178: Dare to Dream Again

Welcome to the Author Audience show, the podcast that helps you reach more people with your message, create a book, connect with your audience, change lives. Here's your host, Shelly Hitz. This podcast was originally recorded on Facebook Live. And so sometimes you'll hear me saying, post in the comments, share in the comments. And I get it, you're on a podcast and you won't be able to do that. But I wanted to share this training with you. I think it will inspire you and encourage you to dream again. But also because we have a time limited free offer, I'm opening up Writing Week, my seven day nonfiction writing challenge for the very first time live. And this all kind of happened pretty quickly. I've been trying to get the word out through email and social media, but in case you have not seen it, it starts Monday, March 26, and I will close the doors after Sunday, March 25. So. So you have today and tomorrow to sign up and then I will be closing registration, no exceptions. And so make sure if you're listening to this, go over to writingweek.com, sign up, get in the group, do this with us so that we can all get a lot of writing done. Okay, now let's get into the training. In today's training, I'm going to talk about daring to dream again when when you feel like you failed or missed your chance. Hi, my name is Shelli Hitz. I'm the owner of Author audience academy and trainingauthors.com we're going to talk about daring to dream again. On Monday, March 26, 2018, we're going to start for the very first time ever, I'm doing Writing Week, my seven day nonfiction writing challenge live. We have our very own Facebook group. So if you haven't signed up yet, go to writingweek.com I literally closing signups, closing the group after Sunday. So today and tomorrow are going to be your last chances to get in. And so I'm closing the group because you have to be able to be signed up to get the emails on Monday. And I probably will not do this again for at least another six or seven months, probably until November. So I hope that you will join us. And I'm so excited. So as I've been thinking about all of the authors, we have hundreds of authors now in the group that are joining and that have been commenting what they're going to do. One of the things that I kept thinking about were just some of these creative injuries. I talked about this recently on my webinar. How many of you were Watching my webinar or have watched the replay that I did this past Wednesday. It's called Right now removing the obstacles to your writing life. Go and watch that if you haven't. But I talked about creative injuries, and so people have been talking about that in the process. Private group for Writing week. And, you know, even some of the things that are coming up and one of the things that. That I've been thinking about is how sometimes we allow our dreams to die. Maybe it's a perceived failure when you feel like you failed or when you just feel like you've missed your chance. It's, you know, God, you know, had told you to do this before, to write the book or whatever, and. Or you had this idea for so many years, or you had this manuscript and it's been your hard drive for so many years, and you just maybe feel like you've missed your chance. So I don't know if that describes you, but either way, I really have some encouragement that I want to share with you today in this video. If you have ever felt like a sense of failure, a sense of a dream dying, or a sense of maybe you've missed your chance, just type me in the comments if you relate to that. So today my husband and I went to Every Home for Christ. It's an international ministry. They reach so many people with the gospel all the time. And they're based in Colorado Springs. So we went there for their school of prayer. And during the school of prayer, I just felt like God kept giving me just different things to share with you on this live video. Like, I literally, like, was taking notes. Every time I felt like God gave me something, I would take a note and take a note, and then I just, like, flagged all the scriptures that he had given me to share with you today. And so I really want this to be an encouragement to you. I want this to be God's words and not my words. So let me just pray. God, I just thank you so much for each writer, for each author, for each dream that they have, whether it's related to writing or not. And I just pray that this particular video, this particular training would be an encouragement to each person that listens. I pray that my words would be your words. I pray that you would just speak through me, that I would just simply be your mouthpiece, your voice today. And I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. So I have been rereading the book, the Compound Effect. It's a great book. I had already read it, but I'm like, you know, What? I just really need to reread it. I'm going into Writing week where we're talking about establishing a writing habit and I wanted to reread that book. If you have ever read that book before, just type yes in the comments. It's really great. And chapter three is all about habits and he shares this story that I thought would be great to start off with Today, a wise teacher was taking a stroll through the forest with a young pupil and stopped before a tiny, tiny tree. He said, pull up that sapling, the teacher instructed his pupil, pointing to a sprout just coming up from the earth. The youngster pulled it up easily with his fingers. Now pull up that one, said the teacher, indicating a more established sapling that had grown to about knee high to the boy. With little effort, the lad yanked and the tree came up, roots and all. And now this one, said the teacher, nodding to a more well developed evergreen that was as tall as the young pupil. With great effort, throwing all his weight and strength into the task, using sticks and stones he found to pry up the stubborn roots, the boy finally got the tree loose. Now the wise one said, I'd like you to pull up this one. The young boy followed the teacher's gaze, which fell upon a mighty oak so tall the boy could scarcely see the top. Knowing the great struggle he just had pulling up a much smaller tree, he simply told the teacher, I'm sorry, but I can't. And this is the powerful part of the story. He says, my son, you have just demonstrated the power that habits will have over your life. The older they are, the bigger they get, the deeper the roots grow and the harder they are to uproot. Some get so big with roots so deep you might hesitate to even try. Now this gets me excited when I think of positive habits. When I think of developing a regular writing habit, can you tell? I get excited.

Can you see what can happen if you start now and you develop this habit of writing daily, even just 15 minutes a day? Think about the roots that are growing down deep. Think about the habits that you're forming positively, that nothing can pull up, nothing can bring you down because that habit is so well established. But some of you today may have some bad habits that feel like that big tree, like, I can't. I'm not even going to try to take down that bad habit. It's so deeply rooted. But you know what I want to tell you? That there is power in God to demolish strongholds. Whether it's an addiction to social media, whether it's just boundaries and having codependency and helping everyone else with everyone else's dreams, but never working on your own dreams. Whether it's a habit of some sort of addictive substance, eating too much, whatever it is that might be sabotaging your writing, there is power to demolish those strongholds. Well, Darren Hardy goes on to say in that same chapter that instead of having willpower, we need to have why power. Now, I talked on my webinar Wednesday about how knowing your why is so important to really pushing through the resistance that you're going to feel. And Angela Meyer commented on the webinar says knowing your why silences the enemy. Wow. That was powerful. Yes, so true. But what God said to me today is he said, shelly, it's not about willpower. It's not about why power. It's about Holy Spirit power.

And it's in Zechariah 4. 6. Let me just open that up here.

Got my Bible here. Zechariah 4. 6 says, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty. You know, Darren talks about when you know your why, it can truly change you. You know, how, how your actions will be. For instance, he gives the example of, you know, if you have like a two by four that's 20ft long and it's on the ground and I offer you $20 to cross it, you'll probably cross it. Like, yeah, sure. Okay, get the 20 bucks. Now you put that 20 foot 2x4 and you put it on like the top of two skyscrapers. And then I ask you if you will walk across that 2x4 for $20 probably. What is going to be your answer? You're probably going to say, no, no thanks.

But he says, if the other building is on fire and your child there, will you walk across that 2x4 to go and get your child and save their life from that burning fire? Absolutely, yes. And it's because of your why. It's because of your motivation. And so your why is so important. Knowing why you're writing. Why are you wanting to finish this book? What is it that God's called you to do? Why? Why is it that this is for this season? It's so important. But it's not about willpower to form these habits. It's not even really about why power. It's about Holy Spirit power. If you agree, just type Holy Spirit power in the comments.

And so I want you today to dare to dream again that you can form these consistent writing habits, that you can finish your book. You can finish the work. Like I talked about in my live video earlier this week about Moses and Exodus, he said, I finished the work, finished the tabernacle. You know, cross that finish line and you can, with the Holy Spirit power, you can do the work. You can finish what you know, you maybe feel like you failed at before and you're not too late. You're not behind. Your chance is not over. You know, I said, you know, you feel like you failed or you missed your chance. You didn't miss your chance. If you're living and breathing and alive right now, you still have a chance. Amen. Type Amen. If you're living and breathing right now because you have a chance to do what God has called you to do, it is not too late. You are right where you need to be. And I believe that God is ready to rush in with a mighty wind and a mighty fire into this Writing Week group. If you haven't joined us, join us@writingweek.com it is. It is closing. And do not beg me to let you in, because I will not. There will be no exceptions. I will not let you in. You have to sign up by, by Sunday, March 25th. But I just believe God is getting ready to do a mighty work in our lives, a mighty move of his spirit, and that he is going to do the work in us. It's not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. So lately, as I've been praying, I've been asking God for pictures. And I'm very visually oriented. I've always, I've always had pictures, analogies. That's always been the way that God's spoken to me. But lately it's been even more vivid. And he's given me pictures for people in prayer. And before that webinar on Wednesday, I was asking the Lord for a picture and I just got a picture of a photo fire. And initially the sense I had was the fire was burning up all of the obstacles. Because we talked about a lot of obstacles on that webinar. Like that fire was burning up the obstacles, burning up the excuses. They're gone in Jesus name. But then today he was like, shelly, the fire is also my Holy Spirit.

Acts 2 is where the Holy Spirit first comes to the disciples after Jesus leaves. And when we were at every home for Christ this morning, Dick Eastman was speaking and he said, you know, he was always taught that Jesus last words were the, the Great Commission. Go into all the world and share the gospel, he says. But actually, you know, Jesus's last words are about, wait for the Holy Spirit, you know, and then you're going to go. So anyways, in Acts 2, verse 4. Actually, let me just start from verse 1. It says, when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place suddenly. And we're all going to be together in one place for writing week. It's going to be so fun.

Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And all of them, all. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. And so, you know, if you're a follower of Christ, it says, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We receive. And there's different. There's different thoughts on the Holy Spirit. I get that we're here to be here in unity, but I want you to tell. I want to tell you that for a lot of my life, I was not taught, really, about having the Holy Spirit empower me. It wasn't until I went through some of my darkest times when I was struggling with an addiction to pornography, struggling to forgive my grandma's murder, which happened when I was 8 years old. But this is like my late 20s that God really began to show me the Holy Spirit wanted to have a personal, like, relationship. And like, the Holy Spirit is here to help me and empower me and really to fill me. And I had an encounter. I remember it was back, I think, in 2009, with the Holy Spirit. That, I mean, things have just never been the same. But I want us to not just get some writing done, to get some writing done. I don't want this to just be about productivity and cranking it out, grinding it out. I want this to be about something much bigger than us. Because guess what? If we push forward in our own strength.

Whatever we do in our own strength, we have to maintain in our own strength. I've been there. I'm a redeemed workaholic. I know what that feels like. And it is suffocating. It is tiring. But when we are led by the Holy Spirit and we allow him to come anew in us and through us, and we allow him to lead us. What is he wants you to write this week? What is it he wants you to do? What book does he have on your. You know, on, you know, for you to. To write? It's going to be so much different. And it's gonna flow. It's gonna flow the Creative flow when we're operating in the Holy Spirit. And so as I was, like, really thinking about this today, and, you know, I was just writing notes, I. I got. And I've gotten this picture a few times lately from specifically for some authors. I've gotten this picture of, like, a dam. So a dam is built so that it holds back the water, and it, you know, provides energy and electricity. But also, I believe that some of you have this dam that's holding back your creative flow. It's holding back your books, it's holding back your writing. It's holding back what God has for you as a creative, as a writer, as a follower of Christ, as a daughter and son of Father God. It's holding back. It's those obstacles. It's that, you know, the creative injury. Those things they're saying, you're not good enough. Don't even try. You missed your chance. You messed it up. You failed. Have you ever heard those words before? If you've ever heard those words before, say, I've heard them. I think we all have in some way. That voice of shame that says you're not good enough. But I saw this DM of, like, holding back all the things that God has for you, your giftings, you know, how he wants to flow through you and how he wants to bless others as he. As you receive the blessing from God, as you receive, you know, the Holy Spirit, then it just flows through you to others. And I saw this dam, and I saw it just opening up.

Opening up. And all of a sudden, the spirit of God rushing through each and every one of you, writing those books, doing what he's called you to do, and just seeing that flow come back to life.

And, you know, I don't think it's a coincidence that this week is Easter week.

I actually, when I planned this, God just gave me the whole, like, okay, shall I do the webinar this day? Then do the writing week? Da, da, da, da. Like, this was not my plan. None of this was my plan to do Writing week live. I mean, all of that was something that I really believe God gave to me in prayer when I was listening in prayer. And so when I realized, suddenly we were in church last week, and they said, April 1st is Easter, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, oh, no. I scheduled writing week between Palm Sunday and Easter.

I'm like, oh, no. My audience are primarily Christians. Like, this is our biggest, like, celebration of the year. Hello. And then all of a sudden, the Lord's like, no, Shelly, this was meant To. To be.

Because what does Easter represent? Share with me in the comments. What does Easter represent to us as Christ followers?

Easter represents new life. Easter represents something that was dead, being brought back to life. Easter represents overcoming all evil, all sin. It's gone into, you know, what Jesus did on the cross for us. All of the obstacles, the shame, the fear, the overwhelm, anything the enemy throws at us, it's been covered. It's been, you know, it was nailed to the cross. We have victory in Jesus because of what he did for us on that cross. And that's what we celebrate in Easter. And I felt like the Lord said, no, Shelley, this is the perfect time because of what it represents. It represents victory. It represents new life. It represents something that was dead, being resurrected to new life. Maybe your dream has died.

Maybe you feel like you missed your chance.

Maybe that manuscript that you started years ago.

It'S gone. Or you just don't have any passion to finish writing it. I don't know. I don't know what your story is. I'd love to hear it, share in the comments. But maybe there's something in you that's died. Maybe someone said something to you that maybe you're not good enough. How are you going to write a book? Or you can't make any money on that. You need to go back and, you know, do something else or why are you even doing this? This is wasting your time. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, I mean, it goes on and on. I mean, there's things that people can say that pierce us and that something inside of us dies. Something inside of us says, yeah, I'm not. I'm not going to dream again.

I'm not going to try to resurrect that manuscript or that book idea or that dream that God had given to me for a ministry.

But I want to tell you that I believe that God is on the move right now and he is wanting to resurrect something in you right now. Aaron Brown has a song. There's a lyric in it, it says, no more dead, dry places. I love it. And God just really ministered to me through it and my husband, as he was praying for us. And, you know, he prays for us before I go live. He reminded me of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 37.

God was saying this to Ezekiel, prophesy to these bones and say to them, dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones. And I really believe in a similar way, he's wanting to say this to so many of you right now.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones. I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. You will come to life. Your book will come to life. Your manuscript will come to life. Your dream, whatever it is, will come to life. And then in verse 11, it says, then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is gone. When your hope is gone, everything is gone.

And some of you today may be feeling like, yeah, I want to do this, but your hope may be a little bit gone or completely gone. I don't know.

It says, our hope is gone and we are cut off. Therefore, prophesy and say to them, this is what the Sovereign Lord says. Oh, my people, I'm going to open your graves and bring you up from them. The resurrection, Remember, like, it's like God was just giving me all these pieces of the puzzle and they just kept all fitting together. I'm like, ah, I'm going to bring you up from them. I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And then verse 14 says, I will put my spirit in you and you will live.

He wants to bring whatever it is that's died in you. I don't know. There's something. I really believe God's just putting it strongly on my heart. And if you don't want to share, that's fine, but if you could just confirm with me and say, yes, Shelley, something has died within me in the comments, just so I know, but I just have a strong sense from the Lord that for many, many of us, especially creatives, where creativity is not really celebrated much in our culture right now, that something in us has died, the dream that God has given us has died. Or like I said, so many different ways that that can be, but something has died and he wants to bring it back to life. And what better way than right now? Easter week, tomorrow's Palm Sunday in a group of communities of hundreds of Christian authors in writingweek.com. how awesome. I'm so excited. This is going to be so much fun. But even if you're watching this video later and you weren't able to join us, this message is still for you. God still wants to bring those dead things in you back to life. He is a God of the resurrection. He is a God of second chances. Amen. Can you write in the comments, he is a God of the second chances. He is a God that of grace. Like, we've never missed our Chance, you know, it's like there's always another chance if you're living and breathing. You have the opportunity right now to say, satan, in the name of Jesus, no more.

And, you know, ask God to release that. That dam, that creative flow so that it's flowing for what he wants to do in and through your life.

Yeah. Liz says, my creative pilot light is very, very small. Whether. Whether it's small, whether you feel like it's completely out. God is able to reignite. He is able to bring that back to life. He is able to do what we cannot do through willpower or even why power like self help. You know, as much as I love the compound effect, as much as I know it's true, there's a lot of biblical things in it. There are some times that willpower alone, and why power alone not enough? That's when we need the Holy Spirit power. And he's able to do exceedingly, abundantly above what we can even think or imagine. Ephesians 3:20. Can I get an amen?

So, along with this same message, recently, after I gave a keynote at Writers on the Rock Conference, I felt a very strong urge that I needed to put a post on Facebook and say, you know, I just want to pray for any writers or authors that are, you know, that need prayer. Just post in the comments below. And so I started getting some. And C.J. and I began to pray together and pray over these authors. And again, like I said, God speaks to me in pictures. I have a very like. Like, visual mind. That's how I work. And so I was praying for one particular writer, and I was praying for God to birth this book in her life. And that's very comm. For me to talk about those of you that know, right. You know, I talk about that. I talk about birth in the book. Your book Baby. If you've heard me say that before, just type birth the book in the comments. But I talk about that a lot. But that particular moment, all of a sudden, I got this overwhelming feeling that the enemy was trying to come in and cause a miscarriage.

Now I have had a miscarriage, and I had no idea how difficult it was going to be emotionally and spiritually to walk through that until it happened. You know, it's. It's, you know, you think, okay, it wasn't like a baby in your arms, but it was still. To me, it was still the same. It was very, very difficult. I literally. It was like almost one year. It was 2000, December 2013. I had the miscarriage December or all of. Pretty much 2014 was just like a blur, you know, just kind of trying to walk through and get through. I was grieving. It was hard, you know, it was just. It was a tough time. And so when I got that. That scent and that picture of, like, the enemy's trying to come in and cause a miscarriage, I was like. Like, I immediately had all these emotions because that's very near and dear to my heart. And yet I really. And then I was praying for that person and just telling them what I had sensed and that.

Really, this is spiritual battle to fight in God's strength. But afterwards, it kind of bothered me. I'm like, well, Lord, what might happen if there is a miscarriage and someone doesn't birth their book and they feel like a failure? They feel like they've missed their chance. They feel like, you know, the dream that you had given them or the. Whatever, the ministry or whatever, it's like it's gone. Like, what. What then for them? Like, I just. I don't know, I just had this weird feeling, like, okay, what? What then? And I felt like the Lord showed me this morning when I was at every home for Christ and. And just that, you know, with the Easter theme coming up. Jesus died, but God rose him from the grave three days later. They overcame all sin. It's why we can now, you know, be in heaven someday when we ask Christ to forgive us of our sins. Like, but if you feel like you may have had a miscarriage, a failure, you missed your chance, a dream from the past, I want to tell you today that God wants to bring new life. He wants to raise that. That part of you that has died, that part of you that's dead back to life. And it was in my story, we have not had a child. We have not. God has not given us the gift of a child. But it was the Last service of 2014. I was sitting in church, and I sensed God saying, shelly, it's time to move on. You know, I had done the grieving. I had done all the steps. I'd walked through the process. I had done the work. I. You know, I was ready. Like, sometimes you're not ready. Sometimes you need to grieve more like. Or you haven't grieved. But I had done the work. And he said, it's time for the next season. And it was just very shortly after that that I began my. My. My personal brand and getting ready to launch Author Audience Academy. And I very clearly sensed. Go an audible voice, but saying to Michelle you're going to help give birth to many, many things. And the two things that I sensed he was going to help me to give birth to, birth to dreams and birth to books.

Like, I'm kind of like a midwife, you know.

But all of a sudden, like, that just hit me right now, like, birth to dreams. And we're talking about right now daring to dream those dreams that you have, just that have died or that have been gone for years and years and years. I really sensed, you know, Shelly, you haven't had physical birthing of children, but I'm going to use you to give birth to many, many dreams, many, many books that will impact many for Christ. Because the gospel message, getting out your books will impact people that my books never will. People in your sphere of influence will read your books because it is amazing. You wrote a book, they will read your books. You can give copies away. I mean, there's so many ways that God wants to use your books. And so if you've felt like you had a miscarriage and that it was over and there was nothing that could be done, I want to tell you that God wants to breathe new life into that dream, new life into that manuscript, new life into that book. And he wants to see you give birth for that thing to come to life. Just type if you. If you are all in and you want that to happen for your life, just type come to life in the comments.

So today.

Dick Eastman also shared a story and he shared a scripture that God had given him from Job. And I thought it went really well with kind of what we're talking about of, you know, new life from something that's dead. And Job 14, 7, 9, verse 7 says, at least there is hope for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water, it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. And God had literally given him a picture when he was out in the forest one time of like, this dead, dead area of the forest. He was sitting on a stump and it was dead all around. But God had him to keep looking closer, closer, closer. And as he got really close, he saw little tiny shoots of green life coming back from the dead, all the dead area all around. And God showed him that that was a picture of what he wanted to do in many people's lives through the ministry of Dick. And God has continued to do amazing things through him. But I also Believe it's a picture for some of you today, you may feel like there's a lot of just deadness, a lot of, you know, just stuff and, you know, dreams that were old, you know, it's like, well, yeah, when you're a kid, you can dream about writing a book, or you can dream about being an artist, or you can dream about these things. But when you're older, you need to be responsible. Right? That's what the enemy will tell us. And yes, we do need to pay the bills. We do need to. I'm not saying to quit your job today, but are you willing to open your heart to dream again with God? I just feel like this keeps coming up again for me personally. Like, Shelly, dream again with me. Dream with me. Not just what you can accomplish on your own strength, but dream with me. Like, listen. Pressing in and listening to God. What does he have for this season? What does he have for me? What is it that he, you know, and it's typically more than we can even think or imagine because that's the way God works.

And so if you're doing things simply in your own strength.

That'S probably what you're gonna get. But when we are open and that, that sometimes that requires healing from those creative injuries, from the things of the past. Forgiving ourselves for not finishing the work earlier. Forgiving ourselves for quitting. I talked about my story of quitting music and many different instruments on the webinar Wednesday. I had to forgive myself. Sometimes there is a healing process that takes place. And yet, are you willing to dream with God? If you're willing, just type, I'm willing to dream with God in the comments.

Something else that God had just brought up to me today as I was just, you know, and all of this just, just kind of came and so. But was the story of Esther. I love the story of Esther. And I'm not going to go into it fully. I think most of you know the story. But in Esther 4.

Starting in verse 14.

This is Mordecai talking to Esther. And you know, Esther was queen at the time and had a position of influence. But he says, for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. But you and your father's family will perish because she was a Jew as well. Says, and who knows this is the very famous part of Esther, but who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this. Type into the comments for such a time as this.

We are all in different positions. We've all been prepared and positioned differently for different assignments. I believe that God has given each one of us different assignments and for different seasons. What is the assignment that God has for you right now?

That's where I want you to be. That's where I want you to be flowing. That's what I want you to be working on right now, or in writing week as we go forward. What is the assignment God has for you? Where has He. How has he prepared and positioned you for such a time as this? Your assignment is going to look different than mine. And, you know, right now I just really sense God saying, shelley, this is a time of harvest. This. You know, I have been. I have been doing online marketing since 2004. 14 years. I published my first book in 2008, 10 years ago. Like, this is not my first rodeo.

But God's like, okay, Shelly, it's time. It's time to start, like, going even more. And I don't know what that means. I don't. I mean, I'm just. I'm just along for the ride.

But we're all in different seasons. For you. It might just be a planting the seed season. It might just be like getting up the old dry soil, you know, and preparing it. But we all have different assignments and in different seasons. And then it goes on. And Esther asks Mordecai and the Jews to fast, and she says.

When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.

She was willing to risk her life knowing that her entire, like, the entire Jewish population was depending on her. If I perish, I perish. She was put in opposition for such a time as this. And spoiler alert, the king listens to her and the entire Jews, they're saved because of her obedience. What is God asking you to do? It may be really hard. It may require a lot of sacrifices. It may require you to stop watching Netflix for three hours at night. It may require you to get really firm on your boundaries with family and friends. It may require you a financial sacrifice so you can sign up for the coaching that you need. Maybe you decide not to eat out at lunch, you know, so many times a month so that you can invest in Author, Audience Academy or something that can help you. Maybe it will require sacrifice in other ways.

Are you willing.

Are you willing, first of all, to listen and ask God what he has for you? Because I can tell you, I can coach you through the process and I can say, this sounds good, or that. But honestly, you have to get alone with the Lord. You have to learn to hear his voice. Ask him what is it that he has for you in this season? And ask him for not willpower, not even just the why power. Y power is good, but for the Holy Spirit power to do what he has called you to do because he has prepared you and positioned you for such a time as this. Whatever that means for you, whatever your assignment is from, you know, your assignment from the Lord right now. But you know what? Even if it's hard, even if it's a sacrifice, even if it's difficult, it is so worth it.

And he will be with us. And it doesn't have to be a dread. It doesn't have to be a drudgery. Like, we can actually enjoy it. It's like I said on my webinar, it's like, you know, I had this aha moment. Like, CJ was praying for me, and he was praying, lord, I pray that she would not see it as a pressure, but as a privilege. And all of a sudden, a light switch went off. I was like, yeah, like, I don't like. And I can't take all the pressure anyways. Like, this is God's thing. And it is just simply a privilege to be a steward of the gifts that he has given me. You know, the parable of the talents.

So if you're feeling that pressure from what God's called you to do, I just pray that you would say pressure. Be gone in Jesus name, Satan. Be gone in Jesus name. Name and Lord, thank you for this privilege. Thank you for the privilege of being able to do what I do. Thank you for the privilege of being able to use my voice for your kingdom in this time, for such a time as this, in my sphere of influence, you know, for whoever you want to reach. Thank you for this privilege of being able to share my voice, of being able to write what you have given me to write, to share my testimony, to share what you've done, to share what I've learned, and to help other people.

Even if I perish, I perish. And you know what? We have something much better coming. The best is yet to come. Amen. If you are a Christ follower, if you have accepted him as your Lord and Savior and he has forgiven your sins, you've asked him to forgive. To forgive your sins. If you've asked him, they're forgiven. Then we. And we're walking, you know, you're walking with him and living with Him. We have heaven to look forward to. This Life is but a breath. It is but a blip.

And it is a privilege to be his voice. It is a privilege to write what he has called us to write what he's given us to write. It is a privilege. Can you just write in the comments? It is a privilege.

Amen.

And so I was. I got a call from my friend today, and she's in the final stages of finishing a book, and she said she woke up today sick. Like, vomiting sick. And she's like, shelly, I just feel like it's the enemy. I feel like he's trying to stop me. I have momentum. And she just was like. She's like. My husband said, you know, I just feel like you need to turn up Jesus, you know, instead of giving a lot of power to the enemy by focusing on it, like, turn up Jesus. Like, let's turn up Jesus. And she said, I just got in my bed. I was resting. And she said, I just took a nap. And then I woke up and said, I just felt so close to the Lord. She said, all of a sudden, the Lord was like, I am the author and the finisher of your faith. You're not behind. You are right where you need to be. And it just reminded me of that verse in Hebrews 12. I mean, I love it. Hebrews 12.

Verse 2 says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Can you write in the comments? Fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author. He's the author. Guys, we're just the pen. We're just a vessel. It takes the pressure off. It's not about us. It's not about us figuring out and with our willpower, developing these consistent writing habits, it's all about Him. And that takes the pressure off. Can I get an amen? It says, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. That's what we're celebrating this week, Easter week. He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This, my friends, is a picture of victory.

Victory. And he has victory for you. And yes, it is a spiritual battle. And yes, there may be days where you feel like the enemy is trying to stop me. That's why I believe we need to write in community. That's why I believe every Christian writer, every Christian author needs a prayer team. All of those things are so important. That's why I have the community for Writing Week. And, you know, it's going to be Only open for a short period of time, but we're going to be writing together in community during this next week. And then that's why I have the Facebook group for Author Audience Academy. If you're an Author Audience Academy member and you have gotten something out of the community we have there, if you've gotten encouragement, just share in the comments. Like, community is powerful because you remember, I'm not alone. You have people that can help you. It's like the story of Moses when his arms were getting tired and Aaron, I think it was her, came along and held up his arms because every time his arms came down, they started losing the battle. Every time his arms were up, they were winning. And so he had people come beside him and hold his arms up. We can do that for each other. We can help each other on those days where we just get slammed and we just want to give up. And it's like, no, don't give up. God is with you. You can do this in Jesus name. And so that's why community is so important.

And that's why I really hope, you know, if you haven't signed up by now, why not sign up@writingweek.com? it's free. There's no excuses. It's free. I want to see you get unstuck. I want to see you that dam break through, that creative flow. Just start going. I want to see the books come out of you published that God has called you to publish. I want to see you cross that finish line. I want to see you do what God has called you to do for such a time as this. But I can't do it for you. I can encourage you. I can pray for you, but there is some work that you have to do with the Lord. There is some work that I just as much as I would love to like, I would love to reach across the computer and be able to do some of this work for you. I can't forgive the people for you that have hurt you in the past creatively that have told you you're no good or that you know you can't. Who are you to write a book or I found mistakes in your book or whatever, you know, I can't do. You have to come to the Lord, ask the Holy Spirit for the power to forgive them. I can't forgive you for maybe, you know, quitting or letting go of that dream before. That's something that you're going to have to bring to the Lord and ask him to help you to forgive yourself for that time in the past.

I can't maintain your relationship with the Lord. That's something that you have to do. But what I can do is I can't encourage you. I can inspire you. If you've been encouraged or inspired on this webinar or on this video so far, just type encouraged or inspired in the comments. You know, I can encourage you. I can inspire you. I can teach you. I have a gift of teaching. I can pray for you. I can give you the tools that will help you take the next step.

But there are some things that you have to choose to do. And I really sensed God saying today, you know, when we were at every home for Christ, it's all about prayer there. They said when they put an emphasis on prayer, their entire ministry changed. And that's when it. It just exploded. And salvations and all of this ministry, it just started flowing in and flowing in and flowing in when they chose to put the emphasis on prayer. But I felt like the Lord was saying to me today, shelly, I want you tomorrow, so Sunday to spend time specifically in prayer for this week. So I'm going to commit to that. And what I'm going to try to do is go into the Facebook group, into the members list for writing week, pray for each one of you by name. So I'm committing to spend time in prayer tomorrow for you.

I'm not getting paid to do this, but God has clearly showed me my business is also my ministry. And I want to do this for you. I want to serve you in this way. But he also made it very clear that to encourage each one of you to spend some time, whether it's today or tomorrow, if you can, in prayer, asking God, what is it I need to do? What is it I need to deal with? Who is it I need to forgive? Who is it? Do I need to forgive myself? Do I need to allow myself the permission to dream again? The permission to be a beginner and to write, the permission to write every day, the permission to actually do something for me instead of taking care of everyone else. Maybe just get out a paper and pen, a journal. You're writers, you know, so this comes naturally. Take out a paper and pen. I just call it listening prayer or two way journaling, you know, where you're writing out your prayers to God and then listening to what he's saying back to you. But there might be some stuff that you need to deal with, and that's some stuff that I can't do for you. And no matter how much I teach you, no matter how much I Encourage you this week. No matter how much I inspire you, if you don't deal with some of the stuff that you need to deal with.

You may be the same at the end of this seven day challenge. And I don't want that to happen. I don't want that to happen. So will you commit to me that you will be willing to, to spend some time in prayer either today or tomorrow? I don't know what your schedule's like, but find some time and just say, lord, what is it that I. What is it that you have for me? What is it that you know that I need to maybe work on or work out or even just dream again? Like just dreaming with God? I can't do that for you. I can't sit, you know, I can't sit there and dream with God for you. That's something only you can do. Will you commit to spending some time with God.

Hopefully before we start this challenge? But even if you're watching this later, whenever you see this video, would you commit to just maybe even 15 or 30 minutes of just journaling out and praying, asking the Lord, what are the dead places? Are there dead dreams? Were there, you know, miscarriages, so to speak? Were there manuscripts, book ideas, what ministry? You know, what is it that you want to bring back to life in me? And I promise you, if you put yourself in a position to receive from him.

Amazing, amazing things, Amazing things are going to happen now. Will it happen tomorrow? I don't know. It can. Sometimes he takes us through a process the long way. Have you, have you read the book Hinds Feet on High Places? I think that's what it's called. It's like about the whole journey and it's a metaphor of the Christian life. Yeah, sometimes it's ups and downs. I've been really listening to the song lately that talks about the hills and the valleys. The hills and valleys. Like I'm. I can't sing it right now, but it speaks so much to me because my life has had so many hills and so many valleys. Like, I'm there with you. I understand. Like, it's not a straight mark, you know, straight line. Success doesn't look like a straight line. It's often like.

But if you're willing to connect with him, if you're willing to do it in the Holy Spirit power and not just in willpower. Because you know what, if you do the writing week challenge and you do it simply in willpower, you will probably get a lot done this week. You will probably, you know, through Willpower. Choose to write every day this week. But that may be it. You may. You know, it's like you have willpower, will last for a little while, and then it just dies out. But if you have the Holy Spirit power, you know, and if you. If you know your why and you have that why power, you know, the why power is important, but it's not as important as the Holy Spirit power. You'll continue past the seventies whether or not you ever join Author Audience Academy or not. I want to see you cross the finish line. I want to see you succeed. I want to see you write what God's called you to write. I want to see you share your voice with this generation, with those that need to hear what you have to share.

All right. I think that that is just about it.

Oh, my goodness. Oh. I was on here a lot longer than I planned to be. But I hope that you found this encouraging. If you found this encouraging, just type thank you in the comments. So I know.

I want you to succeed. I want you to hear that over. And I mean, like, that's my heart. My heart is to see you. And I just have seen so many creatives and writers stuck, or they join authoritacademy and they get stuck. And then they were like, they just quit. They just give up. They quit. Well, this just isn't for me. No, it is for you. It is. And you're not behind. You're right where God has you right now. And you know what? I want to kind of end on this. God never wastes anything. If you believe that, just type. God never wastes anything in the comments.

He never wastes anything. Whether or not you've tried and given up, whether or not, you know, whatever's happened in your past related to your writing. He doesn't waste anything.

He loves you.

And what you do does not define you. Pride, which is the opposite of shame in many ways. But pride says what you do defines you. I lived by that for many years. What you do defines you. That's not true. Who you are defines you. So if you are a follower of Christ, if you are a son or daughter of Father God, which I call Papa, that's what defines you. You are created in his image. Any failures from your past don't define you. Any successes don't define you. And when you can get to that place, whether failure or success, it doesn't affect you. It doesn't define you. That's when you know you are living in the identity of a son or daughter of God, because it doesn't matter. You know you're loved, you know you're taken care of. You know you don't have to earn God's love. This isn't about, you know, God needing more kids to work on the farm. He doesn't need us to work harder for him or to publish these books for him, but he's inviting us to do it with him. He's inviting us to be part of the process. He's inviting us to create with him. If that gets you excited, just type I'm excited in the comments. Can you tell I'm getting excited? It's an invitation.

It's not a have to. It's a get to.

And this does not define who we are. What defines us is our identity in Him. All right, so.

Whoa. I just. I hope that this was an encouragement to you. I just had a few notes and I was like, okay, Lord, I just know I'm supposed to go live. I want you to cross that finish line, whatever that is for you, whatever it is he has for you. Not because it defines you, but because it's an invitation for you to dream with God, for you to create with God, and for you to live this journey step by step with Him. So let's go ahead and pray. So, God, I thank you so much. I thank you for what you're doing right now in the hearts, in the minds of the writers, the authors that are listening right now. Lord, I am just seeing fireworks going off right now, Lord. Fireworks of celebration, of the breakthroughs that are happening right now for writers and authors that are choosing to come to you. They're choosing to let go of any past mistakes or failures or any dreams that have died. And they're choosing to allow you, through your holy spirit power, to bring them back to life.

This week means more to our faith than anything else. And, Jesus, we just want to say right now, thank you for the sacrifice you made on the cross for us. Thank you.

Thank you so much because you nailed our sins, you nailed our failures, you nailed our shame, our pride, all of this stuff. You nailed our fear to the cross, and it's lost its power. You have the ultimate say, the ultimate victory. And so I thank you that you are giving victory right now to these writers and authors. Lord, I thank you that this week will be the most prolific week of writing in their lives. Not because of me, not because of what I'm doing or what I'm teaching, but because of what your holy Spirit is doing in their lives. I thank you, God. I thank you for what you're going to birth in each one of them. I thank you for the dreams you are bringing back to life. I thank you for the dreams, the brand new dreams you are birthing right now. I thank you for the books that will be birthed into the world that are going to impact people from all over the world. Lord, I thank you for the words that are going to. I just see it like a river of words that are going to flow this week as we write together.

Lord, we just, we will be careful to give you all the glory and all the praise. This is not about us. It does not define us, success or failure. We are secure in our identity as your sons and your daughters. And so I just thank you for all that you're gonna do this week, for how you're gonna activate us. And I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Whew. Amen. All right, well, if you haven't, you have until tomorrow evening. I'm going to close registration for writing week on Monday morning. And if you, if you feel like God really gave you a breakthrough of some sort during this video, please let me know. Share in the comments or if you don't feel comfortable sharing just private message me, I just, I want to know, like, what is God doing in your life right now? I want to hear those testimonies because, to be honest, it encourages me to know that God is at work and he is at work in your life. And I cannot wait to hear all that you do this week. And I'm going to let you go and I will see you in the group. We're going to be doing a lot of fun stuff this week. I'm going to be uploading videos. I'm going to be sending you resources in the email. Then I'll also be going live in the group for Q and A at times and for just for, you know, just to celebrate what did we get done each day? How fun. And then at the end, I'll have a special training webinar, but it will just be for those that are in the group. So again, make sure you go sign up. Tell your friends, tell them to come. This is going to close soon, so invite everyone. Tell them to get signed up now before the door closes, because there will, like I said, there will be no exceptions. All right, love you guys. Bye bye. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Author Audience Show. Connect with us online@authoraudience.com where you'll find all the resources mentioned in today's episode. While you're there, grab Shelley's free video training on how to write and publish your book using her Six Step Ascent method. Join us again next week to learn how to reach your audience with your message.