Sins of Our Fathers | Author Blog

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6 AV)

On the way home from the annual family party, which was a blast, a series of things took place in the small journey from our friends house to my own. Let’s just say I’m a bit of a klutz and if it’s within twenty feet, day or night, I’ll step in it. And of course I got it on the floorboard of my brother’s clean car. Once home, having used the hose to clean off my shoe, I did something simple and innocuous that resulted the minor scratching of skin off a knuckle and the drawing of blood. After cleaning out the back of my brother’s car I went to turn on the AC in the house because it’s Florida where, in spite of most of the country being in a deep freeze, we hit the 80’s today. Only the AC worked for about five minutes and then said no more.

So why am I telling you all this? Is it because I have an Eeyore complex? Most of my friends probably have their hands up on that one. They’re right. And I know it.

But that’s not why I’m telling you.

It’s because I was reminded by the Lord that blessings abound for me because of His Son sent so many years ago. Further more, there are people in the world, fellow Christians, celebrating the birth of our Savior with little more then a grass hut over their heads. They are faced with malnutrition while I happily munched upon cookies, chocolates, and wonderful pulled pork this evening. I have to much nutrition. Many have sores and wounds from trying to carry water for miles or because of persecution. Just look at this post on my other blog and you’ll see what I mean. In my own country there are people faced with horrible weather conditions which have them locked into their own homes while I can go out in my shorts and T-shirt to enjoy throwing a couple of discs into a basket out back. And I even wear a daily reminder, a bracelet, to pray for a beautiful young woman who is faced with a life threatening illness.

It’s so easy for us to slip into self. So easy to think the world owes us something. So easy to think that when we don’t get things our way or when bad things happen that it’s somehow an universal conspiracy to make us unhappy. The trouble is that the condition of self as the center of our universe ultimately leads to unhappiness, discontent, and disillusionment. Because self can never control the universe. This self couldn’t even keep himself from stepping in dog doo in the dark.

But there is One who controls the universe. Who set it into motion. Who knows the heart of man. And who desires to be the center of man’s universe so much that He would come as the weakest of things, a baby. To live and to die upon a cross at the hands of people He breathed into being. To die for me and my self-centered heart.

It’s to Jesus I go seeking forgiveness, unmerited though it is. He, with grace and mercy, desires to give me forgiveness and love, without condition.

I am so thankful for His love and grace, for Jesus shed blood and obedience to God the Father.

Take time with me and thank God for Jesus. And remember those He has brought into your life who He has asked you to put above your own wants in service like Christ.

Merry Christmas. May you know the joy and peace that is Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Greetings all you reindeer folk and thank you for purchasing one of my little creations on Ken’s Christmas Tree lot.

It’s good to know that the little reindeer are going to good homes.

I am currently working on editing my novel, Sins of Our Fathers, per the suggestions of a well known publishing house who is interested in possibly publishing it in 2010.

Feel free to stop by the lot if your reindeer get lonely and need a companion.

Merry Christmas!

One of my spots for writing at Panera. The only problem here is that when the Air Condition kicks in because it can get real cold.

Therefore I usually bring a jacket or sweater.

Someone stole my favorite spot. Hopefully, I’ll get it next time.

Okay, so you’re probably wondering just what kind of pics can one have of a writing adventure?

Well… these kind:

Some days I wrestle with writing.

Other days writing wrestles with me.

Either match is acceptable to me. Because it means I’m working at writing. What is unacceptable is not writing.

Lately too much obstructs my entrance into the ring of battle.

But that is life. And the benefit is that life makes us writers stronger and more agile when we can step into the wrestling ring.

Something I hope to do within an hour when I escape to one of my favorite writing rings, Panera Bread!

Chow.

Update:
Tonight I am the one doing the wrestling. :-8

I’m sitting at my favorite Panera.

I am ease dropping on conversations around the room, watching how people move, how they dress, and working my non-fiction book project. All at the same time! I’m a super writer, what can I say.

Oh, yeah. I’m also writing a quick post here to tell you how to improve your character dialogue.

Here’s the secret. Get out.

Go where people are and listen. Carry a pen and a pad with you. Or like me right now, have a separate doc open on your laptop where you can jot down what you hear. I’m not telling you to use it verbatim in your writing. What I am telling you, is that it will help you improve the voice of your characters.

I’m reminded of a rather famous Christian author who was stymied early on in his career in making his dialogue real. He spoke at this years Florida Christian Writers Conference. He did just what I’m telling you to do and he even went the extra step of recording conversations and typing them back up so he could get the feel for it.

Give it a shot. I think you’ll find it will help your characters to come to life.

My short story, “Wounds,” is currently available for reading on the online magazine, Mindflights.

Here’s the tease for the story:

There’s an element that taints creation and exposes man’s wounds. Teenager Daniel Louis is the only one who can see it. Or so he thought. When an old man cursed like himself offers to show him the benefits of their ability, Daniel finds himself at a crossroads.

Click over and read it and the other poetry and short stories available for your entertainment and edification.

Let me know what you think of my short story. I hope you will enjoy it.

I’ll post more about this year’s conference and the things the Lord did for me while here in future posts.

But I will say that this has been a fabulous conference. Billie Wilson assembled and continues to assemble an excellent cast of writers, experts, and editors.

I had fun here and met some wonderful people.

Authors I met, and this is by no means a complete list and I don’t want to miss anyone but I’m sure I will: Mark Myneir, Bryan Davis, Davis Bunn, Clella Camp, Eva Marie Everson… And a handful more. Once I get home and the cloud dissipates from my mind I’ll try to list more.

All these people love the Lord and have a passion for serving fellow Christians to improve and use the talent to write for the Lord at these conferences. I think a theme in this conference, if I had to pick one, is that we are to use our words to spread the Gospel of Jesus to all the world. Craig von Buseck summed that up best with his dynamic message this morning.

Well, I’m sitting in the lobby of the hotel at the Bradenton Christian Retreat Center at this year’s Florida Christian Writers Conference.

It’s exciting to see such writers as Bryan Davis and T. Davis Bunn. Very solid Christian men.

I need to stop and pack the laptop up and head back in a minute. I’m in between dinner and the night session.

But I have to say how refreshing it is to be with fellow Christian Writers and see old friends from the last time I was here.

I have turned my Sins of the Fathers proposal in to be looked at by an editor. Both Tyndale and B&H are here. So say a prayer for me.

I’ve also submitted another proposal for a non-fiction book to get some direction on. We shall see.

I just got paid for a short story I wrote titled, “Wounds.”

MindFlights is going to be publishing it.

Very cool.

I’ll post here with a link to the story once it’s up which I expect will be March or there abouts.

So I think I’ll go out to Panera with my laptop and get some coffee and a scrumptious cinnamon chip scone to celebrate. And I’ll do some writing too.