“Humans don’t want sober advice, but affirmation that their folly is wisdom.”   Ralph Peters~ Endless War   One of the greatest mistakes I made as a new author was to self-edit my writing. Now, there’s nothing wrong with going over what we’ve written to refine and polish the work. That is a must, but it is not the end-all of editing. I say that because there are always errors that we simply cannot see. Oh, the optic nerve works fine in relaying the image. The problem lies in

Much is said these days on social media about veteran suicide. Rightfully so. If there ever was an epidemic that required the attention of all Americans, this is it. To be honest, there is no single solution. That’s because we’re dealing with people, people who are hurting and feel alone. The first, best thing to know about people is that no two are exactly alike, and neither are their wants and needs. What I offer is not a solution, by any stretch of the imagination. It’s mo

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  Matthew 7:7   After multiple discussions about the scriptures and God, a friend asked me, “How do I really  find God?” They were a bit taken aback when I offered a simple two-word answer—seek Him. I explained that God was not hiding from them; it was the other way around.   But God is invisible. So, where does a person begin looking for God? First, don’t confuse invisible with im

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:   And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.     Proper etiquette calls for a person to dress for the occasion, not the crowd. Looking at the verse above, it seems to me that standard of civility goes back a long way. But all the rules aside, proper dress is ultimately a gesture of respect, a matter of treating

I find it interesting that readers of fiction want a book to give them the very things they shun in life. Conflict, stress, and...

“ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ”  Mathew 7:7   One of the things that...

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13   What does it mean to be strong? Christians give a...

I once took a job at a university children’s hospital step-down unit. I didn’t want to, but I allowed myself to be talked into it. Even...

I think this is the fifth time I’ve started this 480 th blog post. To be honest, I’ve lost count. Four times I started typing and threw...

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.  1Corinthians:16:13 (NKJV) What does it mean to “be brave”? The King James uses the...

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation...

There’s an old adage in writing that tells writers to “Show, don’t tell”. I want to start a new one that goes, “Write, don’t talk”....

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”  1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)   Standing sometimes causes me trouble with editors...

“When I was seventeen it was a very good year…” the lyrics were originally written by Ervin Drake for the Kingston Trio, but it’s...

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.  1 Corinthians:16:13 (NKJV) Faith in Jesus Christ is simple in theory. That is, it...

“To fail to plan is to plan to fail.”   I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of guy, always have been. That’s not to say I’m...

I was watching a baseball game, and saw that Major League Baseball is going to play around with automated balls and strikes and allowing...

“ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,  so  walk ye in him: ” Colossians 2:6   It seems I am constantly bombarded by...

Authors who dare to share their books in a post on Facebook are familiar with the barrage of congratulatory responses and glows praise...

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as  it is  in heaven.   Have you ever prayed this line from the example Jesus shared? As the...