Sunday, April 24, 2016

More In Store -- Just Move

Every time I look at this flyer, I am simply in awe. “All I was doing was writing one book.” This is what I say when I look back over this literary journey. This amazing walk with my Heavenly Father has led to writing and publishing more books, a writing club for aspiring authors, coaching writers to complete their books, and a YouTube show supporting local authors. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I see all of this. All I knew was; God spoke, I begin writing and spending quiet time with Him. The rest just followed.

Just because it followed, doesn’t make it easy. What I mean by that is, a book is a hard sell. Especially the ones that I write, Christian Romance/Suspense Novels. Yes, I write romance and suspense, but I write to uplift, inspire and share God's love.

There are days that I want to give up. It is difficult to find your market. But I keep pushing. Why? That is what I’m called to do. It reminds me of a dream I had. I was in the car with my step-mother. I was driving. As we got to the intersection, there were people there. I slowed down, but didn’t stop. I came close to running them over. Naturally, this upset my step-mom. Truth be told, it upset me. I awoke wondering, what in the world?

The dream stayed with me, until I ran across Luke 14:23: "Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” 

What? By me getting in their personal space, practically running them over, is this how I compel someone to come unto the Lord? Wait a minute, Lord. People will not like that. No sir re! 

However, compelling means that we have go beyond the convenient invitation. It is like grabbing someone by the hands while providing a strong case for the seriousness of the situation. You MUST COME. You’ve GOT to be born again. The table is set. YOU MUST!

Salvation, although easy to accept, it is not without strength and confidence. It is not without obedience. It requires us to do more than what we think would be easy. 

So back to my first line, “ALL I was doing was writing one book.” God said, this is your calling. This is your ministry. You are called to the reader, as well as the writer. Now go into the roads and country lanes and compel them to come.

My Dear Friend, you have got to move also. If you are a born again believer, and know what you are called to do, you’ve got to move. You’ve got to move when you’re tired, and begin to doubt if God really told you this. You’ve got to move when your finances seem small, and when people begin to speak ill of you. You’ve got to move when you’re not pleased with the results, and when you’ve made mistakes. You’ve got to move.

Stay connected in alignment with your Heavenly Father. He gives provision for the vision.

I’ll leave you with something I found. I read this scripture over and over. One day, it came alive to me. The Red Sea did not open for the Israelites until they stood before it. They had to move first before a way was made. He’s calling you, be encouraged, keep moving.

Has God called you to move and you find yourself pulling back? Share your stories, we’d love to hear from you. And if you would like to connect with our JUST WRITE authors, join us May 14th - 10 am to noon at The Best Western Suites - 2310 Greenville Blvd NE, Greenville, NC 27858.



Until We Meet Again,

Brook Lynn Dorcent
Author/Coach/Inspirational Speaker
Founder/Facilitator: JUST WRITE! - A Club for Writers
Missing the Mark (Novel One)
Pressing Toward the Mark (Novel Two)
Forgetting Betrayal (Novel Three)
Above All (Novel Four)
His Wedding Vow (A Novel) Coming Soon
Spirit Over Will (Devotional)

Why Not...Read for Love

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Raising Expectations!

April 2nd with my lovely assitant Chikera

Currently it seemed everywhere I turned I heard,  raise your expectations. A friend and I partnered together to be inspirational speakers. Our first event was on April 2. Prior to the event, she made the comment that she hoped a lot of people would attend. I replied with, our job was not to worry about the crowd, but to be prepared to share our testimony.

Later, when I thought about it, I knew I had lowered my expectations. I know the point is not how many people attend, however, I’ve become accustomed to small crowds. As I thought this through, I felt a nudge within telling me to raise my expectations. 

I let the nudge ferment. As it did, I took a trip to Maryland to visit some family members. Before we left, my cousin played a Bill Winston confession for my husband and I. She said we should say it every morning. Pastor Winston begins the confession with saying get ready and expect things to happen. That was the second time I heard expect within that week. 

The more I considered this, I knew this was not the second time I heard expect. At the beginning of the year, I felt God tell me to write a confession and to speak it after my prayer and Bible study in the mornings. I started doing this, but not consistently. 

What is wrong with me? Why am I finding it difficult to speak life into every area of my life? And why does God want me to? These were my prompting thoughts. I didn’t let it go and neither did God. Thankfully, I tuned into Bible study one night and heard our assistant pastor say that God framed the worlds by His words. Moreover, we have the same power to speak and frame the world that we want to live in. 

It became obvious to me that God was telling me, He was not going to do for me what I have the power to do. He had already opened the door, but until I called forth what was waiting for me, it would not walk into my world. God gave me lungs to breathe, He gave me a heart to love, and He gave me a mouth to command. 

Author LaTina Shelley
I learned my real problem was my faith. If I truly believed, I would speak and expect manifestation. 

However, this lesson God was teaching me wasn’t over yet. I was dealing with a change within my body. I went to the doctor to ensure it was menopause and not any other concerns. It was important that I go because I’m only 44 years old. I hadn’t had a cycle in three months and I felt great about that! My doctor is an older gentleman. I chose him for that reason. I expected he would be wise and experienced, and I trusted his judgment. Nevertheless, when he told me what he saw on the ultrasound, I doubted him. He said, my right ovary had a cyst, but the left looked normal. He explained that within it, he could see follicle activity. NO WAY! How could he see that? I felt great, and had no signs or symptoms of having another cycle. I know my body, he had to be wrong. Right?

He wasn’t. After receiving all my test results, another cycle began. This was a lesson on faith for me. My doctor was the one with the wisdom and experience, he had inside information. Yet, I doubted him simply because of how I felt. I trusted my body and the history of how it normally operated. 

God is saying to me, stop trusting the history and the normal pattern of things to happen within my life. Stop asking Him to do what He’s commanded me to do. When I speak in alignment with His word, I have the power to frame my world…and so do you! Speak it and expect the manifestation.

And on April 2, more women showed up for our speaking engagement than I expected. In fact, several women from my church attended. I was blown away by the level of support. Not only that, not even a week later after the event, we are booked for another speaking engagement on June 7. 

June 7 is a very important day for me. It’s my best friend’s birthday. Another reason I can raise my expectations!

New Friend Ruth!
Is there an area in your life where you have settled, not expecting more? If so, please share. I’d love to hear from you.

With Love and Great Expectations,

Brook Lynn

Brook Lynn Dorcent
Author/Coach/Inspirational Speaker
Host: JUST WRITE REVIEW
Founder/Facilitator: JUST WRITE! - A Club for Writers
Missing the Mark (Novel One)
Pressing Toward the Mark (Novel Two)
Forgetting Betrayal (Novel Three)
Above All (Novel Four)
His Wedding Vow (A Novel) Coming Soon
Spirit Over Will (Devotional)
OUTStanding (Memoir/Teen Guide)
www.brooklynndorcent.com
Why Not...Read for Love