Determining God's Will - and a Giveaway!

UPDATE Sunday 6/24/12 6:20 pm WINNER!

My apologies for the delay in choosing a winner. The mother of a dear friend my man has known since eighth grade passed away, and this weekend was consumed with cooking and spending time with them, as well as my MIL's visit. I got home from church this afternoon and crashed! But let's pick a winner!

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21
Timestamp: 2012-06-24 23:19:53 UTC
Congratulations to Sally! Email me your address, Sally, and Jordyn Redwood will send you a copy of her book, Proof.

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Today I welcome Jordyn Redwood a brand-new author I discovered via author Candace Calvert. I've visited her blog but haven't had a chance to read one of her books yet, and I look forward to doing so. By day, she is an RN and she utilizes those skills and knowledge base as she writes. She shares below about finding God's path and will for one's life, a topic that applies not only to writing but to all walks of life. She's also giving away a copy of her debut novel, Proof, which is receiving rave reviews.

The Writer’s Path
by Jordyn Redwood

How do you determine God’s will? I don’t know if others have obsessed with this as much as I have but from the time I was in college, I remember being concerned about how I would determine if I was doing God’s will. Someone in a Bible Study group once said to me, “It will be the desire of your heart.”

I’m not sure this is true. I mean, Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, but that’s where God wanted him to go.

Another piece of advice I heard. “You’ll be good at it.”

Umm, actually, probably won’t be an easy talent. Moses was not a gifted speaker yet had to face Pharaoh to try and set his people free.

God operates in the unexpected. So, could His Will be something you might want to do yet have no strength/skill in accomplishing on your own?

Partly.

When I look at the two loves of my life, nursing and writing, nursing always came easy for me. My goal in nursing was to be a flight nurse. That was my one singular focus. I got the experience, took the required classes, and had the drive but never got the job after multiple applications. Why did it never happen for me when I was clearly qualified? Perhaps because that wasn’t God—it was me.

For those years, I wasn’t writing faithfully. I dabbled here and there on a book that wouldn’t let me sleep at times unless I got it down on paper. Other than that, I wasn’t working hard at the craft.

In utter frustration, after the umpteenth flight nursing job application was unsuccessful, I threw my hands up to God and said “Fine, I’ll write that book but if you want me to write novel after novel, you have to find a home for this one.”

I wouldn’t recommend challenging God—that’s a theological discussion for another day but it highlights the point of desperation I was at—the point of submission I was at. But also the fear I had at failing at both my dreams. That would have felt like death for a goal-oriented person like me.

When I started to write faithfully—the doors began to open.

I didn’t go to college for writing. In order to learn the skills of an author, I spent a lot of time reading books on the craft, attending writer’s conferences, etc.

I got an agent, the wonderful Greg Johnson. He negotiated a book contract.

The more I submitted to this writing dream—the more doors opened.

Hmm….

I’ll be the first to say writing does not come easy for me. Not as easy as nursing. I’m a good storyteller but grammar—let me say I have looked up the answers in my third grader's workbook.

How do you determine God’s will for your life?

Maybe Jonah, in his heart, did want to go to Nineveh but he was afraid of failure. I was afraid to pursue publication. After all, having someone say I was a horrible writer would have crushed me—and I’m sure there will be those that will say exactly that.

So, how is it you find God’s will? Look for that something—that one thing you will do well only through His work through you. You may have the desire but not the strength to do it on your own. God wants people to see His strength operating through you—and not yours. After all, that’s the miracle.

At least, that’s become my understanding.

What about you? Have you determined ways to be sure of God’s will for you?

ABOUT JORDYN REDWOOD
Jordyn Redwood has served patients and their families for nearly 20 years and currently works as a pediatric ER nurse. As a self professed medical nerd and trauma junkie, she was drawn to the controlled chaotic environments of critical care and emergency nursing. Her love of teaching developed early and she was among the youngest CPR instructors for the American Red Cross at the age of seventeen. Since then, she has continued to teach advanced resuscitation classes to participants ranging from first responders to MD’s.

When she discovered she also had a fondness for answering medical questions for authors, this led to the creation of Redwood’s Medical Edge. This blog is devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction.

Jordyn lives in Colorado with her husband, two daughters and one crazy hound dog. In her spare time she also enjoys reading her favorite authors, quilting and cross stitching. You can learn more about Jordyn by visiting her website at www.jordynredwood.net.


Proof
Jordyn Redwood
(Kregel Publications)
ISBN: 978-0825442384
June 2012/304 pages/$14.99

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT PROOF
"I love a great medical thriller and I'm glad to add another author to my list. Jordyn Redwood writes like the medical insider she is: a gripping tale laced laced with realism, sleep-robbing excitement, and something every reader loves: hope."-Harry Kraus, MD, best-selling author of The Six-Liter Club

"Debut novelist Jordyn Redwood has used her experience as an ER nad ICU nurse to craft a blend of medical thriller and police procedural with twists and turns to keep fans of either genre turning pages."-Richard L. Mabry, MD, author of Lethal Remedy and the Prescription for Trouble series

"Jordyn Redwood's debut novel is a page-turner with an ingenious premise and solid Christian values. A satisfying read."-Frank J. Edwards, Medical Director, Delphi Emergency Physicians, author of the medical thriller Final Mercy

Strong writing, terrific plot twists, and a great premise make this debut medical thriller a must-read. Recommend it to fans of Richard L. Mabry and Robin Cook. Starred review in Library Journal, June 15, 2012

GIVEAWAY!
Jordyn is giving away a paperback copy of this book to one of you! To enter, just leave a comment on this post by 8:00 pm CDT Friday, June 22, and I will randomly draw a winner. US residents only, please. You must include an email address if you do not have a blog so I can contact you if you win.



Disclaimer: I have not read Jordyn Redwood's book and therefore do not have an opinion on it. The views expressed in this guest post are those of the author, Jordyn Redwood, and may or may not reflect the views of Mocha with Linda.