Into the Fire

Keys . . .

 

Most of us who've driven for any length of time are familiar with misplacing our keys. Or losing them. I remember my youngest son's first day of school. We scrimped to be able to send him to a Christian school and snagged the last remaining space in their kindergarten. I had to deliver him to school and at the last minute I couldn't find my keys. Most moms can identify with the trauma of releasing their child into the foreign world away from home. I was holding together fairly well, everything ready for his first day as he fought back tears which only made mine next to impossible to control, until the search for the keys came up empty. Panic arose. Late for the first day of school! Subjecting him to the solo entry into a roomful of kids. How could I let this happen?

All I could think to do was to call my friend and ask if she could take us to school which she was willing to do, bless her heart. It was then as I grabbed things out of the car that I felt the keys in the pouch of my hoodie. Scream! Called her back fast before she could leave, expressing my thanks, foolishness, and embarrassment. Grab my son and head to school. He was hoping we couldn't go. In a way so was I. But we made it. Tears held tight. School began.

Keys provide access. They unlock, they start, they open. Writing requires keys. Comprising all shapes and sizes, many providing similar entrance to known places, others open up hidden corridors of imagination, unlock unique styles, and ignite the powerful engines of various voices.

              

Losing a story key can send us into a panic. Are we wasting our time looking for it? How could we lose this? Do we need to call somebody? Maybe. Oh. Wait. Here it is. Resting under the letters on that keyboard. Not lost. Right where we left it.
 
Sometimes we just forget where we put those darn keys!   

Father, you hold the keys to my life. Thank you for keeping me going - even when I panic. I love you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Here we go again . . .

 

http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/30/11955844-military-mom-proud-of-breast-feeding-in-uniform-despite-criticism?lite

Readers of this blog might assume by now I have a problem with breast feeding. They'd be wrong. I have a problem with breast feeding for public consumption. And I have a problem with being "proud" of the "ability" to breast feed at all, let alone for all the world to watch. If you want to be photographed for personal family photo albums, wonderful. Whatever floats your boat. But it does strike me as somewhat strange that mothers shed all modesty when it comes to feeding their children. I guess I don't get that. Yes, it's a natural process, but, hey, so is sex.

And as far as mothers in uniform taking time out to nurse their children, no objections here, but beyond spending time privately to do so, well, yeah, I think it's excessive exposure and demanding too much of those around you. I do. If I'm in error here, so be it.

This culture has many flaws. No argument. What culture doesn't? Barring a miracle, it's not going to change. We've been exposed to so much sexual content in everything viewed, spoken, illustrated, or filmed. Let's be honest here. Breasts may have always held significance, but nowadays they're mostly viewed or considered for sexual gratification. Improper, vulgar, harassing as it may be, it's an unfortunate truth. To assume that by attaching a baby to that nipple suddenly transforms the breast into something innocent and unprovocative is naive and narrow.

I have no idea why moms want their private joy in being able to breast feed their child or children to validate their motherhood. And to take pride in it? Why? Would they take the same pride in basking topless on some beach with their children playing nearby? And being filmed or photographed.

Breast feeding is a God-given provision and blessing. For display or gloating? Unnecessary.

 

Sorry, Lord. I don't get it. If I'm wrong here, please correct me, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

When it doesn't end well . . .

 

Can you think of novel endings that didn't end well? Were you disappointed? Did you react? And what does "ending well" constitute to you? Or perhaps it was the climax which sent you over the edge. The twist maybe? You didn't buy it?

What bugs you the most about novels that don't end well? What does that phrase "ending well" mean to you?

                    

 

God, one thing we forget so easily on this earth is that the only way things "end well" for us is by knowing your Son. Jesus is the answer. So opposed in His time on earth and to this day by so many, we recognize our hope is in Him for the great ending to what is often difficult, tragic, traumatic, and sorrowful. There through it all, we covet your presence in our lives, your encouragement for our days, your instructions for our actions. We struggle to acknowledge your incredible love amidst the cruelty and sin but accept that you feel the pain more than we do. You save from it all. And welcome everyone. Help us to remember and to demonstrate your love and salvation. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What I gave up . . .

 

. . . for what I gained. I was never the A+ student except in certain English and Literature classes. I was the A's and B's kind of girl who didn't have to work too hard to pull those grades. I got my first C in high school, but I can't remember in what class. It might've been typing. I think I graduated with a grade average between a 3.2 and a 3.5 and got accepted at the only two universities to which I applied. I entered the University of Washington - reluctantly - because my parents thought it would be good for my future. They never had the opportunity to graduate from high school. I was not a fan of school.

                   

Of course I took mostly English and Literature classes and got As and Bs. College presented escalated studies, and although I loved one of my Literature professors, I enjoyed the extra-curricular activities with my friends over the familiar school routine. I've told the long story here about the inspiration for quitting school and setting myself up for a trip to Europe based on the film Blow Up so I won't repeat that tale. I worked for a year to earn the money as did a friend of mine, and then we set out for Great Britain and Europe. A three month venture from September to three days before Christmas, it sated my yearning for travel but left me unsettled as to what would become of me.

Most of you know my love of horses has always been a constant so in the spring I made it to the now defunct Longacres Racetrack and began what would turn into over 30 years of involvement in the horse racing industry.

What I gave up in going to the racetrack I don't regret. I gained a career where my love for horses could be practiced and my skills in knowing the amazing Thoroughbred breed could be developed and honed. I loved it for a long, long time. And I will always champion the heart, beauty, and versatility of the Thoroughbred. I exchanged my learning for the things of school for the things of racing, the ins and outs of particular horses - no different than the personalities and quirks of humans - and I filed my precision language skills adopting a racetrack slang. Two of the most difficult "skills" for me were saying "ain't" and teaching myself to cuss and swear. Honestly, neither came naturally for me.

    

It seems to me we must always sacrifice something for something else. Sometimes it's for the better as in accepting salvation. Other times we give up good for bad. Findng my place at the track ultimately resulted in my discovering Jesus. Ironically it was on the way to taking care of one of our horses who was sick. What I gave up to go the track was superficial, a different lifestyle, and a particular kind of education. What I gained can't compare. I learned where I needed to be, what it felt like to find my "career", and once I'd emptied out all my fabricated hopes and dreams and lost the taste for rebellion, I found Jesus waiting for me.

Thank you, Lord, for covering my innumerable sins, then and now. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

We thank you, Soldiers.

 

Thank you!

 

God Bless the USA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E

 

American soldiers of all ages and kinds: this one’s for you.

 

I honor you and ask the Lord’s blessing upon your lives in the Name of Jesus. I’m grateful that you serve the United States of America and strive to keep us safe. But you also fight to keep others safe from terrorists and enemies of all kinds. You fight to preserve freedom, to promote freedom, and to persevere for freedom wherever you are. Not everyone can do what you do. Not everyone sacrifices like you do. Not everyone bears the burden of keeping an entire nation safe along with their fellows in arms.

 

Many soldiers gave their lives to preserve the safety and freedom for the citizens of the United States of America. Some of those lives were lost in combat, some in training exercises, some in the wastelands of addictions and disorders brought on by the horrors of war. I honor your service and remember your sacrifice. Thank you is never enough.

 

God bless you in His mercy and provide you with His grace. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?

. . .

From the least to the greatest,

 all are greedy for gain;

prophets and priests alike,

all practice deceit.

They dress the wound of my people

 as though it were not serious.

"Peace, peace," they say,

when there is no peace.

Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct?

No, they have no shame at all;

they do not even know how to blush.

So they will fall among the fallen;

they will be brought down when they are punished,

says the Lord.

Jeremiah 8:9b;10b-12 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

A young girl wanted to pass out encouraging Bible verses to her classmates at school, but the school principal demanded she immediately stop.

In another case, one state demanded a Christian daycare center remove Bible verses from its walls because they could "intimidate" or "frighten" children.

These situations are not only ridiculous, they are legally wrong. The attack on religious liberty in America continues at a frightening pace, and it targets our children. We need your support to keep fighting these battles.

Because of your support, we successfully defended religious liberty in both of these and many other cases this year. Yet, we are contacted about similar violations on a weekly basis.

The ACLJ has won many of these religious liberty cases at the Supreme Court, and the law is clear; however, we can only take on these cases with the resources you provide.

Thank you for standing with the ACLJ in defense of religious liberty.

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

 

Father, we continue to ask for your grace as we repent of our nation's and our personal sinful attitudes and actions. Remember your remnant, Lord, as we seek after you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Goin' to the . . . Blue Hole Back Home

 

                          

 

Back in 2008 David C. Cook published the Christy Award winner Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake. For some the story, voice, and theme are reminiscent of the classic To Kill A Mockingbird. Blue Hole Back Home takes place in a fictional small town in North Carolina where the local kids spend their sweaty summers cooling off at what they call the "Blue Hole". The boys do calisthenics off the rope swing, and the girls swim and sun themselves in the hot Carolina heat.

In 1979 a new girl appears at school and one day Shelby Lenoir insists her older brother Emerson stop along the roadside and invite the girl to jump in the bed of his pickup with her and the three more boys who comprise their ragtag group. "Turtle", as Shelby is affectionately called, introduces Farsanna to Emerson, her brother's and her best friend Jimbo, her cousin who speaks like an English professor, and another sulky boy they call "Welp". Since Farsanna comes from Sri Lanka, her color creates a stir in their small town and introduces these young people to vile behaviors, prejudice, hatred, and violence beyond anything they could anticipate. Attempting to ignore the agitation and increasing unrest the arrival of Farsanna's family causes, there comes a point where it can no longer be set aside or left alone.

Joy Jordan-Lake portrays the fear, ugliness, and incredible tension produced by the entrance of a young black girl into the lives of a community where a group of kids struggle with welcoming her while others of all ages choose to hate her and her family because of their skin color. The story is told as a memory when the adult narrator sees an individual that reminds her of the one summer in her past which changed everything about her coming of age - where normal and naive transformed into a terrifying realization of what hate could do if left unchallenged. Remembering the experiences of the swimming hole that wasn't blue where it all seemed to begin, the reader is transported to the southern summer days and nights spent with a group of kids who attempt to do right by forming a friendship with a girl from a different land only to find there are far more who desire to do wrong.

With truly striking writing that captures the insecurity and emotionalism of the teen years, the cost of taking a stand against terrible wrong, and the actions and thoughts of the faithful and the faithless, Blue Hole Back Home presents a bittersweet reading experience. The underlying tension is relentless from the moment these unsuspecting kids pick up Farsanna and induct her into their "mangy" grouping. Mostly we hear the story from Turtle's perspective, her unbelieving heart, the peer pressure she never confronts, her jealousy of this lovely girl she can't quite fully embrace, and her paralyzing fear when bad things turn worse. We learn from her adult conclusions the toll of this particular summer at the Blue Hole Back Home and the steep price of regret.

Ultimately the story is hard reading because of its basis in reality. But worth it. Listen to a sample of this amazing novel here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8bgUA4t7sl8

Oh, Father, how much it hurts to see man's inhumanities to each other and all living things. We are full of sin and need your cleansing daily. God, forgive us. I pray your blessings for Joy, for her heart to create meaningful literature, to insert the honesty and travesty of those things of which we're all capable. May she continue to seek you in all she does. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

Just so you know.

 

***Second mini-rant***

I appreciate authors. So much. Authors have given me hours and hours of reading pleasure. That "pleasure" often resulted in tears and sorrow, mirth and laughter, fear and tension, or sighs and heartthrobs. Novels are king - and queen! They tackle it all. A few come off profound. A few stick around for a long time. A few annoy for various reasons. And, yes, a few bore mercilessly.

Since I write novels, I know how important affirmation becomes. How some meaningful responses reward my efforts and work my emotions. I also know how unfavorable words cut to the core of who I am. Depending on who they come from and how they're expressed determines how deeply the wound is slashed. It's the way it is with me. However, I don't expect readers to "pretend" they like a book when they don't.

Just so you know, if you're a published author and I take the time to send you an email expressing how much I enjoyed your book, I mean it. I don't have an agenda other than to let you know your story was a hit with me. And if I make the effort to contact you, chances are the novel was a big hit with me. I do this for two reasons: I would greatly appreciate hearing how much someone enjoyed my work, and if you have the time to engage in a mutual discussion of writing, I'm in. If not, fine. But, please don't condescend to me and wish me "luck" with my "writing career" as if you're afraid I'm going to be a pest and plague you with emails.

Don't ever wish me "luck". I don't believe in "luck". I happen to hate the expression: "Good luck!" It's meaningless, filler, generic, "I don't know what else to say", and hope this satisfies. Luck is a fabricated nothingness attached to bad or good things. The only time I use the word luck is when I say "Good luck with that" meaning it ain't gonna happen, baby. How 'bout "warm thoughts"? Really? What is warm about thoughts? We might wish to transpose warmth to thoughts across the e-waves or miles or wherever, but, sorry, thoughts are invisible creations in our minds and although if expressed might raise our temperatures, I'd rather be wished "baking bread in the oven" or "fresh alfalfa" because at least then my sense of smell will conjure up their lovely aromas.

I'm sorry. Snipey, huh?

Humility. Just show me humility. Please?

Father, I know. Sometimes I confess people get to me. Your patience is beyond what I can imagine. Thank you for using it with me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Please don't.

 

***Okay. Mini-rant coming. If you're easily offended, best leave. You've been warned.***

Some published authors often struggle with pride. Only they don't see it. First novel releases and boom! They're now in the elitist crowd - recognized by agents, publishers, insiders, other authors. They've "made it". And they have. Kudos to each one of them. Perhaps they'll be successful and write bestsellers. Cool! Maybe in some people's eyes this accomplishment affords them the "right" to now coin clichés and give instructions about how to write, how to get published, and all the rest of it.

I don't think so. I think writers can contribute the most to the writing community by honestly admitting what's worked for them. Writing fiction is a unique experience. Creative writing courses, Masters in writing, the gamut of ordinary or professional instruction do not a writer make. I'm tired of hearing the lists of what's acceptable and necessary to sell manuscripts and following that books. Because I've read too many novels which don't pass my inspections. Following instruction does not guarantee a superb story well told or the promise of a contract.

I know teaching is necessary for writers. Most writers start somewhere learning the craft. Hopefully early in school. Their ambitions might be postponed until later in life, but the desire to write is either blatant or hides from them until the time is right to explore the avenue of making words into stories. Understanding the process uses many forms. Once the grammar issues are resolved, some learn more from the actual reading of novels than from the reading of writing instruction manuals.

Knowing the ability and opportunity comes from God's heart - or perhaps I should say: remembering this - presides over it all. This is often overlooked or under-mentioned when pontificating on what "works" in writing.

To be continued . . .

Father, we are the beneficiary of all that you have. How can we forget or ignore that? Apart from you we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Rest and Rejoice!

 

One of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRqj61J-J8s&feature=related

 

Father, I honor you. Jesus, I love you. Holy Spirit, help me to listen. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Last week . . .

 

We spent most of the week pointing out the attitudes of some Christian Fiction readers who are Christians. Judges and determiners of what Christian Fiction should be, contain, or do make themselves known in the public forum of booksellers who provide the opportunities to submit "reviews".

   

Also out there in that public forum are those readers who "mistakenly" manage to read Christian Fiction and then complain about being bushwhacked by those dang Christian authors who dare to include faith issues in their fiction. First of all how anyone can "mistake" a Christian novel for anything other than what it is I have yet to figure out. Back cover copy makes clear there are God things in the story. Now how those characters or plot points actually appear in the novel can be barely discernible or preachy or somewhere in between. Nevertheless, I've yet to see Christian Fiction "disguised" in the back cover copy. And furthermore, if a reader misses what a book is about, it's his fault. Not the author's. Not the publisher's. Whining about how a novel wasn't what the reader thought it was - or should have been - only makes the reader look foolish. Haughty. And mean-spirited. Not that they care. They seem to take pleasure in demeaning the novels, the authors, faith in God, and dispensing those one stars.

Believer or unbeliever, you're entitled to your opinion. That "entitlement" factor gives some readers the impetus to reveal who they are as people. Sometimes this is really not a good thing for them. Criticizing a novel can be done without making it a personal assault on the author. It's okay not to like a story or the characters, and it's expected that some will express their disappointments. This can and should be done tactfully if for no other reason than to give the unhappy reader's opinion credence.

Father, help us as believers to be fair, kind, respectful, and just. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sunday's Offerings

 

For the Lord is our judge;

the Lord is our lawgiver;

the Lord is our king,

it is he who will save us.

Isaiah 33:22 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

Defunding the major abortion provider:

http://aclj.org/planned-parenthood/defunding-planned-parenthood-defunds-abortion?sf4318019=1

 

Father, this nation is at your mercy. We repent for our many sins. We ask for your forgiveness and that you would turn this nation from its wicked ways. Please heal our land and remember your remnant. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Fun?

 

     

 

Yesterday I took a break from our discussion centered on the self-appointed judges of "appropriate" Christian Fiction. Although I'm a gut-level serious person, possess the "prophet mentality" which tends to see things in black and white, am not a nominal Christian, don't drink, smoke, or do drugs (but once did before meeting Jesus), and absolutely believe the Word of God as literal Truth, I still love to laugh and have fun.

Having harmless fun. Laughing hysterically - which is rare - but oh so enjoyable. Setting aside serious reasoning for a short time - doing these things which balance out the woe and worry of life on planet earth. What these kinds of things constitute varies dramatically for different ones, but at their core is the release of the spiritual negatives to embrace some positives. Jesus laughed and still does I believe (at least at me - He'd have to). And shares in fun.

I guess that's one of the things that struck me about the criticisms of Becky's novel. What harm is there in having fun? I will grant you that "fun" presents all kinds of imaginative possibilities, but we're talking fun without drugs or getting drunk or causing danger or acting smutty. What is wrong with having fun?

We needn't worry about what the world thinks of us unless we misrepresent Jesus Christ. And so often the misrepresentations get all the attention, all the bad press, all the notice. We all make errors in judgment, we all commit sin. We struggle with our conduct right along with worldly people. But we know the difference. We recognize when we fail. We choose how we handle those failures.

It's been said that Christians kill their wounded. I've seen it happen more than once. Enough, in fact, to have given this idea credence. What is it with us that we feel the need to point out everyone else's failings in order to somehow inflate our holiness? One of the problems with doing this is precisely as Jesus explained and warned: no one is without sin. So throwing stones at others' "mistakes" or "sins" sometimes only emphasizes our own. And sometimes what we deem "sinful" really isn't. Gasp! Yeah, it's true. The fact that some individuals think a friendly game of poker is sinful proves this beyond question. There was no sin in the games in Becky's novel.

(I'm not saying that playing a card game with "gambling" couldn't be harmful to someone who's addicted to gambling, but in this little romance novel that just isn't the case. At all. Come on.)

Fun isn't defined by other people. Fun is experienced by Christians who enjoy multiple kinds of games, activities, and laughter. Isn't it?
 

Father, help us to smile, laugh, and have fun. To find freedom in fun. A merry heart . . . In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

If I wrote a non-fiction book . . .

 

It isn't going to happen - as far as I know - but if I ever wrote a non-fiction book, this would be the title:

Debunking the Bad Boy Myth

And I would follow it up with this title:

Good Guys Finishing First

So. There you have them.

 

Father, if only people knew your love for them . . . Everything would change. For the better. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Shoulds and Shouldn'ts

 

Over the years here on this blog we've examined all kinds of writing topics. I've asked authors and other professionals in the industry to define "Christian Fiction". I've asked the question regarding what different authors and insiders in the publishing industry desire to see change in Christian Fiction. Many answered anonymously because they held some trepidation about the overall responses from their "bosses" or colleagues in the biz. From the techniques, styles, POVs, voices, to even adverbs: we've talked about it here.

We've argued at times over who the "average reader" is, why I think it's possible writers can make lousy reviewers, and who defines quality in the art of writing.

Now over the last two days a romance novel has dredged up the conflict of what "should" and "shouldn't" be included in Christian Fiction. Again.

So I'm going to state my opinion on this matter (again), and I hope you'll have the time to contribute yours. The reason for this is because the public forum presented by the various online booksellers or social media for reviewing books of all kinds also gives voice to readers who write shrill, daggered, mean-spirited, and close-minded opinions of Christian novels. Hey, free speech, baby. Just because it's "free" doesn't make it right or well done. I'm going to address the Christian reviewers here.

In reality the only ones in publishing who decide the shoulds and should nots are the publishers. Most of them give a mission statement or have some sort of protocol for whatever they decide to publish. With most Christian publishers, they call it a mission statement. No matter how it's worded, chances are if they slip a story in there which contains the words or apparently a few of the activities mentioned in Becky Wade's novel, look out. The Christian Fiction Police are on the job and ready to arrest whoever's responsible for disappointing their senses of right and wrong, and what should be included in Christian Fiction and what should not according to their particular judgments, assessments, and evaluations of spiritual literature.

                

I'm weary of this brood. First of all it's not the decision of the reader what should or shouldn't be included in any novel. Although they're the ones who choose to purchase - or possibly receive a copy free for review - no one insists they finish a story they start and no one demands they enjoy it. I wish I had a dollar for every novel I didn't like. However, if I'm not reading it for review, I'll just file it under "a waste of time" and forget about it. If I'm obligated to review a novel I don't like, I'll certainly give my reasons but definitely not from the standpoint of determining its "fitness" for Christian Fiction. That ship has sailed, and I wish those who complain about the contents of novels "offending" them would dismount their high horses and just write that the story didn't meet their standards. The criticisms of Becky Wade's My Stubborn Heart appeared so graceless and shallow when the readers resorted to citing the poker playing, Yoga, word choices, and a casual date as unacceptable for Christian novels. This is precisely where the stereotypical, legalistic, holier-than-thou parodies originate. Their words remind me of "resounding gongs" and "clanging cymbals".

Understand that everyone's opinion can matter but doesn't necessarily. Reviewing novels quite honestly can reveal our weaknesses as individuals, as writers, and as Christians. The shoulds and shouldn'ts people invariably expose things about themselves better left hidden - or preferably addressed between them and God.

Thank you, Jesus. You gave it all for all of us. May we honor you with our words, thoughts, actions, and prayers. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

As predicted . . .

 

And so it is . . . Having jumped over to read the posted reviews at Amazon for Becky Wade's My Stubborn Heart, there were several readers who couldn't let the words I mentioned in my review yesterday pass without comment or criticism. "Not appropriate in a Christian novel" and the like appeared as predicted. Also complaints for the mention of Yoga workouts with warnings to research its origin, the observation of Halloween, Friday poker nights among old friends with a $5 limit ($5 is nothing, folks), the "hotness" of the hero noticed by the seventy-year-old women - like that kind of sight must be dead at 60 or maybe 50? Give me a break. If I hadn't expected it, I would've been flabbergasted, but, alas, it was more than predictable, it was a given. Which continues to disappoint me about some Christian readers.

Let's take poker first. The game of poker is a card game with multiple kinds of hands often selected by the dealer. Betting on the hand you've been dealt or acquire depending on the particular game can be done with money represented by chips, played with just chips, or other venues. Strategies, which include what is termed "poker faces", include bluffing by pretending not to have a great hand when you do or vice versa and/or not giving away anything by your expression. It's fun and harmless when played like those in this novel demonstrated. I completely missed the fact that some Christians would be offended by this example of "gambling" and card playing. Good grief. These are the same people who will play a mean game of Monopoly and bust every other player's stash to win. Or will play Battleship, Life, UNO, or you name it to compete and win a game. 

Halloween next. No one hates Halloween more than me. I do. I hate it. Stripped down it celebrates evil. Period. I don't like so-called Harvest Parties or anything else used to placate kids wanting candy or a chance to "dress up" in costumes. Costume parties are available year 'round if you like. So, do we have that straight? However, there is no more than a peripheral Halloween "event" in this novel. Get over it.

The older generation noticing and commenting on a hot guy. Geez. Hellooo! I hope these women who were offended by the older ladies in this novel recognizing the hunkiness of the hero realize how foolish they sound when they gain some years themselves. If they were older women who made these comments, I don't know what to say other than I wonder if they think their husbands don't notice a good looking woman of a younger age. We're not talking vulgarity here. We're talking reality.

Yoga classes. Yes, most people know the background of Yoga. How 'bout Martial Arts? Or any other thing originated within pagan cultures? Some Yoga is absurd and the philosophy behind it is errant. However, some good exercises can be pulled from the collection without embracing the mindset behind them. Did the readers of this novel really feel like Yoga was being endorsed or pushed from its pages?

And, of course, the use of the words I mentioned in my review raised the eyebrows, ire, and hackles of some readers which prompted them to state with authority they were "inappropriate for a Christian novel".

Oh and one more. One reader was offended when the heroine went on a couple dates with an attractive, flirty guy. Keep in mind this heroine is a 31 year old virgin who is a faithful Christian and knows she wants a committed relationship and marriage with a Christian man. She goes out with this guy because he's fun. She has no lurid intentions and trusts she can handle him. He makes no ugly moves on her and recognizes her attraction to him is limited.

Heavy sighs.

I know some readers have a very low threshold for "offensive" language and other possibilities included in some novels. I can appreciate that to a degree. However, stating in a review what you prefer reading is not the same as making a doctrine out of what should and shouldn't appear in a novel. Why must some Christian readers assume their opinions rank higher on the holy meter in establishing what's "acceptable" in Christian Fiction? One reader excused her criticisms by stating she was probably more "conservative" than other readers. Frankly, this isn't really the case and gives "conservative" a bad connotation.

What really stands out here is the severe legalism involved in the judging of Christian Fiction. For readers to be offended and disappointed by these examples in this story smacks of doctrines without grace for those who walk in different stages of Christian life and development. The list of qualifications to pass the muster of these readers requires a glossy observance of strict conduct by characters who walk an intolerant line in life, rarely engaging in the playful, the frustrating, the hopeless, the romantic, the unmapped aspects of living outside a binding religion. Frankly, I find these legalistic opinions offensive way above what was included realistically in this very inoffensive romance.

The final question I'm asking myself is this: Is this really the dogmatic demographic to whom Christian Fiction desires to cater?

Father, in your loving kindness please minister to us all. We're all desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.     

The goodness in . . . My Stubborn Heart

 

                   

 

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade, published by Bethany House, is my final May review for the CFBA Tour and what a way to close it out. It's a rare time, as those who follow me here know, that I can rave about a CBA romance novel. As much as I love romance, that's a sad commentary on the genre in general. However, even though My Stubborn Heart is officially a romance novel in that it follows the formula for such stories, Becky Wade has breathed fresh life into a tried - and/or tired - and true format. My Stubborn Heart touched mine.

Antique-lover Kate Donovan lives and works in social services for child placement in Dallas, Texas. Heartbreak has overridden her enthusiasm so she's grateful for the three months away she gets to spend with her grandmother in Redbud, Pennsylvania, restoring the grand old home where her "Gran" grew up. Weary of the "still-single-at 31" stigma, she wonders if God will ever provide the right man for her. 

Shortly upon arrival, Gran introduces her to the contractor hired to renovate the house. Matt Jarreau has little to say, but Kate is nearly paralyzed with attraction to the guy whose eyes telegraph some kind of sorrow while his demeanor shouts "No Admittance" to his personal life. Matt determines to work alone and Kate decides she's going to penetrate that steel façade and make a friend out of him because he's a solid challenge to her stubborn heart. When she and Gran learn his history, a new perspective accompanies the information. 

Kate and Gran go to work on sifting through all the decades of stuff in the house while Matt labors over each room in stony silence. When Kate "helps" him paint her attic bedroom, Matt senses she's not going to respond to his stay-away looks and parsed words. Day after day she works her way into stunted conversations with him while Gran invites him to stay for dinner every night after work, and every night he refuses until one night he accepts and berates himself for yielding right up until he's in the kitchen getting coerced cooking lessons from Gran.

Okay, we all know how it's gonna end. However, the walk-through of this relationship is at times comical, always emotional, heartbreaking, and fully entertaining. The sub-plots and peripheral characters offer clever and meaningful variety to the fleshed out Kate and Matt. With the struggles elevated by the faithful Kate and the faithless, angry Matt, we observe the depth of their individual conflicts and accumulated personal pain.

The sub-themes of what's required in faith, of worthiness, of forgiveness, of obedience - they're all there, sometimes subtle, sometimes not - but well done.

For those readers of Christian fiction who've wanted a little more reality in the language department, Becky dares to use the following words (which will no doubt raise the hackles of those readers who pass judgment on these kinds of things): boobs, balls (as in male body parts), crap, pissed. Only once for some of them and at, dare I say, the opportune moments? Really. And this from Bethany House! Ay, ay, ay. Not for shock value but for poignant moments and character-fitting verbiage. Authenticity. The way it should be done in this kind of story.

My one nit-picky criticism is the cover. I wish they would've done the top half like the bottom half just showing part of Kate's face because the cover rendition doesn't fit the girl inside the pages . . . 

There's some great writing in My Stubborn Heart. Becky fluctuates between Kate's and Matt's POVs and thoughts and nails their personalities. I love the way the final conflict is resolved. The man's man that Matt is would do it this way. If you want to read a truly good romance novel with heart, skilled writing, and a Prologue and Epilogue which will remind you of the film Chocolat, My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade is the book for you. Thoroughly recommended.

 

http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13491775/beckywade

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764209744

 

Father, you know the romance you put in Becky's heart and the talent you've given her to convey it. Please continue to bless that heart and give her those love stories you've designed just for her to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.