Into the Fire

Sunday's Offerings

 

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

The attorney perspective on Chief Justice John Roberts' shocking decision:

 

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/mccollum-health-care-ruling/2012/06/28/id/443825?s=al&promo_code=F53E-1.

In addition to this another shocking report. True or False?

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/roberts-decision-kennedy-cbs/2012/07/01/id/444121?s=al&promo_code=F5B0-1

 

Father, we wait for you to intervene. To put real justice in place. To remember your remnant. To hear our pleas, to forgive us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Fifty Shades of Grit

 

I don't have to write novels. Neither do you. As Christians we write for many reasons, but most of us claim to have a mandate from God. How we write our stories, both technically and aesthetically, depends on so many things it's impossible to blandly state them in list form. Some authors write profusely with stories darting through their minds like hummingbirds seeking sweet red nectar. Other authors nurse a story along for a year or years. Some do extensive research. Others write heart songs. Variety seems endless.

Except in Christian fiction romance.

In the secular world the big deal novel now following in the kind of hooplah created by the Harry Potter books and the Twilight Series is the erotic Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy which, I'm told, involves all the graphics erotica inspires and includes sado-masochism and other sexual fantasies. Already sporting a movie contract, this trilogy is setting the reading world on fire, and, yes, some Christian women are letting their guards down to play with these stories. Rumored to be poorly written, but who cares after all if there are heart palpatations and perspiration and lusty air pumping through, um, lungs, chests, bosoms? (Which of those words would be acceptable for Christian readers?)

Well now. I 'm not saying the same Christian women who are reading the bonnet books or the sweet little romances are the same females reading Fifty Shades of Grey. No way. And I can't give you any logical reason for Christian women investing their reading time in this trilogy classified as "mummy porn" in Great Britain.

Isn't there somewhere in between these two extremes for Christian romance readers to venture?

I decided to write realistic romance novels. Christian romance novels which are more accurately classified as love stories. With a little non-graphic grit in exposing the world and its definitions of romance, sex, and love contrasted to God's view, the possiblities are endless. Or not. Mostly not in CBA literature.

No fifty shades of grit. Mostly generic.

 

Father, thank you for it all. Thank you for the stories you've given me to write. May I always honor you. Apart from you I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Pain.

 

  

So deep and piercing it produces monumental change to a human being. The human reaction surges to defiance.

I'm not addressing the enormous types of physical pain so many individuals endure in their lives because of sickness, injury, and all kinds of physical trauma to the body and hence to the mind.

I'm speaking of the gut-wrenching tragic kind of hurt often forced upon us by untimely losses, unexpected tragedies, personal affronts or attacks to us or those we love. All of them. Any of them.

        
 

The kind of soul-searing pain which turns a person away from the Father of our souls. The drenching sorrow which drowns a soul, taking them to the depths of a blackness they can't calculate or seemingly endure. And from that they decide no god exists. They associate the pain with evil, the evil with a god who would allow this torturous, incomprehensible, life-changing pain. No more will they assume the god of their vision is good or could love them. Otherwise this horrible thing wouldn't have happened. No. No more God.

What happens to us when we turn away from Him? From the promises He offers? When He tells us straight up: "In this world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world." Trouble's one thing, but this? This isn't trouble! This is pain so deep you couldn't possibly care about me. Could. Not. Possibly.

Fainting, lashing out, writhing in the emotional suffocation of grilling pain. Loss. Horror. The inevitable shrieking of Why?! The indulgence of evil for payback! 

No answer satisfies. No reasoning relates. No explanation placates. Nothing penetrates. The Pain.

One word. So sad. So huge. So small. So powerful. So meager. One word. The conclusion. The answer. The reason. The explanation. And yet it won't suffice. Until that leaden heart, the cast-iron structure housing the rebellion, the impenetrable lock is removed to usher in true understanding. Of that one word.

Sin.

 

Oh God, you know them. You weep with them. You wait. We are all weak and pathetic. Lack trust and truth. Rescue them, Jesus. Let them understand you know real pain. More than all of us. The greatest pain of all. Help them to open their eyes to your love and comfort. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Sex, Lies, and . . . Christian Fiction

 

 

A considerable amount of violence is allowed in Christian thrillers (speculative included), suspense, romantic suspense, mysteries, sci-fi, and I can only assume there is some in fantasy. In some novels the violence can be graphic (Robert Liparulo's and Steven James' novels both contain some graphic violence). I've read a few books from the Christian Fiction market which use the word "crap" once or more.

But when it comes to romance novels, there are all kinds of restrictions to limit the use and description of real sexual attraction, struggle, and in some cases which words will be "acceptable". I've come to detest the word "acceptable" in regard to fiction as much as I came to resent the word "edgy". Those words force judgment on a story and imply the judges are just in their decisions.

"Sex is everywhere. The last place I want to find it or deal with it is in Christian Fiction." Anonymous

Because the world uses sex to sell everything from automobiles to vacation spots, I cannot argue with the saturation factor. On film, on TV, on magazine covers, on billboards, almost everywhere sexual photographs, jokes, "soft" porn and hardcore porn appear with little thought for who can see the suggestive or graphic exploitations.

However, since when is sex for the Christian equivalent to the world's view? Since when is sexual attraction deemed taboo for the Christian? And since when is marital sex for the Christian something to be hidden, silenced, and overlooked in a romance novel? When did it become "unacceptable" to non-graphically refer to romance, sexual attraction, love, and marital sex in a romance novel?

And since when is contrasting the world's various views of sex to God's view somehow "unacceptable"?

Christian men, both married and single, look at women. Some struggle with looking at women too much. Some have trained themselves to look away because they aren't usually viewing their hair color first unless it's purple or fuschia. Guys, I hope you'll be brave enough to back me up here. This isn't a criticism, it's reality.

Women certainly notice men they think are attractive. Many women view them differently from the way men look at women, but, nevertheless, we see what we consider good-looking. Biceps, forearms, bare chests, eyes, lips, moustaches, whatever. We're not blind.

Sexual attraction isn't always equivalent to lusting after someone, but for those in the world it's usually synonymous. The contrast, the struggle, the common desires . . .

Shouldn't all of these factors appear in a romance novel? A Christian romance novel? Why not?

Before you answer, I will not accept any reasoning that concerns "the weaker brother or sister". If any kind of sexual attraction is a problem issue for an individual, why is this person reading romance novels? Romance novels are built around the male/female attraction and dynamic.

I wonder if Christians haven't corrupted their views of sex by denying its God-designed and ordained importance and beauty for His people keeping their marriage beds pure and enjoying their lives together in the process . . . while resisting the temptation to join the world's views and indulge the flesh in our sin natures.  

 

Father, we're desperate for your clarity and instruction, your love, grace, and presence. Always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Riding the rough seas of self-promotion . . .

 

  

There's nothing pretty about the oceans of self-promotion required to get a novel noticed. The waves of wallpapering social sites with notices of your new release might result in fresh attention from the readers you hope to engage, but many times it only serves to get an understanding nod from other published authors who've been doused by the same huge wave.

I've noticed more and more expensive gifts are being offered on authors' blogs/websites to potential readers willing to leave comments or jump through a few contorted hoops to win a signed copy of their novel along with these impressive gifts. This tells me it's not enough in some cases to just give away a copy of the book. Because of the competition in a particular genre, special additions must be available to spur interest.

For those of us who have trouble promoting our work, and not because we don't like it or deem it worthy to be read but because focusing attention our way somehow seems distatsteful to us, we paddle around in the shallows giving a mere mention of our book here and there, begging for a review or blurb without pressing anyone. When our meager efforts produce little results, we feel the churning waves engulf and threaten to drown us.

Deciding what is effective in promoting a novel is perhaps the biggest challenge. As a veteran reader and now an author of several novels, few efforts by authors seem trustworthy in producing sales. The most successful method - at least it seems that way to me - is to gain the favor of three or more prominent review sights, those who influence a wide variety of readers. You know when they're satisfied enough with your novel to give it a good review, a lot of readers will take their advice and look for your book.

Word-of-mouth is touted as the best way to sell books, but it can also be one of the slowest. Some readers are notorious for keeping their opinions of books to themselves and others don't do social networking. The quandary for all authors who have yet to establish themselves on bestseller lists is this: What really works?

 

Father, you know what works. You know what you want from each one of us. What you expect is obedience. Please help us to hear your directions and walk in your ways. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Viewing . . . The Director's Cut

 

                       

Working from a past history in Hollywood, author Janice Thompson penned The Director's Cut, published by Revell and the third novel in the Backstage Pass Series.

Janice Thompson by her own admission writes stories that lead the reader to the happily-ever-after endings. If I had to identify the genre of this novel, I'd say The Director's Cut squirms between chick-lit and category romance. Comparably it's tone and style would fit into the Love Inspired-kind of fiction.

Tia Morales loves her director's job on the set of the award-winning romantic comedy known as Stars Collide. Being a director gives her the control she needs to keep herself stable, make her feel valuable, and occupy her mind. Her gorgeous sister Benita is a relentless flirt, her drinking older brother is a slacker while he's remodeling her home, and her father has been unfaithful to her mother multiple times but always charms his way back into her heart.

Although Tia's sparred with her attractive cameraman, Jason Harris, he seems willing to ignore their past differences to ignite a present relationship with her. This opportunity along with the impending birth of a cast member's baby and her sister being hired in makeup adds fresh chaos she doesn't anticipate. Tia's ordered life on the set fluctuates and she begins to realize the control of her life doesn't ultimately belong to her.

The stretch for me came in almost everyone involved in this TV rom-com being Christians. The writing in The Director's Cut is clean, uncomplicated, and straightforward with little description offered other than portraying an aging actress who daily appears in a costume from an old film and Tia's gray wardrobe needing color. The clever chapter titles are all recent names of TV series.

The Director's Cut by Janice Thompson gives readers a striking cover, a simple romance with a chick-lit flavor and a noteworthy message.

Not my preferred reading but will satisfy those who like this type of novel.

 

Father, please continue to bless Janice as she pens novels with a heart for happily-ever-afters and the essence of the gospel. Lead her in your ways and help her to always follow you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Sunday's Offerings

 

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Colossians 2:20-23 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

The Fast and Furious fiasco rages on with no help from the Admininstration. With the President's insistence on claiming Executive Privilege for the Attorney General and the President's part/knowledge of the plan, he's admitted there are things they don't want known about what is considered an illegal program. This was not the intention for the use of EP.

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/coburn-fast-furious-healthcare/2012/06/21/id/443101?s=al&promo_code=F43C-1

 

God, help our nation. Please remember your remnant. Forgive us for our many sins. Restore us with your presence. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Friday Five

 

Five things I learned about Christian readers and writers in the last two weeks:

1. For some there is a definite double standard applied to their reading. Apparently with general market/secular literature they can scan right over those foul, vulgar, lower standard words - not liking them but accepting them - but in Christian Fiction, they're all a no-go. A vehement castigating no, and some of the words they won't "allow" without protest don't offend all Christian readers.

2. They have a blind spot where those words are concerned. If an author or other readers defend them, they continue to cite scriptures (and other sources) about unwholesome (vulgar, etc.) language and offending people. They fail to see that some of their interpretations of said scriptures aren't shared by their brothers and sisters, concluding their viewpoints rate higher consideration while resenting being called legalistic.

3. They're vocal, persistent, and insistent even though reading a novel is a choice, not mandatory.

4. Some writers have no trouble surrendering potentially offensive words although they didn't include them to be offensive. In fact in most cases they didn't realize those words or circumstances would be considered offensive.

5. I don't get it.

 

God, you're the just judge. Thank you for that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Dream, dream, dream . . .

 

 

All kinds of people, professionals and non, speculate about dreams. The bible speaks of interpreting dreams, prophetic dreams, and the significance of dreams and visions. For males and females, young and old, dreams come in the night or during the hours when sleep offers them the playfield of their minds, presenting the fantastical, the horrific, the frustrating, the silly, or the telltale scenes of problematic issues in our lives.

But how about those inspirations we develop in our childhoods? The ones we refer to as dreams for our futures. We explain with confidence to our parents or friends what we hope to be when we're "grown up". From the silly to the profound, from the weekly variations to the unflinching constants, we learn at different times just how hard making a dream come true can be.

We've been told by the famous, the infamous, and the next door neighbor to "Never give up!" It's assumed if you're willing to work hard enough and long enough, that dream you've been nursing along will eventually come to fruition. And for some it will.

So what happens when it doesn't?

As Christians, we're not so different from unbelievers when it comes to dreams. Are we? We possess our expectations, our desires, our plans and designs of what we expect our dreams to be, to look like, how we hope they'll play out. We set in motion the efforts and hard work to make those dreams come true. Don't we? And we pray.

Many of us when forming our dreams are not quite willing to fully submit them to our Father. We fool ourselves a bit by rationalizing our desires to accomplish certain dreams we've set before us with acknowledging our gifting in this area, our obvious talent, and the call placed upon us by the Holy One. How could He want anything less than the formulated plan we've assumed is the just right path to this magnificent dream?

And when the dream stalls? When the dream slams against obstructions like the ocean assaulting rocks? When the frustration overtakes the fervor? When the hint of anger pricks our prayers? When confusion rents our consciousness and our thoughts jerk like a balloon flapping in the wind? What of "the dream" then?

In my experience with multiple dreams dissolving into particles so small and invisible you couldn't find them with an electron microscope, let me share what I've learned about dreams. Dreams arise in us when we love something. We thrill at the prospect of making the dream an ongoing project in our lives. We imagine what success in accomplishing this thing will feel like. How we'll give "all the glory to God for what He's done in our lives". And so on. Here's the thing. Real God-engineered dreams aren't about our successes. They're about our obedience to Him. Dreams from our Lord issued to us by the Holy Spirit's mandate involve obedience and total surrender to His goal. The pleasure - and true success - come from the celebration of what He worked into existence using us. Man-made dreams are all about us, what we can do, how we take them on and make them ours. Every day man-made dreams are realized. Most of us have realized one or two. Some small. Some large.

But when the surrender of the man-made dream lies at the feet of Jesus, and He replaces it with what He had in mind for us all along, somehow it's better. If we'd considered it before the surrender, it wouldn't have pulled us in. It wasn't what we wanted, thought we needed, or even considered relevant. In fact we might've ignored it. But when we get to the end of ourselves, seeing who we really are, we don't want any more dreams that originate without His anointing, His divine instruction and design, His personal touch. Nothing we create without Him is worth what it costs us.

In this old song (the first one in this link) we can see the futility of holding onto certain dreams. They continue to play out in our heads but accomplish nothing in reality. Whose dream do you want?

So. Are ya "livin' the dream"?

 

God, help us to complete what you have given us. May your intentions and designs compose our dreams. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Labels?

 

We all know clothing comes with labels, some sewn in, others stamped on. Films come with labels - we could certainly argue about the validity of said labels (or ratings), but they attempt to identify who the viewers "should" be or will be in the case of R-ratings, etc.

        
It's been discussed occasionally whether or not novels should be labeled. After the hooplah over the Becky Wade romance novel, This Stubborn Heart, some might once again bring up the possibility of labeling fiction. I don't know what position to take on this idea. I would have no objections whatsoever labeling my work  "For adult readers" because they are precisely for whom I write. But is it necessary?

Readers and writers would still interpret the simple word "adult" differently. To some I'm sure it would be signaling an R or NC17 film rating, and since the novel would be considered by unbelievers as "Christian Fiction", I wonder if they might give it a PG13 since some unbelievers want our beliefs censored or censured and certainly not available to their kids, not because of any sexual issues but because of heaven-or-hell-forbid: God-related issues.

To my way of thinking anytime you pick up a general market novel you're taking a risk. There can be all manner of foul language, sexual escapades in vivid or graphic detail, and much more. Not always of course, but the possibility exists. Even Christians accept this. However, when it comes to Christian Fiction, those same people reading the general market novels want squeaky "clean" from their Christian novels. And I've come to think "clean" is a meaningless word to describe Christian stories. What in this life is "clean" when it concerns human existence?

Some people can't even say "heck" without coming under fire from others. And since when is the word hell a "swear" or cuss word? Hell is a real place. Now I can understand how it can be considered a curse if someone tells another to "go to hell", but beyond that what is so foul about uttering this word in a frustrating or negative circumstance? But it's a no-no in Christian fiction.

Do we label Christian fiction? Do we need new imprints established to publish those novels using words like hell and damn, boobs or breasts, and any other words which bring out complaints from a portion of Christian readers?

 

Father, your word tells us there are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ Jesus. Yet we've broken down our oneness in the Spirit and categorized and ritualized our faith into compartmental religion. Help us, Lord. We're desperate for you. All of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Villainous . . .

 

How do you like your novel villains? Obvious? Subtle? Quirky? Bloodthirsty?

             

I suppose it depends on the genre how we expect to read the villains portrayed. Horror gives us the gamut of possibilities. Romance clamors for subtlety. Historicals make for snide and often handy with a weapon.

Have you written a full-fledged villain? If you did or plan to do so, how will you write him - or her?

 

Father, we know who inspires evil. We also know he's defeated. But that leeway he's allowed for now can be crucial in our battles waged in the spirit realm. Thank you for the power in the Name of Jesus, the Blood covering, and the instructions on how to wage war against our enemy. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Dangerous characters . . .

 

 

I know. You probably just thought of a dashing hero or a horrific villain. But those aren't the dangerous characters I mean. Nope. The dangerous characters I'm referring to are those about whom we could care less.

Characters who drag us through their stories without inspiring any engagement with their personalities, their dilemmas, their quirks, or anything else about them are the most dangerous characters we can create because they can kill readers' attention like nothing else. If one or two of these characters pop up within the story, okay, but if we make our protagonist(s) someone who doesn't incur our emotional investment, we've defeated our purpose in centering our attention on him or her.

The reason I mention this is because I've had to force feed myself a couple of novels in recent times with main characters who I don't like. Not even a little. Of course some people might like them, but I'm a fairly forgiving reader. I give authors a wide berth with their novels. However, if I can't muster even a minor interest in their protagonist, why do I care what happens to them, around them, or with them? I don't.

One of my film favorites is illustrated above.

Can you identify what makes you not care about a character?

 

Father, you care about all of us characters. Hard to imagine, but you do. Thank you for that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sunday's Offerings

 

Then Jesus told him [Thomas], "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his desciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:29-31 (NIV)

Change-up

 

Sometimes I shift and move not wanting to be awake but there nevertheless. So I look your way, strain to hear the inhales and exhales, and I watch you sleep. You've always looked good sleeping. Handsome man that you are, mature now. Those long thick wavy strands sheared to the short dark style. It all looks good on you. I'm still captivated. Your mouth closed, your moustache streaked with gray, one arm cranked around your pillow, the sheet and blanket tossed back halfway sometimes. You sleep sound. At peace. Even through my tosses and turns. The tumult silenced. I'm grateful not to disturb you. Love's forms. Years in the making. Finally real.

 

Father, thank you for the one I love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Expecting . . .

 

No. Not a child. Way past that! Let's talk about what we expect. To get. To own. To do. And how do we expect to obtain those things or ascend to those places where we expect to go?

I'm grateful for my parents teaching those very important things to me must be earned. Worked for. Some require much more effort than others, but there is truth in the old adage which tells us the harder we work for something the more it tends to mean to us.

            

Don't get me wrong. I had plenty of things growing up. More than I needed. My parents were from the generation who suffered through The Depression and wouldn't allow that kind of difficulty to plague their children. My dad worked hard from his days as a young boy in the hardcore town of Butte, Montana, to the leisure days from having earned a good living in a career he loved. The son of immigrant parents whose father was a cobbler, he worked on street corners as a little boy selling newspapers, then flowers, helped his tough father work on shoes and boots in his shop, and of course he did what nearly everyone in Butte did at one time or another: he worked in the mines. When he fell in love with my mother, he knew he wanted something better for her and their eventual family, and as soon as he could, he moved from Butte with his wife and young son to Seattle, Washington, where he went to work in retail. His hard work paid off, and he retired an Executive Vice President of a respected retail chain.

He set before me an example of what devotion, passion, morality, and godly principles could accomplish in a life that never got a real education or had anything handed to him. My dad was a great man who loved people and gave his best to every kind of work he did. And was rewarded.

Sometimes we forget the blessings of hard work. We get so bogged down in the weariness of pursuing the goal we forget the additions to our character, to our perseverance, to our direction in this life. Writing and publishing present multiple challenges for some of us. There are some who breeze through the process and experience some fast success. I've seen it happen in the horse racing industry the same way. Newer members to the racing community somehow acquire a champion and gain a quick taste of fame and fortune. "Nobodys" are discovered in cafes and become Hollywood stars. We all know the stories. With Christians it's not supposed to be about our individual successes no matter how hard we work toward that end. It's supposed to be how we labor to accomplish what the Lord has designed for us to do. It isn't always like that, though, is it?

Sometimes it becomes a matter of expecting the Lord to do as we wish. In reality it's more like what is the Lord expecting me to do? When we can ask that question from our heart to His, we're well on our way to that success factor.

 

Father, help us to operate from your perspective. Help us to seek after you with whole hearts determined to gain more of you, less of our flesh. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Back at it . . .

 

Certain things we get to do in life bring us particular joy or contentment. Today is one of those days for me. Not because of what I wrote but because of where my guest post occurs. For that I'm grateful to one of my favorite authors, Gina Holmes, for affording me the pleasure and honor to appear on her site:

http://www.novelrocket.com/

Interesting or not (to my readers) this post was written before all the hooplah about Becky Wade's novel.

 

Father, thank you for my life, for the innumerable ways you've blessed me, so undeserving of it all. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Words. In or out?

 

In writing circles you will repeatedly hear, "If the word isn't necessary or doesn't contribute to the story, leave it out." That's laughable. Every novel would be reduced to Flash Fiction if that were the case. Or blurbs. Or back cover copy. Or reruns of Ernest Hemingway which would please some and alienate the rest of us.

Granted if authors were allowed to leave every word they wrote in stories, editors would be out of jobs. And readers would have to adapt to throwbacks of longer novels. War and Peace? Moby Dick? Hope of Glory? Ha!

I'm a fan of long novels. I love the details. Well-written long novels are the ultimate in reading pleasure. However, the not-so-new normal is short novels, and frankly not every author can do them well. Leaving words out under the guise they aren't "contributing" or aren't "necessary" to the story sometimes serves up skimpy novels with abrupt endings and shallow characters.

Your preference and thoughts?

Father, your variety in creation carries over in all things we do. Thank you for the amazing inspirations you give to your people. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Between a rock . . .

 

    

. . . and what? A hard place? Oblivion? Limbo?

It's a somewhat vicious world out there. Where? In the realm of Christian fiction readers. Hell has no fury like an offended Christian reader. And I'm fairly sure the devil celebrates the divisive conversations over one little romance novel.

I thought I wrote Christian fiction. The gospel is there. The worldly characters portrayed without judgment are there. The faithful Christians are there. But, wait! There are - I've learned - "vulgar, crass, and low standard" words and references in my stories. Unacceptable. With a capital U.

  

So what does that make me as a writer? As a Christian? Questionable at best, I guess. To some.

 

Lord Jesus, you know me. Help me to always follow you. No matter what. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.