Opening Doors

Did I say I was living in the “manifold graces” of God in my last blog? Why, yes I did! You know, it’s a good thing that our God is omnipotent and all powerful and wonderful and stuff. I could honestly say we make Him work so hard to bless us except that I know He doesn’t work hard . . . nothing is hard for our God.

So two or three years ago before cancer had ever reared its ugly, demonic head in our family I felt as if God was inspiring me to start a publishing company. I began to research it at that time and just felt as if it was too hard to do. I had a day job that kept me quite busy and there were so many pieces to publishing that I put the idea on the shelf. Funny how we think we get to put God on a shelf until we think it’s time for His plan to work. Well, the idea came back to me during my journey through cancer and this time I had a bout with ‘chemo brain’ and I had to listen. This time around I knew it was Him talking and even my Bishop made a comment to me about doing some editing work for various people and that I should get paid for that work. Wow, that was pivotal!

For the first time I realized, rather recognized that my ability to edit is a gift from God! I mean, I’ve been correcting people’s papers and writing letters for people forever, but I just thought of it as something I had the ability to do. I was good at it. Now writing, oh yeah, I can do that…I’m a writer; I enjoy writing – that’s my gift. Who died and convinced me that I only have one gift? C’mon, tell the truth do you think you have ONLY one gift? And can you relate to being good at something, so good that people seek you out for it, but it’s not sexy enough for you so you kinda say “Oh, that’s just something that I do”.

Now, light bulbs are going off in my head and I get it. He already told me to start a publishing company and I have the skills and abilities to do it! Every story needs tension right, so that part of me that refused to budge was busy thinking up all kinds of reasons why this was just my ‘imagination’. Finally I asked God, “Lord, if this is your direction for my life, I need to visualize it, I need to have a name for it. How can I begin if I don’t even have a name for it?” And in true God fashion, the very next time I was in church Pastor Charisse was teaching mid-week service and was talking about a bookstore they had previously – Manifold Wisdom. And as she said the word ‘manifold’ a picture of the grace of God in my life flashed before me. And I knew it ~ Manifold Grace Publishing Company.

I began to vibe this name, it came alive to me and I began to envision what it would look like and how I wanted it to feel. The name changed to ‘house’ instead of ‘company’ because I’m much warmer than a company. As I began constructing these things around my company I recognized my purpose was to “help people share their testimonies with the world”.

Manifold Grace Publishing House is open for business but before I tell you more about that I want to encourage you to meditate your own life and seriously hear the things God is telling you to do. At my church, DWO, we pray for ‘destiny intersections’. It would take way too long for me to unravel the providence of God who made plans for me before the beginning of time and has established relationships in my life to help me fulfill my destiny – today. Trust me, the things I don’t know, He sends people my way to help me. That is a destiny intersection. That is the providence of God. That is the manifold grace of God.

So, listen, one of the first things I’m doing as Manifold Grace Publishing House is conducting a workshop, in conjunction with Kingdom Scribes Publishing called “So You Want To Write A Book Huh?” It’s going to be held on Saturday March 5, 2011 at the Redford Library – check out the flyer! And feel free to share it with anyone interested in the book writing process – if you’re coming – email me Darlene@manifoldgracepublishinghouse.com

Stay tuned! This is SO exciting. It’s getting GOOD!