Updates About Editing and Writing Projects of Stacy Duplease and Stories by Stacy

Vacation/Time Off

First of all, I'm going to be gone the week of 07 September-13 September 2009. I'll be back on Monday 14 September 2009. My mom's coming to visit and we're going to play and see the sights of Omaha, Nebraska.

Blogging
It looks like I'm a madwoman thinking I can do 8 blogs. Time is a very precious commodity and I enjoy spending time with my husband and getting writing done. (Call me silly.) We shall see. For now, my main blogs are:

http://www.storiesbystacy.blogspot.com/

http://www.sacredstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/

The sacred one is my Christian-based blog.

I'll blog about the other stuff: journaling, writing, mom stuff, marriage stuff, patriotic stuff, and spec lit stuff in both of the above. When I can, I'll add to the other blogs, but I need to be realistic. I don't want to kill myself or you.

Updates About Editing Projects
I am still editing "Cammi's Story" and "Demarcations" and will put them both on this blog when I am able to again. Then, once I am done editing, I'll publish them. My guess is two more months.

Updates About Writing Projects
Forget all the other stuff I've said I was working on the past. They all got moved to the backburner for now. I need my ideas to stew and simmer sometimes. (Okay, a lot of times.) These are my present projects:

"An Easy Faith: A 50-Day Study Guide" from the series: Putting God in the Every Day Series. It's a Bible study. Hence, is non-fiction.

My fiction project is: "The Best of Darci Thompson: Saying I Do to the Best Man." It's about a woman who gives up on men and decides to marry God and she blogs about it. I tell her tale.

Website
Also, don't forget to check out my new website at:

http://www.storiesbystacy.com/

By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy & Publishing by Stacy

An Easy Faith: A 50-Day Study Guide by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

This is the first segment of my new book or Bible Study I'm writing. It's called:

An Easy Faith: A 50-Day Study Guide

It's book one of a new series called:

Putting God in the Every Day Series

It's about how in life we have the habit of overcomplicating our faith to the point that we kill it or make it unattainable. Therefore, it's essential we learn how to reframe our view of faith and live our faith in the every day throughout the day.

I will put my reflections from the study on this blog under this "label" so that people can turn to it as a resource. Also, please leave your comments, thoughts, questions, or kind suggestions as an attachment to the blog postings. Or, you can email me at my new email address:

stacyduplease@storiesbystacy.com

Have a good evening.

Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy & Publishing by Stacy

Huge Favor from My Readers

So I can keep track of who's reading this blog, can you please send me a comment, sign up as a reader, or drop me an email? I would really appreciate it. If you have time, let me know what you like, what you think, and any suggestions. Thanks!


By Stacy Duplease


of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

The Christian Muse of Inspiration: Where Does it Come From? by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

What inspires you as a Christian, an artist, a writer, or anything else that defines you? What or who is your muse? Is it a person? An idea? A place? A book or movie?

What moves you or drives you is another way to ask the same question.

Is your muse or inspiration something that comes from one place or several? Is it a single source of inspiration or a multifaceted source?

As Christians, I think there is only one source of muse or inspiration we draw from (or should draw from). I think God is our Muse with a capital 'M" and is the one who gives us our thoughts and ideas (when we are in Him). We may hear His voice from several different areas though: people, places, ideas, books, movies, etc.

What do you think?

I'm going to be blogging on this topic this week.

Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

Love Stories and Christianity

The greatest love story of all is how Christ died for us--willingly and to save us.

The greatest love story of all is how much God loves us. Ephesians 3: 16-19 gives us an idea, along with several other parts of the Bible.

How much does God loves us? Far more than we can comprehend.

Why don't we try to comprehend it today and bask in it?

Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy & Publishing by Stacy

The Right Priorities, Spiritual Gifts, Planning, Ezekiel 16: Unfaithful, by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

Please see today's blog posting at: http://www.storiesbystacy.blogspot.com/ before you read this blog.

The Right Priorities and the Wrong Priorities
The definition of today's man or woman: Busy.
We are busy doing the things that don't really matter. Yet, we refuse to do the things that are right. Why is that? For instance: Do you spend one hour in the Word daily? And, do you pray and rejoice without ceasing all day and all night long? Or, try this one on for size: Do you always give thanks?
Yet, we'll get caught up on the computer, playing video games, looking at porn, dreaming about what life should be, think that busyness gives us value or self-worth.
Why is it our priorities are so fouled up and why is it we continue to feed them even though they are the wrong priorities?
If our priorities aren't based on Kingdom-thinking, or on heaven, then we're focused on the things that don't last. We are going against what God has in mind for us.
How do you know your priorities? What should matter to you? These are a couple of questions that might be in your mind right now.
What are priorities? A priority must take precedence and come first in your life. Nothing else should ever come in the way of it. Never, ever. Our priorities must be first our spiritual gifts and what God has called us to do. It can be the things you do in order to bring about a dream. It can be your life goals. It can be the daily necessities: work, eating, sleeping, cleaning, etc. A priority is that which is important to you.
If your priorities line up with the Word and what God wants from you, then you're focusing on the wrong priorities. Delete them from your life. Eliminate them.

Spiritual Gifts:
What are spiritual gifts? Read 1 Corinthians 12.

Planning:
Part of the Sin of Busyness means that our priorities are out of line. Part of busyness, wrong priorities, and a stressed-out life stems from either the lack of planning or poor planning. Make your life easier by planning and making sure you live out your priorities through proper previous planning. Don't plan as you go. Don't neglect your planner even one day. It will mean your priorities slip.

Purging the Things That Don't Matter:
Get rid of the things in your life that don't matter. Do it today. Focus mainly on the things of eternal consequence. Be single -minded in this area. God matters. The Word matters. When we die, none of us will say that we wish we had more on our plate, a busier schedule, or focused on the things that weren't a priority in our lives. So, stop living that way now.

Learn How to Say No
If asked to do something, you don't have to do it because you're Christian and that's what Christians do. In fact, it's usually wrong when we don't say no. When we say that we'll do something that is not a priority and is not a spiritual gift, we're getting in the way of someone else who's gift it is to do that activity. Just say no. An explanation is never owed. Just say no--unless it's your priority. It will free up your schedule and decrease your stress.

Ezekiel 16: Unfaithful
I'm working on writing a Bible study based on this topic and out unfaithfulness to God.

How are you? What's new? What's on your mind? Let me know.

Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

The Problem of Inaction in Our Walk with Christ, News, Vacation by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy

Check out my blog on this subject first at: http://www.storiesbystacy.blogspot.com. Then, read this blog, please.

Inaction: What is it?
Inaction is not moving. It's being still. It's complacency.

Stillness for God:
We are to be still for God. We need to keep our sabbath and quiet our minds and hearts. But, nowhere in the Bible are we told to stop progress in faith or in our relationship with Him. Yes, we are to be still for Him--when we've been too busy (in heart, mind, and/or body). We are to listen to Him. This is a must.

What Inaction?
What inaction am I referring to, then? Inaction. Not moving. Not being active in faith. Not keeping mind in Christ. Not running for the faith. Not growing in faith. I'm talking about being stagnate in faith. Lukewarm or cold.

If we are inactive in our faith, our faith is dead.

We are to actively try to follow Him.

We are to keep our minds and hearts focused on Him--even in the midst of doing other things. We must forever remain alert to Him and His call.

We need to be aware of where we are, how we are, and aware of Him and His instruction.

Our lives in Him are at stake.

We can live a warm, rich, nourishing life with Him or we can be inactive, dead in faith, and not live for Him. When we don't live for Him, our lives take on a downward turn. I don't know about you, but life is tough enough without relying on Him and being active in Him. I don't know how I could get by without Him.

How are you in your faith? Are you moving too fast or too slow? Find balance in Him--and listen. He'll tell you what's up.

News:
I'm working on writing a study on 1 Corinthians. Stay tuned.

I'm also debating on doing a couple of Christian living books.

Vacation:
My Dad is coming to town tonight. I'll be back next Monday.

God bless.

Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy