The Real World of a Novelist

• Ants, Men, and the Machine January 24, 2025
   Since I wrote this in 2017, one of the men I mention has died. The other man is now in a position of weighty power and influence. And the world has accelerated its evolution into strangeness. If you haven’t noticed, the world has gotten stranger lately. I can’t be accused of trying to hold on to […]
• Darkness Interrupted December 20, 2024
  We all know it probably didn’t happen in December. The manger scenes we display on our tables or in our yards may not be an exact representation of the real thing. Our Christmas is more culture than conviction. While we’re shopping, baking, decorating, and even while we’re singing out with joy, we do well to […]
• A Dangerous Election October 4, 2024
   As a follower of Christ, I don’t proclaim faith in policies, politicians, or the promises offered by such. These are not worthy of my faith. Only One is worthy. Yet, with discernment and the understanding that I’m not voting for a savior, I will vote. If there is danger in my decision, so be it. […]
• Three Ways to Maneuver a Cultural Shift August 23, 2024
   Those of us who follow Christ are not traversing unaware into the post-Christian world. We’re only human, so at times we tend to recoil when suffering the in-your-face demands of those at the forefront of our changing society. My own views filter through the lens of the Western Church. As an American Christian, I grew […]
• Absolute Rest for Your Soul July 26, 2024
  “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 These words follow a prayer in which Jesus praises […]
• Solomon, Shakespeare, and a Roman July 5, 2024
  That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun Ecclesiastes 1:9         O, that record could with a backward look, Even of five hundred courses of the sun,  Show me your image in some antique book,  Since mind at first in character was done!  (From Shakespeare’s […]
• Your Majesty May 24, 2024
        From Merriam-Webster Dictionary Majesty 1:   sovereign power, authority, or dignity 2:   used in addressing or referring to reigning sovereigns and their consorts 3:   a-royal bearing or aspect, grandeur  b-greatness or splendor of quality or character   A coronation ascribes kingship, or queenship, to an individual. The terms of royal sovereignty and reign are […]
• Resurrection Day March 29, 2024
  On the first anniversary of the resurrection of Christ, what kind of celebration took place? Was it dutifully noted as a special day? Perhaps the fervor of the early followers had not yet waned, and so they simply paused for a moment to remember that a year had passed since their lives were transformed by […]
• Scoffers Come Scoffing February 22, 2024
  On Oct 7, 2023, a war began. No surprise there. Nothing that hasn’t happened before, right? People scoffed. It's just another outbreak of the war that never ends. Our president was quick to respond with a message of reassurance. When I heard Biden say that he, and America, will stand with Israel no matter what, […]
• The Promises of Democracy January 15, 2024
  A true leader brings great hope to a nation.Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath […]
• The Good Question January 5, 2024
  God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By His hand we all are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. AmenMost children, or at least those who learn to give thanks at mealtime, recite this little prayer. It teaches the basic lesson of expressing gratitude for God’s provision. But […]
• Why Do You Go to Church? October 6, 2023
   The question carried a hint of sarcasm, or maybe defiance. Either way, the person aiming the inquisition clearly wasn’t a believer. I told him I was a Christian and that’s what Christians should do. It’s an act of obedience. He shrugged. I could have shared a better answer. I go to church for a multitude […]
• A Transhuman Odyssey September 1, 2023
  This post appeared a few years back. I'm running it again as I share the September sale of books two and three. Here are the links -- just click on the titles.Killswitch  (book 2)                                            […]
• The Convergence July 3, 2023
   From the window of my home office, I gaze across a couple of acres to the gray house where an American flag wilts against a metal pole. The sky is blue with only a few small cloud puffs that are seemingly as motionless as my neighbor’s flag. It’s a peaceful scene on a quiet day […]
• Do We Still Need the Ten Commandments? June 23, 2023
   First published January 2019An article I read last week told how prominent pastor Andy Stanley declared that churches should no longer erect monuments of the Ten Commandments because the old covenant does not apply to Christians. After reading the article, and many of the heated comments that followed, I considered my own feelings when the Ten […]
• Living the Truth in an Untruthful World March 17, 2023
   In the post-modern world, a simple argument clears up a lot of the confusion, or maybe it doesn’t.  You’ve probably heard it. It begins with a question: Is there absolute truth? Answer: No, there is no absolute truth. We create our own truth. What is true for you may not be true for me. All […]
• The Everlasting Gospel February 17, 2023
  This is the last of my Gospel posts. The original post from a few years ago entitled The Everlasting Gospel reviewed all the previous Gospel posts and told of current events as they related to prophecy, politics, and persecution. I won’t review the other Gospel posts here, since I’ve just shared them over the last […]
• The Far-Reaching Gospel January 27, 2023
   Nearly four hundred years ago, a movement within the Christian community engineered the future of the church by stressing field preaching, aiming to draw in young people, the writing of innovative hymns, taking those hymns outside the church, and meeting together in small groups. The fields have become streets, and street preachers are not typically […]
• The Selfless Gospel January 13, 2023
   And my selfish pursuit of survival.Here’s what I needed: To be rescued from among the fallen, reconciled with God, restored to a condition worthy of eternity in Heaven, and redeemed from unavoidable death.So I turned to Christ to rescue, reconcile, restore, and redeem me. I needed it. I wanted to possess it. And in my […]
• The Intolerant Gospel December 30, 2022
   Tolerance, subjective thinking, and PhariseesMuch is expected of us, even demanded regarding the virtue of tolerance. At its essence, it is an honorable mindset—accepting of others and kind in speech and action. In its expression, it has evoked a cultural shift into something less generous. The finger of the enlightened often points at Christians as […]