Doing What You Love

So… A dear friend said to me recently, “I don’t like the books I’m reading, Phyllis. They’re not like your books (the Daldriada series). I need you to write another one!”

I think that’s one of the most wonderful things an author can hear! It made me happy and sad at the same time.

I miss writing, and I miss my Daldriada characters so much. But you know how life is – work, family, obligations… None of those things are bad things. It’s just that I still can’t seem to carve out time to write since I came back to work fulltime.

I have about three story ideas swimming around in my head. They surface every now and then. When they do, I push them back down because they surface in the middle of a meeting, or when I finally get to sit down in the evening and not have to think.

Poor stories! They are just trying to come into being. I need to let them.

I have one more devotion book to put out (very soon) and then my focus will be on the next fiction book. The Lord will help me choose a time to write. He always does.

I say all this to encourage you (and myself) that it is okay to devote time to the things we are gifted in. Being gifted is no credit to us. It is praise for the Giver – our Heavenly Father. All good and perfect gifts come from Him.

Do what you are gifted in – it is usually what you love doing. Do you sing, play or write music, excel in a sport? Are you artistic, an encourager, a loving parent or grandparent? Do you cook such wonderful things that people’s eyes roll back in their heads when the eat your food?

Then you are gifted.

I’ve had people comment to me that they don’t think they are gifted in anything. To that, I say hogwash. The Lord is no respecter of persons. He loves every one of us. And He has given you something unique. All you need to do is ask Him what it is.

Until then, my friend, I’m going to get busy doing what I love. Oh! The very thought of seeing a story come to life in my head and then writing it down! It makes me feel like a child again – playing outside, singing songs, and making up beautiful stories of heroism and true love!

I hope you have as much fun doing what you love as I do! Just remember: the Lord loves for His dear children to be happy using the beautiful gifts He has given us!

Phyllis Keels

Another Chance to Meet the One

Whenever I have a book table at a craft fair (almost always it’s with my friend and fellow author Sandra Ardoin), I’m on the lookout for “the one” the Lord brings near me.

“The one” is always that person the Lord wants to bless, encourage, or comfort through me. It really has nothing to do with me. I’m just a pipe and I am very grateful for that. What He does for the loved one He sends to me is absolutely beautiful to watch.

A couple of weekends ago, I was at the First Baptist Church Holiday Faire with Sandra and I never did see the one. I kept looking, kept expecting, but never did see who it was.

No matter. Sandra and I will be at another craft fair this Saturday. I’m praying “the one” will be there.

That interaction blesses me more than you can imagine. It’s the place where my dearest Lord Jesus fulfills this for me:

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

The oil of joy instead of mourning,

And a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:3, NIV)

When He pours out His Spirit through me and gives hope to one of His loved ones who is hurting, it feels like life itself is flowing and shining all around us. It is beyond description.

My friend, if you are hurting today, if you’ve suffered loss or disappointment, or you are just tired from the stress of life, do this one thing: ask the Lord to bring you someone else who is in pain. Tell that person about how beautiful Jesus is, and what He has done for us.

Then let me know how the Lord blessed you when He poured out His Spirit through you.

And if you are “the one” I am going to meet this Saturday, I pray that you are already feeling your Heavenly Father wrap you in that warm garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair.

Much love to you – the love of Jesus, the perfect love that casts out all fear.

Phyllis Keels

Another Holiday Faire

I’m sure there is no shortage of fun stuff to do this fall, but I have to tell you about a really great thing. This November 5th, First Baptist Church of Salisbury will have their annual Holiday Faire. I hope you will come by and visit the table where Sandra Ardoin and I will have all of our books for sale.

Until then, here is a post I wrote after last year’s event. I’m already praying that the Lord will bring another “one” we can minister to.

(Written November 18, 2015)

On November 7th, I was at my church’s Holiday Faire. A dear friend (who is a fine author and has been a mentor to me for many years) and I rented a space together to sell our books.

During these types of events, I know by now that the Lord brings one person to me – the one I’m there to bless, encourage, comfort. Sometimes He brings many people, but there will always be “the one” who needs His touch more than all the others.

Please understand this is not about me. The Lord can minister to anyone without having to go through us. He graciously allows me to be present when He does this, and that is a great joy to me. It is like a sweet fragrance to my broken heart and I am always grateful for His kindness to me in this.

I kept looking for “the one” throughout that day. Then, just about the time I remembered that sometimes I don’t know who “the one” is, (but He knows) she showed up.

Ten minutes before closing that day, a young woman came our table. She picked up my children’s book “Emma and the Paper” and asked if it had anything about Jesus in it.

It was all I could do not to jump out of my chair. There she is, I thought. After I answered her question and told her about the book, she pointed to the children’s book Kimberly Rae wrote, the one I illustrated for her: “When I’m With Jesus,” written for children who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

That’s when this young mother shared with me that her 3-month-old son had died in a car accident earlier this year. That’s when the last shred of wondering whether she was “the one” disappeared like a mist in a summer breeze.

The brokenness was all over her. The terrible, consuming, terrifying grief… I wanted to wrap her in a warm blanket of God’s love and let her sleep peacefully until she can breathe again.

I shared with her that my daughter also died from her injuries in a car accident, so she would really understand that I cared about her grief. I was able to give her a devotion book for her, and the “When I’m With Jesus” book for her 3-year-old daughter who is still grieving for her little brother.

I gave her my contact information and told her I would pray for her, and that she could call me or email me anytime. She may never want to, but often just knowing that you can is enough.

I left the Holiday Faire that day thanking my Heavenly Father for bringing “the one” near me – the wounded lamb who just needed to know that the Good Shepherd has not moved from her side, even though she can’t see Him.

That lamb is walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but she is no longer alone, nor will she ever be again.

Soon I will be with my dear friend, sharing a book table at another church’s craft fair. I’ll be watching for the next “one.” I may not know who you are, but the Lord knows.

So come, whoever you are. Jesus will walk with you though it, friend. He will walk with you through it, because He is all about “the one.”

Phyllis Keels

Block Logic

Photo by Kim Lance (used by permission)

Have you ever had to resolve an unresolvable question? That’s usually where I live. Example: either I can have what I want, or I can do what I’m supposed to. Why can’t these two things ever converge?

I think one reason we can’t resolve things in life is because we in the Western hemisphere were taught Greek logic. What I’m seeing is that this kind of thinking should be used in math and the sciences. Not for gaining wisdom.

What I mean is: we were taught to observe, gather information, make assumptions and draw a conclusion (that’s linear reasoning). We were also taught that if A = C and B = C, then A = B (that’s circular reasoning).

Those are all great for formulas and equations and maybe legal debates, but the problem is they fall short when using them to understand higher spiritual truth. Think about it: if Jeff is a soldier and Fred is a soldier, then Jeff is Fred. See? It doesn’t work in every situation.

We become frustrated when we try to use that kind of thinking to understand God, His Word, and how He operates.

I still remember the day I read an article about Jewish block logic (vs. Greek or Western reasoning). The article said this, “[Western thinking] takes into account only things that can be understood within the finite minds of the human cranium and stutters and stumbles at realities beyond its comprehension.” (BLOCK LOGIC: An Introduction to Hebrew Thought By Robert Wurtz II)

Meaning, if you can’t explain something, it doesn’t exist. In this way of thought, there is no mechanism to explain things higher than we are, or things we cannot see, or prove the existence of.

Wurtz goes on to say, “One of the great tragedies of the last 2000 has been the influence of Greek philosophy upon interpretation of scripture. Greek logic falls wildly short of being able to understand God and His word and for this cause when Greek logic is used to understand scripture the reader is filled with all manner of feelings of contradiction.”

My friend, if you want to resolve the “unresolvable” questions you have about God, Jesus, the Bible, or faith, you have to learn to think a different way. You have to be willing to think beyond what you’ve been taught.

Here are three examples (taken from the referenced article) showing how block logic works:

• Block 1: God has given man free will/choice. Block 2: Predestination. The resolution is in Block 3: God stands out of space and time. God already knows what we will choose because He has seen it. To Him, it has already happened.
• Block 1: There is light and darkness. Block 2: They cannot exist together. The resolution is in Block 3: They are dependent on each other. (Light is the absence of darkness, and darkness is the absence of light). The very definition of light and dark is found not in what they are, but in what they are not.
• Block 1: God is full of love and mercy. Block 2: God judges, punishes sin. (These two truths seem to be opposed) The resolution is in Block 3: God is Almighty. (He took care of the sin problem by paying for our sin Himself, and suffering the punishment Himself).

I realize this is a 30,000 foot view of a complex topic, but you know what? Sometimes that first view is what helps us begin to understand something beyond ourselves.

If you can receive it, this knowledge can change your life, because you will begin to think like your Heavenly Father thinks and speaks. It is the wisdom and the language of perfect, selfless, eternal love – the love of God.

Phyllis Keels

Looking for the One

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

I’ve been on a quest for the perfect coffee cup for a while. I can see the cup in my head. I just can’t find it. If I could make it myself, I would.

I’ve seen ones that are close, but not exactly what I want. Wrong color. Handle not right. Too big. Too small. Too thick. Too thin. Good grief!

Then it dawned on me (again) that there’s probably something wrong with me. It’s a lot like perfectionism, but maybe even worse than that. It’s not being able to settle for less than the original, highest quality best. The one.

What I’m probably looking for is the first coffee cup that was ever made. The source, the one no one had ever seen before. The original.

All of this to say, I know why I am the way I am about telling others of Jesus. When you’ve found the original, the one you’ve been looking for all your life, you stop looking.

You stop looking and you start telling – in great joy you tell others how beautiful the original is when compared to a copy or a counterfeit.

If I ever sound “preachy” I apologize. That’s not my intent. I honestly can’t help but write about the things I’ve seen, heard, and learned. They burn in me. Not in a painful way, but an “I couldn’t conceal this fire even if I wanted to” way. I must let it out. Much in the way couples in love talk about how wonderful their loved one is.

You just can’t help it. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

So I won’t try to help it. I’ll just go on speaking and writing about the beauty of Jesus, in hopes that the words will give you a shining glimpse of the Original – the One who loves you, dear friend. You. Right where you are, right now.

He’s the perfectly beautiful One you’ve been looking for, though you may not know it. He is the One worth worshiping. Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Phyllis Keels

My Heart Will Sing

Image from “When I’m With Jesus” written by Kimberly Rae, illustrated by Phyllis Keels

Sometimes a song does more than entertain us. Sometimes it turns our very souls into musical instruments. Sometimes it rings inside us, and we become a melody all our own.

There is a song by the Newsboys called “Forever Reign.” I like the Newsboys very much, and I like them most of all for the little refrain in that one song. (Click here to go to Youtube to listen to the song).

The refrain is this: “My heart will sing no other name, Jesus, Jesus.”

Each time I hear that little phrase, my heart does sing. It rejoices, because that little phrase is my heart.

When we love someone, really love someone, we are swept up to a thrilling place when we hear their name, aren’t we? When we love someone, his very name is music to us – beautiful, sweet, majestic music.

Jesus… Jesus…

In Hebrew, His name is Yeshua, and it means Yahweh (the Lord) saves, or Yahweh is salvation.

There isn’t anything more beautiful to me than the name of Jesus. That’s because His very name tells us who He is.

If you don’t know Him, really know Him, just ask Him to let you hear the music of His name. Then listen, and let His song create in you a melody all your own – a melody that tells you how very much you are loved.

Phyllis Keels

Life in the Words

I’m making a lot of progress in this second round of editing The King of Daldriada (book 3 of the series). Second round. There will be many more before it is finished.

You have to go through your manuscript about eleventy-hundred times and then you have to go through it again. Even so, five years after the book is out, you’ll pick it up and see that one thing you missed.

I guess that’s because it is an iterative process. We take our work through iterations – fixing, adjusting, tweaking and then doing it all over again until we are sick of it.

I tend to let go of the work just before I get sick of it. That means the book won’t be perfect and I’m okay with that. I don’t want it to be perfect; I want it to be full of life. (And, also because I don’t want to get sick of it. I love this story!)

I think our lives and faith are this way too. We go through iterations learning how to gain wisdom, how to think, how to grow in character, but it comes down to this: we can do our best relying on our own efforts to get us where we want to be, or we can rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to transform us.

Trying to be perfect will only show you where your faults are. Walking in the Spirit will show you how to have life.

What I mean is, this entire book series has been bittersweet for me. When I received the first book manuscript back from the editor, my daughter Julie had just died days before.

I wrote the second book during those next two awful years when even breathing and going out of the house were incredibly painful.

Book three has taken the longest to finish, and in many ways it has been the most difficult. I think, deep down, I really didn’t want to finish it and let go of the series’ link with Julie.

If I’d been focusing on my best efforts, I would have given up the day Julie died. At the time, I thought I’d never be able to write again.

My efforts have gained me nothing over the years. Only my letting go ever has. When I rest in Jesus’ love for me, and sit with a “pen” while the Holy Spirit pours out the words… Only then can I write, and only then do the words have power to heal, to bless, and to set free.

Sure, we can all write a story, but only He can put life in the words.

Life… Real life is knowing the Son. In the same way that sunlight awakens the plants to a new springtime, the Son of God gives warmth, nourishment, and delight to anyone who will let Him.

All the while, producing fruit when we let go of our efforts and rest in His love.

The Blacksmith’s Fire

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I read the funniest quote about writer’s block. It went something like this: I don’t believe in writer’s block. Plumbers don’t get plumber’s block. Why should writing be the only profession that has an excuse for not working?

Writers should always be able to write, even if they’re just writing about not being able to write. (I’d like to say that this one’s mine but I probably read it somewhere too.)

If we don’t write, I think we wither a little inside. It’s the same way with artists who don’t paint or sculpt or take photographs. Chefs who don’t cook, teachers who don’t teach.

It’s like locking a tiger up in a cage. After a while, the fire in their eyes starts to go out.

There is a way to prevent this from happening. Take any and every opportunity to write anything and everything that you can. Even if it is only for a few minutes, even if it is only a few scribbled words on a scrap of paper.

It doesn’t matter whether we have days on end or a few minutes here and there. Quality comes from pouring out your heart on paper, not from endless words.

Proverbs 25:11 KJV says, “Like apples of gold in pictures of silver is a word fitly spoken.”

And I will go so far as to say a word fitly written too. Pleasing, right, well-said, beneficial – any good thing you can think of – that is what quality writing will bring to a reader.

So, how do we do that? I’m pretty sure we have to write from where we are. Sorry to use a cliché, but our words have to come straight out the heart. We have to write from that place where we’ve let few people in.

Our stories (imagined and real) have to come out through our fingers, not our mouths. The deepest longings of the heart bypass the mind and so have the most effect on readers, I think.

Writing, at least for me, takes my over-analyzing mind out of the way. It allows the Lord to use whatever raw material might be in me, and forge it into something that may bless someone else. He always blesses me through it, and He is the only One who can cause it to benefit anyone else.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to be the blacksmith and use His fire to shape and mold our raw material, then the end product is something really beautiful. It is something for the glory of the Lord Jesus, something that will be eternal, not temporary. It becomes treasure in heaven.

Our part is simply to keep writing – whenever and however we can. In this way, the fire never leaves our eyes, dear friend. This is because it is the fire of the Living God, meant to draw others to Jesus, in kindness and tenderness through words of pure love.

Phyllis Keels

Where Two or Three Are

This is a previously posted entry that I hope is a blessing to you.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV) I thought about that yesterday. Jesus said it, of course. I understand what He meant.

There’s something special about getting together with someone else who knows Jesus. When we talk about Him and what He’s doing He is there. He shows us hidden things – mysteries. He works out something extraordinary, and He brings understanding to difficult circumstances.

I’ve seen Him do it over and over again yet He continues to amaze me with His kindness. It’s the promises being fulfilled.

You can be sure that the promises are being honored whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not. They are. That’s because He doesn’t lie and He is faithful. What He says Jesus will do, He does.

After a time together with someone else who knows Him, someone who is looking for Him in everything they go through, there is nothing in you but pure joy. Jumping up and down, grateful for everything joy. That can only come from being in the presence of the Lord.

That’s the thing that I want for every other person on this earth – the joy of knowing how absolutely wonderful Jesus is. That’s why I say you can trust Him, why you can believe Him when He says He loves you. He wants us to have that explosion of joy every day.

And He is honored in that joy. Jesus is glorified in it because it shows the truth about Him especially when others know we are hurting. They see that the joy is greater and more powerful than the hurt.

There’s no way to manufacture that kind of joy. It would be a counterfeit, a fake, and fakes, even if they can’t be spotted, can be felt. People know when something is real or not.

The Lord’s joy is real. Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I looked up those words once. The word joy means to jump up and down, be hilarious in your joy.

The word strength means refuge, where you go to be protected. Isn’t that the most wonderful thing! Our protection against grief, sadness, loneliness, or anything hurtful is the joy of the Lord.

And there’s only one way to get it – spend time with Jesus in everything we do. Seek Him, know Him, love Him. Talk with Him and about Him.

Then the joy comes, like unexpected laughter, like a baby’s smile, like the sunshine in winter.

Two or three. That’s all it takes. And I just realized that even when we’re with Him alone, that’s two. Wow. He makes it so simple, doesn’t He?

Phyllis Keels

The Heavenly Places

I spend a lot of time thinking about the heavenly places. You know, like when Paul said in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” NASB

Not that I understand all that Paul was talking about. He was light years ahead of anyone when it came to the things of God. Paul seemed to have the most complete understanding of spiritual things, because of the great revelations he had been given (2 Corinthians 12:7). He knew about it all; and he knew that he knew.

Even though I don’t understand it, I like thinking about the heavenly places. All the descriptions of heaven that are in the Bible tell us what it looks like and about some of the things that go on there (Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 2; Revelation 4 are some of the places).

Sometimes I do it because my daughter and my dad are there and I miss them so much. Sometimes I do it because I know that one day I’ll be there too, and because it is the most beautiful place there is.

Most of all, I do it because I like thinking about where Jesus is sitting and what He is doing. Somehow it helps put everything in perspective for me.

Sure, I know He is with us here too, in the person of the Holy Spirit. It’s just that I love Him, and when you’re in love with someone, you love thinking about them and what they might be doing at the time.

I love picturing Him sitting at the right hand of the Father’s throne, interceding for me (Hebrews 7:25), making sure that I am taken care of. I love picturing His loving face in my mind, picturing how He is always working for my good.

It helps me be more faithful to Him somehow. By thinking about all that He does for me, it makes me want to do good to Him – just as He does good to me. It makes me so happy remembering how very kind He is to me, and that He is always for me, not against me – He’s my advocate.

I know He loves me. I can feel His attention each and every day. I can feel His presence close by, even though I can’t see Him. By imagining the Heavenly Places where He lives, not only do I get a glimpse of what eternity will be like, but He also gives meaning to my life now – this life here.

Somehow, He ties the heavenly places to the earthly places, much like Jacob’s ladder connected heaven and earth. I guess that’s because He is Jacob’s ladder. He is the mediator between God and mankind.

Closeness with Him. That’s what I feel when I think about the heavenly places. Closeness.

Try it. You might be surprised at how loved you’ll feel when thinking about Jesus, and that He is attending to you even now, my friend.

Phyllis Keels