Questions

My fellow Christians, on this election day I have a few questions to ask of you, and of myself.
I ask:

• If our faith is in Christ, why is our hope in a politician, or a country?

• If we’re supposed to pray for our leaders, why do we post only criticism and vitriol? (This is all I have seen posted.)
  

• If we’re supposed to love our neighbors (and our enemies), why do we say we hate those that didn’t vote the way we wanted?

Lastly, I have this thought for you: Do not be afraid of tomorrow; God is already there.

Peace to you,
Call Me Heretic

The Blogger Formerly Known As Peacemaker

This blog used to be called, "From the Peacemaker's Pen" and I was The Peacemaker. Why the change? Well, I'd originally planned to just abandon this account and start a new one over on Wordpress. However, the majority of the people I know use blogger. So, rather than start a new blog here, I simply renamed it and will be transferring any posts not already on this blog.

Peacemaker to Heretic - Why such a drastic leap? The leap is not so big as you may think. In this world of wars, lawsuits, road rage, and petty squabbles, peace itself is a heretical concept. Most people agree that it's a good thing, but when it comes down to personal responsibility for peace - things fall apart. Good intentions can only get you so far.

Peacemaking involves telling two parties things they don't want to hear, you have little to no backup, you're in the middle, and you're caught in the crossfire. Being a heretic is much the same, only you don't get mentioned in the beatitudes. You do, however, get a cool color scheme.

And so from now on,
Call Me Heretic

Interview With the Heretic

Did you know I was a writer? Well, if you didn’t, you do now. I hope to be published someday, but for now I spin my stories, hone my craft, and share my heart with you. My friend, Tori, interviewed me for a school assignment, and I thought you might enjoy reading the result. So, here it is.


Tori: What work of fiction impacted you the most?

Heretic: It’s difficult to say, I’ve read so much fiction and been impacted by many great stories. But if I had to pick one, I think it’d be Beauty and the Beast. I first saw it when I was about 4 years old, and fell in love with the story. Beast’s pain, loneliness, and longing, Belle’s courage, independence, and love; they captured my imagination as a child and as I’ve grown and my understanding of love has deepened, they continue to touch my heart.

T: Why do you write fiction?

H: I think that’s about like asking me why I breathe. I can’t help it, and I’d likely die if I didn’t. That probably sounds melodramatic, but it’s not. I honestly feel that I was created to create, and if I’m not creating, some part of me will shrivel up and die. I write to capture life and love and truth, to show others the beautiful brokenness that I see. I write to open new worlds to others with the hope that the worlds I’ve created will open their eyes to the one we live in.

"I honestly feel that I was created to create..."

T: Why do you read fiction?

H: Fiction is a way of showing truth and life lived out. It puts a microscope to the beautiful, the painful, and the utterly horrific things in this world and lets you look at them through the safety of story, but still makes you think about them.

T: Have you ever gotten feedback from something you wrote impacting another life? If so, elaborate.

H: I have been told that certain scenes made people cry, or that they were drawn in by my description, but since I’m still working on completing my first book, the most common feedback I get is, “Finish this, already.”

T: Do stories you write influence your own life? If so, how?

H: Most definitely. I’m easily the biggest fan of my characters. I get so wrapped up in their lives, loves, and personal stories that I hate to tear myself away to do other things (like laundry, cooking, dishes etc.) I learn so much from them. Sometimes it’s driving home something I already knew, sometimes it’s reaching a new depth of understanding, and sometimes it’s a completely unexpected discovery. For example, the faith displayed by one of my female characters never ceases to amaze me. She talks about God and just the way she says His name – it’s awe, reverence, love, and familiarity all wrapped into one. That’s a level of faith I don’t have (though I hope to). Seeing it in her has given me a new realization of where I am in my walk, and where I’d like to be.

Stories compel me. Brokenness and healing, hate and love, guilt and forgiveness, these are things I love in stories, the things I love about life, and they show up in the lives of my characters. I don’t shy away from the ugly things in our world, I face them head on and in doing so I remind myself (and eventually others) that even in the darkest of places and the worst of times, there is light, and there is love. God’s love being the ultimate example.


So, there you have it, a brief look into my mind and heart. 

Be blessed,
Call Me Heretic

"The Kids are Gonna Love This."

“What is the deal with Lightning bugs? I mean, here is this rather ordinary looking flying insect, but wait … it has a glow-in-the-dark rear end.
What was God thinking?
I’m sure science has all kinds of explanations about how this fluorescent fanny is useful for mating and other stuff, but why did God choose to make the lightning bug glow? I wonder if when God was creating all the animals and everything around us, He came up with the idea of the Lightning bug and said, “The kids are gonna love this.”
We know that God loves us enough to create all the things we need to survive,
but does God love us so much He created some things just to make us smile?
Just seeing Lightning bugs takes me back to those warm summer nights of my youth. I’d be running around the back yard with my empty Mason jar, racing toward the flashing lights all around me. I can still feel the joy and hear the laughter echoing through my memories. Lightning bugs were as much a part of summer as fireworks, fresh tomatoes, and big ice-cold slabs of juicy watermelon.
God created so much diversity in this world, much more than is needed for mere survival. He made all of this for us, and He wants us to enjoy it. We can get so busy surrounding ourselves with man-made goods that we don’t notice the living tapestry God has laid out all around us.
I guess Lightning bugs do have a purpose after all. They are a reminder of a creative God who loves us so much, He’d even paint the rear end of a bug …
Just to see us smile…. :o)”
My friend, Diane.

For God So Loved "Those People"

For God So Loved "Those People" John 3:16-17 Note: This is not a peaceful post. In fact, it could be rather divisive. Truth has a way of doing that.

For God so loved liars, that He gave His only Son, that if a liar believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn liars, but in order that liars might be saved through Him.

For God so loved cheaters, that He gave His only Son, that if a cheat believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn cheaters, but in order that cheaters might be saved through Him.

For God so loved thieves, that He gave His only Son, that if a thief believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn thieves, but in order that thieves might be saved through Him.

For God so loved adulterers, that He gave His only Son, that if an adulterer believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn adulterers, but in order that adulterers might be saved through Him.

For God so loved homosexuals, that He gave His only Son, that if a homosexual believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn homosexuals, but in order that homosexuals might be saved through Him.

For God so loved pornographers, that He gave His only Son, that if a pornographer believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn pornographers, but in order that pornographers might be saved through Him.

For God so loved murderers, that He gave His only Son, that if a murderer believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn murderers, but in order that  murderers might be saved through Him.  

For God so loved rapists, that He gave His only Son, that if a rapist believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn rapists, but in order that rapists might be saved through Him.

For God so loved pedophiles, that He gave His only Son, that if a pedophile believes in Him they will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn pedophiles, but in order that pedophiles might be saved through Him.

For God so loved the world (that means the entire world, not just the "good" people), that He gave His only Son, that whoever (anybody, be it sweet little child or the person that rapes and murders that child) believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world (We all know what it's like to be condemned; by others, or by ourselves. If you don't yet, you will.) but in order that the world might be saved (from death, judgement, circumstances, sins, addictions, anything that holds you; He can and will save you) through Him.

Think about who you consider "those people" and put them into the verse. It might just change the way you view them.

This post is not aimed at the "bad" people, but at the "good" people who consciously or unconsciously condemn others and forget that God loves them and Christ died for them too.

The Fruits of Love

The fruit of the spirit is LOVE. Joy is love's strength. Peace is love's security. Long-suffering is love's Patience. Gentleness is love's conduct. Goodness is love's character.  Faith is love's confidence.  Temperance is love's victory. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

I'll Be Home for Christmas

A tribute to the men and women of our armed forces. May we never forget all they and their families sacrifice to keep us safe.

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