Living Water Awards

Awards for Christian Writers

The Living Waters Awards honor those whose lives reflect the love and mercy of Christ through extraordinary acts of service. This contest is open to all conference attendees except for faculty members. Join us as we celebrate the inspiring work of those who are living out their faith and building God’s kingdom on earth.

Living Water Awards 2025

The Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference (BLCWC) is excited to announce the Living Water Writing Contest for 2025. This contest is open to all conference attendees, with the exception of faculty members. Participants may submit entries whether previously published in the submission category or not. Assuming sufficient entries, awards will be given in each category for both published and unpublished authors.

Submission Categories

– Articles
– Children’s Picture Book
– Devotions
– Fiction Book
– Non-Fiction Book
– Poetry
– Young Adult Book

 

Entry Procedures

The Awards are now closed to new entries. 

 

Submission Guidelines

– Text should be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font, using black ink and 1-inch margins. Poetry may be single-spaced.
– Do NOT include the author’s name on any of the manuscript pages.
– Each participant may submit multiple entries, but only one entry per category is allowed.
– Devotions and poetry may include up to three pieces per entry.
– For children’s picture books, submit the complete book.
– For articles, submit one complete article.
– For non-fiction books, submit a table of contents and the first chapter; specify the word count.
– For fiction books, submit a synopsis, and the first chapter; specify word count.
– For young adult books, submit a table of contents and the first chapter; specify the word count.
– Unpublished entries for YA, fiction, and non-fiction may be works in progress.

Deadline

The deadline for entering the Living Water Award is February 17.

 

Awards Ceremony

– Winners will be announced at a semi-formal awards ceremony in March, during the conference. Attire ranges from Sunday best to sequins and bling.

We look forward to celebrating your creative efforts and wish you the best of luck in the Living Water Awards!

2024 Living Water Award Winners

Articles

Combined Published and Unpublished

    • First Place: “Rebecca’s Hope” – Rachel Coggins
    • Second Place: “The Pecan Pie of Love” – Cecil Taylor
    • Third Place: “Easter from the Dark Side” – David Holland

Poetry

Combined Published and Unpublished

    • First Place – Tie: “After the Play” – Raymond A Russell II and “Into the Deep” – Raymond A Russell II
    • Second Place: “Us” – Joy Cromer
    • Third Place: “In the Grey Dawn” – Michael Shoemaker

Devotions

Published

    • First Place: “In All Circumstances” – June Foster
    • Second Place: “The Day I Became a Boys’ PE Teacher” – Gretchen Huesman
    • Third Place: “Don’t Fence Me In” – Ellen Fann

Unpublished

      • First Place: “United as Jesus Intended” – Cecil Taylor
      • Second Place: “Listen for Ways God Calls You” – Pam Antoun
      • Third Place: “Waiting for the Kingdom” – Cecil Taylor

Children’s Books

All Unpublished

    • First Place: A Time For Everything – Gretchen Huesmann
    • Second Place: David’s Journey To The Throne – Gretchen Huesmann
    • Third Place: Missing Flowers – Julie Schroeder

Nonfiction Books

  • First Place: God Adopted Us First – Faith Lessons from an Adoption Attorney’s Adventures – Alice Murray
  • Second Place: Gangs, Guns and God – Art Wilson
  • Third Place: From Comfort Zone to Truth Zone – Cecil Taylor

Fiction Books

  • First Place: Love in the Wind – Ellen Fannon
  • Second Place: The Novice Rancher – June Foster
  • Third Place – Tie: Foreordained – Raymond A Russell II and Where the Dogwoods Bloom – Jennifer Cotney

2023 Living Water Award Winners

Articles

Unpublished

    • Winner: “The Goose and I” – Sally Jo Pitts

Published

      • Winner: “Only Five Minutes” – Sheryl H. Boldt
      • Runner-up: “Ministering to the Least of These–Prison Ministry” – Alice Murray
      • Honorable Mention: “It’s A Good Day to Be a Teacher” – Gretchen Huesmann

Children’s and YA Books

Unpublished

    • Winner: Grandma’s Little Helpers – Sheryl H. Boldt
    • Runner-up: Charcuterie Mouse – Gretchen Huesmann
    • Honorable mention: Newton’s Laws of Motion – Dorothy Fields

Published

    • Winner: ABC’s of God with Blitz – Pam Antoun

Devotional

Unpublished

    • Winner: “Jesus, Help Me!–A Devotion Gretchen Huesmann For Educators”
    • Runner-up: “Love and Pray–A Devotion For Gretchen Huesmann Educators”
    • Honorable mention: “Cycle of Defeat” Sharon Atwood

Published

    • Winner: “Outcasts Welcomed” Karen Allen
    • Runner-up: “Don’t Have It Your Way” Alice Murray
    • Honorable mention: “Watered Like A Willow” Alice Murray

Poetry

Unpublished

    • Winner: “The Redeemer’s Embrace” – Annette Griffin
    • Runner-up: “Moving Day” – Debra Dupre Williams
    • Honorable mention: “Mama Mantra” – Annette Griffin

Published

    • Winner: “The River Beneath Us” – Raymond Russell
    • Runner-up: “Red Light, Green Arrow” – Jennifer Cotney
    • Honorable mention: “Phosphoresity” – Patricia Tiffany Morris

Nonfiction Books

Published and Unpublished Combined

  • Winner: Defined by Fire: Seven Life-Changing Lessons from Devastating Tragedy – John Rabins
  • Runner-up: The Next Thing: A Christian Model for Dealing with Crisis in Personal Life – Cecil Taylor

 

Fiction Books

Unpublished

    • Winner: The Lion’s Heart – Charlsie Estess
    • Runner-up: Bygone – Annette Griffin

Published

    • Winner: Stumbling Upon Romance – Sally Jo Pitts

2022 Living Water Award Winners

Articles

  • 1st Place: “Christmas Miracle at the Mission” – Barbara Antoni Diggs
  • Runner-up: “The Real King and I – A Thai Woman’s Faith Journey” – Alice H. Murray
  • Honorable Mention: “Mom Journal #143”  – Dorothy Fields

Children’s Picture Book

Published:

  • 1st Place—Tie: The God Hunter – Annette Griffin
  • 1st Place—Tie: The Light We Cannot See – Chris Manion

Unpublished:

  • 1st Place: Father’s Joy: A Fishing Adventure – Dorothy Fields
  • Runner-Up: God’s House – Debra DuPree Williams

Devotional

Published

  • 1st Place: “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” – Ellen Fannon
  • Runner-Up: “The Quieter You Become” – Melony Brown

Unpublished

  • 1st Place: “Life in a Cocoon” – Rev. Rick Gillian
  • Runner-Up: “God’s Perfect Timing” – Rev. Rick Gillian

 

Poetry

Published

  • 1st Place: “Remembering” – Fay Guinn
  • Runner-up: “Christian Creek” – Fay Guinn

Unpublished

  • 1st Place: “Promised Land” – Jennifer Cotney
  • Runner-Up: “Thirsty” – Jennifer Cotney

 

Nonfiction Books

Published and Unpublished Combined

1st Place: Journey On! A Survival Guide for Overcoming Life’s Tough Challenges –    Melony Brown
Runner-Up: Turkey, The Home of St. Paul – Rachel Coggins
Honorable Mention: Poppy’s Proverbs – Mike Logan

 

 

Fiction Books

Published

  • 1st Place: And Then Love Blooms – Sally Jo Pitts
  • Runner-Up (Tie): Til Shiloh Come – Patricia Clark Blake
  • Runner-Up (Tie):When Secrets Come Calling – Felicia Ferguson

Unpublished

  • 1st Place: The Knightly Stalker – Annette Griffin
  • Runner-Up: Prospect Mercy – Jennifer Cotney

Young Adult

  • 1st Place: Recovery – Rosemary Althoff
  • Runner-Up: Liberty Loser: For The Win – Annette Griffin
  • Honorable Mention: Smoking Flax – Jennifer Hallmark

 

2020 Living Water Award Winners

Although we’d hoped to have an in-person celebration of our Living Water Award winners, our plans were forced to change. However, the winners had already been selected, so we want to recognize each of you online. An award certificate will be mailed to you as well.

Congratulations to all participants and winners!

Now, our contest coordinator Alice Murray has a word for you and will announce the winners. Thank you, Alice, for all your hard work coordinating this contest!

Marilyn Turk, Director

While BLCWR 2020 was a casualty of COVID-19, its writing contest survived. A record number of entries were received for an expanded number of categories. Although not every entrant won a Living Water Award for his or her writing, each one was a winner for taking on this writing contest challenge.

Faculty members scheduled to present at BLCWR 2020 gave of their time and expertise to identify the top entries in their assigned categories. Virtual drum roll for the 2020 Living Water Award winners they selected:

Articles

  • 1st Place – Renee Norris, “Being Jesus To Those With Dementia”
  • 2nd Place – Chris Manion, “5 Steps to Apologies Done Well: How to Say ‘I’m Sorry’”
  • 3rd Place – Bridget Carnley, “Oh Holy Night”

Bible Study

 

  • 1st Place – Dottie Rogers, Reluctant Disciples, Becoming Faithful Followers
  • 2nd Place – Myrna Conrad, Love, Joy, Peace, Hope
  • 3rd Place – Carol McCracken, You Were Created To Wait

Children’s Picture Book

  • 1st Place – Chris Manion, The Grateful Boat
  • 2nd Place – Renee Norris, Tails of Mercy and Grace: Mercy Shows Kindness
  • 3rd Place – Alice Murray, My Baby Sister Is A VEGETABLE?
  • Honorable Mention – Dottie Rogers, In The Middle
  • Honorable Mention – Marcella Ruch, My Mother’s Most Powerful Gift

 

 

Devotional

  • 1st Place – Marcella Ruch, “A Brother in Need Is A Brother Indeed!”
  • 2nd Place – Ellen Fannon, “You Can’t Outgive God”
  • 3rd Place – Patricia Blake, “The Best Gift Ever”
  • Honorable Mention – Fay Guinn, “Bringing in the Sheaves”
  • Honorable Mention – David Holland, “The Healing Touch”

 

 

Nonfiction Books

Published and Unpublished Combined

  • 1st Place – Sherri Stone, Fat Pants, Scale Errors, and Finding Your True Measure
  • 2nd Place – Rebecca Whisnant, Confessions of an Interim Innkeeper
  • 3rd Place — Linda Schnepel, It Must Be Me/Destroyed by Lies, Restored by Grace

Fiction Books

  • 1st Place – Paul Morgan, Nemesis
  • 2nd Place – Sherri Stone, Babs Has a Bra Burning
  • 3rd Place – Ron Lazenby, The Replacement
  • Honorable Mention – Jody Armstrong, Denial of the Enemy
  • Honorable Mention – Eliza Scalia, Kings Behind the Bars

Young Adult

  • 1st Place – Sandy Quandt, No Easy Choice
  • 2nd Place — Rosemary B. Althoff, A Soul’s Warfare: The Hot Marble
  • 3rd Place – Richard Hartzer, A Confession of Faith

 

Poetry

  • 1st Place – Fay Guinn, “Distraction in the Afternoon,”
  • 2nd Place – Fay Guinn, “Maysa Gabriel—Last Song”
  • 3rd Place — Alice Murray, “Mommy Loves Me”
  • Honorable Mention – Marcella Ruch, “I Love You”

2019 Living Water Award Winners

Articles

  • 1st Place   “An Unexpected Call” – Ginny Cruz
  • 2nd Place  “Beyond One Word” – Michelle Ruschmann
  • 3rd Place   “Overcoming Michael’s Fury” – Judy Ransom

Poetry

 

  • 1st Place   “Evening Beauty” – Liz Coastworth
  • 2nd Place  “Despite It All” – Michelle Ruschmann
  • 3rd Place   “Wild Seed” – Jennifer Cotney

Children’s Picture Book

  • 1st Place     L is for Liz Lizard – Liz Coastworth
  • 2nd Place    Adeline and Oscar Save The Kingdom – Cheri Strange
  • 3rd Place     Macy Monkey’s Mess Up – Ron Lazenby

 

 

Devotional

  • 1st Place   “Forget Not His Benefits” – Judy Ransom
  • 2nd Place  “Victory Over Death” – Ellen Fannon
  • 3rd Place   “A Merry/Mary Heart” – Jennifer Dansby

 

 

Nonfiction Books

  • 1st Place  Jesus and Me – Michelle Ruschmann
  • 2nd Place  Ho, Ho Holy Humor – Alice Murray
  • 3rd Place   His Bride – Cindy Peavy

Fiction Books

  • 1st Place    God Is Not My Hitman – Lelia Alford
  • 2nd Place   Faith Move – Jennifer Cotney
  • 3rd Place    Eye of the Jewel – Paul Morgan