writing

Memories of Mom and the Power of Simple

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

My mother was a science fiction writer and had some short stories published by the time she was in her teens. When her first novel was accepted by a publisher, their contract came with the requirement that she cut her manuscript in half. Mom cried off and on while she typed a shortened version over the next two weeks, saying various angry things about Avalon publishers. But once she fought through slicing and dicing that story mom went on to have another 7-8 books published. A copy of her first book, “The Sea People” © Avalon Books 1959 sits proudly on my bookshelf next to a few others.

Did mom ever become a famous writer? Well, other than working as an instructor for “The Famous Writer’s School” the short answer is no. But mom was moderately successful, with her fourth book (Sons of the Wolf) published both in the U.S. as well as Germany, Italy and the UK. Whatever our ability level, we who work in words often fall into the trap of elaborating a scene, an idea or a character till only we are in love with our story. But longer is rarely better and less is usually more. Consider the brevity of the parable of the prodigal son. In just 495 words Jesus shares a story that has touched more lives and changed more hearts than all the works of Shakespeare, Twain, and Jane Austin combined. He tells us about a son who left the simple life of a family farm for the glittering complexity of a distant city. There the son lost all that his father had given him and wasted everything he had trying to be somebody important. But the oinking of the pigs soon made it clear that his dream job had ended up being just feeding hogs. There in the pigpen, Jesus tells us that, “He came to himself.” In that single moment of clear thinking, he remembered his father. On the way home, the prodigal son carefully rehearsed a list of apologies and explanations, but on his arrival, he was immediately interrupted by his joyful father’s welcome. To every one of us who have come home to a childlike faith in Jesus, God gives a story to tell. The less distance we put between the story He gives us and the heart of our neighbor the better. Every story is a pathway to somewhere and the story of grace should be a simple pathway that ends with a Father who is waiting to celebrate our return!

Our Very Best Chapter is Now

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 KJV

As we grow older often our tendency is to look back at past chapters in our lives and wistfully wish we could relive them. We think of how much energy we had when we were younger, forgetting our doubts, fears and impatience with others. We were always in a hurry but often getting nowhere. Or perhaps we look a little later, remembering fondly how we held our babies or walked our toddlers to their first day of school.  But God has an entire novel to write in our lives and though our earlier chapters were needed to build the plot, He has no desire to include them in the climactic ending of His story line.

In today’s verse where Jesus told us to pray for our daily bread, He was referring to the days when the people of Israel were wandering for forty years through the desert. They had no crops to harvest or village markets to purchase food in. Instead, God provided them every morning with one day’s supply of a Heavenly food called manna. It was said to have the sweetness of honey and the lightness of wafer. (A true angel food cake!) God also provided some rules about the manna. There was to be no gathering extra. Those who chose to disobey found that by nightfall it turned rotten and had worms crawling around in it. Yuck! But on Friday they were told to gather for two days so they could rest on the Sabbath. That manna stayed good for two days. God was determined to teach them the same lesson we need. We should not waste time and effort piling up manna and missing the living we should be doing with those around us. By tomorrow, yesterday’s manna will stink! We must always trust that each morning God will give us what is best, and that it will be what is the very best for us. He hasn’t forgotten us, and the very best chapter that He is writing in our story is now!

Why in the World Would Anyone Want to Be a Poet – Part 2

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

          Why in the world would anyone want to be a poet? First off, if I remember correctly, except for Robert Frost and William Shakespeare, few poets ever made enough money to pay the bills much less support a family. So why would anyone choose to write poems? Secondly, who even reads anything anymore, except text messages or social media posts. But here are three reasons you just might make the crazy choice to write anyway.

  1. It is For God’s Glory –   Because, whatever you do, eating or drinking or anything else, everything should be done to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Phillips

When we think of poetry and more specifically about ourselves as poets, we figure that our job is somehow different and more important than that of plumbers or housekeepers. But the Bible makes no such differentiation. All of us have the obligation to communicate through our work, the glory of God. Think of work like home remodeling One person installs the sink and countertops while another cleans it up as if Jesus were getting ready to cook a gourmet meal there. All of us are expected to get our job done for a specific purpose and with all the excellence we are capable of.

2)We have a simple story we are dying to tell –  But I am afraid that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led astray from the simplicity of your pure devotion to Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:18 AMP

During the 1700’s there was a small religious group called the Shakers who had an impact on our culture far beyond the few communities they founded. In 1848, Joseph Brackett, one of their leaders wrote a song titled Simple Gifts.

Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free

Tis a gift to come down to where we ought to be

Most of us can use a bit of that advice before we start to write. Sadly, entire library shelves (Not to mention websites) are filled with unread dusty volumes of dense impenetrable words. While these may be of some value to a few rare souls, if our desire is to communicate to a wider audience then we might need to follow the advice posted on our daughter-in-law’s refrigerator:

Simplify – Throw everything out!

3)It is within the city limits of what God gave us to do

Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others…2 Corinthians 10:15 ESV

To our modern way of thinking any sort of limit simply restricts our horizons and denies us the ability to reach our full potential. But Paul reveals that the secret of His effectiveness and success was precisely because he willingly and joyfully worked within the limits that God had chosen for him. The news flash from the Bible is that we are not called to reach everyone, but we have the chance to reach someone. For me that someone, who is like one of my own grandchildren. I usually keep a picture in my mind of one of their faces whenever I am writing (And rewriting, then chopping it down some more!)

So do you best for God’s glory, simply be yourself and rejoice in the city limits he has given you to live!