Winner of THE RELUCTANT BURGLAR

By JILL NELSON is:

SHEILA MARKLEY!

CONGRATULATIONS, SHEILA!

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest. Next week watch for an interview with:

CAROLYN AARSEN.

Check back in a few days for my exciting story as the ACFW Genesis Winner!

I do ask for your prayers—my grandmother died yesterday. I’m traveling home to Louisiana on Wednesday for her funeral on Thursday.

From Athens to Corinth

How often do we agonize over an anticipated event only to find when the event has come and gone, we’ve wasted time imagining the worse?

That’s what Paul must have felt when he left Athens headed for Corinth. His experiences in Athens were not confidence boosting. They actually zapped his confidence. Few of the Athenians got Paul’s message. They only embraced the fact that this was another way to think. I’m sure the time alone traveling the distance between the two cities provided a lot of quiet time. Paul could have either wallowed in his low self-esteem or brought his concerns to Jesus. We see Paul’s different approach when he addresses the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 we see a Paul totally dependent on Jesus, one who is weak and trembling with fear.

If you’re a writer and the thought of the upcoming ACFW conference makes your knees shake and your palms sweat. Or if you’ve got a gut-wrenching decision you’re struggling with. Or if you’re battling a never-ending foe and are exhausted, remember Paul’s approach to Corinth. It was when he was at his weakest that God stepped in and used him to minister to the Corinthians. Here we see Paul as someone like us. Take heart, if God used a human like Paul with insecurities and self-doubt, he can use you the same way.

Pressing on.

Check out my new author interview with Jill Nelson author of Reluctant Burglar
www.marianmerritt.com

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