April 2007

Solomon was right about a lot of things, but one in particular. He said, “Of making many books there is no end…” (Ecclesiastes 12:12)If my TBR (to be read) pile is any indication, I heartily agree!

Whether Solomon saw that as a good thing or not, I don’t know. I have a feeling most books of his day would have been scholarly because he goes on to say in that same verse, “and much study is wearisome to the flesh.” If he’d been reading good stories, I doubt he would have found the task tiresome. :)

Well, some of the stories I’ve been reading of late are great – not wearisome at all! Rather the kind of books you can’t wait to get back to and wish for excuses to read instead of work. Some of my recent reads that fall into that category are:

Remember Me by my friend, crit partner, and author Maureen Lang. Remember Me is the sequel to Maureen’s first book with Kregel Publications Pieces of Silver. Both books bring the era of WWI to life, and in my opinion, are wonderfully done – one of those best kept secrets that should no longer be kept quiet! Honestly, if you love history, these stories are well worth your time! (And I’m not just saying that because I like Maureen. I don’t brag on a book I don’t really enjoy.)

My current read was plucked from my TBR pile, given to me by my brother. I’ll be honest here – the cover did not draw me in (though I can see why a guy might think differently – and I do believe men were more the target audience), but really, women who love suspense will like this book. I’m not done with it, so I reserve judgment for the end, but I am challenged by the writing and am loving the story thus far. The book is Imposter by Davis Bunn. I only wish I read faster – I want to know what happens next!

Yesterday a new book arrived in the mail from one of my favorite authors (not to mention she’s a wonderful person) – B.J. Hoff. Her latest book The Song Weaver is the last in her Mountain Song Legacy series with Harvest House. I’m really looking forward to seeing how she wraps up this series. B.J. is a master at creating great characters – and another well kept secret who should be more widely read. I wish I’d discovered her sooner!

I love it when books teach me something to help me improve the craft. These authors are people to look to for that.

So while the rest of us continue in the making of many books, I’m glad to know that the study of great fiction is not wearisome. There is just something about story that lightens a day and gives joy to life. :)

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is an author – “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

Of course, for those of us who believe the Bible is God’s Word, we already know that Jesus is the Word, God’s love story to mankind. And that love story is the greatest story ever told. If the Bible’s best-selling book status says anything, it should suggest that at least some of us get that. The Bible is His Story.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised today when the Lord showed me how Jesus’ very life can teach me how to be a better writer, how to craft a better story.

The first thing I learned was that Jesus knew how His life would end and when it would end. A story-teller must also know how her story will end. The sooner she can figure that out, to know where her ideas are taking her, to know the end of her protagonist’s ultimate goal, the better.

Some authors prefer to just let the characters take them on a journey. I’m not trying to fault any method of discovering the story, but if we take Jesus’ life as an example, we would have to admit that knowing where we are going gives purpose to our characters. The stronger the ending, the greater the motivation to get there.

Which brings me to the next thing I discovered – Jesus’ motivation. Hebrews 12:2 goes on to say, “who for the joy set before him…

Jesus always had that joy in mind (the joy of having us be with Him in heaven) and was willing to endure more conflict than we could ever imagine to reach His goal. The goal was victory over sin and death, to save His people from their sins. The motivation was the joy set before Him, all wrapped up in everlasting love. The conflict was everything Satan could throw His way including betrayal, torture, and death.

Any story we can write will always pale in comparison to the greatest story of them all – written with the finger of God through the pages of the life of His Son.

But the Author and Finisher of our faith has given us a good model to follow – to learn the art of story from His life.

I didn’t really expect this week to be busy, but it kicked in gear with more to do than I expected. It actually started Saturday with my parents 65th wedding anniversary party and my dad’s 85th birthday. Then Sunday was a baby shower – lots of fun meeting up with old friends. Tuesday I shopped with my mom, enjoying one of the local malls – one I don’t usually frequent. Bridal shower gift was needed for this coming weekend.

But this week, I’m mainly busy with writer critiques and rewrites of a proposal that I thought was ready for my agent, but then I let my son have at it, and well, let’s just say I’m seeing it through a screen writer’s eyes. There’s something to be said for looking at a story as a movie. I actually think I’ve got some ideas, compliments of my brainstorming son, that might make this story exciting. But I’ve got more thinking to do. And my agent will be getting yet another version when I’m done!

I was happy to hear the results of the Supreme Court decision to uphold the ban on partial birth abortion. If anyone looks at what really happens in such an abortion, they could not condone such a practice. The abortion is indeed gruesome and is often done to harvest fetal body parts for research purposes. No matter the argument, there is no good reason to kill a baby, in many cases one that could live on its own if it was allowed to be delivered. Partial birth abortions were at times done very close to birth. So yes, I’m very happy this ban was upheld.

On a sadder note, I was grieved to hear about the shootings at Virginia Tech this week. My heart goes out to the victims’ families and even the shooter’s family, who must have their own kind of guilt and grief. May the God of all comfort grant grace and peace to all in this terrible situation.

I was reading my friend, Jill Stengl’s blog the other day and she said something that I loved, that made me think about this patience thing again. (If you want to read her blog, you might have to sign in, but it’s worth it.) She said:

“Lessons of patience wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t take so long to learn.”

Isn’t that the truth? :)

In the Bible, we notice the impatience of Abraham and Sarah as they waited for the promised child to be born. They got tired of waiting on God and took matters into their own hands. Ever wonder why the Arabs and Israelis don’t like each other much? A quick history lesson can trace those conflicts all the way back to Abraham’s and Sarah’s impatience.

We often sight the patience of Job, and with friends like his, I would agree he put up with a lot! Yet in his patience, I dare say, Job nearly lost hope. “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.” (Job 7:6 NKJV) Loss of hope definitely puts a strain on patience.

David waited about 15 years from the time God promised through the prophet Samuel that he would be king until he actually ascended the throne. His supporters wanted him to kill the reigning monarch and take what was rightfully his. “This is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’” (I Samuel 24:4 NKJV) But David, though he grew mighty discouraged, restrained his men, learned patience, and waited.

I think patience is a subject that often needs to be revisited. And I also think Jill Stengl is right – the trouble with patience is that it takes so long to learn!

When I’m wanting my way now, I’m not very open to waiting. And yet God in His great mercy is immensely patient with us, waiting for us to see the truth and come to repentance. Waiting for us to learn the patience of Christ as He endured the cross despising the shame. Waiting for us to trust Him with all our heart and not lean on what we think we understand.

I want so many things in life – I want good things for my husband and children. I want good health and sunny days. I want chocolate minus the calories and unending youthfulness. (Yes, I’m fighting the effects of aging like most women my age.) :)

I want to see my husband’s stress level eased. I want my kids’ dreams to come true. I want to see my books in print. I want to live to see the rapture of the church.

But most of these are temporal things – blessings God gives to enhance life’s journey. What I want more, when I’m honest and not being selfish and impatient, is to be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit. (I Peter 3:8 NASB) And patient with others, with myself, and with God’s timing. To hear “Well done, good and faithful servant!… enter into the joy of the Lord!”

I want these things more than life itself–I just wish the lessons that lead to them didn’t take so long to learn!

Well, winter has threatened to return today, but the temperature stayed above freezing so we’ve got rain instead of the snow they predicted. Cloudy, gloomy skies. Not the spring I’m still looking for.

April is a celebration month for my family. If Randy’s mom had lived, she would be 95 tomorrow. (She died seven years ago.) In fact, she was born two days after the Titanic sank in 1912. I wonder if her family ever mentioned that fact as she was growing up. I, of course, didn’t know her then – didn’t meet her until she was in her 60s. She was a neat lady.

My dad celebrates 85 years this Saturday. I could say all kinds of wonderful things about my dad, but I’ll boil it down to the fact that Daddy loves Jesus and he prays for his family every day. It is also his practice to read the Bible through every year – a tradition he began longer ago than I can remember. We bought him a new Bible for his birthday because the old one was literally falling apart. But as someone once said, “a Bible that is falling apart belongs to a person who isn’t.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad fall apart in any circumstance in life.

Then next week my parents will celebrate 65 years of marriage. Quite a legacy! They married young and they kept their vows. I’m pretty proud of them. :)

Despite the dreary weather outside, I did manage to write almost 2000 words today. My new story is starting to capture my imagination, which makes writing enjoyable and not drudgery – in any kind of weather.

Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow. :)

I was thinking about my publishing dream, as I often do, and wondering if and when it will ever come to pass. Some dreams are like that – they seem elusive and distant and without much hope. Others happen quicker than we might have expected.

When I was younger, my dream was to marry and have a family. I met the perfect man for me while I was still in high school and married him a year later. We raised three terrific sons – and in all honesty – I couldn’t have asked for a better fulfillment of that dream.

As I’ve lived that dream, however, another surfaced, and this one has taken me down a path of much waiting and yearning and heartache. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t just ditch the dream long ago, but for some reason, probably due to my stubborn streak, I can’t let it go.

I ran into a childhood friend a few weeks ago, and she told me that this dream was one I’d shared with her back when slumber parties and secrets between best friends were common occurrences. I’d forgotten how long I’ve held onto this dream, and held out hope that someday it will still come to pass.

Is it a fool’s hope?

I wonder…and as I’ve wondered, I remembered a couple of lines from one of my all time favorite movies – The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think it’s in the Return of the King where Gandolf says:

“There never was much hope. Only a fool’s hope.”

He was speaking of the hope of Frodo actually making it to Mt. Doom and destroying the ring. But as stories go, the impossible did happen and the hope placed in Frodo wasn’t a fool’s hope after all.

Of course, when stories are written, we expect such happy endings. Real life doesn’t offer that same assurance.

And yet, as God is writing the story of our lives, He uses our desires and dreams to help guide us to the work He has planned for us to do. And the hope we place in Him does not disappoint us. Even deferred dreams can build character.

And even a fool’s hope can be rewarded.