Release to Increase!

My guest-blogger today is Tiffany Amber Miller, my lovely web site designer. Since you're on my author site, you know she's got a creative gift. I'm extra excited for her, because she recently got engaged to a wonderful man she met through a writers' group we all belong to. I hadn't thought of ACFW as a matchmaking society, but it truly is. Writers get matched with editors and agents through our group all the time.

Now let's hear a truth about sowing and reaping from Tiffany's heart. You can visit her at http://www.ambermiller.com or check out her web design service at http://www.eagle-designs.com.

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Once in a while, I hear a sermon and get inspired from the message to see how it applies to my writing career. Too often, we get discouraged at the lack of interest in our writing -- especially as new writers. However, that disappointment or discouragement also faces experienced authors as well. Not a single one of us are outside the realm of rejection or returned manuscripts/proposals/queries with a "no thanks" attached to it.

Today's message, though, had an excellent point that I wanted to share with you.

God's kingdom is not one that is built upon lack of growth or results. His kingdom is one of increase. Verse upon verse upon verse in the Bible list God's promises for blessings to befall those of us who aren't "stingy" with what we have been given. If you want to see results, you have to plant the seeds. This not only applies to sticking to your guns and writing, but also to submitting. The more places you submit, the harder you seek out someone who might be interested in your work, the better your chances are that you'll find the open door you've been wanting.

We all have been given a special gift--the gift of words. As writers, we each have a certain measure of that gift, and God expects us to increase in both our skill and our product. He doesn't micromanage us; rather, he steps back and allows us room to grow, giving us every opportunity if we're paying close enough attention to see them.

Your crop will be a direct result of what you've planted. If you're stingy and only target one publisher, you might yield a very small crop or none at all. If you do your research and send out to every publisher or magazine or resource or web site that might accept what you write, your crop could be larger than you ever imagined. Even if it's articles or short stories or contributions to start. Eventually, the growth will expand. From a small seed always comes a result that's bigger than what it was at the beginning. But the seed has to grow and take root. To those whom God has given riches or success or even the promise of success, He has also given ability to rejoice in your labor. You work hard because gave you the ability to do it; not of your own merit.

God's covenant is to bless you and make you a great writer. When you're blessed, you bless others, either through your work or through sowing into another writer's life. But first, you have to get over your "poverty" mentality in regard to your writing. Release the talent and passion from within and go for that dream. If God can supply the ability, He can also give you what you need in order to increase. The spirit of poverty paralyzes you in fear of losing what you have. You sit back and hesitate before submitting your work to a place you might not have considered for fear of rejection, but God can't use you if you're not working. Don't allow yourself to slip into the pitfall of believing your career will provide you "barely enough." God is a God of abundance. If you sow in faith, you'll reap a great harvest.

Take it to heart and plant those seeds!

~Tiff (writing as Amber Miller)Promises, Promises (Heartsong Presents -- Jan. 2008)

Area Director, Zone 3, ACFW (Maryland, DelMarVa and Philadelphia)

Author & BLOG site www.ambermiller.com

Web Designer www.eagle-designs.com