Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

His Authority Helps Our Belief!
By Kelley Benson

If you take the time to stop and think about what makes the Good News so good, I think most of us would admit that it’s because God has the ability to offer eternal life. God has the authority to give life, and He has the authority to take life.

Jesus acknowledged that what He spoke, and ultimately what He came to do on earth, was directed by God in John 12:49-50, “I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me to say all that I have spoken. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So, whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say.”
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Coming June 1!

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

The Prayer of a Mother
By Kelley Benson

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.…” These are the opening lines of God’s word to us; a history of how He created an infrastructure, the perfect environment for His most beloved creation – mankind. Once everything was in place and man had been made, God said in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” So, God performed surgery on Adam while he was sleeping; taking a rib from Adam's side, He created a helper for Adam. Eve would bless Adam by giving him descendants to carry on his name, to watch them grow into adulthood, and make a difference in the world.
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Say it

How do you pronounce "Prosateurs?"
It's "Pros uh tours." Like "amateurs" but with "pros" instead "am."
It simply means "a writer of prose."

Coming in May!

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Take Time to be Lonely
By Kelley Benson

Do you know the feeling of being isolated from others? It can feel scary and challenging. At times like this, we can often feel sorry for ourselves, thinking that everyone else has it better than we do. However, when it comes to dealing with the problems in our lives, the fact that everyone struggles with some kind of sin, and that everyone experiences their own “challenging” event in life, should help us realize we’re not really alone.
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Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Do You Believe the Story?
By Kelley Benson

Storytelling is an art that is truly captivating when it’s done well. It’s also one of the best ways to share facts about an event. People constantly tell stories to share feelings, in part instructions, even to warn of dangers. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that our Heavenly Father, the one in whom we are created in His image, chose to share the story of salvation primarily through a narrative story.
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Writer Quotes: Neil Gaiman

"I had to reread a few stories I wrote aged 18-21 a few years ago. They were (to my mild surprise) terrible. I'm glad I didn't know, and kept going anyway. But the keeping going was the important bit."

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Rejection
By Kelley Benson

One of the greatest tests of our character is dealing with rejection and suffering. No one likes it! But rejection is inevitable. Sooner or later, all of us will experience it. And when it happens, we can’t help but ask ourselves some questions: Why me? What did I do wrong? Then come the thoughts we rehearse over and over, replaying that moment of rejection…wishing we’d seen it coming so we could avoid it.
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Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Proving Who You Are!
By Kelley Benson

How would you prove who you really are? We have to do it all the time at stores, or on applications, even among our friends at times. Whether it’s proving our name and address, or our ability to do what we claim, it’s a regular part of life.

What if you claimed to be the son of God? How would you prove that? Obviously, that might get us checked into some kind of hospital if we went around claiming that, but think about what Jesus had to go through to get people to believe that He really was the son of God who came to earth to redeem all of mankind from their sins that separates them from the creator of the universe. It may sound like a daunting task—unless it's true.
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Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Hearing the Good News!
By Kelley Benson

How would life be different if you couldn’t hear? For some people, that is a reality. Think about how many opportunities you’d never hear about, or how many warnings you’d miss, or how many other beautiful and wonderful sounds you wouldn’t get to experience.

Just consider that Jesus came to earth so that we could hear, “Well done good and faithful servant, welcome to the joys of heaven!” (Matthew 25:21, 23). This is the good news that every living person would love to hear. But before you hear “Well done,” you have to hear about how He made that possible and what that requires of you.
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Featured Blog: Paws and Reflect

Perspective
By Kathy Akins

“19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”  James 1:19-20

The tongue contains no bones. However, it is the most powerful muscle in the body. It's used for tasting, licking, and swallowing. And in humans, it’s used in articulating speech. Words – once said, cannot be unsaid. They can build a person’s confidence or destroy self-esteem. So powerful is the tongue.
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Meet Our Members: Kathy Akins

Kathy Akins began writing “for real” when she retired from a 30-year career with the United States Postal Service. She has won several awards with her poetry, devotionals, and short fiction. Her short stories and poetry were published in Blackbirds Third Flight, Creations 2014, and Creations 2015. A love for history, family, and animals touches her everyday life and inspires her story ideas and characters. She lives in Oklahoma and shares her home with miniature long-haired dachshunds and a rescued Catahoula. Her dachshunds assist her when she presents dog-related educational programs for children in her capacity as an American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Ambassador. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and American Christian Fiction Writers. Visit her website at kathyakins.blogspot.com.

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Are You Experiencing Chaos or Blessings?
By Kelley Benson

If you’ve ever been in sales for longer than a week, then you’ve probably realize it takes a lot of falls before you gain any height in the wild world of business. Failure is part of success. That’s true in business, and really, that’s true in our walk with God.

The gospels are filled with people that experienced all kinds of failures, set-backs, disappointments, and fears. That’s where Jesus comes in; He begins His ministry by healing people of their diseases (aka problems). From evil spirits (Mark 1:21-28), to sickness (1:29-31) and leprosy (1:40) and paralysis (2:1-5) Jesus began making a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of people.
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Meet Our Members: Debbie Anderson

Debbie Anderson wrote the novel Friend Or Foe, in 2018. A long time story teller, she has written and shared stories since she was a child. The oldest of eight children she used these stories to entertain her siblings as well for her own enjoyment. She learned the love of travel going on family vacations and spent eighteen years in the travel industry. As a result she has been to nearly every state and six countries. She left the travel business after 9/11. Since then she has written business documents such as manuals and procedures for the electronic and oil industries. In addition to writing she enjoys sewing, quilting, crafts, painting and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She finds humor in everyday people and events and incorporates them into her writing. She writes short stories, memoirs, novels, children’s stories, and how-to books. She has been published in Creations 2017.

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Are You Following Christ?
By Kelley Benson

What defines the church? Perhaps we’d turn to passages like Colossians 1:18, “He [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” Or verses like: Matthew 16:16-18, or Ephesians 1:22-23 and 5:23-24, or Hebrews 12:23.

There are many references that help us realize the church isn’t a building, but people who are faithfully committed to following God’s word, which was lived out in Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:1-3).
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Meet Our Members: Stephen B. Bagley

Stephen B. Bagley co-wrote Undying, a collection of poetry with Gail Henderson in 2015. He wrote Murder by Dewey Decimal and Murder by the Acre. His other books include Tales from Bethlehem, Floozy and Other Stories, and EndlesS. He wrote the full-length plays Murder at the Witch’s Cottage and Two Writers in the Hands of an Angry God and co-wrote Turnabout. His poetry, articles, short stories, and essays have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Blackbirds First Flight, Blackbirds Second Flight, Blackbirds Third Flight, ByLine Magazine, Nautilus Magazine, Pontotoc County Chronicles, Tulsa World OKMagazine, Free Star, Dark Prairies & Deep Rivers, the Creations anthologies 2012-2015, and other print and online publications. He graduated from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. He is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Visit his website at StephenBBagley.blogspot.com.

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Good News!
By Kelley Benson

We live in turbulent times. There are many things that are constantly being challenged and changed, which is usually a symptom of fear. Regardless if that’s an accurate assessment or not, one thing is clear: people are living with fewer godly influences in their lives.

With all the shootings and riots and other crazy things that seem to happen all too regularly, it seems important to address our value. Each one of us are valuable to God, and God has arranged it so that  our job is to help other people realize God’s value for them as well. That’s the good news: God loves you more than you can imagine.
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Meet Our Members: Kelley Benson

Kelley Benson is a Christian and small town minister who has a passion for using everyday opportunities to help people recognize how God works in their lives. He and his beautiful wife Jade are being intentional about raising their three young children to see how God should be part of everything people do. Since 1997, he has participated in a wide range of ministries. However, he was inspired by a close Christian mentor to practice “vocational preaching,” simply put: to work and preach. This allows him the opportunity to be involved in the lives of other people in a personal way through secular work while demonstrating leadership in a local church. Benson currently pastors a church in Oklahoma. He’s been involved with the investment industry, the insurance industry, teaching at the local college, and even carpentry. He published On Target, a book of devotionals, and writes a weekly column in a local newsletter. His articles were published in Creations 2015, Creations 2014, and Creations 2013. He is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Visit his website at kelleybenson.blogspot.com.

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Do You Value Forgiveness?
By Kelley Benson

We live in a time in history when interest in Christianity is lower than it's been in a long time. Perhaps there are many reasons for that: more broken homes, more social peer pressure, an increase and endorsement of immoral lifestyles and actions, etc. How do we as the body of Christ address this problem?

But really, this is an age-old problem. The Israelites struggled with social pressure when they succumbed to Baal worship; the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Messiah, even though they recognized the evidence for His authenticity. Countering culture isn’t easy because it's kind of like a stopping a truck rolling downhill. Once the momentum is going, it takes someone really “brave” to step in front of it. In fact, it will take many “brave” people stepping up to the challenge, and it won’t be quick or easy.
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Meet Our Members: Nita Beshear

Nita Beshear began her affair with writing as a young child. Her father had wander dust in his shoes and if the family wasn't moving from one state to another, they were moving across town. Stories gave her continuity, and a connection. Her friends in her stories went with her to every new house, neighborhood and school. The stories she and her cousin created during their annual visits kept the two girls close, even after returning home miles away. Beshear enjoys writing nonfiction and historical novels and short stories. Her books include: Devoted to Quilting and Beyond the Grief: A Widow's Survival Guide. Her fiction appeared in Romance-The Spice of Life. When not at home writing, sewing, or quilting, Beshear enjoys time with her six grandchildren. She is a member of the Material Girls (the Allen Oklahoma Quilters), McAlester McSherry Writers, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., and the Ada, Atoka, and Okmulgee Toastmasters. Visit her website at nitabeshear.wordpress.com

Featured Blog: Paws and Reflect

Testimony
By Kathy Akins

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12  (KJV)

We all believe in something. Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny are magical and fun for children. As we age, beliefs can turn into superstitions such as four-leaf clovers, horseshoes, and leprechauns bringing good luck, and black cats, broken mirrors, and walking under ladders bringing bad luck.
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Writing Tip

Stephen B. Bagley:
"When I edit, I work backwards. I start at the end of the book or short story and read the last page first and proceed backwards. Somehow that increases the number of errors and mistakes I catch. I think it must disrupt the flow of reading to allow the editor part of my brain to the front. One of my college professors suggested actually reading an article backwards, sentence by sentence. It does help with certain difficult passages."

Meet Our Members: Wendy Blanton

Wendy Blanton started writing when she learned to string words into sentences. She published three fantasy novels, The Dragon’s Lady, Rogue Pawn, and Sword and Scabbard, under the name Elizabeth Joy with co-author Scott Carman. Her short stories have appeared in Blackbirds First Flight, Blackbirds Second Flight, and Blackbirds Third Flight. Currently, she writes novels and short stories in several genres. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management from the University of Mount Olive, Mount Olive, North Carolina, and served on active duty for the United States Air Force for eight years. She is an apprentice bard and specializes in telling Celtic folk tales at Scottish Highland Games and other venues. She and her husband are members of the Clan Campbell Society of North America. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three rescue cats. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Visit her website at wendyblanton.wordpress.com.

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

Whose directions are you following?
By Kelley Benson

The Bible is God’s gift to us to help us know how to live a more satisfying, peaceful life that is pleasing to God. It’s for that reason that it’s so important that we make a daily habit of practicing what God tells us through His word.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
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Meet Our Members: Debra E. Chandler

Debra E. Chandler released her debut novel, Bone Sliver in October 2015. In 2013, her poem, “Oppenheimer” and her short story “One Way Window” both won honorable mention and publication in Outside the Lines. In 2015, her poem “Carroll After Dark” won first place and publication in the Tulsa Review’s 2015 Spring contest issue. Her short stories, poems, photographs, and articles were also published in Blackbirds Third Flight, The Green Country Guardian, The Sapulpa Herald, and Sapulpa News and Views. She is currently a senior at Rogers State University, in pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Creative Writing and TV/Radio Broadcasting. She lives with her husband Tom in Oklahoma. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and Oklahoma Women Bloggers. Visit her website at http://dechandlerwrites.com.

Writing Tip

Barbara Shepherd:
"In poetry, every word should be important to the poem. If you say everything you meant to say in four lines, limit that poem to those four. Transfer that logic to prose: Every word needs to earn its keep and move your story forward."

Featured Blog: Kelley Benson's Books

How do you deal with doubt?
By Kelley Benson

Jesus shared an introductory message about God’s will for mankind in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6). In the chapters that follow, we get a glimpse of people struggling to connect His words to His ability.

There are those that believe, that with Jesus, “all things are possible” (Mark 9:23); and there are those who doubt. In many ways, this is symbolic of our own journey – times of great faith followed by times of doubt. Elijah experienced something similar in 1 Kings 19 where he runs from Jezebel’s murderous threats. But this was her response to God’s mighty display of power on Mt. Carmel by Elijah! What he experienced, and what some of the people we read in the New Testament experienced, is quite common for us, too.
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Writing Tip

Barbara Shepherd:
"In poetry, every word should be important to the poem. If you say everything you meant to say in four lines, limit that poem to those four. Transfer that logic to prose: Every word needs to earn its keep and move your story forward."