The Write Resources: Intentional Support Systems

Hey #JustWrite! For those who are reading, as some of you know, since last month many are still recovering from the damage of Hurricane Helene after the most recent Hurricane Milton, while many of us are still dealing with confusion and outrage regarding the BioLab chemical fire which has affected residents physically in nearby counties. On a personal note, my family experienced an unexpected tragedy with the death of a beloved son, father, and friend. My cousin's death shook our community as many wondered including myself what could have prevented his untimely death, which occurred October 8th two days prior to World Mental Health Day (observed on October 10th). Today he would have been 34. I witnessed many on social media make posts about starting support groups in our hometown and there was a clarion call for men to not be ashamed to open up regarding their struggles. In those moments, a flood of emotions hit me: sadness, anger, shock, etc. Those emotions lingered the last few days as my mind went back to so many others whose demise was similar and the world just seemed to go on with life as usual. I began to question if support systems would be in place to share resources and preventative measures. It is my hope that my disbelief will be proven wrong. 

As writers and as individuals, it's important that in the midst of competing priorities with book projects, concepts, brainstorming sessions, that we know there are support systems in place to help. As we have come upon 10 years, Just Write exists to be that support system for aspiring and veteran writers. We understand the nuances and challenges of creating content, knowing our audience, using our voice, publishing books, and understanding our assignments. We welcome you with open arms with the understanding and assurance that the WORD will be displayed in our actions and that your words count. 

In closing, as we move into the holiday season in a few months, mental health awareness and necessary resources are important. In October 2021, we discussed the importance of self-care, particularly within the Black community. Below is an interview with Dr. Rheeda Walker, author of "The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health." 

Remember, you matter, your mental health matters, and your stories matter.

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley 

The Write Moment: Restropect, 10 Years Later

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Hello, #JustWrite!! We've made it to 10 years! And in those 10 years, God has shown up so many times through our messages and writings. As the blogmaster of 'The Write Moment', here are 10 truths about God that have encouraged the monthly writings and scribal journey: 

1. God is consis10t.

2. God is righteous.

3. God is omnipresent.

4. God is omniscient.

5. God is omnipo10t.

6. God is powerful.

7. God is in10tional.

8. God is the Master Creative.

9. God is miraculous.

10. God is faithful.

"10 in the Bible represents testimony, law and responsibility. It signified the measure of responsibility and its judgment or reward. Under the law, man was responsible to keep the commandments and bear a testimony for God. In Romans 8:38-39, 10 powers become powerless against the LOVE OF GOD: "For I am persuaded, that 1. neither death, 2. nor life, 3. nor angels, 4. nor principalities, 5. nor powers, 6. nor things present, 7. nor things to come, 8. nor height, 9. nor depth, 10. nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Biblical Mathematics, Valowe, Ed. F., 1998)

The Bible also shows us the 10 vices that were excluded from the Kingdom of God, listed in 1 Corinithians 6:9-10. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, 2. nor idolaters, 3. nor adulterers, 4. nor effeminate, 5. nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 6. nor thieves, 7. nor covetous, 8. nor drunkards, 9. nor revilers, 10. nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (Biblical Mathematics, Valowe, Ed. F., 1998)

And so on and so forth, one sees the emphasis of the number 10 all throughout the Bible, a number that is used 242 times and the word, "TENTH" is mentioned 79 times. (Biblical Mathematics, Valowe, Ed. F., 1998). 

As year 10 is upon us, this profound understanding of where we are in these times once again cements a call to action:

To the Kingdom scribes reading this, whether received or not, we have a responsibility to the messages and testimonies we are releasing into ministry and the marketplace. Our authenticity and boldness is needed like never before. As we've stated in previous blogs throughout the years, it's never too late to trust God's purpose, process, and provision as it relates to the projects and assignments given to us. Thank you to those who in the last 10 years have engaged with us and understood the assignment, literally despite the challenges, doubt, etc. If no one has acknowledged you all up until this point, God has definitely seen you all and your fruits. 

Again, pay at10tion, remain consis10t, and  BN10tional (phrase created by Kimberly Thompson). Don't let "The Write Moment" pass by to "Just Write!" Cheers to 10 years! 

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley 

The Write Reality: Faith Over Fear

Hey #JustWrite! Have you all heard the phrase, "Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies?" Profound right? Especially with the play on words, alliteration, and deep message. When we get to the place of seeing things with spiritual eyes, we recognize what's real and what's not. We all can agree that the biggest lies ever told to us were rooted in FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real). Our carnal eyes process things for what they appear to be instead of what is real. All of us have dealt with fear in some area of our lives. For me as a kid dealing with bullying and uncertainty as a result of family issues, as a teen dealing with peer pressure, as a young adult with expectations of life after college, and as a believer with various trials personally and professionally. Regardless of those experiences, the common denominator was fear and the anecdote is faith.  

‭Hebrews 11:1 NKJV‬ states, 

[1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

https://bible.com/bible/114/heb.11.1.NKJV

One acronym for FAITH is, "Forsaking All I Trust Him". Amen! Having faith means trusting the Lord through everything. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes. Faith is like fasting. Our faith (spiritual submission to God) stretches us in the way fasting (physical submission to God) does by building character and strength. Faith is a part of a neverending sanctification, a process. As a writer, we can view this from that perspective as well. There will be ideas generated and distractions that will halt the writing process. There will also be excuses to why a writing project can't be completed. Through it all, fear becomes another culprit of stifling the process. Once we recognize these things as issues, we have to bring them before the Lord and trust that He will guide us and bring that project to fruition. The same goes for our sanctification and walk with the Lord. We have to trust Him in the process and have faith as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20-21). 

Here's another acronym for FAITH: 

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley 

The Write Mandate: Seek, Read, and Believe the Word

Hey #JustWrite! Here is another blogpost that feels like deja vu' in terms of the recent events that have taken place in the world and mainstream media.  I don't have much to say this month but, as I've stated in previous posts, God is not surprised and the intensity of things happening within the spiritual realm will continue to be greater as the days continue. Just as things continue to unfold in the world, there has been an increased spiritual pull for many who started ministries at one point but they paused due to life's moments, to return to their rightful positions to draw more people to Christ. I believe in my heart that God is reminding all of us this mandate as we go about writing books, preaching sermons, teaching students, providing resources, etc. Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV) reminds us to, "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon."

Again, we must pray about everything in the spirit, regardless of how our carnal minds perceive things and how much our flesh rises. Check out this message from the late pastor, Dr. Charles Stanley on seeking the Lord.

In the words of one of my favorite movies, "Forrest Gump," "That's all I will say about that."

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley

The Write Release: Give It To God

I don't know about you but as we have reached the midpoint of 2024, I can testify that God is so good and gracious. As we near Father's Day, I celebrate and rejoice knowing that our God is a good, good Father. One of my favorite characteristics of God is that He is a loving, patient, and gentle God. God is also a jealous God that doesn't want us to place other gods and idols before Him. Those things that we constantly worry about, he wants us to give to Him for He will bear our burdens and make things better and new. Most of the population that is withdrawing from God and the church are Millennials and Gens. According to many funny memes on social media, millennials have survived several decades, 9/11, recession, COVID-19, etc. all before the age of 40. This is true and through it all, God remained the same. 

June's book club selection, Give It To God: How To Pray in the World Today by Quneshia T. Waddell, centers on providing an understanding on how to pray as a millennial and gen. Check out the interview of Waddell during the online book of the month forum. 

When we truly give our cares to the Lord, we release and relinquish control over those things and allow ourselves to be fully transformed and healed by God's word and guidance.  Trust in His hope, peace, joy, and strength. 

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley

  

The Write Power: Crying Out with Prayer

Hey #JustWrite! I'm pretty sure you all have noticed a pattern these last few months with the book selections centered on prayer and the emphasis on its power. During this time, it's important that we recognize that we are in an intense season and commission to seek God through prayer and His Word. As time progresses, the spiritual warfare continues to increase and as the Word states, we have to pray without ceasing, in and out of season. A dear sister of mine challenged me recently to join her in a 24 hour fast and to also incorporate the 24 hour fast regularly. I was grateful to reconnect through her nightly prayer call which has provided an extra layer of accountability, prayer, and intercession outside of my Sunday community group and in between midweek duties. To know that other believers continue to remain in tune with God and the Holy Spirit during these times is comforting. 

The book selection, "The Power of Crying Out: When Prayer Becomes Mighty" by author Bill Gothard details how the power of prayer and crying out moved the early church. He assures readers that the blood still works today and that trusting God's timing with our prayers and petitions is the antidote and answer to all of us who are in distress, dealing with life's trials.   

Check out this message from the Scribal ministry, The Writer's Inkhorn. The message is centered on Luke 18:35-43, which says, "Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God."

This is just one of many testaments of trusting God through crying out. I have been reminded constantly that God does care about the little things, the small details that many may view as minor or less important. Remember God wants it all and nothing is too miniscule or puny for His majestic touch. Trust Him with your cries.

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley

The Write Mind of Christ: Taking Every Thought Captive

Hey #JustWrite! God is not surprised that we are currently living in the age of constant information being accessible through so many mediums: news (live broadcasts, online, and paper), magazines, blogs, social media, podcasts, and the old fashion casual conversations. Throughout this plethora of information overload, the constant processing of daily content of this caliber impedes one's thoughts and affects our actions. When those actions go against what the Word says and pushes us further away from God, we have to reexamine where we are and replace those thoughts with God's Word. We take captive those thoughts and renew our minds like Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." That is the premise of this month's book club selection, "Take Every Thought Captive" by Kelly Balarie.

 

Our daily lives are a mental battlefield and in this read, author Balarie helps the reader to utilize the Bible to combat those attacks by recognizing the enemies' lies and fighting back spiritually. The following article provides more insight and practical tips on how to take one's thoughts captive. Here's a video podcast by host Joanna Weaver featuring commentary from Balarie: 

I close with this prayer: 

"Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you seeking the strength and wisdom to take my thoughts captive, as your Word encourages me to do. Help me, Lord, to recognize and reject thoughts that are not aligned with your truth and righteousness.

Grant me the discernment to identify negative, anxious, or sinful thoughts as they arise, and empower me to replace them with thoughts that are pure, lovely, and praiseworthy, as your Word teaches in Philippians 4:8. May my mind be a dwelling place for your truth and light.

I surrender my thoughts, fears, and anxieties to you, knowing that your presence and guidance will help me overcome every mental battle. Strengthen me to resist the schemes of the enemy and to hold every thought captive under your authority."

In His service,

Lequvia Ousley