~~ John 3:16 (NIV84) ~~ For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
by Carley Cooper
It’s day Ten of
the 15 Habits of Great Writers challenge. Technically, it’s day
eleven; but I found myself a little busy yesterday. So now I'm playing catch up! Just to recap for those new to this series,
so far the habits we’ve talked about are: Declare, Believe, Initiate, Practice, Prepare, Steal, Start Ugly, Build and Connect.
The tenth habit
of great writers our challenge host, Jeff Goins, tells us is to ‘Share Others Work’. He also says “Great writers share. Not just
their own knowledge, ideas, and expertise. They also share the work of others and credit
them accordingly. And ironically,
paradoxically, they ultimately benefit from their own generosity.” The minute I read the challenge that he gave
us today “Find someone whose message we
need to hear and share it…”, I instantly two names came to mind.
The first is Paul Duarte and his new book Shakedown. As a friend of Paul, I can say that he has
never done anything small, and fear is not a word he’s familiar with. He pushes the boundaries beyond expectation
in everything he does. Even his physical
disability hasn’t slowed him down. Shakedown, is no
exception. This is a book that will, no
doubt, cause a lot controversy; and may even get him in some hot water. Duarte is a newbie in the book writing world,
but shares his own incredible true story very well. It is a tale of one man’s strength through
the overwhelming trauma and aftermath of the murder of a dear friend. The story leads you through, as the cover
says; “murder, police deceptions, lies and extortion.” You will get a glimpse of what it feels like
to see an investigation from the inside view of a murder suspect. It’s a view of authorities who will stop at
nothing, including the law to get their man; except it’s the wrong man! You will be left with your mouth dropped open
in shock at the lengths some will go to in order to make a situation turn out
the way they want it to. Shakedown is
exciting and will leave your heart thumping!
The most incredible part is that Paul comes through it all still holding
onto his faith.
The second name
that came to mind that has a message to share is Jesus. No greater story has ever
been lived, or told. The title of the
book is The Holy Bible. It is the written and living Word of
God. It is filled with excitement,
murder, deceptions, lies, war, fear, betrayal, sex scandals, drama, intrigue, love
stories, action, suspense, and so much more.
Yet, it is the greatest guide ever published on how to live life to its
fullest. It is a manual on how to be everything from a good parent to
a successful entrepreneur. No question
that you will ever need answered, cannot be found within its pages. At the end of the story, the whole world has
been given the greatest gift ever given.
Eternal salvation. That’s because
God’s Word also tells us about His awesome love, grace and mercy. It’s a story of a love so great that a Son,
named Jesus, was sacrificed in order to save everyone else. What greater story is there? It’s one that every person on the planet
needs to hear.
~~ Dear God ~~ Thank You for the most incredible story ever
told. Thank You for all that we have
gained from it. I know that one day
every person will get to hear that story.
One day every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord. Praise You, Father, for
this great gift. I pray, also, that You
will help Paul in his quest to get his story told; and that his relationship
with Jesus will be strengthened, and others will be helped and lead to You as a
result. In Jesus name, AMEN.
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