Beginning a New Project

The only thing more exciting than putting my latest book in the mail, which I did Friday, is starting the next one. Exciting and terrifying all at the same time. So much so that I'm hesitant to open a new document. Nothing more intimidating than a blinking cursor.

But at this moment I am terribly psyched. The only thing stopping me from opening that document is the desire to tell you first what has me so anxious to get started. Last week in church I got my new book. Okay, not the whole book. That would be insane. People say that all the time. "God gave me this book to write."

Yes, God puts goals and missions and projects in our hearts, but there is still plenty of blood, sweat, and tears that go into getting that message onto the page. If you don't believe me, you've probably never written a book.

Our pastor told us to turn to the 41st Psalm. When I turned to the 41st one, I read a few verses backward into Psalm 40. And there it was in black and white. Psalm 40:10. "I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation."

I have been looking for a storyline for a character I created in Book 3 of my Jenna's Creek series. I wasn't sure if it was God speaking to me through the sermon or if it was just me not paying attention. Then the pastor said something else that confirmed that verse was for me. Mind you, our sermon was not on verse 10.

The message was on patience taken from verses 1-3 of Psalm 40. The pastor misspoke when he sent us to Psalm 41. But if he hadn't sent us to 41, I might not have read as far into 40 to get to verse 10.

Are you getting any of this? Can you see why I'm excited about starting this book! Verse 3 of Psalm 40 even reconfirms what I got from verse 10 and the pastor's comment that confirmed verse 10.

Just because I believe God has laid this in my heart, doesn't mean I think God will do all the work. Far from it. But God has given me a nugget tonight--a germ of an idea and something to build Book 4 & 5 of the series on. Yes, I actually got the last two books of the series out of Psalm 40.

Thank you, Lord for your faithfulness and the calling You have laid in my heart. Let me be worthy to bring it to fruition.

Now, to open that blank document.

Teresa