FaithWriters, April 2013
News and information for the Write-Brained Christian | |
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." - Proverbs 17:22
April 1st is known around the world as "April Fool's Day." Although not a national holiday, many people enjoy this lighthearted day that promotes practical jokes and laughter. For writers, this allows us a wonderful outlet for exercising our creativity in new ways. Of course, all pranks should be harmless and fun, not humiliating or hurtful.
God is the author of laughter, and the Bible greatly encourages joy and happiness. Laughing at ourselves is wonderful therapy ("medicine," as the verse above implies). In fact, the inability to laugh dries up the bones! I don't know about you, but dehydration does not appeal to me!
So what about you? Do you love to laugh? If so, take this opportunity to join in the fun of April Fool's Day. Not to make a fool out of someone else, but to lighten our spirits with a bit of laughter and fun.
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| | | | | | FAITHWRITERS CONFERENCE 2013
June 28 & 29 | | |
Timmy Boyle (above) and David Ian left are two of several speakers at this year's FaithWriters conference to be held in Portland, Oregon. Timmy is one of the fastest-rising stars of clean comedy, and David is an award-winning playwright. Both are ridiculously funny guys, so feel free to skip your sit-ups because your stomach is sure to get a good work out. |
| The conference focuses on nurturing the whole writer, and is guaranteed to offer great teaching, fellowship, and lots of laughs!
Registration is now open! One low rate includes Saturday morning breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack, all workshops, and options. Early Bird rates available, so be sure to register soon.
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| | | SHARE THE GOSPEL
WITH A DAILY DEVOTIONAL | | If you have a blog or a website, consider sharing the FaithWriters daily devotional with your readers. All devotionals are written by FaithWriters members and are automatically updated daily. These devotionals are currently shared in a multitude of online locations around the world, and we would love to increase this number, to share the gospel and provide even more exposure for FaithWriters members. Click on the link below to check out the current devotional, then copy and paste the code into your blog or website. There's no easier maintence free way to share the Word of God every day with your site visitors!
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| | CONTEST CORNER
Check it out... I Count Three Awesome Contests!
Don't let your FaithWriters membership be
like that gym membership you never used,
or the results will be the same.
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WEEKLY WRITING CHALLENGE
Congratulations to our first 2013 Quarterly Challenge winners! All guys this time around! The judges top pick from each level wins a $50 cash prize. Click on a name to read and comment on their winning entry.
Level 1 Beginner
The next Challenge quarter starts soon! For complete Challenge guidelines, and to read and comment on previous entries, visit the
TESTIMONY CONTEST
The Testimony contest is off to a great start! We've received several entries so far. If you haven't yet submitted yours, what are you waiting for? If you have a personal testimony of how you came to faith in Christ, how you kept the faith despite your circumstances, or any testimony that has inspired you, we'd love to hear it!
The deadline is July 20, 2013, and the prize package includes publication and royalty payment.
Entries for cover designs are also being accepted, which offers a $200 cash prize.
For complete details and to enter using the online entry form, click here:
TESTIMONY CONTEST
NEW BLOG CONTEST GOD SPEAKS SLATED TO START WITHIN A FEW DAYS of April 1st.
Make a note and check the blog contest link later this week.
Prizes include paid writing assignments for the
top two winners.
($150 for 1st place, $75
for 2nd)
First Place also receives additional
prizes valued by the sponsor at $500 to ramp up their Bible
study.
Plus posting on 100 Christian Blogs for
exposure.
Total value for First Place is $650 (you read that
right) plus the exposure.
WOW! All of this plus you
are promoting God's
Word.
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| | WORTH READING...
Please take a moment to read the following Challenge entry from 2005. This entry took first place in Level 3 for the topic of "Fragrance," and has since been read over 6,000 times! This is a beautiful and powerful piece.
AND GOD BREATHES by Ann Grover
An errant flake of snow drifts lazily in front of my eyes, and I try to focus on it, shifting my weight from one frozen foot to the other. There is no relief for my numb legs and my deadened mind.
The snow reminds me of Hanukkah. My thoughts wander.
The kitchen would be filled with the aromas of crisp golden potato latkes, apple sauce, and funny, lumpy sufganiyot, dredged in sugar and cinnamon. We laughed while we played the dreidel game, and each night, we lit another candle in the menorah. “Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, who has kept us alive...”
Mama, may I have another latke with sour cream?
The intense cold invades the warmth of my memories, and I reluctantly drift back to the present.
There will be no Hanukkah this year.
I see movement out of the corner of my eye. There is a louse crawling along the collar of the woman in front of me. I consider how her body is his universe, and he is the emperor of his domain. He might tunnel through the folds of her clothes, or hide in the thicket of her frayed hair. Maybe he would care to explore the bony ridges of her spine. I envy him his freedom. He disappears under the collar and then emerges further along on the edge of her shoulder.
Don’t fall!
“Achtung!” The daily roll call finally begins, and the numbers are called. I don’t turn my head to see who steps forward. We have already said our good-byes.
The soldiers prod the hesitant with their rifles and encourage the weak with the flats of their hands.
Shalom.
I am not called. I feel the terrible wrenching in my soul, of relief that it is not my turn and guilt that I am spared again. But, perhaps, today the draw is different. Maybe today’s chosen are tasting liberation, even now being led to the gates of freedom.
Is it too cruel to hope?
KEEP READING...
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| | | PRAISE REPORT!
280 people have accepted Jesus as Lord through the link on the FaithWriters site!
We have also added more links to helpful material on our evangelism site. One in particular is a Bible study for Muslims. While we do not know if these brief visitors who venture off into these other site links come to Christ, we will one day. Our job is to make answers readily available for any sincere seeker. We have links to material in over 150 languages, and our site with translations in over 50. This is done to accommodate visitors from over 200 countries.
Please continue to pray for those who are just beginning their walk with Christ, those who have recommitted their lives, and for FaithWriters.com visitors who are searching for the Truth.
We praise God for using the FaithWriters site and its members to touch hearts all over the globe!
Do you have a desire to work on an evangelism site that reaches around the world? If you have valuable content to add, and have decent experience with a drag-and-drop website builder like Weebly, contact Mike by replying to this emailed newsletter.
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| | | THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING FAITHWRITERS.COM!
WISHING YOU AN APRIL FRILLED WITH LOVE AND LOTS OF LAUGHTER! |
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