The Living Water

Jacob's Well

Photo Credit: http://pastorchrisowens.wordpress.com

The Woman at the Well

I have been writing this Bible study since 2007 and I hope to one day publish it as a study for women.

What is it about this story in John 4 that captivates me?

In a way, it is my story.

I'll divide this story into sections:

• The Wanderer
• The Waiting
• The Well
• The Water
• The Woman
• The Washing
• The Waterpot
• The Witness
• The Wanderer

The Wanderer

The story of the Woman at the Well is a story of redemption. It is the story of how Jesus chose to reveal Himself to one woman. He chose the place, time, and person. This story is also where Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit as the Living Water and Himself as Messiah in the Bible.

And He did all this with a woman of ill repute. Why did God select this woman? We'll soon find out. 

Let's begin our journey with Jesus...........

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John 4:1-3

"Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee."

Here is the setting of this portion of Christ's ministry: Judea. In John 3, we learn that Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem about being "born of the Spirit" to Nicodemus. He also teaches that He is the light and about coming to the light so evil deeds can be exposed. John the Baptist is also exalting Christ far above himself. We finish the chapter with John saying:

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

So, chapter 4 leads in with the Pharisees who thought their problems were over once John was dealt with. But even after John's imprisonment, we see that Jesus made disciples and His disciples were baptizing!

Jesus, therefore, decides to leave and head for Galilee.

Notice here that it is Jesus who makes disciples. Disciples of Christ are not born. We are transformed...we are made by Christ.

Please read:

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The one problem that I have with the Harry Potter books (and I do enjoy the books and movies) is that in the story, Harry Potter is told that he was "born" a wizard. That he had no choice in the matter....and therefore no consequences for his actions as a wizard.

When our son, Nathan, was younger, we explained to him that Christians are not born, but made by God. They are transformed through His atonement only through faith alone.

In the Harry Potter books, both "good" characters and "evil" characters use witchcraft (evil) to do their deeds without consequences or responsibility. One reviewer of the books, an economist, said that the economy of the Harry Potter books was way off. There seems to be no payment due for using magical means. Nothing is owed or taken away when the characters use their magic.....therefore, there is no personal responsibility involved. This was not a lesson she wanted to teach her children.

In my Dragon Forest stories, I make sure there is a payment due for using magic of any kind. I want my readers to see their is personal responsibility involved.

*****************************

"The success of the gospel exasperates its enemies." 

- Matthew Henry

The Samaritan woman, a mongrel woman...a damaged woman...will be used later on to spread the Gospel in Samaria and further exasperate the enemies of Jesus and His gospel.

John 4:4 "But He needed to go through Samaria."

Samaria

Here is a map of the region where Jesus needed to go in order to get to Samaria

Jesus, the wanderer, needed to go through Samaria, a place that no good Jewish person would enter. At this time in history, Samaria was made up of "mongrel" Jews. They knew some of Jewish law but also mixed it with pagan practices to form their own religion. Many Jews did all they could to avoid entering into Samaria for this reason. But here we see that Jesus "needed to go through Samaria." in order to complete His journey.

Why?

Jesus had to do the will of His Father. He did so many things contrary to the world, didn't He?

John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."

Jesus, being God, could have parted the Jordan River (again) and easily walked through it to avoid passing through Samaria. But He didn't do this.

Instead, He chose to enter into this controversial land.


He had to do it because He had to do the will of God.

****************

Life Application

It is always in our best interest to obey God's word at all times. It is in our best interest to know the character of God. When He tells us to go, then we go and obey.

As Jesus did....we are to do.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

John 14:15  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:23-24 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

We were not left here without a word from our Creator. He has given us new life, but He also gave us His words. We cannot say, "I did not know..." because we were told.

We are without excuse.

As we study here, we will begin to see just how Jesus meets a sinner, confronts her sin, reveals Himself to a sinner, then transforms her to use her for His glory.

Does that sound familiar? Is this your story as well?

Until next time...........

"The Spirit-filled life is not based on emotions, although you are likely to feel various emotions as the Spirit works in you and through you to produce the character of Christ Jesus in your life and to replicate the ministry of Christ Jesus in your life and the world.

The Spirit-filled life is also not something that a person can study from afar. The Spirit-filled life is experienced. It is lived out by real people in real life facing real, and sometimes difficult, circumstances and situations.

The Spirit-filled life is marked by purpose, power, and effectiveness. It is not something that you do, but something that you are because of who is living and working inside you. God desires for each of His children to live a Spirit-filled life, and He expects you to be led by the Spirit on a daily basis."

-Charles Stanley

(Relying on the Holy Spirit, 1996, p. viii of Introduction)

Blessings,

Ruth

Blog Hop! Author Rebecca Bruner

Today I'm participating in a blog hop with author Rebecca Bruner! 

What am I working on?

My current work in progress is called A Wife of Valor: Your Strategic Importance in God's Battle Plan. For many years, I have been teaching Christian wives about God's design for marriage and how to put biblical principles into practice within their own relationships. At one point, a young woman told me that she was sharing lessons she'd learned in my classes whenever she talked with other women whose marriages were struggling. She really encouraged me to write this book so that these principles could impact a wider audience and be a blessing to even more marriages.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I think  many Christian marriage resources for women focus only on improving their satisfaction or reducing conflict between spouses. I'm convinced we need to think bigger.  My goal is to encourage women to look at their marriages from God's perspective. We need to stop merely asking "Is my marriage making me happy?" and instead ask "Is my marriage glorifying God and accomplishing His purposes?"

We have to bear in mind that God is at war. Even before humanity was created, Satan had already declared war upon God through his rebellion. God designed men and women to complement one another, partnering together in marriage to serve as His allies in that war. Marriage is far more than a means of fulfilling our human needs. It is an essential part of God's strategy for battle. 

Because God created men and women to see the world from completely opposite vantage points, we have the potential to strategically cover each other’s backs. While Satan tempts wives and husbands to fight head-to-head against each other, God wants us to learn to battle back-to-back against the real enemy, defending each other’s greatest areas of vulnerability with our own unique strengths.

 Why do I write what I do?

I'm convinced that women are hungry for the truth of God's word. I'm trying to be very transparent and intentional as I share the lessons from the Bible that God has used to transform my own marriage. If I can impart the wisdom God's entrusted to me to help other women put learn how to Him first in their marriages, then I will consider my work a success.

How does your writing process work?

It all begins with prayer for guidance and inspiration. I'm constantly asking God to oversee my writing and help me to become the best possible steward of the message He's entrusted to me.

I try to discipline myself to write at least five days a week. When I am composing fresh material, I often start with a five to six-minute period of writing stream of consciousness in long hand, just to get the words flowing freely. Then I go to my computer and start working on my document for at least a half hour, longer if I'm on a roll and have the time in my schedule. I figured out a while back that thirty-six minutes of writing over five days adds up to three hours a week if you can be consistent, which is nothing to sneeze at in my opinion. I know a lot of writers who wish they could find three hours each week to devote to working on their books.

With this work in progress, once I had a complete rough draft, I recruited beta-readers to give me feedback. I also taught a class based on the material. Feedback from the readers and the class members has been very helpful as I have refined and revised the book.

At this point, I'm working on a second rewrite with the aim of making the manuscript more personal and invitational in tone. My goal is to connect with my readers on the same kind of personal level that I can when directly talking with a group of women. When I'm done with the current revision, I'll again solicit feedback from  reviewers, critique partners, and beta-readers and try to implement any suggestions for improvement they have to offer.

I've submitted proposals for this manuscript to some Christian publishers, but if God should close those doors, I'm open to publishing independently. Although I can't foresee precisely how God will get this book into the hands of readers, I have faith that He who began this good work will complete it in His way and in His time.

Thanks for visiting, Rebecca!

For more about Rebecca and her books, please visit her blog at:

http://rebeccabrunerauthor.com/blog-2/

Blessings,

Ruth

Revise, Revise, Revise!

Slaying dragons...

So You Want To Be A Writer?

I started my writing journey back in 1989. I was young (22 years old), naive, and ambitious. But one thing I was not was a writer. 

Like most of us, I thought just because I had an idea, that meant all I had to do was write it down and publishers would flock to my door begging me to let them publish my book. That's how it works, right?

Wrong. 

One day, it was 1997. Life got in the way, so I had to put my book on the top shelf. I didn't take it off the shelf again, until 2004 when I enrolled in a creative writing course at Arizona State University. I was blessed to have had a teacher willing to take his students through the writing process one painstaking step at a time. 

And the result was I learned many things about writing and about myself. 

I learned that year, that I really had a good story. I just needed to learn how to write it all down. Recently, one of my students asked me if I wished I could go back and rewrite my books now that I know so much more about writing than I did way back in 2004. My answer? YES!

Of course! Don't you wish you could go back in time and redo something because you've learned so much since then? And I'm not talking about high school SATs or anything like that. I mean, I truly wish I could go back and rewrite some of my chapters in my first book simply because I know so much more about plotting out a story, developing characters and scenes now than I did back then. 

Slaying Dragons

But, you know, there is a part of me that wouldn't change a thing. When I wrote my book and went through it with my editor and my publisher, they saw something in my story then as they do now. They believed in me and my book. That's something I will always treasure: these professionals took a chance on an unknown writer. 

So, slaying the dragons in our minds (you know, the ones that want you to give up, quit, and walk away from your project?) ...takes time and much effort. 

I recently sat down with my editor as we went through my last book in The Dragon Forest trilogy, and was pleasantly surprised to hear his ideas and constructive criticism. I didn't squirm like I did before. I didn't feel overwhelmed by his many, "Why?" questions about my scenes, characters, or conflicts. I didn't squirm or feel overwhelmed because I have confidence in my story. I have people reading my books. I have an audience looking forward to the next book. These are things I never had before. 

I didn't squirm or flinch because I am a writer now. 

Yes, it's true! By the grace of God, I am a published author. 

And what a blessing this journey has been. My little book is out there now for many to read. When I see a student reading my book at the school where I teach, my heart leaps for joy inside my chest. A smile creeps across my face, and I send a prayer to heaven thanking the Lord.


Relax and Revise

Would I go back and make changes to my books, to my life? Sure. I'm not one to shake my head at revision. Writers know the first draft is just that...first. A second and third will follow. And that's okay. 

Just as in life...we must stop, take a step back, evaluate our current position in life or our decisions, and, if necessary, revise! There is no perfect life...no one is perfect except The One. 

 It is to The One that I am most grateful for this writing journey. I can't wait to revise my manuscript. My editor gave me some wonderful ideas and so did my beta readers. This is the part of the writing process I think I love the most. Seeing the story come to life! 

So, once again, when school is out later this month, I will sit at the computer and type out the third book in The Dragon Forest trilogy. I can't wait!

I love being a writer.


Blessings,
Ruth

Connections...That's the Key!

The Key to story success? Make that connection...

photo credit: www.morguefiles.com

Strategies

Because I teach writing, I also read about writing and how good writers do what they do. I'd like to share with you one thing I have learned about writing:

Make connections to your audience. 

It seems that this is the one trick most successful writers know how to do. They know how to connect the story to their audience in such a way that the story stays with the reader for a very long time.



The Fault in Our Stars

Photo credit: www.theprospect.net

Oh. My. Goodness. Now here is an example of a book that connected to its readers! John Green did a fantastic job of creating characters that Y.A. readers fell in love with. I enjoyed the book because of the quirky characters, the dialogue, and also the types of conflict in the story. Because I have a teenage son, the story connected with my heart immediately. 

And because there is teenage angst, I suppose that's why millions of Y.A. readers also connected with the story! Either way, the book is a huge success because it connected to the audience. 

It's the same with the Harry Potter books. Once millions of children connected to Harry and his situation, once they began to visualize the world J.K. Rowling created, and once readers began to try and predict what would happen next...well, Rowling successfully connected to her readers in a way that has yet to be toppled by another children's book series. 




Your Story

For me, I wanted to write a book that connected to my audience. I wanted to make my readers turn the page looking for more...wondering what's going to happen next...and I especially wanted my readers to try and predict the ending!  

We want our stories to activate life experience or background knowledge in the minds of our readers even before they open the book. Your cover and back cover blurb should trigger a reader's prior knowledge and life experience. Why? That's what draws them into the story. That's what makes them visualize the setting, characters, and conflict in their minds. Next, we want them to make inferences while they read. Make them try and figure out the symbolism, imagery, similes, and metaphors you've put inside your story line. This figurative language is what intrigues readers. 

In The Children Under the Ice, the title alone caused my readers to try and predict what happens in the story before they even opened the book.  Once they begin to question what comes next, once they begin to try and make predictions...that's when you've got them hooked!

For me, if a book doesn't grab me by chapter three, I'm done. I put it down and never pick it up again. If a book loses me by chapter ten, it means the connection to the story is gone. I'm no longer predicting. I'm no longer questioning...I'm done. That's what happened to me with Redeeming Love, the classic Christian novel by Francine Rivers. 

I stopped caring for the main characters when I was half way through the book. I didn't like the female protagonist and I didn't really care for the male protagonist. I found the story a bit redundant. Once I stopped questioning, once I stopped trying to predict what would happen next, that's when I knew I was done with the book. I put it down and haven't picked it up again. 




Lessons Learned

So, that's the lesson I learned: Make that connection to your readers. Keep them questioning as they read. Make them visualize your story inside their heads. Cause them to want to predict what will happen next. Most importantly, cause your readers to connect your story to their own life experiences. 

Connection is key to story success! Once your readers connect, they will love your story forever. And they will want to read your next book, too!




Your turn: What book grabbed you from the start? How do you make those connections to your readers?


Blessings,
Ruth

You can read more about Ruth A. Douthitt at www.thedragonforest.com

Give Until It Hurts

"Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.

But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ 

In your tithes and contributions."

Malachi 3:8

Give

Our pastor's Bible lesson today was about how God's people were robbing Him...or attempting to rob God...by offering defiled meat, sick animals, and partial offerings to the Lord. As a result, the Lord became angry with His people.

As we went through Malachi 3 and the verses that reveal God's anger, I was convicted. Let me tell you why...

A couple of weeks ago, our church hosted missionaries from Scotland. They discussed their ministry called 20 Schemes. In America, we call government housing "The Projects". In Scotland, they are called "Schemes".

My husband went to listen to the missionaries speak about their ministry in Scotland. He came home with powerful and inspirational stories about how God is using this ministry to bring people to Him. Immediately, my husband wanted to give monthly to this ministry.

And I was against it. Why? I said we couldn't afford it. 

Sigh.

Give Until It Hurts

As you can imagine, the Lord used our pastor's message today to convict me. He used Malachi 3 to really convict me.

And that's a good thing. 

When the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts, it's proof that we belong to Him. It's assurance of our salvation. And it hurts. 

A lot.

I was convicted because I wasn't trusting in the Lord for provisions. I was trusting in the money we see each week in our paychecks. I was telling the Lord, "We cannot afford to give to your ministry. Sorry." I was telling the Lord that I had forgotten all that He had done for us. I was telling the Lord no. 

How crazy is that when all that we have already belongs to the Lord? 

Give All you Have To Give

So, after the lesson this morning, I turned to my husband and told him we'd better start giving to 20 Schemes...immediately! I fear the Lord. I revere the Lord. And I believe His word. You see, in Malachi 3, He reminds His people of His promise. 

He reminds them how He does not change. He reminds them of how they are not destroyed...by their enemies or by Him. 

Wow. That really spoke to me and pierced my heart. It was if the Lord was reminding me of all that He has done for us, but He was also reminding me of all that could have happened to us through the years. And how we were spared pain and misery only because of God's grace. 

The Lord isn't interested in our sacrifices. He isn't interested in our rituals. When He tells us to give to Him, it isn't for His sake. He is eternal and has no need.

The Lord tells us to give for our sake and for His name to be glorified. How? Ask a Christian about a time when the Lord provided for them. Will they glorify themselves? No. They will tell of the Lord's mercy and protection and in the end, it is the Lord who will be glorified by their testimony. 

Amen. That's how it should be. Ask me about the times when we had no money, yet bills were paid. Ask me about a time when we had no insurance, and yet all 3 of us remained healthy. We owe it all to the Lord. 

And that's why we are to give. Give until it hurts. Give all that we have:

• Our time
• Our talents
• Our income
• Our children
• Our home
• Ourselves

GIVE. And give with a cheerful heart. Don't be like I was. Don't withhold anything from the Lord because it all belongs to Him anyway. 

Just give.

Your turn: Was there a time when you gave thinking you couldn't afford it, yet the Lord provided? How do you feel about giving to the Lord?

Blessings,

Ruth

To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish?

Now isn't that a pretty cool cover design?

The Hybrid Author

I did it! I set a goal to self-publish my book this year and I finally met that goal in January. 

Now, I am a hybrid author. What is a hybrid author?

It means I am published with a smaller publishing house, OakTara Publishing, AND I also have a self-published book out at Amazon.com...AND I am still looking to be published with a larger publishing house someday. 

What's the big deal? Well, I'll explain.


REAL Authors

I recently attended a writers conference here in Phoenix. This conference was for and about self-publishing. Many of those on the panel of speakers were only self-published and one also had a book contract with Simon & Schuster. 

As they spoke about their personal experiences with the publishing industry, an interesting thing happened. A young man in the back of the room raised his hand to ask a question to the "real" author on the panel. You know, the author with the book contract with Simon & Schuster? Yeah, that one. Nevermind the other author who had 17 books out.  

Uh, huh. That's right. He only considered the contracted author to be a "real" author. And it made me wonder how many others in the room also thought as he did. Well, that "real" author didn't like where his question was headed, so she cut him off. 

She explained to this impertinent young man how all the self-published writers in the room were also "real" and just because they didn't have that coveted BOOK CONTRACT with a big time publisher didn't mean they weren't "real" authors. She went on to detail her experience with her publisher. She said they got into a dispute with a brick & mortar bookstore recently and that bookstore now refuses to sell any Simon & Schuster books...including hers! So now, even though she has that book deal, her books are not being sold at the largest bookstore in the land. And her book was once on the NYT best sellers list. 

Not much of a fairy tale ending! Finally, she explained to that same young man the reasons why she turned to self-publishing: she wanted people to read her books!

BINGO! And that leads to my next point...



Why Do You Write?

Everyone applauded her speech because not only did she shut this young man down, but she lifted so many others up with her encouraging words. 

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired how writers look down on other writers just because they have an agent and, well, you don't. 

That makes them a real writer, don't you know? 

No, that makes them pretentious, limiting, and rather boring, if you ask me. 

I write for one reason only: to have my books read. 

If that desire leads to a literary agent or a lucrative book deal with Scholastic Books, then GREAT! If not, that's okay because, guess what? I saw five kids reading my book last week. That's five kids, my target audience, reading MY BOOK. Woo hoo!

And that's why I thank the Lord for giving me this chance for however long it will last. 

If the reason you write is to sign with a literary agent who will then get you that book contract with a big time publishing house, then you go for it!

But if you write to have your books read, then don't limit yourself to just the traditional method of publishing. 

Try self-publishing! I did it with CreateSpace and it was an easy process with a terrific product in the end. So far, my readers love my book! Yay for self-publishing!

There's a variety of other ways to self-publish your work. When I told the writers at the conference my story, so many of them approached me with hope in their eyes. I could tell they had nearly given up and didn't feel they were "real" writers, but my experience gave them a chance to pursue their dreams even still. 



The Sky's the Limit

So, when it's all said and done, don't limit yourself to one way! Become that hybrid author. Self-publishing isn't all that taboo anymore. Millions of writers are trying it because they want their books read. Now! ...not 2, 3, 10 years from now. 

That's why I did it. And that's why I recommend it. 


Your turn: what are your thoughts on self-publishing? Would you ever consider being a hybrid author?


Blessings,
Ruth

Come visit my author web site at:

www.thedragonforest.com

It's all About Setting...

Where it All Happens

Ahhh...Hawaii. So beautiful. So peaceful. I still can't believe we were actually there in Maui! I remember sitting on the sandy beach listening to the waves come in thinking, "This would make a terrific setting for a story!"


Well, every story needs to have a setting, but does it really matter where a story takes place?

You betcha!


Setting

Today I taught my students about Setting as they begin to brainstorm for their original narratives. We discussed what Setting is in writing and why it is important to begin there.

Setting is the time, place, and environment in which a story takes place. The setting should have a connection to the main characters of the story.

For example...

In "The Hunger Games" we have Katniss living in District 12. This district is set in the mountains surrounded by trees and wildlife. The forest is a lot like Katniss: beautiful, tough, harsh in that it can kill you in an instant, and yet it is soft and gentle at times, too.

Contrast that with The Capitol. This setting glistens in the sunlight, has tall buildings that sparkle, and it has beautiful people painted in bright colors. The Capitol appears to be magical, but we learn it is all a facade.

Do you think the author created these settings by accident? Of course not. The forest setting reveals something about the protagonist and the Capitol setting reveals something about the antagonist. How would the story have been different if during the games the tributes dealt with a blizzard? Think about the challenges. That's why setting matters.

In my book, "The Children Under the Ice" I set my story in a small town in northern Minnesota at the end of fall. Gee, what happens in Minnesota in the winter? I needed my murder mystery to be set in the cold, dark, brutal winters to contrast with my protagonist's dreams: he hates the cold, he hates hockey on the frozen pond, and he longs for the greens of summer! How does this all reveal something about my protagonist? His mom left him and his dad alone (a cold harsh reality of life). His dad cannot cook (another harsh reality of divorce). So Mikey dreams of the backyard cookouts in the summer time surrounded with his mom's delicious food, green grass, and warmth of family and sunshine.

We see the importance of setting in Dicken's classic "A Christmas Carol" which is set on the streets of London in winter. Dickens, a child of poverty who had to work at age 12 to help his family, knew the cold harsh reality of the streets in winter. The setting's harshness mirrored the cruel darkness of Scrooge's heart in contrast with the joys and bright colors of Christmas that most of us understand.

See the contrast? See why it matters?



Once Upon a Time...

When your story takes place is just as important as where.

"The Hunger Games" works well for the reader because it is set in the future. Suzanne Collins wanted to send a message to her readers that perhaps the actual government plan is for teens to figuratively destroy one another as they dream of that perfect life of fame and fortune. We see it all the time: young people become famous then destroy themselves and each other. Sad truth.

I set "The Children Under the Ice" in 1976 because, as a child of the 70's, those were the times I remember well. Times when kids could stay out late without worrying about strangers...or could they? Was that feeling of safety just an illusion?

See how it works?

The setting of you story isn't just about a place, but a period in time. It's about the people, their customs, the way they behave.

The setting of your story should connect to your protagonist and antagonist. It should reveal something about the characters. The setting should reveal something about the author's tone. We sense this in "The Hunger Games". We sense Collins' feelings about government. We sense the tone of Dickens in that Scrooge is rich and powerful, lording his power over the poor. Was Dickens trying to tell his readers something about his feelings for the rich?


Now, before you write your story, think about the setting. Why is it set there? Why is the story happening in the past, present, or future? What are the connections between setting and characters? What does your setting reveal about your characters? About your tone?

You should be able to answer those questions for your readers in your story. If not, your readers won't bother to keep turning the pages of your book.

And no writer wants that!




Blessings,
Ruth