Out in Front

Veith, as usual, has some excellent words for Christians in the Arts.

"I never thought I'd be it..."

Hat Tip: hds2

Al for one

From an old blog post, Al Mohler on Books...

It includes the following good advice, pertinent to writers and readers of fiction:

"Allow yourself some fun reading, and learn how to enjoy reading by reading enjoyable books. I like books across the fields of literature, but I really love to read historical biographies and historical works in general. In addition, I really enjoy quality fiction and worthy works of literature. As a boy, I probably discovered my love for reading in these categories of books. I allow some time each day, when possible, to such reading. It doesn't have to be much. Stay in touch with the thrill."

A Mandate for Feasting?

Some passages in Holy Scripture are just plain baffling. Sometimes it is because of the standard being (what seems, and is, in a sense) impossibly high (thinking here of the Sermon on the Mount).But sometimes, I think, we who are conservative in our theology (meaning we believe the Bible is true and we commit to putting ourselves under the authority of God's Word) have a hard time with breathtakingly beautiful and extravagant passages commending joy, reward, and pleasure (in God). See how the following command for the nation of Israel to feast fits in (or doesn't) with our almost gnostic approach to celebration.

Dueteronomy 14:22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. 27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.

Desiring Good Art

At the blog over at Desiring God, Bill Walsh quotes from Francis Schaeffer's Art and the Bible (an outstanding little booklet) and makes this comment about Christians and the arts.

"Christian cultural expression should not focus solely on the beautiful, but should include the flawed."

"Just Make Sense"

Andree Seu's column is one of my favorite parts of receiving my (now) bi-monthly edition of World Magazine. Here is Andree writing on writing...

Her advice includes the following:

"Then you sit in front of a white page, terrified. You phone your mother crying, "This is ridiculous! I can't write! Who am I kidding!" — which is all well and good, but eventually you have to face the paper again. You take a deep breath and say, "OK, don't make art, just make sense." (The movie Finding Forrester notes, "You write the first draft with your heart, and the second draft with your head" — which isn't too bad for Hollywood: Just get it all down.)"

HT: Justin Taylor

Pictures of Paper

Last week we printed and mailed off my manuscript for the first time. We took a few photographs. That's correct. We took pictures of a pile of papers. And yes, I took a picture of those papers while they were printing (below). Now I am putting them on the internet. We appreciate the continued support we are receiving from many of our friends and family, and church family, who are praying and encouraging us.

I Heart Audio Books

A further bit of Andrew Peterson book news. His debut novel "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness" is being set for audio book release soon. Listen to Chapter 1 HERE.

(Buy it here)

Also, Andy's newsletter included a link to "The Maple Mountain Story Club," which is one of my favorite websites...so, that was cool. You should check it out some time.

God meant it for...?

Well, here I am, requesterizing again. I am asking for prayer again this week. I will be sending my full manuscript, with permission, to one of the top publishers on my list (a great publisher). Though it may well result in a “no,” it is about as good an opportunity as one in my position could reasonably hope for. It’s an excellent opportunity and I thank God for it.

For you sports fans out there…this is like unto an unknown, unheralded, Division III (or worse) player getting a personal tryout for a professional team. Not a video, not a sales-pitch…but the player, in the flesh, doing what he does. I am assured that my manuscript will be read. That is very special, and Gina and I are thankful.

This work, “my novel,” has been our shared effort over the last year-plus, and this is a possible sign of fruit. It is certainly the first real traction we have seen.

God may grant that this venture is successful. I hope so. But for His glory He may well see fit to use this in my life in other ways. Either way, may He be glorified.

And thank you to all our friends around the world who care about and pray for us.picture by Gina Smith

Hope in Hollow Remedies

I think that I have a tendency to assign too much value to political/social movement (for good, or ill). This post by Phil Johnson helps me.

Also, this picture is funny.

"...the pains you give..."

As the Ruin Falls
by C.S. Lewis

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love --a scholar's parrot may talk Greek--
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.


What can you say about such a poem? I will only say that I view this as I do much of CSL's work. That is that it works on two different, but not necessarily competing, scales. I find the measure on the scale of art high, but not the highest. I find the measure on the scale of significance to be, well, atmospheric.

Authorship and Sovereignty

Andrew Peterson on stories and the Writing 101 rule: Hurt Your Characters...

"Michael Card asked me a few weeks ago what God taught me during the writing of my book, and the first thing that popped into my mind was this: there’s no story without conflict. If I want my main characters to learn something, to change into something more and better than they were at the beginning of the story, then I’m going to have to put them through the fire. One author said that in a good story you chase your character up into a tree, then you throw rocks at him. The only way for Janner Igiby to grow, to become who I intend for him to be, is to ruin his life as he knows it. I don’t think I need to point out how much bearing this has on my life and how I view my journey as a follower of Christ. If I trust that God is good and that he is making me into something unimaginably beautiful then it changes the way I see my troubles. They’re no longer sent from Heaven to torment me, but to make me new."

Also, Ken gets kudos (whatever those are) for asking the same question, back before I interviewed AP, that Michael Card asks (you two always reminded me of one-another).

Fame Unlooked For

"The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else."

Umberto Eco

Together for the Gospel

I just returned from Together for the Gospel in Louisville, KY. What a challenge, what fantastic teaching, what a delight.

I won't go into it here, except to link to the conference audio, and encourage you to go there and listen to it. The ones that were most encouraging/challenging to me (though all were excellent) were those messages from John MacArthur, John Piper, Mark Dever and R.C. Sproul.

How does this relate to what we focus on at this blog? I am thinking that through. I just got home, so I want to spend time with my family. But I hope, in time, to express in this place (virtual though it be) and in my home/church- life, what consequences sitting under these words of truth have had on me.

Also I got a ton of free books...like, 21 free books.
Challies is where I got this picture. He was there, and has blogged extensively on it.

T4G's website has many resources related to what happened.

This video includes my friend Kieth Wiebe, who I was happy to see at this conference. I also was pleased to see Jimmi (aka Joshua Glidden) and his father, Terry, Paul Seger, Jeff Hurst, Justin Hutts, and my cousin, Andrew Smith. And I got to meet a few new friends, including these guys. It was good to be there with people from my church, including each of my elders, Jeremy Tuebert, and my nephew, Noah. Mostly, I was thrilled to be at an event like this with my dad.

I personally believe that this never gets old...

As a U.S. American who has lived in South Africa, and such, but not in the Iraq, I have great appreciation for this fine answer. I know this is old, but...wow...