A complete week has past since I made my resolution to write a novel in 100 days or less. I have been trying to outline and see if my ideas are workable. I was inspired, as I was working Saturday morning, and I was able to fix some of the holes in the story. I am really enjoying this challenge. As I write, it seems to be therapeutic in nature.
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
W. Somerset Maugham
I wanted to give everyone a brief update. I am still working on outlining my story. The past few days I have been very busy with the building project at The Shelter, so, not much writing has actually taken place. I was able to squeeze in a little research on the structure of a novel.
I have a feeling the next 95 days are going to move really quick! I must buckle down and write every chance I can. Remember me in your prayers.
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
~Ernest Hemingway
In my post yesterday, I shared with you a goal that I have challenged myself with of writing a novel in 100 days or less. The deadline is October 12, 2011. I invite you to journey behind the scenes of the writing of this book. By following these posts you will get a glimpse into my life and world. I hope enjoy and please tell a friend to come along with us!
Today, I spent a majority of my lunch break contemplating my story and brainstorming. I also have found a method of novel writing that is very interesting called the Snow Flake Method. (Click here to see an explanation of this method.)
This week is mainly getting all my thoughts and ideas organized. I will try my best to keep you updated daily. Well, that is all for now folks. (It’s not like I do not have any writing to do.. Ha!) Good Night!
I love a challenge! I continually try to stretch myself. Well, here I go again! I was surfing the net the other day and I landed on a site that challenges you to write a novel in 100 days or less. I have accepted this challenge! (Click here for a link to the site.)
I have felt lead of the Spirit to write a novel based, loosely, on the story of the Prodigal Son. The Lord has given me the basic story line, but now it’s time to put the pen to the paper. I will attempt to write this book within 100 days or less!
It is Monday, July 4, 2011. This means I must complete this manuscript by Wednesday, October 12, 2011. My plan is to write a minimum of one hour a day. (More when my already hectic schedule will permit.) It will definitely be a uphill challenge, but I believe it is time to pursue my dream of becoming a published author!
I want to invite you to come on this journey with me. On top of writing a novel in 100 days or less, I will be keeping my readers updated on my progress. I pray this inspires you to follow after God and pursue the dreams He has placed within you!
I love witnessing for Christ. I look for opportunities to share my faith in Christ and how He has radically changed my life. Yet, all to often I come across a person who in our conversation, they say, “ I am on the fence about this Jesus stuff.” Also, I have heard of people in church “riding or straddling the fence”. What does one mean when they say these things? What is this proverbial fence everyone is talking about? Can one stay on the fence when it comes to Christ?
As I think upon these questions I often think of my childhood. I can remember when I was young, how I would perform a balancing act on the old wooden fences of my neighborhood. I recall the contests my friends and I would have to see who could go further . One foot in front of the other, arms extended to the horizons. We would teeter back and forth in effort to maintain our balance. Eventually, we would lean a little too far and off we would go. All the while, hoping not to fall among the briars that grew along the fence rows.
Is this what people mean by “being on the fence”? I understand a person can be undecided about the claims of Christ, but to be undecided means to not believe the claims. Right? I know there is a period of time when a person is drawn by the Spirit of God to come into a relationship with Christ, but if a person dies undecided the person has not believed the Gospel. When one is faced with the Gospel of Christ, one can only accept or reject it. “God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. And so, if we have God's Son, we have this life. But if we don't have the Son, we don't have this life.”(1 John 5:11-12 CEV)This Scripture is quiet clear on this matter!
What about those, who name Christ as Savior, that teeter back in forth from the world to God? In the book of James, it says, “You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”(James 4:4 CEV) One can not “straddle the fence” because there is no fence, according to 1 John 5:11,12! You either believe the gospel or you don’t! Jesus said you would know the tree by the fruit that it bears. I am not suggesting a Christian can not be tempted by the things of the world, because this happens occasionally. I am speaking to those who habitually practice sin. I know we all slip but there is a difference between slipping and diving into sin. When a person is born again there is a change! If this change is not evident then I would question that person's salvation experience. Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in.”(Matthew 7:21 CEV)
I would encourage anyone who is trying to perform a spiritual balancing act to choose life today! Christ came to redeem that which was lost in the Garden of Eden. He lived the perfect life that was impossible for us to live. He took away our sins on the cross. In exchange for our filthy rags, He gave us His righteousness or right standing with God. He not only died for us, but He triumphantly rose again over death, hell, and the grave! Jesus wasn't “on the fence” about His love for you! He came and died to give to you eternal life! Choose Jesus and live today!
In the Bible the Lord gives us a promise that He will help us in the time of trouble.(Ps. 46:1) My wife and I learned this lesson early in our relationship. Looking back now, this story seems humorous, but at the time it was a serious matter. The value of the lesson is priceless, I believe the Lord allowed it to happen to show how much He cares for us and He is just a prayer away. Friend get in your comfy chair and get ready to be entertained, as well as encouraged.
You see this story begins on a night that began like any other. Amber and I were dating, we were in love and wanted to spend all the time we could together. We decided that I would pick her up at her home and we would come to my home to watch a movie and hang out with my folks. ( Just your typical movie night.) I picked her up at her parent's home, her house was about twenty miles from mine on the main road. She lived in a small town of Pridgen, you would have to drive through the town of Broxton to get to West Green in which I lived with my parents. (The details will all make sense later.) We arrived at my home and watched the movie with my family.
The night was moving really quick and before we knew the time arrived for me to take her home. There was a very important detail that I forgot to mention before, my car was a 1985 Chevy Celebrity.(A real hot rod!) Unfortunately, I had a head light out on my car. I thought I could take a short-cut and bypass Broxton and the police to avoid a ticket (It seemed liked a good plan.) I would take the dirt road, which was a twelve mile straight stretch of road that very few people drove. It was a perfect plan except we had recently received a lot of rainfall, which left the road in a poor condition. It seemed that very little traffic had passed down this way because of the condition of the road and what little traffic had traveled the route was 4x4 pickups. I wasn't very reluctant at first to travel this way, until we had to manage a few wash outs. I started to wonder if it had been a good idea to try to by-pass Broxton, but I wasn't going to let Amber know that I was rethinking my decision. Ah, the male ego!
We traveled a few miles along the mangled muddy mess of a road when we encountered deep ruts the 4x4’s left. I could hear the rock and gravel scrubbing the undercarriage of the car as I tried to straddled the ruts to prevent us from getting stuck in the mud. I thought to myself we’ve come too far to turn back now. We pushed our way forward like a bulldozer in a construction zone. Then it happened, I don't remember if I over corrected my steering or if the mud grabbed the tire of the car and pulled me off course, but the car slammed into the rut. At first, I thought I could maneuver the vehicle out of the trench by putting the car into reverse. This did not have the affect I was hoping for, but instead made things worse. So, I put it in drive and floored the accelerator. This also, did not have the affect I desired, but if anything lodged the car further into the rut. We were stuck! Yes, in the middle of nowhere with the clock quickly ticking closer to curfew. I thought surely when(or if ) I get her home, her parents were going to murder me!
Trying to think fast, I asked if she had her cell phone with her. It was no use, she left it at home that night(It probably wouldn't have had a signal.) My heart began to race. I told Amber to climb over to the driver's seat and I would try to push us out. I instructed her in what to do and told her that we would begin on the count of three. One! Two! Three! I strained with all my might as Amber applied the gas….nothing happened. The vehicle didn't even budge. The tires spun violently around and around. Then standing there in the cold night air I realized the reason why it would not move. The front tires were not touching the ground, my heart sunk. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere! I tried to pack dirt under the tires ,but nothing worked. Nothing at all!!
Then the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance Psalm 46:1.This scripture declares God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. I asked Amber to agree with me and we began to pray. We reminded God of the promise He gave us in His word (Not because He needed to be reminded, but because we were showing Him that we trusted His word to be true.) Less than five minutes passed and we saw headlights appear. My faith screamed yes, but my flesh cried no. I began to think about the people who traveled this road. They were usually people who were trying to avoid the law(Imagine that!). Headlights crept toward us slowly, yet my mind raced with thoughts of what could happen, if it really was bad people. Then I noticed something else that spooked me even more, there was a second vehicle behind the first. Great, there could be two car loads of thugs to deal with. I tried to give some comforting words to Amber without my own fear showing. The headlights of the automobiles were blinding us as they slowed to a stop.. I don't know if Amber was scared or not, but I was not listening to the voice of faith and I was frightened. Here was the moment of truth! I could only see the silhouette of a person as the door of the truck opened. I heard a young man say "Do you folks need some help?"
Then I realized that this wasn't a thug, but a teenage boy. The car that was behind him was his sister they were coming home from a revival meeting. What a God we serve! He not only sent help, but he sent Christian help. I had been so worried about some crazed maniac on a drug binge finding us out in the middle of nowhere, yet God had it under control the whole time. The young man was in a 4x4 pick up, so he had no problem pulling us out of the mess we were in(The Lord will provide Phil.4:19). I was able to get Amber home at a decent time(Hallelujah!). On the way back home I praised God for being that present help in trouble, as I traveled along the highway!
Amber and I learned a priceless lesson that night. God is there when you need Him most. He will not leave nor forsake you when you have troubles and trials. He is right there ready to help if you will call on Him. It doesn't matter if you make an unwise decision and get bogged down in a rut in the road of life. You may think it is over for you, because you tried to take a short cut in life that didn’t turn out like you planned. God's grace is sufficient and He is waiting for you to call on His name.
We can look around in many churches in America and see something is not kosher. We see that many churches are lukewarm concerning the things of God. It seems as though people are not concerned with the matters of God. We in America need a great spiritual awakening!
To have a revival in America we must get back to the basics! The early church was founded upon prayer! We Christians, talk about prayer, sing about prayer, and even have prayer conferences, but we seem to do little praying. Why? I believe it is due to the fact we get so caught up in the cares of life. We must make time for prayer! It is the lifeline of the Church.
God said His house would be a House of Prayer! He didn't say a house of preaching,teaching, or singing! I know all these things are extremely important, but can they be done right without prayer? It is in the prayer closet in which God anoints! Without the anointing ministry will be unfruitful!
Christians, I say this with the utmost respect, but it falls squarely upon our shoulders. Like a minister once told me, “In order to feed, you must read! In order to last, you must fast!In order to stay, you must pray! ” If we unite in prayer we can take our communities back! We can take America back only if we pray!
