Christians Read

Three Suggestions for Graduates

Posted on June 5, 2013 by juliearduini

In NE Ohio, many high school graduations already took place, or will this weekend. There are days my own commencement seems like yesterday, and then the calendar reminds me the day I threw my cap so high I never found it again was in 1988.

I thought I’d share the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re graduating or not, I hope these tips encourage you.

1. Be Intentional. I remember after college graduation the job market was much like it is now. Jobs were scarce and going to people with more experience. I had to be intentional and not only be persistent in sending resumes, but follow-up with each company. I sent thank you notes to every person I met during an interview (don’t forget the administrative assistant, they are key.) Even after I landed the job, I had to be intentional in communication both with my work and my home life. When I moved from Upstate NY to Ohio there was a Mothers of Preschoolers group that visited every day our first week with meal delivery. When I asked why did they go out of their way for a virtual stranger, the response was, “We promised as a steering team to be intentional.” I’ve adopted the same attitude.

2. Be Forgiving. No matter what path you take, people are going to wound you, even unintentionally. I took so many things personally after graduation. Whether it was adjusting to living with others in college or coming to terms with a job or relationship rejection, my attitude got in the way. Even as a married adult when I had a miscarriage, my own lack of forgiveness held me back for an entire year. The best definition I ever heard was that forgiveness is “letting go of the fact the other person didn’t meet your expectation.” Want a key to moving ahead faster than most? Forgive.

3. Be like Jesus. Sounds easy and even cliche, but I didn’t choose a relationship with Christ until after college, and even then, I was too new and unmentored to know any better. Being Christ-like means you will serve others and throw self-entitled thinking out the window. People will define you as a great listener, team player, fair worker, and a person that stands out for all the right reasons. I interact with a lot of Christians who aren’t sharing their faith as much as living it, and their peers know there is something about them. The world wants you to be about yourself, to cut corners, and receive more than give. Be salt and light.

What advice do you have for graduates?

If you are a graduate, what plans do you have?

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christ-like, follow through, forgive, graduate, job search, Julie Arduini, resumes, salt and light, thank you notes | Leave a comment

Do You Ever Take a Chance on a Different Genre? by James L. Rubart

Posted on June 4, 2013 by James L. Rubart

I did. On Sunday.

I was winging my way to Nashville to record the audio version of Memory’s Door (sequel to Soul’s Gate) when I powered my my Kindle and looked through the hundreds of free e-books I’ve downloaded but never read.

I came across my friend, Kristin Billerbeck’s novel, Perfectly Dateless: A Universally Misunderstood Novel

I figured, that’s a genre I’ve never tried. Why not? True confession time. I loved it. Love her voice, it made me laugh out loud, I was hooked immediately.

Have you ever done that? Take a chance on a genre outside your norm? If you have, what happened? Good? Bad? Are you going to try it again? And those of you who haven’t; have you considered trying something new?

Inquiring James’s want to know.

Posted in Honored Alumni, James L. Rubart, Uncategorized | Tagged new genres | 1 Comment

The Psalms: Israel’s Prayers and Ours

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Sarah Goebel

The Psalms are popular and well read by most Christians, and are often used in Christian worship. However, the Psalms can easily be misinterpreted if we are not aware of the type of writing they are. Therefore, I want to share a couple of pointers this week for all those who enjoy reading the Psalms. First, we should keep in mind that the psalms are words inspired by God that are spoken to God or about God rather than from God to His people. In other words, the psalms are not to be read primarily for doctrine or moral behavior, but to help us express our inner feelings to God. Fee and Stuart in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth give us some additional points that will help us in our hermeneutical interpretations of the Psalms as Hebrew poetry:

Hebrew poetry is addressed to the mind through the heart and involves some kind of parallelism. Therefore we must identify the type of parallelism being used. One common form is called synonymous. In this form, the second line reinforces the message of the first line and the two lines together express the poets meaning. If you try to interpret the two lines with separate meanings, you will miss the point. The psalms also include antithetical parallelism where the second or subsequent lines contrast the first line; and synthetic parallelism where the second or subsequent lines add further information to the first line [198-199].
The psalms are musical poems. Although they contain and reflect doctrine, they are not intended to be repositories for doctrinal exposition. We must refrain from reading psalms as though they contain any system of doctrine but read them as what they are – musical poems created to stimulate emotional responses rather than propositional thinking.
The vocabulary of poetry is purposefully metaphorical; therefore, we must be careful to look for the intent of the metaphor. Fee and Stuart tell us that we must learn to ‘listen’ to the metaphors and understand what they signify.
We need to appreciate the symbolic language of metaphors and similes for its intended purpose, then translate it.

I hope these brief principles concerning good interpretation for the Psalms helps you appreciate and understand the beauty of these poetic writings found in center of our Bibles even more than you did before.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bible interpretation, expressing our feelings to God, good hermeneutics, interpreting the Psalms, praying to God | Leave a comment

Judging a Story

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Maureen Lang

Graphic courtesy of Bing Free Images

Every year I’m involved with judging at least a couple of different writing contests. It’s often time consuming but I always find the effort well spent because I’m reminded there are endless possibilities of stories and storytellers. It’s hard to believe there are so many writers and ideas out there!

Submissions come in from all ends of the talent spectrum, but I’m happy to report there is a deep and vast pool of wonderful writers ready to provide readers with an array of styles and expertise. The competition is fierce, but that just makes the winners better. And that should make readers happy!

So how do I judge a story? What do I look for? My title may be judge, but my role is reader.

I start with high expectations for each submission, eager to read something I haven’t seen before. First I look for clarity in the writing just as I would in any published book. Am I asking the right questions along the way? I can ask: oh, I wonder what’s going to happen next? But I shouldn’t be asking: Huh? What did he mean when he said that? What did that character just do? Why would a character do such a thing?

I don’t mind if a story takes a little while to get started, but I expect to be engaged from the get-go. The characters must intrigue or appeal to me, the setting should add texture and deepen the characters as they interact within their storyworld. I want to feel like I’m right there with them, inside their head, seeing what they see, feel what they feel. (This is, by the way, why I avoid horror stories!)

If I had to list some of the qualities I consider, it would look something like this:

Fresh, unique story? (There can be fresh takes on tried-and-true themes, but there must be some kind of new angle.)
Clarity/writing that doesn’t get in the way of the story
Interesting setting
Characters with proper motivation toward compelling goals, with plausible conflict keeping them from fulfilling their goals too easily
Emotional pay off – bring me in and touch me emotionally
A satisfying if not happy ending

Judges are nothing more than experienced readers—well, with an opinion and a vote, of course, but only because we’re involved in the business and have developed a sense to see what works and what doesn’t.

So with the next book you read, how would you judge it? What are some of the qualities you look for when reviewing a book?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged contest judging, reading, reviwing a book | Leave a comment

Reflecting on Reputation by Julie Arduini

Posted on May 22, 2013 by juliearduini

As I type this, updates continue to come in from Moore, Oklahoma. My Facebook list isn’t huge by any means and I’m seeing several friends checking in and reporting on the devastation. Chances are there is someone here at Christians Read affected. My prayers are with you.

***

Speaking of Facebook, a funny thing has been happening on my personal page lately. I’ve been tagged by friends who saw a chocolate image or quote and thought of me. Not only do I find it humorous, I think it’s confirmation I’m on the right track. Not so much building a reputation (although as a chocoholic I’m guilty as charged) but growing a brand. As a writer and speaker I want them to see my name and think surrender and chocolate.

Something else happened recently that made me think of how people view me. Last week I left a room and a woman ran out after me. She explained she had a prayer request and asked that I pray. The she said, “I had to tell you because you’re a prayer warrior.” That’s certainly not something I put on business cards or where on my clothes. Through my actions she felt that was an accurate depiction. That’s character.

One of my favorite quotes is by Charles Spurgeon, “May your character be inscribed on a rock and not written in the sand.” After the exchange with the woman I reflected on what she said.

In the different places I go, am I the same person? You know the type, the one that quotes Scriptures with you in church but curses a blue streak in the bowling alley? That’s not how I want to be. The more I thought of it, my answer went back to Facebook.

A few years ago I was one of thousands hacked in a concentrated attack by a radical religious group. It made the news, and it was reported that Christians were targeted. When I was hacked, I knew right away. How? Because people were reading my lewd and belligerent status updates and responses to friend’s walls and realized they couldn’t be from me. It was the total opposite of what they were used to reading. Whoever had my account even argued with one of my pastors regarding Deuteronomy and I joked he had to know immediately it wasn’t me, when would I ever know enough about Deuteronomy to argue a pastor?

Friends called and texted me, readers went to my page to defend me and call the hacker out. When I re gained control I decided to use my reputation to fight back. I wrote a new status update claiming for those who truly understand me, I’d never be at the store the hacker claimed, any money I had would be spent on chocolate. Then I wrote a blog post letter to the hackers letting them know by targeting Christians and making my account one of the compromised, that was a blessing. It meant the true defeated one must be desperate, and I must be making an impact for the Kingdom of Christ. It only fueled me to keep writing for Him.

How about you? Have you ever thought what reputation you have, and does it line up with what you want it to be? I don’t mean you’ve lost a good name over a bad day, but if you think people are defining you in a way you’re not comfortable with, there’s time to change it. Not sure what your reputation is? Ask people in various parts of your life. A spouse, child, co worker, the check-out person at your favorite store–you’re sure to learn what about you is inscribed on rock, and what about you needs to get thrown in the sand.

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Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged character, Charles Spurgeon, inscribed on a rock, Julie Arduini, reputation, written in sand | 1 Comment

Miracles do Happen (by Hannah Alexander)

Posted on May 21, 2013 by alexanderhodde

Much of the country has been watching and praying as Oklahoma City and surrounding towns dig out of the debris and devastation caused by a monster tornado attack last night. Many of us prayed for a friend of mine who was stuck in the path of the twister, had no shelter, and didn’t know if her children or husband were safe. But my friend, though often attacked by disaster in her life, is also blessed by miracles. Last night, as we watched live coverage, we saw the tornado skip over her house as all around her lay devastation. This was the second time. Years ago, she had the same thing happen–a tornado jumped over her house. Her friends all rejoiced when she found her husband and children safe, though she grieves today for her church family and friends as they dig out of the debris.

My husband, Mel, was working in ER yesterday here in Missouri and preparing to come home. A tornado was sighted heading in the direction of the hospital, so he was not allowed to leave. We prayed, the tornado missed the hospital, didn’t touch down, and he just made it home a little late. Living in tornado alley sometimes becomes routine.

I just pulled up another clip in which a lonely older lady had dug her way out of the debris of her home after the twister hit. She’d been huddling in the bathroom with her little dog. She was bleeding and cut, but alive and grieving the lost of her dog when all of a sudden they heard a whimper beneath some of the debris, and saw the frightened eyes of her dog. The lady and reporter dug the pup out as the lady suppressed tears. She’d had two prayers–one was that she would live through the tornado, and the other was that her doggie companion would. Both her prayers were answered.

Amongst all the destruction and loss, miracles seem to be more prevalent than at other times. Perhaps it’s the contrast between pain and relief that makes the miracles more obvious. I’m not sure what it is.

I do know there are many miracles taking place today in Oklahoma. As I experienced here in my hometown when a tornado destroyed our main street, Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse were on their way as soon as they heard. Locals prepared meals daily for those working to find people who were lost and clear out the debris. In Oklahoma, huge semi trucks will be parked as close as possible to the devastation where they can reach people who need help, food, water, shelter, basics for survival.

If you want to help, please pray, and then send a check to one of these organizations that do so much good during times of disaster. Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse are the two I can personally vouch for. They send kind and caring volunteers to help heal the hearts of those with losses, and they use the money they get to do all they can to help clean up the debris and help people.

You can be a part of the miracles. What you do matters. Your love and compassion can help lives devastated by loss find hope again.

Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | Tagged helping hands. Salvation Army, Samaritan's Purse, tornado | Leave a comment

Sad Stories

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Maureen Lang

Have you ever shied away from reading a book because you know it’s going to have a sad ending? Or have you been in the mood to seek out such a book? What if a book has a sad ending, only you weren’t expecting it?

I remember years ago I was determined to read a couple of the books recommended by Oprah. I told myself I really should be reading what is guaranteed to become a best seller, just because so many people follow her advice.

But I honestly couldn’t get through the books she was talking about. I made it about half way through the first, skimming the rest. It was very well written, but the characters were largely unlikeable and went through one horror after another. I don’t recall many details, only that a woman was asked by her neighbor to babysit her kids, and one ended up drowning in their pool or pond. The woman then went to prison for child endangerment and while incarcerated her husband had an affair with the mother of the child who died. Revenge? I couldn’t read it, no matter how masterful the prose. It was just too downright depressing.

Right now I’m reading Still Alice, the best-selling story of a brilliant, confident woman suffering with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not a book I would have chosen, but it won the majority in my book club so it’s a must-read if I want to participate in this month’s meeting. Again, it’s well written, but it has a guaranteed tragic end. It’s not a book I’ll likely keep on my shelf.

When I was younger, sad endings didn’t bother me so much. The first sad movie I enjoyed was Old Yeller, and as a teen I flocked to the theater along with other girls my age to see Love Story. And then The Way We Were. But as I get older, such sad stories just don’t hold any appeal for me—even if, as the quote goes, the story is well done. Of course, there are stories that have satisfying ends that don’t necessarily end happily. Gone With The Wind seemed to have the right ending, even if it wasn’t happy. And the first Academy Award winning movie, the silent film Wings, is one of my absolute favorites even though it has a bittersweet ending.

But I confess I write stories with happy endings—maybe because I hear about enough sad stories on the news. Why make up more sad endings, when it’s just as easy to write a story with a happy one?

What about you? Do you prefer happy endings, or sad?

Speaking of happy endings, the e-book version of my newest title, All In Good Time, is being offered by my publisher at the special price of only 2.99 for any electronic version (Kindle, Nook, etc.). So if you prefer happy endings, this one’s for you!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged happy endings, sad books, sad endings | 6 Comments

I Need Your Help by James L. Rubart

Posted on May 14, 2013 by James L. Rubart

A friend of mine posed a question to a group of authors last week I think is intriguing. Why do we buy the books we buy? Or put another way, what is the path you take when buying a book?

He posits there are three phases before someone buys a book:

Stage One- Learning the book exists
Stage Two- Becoming interested in the book once you know it exists
Stage Three- The trigger that causes us to purchase the book

If you’d like to play, tell me the name of the last book you bought (not one of those free downloads) and what led you to buy it.

I’ll go first to show you what I mean:

I was at a marketing seminar in Austin, TX in early April. While at the seminar, a guest speaker came and told about his journey of publishing. He showed his latest book, THE ONE THING, and explained the cover design and why they did the back cover copy the way they did it. It looked intriguing so I put it on my Wish List.

A few weeks later, my wife asked if I’d buy her a book. I went online to order it, and took a quick look at my Wish List. There at the top was THE ONE THING. I read a few reviews, liked what I saw and decided to order it.

Your turn, I’d love to hear from you!

Posted in Honored Alumni, James L. Rubart, Uncategorized | Tagged Why do you buy the books you do? | 9 Comments

Jesus: The Revolutionary with His Upside-Down Ideas

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Sarah Goebel

Have you ever thought about the many ideas that Jesus brought into human history? I was thinking about this, and it is clear that Jesus brought ideas that are upside down from the world’s way of thinking. We could call Jesus a revolutionary!

One of the major ideas Jesus brought into human history is that the one who serves others is the greater versus the greatest is one served by others. And, how about the idea that everyone is equal in the Kingdom of God regardless of race, gender, or social standing. That was a revolutionary idea that many did not like. In the US today we see this idea played out for the most part, but in some areas of the world you still see women, children, and slaves horrifically abused. There is no equality. We should ask ourselves, how we perceive others. Do we look at people through a lens of inequality in various situations? Do we treat everyone as true equals? Still, another idea Jesus brought to the world is that those who give away, receive more. How many people actually live by that principle? I would guess, few. I looked at my life and asked myself, am I living as though this idea is truth to me? How about you? Do you believe this idea to be true? Are you living it out in your life? Really, all of the Beatitudes are ideas that are contrary to much of the world then, and now.Just take a look at them.

For instance, Jesus said those who are gentle and lowly are blessed and that the whole earth would belong to them. In the world then, and today we see all kinds of striving between people and nations. People fight to gain more power and position. This is seen in the workplace and even in the church. People strive for control over more people and to gain land. We see governments and men in powerful positions and groups such as the Palestinians who desire to obtain land that belongs to another. Jesus characterized the lowly with humility, self discipline, and submission; whereas, the world’s attitude is one of self-exaltation and lust for control and position. Jesus said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (satisfied). In the world all around us we see people thirsting for self gratification and yet they are left unsatisfied. We should ask ourselves, what are we looking to for fulfillment. Is it Jesus’ life being lived through ours or are we trying to find satisfaction in people, position, things, honor, etc.?

Jesus said the one who cares for others (charity) will be cared for. Most of the world is concerned to seek justice only for themselves, with no concern about justice for the weak and broken who cannot help themselves. Again, we can ask ourselves if we are more “me” focused or are we “other” focused. If we are not other focused, is it because we don’t believe in Jesus’ idea?

Jesus said that those who are peacemakers will receive the Father’s blessing and will be called a child of God. We see, even inside of the church, many who pursue peacekeeping instead of peacemaking. They do what they need to do in order to avoid rejection and to keep the peace. They fail to be transparent in relationships and sometimes fail to offer forgiveness although on the outside they wear a smile. This is the same idea promoted in the world – keep the peace at any cost. They pretend that there is no break in the relationship when there really is and they move on without the other person, who may even be unaware of what caused the break. This leaves that person in a hurting condition. But the one moves on unconcerned with how their actions affect them. They are just happy to look like they are keeping peace and happy that they themselves are protected from rejection. The peacemaker Jesus spoke of pursues peace at risk of rejection and is open and transparent, desiring a true unity in the spirit. They are quick to forgive others as they see themselves as ministers of reconciliation.

Jesus said that those who are persecuted for His name would receive the Kingdom of Heaven. We see believers in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan persecuted for their faith in Christ. There is a pastor who is imprisoned in Iran right now because he will not deny Christ. The world doesn’t understand why he and others like him would go through such suffering when they could be freed of it by renouncing Christ. These Christians choose to entrust themselves and their life circumstances to God knowing that as they share in Christ’s sufferings, they will also share in His glory. They are committed and faithful to God and empowered by His Spirit to stand. All of us who call ourselves Christian should ask ourselves would we follow the world if we were in this situation or would we stand. The key to standing is developing an attitude of commitment and faithfulness now in the small things concerning the Christian life. This will prepare us to stand committed should this type of persecution be in our future.

Jesus Christ was definitely a revolutionary! Please feel free to comment on the few ideas I have shared that Christ brought to us. Or, share another idea that He brought into human history that is upside down from the world’s way of thinking.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christian commitment, Christian living, Faith, faithfulness to Christ, Jesus the revolutionary, the Beatitudes, upside down ideas | 2 Comments

Gifts For Mom

Posted on May 9, 2013 by tararandel

This weekend is Mother’s Day. I always enjoy this weekend because I get to honor my mother and be honored as a mother. Because life goes by so quickly, I’m glad we have special days to remember those we love.

So what do you get Mom? Especially if she seems to have everything? Of course my first suggest is books. I know I can never have enough. A gift card to a book store comes to mind. Or how about an e-reader? There are more books than ever for readers to chose from.

There are the old standbys as well. Flowers. Coffee or tea baskets. Tickets to the movies. Going to a restaurant.

But what about something more…personal? My daughter just gave me the cutest gift. She took a piece of framed canvas and found a heart cut out to cover the center. Gathering up crayons, she took her hair blow dyer and melted the crayons, letting them drip over the canvas. She used multiple colors. The result resembled an abstract painting.

Once she removed the heat cutout, she wrote a personal note in the middle, but you could add anything from photographs, to a favorite scripture verse, to gluing small mementos to create a collage of favorite memories. Get creative and see what you come up with.

I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day. Enjoy your family! And cherish any gift from your loved ones.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, gift, heart, Mom. Mothers Day | 2 Comments

Short and Sweet by Julie Arduini

Posted on May 8, 2013 by juliearduini

Ask any writer and crafting the manuscript isn’t the hard part. It’s the shorter works in the process–the pitch and synopsis that send chills down an author’s spine. Every word counts. No space for passive verbs. Advice like “write tight” and “When in doubt, cut it out” echo through our tired minds.

Today I’m scheduled to pitch to Love Inspired. I’ve edited, revised, honed, tweaked, and prayed over 100 words. If it garners interest, I move on. If it doesn’t, guess what? I still move on.

Yet as I’ve worked on this, I’ve thought about short notes. Everyone writes them. Whether we’re quick on time or space, we think of the best words to convey our feelings.

Think about it. A text. Post it notes. Reminders. Quick letters to a spouse left on a coffee table. A love note scribbled from steam on a bathroom mirror. An emergency message. A wanted ad. Some of my favorite sitcom episodes are made from the miscommunications those fast writings. The most haunting short story I remember is Hemingway’s six word flash fiction: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

It might be my imagination, but last month I saw a necklace with a small, glass bottle attached. You could detach the bottle and include a message. Of course, that got me thinking. If it were an eco-friendly thing to do, what would I write? What would you say?

Of all the short and sweet notes out there, I realized encouragement is my theme. Most of my texts are encouraging others. It’s what I jot on mirrors. I’d let a random bottle reader know they are so important to God that He wanted them to find the bottle.

Perhaps I think too much, but I really have been paying extra attention to these things. Do you work any harder on short notes to make sure you got it just right?

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Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged Julie Arduini, Love Inspired, message in a bottle, pitch, short notes, synopsis, text, writing on a mirror | 2 Comments

Like a Good Neighbor (by Hannah Alexander)

Posted on May 7, 2013 by alexanderhodde

This is not a State Farm commercial.

Friends, meet our yard below. Yes, the grass really was knee high last night. I checked it, and my legs are not short. I could honestly use the excuse that I love the look of the wildflowers that bloom in the spring, and so we wait until long after everyone else has mowed their yard before cutting our blooming purple weeds, but our neighbors, for some reason, don’t like dandelions, which grow very well this time of year if you let them. I, on the other hand, think they’re pretty in all their forms, especially when they look like piles of tiny snowballs nestled in the thick green grass.

After a while, however, the stares from some of the passersby on the street begin to affect me and I suggest Mel needs to get the lawn mower out and make a run over the grass. That’s pretty much how it worked this year, too, because, even though we have four lawn mowers, neither Mel nor I have an engineering degree, and I think that’s what it takes to keep a lawn mower working. Oh, sure, like we’re supposed automatically know how to change the oil and air the tires? So with four flat tires and two mowers that wouldn’t start, it took Mel a few tries. He got there a week or so ago. Make that two weeks. Maybe a little more, but honestly, this picture is a good depiction of how quickly our grass grows in Southern Missouri in springtime.

Then the rains happened. It seemed even the surprising May snow this spring made the grass shoot up, much to my dismay. Life has been frantic in our household, with Mel working two jobs and me working two books. We don’t get out much.

Two days ago, one neighbor who owns the duplex behind us mowed his yard. I watched, while working from the sunroom, while he made several long passes into the far end of our backyard. Dandelion puffs went flying. It was a beautiful sight. What a sweet man. He cut nearly one quarter of our yard. I was humbled and embarrassed.

Then last night, Mel and I had just taken a brief break and walked through the remaining grass when we ran into our next-door neighbor. He and Mel started talking, and I came back inside to get to work. Mel came in a few moments later, and then I heard a mower outside our window.

“Honey,” I asked. “I thought you said you wanted to mow tomorrow night.”

“I did, but Gary asked if I’d be offended if he mowed it tonight.”

“Oh. And of course you said you wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Well, I did tell him I was planning to mow, but I guess he was just in the mood. He likes to use our deep grass as mulch for his garden.”

“Well, then, that’s good. Right?”

“Sweetheart,” he said as he leaned over his computer to study a medical manual online, “we have wonderful neighbors.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t happen all the time. Maybe once a year…or twice. We often get so caught up in our own little worlds that we don’t realize we’re falling behind, so our neighbors help us out. We try to return the favor. Mel will give an occasional free adjustment in the clinic. I’ll help someone write an important letter. It’s just one more thing I love about our tiny community. We really do help each other, just like good neighbors.

Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | Tagged doing the extra mile, kindness of neighbors | Leave a comment

Is Bigger Better?

Posted on May 2, 2013 by bethrachg

Just received my author copies for my upcoming release, Riptide, yesterday. Actually I received only four of them because they are the True Large Print versions. Not LARGE PRINT, but TRUE large print. This version is like a trade-sized novel and yes, the words are huge.

Of course, on our e-readers we can adjust the size of fonts to make for easier reading if needed.

So choosing your book is no longer just about about whether or not you prefer to hold the hard copy in your hand, it’s what size of font you prefer. I’ve picked up some mass market books with print so small that even with my glasses it was a strain to read them.

So what’s the consensus out there—bigger is better?

Blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

Posted in Elizabeth Goddard, Uncategorized | Tagged Christian fiction, Elizabeth Godda, Elizabeth Goddard, Large Print, Love Inspired Suspense, romantic suspense | 2 Comments

On Suspending Disbelief Posted by Maureen Lang

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Maureen Lang

Image from Bing Free Images and originally seen on suspension of disbelief | Systems Savvy

When I’m reading a good book, I’m usually willing to suspend disbelief—that is, accept something implausible—if the story or film has prepared me properly. Shootouts both contemporary and historical are exciting and I’m willing to believe the bad guys will miss hitting the good guys while the good guys can aim once and hit their target (something a recent news story proved implausible in reality). I’m already cheering for the good guys, and if they’re as heroic as their character has been portrayed, of course they’ll be a great shot!

When I’m writing a story, I try to pay close attention to this element. I don’t want to ask my readers to suspend disbelief, I want them to be so fully immersed in the story they won’t stop to question whether or not the action is plausible or not. I’ve found the best way to avoid the eye-roll from readers is by preparing the field, so to speak. If my reclusive hero is going to involve himself in society, I’d better bring him along slowly enough to have the reader believing it could happen.

I think as a reader I’m more willing to accept the extraordinary if everything supporting this potentially unbelievable aspect is working. The full saying goes “suspending disbelief for the sake of entertainment.” So if I’m being entertained, I can overlook things that might be stretching reality just a bit.

There are certain personalities this doesn’t work for, though. My husband is one of those! When we watch a movie together, even one we both acknowledge was great, he’ll bring up later where the plot points or credibility factor was lacking. To which I just shrug and remind him about suspending disbelief . . .

So how about you? Are you okay with suspending disbelief if you’re being entertained? Is there a limit on how much you can accept? For me, if I’m loving the storyline or the characters, I’m more willing to let little details go unnoticed or not bother me. What, if anything, lets you do that?

Something to think about the next time you’re enjoying a good book or movie!

Posted in Maureen Lang, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Finding Joy

Posted on April 25, 2013 by tararandel

With the events of Boston still fresh in my mind this past week, I found myself thinking about joy in the midst of hardship or tragedy. Finding joy during hopeless situations of life can be difficult. Impossible even. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find it. The Word says, “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”(Neh 8:10) Yeah, well when times are hard, we sure aren’t thinking about strength. Our first inclination might be, how do I get out of this in one piece!

Tragedy has a way of making you look at life differently. Of living your life differently. What was once normal is now strange. The strange becomes normal. The new normal, as it is called. Life begins to move on a different track. We don’t see life; our relationships, family, jobs, the same. How do we deal with it?

Having lived through the worst possible tragedy a parent can face, the death of my twenty-three year old daughter, I believe I had two choices. Give in to the grief or seek out the comfort of the Lord. I chose joy. This is how we beat the enemy in tough times. With joy.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut 31:8

God has promised he will never leave us. During times of extreme grieving and pain, I wondered how that could be true. Honestly, I didn’t feel the presence of the Lord because I didn’t want to. That would require more energy than I was able to muster at the time. Spending time with God was raw, it hurt, because I hurt. But I learned that God has big shoulders. He knows what you and I are going through. And He is there, never leaving us.

Through this whole process I’ve come to trust the Lord more. It isn’t easy, but I have purposely looked for joy in every area of life, even on days when I don’t feel up to it. I hope you can do the same by calling on His name.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Ps. 46:10