Blog Tour: Footprints Magazine

Footprints; a seemingly small dream with small beginnings. Yet it was a dream which would soon see many women touched with the love of God. This women's magazine has reached further than any of its creators ever dreamed of. Since its beginnings in 1997, it has grown from a small home-grown black and white magazine, to being well on its way in becoming one of Australia's premier Christian magazines. The lack of positive and uplifting material for Christian women at the time was what opened the door for creator, Janet Camilleri, to bring fresh and new content to the literature market. But the real credit goes to Footprints' true Creator: God Himself.

It was God who first inspired Janet with the idea of a non-denominational, relevant magazine for Christian women. I spoke to the creator of Footprints recently, and this was what she had to say.

I’ve always loved magazines and I had reached a point in my spiritual journey where I was sick of the materialism, celebrities, new age, and casual attitude to sex found in most of the glossies. I thought maybe this was a “one day” dream but God had other ideas! He bombarded me with ideas, and I was blessed to have a small group of friends who immediately “caught” the Footprints vision and offered to help. We launched the first issue of Footprints in January 1998 with very little fanfare, but God has blessed the work of our hands as we have sought to encourage His girls around Australia – and here we are, 12 ½ years later, with 50 issues under our belt. We’ve come a long way and the magazine has improved a lot since those early days! - Janet Camilleri - Editor-in-Chief of Footprints Magazine

It is the favour of God, and the dedication of these women, that has seen this magazine continue on through the last twelve years. There are two things that drive these women: a passion for God, and a passion to see Australian women rise up and take hold of God's plan for their lives. Seeking God in such a way, Janet says, “is the only way to find true joy and satisfaction.”

Like many people, Janet's passions for life are born out of her past pains. As a child of divorce, Janet is passionate about seeing marriage upheld in the honour that it deserves. Due to past experiences of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, and having lived through the resulting issues as an adult, Janet is well aware of many problems facing our society today. It's been a long journey, but God has brought Janet to a place where she is whole, and is now motivated to help other people through these same issues.

As a mother of two, Janet is passionate about seeing her children grow in their relationships with God. As an editor, Janet is passionate about seeing God using the written word to touch people's lives, even long after it has been written. She speaks of a time when an article was written surrounding the topic of Christians and depression. It was not until two years later, that the Footprints team discovered this same article had prevented a young girl from taking her own life. These women may not have anticipated such an impact when they were first making their steps into the publishing world, but look at where God has brought them now. They have 433 wonderful subscribers, and continually growing. While the team may not know their future impact as a magazine, they do know that God has promised that His word shall not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

So where can a magazine such as this one hope to see itself in ten or even twenty years time? At present, the ministry has at least a dozen dedicated volunteers who work with Janet to produce each quality issue. Over the last few years, more and more people have joined the Footprints team. These include a web editor to maintain the online website, and a layout assistant to help with the magazine's layout. This leaves Janet to freely promote the magazine to Christian womens events and conferences.

In another 50 issues, that is, in another 12 ½ years time, Janet dreams of seeing the magazine as a full colour, glossy publication, available in both mainstream retailers and the Christian market. By 2023, Janet wishes to see the ministry expand into such things as annual Footprints camps and conferences, more books, and even a Footprints TV show! Only God knows the future of such a ministry; but whatever is to happen, God will be at the centre of it all.

How can you help this magazine to achieve its dream? Firstly, you might subscribe to the magazine. Subscription is only $12 per year, or $8 each for two or more subscriptions sent to the same address. Maybe you could even purchase a gift subscription for one of your friends. Secondly, it might be that God has given you a story in your life which you need to share with others. Maybe you could write an article for Footprints. The team are always looking for new and fresh women to share their stories with other women. Thirdly, you could promote Footprints in your local women's group or church. You never know, there may be someone there, much like that young girl we spoke of earlier, who needs to hear a message of encouragement. You never know what impact you may have in your own church, as a result of your involvement with Footprints. God is waiting for you....

Corallie Buchanan

Footprints blog tour itinerary:

Thursday 24/6 - thanks to Wendy from On the Edge of Ordinary  (http://mmuser.blogspot.com/)  for kicking things off. Although currently in Brisbane, Wendy will be moving back to Japan within the next few weeks!
Friday 25/6 – we jump over the border for an interview with Julie south of Sydney at  http://worksformehomemaking.wordpress.com/.
Saturday 26/6 – Back up to sunny Queensland, where our host today is Kay from the Gold Coast, at  http://heartsoulexchange.blogspot.com/.
Sunday 27/6 – Catch our latest interview with Michelle, also from the Gold Coast http://michelledevans.blogspot.com/.
Monday 28/6 – Moving on almost to Melbourne, with Kathie from Victoria at http://proverbs31-woman.com/.
Tuesday 29/6 – Back up to the southside of Brisbane for a chat with Lil from  http://motheringmisadventures.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday 30/6 – Head on over to Brisbane’s northern outskirts for Corallie’s feature on Footprints at  http://buchanan-beeline.blogspot.com/.
Thursday 1/7 – Joni from the Blue Mountains in NSW plays host to the Footprints blog tour today at http://every1matters.wordpress.com/.
Friday 2/7 – Go west dear reader, as we chat with Narelle from Perth at www.momentsformum.com. (Narelle is also our WA state rep).
Saturday 3/7 - Back to the Brissie girls, with the popular www.squigglemum.com for an interview with Cath.
Sunday 4/7 – Still in Brisbane, with Paula at http://paulassharingspot.blogspot.com/.
Monday 5/7 – Heading west – but not quite so far this time! Stopping in with Kelly in Toowoomba at http://beafunmum.com/.
Tuesday 6/7 – And finally, an interview practically in our own backyard with Tabitha in the Redlands at http://tabithabird.blogspot.com/.

Not so good day, but God is still so good

Writing full time can be difficult when you don't see any results, or have a bad day at the computer. Today was one of those days. I got to my usual writing spot, but my emotions just weren't in it. Yes, I may have started a new article series for the Footprints magazine, but I didn't feel in any way inclined to do any more than that. You know those days, when your emotions just want to take you somewhere else?

I spent a couple of hours wandering around Morayfield shops, just clearing my head. When I got home, I realised that God was with me, no matter how I felt, and God could still use me, even when I didn't feel like He was there. I didn't feel the strong pulsating presence of God in my writing that day, but that doesn't mean that it was any less effective. It is in those times that you know if anything good comes out of your writing, you know it is definitely NOT from yourself.

Ministry is hard, and sometimes disappointing. But the trick is to keep at it anyway, waiting for the fruit to come. When your plans fall through, trust in God (hey, I'm preaching to myself here!). That's all you can do.

Stepping out, and you will be surprised what God will do!

    I just looked at some of the things I have written over the last few weeks since stepping out to write full time, and was nearly knocked off my feet at what God has done. Never have I seen myself write SO clearly before this moment. Picture this: You are walking along, and a huge gust of winds comes up behind you and picks you up off your feet, and carries you a few steps forward. Its like an extra boost, enabling me to do things in writing that I couldn't do before, like writing like I have been, completely off the cuff. God is definitely in this next book, because I cant normally write like I have been doing the last few weeks. Even with the years of writing experience I've had, I still cant write like that. And no, its not because my skills have improved with practice. If they had, it still wouldn't be anywhere close to what I am doing now. My skills on their own would be nowhere near the level of where I currently am. There is no way I can write like this.

When the author of something gets knocked off her feet by her own writing, you know something is up. Authors aren't supposed to be hit by their own writing. We're supposed to be writing for the benefit of other people, not ourselves. No, you know that when this kind of thing begins to happen, you know that this is the time when God is truly working. You remove any possibility that it is you which is doing all of this work, and realise that there is something much bigger at work than yourself.

How I came to writing full time? Well, it is quite a story.  I had been feeling over the course of a conference I went to recently that God may be leading me to write full time. But my husband and I were in a time of financial crisis, and so naturally I was a little hesitant in stepping out and so asked God for confirmation. Well, I wasn’t expecting the kind of confirmation I got. When people ask for confirmation from God, I find quite often that they expect the inner leading of the Holy Spirit, the small inner voice. But not this time, .....no. God had other plans. The next morning, I was quite surprised to sit down to the morning sermon, only to find myself hearing the preacher speak about children and divorce, the very topic of my next book! Little did I know confirmation was not only to come just from the quiet inner leading of the Holy Spirit, but the preacher herself, in front of 1000 women, preaching the topic of my next book. What a confirmation!! I had never even met this woman before, and here she was pouring out of her heart the exact same message that was on my heart, an idea which at that moment was in the process of being brainstormed and written into my next book.

I went up to her afterwards at the urging of some very lovely ladies, and spoke to her about what I had experienced. She took my book and email, and promised to have a read of it. Little did I know this same woman would also be one of the authors speaking at the same writer's conference I am speaking at in November!

The morning I got home from the conference, I received news from my husband that my sister in law had some work for me as a writer, in helping her redesign old homeschooling books. So not only did I have confirmation of God's desire of me writing full time, but now I had a job that would enable me to still earn money while doing ministry. Even though this fell through a few weeks later, I already had enough confirmation that God was leading me in the right direction. And to top it off, a few weeks later my husband received full time work, something he had been without since our marriage 5 months ago. Ironically, he received his previous job through facebook connections. I didn’t think God would work in the same way twice, but he did. This second job also came through facebook connections. Thankyou God!! (and facebook....lol!)

It will be interesting to see what happens the next few months, as I keep going to work every morning. By work, I mean my writing spot at the Maccas Cafe with the free Wi-fi. I dont know how long this next book is going to take me, but its going quicker than I thought it would. God is good, and He is ALWAYS faithful, no matter what.

Generous provision for a foreigner

(14) So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. (15) And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. (16) Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. (17) And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. (18) Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” (19) Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. (20) So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (21) He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Genesis 21:14-21 NKJV

When I was reading in my devotional time this morning before getting into a days writing, I came across this passage. One thing that struck me which hadn't before was the circumstances surrounding Hagar's provision. May I pose to you the question that was posed to me this morning? What was it exactly that Hagar ran out of? Then afterwards, what did God replace it with?

God showed me that He can provide for even those who consider themselves unworthy of Him, or even those who think themselves alienated from Him. You see, Hagar ran out of a mere skin of water, and God gave her a well. Not only did He provide for the thirst of herself and her son, but provided them with water to live upon for a long time. God not only provided for their immediate needs, but also their long term needs. And this was someone who was considered an alien among God's people! Hagar was born an Egyptian, not an Israelite. God was providing for a foreigner, when in the future God would be considered by His people to be exclusively devoted to the Israelite nation. Of course, this event  happened before the nation was formed, but the lessons are here nonetheless. God not only provided the minimal amount required for Hagar, He provided over and above what she needed for herself and her son.

People say they find it hard to see a God of grace in the Old Testament. If only they would look a little deeper, they would find occasions like this where the grace of God is visible, even before the beginning of the new covenant.

What about those people now, who consider themselves too far gone to ever be considered as a friend by God again? What about those who feel they are too far from God to ever make a comeback? What about those who feel unworthy of God's love and care? This picture shows us that the same God of love who appears in the Old and New Testaments, the same God who created the entire universe and yet notices this insignificant little Egyptian servant, it is this God who notices us. He sees our situations, those ones which to us seem insignificant to even mention to Him, and He cares about them. If God cares about a foreigner, why wouldn't He care about you? Talk to Him about it; share your deepest concerns and worries. He can take care of you, just as He did the foreigner. Depend upon it.


© Corallie Buchanan 2010

Writing is beginning to take off...

Life has been quite eventful the last few weeks.

It had been a particularly dry season in my life for the past year or so. You know those seasons, where it seems as if your ability to hear God's voice and feel His presence has all but dried up, and everything seems to being going contrary to how you would like it. Your devotional life seems null and void, in addition to your prayers feeling like they are not going any further than your ceiling.

Well, I have been going through that for quite some time now, and was wondering when this season was going to end. I was at the end of my rope, both emotionally and spiritually, and felt I could not walk any longer.
I was at the One Voice Women's conference last weekend, and really felt God laying it on my heart to write full time, but when you are in a real time of financial instability as my husband and I have been, I was a little wary of jumping into it too soon, and so with trepidation, asked God for some kind of confirmation. You know how when you ask God that, you kind of expect Him to confirm it in that still small voice. Well, I expected God to do just that. However, I was in for a big surprise.

The next morning, I was in one of the sessions when to my shock, the preacher began to preach from the pulpit the very message of my next book. She even answered some of the questions I had been wondering about whether there actually was anything in the publishing market at all concerning the long term effects of divorce on children. There is only one study, and its almost 20 years old. There's nothing at all in the Christian market. There are mostly research papers, which most average Christians would get lost in all the data and sociological gobledeegook (to use my mum's terms). So, I knew from that moment God wanted me to write full time. Right after I got back, my sister-in-law offered me a temp job typing up old homeschooling books for her to redesign, which means I can work from home and write full time.

Now all we need is for my husband to obtain full time work. Shortly after the message that morning, I began to make all these writing contacts, which have provided possibilities for even more work to come my way. It seems that since I have made the step to full time writing, God has blessed me with the beginnings of furthering my writing career. God is definitely good to us :-D

Coral

Photo: Godly Women in the Koorong Store at Woollongabba, Brisbane.

Hey guys.

I was suprised when looking for book reviews on the internet this morning, that I stumbled across some of my own work that was written when I was still a very young writer. Now that I am freelancing full time (thanks to my very generous husband), I was able to remember back to a time when I did not have such a privilege. My writing has come so far since that point, and it was amazing to see that the material I wrote years ago is still being used by God.

Deeper Devotion Student Ministries is a ministry dedicated to encourgaging Christian Students in their walk with God. Little did I know, they have kept my work on file, and in the last few years have been re-posting it for a new generation of students to read. Some of the comments on my old work have shown me that God is still capable of using things that I wrote years ago. I thought I might give you a sample of them so that you may see for yourself that God can use things that you might consider insignificant to yourself, but others will find incredibly encouraging. It just goes to show that you don't have to do anything particularly complicated or amazing in your own eyes in order to be used by God. God takes pleasure in the simple offerings of whatever you have to do in front of you. Don't be afraid to use what you have, and God will give you more.

Corallie

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 Here are some of my favourites:
http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/711
http://deeperdevotion.com/devotions/908

Here is a link to some more of my old work with this ministry: http://deeperdevotion.com/page/3?s=%22corallie+thornton%22