Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

Million Dollar Baby isn't worth 2 cents

Tempted to see Million Dollar Baby after it won awards at the Golden Globes and is up for some Oscars? Don't waste your time or your money, especially if you are a Christian. Don't give your support to the makers of this film.

Barbara Nicolosi of Act One, Inc., has this to say: One of the most galling things about Million Dollar Baby is that the characters are actually pagans dressed in Christian clothing.  Why did they have to make them us?

What I appreciate about Barbara is that she is an "industry insider" who is also a Christian. Read her entire, very excellent blog entry about this movie that demeans Christians and wants to promote euthanasia at Church of the Masses.

I love to go to movies, and I wish Hollywood would put out more movies filled with hope and morals rather than the clap-trap they so often feed us. If you like movies, too, why not see one or more of the Ten Most Redeeming Films of 2004, as reported in Christianity Today. Let's build up those box office receipts and keep sending a message to the powers that be in Hollywood.

-rlh-

willing hearts

If their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so, they brought to the LORD their offerings... (Exodus 35:21, NLT)

When I read that verse this morning, I couldn't help thinking how God still wants hearts that are stirred and people who desire to bring their offerings to Him. He created all things. He is the all-powerful God, and there is no one like Him. He could have made us puppets. Instead, He gave us free will and waits for us to love Him, to desire to join Him in what He is doing throughout the earth.

Lord, stir my heart. I desire to bring You the offerings of my life, my talent, my thoughts, my actions, my tithes, my joys, my sorrows. It's all Yours anyway, Lord. I lay it down at the foot of the cross. Amen.

As I continued reading about the gifts for the Tabernacle, I came to these verses:

The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. In fact, he has every necessary skill. And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The LORD has given them special skills as jewelers, designers, weavers, and embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on fine linen cloth. They excel in all the crafts needed for the work. (Exodus 35:31-35, NLT)

Lord Jesus, You give the wisdom, intelligence, and skills that I need to do the work You've called me to do. You have given me every necessary skill. Awesome! Make me aware of Your gifts today. Keep me conscious of Your hand moving in my life. Thank You for the calling You have placed on my life to serve You with all that I am, with my whole heart, with my willing heart. Let me excel in the craft needed for the work You have called me to do. Amen.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

a cautionary word

Recently, an excited writer on an email group I'm in, wrote that after all the CBA publishers had rejected her book, she finally had a contract offer from a publisher who was willing to take a chance.

The problem: the publisher in question is PublishAmerica, and because the writer in question said she'd been very close to going the self-publishing route before she got their offer, I have the feeling she doesn't know that PublishAmerica is as close to self-publishing as one can get without forking out money up front. Real editing won't be there. Real marketing won't be there. The best copy sales she might possibly enjoy is in the low to mid four figures.

There are, of course, times and reasons for going the self-publishing route, but that's a tough direction to take with fiction. The big boxes and chains (Borders, B&N, Costco, Walmart, Sam's, Family Christian, Lifeway) don't stock the books. Yes, they (print-on-demand books) can be ordered, but fiction is mostly an impulse buy. You need that physical exposure to get the books into the hands of readers.

There are stories all over the Internet right now about PublishAmerica and how upset with them authors are. Here's one from the Washington Post. And if that isn't enough, here is something I received from another writer yesterday:

We've all heard from people who write and ask us about PublishAmerica, which insists it is NOT a vanity press.  Well, this brilliant science fiction writer enlisted science fiction-writing friends to each write a chapter for a manuscript to submit to PublishAmerica. The only consistencies were character names and the setting, Atlanta.  But seasons change, character descriptions change, punctuation didn't matter. No common plot at all.  The thing is a hoot. 

And guess what?  Oh, yeah, the manuscript was accepted.  Here’s the proof:

You can read the manuscript.
You can read the acceptance letter.
You can read the sample contract.

The participating science fiction writers are now planning to use the book as a fund raiser for charity.

So my word to any writers reading this blog is, be cautious. Don't want something so badly that you make bad choices. If you think PublishAmerica (which insists they are not a vanity press) or iUniverse (which knows it's a vanity press) is right for your work and the best place for you to go, then that's fine. Just gather all the facts and be fully informed before you make that crucial decision.

-rlh-

God's friend

And the LORD replied to Moses, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and you are my friend." (NLT, Exodus 33:17)

What an awesome thing to hear God say. "You're my friend. I favor you, and I'm going to do the things you've asked me to do because of our friendship. As your friend, I want to spend time with you. I want to fellowship with you. Come over here and let's sit down together and talk for a while."

The God of the universe says this to me because of my relationship with His Son. The LORD who is good, who is glorious, who is merciful and gracious, who is slow to anger and rich in unfailing love, who is faithful, who is forgiving, who is holy, who performs miracles and wonders, who has an awesome power, who is passionate about His relationship with His people — all of which I read this morning in Exodus 32-34 — wants not only to be my God and my heavenly Father but also my friend. Sometimes that's a bit hard to wrap my understanding around.

Lord, this morning I'm asking that You let me catch the vision of what it means to be Your friend. How privileged I am to know and to love You. But I want to know You more. Amen.

retreat finale

This is the last night of our retreat. Today, we brainstormed two more books. We worked out in the little exercise room at the Ashley Inn. We ate ... and ate ... and ate. Then we splurged on massages. Ahhhhhhh. And finally, we made popcorn (more eating) and sat down to watch American Idol.

So in the morning it's back to Boise. My writer friends will fly home to their respective states, and we will all get to work. We're ready. This was a rejuvenating retreat. How nice to be going home not only inspired and having accomplished what I came for, but also feeling relaxed.

We went to see Finding Neverland last night. I was once again captivated, and I so understand the flights of imagination of the Depp character. May my flights of imagination spin stories that will endure. May I write so well that I take my readers along with me into the story worlds I create.

-rlh-

wrong turns gone right

Do you ever see the hand of God just moving over a day in miraculous way? That happened to us today.

This writers' retreat came together very quickly, the result of one writer wanting to write about a former logging town being revived by a resort. I said, "You should come and see what's happening up in this small Idaho mountain town." Before we knew it, here we were.

Back tracking a bit, they arrived on Saturday (one was delayed four hours so was exhausted when she arrived). We went to church together on Sunday. What a blessing to share my wonderful church home with these very special friends. A quick stop at the mall for a few needed items, and then we drove into the mountains. Beautiful!!! This inn where we are staying is absolutely fabulous. We ended yesterday with some exercise, a swim, and a soak in the hot tub.

This morning we brainstormed a novel, then we drove up to the knew destination resort. We "made a wrong turn" and ended up in the exclusive members' only area. We were sort of gawking around when a man came over. I think he knew we didn't "belong" there. Despite making sure we knew that the restaurant was for members only, he was very nice. My friend who is needing the research asked questions, and he shared generously. We were about to leave and had said our thanks when he said, "If you go up that path and around those buildings, you'll find the real estate office. They can give you more information." So off we went. We made another "wrong turn" and ended up going in the back door of the real estate office.

The young gal behind the desk in the front of the building of this very exclusive resort was so pleasant. She said something, we said something, and soon we knew she was a believer. She found out we are writers of Christian fiction; she loves Christian fiction, particularly Francine Rivers. A little more chatting and we knew her fiance was in Iraq. The end result was, we asked if we could pray for her and her fiance before we left. We went into the conference room and "had church." Afterward, this beautiful young Christian shared how low she'd been and how much this had blessed her.

God is so good. We thought we took a wrong turn, but He knew exactly where we were going and why we were there.

read with bloglines

A month or so ago, I downloaded software for a reader that finds the feeds for different blogs I regularly read. Didn't like it much. But I have now discovered a service on-line that allows me to easily add blogs I want to read and to always know when a new post is available. No software to download. And it's free. I highly recommend Bloglines to you. I was able to add a button to my toolbar (and the instructions are easy to follow no matter what browser you are using). When I'm on a blog that I want to add to my list, I just click that button and the blog is added.

So now, instead of clicking all of those links in my Favorites/Bookmarks, hopping from one blog to another, I just go to Bloglines, and I can see who has a new post. Great time saver.

-rlh-

what the press said about what the president said

The Harrisburg Patriot and Union wrote: "We pass over the silly remarks of the President; for the credit of the nation we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of."
 
The Chicago Times: "The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterance."
 
The London Times: "[T]he ceremony was rendered ludicrous by some of the sallies of that poor President... Anything more dull and commonplace it would not be easy to produce."
 
The Springfield Republican was surprised at how well [the President] did, though, noting: "We had grown so accustomed to homely and imperfect phrase in his productions that we had come to think it was the law of his utterance."

Hmm. Was the press listening to the same speech that I listened to yesterday? Well, actually. No. Those comments are all what the press had to say about Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. But it sure does sound similar to what much of the press is saying today about George W. Bush's inaugural address, doesn't it? I heard a man who believes in our country, who loves freedom and wishes it for all people. I don't even want to repeat some of the dumb, stupid stuff I heard come out of reporters' mouths today.

*****

Lest you think I was witty enough to come up with the above myself, I wasn't. A friend sent me a link  to Rush Limbaugh's radio transcript for today, and the above quotes were all cited in a Carl Sandburg book. Limbaugh said: "That's not saying [President Bush's speech] was the Gettysburg Address yesterday, but you will get the point."

And in case you've forgotten how the Gettysburg Address goes, here it is:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

You know, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

-rlh-

on the trail of a plot

Well, I'm excited. In about 21 hours, I'll be at the Boise airport, awaiting the arrival of a couple of writer friends. We are headed into the mountains of Idaho where we are going to brainstorm several books, one for each of us. We will also eat, laugh, eat, talk, eat, explore the countryside, and eat. Did I mention food plays a large part of the brainstorming process?

I had a nice chat with one of my editors this morning, discussing tentative ideas for a two-book series. Just in the nick of time, too, since one of those books is what I'll want to brainstorm at this little retreat.

Brainstorming is one of my favorite parts of writing a book. Usually I have to brainstorm with myself in a notebook. It's so much better when it can be done with another writer or two. I love bouncing around ideas. Try this. No, then try this. What about.... Of course, it is really the most fun to brainstorm another person's book because I don't have the responsibility of making any of those ideas work.

Forgot to mention in the blog that the line editor for Loving Libby loved the work I did on the manuscript and it has moved into the next stage of the publishing process.

Oh, here's a funny in relation to that book. I was checking out Amazon to see if the book was listed yet. It was, but get this. It was listed as a book for infants/toddlers. Huh? Gosh, I didn't know my writing was that elementary. I emailed the publisher and the marketing gal and I had a good laugh. She said they were just trying to expand my market. Well, great. But how many one-year-olds shop for books on Amazon?

Ah, this business is so full of ups and downs, wonderful highs and deep lows, and both can happen at the same time. It's enough to drive a writer nuts.

-rlh-

Liberty for the Captives

I enjoyed reading Chuck Colson's comments this morning, and I hope you will, too.

The presidential inauguration, no matter who is being sworn in, is a glorious moment, showing the world how freely elected governments work. But to my mind, the second inaugural address of George W. Bush was not only beautifully written and delivered, but also historic and memorable, for two major reasons.

BreakPoint | Liberty for the Captives.

Church of the Masses

I just read the entry at Church of the Masses about the inauguration, and it is so good, I'm copying the entire entry below, just in case you don't want to go visit her blog. (An excellent blog, BTW, especially if you enjoy movies or ever have thought of writing for the movies.)

************

Just finished watching the hour-long prayer service that was W's second inauguration. Wow, talk about not bowing to the sniping critics who hate you bringing your faith into everything! What a brave man.

And - have to say it - what a difference from Clinton's inaugurations - especially the first one, which was such an unadulterated celebration of himself. Maybe it was becase he had a boatload of Hollywood folks orchestrtaing the events, but they seemed much more like an AFI Gushfest than the transfer of power in a democratic republic. Who can forget Clinton making the ridiculous pilgrimage to JFK's tomb, biting his lip and staring at the eternal flame as if to say, "Hell, I'm here to pick up where you left off - (you skirt chasing son of a gun!)" Could anybody else hear Lloyd Benson's intonation over that scene, "Mr. Clinton, I knew John Kennedy. He was my friend. You sir, are no John Kennedy." Then there was my other "Most Nauseating Moment" - when Sally Field and Goldie Hawn ran out on stage during one of the inaugural galas, holding hands and saying something to the effect of, "Aren't we all wonderful?!" It was, in short, revolting.

W's got a whole other style - one that hearkens back to George Washington waving off being called, "Your Exellency." "But, what shall we call you sir?" he was asked. "Call me, Mr. President." W's speech was one of the best I've ever heard. Huge ideals. Huge. Eloquent without being flowery. Delivered without one little stumble, in a voice of authority - "and not like the scribes/Senate..."

Would that all Americans would reflect on this speech and the ideals to which it challenges us. I have been wont to think that we are the last days of the republic - but maybe not...

what the President said

January 20, 2005 (Prepared copy of President George W. Bush's inaugural address):

Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:

On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.

inauguration

I should be working, but instead I am watching the inauguration. It's a moment in history I don't want to miss. I want to hear and see the President sworn in again. I want to hear his speech. There are other hours I can work, but I can't see this inauguration live at another time.

And although I'm sure my personal invitation to be there went astray {{grin}}, I won't complain that I'm in my nice, warm family room while thousands are out in the cold, cold, cold.

May God bless our nation. We are not a perfect nation nor a perfect people. Thank God, perfection is not a requirement for His blessing.

-rlh-

discouragement = deafness

Exodus 6:9  So Moses told the people what the LORD had said, but they wouldn't listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the increasing burden of their slavery. (NLT)

How often do I fail to hear God's promises because I'm discouraged by my burdens? And sometimes the burdens that hit me in this life seem like slavery. I'm trapped. There is no way of escape. My taskmaster has a whip and is using it. Sometimes I want to shout, "God, take me out of Egypt!!" But I'm not listening to what He is saying. Or I'm not believing what He has said already. He's promised deliverance but I'm deaf to His words.

There are certain promises God has given me through the years. I believe His promises are true. But I also know that I have a set idea in my head of how God will bring those promises to fruition. And while I'm at it, I'm pretty sure I know the best time line, too. Like, how about right now! Then burdens come, trials and temptations, times in the wilderness when it seems like I am utterly alone and forsaken, and I forget those promises I've heard. I don't listen because of my discouragement. I am enslaved, but more because of my lack of hearing than because of what my personal "Egyptians" are doing to me.

I got an email from a reader whose son is in rebellion. Her heart is breaking. My heart breaks with hers. I know this pain. It's a wilderness experience, when any 24 hours feels like 40 years. Why is this happening to me? we wonder. We begin second guessing and doubting.

You know, those 9 hours the disciples were in that boat in the storm (between the time Jesus told them to go out in the boat about 6 p.m. and the time He came walking to them on the water about 3 a.m.) must have seemed to go on forever. The waves were high. The boat was surely going to sink and everyone perish. The men were exhausted by it all. And the disciples had been obedient, too. They had done exactly what Jesus told them to do, and still they were caught in the storm (note: the storms of life don't mean we are in sin or disobedience). But Jesus came at the right time. He didn't forsake them.

So this post is a reminder to myself to listen to God's plans. Don't become deaf, even if and when discouragements come.

I'm in the grip of His grace.
Robin

Tuesday teeth & TV

So here I am on Tuesday evening, settled onto the couch, my darling Poppet beside me, a comfy throw over my legs, and my laptop where it is supposed to be ... on my lap.

The dentist appointment was not nearly as bad as I'd feared. On Christmas Eve I noticed that my gums under my permanent bridge felt "strange." Not really painful, just odd. So the next Monday I called to make a dentist appointment. Couldn't get in until after the New Year. By then I was sick, and I had to postpone the appointment twice. That gave me plenty of time to imagine the worst. It wasn't. It was a tiny root fragment, coming through the gum. A quick shot of Novocaine, a little cut, and it was over. Then, because they had a cancellation, I found out they could do my cleaning right then so I wouldn't have to make another appointment. How great was that?

I drove out of the parking lot, praising God for answering my non-verbalized prayer that it wouldn't be something serious, something expensive. I'm even thankful now that the numbing has worn off and the gum's a bit tender where the dentist cut it.

Confession: I am one of a handful of people in America who had never seen an episode of American Idol. (I was a fairly faithful viewer of Star Search when it was on.) So tonight, I decided to give it a try. After all, they are showing a bunch of the "worst of" contestants tonight as they kick off the new season. I didn't want to miss that, right?

Oh, my. Sometimes this is just plain painful to watch. I have the heart of a great singer. If I could have requested a great voice, I sure would have. I love music. I love being around singers. I love to sing myself. But for pity sake, I recognize my limits. I can carry a tune, but I carry it better (1) in the shower, (2) in my room with the stereo cranked high, (3) in my car in heavy traffic, and (4) when surrounded by people with beautiful voices during worship in church.

Good thing God called me to write, huh?

-rlh-

one of those good days

Every once in a while, a day is good from start to finish. My day began with ideas. I awoke, and there they were, just waiting for me. I scribbled in my notebook as fast as I could write, trying to get all my thoughts down before they disappeared in a mist.

Next, I got a massage. 90 minutes of pure bliss. I guess that pretty much speaks for itself.

At 1:00 p.m. I met Daughter #1 and her daughter and son at the movie theater to see Phantom of the Opera. I have seen the play twice, once on Broadway, once in Boise. I have listened to the CD countless times. I loved the play and the music, and now I can say I loved the movie. It didn't feel like I was in the theater for two and a half hours. I was transfixed. I like some of the things they added for the movie, and I have to say that the unconditional love and forgiveness of Christine was so much more clear in the movie than it was in the stage production.

Then it was off to eat at Goodwood Barbecue in celebration of Grandson #2's birthday (his birthday was last week but he was off in the mountains so we had to wait to go out for our traditional birthday lunch).

When I got home, I found out that Catching Katie has landed on the Library Journal's Best Books of 2004 list. Now there was a shocker. A very pleasant one, to be sure.

And to top it off, this is CSI: Miami night, and it isn't a rerun.

I'm glad this was a good day. Tomorrow I see the dentist, and I'm pretty sure that isn't going to be as pleasant as seeing Phantom of the Opera.

-rlh-

to author blog or not

Here's a link to an AP article (dated 9/24/04) about authors blogging. It's been around awhile, so you may have already seen it. I hadn't so I thought I would share.

-rlh-

writing from your passion

One of my consistent words of advise to aspiring novelists (actually, to any novelist) is: Write your passion. When a writer gets all caught up in writing tips and publishing trends, she can lose the most important part of the process — to be totally in love with the story she is telling. Passion for the story that grips a writer will carry her writing far.

I found a great quote about this same thing in Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell:

William Saroyan, whose novels have more passion in them than most, was once asked the name of his next book. "I don't have a name and I don't have a plot," he replied. "I have the typewriter and I have white paper and I have me and that should add up to a novel."

That's why Saroyan's work seems so fresh. He was not content with the old advice, write what you know. He figured out early that the key to originality was write who you are.

Writing who you are = writing your passion.

technology, part deux

Well, I am getting a very slow start to my day and must turn my attention to the work at hand. However, wanted to share that the third call to my DSL provider yesterday did the trick. They cleared whatever wires/system/doo-hinky that had to be cleared, and as of about 5:00 last evening, all was working smoothly. Only took about an hour to sift through the 150+ emails that had stacked up.

On one of my Yahoo Groups, I saw "confessions" of writers who are members of 50 and 80 and more Yahoo Groups. Ye gads! And I thought mine was bad. I have seven active groups and about ten others that are for notification where I get one email every month or two. But those seven active groups can generate a lot of email. [Note to self: Don't join any more groups!]

-rlh-

technology - love it/hate it

This week I decided it was time to move my web site to a different host for a savings of $28 per month. That's quite a tidy sum per year, and the new hosting service actually has some better perks. However, as these things often go, it hasn't been as simple as it was supposed to be. My old host is also my DSL provider, and although the domain servers have switched and *other* people can see my new location (I know because I uploaded with a slight difference and I asked a friend to check for me), I still can't see it because my view is through the DSL where I had the old name servers. It also means I can't download my email yet. I can read it on-line as web mail but I can't get it onto my computer until those old name server codes disappear. They told me it would take about an hour when I called. It's been three hours now.

I'm a bit of a techno-nerd. I like my electronic gadgets. I love writing on a computer and sending email and web designing. I like my digital camera and my digital music and my cell phone. I'm the person friends contact when they can't figure something out with their computer software or with Yahoo Groups. Don't get me wrong. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. That's my son-in-law who makes his living making other companies' systems run right. Yes, I love my electronics, but oh, when they aren't working right, how frustrating it all is.

So here I am, tapping those shoes that were dancing a couple of days ago, waiting for things to start working right again. Sigh.....

-rlh-

happy, happy

These are my happy feet, doing a little dance to celebrate the completion of Loving Libby line edits. Amazing how good it feels. I made some significant changes to the ending of the book which surprised me. I thought I'd already handled all that when I did the revisions. But suddenly, looking at it, I saw some things I didn't like at all.

So now I wait to see what the editor thinks. That's the worst part. The waiting.

Tomorrow it's back to thinking about the next book.

-rlh-

got peace?

During our time of worship in song in church this morning, the Lord spoke to my heart. I've been anxious about something that could happen, something that might be happening (without me knowing it for sure). The "what if's" were making me sleepless during the night. While we were in praise, the verse about "peace that passes understanding" drifted into my mind, and it seemed as if God were asking me, "Do you really want that kind of peace?"

Well, of course, I want it. Who doesn't want it?

I sat and opened my Bible to Philippians 4 and read these verses:

Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Will you look at that? The Bible gives me clear instructions on how to get that peace that is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. It says, If you do this... If I do what?

#1 Pray about everything instead of worrying about it. Pray about it. Give it up. Take it to the Lord. Every time I think of it, skip the anxiety and worry and go straight to prayer. Father, here I am again. I'm worried about ______. Please help me know what to do. I haven't the wisdom without You. You are the sovereign God. Nothing enters my life that isn't filtered through Your loving hands. If it be Your will, change the circumstances. If changing the circumstances isn't Your will, Lord, change me.

#2 Thank God for all that He has done. What has He done in my life? Thousands of things. He loves me. He saved me and set me free. He provides for me daily. He has given me health and the ability to make a living. He placed me in a wonderful, loving family. I have an abundance of friends. And so much more!

Want peace? Prayer + thanksgiving = perfect peace.

-rlh-

the age of Isaac

I was raised in a mainline Christian church, and I spent the Sundays of my youth in Sunday School class. I've now decided that some of those well-meaning illustrated Bible stories can sure mess with the mind of understanding.

This morning, in my reading of Genesis 22 and the study of four different commentaries, I discovered the false image I've had in my head all of these years. When we read the story of God's request that Abraham sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, it isn't hard to see all the foreshadowing of God's sacrifice of His beloved Son Jesus. That I've understood since I was a new believer reading the Bible. What I didn't see until this morning was that Isaac was not some scared little boy. He wasn't even a teenager. He was probably somewhere between 27 and 33 years old. Abraham was about 127 years old at the time. He certainly couldn't have overpowered Isaac to place him on the altar. No, Isaac, once he learned he was to be the sacrifice, must have offered himself willingly and in obedience. Both of these men trusted completely in God Almighty.

Interesting how knowing that changes the way I react to this portion of Scripture.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

another 50 pages down

Six hours and who knows how many fractured brain cells later, I put away another 50 pages of line edits yesterday. I've got 106 pages to go, so if I can maintain the same pace, I'll be done with the edits by tomorrow. I do have some crucial additions to make in today's chapters, so we'll have to see how it goes.

My office and file drawers are in desperate need of some clean up work. It's 2005. Time to move the 2004 file folders into the archives and get ready for the new year. Time for me to print W-2's for my business and mail them. Time to get my personal financial papers in order too, because tax time is rolling toward me faster than I like to think about. I need to be two people, I think, in order to keep up with the writing on one side and all the writing-related business stuff on the other.

But no point worrying about it. (I know what Jesus had to say about worry!) I will do what I can do. Somehow the important things get done. I'm getting better at ignoring dust bunnies. I would like to put into practice some of the tips I've read on Fly Lady. We'll see. Line edits first. De-clutter later.

-rlh-

Epiphany

Epiphany
1 capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles

Last evening, in celebration of Epiphany, our church had a showing of the movie Luther. I would give it a "B." Too many of us in the church know too little about our Christian history, especially of those years when men were killed for daring to translate the Bible into the language of the people. Of course, it was Martin Luther's epiphany that was the spark that birthed protestantism. At times, this movie is a little confusing if you aren't at least a little up on your history already. Still, I would recommend seeing it.

At intermission, the church took a collection for the tsunami victims. The money is going to Malaysia where six to eight students from our church's School of Biblical Studies are serving now. They were there during the tsunami, but all, for one reason or another, were away from the village at the moment the wave hit, so none were lost. But the village was pretty much destroyed. Because Malaysia is primarily a Muslim nation and it is against the law to proselytize, interaction between Christians and Muslims can be rare. The goal of the small Malaysian Christian church (150 members approximately) who will receive this collection is to replace the fishing boats that were lost (fishing is the source of the villagers' income) so that they can earn their living. The cost will be about $25,000. Well, the offering last night raised about $15,000. One hundred percent of the money given will be on its way to Malaysia today. May God multiply it many times over.

-rlh-

getting past the writing hurdles

Yesterday, FTM asked:

How did you manage to write your first book? What kind of hurdles did you experience? I ask this as someone who has a burning desire to write a book (whether it gets published or not is beside the point), but who can't seem to get past "chapter 1."

How did I manage to write my first book? The only way anybody can. I sat down and wrote it one page at a time. Lots of people think they would like to write a book. They think about it, they talk about it, they just never do it. So the first rule is, plant your behind in the chair and write. If you write one page per day, you'll have a 365 page manuscript at the end of one year. Look at it in small bites, and it will make it easier.

I was a single mom of two pre-teen daughters when I wrote my first book. I had a full time day job. I wrote evenings and weekends. Almost nobody had computers back then (and what they did have were mostly glorified typewriters); I certainly didn't have one. I wrote long hand on legal pads, then typed the pages on the office typewriter during coffee breaks and lunch hours. (I still have the onion skin carbon copies of my first books!) Eventually, I established a routine of writing from 7-9 pm, Mon-Thu, and on Saturday mornings. Friday nights, Saturday afternoons, and Sundays were reserved for family time.

how can I be sure? faith...

In chapter 15 of Genesis, God tells Abram that He's going to give him a son to inherit all his wealth and that his descendants will be like the stars, too many to count.

And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous because of his faith. (Gen 15:6 )

Then, the very next sentence, God tells Abram that He's going to give him the land they're looking at/living in.

But Abram replied, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that you will give it to me?" (Gen 15:8)

Interesting how Abram believes about the son and descendants even though he's an old man (something that must have seemed improbable if not impossible), but he can't quite believe about the land (a place he's already living in!).

Why is it that some major faith-builder happens in our lives, and we are so full of faith at that point that we can walk on water — and about ten minutes later, we forget what that faith-builder was (we get our eyes off God and onto the land we hope to possess or onto the stormy seas) and we suddenly need a sign from God to be sure that He will do what He already said He would do? And there we go, sinking like a brick!

I know. I know. I'm mixing Bible stories and/or metaphors. Still it's true.

I think that's why God asked His people to put up those markers throughout the Old Testament years. We need reminders all the time about what God has done in our lives. Sometimes we need the reminders of what He did as little as ten minutes ago. I try to note in journals those important times in my life, those lessons God teaches me, those times He carries me through, so that I can go back in my journals and see them. "Oh, I remember this, Lord. Look what You did for me then."

Still, even without those reminders, I want it said of me that Robin believed the LORD, and the LORD declared her righteous because of her faith. I want that to be said of me because, as Hebrews 11:6 tells me, without faith, it is impossible to please God. And I do so want to please my Sovereign Lord.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

oh, boy! another quiz

I told you I was going to go browse blogs. I found another quiz at Church of the Masses.

Take the quiz:
"What Historic Woman Are You?"

Eleanor of Acquitaine
One of the first great queens of England, Eleanor was her own woman. She married the French prince at 14, but after six years of marriage and no son, she divorced him and secretly married the younger (and wealthier) heir to the English throne. Her sons were some of the greatest monarchs in English history! You must be tenacious, audacious, and brave if you're like Eleanor. Read more about her

Okay, I think I can handle being the first great queen of England. I'll have to ask my friends if I'm tenacious, audacious, and brave.

-rlh-

slogging away

I always think line edits will go faster than they do. Why is that? After 45+ books, you'd think I'd know better. Sigh.

I've managed to slog ... er ... edit/add scenes/read my way through the first 80 pages of Loving Libby. I've got appointments tomorrow so I won't get much done then. Still, with persistance, I hope I'll be done by Saturday afternoon, although it could linger into the first of next week. A lot will depend on how many new scenes I write. Those really slow the line edit process down.

I need to see my dentist, too. I'm not in pain but something feels "strange." They could have worked me in this week, but I put it off until next week, just in case I'm facing drilling. Or worse. I want to get this manuscript off my desk before I face something potentially so unpleasant. And I want to be over this cough too, if possible. I can't imagine having somebody working in my mouth and needing to cough.

Okay, I'm going to veg a bit, read some of my favorite blogs, and maybe even go to bed early. There sure isn't anything on TV to tempt me tonight.

-rlh-

forcing me to think on a Monday

"I know I'm asking a bunch of questions without answers. I don't even understand why Jesus was necessary. God can do anything, right? Why couldn't He just forgive us of our sins, without allowing His Son to be murdered? If God is in control of the entire universe and beyond, then why did He 'need' the ultimate blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ?" (an excerpt from Julie in yesterday's comment section)

Note to other blog readers: I'm going to forgive her for pointing out (not quoted above) that I've been a Christian longer than she's been alive.

I don't think Julie's asking questions that have no answers. While we can never fully understand everything about God, we can understand much because He has given us the answers in His word. We can, by study of His nature and attributes as revealed to us in the Bible, understand why, for instance, the Atonement of Christ was necessary. "It is not true to say that God is unable to be understood, but it is true to say that he cannot be understood fully or exhaustively." (Wayne Grudem)

Quoting Grudem again: "Some have objected that it was not fair for God to do this, to transfer the guilt of sin from us to an innocent person, Christ. Yet we must remember that Christ voluntarily took on himself the guilt for our sins, so this objection loses much of its force. Moreover, God himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is the ultimate standard of what is just and fair in the universe, and he decreed that the atonement would take place in this way, and that it did in fact satisfy the demands of his own righteousness and justice."

God can do anything (as Julie noted), but He will only do anything that is not in direct violation of His holy, just, loving, righteous nature. We, in our determination to be the gods of our own lives and the world around us, get ourselves into trouble because we want to say what is just and fair, forgetting that God is the ultimate standard. Until we start seeing things through His eyes, we will always have a distorted view of reality.

When I'm asked questions such as Julie posed, I'm forced to search for answers. I may not always be able to respond adequately (or at all) in a blog entry or even in my own mind, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just the act of seeking more of God is a worthwhile venture.

Writing my novels is an act of worship for me, and a part of that act of worship is the working out of questions in my own life/mind. God, show me Your truth. As I create my story worlds, I'm sharing what God is teaching me or has already taught me. And since I will always be learning something new about Him for as long as I'm able to think, I guess I shouldn't ever run out of stories to tell. Huh?

Speaking of which, it is time for me to turn my attention to the line edits sitting on my desk.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

original sin/guilt - it's Adam's fault

As a result of my post yesterday, Julie wondered in her comment why the world today has to suffer because of the mistakes of two people at the beginning of time (my paraphrase).

This is what Wayne Grudem has to say to that question in Systematic Theology (and for anyone frightened by the title of the book, the definition of "systematic theology" is: Any study that answers the question, "What does the whole Bible teach us today?" about any given topic). This is from the chapter on Sin, wherein sin is defined as: Any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature:

When we first confront the idea that we have been counted guilty because of Adam's sin, our tendency is to protest because it seems unfair. We did not actually decide to sin, did we? Then how can we be counted guilty? Is it just for God to act this way?

In response, three things may be said: 

a new adventure in the Word

Today I embark on another journey through the Bible. I'll spend 9 months in the Old Testament, mining its truths, then the final three months in the New Testament. I'm asking the Lord to teach me something new about Him each day. May His truth go down deep in my heart, so that I'm changed by it.

Today's reading was Genesis 1-3, and it was chapter 3 that really stood out to me:

Gen 3:1-13  Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" 2 "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. 3 It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die." 4 "You won't die!" the serpent hissed. 5 "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil." 6 The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. 7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. 8 Toward evening they heard the LORD God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees. 9 The LORD God called to Adam, "Where are you?" 10 He replied, "I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?" 12 "Yes," Adam admitted, "but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God asked the woman, "How could you do such a thing?" "The serpent tricked me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." NLT

When Adam and Eve got caught in their disobedience, Adam blamed Eve for giving the fruit to him, and Eve blamed the serpent for tricking her. Neither of them claimed responsibility for their actions and neither one of them said they were sorry. Sound familiar? We're still at it today. In fact our American culture has made an art form of denying responsibility. Nothing is our fault, so why should we apologize. It's our parents' fault or it's because we had no parents or it was circumstances beyond our control or we were tricked into it. "She gave it to me. It's her fault." "He tricked me. It's his fault."

I wonder if things might have turned out differently in the Garden of Eden if Adam had said, "Lord, I made a bad choice. I was willful. I'm sorry. Forgive me." What if Eve had said, "Father-God, I knew You told me not to eat that fruit. But when Satan said eating it would make me like You, I was greedy. I wanted to know everything. Forgive me for my disobedience." If they had taken responsibility, confessed their sins, and asked forgiveness, would the ground still have been cursed so that weeds grew among the crops? Would women still labor in intense pain in childbirth? Hmm.

There is one more verse, however, that struck me this morning.  And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. (Gen 3:21)

Even after Adam and Eve's disobedience and blame-casting, God still loved them so much that *He* made the clothes for them. He didn't say, "Go kill some animals and make clothes for yourselves." God Almighty Himself became the tailor.

What a beautiful picture of grace.

Grace to you,
-rlh-