‘Do you want the good news or the bad news?’ I asked my husband a few days ago.
‘Oh, the good news!’ he responded.
‘Well, I’ve edited fifty-six of my blogs,’ I sighed. ‘But the bad news is I have fifty-seven more to go!’
This all began quite a few weeks back. At that time I was thinking and praying about what my next writing project should be. I had completed my first non-fiction work and submitted it to a publisher. I knew I had the beginnings of three other novels on my computer—yet was it right to tackle one of these? Or should I try more non-fiction?
An author friend emailed me, strongly suggesting I should do something with the many blogs I have written. An older friend whose godly opinion I value so much urged me to do the same. Various other friends and family members to whom I mentioned the whole concept felt this was the way for me to go too. Then not long after, I read some encouraging words from Isaiah 61 that seemed to indicate that the idea had God’s blessing and that my efforts would prosper. Soon I was fully on board, ready to tackle this next challenge.
Since July 2009, I have disciplined myself to write a weekly blog that would say something about God and faith and often about writing as well, in an effort to reach out and encourage others and hopefully draw them a little closer to God. So now I had the task of wading through more than a hundred and fifty of these, deciding which would be suitable for inclusion in my proposed book. Some I immediately decided against using. They were too personal or too ‘for that moment only’ or … well, just plain not very good!
But then came the real slog. Then I had to begin to read the ones I had selected yet again, this time not only editing them but also grouping them into categories such as ‘Encouragement’, ‘Following God’s Call’, ‘Perseverance’ and other similar titles.
So now I have arrived at Number 57. Sometimes the going has been easy and delightful as I remember why I wrote this or that blog and rejoice again over some God-moment in my life. At other times, I move slowly, taking in again some deep lesson from God that I wrote about originally with a contrite heart and a spirit touched and comforted by God’s own Spirit. And I sit again in God’s presence, asking myself where I am now with that particular issue or difficulty.
Yes, it is a lot of work—and at times I wonder if I would have started at all, if I had know what I was letting myself in for. But then I realise perhaps the key thing this whole exercise has shown me yet again is the utter faithfulness of God in my life. Time after time, I read how God reached out to me, met me at my point of need, rejoiced with me, grieved with me, persevered with me, forgave me—and all of this in absolute love for me. And I remember God’s words to the Israelites so long ago:
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jer 31:3)
My blogs are indeed testimony of the truth of this in my own life—and I am humbled and oh so thankful.
Jo-Anne Berthelsen's Blog 
This has encouraged me Jo-Anne, as I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by my own aspirations. It’s good to know that you have such a close relationship to God. But I wonder, have you written elsewhere about just how you’ve established this line of communication, or He with you? I’d be interested in specifics, i.e. were you “called from the womb”? Isaiah 49:1.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. I hope you are soon able to be more at peace with God re your own aspirations, whatever they might be. Re your question about I came to know God in a close and personal way, while I can’t say I was ‘called from the womb’ as mentioned in Isaiah 49:1, I do believe God knew me completely from the very beginning, as per Psalm 139, that I was made in God’s image, as we all are, and that God desire to be an integral part of my life. If you check out my website (www.jo-anneberthelsen.com) you will find on the ‘About Jo-Anne’ page there an account of how I believe God called me to write around nine years ago now, and that calls still motivates and shapes my life even today. Apart from this call to write though, while I grew up believing in God and that God was important, this didn’t become real to me personally until I was fifteen and attended a camp for young people. At that point, I would say God broke into my life, showed me that he knew me and that I mattered to him and that he was calling me to belong to him and to live for him. From that point on, I had purpose and meaning in my life. I have written about this elsewhere in a brief unpublished testimony, but this reality of God and in particular, God’s love for us, is also an integral part of all the novels I have written. So again, if you check out the ‘About my books’ page on my website, you can read about them too. So this intimate relationship God offers each one of us in love is a key factor in why I write and I hope and pray you know that love of God for yourself too, Rita. God bless.
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Thanks Jo-Anne. I’ll check out your website and get back to you. Blessings.
I read your introduction to the site and your comments about yourself Jo-Anne. Peace. I’d like to read your novels now. I will ask for them at the library.
My own journey has been ragged. I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 18 years, before I started writing about sexuality in the book “The Forest Called Sex.” I have not published that yet and I’m not sure that I will. It details the circumstances of how I’ve come to truly understand God’s admonition against immorality.
I’m wondering now, however, if there would be a better way, other than this admittedly very personal memoir, to encourage others to obey God.
I even tried to commit suicide I was so distraught during this period. Thankfully, Jehovah did not allow me to die, though He has chastised me for it.
Much peace to your too, Rita. You sound as if you have had quite a journey. But as Psalm 139 again shows us, God has been with you all the way and still is. I hope you can find my books in your library. And I hope you find just the right way to express what is on your heart to write too. God bless
What did you do to motivate you each week to write a post in your blog?
Hi Michael. Well, God is still motivating me each week, as I just realised the blog you commented on was written almost exactly a year ago! So firstly, I think it is something God wants and has gifted me to do, so I write my blogs in obedience to that call. At times the blogs come easily to me, while at other times, I need to exercise some self-discipline, but I’ve learnt to do that over the years in all sorts of stages in my life and I think that is paying off now. Secondly, I want to take this opportunity to reach out to anyone who is prepared to take the time to read my blog to say something worthwhile about God to them and hopefully encourage them to stay close to God. Thirdly, I enjoy writing them! And fourthly, I am a very wordy writer (as you can see!), so I feel it is good discipline for me to have to limit myself to saying something in around 550 words each week, editing it and polishing it until it makes sense, to me at least. There are probably other motivations as well, but hopefully the above answer your question.
thanks jo-anne, that was a good reply its good to hear your heart on this subject, you are very loving in your response thanks i love you too. michael
No worries, Michael!