Veggie Tales make me chuckle. A lot. Here’s In the Belly of the Whale, with footage from the “Jonah” movie and music from the Newsboys. Gotta love a song that legitimately includes the word “expectorated”. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhYdVj7A_FU]
If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
1 Corinthians 12:15, NLT*
One of the lies the enemy of our souls has baited me with over the years is “You don’t belong.”
Someone hurts my feelings. Or I don’t get a joke, or everyone else seems to have it all together. I notice I’m different. The lie slides right into my thoughts and I cuddle up with it, nodding agreement. “That proves it. I really don’t belong.”
I used to think Paul’s words about the foot and the ear saying they weren’t part of the body meant we should use the gifts God gave us and not compare ourselves with others. We shouldn’t sulk and refuse to serve if someone else got the talent we wanted.
That’s really what it’s about, but today I see something else. If I—or you—fall for “I don’t belong,” then part of the body will be handicapped because we’re disqualifying ourselves.
Of course I’m different. We all are, even if some of us look the same on the outside. Different is good; I know that, and I don’t want to be a clone. But I guess the deceiver’s words resonate with a fear of rejection, and maybe it’s easier to tell myself I don’t belong than to wait for someone else to say it.
This is one of the things God’s been talking to me about lately. I risk sharing it because maybe He’s been saying something similar to you, whether it’s about belonging or about another of our enemy’s lies.
Creator God, Your Word says we’re each “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and that You love us. How many ways do You have to say it before we can believe it? You also warn us we’re in a spiritual battle and we need to use the weapons You’ve given us so we can stand. Help us be vigilant. Help us take every thought captive to Christ and speak Your truth to defeat the lies. We can’t do this on our own, but Your Spirit within us can. Help us rely on You.
∞
Let Kathryn Scott’s “I Belong” reassure our spirits today. We belong to God.
*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Unleash the Writer Within, by Cecil Murphey (OakTara Publishers, 2011)
This book is a keeper. It’s not a “how-to-write” book, although Cecil Murphey is an excellent teacher of the craft. It’s more a collection of vignettes that prompt the reader to do what the title says: unleash the writer within.
Cec Murphey was on faculty one year at Write! Canada. I don’t remember what he said, but how he said it left me with great respect for not just his knowledge but his heart. If you read Unleash the Writer Within you’ll know what I mean.
Some of the short chapters cover typical writerly issues such as giftedness, inner critics and writer’s block. Most deal with topics like discovering who you—the writer—really are, finding/embracing/growing your voice, and learning how to like and to be gentle with yourself.
Before you dismiss the latter ideas as impractical, “out there” or whatever, stop to think about it. If we don’t really know who we are, if our creative and critical sides are in constant battle, we can’t reach our potential. We can’t write authentically, and we’ll miss touching a lot of lives.
Many of the chapters grow out of two key questions Cec Murphey asks when he teaches: “Why do you write?” and “What makes you keep writing?”
The book is an easy read, but one I chose to take in daily chapter doses so I could internalize what I’d read. Each chapter ends with a summarizing aphorism, like “I write to find out who I am” and “My inner critic can be my friend, so I honor and trust that voice.” Chapters are written in a very open, humble and self-effacing style, honestly revealing Mr. Murphey’s own struggles so that we can relate with our own.
My copy is flagged with coloured tabs for sections I’ve marked to re-read. It’s one of those books that I’d probably lend to a trusted friend, but only with a strong warning that I wanted it back.
Cecil Murphey is a multi-published, New York Times best-selling author. His website is The Man Behind the Words, and writers will also want to check out his blog: Cec Murphey’s Writer to Writer.
At The Write Conversation, Edie Melson encourages us to Be Still and to realize that there is Time Enough.
At Michael Hyatt’s Intentional Leadership blog, he explores The Practice of Stillness.
At The Kill Zone, Jordan Dane shares Ten Simple Relaxation Techniques and Stress Relievers for Writers.
At This Day With God, Mark Shields offers simple advice on Using Time Wisely.
At Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts invites us to live gently, not urgently.
Bonus song: Here’s a surprisingly peppy call to Be Still, from Canadian singer-songwriter Carolyn Arends. It’s so catchy, it’ll get in your head and remind you all day to slow down. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDfo6vDUYNA]
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 63:7-8, NLT*
I’ve been reading this psalm daily for a few weeks now, and although it’s short, it’s powerful. David is longing for God, and he’s aware of his enemies pressing in, yet the verses overflow with words like praise and joy and sing. He has his faith perspective in place.
I know about pressing through in prayer, bringing God our fears and troubles. Leaving those troubles with Him. Praying until it becomes about Him rather than about us. Until we’re worshipping. Praising.
I don’t do it nearly as often as I should.
That’s what David’s doing here. He hasn’t forgotten the desert or his enemies’ plots. He’s not denying or ignoring them.
But he sees God. He knows God is enough.
He’s not perching timidly in the shadow of God’s wings, trembling in that strong hand because the danger might snatch him away. He has no thought that God might drop him or fail to protect him.
Our God, You are strong and mighty to save. You are our strong tower, our refuge, our shelter and our Defender. You are our Good Shepherd. We know the words, but so often we don’t act like we believe them. We run to You and keep watching our troubles as if they might break through Your defenses. Faith tells us that can’t happen. Help us listen and be confident in You.
∞
The classic Newsboys worship song, “Strong Tower,” is a good confidence-builder.
*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Zinovy’s Journey, by Ginny Jaques (Millennium Journeys Press, 2011)
When the world ends…
Zinovy’s journey begins.
Zinovy Kozlov was a successful assassin. Then he was running for his life. Now the earth itself has changed and his enemies are dead or out of reach. As he tackles the physical pilgrimage to the one remaining city on the planet, he doesn’t see that he and his companions are on a spiritual journey as well.
Zinovy’s Journey is “a speculative novel in three parts: The End, The Journey, and The Beginning.” It offers a little bit of just about everything: action, intrigue, suspense, a spacewalk, relationships, revenge, philosophy, end times, a whole new world, and surprises at every turn.
Author Ginny Jaques has envisioned a richly wondrous world set during Revelation’s thousand-year reign of Christ, and I’m sure the real thing will be all that and more than we can imagine. Reading about it made me wistful.
The author has chosen to interpret biblical references “as literally as possible in creating the setting, because that approach made an interesting physical backdrop for Zinovy’s journey.”
People have many different expectations about the end times, and if you read this novel checking it against your own understanding you’ll probably find differences. But you’ll also miss the story. Readers who take it as fiction and not doctrine will engage the universal story of human choices on the journey to a relationship with God.
One of the many things I appreciate about the novel is it doesn’t end with Zinovy accepting Christ. That happens in the middle section, and then we get to see his struggles as he learns what his choice means – and what it costs. For a rational man like Zinovy who has always dismissed Bible stories as fables taught by his mother, the path to faith is indeed quite a journey.
I found the pace slower in The Journey section, because there’s a lot of philosophical discussion among the travellers. Readers who enjoy deep thinking will be satisfied, and the characters touch on all the heavy-duty spiritual questions. To the characters, it’s not slow; it’s a necessary part of working through their concerns. And the action never stops, it just happens between conversations. There’s still danger lurking.
The characters came alive to me, especially Zinovy, Sara, and the boy Caleb. The day after finishing the story, I caught myself wondering what was happening in their world now. It was a bit disappointing to remember I couldn’t pick up the book and read more!
Zinovy’s Journey is Ginny Jaques’ first novel, and I really like her writing style. The novel is available through the Zinovy’s Journey website, where you can also view the trailer and read a sample chapter. Those who’ve already finished the book are invited to visit the About the Novel page for background information and deleted scenes. You can also read my interview with author Ginny Jaques.
Author’s Warning: Some scenes in this book contain violence, strong language, and religious ideas.
[Review copy from my personal library.]
Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. ~Philippians 4:6, CEB*
Here are some links I’ve found recently that can speak peace to anxiety:
From author Dan Walsh: Living and ‘Staying’ in Today, and The Slippery Slope of Anxious Thoughts.
From Roy Lessin at Meet Me in the Meadow: Fret-Buster 104 looks at some of the costs of anxiety.
Guest-posting at The Write Conversation, Reba J Hoffman shares 4 insights that can help us stop giving in to fear.
At A Word of Encouragement, Laura Hodges Poole talks about Life’s Dark Hallways.
And take time to listen to Peter Furler‘s song, Hold On. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuMDI4qfXs]
*Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
. . .
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:5,7 NLT*
Joy has been scarce in my heart lately, and I’ve felt more like David’s “parched and weary land.”
These two verses from Psalm 63 are my antidote, if I can let my mind and spirit truly believe them.
God satisfies. He is enough, and abundantly more than enough. That negates the joy-drain of discontent. I need to practice intentional gratitude, not just for His gifts but for who He is.
God helps. He is our ever-present helper and sustainer, and His strong hand holds us securely.
That truth eliminates anxiety, if I really believe it.
God who is all that I need, I believe. Help my unbelief. Help me realize, accept and rely on the truth of who You are and what that means in my life. Help me live confident and secure in You, aware of the many ways You satisfy and delight.
∞
God used the Newsboys’ song, “The Letter,” to challenge me about believing what He says.
*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Dying to Read, by Lorena McCourtney (Revell, 2012)
Cate Kinkaid is working for her Uncle Joe, “dipping her toe into the world of private investigation” until she can find a real job. Her past work experience, and her ex-fiancé, have left her feeling like a failure.
Her first investigative assignment seems to be more of the same: all she has to do is verify the address of a young woman named Willow, but Willow’s gone. Instead, Cate finds a dead body and ends up saddled with the deceased’s cat.
But Cate has spunk and some good instincts, and the official verdict of accidental death doesn’t feel right. Plus, she’s determined to find Willow before her uncle discovers the assignment’s still unfinished.
Suspects abound: Willow, the dead woman’s book club, her niece, her boyfriend. It’s not all bad, though. Cate meets a handsome handyman, Mitch, who appoints himself her bodyguard. Even that’s troublesome, because she still wonders if God will bring her ex-fiancé to his senses.
Dying to Read is book one in Lorena McCourtney’s new series, The Cate Kinkaid Files. After enjoying her Ivy Malone books, I was eager to give this one a try, and I look forward to reading more of Cate’s adventures.
Lorena McCourtney’s characters are always a treat, blending humour and eccentricities with hearts that are surprisingly real. Cate doesn’t trust her intuition, but she’s wiser than she knows, and she’s too stubborn to quit.
To learn more about the author and her books, visit Lorena McCourtney’s website. At the publisher’s website, you can read an excerpt of Dying to Read, or if you’ve already read the novel, check out the discussion questions.
Novel Rocket looks at The 5 Stages of Rejection Grief.
Brian Feinblum’s guest post at Live, Write, Thrive offers 16 Tips on How to Succeed as a Writer.
At A Word of Encouragement, Laura Hodges Poole shares two key tips and a video: How to Develop Effective Writing Habits.
At Live, Write, Thrive, C.S. Lakin shares the three most important things to know about your main characters.
Jerry Jenkins shares his secrets on How to Overcome Writer’s Block.
Jeff Goins offers The Writing Class You Never Had.
And to keep us focused, check out agent Chip MacGregor’s thought-provoking post on the difference between success and significance.