On September 20, 2001, President Bush gave a speech announcing his intention to carry on a "War on Terror" begun by mindless followers brainwised by the sadistic rantings of Usama bin Laden. What follows is an exerpt from that speech:
We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers working past exhaustion.
We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic.
We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own.
My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the state of union, and it is strong.
Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.
I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time.
All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol singing "God Bless America."
---
I have to admit I searched the internet high and low for a picture of Dennis Hastert leading the members of Congress in this unprecidented event. Though it was more than 5 years ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday. As the president said, Democrat and Republican alike joined hands -- metaphorically and literally speaking -- in the prayer and acknowledgement of a Supreme Being. Did they express that it was a Christian God they were acknowledging? No. Did they pray "we love you, oh Christian God in Heaven"? No. But the manner in which the ceremony was conducted was nonetheless Judeo-Christian in its roots. It was a ceremony conducted without fear. And it was a ceremony echoed on courthouse steps, in schools, in private homes, corporations and churches all across the country. For once, we were united. As the words of the Pledge of Allegiance says, for once we were "...One Nation Under God..."
Later, in this same speech, Bush said the following:
And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support.
America will never forget the sounds of our national anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets of Paris and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo.
We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America.
Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own. Dozens of Pakistanis, more than 130 Israelis, more than 250 citizens of India, men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan, and hundreds of British citizens.
----
Here's the problem. Bush talked about all the things we would not forget. We would not forget our national anthem being played in tributes across the globe. We would not lose sight of the more than 80 nations who lost citizens on that horrific day. We would not let fade the memories of universal unity and the agreement that this evil must be defeated. We would not forget and we would not waver in our resolve...
And then we blinked.
As the smoke cleared and the cries of our nations' dead faded into distant memory, the nation as a whole, lost sight of reality. We let go of the helpless, frightened, confused feelings we all shared as we watched the Twin Towers fall, the Pentagon smoulder and glued ourselves to news stories of a downed plane in a Pennsylvania field.
Our minds forgot the images released later that year of bin Laden and several associates laughing in amazement, commenting that they had calculated only the first few floors of the buildings would fall, leaving the rest intact. How gleefully they celebrated at what they must have considered a "heavenly" stroke of luck.
Over time, we even forgot how we turned to God in this time of great human frailty. As the smoke cleared and the wounds began to heal, suddenly we did what we always do as a human race. We turned our back to God and relied on our own strengths, our own will power, our own perceptions and, most sad of all, our own blind self-assurance that God had taken care of us so we didn't need him any more. There wasn't any tragedy, so God could go back to playing with his toys in the corner or whatever. He could go back to tinkering with the stars or creating a new species of animal or making a way for the White Sox to win the championship. You know, all that pointless stuff that God does.
2003 saw the Columbia space shuttle disaster that took the lives of seven valiant and courageous heroes. On that day, the nation again bowed its head in prayer, fervently beseeching a Supreme Creator for peace and comfort in the time of great sorrow.
In 2004, when terrorists attacked a train in Madrid, Spain, even Americans again turned to a God they had ignored for months after the fire had died from the Columbia tragedy.
2005's London subway attacks again brought the God seekers out in droves. More recently -- October of 2006 to be exact -- when an Amish school was shot up by a crazed member of their own community, God again was asked to comfort us in our time of grief and confusion.
Since the horrible events of April 16, 2007, I've seen and heard politicians, celebrities and newscasters on every channel offering their prayers, thoughts and well-wishes. I can't even count the number of times I've heard someone say "I'm praying for you" or "We will have you in our prayers." And you know what? It's a sweet thought. But it's also a sickening thought. Why? Because the words are empty. I would love to know how many prayers Simon Cowell actually said for the victims and families of Virginia Tech. How many times has Ryan Seacrest actually bent a knee and closed his eyes, asking his Creator to give comfort to those families? How many prayers have Keith Olberman, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama actually offered up in the name of the violence that occured? How many of them actually grieve for these 33 people with whom they had no connection? How many of them truly give thought to the many people still hospitalized from wounds suffered on that horrid day?
How many still pray for the victims of Columbine, the anniversary of which is tomorrow. When was the last time any of them actually gave thought to the survivors (or the victimes) of the Branch Davidian stand-off in Waco, Texas? (The anniversary of which is today!) When was the last time Paris Hilton or some other celebrity actually got down on their knees for something meaningful? (Which is to say, not a sex act!)
Are we supposed to spend the rest of our lives in mourning for these people? No, of course not. I know that's where this way of thinking was leading you, but that's not my message. The point I am trying to make is that people are so empty anymore. No one really cares. You offer up your empty promises of prayer and consider your good deed done for the day. What I'd like to know is how many of you actually make good on your promise to pray?
I honestly can't count the number of comforting e-mails I've gotten in the past few days, as I have posted message after message about my grandmother's recent health struggles. To read these promises of prayer and well wishes for myself and my family has been extraordinarily comforting. By and large, I've been reasonably sure that those of you who have said you're going to pray have, in fact, prayed. If you're like me -- and many of you are -- chances are many of you prayed even as you were e-mailing me your comforting words of affection.
A couple of times, however, I will admit I wondered if this or that person was actually praying. In the long run, I don't think it's as important as who actually IS praying, but I admit I have had my doubts a few times. Especially in the wake of the events of April 16th, 2007. So many empty words. So many politicians encouraging people to pray. Six months from now, these are the same people who will be saying they agree with the ACLU that Christianity is evil but to eliminate Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Atheism for that matter is infringing on the free speech of these citizens. Six months from now, when the wounds of April 16th have healed, Americans will do what it always does when they feel like they no longer need God. They'll tell him to run along and go play.
"Just stay over there, God, so that we know where to find you the next time a plane hits our buildings or some wack job foreigner decides he wants to shoot up the school because nobody wants to play with him or when some other idiot decides he's Jesus Christ incarnate and wants to walk 800 people to their deaths... Don't call us, God. We'll call you."
People, it's time to wake up. God doesn't work that way. God is not Santa Claus watching to see if you've been good or bad, checking the naughty list twice and waiting for you to pray for that new pair of jeans you want.
God is not a Deity of convenience. Either you're willing to worship him in the good times or you're not. But if you're not, don't bother turning to him in times of trouble, you stinking hypocrite! I don't know about God, but I don't want to hear it. God's not good enough for you to worship in times of Joy, but he's good enough for you to call upon when you finally realize how powerless you are to truly effect real change in the world?
It's time to decide if the 80 percent of you who claim to be Christian really are what you say you are. It's time to put up or shut up in this world. I truly do sympathize with the events on the Virginia Tech campus and when I say I do pray -- and have prayed -- for the victims and their families, I mean it. I have prayed many times in the past few days. I continue to do so even as I am writing this blog. For those of you out there offering your pitiful meaningless well-wishes and empty, unfulfilled promises of prayer, I say SHAME ON YOU! How dare you offer up a false sense of security. Again, the speech President Bush made on September 20, 2001 rings in my mind.
We're not deceived by their pretenses to piety.
Americans are asking, "How will we fight and win this war?" We will direct every resource at our command -- every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence and every necessary weapon of war -- to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network.
This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom.
We ask every nation to join us.
We will ask and we will need the help of police forces, intelligence services and banking systems around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded with sympathy and with support -- nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world.
Perhaps the NATO charter reflects best the attitude of the world: An attack on one is an attack on all. The civilized world is rallying to America's side.
They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror unanswered cannot only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments.
And you know what? We're not going to allow it.
Americans are asking, "What is expected of us?"
I ask you to live your lives and hug your children.
---
Today, I echo President Bush's words. What can you do to stop this tragedy from occuring? Several things. But above all, live your life and hug your children. Hug your children. That's easy to define. But what does it mean to live your life? It means keeping your eyes on God, plain and simple. It means loving Him through the good times as much as you rely on Him during hard times.
As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and across the world.
Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger, we have found our mission and our moment.
Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us....Even grief recedes with time and grace.
In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may he watch over the United States of America.
----
Until next time, may God watch over the blog brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Take on Don Imus
Before I am lumped in with Don Imus as a racist, simply because of the color of my skin or the outspoken nature of my blogs, let me say one thing from the beginning. His comments about the Rutgers female basketball players was deplorable. It was stupid, beyond ignorant and a horrifying lapse in judgement. Having said that, has Don Imus ever really had that sound of judgement? Furthermore, has he said anything any less offensive than some of the things fellow SHOCK JOCK, Howard Stern does or says on his show? Granted, Stern hasn't made any blatantly-racial remarks such as the ones Don Imus made on his show, but he's offended 100 people for every 1 Don Imus has offended with this sick perversion.
Now, I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear. I am not excusing what Don Imus did. I am not saying it is acceptable. I am not saying he was right or justified in any way. What I am saying is that two wrongs don't make a right. Taking away this man's livelihood will not undo what was done. These supposed perveyors of forgiveness like Jesse Jackson and The Reverend Al Sharpton are screaming so loudly for Imus' resignation (or firing) that they can't even see past their own blind rage.
I understand you are hurt. I understand you are offended. I might not understand the nature of that hurt. I might not understand the nature of that offense, but I understand the FACT that you are hurt and offended. But does that mean you need to hurt Don Imus? What will that prove, except that you're cut from the same racist mold from which his comments sprang. (I do not believe Don Imus is a racist. His comments, yes, but not him as a person.) You're going to prove that you can be just as anti-white with your actions as Don Imus was anti-black with his comments. Is that what you're after, Rev. Sharpton? Are you out to prove you can stoop to that level of hatred? Or are you out to prove you can rise above it? Because I don't see any rising above. I see you bending knee. I see you bowing to the hatred that was inadvertently spewed in Don Imus' comments. I see you letting it bring you down from the heights to which God can lift you if you will let him.
Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for him who persecutes you..." How many times have you prayed for Don Imus, Rev. Sharpton?
I make no excuses for Don Imus. I do not support or condone what he said on his radio show. However, I do believe that vengeance belongs to God alone and it is up to Him to decide what punishment needs to be given to Mr. Imus. I don't understand why the true purveyors of hatred, isolation, bigotry, racism, sexism and ignorance (such as Rev. Sharpton and Rosie O'Donnell) think they have the right to spew their poison on the air but others don't have a right to voice his or her opinion.
The Rutgers team has every right to be offended. I'm a white guy who doesn't play basketball anywhere and I'm offended. But I don't have a right to call for Don Imus' resignation and neither does Al Sharpton. Where's the outrage when Rosie O'Donnell "outs" Clay Aiken unexpectedly? Where's the outrage when Al Sharpton insults white people by saying that blacks were the first slaves in this country (when in fact whites were the first slaves brought to this country.) Where's the outrage when these idiots stand up and speak their idiotic rantings or try to spread their pointless garbage?
This outrage is too one-sided and that is a problem.
Like I said, two wrongs don't make a right. I understand you're hurt, but hurting him will only HURT IMUS. It won't HEAL anything. So, really, what good is it?
These thoughts have been summarized for your protection.
Till next time this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2
Now, I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear. I am not excusing what Don Imus did. I am not saying it is acceptable. I am not saying he was right or justified in any way. What I am saying is that two wrongs don't make a right. Taking away this man's livelihood will not undo what was done. These supposed perveyors of forgiveness like Jesse Jackson and The Reverend Al Sharpton are screaming so loudly for Imus' resignation (or firing) that they can't even see past their own blind rage.
I understand you are hurt. I understand you are offended. I might not understand the nature of that hurt. I might not understand the nature of that offense, but I understand the FACT that you are hurt and offended. But does that mean you need to hurt Don Imus? What will that prove, except that you're cut from the same racist mold from which his comments sprang. (I do not believe Don Imus is a racist. His comments, yes, but not him as a person.) You're going to prove that you can be just as anti-white with your actions as Don Imus was anti-black with his comments. Is that what you're after, Rev. Sharpton? Are you out to prove you can stoop to that level of hatred? Or are you out to prove you can rise above it? Because I don't see any rising above. I see you bending knee. I see you bowing to the hatred that was inadvertently spewed in Don Imus' comments. I see you letting it bring you down from the heights to which God can lift you if you will let him.
Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for him who persecutes you..." How many times have you prayed for Don Imus, Rev. Sharpton?
I make no excuses for Don Imus. I do not support or condone what he said on his radio show. However, I do believe that vengeance belongs to God alone and it is up to Him to decide what punishment needs to be given to Mr. Imus. I don't understand why the true purveyors of hatred, isolation, bigotry, racism, sexism and ignorance (such as Rev. Sharpton and Rosie O'Donnell) think they have the right to spew their poison on the air but others don't have a right to voice his or her opinion.
The Rutgers team has every right to be offended. I'm a white guy who doesn't play basketball anywhere and I'm offended. But I don't have a right to call for Don Imus' resignation and neither does Al Sharpton. Where's the outrage when Rosie O'Donnell "outs" Clay Aiken unexpectedly? Where's the outrage when Al Sharpton insults white people by saying that blacks were the first slaves in this country (when in fact whites were the first slaves brought to this country.) Where's the outrage when these idiots stand up and speak their idiotic rantings or try to spread their pointless garbage?
This outrage is too one-sided and that is a problem.
Like I said, two wrongs don't make a right. I understand you're hurt, but hurting him will only HURT IMUS. It won't HEAL anything. So, really, what good is it?
These thoughts have been summarized for your protection.
Till next time this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Lucky You!
In his recent blog Nathan Bransford -- Agent for Curtis Brown -- spoke about a concept that's very near and dear to my heart, the dreaded "speed rejection."
In it, Mr. Bransford discussed the reasons why agents will often send a rejection to a query letter in (say) five minutes. As a person who has experienced this phenomena more than once, I have to say I've thought long and hard about it. Prior to reading Nathan's blog, I must say I pictured some stuffy suit-clad business type, with his salt-and-peppered widow's peak and leathery skin. I envisioned this imaginary villain laughing hysterically as he read each query with disdain, responding to each with a typical one liner "not for me, thanks!" before going on to the next poor, innocent, aspiring writer.
Having read his blog, I came to understand that he's a busy man, plain and simple. He doesn't want to disrespect anyone, but he also doesn't want to blow smoke up your butt or waste your time. ("your", of course, referring to my fellow aspiring writer.)
Still, I must admit I'm an enigma. I'm an anomoly in the writing world. I'm different. I'm Random Man, but I'm also marching to the beat of my own drummer. Keeping that in mind, it should come as no surprise that I decided to pose a question to Mr. Nathan Bransford. As I'm known for my offbeat sense of humor, I'm quite sure he didn't know what to make of my question, but I have to recognize the candor and professionalism with which he answered the question that I seriously wanted answered.
Quite simply, I asked him had he ever speed rejected a query only to re-think his decision later on. Perhaps he would be driving home at the end of a long day and thought "Well, I don't know. That does sound appealing." or whatever.
In short, he wrote that he'd never experienced that. He doesn't second guess himself. He goes with his gut, which is the way he has learned to do his job. His first instincts, like most agents, are always right.. (I'm sure the 8 publishers that rejected Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone aren't second guessing themselves either. Kicking themselves, maybe; But hardly second guessing themselves. There's a confidence on that side of this business that forbids such a sin.)
Let me pause for a moment to discuss the rejection of some authors you may or may not know.
John Grisham - 28 publishers rejected "A Time to Kill"
Golding - 21 publishers rejected "Lord of the Flies"
Pearl Buck - 14 publishers rejected "The Good Earth"
George B. Shaw - first 5 novels rejected
Saroyan - first 100 articles rejected
Mary Higgins Clark - first short story rejected 40 times
Louis L'Amour - 350 rejections
(Source: http://writingcorner.com/motivation/mot-funinspire.htm)
Meg Cabot said that her Princess Diaries got rejected seventeen times before it was finally bought.
Marcel Proust decided to self-publish after being rejected three times.
Stephen King got the following rejection for his bestselling novel, Carrie: "We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell."
Shockingly, The Diary Of Anne Frank received the following rejection comment: "The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity' level."
(Source: http://www.debbieohi.com/personal/rejections.html)
Needless to say, Editors and Agents are wrong. I'm going to make a dangerous assertion that they are probably wrong more than they are right. Does that make them dummies? Of course not. It only takes one good sell for them to be set for the year. A good analogy here would be baseball. The greatest baseball player has a batting average under .400. This means he misses the ball nearly 7 out of every 10 times he gets up to bat. But it only takes one home run to spell the difference in the game. So, no, agents and editors are not stupid, despite what some aspiring writers would like to think. That little "masterpiece" you have sitting on your computer desk might be the next Harry Potter, but what the agent is saying is that the piece isn't right for him. End of story.
So what's an impatient, anxious, hopeful aspiring writer to do amid all that rejection? Well, the first response is "Gut up or Give up!" A writer faced with rejection must decide if he's willing to fight through the rejection and carry on. Give up completely or keep submitting to other agents and editors? Nathan Bransford can't answer that question for an aspiring writer. Curtis Brown (God rest his soul) can't answer that question for an aspiring writer. That must come from your heart. Do you wake up, go through your day, and go to bed at night with writing as your singular focus? If so, you're a writer. If you give up, you're a has been before you are an "ever was."
The Agent Theory
Here's where we depart from what's been discussed and get to the reason why this article was written to begin with. Agents and editors are lucky. They have the luxury of going with their guts. Going with their first instincts serves them well -- well enough they don't starve at least.
Writers don't have this luxury. Our gut is to write. Agents collect a paycheck everyday. They sit in an office, read queries, submissions and e-mails from industry insiders. They take phone calls, make phone calls, do "lunch" and negotiate movie deals or what have you. They work hard, no doubt. But at the end of the day, they have a guaranteed income. They can afford to go with their gut. They get paid regardless. Writers must never go with their gut. To do so is death to a writer's career. To go with one's "first instinct" is to eliminate the entire revision process. To simply pen a basic query and put no thought into it, no heart. Imagine if we were to read the first draft of Stephen King's "The Stand." It was probably a 300 page semi-organized story in usual need of clean up, structure and tone. Seven drafts later, (or 100 drafts... who knows?) we are graced with what is hailed as one of his best pieces ever! His first instincts didn't work, period. The way he told the story was a framework, but he had to go back, cogitate, contemplate, add, take away, revise, revise, revise...
Imagine if I sat at my computer pounding out a story's first draft and sent that to an editor or agent. I'd be the laughing stock of the publishing world! (Me and 3,000 other writers who actually DO this each day!) I don't do this, however. I sit. I take weeks, months, even years crafting my stories, amid family crises, personal health issues and major world events. I pour my heart and soul onto the 85,000 word manuscript. I interrupt family time, battle through sicknesses, cancel vacations and lose endless sleep as I work to make this story the best that it can be. I obsess over the query. I make as many drafts of my query letter as I do my novel, it seems. I send both letter and manuscript to friend and fellow writer alike, asking for assistance with making it as good as it can be.
And then I am rejected in five minutes by a very hard working, congenial, gut-led experienced agent, batting about .300 in the agenting world. And apparently I'm supposed to see the scales as balanced. It's not bitterness I express when I say that I don't see it thus. It's logic, I suppose. Logic of a person led not by his gut, but by something about six inches higher -- my heart.
And it leaves me wondering, how is a heart-led person supposed to convince a gut-led person that passion and teamwork leads to lasting success. We're speaking different languages. How am I to convince a person whose heart is out of the equation that my passion, devotion, desire and ability are several of the key elements it takes for a literary partnership to thrive? All I have is my passion and ability. I don't have a crystal ball into the future or a bankroll to guaranty his investment in me.
Agents and editors think with their guts. Writers think with their hearts. And it's only when the two find a way to communicate between the two that a connection is made. Those are great moments. It's that moment when writing does something truly magical. For it is in that moment -- the moment when guts and hearts are communicating in harmony -- that writing touches the deepest parts of a unified soul.
(Wow... that's cool. I need to write that down!)
Till next time, this article is brought to you by the aspiring letters W, E and H and by their partner in crime, number 2
In it, Mr. Bransford discussed the reasons why agents will often send a rejection to a query letter in (say) five minutes. As a person who has experienced this phenomena more than once, I have to say I've thought long and hard about it. Prior to reading Nathan's blog, I must say I pictured some stuffy suit-clad business type, with his salt-and-peppered widow's peak and leathery skin. I envisioned this imaginary villain laughing hysterically as he read each query with disdain, responding to each with a typical one liner "not for me, thanks!" before going on to the next poor, innocent, aspiring writer.
Having read his blog, I came to understand that he's a busy man, plain and simple. He doesn't want to disrespect anyone, but he also doesn't want to blow smoke up your butt or waste your time. ("your", of course, referring to my fellow aspiring writer.)
Still, I must admit I'm an enigma. I'm an anomoly in the writing world. I'm different. I'm Random Man, but I'm also marching to the beat of my own drummer. Keeping that in mind, it should come as no surprise that I decided to pose a question to Mr. Nathan Bransford. As I'm known for my offbeat sense of humor, I'm quite sure he didn't know what to make of my question, but I have to recognize the candor and professionalism with which he answered the question that I seriously wanted answered.
Quite simply, I asked him had he ever speed rejected a query only to re-think his decision later on. Perhaps he would be driving home at the end of a long day and thought "Well, I don't know. That does sound appealing." or whatever.
In short, he wrote that he'd never experienced that. He doesn't second guess himself. He goes with his gut, which is the way he has learned to do his job. His first instincts, like most agents, are always right.. (I'm sure the 8 publishers that rejected Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone aren't second guessing themselves either. Kicking themselves, maybe; But hardly second guessing themselves. There's a confidence on that side of this business that forbids such a sin.)
Let me pause for a moment to discuss the rejection of some authors you may or may not know.
John Grisham - 28 publishers rejected "A Time to Kill"
Golding - 21 publishers rejected "Lord of the Flies"
Pearl Buck - 14 publishers rejected "The Good Earth"
George B. Shaw - first 5 novels rejected
Saroyan - first 100 articles rejected
Mary Higgins Clark - first short story rejected 40 times
Louis L'Amour - 350 rejections
(Source: http://writingcorner.com/motivation/mot-funinspire.htm)
Meg Cabot said that her Princess Diaries got rejected seventeen times before it was finally bought.
Marcel Proust decided to self-publish after being rejected three times.
Stephen King got the following rejection for his bestselling novel, Carrie: "We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell."
Shockingly, The Diary Of Anne Frank received the following rejection comment: "The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity' level."
(Source: http://www.debbieohi.com/personal/rejections.html)
Needless to say, Editors and Agents are wrong. I'm going to make a dangerous assertion that they are probably wrong more than they are right. Does that make them dummies? Of course not. It only takes one good sell for them to be set for the year. A good analogy here would be baseball. The greatest baseball player has a batting average under .400. This means he misses the ball nearly 7 out of every 10 times he gets up to bat. But it only takes one home run to spell the difference in the game. So, no, agents and editors are not stupid, despite what some aspiring writers would like to think. That little "masterpiece" you have sitting on your computer desk might be the next Harry Potter, but what the agent is saying is that the piece isn't right for him. End of story.
So what's an impatient, anxious, hopeful aspiring writer to do amid all that rejection? Well, the first response is "Gut up or Give up!" A writer faced with rejection must decide if he's willing to fight through the rejection and carry on. Give up completely or keep submitting to other agents and editors? Nathan Bransford can't answer that question for an aspiring writer. Curtis Brown (God rest his soul) can't answer that question for an aspiring writer. That must come from your heart. Do you wake up, go through your day, and go to bed at night with writing as your singular focus? If so, you're a writer. If you give up, you're a has been before you are an "ever was."
The Agent Theory
Here's where we depart from what's been discussed and get to the reason why this article was written to begin with. Agents and editors are lucky. They have the luxury of going with their guts. Going with their first instincts serves them well -- well enough they don't starve at least.
Writers don't have this luxury. Our gut is to write. Agents collect a paycheck everyday. They sit in an office, read queries, submissions and e-mails from industry insiders. They take phone calls, make phone calls, do "lunch" and negotiate movie deals or what have you. They work hard, no doubt. But at the end of the day, they have a guaranteed income. They can afford to go with their gut. They get paid regardless. Writers must never go with their gut. To do so is death to a writer's career. To go with one's "first instinct" is to eliminate the entire revision process. To simply pen a basic query and put no thought into it, no heart. Imagine if we were to read the first draft of Stephen King's "The Stand." It was probably a 300 page semi-organized story in usual need of clean up, structure and tone. Seven drafts later, (or 100 drafts... who knows?) we are graced with what is hailed as one of his best pieces ever! His first instincts didn't work, period. The way he told the story was a framework, but he had to go back, cogitate, contemplate, add, take away, revise, revise, revise...
Imagine if I sat at my computer pounding out a story's first draft and sent that to an editor or agent. I'd be the laughing stock of the publishing world! (Me and 3,000 other writers who actually DO this each day!) I don't do this, however. I sit. I take weeks, months, even years crafting my stories, amid family crises, personal health issues and major world events. I pour my heart and soul onto the 85,000 word manuscript. I interrupt family time, battle through sicknesses, cancel vacations and lose endless sleep as I work to make this story the best that it can be. I obsess over the query. I make as many drafts of my query letter as I do my novel, it seems. I send both letter and manuscript to friend and fellow writer alike, asking for assistance with making it as good as it can be.
And then I am rejected in five minutes by a very hard working, congenial, gut-led experienced agent, batting about .300 in the agenting world. And apparently I'm supposed to see the scales as balanced. It's not bitterness I express when I say that I don't see it thus. It's logic, I suppose. Logic of a person led not by his gut, but by something about six inches higher -- my heart.
And it leaves me wondering, how is a heart-led person supposed to convince a gut-led person that passion and teamwork leads to lasting success. We're speaking different languages. How am I to convince a person whose heart is out of the equation that my passion, devotion, desire and ability are several of the key elements it takes for a literary partnership to thrive? All I have is my passion and ability. I don't have a crystal ball into the future or a bankroll to guaranty his investment in me.
Agents and editors think with their guts. Writers think with their hearts. And it's only when the two find a way to communicate between the two that a connection is made. Those are great moments. It's that moment when writing does something truly magical. For it is in that moment -- the moment when guts and hearts are communicating in harmony -- that writing touches the deepest parts of a unified soul.
(Wow... that's cool. I need to write that down!)
Till next time, this article is brought to you by the aspiring letters W, E and H and by their partner in crime, number 2
Friday, March 30, 2007
Random things I am reasonably sure I think
No wonder my life isn't all ducks and roses. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
I drove by a Motel 6 the other day. None of the lights were on.
Supposedly I can have my Whopper my way. Can I get it without all the unhealthy transfats but still with all the cheesy goodness that comes with a good, sloppy, grease-ridden burger?
I know adults who can recite the Big Mac song backwards and forwards but can't say the Pledge of Allegiance, the Preamble to the Constitution, don't know the 10 commandments and truly believe the words "separation of church and state" appear in the Constitution somewhere.
Anyone remember the little rubber martian toys that were in the McDonald's Happy Meals about 30 years ago? They were green, blue, yellow... Maybe a red one in there... I don't know, but they were so cool!
Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. This is true. Weebles are egg shaped. Weebles sit on thier butts and don't fall down. Eggs invariably fall on their side. I'm confused.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. But neither bird in the bush will bite you unless you stick your hand in there to try to grab one.
A penny saved is a penny earned. What the hell can you buy for a penny?
The army used to have a saying "Be all that you can be." Now it's "An army of one." I think they changed it the first time they took a look at some soldier being all he could be and they thought "that's it?"
In writing, we have a saying when talking about the best way to write a story. "Show don't tell." Imagine having that in grade school. I picture some nine year old standing perfectly silent holding a pet rock for five minutes before returning to his seat, much to the confused delight of his fellow classmates.
Early to bed, early to rise means the laundry gets piled up, the dishes don't get washed, the cat litter doesn't get scooped, the dog doesn't get walked, the child's homework doesn't get completed, bills don't get paid, but I'm well-rested when I have to return to the monotony of my deadend 9 to 5 job.
A few years ago, I realized the strangest thing. If I wait long enough without eating, hunger pangs go away on their own. Weird. I wonder how long you'd have to wait before they'd come back.
It takes pluto approximately 240 Earth years to travel around the sun. It's pretty far away. Sound travels quite a bit slower than light. So I wonder how long it's going to take Plutonians to discover they've lost their status as the ninth planet. I'm guessing they have an abundance of PLUTONIUM up there on PLUTO. What if they nuke us in anger? Ah, I guess it won't matter. I'll be dead and my great great great great great great grandchildren will have to figure out why some odd nuclear object is on a collision course with earth, bearing a plutonian inscription that says "Oh yeah!? Bite me, Earth Scum!" on it. (one of my fellow writer friends is going to write that story now!)
Pluto is cold. Could they even get a rocket to launch? Wait. Cold Fusion. Crap! Little Eddie the ninth is gonna die, man!
This little exercise has made me laugh. I don't know about you, but I've enjoyed it.
W, E and H thank you for your participation, as does the number 2.
I drove by a Motel 6 the other day. None of the lights were on.
Supposedly I can have my Whopper my way. Can I get it without all the unhealthy transfats but still with all the cheesy goodness that comes with a good, sloppy, grease-ridden burger?
I know adults who can recite the Big Mac song backwards and forwards but can't say the Pledge of Allegiance, the Preamble to the Constitution, don't know the 10 commandments and truly believe the words "separation of church and state" appear in the Constitution somewhere.
Anyone remember the little rubber martian toys that were in the McDonald's Happy Meals about 30 years ago? They were green, blue, yellow... Maybe a red one in there... I don't know, but they were so cool!
Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. This is true. Weebles are egg shaped. Weebles sit on thier butts and don't fall down. Eggs invariably fall on their side. I'm confused.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. But neither bird in the bush will bite you unless you stick your hand in there to try to grab one.
A penny saved is a penny earned. What the hell can you buy for a penny?
The army used to have a saying "Be all that you can be." Now it's "An army of one." I think they changed it the first time they took a look at some soldier being all he could be and they thought "that's it?"
In writing, we have a saying when talking about the best way to write a story. "Show don't tell." Imagine having that in grade school. I picture some nine year old standing perfectly silent holding a pet rock for five minutes before returning to his seat, much to the confused delight of his fellow classmates.
Early to bed, early to rise means the laundry gets piled up, the dishes don't get washed, the cat litter doesn't get scooped, the dog doesn't get walked, the child's homework doesn't get completed, bills don't get paid, but I'm well-rested when I have to return to the monotony of my deadend 9 to 5 job.
A few years ago, I realized the strangest thing. If I wait long enough without eating, hunger pangs go away on their own. Weird. I wonder how long you'd have to wait before they'd come back.
It takes pluto approximately 240 Earth years to travel around the sun. It's pretty far away. Sound travels quite a bit slower than light. So I wonder how long it's going to take Plutonians to discover they've lost their status as the ninth planet. I'm guessing they have an abundance of PLUTONIUM up there on PLUTO. What if they nuke us in anger? Ah, I guess it won't matter. I'll be dead and my great great great great great great grandchildren will have to figure out why some odd nuclear object is on a collision course with earth, bearing a plutonian inscription that says "Oh yeah!? Bite me, Earth Scum!" on it. (one of my fellow writer friends is going to write that story now!)
Pluto is cold. Could they even get a rocket to launch? Wait. Cold Fusion. Crap! Little Eddie the ninth is gonna die, man!
This little exercise has made me laugh. I don't know about you, but I've enjoyed it.
W, E and H thank you for your participation, as does the number 2.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Paris, Texas wrap-up! Short but to the point
So, the first tandem book signing of Samantha Branham and Edward Hancock II is in the bag. I must say that both Sam and I were quite surprised by the turnout. The event was really enjoyable and if you're ever shopping at the Hasting's in Paris, Texas, let me just recommend the nearby Burger King to sooth the savage hunger inside. Perhaps the highlight of my evening was watching Sam's reaction to the unexpected jalapenos on her burger.
It was a great night and I couldn't have asked for better company in Sam and Lee, her husband to be. I'm looking very forward to once again rockin' the house as Sam and I invade Mt. Pleasant next weekend! If you weren't able to make it to Paris, don't miss this opportunity to say hello and get your hands on signed copies of The Tempest's Child or In The Breath of God.
I'm officially putting out a challenge to the folks in Mt. Pleasant. I want to see how fast Sam and I can sell out of our books. Think you can sell out in under two hours? What about one hour?
Let's see if the fans of Samantha Branham and Edward Hancock II have what it takes to really rock Hasting's in Mt. Pleasant!
And to the folks that are coming to the Longview book signing in May, rest assured I'm putting out the same challenge to you as well! Let's see which town really loves Samantha Branham and Edward Hancock II the most!
Or yanno, you could just let Paris, Texas beat you both… (Though there are Whataburger's near both Hasting's in Longview and Mt. Pleasant so... well... yeah. Points in your favor already!)
Till that time, this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2 with support from the letters S, A and B, with the B soon to be changed to a T, but that's neither here nor there.
It was a great night and I couldn't have asked for better company in Sam and Lee, her husband to be. I'm looking very forward to once again rockin' the house as Sam and I invade Mt. Pleasant next weekend! If you weren't able to make it to Paris, don't miss this opportunity to say hello and get your hands on signed copies of The Tempest's Child or In The Breath of God.
I'm officially putting out a challenge to the folks in Mt. Pleasant. I want to see how fast Sam and I can sell out of our books. Think you can sell out in under two hours? What about one hour?
Let's see if the fans of Samantha Branham and Edward Hancock II have what it takes to really rock Hasting's in Mt. Pleasant!
And to the folks that are coming to the Longview book signing in May, rest assured I'm putting out the same challenge to you as well! Let's see which town really loves Samantha Branham and Edward Hancock II the most!
Or yanno, you could just let Paris, Texas beat you both… (Though there are Whataburger's near both Hasting's in Longview and Mt. Pleasant so... well... yeah. Points in your favor already!)
Till that time, this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2 with support from the letters S, A and B, with the B soon to be changed to a T, but that's neither here nor there.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
General Peter Pace Speaks His Mind!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/13/gays.military/index.html
The above link takes you to a story about General Peter Pace. Apparently, he made some comments that have pissed off homosexuals and their liberal well-meaning (if misinformed) sympathizers. I realize everybody has a right to his opinion, but what these liberal pissants seem to forget is that "everybody" includes General Pace. If anything, he's got more of a right to an opinion on this issue than the average joe who's never so much as held an army boot, much less donned one! Just as my opinion on disability issues holds more weight because of my experience, his experience as a military man gives more credit to any issue dealing with the military, whether directly or indirectly. You can agree or disagree with that all day long but it's a reality. Might be fact, might be my opinion, but it is still a reality. Experience entitles us to certain things. Motherhood entitles a woman more rights on the abortion issue than a man. Disability entitles me to voice my opinion over an able-bodied person and General Peter Pace's service to this country entitles him to form whatever opinion on gays in the military he so desires!
Okay this man is a general. He's fought and bled and risked life and limb for the concept of Freedom of Speech. If anybody in the free world known as AMERICA has a right to his opinion, it is General Peter Pace.
How DARE these liberal idiots demand anything resembling an apology from this man! Who do they think they are? Maybe if they stopped and thought about what he was saying and the experience from which his opinion stems, they might come to respect it more if not agree with it.
All these idiots who want to breed an oversensitive naivety into society need to shut up, plain and simple. That or get some of their own life experience. The 80 percent of us with common sense are really tired of hearing all the whining and the ignorant, uninformed, unresearched, data-lacking supposed "statistics" that they like to quote. I hate to even say it but it's stemming largely from my generation and the 20-somethings that are coming up right behind us. That sickens me to say the least.
Facts are facts. This country is a Christian nation. It doesn't mean that the 20 percent of you who aren't Christian can't speak up. You can. But the 80 percent of us that adhere to Judeo-Christian moral code of ethics do not have to bow to your every whim and fancy. You are not the leaders of this country. You are not the sole voice. Heck you're not even the majority! For every one of you that support homosexuality, there are 4 of us that recognize it for what it is, an abomination. You are not in line with the thinking of our Forefathers and founders such as Ben Franklin or George Washington. Yes, you might mean well and it's good to remind the more radical among us that God does not, in fact, "hate fags" as some overzealous faux religious people might contend. (Those idiots need to shut up themselves, but that's a story for another time.) The fact is that God hates sin and homosexuality is just as much a sin as lying or murder.
Of course, this is where you ask "to whom is it a sin? To the God you serve?" Yeah. to the God I serve along with 80 percent of the rest of the country. 4 out of 5 Americans serve this same God I do. If we assume there are approximately 300 million people in America, that means 240 million people think relatively in line with what I just said. Some might be weak in their ability to assert that belief, because of the loud attacks on our Christian principles by the 20 percent of you who are angered by our calls for morality, but the sentiment exists nonetheless.
This country was founded on Biblical principles. Not on the Quran, not on the Book of Mormon, Wiccan texts or Joe's Book of Religious Worship. And those principles include the assertion that homosexuality is an abomination. Your own liberal medical minds have asserted that homosexuality is a medical issue. (for more on this, check out one of my earlier blogs.) Medical science, in its liberal attempts to legitimize homosexuality, has "discovered" that it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. The word imbalance implies an abnormality by its very inclusion in the explanation of homosexuality's root cause! So to say that homosexuals are abnormal is no less sensitive than saying they suffer from a chemical imbalance. they suffer from an abnormality in their brain chemicals that could be controlled by medication, much the way symptoms of Parkinson's or Schizophrenia are controlled by medication.
So when General Peter Pace steps up to say he would rather not serve with homosexuals, it's akin to saying he'd rather not serve with anyone of an abnormal brain function. Anyone with Parkinsons, Schizophrenia, dementia, short term memory lapses, murderous tendencies, a propensity for pedophilia or homosexuality. Since all of these are either triggered or exacerbated by a chemical imbalance in the brain, one is no different from the other.
It's real simple. Just ask yourself these question: Would you want to put your life in the hands of a guy who is more interested in eating an imaginary pink dog than in defending the foxhole you two are pinned in? Would you really want to put your life in the hands of someone who can't stop hand tremors long enough to properly aim his weapon? Would you be willing to put your life at stake just to give me a chance to fight alongside you in my wheelchair? Are you really saying you are willing to make an orphan out of your child just to be able to fight alongside a person more interested in raping a 9 year old Iraqi than actually accomplishing a mission?
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Honestly I think that statement is losing a lot of truth in recent years, but I do believe that many a soldier has "found God" amid the scream and holler of thousands of bullets and mortar rounds and I wonder how many of them would go back and put their eternal salvation in the hands of a sinner. (Yes I know we all sin...yadda yadda yadda. Please don't get me started on that argument.)
General Peter Pace did nothing but express the opinion of 80 percent of the country he serves. Just because the 20 percent gets pissed off by his assertion doesn't make General Pace's opinion suddenly invalid. Quite the contrary, it means they need to stand back, take a look at where his opinion stems and see where they might be able to find fault in their own code of morality. Maybe they won't find such fault. This is, after all, America. The 20 percent is going to exist, whether they exist as 25 percent, 20 percent, 15 or 17.9 percent. There will always be a disagreement. But at the end of the day I'm fine with that not because this is America. I'm fine with that because I know that God will not be able to save everybody. Unfortunately, just as there's plenty of room in Heaven for the Saved, there's an abundance of room in Hell for those who decide they wish to stay Lost.
God gives us all a chance to accept Him, through His son, Jesus. But sadly He also supplied us with free will which gives everyone the opportunity to look at what God's offering and say "no thanks."
You have that right. You have the right to say "no thanks." You have the right to serve whatever deity you wish or to refrain from any sort of recognition thereof. However, you do not have the right to deny me (Or General Peter Pace) our recognition of our own Supreme Lord and Master. General Peter Pace did nothing wrong in voicing his opinions as they relate to homosexuality and if you feel that he did, you are wrong.
The media is very strong. They are very loud and they are very determined to make it uncomfortable to serve God in this country. I, for one, am not willing to let that happen. I am not willing that anyone should be lost. God is the answer and Jesus is The Way. I'm sorry if that offends you but look on the bright side. In saying that, I gave you a chance to say "no thanks."
Till Next time this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2, all of which happen to be "Down with G-O-D!"
The above link takes you to a story about General Peter Pace. Apparently, he made some comments that have pissed off homosexuals and their liberal well-meaning (if misinformed) sympathizers. I realize everybody has a right to his opinion, but what these liberal pissants seem to forget is that "everybody" includes General Pace. If anything, he's got more of a right to an opinion on this issue than the average joe who's never so much as held an army boot, much less donned one! Just as my opinion on disability issues holds more weight because of my experience, his experience as a military man gives more credit to any issue dealing with the military, whether directly or indirectly. You can agree or disagree with that all day long but it's a reality. Might be fact, might be my opinion, but it is still a reality. Experience entitles us to certain things. Motherhood entitles a woman more rights on the abortion issue than a man. Disability entitles me to voice my opinion over an able-bodied person and General Peter Pace's service to this country entitles him to form whatever opinion on gays in the military he so desires!
Okay this man is a general. He's fought and bled and risked life and limb for the concept of Freedom of Speech. If anybody in the free world known as AMERICA has a right to his opinion, it is General Peter Pace.
How DARE these liberal idiots demand anything resembling an apology from this man! Who do they think they are? Maybe if they stopped and thought about what he was saying and the experience from which his opinion stems, they might come to respect it more if not agree with it.
All these idiots who want to breed an oversensitive naivety into society need to shut up, plain and simple. That or get some of their own life experience. The 80 percent of us with common sense are really tired of hearing all the whining and the ignorant, uninformed, unresearched, data-lacking supposed "statistics" that they like to quote. I hate to even say it but it's stemming largely from my generation and the 20-somethings that are coming up right behind us. That sickens me to say the least.
Facts are facts. This country is a Christian nation. It doesn't mean that the 20 percent of you who aren't Christian can't speak up. You can. But the 80 percent of us that adhere to Judeo-Christian moral code of ethics do not have to bow to your every whim and fancy. You are not the leaders of this country. You are not the sole voice. Heck you're not even the majority! For every one of you that support homosexuality, there are 4 of us that recognize it for what it is, an abomination. You are not in line with the thinking of our Forefathers and founders such as Ben Franklin or George Washington. Yes, you might mean well and it's good to remind the more radical among us that God does not, in fact, "hate fags" as some overzealous faux religious people might contend. (Those idiots need to shut up themselves, but that's a story for another time.) The fact is that God hates sin and homosexuality is just as much a sin as lying or murder.
Of course, this is where you ask "to whom is it a sin? To the God you serve?" Yeah. to the God I serve along with 80 percent of the rest of the country. 4 out of 5 Americans serve this same God I do. If we assume there are approximately 300 million people in America, that means 240 million people think relatively in line with what I just said. Some might be weak in their ability to assert that belief, because of the loud attacks on our Christian principles by the 20 percent of you who are angered by our calls for morality, but the sentiment exists nonetheless.
This country was founded on Biblical principles. Not on the Quran, not on the Book of Mormon, Wiccan texts or Joe's Book of Religious Worship. And those principles include the assertion that homosexuality is an abomination. Your own liberal medical minds have asserted that homosexuality is a medical issue. (for more on this, check out one of my earlier blogs.) Medical science, in its liberal attempts to legitimize homosexuality, has "discovered" that it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. The word imbalance implies an abnormality by its very inclusion in the explanation of homosexuality's root cause! So to say that homosexuals are abnormal is no less sensitive than saying they suffer from a chemical imbalance. they suffer from an abnormality in their brain chemicals that could be controlled by medication, much the way symptoms of Parkinson's or Schizophrenia are controlled by medication.
So when General Peter Pace steps up to say he would rather not serve with homosexuals, it's akin to saying he'd rather not serve with anyone of an abnormal brain function. Anyone with Parkinsons, Schizophrenia, dementia, short term memory lapses, murderous tendencies, a propensity for pedophilia or homosexuality. Since all of these are either triggered or exacerbated by a chemical imbalance in the brain, one is no different from the other.
It's real simple. Just ask yourself these question: Would you want to put your life in the hands of a guy who is more interested in eating an imaginary pink dog than in defending the foxhole you two are pinned in? Would you really want to put your life in the hands of someone who can't stop hand tremors long enough to properly aim his weapon? Would you be willing to put your life at stake just to give me a chance to fight alongside you in my wheelchair? Are you really saying you are willing to make an orphan out of your child just to be able to fight alongside a person more interested in raping a 9 year old Iraqi than actually accomplishing a mission?
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Honestly I think that statement is losing a lot of truth in recent years, but I do believe that many a soldier has "found God" amid the scream and holler of thousands of bullets and mortar rounds and I wonder how many of them would go back and put their eternal salvation in the hands of a sinner. (Yes I know we all sin...yadda yadda yadda. Please don't get me started on that argument.)
General Peter Pace did nothing but express the opinion of 80 percent of the country he serves. Just because the 20 percent gets pissed off by his assertion doesn't make General Pace's opinion suddenly invalid. Quite the contrary, it means they need to stand back, take a look at where his opinion stems and see where they might be able to find fault in their own code of morality. Maybe they won't find such fault. This is, after all, America. The 20 percent is going to exist, whether they exist as 25 percent, 20 percent, 15 or 17.9 percent. There will always be a disagreement. But at the end of the day I'm fine with that not because this is America. I'm fine with that because I know that God will not be able to save everybody. Unfortunately, just as there's plenty of room in Heaven for the Saved, there's an abundance of room in Hell for those who decide they wish to stay Lost.
God gives us all a chance to accept Him, through His son, Jesus. But sadly He also supplied us with free will which gives everyone the opportunity to look at what God's offering and say "no thanks."
You have that right. You have the right to say "no thanks." You have the right to serve whatever deity you wish or to refrain from any sort of recognition thereof. However, you do not have the right to deny me (Or General Peter Pace) our recognition of our own Supreme Lord and Master. General Peter Pace did nothing wrong in voicing his opinions as they relate to homosexuality and if you feel that he did, you are wrong.
The media is very strong. They are very loud and they are very determined to make it uncomfortable to serve God in this country. I, for one, am not willing to let that happen. I am not willing that anyone should be lost. God is the answer and Jesus is The Way. I'm sorry if that offends you but look on the bright side. In saying that, I gave you a chance to say "no thanks."
Till Next time this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2, all of which happen to be "Down with G-O-D!"
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The Holy Trinity Explained...(Well, not really)
"Father, Son and Holy Spirit... "
If you've grown up in or around any Christian religion you've heard those words spoken at least once in your life. If you're like me, you're often confused by this vision and no amount of explanation can really help a person to truly understand exactly what comprises this Holy Trinity. For me, it's become somewhat easier to understand this concept, as I researched biblical topics that ultimately shaped my book, In The Breath of God. While this wasn't my intent, I can honestly say I managed to develop a much deeper relationship with my savior through the very secular process of researching for this very secular suspense book. In that deepening relationship, I came upon a revelation that has helped me better understand the true nature of the Holy Trinity in my own finite human mind. Is it accurate? I don't know. To claim such would be blasphemous in my mind. It would be to claim I know the mind of God or, worse, to claim that I am God (or better than Him.) As neither would be true, I will stop short of saying that I am offering truth.
What I am offering is opinion plain and simple. But it is an opinion about which I feel very passionate. It is an opinion I feel carries with it much weight and much intense study, speculation and scrutiny. At no time am I trying to convince people that I am right. I am a finite human who is struggling to find the words to articulate an infinite concept to other finite beings. Under the weight of this daunting task, I must say I'm finding it very difficult to find the courage to carry onward. Still, it's been on my mind for some time now. I've prayed about it and I've reached the realization that God wants me to share this opinion. Perhaps He wants others to know the truth. Perhaps He wants others to read my thoughts and help me shape this idea and discover what the truth really is. Maybe he just wants me to put this out there so that the world can tell me what a complete blithering idiot I am and we can all move forward, each wiser in his own way. Whatever the case, here's my theory.
When I was a kid, I basically thought of the trinity as three separate beings. God was The Father. This was being number one. Just as my dad exists independent of me -- and I of him -- God existed (in my childish mind) separately from his son, Jesus Christ. As for the Holy Spirit? The best way I could explain this to myself as a child was that this guy was kind of like my dad's twin brother, Mike. That weird uncle nobody really understands but everybody knows is there. (Keep in mind I was a kid trying to figure God out. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful.) In my mind, it was the only way it could be. They were three beings. How else can they exist?
Then I got older. I took biology classes, anatomy classes, health classes, math classes, you name it. I took writing classes and even religion and philosophy classes. Above all, I merely took LIFE classes. That is to say I observed things. I talked to people. I watched certain preachers and I read my Bible, all in an attempt to really know God better. At times I discovered a golden nugget I had not possessed before. At other times, I went spiritually bankrupt, unable to find some unimportant detail that was probably right in front of my face the whole time. It's safe to say that God and I have had our ups and downs.
In the end, it did not come slowly, through research, study or life lessons. It came in a moment of unexpected, unplanned inspiration. It came as a culmination of everything, but manifested in one quick eureka moment that was as powerful as a bolt of lightning from Heaven itself. I've worked with it, sat with it, contemplated it, shaped it and labored to make sense of it for as long as I'm physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually able. The time has come for me to reveal my thoughts to you, my readers, and risk the judgment, disagreement and possible ridicule you may feel lead to lay at my feet.
First let's start with God. God the Father. God is THE Creator. He is THE essence from which all life springs. He is not only the Creator, but in a very real sense he IS the creation in living form. He breathed life into Adam according to The Word. Hence the creation and Creator became One.
This brings us to The Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was man. He was made flesh. When I think of Jesus, I think first of the fact he was made man. He then died like any other man and what happened? His SOUL rose again. See, in making him HUMAN, we often forget that he had not only a SPIRIT inside him but a SOUL just like every other human creature. His soul rose from the grave, fought Satan in Hell and ultimately joined with The Father in Heaven, to sit at his right side. But again, in death, Jesus Christ RETURNED to The Father and became One with Him. Two creatures essentially becoming one.
From the father comes the son but they are linked because the father gives life to the son. In humans, this is seen through DNA and genetic code. Half of who I am, I owe to my dear old daddy. We all know that story. Sperm Cell + Egg = Eddie. It's the same equation for you, really. Sperm Cell + Egg = (Insert your name here.) On a much more SUPERNATURAL plane, the equation went a bit more like this: God's spirit + Mary's womb = Jesus Christ. Either way it took both a mother and father for Jesus to be born. From a scientific standpoint, I would have loved to have some of Jesus' DNA so we could see how closely it matched Mary's. My theory on this is wherever there are differences in Jesus' DNA and Mary's you would essentially be looking at the DNA of God Almighty! Isn't that an interesting tangent for my mind to wander onto?
So, let's now consider the Holy Spirit. That's a bit more complicated to explain, because I'm starting to see this as more of a concept than an actual person so to speak. (Though that's not entirely accurate as to how I see it either. Stick with me.)
The holy spirit is, in a sense, God's spirit. It is the spirit that dwells within all mankind, including Jesus Christ, and compels him toward a certain course of action. it is the spirit that, when heeded, ultimately saves you from sin and guaranties your entrance into heaven. It is God's voice. It is God's breath of life. The same breath he first breathed into Adam all those years ago. The same spirit that dwelled within Jesus Christ's finite human body. The difference between JESUS and us is that Jesus possessed God's DNA and originated FROM God's spirit, whereas I think we possess our earthly parents DNA and are so many generations' removed from God's breath that we have lost the connection we once had with this magnificent power. (That whole 6 degrees of separation thing.) Jesus was one step removed from God, The Father. There was a direct link, an intimate connection. In us, there's so much genetics, biology and what not that we've lost that connection first given to Adam. God didn't come down and impregnate each of our virgin mothers. (Though I'm firmly of the opinion my mother is a virgin, despite giving birth to two children, and don't bother arguing with me on this because the alternative is just plain oogey!)
So what do we have at the end of the day? First we have God, The Father, from which all things stem. Second, you have Jesus Christ, The Son, in whom God entrusted his spirit to dwell WITHIN the soul of the finite human shell of His Infinite Son. (Make sense there?) Then we have the Holy Spirit, which is best described as our conscience. It is the spirit that teaches us right from wrong and gives us a sense of guilt when we do wrong. It is the spirit that compels us to love one another and do right unto our fellow man. It is a very powerful force that, when heeded, grants us a return ticket to God The Father.
So, if we are granted a RETURN ticket, doesn't that wash out my argument that DNA and all that stuff separates us from God more than it did Jesus? No. Because of one very simple fact. We were not born of a virgin. Like Jesus we possess a soul and we also have the Holy Spirit within us to GUIDE us. But God created us through "natural, human" means. He created Jesus in a very supernatural way and therein lies the difference.
Our soul is what returns to God. Our Spirit IS a part of God. In each of us, God plants a tiny part of himself, entrusting us to nurture it and, hopefully, help it grow and develop into something that will glorify the giver of this most special gift. God can not MAKE us cherish this gift anymore than He can MAKE us cherish the sacrifice His son made on the cross, but it's worth it to try.
So I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone. Again, I'm not even sure how accurate it is. I just know that it's how I saw it and felt such a strong weight under this realization that I finally had to relent. I finally had to admit that something about this train of thought was important. Something herein needed to be verbalized. Even as I wrap this up, I have felt a tremendous weight lift from me. And I know that even if my theory on this wasn't entirely accurate, so begins another journey of discovery between God and me. I pray that this one is fruitful. I pray that God truly reveals Himself to me and, maybe, to anyone else who has ever pondered the things discussed herein.
Until that time, this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2.
If you've grown up in or around any Christian religion you've heard those words spoken at least once in your life. If you're like me, you're often confused by this vision and no amount of explanation can really help a person to truly understand exactly what comprises this Holy Trinity. For me, it's become somewhat easier to understand this concept, as I researched biblical topics that ultimately shaped my book, In The Breath of God. While this wasn't my intent, I can honestly say I managed to develop a much deeper relationship with my savior through the very secular process of researching for this very secular suspense book. In that deepening relationship, I came upon a revelation that has helped me better understand the true nature of the Holy Trinity in my own finite human mind. Is it accurate? I don't know. To claim such would be blasphemous in my mind. It would be to claim I know the mind of God or, worse, to claim that I am God (or better than Him.) As neither would be true, I will stop short of saying that I am offering truth.
What I am offering is opinion plain and simple. But it is an opinion about which I feel very passionate. It is an opinion I feel carries with it much weight and much intense study, speculation and scrutiny. At no time am I trying to convince people that I am right. I am a finite human who is struggling to find the words to articulate an infinite concept to other finite beings. Under the weight of this daunting task, I must say I'm finding it very difficult to find the courage to carry onward. Still, it's been on my mind for some time now. I've prayed about it and I've reached the realization that God wants me to share this opinion. Perhaps He wants others to know the truth. Perhaps He wants others to read my thoughts and help me shape this idea and discover what the truth really is. Maybe he just wants me to put this out there so that the world can tell me what a complete blithering idiot I am and we can all move forward, each wiser in his own way. Whatever the case, here's my theory.
When I was a kid, I basically thought of the trinity as three separate beings. God was The Father. This was being number one. Just as my dad exists independent of me -- and I of him -- God existed (in my childish mind) separately from his son, Jesus Christ. As for the Holy Spirit? The best way I could explain this to myself as a child was that this guy was kind of like my dad's twin brother, Mike. That weird uncle nobody really understands but everybody knows is there. (Keep in mind I was a kid trying to figure God out. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful.) In my mind, it was the only way it could be. They were three beings. How else can they exist?
Then I got older. I took biology classes, anatomy classes, health classes, math classes, you name it. I took writing classes and even religion and philosophy classes. Above all, I merely took LIFE classes. That is to say I observed things. I talked to people. I watched certain preachers and I read my Bible, all in an attempt to really know God better. At times I discovered a golden nugget I had not possessed before. At other times, I went spiritually bankrupt, unable to find some unimportant detail that was probably right in front of my face the whole time. It's safe to say that God and I have had our ups and downs.
In the end, it did not come slowly, through research, study or life lessons. It came in a moment of unexpected, unplanned inspiration. It came as a culmination of everything, but manifested in one quick eureka moment that was as powerful as a bolt of lightning from Heaven itself. I've worked with it, sat with it, contemplated it, shaped it and labored to make sense of it for as long as I'm physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually able. The time has come for me to reveal my thoughts to you, my readers, and risk the judgment, disagreement and possible ridicule you may feel lead to lay at my feet.
First let's start with God. God the Father. God is THE Creator. He is THE essence from which all life springs. He is not only the Creator, but in a very real sense he IS the creation in living form. He breathed life into Adam according to The Word. Hence the creation and Creator became One.
This brings us to The Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was man. He was made flesh. When I think of Jesus, I think first of the fact he was made man. He then died like any other man and what happened? His SOUL rose again. See, in making him HUMAN, we often forget that he had not only a SPIRIT inside him but a SOUL just like every other human creature. His soul rose from the grave, fought Satan in Hell and ultimately joined with The Father in Heaven, to sit at his right side. But again, in death, Jesus Christ RETURNED to The Father and became One with Him. Two creatures essentially becoming one.
From the father comes the son but they are linked because the father gives life to the son. In humans, this is seen through DNA and genetic code. Half of who I am, I owe to my dear old daddy. We all know that story. Sperm Cell + Egg = Eddie. It's the same equation for you, really. Sperm Cell + Egg = (Insert your name here.) On a much more SUPERNATURAL plane, the equation went a bit more like this: God's spirit + Mary's womb = Jesus Christ. Either way it took both a mother and father for Jesus to be born. From a scientific standpoint, I would have loved to have some of Jesus' DNA so we could see how closely it matched Mary's. My theory on this is wherever there are differences in Jesus' DNA and Mary's you would essentially be looking at the DNA of God Almighty! Isn't that an interesting tangent for my mind to wander onto?
So, let's now consider the Holy Spirit. That's a bit more complicated to explain, because I'm starting to see this as more of a concept than an actual person so to speak. (Though that's not entirely accurate as to how I see it either. Stick with me.)
The holy spirit is, in a sense, God's spirit. It is the spirit that dwells within all mankind, including Jesus Christ, and compels him toward a certain course of action. it is the spirit that, when heeded, ultimately saves you from sin and guaranties your entrance into heaven. It is God's voice. It is God's breath of life. The same breath he first breathed into Adam all those years ago. The same spirit that dwelled within Jesus Christ's finite human body. The difference between JESUS and us is that Jesus possessed God's DNA and originated FROM God's spirit, whereas I think we possess our earthly parents DNA and are so many generations' removed from God's breath that we have lost the connection we once had with this magnificent power. (That whole 6 degrees of separation thing.) Jesus was one step removed from God, The Father. There was a direct link, an intimate connection. In us, there's so much genetics, biology and what not that we've lost that connection first given to Adam. God didn't come down and impregnate each of our virgin mothers. (Though I'm firmly of the opinion my mother is a virgin, despite giving birth to two children, and don't bother arguing with me on this because the alternative is just plain oogey!)
So what do we have at the end of the day? First we have God, The Father, from which all things stem. Second, you have Jesus Christ, The Son, in whom God entrusted his spirit to dwell WITHIN the soul of the finite human shell of His Infinite Son. (Make sense there?) Then we have the Holy Spirit, which is best described as our conscience. It is the spirit that teaches us right from wrong and gives us a sense of guilt when we do wrong. It is the spirit that compels us to love one another and do right unto our fellow man. It is a very powerful force that, when heeded, grants us a return ticket to God The Father.
So, if we are granted a RETURN ticket, doesn't that wash out my argument that DNA and all that stuff separates us from God more than it did Jesus? No. Because of one very simple fact. We were not born of a virgin. Like Jesus we possess a soul and we also have the Holy Spirit within us to GUIDE us. But God created us through "natural, human" means. He created Jesus in a very supernatural way and therein lies the difference.
Our soul is what returns to God. Our Spirit IS a part of God. In each of us, God plants a tiny part of himself, entrusting us to nurture it and, hopefully, help it grow and develop into something that will glorify the giver of this most special gift. God can not MAKE us cherish this gift anymore than He can MAKE us cherish the sacrifice His son made on the cross, but it's worth it to try.
So I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone. Again, I'm not even sure how accurate it is. I just know that it's how I saw it and felt such a strong weight under this realization that I finally had to relent. I finally had to admit that something about this train of thought was important. Something herein needed to be verbalized. Even as I wrap this up, I have felt a tremendous weight lift from me. And I know that even if my theory on this wasn't entirely accurate, so begins another journey of discovery between God and me. I pray that this one is fruitful. I pray that God truly reveals Himself to me and, maybe, to anyone else who has ever pondered the things discussed herein.
Until that time, this blog is brought to you by the letters W, E and H and by the number 2.
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