Accepting Sin

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11)

More and more, our society today has become accepting of many sinful acts. In fact, some are actually encouraged, and at best, most aren't taken seriously. Have we gotten to the point that people hardly recognize it? Look at the unwed mothers, adultery, "alternative lifestyles," looting, violence, drugs, gang activities, and disrespect. The world too often sees sin as acceptable.

How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2b)

Even the Church hasn't taken the stand it should. Many have been desensitized until they view sin as unavoidable, and they rationalize that they're only human. Instead of trying to prevent it, they become resigned to it. This chips away at God's Word, and I can imagine Satan's gleeful grin. 

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him (1 John 3:6).


Unconfessed sin creates a chasm between us and God. Intentional, deliberate sin destroys our relationship with the Lord. When we continue to willfully sin, we are choosing evil over God, and one could question whether or not we've ever been truly saved. The people who are truly saved want to get sin out of their lives. They may still fail at times, but when they do, they are quick to fall to their knees in repentance. Where do you stand? The Holy Spirit was sent to help us overcome sin in our lives. Let Him have his way.

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Imagination and Writing

Of course, imagination plays a great part in writing a novel. The story stems from the author's imagination and ability to see the story unfold. But I think authors should also trust their readers' imagination.Generally, avid readers choose books over more visual forms, such a movies, because they get to imagine the scenes, as well as be able to know the characters' thoughts.

I read many books, however, that are so stuffed with descriptions, details, and explanations they bog the story down and make it boring. An author should weave in enough details (not write paragraphs of them) to make the story come alive while not becoming so heavy-handed that they suck some of the life out of it. If the information doesn't move the story forward or isn't crucial, don't include it.

I admit that I skip over many of the long descriptive paragraphs in a book. Most of them are not needed and should have been edited or taken out. I want character and plot development. I want to see what is going to happen or at least how the story gets to a foreseen conclusion. I don't want to get trapped in pages of passive prose. What about you? How do you feel about this?

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National Lobster Day

September 25th is National Lobster Day. Lobster became popular as an American food in the mid-1800's. Prior to that time, it was considered as fit only for servants, prisoners, or the very poor. In fact, it was well into the 20th century before the food became sought after.

Lobsters are caught in baited, one-way traps dropped from boats and marked with colored buoys. The traps are made from either plastic-coated, galvanized steel or wood. Of course, all the early ones were wooden. A lobster fisherman might tend as many as 2,000 traps. Lobster boats, also known as smacks, have a holding area to keep the lobsters alive.

Farming lobster for commercial use has never been very successful. For one thing, lobsters tend to eat each other, especially when kept in close quarters. Their growth rate is also too slow.

As they grow, the lobster must molt, and they may change colors. They have ten legs, live on the bottom of the ocean, and use their antennae as sensors. A lobster may live to be about 70 years old, growing larger all the while. The largest lobster on record was caught in Nova Scotia and weighed over 44 pounds.

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Judgment Day

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God (Romans 14:12).

We don't like to think about standing before God to be judged, but each one of us must do so one day. Some mistakenly think that if they ignore spiritual concerns, they will have no effect on them. Wrong. Denying God does not make Him less real or His Word less true.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad ( 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The truth is that we all serve one of two masters. We either serve God of we serve Satan, and if we do nothing, we serve Satan by default. Likewise, we will all be judged and either be sent to an eternity with God in Paradise or an eternity in hell with Satan. We are saved as a free gift by accepting Christ. However, once we are truly saved, we will want to please our Heavenly Father and put serving Him above all else.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

Neither can we seek worldly rewards and expect to still be rewarded by God. The world's values are opposed to His, and we must not love the things of the world more than we love God. How committed are you to your faith? Where do you think you'll stand on judgment day? It's not too late to start making the right choices.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:34 & 41).

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A Trunk Full of Books

I have learned that carrying books with me almost everywhere I go pays off. Although some authors rely completely on online or bookstore sales, I make much more on those I sell myself, both the ones from the traditional publisher and the indies.

I'm constantly surprised by the number of readers who don't do much online, won't consider an e-reader, and want a book they can hold in their hands and turn the pages. I also ran across a statistic today that caused me to stop to think. One-half of the people in the world never use a computer.

I sell most of the books I have at book signings and presentations, but I also sell a significant number from people asking about them and where they can be purchased. By saying I have copies with me, I make it easy for them, and the purchase is immediate, before they have time to forget. Having my books available is part of the fun of marketing.

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Surname Origins

weaver

Many of us who have ancestral ties to the British Isles likely have some surnames in our genealogy that come from occupations. Often these came from the guilds of the Middle Ages where every job had a title. Although some of these are no longer recognizable, others are common and easily understood. Here are some examples:

Made bread, tarts, etc.  (Baker)

carpenter

Built roofing, floors, paneling, furniture, etc.
(carpenter)
Pulled teeth, did minor surgery, cut hair
(barber)
Tended hedges and fields of grass cut for animals  (hayward)
Made arrows  (fletcher)
Cut meats  (butcher)
Hauled the stone and wood to build a castle  (carter)
Grew plants for food  (farmer)
Worker or maker  (smith or wright)
Secured and took care of the main doors

tanner

(porter)
Crafted bows as a type of weapon (bowyer)
Made candles and sometimes soaps
(chandler)
Made parts of furniture, especially drawers
(joyner)
Cured animal hides and made leather (tanner)

brewer

Made ales and strong drinks  (brewer)
Made footwear (shoemaker)
Made wooden spoons, bowls, or fancy furniture legs  (turner)
Took care of parts of the household and some finances  (chamberlain)
A professional soldier  (knight)
Supervised the household and great hall events (steward)                      Ground grains into a powder (miller)
Prepared foods  (cook)
Cared for the cellar and the bottles stored there (butler)

smith

How many do you find familiar? What others can you add?

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Proof of God

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork (Psalm 19:1).

DNA

The more I know of science the more I'm absolutely certain there is a God. When we consider how intricately and marvelously the universe is made to work and how interdependent and precise it all is, how can anyone come to the conclusion that it just accidentally happened in a chain of random events?

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well (Psalm 139:14).

As just one example, look at our own bodies. Each part works together to give us life. Biologists are still working to understand it all. Just the brain itself is indescribably complicated and amazing. How can anyone believe we just happened from nothing and will return to nothing? Does that make sense? 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremian 29:11).

It takes much more blind faith to be an atheist than to believe in God. It is much more rational and reasonable to believe in a Creator and Intelligent design than to believe all this just happened without any thought or plan. Just by considering nature alone, we have indisputable proof of God and His power, majesty, love, and presence. There is no excuse for not turning to Him.

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Reviews Expose'

When I started publishing, I never dreamed that book reviews would be so hard to come by. I guess in today's fast-paced world, it seems too much trouble to stop and leave an author a review. But what some writer's put in the back of their books is really true. The best way to thank an author for enjoying his or her book is to leave a review.

With so many books available to select from, many readers won't even buy a book unless it has a high number of good reviews. Writers who have a fan base with a high number of non-technology readers are really out of luck. Some bookstores, like the physical stores Amazon is testing, have talked about only carrying books on the shelf with the highest numbers of five-star reviews. Bottom line - reviews count and mean a lot in many different ways.

Another wrinkle I'm just discovering is in Amazon's policies on reviews. They seem to be checking with Facebook and eliminating any reviews from friends. I have over 1,500 friends there, and most of them are fans from reading my books or fellow writers. Now, these people can't leave me reviews, and I wondered why I wasn't getting more. What a catch 22. Publishers say they want their authors to develop a fan base on social media, but then that cuts down on the book reviews, which they also want. 

Oh well, it is what it is, and I trust it will all work out for good. I love writing, presenting, talking with readers, and even marketing. I feel like I am following God's will for my life, and that's a wonderful place to be in. I choose to keep a positive outlook and move forward in hope and trust. No matter how many reviews I have, I am blessed.

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9/11

Do you remember where you were when you heard of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York? I do. I was serving as a missionary for a semester in the Philippines. I had gotten up in the guest house where I was staying that morning and gone downstairs to the kitchen to fix me a bowl of granola and some coffee - what I ate most mornings before going to school. I was teaching English to high school missionary children in Mindanao International Christian Academy in Davao in the Southern Philippines.

The shocking, unbelievable images I saw on the television screen have never faded. Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization with strong ties in Indonesia and the Southern Philippines, was held responsible. The SIL compound where I stayed went on lock-down, and all missionaries were asked to stay in their homes until the situation could be assessed. The school was closed for three days. Thankfully, nothing happened, and we resumed classes the next week.

My family, especially my daughter, was understandably worried about me. But as I told her, I appeared to be safer where I was than she was in the United States. At least there'd been no such attacks in the Philippines. I had a peace that passed all understanding during the time. Because of the way things had come together to get me to the Philippines, I knew this was exactly where I was supposed to be. When the semester ended, I found myself eager to get home for Christmas, but I would never forget my remarkable time in the Philippines.

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Good Works Come from Love

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance... (Luke 3:8a).

The Bible tells us that we are to bear fruit in light of the love, grace, and mercy we receive from God. These works in no way save us, but they are evidence of our salvation. When we accept Christ as our Savior and understand His great sacrifice and blessings, we will want to be obedient and surrender to His Spirit within us. This produces fruit or good works. They come from our love of God and Christian love for others.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you (John 15:5-7).

Is your life dedicated to following Christ? Is your greatest desire to please Him, because He gave His life for you? Are you bearing the fruits He wants you to bear? If not, seek and you shall find.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (Jonn 15:1-2).

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Authentic Settings

At a recent book signing, a fan came up to me so excited that she had driven through an area where one of my series is set, and she recognized it and the names she saw from my novels. It intrigued me that she thought this was amazing, but I'm glad it impressed her.

I like to write about places I know well. I set all my books in places I have visited, and many of them are places I've lived. I also make sure I use surnames found in the region.  Details like these, make the setting real for the readers, and that's important.

I grew up in the Appalachian region, and my first series of four books, the Appalachian Roots series, is set there, as is my new release, Mountain Mishap. The Farmers trilogy is set in the rural South where I've lived most of my life. When Winter Is Past and With Summer's Songs are set in Pennsylvania where I lived for three summers. It All Started at the Masquerade, which will likely come out next year, is set in the towns of Winton, Colerain, and Edenton in Northeastern North Carolina where I'm presently living. I'm also working on a New Mexico series where I lived for two years. The list goes on and on.

However, just because I've lived in these areas doesn't mean that I can write without any research. I might trust my memory for the scenery and the personality of a place, but questions always come up, and I need to check other details. I find all of this fun, especially when it gets my readers excited.

(All my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children)

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Boone's Early Name

One of the things I love about doing research for my historical novels is that I learn such interesting facts - at least they're interesting to me. For example, while researching my Appalachian Roots series, I learned that Boone, North Carolina, was originally called Councill's Store. The Councill family established a store early in the history of the area, and by 1835, the store already included a post office. The community grew more quickly than most others in the area, and the lumber industry aided in this growth. 

In 1849, the new county of Watauga was formed, and the village of Boone became the county seat. Councill's Store had been renamed Boone after the explorer, Daniel Boone, who built a hunting cabin there and spent time in the area before he moved farther west.



Even having many relatives in Watauga County, growing up in a neighboring county, and graduating from Appalachian State University in Boone, I didn't know that Boone had first been called Councill's Store. This information enters into the first novel in the series, Cleared for Planting. By the last books, Sown in Dark Soil, Uprooted by War and Transplanted to Red Clay, the town is called Boone.

(All my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.)

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Being Popular

Before we can truly follow God's plan for us, we need to determine who it is we want to please. It's human nature to want people to admire us and to be held in high esteem, but seeking the praise of others can be a huge pitfall. It can lead to sin.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).

The Bible shows us over and over again that following God isn't always popular. Moses wasn't well-liked in Egypt, and even the Israelites complained about him. Most of the prophets, like Jeremiah and Elijah, remained largely unpopular. In fact, that's one of the reasons Jonah ran in the other direction when God told him to go to Nineveh. He didn't want to be scorned in Israel for going to Nineveh and delivering a message from God to these pagan Assyrians. Even Jesus was unpopular with the Jewish establishment, and the crowds that once loved Him, turned against Him in the end.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blesssed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12).

One of the benefits of growing older is that Christians began to care less and less what people think of us and desire more and more to please God. As someone once said, "The problems of old age offer the final opportunity to rely on God." I'm finding this truer all the time. We all should live to please the Lord first and foremost. Serving Him is so much more important than anything else.

"Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you" (1 Samuel 13:5).

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