“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
This may seem like an odd verse when discussing planning, but stay with me here. We were created in God’s image; therefore we must look at the character of God when we seek answers to such questions. In regards to planning, God was most definitely a planner! The creation story in Genesis makes this fact apparent, but don’t stop there.
In Exodus 25 & 26, God gives detailed plans to Moses for constructing the sacred items and the temple. Throughout the book of Proverbs we can see that planning is important. “Make plans by seeking advice…” [Proverbs 20:18] “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” [Proverbs 21:5] And consider Isaiah 32:8 “But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.”
These are just a few examples, there are many more. I believe as His vessels, created in His image, we are to be planners; wise and diligent in our planning. The Bible clearly presents planning as an important aspect of our role on this earth.
August 19, 2008
August 12, 2008
I know the plans...
Many of us are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 and like me you have probably clung to it at times in life when you just didn’t understand what was going on! As much as I love this verse and readily admit I’ve leaned on it a lot, it isn’t the focus of what my blog series on plans is about.
True, we should recognize that God does indeed have plans for us and His plans are often beyond our understanding, but my focus is to consider the following: Should we plan, how much should we plan, and why?
I am a firm believer that when we give God charge of the remote control of life, things come out better, but does that mean we are to sit around and wait for the Holy Spirit to change the channel?
God has granted me some interesting insights during my Bible study the past few months. I hope you'll join me as I share what I've been learning. So chime in and let’s take the journey together as we learn what God’s Word says about planning.
True, we should recognize that God does indeed have plans for us and His plans are often beyond our understanding, but my focus is to consider the following: Should we plan, how much should we plan, and why?
I am a firm believer that when we give God charge of the remote control of life, things come out better, but does that mean we are to sit around and wait for the Holy Spirit to change the channel?
God has granted me some interesting insights during my Bible study the past few months. I hope you'll join me as I share what I've been learning. So chime in and let’s take the journey together as we learn what God’s Word says about planning.
August 5, 2008
Are You a Planner?
For our family, August marks the beginning of the end of summer. Travels wind down and home-school curriculum is ordered in preparation for another year. The theme God has been speaking to my heart these past few months is planning.I think I must have been born with a “to do” list in my hand. I’m a natural organizer, but planning is often a challenge even for me. I believe that’s why God has stretched me in this area. The last few years the Lord has repeatedly put this theme of planning on my heart. Interestingly enough, situations have followed that confirm He truly is nudging me to be a better planner.
That being said, I must also remember that my plans must be in accordance with His plans. It is a balancing act for sure and we can quickly get knocked off balance if we are not seeking Him and serving Him with excellence each day.
So whether you’re a non-planner, a procrasti-planner, a hopeful planner, or a fanatic-planner, stayed tuned. During the month of August I will be sharing what God has been teaching me about planning.
July 14, 2008
I'm Back...
Ah...yes...I have been away yet again. Neglecting my lonely little spaces in the blogosphere. Though don't think for a minute it has been due to laziness, oh my no. Life has been moving at full speed these past few months. Here is a quick recap:
So, that is it in a nutshell and there are many more daily life adventures in between all that, but I won't bore you. The fact is, now it is time to get back on track. I'm sorry I've been away. I know I did a lousy job at keeping my resolutions, but hey Life Happens and anyway, Israel was amazing!!!
- Moved...AGAIN!
- Attended the Colorado Christian Writers' Conference.
- Came home with just enough time to unpack and repack.
- Departed for 10 days in the Holy Land.
- Returned with 1 week to prepare for VBS.
- Week of VBS.
- Drove darling daughter and friend to a second week of VBS.
- Whew! Finally started to breath again and get back into a schedule!
So, that is it in a nutshell and there are many more daily life adventures in between all that, but I won't bore you. The fact is, now it is time to get back on track. I'm sorry I've been away. I know I did a lousy job at keeping my resolutions, but hey Life Happens and anyway, Israel was amazing!!!
May 28, 2008
Meet Mike Dellosso
Author of the The Hunted.
A town’s deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith…Debut novelist Mike Dellosso delivers a spine-tingling drama in the style of Frank Peretti and Stephen King.
A bone-chilling mystery about the town of Dark Hills and the deadly secrets it holds. To be released June 3, 2008.
Elizabeth: Mike welcome to Wisdom Walk and congratulations on your debut novel. Tell us a little about how this story evolved.
Mike: The idea for The Hunted came from the internet. I was surfing one day just looking for ideas or something to spark my imagination and get the wheel churning when I came across this story of a small town in Indiana that reported lion sightings back in the 1920’s. Several of the townsfolk said they saw an African lion in the fields surrounding the town. A couple cows were mauled and eaten. Then the sightings just stopped. No one knows where the lion came from or where it went. I thought it was a pretty neat idea and ran with it. Story born. Happy birthday!
Elizabeth: Wow, we had a similar story in our town, but the authorities never located the culprit! It is a mystery to this day.
What is the theme of your story?
Mike: One theme is the idea of not putting God in a box, of letting Him be God, letting Him work in your life and do some miraculous things. I think too often we put a leash on God and tell Him what He’s allowed and not allowed to do. That’s not our place. God can do anything He wants to do. He’s the one in charge, remember?
Another theme is the danger of a vengeful heart. Vengeance is a powerful thing; I think that’s why God said He’d take care of it. Lastly, there’s the theme of forgiveness and acceptance and redemption. Beautiful things we experience from the heart our Heavenly Father and pass on to others.
Elizabeth: Wonderful! I love how as writers we can share life changing issues through exciting fiction and The Hunted certainly sounds exciting.
Talk a little bit about your "call" to write.
Mike: My call to write was in no way gradual. It happened all at once and might as well have been God speaking directly to me. It began with a motorcycle accident that left my brother-in-law in a deep coma and a prognosis of death or, at best, persistent vegetative state. My wife, Jen, and I went to visit my sister and Darrell in the hospital and came away wrestling with emotions I couldn’t easily explain: anger, frustration, sorrow, confusion, you name it. When we got home I did the first thing that came to mind, I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and started writing.
Now, it’s important to know at this point that I’ve always struggled with stuttering. Lots of thoughts and ideas swirled in my head but I rarely voiced them because talking was just so laborious. I often kept my emotions under lock and key because it was easier than trying to express myself in words. Well, when that pen hit paper I knew I was on to something, I felt a freedom I had not felt before. I could say what was on my mind and in my heart and say it with perfect fluency. I had found my voice! That was almost ten years ago and I haven’t stopped writing since. Oh, and by the way, Darrell pulled through and is doing just fine now.
Elizabeth: I'm so glad to hear the good news about Darrell. God often uses tragedy in our lives to draw us closer to Him and reveal the plans He has for us, as I know many will attest.
Could you share with the readers a little about your recent diagnosis of cancer and how it affects your life and writing?
Mike: Yeah, cancer. Kind of a big thing. I was diagnosed on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. Here I was getting ready to launch into trying my hand at promoting my new book and in the middle of negotiating a contract for a second book when the doctor dropped the bomb: You have colon cancer.
Funny thing is, I don’t remember ordering colon cancer. Not part of my plans at all.
How has it affected my writing? Well, immediately, it’s halted my writing. With the exception of daily journaling on my blog, I haven’t written a lick since being diagnosed. I love to write, it’s my passion, but this cancer thing trumps it. I took this diagnosis as a nudge from God that I need to set writing aside for a little while and just concentrate on the most important things: my relationship with Him and my relationship with my family. Sometimes it takes something like cancer to refocus you, to get you to evaluate your life and do a little re-prioritizing.
In the long run, I think the experience of traveling through this valley will only enhance my writing, give it more depth, more texture, more emotion and passion. I know firsthand what it’s like to traverse that Valley of the Shadow of Death, to question Why me?, to be scared of dying, not for dying’s sake but for my family’s sake, to live with a monster inside me that wants to kill me (hey, that gives me a great story idea), to be poked, prodded, scoped, and stuck, to live a life that revolves around the next test result or the next doctor’s appointment. I’ve been there now and I can incorporate those experiences into my stories, into the life of my characters. It’ll be interesting to see how my writing changes once I get back to it.
I’ve learned to fully rely on God, willingly submit myself and put my life in His hands. And of course, this carries over into my writing as well. We writers never know where the next contract is coming from or even how the next story will unfold, if there is a next story. We are constantly at His mercy, and I’m learning that’s a good place to be.
Elizabeth: Mike, thank you so much for joining us.
Read more about Mike and The Hunted on the blog tour homepage.
You can also visit the other sites on his tour via the links in the sidebar.
A town’s deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith…Debut novelist Mike Dellosso delivers a spine-tingling drama in the style of Frank Peretti and Stephen King.
A bone-chilling mystery about the town of Dark Hills and the deadly secrets it holds. To be released June 3, 2008.
Elizabeth: Mike welcome to Wisdom Walk and congratulations on your debut novel. Tell us a little about how this story evolved.
Mike: The idea for The Hunted came from the internet. I was surfing one day just looking for ideas or something to spark my imagination and get the wheel churning when I came across this story of a small town in Indiana that reported lion sightings back in the 1920’s. Several of the townsfolk said they saw an African lion in the fields surrounding the town. A couple cows were mauled and eaten. Then the sightings just stopped. No one knows where the lion came from or where it went. I thought it was a pretty neat idea and ran with it. Story born. Happy birthday!
Elizabeth: Wow, we had a similar story in our town, but the authorities never located the culprit! It is a mystery to this day.
What is the theme of your story?
Mike: One theme is the idea of not putting God in a box, of letting Him be God, letting Him work in your life and do some miraculous things. I think too often we put a leash on God and tell Him what He’s allowed and not allowed to do. That’s not our place. God can do anything He wants to do. He’s the one in charge, remember?
Another theme is the danger of a vengeful heart. Vengeance is a powerful thing; I think that’s why God said He’d take care of it. Lastly, there’s the theme of forgiveness and acceptance and redemption. Beautiful things we experience from the heart our Heavenly Father and pass on to others.
Elizabeth: Wonderful! I love how as writers we can share life changing issues through exciting fiction and The Hunted certainly sounds exciting.
Talk a little bit about your "call" to write.
Mike: My call to write was in no way gradual. It happened all at once and might as well have been God speaking directly to me. It began with a motorcycle accident that left my brother-in-law in a deep coma and a prognosis of death or, at best, persistent vegetative state. My wife, Jen, and I went to visit my sister and Darrell in the hospital and came away wrestling with emotions I couldn’t easily explain: anger, frustration, sorrow, confusion, you name it. When we got home I did the first thing that came to mind, I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and started writing.
Now, it’s important to know at this point that I’ve always struggled with stuttering. Lots of thoughts and ideas swirled in my head but I rarely voiced them because talking was just so laborious. I often kept my emotions under lock and key because it was easier than trying to express myself in words. Well, when that pen hit paper I knew I was on to something, I felt a freedom I had not felt before. I could say what was on my mind and in my heart and say it with perfect fluency. I had found my voice! That was almost ten years ago and I haven’t stopped writing since. Oh, and by the way, Darrell pulled through and is doing just fine now.
Elizabeth: I'm so glad to hear the good news about Darrell. God often uses tragedy in our lives to draw us closer to Him and reveal the plans He has for us, as I know many will attest.
Could you share with the readers a little about your recent diagnosis of cancer and how it affects your life and writing?
Mike: Yeah, cancer. Kind of a big thing. I was diagnosed on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. Here I was getting ready to launch into trying my hand at promoting my new book and in the middle of negotiating a contract for a second book when the doctor dropped the bomb: You have colon cancer.
Funny thing is, I don’t remember ordering colon cancer. Not part of my plans at all.
How has it affected my writing? Well, immediately, it’s halted my writing. With the exception of daily journaling on my blog, I haven’t written a lick since being diagnosed. I love to write, it’s my passion, but this cancer thing trumps it. I took this diagnosis as a nudge from God that I need to set writing aside for a little while and just concentrate on the most important things: my relationship with Him and my relationship with my family. Sometimes it takes something like cancer to refocus you, to get you to evaluate your life and do a little re-prioritizing.
In the long run, I think the experience of traveling through this valley will only enhance my writing, give it more depth, more texture, more emotion and passion. I know firsthand what it’s like to traverse that Valley of the Shadow of Death, to question Why me?, to be scared of dying, not for dying’s sake but for my family’s sake, to live with a monster inside me that wants to kill me (hey, that gives me a great story idea), to be poked, prodded, scoped, and stuck, to live a life that revolves around the next test result or the next doctor’s appointment. I’ve been there now and I can incorporate those experiences into my stories, into the life of my characters. It’ll be interesting to see how my writing changes once I get back to it.
I’ve learned to fully rely on God, willingly submit myself and put my life in His hands. And of course, this carries over into my writing as well. We writers never know where the next contract is coming from or even how the next story will unfold, if there is a next story. We are constantly at His mercy, and I’m learning that’s a good place to be.
Elizabeth: Mike, thank you so much for joining us.
Read more about Mike and The Hunted on the blog tour homepage.
You can also visit the other sites on his tour via the links in the sidebar.
April 30, 2008
Obedience vs. Disobedience
Whoa! Was that April that just whooshed by?
This month truly got away from me. Saddened by the news of my friends I had a bit of writer's block. Aside from that April has been filled with seeking God, making choices, trusting and did I say...Seeking God?
Our family is at another crossroads. The current building project is rolling to an end and it seems God may be leading our family to some major changes. As we have prayed for His guidance we are being led in a direction that is both exciting and terrifying! A life of faith that extends beyond what we have thus far experienced. Only He knows what is in our future, only we can choose to be obedient.
Though this is the last day of April, I must say my theme for this month is Obedience. Last night it occured to me that though obedience is often scary, I have come to fear disobedience more than the unknown of obedience.
And so as April leaves me in its dust, I move into May and ask for your prayers as our family journeys into a new frontier.
This month truly got away from me. Saddened by the news of my friends I had a bit of writer's block. Aside from that April has been filled with seeking God, making choices, trusting and did I say...Seeking God?
Our family is at another crossroads. The current building project is rolling to an end and it seems God may be leading our family to some major changes. As we have prayed for His guidance we are being led in a direction that is both exciting and terrifying! A life of faith that extends beyond what we have thus far experienced. Only He knows what is in our future, only we can choose to be obedient.
Though this is the last day of April, I must say my theme for this month is Obedience. Last night it occured to me that though obedience is often scary, I have come to fear disobedience more than the unknown of obedience.
And so as April leaves me in its dust, I move into May and ask for your prayers as our family journeys into a new frontier.
March 28, 2008
Call Your Friends
It is a sad day. Just moments ago I discovered that some friends from high school were killed in a tragic plane crash over a year ago. Both my friends, who were high school sweethearts and their two daughters died together just before Christmas in 2006. At this moment I am in shock. I had been emailing with them regarding planning a reunion and then we lost touch. I assumed we were just all busy with life. Though they've been on my mind often, I had not tried to contact them again and now I discover such tragic news.
Having experienced personal loss in my own family, my heart hurts for their families. I can't imagine the pain of losing your children and grandchildren all at the same time. Please pray for the families of Larry and Debbie when you read this and call your friends. Don't let time keep passing by. We never know when the Lord may call one or several of them home.
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