How I Became a Rabble Rouser Against the Dark Side

Silence is the dark side's favorite weapon.  I'm not wired that way.  You can ask any of my cousins.  If my fifth grade teacher is still alive, she will confirm my status as a rabble rouser.  Her last instruction at the end of the school year was for me and my cohort to take a long summer vacation and get all the talking out of our systems.  I'm still talking.  And I'm still telling stories.  No, the Devil didn't make me do it.  In fact, the opposite is true.  Blame everything on the Holy Spirit.  He's inspiring me to stand up to the Evil One.  The price I'm paying for my activities is high.  That's okay.  Rabble rousing behind enemy lines has fringe benefits.  I like to call these fringe benefits deferred gratification.

Today's story comes with consequences.  I don't care.  I'm not backing down.  So, if you're asking, "how does rabble rousing work?"  Here's my answer, "It's classified."  If I shared everything about my activities, I'd be locked up for good.  This always happens to those who answer the call.  Remember John, the author of the Book of Revelations?  He was one of God's first storytellers.  He got locked up.  Peter, too.  The chains and the prison bars couldn't stop him from talking.  He pulled a Houdini act right in front of the guards and escaped. 

Something bad happened at the mall across the street from my day job a couple of days ago.  An innocent victim was shot and killed in front of a large crowd of shoppers.  The world is sick.  Christians are being slaughtered by the thousands because they refuse to stop talking about Jesus.  The Evil One invaded my blog and disabled my comments button to discourage a two-way conversation.  Maybe He's hoping I'll take a long summer vacation and get all the story-telling out of my system.  That's not gonna happen.  I won't be silenced.  I know how the story ends.  As bad as everything appears in the world today, there's hope.  It's summarized best in two words the Dark Side doesn't want you to believe...  God Wins!  Tell a friend.   Spread the Good News.  Have a great day.

Be Bold

It's the only way I know how to live my life.  It works.  There are huge dividends.  But how do you become bold?  The first step is to dream big.  The second step is to focus on the dream.  Block everything else out.  Become deaf to those voices in your head trying to convince you that you have nothing to offer the world.  Become blind to your fears.  Nurture your dream.  Feed it.  Water it.  Give it plenty of sunshine.  And when that dream becomes a giant beanstalk, climb it.  Don't look down.  Look up.  Keep climbing.  And when you reach your dreams, live them.  They are a part of you.  Be bold.  Be yourself.  Have a great day.

The Best Day of Your Life

A little gratitude goes a long way.  Four people are getting complimentary copies of my novel this week.  It's my way of saying thanks for their inspiration and their contributions to my own personal journey.  Yes, it's true I'm responsible for the quality of my life.  I know it's up to me to dig deep and keep moving forward on days when my world seems to be falling apart.  I do my best to skip the apologies or excuses.  I avoid blaming others for my mistakes.  If something shows up in your mailbox from the caveman,  please know how thankful I am for your presence in my life.  And if you happen to peer into your mailbox and don't see anything from me this week, be patient.  That's what road trips are for – to deliver your autographed copy in person and give you a hug.

Make this day the day your life really begins.  Your life is your own.  It really is an amazing journey.  Have a great day.

Why Amazon Reader Reviews are Important

My wife got a little choked up last night when she read Diane's review of my novel on Amazon.  It's what every writer dreams of – to connect with readers through story telling.  Books are like swimming pools.  The guests stand around the pool wondering if they should dive in.  They wait for someone else to tell them the water is refreshing before they enter.  The owner crosses his fingers that everyone will have a positive experience but he can't force anyone to take a swim.

Thank you, Diane.  And thank you, Donna.  Your Amazon reviews are much appreciated.  The pool is open and summer is here.  For those of you who already dipped your toes in the water, please visit Amazon.com and share your review for future readers.  Click here for the link.  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. 

For those of you who are having difficulty leaving comments on this blog, I apologize.  It looks like the disqus comment system I was using is no longer supported on blogger.  The second problem was with the comment system I set up through Google – it made the comment button disappear.  I removed both yesterday.  The only way I can keep the spammers out is to ask you to please follow the prompts when you want to join the conversation.  Just click on the comment button below.  Note:  If you are the first reader to comment, the button will say "No Comments."  Just click it and navigate through the steps to prove you are not a computer.  Meanwhile, I will keep searching for a better way to open up this blog for comments.  At least Amazon makes it easy for readers to post feedback.  Have a great day.

Your Comments are Appreciated

 Editor's Note:  The comments button is experiencing technical difficulties.  I'm working on the problem and hope to have it working soon.

It's been an interesting challenge.  My blog was under attack from the spammers.  They invaded and used the comments section to promote material contrary to what I believe is acceptable for family themes.  The necessary actions I used to thwart their negative behavior made it too difficult for readers to contribute to the conversation.  I think I found a solution.  Yesterday morning I added Google comments below each post.  Please give it a try.  Here's my thought for the day:

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. ~ Matthew 18:20

Would you be the second person to join me in His name today?  If the answer is yes, please add to the conversation.  If you prefer anonymity, that's fine, simply click the like button so I know you are with me in spirit.  There is also a like button on the right margin linked to my FB author page.  Please click it to show your support.  If you leave any questions for me, I will do my best to answer  within twenty-four hours.  Have a great day.  And thank you for contributing to the conversation.

Got Peace?

I'll never forget the wildfire my family and I experienced in California.  Fireballs shot through the air like tiny meteorites with tails that looked like comets.  I sneaked back in to our neighborhood the following morning with my brother-in-law.  The place was like a war zone.  Dense smoke blocked the mountain top where my home stood.  I was sure it was gone.  Twisted steel was all that remained of my next-door neighbor's dwelling.  It was surreal.  The only thing intact was my sense of inner peace.  I headed to church to give prayers of thanksgiving.  I had everything I needed:  my wife, our children, our pets,  and a crate filled with 5,000 love letters my wife and I penned to each other.

Our church was nearly empty.  Most of the people had been evacuated from our community.  When the service was over, I walked outside and checked my voice mail.  A neighbor phoned to tell me her husband, a harbor patrol officer, managed to get past the barricades.  He connected our hoses together and put out spot fires still burning in our yard.  Miraculously, our home was unscathed.   The message didn't change my sense of peace.  It was already present.  Everything else always seems to fall into place when you find your peace, even in the worst of circumstances.

My prayer for you today is that you find peace.  Don't worry about what's going wrong around you.   God is with you in all your trials.  Have a great day.  Peace be with you.

Another Brick in the Wall

It's just another brick in the wall.  An obstacle.  There's a way around it, over it, under it or through it.  You have everything you need to figure out how to overcome it.  You can become a champion on the obstacle course of life.  Or not.  It depends how badly you want what's on the other side.  You decide.  Just don't stare at the bricks too long.  The longer you stare, the bigger those bricks look.  Have a great day.