AMG's New Product Meeting

Dan Penwell at AMG Publishers informed me today that they are having their next New Product Meeting on June 30th. My manuscript is the first on their agenda and they will give me a final decision after that meeting. ...Please pray. I know that whatever happens will be in God's will and thus in my best interest, but after all this work I cannot help but be a little anxious. Over 90% of manuscripts never make it to this point in the publishing process... I would like it to jump this last hurdle.

Positive Attitude: It Makes a Big Difference

What do you surround yourself with? Do you hang out with negative people or positive? The first group will drag you down, the second will build you up. As a writer I occasionally come across people who look at me funny and invariably say something along the lines of "Why don't you get a real job?" The people who say things like that to me find that I avoid their company. I don't shun them or despise them, rather I avoid them in order that I may surround myself with people who will encourage me to strive toward my goals. I do not have a large circle of friends and this is why. If I were to hang out with the crowd I could have more 'friends' . . . but in actuality they would be acquaintences. A true friend is a kindred spirit; someone who encourages you in what you do and is honest enough to tell you when you've done something wrong. Those that I count as my friends are not acquaintences, they are encouraging individuals who appreciate me for who I am and what I want to be. I can count my friends on one hand. They are few in number but strong in heart.

The same principle applies to entertainment. When you watch television, is the show or movie a positive force on your attitude or a negative? I enjoy watching movies. Any of my friends can tell you that. But there are certain things I avoid at times. For instance, we have several seasons of the I Love Lucy Show on DVD. I can't watch too many of those at a time because I find that the sarcasm adversly affects my attitude. The same is true of science fiction shows. Some of them get too dark and the characters are always down in the ruts. I have found that watching less television empowers me for a more productive day. That's not to say television is bad, in fact, at times, it is a very good thing. But exercising wisdom in what you fill your mind with goes a long way toward being a positive individual.

Fill your mind with clean thoughts by sifting out the images you allow your eyes to see. And surround yourself with individuals who will encourage you to attain your goals and be a constant, unfailing encouragment to you.

"The Little Children Come" Published

Long Story Short, the ezine, has released my fantasy story "The Little Children Come" in their archives. This work is clear allegory and one of my favorites (if I may be permitted to say that of my own story!) It examines the faith of a child who trusts in Christ without reservation, contrasting it with the doubt of those who refuse to believe. But I don't want to say too much about it for fear of ruining it for my readers. Follow the link I've placed under 'My Published Works' and open the 'fiction' tab when you reach the Long Story Short main page. My story is at the top of those listed there . . . And of course I would love to receive feedback on this story right here on my blog. So once you've read it please comment here!

Blinded to the Truth

Last night at work I spoke with a coworker whose naivete concerning Scripture was nothing short of disturbing. He believes that in the passage in Genesis where it says the stars bowed down to Joseph, the stars are literal stars; stars in the constellations we see today. The passage to which he referred was Genesis 37:9 "And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me." The man I spoke to last night said he looked at the constellations and thinks he found the constellation Joseph saw in the dream. What is wrong with this man's line of thought? He is taking the dream as a literal, real-world occurence, rather than examining the meaning behind the dream. I find it sad to see that many people claim to be searching for the truth, but they are so bent on finding 'hidden' meanings and 'undiscovered' truths that they miss the plain, simple message. This searching for hidden or new truths becomes an excuse for not accepting the Truth of Jesus Christ. In a way, they blind themselves to the Truth. This is becoming common in our society and it reminds me of someone else in the Bible. Exodus 8:32 "And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go." We have many people hardening their hearts so that they will not have to repent. They don't want to change their lifestyles. They will continue proclaiming their open-mindedness while denying the evidence . . . because they don't want to be convinced of the Truth. They don't want to surrender. They don't want to take a side. And God says of these: "So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth."