Life in the Past Lane

   

    I live so much of my life in the past and future. So few minutes of my day are spent thinking about the present. Most often, my thoughts are, “I’ve gotta get this done before….” Or, “I wish I hadn’t done that….” 

    It’s not that planning for the future or learning from the past are bad (in fact, the Bible says we should do those things), but when I am dwelling on my plans or regrets – that’s not good.

     Here’s what the Bible says:

Ephesians 5:15-16
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. (ST: Stay focused. We are in a war.)

James 4:14-15
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." (ST: Trust eliminates fear of the future. The ability to see my life in the light of eternity gives me the perspective I need to put things in proper order. People are more important than “getting things done.”)

Matthew 6:33-34
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (ST: Yup.)

Philippians 4:6-8
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (ST: “Anxious for nothing,” including past regrets and future worries. I need to dwell on true things, things that are here and now that I can do for God’s glory.)

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (ST: So why worry over what is beyond my control? “He is on His throne and firmly seated,” as my father says.)

      I hope this encourages you to seize, not just the day, but every moment.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Fiction: Is It Worth It?

     I am writing a book. It is in the science fiction genre. My goal for the book has always been higher than simple entertainment. I want my book to glorify God, not just make a reader happy. But every once in a while I wonder, "Is it worth it?"

     There are some who say that fantasy and science fiction are a means of escape. That we use fiction to "get out" of the world for as long as we can. They say that much of modern day fiction is causing us to pull away from reality. That we are forgetting that this world has real consequences and requires us to take real responsibility. 

     God has often used fiction in my life to draw me back to Him. But I have also often been distracted by fiction.

     If, as Christians, we are to keep our eyes focused on Christ, then how does fiction, and entertainment in general, fit in? I don't think God wants us to live dull, boring lives. But if glorifying God more means abstaining from time-wasting entertainment, then surely He will bless those who obey. The question is, does God want me to?

     This is one of those areas where Christians will never totally agree, I think. And that's fine, because we aren't supposed to agree on everything. But I want to hear all the views.

     Is fiction worth it? Is writing fiction, reading fiction, and watching fiction on the TV worth the time we give it? What say you?

Happy Monday, Everyone!

     Proven fact: Mondays are not as cool as Flippy, Floppy, Fruity, Futterwacken, Fantastic Fridays. But the best thing to do when faced with the adversity of an upcoming week is to make fun of it. Thus, I give you Julian Smith:

Flippy, Floppy, Fruity, Futterwacken, Fantastic Friday!

     Listen, I'm just getting in on the apparent trend. Fairly Funny Friday, Short and Sweet Friday, Filk Friday, and Friday Fun are all current posts on blogs I am following. So here is my clever Friday post. Ta-da.

     So, are you... looking forward to the weekend?

     Sorry. It just had to be done.

     I am going to have a bonfire with some friends tonight. What are your weekend plans?

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

The Christian Girls Club

    

     I've known Jen for over a decade. She is a beautiful, talented, and fun young lady. But what sets her apart from most girls is her love for Jesus.

     Several years ago, Jen decided to create a newsletter for Christian girls (told you she was talented). It started with her circle of friends. Now it has expanded into a published magazine sent to girls all over the world. God has really blessed Jen's work.

     If you are a girl or a guy who knows of a girl (brothers!), you might want to look into the Christian Girls Club. It's encouraging. It's fun. It's interactive. And, whoopee, it's FREE! There really isn't any good reason why you shouldn't click here to go to the CGC website.

     By the way, (cough, cough) my story The Battle Surrendered is going to be featured in upcoming CGC issues. And it's edited and improved. With an alternate ending. Just sayin'.

     And if that isn't exciting enough, Jen loves involvement. This means, Christian writers, artists, and so on, that you can share your gifts with other Christian girls through the CGC.

     Did I mention that the CGC magazine is FREE?

     The best way to sign up for the CGC is to email your name and address to cgc(at)frontiernet(dot)net (cgc@frontiernet.net).

     If you would like more information, email me (storytellerjourney@hotmail.com) or Jen at the frontiernet address above. Please make sure you put "Christian Girls Club" in the subject box.

     By the way, the CGC is FREE. Epic, I know!

     Tell your friends.

     It's FREE! It's FREE! It's FREE, FREE, FREE!

     Ahem.

     Seriously, check out the Christian Girls Club. Email me or Jen. Do it. What do you have to lose?

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

RUN!

    

     I can be picky about games. But once I find a game I like, it’s easy to become addicted.
     Right now, I’m addicted to Temple Run. It’s basically a chase scene on an ancient temple wall. Simple. But here’s the thing:

     It never ends.

     You run and run until you are caught by the obstacles or the evil monkey creatures. The point is to collect as many coins as you can before you die so you can “buy” upgrades to help you run farther next time. Poor Guy Dangerous the explorer never makes it out of the Temple.

     There’s another thing about Temple Run. It’s fast. You can’t look away from the screen for a second or splat. Dead. And you need close-to-ninja reflexes to jump, turn, and slide on time.

     So the games whizzes by at Millennium Falcon speed and the runner never actually escapes except by death.

     Sounds like life, doesn’t it?

     At least, that’s how my life feels, lately. As I mentioned before, I spent last year at Word of Life Bible Institute. But now I’m back home, and sometimes it feels like nothing ever changes. I’m busy, but what am I really accomplishing? Or, to put it in Temple Run terms, I’m running, but it’s only a matter of time before I trip and fall off the wall. It’s easy to be discouraged.

     But I read something encouraging a while ago, and I want to share it with you. It was written by Paul Enns in his new book Heaven Revealed. Dr. Enns’s wife died suddenly a few years ago, so he did a study on Heaven and wrote the book. Here’s what he said:

     “Think of the words. Heaven. Earth. Heaven is always better, in every realm, in every dimension. How could heaven be heaven if there was one arena in which heaven would be poorer and inferior to conditions on earth? It wouldn’t be heaven! You and I cannot think of a single realm or phase of living in which life would be poorer in heaven. Health? Better! Knowledge? Excessively better! Relationships? Much better! Everything will be better in every area of life.”

     Yes, our run through this crazy life will end in death. But we have the expectation of better at the end, if we trust Christ. I hope this encourages you today in your run. It gives me hope when I remember it.

     Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us….
Hebrews 12:1

Post Tenebras Lux
-ST

Character Development Part 2

"3-D"

     One of my writer friends asked me how my writing was going. I told her that I haven't been writing much. I've been developing my characters. I expressed my frustration over my antagonist. My story, at the moment, has no antagonist. The old  manuscript had your average evil villain, but I am striving for more. 

     My writer friend asked if I had tried character boards. After I displayed my ignorance, she explained that character boards are when you write down character information on index cards. "Sometimes the 3-D, being able to touch the cards, triggers something in your mind to help you find what you're looking for," she said. 

     So I tried it. I wrote down different traits for my antagonist on pieces of paper. Some of them were obvious: "Prideful," "Selfish," "Vain." Some were contrasting: "Male-Female," "Rich-Poor," "Easily Angered-Not Easily Angered." Then I picked out the ones I really liked and wanted to see in my story. I had a "Eureka!" moment after looking at them for a few days and wrote down some possible motives. 

     Since the antagonist board is going slowly, I also wrote down each of my characters' names and made a "main cast" character board. I found that the characters naturally fell into pairs. After a while, I felt that something was missing. Then I realized I had forgotten the most important "character." Jesus. I wrote His Name on a paper and it really helped me figure out how each character relates to and views Him, which of course affects their personalities entirely.

     Have you ever used character boards? How did yours work?

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST