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You Don’t (Necessarily) Have to Stay in Your Lane (Guest Post)

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On a table sit an open laptop, a leather-bound book with a smartphone on top, and a tablet in the background. A woman's hands are typing on the laptop's keyboard.
Image by Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay

You Don’t (Necessarily) Have to Stay in Your Lane

by Steph Beth Nickel

As a writer, you’ve likely heard the advice to “stay in your lane.”

This is conventional wisdom that encourages us to write only one genre of novel, stick with nonfiction on a single topic—or clearly related topics, become known as an expert in our field, etc.

However, despite the fact that there are good reasons to do so, it is not the best advice for all writers.

While it may be more difficult to develop my readership or earn a significant amount of money from my writing, I could never see myself staying in my lane.

With that in mind, I am posting twice a week on Substack: chapters of my YA manuscript on Mondays and devotionals based on those first written for HopeStreamRadio on Fridays. If you would like to subscribe, I’d love to have you join me on my (for now) two-lane highway. [See the link at the end of this post]

I’ve included one of the posts from my devotional/Bible study below and will share the first post from my YA manuscript next month.

Day 1 of Nurture and Inspire Love: A Study of Jesus’s Commands in the Gospel of John

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the introduction to Nurture and Inspire Love, we learned some of the reasons Jesus has the right to require our obedience. Amazingly, He does not do so from a position of comfort and privilege. Philippians 2:1-8 gives us a glimpse of what He gave up for us—and what He did to redeem us.

We all want to be loved, and no matter how many wonderful people are in our lives, none can compare to our great God and the love He has for us.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 provides a glimpse of just how much God loves us. And according to 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.”

And as Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

The first commandments we read in the Gospel of John are in chapter 1, verses 39 and 43: “Come and you will see” and “Follow me.”

John the Baptist was an amazing man. In Matthew 11:11, Jesus declared that “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”

One of the most amazing things about John was his humility. He freely admitted that Jesus had to increase and he had to decrease. Because John made this declaration, when two of his disciples heard him say of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God” (found in John 1:36), they immediately left John and followed the Lord.

Jesus asked them what they were seeking. They simply asked where He was staying, and the Lord responded, “Come and see.”

Grammatically speaking, it’s a command, but it sounds more like an invitation. After accepting the invitation and spending the day with Jesus, Andrew sought out his brother, Simon Peter, and informed him they had found the Messiah. It only took a day (at most) for him to come to that conclusion and look for an opportunity to spread the word.

The next day Jesus found Phillip and commanded him to follow Him. Immediately, Phillip did so. And before long, he shared with Nathanael that they had found “him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote” (John 1:45).

Being in Jesus’s presence for only a short time convinced these men of the truth and inspired them to share their discovery with others—though, of course, they wouldn’t fully understand what the Messiah had come to accomplish until years later.

I want to be like John the Baptist, willing to do my part to make Jesus known and then fade into the background as the bridegroom takes centerstage (see John 3:29). I want to be like those first disciples, who were immediately obedient to His call to follow and eager to invite others to “come and see.”

Just how can we come and see? We must study the Scriptures, read and revel in the stories of Jesus’s earthly ministry. We must rightly handle the Word of Truth, as it says in 2 Timothy 2:15. When we fellowship with Him, as did John’s former disciples, we too will become convinced of the obvious truth: Jesus was—and is—the Savior.

The same will be true if we heed the call to follow Him. We will soon learn that God Himself invites us to fellowship with Him and get to know Him. What an invitation!

Nurture and Inspire Love

Have you spent time with Jesus today? In what ways?

Did it motivate you to make Him known to others? If you find this challenging, what do you think is holding you back?

What one thing will you do to share the gospel today?

Recommended passage for study: Philippians 2:1-11

If you would like to subscribe to Substack for FREE to read more, you can do so here: Steph Beth Nickel | Substack

Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Review: Abiding in Christ, by Andrew Murray

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Book cover: Grapevine, leaves, grapes. Abiding in Christ, a classic devotional for today's reader, by Andrew Murray.

Abiding in Christ, by Andrew Murray (Updated edition. Bethany House, 2003)

This year, when I sensed God’s nudge to focus on the word “abide,” I searched out resources on the topic. This straightforward devotional classic from Andrew Murray has been a liberating source of hope.

What can I say in a review without trying to summarize all of Andrew Murray’s teaching?

First: He takes the pressure off. Yes, believers need to do our part and keep turning to God and choosing to abide in Christ. Yet despite our limitations we can believe it’s possible—not through human strength but because it’s God’s invitation – instruction – command in the first place. It’s the Father who metaphorically “grafts us into the Vine” who is Jesus, with the Holy Spirit as our nourishment.

So, whether I feel it or not in a given moment doesn’t change the fact that on God’s end it’s a done deal. I can rest in that and keep turning back to Him.

The other key point I remember is the challenge to abide fully in Christ—which means not also abiding in self.

Beyond that, I recommend you go read the book! A digital version is available through the Hoopla app, if your public library has that service. But a print copy is inexpensive and a valuable resource for any Christian.

I like the updated language, although I’m surprised the revisions didn’t convert the original use of “he” for “the believer” to something more inclusive. The book was published in 1895, at which point “he” was the catch-all for male/female/unknown. I hope this won’t be a barrier for younger readers.

Andrew Murray (Wikipedia link) was a South African pastor, teacher, and writer. His books are considered classics by many Christians and are often quoted in more current works on Christian living.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Breath as Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker

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Book cover: Breath as Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker

Breath as Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker (Thomas Nelson, 2022)

In this charming gift book, Jennifer Tucker combines proven breathing techniques with Scripture-based prayer to offer tools to “Calm your anxiety, focus your mind, and renew your soul.”

Everyday anxiety is something most of us experience more than we’d like. And if it’s not anxiety, it’ll be something else that agitates or distracts or stirs us up. Settling down can be easier said than done.

These 84 short readings and prayers come with gentle artwork. If savoured one per day, they can begin building a positive and peaceful habit. They can be read in order or by theme, meeting the felt need of the day (prayers of trust, direction, gratitude, help… there are 12).

I love how Ann Voskamp says, in her introduction to the book, “To learn to breathe prayers through all the labor pains of living is to be delivered into peace.” [page 14]

And I love these words from the author:

“Anxiety is not an enemy you need to fight. It is an opportunity to slow down and invite Christ into your struggle, to breathe deep in His presence and let His peace enter into all your broken places.” [page 30]

The book opens with an easy-to-read overview of the idea of focused breathing and brief prayers, grounding firmly in the scientific and in biblical Christianity. Page 21 includes a chart of what breath prayers are and are not, highlighting the difference between Christian practice and general spiritual and self-help practices. The author also points out the difference between anxiety disorder (needs professional help) and the more common everyday anxiety.

Each day’s reading features a truth to “breathe deep and know,” followed by a brief devotional reading and Scripture verse. Then a page of pastel-hued word art presents breath-sized snippets of the verse to repeat a few times in sync with slow inhales and exhales. I found this settled my spirit and led me into a sense of God’s unhurried presence.

A compact hardcover with lovely art, Breath as Prayer makes an excellent gift book for a friend or for yourself. Highly recommended as a gentle resource for spiritual growth and self-care.

For a brief, accessible overview of breath prayers, read this post on the author’s blog: What Are Breath Prayers? Jennifer Tucker’s website, Little House Studio, also offers mental health information and printable art. If you scroll to the end of her book page, you’ll find two free printable colouring sheets and a curated Spotify playlist with songs “to help you slow down and b-r-e-a-t-h-e.”

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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What are Breath Prayers?

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I’m not sure when I first heard of breath prayers. I’ve known and prayed brief fragment or phrase prayers, short prayers that fit with our rhythm of breathing.

Breath prayers, as I understand them, are ones we can repeat through a sequence of long, deep breaths. These really impacted me last December as I prayed and journalled through Bette Dickinson’s Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder. It’s a beautiful book and I highly recommend it

Here in mid-July, I’m praying through another delightful little book called Breath as Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker. This one’s targeted specifically at combining the calming benefits of deep, regular breathing exercises with the soul-nourishing truths of Scripture. The book’s subtitle is “Calm your anxiety, focus your mind, and renew your soul.”

Instead of my trying to explain the concept, let me point you to Jennifer Tucker’s much clearer introduction: “What Are Breath Prayers?” And while you’re on her site, have a look through the resources (including freebies) and information on mental health. If the idea of these short prayers intrigues you, a banner at the top of her site offers a free 5-day “Breath Prayer Challenge.” It’s like a taster of what’s in the book, delivered daily as an email, and I valued the experience.

Speaking of resources, let me also point you to Bette Dickinson’s site, where you’ll find more soul-enriching resources: bettedickinson.com. I’ve been enjoying her monthly author newsletter as she reveals the next book-and-art project that’s on her heart.

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Review: Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder, by Bette Dickinson

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Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder, by Bette Dickinson (IVP, 2022)

Meditative artwork, Scripture, and a brief devotional followed by reflective questions and short “breath prayers” to repeat through the day make this book a special part of Advent—or at least December 1-25, since the season of Advent usually begins in November.

The Bible verses come from Luke 1 and 2, highlighting the key figures: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

Making Room in Advent became a favourite part of each day for me, bringing quiet, calm, and pages of journalled response. I missed the benefit of the brief daily prayers by not taking time to write them down and keep them in view to include in my day.

The art in this book is lovely, restful, and thought-provoking. A paper copy of the book would be ideal, although I found reading the ebook on a tablet gave me a large enough view of each image. I don’t know how effective it would be on a smartphone.

Highly recommended for anyone desiring a meaningful collection of devotionals leading up to Christmas—although it could benefit readers any time of the year.

Bette Dickinson is a prophetic artist, a writer, and a speaker. To learn more about her, visit bettedickinson.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: Joy that Renews, by Steve Akerson

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Cover of Joy that Renews: A devotional from Psalms to refresh your life every day, by Steve Akerson.

Joy that Renews, by Steve Akerson (River Birch Press, 2021)

These devotions brim with infectious joy and confident trust in our Lord.

Taking one verse from each of the Bible’s 150 psalms, Joy that Renews invites readers to grow deeper in their relationship with God. The daily devotionals focus on God’s goodness and love and on themes like living in freedom, thankfulness, and listening to God. Although the Psalms were written many years before Christ, they contain much that points to Jesus.

Each day’s reading begins with a title, a one-line summary, and then the Scripture, a brief application, and a heartfelt response. The conversational, transparent style makes for easy reading and relatability. The author uses The Passion Translation, which puts oft-familiar verses in a fresh light.

Anyone familiar with the psalms as a whole is aware that they’re not all light and jubilant. Some are laments, and some groan with deep pain and affliction. One of the points Steve Akerson draws from these heavier psalms is that “You will always have a big choice in your life—either to focus on your problems or on God’s goodness. That choice will make a tremendous difference in the quality of your life and on those around you.” [Day 22, “Chased by Goodness,” Hoopla edition page 61]

And “It is good for you to praise Him, even if your praise is accompanied by tears and sorrows.” [Day 31, “Turn Distress Upside Down,” Hoopla edition page 77]

I appreciate how, whatever the circumstances, this book turns the focus back to God and His goodness. This helps strengthen our faith and leads us into worship. I also appreciate the encouragement to listen to God with expectancy—the more we train our spiritual ears to recognize His voice, the closer we’ll walk with Him. Or, as Day 110, “Listen—God is Talking,” says, “His words will bring richness to your soul.” [Hoopla edition page 253]

These daily readings blessed me, and I’ll be marking Joy that Renews as a book to read again. The book is also available in print and digital format from many online venues.

Author Steve Akerson is one of the Prayer Team leaders at Hosanna Church in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. For more about the author and his book, and to request the free study guide that accompanies it, visit joythatrenews.com.

[Review copy from Hoopla.]

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99-cent Ebooks While We’re Self-isolating

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I hope you’re doing okay in these uncertain days. The most important things we can do are to pray for one another (and for our leaders!) and to care for one another in whatever way we can.

One small thing I can do is to reduce the price of my ebooks — people who are spending more time at home need distractions from the never-ending news loops. Books are great for that, and books that remind us of God’s care are extra-valuable now. Many Christian authors I know have been able to reduce their prices, and we all seem to be saying “it doesn’t seem like much, but it’s something I can do.”

So for the rest of March and into April, each of my ebooks will be 99 cents worldwide.

For convenience, the buy links on my Books2Read page should lead to the appropriate country for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and Apple. Link: https://bit.ly/Books2ReadJanetSketchley

This applies for the three Redemption’s Edge novels (suspense/romantic suspense), the two Green Dory Inn Mysteries, and my daily devotional book. Feel fee to share this offer with your reading friends.

Christmas Devotional and Giveaway

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If you like Christmas devotionals, check out my guest post at Patti’s Porch. Someone who comments on the post (on that site, not here) will win a print or ebook copy of my daily devotional book, A Year of Tenacity. Draw is on December 17, 2019.
Link: This is the Lord’s Battle.

The Light Shines Through (Good Friday guest post)

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Light streaming through trees. "Even on this, the darkest day, the Light shines through."

Image source: Pixabay

The Light Shines Through

by Steph Beth Nickel

Today, Christians around the globe will gather to solemnly commemorate Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Whenever it is overcast and rainy, we think, “How appropriate.” It is truly “the darkest day” of the year—no matter what the weather.

The sinless Saviour was humiliated, beaten, and then nailed to a Roman cross. While we won’t go into detail, suffice it to say it was one of the cruelest forms of execution ever devised.

As busy people, we rarely stop to consider the implications of this fact in any more than a fleeting manner. How often do we take the time to contemplate what the Lord did and allow ourselves to be overcome with reverence and gratitude? This day—or any day—is a good one to do just that.

But as we consider the darkness, we must also focus on those cracks of light. Even as the Saviour went to His death and suffered more than we can imagine, the Light shone through—and continues to shine to this day.

The Light Shines Through

Jesus prayed for those who put Him to death. In Luke 23:34, we read, “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’” (ESV).

Knowing Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him should amaze us. Though He was fully God, He was also fully man and suffered as any other individual who had been put to death in this way. And more than that, He actually became sin for us, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Talk about suffering! And Jesus knew all this would happen before it did. Still He prayed, “Father, forgive them.”

He was not only thinking of these individuals, when He was dying, the Son of God was thinking of His mother, Mary. In the midst of that kind of suffering, few—if any—of us would be thinking of anyone or anything besides ourselves. But Jesus knew His mother would need someone to care for her after He was gone, and He assigned this task to His beloved disciple, John. What an expression of selflessness and love! The Light was shining brightly.

Yet another of Jesus’s final declarations is found in John 19:30. Many a sermon has been preached on this verse. It says, “It is finished!” (ESV). We know it wasn’t only the fact that His suffering would soon be over. Jesus knew all along that, to make the way for us to be right with the Father, He had to take our sin upon Himself and suffer the punishment we deserved. This is yet another truth that should cause us to stop and marvel at what He did for us.

Let’s go on to consider not only the cracks of Light we can see as the Saviour was crucified but also what happened when He expelled His last breath and “gave up his spirit,” as it says in John 19:30.

Invited into the Light

One of my favourite verses in all of Scripture is Matthew 27:51. In the ESV, the first part of the verse reads like this: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

It’s a brief verse and easy to skim over, but it is truly awesome. The fact that this curtain (or veil) was torn in this way is miraculous. The fabric was 60 feet long, 30 feet high, and as thick as the palm of one’s hand. It would have been virtually impossible to rip from bottom to top, let alone from top to bottom. This was no act of man.

And most awesome is what this act of God represents. No longer are believers denied access to the Holy of Holies. We are invited into the Throne Room of Heaven because of Jesus’s death. Now that’s something to marvel at—especially since His presence was reserved for the High Priest, who could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year.

Now, because of what Jesus accomplished on Calvary, we are invited to come before God any time of any day. Of course, we must do so in reverence and awe. But if we have asked Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, the way is open to us. In fact, Jesus is the Way, as we read in John 14:6.

So, while we will celebrate the Light bursting from the grave on Sunday, we can see that even on this, the darkest day, that same Light shines through.

Our meditation on these truths should not be restricted to one weekend a year. Will you consider setting aside time to do so on a regular basis?

And when your life seems shrouded in darkness and you can’t see the way out, will you turn your eyes toward the One who is the Light of the World (John 8:12)?

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Even on this, the darkest day, the Light shines through. (Click to tweet)

When life seems shrouded in darkness, turn your eyes toward the one who is the Light of the World.  (Click to tweet)

Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.

Angel Song

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Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
Philippians 2:6-7a, NLT*

No wonder the angels’ announcement split the sky, and the shepherds cowered in fear.

The angels knew what was going on, at least this part of the story. They’d known at least since Gabriel had delivered news to the priest Zechariah that Elizabeth would conceive John the Baptist. They may have known longer.

Among the humans, only Mary and Joseph knew, and Elizabeth and Zechariah.

This huge, astounding, mind-breaking secret: God Himself became an embryo and was born a baby who was fully God and fully human. And somehow still remained God the Father, ruling the universe.

The angels knew. Can you imagine the sheer jubilation of their announcement?

Today, we know. May we take some time to ponder this news that’s more than human minds can grasp. May the Holy Spirit reveal its truth to the depths of our beings.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, what can we say but “thank You”? What can we do but worship You? Please let the magnitude of the Incarnation change us, for Your glory.

∞

Here’s Austin Stone Worship’s A Day of Glory.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.