I had been practicing, practicing. For six months, I had been sending writing samples to my literary mentor, bombarding him with questions, and honing my skill. Now it was time for me to approach a publisher.
I bought Sally Stuart's Christian Writers' Market Guide, and after studying the guide for several days, I decided to give take-home papers a try. Eleven were listed; I can no longer remember why I narrowed my attention to Standard Publishing's weekly take-home, The Lookout.
I requested writer's guidelines and theme list from the publisher; in those days, information came by mail.
Then I obtained an out-of-date copy of Writer's Market, which is 2 1/4 inches thick and costs $29.99 at the bookstore. My copy had been discarded by Hennepin County's library system and was offered for free during a monthly meeting of Minnesota Christian Writers Guild. Writer's Market explained that anomaly, the query letter.
I selected a topic from Lookout's theme list, wrote a magazine article, composed a query letter, and sent everything to my literary mentor, who usually replied in five to ten days. A few hours later, my mentor replied.
"Send it, send it," he said.
My article was accepted for publication in March 2005, and it was published the following September. No trouble came during the submission process, but problems rolled in on the day the article appeared in print. On September 25, 2005, my husband lost his job.
Now, this was no ordinary job. It was a longstanding, six-figure job that, turns out, provided my emotional security. When no new job appeared, financial struggles began, and those struggles stole my peace and squeezed my writing mind. By January 2006, I was no longer writing.
I doubt that it was a coincidence--my husband's job loss coming on the day my writing career began.
I have lost my sparkle, no doubt. But in 2009, I am writing again.
Corn, Jeanette Murdock, “Seeking God’s Kingdom,” The Lookout 25 Sept. 2005: 4-5
Seeking God's Kingdom
Jeanette Murdock Corn
In the rocky wilderness of the Jordan Valley, John the Baptist traveled through the countryside preaching and baptizing. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near," he said (Matthew 3:2).
Jesus came to the reed lined Jordan River to be baptized by John. As he journeyed along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he repeated John’s words, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17).
When he sent out his disciples, he told them to preach about the kingdom of Heaven, too.
The kingdom of Heaven was at the heart of Jesus’ teaching ministry. He said, "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached" (Luke 16:16).
The people who heard Jesus expected his kingdom to be an earthly system that would restore the throne of David to the nation of Israel. Today we understand that the kingdom of Heaven is an inner kingdom that rules the human heart.
The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God, and Jesus came from Heaven with royal authority.
However, he did not come as an earthly ruler. His purpose was to extend his kingdom so that many people could be saved (John 3:17).
Jesus taught about his heavenly kingdom by using illustrations that explain the kingdom in simple, down-to-earth terms.
Like everything else we receive from God, the kingdom begins in the heart. But when properly received, it works its way into our outer lives as well.
A Treasure
Matthew 13:44 says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field." In fact, it’s a treasure chest that contains a generous supply of power, authority, righteousness, and the riches of God in Christ.
A man comes to the field and begins to dig, and when he finds the treasure, he recognizes its value and rejoices.
He reburies the treasure and hastens to sell everything he owns so he can buy the field. He makes these sacrifices because of his joy. I visualize this man opening the treasure chest, claiming ownership of his new possessions, and discovering that his treasures are greater and more numerous than they previously appeared to be.
The kingdom is also like a merchant who searches for pearls, according to Matthew 13:45.
I think about the man in the parable not as a shopkeeper or tradesman, but an astute international trader who travels great distances by land and sea, searching for the world’s finest commodities. Perhaps his journeys are often difficult and dangerous.
The merchant is accustomed to buying and selling fine pearls, but one day he finds a pearl of exceptional value. It is beautiful because of its purity. Determined to own the pearl, no matter what the cost, the merchant returns to his country and sells everything he owns so that he can purchase it.
Like hidden treasure or a flawless pearl, the kingdom of Heaven contains supreme beauty, purity, and significance. The Bible instructs us to desire it, think about it, and search for it diligently.
In fact, Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness." Pursuing the kingdom of God should be the most important business of our lives.
Yeast
In 1 Corinthians 5:8, Paul says that immorality is filthy and dangerous. He describes it as "the yeast of malice and wickedness."
"Get rid of the old yeast," Paul says. "Start over with new bread."
However, the kingdom of God is the opposite of filth, malice, and wickedness. Matthew 13:33 says it is like good yeast, or wholesome leavening.
The housewife makes bread by mixing a handful of yeast into a large amount of flour, and then she kneads the dough until the yeast has been incorporated into the mixture.
After the yeast is added to the dough, it ferments, releasing a wonderful aroma, penetrating the dough and changing it.
In a similar way the kingdom of God changes us. By working through us, it penetrates our society. Second Corinthians 2:14 says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
A Sower
When Jesus returns, the world’s kingdoms will become God’s kingdom. In its present state, however, God’s earthly kingdom has a mixed character. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9) provides a picture of the kingdom in our present age.
The kingdom of God is like a farmer who sows seed. Inside this seed, in embryonic form, is heavenly life. If the seed takes root and grows, it produces God’s kind of life, which includes peace, contentment, and joy. The Holy Spirit scatters this seed into the soil of the human heart.
Sadly, some of the seed falls along the pathway where travelers have walked, compacting the soil. The seed stays on the surface of the hard ground and birds swoop down and snatch it away.
Trampled soil represents the person who hears the Word but doesn’t understand it. The seed doesn’t change his life or behavior because God’s kingdom doesn’t make sense to him, and Satan is able to steal the Word from his heart.
Other seed falls onto rocky places. It springs up in the thin soil but is unable to take root. When the scorching sun beams down, it withers.
This rocky soil is the person who eagerly receives God’s kingdom but doesn’t become rooted in it, so he endures for only a season. When he encounters pressure or persecution because of his faith, he loses heart and turns away from the kingdom of God.
Rich Soil
Some seed falls on good soil and begins to grow, but briars and thorns overrun the field and strangle the tender plant.
This soil represents the believer who begins well in the kingdom of God but later fades away.
Illness, marital problems, rebellious children, death of a parent, job loss, improper desire, loss of focus—when these troubles come, this person becomes fearful and distracted. His life is weakened by worries, lusts, and anxieties that choke out the kingdom of God.
However, some of the seed falls on fertile, well-tended ground and produces an abundant crop.
The fourth field represents the Christian who learns how to handle pressure and stay focused on the kingdom of God. He endures until blessings come. He is the only one of the four whose life produces good fruit. That life, of course, is the kind of life God wants us to live.
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The kingdom of God is a heavenly kingdom, and it is composed of heavenly material. However, the good news is that God’s kingdom is available to those who make Jesus their Lord.
It’s a command: "But seek first his kingdom" (Matthew 6:33) and a promise: "Seek and you will find" (Matthew 7:7). L
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Jeanette Murdock Corn is a freelance writer in Oakdale, Minnesota.
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