A Call to Write

To all my writing friends --A call to write, write, write!

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the numbers of books being published every year. Especially if you are following agents and publishers. As a new, unpublished author it would be easy to allow ourselves to sink into the throws of what’s the point, the world doesn’t need any more stories, let alone mine.

My courage has been renewed this week listening to commercials for upcoming movies and TV shows. Did you catch the theme? Robin Hood, The A-Team, Hawaii 5.0.

People are desperate for good stories! It warms the writing soul, doesn’t it? It reminds me of a great quote from The American President. It speaking about leadership, but I think it works for good stories, too.

They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.

So let’s get cracking and fill the world with good stories of hope for our lost and dying world.

Of course, if they bring back The Rockford Files and or Magnum, I’ll be there.

(Writing this has allowed me to escape for a few moments from writing my story!)

Review of LIFE IN DEFINACE

I have to confess. While waiting for the release of LIFE IN DEFIANCE, I kept imagining different ends to Mary DeMuth’ s Defiance Texas Trilogy by casting the town’s characters in the role of the Daisy Chance’s killer. I played this character game to avoid facing the the real question; will any sense come from sweet Daisy’s death?

In LIFE IN DEFIANCE, Mary returns her readers to Defiance, Texas for the trilogy’s conclusion. While Defiance is a place where we have all passed through, we would never intentionally stop at the Hap and Ouisie Pepper’s house. If we were walking on the Pepper’s street, we would walk by on the other side. If we were driving in the neighborhood, we might make an extra block to avoid their street. It is a house full of more than its share of secrets.

Mary opens the Pepper’s front door for us, places Ouisie’s size nine shoes on our feet and walks us into her tormented life of quilt and confusion as she seeks the answers to the questions that have been haunting her and the rest of the town.

As the cost of Daisy Chance’s death changes everyone in town, Life in Defiance is an appropriate end to the Defiance Texas Trilogy. It is a beautiful story of how an individual’s redemption comes through acts of community. For Mary’s readers, the real mysteries will be discovering who in town will be redeemed and who will be lost.

Here is the link for the book on Amazon:

LIFE IN DEFIANCE

I received a free review copy of Thin Places from Zondervan. Nevertheless, I do not write positive reviews unless I believe in the what I am endorsing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Poem for 21century love - a work in progress

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.

PROGRAM-ID.

LIFE0001.

DATE-WRITTEN.

16 MAY 2010.

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.

INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.

FILE-CONTROL.

SELECT LIFE-BEING-FILE ASSIGN TO MORTAL-READER.

SELECT LIFE-CHANGES-FILE ASSIGN TO KARMA-READER.

SELECT LIFE-FILE ASSIGN TO DESTINY-PRINTER.

DATA DIVISION.

FILE SECTION.

FD LIFE-BEING-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 PARTNER-REC.

05 NAME.

10 FIRST PIC X(10).

10 LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE PIC X VALUE SPACES.

05 AGE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS PIC X.

05 ALUMNI PIC X(20).

05 FATHER.

10 FATHER-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER.

10 MOTHER-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN PIC 99.

05 JOB PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS PIC XX.

05 HOUSING PIC X.

05 TRANSIT PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH PIC X(12).

FD MALE-PARTNER-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 MALE-PARTNER-REC.

05 MALE-NAME.

10 MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-MALE PIC X VALUE ‘M’.

05 AGE-OF-MALE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-MALE PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-MALE PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-MALE.

10 FATHER-OF-MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-MALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-MALE.

10 MOTHER-OF-MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-MALE-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-MALE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-MALE PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-MALE PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-MALE PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-MALE PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-MALE PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-MALE PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-MALE PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-MALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-MALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-MALE PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-MALE PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-MALE PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-MALE PIC X(12).

FD FEMALE-PARTNER-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 FEMALE-PARTNER-REC.

05 FEMALE-NAME.

10 FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-FEMALE PIC X VALUE ‘F’.

05 AGE-OF-FEMALE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-FEMALE PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-FEMALE.

10 FATHER-OF-FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE.

10 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-FEMALE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-FEMALE PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-FEMALE PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-FEMALE PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-FEMALE PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-FEMALE PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-FEMALE PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-FEMALE PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-FEMALE PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-FEMALE PIC X(12).

FD LIFE-CHANGES-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 LIFE-CHANGES-REC.

05 CHANGES-NAME.

10 CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE SPACES.

05 AGE-OF-CHANGES PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-CHANGES PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-CHANGES.

10 FATHER-OF-CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES.

10 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-CHANGES PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-CHANGES PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-CHANGES PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-CHANGES PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-CHANGES PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-CHANGES PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-CHANGES PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-CHANGES PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-CHANGES PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-CHANGES PIC X(12).

FD LIFE-FILE

05 LIFE-ACTIONS PIC X(300).

WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.

05 MORE-LIFE-CHANGES-SW PIC X’. 88 YES-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE ‘Y’.

88 NO-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE ‘N’.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.

LIFE-ROUTINE-01.

OPEN INPUT LIFE-BEING-FILE

LIFE-CHANGES-FILE

OUTPUT LIFE-ACTIONS.

READ

PERFORM 100-LIVE-LIFE UNTIL NO-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES.

100-LIVE-LIFE.

READ

My Mark

My Mark - my challenge

Last week another friend wrote about her Mark and its impact on her life. While my heart broke as I read of her struggles, her message converged with principles flowing into my life from other places and made me face my own Mark. My Mark, those beliefs I hold which keep from from accepting God’s love for me, is insignificance. I always feel as though people look beyond me, as if I were invisible. Nothing I can say or do makes a difference.

In the last few weeks of John, there is choice of accepting or rejecting truth. My leader asked this question, ‘where in your life are you not submitting to the truth you have learned?‘ We read Romans 1:25: They chose a lie instead of God's truth. They worshiped and served created things. They didn't worship the Creator. But he must be praised forever. Amen.

I always believed this was a passage where Paul was truly writing to the Romans, not to me. But when I hold on to all the old beliefs about myself, listen to the tapes that play over and over in my head, I have exchanged God’s truth for a lie about my own life. In doing so, I am listening and following a voice other than God’s. What a sobering discovery this has been for me.

Even with Jesus in my life, I built so much of my life on these falsehoods. Now, seeing the truth, I still want to hold on to them. They are what is comfortable. I prove Paul’s point, I chose the lie over the truth.

At this crises of faith, I find myself thinking of a scene in one of the last Left Behind books. Chloe is forced to stand in a line where she will have to make the ultimate choice take the mark of the beast or face the guillotine. As she moves closer to her destiny, her fears are replaced by God’s power and peace. I find myself taking Chloe’s place in line. When I face the beast and chose death, he says, “Isn’t that odd, you’ve willing bore my mark this long.”

Dear sweet Jesus, I can only let go of these lies through the power of Your Name. Fill me instead with Your truth, Your peace.

My thoughts on the Lazarus experiment

After Easter, a friend of mine under took what he called a Lazarus experiment, to spend 40 days living as though he had a second chance at life. Here are my thoughts on my own experience.

There is a camp of those who are not sure that Lazarus was all that happy to be brought back to life on this earth. They asked what did he do with this chance at a second life. We only see him mentioned once, at a dinner. He was not apart of the apostles actions recorded in Acts. There were threats against his life by the Jewish leaders, which has all sorts of irony of its own.

We are not sure where he came from, where did the old testaments saints go until the time of Christ’s victory over death. But for the sake of argument, let’s say he was in heaven in the presence of God. Then Jesus plucked him back here on earth. It is a let down. Backed to his crazy sisters who you couldn’t please at the same time, back to the unbelieving world that would kill the Son of God, back to the toil of living outside of the garden.

The draw of heaven is so strong. I know from my own experience with cancer. I was able to say if I am healed, that’s good, if I die I am in God’s presence, it was a win-win as far as I was concerned. But the more I said it, the more I longed to be released of the day to day grind of this world and bask in God’s presence. And I have heard this longing in other people who have had near death experiences.

I am healed and so I deal with living in this world. The last verse of In the Garden speaks to me “I’d stay in the garden with Him, tho‘ the night around me is falling: But He bids Me go, thro‘ the voice if woe; His voice to me is calling.” Just like Mary, I can’t cling to Him in this world, but I can learn to bask in His presence amidst His earthly creations as I go and tell.

My ‘7 year‘ Lazarus experience is learning to do that, to bask in the land of the living. Two scriptures drive this life for me. First, the Psalmist words “Be Still and know I am God” teaching me to wait for GOd’s direction. And then Jesus‘ words in Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect.” It has been so painful for me to realize that he didn’t say ‘do perfect, ‘ but ‘be perfect.‘ The only way I can achieve that is by letting go of myself and letting Jesus live in me. And all I can take is baby steps toward this lifestyle.