One Author's Journey: Interview with Michelle S. Lazurek

Michelle and I met at her children's preschool in 2009, where I was substitute teaching.

Michelle S. Lazurek
Author, Speaker, Bible Teacher

Introducing herself as one of the students' parents we quickly became friends when I discovered her passion to follow God's lead toward a writing career. Being a newbie to the business myself, we encouraged one another in our writing and I'm proud to introduce her to you today;  a student who now far surpasses the teacher. 

1. For my readers who don't know you, will you tell them a little about yourself? 
I am a writer, speaker, pastor's wife and mother. I've been in ministry for over fifteen years. I'm married to my wonderful husband Joe for fifteen years and have two children, Caleb and Leah.

2. How did you become a writer?
I've often said that I didn't choose writing; writing chose me. In 2009, while attending a women's retreat, I felt God impress upon my heart to write a book. I had never written anything before in my life. I was terrified! I prayed and asked God what he wanted me to write about, and I began to notice in the gospel of John how many times John referred to himself as "the disciple ‘Whom Jesus loved." As I researched, I found no one had written anything about that topic. That’s when my first book "Becoming the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved" was born. I've been writing ever since.

3. What difficulties have you experienced as a pastor’s wife, and how did you handle those difficulties?
When you are in a position of power, there will always be people who try to take advantage of that power. It’s especially tough when you are in a place of spiritual power. The enemy will always seek to knock you down, using the same people who praise with you on a Sunday morning. Besides loneliness—that’s the hardest part about being a pastor’s wife—those within your congregation who don’t treat you with the same level of mutual respect because they believe things should be handled or organized differently. 

4. You have two new children’s books that have just been released. Tell me what they are about.
When my daughter was four years old, she would spend hours parading in front of my husband, twirling around in her princess dresses and asking “Daddy, Am I Beautiful?” I realized in that moment that is the cry of every young girl’s heart—to be told by her father she is beautiful. My book explores the concept of self-esteem from a young girl’s perspective and teaches them that it is not what’s on the outside that makes you beautiful, but what’s on the inside. Mommy Am I Strong? is written for boys and explores the concept of their self-esteem. Boys want to be seen as strong and use their strength to prove their worth. This book teaches that true strength comes from the inside, not on the outside. 

5. What lesson would you like young girls and boys take away from your children’s books?
Society is tough to raise Christian men and women in, especially for women. In this overly sexualized world, we tend to teach girls that their value in life comes from exploiting their bodies for others’ pleasure. I want girls to feel they are more than that. I want them to come away with the confidence that their worth does not come from their body type, but from God’s approval of them just as they are. With the increasing popularity of superheroes, boys are taught early that their worth comes from their strength I want young boys to believe that even someone with a disability can be strong because of their ability to display humility and grace in the face of trials. 

6. What are some upcoming projects? 
I have a non-fiction book on hospitality titled An Invitation to the Table: Embracing the Gift of Hospitality that releases in spring of 2016.

Michelle S. Lazurek is a pastor’s wife, a mother, an author, and a speaker. A member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, she has been published in numerous places such as Charisma Magazine and Movieguide Magazine. Her newest book An Invitation to the Table explores hospitality and discipleship. For more information, Please visit her website at www.michellelazurek.com. 

Whatever You Do...

Image compliments of pixabay.com

Today I confess that I am a Christian and I am a children’s author, but I haven’t published a Christian children’s book. So, how is it that I’m allowed to write on the Christian Children’s Authors blog?

Good question.

When I approached the founder of that blog about contributing articles, she graciously gave me room at the writers table to share my heart—first, as a follower of Jesus and second, as a children’s author. While society deems it necessary to separate our faith from public settings, followers of Jesus know that it’s impossible to separate our faith from anything we do.

What Paul shared in Colossians 3:23 says it best:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters. 

(Join me at the Christian Children's Authors Blog for the rest of the story)

What Encouragement Looks Like

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as in fact you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

It’s a rarity when we can mark a moment in time other than the date on a calendar. That moment that signifies a line in the sand, an about-face, a change of heart or a significant start.

Meeting Cindy was such a time.

Sitting amongst like-minded aspiring writers, Cindy, an accomplished author and public speaker, shared her enthusiasm for the written word. She shared her personal journey, but she didn’t make it all about her, as some might. Rather, she created a homey atmosphere where you imagined it was just the two of you sitting across from one another, sharing a cup of tea.

And her point? If she could succeed, so could you. But, what got me? What etched that day in my memory so that nine years later I can still recall the details? She personally told me I could write. She wasn’t granting me permission to write. No, she recognized me as a writer and called me out—called forth the dream God planted in my heart long before that moment—and I couldn’t hide any longer.

For years following that writer’s seminar, I’d often say to my husband, “I wish I could call Cindy and have her mentor me.” Since she lived but a half an hour from our home he’d answer, “Giver her call.” And I’d quiver in reply. “Oh, I can’t do that! She’s a real author.”

By the time we were reunited four years ago, I’d published my first children’s book and was a contributing writer for two blogs other than my own. And, two years ago, we spent quality time together at the New England Christian Writers Retreat. It was there, I finally understood her true calling. Yes, she is a brilliant wordsmith and talented public speaker, but encouraging is her strongest gift.

Paul mentions the ministry of encouragement in Romans 8:6-8:   

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Cindy definitely has the encouraging gift. And if you think she encourages me only because I attended her events, think again. For here she is, encouraging my heart at my own book debut this past weekend:

L to R: Carol Nicholls, Cindy Secrest-McDowell, Dawn Aldrich, Wendy Coy

And not only is she encouraging my heart, but see those other girls? They’re writers, too, and she’s pouring into their dreams, watering the seed that God’s planted within them.

We all need people like Cindy in our lives. In fact, I believe Paul commissioned all believers to practice and desire encouragement so that we might uplift one another in our faith journey. And, wouldn’t that include recognizing the God-given talents and gifts in others and calling it forth?

L: Akintunde Sogunro, author of Mama Stitches and one God's allowed me to mentor

Do you have an encourager in your life? Are you and encourager to others?

My pint-sized encouragers and that little girl? Man, can she write!

I’d love to hear your stories. Why not encourage our hearts and share your experience below in the comments section?

How this Author Gets Her Story Ideas

A book-buying customer once asked me, "How do you get your book ideas?" Like it was as natural as breathing, my answer rolled right off my tongue. "They just find me," I said. 

While I'm not a veteran author of hundreds of books, like many on this blog, I have published one children's book, the second is well into the illustration process as I write this article, and my third story has a tentative late summer publish date. Even so, I've written more that won't see a publishers desk and the ideas keep coming.

So, what do I mean when I say the story ideas find me? 

(Follow me over to Christian Children's Authors blog and I'll tell you my secret...)

Setting the All-Things-New into Motion

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

Lent begins today. Forty days ahead to prepare our hearts for Resurrection Day. The day when Jesus overcame sin and death for us--the day the earth shook and the stone rolled away--the day Jesus set all-things-new-pattern into motion. 

So, how do I prepare my heart in these next forty days? I've thought on this a lot lately. How do I honor the sacrifice Jesus made--laying aside his deity, his life? What hard sacrifice can I offer Him? Not something temporal so that at the end of forty days I gorge myself with chocolate and potato chips, but rather, what old pattern does God want to shake out new so that I might transform more into His likeness? What would truly cause me to desire Him more?

For me, it starts with solace. Intentionally closing out the world long enough to be still and bask in God's presence, to actually shut my mouth and open my ears to His heart whispers. Not just once in forty days. Not just once a week, but at least once a day. That's easy on the slow, snowed-in days, but not on the hectic, scheduled, everyone-demanding-me days. Those days will take supernatural intervention and discipline. 

Next, it's words. Words move me more than any other form of communication. More than personal touch, quality time, acts of service,  or material gifts. When I read the written word, my heart and mind have time to synchronize. I can read and reread until my heart finally feels what my mind understands. I need to sacrifice time to read God's word and the words of His saints to fill my heart and mind with the Good News and to start the renewal process; to  transform my mind into His likeness; to put away the old ways of thinking, stop believing the lies my mind whispers and believe the Truth of how God sees me and those around me. 

Writing words is another way I plan to prepare my heart this Lenten season. As powerful as words are to read, writing down encouraging words I hear in God's heart whispers allows my eyes to see what God's saying. It allows me to remember, revisit, reread and encourage my heart over and over again. So, over the course of the next forty days, God's calling me back to journaling His private whispers.

A fellow writer, Karen Ehman, has another great writing idea on her blog today. She's challenged her readers to write one encouraging note to a different person every day. The power of words goes beyond our own hearts and can be used to honor, encourage and lift up those in our lives we hold dear, but somehow never take time to tell them just how much they mean to us. I can't promise 40 different notes, but I will consciously sit down and send out notes.

Finally, God is calling me back to my writing passion. It's been a hard sacrifice over the past ten months as we prepped and sold our home and then  moved and built onto our new home. What I thought would take only three months has now taken almost a year to complete. I knew writing would take a back seat, but it's now time to discipline myself again, with God's help, and move forward into the calling of encouraging the hearts of those who grace not only this space, but also those God's called me to write for so many years ago. It's time to write down God's words and complete the work.

Like Paul, let's not conform to this world any longer. Rather than giving up the temporal only to gorge ourselves with it again in a few short weeks, let's seek God for what He really wants to change in us. Let's let God renew our minds, start the -all-things-new process in us so that at the end of forty days we're closer to being transformed into Jesus' likeness. 

May God truly have is way in us all these next forty days!

Dawn

When My Muse Won't Let Me Write

Finally, someone admitted it...no...an author admitted it..,they haven't the time for writing. Whew! And I thought I was the lonely, no-writing, wordless author standing alone in a great big room filled with word-swirling, masterpiece creators. 

I let out a great big sigh of relief when I read her confession on our shared blog. As authors, we were asked to share our everyday writing routine with the world (okay, not the world, just our readership). I did that once, two years ago, but asked to do it again? I blushed. 
Writing routine? What routine? Have you seen my Facebook posts lately? When would I have time to sit and write, let alone come up with some pithy, creative stories that inspire? 

You see, like my friend, life has pulled my bottom right off my writing chair the past fourteen months. Between caring for aging and ailing parents, grieving over loved ones passing, welcoming new grandchildren, playing with older grandchildren and tending to my home and husband, there's been little time to sit and breathe, let alone write. All these events experienced one at a time can send you spinning, but many of these events have happened either simultaneously or in direct succession. No sooner had I buried my sister, my father took ill; my father passed and my mother-in-law was admitted for physical rehab on the same day; they discharge my mother-in-law and my newest granddaughter arrived three weeks early. 

Life--all of its sensory experiences--is my muse. We learn, we celebrate, we grow, we move forward, we become who and what we are from life's events. But, when these events piggy back one another their weight multiplies and overloads our senses until the stress breaks us. It's difficult (impossible for me) to extrapolate meaning or inspiration from anything when stress rules. 

Lately, I've battled my place in the writing world; wondered if there ever really was a place or will be a place, because I've lost my way a bit. So, I sink into the worn leather couch cushion by the warm fire in my "Wicked Good" slippers and ask God what on earth he has planned. And you know what his answer is? Rest. Because out of rest comes worship. Out of worship comes creativity. 

So, I chuckle. Rest? Is it time? May I rest? Oh, please, may I rest my weary body and mind? It's been a long, long, long fourteen months of crises. The future is never certain, but for now I see nothing on the horizon. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Maybe. Just maybe I'll have time to sit and ponder life...the past, the present, the dreams...and write.

 God is my source. Worship is my rest. Life is my muse. What's yours?

My Writer's Nest

 

"Beloved, come away..." Song of Solomon 8:14a

In the movie, Something's Gotta Give, Diane Keaton plays a successful play-wright seeking to rouse her muse at her oceanfront home. I laugh when the scene cuts to Keaton sitting behind her sprawling mahogany desk in a whitewashed office touting a private view of a secluded California beach. Who couldn't write with a seacoast muse?

Until my own private seaside oasis reveals itself , I'm ever grateful for this pretty little second floor writer's nest... the place I hear God whisper, "Come away, my beloved..."

My writing day starts in complete silence

sitting in this comfy chair... 



...alone with the Lord, my Bible, journal, a devotional
and a writing book by a successful author.



And when inspiration hits, I crawl behind my humble desk
and write..

 ...and write.

 

Here's my view when I come up for air.
It's not an ocean view but I can dream, can't I?



Books line the wall opposite my desk.
Never thought I'd convert,
but now I purchase digital copies to save space.

My shelves display beautiful seashells, (gifts from an old friend),
and family photos.

Hanging above the bookcase is my favorite vacation photo
of Eastport, Maine at sunrise - a Christmas gift
from my husband who knows my heart.

He added my favorite quote by Thoreau in the upper left:

"The seashore is a sort of neutral point
a most advantageous ground
of which to contemplate this world."

This writer's nest took all of $50 to remodel. Everything except the rug and bookcases was a hand-me-down. Since the room is only 5' X 10' it didn't take much paint to spruce it up and we found a double roll of linen wallpaper in Lowe's discount pile for $5!

Where do you hear God whisper, "Come away, my beloved?" Is it the same place you write? What setting inspires you, gets your creativity flowing? What's your dream spot?

Don't Think. Just Write.

"The LORD said to me, 'Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen...'" Isaiah 8:1

From the beginning of time, God commanded his words be written down. He's hard-wired some of us for writing, but we struggle getting started.

Here's what worked for me:

The blank page stared me down, taunted me, challenged me to a duel. "Go ahead. I dare you! Strike this page with ink and scratch your thoughts upon these lines! I. Dare. You."

Early on, that's exactly how my writing practice started. A daily duel between me, my pen and the blank page. Then, I read Madeline L'Engle's memoir, A Rock That is Higher. She grabbed my attention with this tidbit of advice: "Don't think. Just write." She explains, if we think too much about our words while actually writing words, we stop the creative flow of story. As writers, she says, we're allowed to think before writing, think after writing, but never think while in the process of writing. According to L'Engle, over thinking our words deafens us to our inner voice, even God's whispers.

Following her advice transformed my writing process. Before I write anything, I read. I read Scripture, Christian devotionals, and inspirational books or blogs. Reading awakens my brain, feeds my heart and centers my thoughts on God. Here, I'm teachable, inquisitive, questioning, thinking. In the midst of reading, something inspires me, gets me mad, makes me question, starts a dialogue between me, the author and God.

Then, I write.

I. Just. Write. I don't focus on syntax, grammar, punctuation, or voice. It's a tough discipline, especially for perfectionists like me, who scour pages with red pens and cringe at every error. If that's you, too, there's hope. Just. Write.

When my inner voice grows silent, speaks it's last word, then I think, again.

I read and reread my free-hand scrawls searching for a nugget worth sharing. If I find one, my brain goes on high alert and editing begins. Words align into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into a blog entry, a speaking topic, a book chapter, or a children's story idea. I don't publish everything. Some words are best kept to myself. Others are private between God and me.

I. Just. Write. That's what I do. I'm hard-wired that way.

How has God hard-wired you? What form of expression do you find most comfortable?

Pausing for Thanksgiving: Through Writing



Teresa Norris, Author
Guest Blogger

Please welcome guest blogger and author, Teresa Norris.

"Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High." Psalm 50:14

For me November is a bleak month on many levels. Shades of gray dominate the landscape – bare gray trees, gray skies, gray water. Yet, I haven’t even touched on the emotional grayness this month presents: my mother's passing on November 18, 2003, my dad's death on November 1, 2007, and amongst the hardest losses--the turmoil of estrangement between me and my brother two years ago. 

It's hard to hit the happy button with all this negativity swirling around, but then isn’t that exactly what our relationship with God challenges us to do?

Seeking that elusive “peace that surpasses all understanding” is something we all experience in our daily walk. The good news of course, is that God provides the ways and means to accomplish this. I call these God’s “life preservers,” which He throws our way to save us from some grim realities. For me it’s writing--journaling and personal essays that encourage reflection and allow emotional venting.

Once life’s little foibles (and big problems!) are brought forward through prayer or writing, the spirit is relieved of the burden. We are reminded of Scripture. We are reminded of past victories. In other words, we are reminded who our Father is. We are given those avenues to surrender to God, reconnect, and receive healing.

Yes, November heralds winter – in nature and perhaps in our soul. But it also hosts the holiday of Thanksgiving, and that provides opportunity to refocus our thoughts. I can take those exact things that might bring me down and reconsider them in an “attitude of gratitude.”

Gray trees – a time of rest and silent awaiting rebirth. Gray skies and water – a cocooning of sorts, a drawing-in to reflect. My parents passing away – they are truly home now, in peace and comfort. My relationship with my brother – complex but going forward in prayer and dependence on God’s grace.

Each and any circumstance, trial, challenge and fear cannot and does not stand in the face of God’s greater presence. For that, I am profoundly grateful.

Teresa M. Norris, wife, mother, retired teacher and author of Almost Home–How I Lost My Mother Without Losing My Mind: A Faith Journey, resides in Mystic, CT with her husband Tom. To learn more about Teresa and her personal struggles through her mother's journey of dementia, or to purchase her book, please visit her website or visit her blog.