beautiful things on the wheel is how she regains sight of who God created her to be.

Have you had an experience similar to Patricia's? Has your character inspired a personal hobby or have you given your hobby to a character?

~~~ 

Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi and is a former abstinence educator and co-author of RISE To Your Dreams, an abstinence curriculum. But her heart is tuned to suspense. Patricia’s mini-mysteries have been published in Woman’s World, and her debut novel, Shadows of the Past, is the first of three set in Mississippi and will release February 4, 2014. She presents workshops, her most recent is Writing 50,000 words in 30 days, at the Midsouth Christian Writer’s Conference in Collierville, TN on March 8, 2014. Her tag line on everything is: I asked God to teach me patience and He gave me a book to write. And when she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.

Back cover copy:

Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any

crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve—the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate. But as she is stalking the truth about the past, someone is stalking her.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife—a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. With his estranged brother the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Connect with Patricia Bradley at:

www.patriciabradleyauthor.com
www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
https://twitter.com/PTBradley1

Links to buy book:

Available at CBD: http://ow.ly/qIx2k and Amazon: http://ow.ly/qIx90 and B&N:

http://ow.ly/qKdSL