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February
21, 2007
(Remember – EVENING meeting this Thursday – the 22nd!)
"I,
the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your
hand..."
--Isaiah
42:6
Some Godly Reassurance
Most of us enjoy our independence. We like doing what we want when
we want to do it. Remember your first dorm or apartment? Put something
down on the counter, and wonder of wonders, there it stayed. No one
borrowed or took it. No in-house neatnik tucked it away somewhere. It
was nice for a while.
Sometimes we act like we're independent believers...reasoning,
"I don't need to bother asking God for this when I'm perfectly
capable of doing it myself." So we stop asking Him for the small
things. Trusting in ourselves instead. In our own abilities to
provide what is needed. Now, that's when we're in the biggest trouble.
When the big things cast a shadow over our lives, we've already
forgotten WHO to turn to. And those big things are scary.
Funny, when we're frightened, we don't value independence quite as
much. We want to be reassured and helped. To feel safe and
secure--dependent!
When He holds out His hand, those who are wise, reach out for it
and never let go. Those who are wise depend on God...for big things, small
things and everything! And those who are truly wise realize that they are
totally, gloriously dependent on God.
Blessings,
Linda
P. Kozar
Co-Founder/Director
Words For The Journey
Christian Writers Guild
Southeast Texas Region
zarcom1@aol.com
www.wordsforthejourney.org
http://cupofblogg.blogspot.com/
"...because
a friend of mine on a journey
has come to me..." Luke 11:6
News du Jour
THIS WEEK-------is our evening meeting. Thursday,
February 22nd, from
7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, homegirl Marian Merritt, ACFW 2006
Genesis Award winner will share her insights on "Why We
Write/The Value of Entering Writing Contests."
Jeanette Sharp attended the Writing for the Soul Conference, Feb. 15-18th in
Colorado Springs, CO. We can't wait for her to share some tasty writing
tidbits with us next week!!!
Upcoming
Conferences:
Colorado
Christian Writers Conference ~ May 16-19, 2007
http://www.writehisanswer.com/
Who's
attending: Sharen Watson, Kathleen Y'Barbo,
Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference ~ May 20-25, 2007
May
20-25th, 2007 LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference
Center near Asheville, NC
* www.lifeway.com/christianwriters
or on www.yvonnelehman.com
Who's
attending: Donn
Taylor (He's teaching!), Linda Kozar, Charlotte Holt, Robin Tompkins,
Teague Cuddeback?
Greater Philly
Christian Writers Conference ~ August 9-11, 2007
http://www.writehisanswer.com/
Inspirational
Writers Alive (IWA) Conference ~ August 4th, 2007
DiAnn
Mills is the keynote speaker: Sally Stuart, Lena Nelson Dooley, Kathy Ide,
and Terry Whalin, as well as single workshops by Anita Higman, Janice
Thompson, and Kathleen Y’Barbo. Registration forms will be available in
March.
Inspirational Writers Alive! Open Writing Competition is accepting
submissions. Email Martha Rogers at marthalrogers@sbcglobal.net
for a registration from and guidelines.
American
Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) ~ Sept. 20-23, 2007The
2007 conference will be held in Dallas, Texas, with keynote speaker
James Scott Bell. http://www.acfw.com/conference/
Who's
attending: Linda Kozar, Janice Thompson, Kathleen Y'Barbo, DiAnn
Mills
Blog Nook ADD
YOURS TODAY!!!
Laura Domino www.lauradomino.blogspot.com
Lena Nelson Dooley
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
Deeanne Gist http://www.deeannegist.com/blog/
Linda Kozar http://cupofblogg.blogspot.com/
Denise McEwen http://thelighterwriter.blogspot.com/
Marian Merritt http://marianmerritt.blogspot.com/
Cathy Messacar http://www.stainedglasspickup.blogspot.com/
Janetta Messmer
http://nettie-fudges-world.blogspot.com
DiAnn Mills
http://www.diannmills.com/blog/
Mignon Murrell http://mignonmurrell.blogspot.com/
Paula Moldenhauer www.gracereign.blogspot.com
Martha Rogers http://www.marthawrogers.com
Janice Thompson
http://booksbyjanice.blogspot.com/
Heather Diane Tipton http://heatherdianetipton.blogspot.com/
Want to list your
blog address here? You don't have to be a member to add one! Send me an
email (zarcom1@aol.com) with yours and I will gladly add it to our
nook.
Brags and Drags:
Send
in announcements of your hits and misses, success and failure, contracts
and rejections, champagne or flat soda moments! Let's have a group hug!
I
know a lot of us are writing like mad right now. Hopefully, we'll have
more brags and drags soon!
Writing Contests:
Family
Circle Magazine: Here's a short story contest thru Family Circle
Magazine
http://www.familycirclemagazine.com/
La
Belle Lettre:Romance with a May 1 deadline and Children's Story also with a May
1deadline. Entry fee is $6.00. Awards are: 1st-$150, 2nd-$75, and 3rd-$50,
plus each winning entry receives a detailed critique, as do three
Honorable Mentions and three submissions drawn at random. Complete
guidelines can be found at: http://www.labellelettre.com/
La Belle Lettre was founded out of our passion for the literary arts and
we are dedicated to helping authors build bridges to success. We sponsor
four contests per year. The August 1 and November 1 contests will be short
story with an open theme and open genre. Many Blessings for success in
writing! Mary Stone, Director
ACFW NEWS: THE 2007 GENESIS CONTEST IS
OPEN!
FOR MORE INFO, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE: http://www.acfw.com/genesis/
OUR OWN MARIAN MERRITT ENTERED LAST
YEAR...AND WON.
Ambassador Communications Inc., the
home of Christian screenwriting and the Christian Screenwriters’
Newsletter, invites you to enter the 1st Annual Faith and Values
Screenwriting Competition, honoring the best in faith-based TV Series
Pilots and Feature Length Screenplays. In addition to monetary prizes, we
have prizes from great sponsors like http://www.deepfeedback.com/,
http://www.scriptcopier.com/,
http://www.hollywoodlitsales.com/,
http://www.soyouwannasellascript.com/,
and http://www.faithwriters.com/.
The winning scripts will be considered
for representation by a WGA agent and will be read by Fox Faith and ten
other faith-based production companies. To enter the contest, please log
on to http://www.ambassadorcommunications.biz/faithandvalues.html or
email info@ambassadorcommunications.biz or call 204-292-4095.
Writing Ops:
MOVING TALES
is a WIP book Linda Kozar is writing about the wacky
experiences people have selling, moving in and out of homes,
apartments, townhomes and dorms. Everyone has a humorous story
about moving. We all pick up, pack up and head out to a new house,
different state or address--sometimes settle halfway around the world! I'm
serious about getting this book published and want YOU to tell your story.
zarcom1@aol.com If accepted, you will receive $20,
a byline and a free copy of the book with options to buy extra discounted
copies. 500-1500 words.
Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lovers Soul
and Chicken Soup for the Tea Lovers Soul (the two books I'm
currently working on for Chicken Soup) will not be published until October
2007. Final deadline for stories is March 31, 2007. Contributors
will not be notified until next May if their stories make the final
selection. You may send your story directly to me at patricialorenz@juno.com
or to the e-mail address in the www.chickensoup.com
website. We're also doing books for wine and coffee at the same time too,
but Theresa Peluso at Health Communications Inc. (Chicken Soup's
publishers) is doing those and collecting stories for them. Her e-mail
address is teri@hcibookspub.com. Feel free to send your chocolate and
tea stories to me directly for special handling.
Prayer and Praise
Nook Isaiah
55:4-5 4
Maria
Skinner: Her
husband, David tested negative. He's cancer-free. Praise God!
Marian
Merritt: Hurt
her knee, pray that God will heal it without surgery.
Donn
Taylor: Please
continue to pray for his wonderful wife, Mildred--that she will
be completely healed of cancer.
Linda
Kozar: Her
mother is facing the possibility of serious surgery for spinal stenosis.
She's coming from out of town to visit a specialist here in Houston.
Please pray for a miraculous healing.
Ambassador Communications Inc., the
home of Christian screenwriting and the Christian Screenwriters’
Newsletter, invites you to enter the 1st Annual Faith and Values
Screenwriting Competition, honoring the best in faith-based TV Series
Pilots and Feature Length Screenplays. In addition to monetary prizes, we
have prizes from great sponsors like http://www.deepfeedback.com/,
http://www.scriptcopier.com/,
http://www.hollywoodlitsales.com/,
http://www.soyouwannasellascript.com/,
and http://www.faithwriters.com/.
The winning scripts will be considered
for representation by a WGA agent and will be read by Fox Faith and ten
other faith-based production companies. To enter the contest, please log
on to http://www.ambassadorcommunications.biz/faithandvalues.html or
email info@ambassadorcommunications.biz or call 204-292-4095.
Writing Ops:
MOVING TALES
is a WIP book Linda Kozar is writing about the wacky
experiences people have selling, moving in and out of homes,
apartments, townhomes and dorms. Everyone has a humorous story
about moving. We all pick up, pack up and head out to a new house,
different state or address--sometimes settle halfway around the world! I'm
serious about getting this book published and want YOU to tell your story.
zarcom1@aol.com If accepted, you will receive $20,
a byline and a free copy of the book with options to buy extra discounted
copies. 500-1500 words.
Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lovers Soul
and Chicken Soup for the Tea Lovers Soul (the two books I'm
currently working on for Chicken Soup) will not be published until October
2007. Final deadline for stories is March 31, 2007. Contributors
will not be notified until next May if their stories make the final
selection. You may send your story directly to me at patricialorenz@juno.com
or to the e-mail address in the www.chickensoup.com
website. We're also doing books for wine and coffee at the same time too,
but Theresa Peluso at Health Communications Inc. (Chicken Soup's
publishers) is doing those and collecting stories for them. Her e-mail
address is teri@hcibookspub.com. Feel free to send your chocolate and
tea stories to me directly for special handling.
Prayer and Praise
Nook Isaiah
55:4-5 4
Maria
Skinner: Her
husband, David tested negative. He's cancer-free. Praise God!
Marian
Merritt: Hurt
her knee, pray that God will heal it without surgery.
Donn
Taylor: Please
continue to pray for his wonderful wife, Mildred--that she will
be completely healed of cancer.
Linda
Kozar: Her
mother is facing the possibility of serious surgery for spinal stenosis.
She's coming from out of town to visit a specialist here in Houston.
Please pray for a miraculous healing.
BIRTHDAY
Blessings to our February Journeyers:
February
9th--Mignon
Murrell... 12th--Vicki
Nelson... 16th--Donn
Taylor... 26th--Linda
Bauer--Marian Merritt
Critiki
Hut
SEND
YOUR THURSDAY CRITIQUES IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE QUEUE.
If
you're bringing a critique, you must first send it in the body of an
email, (no attachments please) to zarcom1@aol.com. Once you hear from
us, please be sure to bring eight to ten copies, double-spaced and no
longer than four pages to the next meeting. If
you have any questions please call Linda Kozar at 281-362-1791.
CRITIQUE
GROUPS...JOIN ONE
NOW!
The Royal Scribes: Linda
Kozar-Mignon Murrell-Marian Merritt
Crit
Critters: (Online Group): Linda
Kozar- Charlotte Holt- Drenda Thomas-Janice Freel- Dee Smith- Denise
McEwen- Diana Hughes- Jeanette Sharp--Kathy Burnett
Upcoming
Special Event Speakers:
Besides
our regular day meetings, once a month Words For The Journey
meets at Barnes and Noble from 7:00-9:00 p.m. to enjoy aromatic coffee and
treats--oh, and GREAT SPEAKERS TOO!
Some
of our past speakers...Reshonda
Tate Billingsley, Britta Coleman, Lynn Coleman, Lena Nelson Dooley,
Deeanne Gist, Anita Higman, Wayne Holmes, Charlotte Holt, Kathy Ide, Derek
Jackson, Marian Merritt, Cathy Messecar, DiAnn Mills, Jerry Rassamni,
Martha Rogers, Donn Taylor, Janice Thompson, Nancy Williams and Kathleen
Miller Y'Barbo.
2007
Thursday,
February 22nd, from 7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, homegirl Marian
Merritt, ACFW 2006 Genesis Award winner will share her
insights on "Why We Write/The Value of Entering Writing
Contests."
Thursday,
March 29th,
from 7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, our own Janice
Thompson, amazing author/speaker and one cool chick, will offer
the how-to's on "Writing a Cozy Mystery." A book signing of
her latest cozy mystery, The Wedding Caper will follow.
Thursday,
May 24th from 7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Kathleen Miller
Y'Barbo will entertain and inform us on a great topic TBA. Two of
her new releases (coming out that month) are Sugar and Grits (with
Janice Thompson, Martha Rogers, and DiAnn Mills) and Louisiana
Weddings, a collection of three of her Bayou novels bound together.
Thursday,
June 28th, from 7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Love Inspired
author/speaker Debra Clopton, will
share and unveil her latest (June release). A book signing will
follow. Topic TBA.
GET
READY FOR A DYNAMIC DUO OF SPEAKERS!!!
Friday,
August 3rd,
INSTEAD OF THE USUAL THURSDAY MEETING, AN Extra
Special Evening,
7:00-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, with Lena Nelson Dooley,
multi-published author, (current releases are Windswept Weddings, The
Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner and Carolina Carpenter
Brides) and Kathy Ide, Author/Editor/Speaker. A book
signing will follow the speaking engagement.
Thursday, September 27th
from 7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Julie Johnston
Zick, Speaker/Writer/Singer. Topic TBA. A book signing will
follow.
Thursday, November
8th from
7-9:00 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Cathy Messecar will
speak on a topic TBA.
Openings
are filling up fast! There are only three left for 2007 speakers:
(April 26th--tentatively scheduled), July 26th, October 25th.
Our
Staff:
Linda
P. Kozar, Co-Founder/Director
Janetta
Messmer, Assistant Director
Pat
Coogan, Co-Founder/Creative Coordinator
Mitzi
Curtis, Special Activities Coordinator
Alta
Goodnight, Membership Director
Words For The Journey
Words
of longing
and
of hope,
Words
to live by
and
to cope,
Words
on paper
Heaven's
prose,
Words
that reach
where
no one goes,
Words
of wisdom
and
of love,
Words
of blessing
from
above,
Words
of forgiveness,
Words
of grace,
Words
for the journey
to
this place.
Copyright © 2004 by Linda Kozar
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