…And I can hardly breathe as I write this post. I don’t know why I’m so nervous…. well… If I’m being honest, I know EXACTLY why I’m nervous. But I shouldn’t be. This is a God thing. And what God starts, He finishes. A men?
See, years and years ago – when I was 13, the Lord placed a call upon my life to serve and encourage women via the avenues of Bible studies, teaching, writing, and speaking. As I’ve grown in the Lord, to His blessed glory, He has grown and fulfilled those ministry callings in and upon my life. The Lord has always been my “Agent”, “Creative Consultant” as I’ve studied, taught, and spoken. In the recent years, He’s also become my “Technical Director” as I’ve navigated Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and Webpages, etc., neither knowing, nor understanding, much of what I’ve been doing.
But yesterday, The Lord and I entered a brand. new. phase. of. ministry. We started the process of writing a book … Just typing that out loud is making those butterflies in my stomach go crazy! God gave me this title years ago, and I knew that one day we’d (He and I) would do this together. I just didn’t know until about a month ago that yesterday was the beginning of the “one day.” Until now, this has been a secret little dream between the Lord, my family, a few close friends, and me. But yesterday… I bought the title.com. I actually bought 2 titles.com. One for this book, and one for the next book I am to write early next year. Deep breathing – right now!
The book is entitled “Keeping Christ AS Christmas”.
There. I said it. And now it’s out there in the world wide web… and I can’t take it back. I feel better already. 🙂
When I googled that phrase, I was and I wasn’t surprised at what I found… NOTHING! Of course, since God called me to write the book, and it’s not yet written… there shouldn’t be anything out there with that title. Until now.
There’s a lot about Keeping Christ IN Christmas. But until September 15, 2011, there wasn’t a Keeping Christ AS Christmas. But if you google that phrase soon … there will be… and it will be linked to a site dedicated to just that. {I googled it right now, and it doesn’t come up as an option yet. My “Technical Director” will have to provide some help in that area!}.
For now, there’s a holding page linked here at http://www.christaschristmas.com/
And since I was on a social media roll, there’s also a FaceBook page here (If you’d be so kind as to “like” it, my butterflies and I would appreciate it!)
And I’ll {one of these days after the book is written} tweet ideas, etc. as KeepingChrist (I’ll still be SmellingCoffee. I’ll just be smelling coffee as I learn to keep Christ. grin – and deep breathe again.)
The book will be full of ideas and inspiration to do just as the title says – Keep Christ AS Christmas. Not only IN Christmas, but AS Christmas. The Lord willing, this book will offer Practical ideas and strategies to prepare our hearts, households, and homes so we can keep Jesus Christ AS the focal point of the Christmas season. I have a rough outline, but at this point, only the Lord knows what the book will really contain. Since He’s doing the writing, I can honestly say that whatever it contains, it will be just what we need. You and me both.
So… would you please help me write this book? I have a God-given deadline of October 1 to have the writing done, and a personal goal of having it ready to e-publish on Nov. 1st. I may be asking for some ideas/advice to include in the book from time to time. But mostly, I’m going to need your prayers! Oct. 1st is just 15 days away. But, if God started it, He’ll finish it. Right? Right!
For now, here is the picture I’m using on Facebook and Twitter for the book identity:
But what God starts, He completes. So I’m trusting Him to lead me one step at a time and to give me each day my daily bread. Yesterday I did what He led me to do. Today, I’m doing what He is leading me to do. And tomorrow… I pray to be doing exactly and only what He leads me to do… and the next day, and the next day, and the next days until I die or Jesus returns for His Bride.
Would you pray for me and for our family during this time? The book is one big thing.
But the situation with Nathan is even bigger.
I’ve waited to write an update post until I had something to update. But so far… no new news. The Lord opened a door for an earlier appointment at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital this past Friday, and we had a great visit. The doctor seemed very “on top of things” – as we had prayed that he would be. They ran lots of blood tests, did a heart test, then sent us home. When the results from all of the blood tests are in, they will call (hopefully today) and schedule Nathan for a 3-5 day/night hospital stay in the Epileptic Monitoring Unit. We were told that it will be sometime within the next few weeks. For now, he is not on any medication, and he is doing just fine. His major bummer is that he can’t play football until we know what’s going on, but he’s still with the team, and working out – just not playing/hitting (he’s a lineman – and apparently that’s what they do – they hit and get hit).
OK… I feel better now that that’s all out in the open. Honestly, I do. Thanks for listening. And for any future praying and participating. What God starts, He completes… in my life, and also in yours!
As I close this long-winded post, I’m praying for each of you and the thing that God has started in your own lives… What He starts, He completes. Right? Our job is to remain obedient to Him and His next revealed step. That’s it.
Have a fabulous weekend, my friends. I’m so thankful for you ~
Jennifer
