Hi Bryan
I’m a homeschooling mum of three from New Zealand. (Actually the eldest is now in school.) I just wanted to let you know that you have had a GOOD impact around here in a couple of different ways.
Yesterday I was having devotions with my girls (12 year old twins) and talking about how the Lord inhabits the praises of His people, and that His manifest Presence becomes stronger as we worship, and especially when we worship corporately. I asked the girls whether they’d heard that before.
My Holly said, “Yes, I learned that when I read about Bonnie in ‘The Candlestone.’”
WOW! I wanted to send a great ROUND OF APPLAUSE via email to you….to have this concept taught through a story means EVERYTHING to a mum like me who is trying to raise my girls to walk with the Lord. THANK YOU Bryan!! Well DONE!!
But wait, there’s more! I’m a wannabe writer too, and this year I fulfilled a dream when I used Dan Schwabauer’s One Year Adventure Novel curriculum to complete my first novel. He very kindly sent me some of his Summer Workshop dvds from 2011, so we had the privilege of hearing you speak. Your talk titled “Passion” touched me deeply. I am going to have my whole family watch it, once I get it back from another writer friend I passed it on to. It confirmed for me that despite the impossibilities facing us as Christian writers, we need to write from our hearts exactly what we feel the Lord wants us to say – regardless of the “market” or current publishing restrictions. It was so good to hear of how the Lord orchestrated people and events both to teach you things and to open the way for you.
It’s so easy for us as writers to give way to discouragement and not to persevere when we can’t see how anyone will read our stuff. Your talk lit the fire for me again when I needed it. THANKS AGAIN, BRYAN!
In addition your two “Revision” workshops were excellent. I learnt so much.
I love that you are going around encouraging young writers to rise up and go for it. I’m the kind of nutter who goes into secular bookshops and prays over the young adult bookshelves when I see the rubbish that’s there – there has GOT to be more for our teens. So I think that people like you and Dan Schwabauer who are encouraging the next generation of writers to develop and use their gifts are VERY important. Just as discouragement has the power to derail us from our calling, so encouragement keeps us on track, and re-inspires our passion for using our gifts to build God’s Kingdom.
Anyway, thanks for reading, Bryan – and thanks again for the GOOD you have brought into our household through your writing and speaking.
May the Lord bless you and your family abundantly,
Angie F.