Tuesday, October 25, 2011

My Story, My Testimony

We've talked about how scary it can be to share your testimony...well, today I'm putting my money where my mouth is (especially as the still shot for this video makes my mouth look oh-so-cute...or not)...



Friday, October 21, 2011

The Book Is Now Available!

Regardless is now available for your ereader and...in paperback!  A plethora of links follows below, but first, the back cover blurb in case you've missed it:

When Abir agreed to listen to a preacher named Peter, he had no idea how that one decision would turn his entire world upside down. Now a member of the Way, a group of men and women who believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, Abir must face persecution by Saul of Tarsus, bitterness from an old neighbor, and his own selfish desires. 


Meanwhile, an Egyptian man who was sold into servitude under Saul of Tarsus is eager to escape from his zealous, bloodthirsty master and run from his own dark past. 


These men are entrenched on opposite sides of the gospel of Christ, but circumstance forces them together in ways they never expected…and for survival.


So, here it is for Kindle

For Nook

And in paperback from Amazon

OR you can get it from CreateSpace (an Amazon affiliate) for $10 here with discount code 6SRUFL8L


It's hard to describe the feeling that it's finally here...for now, I'll just say that it's great--and God is greater!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

You Have Been Commissioned

A missionary spoke in our church one Sunday a while back.  I had trouble focusing...and I noticed a lot of other people did, too.  But that's okay: the man who spoke is not a preacher by nature, nor is preaching the focus of his ministry.

But he got up and did it just the same.

Toward the end, I was able to focus in better and was struck when he talked about the people in our lives who "fly under our radar."  We reach out to new neighbors with baked goods and encouragement, maybe even boldly professing our faith...but what about the neighbors who have been on this block for years and years?  Or the guy two cubicles down?

I must confess something: as I sat there, I began nodding vigorously, thinking of all the people in my husband's life to whom he hasn't reached out.  His boss, his closest co-worker, a fellow student in his lab who has since moved onto a different part of the country.  The guys who he eats lunch with on occasion.  The professors he's worked with before and still sees around the building.

Green Heart (And the Green Grass Grows All Around, All Around)  

And then God tapped on the shoulder of my heart and whispered there, "But what about you?"  And the average day in my life flashed before my eyes: the grocery store clerk who when I mentioned Easter last spring pointed out that she was a pagan in a tone that screamed for love and attention.  The single mom at the gas station where I sneak to buy treats and we talk about coupons and babies...but never Jesus.  The gaggle of young moms at storytime, the mall's play area, the playground at the park.

There are people in even my little life as a stay-at-home mom who could first hear the Good News of Jesus from my lips.  That is a fearsome thought but also an awesome opportunity.

I have a responsibility: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19a).  Now is not the time for me to go to Africa or even another state, but now is always the time to be making disciples wherever I happen to be going.

Are you fulfilling Jesus' call  to tell of His name wherever you are going?  Can you share wisdom, encouragement, or your own struggle in this matter?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A Platform to Meet in the Middle

I mentioned previously that when we create art or stories or homes or what have you, we also create a platform for the Gospel, an opportunity to share the salvation we have in Christ.

Rashid Solo
photo source

Do your hands rain sweat at the thought of preaching in the street?  Do you clam up when you see the opportunity to steer a conversation toward Jesus, particularly with someone you don’t know well?

I am right there with you: the status quo is far more pleasant.  Chit chat and small talk with acquaintances, nods of acknowledgement to people on the street.  That’s as far as I comfortably step out of my shell.

And then I started writing a book, a novel with its plot lifted right from the book of Acts.  To keep myself accountable, I told everybody I came in contact with that “I’m writing a book,” “Well, this book I’m working on,” “Say, have I mentioned I’m writing a book?”

After being bombarded with the news, friends, family, moms at the library, the checkout guy at the grocery store all asked the natural next question: “What’s it about?”  

To tell them about my book, I couldn’t not tell them about Jesus.

I had to tell them how perilous life was for my main character just after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  I had to tell them how Jesus changed the hearts of my characters…and how heart-wrenching it was when characters walked away.

So far, these conversations haven’t led to conversions.  No one has asked me to pray with them, study the Bible with them, or where I go to church.

But.

People have listened and without running away.  No one has turned away or reached for a topic change, which leads me to believe that creative work that points to Christ can open doors to share the Gospel in a way that makes both parties more respectful and less defensive.

A lot of people are turned off by street preaching.  A lot of Christians are afraid to do street preaching.  Why not meet in the middle?

P.S. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for those who can stand up and witness among total strangers, ministering to the world in a much-needed way, but I also recognize that it's not something God calls everyone to do.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Manifesto for Christian Creatives

God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27).

Pottery Making 6
photo source

God created. Heavens, earth, birds of air, fish of sea, plant upon plant.

God created, and so man desires to create. We feel an inward, irresistible pull (dare I call it a need?) to manipulate the world around us to bring something beautiful into being.

Paul instructs that "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). We do a lot of things we could discuss, but for our purposes, let’s paraphrase: whatever you create, create for the glory of God.

Painters create paintings, authors stories, homemakers homes (by making rooms and meals and boo-boos go away)--imitating our Creator all the way.

But we can do more. Believers and skeptics alike imitate God in their creation because they bear His image; only believers can reflect Him by allowing their work to point back at the One who made it all possible.

And so, in whatever we endeavor to create, we also create a platform for the Gospel, an opportunity to add to the Kingdom beyond home or painting or song or story.

We can influence hearts.

So what is it that you do? And how can you move from imitator to reflector?
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