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December 29, 2005
Farewell 2005......
posted by David Meigs at 12/29/2005 01:15:00 AM
I’ll admit it. I am an optimist. So what if a rose has thorns? It smells so pretty.

In many ways, 2005 was a rocky road, but God used every pothole for His glory. Dear friends lost their battles with infirmity, but death brought them the ultimate healing. I saw divisions rise up in the Church, but the relationships were healed. Every time the devil raised his head, the Lord whacked him with an ugly stick.

May 2006 bring you blessings. May it be a year of giving grace and mercy. May you grow into the image of our Lord. May your writing flow from the spring of Living Waters. May your reader’s lives be transformed. May souls be won. May you give the devil a good whack with the ugly stick.

I’m taking a long weekend off to count my blessings, enjoy the family and watch some football.

I’ll see you next year.
 
33 Rants


December 27, 2005
A Christmas to remember......
posted by David Meigs at 12/27/2005 11:25:00 PM
When one gets as old as dirt, one Christmas memory melts into the next. Oh sure, there are a few that forever stand out; like when I was four and my little brother Stinky woke up in the middle of the night and opened all the presents. At the time, I thought all was lost but it became one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Christmas 2005 won’t be easily forgotten. It was 4:45 am and I was sleeping peacefully when the little Mrs. shook me awake. “Honey, the boys want to open their presents.”

“Coffee...” I croaked, and tried to focus my eyes. Outside the wind was howling and the rain pounded on the roof. So much for a white Christmas.

Everyone was seated on the couch next to the Christmas tree, their eyes fixed on the shiny presents. I took a sip of my coffee and Mamma blew the starter whistle. All I could see were elbows and paper flying. Then as the last present was opened, the power went out!

Caleb couldn’t listen to his new cd’s. Joshua stared bleakly at his new video game. It would have to wait. Little Johnny freaked; his autistic mind couldn’t understand why daddy wouldn’t just fix the electricity. It was a nightmare and the day had only just begun.

Dave Jr. called to tell me that his car broke down. The good news was it happened at his sister’s house. The bad news was that he was her ride. This year it was Chrysler and not Afghanistan or Iraq that kept us all from having Christmas together. The power never did come back on, at least not that day.

I couldn’t help but think about that first Christmas two thousand years ago. Poor pregnant Mary, still aching from the long journey gave birth in a stable. It must have been a rough time for mother and child, but it was the best Christmas ever.


Happy Birthday Jesus!


 
9 Rants


December 21, 2005
Merry Christmas.......
posted by David Meigs at 12/21/2005 11:37:00 PM

I will be in hiding until after Jesus' Birthday, so I wanted to wish you:

MERRY
CHRISTMASS

Y’ALL !
 
15 Rants


December 20, 2005
The Anointing.......
posted by David Meigs at 12/20/2005 02:30:00 PM
It's not about us...

God’s anointing comes upon us to do His will. I’m not talking about the fellowship we have with God throughout the day. I am talking about the empowerment to do what is impossible for us alone. You see, only God can give life. All we can do is obey.

Long ago, I gave my testimony in a church in Egypt. The interpreter came alive as he translated my humble coming to Christ. It was as if God flipped a switch. Bam! Every man in the church came forward, wanting me to lay hands on him for prayer. It was cool!

For years, I thought the interpreter embellished my simple testimony. Now I know it for what it was. The Holy Spirit indwelled the interpreter to bless His children. I felt it too, but not until prayer time. But as soon as the last man was prayed for, it was over.

Now, I love hearing how the Holy Spirit moved someone as they’d read my stories. Wow, even scribblings on paper can be the vessel of God’s empowerment. How cool is that?

Thank you Lord for letting us come along for the ride!
 
5 Rants


December 19, 2005
Walking with God
posted by David Meigs at 12/19/2005 09:45:00 AM

I’ve been walking with God for thirty two years now...

Ok, who am I kidding? My “walk” began with a crawl, but after years of training and bible study, I learned to “stumble and fall”.

I know something about falling down. I’ve managed some spectacular “face plants” over the years. Practice makes perfect, so I’m REALLY good at it. Thank God, each time I’ve gone splat Jesus forgave my sins and healed my wounds (I like that part).

I guess what I’m saying is that “walking” with God is best done from our knees. It’s not so far to fall, and if you do, it’s a good place to be.
 
9 Rants


December 14, 2005
Landon Snow by R. K. Mortenson
posted by David Meigs at 12/14/2005 08:55:00 AM


This book is a must have for under the Christmas tree. Perfect for reader’s ages 8 to 12, LANDON SNOW is also a blast for us moms and dads too. I loved everything about this book. The first thing that struck me was the cover and ragged cut pages that give this book the feel of a family heirloom.

R. K. Mortenson has created a masterpiece for the young reader that is destined to become their all-time favorite. Here is a gripping adventure that your child will find difficult to put down. The Characters are lovable, wholesome and worthy of emulation. Written from a Christ-centered worldview, LANDON SNOW is a book that is a blast to read and good for you too.

After Grandpa Karl is in a minor accident, young Landon begins to question the mysteries of life. Was it as Mr. Peabody, his teacher claimed that life was only an accident of nature five billion years ago, or is the Bible right. What happens next is pure adventure.


Buy your copy now

Be sure to visit the LANDON SNOW website.


Thank you
 
8 Rants


December 12, 2005
Writing4Christians with W. G. Jones
posted by David Meigs at 12/12/2005 12:07:00 PM
How naive was that? When I finished my first novel, I thought the hard part was over. I had no idea how complicated publishing would be. It didn’t take long to learn that my books on writing were twenty years too old. I needed help, so I prayed for the Lord to send me some. Today I want to highlight one of those answers to prayer.

William G. Jones (WG) has a calling to help others navigate the maze of Christian writing. He recently started the Writing4Christians podcast that I’ve found extremely helpful. He hails from Western Kentucky, is a moderator at ChristianWriters.com and serves in many areas of his church.


My interview with WG

David: Do you have a favorite writing place or time?

WG: As for place, I’m pretty much chained to my computer. I can’t do longhand writing because I know, eventually, I’ve got to retype it anyway. That, and—to be perfectly honest—nobody can read my writing. Including me. I don’t have a preferred writing time anymore, but I tend to concentrate better at night.


David: Is writing a calling? If so, when did you know you were to be a writer.

WG: Definitely a calling. I knew in sixth grade, when a friend of mine got a camcorder and wanted to make a movie and I helped him come up with a story. I’ve been writing ever since. Trying to, anyway. God has giving me some specific revelations about writing that I all-to-often forget while I’m writing.


David: What kind of writing do you do?

WG: Mostly fiction, though blogging has become a recent obsession. I have ideas for stories in almost every genre, but I typically work in contemporary thriller.


David: What have you written so far?

WG: I’ve written three novels since ’02, but to be fair, I started my first novel in May of ’99. I didn’t finish a real workable draft until ’02, and the rewrite took a year and a half. Finished it in ’03, wrote my second book in ’04, and I wrote my third this year (’05). Right now, I’m rewriting that first novel again.


David: What do you think of the state of Christian writing today?

WG: Whew—that’s a loaded question. I make it a point not to read a lot of Christian non-fiction, at least in the form of how-to and self-help books. So I really can’t comment on that aspect.

Now, as far as Christian fiction, I think the Christian publishing industry is in denial about suffering from an identity crisis. Some publishers say their goal is to publish material that will bring readers to a saving knowledge of Christ; that’s nice, but who are you trying to reach if your product is available mainly in Christian retail outlets and marketed primarily to Christians? Backslid Christians?

I like the model proposed by Westbow, to publish stories by Christian writers that are on par with secular bestsellers, yet reflect and respect a Christian worldview. I’m not sure how well that will play out in the long-term, though, unless Westbow authors start sharing shelf space with the John Grishams and Stephen Kings of the secular world. The bottom line is, no matter how good a Christian writer is, as long as they’re not sharing that shelf space, there’s going to be a perception in the public eye that Christian writing is inferior to “real” fiction, or that Christian fiction is nothing more than a sanitized version of popular mainstream fiction.


David: What kind of books would you like to see more of?

WG: Gothic romance. Just kidding. Really, there’s not a particular genre I’d like to see more of. Just a more polished presentation. I haven’t read a lot of the new generation of CBA novelists—Chris Well, Eric Wilson, Kathy Mackel—but the thing that turned me away from older CBA fiction was the editing. But maybe I’m biased as a writer.

I would love to see a Christian writer take on classic horror, something like Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. And I’d love to read something akin to Richard Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate. But mostly I’m looking forward to Mike Snyder’s debut.


David: Who are the authors that inspire you? Why?

WG: Shirley Jackson, Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, George Orwell. Without digging into specifics, the authors that inspire me are the authors that wow me. If writing leaves me in awe, I have to figure out why. And I have to figure out how to incorporate that feeling into my writing—not necessarily to copy the technique, but to replicate that feeling during the writing process.


David: You have just started to podcast. How is it going?

WG: Well, to be honest, I feel like a hack. I wish I had a more enjoyable presentation and some more worthwhile things to say in that little 20 minute slice of cyberspace.


David: What’s the mission statement or your personal goals for the podcast?

WG: The mission statement is to give the kind of advice I’ve needed over the last few years to writers who are just starting out, but also to look at writing from my background of armchair philosophy and my business training. My primary goal is to build a rapport with the listener, to offer insight into the writing process and also peel away some of the mysticism that surrounds writers and writing.


David: What is your target audience?

WG: Writers like me, who haven’t yet broken through but are serious about the craft. I don’t really feel like I’m the best person to be offering advice to anyone, but there just isn’t a podcast out there offering advice specifically for Christian writers—and I want to fill that void as best I can.


David: What topics do you cover in your podcast?

WG: I had a migraine going the second week, so I’m not really sure what happened that day, but it seems the majority of the shows have been about the basics of writing—character development, plotting and pacing, that sort of thing. But I’ve also tried to talk about the need for Christian writing, different ways to approach writing for Christians, and how jalapeños clear my sinuses. I’m thinking that I probably need to shorten the show up to fifteen minutes and ramble less.


Thanks WG!


Please take a minute and visit Writing4Christians, he updates them every Friday. Be sure to leave him a comment.

 
17 Rants


December 05, 2005
It’s been one of those months...
posted by David Meigs at 12/05/2005 12:45:00 PM
NANO’s over, and yet I’ve waited five days to post my first rant. Sorry about that. I’ve been feeling puny. A couple months back I was hit with something that landed me in the hospital. After a month of meds I got better, but now I am again on my back.

Unfortunately, this puniness killed my NANO project. I had a killer first week too. Bummer. Oh well, there is always next year. The “RAM’S HORN” will have to go into the vault with the dozen or more other WIP’s awaiting their turn in the queue.

On a positive note, I did have a few good books to keep me company. Well, some amazing books really. I plan to tell you about them over the next few weeks. In the meantime, things will remain a bit spotty on the Curmudgeon’s Rant. Thanks to the many of you who have left comments. God bless you all.

 
7 Rants