Pastor Dennis Balcombe has been ministering for over 50 years, many of those years in Hong Kong. He was recently interviewed by Charisma Magazine about mainland China, indicating that 30,000 people are accepting Christ every day! Many people remember the many years that Christians were persecuted in China. What is not well known is that since 1987, the door for Christianity has been opening, especially in the more progressive areas of China. Now the church is very much alive as the Chinese leadership seems to recognize that Christianity helps their efforts of modernization.
This Charisma interview was conducted in November, 2011:
Welcome to the Prayer Gardeners blog – a place to enjoy lovely flowers, relate stories about gardening, and reflect on the Bible and Christian love.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
We are the Children of God!
There are several names in the Bible that are used to represent God's church such as the bride of Christ and children of God. As I prepare and refine my next book, Proverbs Untangled, I have been struck with the identification of who the church is.
I found that J. Rodman Williams, in his Renewal Theology: Volume Three, The Church, the Kingdom, and the Last Things, provides a very good understanding to that question. He first recognizes that some Christians are not affiliated with any church, yet they are Christians nonetheless.
More importantly, I think, is his analysis of Jesus' parable about the farmer that sowed wheat and the enemy that sowed weeds. Here, Williams makes a distinction between a church that is a spiritual body and one that is a social entity. The church as an institution is a social entity with a mix of believers and unbelievers; in fact, a healthy church is regularly welcoming unbelievers into the institution so that they can receive the truth about Christ.
If you have access to your Bible, please turn to Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43. In the light of this discussion, who are the good seed? Who are the tares?
In the same way, the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23 describes four locations where seed was sown. In reference to the church, what does the fourth location have that the first three seed locations do not have?
Now, to tie that back in to Proverbs, compare the parable of the sower with Proverbs 2:1-5. In what ways is the seed that fell on good soil similar to the attentive son in Proverbs?
Here is a video clip by Godfrey Birtill that attempts to depict this concept of the children of God:
I found that J. Rodman Williams, in his Renewal Theology: Volume Three, The Church, the Kingdom, and the Last Things, provides a very good understanding to that question. He first recognizes that some Christians are not affiliated with any church, yet they are Christians nonetheless.
More importantly, I think, is his analysis of Jesus' parable about the farmer that sowed wheat and the enemy that sowed weeds. Here, Williams makes a distinction between a church that is a spiritual body and one that is a social entity. The church as an institution is a social entity with a mix of believers and unbelievers; in fact, a healthy church is regularly welcoming unbelievers into the institution so that they can receive the truth about Christ.
If you have access to your Bible, please turn to Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43. In the light of this discussion, who are the good seed? Who are the tares?
In the same way, the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23 describes four locations where seed was sown. In reference to the church, what does the fourth location have that the first three seed locations do not have?
Now, to tie that back in to Proverbs, compare the parable of the sower with Proverbs 2:1-5. In what ways is the seed that fell on good soil similar to the attentive son in Proverbs?
Here is a video clip by Godfrey Birtill that attempts to depict this concept of the children of God:
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Clarke Accurately Predicts Super Bowl 2012 Winner!!!
Before reading further in the blog, please note the date and time it was written! You are probably reading this after the winner has been determined, so continue reading to see if I am correct.
I was at the grocery store today. At the checkout, I asked the clerk if they were selling very much beer today. Her reply, "Oh, yea."
I then looked her straight in the eye and told her I know who will win the Super Bowl. Her look told me I've got her attention. She inquired skeptically, "Who?"
Before I tell you, let me state that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt who the winner will be. I know just as rain clouds predict rain or as the sounds of an on-coming train predict a tornado. I know.
You ask, "Who?", the same as the clerk at the store.
It should be obvious. It's the vendors. Everyone else are the losers, including the ones on the field who go home with sores all over their bodies or even with broken bones or torn ligaments. Also the ones sitting in the bleachers, sitting and freezing in uncomfortably cold seats are the losers – besides the cost of getting into the stadium and the motel room and transportation and so on. And those that wake up the next morning with a hangover, they too are the losers.
Who are the winners? Clearly the beer companies must be near the top of the list, but also the many snack providers along with those that provide accommodations and even those that sell the souvenirs and blankets. They're the only winners.
Now, you be my witness. Was I right or was I wrong?
I was at the grocery store today. At the checkout, I asked the clerk if they were selling very much beer today. Her reply, "Oh, yea."
I then looked her straight in the eye and told her I know who will win the Super Bowl. Her look told me I've got her attention. She inquired skeptically, "Who?"
Before I tell you, let me state that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt who the winner will be. I know just as rain clouds predict rain or as the sounds of an on-coming train predict a tornado. I know.
You ask, "Who?", the same as the clerk at the store.
It should be obvious. It's the vendors. Everyone else are the losers, including the ones on the field who go home with sores all over their bodies or even with broken bones or torn ligaments. Also the ones sitting in the bleachers, sitting and freezing in uncomfortably cold seats are the losers – besides the cost of getting into the stadium and the motel room and transportation and so on. And those that wake up the next morning with a hangover, they too are the losers.
Who are the winners? Clearly the beer companies must be near the top of the list, but also the many snack providers along with those that provide accommodations and even those that sell the souvenirs and blankets. They're the only winners.
Now, you be my witness. Was I right or was I wrong?
Friday, February 3, 2012
A Birthday Tribute to My Mom
Mom, this is a tribute to you.
Today, on your 91st birthday, I thought it appropriate to let the world know what a great mom you are. If only the world would listen!
Loie Clarke is not the average, run-of-the-mill, middle class traditional American mom, whoever that might be. Married in 1943 to your high school sweetheart Bruce Clarke, you have always kept an upbeat, positive approach to life. If you had problems with Dad, you kept them to yourself. I think it is fair to say that your rosy cheeks are an outward presentation of your inner self.
You were never a complainer; it was simply not part of your vocabulary. Complaining was just a total contradiction of that positive “can-do” personality. You have your opinions, sometimes very strong opinions, but those opinions were never presented in a critical way. In thinking back over the years, I gave you plenty to complain about, but you did your very best to present the best side of things.
How often I have told the story of how dad came home one day from the tennis court. The doctor had told him to start getting regular exercise because, as a man in his mid-forties, he was having too many health problems that were related to stress on the job. He took up tennis because he had played it frequently in his youth. Tennis was not your sport, knowing little more than which end of the racket to hold.
But tennis suddenly became your sport. Dad came home from the tennis court and announced to you that he and his partner had just won a match. Your inquiry set you into action, for dad confessed that his partner had been a much younger woman. That next day, you were on the tennis court and you never looked back.
To my knowledge, you never complained, you just took action. (I wouldn’t blame you if you really told him off, but that does not seem part of your nature).
You also have a very spunky side about you. You would not have represented the State of Minnesota in the National Senior Olympics Tennis Championships if you were not very determined. You encouraged Dad to go for the championships, and you and Dad both almost won – twice or was it three times?
I love this photograph of you dancing last year at Crysta's wedding. In a sense, it shows the type of encouragement that you spread, such as all the many girl's tennis teams you coached in the Minneapolis area. I’m quite certain that your upbeat and determined attitude was part of the many seasons of championship tennis.
Jini, my younger sister, and I are your only children. I can’t speak for Jini, but I can certainly compliment you on not meddling with our situations when we became adults. You seemed to very well know that, as difficult as things became between me and my first wife, that it would be contra-productive for you to try and make things right. The intervention of the mother-in-law would certainly not have been welcome, and you knew your limits. This is also consistent with your great aversion to conflict.
I got my love of flowers from you. As a child, I well remember how you planted the many bright salmon, yellow, orange, and red tuberous begonias in front of our house. Near them you planted many luscious pink, purple, violet, and coral impatiens that you watered daily. Now, as caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden, I can say that I first learned gardening from you, even if it was just from a distance.
Your spiritual walk over the last few years is the biggest reason for me to give you tribute. Dad was not a man without opinions, and his agnostic view of a Godless world was certainly a problem for a woman that had been baptized as a teenager. You honored his view as the head of the home, which kept you home on most Sunday mornings.
Towards the end of dad’s time here on earth, as he mellowed more and more, you started to explore what it means to be a Christian. Since he passed five years ago, you have blossomed in your faith. You are attending church services on a regular basis, going to Bible studies, teaching Bible lessons over the phone to a friend that is a Mason, and attempting to exhibit your Christian faith by your walk. As our Lord continues His work in you, may the fruits of your faith be more and more abundant!
There is much to be done in this world, for our focus must be on the Kingdom of God. I am so glad that you are part of this whole mystery of Jesus Christ that is now revealed.
Happy birthday Mom, I love you,
Tom
Loie Clarke is not the average, run-of-the-mill, middle class traditional American mom, whoever that might be. Married in 1943 to your high school sweetheart Bruce Clarke, you have always kept an upbeat, positive approach to life. If you had problems with Dad, you kept them to yourself. I think it is fair to say that your rosy cheeks are an outward presentation of your inner self.
You were never a complainer; it was simply not part of your vocabulary. Complaining was just a total contradiction of that positive “can-do” personality. You have your opinions, sometimes very strong opinions, but those opinions were never presented in a critical way. In thinking back over the years, I gave you plenty to complain about, but you did your very best to present the best side of things.
How often I have told the story of how dad came home one day from the tennis court. The doctor had told him to start getting regular exercise because, as a man in his mid-forties, he was having too many health problems that were related to stress on the job. He took up tennis because he had played it frequently in his youth. Tennis was not your sport, knowing little more than which end of the racket to hold.
To my knowledge, you never complained, you just took action. (I wouldn’t blame you if you really told him off, but that does not seem part of your nature).
You also have a very spunky side about you. You would not have represented the State of Minnesota in the National Senior Olympics Tennis Championships if you were not very determined. You encouraged Dad to go for the championships, and you and Dad both almost won – twice or was it three times?
Jini, my younger sister, and I are your only children. I can’t speak for Jini, but I can certainly compliment you on not meddling with our situations when we became adults. You seemed to very well know that, as difficult as things became between me and my first wife, that it would be contra-productive for you to try and make things right. The intervention of the mother-in-law would certainly not have been welcome, and you knew your limits. This is also consistent with your great aversion to conflict.
I got my love of flowers from you. As a child, I well remember how you planted the many bright salmon, yellow, orange, and red tuberous begonias in front of our house. Near them you planted many luscious pink, purple, violet, and coral impatiens that you watered daily. Now, as caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden, I can say that I first learned gardening from you, even if it was just from a distance.
Towards the end of dad’s time here on earth, as he mellowed more and more, you started to explore what it means to be a Christian. Since he passed five years ago, you have blossomed in your faith. You are attending church services on a regular basis, going to Bible studies, teaching Bible lessons over the phone to a friend that is a Mason, and attempting to exhibit your Christian faith by your walk. As our Lord continues His work in you, may the fruits of your faith be more and more abundant!
There is much to be done in this world, for our focus must be on the Kingdom of God. I am so glad that you are part of this whole mystery of Jesus Christ that is now revealed.
Happy birthday Mom, I love you,
Tom
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Twiggey Has Friends!
What's best is that you don't need a Facebook account to enjoy the fun. Facebook is needed only if you want to make comments or to become a fan of one of the pages or comments. Please join the fun:
Facebook page for Gethsemane Prayer Garden at Faith Chapel
Friday, January 27, 2012
Another Intrusion
Twiggey intruded our church once again last night! This is totally unacceptable. We know very little about Twiggey at this time but the little we do know can be viewed on Facebook:
Facebook page for Gethsemane Prayer Garden at Faith Chapel
Facebook page for Gethsemane Prayer Garden at Faith Chapel
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Introducing Twiggey
Last night there were either one or two forced entries into our church building at Faith Chapel. Unfortunately there were no fingerprints; the doors and windows all seem okay, and nothing was ajar. Nothing seems to be stolen and no apparent damage was done. Nevertheless, someone made their way onto the main computer that sits at the desk in the foyer.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #06
Assessing Your Skills
After I graduated from college many years ago, I took a job as a math teacher at a middle school teaching inner city students. I did this, not because that was my training during college, but because it allowed me to avoid the Vietnam War. At the time, young men were being drafted to go to Vietnam, yet school teachers were exempt from the draft. I was not trained to be a teacher, but the school district thought I was qualified – I was not.
After a year of torturing the poor students, I took a job as a landscaper where the only thing I could torture was plants and my fellow workers. I learned a great deal in those two years, and that is the basis for my part-time work as the caretaker of my church's Gethsemane Prayer Garden.
I then started my professional career working for a small consulting engineering company in Syracuse. It had been a long winter with minimal income from unemployment, so I decided to pursue what I had been trained for in college: civil engineering. My first responsibilities were to climb down sanitary sewers during rainstorms so we could measure the depth of the liquid at the bottom of the sewer – and then write about it. Our purpose was to find out where the excess water was coming from.
Today I am in semi-retirement, working fewer hours as the director of the computer department at a smaller company, and spending more hours at home where I can write what I believe God has called me to write. My job climbing down sewers lasted four years and then I was moved to the accounting department where they had just purchased their first computer. Small beginnings.
Not all writers have the where-with-all to become independent self-publishers. For me, God has given me the skill as a computer programmer so that I can more easily handle the many nuances of this information age. The publishing industry is very different from that of writing, especially for fiction writers. If you find setting styles in Microsoft Word or writing your own HTML to be a challenge, possibly independent self-publishing is not for you.
With my previous books, I hired a person to design the cover and prepare the PDF for the printer. With my current series entitled Proverbs Untangled, I have chosen to design my own cover and prepare my own PDF. That means learning Adobe's Photoshop, hardly a product for the faint-at-heart. I also will have to learn Adobe's InDesign to help move the completed MS Word documents to a properly configured and better formatted PDF. I have much to learn about layout and I am excited to do so.
I am such a nit-picker about the aesthetics of the manuscript, and this too is essential as the reader will be able to quickly determine that something is wrong. I believe God gave me the nature to pursue quality in this manner, but I realize I need the eyes of others to help me see what I don't.
Understand that you will make many mistakes along the way as an independent self-publisher. Subsidy publishers rightfully earn their money by helping those with weaker computer skills, and for many this is really the only viable choice. Writing and publishing are viable for me because God has prepared me and I am now moving towards full retirement from my regular job.
I'm excited about where God is taking me and I remain open to hearing His voice of direction. He has enabled me with both the financial means and the fortitude to become a self-publisher. I was able to purchase Adobe's Creative Suite package which is quite costly. But now that it is published, my goal is to get this series of books into the market for $50 each. We'll see. There are eBook versions and the inspiration to put it into multiple languages and alternate Bible translations. God knows the plan and I believe He will provide the way because He gave me the vision to pursue this.
That is the most important part of self-publishing. Is God really in this? If you have heard His voice of direction, what is stopping you?
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
After I graduated from college many years ago, I took a job as a math teacher at a middle school teaching inner city students. I did this, not because that was my training during college, but because it allowed me to avoid the Vietnam War. At the time, young men were being drafted to go to Vietnam, yet school teachers were exempt from the draft. I was not trained to be a teacher, but the school district thought I was qualified – I was not.
After a year of torturing the poor students, I took a job as a landscaper where the only thing I could torture was plants and my fellow workers. I learned a great deal in those two years, and that is the basis for my part-time work as the caretaker of my church's Gethsemane Prayer Garden.
I then started my professional career working for a small consulting engineering company in Syracuse. It had been a long winter with minimal income from unemployment, so I decided to pursue what I had been trained for in college: civil engineering. My first responsibilities were to climb down sanitary sewers during rainstorms so we could measure the depth of the liquid at the bottom of the sewer – and then write about it. Our purpose was to find out where the excess water was coming from.
Today I am in semi-retirement, working fewer hours as the director of the computer department at a smaller company, and spending more hours at home where I can write what I believe God has called me to write. My job climbing down sewers lasted four years and then I was moved to the accounting department where they had just purchased their first computer. Small beginnings.
Not all writers have the where-with-all to become independent self-publishers. For me, God has given me the skill as a computer programmer so that I can more easily handle the many nuances of this information age. The publishing industry is very different from that of writing, especially for fiction writers. If you find setting styles in Microsoft Word or writing your own HTML to be a challenge, possibly independent self-publishing is not for you.
With my previous books, I hired a person to design the cover and prepare the PDF for the printer. With my current series entitled Proverbs Untangled, I have chosen to design my own cover and prepare my own PDF. That means learning Adobe's Photoshop, hardly a product for the faint-at-heart. I also will have to learn Adobe's InDesign to help move the completed MS Word documents to a properly configured and better formatted PDF. I have much to learn about layout and I am excited to do so.
I am such a nit-picker about the aesthetics of the manuscript, and this too is essential as the reader will be able to quickly determine that something is wrong. I believe God gave me the nature to pursue quality in this manner, but I realize I need the eyes of others to help me see what I don't.
Understand that you will make many mistakes along the way as an independent self-publisher. Subsidy publishers rightfully earn their money by helping those with weaker computer skills, and for many this is really the only viable choice. Writing and publishing are viable for me because God has prepared me and I am now moving towards full retirement from my regular job.
I'm excited about where God is taking me and I remain open to hearing His voice of direction. He has enabled me with both the financial means and the fortitude to become a self-publisher. I was able to purchase Adobe's Creative Suite package which is quite costly. But now that it is published, my goal is to get this series of books into the market for $50 each. We'll see. There are eBook versions and the inspiration to put it into multiple languages and alternate Bible translations. God knows the plan and I believe He will provide the way because He gave me the vision to pursue this.
That is the most important part of self-publishing. Is God really in this? If you have heard His voice of direction, what is stopping you?
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #01 (Self-publish or not)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #02 (Editing your manuscript)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #03 (Revisions)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #04 (Become an expert)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #05 (Return policy)
- An author's self-assessment: dealing with discouragement
- International Christian Retail Show in June 2010
Friday, January 13, 2012
Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #05
Return Policy
I was so surprised. An email came into my inbox stating that one of my books was being returned and I should expect it in the mail. The email was from Lightning Source, my printer. I knew this could happen but I did not expect it to really happen. Who would ever want to return "A Garden of Love"?
I presume that the return came from a bookstore that had special ordered the book, but apparently this was not what the customer wanted. OK, I can accept that.
At the end of the month, my financial statement came as a second surprise, or more like a shock. For this transaction, my account was debited the cost that the bookstore paid for the book (not my wholesale price), and I was charged a fee for redistributing the book back to me. The effect was I paid $1 less than full retail price on this transaction.
In this case, the book was returned in excellent condition, but that is not always true. Yesterday I met with a small publisher that told how a bookstore was regularly returning books that had obviously been read. In a short period of time, this bookstore had returned fifteen books. In order to avoid customer dissatisfaction, this store's policy was to accept returns from their customer regardless of the book's condition. The result was the publisher had fifteen new, slightly used, and obviously used books on his hand.
When a book is returned from the bookstore, three choices are possible: return it to the publisher which is what happened to me, shred it (I believe there is a shredding fee), or sell it to a company that remarkets used books. If it is sold to a remarketer, which means that your book ends up competing against your other new books on Amazon at a dramatically reduced price, or it gets sold to a bookstore to be displayed in the bargain book section. You would earn a little bit on remarketed books, but is it worth it?
Another option is to mark the book as non-returnable which means that once sold, the retailer is stuck with it. Sounds attractive, but that is not the way that the bookstore industry normally works. Most bookstores are struggling in today's economy as witnessed by the closing of Border's bookstores last year. They have a huge overhead in their payroll, building costs, and inventory. As a consequence, many bookstores are looking for 55% of the retail cost of each book to offset their expense stream.
I think it was in 2011, or maybe it was in 2010, where a major Christian bookstore chain decided to return all the books that were not moving quickly from their shelves. That meant that after their inventory was conducted across several hundred bookstores, boxes and boxes of books were returned to the publisher, shredded, or sold as used books by a remarketer. Bookstores typically look at a two-year window for most books, after which they are removed from the shelf and replaced with new titles that might stir the consumer's heart. In this case, that process was greatly accelerated.
As an independent self-publisher, I have to really ask myself, "Do I want to play that game?" Can I really afford to have boxes of books that I once thought were great sales now returned to me?
My solution, for now anyhow, is to mark all of my books returnable to me, but set the title to have a very low discount rate. My printer allows a 20% discount rate which means bookstores won't touch my books unless they are special orders. The question each Christian publisher must as is, "If God is really in this, what is the best marketing strategy that will exalt His name?"
On another note, I am now (finally) on Facebook, so if you prefer that venue for interacting, please feel free to use it.
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
I was so surprised. An email came into my inbox stating that one of my books was being returned and I should expect it in the mail. The email was from Lightning Source, my printer. I knew this could happen but I did not expect it to really happen. Who would ever want to return "A Garden of Love"?
I presume that the return came from a bookstore that had special ordered the book, but apparently this was not what the customer wanted. OK, I can accept that.
At the end of the month, my financial statement came as a second surprise, or more like a shock. For this transaction, my account was debited the cost that the bookstore paid for the book (not my wholesale price), and I was charged a fee for redistributing the book back to me. The effect was I paid $1 less than full retail price on this transaction.
In this case, the book was returned in excellent condition, but that is not always true. Yesterday I met with a small publisher that told how a bookstore was regularly returning books that had obviously been read. In a short period of time, this bookstore had returned fifteen books. In order to avoid customer dissatisfaction, this store's policy was to accept returns from their customer regardless of the book's condition. The result was the publisher had fifteen new, slightly used, and obviously used books on his hand.
When a book is returned from the bookstore, three choices are possible: return it to the publisher which is what happened to me, shred it (I believe there is a shredding fee), or sell it to a company that remarkets used books. If it is sold to a remarketer, which means that your book ends up competing against your other new books on Amazon at a dramatically reduced price, or it gets sold to a bookstore to be displayed in the bargain book section. You would earn a little bit on remarketed books, but is it worth it?
Another option is to mark the book as non-returnable which means that once sold, the retailer is stuck with it. Sounds attractive, but that is not the way that the bookstore industry normally works. Most bookstores are struggling in today's economy as witnessed by the closing of Border's bookstores last year. They have a huge overhead in their payroll, building costs, and inventory. As a consequence, many bookstores are looking for 55% of the retail cost of each book to offset their expense stream.
I think it was in 2011, or maybe it was in 2010, where a major Christian bookstore chain decided to return all the books that were not moving quickly from their shelves. That meant that after their inventory was conducted across several hundred bookstores, boxes and boxes of books were returned to the publisher, shredded, or sold as used books by a remarketer. Bookstores typically look at a two-year window for most books, after which they are removed from the shelf and replaced with new titles that might stir the consumer's heart. In this case, that process was greatly accelerated.
As an independent self-publisher, I have to really ask myself, "Do I want to play that game?" Can I really afford to have boxes of books that I once thought were great sales now returned to me?
My solution, for now anyhow, is to mark all of my books returnable to me, but set the title to have a very low discount rate. My printer allows a 20% discount rate which means bookstores won't touch my books unless they are special orders. The question each Christian publisher must as is, "If God is really in this, what is the best marketing strategy that will exalt His name?"
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #01 (Self-publish or not)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #02 (Editing your manuscript)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #03 (Revisions)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #04 (Become an expert)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #06 (Assessing your skills)
- An author's self-assessment: dealing with discouragement
- International Christian Retail Show in June 2010
Sunday, January 8, 2012
An Open Letter to Mark
On October 8, 2011, I wrote a blog entry entitled Paul's Spiritual Warfare that focused on my cousin's recent diagnosis of fourth stage cancer. Yesterday, January 7, Paul's spirit departed from this earth.
Once he had received his diagnosis in October, he went to live with his son Mark and Mark's wife Colleen in California. It was a very challenging three months as they watched him adamantly refuse the traditional forms of treatment such as radiation and chemotherapy, opting instead for alternative cancer treatments.
In December, Paul began self medicating himself by ingesting high strength hydrogen peroxide. Some research had indicated that this might kill the cancer cells. We may never know why his body did not accept this form of treatment, but it didn't. Once he went off the hydrogen peroxide, his cancer grew rapidly as his body was suddenly producing glucose again – cancer thrives on sugar.
Paul's son Mark and wife sacrificed immensely in order to care for Paul. His idiosyncrasies were a tremendous invasion of their home because Paul was Paul. What had been Colleen's domain in her home was now violated on a regular basis.
Paul had a streak of rebellion as wide as any I have known, but I liked him despite this. I did not agree with many of his cynical statements about our country, but behind that cynicism was his strong sense that much is inherently wrong in the USA today. It was that heart for wanting injustice to be corrected that I appreciated, even though I did not agree with many of his solutions. Some did not see or understand that heart.
Mark and Colleen modeled their Christian love by opening their home to his father. They have a deep faith in Christ that was well demonstrated during this three-month journey. I came to truly respect what they were doing for his father Paul.
Death is hard to cope with, no matter who you are. For Mark and Colleen, I think it was more like a journey. That journey is now over, and a new journey is beginning.
Mark and Colleen, thank you for doing the right thing with your father. I know it was not easy, but instead was exasperating at times. But the two of you resisted the much easier route to put him in a home for the sick and elderly. And I'm sure your example of Christian love was seen by many.
As the apostle Paul wrote, "What is important is faith expressing itself as love." Galatians 5:6
Tom
Once he had received his diagnosis in October, he went to live with his son Mark and Mark's wife Colleen in California. It was a very challenging three months as they watched him adamantly refuse the traditional forms of treatment such as radiation and chemotherapy, opting instead for alternative cancer treatments.
Paul's son Mark and wife sacrificed immensely in order to care for Paul. His idiosyncrasies were a tremendous invasion of their home because Paul was Paul. What had been Colleen's domain in her home was now violated on a regular basis.
Paul had a streak of rebellion as wide as any I have known, but I liked him despite this. I did not agree with many of his cynical statements about our country, but behind that cynicism was his strong sense that much is inherently wrong in the USA today. It was that heart for wanting injustice to be corrected that I appreciated, even though I did not agree with many of his solutions. Some did not see or understand that heart.
Mark and Colleen modeled their Christian love by opening their home to his father. They have a deep faith in Christ that was well demonstrated during this three-month journey. I came to truly respect what they were doing for his father Paul.
Death is hard to cope with, no matter who you are. For Mark and Colleen, I think it was more like a journey. That journey is now over, and a new journey is beginning.
Mark and Colleen, thank you for doing the right thing with your father. I know it was not easy, but instead was exasperating at times. But the two of you resisted the much easier route to put him in a home for the sick and elderly. And I'm sure your example of Christian love was seen by many.
As the apostle Paul wrote, "What is important is faith expressing itself as love." Galatians 5:6
Tom
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Keep Strong in Your Faith in the Lord as We Enter the Times Ahead
An email I recently received stated at its conclusion, "Keep strong in our faith in the Lord as we enter the times ahead." There seems to be so much truth in that brief statement.
The calendar year, as we know it from January 1 to December 31, is man's calendar, not God's. Man's calendar has a beginning and an end, but God's calendar is one of cycles (winter, spring, summer, fall) with neither a beginning nor an end. Under the old covenant, God gave the Israelites a calendar that began with what is now called Rosh Hashanah. In fact, January 1st is not an official holiday in Israel although many treat it as such.
To those of us that understand the end-times scenario, we see God's cyclical calendar taking a new form as described in the book of Revelations. The beginning, if you want to think of our current age, began at the tomb site in Jerusalem. The end of this age is approaching, and seems to be approaching rapidly.
FEMA, that is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, maintains a public record of severe disasters from 1953 to 2011 (www.fema.gov/news/disaster_totals_annual.fema), identifying 2011 as the highest total over that period. By looking at the list for 2011, it shows hundreds of major disaster, emergency, and fire management assistance declarations: floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, severe winter storms, straight-line winds, wildfires, etc. FEMA ran out of money in 2011, indicating the extent of this year's tragedies.
Outside United States, there were horrific tsunami, earthquake, volcanic and other disasters in 2011, including the event that nearly led to the collapse of four nuclear power plants in Japan. Major flooding in Thailand was just one of the many 'natural' events this year.
Socially, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was to many an unexpected uprising, as was the Arab Spring movement. Both movements hope to overturn the existing status quo governments, and to some extent they are having their degree of success.
The calendar year, as we know it from January 1 to December 31, is man's calendar, not God's. Man's calendar has a beginning and an end, but God's calendar is one of cycles (winter, spring, summer, fall) with neither a beginning nor an end. Under the old covenant, God gave the Israelites a calendar that began with what is now called Rosh Hashanah. In fact, January 1st is not an official holiday in Israel although many treat it as such.
To those of us that understand the end-times scenario, we see God's cyclical calendar taking a new form as described in the book of Revelations. The beginning, if you want to think of our current age, began at the tomb site in Jerusalem. The end of this age is approaching, and seems to be approaching rapidly.
FEMA, that is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, maintains a public record of severe disasters from 1953 to 2011 (www.fema.gov/news/disaster_totals_annual.fema), identifying 2011 as the highest total over that period. By looking at the list for 2011, it shows hundreds of major disaster, emergency, and fire management assistance declarations: floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, severe winter storms, straight-line winds, wildfires, etc. FEMA ran out of money in 2011, indicating the extent of this year's tragedies.
Outside United States, there were horrific tsunami, earthquake, volcanic and other disasters in 2011, including the event that nearly led to the collapse of four nuclear power plants in Japan. Major flooding in Thailand was just one of the many 'natural' events this year.
Socially, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was to many an unexpected uprising, as was the Arab Spring movement. Both movements hope to overturn the existing status quo governments, and to some extent they are having their degree of success.
|
Christine Darg, in her excellent book from 2007 entitled Miracles Among Muslims, wrote about large numbers of Islamic believers being converted to Christianity. She describes how dreams and healings are playing an important part in convincing muslim believers that Christ is still alive! This pattern of an end-times harvest has continued through 2011. With all of these events, the world both physically and spiritually is shaking. Will this next year be even more significant? Will the end as described in the book of Revelation take a new form? We certainly seem to be pointed in that direction. I don't know any more than you. But it certainly seems appropriate to follow the advice given by my friend, "Keep strong in our faith in the Lord as we enter the times ahead." |
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #04
Become an Expert
The advise of marketers is good: develop a label and then promote that label. This same advice applies to authoring, yet I fell into that trap. As a Christian non-fiction writer, I wrote three books in rather quick fashion, and each dealt with three totally disparate topics:
All three topics had been and continue to be very interesting to me, but there is only so much of me to go around. God had inspired me to write each book, particularly the first and third, and much of the content had been composed by listening to the Holy Spirit. What I now find is that I must retool my skills so I become an expert in each genre, and that is most challenging.
The self-publishing industry also has its share of learning demands. We can initially out-source those areas where we lack the expertise such as the conversion of the manuscript from a word processor to print-ready format. Organizations such as Create Space can help with the first book or so, but eventually you will want to get out of that arena. You may find yourself creating your own book covers with a tool such as Photoshop, or using Adobe's InDesign to manage the interior of the manuscript. You will learn social marketing techniques such as Facebook and Twitter, and how to create compelling websites. All of these and more are examples of the expertise that the self-publisher will confront and eventually dig into.
To many, writing can be a lonely vocation with hour after hour spent alone researching and developing the next manuscript. As writers, I find that our industry can be one of considerable discouragement. I suppose it is the same with Christian fiction: very little interaction with people who would provide the needed support when the title does not meet our expectations.
Why do we write? It should be because we have heard the voice of the Lord instructing us that we are to proceed in that direction. Without that, we set ourselves up for failure.
For those of us that write, we often do so because built within us is a need to be heard. Some people stand around the water cooler, spouting opinions or concerns because we feel our voice counts. Others more quietly develop close circles of friends where we can share our need to be heard. Authors will often express themselves through the written word because of an envisioned audience that will theoretically listen.
My counsel is to re-think your reason for writing: compose because you want God's next revelation, knowing this is then to be shared.
For me, I recently choose to dig into the subject of Proverbs because two divine circumstances instructed me to move in that direction. Further, I want God's wisdom on that topic – and I have not been disappointed. Each time I dug further into the subject of Proverbs, I saw more and more that I had totally missed with my earlier efforts. Our Lord is in the revelation business, and that in itself allows me to keep moving forward.
Will I continue to develop the other two genres: chiasms or love/flowers? I don't know and wait further instructions from the Lord. In the meantime, I put the other genres on hold and dig deeper into Proverbs. That, I believe, is my instruction for today.
If your God-given topic is anger, become an expert on the subject of anger from a Christian perspective. If it is about a particular Christian leader, develop the genre by either pursuing more about that leader or finding other leaders that are somehow similar. If your topic is mental health, God alone can help you because this whole authoring/publishing business is driving me crazy.
Bon voyage.
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
The advise of marketers is good: develop a label and then promote that label. This same advice applies to authoring, yet I fell into that trap. As a Christian non-fiction writer, I wrote three books in rather quick fashion, and each dealt with three totally disparate topics:
- A linguistic study of the Bible focusing on chiasms
- A topical look at Proverbs
- A look at love as seen symbolically through flowers
All three topics had been and continue to be very interesting to me, but there is only so much of me to go around. God had inspired me to write each book, particularly the first and third, and much of the content had been composed by listening to the Holy Spirit. What I now find is that I must retool my skills so I become an expert in each genre, and that is most challenging.
The self-publishing industry also has its share of learning demands. We can initially out-source those areas where we lack the expertise such as the conversion of the manuscript from a word processor to print-ready format. Organizations such as Create Space can help with the first book or so, but eventually you will want to get out of that arena. You may find yourself creating your own book covers with a tool such as Photoshop, or using Adobe's InDesign to manage the interior of the manuscript. You will learn social marketing techniques such as Facebook and Twitter, and how to create compelling websites. All of these and more are examples of the expertise that the self-publisher will confront and eventually dig into.
To many, writing can be a lonely vocation with hour after hour spent alone researching and developing the next manuscript. As writers, I find that our industry can be one of considerable discouragement. I suppose it is the same with Christian fiction: very little interaction with people who would provide the needed support when the title does not meet our expectations.
Why do we write? It should be because we have heard the voice of the Lord instructing us that we are to proceed in that direction. Without that, we set ourselves up for failure.
For those of us that write, we often do so because built within us is a need to be heard. Some people stand around the water cooler, spouting opinions or concerns because we feel our voice counts. Others more quietly develop close circles of friends where we can share our need to be heard. Authors will often express themselves through the written word because of an envisioned audience that will theoretically listen.
My counsel is to re-think your reason for writing: compose because you want God's next revelation, knowing this is then to be shared.
For me, I recently choose to dig into the subject of Proverbs because two divine circumstances instructed me to move in that direction. Further, I want God's wisdom on that topic – and I have not been disappointed. Each time I dug further into the subject of Proverbs, I saw more and more that I had totally missed with my earlier efforts. Our Lord is in the revelation business, and that in itself allows me to keep moving forward.
Will I continue to develop the other two genres: chiasms or love/flowers? I don't know and wait further instructions from the Lord. In the meantime, I put the other genres on hold and dig deeper into Proverbs. That, I believe, is my instruction for today.
If your God-given topic is anger, become an expert on the subject of anger from a Christian perspective. If it is about a particular Christian leader, develop the genre by either pursuing more about that leader or finding other leaders that are somehow similar. If your topic is mental health, God alone can help you because this whole authoring/publishing business is driving me crazy.
Bon voyage.
For other articles about self-publishing in this series, see:
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #01 (Self-publish or not)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #02 (Editing your manuscript)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #03 (Revisions)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #05 (Return policy)
- Self-publishing advice for Christian authors #06 (Assessing your skills)
- An author's self-assessment: dealing with discouragement
- International Christian Retail Show in June 2010
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Intimate Communication and Fellowship with our Lord
Today I was forwarded the email shown below from a man named Carl Hunt. While I don't normally give such emails any merit, I found this to be particularly good. Thank you Carl for composing this:
What an awesome and merciful God we have. We praise His wonderful name. He has placed each one of us in a special place, just where He wants us. He knows us better than we know our own self. At times we just push Him aside for a while and most of the times we do this without even recognizing that we are doing it. What a merciful God He is.
We enter into our prayer closet expressing things that we would like to see come forth. Bless so and so. Heal so and so. I need so & so. Bless my finances, etc. This is all good and wonderful, but he desires us to give him more praise and thanksgiving for the things he has already done.
Most of all, we need to spend more time listening to Him and telling Him how thankful we are for Him and how wonderful He is and how much we appreciate His love and mercy and just praise Him because He IS. One of His greatest desires is to have intimate communication and fellowship with you. He loves you so very much.
Have a wonderful day.
Monday, November 14, 2011
A Drive Through Pleasant Valley
On Wednesday (November 9th), I discovered why Marcellus area farmers from long ago decided to name it "Pleasant Valley Road." It was 7:30am and I was on my way to the Gethsemane Prayer Garden to perform some well-needed maintenance and autumn cleanup. The leaves in Central New York were well past their peak, but there was some color left on some of the more resilient plants. The thought went through my head, "Take the slower road, the one through Pleasant Valley." I hesitated at first, for I am known as one that makes the most of my time – I'm glad I turned.
Upon entry onto Pleasant Valley Road, the canopy of yellow-leafed maple trees immediately struck my eye. A few houses are there, surrounded by random plantings in a forest of tall stately trees. A torrential rainstorm had recently eroded a small stream that came out of the hill high above the road, revealing the magnificent force that must have been released by a sudden terror of quickly surging water. Thankfully, road crews had cleaned the rock and erosion debris from the road.
As I rounded the first curve, with the swamp to my right, I instantly knew that this was not to be a normal drive through a country road. A light fog created a fine mist which was illuminated by full sunlight from behind. The white fog wisps gave the swamp and surrounding forest an almost ethereal view, similar to the opening scene of Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ only without the people and in daylight.
While I don't normally appreciate swampland, on Wednesday I saw the sun reflecting its rays on the tall swamp grass. The long, thin blades were no longer green as in summer, but had taken on a reddish tone. The sunlight, reflecting off the smooth grass, appeared as beads that sparkled as a flurry of many gems. I began to talk to myself, something I rarely do: "That is really, really special!"
It came as no surprise to me to see a lone Canada goose at the far edge of the swamp. I had traveled this road several times during the peak of the fall colors, each time what appeared to be this same silly goose that thought it owned the road. This time the goose was off more to the side, so I slowly passed by. At that point, I had already decreased my normally fast speed, thrilled with the scenes that I rarely take the time to enjoy.
As the car traversed out of the forest, I could see through the fog a field where a farmer had planted some grass; the farmer had harvested the grass, but the gently rolling field reminded me of days in my youth where I spontaneously ran through an area, exploring the joys that were to be found. I found myself musing, "Where have those days gone?"
Mr. Hess's barns and farm house soon came into sight. His pristine white home on the hill above the road overlooks his two barns and fields below. I remembered talking to this older man a few years past, before his wife departed this earth. He had a farmer's gentle way about him, kind of like the pleasant valley that he lives in. I said a brief prayer for him, knowing that it can be difficult for a man to live alone in a big place like that.
A car suddenly came up behind me; I pulled over so he could pass by. I was glad that there was no real traffic on this road. By the time I had ascended out of this six-mile journey through the valley, I saw two other cars; they were all in a hurry, for it was rush hour, and probably on their way to work.
A bit further down the road, I noticed the brilliant red leaves of a burning bush as it ornately decorated another home above the road. Then another house with a similar red burning bush; and then a third house with two large blood-red burning bushes planted side-by-side. The houses were separated by long stretches of lawn and small fields of brush; it probably was not intentional for each to have this same species. We had not had a killing frost and these shrubs seemed to make a poignant statement that fall was not done yet.
Before the two sharp turns in the road, some other wild shrubs came into view; some had yellow leaves, others were red. But behind them was another low-lying swamp area again with glimmering beads from the sunlight. The fog was very light, just enough to let me know that it was still morning. I marveled at how God would put all this potpourri of plant textures and colors and shapes into a seemingly random placement, and yet it ended up so incredibly beautiful.
As I passed the Cox's farm, I laughed to myself how each cow was headed east out of the barn, like a drove of classical music enthusiasts walking towards an outdoor symphony concert, some hoping to see the other enthusiasts in their large herd. I noticed how large their pasture land is, having a much larger head of cattle than I had expected. The valley floor is much wider here. "A perfect place for a farm," I thought to myself, "and what a joy it is to know this wonderful family." Again I said a brief prayer for them, knowing all the hours that Charlie spends to assist his 100-year-old father.
A ways beyond that, near the place where they make and sell maple syrup, is a large grove of beech trees. This time of year, the leaves are an orange-yellow-brown sort of color, and again most brilliant in the sunlight. These trees stood above the mist, so it was easy to see them. They appeared so strong and majestic as my car passed nearby.
I choose Cedarvale Road to climb out of the valley for it is to me the prettiest route. To those local to the area, this is known as "Thirteen Curves" as it follows the stream and steep banks. I noticed a fine collection of ferns along the east side at several of the curves, planted among years of leaf and plant material that has gathered there. Two small clusters of maiden-hair fern, possibly the prettiest of local ferns, grow in this heavily forested area with abundant shade and tremendous drainage. With their lovely arching spray of small but ornate leaves, I wondered if a maiden had actually selected this fern to wear on her wedding day.
At the top of the hill, I knew that I had to re-gather my thoughts to focus on my gardening efforts. The beauty that was evident in that valley was, at least to me, far more natural and pleasant than the man-made plantings of a more organized garden. God ordained that very special treat for me on that day. My prayer for you, dear Reader, is that He help you find your own "pleasant valley."
Please sing along with me:
"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; how great Thou art ... "
Upon entry onto Pleasant Valley Road, the canopy of yellow-leafed maple trees immediately struck my eye. A few houses are there, surrounded by random plantings in a forest of tall stately trees. A torrential rainstorm had recently eroded a small stream that came out of the hill high above the road, revealing the magnificent force that must have been released by a sudden terror of quickly surging water. Thankfully, road crews had cleaned the rock and erosion debris from the road.
As I rounded the first curve, with the swamp to my right, I instantly knew that this was not to be a normal drive through a country road. A light fog created a fine mist which was illuminated by full sunlight from behind. The white fog wisps gave the swamp and surrounding forest an almost ethereal view, similar to the opening scene of Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ only without the people and in daylight.
While I don't normally appreciate swampland, on Wednesday I saw the sun reflecting its rays on the tall swamp grass. The long, thin blades were no longer green as in summer, but had taken on a reddish tone. The sunlight, reflecting off the smooth grass, appeared as beads that sparkled as a flurry of many gems. I began to talk to myself, something I rarely do: "That is really, really special!"
It came as no surprise to me to see a lone Canada goose at the far edge of the swamp. I had traveled this road several times during the peak of the fall colors, each time what appeared to be this same silly goose that thought it owned the road. This time the goose was off more to the side, so I slowly passed by. At that point, I had already decreased my normally fast speed, thrilled with the scenes that I rarely take the time to enjoy.
As the car traversed out of the forest, I could see through the fog a field where a farmer had planted some grass; the farmer had harvested the grass, but the gently rolling field reminded me of days in my youth where I spontaneously ran through an area, exploring the joys that were to be found. I found myself musing, "Where have those days gone?"
Mr. Hess's barns and farm house soon came into sight. His pristine white home on the hill above the road overlooks his two barns and fields below. I remembered talking to this older man a few years past, before his wife departed this earth. He had a farmer's gentle way about him, kind of like the pleasant valley that he lives in. I said a brief prayer for him, knowing that it can be difficult for a man to live alone in a big place like that.
A car suddenly came up behind me; I pulled over so he could pass by. I was glad that there was no real traffic on this road. By the time I had ascended out of this six-mile journey through the valley, I saw two other cars; they were all in a hurry, for it was rush hour, and probably on their way to work.
A bit further down the road, I noticed the brilliant red leaves of a burning bush as it ornately decorated another home above the road. Then another house with a similar red burning bush; and then a third house with two large blood-red burning bushes planted side-by-side. The houses were separated by long stretches of lawn and small fields of brush; it probably was not intentional for each to have this same species. We had not had a killing frost and these shrubs seemed to make a poignant statement that fall was not done yet.
Before the two sharp turns in the road, some other wild shrubs came into view; some had yellow leaves, others were red. But behind them was another low-lying swamp area again with glimmering beads from the sunlight. The fog was very light, just enough to let me know that it was still morning. I marveled at how God would put all this potpourri of plant textures and colors and shapes into a seemingly random placement, and yet it ended up so incredibly beautiful.
As I passed the Cox's farm, I laughed to myself how each cow was headed east out of the barn, like a drove of classical music enthusiasts walking towards an outdoor symphony concert, some hoping to see the other enthusiasts in their large herd. I noticed how large their pasture land is, having a much larger head of cattle than I had expected. The valley floor is much wider here. "A perfect place for a farm," I thought to myself, "and what a joy it is to know this wonderful family." Again I said a brief prayer for them, knowing all the hours that Charlie spends to assist his 100-year-old father.
A ways beyond that, near the place where they make and sell maple syrup, is a large grove of beech trees. This time of year, the leaves are an orange-yellow-brown sort of color, and again most brilliant in the sunlight. These trees stood above the mist, so it was easy to see them. They appeared so strong and majestic as my car passed nearby.
I choose Cedarvale Road to climb out of the valley for it is to me the prettiest route. To those local to the area, this is known as "Thirteen Curves" as it follows the stream and steep banks. I noticed a fine collection of ferns along the east side at several of the curves, planted among years of leaf and plant material that has gathered there. Two small clusters of maiden-hair fern, possibly the prettiest of local ferns, grow in this heavily forested area with abundant shade and tremendous drainage. With their lovely arching spray of small but ornate leaves, I wondered if a maiden had actually selected this fern to wear on her wedding day.
At the top of the hill, I knew that I had to re-gather my thoughts to focus on my gardening efforts. The beauty that was evident in that valley was, at least to me, far more natural and pleasant than the man-made plantings of a more organized garden. God ordained that very special treat for me on that day. My prayer for you, dear Reader, is that He help you find your own "pleasant valley."
Please sing along with me:
"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; how great Thou art ... "
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