In this episode, Chris draws from her years in the book marketing world to give new authors three keys to success.

Show Notes & Links:

-Three things every new author needs to do to succeed.

-What does self-publishing mean?

-The difference between vanity publishers and hybrid publishers.

-Why authors need to build a platform to connect with their readers.

-Some resources for authors including writing conferences, books, and online courses that will help you get your book published.

Links: (click 'em, they're live)

Compel Writer's Training (Proverbs 31)

Christian writers conferences and state-by-state writing groups (note this is a 2020 list and some of these won't be available in 2021)

-Redemption Press general info

-Redemption Press 21-Day Boot Camp info

-Platform by Michael Hyatt

-Influence by Shannon Popkin and Kate Motaung

- The Women Finishing Well Facebook Page--please join us!

-Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Day 18: Be a Heart Whisperer (transcript)

Read the Word: Col. 4:5-6, Gal. 5:13-15 Read today's scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

We live in an age where calling people out is an art form. Christians and non-Christians excel at naming names anonymously. One look at Twitter or Facebook can break the hardest heart. Paul referred to this practice in Galatians as "biting and devouring one another." He admonished his readers to remember that their freedom was not to be used to indulge in the flesh, but to serve one another in humble love.

"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Gal 5:14)

In his book, The Gentle Answer, Scott Sauls makes the observation that Jesus knew how to talk to people's hearts, and rarely pointed at their actions. In a world where hearts are heavy with shame and hopelessness, that would be a good skill to have, don't you think? We need to learn how to be heart whisperers like Jesus. Our conversations should always be full of grace and flavorful. We need to nourish one another. (Col. 4:6) A heart whisperer knows exactly how to answer everyone's needs.

It's easy to speak our mind and give our opinion about anything and everything. Our conversation should be so uniquely full of love and grace that people will know there is something different about us. Jesus is calling us to learn to listen to the heart by drawing people to His love. Instead of needing to have the last word, we need to have the best word.

Wait in prayer: Write out a prayer asking God to help you learn how to make every conversation one that lifts up and encourages. Ask Him to help you learn to answer hostility with gentleness and not to react to what you see. Ask Him to help you forsake any us-against-them attitudes you might be hanging on to.

Worship: Does Anybody Hear Her? performed by Casting Crowns

Click for link to the worship video, Does Anybody Hear Her? by Casting Crowns

Click here to get your free advance copy of The Mary Answer and join our book launch team!

Day 17: Be a Serendipity Hunter (transcript)-study with us!

Read the Word: John 4:4, Heb. 12:1-3 Read today's scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, it wasn't just a shortcut back home. It was a divine detour that would change the lives of many in the town of Sychar. John 4:4 tells us Jesus had to go through Samaria. He was on a recruiting mission. When we plan to do something and a detour pops up, our first reaction might be to heave a sigh and roll our eyes. Sometimes a detour is scary, sometimes it is an inconvenience. But hidden inside every detour is a serendipity—something that is a happy accident, a benefit we didn't expect. The woman at the well wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary when she went to the well in the middle of the day.

And she never expected to be called as the first Christ-following missionary in the New Testament.

Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to throw off everything that hinders us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hunting for serendipities on a detour takes perseverance. But if we expect them and look for them, we will find them. I could probably say with confidence that the woman's conversation with Jesus was probably the longest conversation she'd ever had with anyone. When Jesus spoke to her, she was drawn in. The longer their conversation went on, the more she was throwing off everything that hindered her: shame, fear, doubt. And by the time he was done and the disciples showed up, she couldn't wait to run back to the village and proclaim that she had met the Messiah. She had discovered the unexpected benefit of speaking with Jesus: saving grace.

There is a gem from God in every detour you will face. It's there; don't give up. And the hunt for that serendipity makes the path we're running on smoother for us and for those coming behind us who need to discover that saving grace. (Heb. 12:12-13) What if the trials of your detours are your blessings in disguise?

Wait in prayer: Can you think back on a happy accident or unexpected benefit you discovered on a detour in your life? Write a prayer of thanks for the detour and ask God to give you the heart of a serendipity hunter every time you encounter a detour.

Worship: Blessings performed by Laura Story

Links:

Click to watch the lyric video for Blessings performed by Laura Story

Click to sign up for a free copy of our new Bible study, The Mary Answer, and join our launch team.

Day 16: The Climbing the Ladder (transcript)-Study with us!

Read the Word: Philippians 3:4-8, Romans 12:2, The Message. Read today's scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

One of the values our American culture holds dear is something we call, "climbing the ladder." It's a figure of speech for working hard and being rewarded with power and higher income which doesn't necessarily add up to personal fulfillment and certainly isn't a model fore the abundant life Jesus promises us. This idiom has been the battle cry of the successful since the 1950s. When we buy into this life, we are in for a life of dissatisfaction and emptiness. But what if the problem isn't the ladder, but the building we have the ladder up against?

When we have our ladder propped up against the world's definition of success, every rung we climb is another step towards confidence in the flesh. Move that ladder over to God's kingdom with a heart that wants to glorify God and every step is another move toward embracing the abundant life Jesus has promised us. And climbing this ladder will not leave us empty but each step will fill us with a greater sense of God's purpose and joy in what He provides. (1 Tim. 6:17-18)

Is God against success? Absolutely not. The Bible is filled with analogies about winning battles and reaching goals. God just wants us to have our ladder up against the right building. (Romans 12:2, The Message) Which building is your ladder leaning on?

Wait in prayer: Do you have areas in your life where you are depending on yourself for success? Are there places where the world is dragging you down to its level of maturity? Have you ever thought about how God can use your everyday, ordinary life to serve him successfully? Your eating, sleeping, going-to-work, and walking-around life to help build His kingdom? Write a prayer today based on Romans 12:1-2 from The Message version. Ask God to show you how the culture around you is dragging you down to its level.

Worship: Treasure performed by Gary Chapman

Links:

Join our launch team and get a free advance copy of The Mary Answer (click)

Link to the worship video (lyrics are printed below)

The Treasure (lyrics) written by Gary Chapman:

They say that were your treasure is There will your heart be also And your heart stays where you hide your greatest love Now you can leave that love on earth Where thieves may steal tomorrow Or you can take it to That hiding place above Where there's a treasure at the end Of this narrow road I'm traveling And it gives me a purpose for my life Jesus is my treasure He's the reason that I am living And he's gonna be my reason when I die So if you've been wondering where you are And where it is you're going He's left a map for you and me to use Just read the map and follow close Always walking where it's showing You just can't miss it It's way too much to lose See there's a treasure at the end Of this narrow road I'm traveling And it gives me a purpose for my life Jesus is my treasure He's the reason that I'm still living And he's gonna be my reason when I die Now there's a treasure at the end Of this narrow road that I've been trying to travel And it gives me purpose for my life Jesus is my treasure He's the reason that I'm still living And he's gonna be my reason when I die Yeah, he'll still be my reason when I die

Day 15: The Seasons of Life

Read the Word: Ps. 92:12-15, Romans 12:1 (The Message) Read today's scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

I grew up in the Midwest where each calendar season has its own glorious beauty. I love the fall in Wisconsin. Watching trees turn shades of bright pink, deep crimson red, soft yellow, and dark purple bless my soul. As a kid, I would collect some of the most beautiful leaf specimens and my Grandma would help me encase them in waxed paper with a warm iron. I loved glancing at that beauty throughout the barren months of winter on the walls in my bedroom.

Our lives have seasons that reflect creation, starting with the spring of youth and progressing to the quiet of a new snowfall in the peace of winter. As I move through my autumn—I am now in my sixties—I am tempted to think that this season of my life is for slowing down. And maybe even that I'm disqualified from serving God in any impactful way. The world exalts the seasons of spring and summer and sometimes the church reflects that as well. But God has a plan for every season of our lives, and he wants us to embrace each season eagerly.

"Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." (Ps. 71:17-18)

In the Midwest, autumn is the most spectacular season of the year. People travel from all over the country to view the vibrant colors of God's creation. It is not a docile season. The eye popping colors of maples, birches, and oaks mark a season of energetic movement into winter.

Psalm 71 tells us that God has been preparing us for autumn and winter since we were in spring. And the mission for each season has been the same since day one: declare God's power to the next generation. This is the time to declare the vibrancy of God's power to the next generation and declaring that power to the next generation is a critical link in God's plan. How we do that depends on the gifts, resources, and time God gives us. Where has he placed you in this season of life? Here's what he wants you to do:

"Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God has done for you is the best thing you can do for him." (Rom. 12:1, The Message)

Embracing that every day, ordinary life is the best thing we can do for him, no matter what season of life we are in.

Wait in prayer: What does your everyday, ordinary life look like? Read Romans 12:1 in The Message and make a list of your "walking around life." Where has God placed you? What gifts has he given you? Who are the people he has placed around you? Write a prayer asking God to help you embrace your everyday ordinary life. Ask him to open your eyes to the opportunities he puts in your everyday to speak love and life to those around you. If you just start there, you are on your way to living your best life for God.

Worship: Come To the Table performed by Sidewalk Prophets. The video for this song is a big blessing and I want to say just a couple things about it. Look at the diversity of the people in the video—this is what God is calling us to—to join arms with women of all ages, shapes, colors, and sizes to declare God's power to the next generation. That is our call in the autumn of life. Listen to the chorus—look at the words. Who is God calling? Everyone single one of us, no matter who we are—no matter where we've been. Just come to the table.

Link to the video for Come To The Table by the Sidewalk Prophets. (lyrics below)

Click here to sign up for a free copy of The Mary Answer and join our launch team.

Lyrics for Come To The Table:

We all start on the outside The outside looking in This is where grace begins We were hungry, we were thirsty With nothing left to give Oh the shape that we were in Just when all hope seemed lost Love opened the door for us He said come to the table Come join the sinners who have been redeemed Take your place beside the Savior now Sit down and be set free Come to the table Come meet this motley crew of misfits These liars and these thiefs There's no one unwelcome here, no So that sin and shame that you brought with you You can leave it at the door And let mercy draw you near Just come to the table Come join the sinners, you have been redeemed Take your place beside the Savior now Sit down and be set free Come to the table Just come to the table To the thief, to the doubter To the hero and the coward To the prisoner and the soldier To the young, to the older All who hunger, all who thirst All the last, all the first All the paupers and the princes All who fail you've been forgiven All who dream, all who suffer All who loved and lost another All the chained, all the free All who follow, all who lead Anyone who's been let down All the lost you have been found All who've been labeled right or wrong Everyone who hears this song Just Come to the table Come join the sinners you have been redeemed Take your place beside the Savior Just sit down and be set free Oh come on Just sit down and be set free Come to the table Come to the table You're welcome here Songwriters: Dave Frey / Ben Glover / Ben Mcdonald Come to the Table lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Day 14: Sowing on Thorny Ground (transcript)

Read the Word: Mt. 13:1-23, 1 Peter 5:7 Read today's scriptures and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

One of the things I've learned in my 40-plus years as a farm wife is that all farm land is not created equal. Some soil is rich, some is poor, and some is too rocky to farm without running the rock picker over it every spring. But every year we seed every acre. Good soil, poor soil, rocky soil, and weedy soil each produce a different yield.

Like those different types of soil, our heart can have varying degrees of receptiveness to God's Word depending on how we've prepared it. This is masterfully illustrated by Jesus in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. The seed in this story is the Word of God and the various types of ground are the different levels of our heart's receptivity to that seed. There is the footpath, the rocky ground, the thorny ground, and the good soil. I encourage you to read the parable through and journal your thoughts on what each type of ground represents. We're going to take a closer look at the thorny (or weedy) ground.

"The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced." (v. 22, NLT) Did you catch that? No fruit. Not some, not stunted, but no fruit.

When we are chasing the cares of this world, we are sowing seeds on weedy ground. We are hoping that we can somehow mix God's truth with the lifestyle of our culture and the desire to have what everybody else has. No fruit will result. On the farm, some pieces of ground are better at growing weeds than wheat if the ground is already infested with weed seeds and hasn't been properly prepared. Weeds take over and the wheat dies. (Mt. 13:7)

Worry and anxiety are weed seeds ready to choke anything that tries to sprout. But God has the solution for us in 1 Peter 5:7: "cast all your cares on him for he cares for you." We can take that sack full of worry seeds and hand it over to Jesus.

It's one thing to say but another thing to do. How do I cast that worry on Him? Paul gives us some advice in Philippians 4:6-7. First, pray. About everything. Always present your requests to God first. And pray with thanksgiving because a grateful heart has a hard time being anxious. (v.6) When we trust God with our worries, His peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (7) And a heart at peace with God is good soil.

Wait in prayer: Is there a disruption or a detour in your life right now that is tempting you to turn to the world for answers? Write out a prayer right now giving that request to God and thank Him for what He has done and what he has given you. Ask Jesus to help you leave that request with Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you when you try and reach out to take it back.

Worship: Eye of the Storm performed by Ryan Stevenson

-Link to Eye of the Storm lyric video (click)

-Link to sign up for book launch team for The Mary Answer and get your free advance copy!

In this episode we talk with Women's Ministries and Small Groups pastor Lindsey Harden about how her church is keeping community alive and well during the pandemic, and why staying connected is vital to our spiritual health.

Show Notes & Links:

-Why churches need to keep small groups meeting and engaged.

-How doing "church online" in evolving.

-How "home churches" are keeping The Refinery connected to people who want to meet together.

-Why churches need alternatives for church and why that isn't going away after the pandemic.

-Advice on dealing with fear about going back to church.

Links:

-Link to the episodes on how to get your women's Bible study online.

-Link for more info on The Refinery Christian Church in Goodyear, Arizona.

Link to the Women Finishing Well Facebook page. Come join our community!

Day 13 - Finding New Strength to Wait (transcript)

Read the Word: Isaiah 40: 27-31 Read today's scripture and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

I am one of those people who scouts for the shortest check-out line in the grocery store.

I am not good at waiting. Once I've made my mind up to do something, I want to move. But one thing I am learning over the years; my anxiety doesn't make things move any faster. In Isaiah 40, we see the truth of the matter. Many of us are familiar with verses 29-31—there are songs written about how those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and fly like eagles. But what about verses 27-28? Isaiah asks Israel a question: Why do you say that God is not hearing you? Why do you say God is disregarding your cause? When we want God to act, if he doesn't do so right away, we think he's ignoring us. But Isaiah answers that lie right away in the next verses with sort of a sarcastic question: "Have you never heard? Have you never understood?" (v. 28, NLT)

I can feel the frustration in Isaiah's writing. I've been there. Why isn't something happening God? Boy, that question gets me into trouble. But Isaiah continues: "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding." (v. 28) And because God understands that we can lose heart, he adds, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength." (vs. 29-31)

Not being able to wait is a weakness that God wants to turn into a new strength. God is always on duty, as my husband would say. He never takes a break. He doesn't run for coffee while you're in trouble. I can't always understand why He is asking me to wait, so I need to remember two things: God is not ignoring me, and I know that his timing is perfect. (vs. 27-28) And those who wait on Him will soar on wings like eagles, run without getting weary, and not lose heart. (v. 31) Now that is worth waiting for.

Wait in prayer: Write out a prayer of confidence in God to turn your waiting into a new strength. Try personalizing the verses in Isaiah for inspiration. As Him to help you to soar and not lost heart.

Worship: Wait Upon the Lord performed by Leeland

Links:

-Link to lyric video of Wait Upon The Lord

-Link to sign up for our book launch team and get your free advance copy of The Mary Answer.

Day 12 - A Leap of Faith Required (transcript)

Read the Word: Hebrews 11:1-3 Read today's scripture and take note of anything that catches your heart. What do you observe that God might want you to single out and pray about? Write down your observations.

I have some fuzzy memories of the dark basement in our home as a young child. It was a damp underground cement fortress accessed by a rickety set of wooden stairs. The only time we ever used the basement was when there was a tornado warning. We would all hurry down the creaking stairs and sit on a blanket with a portable transistor radio, some flashlights and a couple board games. Like a lot of little kids, the dark creeped me out. It's disconcerting not to be able to see if anything is lurking between you and a quick exit up the stairs.

In Hebrews 11, we see a list of heroes and heroines who stepped into the dark. The took a leap of faith like Indiana Jones off that ledge on the abyss. They had confidence in what they hoped for and assurance about what they could not see. They had faith in a God who created the universe. That was enough for them. They didn't need to see the exit stairs. Disruption requires faith in what we cannot see. Detours require trusting when what's ahead is unknown.

Are you having a hard time seeing God in the dark times? God is not calling us to walk through that dark alone. What we need to remember is that God is standing in our dark. He abides in that unknown. He is reaching out His hand to walk us through. And He goes through beside us. (Heb. 13:5) Read that list again in Hebrews 11. Even in the dark, those people knew God was with them. So they took a leap of faith.

Wait in prayer: Are you afraid of the spiritual dark? Ask God to give you courage to take a step of faith into whatever he is calling you to do. Thank Jesus that He is walking beside you. He will never leave you or forsake you. (Heb. 13:5-6)

Worship: Trust In You performed by Lauren Daigle

Links:

-Link to Trust In You lyric video

-Link to sign up for our launch team and get your free copy of The Mary Answer.

Day 11: Two Are Better Than One: Find Your Elizabeths

Read the Word: Hebrews 10:23-25, Ecc. 4:9-12

In the 1990s psychologist Robin Dunbar developed a method of defining the number of relationships we can sustain based on three factors: our brain's capacity, the time we have available to sustain those relationships, and our attention span. It's a formula known as Dunbar's Number. His well-accepted research revealed several levels, or circles of relationships that were defined by the number of people in each group. The first circle, labeled "intimate friends," is made up of four to eight people. In Women Finishing Well we labeled this group our circle of influence. These are the people you do life with—that love you no matter what—that pray with you and cry with you. They are your Elizabeths.

After Mary got her news from Gabriel and a tip that her older relative Elizabeth was also expecting a miracle baby (Luke 1:36-45), she "hurried off to the hill country" to see her. (v. 39) She wasted no time building her circle of influence. She knew what was ahead and that she would need support and encouragement for the journey from a like-minded sister friend.

There are 59 one another scriptures in the New Testament. God created us to thrive in community. We weren't meant to go it alone. We were meant to be at peace with one another, serve each other, pray for one another, love one another, be devoted to one another, honor one another above ourselves, stop passing judgment on one another, and carry one another's burdens. And that is just the beginning. Mary needed Elizabeth to one another her through the coming nine or so months. Find the people that will stick with you no matter what. Disruption is easier to face when you do it with a close friend by your side. They will help you hold unswervingly to the hope you profess.

Wait in prayer: Can you write down the names of two to four women that know you inside out? Women who share life together, pray for each other, and keep each other accountable to God? Women who know how to one-another each other? If you don't have these women in your life, pray that God will help you start a list. Write down your first couple names and start praying. Everyday.

Worship: I Will Be Your Friend performed by Michael W. Smith

Links:

-Link to lyric video for I Will Be Your Friend by Michael W. Smith

-Link to join our book launch team and get your free copy of The Mary Answer.

-Join us on Facebook! You'll be glad you did.