This post, about my memoir, Masterpiece (A Love Story) includes some vulnerable moments. But then, a memoir’s not worth much if it isn’t vulnerable and real, is it? So the memoir writer must be real as well…

Writing put bread on my table for most of forty years. But I’d been missing something, something important. I’d left God completely out of it.

As a result, I was a good writer, serviceable, I’d say. But not excellent.

Then something unexpected happened. Two years ago this week I attended a workshop led by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD called ‘Writing in the Glory.’

The opening line of Miskov’s workbook says ‘Something powerful happens when we write in God’s glory.’ As we ask God to bless what we do, she says, ‘our words may take different shape than what we had originally planned’.

Indeed, that was my experience with Masterpiece.

When I began writing, it wasn’t a memoir, rather a book of poetry.

But as I wrote, out tumbled page after page about my experience with childhood sexual abuse, and all the darkness that followed from that. It held up a mirror to the ugliest parts of my past and showed me over and over where I had missed it, blown it, burned it to the ground.

But ‘where sin increased, grace abounded much more’ (Romans 5:20). That was the story of my life. That grace finally overwhelmed me in a dank motel room, where God came and saved my life.

I knew Masterpiece would have a happy ending, but that’s all I knew, not what it might look like. Oh, by the way, the poetry is still there, but now as a side dish, not the main meal.

Masterpiece took almost 18 months, and was written in the face of many trials, not the least of which was treatment for cancer. But, God was faithful to help me take my unfinished piece of pottery and throw it back on the wheel again and again. I rewrote the book substantially twice.

But this was a vital learning process, not a trial. Because I asked God for help, He helped.

And so, here we are.

In that workshop two years ago God promised me that if I wrote love songs to Him, He’d give me love songs for his people.

Masterpiece is that love song. Meanwhile, I continue to hear His songs in return, and I’m writing them down for you.

I believe I’m worth reading, and I’m asking you directly to buy my book. But then, if I didn’t think I’m worth reading, why bother?

Masterpiece is now available through Amazon as an Ebook and in print at an introductory price, just for you.