It’s All in the Timing by Christine Johnson

God’s timing is perfect.

That was something I tried to believe as year after year, rejection after rejection piled up. You see, I had decided that I wanted to write a historical romance with a strong faith message for the secular market. It seemed like a great plan. After all, I would honor God by reaching out to those who needed to hear the Good News.

God, on the other hand, had different plans. Fifteen years (and 151 rejections) later, I finally let go of my stubborn plan and accepted His leading to write for the Christian fiction market. That’s when He opened doors. In 2010, Soaring Home, was published by Steeple Hill (now Love Inspired). Eleven more Love Inspired Historical novels (and three with Revell) followed in the next seven years, culminating with Would-Be Mistletoe Wife this month.

At the time I turned in this latest manuscript, I didn’t know that the Love Inspired Historical line would close. The letter announcing the closure stunned me. I felt like a boat set adrift with no idea where to go next.

God’s timing is perfect.

He knew that a time of refreshment and renewal was needed. The years of multiple books per year had taken a toll on family. So God cleared the slate. No contracts. No deadlines. Just time to strengthen relationships and refill the well of creativity.

God’s timing is perfect.

Though no small part of me wanted to leap at the first possibility that presented itself, I felt His nudge to wait. He would provide the story at the right time. Moreover, when that kernel of an idea arrived, I wasn’t supposed to run ahead, racing through my ideas and setting impossible deadlines. I was supposed to linger with Him.

You see, this time we would do a project together. No guarantees it would sell. No guarantees the story would come easily or quickly. Maybe, just maybe, this story would only be between the two of us. I had to accept those terms before going forward. Surrender. Not an easy concept for a woman who gripped control with two tight fists, but a necessary one.

So I’m letting go. Daily. And waiting as the story gradually takes shape. No timelines. Just God’s time.

And the certainty that His timing is perfect.

Tell us your experience with God's timing.

~~~~~~

CHRISTINE JOHNSON is the author of twelve books for Love Inspired Historical and three books for Revell. She was twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award®. When not writing, she loves to hike, bicycle, kayak and explore God’s majestic creation. These days she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

http://christineelizabethjohnson.com

https://www.facebook.com/ChristineJohnsonAuthor

https://www.twitter.com/ChristineJWrite

Battling the Enemy by Christine Johnson

Christine Johnson

When you’re fighting roadblocks that continually get in your way, how do you handle them? What do you do when your writing life feels out of control? Author Christine Johnson shares where she goes for help. ~ Dawn

Battling the Enemy

Maybe you’ve been there. Something big, something earth-shattering sends your perfect writing schedule upside down. Suddenly that story takes a backseat to the pain, sorrow, or worry crushing your day. Or maybe it’s a small but nagging voice telling you that the story’s not good enough or you’ll never get it done on time. What do you do?

Yes, I’ve been there. Illness knocked me down and then worry spiraled out of control, only making everything worse. How can that be when I’m writing for my Lord and Savior? When I’m bringing messages of hope through my stories? Why now, Lord?

Like Job, like David, like so many in the Bible, I cried out to the Lord. Tears fell, pleading began, and sleepless nights were spent calling out to Him. Not now, Lord. Not now with deadlines looming and so much to do.

Yet the Lord has a way of making us sit down and spend time in His presence when we’ve been putting our emphasis on worldly things and people. Yes, even good things, even ministry, can draw us away from God. Oh, how He has shown me that.

In those dark moments, I have drawn on many sources to pull me closer to God and farther from that dependence on worldly things. 

• Bible studies have given me a wealth of strength to draw on.
• I wasn’t raised memorizing scripture, so I write key verses into a little notebook that I leave in my purse so it’s at hand whenever I need it.
• Some Bible studies include videos that are priceless nuggets of encouragement.
• Circles of Christian friends and prayer warriors are essential. They are a lifeline, and I thank God for bringing them into my life.
• Even though picking up the languishing story seems like the hardest thing to do, God reaches to me through the words. He is the Word, the Author of all. My attempts are pitifully weak but He somehow makes sense from the jumble in my head. Praise God!

Prosperity Jones, the heroine of my new book, Honor Redeemed, reaches that moment when all she has ever known has been taken from her. A new story needs to be written, and with the Lord’s help, beauty will be forged from ashes and joy from mourning.

The same is true for you. From suffering comes great beauty and joy. Just cling to Him. Hold tight and know that He is greater than any pain or doubt.

Honor Redeemed

Honor Redeemed

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion. In fact, he is married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship—and the affection—of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

Christine Johnson is the author of Love’s Rescue as well as several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired. She was twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award®. When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God’s majestic creation. These days, she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

Visit the following sites to connect with Christine and learn more about her books.

http://christineelizabethjohnson.com

http://www.facebook.com/ChristineJohnsonAuthor

http://www.twitter.com/ChristineJWrite

Christina’s headshot is courtesy of E.A. Creative Photography, c.2013

 

Derailing Doubt by Christine Johnson

Christine Johnson here. I’m thrilled to be with you today. Not so thrilled that I still have to battle the Big D. You know what it is. That little voice that says your writing is horrible, that you’ll never write again, that no sane reader would ever spend real money on your book. Doubt. This one is nasty. It’ll cripple your writing. I thought it would disappear after I got published. Nope, it just thinks up new ways to sneak in and set up shop.

So how do I put the Big D on the last train out of town?

First: Pray. Surrender your writing to God and let Him remind you that not only did He give you these stories for a reason, but also He’ll equip you for the challenge. I love Debby Giusti’s Writer’s Prayer and use it constantly.

Second: Write. Write anything, no matter how lousy. Give yourself permission to let loose and send the internal editor on vacation. Be totally wild and over the top. Torture your heroine or give her the most gorgeous hero or whatever brings back the joy of writing. Most of all, just do it. Which brings me to…

Third: Pretend That It’s Just for Me. I don’t know about you, but the pressure of writing for readers or editors can make me tense. Okay, maybe it’s just me. I have no problem when the writing is going great, but when dredging up each word feels like digging a lake with a teaspoon, I tell myself that this story is for my eyes only. Yep, I psyche myself out. Sadly, it usually works. If not…

Fourth: Remember Who is in Charge. This should probably be number one. God is Creator of all, including stories, and if He never gives me another one, I must trust that He has something more important for me to do.

Fifth: Friends. Not just any friends—writer friends, those amazing treasures who both encourage and give the much needed kick in the behind when necessary. They remind me of steps 1-4 when Doubt has my mind so confused that I can’t think straight. Cherish them, for they’re priceless.

I’d love to hear what you do to derail Doubt.

Christine Johnson writes historical romances for Love Inspired Historical. Set in the Roaring Twenties, her small-town dreamers seize adventure while holding fast to home and family. This month’s release, Legacy of Love, highlights the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb ninety years ago. Inspired by the find, the heroine sets out to unearth a long lost fortune right in her hometown, but what she discovers instead will tear open old wounds and drive away the man she loves. You can find out more about the author and her books on her website at  http://christineelizabethjohnson.com  or on Facebook at Christine Johnson Author.