Announcing our 2024 Devotional Anthology

CALL FOR ENTRIES
> Accepting Submissions through Wednesday, 8/7

We are excited to announce our 2024 Anthology, The Song of the Mended: On the Path to Healing, Wholeness, and Holiness. We are looking forward to making this beautiful project available.

THEME NOTES

As you write on your chosen theme, please keep the overarching title theme, The Song of the Mended, in mind. Each of the seven chapter themes is intended to express different aspects of the journey conveyed by the title. The scripture references provided for each theme are for inspiration only. It is not necessary to include them in your writing.The Song of the Mended
Isaiah 611. Leaving the Wilderness
Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT)
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”2. The God Who Sees Me
Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”3. Healing in His Wings
Malachi 4:2-3 (AMP)
2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will go out and grow up like calves from the stall. 3 And you will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I do this, says the Lord of Hosts.4. The Rhythm of Rest
Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”5. Remembering How to Sing
1 Corinthians 14:15 (NIV)
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.6. The Invitation to Dance
Psalm 149:2-4 (TPT)
2 May Israel be enthused with joy because of him, and may the sons of Zion pour out their joyful praises to their King.
3 Break forth with dancing! Make music and sing God’s praises with the rhythm of drums!7. Like the Eagle
Isaiah 40:31 (AMP)
But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

CALL FOR ENTRIES:
Open through Wednesday, 8/7WORD COUNT:
300-1000 wordsTHE BASICS
> Grammar & Formatting
A lot of work and expense goes into creating and publishing an anthology. Please, carefully review and edit your essay before submission. We have hired a professional editor for this project. However, submissions are expected to be ready for print (edited for structure, spelling, and grammar). In addition to the basic spell check preloaded on your computer, both Grammarly and ProWritingAid have free versions available, as listed below.
https://www.grammarly.com/
https://prowritingaid.com/> Authenticity & Right to Share
All works must be true, original to you, and have an overall positive, encouraging message. They may include some fictional material as long as the bulk of the piece is not fictitious. It must also be something you have the legal rights to share publicly> Title Your Essay
Please be sure to title your work. We want each essay to have its own unique title, not simply the name of the chapter theme.> Use Your Name
If you use a pen name when you write, you are welcome to use it. If your essay is a collaboration, we need the name of each collaborator for the piece. Unfortunately, for legal reasons, we cannot accept names that are non-identifying combinations of multiple person’s names (multiple pen names).> No AI (Artificial Intelligence)
We will not accept submissions written by AI. Acceptable use is limited to generative AI as suggested rephrasing options.> Sensitivity
It can be very easy to become preachy without realizing it, particularly when we become laser-focused on details. With a topic like this, we want to be especially mindful of being sensitive, rather than inadvertently lecturing a potentially wounded reader. We want this to be a moving collection of personal experiences, featuring the testimonies of our unique journeys to revelation and transformation in Jesus. It may also be about witnessing the transformation journey of someone close to you, how you were touched by it, and/or personally played a role.> Protecting Identities
Please feel free to change the names of individuals to protect their identities. You may also choose to fictionalize identifying details or circumstances of your essay to maintain the privacy of others. We often craft details based on a composite of real-life experiences.USE OF SCRIPTURE
> 2 or 3 Scriptures Only
We ask that you limit the scriptures you share in your works to two or three, and clearly link to the source in a footnote. Also, no copied and pasted paragraphs of scripture please. We love it as much as you do, but with pieces of this length, we prefer you use it in a balanced way to anchor or highlight your work.> Citing ScriptureNo Abbreviation - Please write chapter names completely rather than abbreviating. (Genesis 3:1 vs. Gen 3:1)Always List Version Name - All Bible versions must be listed (AMP, NIV, NKJV, and so on).Use Running Text - Best practices are to include scripture verses in running text. Example:
Despite his disobedience, Abraham had a strong anointing on his life (Genesis 20:7). Or, with a lead-in:In John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus says, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”Singly Presented Quotes (Block Quotes) - If you present the verse(s) by itself, beneath the body of a paragraph, do this:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV)ADDITIONAL NOTESNo Double Spaces - Over time, grammar preferences change. While many were taught to add a double space between sentences, please do not leave more than a single space break following the period, in between sentences.Use Oxford Comma - For consistency throughout the project, we use the Oxford Comma, which places the comma before "and" or "or" in a list of three or more words in a sentence.
Example: I like apples, oranges, and pearsExpressing Emphasis
Do not use all caps or underlining to communicate emphasis. This is considered shouting by most and will alienate many readers. Instead, choose stronger verbs.Similarly, do not use quotation marks for emphasis. Italics are the only acceptable use for expressing emphasis. Still, using them sparingly or avoiding them altogether is best practice.Shorthand Substitutions
Please do not leave abbreviations in your work, Including words frequently shorthanded in conversational texting, such as “thru” for “through”> Please do not use the ampersand (&) in place of “and”
> Please do not use the +/- to indicate more or less
> Please do not use and/or
> They may be cute or amusing, but please do not use emojis or emoticons, including smiley faces, in your submitted work.Further Questions
Rather than reaching out to our group leaders directly, please direct any further questions to the above email address as well. There is much work to be done at the launch of a new project, and we’d hate for your questions to fall through the cracks.

SUBMISSIONs

CALL FOR ENTRIES
> Accepting Submissions through Wednesday, August 7th

TSOM BENEFIT SHOP

Who doesn't love shopping?!
> We have created a pop-up shop teeming with unique writing, faith, and fun-oriented designs. It’s called Hearken Collective, and we think you’re going to love it. 50% of all profits go directly to our TSOM (The Song of the Mended) fundraiser until the budget need is met, so shop till you drop! And maybe, tell a friend. ;)