Happy Cinqo de Mayo, everyone! We’ll be having enchiladas and arroz con leche tonight. (Homeschool, you know. It’s educational, LOL.) Now onto the actual blog. 😉
Last night I had the honor of visiting the women’s group at Trinity Assembly of God in Midlothian, Maryland to chat about being an author and a little about my books. One of my mother-in-law’s good friends belongs to this group and put a bug in the leader’s ear about inviting me, and I’m so glad she did.
I’ve spoken at libraries twice, and in some ways this was a lot like those. But in a few key ways, it wasn’t. Because though I’d never met these women before, it was like meeting friends. Chatting with them was like chatting with family you hadn’t seen in a while. We had so much fun, they made me feel so welcome, and as I tried to pinpoint why, I came to the conclusion that it’s because we know from the get-go we have a lot in common, starting with that most basic thing–our faith.
At the Library talks I certainly didn’t sidestep the fact that I write Biblical fiction, but the questions people asked tended to point in other directions. At Trinity last night, so much conversation either led back to the Lord or reflected Him. Not always overtly, but it was there. Always there, because He is always in us.
It really hammered home why Paul tells us not to forsake the fellowship of other believers. That fellowship, that communion is so awesome, and so important. Not just in church itself–which is also awesome and important, don’t get me wrong–but in those after-church meetings. Those times when like-minded folks get together for fun and just let the Lord Shine through them.
This is the same reason I so enjoy going to Christian writers conferences, now that I think about it. It’s a chance to talk to other people who are like-minded. And hence why I’m so looking forward to going to Hagerstown, Maryland on Saturday for the Washington County Reading Day at the Valley Mall. There I’ll get to chat with a couple other fellow Christian writers, and I’m really looking forward to that (whether I sell any books or not, LOL).
So what’s your favorite time of fellowship? At church? A Bible study? A writers group? Perhaps at a Jane Austen readers group? A homeschool group? Where is it you feel most at home and can have fun that fills you up inside?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
I love to fellowship anywhere and everywhere, but I think my favorite times are during women's bible study. There's something very special about sharing God's word and our hearts with each other in an intimate setting like that.
When I was in my early 20s and moved away from home for the first time, God plunked me down in a womens Bible study. I grew SO close to them. Now, when I think of the word "home," something that comes to mind is that sunny living room where I studied God's word with those women.
So glad your talk went well!
To be among faith-writing, believing writers is a precious time for me. I love visiting w/non-writers, too, but to be able to talk about writing 100% is bliss! lol
Great post, Ro
cb
sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Hi Annette! Technically I'm ALWAYS in Maryland, LOL. Live here. =) Hagerstown's an hour away for me . . . where abouts are you from? Maybe I can make my way closer sometime. 😉
Your Bible study sounds exactly like the best ones I've been a part of. It's not that you never talk about other stuff, but that you know you have that common heart to help you focus that everything else back where it belongs when all is said and done.
I was excited to see you would be in Maryland…though I suspected Hagerstown would be very far away…yep…nearly 3 hours…a bit more than I can do, esp seeing how my husband has a Sat. AM commitment.
I have a group (5 of us) of friends that met at a Community Bible Study. We try to get together about once a month…all of our talk is not God-centered, but when there is a concern (I bought this when I was angry with my husband…should I return it? My child's behavior is driving me crazy…) we bring it back to God.