“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain…” 1 Corinthians 15:10   Popeye declared, “I am what I am, and that’s all what I am,” many years ago. Since then, people seem to spend ever more time on concerns about their identity. Christians needlessly grasp for ways to be more than they are and mourn over perceived deficiencies. We do it even though we cannot make one hair white or black, and why?   If what the grace of God h

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?   I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Luke 13:4-5   Every story needs a villain. The story of the Gospel is no different. But just who is the villain of the Gospel? The ready answer might be the Devil, but he plays such a small role that seems unlikely. Judas Iscariot tends to be mentioned more as an as

Like most authors, I’ve often asked where I get my inspiration. I wish I knew. I don’t think inspiration is one of those things that a person can “get” or find by searching for it. Having been a nurse for so many years, my preferred definition of the word is “the act of drawing in”. Although my Christian experience convinced me of that before I became a nurse.   I believe inspiration finds a person rather than the other way around. Creation was spoken  into existence from not

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:   Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  1 Peter 5:6-7 Peter says the scriptures were written by holy men of God as they were moved by the holy ghost. Every Christian church agrees and lists divine inspiration and inerrancy of the scriptures as an article of faith. They believe it until living it gets in the way. I offer the practical application of the above verses a

I’m what some people in the writing community call a Pantser. That is, I write by the seat of my pants, no plotting, no planning, just take a flicker of an idea and start writing. I was an Air Force aircraft crew chief, pastor, and registered nurse before becoming a writer. A thread of unpredictability seems to run through them all. Just when I thought I’d seen it all…surprise!   I can’t say all those surprises were pleasant. Every one of them was building material for my lif

“…a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, “Occupy till I come”.” Luke 18:12-13   The outside world is hyper-focused upon and very vocal about things Christians should not do. Sadly, many Christians have the same obsession. That does not mean that Christians should be blind to snares and pitfalls set for them. Awareness is fine. It is not meant t

Life is given to us without our consent. We weren’t asked if we wanted it. We were not asked when or where we preferred to receive it. We had no say as to who would work the physical reality of our creation. We were just kind of dropped into life.   What’s more, we have no real say about how long we can keep this life. However long that may be, it is certain that we will face situations, not of our making, and that are beyond our control. It is also sure that the situations w

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.  1 Kings 19:4   Elijah the prophet seems to have had no happy medium. In my experience, neither do all the preachers who cite him in their sermons. James calls him a man “subject to like passions as we are”. Overthrowing Ahab’s prophets o

I thought it might be fun to share my top ten books. To qualify for the list, a book must have been more than enjoyable. It must be a book that I have read at least twice (all ten of these I’ve read three times or more). I greatly enjoyed Don Quixote and The Stand, but have not yet thought of reading either a second time. A top ten book must have changed my thinking. It must also have served as a source from which I have quoted.   1.   Bible A given at #1 for me. I read passa

Bravery, the quality or state of having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. Merriam Webster   Bravery is easy enough to define, but even with a description, it is not always easy to recognize. Men have been hailed as brave for trying to turn themselves into women. Others for blowing whistles and shouting obscenities at law enforcement. One of the benefits of calling opinions “My Truth” is that words mean only what the speaker dictates.   M

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  Isaiah 1:18   When God called all the animals together for Adam to name, it was a lesson in taxonomy. The name Adam called each one was not of grave importance. The important lesson Adam learned was about himself. He was different. He could reason.   Our ability to reason is one way in which we bear God’

Five years ago, some friends proposed that I write an autobiography. Now, I my opinion, an autobiography is the story of someone’s life that is so boring no one else would write it. After months of assurances that such was indeed the case with my life, I caved and agreed to the task with one caveat. The names were changed to protect—me.   That last line is more joke than true. For one thing, I was determined that the book was never going to fall into anyone’s hands other than

“Holier than thou”, have you ever used the phrase to describe another person’s attitude? And you use such language when you don’t even own a King James Version because it’s too hard to understand?   Okay, seriously now. It’s a popular phrase, and I would dare say it is most used by people who give no real thought to its implications. For most people, it’s a put-down and nothing more. It’s a way of saying a person’s faith is all for show. It is also a way of expressing “I’m go

I have fought a good fight, I have finished  my  course, I have kept the faith:  2 Timothy 4:7   Paul’s valedictory is a staple of funerals and inspirational addresses, within and without the church. This is as it should be. St. Paul remains an inspiration and hero to the faithful worldwide. He was a man of action, traveling the world planting churches as he went. Imprisoned, he wrote.   What does it mean to keep the faith? Christianity is extremely personal, and it would see

Within our own circles, writers like to talk about their writing habits. Some like a quiet room; others like to play music. Some demand solitude, and still others can write anywhere. I tend to write like I live, flying by the seat of my pants. So, for me, the writing process can vary day by day according to the work in progress or the mood of the day.   I’m a music-playing kind of writer. What music is playing usually depends on what, or rather, who I am writing for. Ed Landr

And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;   Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.   There is a tendency among Christians to think that the Apostles were given something “ex

A display of skill or adroitness, sleight of hand , that’s what Mr. Webster says the word means. In magic, it is the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment. So, being a fiction writer means you have to be somewhat of a magician.   Many magicians prefer the term illusionist and that may be a better term for a writer. The job of a fiction writer is to create an illusionary world that engages the senses of the reader without overexplaining. He then fill

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.   For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  Acts 4:19-20   “The things which we have seen and heard,” lawyers and scientists call that anecdotal evidence. No matter how many eyewitnesses are on the scene, without something solid to measure, collect, and record, they immediately discount its veracity. After all, it’s

I read this week that Amazon has added a new feature to books. It’s called Ask This Book . It is an AI program to answer readers’ questions. Didn’t understand a passage— Ask This Book  will explain it to you, in its own words . Not the words of the author, the words of AI. And I used to think Lit teachers were bad about that.   It makes a distorted kind of sense alongside an article I read from The Washington Examiner . In that article, college professors from some top univer

I come from a bygone era in which fathers and sons were not talkative, demonstrative, or buddies. At least, that was my experience. My relationship with my father was more along the lines of master and student.   Maybe that’s why, unlike Progressive Insurance customers, I want  to turn into my parents. Of course, my father never acted like the characters in the commercial. His words of wisdom and instruction were very private. I don’t remember ever being reprimanded or verbal