by Jason Joyner | Jun 4, 2007 | Blog, Father's heart, musings
Saturday was more like a mid-summer day here in Idaho. The stifling air wilted me as I mowed my lawn in the heat. So much for the idea of getting up early to work in the coolness of the morning. The grass wasn’t going to cut itself, so I pressed into the machine, trudging behind like a slave to suburbia.
My two older boys played happily on the slip-n-slide I had pulled from the garage earlier. We don’t always get to pull out the water toys this early in the season, but no sense in waiting if the weather cooperates. Besides, it kept the kids from begging for some Xbox time, so when there was enough grass mowed I had put it out so the boys could be boys.
Finally the heat had worn down my resistance. I found the siren call in the freezer-ice cream. A couple of scoops should help me conquer my task. I whipped out the scooper and soon had a foaming Coke float for me, while the boys would enjoy a bowl with chocolate syrup drizzled over their treat.
I walked carefully down the stairs, not wanting an ice cream bath. The boys squealed with delight at their bounty, and sat in the grass content with the cool confection sliding down their throat. I sat in the shade, taking my time before braving the elements once again.
As I tossed back the yummy mixture of melted ice cream and Coke, my middle son walked up to me with his empty bowl outstretched. His blue eyes sparkled. A wide grin extended across his small face. Silently he handed off the dish and started back toward his playground. One more glance back to his dad, the fresh smile still plastered in place, before he turned his attention to noise and splashes.
There was something that passed in that simple exchange of a smile between a son and a father that day. No words were spoken, but the love he had for me was evident in the fixed gaze he held with me. The gift was acknowledged and more than compensated in that quiet moment. I don’t know what his eyes saw in return, but I hope the love and pride I have in him as my precious son was shared with him in a similar manner.
Sometimes our relationship with our Father God is just as simple. Whether appreciating the smooth taste of vanilla, sugar, and cream, standing on a rocky outcropping watching the view unfold below us, smelling the freshness of impending rain in a summer thunderstorm, or the kindness of a helping hand at an opportune time, we have an encounter with the divine in such moments.
He didn’t create automons to obey His every command. He made us with significance and honor, the price being the very real likelihood that we would walk away from Him in our pride and doubt. Still, we had the free will to choose life or death, and continue to do so every day. Why He was willing to do such a thing will always be a mystery to me. Maybe when I get to heaven I can ask Him if it was worth it all. But I think I had a glimpse of the answer just this weekend.
It was in ice cream with chocolate syrup and the smile of a young boy.
by Jason Joyner | Jun 4, 2007 | Blog, Father's heart, musings
Saturday was more like a mid-summer day here in Idaho. The stifling air wilted me as I mowed my lawn in the heat. So much for the idea of getting up early to work in the coolness of the morning. The grass wasn’t going to cut itself, so I pressed into the machine, trudging behind like a slave to suburbia.
My two older boys played happily on the slip-n-slide I had pulled from the garage earlier. We don’t always get to pull out the water toys this early in the season, but no sense in waiting if the weather cooperates. Besides, it kept the kids from begging for some Xbox time, so when there was enough grass mowed I had put it out so the boys could be boys.
Finally the heat had worn down my resistance. I found the siren call in the freezer-ice cream. A couple of scoops should help me conquer my task. I whipped out the scooper and soon had a foaming Coke float for me, while the boys would enjoy a bowl with chocolate syrup drizzled over their treat.
I walked carefully down the stairs, not wanting an ice cream bath. The boys squealed with delight at their bounty, and sat in the grass content with the cool confection sliding down their throat. I sat in the shade, taking my time before braving the elements once again.
As I tossed back the yummy mixture of melted ice cream and Coke, my middle son walked up to me with his empty bowl outstretched. His blue eyes sparkled. A wide grin extended across his small face. Silently he handed off the dish and started back toward his playground. One more glance back to his dad, the fresh smile still plastered in place, before he turned his attention to noise and splashes.
There was something that passed in that simple exchange of a smile between a son and a father that day. No words were spoken, but the love he had for me was evident in the fixed gaze he held with me. The gift was acknowledged and more than compensated in that quiet moment. I don’t know what his eyes saw in return, but I hope the love and pride I have in him as my precious son was shared with him in a similar manner.
Sometimes our relationship with our Father God is just as simple. Whether appreciating the smooth taste of vanilla, sugar, and cream, standing on a rocky outcropping watching the view unfold below us, smelling the freshness of impending rain in a summer thunderstorm, or the kindness of a helping hand at an opportune time, we have an encounter with the divine in such moments.
He didn’t create automons to obey His every command. He made us with significance and honor, the price being the very real likelihood that we would walk away from Him in our pride and doubt. Still, we had the free will to choose life or death, and continue to do so every day. Why He was willing to do such a thing will always be a mystery to me. Maybe when I get to heaven I can ask Him if it was worth it all. But I think I had a glimpse of the answer just this weekend.
It was in ice cream with chocolate syrup and the smile of a young boy.
by Jason Joyner | May 31, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, blogging, fiction, miscellaneous
I found an interesting, if outdated, article at World Magazine today, talking about the state of Christian fiction. It gives a very good overview of where Christians have been regarding literature and where many of us hope it is headed. It does discuss the now defunct WestBow press, which I thought was way cool, but is supposedly still functioning as a part of Thomas Nelson. We shall see.
—
Next, I have a request. Have any of you Blogger blokes updated your templates through New Blogger to use the layouts? I tried to do this once and it seemed to bugger up everything, so I pulled a Monty Python, cried “Run away!” and bagged it.
If you have updated your template, was it easy to use? Worth it? Would you please share your feedback with me? I am looking at updating the look of ye ol’ blog, and would appreciate any suggestions of help. Thanks in advance!!
by Jason Joyner | May 31, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, blogging, fiction, miscellaneous
I found an interesting, if outdated, article at World Magazine today, talking about the state of Christian fiction. It gives a very good overview of where Christians have been regarding literature and where many of us hope it is headed. It does discuss the now defunct WestBow press, which I thought was way cool, but is supposedly still functioning as a part of Thomas Nelson. We shall see.
—
Next, I have a request. Have any of you Blogger blokes updated your templates through New Blogger to use the layouts? I tried to do this once and it seemed to bugger up everything, so I pulled a Monty Python, cried “Run away!” and bagged it.
If you have updated your template, was it easy to use? Worth it? Would you please share your feedback with me? I am looking at updating the look of ye ol’ blog, and would appreciate any suggestions of help. Thanks in advance!!
by Jason Joyner | May 30, 2007 | Blog, fiction, goofiness, miscellaneous
On Brandilyn Collins’ blog recently she posted a list of CBA best-sellers and commented on the fact that Amish/Mennonite stories continue to be popular reads in the CBA. That got me thinking…
*collective groan throughout cyberspace*
…what if we had some of the best and brightest in Christian fiction trade genres with each other?
Ted Dekker writing his version of a prairie romance.
Lori Wick writing Peretti style spiritual warfare.
Rene Gutteridge taking a page from Robert Liparulo.
Brandilyn taking on chick-lit a la Kristin Billerbeck. (Whoops, already done. See 4/10, 4/11, 4/12)
Anyone else have any unique parings that would make for an interesting read?
by Jason Joyner | May 30, 2007 | Blog, fiction, goofiness, miscellaneous
On Brandilyn Collins’ blog recently she posted a list of CBA best-sellers and commented on the fact that Amish/Mennonite stories continue to be popular reads in the CBA. That got me thinking…
*collective groan throughout cyberspace*
…what if we had some of the best and brightest in Christian fiction trade genres with each other?
Ted Dekker writing his version of a prairie romance.
Lori Wick writing Peretti style spiritual warfare.
Rene Gutteridge taking a page from Robert Liparulo.
Brandilyn taking on chick-lit a la Kristin Billerbeck. (Whoops, already done. See 4/10, 4/11, 4/12)
Anyone else have any unique parings that would make for an interesting read?
by Jason Joyner | May 30, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, fiction, music, writing craft
I just wanted to point you all over to this article at Novel Journey by Mike Duran. It relates to the Christian Marketplace discussion I’ve had over here. Let’s keep the dialogue going!
by Jason Joyner | May 30, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, fiction, music, writing craft
I just wanted to point you all over to this article at Novel Journey by Mike Duran. It relates to the Christian Marketplace discussion I’ve had over here. Let’s keep the dialogue going!
by Jason Joyner | May 29, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, fiction, music, writing craft
I posted a seven day discussion on the Christian Marketplace (convenient links: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7) and thought I was done with it for a while. Well, not quite.
Basically, I wanted to add a little balance to what I said. Last week I was reading in my devotional time when I came across this passage, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake—the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
I made the plea for freedom for the Christian artist to produce the kind of art that they feel led to produce, whether it was overtly religious or not. I still believe and stand by that, but this passage both supports what I was saying yet provides a little balance to my screed.
Everything is permissible, but should we ask what is the value of it. Obviously Christians shouldn’t make godly erotica, but I do believe that what we create should be “constructive”. What does that entail? Well, I think each sincere Christian artist needs to come to their own conclusion about that. One suggestion I would have is: there should be an overall building up in what we do. There’s a whole lot I could say on this, but that may be for another post.
Art has value in and of itself, and I want to see Christians produce the best music, the best fiction, the best of everything–because we have the great Creator as our inspiration, muse, and guide. However, we need to see if what we are doing is complying with this admonition from Paul: All should be done for the glory of God…For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they might be saved.
by Jason Joyner | May 29, 2007 | Biblical worldview, Blog, fiction, music, writing craft
I posted a seven day discussion on the Christian Marketplace (convenient links: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7) and thought I was done with it for a while. Well, not quite.
Basically, I wanted to add a little balance to what I said. Last week I was reading in my devotional time when I came across this passage, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake—the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
I made the plea for freedom for the Christian artist to produce the kind of art that they feel led to produce, whether it was overtly religious or not. I still believe and stand by that, but this passage both supports what I was saying yet provides a little balance to my screed.
Everything is permissible, but should we ask what is the value of it. Obviously Christians shouldn’t make godly erotica, but I do believe that what we create should be “constructive”. What does that entail? Well, I think each sincere Christian artist needs to come to their own conclusion about that. One suggestion I would have is: there should be an overall building up in what we do. There’s a whole lot I could say on this, but that may be for another post.
Art has value in and of itself, and I want to see Christians produce the best music, the best fiction, the best of everything–because we have the great Creator as our inspiration, muse, and guide. However, we need to see if what we are doing is complying with this admonition from Paul: All should be done for the glory of God…For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they might be saved.
