Christine Rhyner

Christine's blogs

How God Connected the Dots
Saturday, February 7, 2015 by Christine

How many of us remember as children taking our yellow wooden pencils to paper and playing “Connect the Dots?”

We began with a single line, then another that might take us in a different direction, then a third that could be quite long, and a fourth, just a tiny inch. We would zig-zag our way across the page until we found ourselves staring at a kite or a butterfly and think, “Cool.”

I have discovered that a walk with the Lord is much like this. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it is written, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Though we cannot see the bigger picture God does when we set out on a journey, we must take that first step of faith, that first pencil stroke to move along a path that we believe will lead us to something “cool.”

I never realized that finding a blurb about the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference in a trade magazine would lead me to becoming a published author. That ad led me to Founder, Marlene Bagnull’s website where I found “Write His Answer.” What a treasure! While publishing magazine and website articles as a fairly new Christian I had struggled to understand the passion God had placed within me to write, how to approach this calling on my life and how to move forward in my desire to do so for Him and from Him. I immediately bought the book and found just what I needed—a bible study for Christian writers. I never knew such a resource existed!

Right away I registered for the next GPCWC. There I found the blessing of hundreds of others just like me, with the same focus, passion and calling--to connect with and learn from. I had never felt such a sense of belonging, acceptance and encouragement. I was at home!

I knew that I wanted to write a book sharing my testimony about my God who had determined to make me a mother through international adoption. It was during perhaps the third summer I attended the conference that God decided the timing for such a book was right. I had learned a lot, grown as a writer and explored various ways of communicating my story. Then, it just happened. While on the ride home back to NY, my entire book outline just poured out of me onto paper while my husband drove. I saw the dots starting to connect!

After returning home, I set to work sharpening my book’s theme and message. As I wrote chapters I also worked on a proposal. After I sent off this proposal to an editor who had taught at the conference and graciously offered to review it for me (an amazing benefit of the GPCWC in that professionals will actually offer to follow up with you on projects), it was clear that my proposal was a mess. But I had already purchased W. Terry Whalin’s “Book Proposals That Sell” at the conference. Why wasn’t I using it?

After carefully following Terry’s direction and advice, my pencil took a detour and I re-wrote a proposal that garnered three positive responses and a contract within a few months!

But the picture, as any author will tell you, wasn’t quite complete. I now needed an editor to help me polish my first manuscript submission to a publisher. Back to Marlene’s website I went. What I thought was a random pick of an editor to hire was actually God’s way of connecting another dot. This editor was a staff member of my publisher’s, able to give me insight into their expectations and navigate my way through the process! Additionally, she is a godly, professional, faithful woman, always quick to respond to my many questions and concerns.

After a few more months of hard work and re-writes the dots were finally connected! In fact, I saw a butterfly. One that had finally emerged from its long night captive in a cocoon, now beautiful and free to fly forth with a message of a mighty God’s blessing, grace and forgiveness before and after an adoption journey.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 goes on to say, I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.”

As authors, we need that sense of purpose God has intended for our work. We can delight in it if we remember that God has called us to do it, that the fruit of our labor is a gift from Him and that this is how we serve Him. Understanding and focusing our purpose and calling is what Marlene brings to authors with “Write His Answer” and her tireless efforts at running the GPCWC for decades. The dedicated, godly and professional people I’ve mentioned above are the kind she offers year after year for our benefit and instruction.

Were it not for a blurb in a writing magazine for the GPCWC I may not have seen “How much did you pay for her? Forgiving the Words That Hurt Adoptive Families” come to fruition.

How is God connecting your dots on your journey?

For more about my book, view my trailer at:

http://youtu.be/WhoehU5wH0E

Available now through www.clcpublications.com, www.amazon.com, www.christianbookdistributors.com, Kobo and upon request in Barnes & Noble bookstores.

Share This Blog:


Previous Posts

Day of Mourning, Day of Shame
Christine
1/22/2022

God's Presence With Wings
Christine
6/18/2021

The Church Needs to Unify in the Battle For Right to Life
Christine
6/10/2021

Our Sixty-Year Decline
Christine
6/1/2021

H.R. 1 Would Be A Bigger Test For The Church Than Covid Shutdowns {Part 2 of 2}
Christine
5/20/2021

H.R. 1 Would Be A Bigger Test For The Church Than Covid Shutdowns {Part 1 of 2}
Christine
5/12/2021

Dangers of Love Growing Cold
Christine
5/3/2021

Democrats' Despicable, Advantageous Use of the Elderly
Christine
4/23/2021

America, Land of Condemnation (Part Three)
Christine
4/15/2021

America, Land of Condemnation (Part Two)
Christine
4/6/2021

America, Land of Condemnation (Part One)
Christine
3/24/2021

Government's Desperate Need for Humility
Christine
3/11/2021

Is the Church Changing?
Christine
1/19/2020

What Are Our Values Anymore?
Christine
11/22/2019

The Final Frontier (Part Two)
Christine
9/4/2019

The Final Frontier (Part One)
Christine
7/29/2019

Soulmate
Christine
4/30/2019

The Colors of a Writer
Christine
12/29/2018

What's Not to Get About the Writing Life?
Christine
4/18/2018

Learning to Sing the Song of Winter
Christine
12/10/2017

Perspectives & the Second Half of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
Christine
8/25/2017

Perspectives & 5 of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
Christine
5/2/2017

Run Writer Run! Make Music with Your Words
Christine
2/15/2017

Mom, the Fishstetrician
Christine
10/14/2016

The CONSTITUTION For President
Christine
6/5/2016

The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 2 OF 2)
Christine
4/16/2016

The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 1 OF 2)
Christine
4/15/2016

Why Ted Cruz NOW?
Christine
3/19/2016

Why is the GOP Committing Suicide?
Christine
3/14/2016

Dear Chicago
Christine
3/12/2016

Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
Christine
2/29/2016

That Unanswered GOP Debate Question
Christine
1/9/2016

America's Lifeline
Christine
12/31/2015

Fractured Nation (2 of 2)
Christine
11/14/2015

Fractured Nation (1 of 2)
Christine
11/11/2015

What is Orphan Sunday?
Christine
11/8/2015

November's Gratitude and Longing
Christine
11/4/2015

Losing a Child is Like...
Christine
9/12/2015

Finding God in a Tenement
Christine
9/3/2015

Doing School in the 21st Century
Christine
8/22/2015

Superstition vs. Planned Parenthood
Christine
8/19/2015

Addicted to Giving Birth?
Christine
4/21/2015

Why We Should Have "The Talk" Before Marriage
Christine
3/20/2015

Adoptive Parents "Hypersensitive" & "Selfish?"
Christine
3/12/2015

What's So Wrong With Calling It "Gotcha Day!"
Christine
2/26/2015

How God Connected the Dots
Christine
2/7/2015

Exposure of Transracially Adopted Kids to Their Races a Bad Thing?
Christine
2/2/2015

Out With The Old
Christine
1/12/2015

Those Who Scoff at International Adoption
Christine
8/16/2014

Setting Aside Birth Story Facts for Truth
Christine
7/31/2014

Sneak Peak, "How much did you pay for her?"
Christine
6/11/2014

Blessing Through Adoption Pain
Christine
5/16/2014

Eight Ways Publishing Your Book is Like an Adoption Journey
Christine
2/23/2014

Neglected Ministries?
Christine
2/17/2014

It's a Boy
Christine
2/8/2014

Thoughts of Her
Christine
2/1/2014

To My Son
Christine
1/30/2014

Rational Thinking?
Christine
1/25/2014

Minority Against Minority
Christine
1/12/2014

Happy New Year!
Christine
12/30/2013

Happy Thanksgiving
Christine
11/25/2013

You ARE my mother?
Christine
11/10/2013

The Transracially Adopted Children's Bill of Rights and Some Thoughts
Christine
11/3/2013

Infertility Is...
Christine
10/19/2013

Will He Speak English?
Christine
10/11/2013

Kitty-Sam
Christine
10/5/2013

What's in a Name?
Vhristine
9/30/2013

An Adoptive Mom's Message to Those in the Healthcare and Education Professions
Christine
9/25/2013

Being Tested
Christine
9/11/2013

When We Are Weary
Christine
9/1/2013

Trailblazers
Chrisrine
8/24/2013

A Fresh Start
Christine
8/22/2013

God Works Behind the Scenes
Christine
8/13/2013

Why Adoption Requires Forgiveness
Christine
7/28/2013

Dust Bunnies and Poo
Christine
7/19/2013

Reality Check
Christine
7/13/2013

Forgiveness is Work
Christine
7/9/2013

An Answer to Prayer, Part Three
Christine
7/3/2013

An Answer to Prayer, Part Two
Christine
6/27/2013

An Answer to Prayer, Part One
Christine
6/22/2013

Are They Really Brother and Sister?
Christine
6/16/2013

Infertility's Not Fair
Christine
6/13/2013

Has He Ever Eaten a Dog?
Christine
6/11/2013

Sometimes We Fail
Christine
6/9/2013