How Has Cecil Murphey's Writing Touched Your Life?

Some writers touch more people than they'll ever know...

I've been so encouraged by Cec's teaching and speaking on more than one occasion. He has a dear heart for God, and a passion for writers. So I thought it would be fun to take the time to encourage Cec!

If you're a reader and you've read a book by Cecil Murphey, comment below and tell us which book you read and what stands out for you from that book. Or if you're a writer and you've heard Cec speak at a writers conference, read his advice on a blog, or been encouraged by him in any other way, tell us about that experience.

I'll forward a link to Cec so he can read our comments as well.

Comments on this and the other blog entries about Cec are eligibe for the drawing to have one blogger's name entered into a drawing sponsored by Cec's publicist for a gift pack including "When God Turned Off the Lights."

Guest Blog by Cec Murphey

What to Do When the Lights Go Out

by Cec Murphey

If you sincerely desire to follow Jesus Christ, life won't always be easy. Many times the Bible promises victory, and you may need to remind yourself that there can be no victory without struggling and overcoming obstacles.

In my book, I used the image of God turning out the lights because that was how I perceived the situation. I felt as if I walked in darkness for 18 months. We all interact differently with God, and my experience won't be the same as yours. Even so, most serious Christians have times when God seems to turn away or stops listening. And we feel alone.

Perhaps it's like the time the Israelites cried out to God for many years because of the Egyptian oppression. "God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise...and knew it was time to act" (Exodus 2:24 NLT). God hadn't forgotten, of course, but from their perspective, that's how it must have seemed. It may seem like that to you if you're going through your own form of darkness.

Here are a few suggestions to help you:

1. Ask God this simple question: "Have I knocked out the lights by my failures? Have I sinned against you? After you ask the question, listen. Give God the opportunity to speak to you.

2. Don't see this as divine punishment (unless God shows you it is), but consider the silence an act of divine love to move you forward. This is God's method to teach you and stretch you.

3. Avoid asking why. You don't need reasons and explanations--and you probably won't get them anyway. Instead, remind yourself that this temporary darkness is to prepare you for greater light.

4. Say as little as possible to your friends. Most friends will want to "fix" you or heal you and they can't. They may offer advice (often not helpful) or make you feel worse ("Are you sure everything is right between you and God?").

5. Stay with the "means of grace." That is, don't neglect worship with other believers even if you feel empty. Read your Bible even if you can't find anything meaningful.

I chose to read Lamentations and Psalms (several times, especially Lamentations) because they expressed some of the pain and despair I felt.

6. If you don't have a daily prayer time, start one. Perhaps something as short as three minutes--and do it daily. Talk honestly to God. It's all right to get angry. (Read the Psalms if you're hesitant.)

7. Remind yourself, "I am in God's hands. This is where I belong and I'll stay in the blackout until I'm ready to move forward."

8. Pray these words daily: "But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults" (Psalm 19:12 TNIV). Some versions say "secret sins." These are failures and sins of which you may not yet be aware. One of the purposes of your darkness may be to bring those hidden problems to light.

9. Ask God, "What do you want me to learn from this experience?" You may not get an answer, but it's still a good question. Continue to ask--even after the lights go back on again. If you're open, you will learn more about yourself and also about God.

10. As you receive "light" about yourself while walking in darkness, remind yourself, God has always known and still loves me.

________________________________________________________________

Comment on this thread and you could qualify for the drawing for a gift basket from Cec's publicist. One blog reader/commenter will be randomly chosen and entered into the drawing on October 22.

Cec Murphey's

When God Turns Off the Lights Blog Tour Gift Basket.

Gift Basket Includes:

When God Turned Off the Lights

1 Book Light

1 LED Nightlight

1 LED Flashlight

Select Dark Chocolate

New Book from Cec Murphey

Today, I'm featuring a new book by Cecil Murphy. I just received my copy in the mail and I can't wait to read it! I'll be giving a copy away in November when I post the review, but in the meantime, you have another opportunity to be entered win a copy and a gift package by commenting on one of the my blog entries from now until October 22. On that day, I'll send the name of one blog reader to Cec's publicist and your name will be entered into the drawing.

Michelle

When God Turned Off the Lights

Author Cec Murphey

About the Author: Award-winning writer Cecil Murphey is the author or co-author of more than 100 books, including the "New York Times" bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). He's also the author of When Someone You Love Has Cancer and Christmas Miracles, both 2009 releases. Murphey's books have sold millions and have brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.

Is it possible that God would use a time of spiritual loneliness and isolation in our life as an answer to our prayer for "something more?" That's what happened with best-selling author Cecil Murphey. In When God Turned Off the Lights (Regal, September 2009), he openly shares from his journey that seemed to be stalled in darkness.

Murphey decided to write about his months of seeking God in the darkness because he suspected his situation wasn't unique. "If this happened to me, a rather ordinary believer, surely there are others out there who have wept in the isolated blackness of night and wondered if they would ever see God's smile again."

Murphey could have handled this topic as a theologian and given pages of heavy, hard-to-read advice, but he chose to write from his heart and expose it for the readers to see. He talks honestly and shares his skepticism and frustration. He asks hard questions. And he lays out the steps of healing that brought him back to the light.

When God Turned Off the Lights is a book for those of us who ask, "What's wrong with me? Why are others living in the sunlight while nothing but dark clouds and darkness envelop me?" Readers will learn:

• Why God turns off the lights
• Why we have to have dark nights
• Why asking "why" isn't the right question
• What's worse than going through the darkness
• How to feel worthwhile and accepted by God

Each chapter of When God Turned Off the Lights ends with an inspirational personal quote from Cec. Here's a sampling:

• Although it may seem as if God is asleep when we go through deep darkness, could it be that God is most watchful in the moments of our despair?
• Could it be that moving from why to what might take us one more step closer to the light?
• Our task is to hang on. We wait until God takes us off hold and deals directly with us again.
• God's provision is based on unconditional love - not on my faithfulness.

Book Review - Rhythms of Renewal

This week, I'll be reviewing several books that I've recently read as well as introducing you to several authors. Remember that you have just 2 more days to comment on a September blog entry to have your name entered into the monthly drawing.

Book Review: Rhythms of Renewal
Author, Letitia Suk

Review by Michelle Rayburn

Have you ever felt like you could use a makeover? Not a beauty makeover, but a life makeover—an inside out radical change? In Rhythms of Renewal, author Leditia Suk offers a plan for renewing and an opportunity to make lasting changes in your life. She focuses on cleaning out soul clutter and repentance, finding a peaceful place of restoration, establishing a plan for reflecting on life goals and dreaming about the future, as well as creating rituals that increase life enjoyment. Suk also offers tips for reordering the home in ways that inspire and she teaches the reader how to rest and enjoy recreation.

Suk’s ideas aren’t random. She draws from personal experience as well as from the input of seven women in different seasons of life. At the end of each chapter, a section titled “The Small Group Speaks” offers a glimpse into the lives of these women and provides a can-do motivation for the reader. The author has put this book together thoughtfully, allowing the reader to respond with questions for reflection at the end of each chapter as well as a “Rituals of Renewal” section that prompts an action from the reader in journaling, prayer, and other suggested actions for applying the material to life.

Rhythms of Renewal would be just another self-help book were it not for the thread that sews all of the areas of focus together. Suk has woven each idea with a spiritual thread that provides the framework for change and renewal. Through scripture inspiration, glimpses into the character of God, and rock solid lessons on repentance and spiritual restoration, the reader clearly sees that without restoration within the soul, there is no renewal at all.

With fewer than 100 pages, even busy women will be able to fit reading this book into their schedules and get on their way towards discovering how to slow down and renew. In addition to writing many articles, the author is a personal life coach helping women find balance in every season of life, as well as a retreat speaker and a part-time chaplain at a local hospital.

To find out more about the author, see her website at www.LetitiaSuk.com.

New Trash to Treasure Web Page

Just Launched - TrashToTreasureDecorating.com

I've started a new website dedicated to trash to treasure decorating. Each week, I'll feature decorating ideas and pictures and sometimes I'll post links to resources on the web. I'm also looking for reader ideas. See the site for how to submit your ideas.

Reminder- Comment on any September blog entry and qualify to enter the drawing for a free book. Winner announced September 30, 2009.

Tips for Advanced Blogging

Importing and Labeling on Your Blog

I've discovered some valuable Blogger features that you may want to try out on your own blog, so periodically, I'm posting a few blog tutorials. I'm showcasing two easy features this week. First, I found out how easy it is to import older posts from other blogs. Let's say you started a free Blogger blog but later you changed the name and layout and you started a brand new blog. You can easily export the old blog to your computer and then import that same file. Options are flexible as you can publish all old entries at once, or choose one at a time for publishing. I've now merged an older blog with Faith, Creativity, Life and I can delete the old one. Here's how I did it:

1. Log into the dashboard of your old blog.
   
2. Click "settings" and then click on "export blog"
3. Click on "download blog" and save it to a location on your computer.
4. Now, log into the dashboard of your new blog.
5. Click "settings" and then click on "import blog"
6. Click on "browse" and then locate the file that you saved on your computer.
   
7. If you'd like all the posts automatically posted right away. Otherwise leave that box unchecked and click "import blog".
   
8. Once the blog is imported, you can select which posts you'd like to publish if you didn't do them all automatically upon importing.
   

You've now merged 2 blogs.

The second feature I discovered is labeling of posts. At the bottom of each new entry, you can enter labels for a post. Why is this helpful? Let's imagine you want your readers to find your posts based on topic, not on date or month. By choosing a consistent system of labeling each post and by adding a labeling gadget to your layout, your readers will quickly navigate through your topics. Here's a quick labeling tutorial:

1. Log into your Blogger dashboard.
   
2. Click on "layout"
3. Click on "add a gadget" and then scroll down to the "labels" gadget.
4. Click the plus sign next to the gadget.
   
5. Now you can edit the gadget before you add it. It will say "labels" by default in the title, but you can name it anything you'd like. Try "Topical Index" or "Browse by Subject" or another name you prefer.
6. Now, save the gadget and the program takes you back to the layout part of the dashboard. You can drag elements or gadgets around on the layout to reorder and put them wherever you'd like. By default, it adds the newest one to the top.
   

That's all there is to it! Next time you post an entry, you can add a label, or even add a couple of labels to the post to increase cross-referencing on your blog. For an example of how the labeling works, see my brand new www.TrashToTreasureDecorating.com site. I'm also going back and adding some labels to old posts on Faith Creativity Life very soon!

Happy blogging!

Finding Your Way as a Blog Reader

I've been thinking about some things that I take for granted. One is how to click my way through a blog page or website. It's something that is as comfortable for me as switching on a light or opening the fridge to get a glass of milk. But for some, this foreign world of cyberspace is overwhelming. So today, I decided to give a little tutorial on how to leave comments on a blog. Many use this same process, but some might have a few different steps. Here's a step by step for you to print and save near your computer if needed.

1. Click on the word “comments” below a post. Sometimes it says “0 Comments” or it will say “2 Comments”. Then a box opens for typing your comments. Go ahead and type away!
2. The next step is identifying your post as yours. You can post as anonymous, but many bloggers have drawings and contests, so you'll want some name that identifies you. It doesn't have to be your full name if you don't want to share it. In Blogger, there is a drop-down menu by the words “Comment as:” and a box that says “select profile”. The menu gives options if you already have an account with Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM, etc. But you’ll notice another option: “Name/URL.” Selecting this will give you a box to simply type your name, no account needed! For example, I might type Michelle R, or M Rayburn, or Michelle Rayburn in the box. You may leave the URL box blank if you don’t have a website. Then click “continue”.
3. Now, when you click “Preview” you’ll see how your comments will look. It might look like this: “Michelle R. said…” followed by your comments. Good! You're almost there.
4. Lastly, you need to type the word verification in the box before you click to post or publish your comment. What’s this box for? The word verification is to prove that an actual person is sitting at a keyboard typing as opposed to a computer hacking into a system and leaving random comments. It’s a security measure.
5. Now click "Publish".
6. There! You did it! It seems like a lot of steps but once you do it a few times, it will be easy for you.
7. In some cases, your comment doesn't show up immediately. Sometimes the blog owner moderates all comments which means he or she has to approve them before they post. That's another security measure for some bloggers.
   

Now that you know how to post, why not comment on something right here on FaithCreativityLife. You'll be entered in the drawing this month if you do. It's the only way to get your name in there for a free book.