Anne Marie Miller

Category: Writing

  • Fear plays the Role of Antagonist in the Story of Your Life

    Just in case you didn’t download Seth’s awesomely free “What Matters Now” eBook, I thought I’d share my contribution which is an essay titled “Fear.” It’s adapted from my new book.

    Have you ever wondered who?s behind that little?voice in your head that tells you, ?you?re in this by?yourself, one person doesn?t make a difference, so?why even try??

    His name is Fear.

    Fear plays the role of antagonist?in the story of your life. You must rid yourself of
    him using all necessary means.

    We?re often impressed by those who appear to be?fearless. The people who fly to the moon. Chase?tornadoes. Enter dangerous war zones. Skydive.?Speak in front of thousands of people. Stand up to?cancer. Raise money and adopt a child that isn?t?their flesh and blood.

    So, why are we so inspired by them?

    Because deep down, we are them.

    We all share the same characteristics.

    We?re all divinely human.

    Until Fear is gone, (and realize he may never?completely leave) make the decision to be?courageous.
    The world needs your story in order to?be complete.
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  • What Matters Now-A Free eBook from Seth Godin

    Oh, where to begin!

    sethgodinThere are so many things I adore about?Seth Godin (and I know many of you feel the same), but?one thing I love most is his ability to collaborate and communicate in quick, memorable ways. He cuts through the junk and leaves you with a thought that will leave you thinking for days (if not?months years indefinitely).

    Seth released a free (of course!) eBook today with 72 brief (about 200 words each) and meaningful snapshots from people all over the world, including one from yours truly, asking us to share a few words on?what matters now.

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    My little snippet is on page 6, and is titled?Fear. Because I think so often that fear stops us dead in our tracks.

    How do we move forward when all we hear is fear filling us up with impossibility?

    Some of my favorite contributors to this project are?Seth Godin,?Elizabeth Gilbert,?Jessica Hagy,?Jacqueline Novogratz,?Howard Mann,?Michael Hyatt,?Steven Pressfield, Megan Casey,?Merlin Mann,?Penelope Trunk,?Arianna Huffington, and?Dan Roam (and many others – these were just a handful!)

    What Matters Now is totally free, totally inspiring, and the time you spend reading through it will definitely be the best fifteen minutes of your day.

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    Just click the image below to download your copy (and share it with a friend or two or forty-seven).

    What Matters Now

    And, since we’re all about free downloads today, I thought I’d also point you in the direction of two free downloads from my first book Mad Church Disease, and a free excerpt from my forthcoming book, Permission to Speak Freely.

    Happy free reading Monday! :)

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  • Looking Through the Eyes of Love

    Today is my monthly contribution over at inCourage. Below is a sneak peek. You have to visit over there to read the full article. Enjoy!

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    looking-through-eyesIt had been a really long day.

    6 am came too soon, and as usual, I was running late to the airport. Due to the extra few minutes I spent taming my hair, I was unable to stop by Sonic for my habitual Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper.

    The tragedy.

    The flight from Nashville to Houston was one of the bumpiest I’ve ever been on. And I fly. A lot. This year alone, it’s somewhere around 45,000 miles. No kidding.

    Several people on our plane threw up and one even passed out on our descent into the stormy city of Houston.

    Once in the terminal, I checked my next flight on the screens.

    My 12 pm flight to Dallas was delayed until 1 pm.

    Then 2 pm.

    Then 3:15 pm.

    4:15 pm.

    Canceled.

    (click here to read more…)

  • It’s Cheap

    I got word a couple days ago that Mad Church Disease is on its fourth printing. Especially considering it’s a niche book in a struggling economy, I am so thankful that the words are bringing hope and healing to many people. It’s not like it’s sold a billion copies, but I think it’s tracking well and really appreciate the stories you have shared with me as you have read it, or passed it on to friends. It is amazing to see how God can redeem our mistakes and brokenness so we can be a healthy hope for the world.

    To celebrate the fourth printing, I’d like to offer you guys a chance to buy an autographed copy for just $10. The book is normally $16.99 (or around $14+ shipping if you buy it online) so I figure with Christmas coming up, maybe it would be a great idea to give to your staff or ministry team or parents or children or a friend.

    This offer won’t last forever. If you want to get the $10 price, you’ll need to purchase it by November 14. They will ship a few days later.

    If you want to buy 20 or more copies, I’ll discount it even deeper to $8.50 per book. If that’s you, email me.

    ((SORRY…this special offer is over. Thanks for your support!))

  • Free Stuff for Your Church

    I am so excited to announce that the official site for my new book Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession and Grace is LIVE. Huge thanks to Brad Ruggles for his tireless work on this project. He did an amazing job with the design…it is simply beautiful!

    Picture 3

    What I love about this site is that yes, you can see some of the confessions we’ve received (and will continue to update as the project continues – remember – it is never too late to mail in a confession) but we also have FREE resources for churches or groups which include adult and student/young adult studies, leader guides, and an HD video (click the link for RSS readers) for the studies.
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    Oh, if you use the free resources for your church, you can get a free copy of the book for your church.

    So, I’d love it if you’d pop on over and check out the site and if you so desire, tell a friend or two.

    Nifty Links:

    *Follow PTSF on Twitter for exclusive sneak peeks & free stuff

    *Become a Facebook Fan

    *Sign up to see new confessions

    *Send in a confession of your own

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  • In My Heart For A While…

    When I first started talking about Permission to Speak Freely, I said it had been brewing in my head since May 2008.

    But I think it has actually be inside my heart for a LOT longer – like, the last thirteen years.

    I found this letter in a journal I kept when I was just sixteen years old.

    ?Dear Nobody,

    I thought when you became a Christian everything was supposed to be all happy and full of life and fire. Sure, it seems that way at first but when life goes on, the fire goes down to ashes and there seems like there is no hope.

    Right now, all I want to do is cry but I can?t. I feel confused, rejected, and hopeless. I don?t understand why, either. I just need to get it all out and that?s why I?m writing to you, Nobody.

    I?m afraid to trust anyone with these feelings because I fear my mixed emotions will go deeper.? I just need to feel understood. But nobody understands it. Nobody is like me.

    Or, maybe everybody else is just like me and they hide it like I do.

    If the world feels like me, I wish they?d let me know. I think they might be hiding their true emotions under a mask of fear.?

    It’s been an interesting process digging through some old memories. Thanks for hanging in there while this blog has been sporadic. I hope it will be worth it in the end.
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  • Hope for a Broken Heart

    I thought I was just overweight and out of shape.

    And while I was both overweight and out of shape, it really had nothing to do with the fact I couldn’t finish climbing up the thousand or so feet of Arthur’s Seat, a small mountain which overlooked the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.

    I was visiting some friends who were starting a community outreach and I wanted to climb to the top to pray over the city. A few hundred yards in, I couldn’t breathe, and my chest started hurting…

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    It’s my time of the month!

    No…not like that.

    My time of the month to post at inCourage!

    Read the rest of Hope for a Broken Heart at inCourage…comments are off here to engage the conversation there!

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  • A Week of TwitPics

    This week will be a little different on FlowerDust.net. I am headed up to a friend’s cabin on Orcas Island and since I’m trying to squeeze the juices from every creative verbal node in my brain, I’ve asked a few friends to guest blog to take the pressure off me.

    I’ve read and scheduled their posts and have to say they bring some unique perspectives and should stir up some good conversation.

    In lieu of Twittering and blogging, I’ve decided that when I do Twitter, I’ll only be doing it via Twitpics and a small, obscure but related line of text to the photo…a song or poem or quote it reminds me, or…who knows? I think this exercise will help me help me dip into the abstract a bit.

    It will be interesting. I hope.

    How can you journey along with me?

    Follow me on Twitter here.

    Also, you can visit my TwitPic page here.

    Or subscribe to the TwitPic RSS feed here.

    Or just check out the sidebar on this blog as I update the photos (although you’ll miss the mildly pithy descriptions).

    See you in a week…

  • Momma Always Said

    Momma always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”

    But I’ve taken it a step further.

    If you don’t have anything to say, don’t say anything.

    This year I’ve been more intentional in practicing the discipline of solitude. Taking regular days offline, simply enjoying whatever is in front of me: a good book, a movie, reorganizing furniture, taking a nap with a thirteen pound cat on my lap, or strolling in downtown Franklin window shopping. Even with the things that are screaming at me for attention, I’ve come to cherish the one day each week or so that I soak in the essence of what’s tangible and present.

    Creatively, these days are refreshing. And as a new season approaches – my last week working at Cross Point, and a month before the first draft of my manuscript is due – I don’t think I could survive without them.

    Every ounce of energy I have seems to be spent in working on Permission to Speak Freely. Granted, I don’t have a dozen books under my belt but I do think it’s fair for me to say that it’s unlike anything I’ve ever written before.

    Usually I feel the pressure of someone’s expectation, whether it’s my own, or what I perceive to be yours, or my publisher. But this book is different. In its own way, it’s my way of living out the message of the book. I’m speaking more freely than I ever thought possible. Typically there are words I write that are just words…but this project is different. Every word I place into that running document is drenched in heart-felt inspiration. Inspiration I pray is an overflow of the words and whispers I hear a Father speaking to me.

    His expectation is the only one that matters now.

    A week from today, I’ll be isolated in a friend’s cabin on Orcas Island. I plan on being as disconnected as possible and will have some friends sharing their thoughts on my blog while I’m attempting to knock out a good 20,000 words or so on my manuscript.

    There’s a part of me wants to apologize for the quietness that you may experience coming from this corner of the internet for the next month or so as I tie things up, but there’s a part of me who just wants to say thank you. Thank you for your encouragement, for reading (as inconsistent as things may be), for inspiring, and for letting me discover (and rediscover) the next steps on my journey with you.

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