CW Blog Chain - "Leap"

One of my favorite images in the Bible of leaping is when David danced before the Ark of the Covenant. David praised God continuously, and he wrote many of the Psalms. The Psalms are full of praise – why do you think David was a man after God’s own heart?  There was hardly another man with more of the power of God in his life than David. 

Then David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephad.  So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. (2 Samuel 6:15)

And though so many of God’s people joined in the celebration and blessing, one person disapproved: his wife Michal.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. (2 Samuel 6:16)

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal, the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel.  Therefore I will play music before the Lord.  And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” (2 Samuel  6:21-22)

There’s a praise song that shows David’s response called “Undignified.”  But this is the kind of Praise that God is looking for.  He wants us to be so free in our love for Him that we would be willing to look undignified.  And although all of Israel was blessed by David’s praising and shouting, Michal died barren.  Whether that’s because David refused to touch her or if God closed her womb, who knows?

I don’t know if you can tell how excited I am about this, but here’s another big revelation of Praise’s power:

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets.  And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat.  Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:20)

Trumpets blowing, God’s people shouting = praising!   And what kind of power was held in that praise?  The power to tear down walls!  Aren’t there walls in your life that need tearing down?  The walls of depression, fear, or addiction can overwhelm you.  All of them can be torn down when God’s people give every portion of our personal trinity the attention it deserves. 

When we trust God, listen to Him, and praise Him, change occurs within us naturally.  He promised that He came so that we could live in abundance and does not want us to lead a life of self-condemnation.  Have you ever listened to worship music, and wished you could have that kind of relationship with God? Well I am telling you that you can!  Let Him defeat the condemnation in your life, too.

Praise is a faith catalyst.  It activates our faith and causes us to be tuned into God through our mind and emotions, reaching down to our very soul.  That’s why I believe that praise is an important part of gaining the power in our lives to change.

So how about you?  Are you willing to leap and praise before the Lord?

A Banner Weekend

So for those of you who don't follow me on Facebook in some fashion, you may have not heard about the incredible weeked I just had!

Friday - I had a publisher review my query and ask for the full manuscript! CATALYST (scifi) is being considered with a traditional publisher...cool!

Saturday afternoon, here in Virginia, we experienced the RARE phenomenon called 'thundersnow'.  This is where a very cold front hits a warm area fast and causes there to be snow, wind, thunder and lightning!  It was awesome.  I'd never heard of it before reading Sheila Hollinghead's Thundersnow - a very enjoyable historical YA book.

Saturday evening - I found out that I WON Christian Creative Writer's Short Story Contest with 'Teacher's Log' - see the very awesome widget on the sidebar - yeah, I won that. :)

Sunday morning - The awesome Lyndon Perry of Fear & Trembling Magazine published my short story "Sanctuary" (zombies, rabid dogs, and suspense).  I knew it was coming, but it still made it no less cool.

So now what? Unfortunately, I sat around like a contented fat cat on my laurels all weekend.  I guess I deserved a break, as I've written a novel, revised it 3 more times, sent out queries, wrote about 5 short stories and submitted them, written book reviews and devotionals for various website, and studied marketing books like a mad woman all in the last 4 months.  But at the end of my lazy weekend, how did I feel?  Did I feel better? NO, I felt awful and guilty.  I wrote a devotional about it...and submitted it (I'll let you know if/when it's published).

Now it's back to work I go.  I'm giving Catalyst a break while the publisher is looking at it and starting work on my PRE-NaNo work - a novel version of the short story 'Sanctuary'.  Funny how these novels only vaguely resemble the original short story.  Catalyst was inspired by the short story 'Teacher's Log' also posted above.  If you feel like reading anything mentioned, I put links there for your convenience.  Back to work, or how will I become the woman in my mantra?

What is this doing on a Christian website?

Jesus said: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

There is a small subset of Christian Fiction which is called Christian Horror.  Christian Horror Fiction is about Light vs. Dark and Good vs. Evil.  God, Light, Good - always wins.  There is no gratuitous violence, cursing, or nudity involved in the genre, or if it exists it is used sparingly.  So should this genre exist?

Horrors exist in the real world, whether they are allegorical monsters such as Vampires and Zombies or realistic ones such as pedophiles and murderers.  If Christians bury their head and pretend these things do not exist, then we may as well stick with Amish Fiction.  Meanwhile these dark things that children have a regrettable attraction to will be shown by secular society to be stronger than Christ. Those lies will be believed by unfortunate souls who hear no argument refuting it.  So why not have Christians writing 'horror' stories where Christ wins?

To those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I become as weak, that I might by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:21-22)