"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is possibly the most irritating of all the Christmas songs for the shear numbers of it. But it can also be fun. Watch this video:
[Thanks to Dawn at Because I Said So]
Weekend A La Carte (April 27)
7 hours ago
This Christmas, I'd like to give to you a special gift. Here is an excerpt from my first small book--Something Special at Leonard's Inn. This chapter was originally written to read as a retelling of the Christmas story before the gifting began. I hope you are blessed by the reading. Enjoy.
Leonard’s Inn
Leonard and Sarah were anxious about the taxing. Sure it would bring in extra business for the struggling inn, and how they needed the extra business. But along with all the extra business came the beggars, liars, and thieves. Bethlehem was filling up with more and more people claiming kinship to King David. Oh well, Leonard decided that he would make the best of the hectic situation.
“I’m telling you, Leonard, you should do just as your cousin Reuben is, out on Jerusalem Road,” Sarah was always giving advice. “ You will be able to weather the long dry spell to follow Caesar’s proclamation if you will simply double, or better yet triple, your prices.”
“We have been over this, Sarah. I will not stoop to gouging my kinsmen with unfair pricing,” Leonard was shaking his head in that fatherly way that Sarah had grown to love and to hate over the years of their marriage. “We will have plenty simply by sectioning off the common room for families and travelers. And they will all pay a fair price. No more; no less. You see how the inn has been filling up. We will be out of space before the night is over. The Lord will provide for the dry spells as they come.”
With the decree from Caesar Augustus, people from all over the Empire were flooding into the city of David to be registered and taxed according to their wealth, family size, and age. Leonard was almost prophetic in his prediction of space availability. He overheard the last two travelers saying that they were surprised that they were paying regular rates for the last two beds in town. Other hostellers were completely full although they had been charging two and three times the normal price for a mat on the floor. They had a friend that was paying seven times the going rate out on Jerusalem Road just to have a blanket strung up between his family and an old couple from Bethany. That Reuben, he is a shrewd one, Leonard smiled to himself, shaking his head in bewilderment.
He was just finishing the sign that said “No Room” when he saw them out the window. The young couple couldn’t have been married long. They were young. They young man appeared to be no more than twenty or twenty-two. He led a shabby-looking donkey that was carrying the youth’s wife who was “great with child.” Leonard’s heart went out to them. He could tell they were weary from traveling. He opened the door, the newly-painted sign hanging absently from his hand.
“Sir, I was going to see if you had any rooms left for my small family, but I see that you, too, have no space available,” the young man’s voice was tired and resigned, but he began to turn away to head on down the street.
“Wait! Young man, your wife cannot travel any farther in her condition. The streets are filled with thieves and robbers. The night is quickly approaching.” Leonard seemed to be beside himself, but for some reason he could not explain, he felt the need to help this young family. “Wait here just inside the door. I will see if there is not some space for you.”
Leaving the donkey tied to the post outside, the young man lifted his wife down and followed the inn keeper inside. With the door closed to the hustle and bustle of a city swelled to five times its size because of the registry, the poor family leaned heavily against the wall and one another as Leonard stepped to the back of the house. When he returned he found Sarah showing them out.
“ . . . I wish we could accommodate you, but as you can see, there just is no room. I am sure that Lemuel down the street—”
“Sarah!” Leonard’s voice fairly bellowed from the doorway that led to the animal stalls behind the inn. “You will not cast these poor travelers out while I am still in this household!” Taking his wife by the arm and pulling her aside, Leonard lowered his voice, but not the stern reproach it held, “On a night like this, you know that Lemuel will take even the cloak off of this poor man’s back. He might even confiscate the wretched animal they came in on. You can see that they are in no shape to travel further, and I have Daniel clearing a space out back. It is only a stable, but it will be out of the wind and away from the criminals who have made their way to our village to rob travelers of what is left after the likes of Reuben and Lemuel get finished.” To the young couple Leonard said, “My name is Leonard. You are welcome to a space in the stable out back to stay while you are here to register.”
“Thank you, Leonard. Yours is the first kindness we have seen since arriving in the town of my forefathers. My name is Joseph, and as you can see my wife, Mary, is near the time that she will give birth to the child,” the young man reached for his purse as he spoke.
“Put that away,” Leonard said, “what I offer is no more than a meager space in the stable with straw to make you comfortable. How can I charge money for the use of a barn stall?” Sarah glared after them as Leonard led the couple around to the stable behind the inn. Mary silently smiled her gratitude.
The noise in the street had started to subside when Sarah was called upon to help deliver the young woman, Mary’s, baby. As she was hard at work she noticed the two men, Leonard and the vagrant Joseph, standing to the side looking awkward. “You, father. Make yourself useful. Put fresh straw in the manger. It is not a grand cradle, but it will do for this night.” She turned her attention to her own husband, “And you, inn keeper who gives away lodging to any and all passers-by, go into our quarters. There are some soft cloths we can use to protect this new baby when he comes. Bring them to me, and be quick about it!” 
Wrested from their wonderment at the birth of a child, the two men turned to the tasks assigned. When Leonard returned, Sarah was cleaning the young boy-child and getting him ready for the swaddles he had brought from the inn. The baby seemed to glow. Leonard knew that there was something different about this family. He knew that he had done something special that night.
I've set up a poll question at Mister Poll. Click on over and choose your favorite.
Here's the question: Who's your favorite Scrooge?
If you don't like all the choices--or have a better one, leave a comment in the here. The poll runs from 12/20-12/25 so hurry on over to vote.
He gave us "Leader of the Band" and "Another Auld Lang Syne" and now he's given in to cancer. Fans of the softer side of rock will miss this smooth voice, but we'll still get to hear some of his hits from days gone by.
Our second Angel Food distribution was successful (sorry no video this month). Here are the highlights:
- Twice as many orders.
- Cold weather.
- Notification that our delivery would be an hour later.
- The truck was late (so the delivery was actually two hours later).
- Snow (about one inch) on the ground when we started.
- Cold. Icy cold.
- Light mist falling while we were picking up our food.
- People waiting about an hour and one-half for us to get the food from Vandalia to our church and getting it sorted and ready for distribution. Everyone was nice and friendly about it.
- "Winter mix" taking over during the distribution itself.
- Cold. It was very cold.
- All food delivered without a hitch.
- And did I mention that it was cold?
On a side note, because the delivery was later, I had a chance to get out in the snow with my family (pictures to follow--after they come in, so don't look tomorrow). My blushing bride took up an entire roll of film of the progeny making snow angels, tossing snowballs, and just generally having fun in the inch of white stuff that covered the ground when we woke up this morning. The baby loved tromping around in the snow. Since we're supposed to get lots more before it stops in the middle of the night, we may be able to get a snow buddy out of it before we're through.
It's beginning to look a lot like . . .
In keeping with the original spirit of this series, I bring you the term “apart”. This is a great word, but typists have allowed themselves to become lazy in its use. Time and again, the speaker/writer forgets to proofread and ends up saying something they hadn’t intended at all.
The most common misstep with this term is when people are invited to participate in some activity or event: “Come, be a part of our reading group.”
When we leave the space out our invitation actually asks people to separate themselves from the group: “. . . be apart of our group.”
The difference the space makes says so much. Apart means to separate or pull one side away from another: “Joe and Sue have been apart for far too long.” Or “Do you like to eat pull-apart bread.”
When you desire to say that someone or something is participating, you should use the two word phrase “a part”: “Joe was a part of the cooking class at Sue’s house.”
Granted this use advocating participation sounds rather colloquial when we leave out the adjectives (“he was a vital part”), but then that would keep us from misusing the term apart altogether, now wouldn’t it?
The most common misstep with this term is when people are invited to participate in some activity or event: “Come, be a part of our reading group.”
When we leave the space out our invitation actually asks people to separate themselves from the group: “. . . be apart of our group.”
The difference the space makes says so much. Apart means to separate or pull one side away from another: “Joe and Sue have been apart for far too long.” Or “Do you like to eat pull-apart bread.”
When you desire to say that someone or something is participating, you should use the two word phrase “a part”: “Joe was a part of the cooking class at Sue’s house.”
Granted this use advocating participation sounds rather colloquial when we leave out the adjectives (“he was a vital part”), but then that would keep us from misusing the term apart altogether, now wouldn’t it?
In keeping with the Christmas spirit, Coca-Cola® has always had great seasonal ads. Take for instance Santa's always enjoying a nice cool beverage (not milk, mind you) as here:
This year I found something different, a nostalgic bottle (six-pack really) of the drink of
champions, Coca-Cola®. The curve-less bottle brings you nine ounces of refreshing soda that will remind you of the real thing when it was the real thing. I’m sure that this is the pre-New Coke fiasco of the eighties. 
If you can find some, buy it, drink up and enjoy.
Happy holidays.
This year I found something different, a nostalgic bottle (six-pack really) of the drink of
champions, Coca-Cola®. The curve-less bottle brings you nine ounces of refreshing soda that will remind you of the real thing when it was the real thing. I’m sure that this is the pre-New Coke fiasco of the eighties. 
If you can find some, buy it, drink up and enjoy.
Happy holidays.
The bride got this festive foto of the kiddos, and it came back from the developer today.
Merry Christmas!
I've gotten my new Christmas movie for the year. After renting The Polar Express (a really bad copy of the DVD with skips and stops) from the rental store, I decided to get my own copy of this gem. Based on the Chris Van Allsburg children's book, Tom Hanks headlines this animated Christmas classic.
The movie takes some liberties adding characters that are not in the book and providing the necessary conflict to give the story feature-length stamina, but stays rather true to the basic story. A boy has been informed by school friends that Santa Claus does not exist, and this Christmas he lies awake hoping against hope that his heart is right and his friends are wrong.
We're taken on a magical train ride to the North Pole to learn that not only does Santa exist, but he makes Christmas and the sounds of Christmas come to life as well. Sadly, not everyone is able to hear the sounds of Christmas--usually losing the ability to hear the Sleigh bells of Santa Claus as age replaces belief in the magic of the season.
This is a great movie to watch with the kids or grands. The artwork (not quite the calliber of the originals in the Caldicott winner) is beautiful if not nostalgic in its presentation. The additions (including a Christmas ghost--where will Dickens' influence stop?) enhance rather than destroy the story. And Hanks' voice can be heard behind several of the characters. Watch the movie with a big steamingcup bowl of hot cocoa and a loved one. And listen for the bells.
The movie takes some liberties adding characters that are not in the book and providing the necessary conflict to give the story feature-length stamina, but stays rather true to the basic story. A boy has been informed by school friends that Santa Claus does not exist, and this Christmas he lies awake hoping against hope that his heart is right and his friends are wrong.
We're taken on a magical train ride to the North Pole to learn that not only does Santa exist, but he makes Christmas and the sounds of Christmas come to life as well. Sadly, not everyone is able to hear the sounds of Christmas--usually losing the ability to hear the Sleigh bells of Santa Claus as age replaces belief in the magic of the season.
This is a great movie to watch with the kids or grands. The artwork (not quite the calliber of the originals in the Caldicott winner) is beautiful if not nostalgic in its presentation. The additions (including a Christmas ghost--where will Dickens' influence stop?) enhance rather than destroy the story. And Hanks' voice can be heard behind several of the characters. Watch the movie with a big steaming
I stole this picture from my friends over at The 4 Sullivans. This is the kind of thing that Russians would dub "Spiderman 3".
Just a solemn note to remind us all that today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This date, this event, is to be remembered as the catalyst that ushered the United States into World War II with a vengence.
Take a moment to remember those who lost their lives in this senseless attack, then take a moment to thank those who serve our country protecting our freedoms daily.
Those who know me know that I'm pretty conservative. I've found it easier to support Bush most of the time than it was when Willie was in office. But I do hold one (maybe more than one) grudge against our chief executive, namely: pronunciation; specifically the word "nuclear".
My issues with this word go all the way back to the summer I spent at Oklahoma Baptist University participating in what they called the Academy. Our Academy class that summer studied nuclear energy. It was a time marked well by incidents at unknown places like Three Mile Island (younger readers may have to do a search over at Wikipedia -- I'm too lazy to link tonight). We were just coming down from a time when searching for alternate sources of energy because of crises in the world's oil-rich areas. On one of our first class meetings, almost immediately after the announcement of our study topic for the eight weeks that summer, we were cautioned to pronounce the word "nuclear" as it is spelled. We were reminded that nuclear has but one "u" in it.
So why, oh why, is it completely impossible for men (and women) of education such as George W. Bush (we'll assume that he has an education since his resume includes one of the Ivy-league variety) to say "NEW-kleer" instead of "NEW-kyew-lar" when they come across this word. Perhaps it falls to the fact that he is known by most of most avid supporters as "Dubyuh".
That said, here's my message to the wide variety of candidates (both red and blue) who have been campaigning for the Oval Office for (what?) two years now -- the election's about a year away, so we're in the home stretch now (for the novice reader, that was sarcasm): Learn to pronounce words. If you can't figure it out on your own, get a pronunciation coach. If you can't find one, I'd be glad to charge a few (thousand) dollars to join your staff (can't guarantee support, just pronunciation coaching).
My issues with this word go all the way back to the summer I spent at Oklahoma Baptist University participating in what they called the Academy. Our Academy class that summer studied nuclear energy. It was a time marked well by incidents at unknown places like Three Mile Island (younger readers may have to do a search over at Wikipedia -- I'm too lazy to link tonight). We were just coming down from a time when searching for alternate sources of energy because of crises in the world's oil-rich areas. On one of our first class meetings, almost immediately after the announcement of our study topic for the eight weeks that summer, we were cautioned to pronounce the word "nuclear" as it is spelled. We were reminded that nuclear has but one "u" in it.
So why, oh why, is it completely impossible for men (and women) of education such as George W. Bush (we'll assume that he has an education since his resume includes one of the Ivy-league variety) to say "NEW-kleer" instead of "NEW-kyew-lar" when they come across this word. Perhaps it falls to the fact that he is known by most of most avid supporters as "Dubyuh".
That said, here's my message to the wide variety of candidates (both red and blue) who have been campaigning for the Oval Office for (what?) two years now -- the election's about a year away, so we're in the home stretch now (for the novice reader, that was sarcasm): Learn to pronounce words. If you can't figure it out on your own, get a pronunciation coach. If you can't find one, I'd be glad to charge a few (thousand) dollars to join your staff (can't guarantee support, just pronunciation coaching).
Here are a few for you to work on in the meantime:
nuclear
harassment
grievous
mischievous
John Smulo has started another meme. This time he wants to know about our favorite Christmas movies. I figure, this is right in my bag. Plus, in the spirit of giving, the rules don't require me to specifically target anyone who once was my friend, but lets only those who want to play along. Read the rules:
- Write down your four favorite Christmas movies in descending order.
- Tag the first ten people who respond in your comment section saying they want to particpate.
- (Optional) Include a link to this post and encourage others to place a link to their completed meme in the comments section of this post so we can keep track of the meme.
So, here we go . . .
# 4. The Santa Claus(e) (I'm almost willing to put all three here, they're all great).
# 3. Scrooge (no, not the Bill Murray comedy Scrooged, but the musical with a sad performance by Albert Finney as the title character, still a great movie).
# 2. It's a Wonderful Life (I always feel like Christmas Season isn't really upon us until I've viewed this one.). And my . . .
# 1 all-time favorite Christmas movie is . . . White Christmas (can't watch it without a tear creeping into my eye at the end).
Don't forget to post a comment if you want to join in the Holiday Fun!
Everybody's getting into the act. This is not a review of this interesting but uninspiring little movie made to showcase Harry Connick, Jr.'s talents. (Maybe later this season.)
What it is, is an opportunity to showcase the talents on my own Little Bit. (Ain't she cute?)
According to one article (101 videos at the link), these are the essential Christmas videos for a perfect holiday season:
1. It's a Wonderful Life (click to watch)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (click to watch)
3. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (click to watch)
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (click to watch)
5. Frosty the Snowman (click to watch)
6. A Christmas Story Movie (click to watch)
What do you think? Any favorites of your own? (maybe I should make a poll!)
[A great big ole seasonal tip o' the hat to Bill Crider]
I thought I'd try the poll option added to Blogger fun things to add. The first week-long poll was about Christmas songs. According to the results the one vote was for "Silent Night." I believe that somehow I hit a vote button, so even the one vote was invalid. For future notice, if you'd like to participate in polls--they'll be over in the side bar.
Happy Holidays everyone. (See, it's okay to say, "Happy Holidays!")
Despite the sickness that rained on the party from yesterday, Curtis found no difficulty in deciding whose the Tonka bike was. Here he is with his birthday "find." You'll be happy to know that he's already "gassed" it up and wiped it down to make it "shiny."
My only son will probably look back on this one as the worst birthday ever. He started running a fever mid-week, and we couldn't get rid of it by yesterday (doctor's visit notwithstanding). So, we had to call all his friends and tell them not to come to the birthday party originally
planned for today. What makes matters worse is that he's been looking forward to this birthday party and planning it (starring none other than Lightening McQueen of Cars fame) for about five months!
planned for today. What makes matters worse is that he's been looking forward to this birthday party and planning it (starring none other than Lightening McQueen of Cars fame) for about five months!So, even though his fever was going up and down, he woke up from his nap this afternoon to a lovely cake his mom fixed from pictures on the 'net and ice cream. He opened a couple of presents from family and we hope to reschedule the party, but by the time all that happens, the fun will have worn off.
Tomorrow the Blushing Bride and I will celebrate seven years of matrimony. Since it's a Sunday and Sundays are always hectic anyway, we left the kids with Hannah's Grandma (who's up from Kentucky) and went out to the Olive Garden. We decided to exchange our gifts for each other while we were out.
Now you must understand that we decided on our first anniversary to try and get a "traditional" gift each year as one of the presents we do for each other. First anniversary was easy--paper; we both are book addicts, so that's easy. On year 5 (wood) was fun, I got a wooden-cased clock and had a cabinet made in the shape of a wardrobe (in honor of her love for C.S. Lewis and all things Narnia). But seven is copper or wool. This year it was time to get creative. We were neither one really excited about wool, and I didn't really want to get Hannah a set of copper bottomed cook pans, we began searching several months ago. I also wanted to steer clear of copper tea kettles. Hannah has a great collection of tea kettles, but she already has two of the copper variety. So we both went shopping at the "antique" stores. Here's the results of our labors:
The one on the left is the one I bought for Hannah. The one on the right is Hannah's gift to me. The only difference is I got gyped out of a platter (Hannah got the better deal), or I got the better deal because I ended up with the one that has the platter included.
Last year I had the opportunity to "elf" myself. This year the videos are bigger and better. Click for this video, and then for this one. Let 'em load. You'll be glad you did.
I wanted to share an old song that I really loved about twenty years ago, "I Thank You, Lord" but couldn't find the lyrics. So, here's one I hadn't heard for years until about two weeks ago:We've got so much, so much, so much, so much,
SO much, so much, so much, so much,
SO much, so much (clap)
To be thankful for.
Rather than list a list that goes
on and on--here's just one of the many things that I'm thankful for:
on and on--here's just one of the many things that I'm thankful for:My Blushing Bride
Choose one from your exhaustive list and post it in the comments.
I can’t stand it any more! I’ve been whining about the way we Americans use misuse English constantly, and now I’m fed up with the way we Americans have been using misusing Russian. It all started with a (not-so) innocent movie released about this time last year (and now out in home-viewing form). The problem is that we see Cyrillic letters and know nothing about them. So we hear the Russians name their international space station “Mir” with the Russian word for “Peace” and spell it with Cyrillic letters that mean nothing. The “backwards ‘r’” is not an ‘r’ at all, but the Russian vowel ‘ya’ which by itself means ‘I’. The Russians use our letter ‘p’ for the letter ‘r’.
It’s all a lettering issue. When we see the letters CCCP on film of Olympics gone by we Americans think “See, See, See, Pea” and the Russian says “Ess, Ess, Ess, Are”. And this brings me to my gripe of the day. Just recently I saw another picture advertising the movie we Americans call “Bore-At”. The Russian letters (ВОЯДТ) look like B – O – R – A – T to most Americans. The Cyrillic letters used in the movie posters spell what would actually be VO-YaDT if transliterated into English.
There, now I’ve let off the steam, I don’t expect I’ll watch the movie, but I feel better.
It’s all a lettering issue. When we see the letters CCCP on film of Olympics gone by we Americans think “See, See, See, Pea” and the Russian says “Ess, Ess, Ess, Are”. And this brings me to my gripe of the day. Just recently I saw another picture advertising the movie we Americans call “Bore-At”. The Russian letters (ВОЯДТ) look like B – O – R – A – T to most Americans. The Cyrillic letters used in the movie posters spell what would actually be VO-YaDT if transliterated into English.
There, now I’ve let off the steam, I don’t expect I’ll watch the movie, but I feel better.
Our first distribution was on Saturday, November 17, 2007. Everything went smoothly and we had a great time ministering to our community.
The world of publishing is an interesting animal. Bill Crider got me to thinking about this very thing recently. Here are some thoughts I have on the matter.
If you’ve written your book, there are lots of ways to go about getting it published:
Vanity Press – These are the guys that will print whatever you want for a price. The purpose of this type of printing is twofold: (1) See your name on the by-line, and (2) make lots of money for the printer/publisher. Your books may never really see the light of day, and you’re required to order a minimum number of books.
Self-publishing Houses – By their description, these are publishing houses who try to avoid the stigma associated with vanity press. As I look at them, they are not much different, though.
The point is they want to help you get your book in print. Many of these houses got their start by doing cookbook fundraising projects for a variety of groups. They are the publisher of choice for many a preacher who thinks he has something to say to the world. In defense of the Self-Publishers I have checked into, I must say that they do not sugarcoat the necessity of the author being the one front-line fighter for their own book. For a price most of these houses have a package deal that will give you a jump-start on the marketing of your book.
Online Print-On-Demand (POD) Self-publishers – The beauty of this style of book
publishing which was birthed out of the technological revolution is that you can print only one book or five hundred or five thousand (discount pricing applies to bulk orders), or you can even sell downloadable copies of your book to save your customers money. Again there are packages that include marketing aids available for a fee.
Traditional Publishing Houses – The traditional route is the hardest route to take. At the same time, if you want to “make it” as an author, it is the route most likely to get you there. Some of the pitfalls that the aspiring author will have with traditional publishing start with the barriers to even getting your manuscript read. Most publishers have so many unsolicited submissions that they don’t have the manpower to read them all. This is probably because they’re already soliciting known and established authors to write another great book for them. To go this route, the best thing is to find an agent who will champion your book. Agents aren’t all about getting your book sold on the marketplace, but selling your idea/book to the publishers. Beware of charletans who ask you for money just to read your book, though. If you find an agent or even a publisher who is willing to accept unsolicited manuscripts, be sure to follow their instruction for submissions as closely as possible (many want a synopsis or proposal before reading an entire book—if yours doesn’t fit their needs they won’t waste their time or yours on a full manuscript). Then start waiting for the rejection notices: develop a thick skin—you’ll be turned down more often than accepted. It doesn’t mean that your writing is bad, it just didn’t tickle the right reader.
And now for my (“most humble”) advice for those who choose to go the route of self-publishing (thought I’d never get there, huh?):
Don’t do this if you’re looking to make money. I’ve published both with general SP houses and POD publishers. I’ve sold enough copies of my books to cover my initial investment, but little more. If you want to publish with SP houses (or POD houses, for that matter) be sure that you are writing for your own pleasure.
Don’t expect to “get discovered.” SP houses are really bad about advertising their service with names like Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box was originally a SP effort for family and friends) to entice people to publish their book with them.
Learn to be shameless in your self-promotion. Nobody really cares about your book but you and maybe a good friend o
r family member (my dad is a better PR man for my first books than I am). False humility often grasps new authors. If your book is really worth reading, tell people.
Finally, if you’re going to self-publish and want to have enough books printed to be sold on the market, start with a small printing. If the book just doesn’t sell, a printing of 500 to 1500 will leave with a lot fewer boxes of books to store than a 10K to 20K run. I personally think that if you’re the kind of author who can merit a multiple thousand copy run with a first edition of a book, you’ve probably already been discovered and are working with a major house somewhere because people will buy your book based on your name. Unless you bear the same name as someone like Stephen King, John Grisham, or Michael Crichton, and can get away with adding an initial to keep confusion (sort of) at bay, you’re not going to sell that many books on your first effort. Besides, even those guys don’t always write devourable material.
Happy writing, everyone!
If you’ve written your book, there are lots of ways to go about getting it published:
Vanity Press – These are the guys that will print whatever you want for a price. The purpose of this type of printing is twofold: (1) See your name on the by-line, and (2) make lots of money for the printer/publisher. Your books may never really see the light of day, and you’re required to order a minimum number of books.
Self-publishing Houses – By their description, these are publishing houses who try to avoid the stigma associated with vanity press. As I look at them, they are not much different, though.
The point is they want to help you get your book in print. Many of these houses got their start by doing cookbook fundraising projects for a variety of groups. They are the publisher of choice for many a preacher who thinks he has something to say to the world. In defense of the Self-Publishers I have checked into, I must say that they do not sugarcoat the necessity of the author being the one front-line fighter for their own book. For a price most of these houses have a package deal that will give you a jump-start on the marketing of your book.Online Print-On-Demand (POD) Self-publishers – The beauty of this style of book
publishing which was birthed out of the technological revolution is that you can print only one book or five hundred or five thousand (discount pricing applies to bulk orders), or you can even sell downloadable copies of your book to save your customers money. Again there are packages that include marketing aids available for a fee.Traditional Publishing Houses – The traditional route is the hardest route to take. At the same time, if you want to “make it” as an author, it is the route most likely to get you there. Some of the pitfalls that the aspiring author will have with traditional publishing start with the barriers to even getting your manuscript read. Most publishers have so many unsolicited submissions that they don’t have the manpower to read them all. This is probably because they’re already soliciting known and established authors to write another great book for them. To go this route, the best thing is to find an agent who will champion your book. Agents aren’t all about getting your book sold on the marketplace, but selling your idea/book to the publishers. Beware of charletans who ask you for money just to read your book, though. If you find an agent or even a publisher who is willing to accept unsolicited manuscripts, be sure to follow their instruction for submissions as closely as possible (many want a synopsis or proposal before reading an entire book—if yours doesn’t fit their needs they won’t waste their time or yours on a full manuscript). Then start waiting for the rejection notices: develop a thick skin—you’ll be turned down more often than accepted. It doesn’t mean that your writing is bad, it just didn’t tickle the right reader.
And now for my (“most humble”) advice for those who choose to go the route of self-publishing (thought I’d never get there, huh?):
Don’t do this if you’re looking to make money. I’ve published both with general SP houses and POD publishers. I’ve sold enough copies of my books to cover my initial investment, but little more. If you want to publish with SP houses (or POD houses, for that matter) be sure that you are writing for your own pleasure.
Don’t expect to “get discovered.” SP houses are really bad about advertising their service with names like Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box was originally a SP effort for family and friends) to entice people to publish their book with them.
Learn to be shameless in your self-promotion. Nobody really cares about your book but you and maybe a good friend o
r family member (my dad is a better PR man for my first books than I am). False humility often grasps new authors. If your book is really worth reading, tell people.Finally, if you’re going to self-publish and want to have enough books printed to be sold on the market, start with a small printing. If the book just doesn’t sell, a printing of 500 to 1500 will leave with a lot fewer boxes of books to store than a 10K to 20K run. I personally think that if you’re the kind of author who can merit a multiple thousand copy run with a first edition of a book, you’ve probably already been discovered and are working with a major house somewhere because people will buy your book based on your name. Unless you bear the same name as someone like Stephen King, John Grisham, or Michael Crichton, and can get away with adding an initial to keep confusion (sort of) at bay, you’re not going to sell that many books on your first effort. Besides, even those guys don’t always write devourable material.
Happy writing, everyone!
We're now at the end of Daylight Savings Time and preparing to move our clocks again to "Standard Time." So I have two questions:
- Did you save any? or
- What are you doing with all that daylight you saved over the summer?
My wife and I had been wanting to see this movie based on a novel based on a biblical story of the rise of Esther, Queen of Persia. I had heard good things about the book, and subsequently the movie. I’d even put the book (Haddasah by Tommy Tenney) on my “possibilities” list. After all, I like a good story taken from the Scripture and fictionalized to bring it to life for the modern reader. And the story of Esther is a GOOD story.
The movie itself could be great. There are no instances that I recall of vocabulary limited to vulgarity and swearing. There are no gratuitous sex scenes. And there is no unnecessary violence. (Even though the background story would allow all of these objectional materials.) All in all it is just the type of movie that family-oriented viewers has been calling for over a vast number of years. So what happens?
The plot is disjointed, the acting mediocre at best, and the retelling of the story of Esther removes all the best parts of the biblical story. Perhaps Tenney forgot to read the biblical account before penning his novel, perhaps the screen writers were just unfamiliar with the story of Esther and Mordecai and Xerxes and Haman, but the leaps which remove the power of faith and courage are missing in the movie. The villain Haman is characterized as one of the stronger characters in the story, and the ultimate irony so prevalent in the scripture is all but absent in this rendering of the story.
Bottom line, if you liked the story of Esther, this is a good movie to skip.
The movie itself could be great. There are no instances that I recall of vocabulary limited to vulgarity and swearing. There are no gratuitous sex scenes. And there is no unnecessary violence. (Even though the background story would allow all of these objectional materials.) All in all it is just the type of movie that family-oriented viewers has been calling for over a vast number of years. So what happens?
The plot is disjointed, the acting mediocre at best, and the retelling of the story of Esther removes all the best parts of the biblical story. Perhaps Tenney forgot to read the biblical account before penning his novel, perhaps the screen writers were just unfamiliar with the story of Esther and Mordecai and Xerxes and Haman, but the leaps which remove the power of faith and courage are missing in the movie. The villain Haman is characterized as one of the stronger characters in the story, and the ultimate irony so prevalent in the scripture is all but absent in this rendering of the story.
Bottom line, if you liked the story of Esther, this is a good movie to skip.
Over the last three months I’ve been touting a new program that seemed like a really good idea – review a book, get another to review. What a great concept. The original idea was to help ministers and ministers-in-training to build their libraries while providing their opinions about the books they received. About a month ago, the review site just stopped updating the site – no new reviews, overviews, or blog entries.
Today, I got the word. The staff at Pastor Resources.com (part of the JCA Company) sent me this in an e-mail: “Pastor Resources has suspended our review programs indefinitely. We apologize for any and all inconveniences and frustrations. We are sincerely sorry. We thank you for your support of the program and one day we hope to reinstate the venture.”
So, I guess what this means is that you’ll just have to look for my unmitigated opinions on reading at Book ‘em Benj-O. Until the time that they are able to start the program up again, you can still click here to see if anything is worth your while at Pastor Resources.
Here’s the scoop on the new giveaway at Challies.com: First prize is 40 copies (count ‘em 40) of R.C. Sproul’s The Truth of the Cross. The catch–the books are not for sale, but for the winner to use as giveaways (especially for evangelistic purposes). Suggestion: if you win you get 10 copies to give away at church, 10 to give to family members, 10 for Christmas gifts, and 10 to save for later opportunities. The winner also gets one copy of Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips.
Second and Third prizes are one copy of Jesus the Evangelist and admission for two to the 2008 Ligonier Ministries National Conference. Click on the button below for more details.
Barb Orlowski is hard at work doing research for her Doctor of Ministry degree. She is a candidate at A.C.T.S. Seminaries in Canada. Below you will find two request letters from Barb. First is a request outlining the type of people she needs to respond to research polls. The second letter is to pastors who might be helpful in the process as well. Read the notes. Then contact Barb if you can help. Also, if you operate a blog and could help get the word out, Barb would be most appreciative.
Hi Everyone,
I trust that you had a great summer. We enjoyed hiking a lot, especially in the alpine meadows among gorgeous and colorful wild flowers. It was amazing and we were filled with thanksgiving to God. I am back at my research desk and ready to step up the pace of my dissertation investigation. It is time to get the word out and request contributions from participants regarding this stimulating area of research.
The following are two “request for help” letters. I have prepared two questionnaires. One survey is for those who have experienced this situation in their church life and the other is for pastors who have been able to provide comfort and spiritual guidance to those who have come to them for help. If the following criteria describe you, I would welcome your participation in this study.
Thanks so much, Barb Orlowski
Request Letter No. 1
Request for Help for Potential Participants:
Hi Everyone, Sept. 2007
My name is Barb Orlowski. I am on the Doctor of Ministry program at A.C.T.S. Seminaries in Langley, B.C., Canada. In order to conduct the research necessary to complete my dissertation, I could use your help. I am conducting a survey among Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and have recovered from this experience.
Here are the criteria that I am looking for in participants:
1. Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and who have ceased to be associated with those congregations;
2. Christians who subsequently have recognized and processed their spiritual grief and pain and have experienced spiritual recovery;
3. Christians who are willing to share how they have processed their negative experience and have recovered spiritual harmony; those who can share what has happened since this painful episode. Christians who can answer this question: What factors have helped you to restore your confidence in God and His people?
If people feel that they fit the criteria for this study, please contact me.
I will give you further details about this study, and then I will send you the questionnaire along with the consent information. The responses given by those participating will be kept confidential. Your responses will be put in anonymous form and may be kept for further use after the completion of this study.
Thank you for your interest and participation in this study. I appreciate the time and effort that it takes to complete a questionnaire.
In Him, Barb
Barb’s contact email: churchexitersq@telus.net
* Comments and questions are welcome.
· When you respond to this request by emailing me
· *please let me know which site you saw this information. Thanks.
Request Letter No. 2
Request for Help from Pastors:
Greetings, Sept. 2007
I am student enrolled in the A.C.T.S. Doctor of Ministry program in Langley, B.C., Canada. In order to conduct the research necessary to complete my dissertation, I need the assistance of pastoral leaders. I could use your help with my research. I realize that you probably receive frequent requests to fill out surveys, but I would invite you to take a few minutes, complete a questionnaire and return it to me. This would be a significant help.
I am looking for pastors who have endeavored to provide spiritual guidance and help for the following people:
Christians who have experienced emotional and spiritual distress under authoritarian and controlling church leaders and who have ceased to be associated with those congregations.
There are many Christians who have faced the untimely distress of this particular yet widespread phenomenon. Many have simply left the church, while others have made an effort to reintegrate into a local church setting. It has taken courage for them to desire to reconnect with a pastor and seek their assistance in processing their grief and disillusionment with previous church leaders.
I would appreciate hearing how you, as a pastor, have provided spiritual guidance and encouragement for individuals who have faced this type of emotional and spiritual pain at the hands of those that they had trusted as their spiritual leaders. I believe that your insights would provide pertinent and helpful data for this study.
The information you give will be kept confidential. Any use of your responses in my dissertation will be put in anonymous form, but may be kept for further use after the completion of this study. If ever needed, I will ask for your permission to quote you.
Thank you for your interest and participation in this research. I appreciate the time and effort that it takes to complete a questionnaire.
Thanks, Barb Email Address: churchexitersq@telus.net
* Comments and questions are welcome.
· When you respond to this request by emailing me--
· *please let me know which site you saw this information. Thanks.
For all you readers out there: You've got to see this!
I’ve discovered something new — a “blook” tour (blog + book tour = blook tour). And I’m hosting one for debut author Steven Hunt over at Book ‘em Benj-O. If you’re a fan of Christian fiction, private eye novels, or suspense, drop on by and check it out.
Southwest Airlines has been on the cutting edge in domestic air travel many times. Now, I believe they’ve fallen over the edge. In the interest of making life easier, the bureaucrats over at Southwest have managed to complicate everything. I first heard that they were no longer going to allow families with small children to board first (read it here). Allowing them boarding privileges was helpful because traveling with little ones causes lots of unintentional delays—especially when trying to get down the tiny aisles on airplanes. But in the wisdom of the ages, the pointy-heads at Southwest have decided that boarding will go faster if they just let everyone crowd on like cattle into a chute.
This morning I head about this. Basically, Southwest has decided to keep their “open seating” policy, saving the headache of attendants clicking a few keys to assign a seat—oh, and think of all the printer ink it saves, too. Southwest also saves money in boar
ding passes, by handing out groupings with plastic, reusable passes. Now, to simplify matters, since parents with small children don’t get to board first, along with your color group you’ll get a number, and passengers get seated numerically as well as by color.
Here’s my question: how is this really easier than assigning seats and boarding by rows?
This morning I head about this. Basically, Southwest has decided to keep their “open seating” policy, saving the headache of attendants clicking a few keys to assign a seat—oh, and think of all the printer ink it saves, too. Southwest also saves money in boar
ding passes, by handing out groupings with plastic, reusable passes. Now, to simplify matters, since parents with small children don’t get to board first, along with your color group you’ll get a number, and passengers get seated numerically as well as by color.Here’s my question: how is this really easier than assigning seats and boarding by rows?
The dead link for the Chazown website (referenced here) is no longer dead. Wait, though. It doesn't take you to the site that had all the interactive tools that feathered so well with the book. Now you are sent to the publisher's page for the book itself. You get a good description of the book and a short bio of Groeschel, but if you want to download the .pdf file of the Chazown Journal you'll be out of luck.
I've encountered this aberration more often in spoken than in written language. Blessed be the advent of blogs. Now I get to see this non-word crop up even on the 'net. As a colloquialism I have encountered this one relatively frequently in my native Texas. But it seems to rear its ugly head around our nation. My typical response is simply to cringe. After all, they're just talking, right? But when it spews from the lips of educated Americans, my head starts to throb. The verbal pause "Anyway" should never be made plural by adding an 's' because it is a collective (by virtue of the "any" that introduces the word).
The purpose for this rant? I saw it on the comment section of a more than colloquial blog. Thank you very much.
Having examined core values and spiritual gifts, the concept found in Craig Groeschel’s Chazown directs the vision-seeker to look into personal experience. Not only should you dig into the good things that happened in your past, but also look closely at those things that could be designated as sad or disappointing—even tragic—to determine where God has been working in your life. Why? Scripture indicates that “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The suggestion is that regardless of the circumstance—good or bad—if it is our desire to please God, He will use all our experiences to work together to advance His plan. With these ideas racing in my head, I addressed Groeschel’s “experience” questions:
- What do your good and bad experiences have in common?
- What do you think your experiences have done within you to prepare you for the future?
My answers:
The common thread in all my experiences have been family and relationships. These two concepts play a strong part in my experiences. There is a deep-seated need to for approval running through my experiences. I see a great concern when I have not been the crowd-pleaser that I want to be, and equally great jubilation when I have.
Developing the desire to please my audience, I have learned tact and discretion as well as communication skills that have been necessary in the path that lays before (and behind) me.
Finally, Groeschel asks the reader to try to name the next chapter in their life path. Keeping in mind the things I value, the gifts I’ve identified, and the dreams affected by my experience, I’ve come up with the following challenging title for my life’s book:
“Writing the Right Way”
Feel free to answer the questions for yourself, and share your next life chapter title if you wish. Some of the suggestions Groeschel offers as starting points are:
“Making a Difference”
“Starting Over”
“Restoring Brokenness”
“Going for It”
“Taking the Faith Risk”
“Living the Dream”
“Shaping Up”
“Close to God”
What do you think?
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. And apparently the necessity of a mother is inventive. My wife found a news item about one Dawn Meehan who blogs here. The upshot of it is, this mother of (too many) has a knack for writing. Her trip from hell to the grocery store that resulted in an ebay auction gained her huge amounts (HUGE amounts) of attention. According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story, she is now sought after by the publishing and media industry in the manner of a Benny Hill closing credits scene. Read today's story here.
Take a gander at her blog and see what all the hoopla is about. And if you so feel inclined, check out some of her sponsors.
Many of you have been checking out my post here. I must apologize for the bad link. After I had posted some of the journal entries from my working through Craig Groeschel’s material in Chazown the website for the book and issues disappeared. I do not know whether the Chazown.com website is experiencing issues or if it is permanently defunct. If it reappears I’ll let you know so that you can interact fully with the material, too.
I always love new books--especially free ones. If you click on the button, you will be transported to a site where you can sign up for a drawing for a set of commentaries.
Just a note. The commentaries are from the Reformed school of theology. There will be three names drawn for different prizes:
- First prize = All six volumes.
- Second prize = Winner selects three of the titles.
- Third prize = Winner chooses one of the titles.
If you're interested click on the button above.
[HT: Our friends at Pastor Bookshelf]
[I thought about calling this column "Grammar Police" but it's really not grammar that holds a problem for Americans--it's how we use the words (or misuse them). Anyway, I've decided that instead of correcting every little error (which I am wont to do--but that makes people cringe and run away), I'll occasionally point out a particular peeve in the way that we speak. In this way, I get my rant out and don't offend my friends. I'll only address those issues that catch my eye (or ear) when they really hack me off. For the time being I'll leave punctuation to the puncuation police. If you would like to join in the conversation, well that's what the comment section is for. Just remember that I like to keep the place clean when making your comments. And now on to . . .]
Today's Rant: Everyday
In writing, Americans have become lazy. Take for instance the word "everyday." This is a good word. It's an adjective (that means it modifies a noun). It should be used correctly in describing an item or event:
He is wearing his everyday shirt. (There is nothing special about the shirt, it could be worn any or every day.)
or, Their everyday routine is to eat breakfast before leaving for work.
Notice that in both our examples today the word everyday explains the item or event. On the other hand I have found more and more Americans using the adjective "everyday" when they mean to say every day. The difference is that when we want to indicate a daily occurence that but are not using the adjectival rendering, we should use the two word phrase "every day."
I go to the mall every day.
She eats yogurt every day.
What a world of difference one little space can make. So when writing, dear reader, remember to add the space when you are not modifying a noun.
No, no . . . not tee time. I like golf as much as the next guy, but now we're talking Tea. While in Ukraine, I started drinking tea on occasion (when in Rome and all that). I didn't turn my back on coffee (the real man's drink), but I did develop an affinity for a cup 'o. What I found was the best "black tea" on the market--Lipton Yellow Label. A year into my discovery I learned a sad thing: You can't buy that in America. What would I do on furloughs? What happens if God decides to call me back to the 'States?
And then it happened. God called me back. I stashed one last fifty count box in the luggage and have been hoarding it these two and a half years. We've looked, we've searched, we've scoured. I've even gone in some of the health nut places with my blushing bride trying to find Yellow Label. But it's always been a no-go. Until just recently, that is.
Now you can get this smooth libation from one of the "partners" at Amazon.com. The one drawback is that the shipping shovels on a hefty tarriff. That's okay though, if you really like tea, it's worth the price. My bride ordered two 100 count boxes of the stuff and the shipping fee was just as much as both boxes combined! But I'm not complaining--I was almost out. And now, I don't have to be stingy with my precious tea. Get you some and try it. It'll relax you.
[Again, you can find this post duplicated at Loom & Wheel Words.]
Following his pattern of developing ideas through questioning, Craig Groeschel asks three questions to help readers of Chazown begin finding their spiritual gifts. What is your passion? What is your impact? What is your secret belief? Each of the questions deals with the things that you do—the activity of your life.
First, what is it that you do with passion? What is it that you enjoy doing or suspect that you might enjoy doing? I find that communication is the thing that I have a passion about. I look for ways to communicate, to say the right word at the right time. I find that I have the same desire in my writing—to use the best word to communicate the best possible message at the perfect time. I like to think that once in awhile, I hit the mark.
What, then, do you do that seems to have a significant impact on the world around you? This is a tough question for me because as my mother has often observed, I am my own biggest critic. I’ve discovered that while sometimes my words do have the impact that I desire, it is more often time that impacts those around me. People seem to be more aware that I have spent time with them than they are to remember anything I say. This is especially true during times of crisis. Few if any people remember the words said in a prayer when they are going into a time of surgery, but most remember that you were there and that you offered a prayer.
Finally, what is it that you secretly believe that you can do—even if you’ve never tried it? Although I’ve journeyed down the road of self-publishing (in essence, paying up-front the costs of getting your book between covers and in hard copy form), I still feel that I’ve got the stuff to get my stories published. Groeschel asserts that you should do what you secretly know you can do. He follows up with another assertion that if you don’t do it, if you keep putting it off, you’ll lose the ability to do that which you secretly think you can do. (That’s double-talk for saying, “Put up or shut up.”)
Here’s another author’s perspective on the same idea:
First, what is it that you do with passion? What is it that you enjoy doing or suspect that you might enjoy doing? I find that communication is the thing that I have a passion about. I look for ways to communicate, to say the right word at the right time. I find that I have the same desire in my writing—to use the best word to communicate the best possible message at the perfect time. I like to think that once in awhile, I hit the mark.
What, then, do you do that seems to have a significant impact on the world around you? This is a tough question for me because as my mother has often observed, I am my own biggest critic. I’ve discovered that while sometimes my words do have the impact that I desire, it is more often time that impacts those around me. People seem to be more aware that I have spent time with them than they are to remember anything I say. This is especially true during times of crisis. Few if any people remember the words said in a prayer when they are going into a time of surgery, but most remember that you were there and that you offered a prayer.
Finally, what is it that you secretly believe that you can do—even if you’ve never tried it? Although I’ve journeyed down the road of self-publishing (in essence, paying up-front the costs of getting your book between covers and in hard copy form), I still feel that I’ve got the stuff to get my stories published. Groeschel asserts that you should do what you secretly know you can do. He follows up with another assertion that if you don’t do it, if you keep putting it off, you’ll lose the ability to do that which you secretly think you can do. (That’s double-talk for saying, “Put up or shut up.”)
Here’s another author’s perspective on the same idea:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Once you have found these things, you are better equipped to find your spiritual gifts—those things which God has given you that will help you further the work of the Kingdom. Like other authors, Groeschel has found an assessment tool which will help followers of Jesus discover their gifts (based on a listing developed by the writers of the assessment tool). Here are my gifts based on that tool:
Apostleship – adaptability, with an emphasis on missions and cross-cultural witness.
Shepherding – care, nurture, and guiding.
Leadership – purpose and goal setting.
Knowledge – insight.
Teaching – able to communicate ideas.
Coupling this with the core values that I developed earlier, is it any wonder that the most energized I have been in my career path has been during those times I have been living in ministry? Serving as the pastor of a church is a hand-in-glove fit for me. I am able to use my gifts to address my personal values in an effort to build God’s kingdom. What a rush!
Apostleship – adaptability, with an emphasis on missions and cross-cultural witness.
Shepherding – care, nurture, and guiding.
Leadership – purpose and goal setting.
Knowledge – insight.
Teaching – able to communicate ideas.
Coupling this with the core values that I developed earlier, is it any wonder that the most energized I have been in my career path has been during those times I have been living in ministry? Serving as the pastor of a church is a hand-in-glove fit for me. I am able to use my gifts to address my personal values in an effort to build God’s kingdom. What a rush!
This is a chart showing my personality type. I've done these kinds of tests before, but it's always good to review.
Others have the same type as me. Here's a sample:
Famous ENFPs
Real ENFP People
Alicia Silverstone - actress (Clueless), fashion model
Andy Kaufman - American entertainer
Andy Rooney - television writer
Bill Cosby - actor, comedian, activist
Bill Moyers - journalist, commentator
Bob Dylan - singer-songwriter, musician
Bus ter Keaton - silent film comic actor
Carol Burnett - comedian
Charles Dickens - English novelist
Dave Thomas - businessman (Wendy's), philanthropist
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geise) - writer, cartoonist
Franz Joseph Haydn - composer
James Dobson - evangelical psychologist
Joseph Campbell - writer, orator
King Jordan - deaf president of Gallaudet University
Lewis Grizzard - humorist
Martin Short - Canadian actor, comedian
Paul Harvey - radio broadcaster
Paul Robeson - actor, athlete, singer, writer, activist
Phil Donahue - TV personality
Regis Philbin - TV personality
Robin Williams - actor
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) - writer
Sandra Bullock - actress
Sinbad - actor, comedian
Upton Sinclair - author, investigative journalist
Will Rogers - Comedian
Fictional ENFPs (Characters)
Ariel - The Little Mermaid
Balki - Perfect Strangers
Dr. Doug Ross - ER
Lara Antipova - Doctor Zhivago
Steve Urkel - Family Matters
Will - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
[HT: Kevin Bussey]
It's time to make an adjustment to an assessment. A day or two after I posted this, I got an email from the company. Here's a snip from customer representative Brenda R:
I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. I have placed an
order for a lid that you will receive within 2-3 weeks. I apologize for the
service center giving you incorrect information. The part could have been
ordered direct at any time. in fact the lid is an inexpensive part and that
is why they most likely did not wish to sell it for such a small amount.
I've received the part and will expect it to work properly for some time.
[This post is also published at Loom & Wheel Words, a blog where I address more philosophical matters. Occasionally there will be a post that touches on the emphases of both of my personal blogs. If you are interested in the deeper topics that I might explore, you should click on the link to the side and visit my other blog.]
Craig Groeschel insists that your ultimate Life Vision, your Chazown, is tied indelibly to t
hree areas of your life: your Core Values, your Spiritual Gifts, and your past experiences. Today we’ll deal with my response to the issue of Core Values. Core Values are those things that strike you at your heart (your core). They are the ideals that make you stand up and take notice. There are two questions which can help you arrive at what those core values might be.
First, what really angers me? What makes your righteousness get indignated? For me it amounts to three or four things (in no particular order, but even as I think about it to write these things, I begin to see red). Hurting children. When people take advantage of children in a way that God never intended, when children suffer needlessly because of government waste or parental ignorance, my dander flares.
Lying. So often I find that when people play on my good nature and then I find out they aren’t truthful with me, my head aches. Why would someone lie? To me or to anyone, why? I’ve known those people who would tell a lie when the truth would be more expedient, but lying—truthlessness—is their nature. Why?
False Pride. I think perhaps the one thing that makes me froth at the mouth most is this insane—inane—habit that especially believers in Christ exhibit. So many people are ready to offer prayer and advice for others in need, but then there are entire families filled with those who need (they really, really need) prayer or help and refuse to allow the Family of God to bear the burden with them. Who cares if it “looks like” you have a flaw? How presumptuous is that? That we might never ever need a friend.
And then, the second question: What brings me bliss? What shouts to you, “PARTEEE”? What gets your toes to tappin’, your mouth to rappin’ and your whole heart flappin’? Again, I found three standouts in the crowd. Presents. I suppose the reason that I love Christmas so much—aside from the fact that it’s when we celebrate the first coming of the Christ—is that our tradition suggests, no insists, no it outright requires, me to give gifts. I love giving gifts—especially those unexpected gifts that cost little, but mean a mint. One of my favorite things is to catch my beloved blushing bride off-guard with the perfect birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift. But best yet was the time that I was able to sneak in the china cabinet when she was out of town. I even displayed the chine for when she returned from her trip to Grandma’s.
Laughter. Nothing makes my chest (some would say my head) swell with self-satisfaction than to know that someone enjoyed my company because I made them smile. I first realized this as a freshman in college. Dorm life—that’s the ticket. Getting to know the other men on my hall was always fun. People would roam the hall and if a door was open, it meant social hour was in session in that room. On one of these occasions I finally had to leave a group of friends to go (I don’t know—study or sleep or something) and as I left the room I heard one of the friends still in the room comment, “I just love Benjie, he’s so funny.” I hadn’t even been trying to be funny.
Communication. I suppose you could say that communication is my life. One of the greatest drives that I have as a pastor, author, blogger is that people catch what I’m trying to say. Sometimes I fall short of this goal because I have a tendency to overuse egghead vocabulary when I should be speaking to the third-grader in the crowd. But still, I want him to understand.
Having assessed these questions, I turned to the list that Groeschel provides at http://www.chazown.com/ to line up what I feel are the core values that most closely match my heart’s cry. Here’s what I came up with:
- Authenticity
- Creativity
- Discipleship
- Faith
- Godliness
- Humor
- Integrity
I think that’s a fair list.
Against the advice of my brother (“You will probably want to see the first two in order to fully enjoy this one”) the blushing bride and I got sitters for the kids and took in the latest chapter in Bourne movies. I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for action movies. As a matter of fact if you have fight scenes, chase scenes, and blow things up, I’m there!
Jason Bourne continues to have flashbacks that give him clues to who he really is. The problem is that the clues are extremely vague. Picking up news items that lead him to the explanation of the flashbacks—gleaning names and information along the way—Bourne travels all over the world, encountering new and old faces along the way.
Although I’ve seen snips of both of the earlier Bourne films, I still have a hard time casting Matt Damon in an action role. I must admit that he gives a surprisingly good rendition of an indestructible black-ops assassin who is bent on self-destruction through self-discovery. He is helped along the way by Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and the ever present Pam Landy (Joan Allen). By the end of the movie, Bourne has a new name to claim, and a new outlook on life. The film leaves a wide berth for the possibility of the return of Bourne although it will be necessary for writers to dig deep for plot development.
For your dollar, this is a great action movie with lots of speed and destruction. The fight scenes are fast-paced, the chases high-speed, and there are a fair amount of gun-play and pyrotechnics to satisfy. Go see it on the big screen if it’s still playing in your town.
The Bourne Ultimatum gets 4 thumbs and makes me want to rent The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy.
Jason Bourne continues to have flashbacks that give him clues to who he really is. The problem is that the clues are extremely vague. Picking up news items that lead him to the explanation of the flashbacks—gleaning names and information along the way—Bourne travels all over the world, encountering new and old faces along the way.
Although I’ve seen snips of both of the earlier Bourne films, I still have a hard time casting Matt Damon in an action role. I must admit that he gives a surprisingly good rendition of an indestructible black-ops assassin who is bent on self-destruction through self-discovery. He is helped along the way by Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and the ever present Pam Landy (Joan Allen). By the end of the movie, Bourne has a new name to claim, and a new outlook on life. The film leaves a wide berth for the possibility of the return of Bourne although it will be necessary for writers to dig deep for plot development.
For your dollar, this is a great action movie with lots of speed and destruction. The fight scenes are fast-paced, the chases high-speed, and there are a fair amount of gun-play and pyrotechnics to satisfy. Go see it on the big screen if it’s still playing in your town.
The Bourne Ultimatum gets 4 thumbs and makes me want to rent The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy.
About Me
- Benjie
- . . . is a former English teacher, a former youth minister, a former missionary, and a current pastor. He is married with three children.
My Blog List
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The Eclipse: Has the End Come?2 weeks ago
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When Your Pen Pal Is Your Son2 months ago
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Trinity Sunday Bible Study10 months ago
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Modoc National Wildlife Refuge2 years ago
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A Response to “5 Myths About Calvinism”5 years ago
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Update6 years ago
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Backing up My iCloud Photos7 years ago
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審査がシビアだという印象がある銀行カードローンではありますが…？7 years ago
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Last Day of Freedom!!!8 years ago
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Moving To A New Site9 years ago
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Your Pain Isn't About You10 years ago
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Holding the Key10 years ago
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Steffanie's Shoes11 years ago
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Fall in Wisconsin11 years ago
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The First Date (I)12 years ago
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Happy Valentine's Day Charley!!!13 years ago
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New Blog13 years ago
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Section 10.Mileena14 years ago
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Publishing Topics14 years ago
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Books14 years ago
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Compassion and Comfort15 years ago
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Snippets of Life From Thanksgiving Till Now15 years ago
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Welcome!15 years ago
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