Some of the suggestions deal with pacing of the story, for instance, adding a little more material at the end so it doesn’t conclude so abruptly.  Other suggestions concern the characters and how some details of their lives or their feelings and emotions could be fleshed out a bit.  She’s even suggested I change the breed of the pet dog of my detective character Ben.  I will, even give him a different name, I think it’ll be Bruno

I’m OK with the suggestions.  Most of them, I feel, are valid and will make the novel better.  It’s been said that it takes a village to raise a child.  I see now that it takes a small village of people to write a good novel!

Good writing almost always involves much re-writing.  This re-writing process can benefit greatly if there are some others who can give the writer input.  A good editor does this.  The challenge for me is to look at the different parts of the story and add to, take away, and change words and sentences to make it a better story.  It’s a work in process at this point.  I’ll keep you up to date.
Dave

I find that it helps to remember the reality of what I would like to call the little “c” and the big “C” when life spins out of our control or, less drastically, when events only work out partially the way we want. 

The little “c” stands for circumstances. The reality is - we don’t control many of the circumstances around us. Life happens. 

Then there’s the big “C” which represents Christ. We also don’t control Christ. In fact, He’s supposed to control us! We are to follow Him, He doesn’t follow us. The good news is that the little “c” is ultimately under the control of the big “C” and this is what can give us great comfort and the courage to keep on keeping on. 

I want to model the apostle Paul who wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Philippians 4:11) I too want to learn this secret! In another of his letters Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Note that I highlighted and underlined both the little “c” and the big “C” in Paul’s statement. 

When we yield leadership of life to Christ we don’t have to insist on having control over all our circumstances because He does! As long as He’s in charge things will eventually work out.
Dave

How do you stoke a fire? You pile up and push together the sticks, the logs, and the embers.

Remove one of the sticks or logs from the fire and it will quickly go out. Pieces of burning wood need each other to keep burning.

This imagery of how to put out or build a fire has always helped me appreciate the value of other people to my own spiritual pilgrimage and faith walk. We live in a time when individuality is valued, perhaps over-valued. More and more we watch movies in our homes on DVD rather than going to a theater with a hundred other people. More and more we watch sports on TV with our wide screen TVs rather than going to the sporting event and watching it in person with thousands of others. Personal listening devices with the ever-present earphones allow us to be in our own little world with our music. Faith Popcorn, a trend forecaster, coined the phrase “cocooning” to describe this phenomena of going it alone.

We can do the same when it comes to our faith. We can content ourselves with watching a TV preacher, checking out a faith-based web site or reading a faith-focused blog like this one!

I know, being a part of a church, or even getting together with two or more other people who are serious about God can be messy business! People are so imperfect, so annoying, so hurtful, even so-called people of faith! Having pastored the same church for 33 years I know it’s not always easy getting along with others. But the price is worth it!

God created us to ultimately be social creatures. People need people. Jesus called twelve disciples to follow Him, and He didn’t call them to follow Him alone but together!

There are some spiritual realities we learn and some some spiritual ways we grow that can only happen when we put ourselves in close proximity to other people who also claim to want to learn and grow spiritually. If we want to catch fire spiritually and have a burning, passionate faith, we’re going to have to find some other people to do it with!

One of my favorite verses that applies to this subject is Hebrews 10:25. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”
Dave

I was still reflecting on this analogy of sun/Son when I came into an open area where the wind blew gently. It reminded me of the Holy Spirit of God, something I often allow it to do. In both the Old and New Testament original languages “spirit” is translated from the same word as is “wind” so, again, I had an analogy. I prayed something to the effect, “Blow upon me and through me, O Holy Spirit of God.” 

Interesting, I thought. I had just encountered nature’s reminders of two members of the triune God. What about the Heavenly Father? I searched for an analogy, and quickly found one. There was the soil of a field spread out before me. I can still remember taking lunch out to my farmer father in such a field. We would both lean against the large tractor tire, sitting in the fresh earth, as he ate. I picked up a clod of earth, crushed it in my hand and smelled it. Yes! It had the same aroma as did the field my father tilled. The smell of fresh earth always has reminded me of my father, and it did again this day. I made the connection as I had in the previous two experiences. I allowed the fresh earth aroma remind me of my Heavenly Father. I prayed something like, “O God, you are my Father and I am your child.” 

The walk that afternoon turned out for me to be a walk celebrating the triune nature of God. I don’t pretend to understand much about God’s triune nature. I’ve just come to accept it as the way God has revealed Himself, the way He is - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

What is it about God being Heavenly Father that is so attractive? What is there about God being the Son of God, come as one of us, that’s so appealing? What’s positive in thinking of God the Holy Spirit being in us and with us? 

Sometimes people resist taking God seriously because they can’t understand all that they are asked to believe about Him. This, it seems to me, is pure silliness, and worse! We use computers we don’t fully understand and ride in cars we could never fix because they’re too complicated. It’s only appropriate to worship and be in relationship with a God whom I can’t fully understand, His triune nature being a prime example. In fact, He wouldn’t be God if I could fully comprehend Him! I’m just glad He fully understands me, and still loves me! You too? 

I recently took a picture of some giant windmills in Southern Minnesota (photo above). The sun was shining upon them as the wind turned the blades, all the while they were planted firmly upon the soil of a farmer’s field. It’s a reminder to me of the triune God.
Dave

It seems to me that exercising faith presents us with much the same experience.  We have to trust, have patience, put ourselves out on a limb and in other ways live out our faith in God that takes us beyond our comfort zone.  Faith is not something that can usually be described as cozy and comforting as much as it can be described with terms such as blood, sweat, and tears!  It’s not easy exercising faith.

The results, however, are worth it!  We end up having a closer walk with the Lord, seeing a higher degree of Christ-likeness in ourselves, and rejoicing in seeing fruit to our lives that would not have been there if we had not put forth extraordinary effort.
Dave

Someone can ask me, “Why do you believe Jesus is the only way to God?” I immediately try to determine if they are really looking for an answer or are making an accusation (“You can’t REALLY believe Jesus is the only way to God!”). 

Jesus was asked questions by both cynics and seekers. Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Tell us, then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22:17) Their question was not put to Jesus to learn truth but to trick. On the other hand, people would ask Jesus genuine questions. Another Pharisee named Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old?” It was a response to Jesus’ statement that Nicodemus needed to be born again. Nicodemus’ question was a real question. He wanted to know. 

It’s OK to question God, but we should ask ourselves - is it an open door question where we genuinely want to learn more or is it a locked door question where we ask it out of disbelief or even anger? Searching questions or defensive questions - what kind are we asking God? 

People of faith are always going to be living with questions, many of which will not be fully answered this side of heaven. This is OK. Honest questions acknowledge a mystery we can’t wrap our thinking around. Why should we think we can fully understand God or His ways? Honest questions are an open door through which God may give us anything from an answer to a fresh and deeper sense of His presence so we can live with the mystery.
Dave

I suspect such people come from a painful experience with church or “organized religion” as it’s sometimes referred to. They may also come with no such painful past but have bought into the current negative “in” view of secular thought about organized religion. My own sense is that people who go for “spirituality” but not “religion” want to hold to a very vague and general idea of spiritual matters. They may consider a spiritual experience to be anything from being at peace with themselves to viewing a sunset. Usually (again, my sense of it) is that there’s very little emphasis on a personal God. Being “spiritual” seems to be people-centered while I think of religion or a religious faith as having a God-focus to it. Kathleen Norris earlier mentions “the narcissistic babble that masks itself as spirituality.” 

It’s been said, “I love humanity, it’s people I can’t stand.” That, to me, summarizes the difference between being spiritual and being religious. It’s easy to be spiritual but being truly religious, that, it seems to me, is where the rubber hits the road. 

True religion is practical. It’s nitty gritty. It’s not always cozy and comfortable. It’s a relationship with the living God who will not be conformed to our image but calls us to be conformed to His image. This is what makes faith vital and alive! 

I suppose it would be easier to enjoy a private spirituality where the great personal trinity of Me, Myself, and I rule supreme but you and I serve the true Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit where the second member of that triune nature of God came into this world as a very distinctive person known as Jesus. Ours is not a vague “spirituality” focused on our own ideas and feelings but a faith in the One who puts God in clear focus. 

What this means in a very practical way is that as you walk through your day today you do not walk in a vague fog of your own “spirituality” but in the footsteps of the One you follow, Jesus, who is the light of the world. Enjoy His presence and leading today!
Dave

We read the Biblical accounts of the great saints and we yearn for the kinds of miracles they experienced.  It must have made God seem so obvious, so real.  How we wish for miracles today!  Certainly miracles can still occur, no doubt about that.  Should we yearn for them?  I think we should keep a couple of facts in mind.  First of all, the Bible collects together stories that happened over centuries.  It’s not that they happend every day.  Even the spiritual greats of the Bible sometimes went a long time without a miracle.  Second, since we have their accounts and can have our faith strengthened by those recorded miracles, God shouldn’t have to repeat Himself if He doesn’t want to.

Again, God can and does do miracles (I’m convinced that life itself is an ongoing miracle that we’re just so used to seeing that we no longer see it as miraculous).  What I’m getting at is that we can miss so much of what God is doing and wants to do because we’re waiting for something bigger to happen.  Packer quotes Dallas Willard who comments on how the desire for always wanting a big and obvious miracle “generally goes along with the less mature levels of the spiritual life…”  We’re sort of like children, always wanting to be wowed and impressed, otherwise we’ll lose interest and be bored.  Ouch!  I don’t want to be immature in Christ but mature in Christ!

Most of our life in Christ will be played out on the stage of ordinary days.  The day-to-dayness of life offers abundant opportunities to sense God’s presence, to be guided by Him and to seize occasions to carry out His will.  This was even true of the Biblical greats.  The apostle Paul had many exciting experiences with healings, being led out of prison, etc.  What we also need to keep in mind, however, is that he spent many a day trudging on foot or sailing by ship to get where he was going on his long missionary journeys.  It wasn’t all excitement.  Then, again, who wants some of the excitement he had – being beaten, jailed, going hungry, dealing with a storm at sea, etc!

Sometimes ordinary days aren’t so bad.  Sometimes they give us the best opportunity to live for the Lord.
Dave

I won’t be in church tomorrow, and that will seem strange.  However, it’s a good reminder to me that God’s work (and worship at Mayfair-Plymouth) goes on without little ol’ me having to push, push it!
Dave