A Writer Without Fame

Oh! I feel it's all in vain,

Because of all the writers of fame,

Seem so numerous to me.

I'm just a writer without a name,

But that's not important to me;

Because I write just for thee.

I must write from my heart,

Not just in flowery refrains

and not with fiery darts.

My heart is full of many things

and my soul knows no bounds;

For My pen flies on joyous wings.

Oh! I feel sometimes it's all in vain,

Because of the writer with famous names;

They seem so exalted to me.

But I know in my heart,

My words are meant to be;

Written especially for thee.       

   1998 JWS                           

A Novel Journey

Writing a novel is like planning a journey.  The author is the driver and the reader is the passenger, who has not a clue where the author is taking him. The author gets the map out knowing where the trip starts and where it ends, he plots the course.  He unfolds the map and plans his route from city to city until he reaches his destination. The cities along the route are the chapters in the story.  Once the journey begins the author finds many twists and turns in the road that are not seen on the map.  The author is many times amazed by what he finds around the next turn as the story unfolds before his eyes. These twists, turns, and the new discoveries are what cause his passenger to ask; "What's around the next turn?"   The twists and turn will keep his passenger interested in completing the journey and arriving at the final destination. The destination must be worth the ride for the reader. In the end the reader is safely brought back to the real world satisfied and ready for the next adventure in the pages of the next novel journey.

     JWS 2009            

                                                                                 

A Novelist or a Theologian?

 

            A Christian novelist looks at scripture and sees an exciting story that is hidden there ready to be revealed.  God does not share all mysteries with us in His word.  He gives us just what He wants us to know, that will lead us to a relationship with Him. He gives us eternal truths but not all the details. A Christian novelist writings a story based on scripture and uses these truths as a foundation for his story.  God give us tantalizing hints about the mysteries of eternity that makes us wonder about them.  A novelist sees these mysteries as a stimulus to create a plausible story based on scriptural truths. He is not trying to interpret scripture or create a doctrine out of these mysteries.  God may guide his pen as he writes, but the precepts of his story will only be confirmed in eternity.  To the reader it is a fictional story with scriptural truths woven into the plot. God created us to dream and create.  The novelist writes his dreams about the wonders of God's Kingdom and His plans for mankind. The Christian author hopes that someone will find a truth that will lead him to God's Son.

            The theologian read God's word looking for truths that may be meant to remain a mystery.  Many things in God's word are very clear and gives us absolute truths; others are up to man's interpretation and his imagination.  When you mix man's imagination and intellect when interpreting God's word you can come up with many differing opinions.  Because of this many theologians have created many differing doctrines.  If you have many differing opinions you are probably trying to make God's word say more than it was meant to.  Because of this we have many different sects of Christ's Church. Theologians need to reminded themselves of what God said Isaiah 55:8-9. 

8.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
 9.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

           Novelists are not trying to change what God has chosen to share with us by creating new doctrinal breakthroughs, they are just trying to reinforce our hopes and dreams of what God may have in store for us. We have to rely on men called to teach God's word with honesty and integrity.  They are the ones that do not theorize about what God really means but stay true to God's word as the Holy Spirit guides them. There is nothing wrong with not knowing, but there is a danger in thinking we know more than God.

      JWS 2009