Tag Archives: Dianne Neal Matthews

A Change in Plans: A Lesson in Obedience

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By Vonda Skelton | January 2, 2012

Photo courtesy of Rawich

You may have noticed you’re getting this blog post a little early. There was a change in plans.

It all started when I spent two days last week, setting up a new work schedule for the days I’m home. With my tendency to be unorganized and unfocused, I could see that I needed a plan in order to help me stay on top of the many projects currently going on.

So with this being the beginning of a new year, last week I studied my projects and the time they were going to require. I figured out a system to try to cover each project with a sufficient amount of time each week. I rewrote the schedule and refigured and rewrote it again. Yesterday it was ready. I copied it out and put it right out front where I could see it. I couldn’t wait for Monday morning so I could get started!

Then my schedule got thrown out the window. I got an email from our own Eddie Snipes stating there was a problem with my blog Home Page. A quick check revealed that–of course–it wasn’t anything I could take care of. On top of that, my webmaster was out of the country. But even though he was out of the country, my wonderful webmaster came through with a solution: post my blog early and that should take care of it. (I hope it works. We’ll find out as soon as I post this!)

So my best laid plans for part of Monday was out the window and instead of receiving this Tuesday morning, I guess you’ll get it about midnight on Monday.

It’s not a big deal. It really isn’t. But what I want us to see is that even though I had a really good plan, a well thought-out, all-for-a-good-reason plan…I was stopped from working it.

Paul had a good plan, too. And his plan WAS a big deal. According to Acts 16, Silas, Timothy, and Paul were planning to head into Asia, but verse 6b says they had “…been kept by the Holy Spirit [emphasis mine] from preaching the Word in the province of Asia.”

Then, verse 7 says, “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to [emphasis mine].” It’s clear from God’s Word that Paul and his team had prepared well and were prayed up. After all, they were carrying the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles, to those who were not Jews, God’s chosen people.

But the Holy Spirit stopped them. And not once, but twice. It was a huge change in plans.

That night Paul had a vision of a man telling him they were needed in Macedonia. Some scholars say this was Paul’s second encounter with Jesus, the first being his encounter on the road to Damascus. Others think it was merely a dream, but either way, Paul went, the Gospel came west to Europe, Lydia was baptized, and Christianity eventually arrived in America.

All because of a change of plans. And it was good.

So with the dawn of 2012, as we’re setting our goals and making our resolutions, let’s not forget that God may have a different plan. Yes, we can organize, we can figure and refigure the best route to get wherever it is we feel God wants us to go–and we should! But the truth is, God may change our plans.

And if He does, it will be good.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

(Photo courtesy of Rawich)

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Who Wins the THREE Dianne Neal Matthews Books?

Winner #1: Susan Panzica
Winner #2: Vanessa
Winner #3: Lynn Nester

Congratulations, winners! Just Contact Me with your mailing address and you’ll hear from Dianne with directions.

Thanks again, Dianne, for a wonderful, informative interview…and for your most generous offer of THREE books! I pray God continues to bless you and all your projects!

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I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

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Author Interview and Multiple Book Give-aways with Dianne Neal Matthews

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By Vonda Skelton | December 27, 2011

With having just celebrated Christmas and looking toward a new year, it’s a great time to introduce my devotional-writing friend, Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne’s publishing credits include three daily devotionals including The One Year Women of the Bible and Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. She has also written magazine and online articles, newspaper features, Bible studies, and stories in compilation books. She serves as a correspondent for FindingGodDaily.com, and also enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences. Dianne is a member of Advanced Writers & Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Toastmasters International. She and her husband, Richard, live in Salt Lake City where they miss their three children and two adorable grandchildren. To learn more, visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

And great news, readers! Dianne has offered to give away not one, but THREE of her books! Next Tuesday I’ll announce two winners of Drawing Closer to God, a devotional book for men and women, and one winner of her book, One Year Women of the Bible! All you have to do is leave a comment for Dianne and you’ll be in the drawing for one of THREE books! Be sure to check back next Tuesday to see who the winners are.

Now, let’s get started. I can’t wait to share Dianne’s story with you!

As writers, we always want to know: When did you decide to be a writer?

As a little girl, I loved to make up stories and share them. Writing assignments were always my favorite part of school. But as an adult, I lacked the confidence to pursue creative writing. It was just something I fantasized about until my mid-forties when I began writing articles for my church’s newsletter. Urged by a friend, I attended a writers’ conference asking God to show me if writing was His will for me or my own self-centered dream. He answered clearly that week and I’ve never doubted my calling since then.

Now you’ve published three daily devotional books and have a fourth one set to release next year. What do you find most rewarding about writing devotions?

Writing devotionals keeps me excited about how fresh and relevant God’s Word is. I love finding ways to illustrate Scriptures and draw out practical applications. And it’s such a blessing when someone tells me that a devotional has spoken to their specific situation. A woman in Australia emailed to say how amazed she is that the pages of The One Year Women of the Bible often mirrored what was going on in her own life. An older couple sent me several notes as they read The One Year On This Day together. One young mom wrote that she was feeling spiritually dry and unable to serve God, but now she’s going through one of my devotionals and keeping a journal which she plans to pass on to her two daughters some day. Comments like that remind me what a privilege this is.

Tell us a little about your latest book.

Last fall Baker released Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. Each devotional is based on a question asked by someone in the Bible—God, Jesus, Satan, an Old Testament character, or a New Testament writer. The meditation explores the setting, and ties it into a spiritual principle or practical application. The day’s entry closes with either a question for readers to ask God or a question to ask themselves.

How did you get the idea for Drawing Closer to God?
I began noticing how many Scriptures are in the form of questions and how relevant these still are today. Old Testament characters like David voiced honest questions that we’ve all probably felt at some point but may be reluctant to say out loud: “Why are you so distant, Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1) New Testament writers used questions to explain spiritual principles. Jesus asked questions as a powerful teaching tool: “Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying?” (Luke 12:25) “Why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

Many questions in the Bible can be matched with a verse that answers it. Before Pilate asked the universal question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), Jesus had already answered it when he prayed: “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) As we go through hardships, we may wonder as Gideon did, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13) Then we read in John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble.”

The more I studied these questions, the more I was struck by how much God communicates to us through them. It intrigued me to think that sometimes we can find answers by looking at the questions.

Did writing Drawing Closer to God impact your own spiritual life?

Yes, the fact that biblical characters expressed their questions and doubts so honestly reminded me of how God wants me to approach my relationship with him. Now when I see a question in the Bible, I use it as a springboard to look for what God wants me to discuss with Him or what He wants to teach me. I’m in the process of pulling out a core list of questions from the book to use in my quiet time. I want to periodically go through them as a sort of spiritual check-up to assess my spiritual walk and keep my focus where it should be.

What is the main thing you hope readers take away from this book?

If we approach the Bible with a teachable attitude, God’s Spirit will use the questions written so long ago to comfort us, convict us, and transform us. I hope these devotionals will encourage readers to feel comfortable examining their own questions through meditation and prayer. I believe God wants us to cry out to him when we don’t understand something—and in the process we’ll be drawing closer to Him.

Amen, sister, I agree He wants us to cry out to Him. And I’m trying to learn that truth more and more in my own life.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Dianne. And especially thank you for giving three readers a chance at winning a book! Friends, don’t forget to leave a comment and then check back next Tuesday for the winning names!

Until next time…

I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

 

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