Hi all, I’m back from the amazing ACFW Conference (MUCH more on that coming with Thursday’s post), but today we’re wrapping up the Authors’ Open House with none other than Pepper Basham! A special thanks to ALL of our visitors during August: Rachel McMillan, Meghan Gorecki, Jaime Jo Wright, Mikal Dawn, Laurie Tomlinson, and Melissa Tagg.
Pepper has a sweet spot in my heart because we both write romance set in the beautiful Blue Ridge. Her love for southern mountain culture just flows off her pages. I recently read her contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, and fell in love with rich characters and unique, creative story reminiscent of My Fair Lady. I didn’t want it to end! Then…at ACFW conference this past weekend, I finally MET Pepper in person and that sealed the deal. I just love her sweet spirit, bright smile, and welcoming personality. You’ll love her too…
Let’s see what Pepper wants to share with us today…
The Voice of One
I have a lot of voices in my head.
Not the diagnosable kind, the kind that spur me on to create stories. I’m a writer. A word weaver. A storyteller. A world conjurer.
It’s a fascinating and challenging occupation.
But it can also be a very distracting one. A calling which draws upon our deepest emotions, pulls both at our timelines and our heartstrings, stretches and fills our spirits, and gives us a distinctive choice.
Keeping the voice of ONE above the voices of many.
You see, it’s pretty easy to do. I’ve struggled with it in a very real way the past year with multiple contracts and fast-paced writing. When characters clamor for their stories to emerge on the printed page and publishers needle for a final copy, sometimes their voices (and my own desires for completion, approval, whatever) lead me to a spiritual crossroads.
Whose voice will be the loudest to my heart?
My deadlines linger. My characters appeal. My day job cramps into my writing time. Everything scratches for attention – yet only one thing….one Voice splits through the noise, calms the chaos, and reorders priorities to quiet our hearts.
His Voice.
Because when all these ‘other things’ are spinning around in our head without the proper perspective, they bring worry, stress, anxiety, tension, and restlessness. What does Jesus say about it?
In the middle of the “Do Not Be Anxious” section of Matthew 6, He says “But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.” (v. 33)
It’s an interesting fact that when we focus our hearts and minds on Christ’s voice in the middle of the noise of writing, working, living…take your pick…every other voice bows to His kingship. Focusing on Him sets our priorities so that we can then answer our call to be writers, workers, mothers, sisters, and friends. It straightens out the kinks in our spirits so we can walk confidently and calmly into the dreams God’s designed for our hearts.
Turning our hearts toward Him, filling our minds with His word and our hearts with the knowledge of His love, fills up our creativity and energy to do all these other things like write books, weave words, tell stories, and conjure worlds.
It is my prayer that as we forge into a new dream or into the refocus of an old one, may we listen to the Voice of One so we can manage the voices of the many.
What voices do you struggle with that pull you away from your focus on Christ?
About Pepper Basham
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader’s Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and most recently a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in February 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4-star review from Romantic Times. You can get to know Pepper on her website, www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley.
TODAY’S TWEETABLE:
The #AuthorsOpenHouse welcomes Pepper Basham who
shares about the Voice of One. — TWEET THIS!
Teresa Tysinger, Author 
This was so good to hear right now! I’m beginning work on my second novel as I’m seeking publication for my first, and it is such a different experience this time around. I’m finding myself stuck in the clamor of voices and struggling to find the quiet time to focus – not only on the writing but on that One Voice. It was much easier to create the first time around when it was just Him and me – just a secret we were sharing together. As more people have come into my writing world, it’s getting crowded and harder to hear His Voice. But thank you for this reminder! Time to shut out the world, the voices, and focus on The One. Blessings to you!
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Hope, so glad this was encouraging to you!! I understand that distraction and drive so much – especially right now in the throes of work, home, and writing. May the Lord quiet your heart with His love and give peace to your thoughts.
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