Clichés, adages, and quirky sayings are such a large part of our everyday language that we often loose track of their origins. Such as, ‘what can go wrong will go wrong’, the term pot luck, ‘pride goes before the fall’, or ‘truth stands the test of time’. Each of these little phrases are things we’ve heard before, but we rarely know the source.

Well the last two in the list above, ‘pride goes before the fall’ and ‘truth stands the test of time’ are proverbs from the Bible.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.
Proverbs 12:19

Often we don’t realize how many little adages and clichés are biblical, but then there are those that we assume to be biblical but in fact they go against the very nature of God. A prime example is the saying “God helps those who help themselves”. This ‘verse’ is often thought of as a biblical statement, and I can’t count how many times I have heard people reference this saying as being from the Bible. But in truth it is a line from an Aesop Fable also a Benjamin Franklin quote from the Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1757.

The Aesop Fable of which this reference comes goes like this:

“A Wagoner was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. He came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. So the Wagoner threw down his whip, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules the Strong. ‘O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress.” But Hercules appeared to him, and said: ‘Man, don’t sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel. The gods help them that help themselves.”

How a fable became a Bible verse I don’t know, but some will say I’m incorrect and throw out the Bible reference Hezekiah 6:1 as the Bible verse that states ‘God helps those who help themselves’, BUT Hezekiah isn’t a book in the Bible, not even in the Apocrypha. Hezekiah was a king of Judea whose story can be found in 2Chronicles and 2Kings, but he doesn’t have a book of his own.

But what makes the statement against the nature of God, it sounds like something that would be true? Other than the fact that half truths are Satan’s bread and butter, which is how he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and attempted to deceive Christ in the wilderness, the statement basically negates our need for salvation.

If our actions or the ‘helping of ourselves’ dictates God’s actions that would tend to lessen the power, strength, and mercy of the Almighty. There is nothing we can do or say to deserve the mercy of salvation or the presence of God in our lives. As Believers we do not set a course for ourselves, and then pray, asking God’s help as we ask Him to “go beside us”…but rather, we humbly ask, “what do You have in mind for me to do?” (ac9:6)

But this also doesn’t mean that we are to sit back and just let the world happen around us. There is a part for us to play in this world. God expects us to be active and obedient to His leading, but we are never the master of circumstances; He is. The more we try to control the more we are trying to wrestle control from Him. At the source of this conflict is a mist trust that God actually works things together for good. (Romans 8:28)

God wants our active obedience in His plans not lazy believers. So be careful in what you references as biblical statements cause they can be a stumbling block for believers of any stage in their walk with Christ. So to reword the quote from Aesop’s fables to be a more biblically relevant; God helps those who obediently submit to his mercy and take up their cross and follow Him.

Have a Blessed Day!

A Review of Adam by Ted Dekker

Thomas Nelson Publishing

 It takes an obsessive mind to know one. And Daniel Clark knows the elusive killer he’s been stalking.

He’s devoted every waking minute as a profiler to find the serial killer known only as Eve. He’s pored over the crime scenes of sixteen young women who died mysterious deaths, all in underground basements or caverns. He’s delved into the killer’s head and puzzled over the twisted religious overtones of the killings.

What Daniel can’t possibly know is that he will be Eve’s next victim. He will be the killer’s first Adam. After sixteen hopeless months, the case takes a drastic turn on a very dark night when Daniel is shot and left for dead.

Resuscitated after twenty minutes of clinical death, Daniel finds himself haunted by the experience. He knows he’s seen the killer’s face, but the trauma of dying has obscured the memory and left him with crushing panic attacks. Nothing–not even desperate, dangerous attempts to reexperience his own death–seems to bring him closer to finding the killer.

Then Eve strikes again, much closer to home. And Daniel’s obsession explodes into a battle for his life . . . his sanity . . . his very soul.

This is a Book to 

RAVE

Adam is a journey into a world we’d rather not dive into.  A fictional exploration of the presence of evil that impacts our lives. It gives an interesting look at Behavioral Psychology and how the FBI uses it to track and stop serial killers, which keeps the momentum of the novel on high speed. You also get a taste of  some  popular TV shows  such as CSI and Criminal Minds.

The charcters  in the novel and their flaws make the characters as real as anyone you know, and the curiousity of life and death and the battle between good and evil are evident on every page. 

I would have liked the story to have a stronger spiritual forces of good combatting against the  antagonist in the novel. But Dekker does an amazing job of showing how belief and temptation is a slippery slope. One other thing I was not expecting was the excerpts from Crime Today Magazine’s narrative account Man of Sorrow: Journey into Darkenss by Anne Rudolph. The excerpts do give the background to explain the serial killers motives, which almost takes away from the antagonist’s actions and motives.

Even though the spiritual aspects Dekker touches on could have been expanded this book is a thrilling read. I would recommend the Exclusive Christian Retail Edition for an extra chapter and a very interesting converstation between Dekker and author John Eldredge.

I recently received an email announcing one of last year’s recipiant of the Congressional Medal of Honor, which is the highest military honor. The winner of this award surprised me, but once I read about his actions I was touch, amazed, and proud. Here is a picture of this amazing hero.

Yes, the winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor was a dog named Brutus.

 Brutus won the Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq .  His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by insurgents.  Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant ‘go away but come back and find me’.  The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus.  He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. 

The guys were being held in an old warehouse and Brutus jumped against one of the doors repeatedly until it opened.  He went in and untied his handler and they all escaped.  He’s the first K9 to receive this honor. 

Despite these amazing acts, if  Brutus knows you’re ok, he’s a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap and enjoys the company of cats.

I absolutely love animal stories like this, because they show us that animals are more than possessions or something to look at in a zoo.  They have personalities and needs not all that different than our own. I encourage you this week to look a the animals in your life and be thankful for the joy and compassion they bring to your life.

I am thrilled to announce my Honorable Mention placement in the Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine ‘08 Spring Short Contest Pop on over to the following website to view my short and learn more about the amazing writers at  Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine.

http://www.momwriterslitmag.com/HonorableMention.htm

 Thank you to Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine for the inspiration and the oppertunity!

I subscribe to a blog called Novel Journey, and there most recent post by Mike Duran was an interesting one I’d like to share.

By Mike Duran

As you would expect, Thomas Nelson’s recent decision to cut its work force and publish less books — which includes a 50 percent cut in new author titles — has generated some animated discussions and hand-wringing amongst Christian authors. While Michael Hyatt, CEO of Nelson, concedes the business aspects of this decision, he inevitably cites quality as the driving force. In his initial blog post, Too Many Books, Too Few Shelves, Hyatt writes:

As a heavy book reader myself, I contend that we need better books not more books. I can’t tell you how many books I started this past year and never finished. Why? Because, frankly, they weren’t worth finishing. Most of them left me underwhelmed. The authors would have done better to boil down the content and make it a magazine article.

But publishers appear to be addicted to cranking out more and more titles. It reminds me of a scene from an old episode of “I Love Lucy” in which Lucy and Ethel are working in a chocolate factory. Finding themselves in the Wrapping Department, they must keep up with the increasing speed of a factory conveyor belt. Since the ladies initially appear to be keeping up with the flow, their supervisor increases the speed of the belt until Lucy and her friend are overwhelmed.

Editors and book marketers face a similar predicament. “If only we had just a little more time to spit-shine this title,” they mutter under their breath. But the conveyor belt keeps delivering a seemingly endless flow of titles. Worse, Publishers desperate for growth keep piling additional titles onto the backs of their already-overworked employees.

It’s time to stop the madness. We don’t need more titles. We need better titles. The only way this is going to happen is if publishers stop focusing on quantity and begin focusing on quality. (italics mine)

Though Nelson’s decision has potentially uncomfortable ramifications for book makers and aspiring authors, the appeal for quality above quantity should resonate with readers. Who doesn’t want to see better books? In this, Hyatt’s statements recall another industry giant.

Patrick Goldstein’s The Big Picture appears weekly in the L.A. Times and is one of the most informative Hollywood insider columns out there (in fact, Goldstein recently launched his own blog, which is equally rich in content). Earlier this year, in a column entitled Mouse House Tops Studio Report Card, Goldstein handed out year-end report cards to the studios. The overall score consisted of three grades: first for box office and profitability, second for film quality, and third for overall success. At the top of the list was Disney with an A-.

…Of the 11 movies it released in 2007, eight were Disney label movies, allowing the company to remain relentlessly focused on its brand. By releasing so few films, Disney was able to make more high-quality films by putting extra time into solving script, production and marketing issues than competitors like Sony and Warner Bros., who roll out more than 20 a year.

“We’re probably in a different business than our brother and sister companies,” says Disney studio chief Dick Cook. “We’ve learned that it’s not how many you do but how good they are. If you only make 11 movies a year, you’re not putting your movies through a meat grinder; you can be very specific about quality. That way, if we do stumble, and I’m sure we will, it will be because we were pushing the envelope instead of not keeping our eye on the ball.” (italics mine)

After watching Ratatouille, a delightful film that made many critics’ Top Ten ‘o7 lists, who could argue about the meticulous detail that goes into Disney’s animated films — a signature that will, no doubt, be continued with Wall-E, its most recent release. But as with any quality product, there’s a downside — perfection takes time. And this is exactly what differentiates Disney from its competitors. So while competing studios crank out 20+ films a year, Disney is content to limit its lot… and polish the heck out of them.

Whatever happens, I for one, applaud Thomas Nelson’s decision, even if it makes the climb that much harder for aspiring authors like me.Even as an aspiring writer I have to agree with Mike Duran on this one. It might make it harder for aspiring writers to make the jump into publishing, but true quality in the CBA will help strengthen the market.

Happy Writing

There is a delicate balance between Patience and Action. Theologians have debated it throughout Christian history, and I must say I haven’t come to any great conclusions myself. But this balance is something to be considered in each step in ones spiritual walk.

There are often those times where we need to take a step back and let God move through the situation. Trusting in his gracious provision. Then there are times that require us to act, to immediatly take that leap of faith and activly pursue a cause.

The struggle comes in how much to place on either side of the scale. Do we need to be activly sprinting, or pacing ourselves in the marathon. In each question I’ve posed all comes back to Faith. How much are you trusting in God to guide your actions? How much time are you spending with him daily? How much are you activly listening for His answers?

Our God is not a distant god. He is an ever present part of who you are. He activly seeks relationships with us, and activly desires good for us. He desires to teach us daily and to guide our steps along the rocky paths laid out before us.  But no matter the situation God always expects action on our part, whether it’s more time in prayer and study, patience and trust, or stepping out in faith. 

Christianity isn’t supposed to be a passive way of life, but an active relationship with God, his son, and fellow believers.

A Book Review of Illuminatedby Matt Bronleewe

Mark Bronleewe, co-founder and ex-member of Jars of Clay, has added author to his long list of accomplishments. Illuminated is the first of five August Adams adventures from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

This novel follows August Adams, who has failed his family before. He’s sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.

It’s a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out. If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he’ll destroy a national treasure.The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself. 

This is a Book to

ROAST

I was extremely excited when I first heard about this book. The premise, plot, and the reviews said that this book would be like “if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded Da Vinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24…” (Aspiring Retail Magazine). All that hype made me think this book would be the CBA’s version of The Da Vinci Code, which is a book I felt was long over due. But I wasn’t too far into the book when I became very disappointed.

While the history of the Gutenberg Bibles and the illuminations within are very interesting, the connections to the main character and the plot’s conspiracy are weak. Even when you reach the epilogue you still have no idea how all the pieces fit together. Even the pieces you have put together don’t hold their weight in the story.

Pacing is also lacking the enthusiasm and conflict to send the reader racing through the pages. While there is conflict and danger, there are large spaces of too much information rather than moving the reader along the half eaten bread crumb trail.

I do wish to applaud the marketing team at Thomas Nelson for their work on this book, for without their efforts I may never have picked up this book. But in all their efforts in comparing this book to The Da Vinci Code, they have done the CBA a great disservice. For the poor writing style and half baked plot is one of the many reasons books in the CBA are looked at as Christian fluff, instead of strong pieces of literature.

We’ve all seen one, a beautiful sunset going beneath the horizon, and such a sight gives us hope and encouragement to press on toward the horizon’s of our future. But what is our first response when the horizon doesn’t look so beautiful?

The example given by my Church’s pastor, Gregg Matte in his sermon God Provides: Red Sea Crossing, was when the Isrealites were camping at the Red Sea and what was on the horizon was Pharaoh’s armies.(Exodus 14:11-31) And guess what their first response was…

They had just seen God do miraculous things through the ten plagues of Egypt and the first thing they did when adversity was on the horizon was complain.  If you think about it complaining is often our first response to adversity, and why is that? Often it’s because our faith is weak and forgetful, NOT God is weak and forgetful, but it’s our faith that has a hard time remembering God’s provision.

In this sermon, Pastor Gregg also listed the wrong ways to complain and the right ways to complain, which really hit home for me.

 WRONG ways to Complain:

1) Fear and anxiety consume your thoughts and words

2) Focus on short term results

3)Focus on the problem not the Provider

RIGHT ways to Complain:

1) Have a forward thinking faith: God has a reason for short term adversity

2)Subtract sarcasm and Add answers

3) Remember the good of the people outweigh the good of the person

We live in such a complaining culture that it’s hard to approach adversity with a positive attitude and with the faith that God is the Provider. What we have to constantly reminder our-self with daily Bible study and weekly fellowship is that God’s will is ALWAS accompanied by God’s Power AND Provision.

If you want to hear more on this relevant topic click on the following link: God ProvidesRed Sea Crossing

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”- Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

One night I was sitting at the gas station, watching the dollars turn faster than the gallons being pumped, when another car pulled up. A woman stopped next to me and pleaded for a couple gallons of gas so she could get home. Without thinking I gave her a quick, no.  The disheartened woman drove off to ask the other people filling up, and with that a sick feeling hit my stomach. I started to think why didn’t I help her? I wasn’t in a hurry, and did have the extra thirty bucks fill her gas tank and maybe even fill her spiritual tank too. My heart ached all the way home. I had missed an opportunity to serve God. I had put my own distrust of people before my trust in God. The moment turned my heart. God gives us moments in the every day to shine his light. To listen to his leading and to influence and encourage for Christ those placed in our paths.

Prayer: Lord, give me the patience and compassion to see your eternal work in my daily life.

Well… I did it. I sent off my fiction proposal to the ‘powers that be’. (On tax day, no less)  Now I get to tread water hoping the waiting won’t drain me and the doubts won’t drown me.

 But there is a great excitment that came with hitting the send button. A release and a greater reliance on God’s plan for my writing life. I can hope and dream that doors will be opened and my book will maybe hit the shelves in 2009 or 2010, but what is SO great about God is that whether my dreams come true or not I have learned so much about God and my need for him. It’s amazing how a leap of faith reveals the characteristics of God.

 If there’s a leap you’ve been questioning I encourage you to pray, seek guidance, and hold to the promises of God.

“I have a plan for you… Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11