Well, a short one at least.

Erica Vetsch is one of my parishioners. She also happens to be an author who has just had her first book published – “Squeeeeee!” (I believe those where her exact words when she found out.) You can check out my review of her new book, The Bartered Bride, here. I had a ton of questions for her about writing, developing plot lines, her methods of character development, how her faith in God through Christ Jesus affects her writing and so forth. She’s on quite a blog tour at the present time, however, so I settled for three questions at this moment. Check out the tour schedule On The Write Path.

ERICA VETSCH is married to Peter and keeps the company books for the family lumber business. A home-school mom to Heather and James, Erica loves history, romance, and storytelling. Her ideal vacation is taking her family to out-of-the-way history museums and chatting to curators about local history. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Calvary Bible College in Secondary Education: Social Studies. You can find her on the web at On The Write Path.

As Erica’s pastor (and let me tell you, she needs a fair bit o’ shepherding, I can be the first to tell ya!), it’s been a blessing having Erica and her family as a part of our congregation. She can brighten a teaching discussion like you wouldn’t believe. Her thoughtful insights and questions during such discussions prove to be a delightful challenge. Peter and the kids are just plain fun to be around (especially at the annual New Year’s Day party they host). However, every once in a while, it’s fun to “turn the tables” on a parishioner and ask them some thought-provoking questions. I had a few for Erica about the writing of books.

What people has God brought into your life to help shape your thinking, sharpen your writing, and stretch your faith?

Starting with my parents? Actually the first person who really expressed an interest in my writing was a high school teacher who gave me a love of literature and words. He encouraged me to read good literature and to write. I owe a lot to Mr. Heter.

God has also brought mentors in the form of writers who have taught me through their books on writing craft and teaching workshops. From the first writing class I ever took, taught by the fabulous Angela Hunt, to the dozens of writing books by luminaries like Donald Maass, James Scott Bell, Stephen King, and Debra Dixon, God has brought people into my life that have sharpened my writing.

I’ve also been blessed to be part of several critique groups over the years. These critiques taught me to suck it up, to listen more, evaluate, and find my own writing voice. I’ve currently got a couple of terrific crit partners who are honest, and who I can trust to make my writing better.

Does it challenge your faith when a manuscript is rejected?

It sure can hurt. I’ve had rejections that were positive like “The writing is there, the story just doesn’t fit our readership.” And I’ve had rejections that were just wounding, like “I hate Christian Romance and Christian Prairie Romance is the worst.” (This from an editor at a Christian publisher that published Christian Prairie Romance from time to time.) Talk about a kick in the head! But I realized this had nothing to do with me or my writing. This was an editor who let his personal prejudice against a whole genre color his behavior.

There have been times when I’ve wondered if I’m doing what God wanted, when it seemed like I wasn’t getting anywhere on the road to publication, but He always brought someone or something to encourage me at just the right time. A positive critique, a kind word from someone ahead of me on the journey, a contest final or win. Whenever I have been tempted to give up, God opens another door for me to walk through.

What is it like to have a manuscript returned with many revisions after you have poured so much time and effort into the first writing?

My intial reaction. Shock. Embarrassment. Disbelief.

That’s when you have to set those revision letters aside and do an ego check. Ask yourself some serious questions.

1. Is everything in the letter horrible, or are there some atta-girls sprinkled in there that you can cling to?

2. Do you trust your editors? Do you seriously believe that their goal is not to humiliate you, to denigrate your work, to make you wonder why you ever started this publishing gambit anyway, to stifle your writing voice and kill your story? OR, do you believe they want to help you shape your book into the best story it can be, one that will be satisfying for the reader?

3. Do you really need a gallon of Cookies and Creme Ice Cream topped with a slathering of Hershey’s syrup in order to get through the letter or should you just suck it up and deal?

Then you start reading the letter with a modicum of objectivity. Consider carefully the suggested revisions, and evaluate for yourself what to keep, what to modify, and what hill to die on.

I’m deep into edits on a novel right now, and the edit letter was happily a short one with only minor tweaks. I expect to be finished with them in a few days. But the book prior to this? A Loooooooooong editorial letter that had me asking all of those above questions and that took me almost six weeks to complete the revisions from. But, that long revision letter was a wonderful lesson in being teachable, and an opportunity to show to my publisher that I’m an author who check her ego at the door and submit to an editor, who is willing to listen, and who makes her deadlines, no matter how painful the revision process might be.

I’m very thankful for people with abilities like this. It’s part of the joy of being a pastor: observing God’s children use their gifts for His glory and the delight of His people. I pray He’ll allow Erica to see more fruit from her labors.

"Rabbi Schlomo" Sorensen

I see I haven’t made a post here since 2007. I’m going to do a bit of experimenting with WordPress for a while and see if it helps me save a bit of $ and time from managing my own domain and site. If there are those out there who happen to stumble across this blog and know how to link my own domain name (www.aclutteredmind.org) to this WordPress blog so I don’t have this silly awkward name (niveknes.wordpress.com), please feel free to lend advice that I can understand.

Once I’m ready to really start cranking out daily posts, I’ll advertise that to all.

Okay, everyone. Grab some gloves, packing tape, a few boxes and your back brace. It’s moving day at last.I think I have this domain/ftp/iWeb stuff figured out for now. I’ll need to keep experimenting and tweaking a bit to get everything I want out of it, but for right now here’s my new address:

A Cluttered Mind

Now, if someone quite savvy in the ways of the internet/ftp, etc. could instruct me how to get my WordPress blog archived over on my new blog site, I’d be forever grateful. Besides, you don’t want me breaking the internet, do ya? (Thanks, Erica!)

Now, for any who belong to my congregation, please, in the words of Ford Prefect (you’ll have to read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe to understand), “Don’t Panic”! I’m not leaving Cornerstone, unless you know something I don’t knowNo, I’m hoping to move my blog to my own site. I’ve registered the domain name, I’ve been making posts, but either my FTP application is putzy, or my web host doesn’t like me. I’m working on it and hope to get it figured out soon. In the meantime, please be patient. I know one of a blogger’s worst nightmares comes when he can’t make a post for a long time and realizes he’s lost all his readers (okay, that would make maybe three of you, but please hang in there). 

… a few of you (one I could name specifically but shall remain unnamed at this time) have asked for a bit more on our family’s vacation. So, I’ll indulge those few with just a couple of shots now and then.

We had a really wonderful trip: nearly 4,200 miles of blessed safety and absence of mishap with the van; nearly 4,200 miles of freedom from complaint from any of the Sorensen travellers about the length of days and number of miles driven each day; 13 days of restful time with family, seeing massive amounts of God’s creation west of the Mississippi River and simply getting away from cares & concerns back home.

So, here are few shots from Day #2, June 26:

Devils Tower

DaKidz@Devils Tower

Big Horn Mountains

Big Horn Mountains

Maybe some fro Day #3 @ Yellowstone another day soon.Tags: family vacation, Devils Tower, Big Horn Mountains

I’m registered for this conference. I’ve signed Ann up to attend with me. The reservations are in at one of the conference hotels. I’ve watched all the latest promo videos. And I don’t want to go.

I got a little beat up last evening. Not literally, but mentally and pastorally.

It was one of those phone calls you really dread getting. If you’re a pastor, you know the kind: angry, frustrated parishioner calls, maintains a good semblance of control, but still lets you have it with both barrels. Several things made it quite painful: I was one week back from a really great, restful two-week family vacation; just prior to leaving, we had a leadership meeting that I hoped would put us on a good track to move forward from where we’re at as a church; my first Sunday morning back went well; and, much of what this person had to say was true (maybe it could have done with a great deal of explanation of reasons/motives on my part, but that wasn’t the time). There will need to be some measures taken on my part toward reconciliation. There will need to be some serious matters addressed elsewhere. However, when the words "we may well need to leave this church" are uttered, all the air goes out of my sails.

If those words are the real sentiment of the heart and the expression of a heart’s discernment of the Lord’s will, I can’t and won’t stand in the way; that would be sin on my part. If the words were uttered as a means to manipulate and force me into doing things that person’s way, then that is sin on their part. At this time, I can’t say where this is going.

I do know this: re-watching the DGM videos promoting the Fall Conference, hearing the words to challenge & exhort toward persevering are not the words I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear, "Go ahead. Pack up and leave. That would serve them right. It would be the easiest thing to do. Pick up your things and find some place else where they’ll really appreciate you." What I need to hear is: "Set aside your sinful pride. Confess your sins and seek His forgiveness. And above all things, seek His grace to stand firm, to endure to the end, even if it hurts (and it will hurt a lot)."

So, for the masses that read this (all three of you at this time, I think), I’d encourage you to consider this conference with me. And above all, to stand firm.

Tags: Desiring God 2007 National Conference, perseverance, pastoral pains

… we’re on vacation!

You’ll have to guess where all we’re at!

Okay…

…here’s another clue

I’ll be back on July 9th.

I’ve been preaching through the Gospel according to Luke since sometime last year. With a few breaks in between for special Sundays, for short somewhat topical series flowing from the passages in Luke, I’m through chapter 10. Yesterday, I preached on the passage in 10.38-42, the famous account of Martha & Mary hosting Jesus in their home. I’d like to offer just a few reflections from that passage here:

I don’t believe the real problem with Martha is her serving. If serving versus sitting at the feet of Jesus was the true problem, Jesus would never have sent out the 12 in ch. 9 and the 72 earlier in ch. 10. No, I believe Martha’s problem was two-fold:

       1)   misplaced priorities: serving isn’t wrong, but when it takes precedence over that of sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning of Him, from Him and about Him, there are bound to be problems arising soon. Look at our modern evangelical church today: we’re far more focused on the pragmatic that we are on the doctrinal. There must be room for both, but methods have overtaken the message. The Gospel barely means anything anymore. The Bible has become a “manual”, an “instruction book”, Life’s Lesson book and very little more than that. Plus, we’re so busy. It’s easier and faster to just “do” something than it is to sit before our Lord in prayer and in reflection of His words in order to determine what we should be doing and whether we should even be doing what we’re currently doing. The first prong of Martha’s problem is, she’s placed her own serving above that of learning what Jesus wants her to do.

        2)  projection of her priorities on others, primarily because they’re hers. When Martha comes to complain to Jesus, she’s complaining against two people: a) her sister, Mary, who has been sitting at Jesus’ feet learning from Him (a remarkable occurrence, given the stature of women and the fact that no self-respecting rabbi would be caught dead teaching a woman); b) Jesus Himself. Don’t you hear Martha’s words to Jesus? “Don’t You care? Don’t You care that I’m working my fingers to the bone while she just sits there? Don’t You care that I’m really trying hard to serve You with all that I have, but it’s going unnoticed by You and by her? Don’t You care?” Martha has her own agenda. She’s not checked with Jesus to see if this is what He wants her to be doing right now. She’s just set out and gone about her ministry. And when it begins to go downhill, she has the audacity to complain to Jesus about it. Oh, how often all of us project what we want to be done upon others. And when we find that they are actively engaged in other pursuits, and probably more worthwhile pursuits (especially here, in the case of Mary), we get upset… with them and with God, Our pride shows up and we have our little pity party and hope that they’ll see the error of their ways and follow us (and we secretly hope that God will notice and say, “Well done, my faithful servant” before its ever time for Him to say those loving words).

            I’ll bring a few more thoughts later this week on how to overcome the same heart problem that Martha had (because I believe God’s grace worked in her to overcome it too).

Tags: Martha & Mary, Jesus, Priorities, Discipleship, Sermons, Luke’s Gospel

]]> http://niveknes.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/martha-mary/feed/ 0 Pastor Kevin http://niveknes.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/paul-potts-and-missing-what-gods-grace-gives-us/ http://niveknes.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/paul-potts-and-missing-what-gods-grace-gives-us/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:28:02 +0000 niveknes http://niveknes.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/paul-potts-and-missing-what-gods-grace-gives-us/ ]]>

I saw these two videos on JT’s site. They’re from the British version of the American show, America’s Got Talent. I don’t really like these programs. They’re exhibitionist. They’re narcissistic. They’re shameful. With that said, this one brought tears to my eyes… and I don’t even like opera! There was just someting about the beautiful voice and seeming emotion put into doing what this man loves that got me all misty.

This is actually the final of the show and I don’t think you’ll be surprised to see who wins:

It did get me to thinking (and trust me, that takes a lot!): I only wish that we wouldn’t “idolize” these kinds of talent. I think it’s wonderful that average, ordinary people with average, ordinary jobs (to sue Simon’s words) have amazing abilities like this. But can we not be thankful unto the Lord for them right where we’re at instead of trying to get them notcied by everyone in the world? Don’t get me wrong, I think Potts’ voice is breathtakingly beautiful. But, if he were a Christian (and I have no knowledge whatsoever of his faith or lack thereof), could he (or the thousands upon thousands who audition for these types of programs) simply be content where God has placed him to shine for Christ where he is? I fully expect to see a Christian-ized version of these programs very soon (if there isn’t already one out there – anybody know?)

Tags: Paul Potts, Justin Taylor, Between Two Worlds, Britain’s Got Talent, humility, gratitude

I’ve not read up on my usual blogs for about 4 days now. My what you miss when you don’t pay attention.

I was blog-spotted on Pyromaniacs!

Granted, it was just by centuri0n, not Phil "The Jedi-blogger Master", but hey, I’ll take it. Doubt that it will make me famous, but nice to see my name out there.

Now, I confess my pride and won’t mention it again.

Did I tell you I got blog-spotted on Pyromaniacs! Now, on to Challies!!!

Tags: Pyromaniacs, centuri0n, Challies, blog-spotting