Are you a Christian...and yet, you're still thirsty?

You remember the time during Jesus' ministry that he came across the Samaritan woman at the well? It's in John 4: 1-42 if you want to read the whole account. It's a rich encounter and there are thousands of sermons seeded within it. But there's just one verse I want to think about right now, and I'm really hopeful that you'll think about it with me and maybe discuss your experiences also.

Jesus asks the woman to get him a drink of water, and in the conversation that follows, Jesus makes it clear that he actually has superior water for her to drink if she will. He contrasts actual natural water with spiritual, regenerating water by telling her,

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13).

I don't know about you, but I read that verse and, like the woman at the well, that kind of water sounds ridiculously good to me. LET ME AT IT! According to Jesus, the water HE gives will grant us the ultimate "ever-quench." We will never thirst. Never again.

But what if we do thirst again?

What does that mean?

The best place to start seems to be what Jesus meant by never thirsting again. Jesus doesn't lie. So whatever He meant by never thirsting again, MUST be true. Jesus contrasts the two kinds of water, so the kind of thirst Jesus speaks of cannot be physical thirst. The woman at the well probably got physically thirsty the very next day. No, Jesus must have been talking about some sort of metaphorical or symbolic thirst. What is this thirst a symbol of, then?

Jesus says the water He gives will become, in the person, a spring of water, welling up to eternal life. It's inside the person, that much is sure. It's active and increasing in measure--like a spring that flows and fountains. And apparently, the flow fills up to a point of being eternal life. The thirst then, must be for this kind of thing. It's easy to jump to an understanding like this: the thirst is mankind's need for salvation, need for connection to the creator, need for unconditional love. We might even extend the thirst to mean an inner satisfaction and fulfillment, and ultimate meeting of our innermost needs. Is that all true about the thirst? If it is, then Christians should never be troubled by a lacking of any of that. Do you see where this is going? Or, rather, do you "feel" where this is going?

If the water Jesus gives is really all of that as stated above, and the thirst is the unsaved person's need of all that above, then, once we drink Jesus' water, once we believe and are saved, then…we should never thirst in any of those ways again. I feel kind of guilty right about now. You?

I'm a Christian. Not by my own merit. Not by anything I've done or said, but only by the grace of God. He saved me. His word tells me so. But here's the thing, I still feel thirsty. There's still a deep, deep longing for something that is just out of reach, but seemingly impossible still to reach.

And I'm not talking about the physical thirsts. There are tons of physical/earthly things--real hunger, thirst, bank accounts, jobs, family, relationships, etc. etc. that are not completely satisfied. Jesus wasn't talking to the woman about physical thirsts. We should all expect to still have those thirsts, right?

But I still have deeper thirsts. There's a gut-wrenching need for a touch from God, a need for a deeper sense of His presence in my life, a need for eternal safety, eternal love, and eternal companionship. I'm just being honest. I still thirst like that. Do you?

What does it mean if we still have the deep thirst? Does it mean we aren't really Christians? Can you feel the loose soil crumbling away beneath your feet? Can you feel yourself beginning to slide down that slope into a black chasm? If so, grab Jesus' hand.

"For God so love the world that He gave His only Son that ANYONE who would believe would not perish but have eternal life."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If you believe that Jesus died for you, that He is the provider of eternal life and your salvation, be at rest. You are saved. Jesus paid the price. He saved you. Why? For God SO LOVED THE WORLD. It is God's love for you. Not -your- love for God. When we were still enemies, HE DIED FOR US. It's not the quality of your faith; it's the quality of HIS GIFT. It's not that you didn't say the salvation prayer correctly. It's not that you didn't go up front during the altar call. It's not that you had and still have some doubts. It's none of that. All that stuff is you and me stuff--and don't we already know that our stuff is lacking?

The floor is not crumbling. You can stand. The foundation--thank God--is Jesus and His word, not our response to it. There is no stronger place to stand.

Go back to the thirst Jesus was talking about. Go back to the water Jesus was talking about. Go back to the qualities of it all. It is water that wells up to eternal life. The thirst, I think, is the soul's parched condition prior to salvation. When we come to Jesus, the scorched soul is flooded with eternal life. That thirst is eternally quenched.

So then, what is the thirst that we Christians still feel? I think it could be a number of things:

1) Thirst One: confusion between physical and eternal thirsts

This is a broken, sin-sick world. People get hungry, sick, worried, depressed. Relationships with spouses, family members, friends can grow strained. We can lose jobs. We can have people write nasty reviews of our books (ahem). lol  The washer machine can break down. You can take your car in for an oil change and end up with a $1,600 bill for repairs you didn't even know were there. It can rain on your picnic. If we start to look at our circumstances and measuring God's goodness by those screwed up circumstances, then, we are going to be thirsty. Jesus never promised the woman at the well that her physical thirsts would all be met. Jesus never promised us that all our physical thirsts would be met. In fact, Jesus promised us: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, for I (Jesus) have overcome the world.

2) Thirst Two: Impossible Expectations

What are you expecting out of people? What are you expecting out of this world? Do you, husband, expect your wife to meet your every need? Do you, friend, expect your friends to always be available for you? Do you expect every day to be full of fun? When you start expect all kinds of fulfillment from people--even people who are supposed to meet your needs, you place them (and yourself) in an awkward position. And even worse, if you expect people to meet needs only God can meet, you are being ridiculous. No can do. I love my wife. She's a great woman. But she's not Jesus.

3) Thirst Three: Something amiss in our lives

Look, I'm not telling you something you don't already know here. Sin destroys. Sin separates. Sin makes us uncomfortable. If you have sinned, or worse, have a repetitive sin in your life, you are handing satan a big old baseball bat with which he will beat you senseless. He likes to pull the "Bully Technique" on you. You know what bullies do, right? They torment the weakling and make it clear that to tell on the bully makes you even weaker, a "tattler" or some such. So the victim is in a no win situation. I get beat up, and I can't tell. Satan will beat you up with your sin, and then he'll tell you about all the trouble you'll get in if you own up to your sin, confess it, etc. Enough of that crap. Go to the Lord, confess your sin. If there's someone (a person) you need to reveal the sin to, even if it's painful--don't delay another minute. Bring the sin to life. Accept the consequences--and then let God rebuild you.

4) Thirst Four: Longing for our REAL home

C.S. Lewis said, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." The Bible tells us we are indeed strangers and pilgrims in this foreign land. Our real home is heaven. And there is a very real sense in which, we Christians will NEVER be totally satisfied until we are in heaven, physically with our Lord Jesus. In heaven, all the chains will FINALLY fall away. All the fears will vanish. And there will be a kind of love that we cannot begin to guess at here on this giant spinning mudball. It will be eternity with God.

News and Notes

Hi, all! Lots of news and announcements! If you have an interest in my books or in Fantasy Fiction, read on!

#1: It's looking very probable that the movie option for The Door Within will be purchased. Before you go crazy, know that what this means is that a well connected talent scout in Hollywood is optioning The Door Within for a limited time--to get a script written and shop it around to producers with the hopes that a Door Within movie might be made someday. It's a thousand miles away from a movie actually getting made. That said, it's a critical first step, so I'd appreciate your prayers.

#2: 3rd month in a row that The Door Within is on 2 Bestseller lists.

CBA YA Bestseller #6 for August

ECPA YA Bestseller #8 for August

ECPA also has: Isle of Swords at #17 and The Final Storm at #18

Thank you, readers, for being so faithful. Time is a precious thing--that you would spend some of yours reading my books still amazes me. I'm honored and very grateful.

#3: 

2010 Clive Staples Award Voting Begins Today!

Curse of the Spider King has been nominated for the new Clive Staples Award. Please read the following and consider voting for Spider King. Remember, this award is not for Christopher and me personally...it's about glory for God.

Here are the details and the link: 

Please read these instructions carefully, then proceed to the ballot by clicking on the link below.
CSA is not a popularity contest. The award has been established to recognize the work of fiction which readers designate as the previous year’s best. Consequently, voters must adhere to these basic rules.
    •    You MUST have read at least two of the nominations.
    •    You may vote only once for a first, second, and third choice.
    •    You may not vote for the same book as your second or third option that you voted for as your first choice.
    •    Your votes for second and third options may not be for the identical book.
    •    You may mark the “none of these” option if you do not have a second or third choice.
    •    Voting will close September 1, 2010.
    •    Second and third choice options will only be considered if a clear winner is not determined by the first choice vote.
To vote, click here and answer all the questions.

Fish or Cut Bait?

Ever heard the phrase Fish or Cut Bait? It's an idiom, a saying that means you can't sit the fence. Either you get in the boat and brave the waters to go fishing --OR-- you sit on the dock and cut bait for the fishermen. In a literal sense, I'm not sure the saying is actually accurate, however, the message is completely accurate, somewhat uncomfortable, and absolutely necessary.

I'm speaking to Christians and NonChristians alike here. No exceptions. Not even me. In fact, I'm writing this partly as a confession and a kind of self exhortation. But I hope what I write will have an impact on readers as well.

There is a way, you see, to live life with one foot in God's kingdom, one foot in the world. In this case, the feet I'm talking about are the figurative kind, meaning that we can sort of believe God and sort of try to get our needs met in the world. Or we can have an endless internal debate about God, who He is, and how we experience Him. We can even elevate our own "feelings" as a kind of proxy God. IE: I feel powerfully this way--in love, frightened, depressed--and, in spite of what the Bible says, this is my experience. We go with our gut. It sounds confident, macho even. So there we are, Bible quoting one day, and letting emotions rule us the next. It's a way to live life on the fence…it's a miserable way to live. I know. I've been there. Have you?

The Bible calls this way of living "double minded," and we're told that the double minded man is unstable in all that he does, blown about by wind and tossed by every wave that comes by. Why the ship imagery? I suspect it's because the doubleminded person is a ship who's lost his anchor. The anchor being truth, God's truth revealed in scripture. Without that anchor, without something to hold us firm, we drift every which way. A good friend of mine in high school put it this way, "You got to stand for something, or you're going to fall for anything." True dat.

So here's the choice: Fish or Cut Bait?

For the NonChristian, the choice goes like this:

Either this world, this universe, and everything in it is a great big cosmic accident with no intelligent guidance whatsoever. There's no god. There's no ultimate meaning. There's no ultimate write or wrong. Morality is whatever works, whatever suits you, or whatever suits the society that you randomly were born into. The point of life can be: find something meaningful to do and someone you love to share it with--nevermind that "meaningful" and "love" have ultimately no substance or surety in an abstract, random world. To quote Sheryl Crow, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad," right? Certainly, there's a lot of fun to be had living in an ungoverned universe. Just ignore the pangs of emptiness, even when you've got every single thing, the rest of the world covets: money, property, spouse and family, prestige, gadgetry, food, vacations, etc. etc--and you still aren't fulfilled. Live and let live. Eat, drink, and be merry…for tomorrow, we die.

--OR-- The world was not an accident. The world and the universe and you were designed by an intelligent designer. God, for lack of a better word, made it all. Therefore, this God might have some claim on your life. He might offer some way of knowing Him. He might have some ideas of right and wrong. So you need to investigate. You need to try with all your might to find out who God is and see what He wants of you. You might give prayer a whirl. "God, if you're out there, I'd like to know about you. I'd like to know you. Can you help me?" You might be surprised at what you find.

Procrastination won't work, nonChristian. Putting the decision off isn't really putting the decision off at all. To quote Geddy Lee and RUSH, "If you choose not to decide, you'll still have made a choice."

For the Christian, the choice works like this:

Either God is who He says He is…IE: God loves you so much He let his Son die for you. God wants you to come back to Him always. God listens to you. His ear is inclined to you. God wants nothing but your good--even though painful trials might be necessary to refine you into who you really want to be. God is truthful when He says you are saved, that you can KNOW that you HAVE eternal life. God is truthful that He is preparing a place for you in Heaven which will be beautiful and amazing far beyond our imaginations to conceive. God is truthful when He promises that neither life nor death, angels nor demons, height depth, nor anything else in all of creation can separate you from Him. No matter what you feel in the moment, God is better than that, more loving than that, more forgiving than that, more intelligent than that, and more powerful than that.

--OR--

He's not.

Fish or Cut Bait? You need to decide. Sitting the fence won't work. Delaying the decision is impossible--self deception at best. By the way, I don't think this is a one time choice. You may need to choose daily. You may choose one thing and then, in the middle of the day, catch yourself bowing to the God of emotion. Choose again.

I'm going fishing. Anyone want to come along?

Much love,
-Wayne Thomas Batson

July ECPA Bestseller List! Take a look!

This just in: Several of my books hit the bestseller list of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) for July 2010: ...On the Top 20 YA list:

The Door Within is #7

Isle of Swords is #12

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord is #13

The Final Storm is #18! 

Thank you, God! And thank you to my readers!

Lunch for Young Authors...Venom and Song Signing Event!

Greetings Adventurers, Storytellers, and Fantasy Fans of All Ages;

His Way Christian Bookstore in Ellicott City, Maryland invites you to our
The Berinfell Prophecies Book Two: Venom And Song
Launch Party on Saturday July 17th from 1-3PM
Come and meet Author Wayne Thomas Batson and have your copy of his latest book signed!

His fellow Author, Christopher Hopper, will not be able to attend, however signed bookplates from him will be available for those who come on the 17th! There will also be a dramatic reading, time to ask Wayne questions, and give aways!
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for fellowship and fun!

Can't make the date? Pre-buy your copy and Wayne will sign it for you that day. We will also reserve a signed book plate for you from Christopher Hopper, and you can pick up Venom And Song at your convenience.

Here is what one young adult author/reviewer had to say about Venom And Song:

'Venom and Song is a classic Christian Fantasy novel with a page-turning plot, themes of bonding friendship and love, and the true power of God.' Seth Reid

Special Opportunity for Tween and Teen Writers

Wayne Thomas Batson will be at Nora's Cafe before the event and invites you to come and eat with him and chat about the writing craft. Seating is limited, and you are responsible for purchasing your own food.

To reserve your spot send an e-mail to HisWayEvents@hotmail.com
no later than Wednesday July 14th

The Venom & Song Blitz is NOW: Tuesday, June 22nd, 7pm EST!!

IT'S ON

Warriors and Swordmaidens, the time has come! Right now we begin our hostile (well sort of) takeover of Amazon's Bestseller list.  I hail all those who will raise a sword (or any other sharp, pointy thing) in this effort. The goal is attainable: Top 100 on the Amazon Bestseller list for Venom and Song.

Should you wish to join our merry band of conquerors, simply click the link below and purchase Venom and Song between 7pm and 8pm EST. If you're a reader of Batson or Hopper books, or just looking for a good summer read, please consider joining in the Blitz.

Click Below to Join the Blitz and Purchase Venom & Song

The Blitz Link

Click Above to Join the Blitz and Purchase Venom & Song

As of today at 7pm EST, Venom and Song is already climbing at 6,038th. How much higher will it go? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out.

It's 7:24 EST and already the number is dropping! Go Readers! WOO Hoo!

This just in! Venom and Song hits 443rd on Amazon's Bestseller list! The Blitz continues!

 

 Check back here often between 7pm and 8pm. I will update the ranking as often as I can!

Amazon Blitz II Tuesday, June 22nd, 7pm EST

Mark Your Calendars! Light the torches and gather the pitchforks!

Tuesday, June 22nd at 7pm, EST we will storm the Cybergates of Amazon.com and seek to propel Venom and Song to great heights on the Amazon Bestseller Chart!

Last year, we Blitzed for Curse of the Spider King, and the ranking went from 73,000th to 365th in one 24 hour period! And that thanks only to my generous readers, their friends and family.

This year, we are defining and actual time to shoot for. This will concentrate the effect of book purchases and hopefully launch Venom and Song into the top 100 or even better!

If you are planning to purchase Venom & Song anyway, would you please consider purchasing it from Amazon.com via the link I supply below. It's very important to have the purchases fall between 7-8pm on Tuesday, June 22nd. This maximizes the jump up on the Bestseller list.

Why do this? Books that hit high on Amazon's bestseller list get seen by a LOT more people. That exposure tends to generate LOTS more sales, which of course, starts a wonderful cycle. High purchases in the first week of release also tells Amazon that this is a book to push, so Amazon tends to include it in their eMailings, etc. And better still, the opening sales tells the publisher to plug in more marketing muscle to a book that is succeeding. So please consider joining us on June 22nd for the 2nd Annual Amazon BLITZ.

The Official Purchase Link:

Click HERE to purchase Venom and Song from Amazonduring the Amazon Blitz, June 22nd

For Tribes in the Tribebuilding Contest:

Here's the plan: If you purchase a copy of VENOM & SONG during the blitz day and time:  Tuesday, June 22nd at 7-8pm, EST you will earn 10,000 points for your Tribe. You read that correctly. 10,000 points. But there's more:

If at anytime between 7pm, June 22nd and 12pm noon on June 23rd EST, Venom and Song reaches a high point on the Amazon Bestseller List, then more points will be added. See below:

If V&S reaches 5,000th--10,000th place, add 500 points per person.

If V&S reaches 1,000th--4,999th place, add 1000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 500th--999th place, add 2000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 300th--499th place, add 3000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 100th--299th place, add 4000 points per person.

If V&S reaches 11th--99th place, add 5000 points per person.

If V&S reaches the TOP 10 (well, I'll do a backflip, but besides that) add 10,000 additional points per person.

This means per person who purchases from AMAZON and sends the tribe leader the amazon receipt for proof, that person earns a minimum of 10,000 points plus the bonus points depending on the Bestseller List. Keep in mind, it is not cumulative. IE: if V&S reaches the top ten, each person does not receive ALL the other bonuses 500, 1000, etc. It's the 10,000.

So mark your calendars now for the Venom and Song AMAZON BLITZ!

Tribebuilding Contest: Quest #1--Stoke the Amazon Blitz Fires!

Yo Tribes! Here's the first time sensitive Venture Quest!

As you know, we're getting ready for the Venom and Song, Amazon Blitz. Just less than a week away now. Christopher Hopper and I want the Internet to be flooded with word of our hostile takeover of Amazon's Bestseller List. So here's your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Every member of your tribe can post about the Amazon Blitz once a day (including but not beyond June 22nd) on as many social websites, blogs, etc. as possible. Each member should keep track of exactly where he/she posted--a running list would be best--and send that list to your Tribe Leader on the 23rd of June, along with a total of points earned.

How many points? 100 points per person, per post, per site, per day. Only exceptions to the one post per site, per day rule: Facebook and Twitter (up to 5 posts per day)


Suggested post: don't use this exact wording but something similar. Be sure to use the date and time and a link. Be creative!

Like to read fantasy? Join us for the Amazon Blitz on June 22nd, 7pm EST. For details: http://is.gd/cQG7Y

If you choose to accept this mission, God's speed. This message will self destruct in six days.

Bestseller List Bonanza!

Thanks to my incredible readers, I just got the news that FOUR of my books made Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Bestseller List for June 2010:

The Door Within is #6! 

The Final Storm is #16!

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord is #18! 

Isle of Swords is #19!

I think a FanFest is definitely coming soon!

TRIBE BUILDING CONTEST BEGINS: NOW!!

Build Your Tribe

Begin Your Quest

Last year's Tribebuilding Contest for Curse of the Spider King was a HUGE success! We had six active tribes who worked together to do some absolutely amazing things! Venom & Song, book 2 of The Berinfell Chronicles will ship to stores beginning June 9th, so in honor of Book 2's release Christopher Hopper and I are launching:
Tribebuilding Contest 2


This year's contest will use the same general rules as last year's contest,  so if you know the basics, skip the next part (in purple text). If you are new to Tribebuilding, make sure you read.

The BASICS:

1. You will gather 14 people (friends, family, etc) to join your Tribe. As the gatherer of this tribe, you become the Tribe Leader.

2. Your goal is to have each member of the tribe do as many of the Tribe Tasks as possible, earning Vanadil Points for your Tribe.

3. Tribe Tasks are things like reviewing Batson or Hopper books on Amazon, Borders, CBD, B&N, etc. or making posters or videos, or blogging, etc.

4. The Tribe leaders send me a Tribe Report on the 7th of every month. The report lists what each tribe member did and how many points total were earned.

5. That's it. That's the basic contest.


Major Changes for this year's version:

1. Tribe can earn GINORMOUS points for Creative Open Category Projects! It will vary by concept. Just propose an idea, and I'll tell you how many points will be offered.  

2. Last year, we had six of the seven tribe names taken. If those tribes want to participate again, please let me know immediately so we can secure the Tribe Name for you. Additional tribes can create their own tribe name.

3. Tribe must be at least 14 people, not 21 like last year.

4. Tribes need not be geographically close in location to each other, but it helps when we plan the private book party.

5. Amazon Blitz, coming soon, so do NOT order Venom and Song just yet. If you order ON THE BLITZ DAY, it will mean ridiculous points for your Tribe! I mean OUTRAGEOUS, IMPOSSIBLY LARGE Numbers! WOOT.

Be on the lookout for RULE CHANGES coming soon.

I've outlined the entire contest and uploaded it page-by-page as you see below. You can click all the images and read right from the Web.

OR

You can click HERE and download the pdf file.

Also, Tribe Leaders from last year, please email me about Rules/etc. that didn't work too well last year or were confusing. I'd like to make this year's even better than before.

 Let the games BEGIN!

Tribe Names Claimed Last Year:
*Note: email me right away if you want to reclaim your Tribe's Name, or I will open them for new Tribes!


Valorbrand: taken by Kiada/Starfast/Robby  

Silvertree: Taken by Keeneye 

Ashheart: Taken by AmyA

Nightwing: Taken by Jacob Parker  

Swiftstorm: Taken by Seth 

Shadowtear: Taken by TimV 

Oakenflower: Unclaimed


Flaming Arrow:Created by Sir Andrew

----------------------------------------------- 

Did you think I forgot to mention prizes?


In addition to the prizes from last year (Private Book Party, Swords, Signed ARCs, etc), how about having EVERY member of your tribe mentioned in the Acknowledgement section of Berinfell Book 3*???


How about access to a special "Member's Only" Website full of Berinfell Lore, original Desktop art, games, and more!


CH and I are still thinking about additional prizes, so check back often for updates!


PS: Last year's Prize Winners will begin receiving prize packs in June! Thank you for your patience!

Will the Real Prodigal Please Stand Up?

This past Sunday, we had a guest speaker preach on The Prodigal Son. It was a captivating talk, and I learned a ton. Strangely enough, though, as much as I learned from the speaker, I found myself thinking about another aspect of the parable. It stemmed from the actual meaning of the word "prodigal"--one of the points the speaker made about the word's real meaning struck a chord and made the parable more meaningful to me than perhaps ever before. So, buckle your seatbelts, Dorthy, because Kansas is going bye bye!

In common use, the word "prodigal" has come to mean "wayward" or "errant," "lost" even. But the original meaning is quite a bit different. Prodigal actually means "recklessly extravagant, wasteful, or lavish." Wasteful and reckless, we get. It makes sense. After all, the son, took his portion of his father's estate and wasted it on carnal pleasures: food, drink, fair-weather friends, and female companionship. But "extravagant" and "lavish" bring to mind the provision of absurd luxury or giving in abundance. Maybe we can apply that to the son and therefore call him prodigal. But I got to thinking someone else in the story might actually be more prodigal. I was thinking that someone might be the father…who is symbolic of God. Before you cry "Blasphemy!" or start gathering flaming brands and pitchforks, hear me out. 

First, let's look at the actual text from Luke:

¹¹Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
 ¹³"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
 ¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father.
      "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 ²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[a]'
 ²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
 ²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
 ²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
 ³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Mannn, is Jesus a great storyteller or what! I love this story. It is SO rich and SO full of hope. And I think for too long, the focus has been on the son who left and came back home. We often call it the prodigal son or the "lost son." Maybe the son is one of the main characters, the protagonist even? But he's not the hero of the story. The father is.

In the narrative of the story, the father allows his son to take his portion of the estate--early. This was to be the son's inheritance. However, the father lets the son take it and leave. In essence, saying, I will not force you to stay. I will not withhold this from you. I won't force my will upon you. The father represents God, and isn't this just like God? He won't force us to love Him. If we choose to run off and spend our time and talents on stupid stuff, God will let us. He doesn't force us to love him. He will allow the consequences of our sin to wise us up, though. And that's just what happened to the son. The son comes to his senses and returns. Do you see the point I'm building here? The father sets aside a certain portion of the estate. Think of this as riches, wealth, material, etc. The father sets this all aside for the son. It's a substantial sum too. The son was able to PARTY it up in the most lavish ways. And the father gives this to the son WILLINGLY. There's no fight. Even though it likely hurt the father's feelings, the father still let the son go. That is reckless, lavish love. 

But even more so is the son's return...or rather, the father's welcome. When the son comes home, thinking he's blown the possibility of sonship, hoping just to be a hired hand, a servant…the father runs to him. RUNS TO HIM. Have you heard that song? The father runs to the son. That's ridiculous, reckless love. And not just that, but the father throws a new robe on the lad, slaps a suh-weet ring on his finger, and calls the entire estate to a halt for a HUGE "welcome home" party. Talk about wasteful. Even the older son recognizes the excess. Anyone else hear the ring of Judas' voice in the older son? But if the word prodigal originally meant excessive, lavish, extremely extravagant, who in this story was more lavish than the father? No one. First he sets aside a portion of the estate, then he gives up the portion to the son, then after the son has wasted it and comes home, the father uses up even MORE resources to welcome the son home in GRAND fashion. Holy cow! What a wasteful father. What a wasteful God. And aren't we glad that He is. 

See, in our eyes, the son was a screw up. He blew it...BIG TIME. He wasn't worth the time of day, wasn't worth even a servant's position. But to the father, the son was more precious than ALL of the estate put together. To the father, the son was so precious...the only thing that mattered was having the son back home with him.

Jesus told this parable. There is no authority greater.  The kingdom of Heaven is like this. God is like this. God is good. He is a better kind of good than we can imagine or identify with. If we think we love our own children, God loves His more.

Now, I know some have interpreted this parable and have identified the "lost son" as a nonChristian who comes back to the father and is "saved." Some say the indignant older brother represents "Pharisee-like self righteous folk." After all, Jesus had a slew of Pharisees listening to Him tell this parable. Maybe the lost son represents the Gentiles and the older brother, the Jews. It might be. But regardless of the other characters, I think we need to focus on the Father. He is the One we should draw near to. He is the one willing to waste everything just to bring us home and welcome us to the place we MOST belong. He is the One who is so generously good that we very well can call Him prodigal.

So what's the take home on this? First, if you're a believer, stop and thank God right now for His goodness. For He gave us this life; He gave us all the good things in this world; He gave us a portion of everything. Praise Him. If you're not a believer, remember how much this Father loves you. He is waiting, not with blame, not with guilt, not asking for an explanation. God wants you to come home. He wants to embrace you and robe you. He wants to give you the family ring and throw a big party for you. And who says Christians don't party? Turns out, no one, but NO ONE throws a party like God's parties! See the invite below:

Who: You (whoever you are, no matter where you've been or what you've done)

What: Welcome Home Party!  (Abundant life on earth and eternity to boot)

Where: Your real home  (Heaven)

When: Right NOW (and much more after this life)

Why: Once was lost, but now are found (God is good. He loves you forever)

You've got to hear it to believe it!

Like expectant parents, Christopher Hopper and I waited to hear the audio version of our first book together: Curse of the Spider King. OK, maybe not quite like parents, but still…you get the idea. We were very curious and a little worried. Would Oasis Audio hire serious voice talent? Would the voice actor/actress get it right? Would it be overly dramatic or too plain? Just as an actor or actress can absolutely make (see Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men) or break (see Natalie Portman* in Star Wars Prequels) a movie, the voice actor is everything to an audio book. But then, it arrived:

Order Curse of the Spider King Audio CDs!

Christopher and I were thrilled. No, that's understatement. The narrator, Greg Whalen did a terrific job with all 104 speaking characters. How does he come up with so many voices? I have no idea. The thing is, he got it right. The voices in my head somehow turned out to be the voices he spoke. Looking for something new to listen to? Click the link above or the link in my sidebar. If you'd like to hear a sample, click below:

Chapter 1 of Curse of the Spider King as read by Greg Whalen

* To be fair to Ms. Portman, Hayden Christensen shared the worst dialog in cinematic history! "I love you." "No, I love you more." Blech! Eaccchh! Hack! Cough! Of course, it was Lucas who presumably wrote the dialogue. And to be fair, Revenge of the Sith was actually the best of the Star Wars prequels. At least Jar Jar Binks didn't have a staring role. 'Nuff said.

Sword in the Stars now available for PreOrder!

Hi, all! Well, this is a first for me. I actually have two new books about to come out within a few months of each other! Venom and Song, coauthored with the multitalented Christopher Hopper, comes out in late June. Then in August, my first book with AMG publishing, Sword in the Stars, will be released. Check out the preliminary cover art and the teaser below:

 

 Click HERE to PreOrder Sword in the Stars!

Haunted by memories of a violent past, Alastair Coldhollow wagers his life on the hope that a sword will appear in the stars and the foretold Halfainin, the Pathwalker, would come. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Anglinore and the murderous Gorrack Nation, threatening war on a cataclysmic scale. The fate of all could rest on an abandoned child and the decisions of those who desperately seek to identify him. Sword in the Stars is the first release in The Dark Sea Annals series.

Take a lesson on Character from the NFL; Who'd have thunk it?

If the title of this post made you gag, get a quick drink of water and bear with me. Just a single day after posting an article insisting that ex Florida Uber Quarterback Tim Tebow's faith would get in the way of his being picked by certain teams in the NFL Draft, Yahoo Sports turned around and published an article about how important a role Tim Tebow's character played in him being drafted so highly.

Just to be clear, I'm not knocking Yahoo for hypocrisy. Two different authors with two very different takes on the state of the NFL. In fact I laud Yahoo for publishing today's article because it was all about the NFL reevaluating what's important when it comes to draft day. At least with Round 1 of the NFL draft, there were several surprising developments, and they all involved teams choosing character over better talent.

In the first round, Tim Tebow (above) was chosen by the Broncos over several quarterback choices, even though many "experts" don't believe Tebow has the form/tools to be a star NFL QB. But in the wake of Steelers QB Ben Rothleisberger's recent troubles with morality, it seems the Denver Broncos wanted a "good guy" to captain their team. Bravo for them. The Broncos also selected wide receiver Demaryius Thomas over ultra talented Dez Bryant. Why? Character. Bryant's had troubles, lots of questions about his work ethic, etc. Not so with Thomas. Thomas (below) is a "good guy."

The San Diego Chargers went out of their way, trading up to select running back Ryan Matthews, stressing that he is the kind of guy they want as a leader in their locker room. Ryan, we learn, keeps his commitments. He signed to play college FB with Fresno State, but after that, several bigger, more influential schools came asking and offering. He turned them down. He's a good guy.

So what can we learn from the NFL? Well, maybe we can learn that when we do our inevitable picking in life, maybe we can make our picks based on character and substance over flash and style. No, we don't hold a draft for picking friends, girlfriends, or spouses, but we all go looking. How do you choose? I remember high school too well to have lost the chip I had on my shoulder then. It used to make me ill that so many of the girls I had crushes on went after the rudest, most disrespectful, foul mouthed guys in the school.

And how many times has "Nice Gal A" made a mess of her own life by marrying "Bad Boy A?" Too many to count. Some of our readers will probably support that. And it's not just the ladies choosing flash over faithfulness. Men often become bumbling idiots, fawning over the babe with the low cut neckline. Shame on us. We ought to be fighting to lay down our coats for the sweetheart next door. And forget romance for just a minute, what about plain old friends. Who do we hang out with? Do we gravitate towards good character? I contend that we should.

What would happen if we did? What would happen if we all chose friends, romantic friends, spouses, careers, neighborhoods, etc. etc. based on quality of character? My hunch is, we'd end up with a tenfold better society. Why? Supply and Demand. As a middle school teacher of 19 years, I've noticed something very interesting. If you have a class where the good kids get the majority of the attention, disciplinary issues begin to vanish, and good kids multiply. If the opposite occurs, and the idiots get most of the attention, sooner or later, you'll end up with a room full of idiots.

Imagine a high school where the girls all went after the "nice guys." Pretty soon, the jerks and blowhards would straighten up. Think about it, ladies, who do you really want for a husband? The cute high school guy who cuts class, smokes, and defies authority? Extrapolate what that will look like in ten years. Uh, yeah, not so good. And guys, who are you going to bring roses to? The sexy party girl who flirts with ALL the boys? What kind of mother will she be for your kids? Hmmm...

And if you do decide to hang with the kid who drinks underage and occasionally shoplifts, where do you think you'll end up? I'm just asking. Because if the NFL can figure out that character matters, should we be able to figure it out as well?

Kill this Thread and Win Venom and Song

Have you ever played "Kill this Thread?" You say you're against all forms of killing? I SO agree…uh, except for this game. Uh, and except for when I find a spider on my bathroom floor. Okay, back on topic.

Kill this thread works like this:

1. Comment on this post.

2. Be the last person to post a comment before the thread "Dies."

How does the thread die? Easy, all that has to happen is for NO ONE to post a comment for one single day. Every time you post a comment, you prolong the thread's life 24 more hours and put yourself in the potential winner's seat!

So, say Biff posts a comment at 3pm today. If no one posts another comment by 3pm tomorrow, then Biff wins the prize. But, if Zelda posts a comment at 2:59pm tomorrow, BOOM, the thread lives on 24 more hours.

Now I've seen this done a number of ways, but one thing I hate is that the comments posted are too quick and very boring. So I'm adding one more REQUIREMENT:

3. Make your comment something meaningful. Give us one of your favorite quotes. Tell us why you like it. Give us something from God's word to munch on. Talk about your hopes and dreams. Encourage someone you care about. Talk about a new band you "discovered." Tell people why they should buy my books--you know, anything meaningful like that! :-D

Oh, and what's the prize? How about a PreRelease Advanced Reader Copy of Book 2 of the Berinfell Prophecies series: Venom and Song--autographed by BOTH authors (CH and Me!)

Sound good?

Post away! Kill this Thread!

Mock Draft 2010: Washington Redskins

I grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. Redskins Territory. My whole family rooted for the Skins in the down years and in the Super Bowl seasons. I bleed Maroon and Gold. If you follow the NFL, you know that the Redskins have suffered through some lousy seasons of late. Well, I think that's about to change. We have football people in charge of the team again. The players are buying in and excited. And the NFL draft is just a month away. For those who don't follow football, the draft is where pro teams pick players who are coming out of college.

I'm no expert, but I've seen so many Mock Drafts this year that I decided to get into the action. I'm only going to tell you who the Redskins will pick, not the other teams. I'm also going to give explanations to provide comedic reading when the draft occurs and everyone realizes just how wrong I was. lol The Skins have only 5 picks this year. But I think they'll make the most of them. They have the following picks:

Round 1    4th Pick    4th overall   
Round 2    5th Pick    37th overall   
Round 4    5th Pick    103th overall   
Round 5    4th Pick    135th overall   
Round 7    4th Pick    211th overall     

Here's how I think it will go:

Round 1    4th Pick    4th overall   Redskins Pick: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

This is a shocker. Most folks predict Suh will be gone already. Here's my thinking: I suspect the Rams will take Bradford as expected. Detroit will throw everyone a curve by taking studly OT Russell Okung. Tampa will have to choose between two incredible DL prospects. I think they'll take McCoy. The Redskins will then find themselves with a happy problem. They really need offensive line, but with Suh available, they'll take him. Can you imagine the apocalyptic defense the Skins could run if they had Haynesworth and Suh on the D-Line. {Chills} If the Lions don't take Okung, the Redskins have to get him. They really do need someone to protect the QB. If Okung and Suh are gone, I see the Skins taking worldbeater free safety Eric Berry. That way they can move LaRon Landry back to his natural Strong Safety Position.

Round 2    5th Pick    37th overall   Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

The Redskins will be shocked to find Campbell hanging around this late in the draft. This former Terp wowed everyone with his athleticism at the NFL Combine, but lots of teams will pass because Campbell is unpolished. The Redskins won't care. This guy is for real and will start at left tackle this year.

Round 3 (In a trade with Tennessee or Atlanta)  Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

The Redskins will trade DE/LB Anthony Carter to Ten or Atl for a 3rd round pick. Those teams could use a pass rusher DE or OLB. With Suh already in the stable, we suddenly have even more DL surplus. Carter is the odd man out. Forget mechanics. Tebow is a winner at QB. The Redskins need a leader at that position and have Campbell for another season, so they won't have to throw Tebow to the wolves right away. Tony Pike is also a possibility here.

Round 4    5th Pick    103th overall    Shelly Smith, OG Colorado State

The Redskins continue to build their offensive line by selecting Smith. At 6-3, 300lbs, this big man still posted 5.10 forty time. Ideal speed for kick out blocks, pulls, screens, and Shanahan's zone block system.

Round 5    4th Pick    135th overall    Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

Mike Shanahan has a habit of taking middle to late round RBs and turning them into absolute studs in the pros. Tate is a late bloomer who really hit his stride in his senior year. With Portis and Johnson already on the roster, Shanahan is thinking of the future. And Tate is it.

Round 7    4th Pick    211th overall       Andrew Lewis, OG, Oklahoma State

The final piece to the O-line puzzle. The Redskins like Lewis' size and speed. He might be a project this year, but look for him to develop into a starter in 2011.


Well, there you go. Fantasy author's take on the 2010 Redskins Draft. I don't expect to be right, but I hope I am.

Epic Fantasy for a fairy tale price!

We've been discussing the coming eBook revolution here quite a bit lately. Seems like the market is beginning to explode. This just in from fantastic author LB Graham: He's offering the first book of his epic Binding of the Blade series for just 99 cents. That's .99!  That's like a sixth of a penny per page! Ridiculous! If you have any kind of eReader, go get this now!

When I call LB's work "Epic" please understand, I'm using the word accurately. LB is one of the best world builders I know. Brilliant. Tolkienesque. And don't let the old school cover art fool you. This is a timeless tale. Awesome stuff.

Click here to get Beyond the Summer Land for 99cents! 

Scattered, Smothered, and Covered

Just a quick post about one of my favorite places to eat breakfast in the whole wide world: Waffle House. At the big WH, you can have hashbrowns any way you like them. Personally, I like mine "scattered, smothered, and covered." Thing is, the restaurant is something of a sacred icon to me. My parents used to take us there when we were little kids--on our revered trip to Florida. It wasn't just the food. It was a family tradition...one that I've adopted with my wife and kids on our trip to Myrtle Beach every summer. WH is also a place that, somehow or another, I've ended up sharing a meal with all of my best friends. Christopher Hopper and I found one here in Scranton. Life is good.

Ah…Scranton. Huh?

You may be wondering why the emotional attachment to Scranton? Aside from the fact that it's a very cool old city with some very nice people, I'm headed there tomorrow afternoon to spend the weekend with my good friend Christopher Hopper. So it's not the place, really, but rather the two of us in the place. Seriously, this is where God forged our friendship, as well as, where The Berinfell Prophecies were born. If this weekend goes like those in the past, it will be a spiritual and professional recharge. I can't wait.

We like to stay at the historic Lackawanna Station Radisson (1 above) and we frequent a great public house called The Banshee ( 2 above). Something about these places just stir the imaginations in us both.

So, do you have a place that is special because of who you are there with? Tell us about it.

eBooks: Bringing Down the House?

 

I'm probably in the minority, but I truly believe that digital publishing will, for all intents and purposes, replace print publishing. Here's how I think it will happen:

1) Over the next 15 years, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, The iPad, etc. will be joined by a dozen other eReaders, and the price of those devices will come down markedly. Some shrewd companies will offer to "give" their eReaders away with a paid yearly contract, say, you'll purchase 20-30 eBooks a year. Much like cell phones now. You can get a BOSS COOL phone, IF you sign up for a plan, right?

2. Print Publishers will continue to operate, but they will need to change the way of doing business or they will perish. Here's how they will need to change:

A) Forced to compete with ePublishers who offer much better royalty percentages to authors, print publishers will offer dual royalties, raising the percentage of print royalty money and including a very high percentage of eBook money.

B) Over time, print publishers will have smaller and smaller print runs of all but the biggest name authors. Smaller quantities will be shipped to brick-n-Mortar stores and be available to the consumer in what will be a "collector's only" market.

C) Print Publishers will modernize their operations to become "Print on Demand" publishers. With smaller print runs and smaller numbers of books in-store, publishers will find a way to take "demand" orders, print, and send books as fast or faster than Amazon currently ships. It may be that brick and mortar stores will open up their own printing presses, kind of like Kinkos, and will be able to print your book "while you wait."

3) Authors will wake up and realize that they are strong. For decades, the creative artist has been exploited by the music industry, publishers, radio, tv, film, etc. In publishing for instance, it's very common for an author to make just 10-12% of what a book actually sells for, in many cases, that's off the publisher's sell price to the brick and mortar chains. That means 88-90% of the book money is going somewhere else besides the artist. Obviously, there are a lot of people who currently play a part in getting a book to the shelf, and all these people need to get paid too, right? But shouldn't the artist get a larger percentage? Look at it this way: Can you imagine if Pro Football players only received 10-12% of their contracted millions, and the rest went to the people who coach, train, design uniforms, etc? It's not a perfect analogy, I admit. But if it worked like that, how long would the NFL survive?

With the advent of ePublishing, authors who are being exploited will begin to break away from their traditional print publisher shackles. They will become their own publishing companies, publishing eBooks exclusively or forming partnerships with print-on-demand companies.

4. We'll also begin to see a massive drop in price for eBooks. Right now, publishers are going to the mattress with Amazon over eBook prices. Traditional publishers want their "eBooks" priced at 60-80% of what the hardcover paper book would cost. Makes sense for the publisher who would make a MASSIVE windfall of profit since they can chop 70% of their production budget on every eBook. After all, no charge for paper, no charge for binding, no charge for shipping, warehousing, etc. Amazon wants the price low. Why? Increased profits. They know that pricing eBooks too high will cut WAY down on who buys. It is digital info, after all. Intellectual value? Yes. Material value? No. And that leads to the next reason that the price will go low: High price leads to digital piracy.

We live in a broken world where people redefine right/wrong all the time. Guaranteed as soon as you price The Door Within Part 7 at $16.99, there are going to be those who pirate it. What about DRM protection? Sure, they'll try. But someone will find a way around it. Let's take a look at some hypothetical numbers.

eBook A priced at $12.99 sells 4,600 copies in a year. If the publisher makes 50% profit on that book, then, the publisher takes in $29,877 profit on that book.

eBook B priced at $2.99 sells 50,000 copies. If the publisher takes in even 30% of that pie, the publisher makes $44,850. That's a substantial upgrade.

5. The Public Will Decide. In the past, publishers have used their various formulae and observations to determine what they believe they can sell. Then, they judge the quality of potential manuscripts and make the call about what will sell. Hopefully, they get it right, and good books get published. Poor quality books, don't.

That may continue in some capacity as Amazon and other online publishers may adopt some quality standards for what they will publish. But largely, the public will decide. People will go hunting for new books, trying to discover the "next big thing." Word of mouth will travel--at light speed online. And goodstuff will rise out of the murky not-so-good-stuff.

Maybe Amazon will adopt a "sell so many copies or get booted off the site" policy. Not sure. But more than ever before, the public will determine what they like. And that sounds good to me.

But, you might argue, you mean ANYONE can get published? Then there will be tons of terrible material out there to wade through. Yes and no. There might be a quality control standard in place, kind of watchdogs for the digital marketplace. Or, there may not. But either way, the reality is that most people want to have a book published. But most people don't want to do the work required to get a book published. Writing a book is hard work. It requires discipline, passion, and sacrifice. Butt-in-chair means it's not on the golf course or at Don Pablos sipping a cherry Pepsi.

So will there be a little extra chaff to sift through? Yes. But look at it this way. Isn't there already a ton of chaff out there being published? I've read a few books in my time that made me want to say, "Now there's six hours of my life I won't get back."

In conclusion: I love paper books. I may never buy an eBook myself. I like rooms full of books. I like holding books. I take books to the beach and up into my bed. But I was born with paper books. I might feel very differently if I was born with an iPad in my hand. And, unless I'm way off here, the publishing world is about to be hit by a digital temblor...because this generation is the digital generation.

Tribe Contest WINNER!

Hi, all! The Tribe Building Contest has at last come to an end. Christopher and I are stoked about the results. Really kind of awed. You are simply amazing people. We're a little overwhelmed by the flurry of late activity, but we cannot, CAN NOT thank you enough. More on prizes later. See below:

As you recall, this was the order of the leaders as of a month or so ago:

1: Nightwing

2: Silvertree

3: Shadowtear

4: Swiftstorm

5: Ashheart

6: Valorbrand

The 2nd ranking was:

#1 Silvertree

#2 Nightwing

#3 Swiftstorm

#4 Shadowtear

#5 Ashheart

#6 Valorbrand

The FINAL UPDATE Leaderboard is as follows:

#1 Nightwing

#2 Silvertree 

#3 Swiftstorm

#4 Shadowtear

#5 Ashheart

#6 Valorbrand

And now…it is time to announce the CONTEST WINNER!! 

 Oh, but you'll have to click HERE to find out who one.

By the way: if you have anything to comment or post on, do it here, not the site this links to. lol

Tribe Building Contest Ends Sunday, March 7th

Tribe Building Contest Ends Sunday, March 7th! 

I know, I know. It was supposed to be March 1st, right? But I want to post the Tribe Leaderboard one more time before that! So look for the LAST leaderboard right here, as well as, on the Underground--later today!

Who will be 100?

Hi, all! I just noticed that The Door Within has 99 reviews on Amazon! I'm floored and grateful that the overall ranking is still 5 stars. Honestly, it's my first book ever and 13 years of my life went into crafting it. But I know it's far from perfect. Even after 7 books, I know I have a long way to go…so much to learn about the craft of storytelling. But I love it, and Thank YOU, God for the gift of being able to do something I love.


But I wonder…who will be the 100th person to review The Door Within on Amazon?