new home

I have moved to blogger, so be sure to update your links! 

http://www.amberhillwrites.com/

getting started part 2

* I have answered ‘When did you start writing?’ on Will Write for Food.

* Instead of taking the free lulu class on book signing, I went to dinner with my mom.  However, I do have plans on taking a class on marketing in the future.

getting started

* I have answered the first installment of a new question on Will Write for Food.

* The ISBN should be on the cover in a couple weeks.

* On Monday I’m participating in a webinar on book signing; I’m not sure how relevant it is to me.  It’s mostly a trial to see if I want to participate in the other classes Lulu has to offer.

you do what?!

* I’m starting to answer my FAQ at Will Write for Food.  Check out my answer to the first question ‘You do what?!’  Don’t forget to come back each week for a new question and answer.

* The new coupon code is VACATION; details are at the bottom of this page.  Don’t forget that there’s free shipping all summer on orders of $19.95 or more.  Why not get a copy of my book and my friend’s book?  You won’t regret it!

* The ISBN is getting put on the cover, so I’ll have some updates regarding the latest edition ASAP.

websites

amberhillwrites.com is undergoing a few changes.  I am now moving my news updates to the blog page.  Since I’m usually busy writing other things, I probably won’t blog here anymore.  If that’s why you came here, you can go to little.amberguesa where I blog once a week about food, hiking, music, books, etc.  BUT I don’t want you to stop coming here!  There’s always something new going on.

I will soon be devoting a entire page to writing.  Over the past several years I have been asked 34.67 (I would say hundreds, but I haven’t kept track and don’t want to estimate too high) questions on the writing process. 

I am doing final edits on Ruth to get my ISBN.

I have also started writing a new study.

proactive vs. reactive

During part of seminary, I worked at a church in the college ministry.  I look back on so much that experience with such thankfulness and joy.  While sitting down here to write about stress, one of those great learning moments came to mind.  The pastor I worked for read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People at some point in his life, and he was often reminding us (the college ministry staff) to plan to live in the first quadrant.  I haven’t read the book myself, and threw away my worksheet explaining the quandrants, but I think about the first quadrant every-once-in-awhile.  During that time in my life, it was easy to live in the first quadrant.  I had a very predictable schedule and had only a couple circles of friends to interact with on a weekly basis.  My life is completely different now.  My schedule is always different, I have so many people to keep up with or that I want to spend time with, and I want to accomplish so much with my time and effort.

The last time I wrote a post here, I had mentioned the desire to simplify my life.  I think that simplifying is a good desire but more difficult than learning how to effectively deal with the stress of life.  (Actually, that’s just as difficult but more practical.) 

So much can happen in ten minutes….I’m laughing at myself because I have lost my train of thought regarding the purpose of this post.  It’s indicative of my life lately.  Yesterday’s icing on the cake was cutting out the wrong coupons for Walmart…and leaving my phone and glasses at home.  All of those things are typical for me even under different circumstances, but while the Lord used those forgetful moments to show me a few things while I was at Walmart (always a great place to be praying).  When I am stressed out, resisting or adjusting to change, and feeling a lack of control, my behavior and decisions are reactive instead of proactive.  I allow my flesh to take over instead of pursuing godliness.

I spent quite a bit of time in November reading scripture about our sin nature vs. walking in the Spirit.  [Galatians is a great book for further reading.]  I want to be a woman who fears the Lord, so I must sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh.  And it’s not even about setting my priorities…it’s about drawing near to the Lord.  I cannot begin to do this life on my own when there is One greater who can.

It’s been awhile since I’ve said anything to you.  It hasn’t been on purpose.  I began telling you the things I was learning at least twice a week.  Then it dwindled to once a month.  Now it’s every couple of months.  I always make these big plans to do lots of things–too many things.

Whenever I read a book, I usually visit the website of the author.  I’m always frustrated when they have a blog and they don’t update very often.  Here I am doing the same thing.

Over the summer I decided I needed to simplify my life.  Whenever I have this notion (this wasn’t the first), I have maybe one week without stress.  I always end up filling up with something else the space that I emptied.

If you have a solution for this, let me know what it is.

music through the eyes of faith

I had plans of writing a great book review for you regarding Music Through the Eyes of Faith by Harold Best.  However, I have become overwhelmed in other reading and research that has a bit higher priority at the moment.  I like things short and sweet anyway, so this works out for me and hopefully for you!

Music Through the Eyes of Faith is a fairly easy read.  I think it would be enjoyable to people who love listening to music.  I would also consider this an essential read for Christian musicians (and not limited to worship leaders).

While Harold Best discusses worship, he does not limit Music Through the Eyes of Faith to the facets of Christian music.  Instead, he approaches music as a specific entity of different cultures and then moves into a discussion of how styles of music can be used for God’s glory.   For musicians he writes about the need for good stewardship in talent and attitude.   

So…go check it out.  It’s good.  It’s worth it.

dangling carrots

Have you ever seen a cartoon where an animal (usually a donkey) has a carrot dangling in front of its eyes to move it along?  As a child, I solemnly believed that the animal would get it until I saw that some type of trickster was involved.  Sometimes I feel like the same thing is happening to me…a carrot is dangling in front of my eyes.  No matter how far along I go, it’s still there taunting me to go just a little farther before I can get my reward.  I look around and everyone else is already eating their carrots–sliced, diced, raw, baked, steamed, glazed…but mine is just dangling.

One psalmist felt the same way.  Here is Psalm 73 from the ESV. 

Truly God is good to Israel,to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.  They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.  And they say, How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.  All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.  For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.

If I had said, I will speak thus, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.  Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.  How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,  I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.  Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.  But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

I think we are all guilty of allowing carrots to be dangled in front of our eyes.  We compare ourselves to others or allow others to dictate our needs and wants.  We even allow our God-given desires to be dangled in front of our eyes. 

When the psalmist entered the Lord’s sanctuary, his perspective was completely changed.  He saw God’s goodness for what it really is.  God is not a trickster dangling carrots in front of our eyes (even though it may seem that way at times).  He wants us to desire Him above all else.  

This is one of the psalms I think upon often.  It’s hard not to compare myself to others.  My task does become wearisome when it seems that others around me are prospering and it seems as if all I’ve done has been in vain.  But I move forward anyway…redirecting my perspective in the Lord’s sanctuary, writing His words on my heart, knowing and believing God that He is the only God and there is no one before Him.

Post-thoughts on WorshipGod09

That’s right…I’m still talking about it.  I secretly blame it on jury duty and being sick, but I think I would still be talking about it even if those things hadn’t happened in between. 

I have been gently reminded each day to draw near to the Lord.  The worship conference just happened to coincide with me trying to simplify many things in my life.  It takes a lot of discipline and a lot reminding myself why I want to do half of what I do.  I want to glorify the Lord.  I want to live my life being able to accept my imperfection, yet confident that I am being sanctified through the Holy Spirit. 

Just in case you didn’t read it in the last post…here’s Psalm 73:23-28.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand. 

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory. 

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 

But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.