A Labor of Love

and a healing journey

Do you ever ask yourself what motivates you to finish your book (or whatever project you’re working on)?

As one writer said to me recently, writing a book is a massive endeavor. As with most things, if you don’t know WHY you’re writing, it will be hard to persevere and complete the task.

I wrote this article last year, and in it I share some of my own backstory and motivation for writing this particular book.

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Recently, I spent three or four hours working on a developmental edit of my project. I carefully thought through the flow and made some adjustments and progress.

Someday, when I am all finished and hold the final product in my hands, I will thank God for all He did in my heart and mind in the process.

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Here’s another article I wrote last year:

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If I’m honest, writing this current book hasn’t been an easy task. I used to find writing bigger projects easier, but between visual processing issues related to multiple sclerosis and a torn retina, it’s been pretty slow going at times. Earlier in life, I could sit down and accomplish a lot in a few days time, and yet I see a difference in where I’m at internally as I get older, and perhaps a little wiser.

Besides, multiple sclerosis involves having lesions in the brain and spinal cord, and the particular location of one of those lesions in my brain has made this book project more challenging for me. (However, just like in my daily life I have learned to find accommodations for my physical limitations, the same holds true for writing. I can and will finish a book I feel really good about.)

But rather than feeling frustrated by my vision or other “limitations,” I’ve decided to savor the process, and celebrate the growth and insights gleaned along the way. I have to admit I’ve been so blessed by the hours I’ve spent writing this book. I can’t even quite put it into words, but it’s been a rich experience, and I know that the words that grace the pages of this book parallel an inner journey that has led me to a destination I find so peaceful and fulfilling.

Will I ever succeed and hold this book in my hands? I don’t think I define success the way the world does, so I’ve already succeeded in my own view. I have poured my heart into this book, and somehow I’ve grown and healed and felt more established in this peaceful season of my life than ever.

What part has writing this book played? God knows.

Yes, I will finish this book by His grace and through His empowerment. Prior to the pandemic, I had been actively writing and I felt encouraged about this part of my life. I attended a writer’s conference in the summer, and I had nice momentum. I joined a really wonderful group of writers led by

Alice Crider

, who had developed a course for writers. She mentored us and taught us so much about how to serve the people God has called us to serve. Rather than emphasizing platforms for the sake of numbers to show to potential publishers, she framed things in a much more meaningful way. One that I embraced, and this approach felt much more congruent with my own values as a Christian. In this group called Author Access, I met some really beautiful writers who have inspired me. I’ve learned so much from these women. Many of them have traditionally published numerous books, and yet they have kindly encouraged me and others. I’ve been on a number of launch teams for their books, and this is a wonderful way to learn how to launch a book, and what’s involved in effective marketing.

In our group, some of the women have chosen to indie publish, and one author who has done very well with this approach was kind enough to tell me some of the things she and her husband have learned over time. Her memoir was fantastic, and her novels are some of my favorite out there.

Here’s the title of her wonderful memoir: Farming Grace: A Memoir of Life, Love, and a Harvest of Faith by Paula Scott.

These days, we have many avenues to publish. Understanding more about agents, acquisitions editors and publishing houses, and the business of writing and publishing has been very valuable to me.

While for some people traditional publishing has been a great experience, the responsibility to market and promote your book still falls on the author. One writer explained to me that most publishers invest something like $35K in producing a quality book, and usually it takes a couple of years for the book to be released, so it’s a long process. Of course, having talented professional editors and a team to format, design and produce a book involves some big expenses and an investment of time.

One friend,

Janet McHenry

, has written and traditionally published about 28 books (I may not have the number exactly right), and I’ve really enjoyed watching her market and promote those books. She has created a quiz for her book Praying Personalities, and she has a newsletter. Janet has a very active presence on various platforms, but she truly epitomizes the approach I find congruent with my faith. She leads a group of women who read through the Bible each year together. She hosts a prayer group virtually where women can share prayer needs. Janet speaks at many writers conferences and she hosts a writers retreat in her home which is tremendously valuable. I attended and absolutely loved learning from her. Her hospitality created a very memorable experience, as did the location in the peaceful and gorgeous Sierra Valley of California. Janet’s book launches are a joy to help with, and she has been a podcast and television guest across the country and in Canada (if I recall correctly) as she shares the vision of her books. She’s faithfully served God through her writing and speaking career. She edits books also, and she is a coach as well. Her branding offers a clear and memorable impression. I’ll share a link to her website here:

Janet McHenry, Looking Up

One thing I’ve appreciated about Janet and others I met through Alice Crider’s group is their authentic faith and walk with God. Janet has encouraged the hearts of many people over the years, and her story resonates with me. Her testimony of how God called her to write and just as importantly, her obedience and dedication to writing for His glory, is a powerful one.

Another woman I met at a summer writers conference (at that time the organization was called Oregon Christian Writers), Judy Gann, so graciously gave me a copy of her book. Because of my background in the rehabilitation field and as a person who has lived with chronic illness as well, I found her book a tremendous encouragement. I remember feeling like her words were a lifeline in that hard season of life and the pandemic.

The God of All Comfort is based on the author's experience of living with chronic illness as well as that of seventeen other people who share their stories ...

In these 52 devotions you will be drawn into God's Word to find the comfort, hope, and strength you need to cope with the challenges of living with illness.

The God of All Comfort: Devotions of Hope for Those Who Chronically Suffer

Book by Judy Gann

I have read Judy Gann’s book several times, and I often recommend her book to friends and clients. I’ll always remember our conversation one summer when I talked with her by phone about her experience writing this book, and I talked with her about my writing as well. She shared how challenging the season of life was as she wrote her book, and we talked about the spiritual attack and opposition that sometimes comes when we obey God and write a book that can touch the lives of others.

I have been strengthened by books like these, and Dr. Michelle Bengston is another writer I have really appreciated. I have been on her book launch team. She’s a neuropsychologist who has written some excellent books on depression, anxiety and other practical books on suffering. She’s honest about her own struggles, too, and that’s what made her books so powerful and helpful. I really love her books and the way God has used her life to offer hope and point people to His Word. No one is immune from suffering, regardless of their job titles. Her book The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms is one of my personal favorites. I was on her launch team for that book. But when I went through a tough time emotionally during the pandemic, her books on depression and anxiety were comforting companions and were found on my nightstand.

I’m currently on a book launch team for Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith. She’s an excellent writer and a well known speaker. She’s an internal medicine doctor, and her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity offered groundbreaking encouragement to lead healthier lives and learn to truly rest. Her upcoming book Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming and Belonging is available for pre-order and it’s very good. She talks about living out our God-given identity so that we can overcome self-limiting beliefs.

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If you’ve written a book, what helped you develop your book concept and bring it across the finish line?

I think about the time I’ve spent in God’s Word, reflecting on the key themes of my book: transformation, healing and growth. As I prayed and thought through what helps us heal and grow, I have appreciated good books, and I’ve found inspiration from many sources. I knew that God’s Hesed has played a very foundational role in my own healing journey and in establishing secure attachment with God. I completed my Relational Spirituality Coaching Certification this winter and I’ve found that Dr. Todd Hall’s research and books, and his leadership of our cohort has been a tremendous help.

So I’ll be honest, if I never published this book, I would still have been incredibly blessed by the process of meditating on His truth. I have lived out the concepts of this book as I’ve been writing it.

In many ways, this book has written me. After going through the dark season I endured during the pandemic, I wanted to share how God has not only brought me through that tough time emotionally, but He has so graciously reestablished my life in healthy ways. I have been incredibly blessed in the past few years, and I have learned so much by going through this season of suffering, and recovering afterwards in sustainable ways.

When I sit in my writers cabin and work with a coaching client, I love having the tools to help them more effectively. I love integrating faith and neuroscience, but there really isn’t any substitute for walking through the fires of adversity myself. I remember feeling so stuck and depleted, and now when someone shares how desperate they feel, or how hard it is to keep going, I empathize in a way I never had before.

In my years of working in the counseling field, I saw people find comfort and help, and I’m grateful for the ways God moved in lives. But in the past few years, as I’ve heard from people who were struggling deeply and trying to find ways to move forward, I’ve had a different sense of effectiveness. This came from personally walking through that dark season because I gained insights into what that felt like for people. I never knew personally how hopeless and stuck people feel until I went through this kind of agony myself.

I don’t pretend to have “cured myself” but sometimes when I talk with friends who so graciously prayed for and encouraged me during that time, I marvel at the difference. These days, I wake up feeling some degree of excitement about the day ahead. I find so much fulfillment and joy in my faith and in my writing and work with clients. I have a very clear, joyful sense of purpose, and that’s been consistent for several years now.

During these past few years, we have moved, sold our other home, helped with family needs, lost loved ones who died from cancer or other things, and cared for people going through their own grueling seasons. I’ve been through surgery, a few ER visits, and helped plan the memorials of several family members. So it’s not as though life hasn’t held any hardships.

We’ve also traveled to Alaska with our family, and had a delightful time. The world and culture around us has been experiencing turmoil during these years as well. But graciously, I haven’t struggled all that much. I’ve felt resilient and as though He has poured out His grace me. I don’t really have any other explanation, except that I feel a deep sense of His Presence and love, and I rest in Him each day. Life is good.

Living with multiple sclerosis holds various challenges, too, but I don’t really mind. I feel immensely grateful for His sustaining power and grace.

As long as we live in this fallen world, we will encounter trials. But as He lives in me, and I abide in Him, resting in His peace and enjoying His lovingkindness makes such a difference. I know that in eternity, we will no longer experience pain or suffering. But as He allows these things in my life now, I am so grateful for how His Word comes alive and how He carries us through tough times.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Writing this book has been a labor of love. I’ve lived the journey myself, and I’ve accompanied others who have traveled these roads from struggles to stability, from despair to hope.

I’m not fast at writing a book these days, but that’s okay. I have savored the process, and I’ve grown as I’ve worked on this book. In a very real way, the pages I’ve written have chronicled my travels from turbulence to the calm, fulfilling days of my present life. What used to feel so difficult fills me with motivation and a song of purpose these days.

I am very thankful.

Father, thank You for loving me so well. Your steadfast love has changed me. Your lovingkindness and healing has created something sturdy within me, and I am so grateful for the resilience you’ve placed within me. But knowing that Christ lives in me, I guess that isn’t surprising. You are so gracious, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I love You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

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The title of my work in process is called Tenderly Transformed: Growing and Healing Through Turbulent Times.

My coaching business is called Tenderly Transformed Coaching. I have a certification in Relational Spirituality Coaching from Dr. Todd Hall, who is a professor at Biola University.