There are three simple steps to success for non-fiction authors. Here, I will explain how to lay out a book plan and get started writing a great book. Writing non-fiction books is one of the best ways to start as an author.
Step One: The Big Idea
Come up with a big idea. Figure out what the reader’s main desire is. Figure out what the reader wants to accomplish. Another way of looking at that is what is the main problem he or she wants to overcome?
What Problem Are You Solving?
Figure out the problem you’re going to solve. You may have already done that trying to figure out the big idea. If you haven’t now is the time. Look at a specific problem that the reader would like to have solved. Also, think about what are his/her past obstacles in this area. They obviously haven’t overcome those or they’d have no need to read the book you’re planning on writing. So, figure out the big problem that you’re going to solve.
List the Steps
List steps taking the reader from where they are now to where they want to be. How do you get started? That’s often the main question for someone trying to solve a problem. Just where do you start? Analyze that situation and help them answer that question. Another thing is to figure out is what obstacles will have to be overcome to get the reader from where they are now to where they want to be.
Once you have those general ideas for your steps, then figure out what is the first baby step to take. List that first. Then think about other steps that will lead them to the best chance for success in that area. Then, list the steps in the best order. It may be chronological, or some other way. Whatever is the best order. Try to come up with at least 8 steps. You have the general idea of how to get to the solution, just keep breaking that big idea down into smaller steps.
In Summary
You can come up with a concept for your book…that’s the big picture. You can identify the problem that the writer wants solved. You can break the journey into progressive steps. You can lay out a plan for your book!
If you are an author or aspiring author, and you want to learn how to make this process even easier, go to Amazon and search for my newest book, “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death” by Randy Carney. If you are reading this before October 15, 2021, you may want to wait until launch week on October 15, where you can get a discount for a limited time.
Today we’re talking about nonfiction topics to write about. You can do a search for non-fiction topics to write about and you can come up with a lot of prompts that will help you.
I have come up with a few ideas that you may want to use. I’m going to give you a sentence and put a blank in the sentence that you would fill in.
Some examples could be, “Something most people don’t know about is _______. “ “You could be more _______ by _______.”
Another thing you can do, instead of saying by _______. You can say a specified period of time. For instance, “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less” or “Have a New Husband by Friday.” Those are some ideas for that.
Here’s another one: You can say, “You Can Be More Confident!” or “You Can Be More Assertive!.” You fill in the blank.
Perhaps you can try “You Can Be Less _______” or “You Can Be Less _______ by _______” or “You Could Be Less _______ in ‘X’ days or months” Maybes something like, “You Need More _______ in Your Life” For example, “You Need More Pizzazz in Your Life”, “You Need More Confidence in Your Life” or “You Need More Money in Your Life.” What would you use to fill in the blank?
Other suggestions include, “You Could Change _______ by _______”, Then you could list a technique or a certain general category of techniques.
There are some more. “You Could Make More Money by _______”, “You Could Save Money by _______”, “You Could Speed Up the Process of _______ by _______”. As an example, “You Could Speed Up the Process of Writing by Using a Timer” or “You Could Improve Your Health by _______.” “How to _______ without _______” like “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death”.
What could you put in those blanks?
My wife and I like to watch reruns of a television series that we saw when we were children. It was called Maverick and it starred James Garner, as Brett Maverick. He would often say, “Well, my old pappy used to say, and then fill in the blank.” What did your parents advise you? What did some respected person in your life tell you?
There are some popular genres on Amazon. A study was done in 2017 and they looked at both print and e-books and found a list of popular topics. The most popular ones were biographies and memoirs, religion and spirituality, health, fitness and dieting, and business and money.
Now I’ll give you a little caution about memoirs; unless you are already famous your memoir may not sell very well. You might need to go ahead and write it. It may turn out to be something that would be very valuable to your family. In fact, many authors say that that is the one thing you should write. But, it likely won’t sell very well for someone who doesn’t know you.
Now, here’s the trick for using your life story and how to use it: write a nonfiction book, and then just use parts of your life story that apply to the topics within your nonfiction book.
In my book “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less”, I gave several examples of problems that I had with writing. For example, there were problems I had with procrastination and problems I had with perfectionism. I told stories out of my own life to illustrate those topics and ideas.
Here are some more problems/questions: “How Can I Be a Better _______?” Then think about what interests you have, and you can write about your interests. You can write about the skills that you have that you can share. You can write about what quick and easy solution you can offer someone.
You could also specify a time for your desired result, as I previously mentioned. Kevin Leman wrote the book, “How to Have a New Husband by Friday.” I think he also wrote another one like “How to Have a New Child by Friday” and maybe was another one talking about a new wife. But he did that and specified a time frame in which to get those results.
I hope these ideas for nonfiction topics to write about have been helpful to you. To get more information on topics like these, go to www.randycarney.com and click the tab that says “writing.” There you will find many blog posts like these.
In addition, I have a new channel on Rumble. Just go to www.rumble.com, search the name Randy Carney, and you’ll find many videos like the one here. So I hope you have a great day. Until next time for walking with Randy, I wish you the best.
Exciting news! Be watching for the release of my newest book, “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less–Without Stressing Yourself to Death” coming the week of November 15, 2021.
This is the fourth and final post in the series on mistakes that Christian family members make, when dealing with one another, without realizing it. In the first part, I discussed the mistake of not knowing how fragile your family members are. You can read the first post and watch the video here. The second post addressed the importance of encouraging words. Read part two here. In part three, I talked about understanding how general attitudes of encouragement benefit the entire Christian community. See that post here.
In this final post, I will explain how examples of encouragement can benefit others.
The Teacher and Teddy
In 1974, a lady named Elizabeth Silance Ballard wrote a story that appeared in “Home Life Magazine”.
On the first day of school, the teacher looked at the fresh faces of her fifth-grade class. Smiling, she told them, “I love each of you the same!” But in her mind, she knew that wasn’t true. She looked to the back row and saw Teddy Stoddard slumped in his seat. As the school year progressed, she somewhat enjoyed putting the big red “X” on incorrect answers and the big “F” on Teddy’s papers. He just wasn’t a good student.
The teachers were required to go through notes from their students’ previous teachers. Teddy’s teacher began reading: First Grade: “Teddy is such a delight to have in class. He is so excited about learning.” Second Grade: “He is a delightful young man. He’s so cooperative and so cheerful when coming into school.” Third Grade: “Teddy is having a little trouble. His mother is very sick.” Fourth Grade: “Teddy is having trouble focusing. He is never happy. His father seems disinterested.”
The teacher’s heart changed that day. She showed up to class the next morning with a new view of Teddy. She began encouraging him and cheering him on. She soon discovered that her pledge to love each child the same was still untrue because she had come to love Teddy the most. Christmas time came around, and all the children brought beautiful gifts for the teacher. They would get so excited when she came to each gift. Then it came time to open Teddy’s present. It was poorly wrapped in plain brown paper. She opened the package to discover a rhinestone bracelet with a few stones missing and a small, half-empty bottle of perfume. The students all began to laugh, but the teacher stopped it with the action of taking some of the perfume and applying it. Later that day, Teddy came to the teacher and said, “Thank you, Ms. Thompson. You smell just like my mother.”
The next year, Teddy was not in her class, but she got a note saying, “My grades are doing better. You’re still the best teacher I’ve ever had.” Two years later, she got another note from Teddy: “I’m graduating 8th grade. You’re still the best teacher ever.” Four years went by, and Teddy sent another note. “I’m graduating high school this year. I’m in the top fourth of my class!” Another four years, and another note. “I am graduating from college!” The next note read, “I have graduated from medical school!” Signed, Theodore Stoddard, M.D.
In time, another letter from Teddy came. “I am getting married in 3 months. I would like for you to come and sit in the spot reserved for the mother of the groom.” The teacher gladly accepted and sat proudly in the place of honor.
The story of Teddy and the teacher is fictional, but elements of it are taken from real-life events. The author of the story had taken pecans she had picked up to her teacher, and rather than allow the kids to laugh, the teacher made a big deal of it. The rhinestone bracelet aspect came from another family member’s experience.
It’s also true that encouragement goes a long way, and discouragement can rip us apart and destroy us.
I pray that the Word of God encourages you. I pray you encourage one another. I pray husbands and wives encourage each other and children do as well.
Thank you for reading. I hope that I have encouraged you. Please check out my other blog posts at Randy’s Blogs and don’t forget to follow me on YouTube and Rumble.
Proverbs 25:1-5 “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.” A proverb is a short saying full of a lot of truth
The first thing I see in this passage is that God has placed many wonderful things in this universe for us to discover. He has hidden some things from us, but that is His prerogative.
God’s Hidden Treasures in Science
Sometimes people think that there is a contradiction between science and the Bible. That’s not the case. Not if it’s true science and true Bible. True science discovers the truth and the Bible is the ultimate truth. The Bible isn’t a textbook on science but when it speaks on matters of science it’s accurate because the Bible is infallible.
Our understanding of science has changed over the years. For example, I was always taught that an atom was the smallest part of matter. Then they discovered protons, neutrons, and electrons, so those were smaller parts. Now they’ve discovered what are called quarks. Those are smaller than atoms.
Then it was found out that if they split the atom, a tremendous amount of energy would be released. It was a concern, at first, that there would be a chain reaction and if an atom was split, that chain reaction would go off all around the world. Of course that wasn’t the case, but we do have atomic bombs and there are chain reactions, but they stop before going across the entire planet. The atom bomb that was dropped to end World War 2, it is said, is as small as the detonator of the weapons we have now. It’s amazing to me that men have this understanding.
The first understanding was similar to the solar system. It was a planetary model with the nucleus in the center and the electrons and such around it. That’s what I was taught in grade school.
Model of an atom
Another model of an atom is a bunch of dots. The dots are where the atom “might” be and the electron “might” be.
So there are all these different models.
The question is how does science come together to agree on anything? The solution is scientists and mathematicians have done enough experimenting and computing and figuring to find out what works. The equation will work for one situation, but not the other. Our understanding has changed. Scientists are trying to find out how God makes things work.
The Bible tells us in Colossians that all things are held together by Him.
There are things that God has hidden and put it out there for us to find. It’s the glory of God to hide a matter, and it’s the honor of man (or woman) to search out a matter.
God’s Hidden Treasures Unexpectedly Found in Scripture
There was once a man who asked “What can I do with this seeming waste of time?” He was suffering from a serious injury, lying flat on his back. Earlier in his life, when he was 19, his father wanted him to choose a certain career path. But the young man wanted to go to sea, and so he did. He became known as a brilliant oceanographer. His life became boring, however, and then he was involved in a stagecoach accident where he broke his right leg. He wasn’t able to be active, and he was relegated to working in an office. He began keeping maps and charts, and life was dull.
Matthew Fontaine Maury
While recovering from this injury, he asked his son to come read to him. His request was that the son read the Bible. The son read from Psalm chapter 8 and he read “Whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas…” The oceanographer had a thought, “paths of the seas.” No one had ever realized before that the sea had paths. This is one of the glories that God had concealed that the man discovered. The man was in bed for a long time and began to think about the paths of the seas. His name was Matthew Fontaine Maury.
Once Matthew recovered, he took God at His word and began searching for the paths mentioned in Psalms. He began experimenting. He took some bottles, added some weight so that they would stay underwater, but not completely sink. He put instructions in the bottles, asking the person finding it, to let him know when and where the bottle was found. Through this process, he discovered how long it took to get to a certain place. He noticed patterns and that is how we now have names and locations of the currents in the oceans.
One is the Gulf Stream Current. It’s about 50 miles wide and 3,000 feet deep. The rate of flow is measured by volume per second and is about 1000 times faster than the Mississippi River. Many ocean vessels ride this current in order to save valuable shipping time. Maury’s discovery of ocean currents took 3 weeks off of trips between the continents. All because he decided to search out the Paths of the Seas mentioned in the Bible. In the town of Richmond, Virginia, there was a statue erected to honor him. The inscription on the plaque read “Pathfinder of the Seas”.
The discovery of ocean currents changed shipping practices
We should search for the hidden wisdom of God. We grow during the process of searching. We don’t have to make the mistakes of others. Biblical principles will work in many areas of life.
God’s Hidden Treasures Discovered through Making Mistakes
What did the man who had everything conclude about his life? He was raised in a palace. His father had died, and he was now king. God asked him what he wanted, and he told God he wanted wisdom. God said since he had asked for wisdom and not riches, He was going to bless the king with both. So the king had wisdom from God, great riches, visiting dignitaries, like the Queen of Sheba.
Then the king began to do things for political gain. One of the things he did was participate in arranged marriages with women from other countries. Some of those women worshipped false gods, and the king (Solomon) worshipped the one true God. However, Solomon went astray and began worshipping the false gods of his wives. He quickly learned what life was like without God in the picture. Even though he knew God to begin with, he started wandering around in the world and had to learn some lessons. There are Christians today who do that same thing!
So, Solomon had a testimony about his experiences and wrote it down. Those writings became the book of Ecclesiastes. He finally came to the conclusion that man should fear God and keep His commandments. We need to search out the wisdom of God.
Wise friends are key to making good choices
We also need to surround ourselves with the kind of people who will inspire us to righteousness. The wrong friends can lead us down the wrong road, and the wrong counselors can lead us to many mistakes.
People in positions of authority can’t possibly know everything and read everything. So, they assign people to investigate things for them. When they have good council and good counselors, they will make good decisions. When they have bad counsel and bad counselors, they will most likely make bad decisions. Good friends and good counselors will inspire us to righteousness. How many times has there been a young person who was “on the fence” about serving God, and have met up with someone who is on fire for God? They were then inspired to serve or inspired to righteousness.
There was another king once, and he asked, “What shall I do?” He, too, was raised in a palace and became king when his father died. He was Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. He was fearful of ruling so he went to his father’s counselors. They were older men and they gave their advice. They said that Solomon had, toward the end of his reign, put a heavy load on the people and was very stern. The counselors advised the new king to “lighten up” and be less strict than his father had been. They said that if he did that, the people would be so grateful they would serve him forever.
Rehoboam didn’t listen to the wiser older men, and instead gathered some younger men and asked their advice. The younger men advised him to be stern and strict with the people. He listened to the younger counselors. The people were hopeful that this new king would be kinder, and when he wasn’t, the people rebelled. The ones who lived in the northern part of the kingdom rebelled especially hard, and they pulled away and named a man called Jeroboam as their king.
Rehoboam was trying to decide if he should take his army and attack the northern kingdom. A prophet named Shemaiah was sent by God and told Rehoboam not to attack. God told them to go home because He had caused the incident to happen. Rehoboam heeded the word of God and he was able to rule for another 16 years.
How does all this relate to us today? We need to realize there are many wonderful things that can be discovered by studying God’s word. Look at all that Matthew Maury accomplished by reading God’s word and following the signs.
A man named David Barton with an organization called Wall Builders said our American system of government has three branches, and those come from a verse in Isaiah.
Many things can be discovered by searching out the word of God. Commit yourself to Christ, and after that, commit yourself to reading or listening to God’s word daily. Commit to associating yourself with the right friends. The right friends can build you up, and take you where you need to go. The wrong friends can pull you down and lead you to destruction.
“Some say that I am mad, but, really, what’s happened is that I have a sharpening of my senses.” – The Telltale Heart- Edgar Allan Poe
The narrator of the story had been commissioned to be a caretaker for an older gentleman. The caretaker had actually begun to become mentally disturbed. His charge had an eye that the caretaker referred to as “The Vulture Eye”. It disturbed him greatly. It got to the point that he wanted to get that out of his life. In the story, he goes in night after night, carrying a covered lamp. He slowly opens the door to the man’s room, he doesn’t have the light on outside the room, and it’s completely dark. He goes to the man’s side and sees that his eyes are closed and he is asleep. This goes on for many nights.
Then, one night, the caretaker enters the older gentleman’s room and makes some sort of noise, and the older man wakes up. He looks around and says, “Who’s there?” The caretaker places the cover back over the lantern as he sees the “Vulture Eye”. In his insanity, he smothers the older man with the blankets. As he is in the process of this crime, the older gentleman cries out.
Shortly after, there is a knock at the door. The caretaker opens it to find a few police officers. His thought process is written out for the reader to see.
“I’m not really mad. I just have heightened senses. I can hear things more clearly than I did in the past.”
He covers up his crime pretty well. The police relax and decided to stay for a bit.
The man begins to wonder why they are staying so long.
Then, in his mind, he begins to hear a sound: a thumping. It’s a heartbeat. You see, after he had killed the old man, he buried him beneath the floorboards of the very room in which they were sitting. The heartbeat is all in his mind.
He keeps thinking to himself that he has these heightened senses. But, the beating becomes so loud that he begins to wonder how the others in the room cannot hear it. Finally, the man breaks down and confesses. He tells the police to tear up the floorboards, and they find the body of the older man.
It was the sense of guilt that the man in the story had. How to deal with a guilt is topic that can apply to all of us.
Guilt Has Mental and Physical Effects
Many people experience the effects of guilt. It can lead to insomnia, worry, shame, depression, ulcers, arthritis, and even hardening of the arteries. Medication is sometimes required to help with the effects of guilt. Learning how to deal with guilt can help all of us in this area.
Pastor Rob Blank went to visit a 14-year-old boy who was in a catatonic state. He was in the hospital room, and a nurse came in and said she thought the boy’s problem was (video freezes). Pastor Blank then told the nurse that he was the boy’s pastor. Embarrassed, the nurse left the room.
Guilt can affect you physically.
The pastor then went to the boy and began to speak to him. He read scripture and shared the plan of salvation. Suddenly, the boy began to speak. He wasn’t speaking to the pastor, however. He was praying! He confessed his sin to God and accepted Jesus as his Savior. There was an immediate change in his life. He sat up on the edge of the bed with his feet dangling over the side. The nurse came back in and could not believe what she saw. The young man had the effect of guilt that was in his life. However, when he confessed his sins and fully accepted Jesus, he was healed of his guilt and was healed physically in a dramatic way.
Psalm 32:3-4
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried upas by the heat of summer. Selah
This is a Psalm of David. Many scholars believe that this was written after his sin with Bathsheba. To David’s credit, it’s amazing to me, with all the cover-ups that we can see going on in the political world, how David, being a king, could have completely kept this story under wraps. Instead, when Nathan came and confronted David with his sin, he not only confessed to God, he wrote it down and we are able to read it many centuries later. The entire kingdom became aware of his sin, and yet he confessed his sin. So David knew what it was like to have the feeling of grief. When he was keeping silent, it was like his bones wasted away and he had a groaning going on within his heart. Day and night he felt God’s hand heavy upon him. Then he started losing his strength. He said, “My strength was changed into the drought of summer.”
Psalm 32:9
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
In this verse, David is referring to those who continue on in their sin and guilt without confessing it. It’s like a horse or mule without a bridle. They would have to be restrained and controlled with a bit and bridle to get them to do what you wanted them to do. But whenever a person realizes his or her guilt and is willing to come to God, then they can come and repent.
Psalm 32:10a
Many are the sorrows of the wicked
Guilt has an effect on people mentally and physically.
People Try Different Ways of Coping With Guilt
Most of these coping mechanisms do not have lasting benefits. Learning how to deal with guilt is something that all of us try to learn.
One way is called escapism or trying to put it out of their minds. They attempt to distract themselves with things like work or entertainment.
Many people try to escape using alcohol, as it dulls their pain. While serving as a chaplain at the VA hospital, I once had a gentleman tell me that he began using alcohol to help dull his pain, and then it got a grip on him and he became addicted.
Alcohol can be something people use to cope with guilt.
Another way of coping is rationalizing. We want to rationalize our sin in order to make us feel better. In that process, there is the placing of blame. We may say, “I did this because of something traumatic that happened to me in my past.” Certainly, people go through traumatic events, but we are responsible for how we handle those events; for what we do, and how we handle those events.
Then, there is the idea of calling guilt – all guilt – “false guilt”. There is such a thing as false guilt. That is when someone feels ashamed of something that they are not guilty of or haven’t done at all. There can be some things that people would try to lay upon other people that aren’t really wrong in relation to God’s law. Some cult members experience a kind of false guilt.
The good news is that the truth can set them free from false guilt! When they learn that what they’ve been told is wrong; that what they’ve done isn’t a violation of God’s law, and the truth sinks in, it will set them free.
The trouble in today’s world is that all guilt is labeled as false guilt, and that sin is not really sin. A few years ago, a doctor wrote a book entitled “Whatever Happened to Sin?”. It said that we don’t call sin-sin anymore, but use different names.
There is false guilt, and there is true guilt. Calling all guilt false is not helpful, because true guilt is a real thing. That occurs when God’s law is violated. When God is disobeyed, that is true guilt.
Escapism may take care of the guilty feeling for a time. Rationalizing and placing blame may get rid of it for a while. Labeling it false guilt may help people feel better for a little. But none of those are true solutions, and will not work long-term.
We’ve discussed the effects of guilt and how people try to cope. Now, let’s look at the one sure way to eliminate true guilt.
The One Sure Way to Eliminate True Guilt
A couple of farm boys were in grade school. They were visiting with one another and decided to make some corncob pipes. They used the cob as the bowl and some vines as the stem and were going to smoke corn silk. After they had made their pipes, one boy went home. He checked around to make sure no one was home and went to seek out a place to hide his new pipe. He looked in the barn and decided that wasn’t a good hiding spot. Then he went to the shed, but wasn’t happy with that area, either. Finally, after finding a temporary hiding place, he went up toward his house, thinking he could hide the pipe inside.
What the boy didn’t notice, however, was the rest of his family sitting in the car, watching him wander around the farm searching for that perfect hiding spot.
He had a desire to hide his pipe.
People have a desire to hide or cover their guilt. The Bible says that it is the glory of kings to cover a matter, but it is even better to have that sin completely forgiven and to have it not only forgiven but, in the sight of God, it is gone; buried and forgotten!
Psalm 32:1-2, 5-8, 10-11
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
True guilt can be taken care of. If this was written after David’s “great sin”, then it’s easy to see how wonderful it was that he had said within himself, “ I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and he knows that God forgave him.
The only true deliverance from guilt!
Sin can be forgiven. There is such a thing as false guilt. If you’re experiencing that, find out the truth and let it set you free. There are things that are not violations of God’s law; let the truth override that. But there are areas where we truly are guilty. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God and that the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ or Lord.
If we come to Him in the time He may be found, (when we still have breath, are still alive) and realize that we have sinned, we can come to a loving God, be forgiven, and reap all the benefits that were mentioned in Psalm 32.
A man was speaking to Doctor S.I. McMillen about his physical well-being. He began to tell the doctor about things that were going on. He told the doctor, “If people knew the things I have done, I would be in prison right now.” The doctor realized that he would not be able to fix this man’s problem with a pill. He spoke to his patient about Christ, and the man accepted Jesus as his Savior, and his physical ailments went away.
There is man’s way of trying to deal with guilt, and then there is God’s way. God sent His son to die on a cross for our sins. If we accept His Son, we enjoy all the rewards of forgiveness. This the true way to learn how to deal with guilt.
If you are not a Christian, realize that you are guilty before God, but accepting Jesus as Savior will erase that guilt with the shedding of His blood. Accept this free gift and call upon the Lord!
If you are a Christian, you may have come to a place in your life where you are experiencing true guilt, like Peter, who denied the Lord three times. He knew he was guilty. Jesus spoke to Peter and forgave him. Christian friend, if you have some guilt, the answer is the same; come to Jesus and confess your sins. The Bible says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Freedom is found only in Christ.
Aren’t you glad that your sin is forgiven, and covered, and removed and God will remember it against us no more?
This challenge is for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
I have a little box at my home. It has engraving on the top that reads, “Everything Men Know About Women”. When opened, the box is revealed to be empty.
Doris and Maurice
Doris and Maurice went to visit the doctor. Maurice was having some physical problems. They appeared to be very serious, and Maurice was wondering if he was going to survive. Doris went in to speak with the doctor, who began explaining that Maurice was overworked and extremely stressed. It was so bad, in fact, that Maurice may not make it! But, the doctor, said, there is hope. Eager to help her husband, Doris asked what could be done. The doctor said, “For the next six months, you must do these things daily, without fail. In the morning, greet him with a big kiss. Tell him good morning and wish him a good day. Then, go make him a nice breakfast. After breakfast, encourage him to go sit and relax. Throughout the day, don’t bother him with chores or problems around the house. In the evenings, prepare his favorite suppers. When he’s finished eating, guide him to the television, give him the remote, and encourage him to watch all the sports he wants. Do all this, and after six months, your husband will be fully recovered.” Sitting in the car after leaving the doctor’s office, Maurice asked Doris what the doctor had said. She looked at her husband and told him, “He said you’re going to die.”
Here, though, the shoe is on the other foot.
The Scriptures – Husbands Love Wives
John 15: 13 ~ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (NIV) Ephesians 5: 25-32 ~ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkles or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of His body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband.
For a Cause – Husbands Love Wives
I want to begin by saying that people are willing to give their lives for a cause. We’ve got military members all over our country who have given their lives for a cause.
In the Bible, there is the account of Ester. Haman came and told the king that some people who wouldn’t bow down, and wanted to have them executed. He was looking to exterminate the whole Nation of Israel. Ester was in the harem of the king, and her uncle Mordecai came to tell her of Haman’s plan. Even though the king had not sent for her in 30 days, Ester went to him, at great risk to herself. The king was merciful, and Ester saved her people.
Then there’s the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the town they lived, there was a huge statue. The people had been commanded to bow down and worship the statue whenever the music played. These three men refused. King Nebuchadnezzar asked if they would bow, and they said no. He asked if they thought their God would deliver them. Their response was, “We don’t know if He will or not, but we will not bow down.” So the furnace was heated. In his anger, the king ordered it to be heated 7 times hotter than usual. It was so hot that the ones who put the 3 men in died from the heat. While watching from a safe distance, the king looked into the furnace and saw FOUR men walking around inside. The fourth was the Son of God!
Daniel was told he could not pray to any other god other than the “official” god of the kingdom. Daniel didn’t change his ways, though. He still prayed, daily, to the true God. He didn’t do it in secret, but where anyone could see him. He, too, was brought before the king. He was thrown into a den of hungry lions. An angel came and shut the mouths of the lions. The next morning, the king approached the lions’ den and asked if Daniel’s God was able to save him. Daniel replied that He had, in the night, saved him from the lions jaws.
I recently saw an advertisement for a western film starring Audie Murphy. He was an actor, yes, but he was also one of the most decorated soldiers in World War II.
These stores all tell of people who were willing to die for a cause they believed in.
A Command for Husbands (and Wives)
In the passage in Ephesians, Jesus is speaking to husbands, telling them to love their wives as Christ loved the church. How much did He love the church? He died for it!
As husbands, this isn’t always an easy thing to do. It’s even more difficult when there isn’t encouragement coming from the other side. There’s a responsibility for the wife, also. The same passage in Ephesians says that a wife is to respect her husband. Sometimes, men will not do things in the home, but will drop everything to help the widow lady next door. The wife wonders why he would do that? It is possible that the neighbor is appreciative and thankful while the man receives no recognition in his own home.
The command is there regardless. Just like the command for the wife to respect her husband is there. Even if the husband doesn’t do what he’s supposed to, the command is still there.
The ultimate challenge is this: Husband, love your wife so much that you would die for her. Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That’s why we should do it.
Daily Decisions
We make daily decisions. Maybe you’ve been selfish in the past, and maybe you’ve failed. Don’t let past failures hinder you. Remember, every day you wake up is the first day of the rest of your life. The failures of yesterday are gone. It is a new opportunity to get it right. You can repent of past failures and make a decision to live for God.
Is your marriage not a cause worth fighting for? Some people may think that it would be better to “throw in the towel”.
I’m not a marriage counselor, although I sometimes preach about it and write about it like I’m doing here. I had a friend who came to me and said he and his wife were having some struggles and he wanted to come talk to me. I agreed to speak with them for a span of 6-8 weeks. I didn’t want it to go on endlessly. I His wife was close with my wife and would talk to her sometimes, as well. There were times when the wife was discouraged and talked of divorce. My wife told her that she didn’t realize the impact of what she was contemplating. The finances would suffer, the children would suffer, and they would both be lonely.
If you’ve been down this road and have gotten divorced, I’m not looking down on or judging you. You may have handled it better than I could have.
What I am saying is that your marriage is a cause worth fighting for! Even if the sides aren’t “even”. Wives, respect your husbands even if he doesn’t love you like he should. Husbands, be willing to lay down your life for your wives, even if she doesn’t respect you as she should.
We’ve heard stories about people who have seen a child in the path of an oncoming vehicle, and that person pushed the child to safety while losing their own life. That’s because they were willing to die for that child; that cause.
The time may come when we have to take a stand for religious freedom. Will we be willing to give our lives for that cause? How far would we be willing to go? Would we be willing to be put in jail? Throughout history, God’s people have taken a stand regardless of the consequences.
I pray that this will be a new challenge to each of us. Let the yesterdays of marriage be gone and make this the first day of the rest of your marriage. It is time to be willing to stand up and give your life for that cause.
Writing nonfiction eBooks can be a great way to get your writing career off the ground. It’s often easier and quicker than going the traditional route.
There are four main steps processes involved. The first is coming up with a general idea. Next is coming up with a more specific plan. After that, is the execution of the plan. Finally is the publishing step, and you have your end result.
The Big Idea
Having a general idea is all well and good. But an important aspect is finding out what, exactly, your readers are interested in. They want to know things related to what you are interested in. You’ll need to do a survey. Ask people what problems they have and need to be solved and what they are interested in. Then the trick is to discover what you want to write about, what you know about, and what they want to read about. Find the overlap, and you’ll have your idea. You can write your eBook on what you want to write about and also help people with what they want to read about.
The Plan
Now you move on to the plan You came up with the overall theme, or “big idea”, for your book. What is your book about, in a nutshell? You need to be able to state that in a paragraph or even one sentence.
Next, it’s time to come up with 10-21 working chapter titles. A few more than that is ok. Sometimes, if you start getting too many chapters, you can combine ideas.
Then you want to come up with chapter plans. This is very important. Come up with points for each chapter. Here’s a secret: It’s much easier to write an answer to questions. After coming up with 9-15 points for your chapter, turn those into questions. Then, for each question, give yourself little hints as to what you’re going to write as an answer to those questions. Lay that out for the whole book.
The Execution
Write daily. Figure out how many minutes a day you can write. Make it at least 30 minutes, up to 75 minutes a day. If you can write 75 minutes a day, you can complete a rough draft of a 20 chapter 200 page book in about 20 days. The key is to write daily. Another key is to write a fast rough draft. Power through and get your rough draft done quickly. Just write, and do the editing later. Some people do prefer to edit daily, which is fine, but it will take longer each day if you do it that way. Just make sure you write every day and complete your daily goals. Doing it this way, you’ll be able to complete a rough draft fairly quickly and move on to editing.
You are the best editor for your book because you are the most familiar with what you want to say. It does have some drawbacks when it comes to proofreading. When you are proofreading your own work, your mind knows what you want to say, so sometimes it will put in a word when it’s not actually there. So, edit your book after doing the first rough draft. If you have the money and the inclination, you can hire a professional editor to help.
Publishing – The End Result
After the idea, plan, and execution, we come to the final step, which is publishing. If you are writing an eBook, I recommend self-publishing. If you’re doing both an eBook and a print book, then you have other ways you can go. If you do that, you can go 4 different routes.
First is traditional publishing. You’ll need to compose a good query letter and book proposal. You would then send those off to prospective agents. Then the agent would find a publisher for your book.
The second route is self-publishing. Especially with eBooks, you can come up with a PDF file that you can sell from your website.
The third route is using Kindle Direct Publishing. I have no connection with them, other than the experience of having worked with them in the past. They will allow you to publish a print book around the same time that you publish your eBook.
Another possible route is a hybrid publisher. It has some of the best aspects of traditional and self-publishing. They will offer you additional services, which you would have to pay for. They may offer editing services, marketing services, or cover design.
You have the idea, you have the plan, and you have written the book. Now get it published. Since we’re talking about a non-fiction eBook, I recommend either self-publishing via a PDF file on your website, or through Kindle Direct Publishing. You would then have it listed on Amazon.com
This is the third in a four-part series on mistakes that Christian family members make, when dealing with one another, without realizing it. In the first part, I discussed the mistake of not knowing how fragile your family members are. You can read the first post and watch the video here.
The second post dealt with the importance of encouraging words. Read that here.
In this third post, I’ll talk about understanding how general attitudes of encouragement benefit the entire Christian community.
Building Up
Romans 15: 1-6 (MEV) We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak and not please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.3 For even Christ did not please Himself. But as it is written, “The insults of those who insulted You fell on Me.”[a]4 For whatever was previously written was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God of perseverance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I recently posted a blog about humility and how it can help a marriage. The edification, or “building up” can help a marriage as well. But it goes far beyond marriage and enters into our relationships with one another. Remember, marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (MEV) 11 He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service*, and for the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so we may no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, by craftiness with deceitful scheming. 15 But, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself, 16 from whom the whole body is joined together and connected by every joint and ligament, as every part effectively does its work and grows, building itself up in love.
*Other translations read, “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.” If you are a believer, you are a minister and a servant of Jesus!
Barnabas, Paul, and Mark
The Bible tells of a man named Barnabas. His name means “Son of Encouragement”. Christianity could be very different were it not for him. Saul (Paul after his conversion) was not a nice man! He persecuted Christians full-time. He got letters of authority permitting him to arrest and imprison them. When Stephen (the first Christian martyr) was being stoned to death, Saul didn’t even try to stop the mob. In fact, he offered to hold their garments so they could throw the stones more easily. Word quickly got around that he was not someone Christians wanted around.
Then, while on the road to Damascus, he met the living Christ! Saul became Paul and his life was changed. He was excited about his encounter and wanted to tell everyone about his newfound faith. But who would listen to him? His reputation preceded him.
He thought he could go to the apostles, and get their endorsement, and then the people would listen. But the apostles wouldn’t receive him. Then, the man named Barnabas heard Paul’s story and believed it. Then Barnabas took Paul before the apostles, and they listened to him and believed his story.
Paul went on to become one of the greatest preachers the world had seen. He planted churches and went on mission trips. On his first mission trip, Barnabas and his relative Mark accompanied him. Because of the difficulties they faced, Mark left the journey early. Paul resented him for it. When it came time to plan for the second missionary trip, Barnabas again wanted Mark to go. Paul would not allow it. It caused contention between the two and Paul and Barnabas ended up splitting. That’s when Silas came into the picture.
On the surface, that looked like a bad thing. However, what wound up happening is that the Gospel was spread even further! Near the end of his life, Paul asked for Mark to be sent to him. They were reconciled, and Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark; perhaps the first of the four Gospels. If that is the case, Matthew and Luke could have gotten much of their information from him. Their was no jealousy or plagiarism. It is, however, one way the Holy Spirit could have caused the working of the synoptic Gospels to have come about. The “synoptic” part (like synonyms) refers to these Gospels covering many of the same events – yet each presents a different emphasis. Mark may have been written first, and may have become the foundation for the other two. At any rate, Mark became a Gospel writer.
What would have happened if Barnabas had not encouraged these two men?
I challenge you to consider how your encouragement of others can have a far-reaching impact. Put the practice of encouragement into your own family today. Then spread it out to the rest of the people you come into contact with.
Thank you for reading. I hope you are enjoying this series. Part four is coming up shortly. Until then, check out other posts on Randys’ Blogs and remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Edification Mistakes Christian Family Members Make – Part 2
This is the second in a four-part series on mistakes that Christian family members make, when dealing with one another, without realizing it. In the first part, I discussed the mistake of not knowing how fragile your family members are. You can read that post and watch the video here.
Today, I will be talking about the power of encouraging words.
A Lasting Impact
There was once a teacher who was concerned about some problems going on in her class. She came up with an assignment.
She began by giving each student a list of the names of all their classmates. She instructed the students to write down one good thing about each one in the class. The students turned in their assignments the following day. The teacher then compiled all the good things the children had written about one another, and gave the list to the respective student. She then moved on with her normal lesson plans for the rest of the year. Several years passed, and the teacher hadn’t thought much about the lists. Then, one of those students was killed in the Viet Nam war. The teacher, along with several students from that class, attended the visitation.
While talking and remembering, it was said that, among the soldier’s belongings, was the letter from the classmates listing his good qualities.
Once that was revealed, one by one, the other former students began saying, “I still have mine.” One said, “I look at mine at least once a week.” Another smiled and opened his wallet, and removed a tattered and taped piece of paper, showing that he, too, still had the letter from so long ago.
The teacher’s actions that day so long ago had a lasting impact on those students. It was evident by how many of them held on to and cherished the letters and the words written on them.
We see the power of encouraging words in examples such as these.
At Home
As I’ve said in previous blogs, the one about humility, for example, (read it here) supportive words and actions can go a long way and have a deep and lasting impact on the recipient. Words have the power to build up or tear down.
I’m sure we’ve all seen a child light up when a parent, teacher, or coach, tells them they did well, or praises their attitude, or congratulates them on a newly mastered skill. The encouragement makes the child want to try even harder, or repeat the action, or get even better at the skill.
Adults are no different. We all need to hear that we’re appreciated for who we are and what we do. We all need the encouragement of those we love and are closest to.
Husbands need to hear from their wives that they are proud of them, how hard they work, and how well they lead the family.
Wives need to hear from their husbands that they are pleased with the work she does, both in and out of the home. Wives need to be encouraged that they are doing well with the children and running the home.
Children need to know that Mom and Dad are proud of them and their efforts to learn, grow and improve.
Children need to communicate to their parents that they’re appreciative of the time, money, and effort that is put into their well-being and upbringing.
Not Just Blood Family
While the main focus of these posts is on blood-related family members, it’s important to note another family relationship. For those of us who are believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ are our family as well.
Those family members need support and encouragement as well. It’s easy to grow weary while serving Christ. Especially these days when we are under attack from so many directions. Discouragement and frustration can easily creep in. Just as it’s important to encourage our spouses and children, it’s important to lift up and exhort our pastors, deacons, elders, and other fellow believers.
Everybody needs encouragement and support from those around them. It’s so important to understand the power of encouraging words.
Thank you for reading. Please check out my other blog posts at Randy’s Blogs and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
The importance of edification cannot be overemphasized.
Edification Mistakes Christian Family Members Make – Part 1
There are 4 mistakes that Christian family members make when dealing with one another. In the next several posts, I will be discussing what those mistakes are, and ways to avoid them. In this first installment, I will talk about the mistake of not knowing how fragile your family members are.
I’ve always been proud of the relationship that I have with my son, Rusty. Currently, he is serving as a missionary in Japan. Well, a few years ago, my wife and I took a trip to visit him and his family. While there, I had an opportunity to have a conversation with Rusty about an event he recalled from his past.
He was in school, and I was the assistant principal at the time. I had come into his classroom, and found that he had not completed his goals. He had gone as far as getting some of the school staff to support him, but I was going to override it because I knew what he was capable of accomplishing, and a different goal would have benefited him two weeks later.
I did not realize how damaging that was to him. Now, at that time, had he better explained to me what he was thinking, I feel like i would have understood and done what he asked. But what hurt me the most was that he didn’t feel like he could talk to me and explain. I had hurt my son, and I was oblivious!
Then, Rusty told that he recalled a time when he and my youngest daughter, Rita Beth were together, and she made what I interpreted to be a disrespectful comment. It concerned me because I felt I was responsible for her correction. I felt it was my fault.
Rusty left and went over to my mother’s house. I followed him a little later, and proceeded to speak to him and ti try to explain why I had corrected his sister. He looked at me and said, “It just feels like that sometimes you don’t respect us.”
Well, that floored me. I didn’t have anything to say. I just turned and walked away. During that same conversation I mentioned above, Rusty said that he remembered the look in my eyes after he said that, and how hurt I looked. He didn’t remember what he said, but he remembered the look of hurt.
Before we move on, I should point out that all of my children were generally very respectful, including these two.
Family members sometimes make mistakes like these and don’t even realize it.
What Children need from Their Parents
Children long for approval and love from their parents. We’ve all seen a young child yell, “Daddy, watch this!” or “Mommy, look what I can do!” From an early age, children seek out their parents’ approval. Many of their motivations early in life come from a desire to make Mom and Dad proud of them. Even as adults, they don’t outgrow that need for approval.
A basic human need is love. Children who are deprived of that love and closeness often have lifelong problems with relationships. It’s sometimes referred to as “attachment disorder”. That is defined as “a type of mood or behavioral disorder that affects a person’s ability to form and maintain relationships. These disorders typically develop in childhood. They can result when a child is unable to have a consistent emotional connection with a parent or primary caregiver”
So you see, a lack of a loving support system can have lifelong consequences.
What Husbands Need from Their Wives
I’m not sure that wives understand how important their admiration, respect, and encouragement are for their husbands. As men, we feel the need to provide for and take care of our families. The Bible commands that we do so! Big, showy, grand gestures aren’t always necessary to show your husband support and respect. I heard a story of a pastor and his wife. Every Sunday, while leaving the church, his wife would link her arm in his and say to him, “You’re a good man.” That was an encouragement to him.
What Wives Need from Their Husbands
Similarly, husbands aren’t always aware of the needs of their wives. Wives crave security, support, and encouragement from their husbands. Wives have a lot on their plates. Often, they work outside of the home. Many women are also responsible for the running of the household and care of the children. Knowing that their husbands are there and “have their back” is a source of great comfort.
What Parents Need from Their Children
Children, especially young ones, may not understand what their parents need from them. They may not know their parents need anything from them. But they do. Parents need to hear and see their children express gratitude for the things that they do for them. Parenting is a tough job, and it’s important to feel that what you’re doing matters and is appreciated.
Summing it all Up
So, within the family, everyone needs something from the other members. It’s a circular relationship. When everyone fills his or her role, the family can be happy, harmonious, and united.
In my next post, I’ll be discussing how important encouraging words can be. In the meantime, you can visit Randy’s Blogs for more about marriage and family relationships. You can also follow me on You Tube or Rumble.
