Into the Fire

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

Psalm 37:10-13 (NIV)

Five favorite scriptures:

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Beautiful words, Lord God Almighty.

As human beings we are born into sin. We all have that in common. It has been contended via discussions and in fiction that we are all capable of heinous deeds given the wrong circumstances and temptations. I do agree that we can be pushed to far places beyond where we'd like to go, but I'm not so sure that all of us would resort to depraved actions. By my saying that, please don't assume I'm excluding myself from the crowd that would. I don't know what I'd do under the kind of pressure that makes people crack.

So, as writers, which do you think is easier to create: the bad guy/villain or the good guy/hero? Same question concerning female characters. Women have so many shades of evil. Is it harder to create a bad guy or a bad girl?

Here's what I've discovered. It's very difficult to not write a stereotypical villain, male or female. After all, as human beings, we have similar tendencies. We can be grouped physically, psychologically, and even spiritually. It's not absurd to notice villains contain similar attributes which lend them to familiar caricatures.

So. What do you think? Is it easier for you to do the good guy/gal or the bad guy/gal?

Father, we wish to die to self daily to keep that evil flesh from getting its way. Help us to be the ones you called us to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Since when did the "new normal" replace The American Dream? Since learning institutions have tried to peddle the lies about the beauty of realizing The American Dream? Denouncing it, defiling it, denying its significance?

Here's what The American Dream means to me. It means that if you're an American, you're equal to every other American. If you're not an American and want a piece of The American Dream, you come here legally, you become a citizen, and everything that I can attempt to do in this country is available to you.

The American Dream includes liberty. You choose your religion, your education, your job(s), career(s), your hopes and dreams. You work for everything you want. You achieve a version of success by trying your best and making sure your hard work counts for something. If it doesn't, you try something else. It's not about wealth, but wealth can be a benefit. It's about earning a living, learning to be content, finding what you love to do – and if it can't be that perfect job, perhaps it can be a fun hobby – and giving your best to accomplish your goal.

The American Dream found its life in the Scriptures. Its origin is based on godly principles and their applications.

The "new normal" squanders all the principles of The American Dream and denigrates the beauty and majesty of working for something valuable. The new normal brings laziness and complacency and encourages dependence instead of energy, innovation, and inspiration. The new normal is a disgrace to the vigor and purpose of The American Dream. It should be eliminated from our society and buried with its lack of vision and substance.

The American Dream holds sacred all that God ordained for the human race in its practical administration. It's honorable and desirable. Its restoration into the hearts and minds of the citizens of America must be attained to sustain this country as it was meant to be. 

God, you built this country. Its beauty is your creation. You've blessed it with your favor because it was founded on your principles. Please remember us as we fight to restore what is valuable in your sight. In the  Name of Jesus, Amen.

I'm not in the high school frame of mind when it comes to the writing world. Admittedly, that's a bit unfair, but let's be real: the publishing world is clique-y. Since it's important to make good impressions on future business associates, all you have to do to be reminded of what it felt like to either be in the "popular" crowd or aspire to be in the "popular" crowd, is to read the blog comments on professionals' posts, be it their blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. Idolatry is alive and well in the publishing industry.

Hey, for a short season I felt like every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the professionals held special benefits for all who read or heard them. Until I realized most of what is advised and discussed has to do with the "rules" of writing, conduct, and solicitation. This is no doubt for the convenience of repeating solid advice to the ever-present newcomers to the writing world. If the pros can get them schooled early, just maybe that stack of ill-written or undesirable manuscripts in the slush piles will diminish. Not likely, but getting ahead of the curve never hurts.

Some of the pros go the distance for future clients, show their generous spirits and humility. Others elevate their noses in the air ever so slightly just like that one blonde who dated the senior QB in high school used to do.

In reality we're all just people at different places in the writing universe. Equal in every way except in our writing appeal. The old phrase "to each his own" really holds significant meaning when your writing is being evaluated, and it's important to realize that just because you're not in the "in crowd" writing-wise doesn't mean your writing isn't any good. It can mean that, but it isn't a given.

I'm not easily impressed with professionals. It's not that I don't admire the success and acquired knowledge. I do. However, they're just people with their own set of tastes, "rules", motivations, and decisions to make. Just like you and me. 

Father, we're not special. You make us worthy in your Name. Apart from you, we can do nothing. Help us to remember our equality in you – and act accordingly. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret – it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Psalm 37:7-9 (NIV)

Giving thanks has become a current trend. Facebook, Twitter, blog posts all state a variety of "Thank yous". It's a trend. Not a bad one certainly, but a trend nevertheless.

If we have to be reminded to give thanks, one of two things is happening. One: things are really tough at present. Two: we're too self-absorbed with the everyday of life to recognize the very air we breathe is a gift.

I'm going to give thanks here for two parents who grew up in hard times in a hard place. My mom contracted small pox as a young girl but recovered. My dad had a touch of scarlet fever as a child and recovered. They knew if they wanted anything in this life they would have to work for it. And work hard since their young lives were filled with hardship and tough times. My parents followed the American dream and were rewarded with its realizations. They were grateful to be able to work, to earn their livelihoods. For everything my dad accomplished he remained thankful and humble and generous. Mom made our home a sanctuary. A place where Dad could come home after many hours at his job and have a hot meal, Mom's delicious baked desserts, and a quiet household where he could unwind in peace. A place where I could count on her every day of my life until she died. Montavani Strings sometimes played on the Hi-Fi or the Tijuana Brass or Louis Armstrong until I commandeered it in high school and blasted rock 'n' roll from its ample speakers.

I'm thankful that I spent some years in the world – for one reason. I know intimately what it's like to be lost. I know what sin is and don't have to wonder if I did something wrong or if I really need a Savior. I rejected being "good" because it didn't make me happy. So I tried being "bad". Not realizing I could never be good on my own. Being bad didn't come easy, but I mastered it. And it reaped a great deal of pain. As it always does. Salvation didn't wipe out the pain or erase the scars, but it slowly and patiently changed my heart and gave me real life.

Our days on earth are numbered. We have so many choices to make from the age of accountability to the end of our days. One of the primary options is to find a way to stay thankful. The decision doesn't always come easily, and, frankly, I don't see it much in those who labor through life without Jesus Christ. Come to think of it, if you have no God, who do you thank for anything? Ultimately, you can be thankful for the opportunity to experience life or you can selectively pick and choose what makes you thankful. 

I'm not trending toward thanksgiving. I am Thankful.

A joyous and thankful Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Thank you, Jesus. You're all I'm livin' for.

Physical strength varies even within people who are the same size. Some smaller people have remarkable strength while some large people show limited physical capability. All kinds of physiques can train to gain strengths, but each individual possesses different talents which aren't always visible in physical demonstrations.

I'm only 5' 4". When I was young and working at the racetrack, I developed some decent strength for my size and weight. Handling Thoroughbreds and tugging on hay and straw bales force you to get tough. You push yourself to do what you couldn't do before you gained the experience and reps.

When writing, you have to play to your strengths as you develop ways to compensate for your natural weaknesses. I've been told and I tend to agree that my writing strengths show up in character development and dialogue. No wonder I don't write complex plots, huh? Not to say I can't improve on my natural strengths but good to know I at least have been complimented on them.

I don't have a formula for the weight lifting exercises involved in perfecting your writing strengths, and I tend to shun the instructions that guarantee or suggest a slam dunk approach. All I can offer in the practical sense is to keep working out. Read and write – the best exercise for honing your strengths and developing the weaker areas.

And pray. Like you believe in it.

Father, please help me gain what I lack in all areas of my life. You're all I'm livin' for. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

I can't take a steady diet of it, but when reading Vince Flynn, I do understand why the Christian reading world resorts to reading secular literature. Most general market fare contains cussing, but if it's used sparingly, I confess it works to establish a reality that can fit the scenes and plots of stories centered on life in this world.

I'm very selective of my reading material. Since most of what I read falls into the Christian Fiction category, when I branch out into worldly literature, there are only a very few genres I'll explore. Graphic "romance" doesn't interest me and actually takes the real romance right out of the story and inserts explicit lust in its place.

However, those of us who've been in multiple discussions about Christian literature have participated in the conflicts raised over the use of certain words and situations. Extremes sit on both sides of the invisible fence that exists to allow restrictive requirements in order to qualify for what the CBA is willing to support and promote.

What suffers from sitting on this fictitious fence or residing on the favored side of restrictions is the simple reality of life. The heart of Christianity reaches out to a lost world where bad behavior and language rule. While in our lives we turn away from those things that serve to drive a wedge between us and our Lord, the world has little knowledge of what constitutes sin. If we can't illustrate a desirable contrast to a life of sin, we serve no real purpose in this life. And for a writer, we have a wonderful opportunity to portray little bits of real life within our stories.

Here's where the crux of the dilemma is exposed. If, as an author of Christian Fiction, a writer decides to write stories to entertain the saints, which is a noble goal in itself, the restrictive nature of the requirements can be less of a problem for both writers and readers. If an author desires to branch out in his/her appeal, it's much trickier to adhere to the requirements. It's not a matter of joining the world's behaviors, it becomes a matter of contrast. An accurate contrast to expose the ways of the world as opposed to the ways of a loving God necessitates giving a dose of reality to the words and actions in the story. The characters must come alive on the pages and be relatable to those who read about them.

I love Vince Flynn's novels. They're thrilling, realistic, sometimes contain more cussing than I'd prefer, but the characters are alive on the pages. Real. It's refreshing to read his stories for that one word: real.

Your thoughts?

Father, help me to be real when I write. Real. You're the author of real. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.