Into the Fire

The Critical Christian

 

Since we discuss both Christian fiction and God here, can we take a few minutes to discuss the problem with critical Christians? Hear me out here. I see no problem with reviewers telling the truth about their preferences in reading. Each individual who engages in voicing his/her opinion about a novel which didn’t meet the personal standard set by the reader—whatever it might be—must decide how to relate the disappointment. When making public disclosures, it would seem there’d be an unspoken guarantee that a Christian would be tactful and respectful of the author’s efforts even when the story doesn’t appeal or the writing is unimpressive. If a person reads a novel, he/she is entitled to an opinion of the book.

 

I’ve given a few bad reviews because I honestly felt the novels were sub-par. I’ve also given some reviews where I held back most of my opinion because I recognized the novels would be favorites for their specific targeted audiences. It’s hard to fault an author for delivering the type of novel which speaks directly to those people who are expecting exactly what they’re going to get.

 

The problem which has surfaced and which I faced specifically with one of my “bad” reviews is the response of those readers who disagree with the reviewer’s opinion of the book. Apparently some Christians can get quite ugly in voicing their objections to those who don’t like the same books as them. Or other Christians who don’t like a novel criticize the author and question the author’s salvation. I’m told some of these bitter discussions take place on Amazon.com for all the world to see. Isn’t that special?

 

No one has to like a book. It’s true. I expect some brutality can show up in assessments given by those “in the world”. I expect honesty laced with respect from a Christian who doesn’t like a story and decides to give an opinion. And I expect other Christians who disagree with a reader’s assessment of a novel to either be silent or express their opposing opinions with class and regard for both the author and the reviewer. It should go without saying, shouldn’t it?

 

I’m just sayin’ . . .   

 

 

Father, help us to be more like Jesus. Dying to self. Daily. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

There's clean . . .

 

. . . and there’s not so clean. “Clean” can often be used as a synonym for “safe” in literature. “Safe” for me is a misnomer because of its application to certain works of fiction. “Clean” on the other hand means or suggests a lot of things in writing.

 

In no particular order, the word clean in the broadest sense often refers to stories without cussing/swearing and/or explicit sexual situations. It’s also used to describe a certain type or style of prose which consists of lean writing techniques and very little variations in common language usage. Light on descriptions and grammatically correct typifies “clean” writing.

 

I’ve said many times I’m not a fan of Hemingway’s writing. Never liked it. The leanest writer of contemporary fiction that I do like is that of Brandilyn Collins. Even though I prefer her early suspense novels which were longer and not so lean, I’ve enjoyed her most recent novels. The staccato brand of writing suits her stories, and it’s her unique style of rat-a-tat-tat word usage that makes it all work.

 

Getting to the “clean” reference in subject matter. I’ve exhausted this topic here. Sexual attraction, tension, interaction, etcetera, all of it. However, I acknowledge the delicate, intimate, and private nature of tackling sexual issues in fiction, especially Christian fiction where many readers wish to escape the banality of its depictions in secular or general market literature. I’ve always maintained that readers should have a choice of what they want to read. And Christian readers do. To a point. There is a multitude of “clean” fiction from which to choose.

 

Again, there’s clean and there’s squeaky clean. Squeaky clean does not fulfill the role of good fiction for a lot of us readers. We see the contrast of this kind of story to the way life is really lived for many people, and we don’t react well to the unbelievable aspects of squeaky clean when applied to romance novels.

 

And there’s not so clean—at least according to those who read squeaky clean and delight in it. I don’t write for them. And neither do I enjoy their brand of literature. But I’m glad they have it to read because my choices in this arena are slim and none. That’s why I write what I do.

 

 

God, you give me words. What can I say but thank you? I love you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Sunday's Offerings

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and everyone in Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you completely healed. . . . "

Acts 4:8-10 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

Yesterday [February 23, 2011], President Obama unilaterally declared the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, instructing the Department of Justice not to defend the statute in court.

One of the problems with this: The President doesn't get to decide what laws are constitutional in our system of government.

The idea that the President of the United States can order the Department of Justice not to defend a law, duly passed by Congress and signed into law by a former President, then-President Clinton, should send shockwaves through anyone who is concerned with civil rights and civil liberties. 

Just a few weeks ago, the White House Press Secretary told reporters, ''[W]e can't declare the law unconstitutional ... [W]e ... have to represent the viewpoint of the defendant.'' President Obama's policy reversal in such a short time is stunning and sets a disturbing precedent.

The President isn't a king. He doesn't get to make decrees. He is the chief executive with the responsibility to enforce existing laws - even laws he may not like.

President Obama cannot simply choose which laws his Administration will enforce. This is an out-of-control move that exceeds constitutional limits.

The sanctity of the rule of law is something we must protect. Our nation's Founders developed a purposeful process in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches pass laws.

The President and his Department of Justice have an affirmative obligation to defend every law unless the Supreme Court of the United States were to declare it unconstitutional.

No matter what side of the debate you are on, the fact that President Obama thinks he can decide this himself - despite a duly-enacted law passed by Congress and signed by a former President - is outrageous and sets a dangerous precedent.

 

(Courtesy of ACLJ; American Center for Law and Justice)

 

God, once again we ask forgiveness for every effort to destory what you have set in place. To corrupt what you have sanctioned and made holy. To allow those things you find detestable to be labeled "good". Please forgive us for our oh so many sins. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Lines . . .

 

What came to mind when you read the word “lines”?

 

Parallel lines? Aesthetic lines? Great one-liners? Pick-up phrases? Opening lines? Geometric lines? Clothes lines? A-lines? Wichita Lineman? Standing in lines?

 

Do you think of lines for stories and write them down to use in a future book?

 

I don’t think I’ve ever known a movie that had so many memorable lines as the first Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl. So many zingers. Almost a language all its own. Terrific lines. Outstanding writing and acting.

 

Do you have favorite lines from books or movies?

 

 

Father, thank you for the beauty of words when used to glorify you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Art of Writing . . .

 

Since writing is considered one of the arts along with music, dance, drawing and painting, sculpture, and whatever else you might include in this most generous of creative terms, I’d like to point out its difference to the other vehicles for expressing creative abilities, geniuses, or the lack thereof . . .

 

I know this could provoke disagreement but I state this as only my opinion about writing. Unlike the other “arts”, writing does not “evolve”. Writing, regardless of how it began and what it’s become, has its basis in words. Words come in different languages and symbols, but they’ve always been designed to communicate, to illustrate, to define, to suggest, and to eventually be read.

 

The other arts have morphed through innumerable changes in tools, in equipment, in the ever-changing landscapes, the regions of peoples and their advancements—or failures to do so—and the choices available for use in the expressions of artists.

 

The one thing these arts have in common is the desire to communicate. However, words serve communication as their sole purpose and this becomes the basis for the art of writing.

 

We could discuss the ancient trends or the current styles and all those that have been used in between, but the objective remains the same. Some have written in diaries, hidden them away only to have them discovered and celebrated or decried by future generations. Nevertheless, those secret words communicated the thought processes of individuals who chose to write them; committed them to a form for later reflection or to express the emotion of that moment. The words become art or treatises or heresies or tragic recollections, but they communicate something good, bad, or indifferent.

 

When writing transcends to “art”, we can usually find those who reject each piece selected for such acclaim, and in this way all of the other arts concur there is always the subjectivity of those who observe, judge, and often partake of each skill. There is no pleasing the entire audience of art—or artists. The fateful journey of each artist takes odd twists and the results of these travels often lead to tragic ends or joyful ecstasies. The writer cannot be pigeon-holed in his efforts, his intentions, or his psyche. His unique approach can be smothered in self-loathing, embraced with great passion, or methodically outlined and administered with determined practicality.

 

As a writer, I’m not laying claim to my writing as art. I know it communicates. I know I hope it is read. I know I labor over some pieces and not so much over others. I care for the words. I write with passion. I am one writer amidst thousands. Unnoticed for the most part but recognized by the Lord of all creation. I’m doing what He asked, and the results, whatever they will be, belong to Him.

 

The art of writing hasn’t changed. It’s as meaningful and thought-provoking as it’s always been and will always be. Words cannot be underestimated. After all . . .

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . .

 

John 1:1 (NIV)

 

 

Father, may my words honor you, my writing given back to you, a meager gift. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Tone it down . . .

 

Ever take one of those surveys where you can check either “Strongly agree” or “Strongly disagree”? Well, don’t expect to see the soft-spoken side of this blogger on writing issues. Telling a passionate person to “tone it down” only raises their response in volume, words, or looks that can freeze, ignite, or kill at will. See what I mean? Prone to exaggeration we are.

 

There are times when repetition is just that. Pointless, endless, and monotonous. This could be said about publishing complaints offered by writers. We’ve all seen the exact same topics make the rounds year after year, and we’ve heard or written our versions of the issues multiple times. Chances are after awhile we all sound the same to one another. And, alas, we do arrive at some mode of impasse at least half of the time on similar subjects.

 

I think part of the reason for certain repetitious efforts—or follies—is the hope that in addressing these difficult issues, progress can be made. We assume that at some point the multiple voices airing the same problems with certain aspects of Christian publishing will be noted, considered, and acted upon to the betterment of the industry. We can’t help but think it.

 

As writers, we want to matter. We want our opinions to be recognized as thoughtful and meaningful. We want them affirmed because they make so much sense to us, and we “strongly agree” that some of the changes we suggest could improve the current state of publishing. Right or wrong, we believe in what we write and say.

 

This writer has no intention of “toning it down”. How ‘bout you?

 

 

Father, help me to be respectful and truthful. Help me learn what you have for me. Your ways are higher. Help me climb to your mountaintop. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

No Kool-Aid Drinking Here . . .

 

Those of you who recall the Jim Jones cult recognize the Kool-Aid reference. It was the method used to exterminate a group of messed up followers. A few drank what Wikipedia reports was grape flavored, cyanide-laced Flavor Aid willingly, knowing it was laced with poison. Others were forced at gun point to down their death mixture. If they refused, they were executed.

 

Many years later the expression “drinking the Kool-Aid” refers to buying into a philosophy that’s off the mark. Those who follow the leader(s) of said philosophy, even when its weaknesses and untruths are glaring, are referred to as having “drunk the Kool-Aid”.

 

Publishing has its Kool-Aid drinkers too. For the consummate article on writing, trendy rules, and the sometimes off the mark claims by the powers-that-be, read this by Award-winning author Athol Dickson:

 

http://noveljourney.blogspot.com/search/label/Athol%20Dickson

 

Brilliant.

 

 

Father, watch over us. Help us to follow your rules and to enjoy your measure of creativity invested in us. May we honor you with our words. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

When did it happen?

 

We’ve all heard the condescending comments about “the Western church” in comparison to exploding churches with miraculous happenings in other areas of the globe. Yes, occasionally different churches across our nation have experienced revival, but by the time these exciting, life-changing events slip away, there seems to be evidence of some damage or ill repute in the wake of great healings and the testimonies of many.

 

Most of the time it seems American Christians attend church for “x” amount of minutes on Sunday mornings and expect a routine that’s clocked down to the seconds. There are always exceptions, but they’re not the norm. If there are multiple services, the congregation is obligated to restrict their overlap by doing the courteous musical chairs and making sure the “fellowship” is conducted out of the hearing range of the sanctuary where the repeat service will begin as close to on time as possible. Somehow it's become as formulaic and predictable as many of the novels I discuss here.

 

“Cafés” selling Lattes and other coffee drinks hold court before and after services in the various atriums or fellowship halls. Drinks can be carted into sanctuaries and sipped on during services.

 

It’s all about being “comfortable”.

 

When did worshipping God Almighty shift from the importance of true worship to the comfort of mankind? When did true worship move to making sure no one is offended? When did it happen that we care more about making visitors comfortable than making sure we’re giving everything we’ve got to corporate worship? When did man’s structure and tight schedule replace God’s order which is far less rigid than man’s version of it? When did God’s order which encompasses time spent waiting on the Spirit of God change to pastors hurrying worship leaders and apologizing for going two minutes over his “allotted” time to preach? When did it happen?

 

What happened to:

 

He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes . . . will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-18 (NIV) ?

 

 

Father, forgive us for our “routine” worship. Fill us up with your Spirit. Help us to worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Lord, we live because of you. We are desperate for you, yet some of us don’t even know it. We need. We need you. We need so deeply to partake of your living water. We settle for so little of you and call it “good”, but it’s not even close. It’s lukewarm. It’s putrid. God, draw us nearer to you and let us not falter in our pursuit of everything you are and everything you have for us. Help us in our desperate states to give ourselves wholly to you. We are not our own. The price paid for us is incalculable. Help us to realize that apart from you, we can do nothing. Help us not to be satisfied with “nothing”. Oh God. Lead us and help us to follow. Please. Spirit of God, convict our hearts of our negligence and fill them with your power and the desire to surrender to you and serve you only. Jesus, you’ve done so much for us. How can we forget? Please, Lord, forgive us for abandonment. Help us to serve you without reservation. We ask it all in the powerful Name, Authority, and Blood of Jesus. Amen.  

Sunday's Offerings

 

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

"He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage and told him the good news about Jesus.

. . .

Then Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

 

Acts 8:30-35; 38b-40 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

Today's House vote approving Rep. Mike Pence's Amendment stripping Planned Parenthood of all federal funding is long overdue and sends a clear message: The American people do not want their tax dollars used to support the nation's largest abortion provider.
 
In just a few days, the ACLJ has heard from nearly 55,000 people who urged the House to defund Planned Parenthood by signing on to a petition demanding action for the lives of unborn babies.
 
There's no better place to begin the budget-cutting process than putting a stop to funding Planned Parenthood. It's stunning that Planned Parenthood receives more than $360 million dollars a year in federal taxpayer funds. According to its own filings, Planned Parenthood reported more than 330,000 abortions in 2009 alone, a number that continues to climb. By receiving this windfall of federal funds, Planned Parenthood is able to free-up other resources enabling them to continue to promote and expand their pro-abortion agenda.
 
The ACLJ continues to work legislatively and legally to protect human life. The ACLJ is in federal court in California pursuing a massive fraud case against Planned Parenthood affiliates in that state. The ACLJ is representing a former Planned Parenthood executive who alleges the organization overbilled the federal and state government by millions of dollars.
 
Now that the House of Representatives has passed this budget that bans taxpayer funds for Planned Parenthood, it goes to the United States Senate. This is going to be a much tougher fight; but with your help, we will keep the pressure on and be the voice for the unborn.

 

Father, please forgive us for allowing our government to sanction the killing of unborn life. Please forgive us. God, intervene, as only you can do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Quirks?

 

We all possess them, don’t we? Only some of them we admit to owning. And most of us come just short of being categorized as quirky. I think.

 

Let’s see what terms can be used synonymously with quirk:

Eccentricity, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, trademark [as in behavior]

 

Our quirks live with us, and we’re often shocked when someone identifies them with a laugh or refers to them as odd. We retaliate with “Hey, what’s up with that? What about when you . . .”

 

Aah, the calamity of being found out.

 

So. In honor of quirks here are a few of mine:

 

My favorite place to read is in the front yard in the sunshine. However, I don’t live in a tropical climate so that pleasure is limited to the summertime. Instead I prefer to read in the bedroom on our bed. Why? I’m not sure since I have the entire house at my disposal.

 

Coca Cola is my preferred morning beverage. Not coffee which I don’t like. Nor tea which I do like—well, some certain kinds, and only hot tea. Coke is it, baby. Regarding Coke, I have cases of it in the garage, but I usually go to a specific gas station to fill up my personal container because their Coke is the best around with the exception of Taco Time’s, but it’s more expensive there. Sometimes the gals at the gas station let me fill up for free (with Coke that is). I will not order Pepsi in any establishment if they don’t have Coke. No. Way.

 

I must wear cologne. Must. Never leave home without it. Which is silly when I’m usually home more than I’m out, but, hey, I want to smell good. And it ain’t the cheap stuff.

 

Some character in each of my novels sports one of my quirks or lifetime experiences.

 

Do not tell me “You have to . . .” because I will find a way that I do not have to . . .

 

How ‘bout you? You got any “quirks”? Or any you’re willing to expose?

 

 

Father, I know you are The Creator. Therefore in your vast creation, I suspect humor was implemented in various ways. You’d have to have a sense of humor watching your creation. Thank you for that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

AWL or AWOL . . .

 

Absent With Leave or Absent WithOut Leave? You might’ve noticed I haven’t reviewed many novels lately. You know how many of them are in my TBR pile taunting me to just “pick one of us up”? Of course you don’t, so I’m going to count them and tell you . . . Twelve. And more to add.

 

There were difficulties in shipping books for the January CFBA tour so I didn’t receive the two I ordered, and I chose not to order any for February. For March I have one scheduled, choosing not to give in to my notion to test a few that didn’t really grab me from the blurbs. So the question is why? I’ve cut back on my reading in an effort to get back to my novels. To either edit some I haven’t read in probably over a year, some closer to three years. And to continue on the two I’ve started. One of those is just past 60K words at present.

 

I’ve given myself leave from hiding from my work via reading. And since the majority of what I read in 2010 CBA fiction left me in a place of discontent, it would be wise for me to follow the instruction the Lord gave me a long time ago. One I had imprinted on my business cards. It reads as follows and holds special meaning for me since the process of that first novel survived because of it: “If you pick up the pen, I’ll give you the words.” I’ve graduated from the pen to the keyboard, but the truth of that instruction prevails.

 

I’ve been AWOL from serious pursuit of my two WIPs and editing my other five. Without direct motivation for me the desire wanes. I pitched my seventh novel to two editors at last year’s conference and both rejected it, one citing the fear it might be too edgy for them. I just went through it again and am satisfied with the results, edgy or not. I lean towards not. Redemption trumps edgy for me.

 

So. I started work on my fifth novel edits but decided instead to attempt getting back to novel number eight. I like it. If you’re so inclined by the Lord, I could use your prayers.

 

There will be novel reviews in the future. Probably sooner than later.  

 

 

Father, thank you. What else can I say? You’re all I’m livin’ for. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Contemptible Me . . .

 

Contempt. The third definition in my dictionary reads: Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of the court of law or a legislative body.

 

Okay. Contemptible is a strong word and not a valid application to my conduct, but I thought it worked well as a title.

 

I think it’s important to stipulate I don’t “disrespect” the “court” of Christian publishing, but I guess you could rightly conclude I’m willfully disobedient to its authority. But, hey, if general market publishers blew their own horns about only selecting “the best” to publish, I’d be willfully disobedient to their authority as well.

 

So much goes into the selection of what to publish—how many of which genres, when to release those books, how to market and sell them, and so on. Complex business. From all indications from professionals in the biz, it’s a high-stress process at every level of production from query to novel-in-hand. Not to mention the stress levels of the authors who must find their audience(s) and convince them to buy their books.

 

If a person refuses to answer a question in a court of law, that person can be “held in contempt” and jailed until they agree to answer the question. In an older episode of the series “Bones”, Angela Montenegro refused to testify against Dr. Brennan’s father in a murder case because she believed so strongly in her friendship with Dr. Brennan. Angela was not going to volunteer any convicting information against the father of her best friend. She went to a holding cell as a result.

 

To a lesser degree by far I’m not going to go along with those stated necessities in Christian publishing. The different topics discussed here make no sense to me, and I can’t compromise my sensibilities to accommodate the so-called rules. And, yeah, if it means I go to jail by being locked out of royalty publishing for failing to abide by their requirements, so be it. I know. I know. Many of you assume I’m probably not a good enough writer, and that’s the real reason I won’t attract a publisher—or even an agent! Maybe so. It’s possible. But I do defy their assumptions about readers in my genre and will not bend to their limited philosophy. Maybe you might call it stupidity, but for me it’s honestly a matter of principle.

 

Find me in contempt and not unaware of the “shooting yourself in the foot” adage.

 

 

God, your will is what counts. Not mine. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Ordinary v Important

 

Writing inserts us into decisions we can’t always make. Purpose poses problems perpetuated by restless reasoning and inconclusive ideas and intellectual idioms. The ordinary versus the extraordinary gnaws at our perceptions of value and forces us into thoughts of what really produces importance.

 

Suddenly our work seems shoddy, ill-conceived, meaningless and ridiculous. Why write this drivel? Who cares? Somehow it’s become important to us in the making. Whether funny—doesn’t everyone need a good laugh once in awhile? Especially in this dreary state of affairs? Whether thrilling—doesn’t everyone need a jolt to feel alive? To imagine the thrills of being someone uber-competent? Whether soaked in romance—don’t some people need to experience the passion of love? To share in the joy of attraction? Whether cloaked in mystery and tensed in suspense? Don’t some need to feel the intensity of finding the bad guy? Whether taking journeys to times past? Don’t some revel in what they might’ve missed? Whether forsaking contemporary reality and fantasizing in fantasy or embarking on voyages to the future? Don’t those need to indulge the make-believe and test their imaginations?  

 

But can I elevate prose and story to the “important”? Will my words somehow convey this life or any life’s stature to the place it deserves? Or will it remain as ordinary as it appears to me in rejections and read-throughs? Will it ever achieve any kind of importance, any level of value? Is the Lord’s approval, perhaps just His smile, the only—and most superb—evaluation I can hope to attain? And if not His, then to what end?

 

Shades of the green and poisonous envy color my soul. How did he or she manage to compute such words? How did they use the same language and yet it flowered in some new bloom, a hybrid no one debuted until this writer bred the words and produced such worthy beauty.

 

And I persist in ordinary. Street talk. Languishing in unimportance. Along with so many others . . . Humbled in my shameful stew of incredulity and self-pity.

 

 

God, you designed this clump of humanity. The only value I carry is in you. Somehow I strive to please you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Do you love?

 

Aahhh, Valentine’s Day. A day many men dread. And on which many more women become disappointed. Why? Because the expression of love sometimes has little to do with the depth of the emotion of love. And these are the two areas of love which are featured on Valentine’s Day.

 

There’s nothing “wrong” with Valentine’s Day because it’s supposed to celebrate the noble state of love. Biblical definitions of love make it untenable for humans because when humans become acquainted with love, it’s all about them. It becomes physical and emotional but rarely sacrificial.

 

Women pout if the objects of their affections are unimaginative, try to ignore the festivities of the Day, give the same ol’, same ol’ gifts as per the media suggestions. Rarely do one male and one female “celebrate” the Day with the same mind. Men have little time to shop for something “special” to tantalize their current squeezes or their mates in order to hop into bed for the proverbial red hot sex which is expected and promoted by all the hype.

 

All of which has little to do with the four letter word of “love”.

 

The definition(s) of Love? God is Love. Period. And within that tiny sentence is an explosion of meanings and realities that we humans cannot grasp, understand, or even imitate for the most part. We screwed up our part in it. Flat out blew it. And we’ve been playing catch-up ever since. “Playing” being the operative word.

 

And I think that’s one possible reason why, in general, men don’t particularly like Valentine’s Day. Because it reminds them of their inadequacies in loving. It taunts them for not understanding the needs of a woman, for the barrier that exists between the sexes, great or small, but visible and coherent even if unable to articulate.

 

I also think women tend to love the Day because it celebrates what they always hope to have, to experience, to breathe in, to know in its fullness. Yet it eludes them. The need for touch without consummation, the desire to be the only one their man thinks is beautiful, to be celebrated for their perfection which they are sorely short of in every sense of the word. The Day allows them the tease of “feeling” special. That one time a year.

 

And here’s where we falter. “Feeling” love and living love can be at opposite ends of love’s spectrum at times. While “feeling” love is wonderful, necessary, and sensuous with a mate, it plays only an innocuous part of the whole experience. It’s the “doing” love that becomes the challenge with the curves and twists and injuries life throws at us. I don’t need to diagram love for you. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, if you need real specifics.

 

Remember this, if you have any questions concerning true love: God is Love. And it’s only through Him that you can receive and give the real thing known as Love.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

                                           

 

Father, I am still learning. I am still trying. I love you with all my heart even though that heart often pursues you with such lacking. I need you, am desperate for you, and am a constant recipient and student of your love. Teach me more. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

Sunday's Offerings

 

"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know you are my disciples if you love one another."

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

The Stella Awards

 

It's time again for the annual "Stella Awards".  For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased coffee. You remember: she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? **That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. and apparently are not all fact. Fiction contributes to the making and lack of verification of this list, but we've all heard of impossibly ridiculous rulings in frivolous lawsuits. Read at your own risk.**

 

Here are The Stellas for the past year:  

   
* SEVENTH PLACE *  

Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store.  The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son. 

* SIXTH PLACE *  

Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California, won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

 

* FIFTH PLACE *  

Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.

* FOURTH PLACE *  

Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun. 

* THIRD PLACE * 

Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

* SECOND PLACE *  

Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, sued the owner of a night club in a  nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms.Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000 ...... oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.     

 

 * FIRST PLACE *  

This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her -- are you sitting down? -- $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.  

 

Dear God, forgive us for our greed and corrupted sense of justice. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Anti-Social?

 

I prefer one-on-one conversations to a roomful of jostling and interruptions. The more intense the discussion the better. Bring it on if you care enough about the topic to find your voice raising just a bit, your pulse increasing. However, if it’s politics or New Age philosophies, I’ll be looking for the exit because few things raise my hackles more than opposing political views and garbage religions. Can’t help it. If I believe in something, I’m not going to go all politically correct and compromise.

 

Social networking via Facebook rates a mild okay from me. I can take it or leave it. The high point for me was when my best childhood friend and I connected on Facebook and another friend from high school who traveled with me to Europe when we were young, adventurous, and dumb, just reconnected via Facebook after an absence of over 20 years. Otherwise, it’s just another means of over-communication.

 

Cell phones have become one of the rudest tools in existence. What makes anyone think strangers enjoy listening to others’ business, especially when it’s ridiculously mundane junk that somehow couldn’t wait until the person got home? Texting while talking to someone in person? Give it a rest.

 

I enjoy email more than talking on the telephone, but I do both.

 

I don’t mind being home alone with our dog. I don’t mind going to matinees alone. I prefer shopping alone.  

 

Love being with family and friends. Love laughter.

 

Alone with the Lord is a blessing.

 

Sometimes I am anti-social just because . . .

 

 

God, I’m never truly alone. Thank you, Jesus. Spirit of God, never leave me.

Why I Test the Sexual Writing Waters . . .

 

Who wants to read erotica? Apparently there is a significant audience for this infamous genre with some literary agents professing a “love” for it. Hmmm. Well, I don’t—want to read it or write it. However, I do want to include sexuality in the relationship quandary. How could I not?

 

Can we be real here? Two adults, Christians, fall in love. Some practice complete abstinence as in not even a kiss before they say “I do”. Others not so much but do abstain from “becoming one flesh” until the “I do-s” are said. Whatever. Take your pick. If either member of those couples never ponders their future sexual experience, we’ve got issues. People in love can’t stay away from each other. Heck, people who aren’t in love but are “in relationship” can’t stay away from each other. Sexual attraction dominates much of early relationships.

 

Here’s the deal. Sexual relationships can do a lot of damage to people. Take a look at this biblical passage:

 

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

 

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV)

 

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” On a cross Jesus endured crucifixion to pay for our sins. He bought us. He didn’t buy us so we could play around with others’ bodies. He owns our bodies. We are not our own. When someone else uses our body for his/her pleasure without God’s permission, it’s sin. They have no right to it. Conversely, when marriage unites a couple, they belong to God and each other.

 

Daily most of us experience sexual bombardment. On magazine covers at the grocery stores. At work observing discreet attractions or secret conversations since sexual harassment rules the day. On television—even watching the news, commercials often show us Victoria’s Secret. How can we deny the temptations to be stimulated by these different opportunities? Lust is prevalent and obvious and celebrated. It is “the norm” not the exception.

 

So. I write to contrast “the norm” to “the exception”. To illustrate the differences in a relationship formed with or without God. To allow the power of being a sexual person its due in the pages of story. To demonstrate sexual passion can be overwhelming. To delve into the challenge of it all and the nature of humankind. The wonder, the angst, the joy, the sorrow, the disappointment, the damage . . . all of it.

 

That’s why I do it.

 

For what it’s worth.

 

 

Lord, this is all part of your “not wasting anything”. Thank you for that. You’ve been so gracious to me. I’m desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.