MY BLOG POSTS

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the ANOMALY trilogy and the fourth anniversary of its finale. So I am feeling a little nostalgic.

When my publisher first talked to me about writing a dystopian series, I was nervous — I wrote fun, contemporary novels. Not science fiction. And, yet I loved to read science fiction. But did that mean I could write it? I still look back in awe that the Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins Christian team believed in me enough to let me try.

Before I started writing ANOMALY, I devoured every book in that genre that I could get my hands on. I wanted to see what others were doing, how they were doing it, and what I could contribute that would be different.

As I brainstormed, I knew that, since the fictional dystopian world would be so different than the real world, my protagonist must be relatable. I also knew that in order to write a believable protagonist, she had to be somewhat autobiographical. So Thalli was born: a music-loving, emotional girl who feels out of place among her peers.

From there, I needed a conflict that would carry through all three books. So the antagonists were born – scientists who, though they meant well, created a world where emotions were suppressed and citizens were “programmed”.

And, of course, I needed some romance. Because I love romance! And so Berk was created – Thalli’s lifelong friend who saw more in her than she saw in herself.

Then the writing began. I wrote ANOMALY in the summer of 2012. I wrote LUMINARY the following winter, and REVOLUTIONARY in the summer of 2013. Lots of writing!! Lots of prayer. Lots of early mornings and weekends and “how in the world am I going to get her out of this mess?” Along with lots of emails from my editor saying, “Get her in more messes!!” It was a busy, exciting, exhausting, exhilarating time. A faith-stretching time.

And when it was all done, I realized I had done it. I had actually written a dystopian trilogy! I felt God’s strength in my weakness throughout the crafting process, and I became even more appreciative of the creativity and dedication of the publishing team in Nashville. It is an indescribable feeling to hold three books in your hands and know all those words are yours.

Unfortunately, the books didn’t go on to become best sellers. I didn’t astound the reading world. No one called me to be interviewed on TV talk shows or give lectures on how to write great books. I wasn’t able to retire from teaching and move into a penthouse in Manhattan.

But that wasn’t why I wrote them. Early on in my writing career, I found a quote by Francine Rivers where she said that writing is an act of worship. And I can tell you – my writing journey has taught me that. I am able to get a tiny taste of God’s creativity when I write. I consistently felt his strength in my weakness. I would hit a roadblock – no ideas, no new conflicts, nothing. Then I’d pray, and God would give me the next chapter. When the deadlines were looming, He would clear my schedule and increase my writing stamina, and I’d be able to finish on time.

This is true, not just for writers, but for everyone: Don’t do what you do for fame or money or recognition. Those, even when received, are fleeting and unsatisfying. Do what you do for the Lord, as an act of worship, to know Him better and make Him known. Do it out of love. Because when you do, there is only success. And the kind of success that really matters.

We want to believe people are basically good. We want to believe that of others because we want to believe it of ourselves. We make “bad choices” or “stupid mistakes”, but we aren’t “bad people”.

Except that we are.

Hear me out…

That fact, when properly understood, can bring great freedom. It takes a lot of energy to believe we’re basically good. And we live in a constant state of disappointment when we think the same of others.

But friends, Jesus didn’t come to earth to save people who occasionally make stupid mistakes. He came to save sinners. And every single one of us is a sinner.

Every single one of us is also created by a God who loves us so deeply that He was willing to send His only son to this sin-filled earth to pay the penalty for our sin so that  we can be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with Him. When we truly understand how amazing that grace is, we are free to truly love and be loved.

When I understand that we are all sinners, I’m not shocked when I see sin. Of course, that person lied. He’s a sinner. Of course that person gossiped. She’s a sinner. It’s not an excuse. It doesn’t make their behavior okay. But it does put that liar and gossiper in need of the same grace that this liar and gossiper needs. We are all made in the image of God, living in a fallen world. We are all in need of the same grace from the same loving God.

Understanding the depth of my sin helps me forgive others when they sin against me. If I think I am more righteous than “that guy”, I can’t forgive him. If I recognize he’s a sinner just like me, then I can forgive.

“But you don’t know what he’s done!!” You say. I know. You’re right. And I have been there. I fight against forgiveness constantly. It just “feels” right to hang on to it. But I am not punishing that person by remaining angry at him. I am punishing myself. I am trapped in that anger and I allow it to control me.

When I recognize that God has forgiven me for FAR more than anything anyone could do to me, then I can release the hold anger and unforgiveness has on me. I can pray for that person, knowing God loves him and wants him to be free of that sin, too, knowing others have felt about me the way I feel about him.

Forgiveness isn’t excusing behavior. It isn’t permitting wrong behavior to continue. You can confront sinful behavior and still forgive. You can walk away from someone and still forgive. You can put up boundaries and still forgive. You can recognize that you or someone you love has been deeply hurt and still forgive. Forgiveness isn’t about the other person. It’s about you. You can choose to forgive anyone of anything. Because all have sinned. And you can walk in the joy of knowing that you have been forgiven. Because you are part of the “all”.

We are all awful. And that makes God’s grace awesome. None of us deserves it. But all of us have it. It truly is amazing!

Dating.

There’s so much controversy associated with it – in Christian circles, anyway. Do you date? Court? Should it be for many years or just a few months? When should you start? How do you know…?

I read an article a while ago that slammed the “courting” concept that gained popularity in the early 2000’s. Couples who followed it, this writer said, are divorcing now. They just married the first person they liked! That’s crazy. They should have “played the field” more, been more experienced, more sure of their choice.

Others, still firmly convinced of the courting model, argue that “dating is just practice for divorce”. Stay with someone until you’re bored, then move on?? Is that really the best idea? Where’s the commitment, the I Cor. 13 kind of love? And what about the poor choices involved in serial dating?

So how do you make sure you are making the right decisions with your future? What can you do now to prevent becoming a divorce statistic later?

First – stop looking for a formula!! Can we all agree that the formulas don’t work? People who courted get divorced. People who dated a lot get divorced. People who married their high school sweethearts get divorced, as do those who waited until they graduated college to find “the one”.

So what’s the answer?

Jesus.

I’m not trying to be simplistic. This is a complex issue with far-reaching ramifications. Still…Jesus is the answer.

Our most important relationship is our relationship with Jesus. He needs to be our primary focus – loving Him, knowing Him, serving Him. When our eyes are where they need to be and our heart is in HIS hands, we will have wisdom to know the answers to the rest of the questions. Dating? Courting? Young? Old? Ask Him! Seek His direction, His leading.

If you know you’re not where you need to be in your relationship with Jesus, then you are NOT ready to date. If you’re more interested in having your needs met than in serving someone else, then you are NOT ready to date! If you feel like you “need” to date in order to be “complete”, YOU ARE NOT READY TO DATE!!!  And if your parents or other adults in your life that you respect are saying you’re not ready to date, then you’re not ready to date! It doesn’t matter how old you are.

Successful relationships aren’t built on a certain formula, but on the solid Rock. YOU seek Him, run after Him. “The one” for you will be running, also, and he will join you in the race.

So stop chasing and start running.

“…Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14)

I know firsthand that the spiritual realm is very real. We do have an Enemy, who is not flesh and blood, who is daily seeking to devour and discourage and discredit us (Eph. 6:12).

But that’s not what this particular blog is about.

Because sometimes I think we want to pass the blame for the difficulties in life to the Enemy when it’s not him at all. It’s us. Or maybe even, it’s God.

Hear me out…if you have been a Christian more than five minutes, you have probably heard someone say, “You’re going through hard times? You must be doing something right, and that’s why Satan is coming after you.”

Let me say, with all due respect, that is a load of crap, friends.

Furthermore, when we buy into that thinking, we puff ourselves up and quite possibly miss the actual lesson God wants us to learn from said hard times.

Could our hard times be an attack from the Enemy? Sure, they could. But let’s not start there. If you are going through a difficult circumstance* – the loss of a friendship, a job, a plan; physical or emotional pain; unrealized expectations… – first examine yourself. Our hearts are deceitful (Jer. 17:9). We love ourselves so much that we cling to our innocence when we are, in fact, horribly guilty. We need to humble ourselves and ask the tough questions. Maybe you lost that friendship, not because Satan is attacking your poor, innocent self, but because you were a selfish jerk. Maybe your parents grounded you, not because they are the Devil’s minions, but because your rotten attitude called for correction. It’s painful to accept that we are sinful beings, but the fact is that we are! That’s why Jesus had to come. His grace shines the brightest when we realize how dark our sinful natures really are.

It could also be that the Father, who loves us more than we can possibly imagine, is disciplining us. This often happens when we fail to humble ourselves and confess our sins. I experienced this recently. I was having severe neck pain. I went to the doctor, the chiropractor, changed sleeping habits, took supplements…and it still hurt. This went on for months. Those same months, I was fighting God. He was asking me to do something I was refusing to do. I justified my disobedience – not calling it that, of course, or even acknowledging it (because my heart is deceitful). Finally, I broke down and confessed my sin. And my neck pain disappeared**! God was allowing this pain to get my attention – because my spiritual health is FAR more important to Him than my physical health.

Hard times will come, and sometimes, they are purely an attack from the Enemy. But don’t be so quick to pass the blame to him.

*If you are being abused in ANY way – that is completely unacceptable, it is NOT your fault, and you should remove yourself from that situation and get help IMMEDIATELY

**While God used this to get my attention, please know that health problems are not always related to sin. We live in bodies that are dying and a world that is toxic, and sometimes sickness is simply a result of that.