John the Apostle is a Hero

Read Mark 10:35-44 This is the passage where John and his brother tell Jesus they want to sit at each side of Him in his Glory. I can picture Jesus shaking his head, rolling his eyes, and putting his arms around the brothers to explain. Verse 43 states, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.”

That doesn't sound very heroic.

But John was bold and knew what he wanted. He just had to learn God’s ways. Don’t we all?

We grow up learning how the world works, and then we have to unlearn the world’s ways and begin to train ourselves to act according to God’s ways. John put the words of Jesus into action and prospered in the things of God.

Being flexible, willing to change, and adaptable is a great heroic quality. Flexibility is necessary for people whose goal is right, but whose path holds obstacles. John was able to stay with Jesus and not give up on him even though it wasn’t easy at times. Love makes that possible.

John’s love and flexibility makes him an awesome hero.

Unexpected Treasures

I'm still working on the critiques I received from Mount Hermon Christian Writers' Conference. This year, I didn't try to pitch my novel to editors or agents, but only focused on accumulating as much wisdom as I could. Freelance novelists and freelance editors gave me information and encouragement. New friends visited and laughed with me at meals.

The weather was beautiful all week. But that was expected because of the forecast. What I didn't expect was the treasure I found in a woman I'd met only once before.

Her name is Barbara. She's fun, smart, kind, and quite talkative. Both of us had been wanting a critique partner and couldn't find someone that was the right fit. When a mutual friend could see what we couldn't, she suggested that we pair up. This unexpected treasure has me really looking forward to sharing our writing experiences, being critiqued, and seeing how fast our writing improves with weekly encouragement. I hope I'm able to bless her as much as she's blessed me.

I plan to work on my novels and develop my marketing plan until the day God sends the right agent and editor to me. My job is to prepare for that day. God will show me when I'm ready.