A Light in Dark Places...

A city on a hill.  Candles in the darkness.  Witnesses in the world.  Ambassadors for heaven.  The light of the world.  To leave a testimony is perhaps the greatest calling a writer, or anyone, can strive to achieve.  We are unique.  Different stories and different lives, that is what makes the world's canvas such a unique portrait.  Is that picture portraying Christ?  Authors have the unique opportunity to use stories.  That was one of the biggest lessons I took away from my last (and first!) writer's conference.  The world of literature for young adults is a dark, dark place.  But darkness gives us a chance to contrast.  How can the light of hope shine without the grim, gritty, struggling, striving war we often call daily life?

I would refer to this as plot!  It is difficult to maintain a sense of story without an issue arising.  After all, Hobbits would never go on adventures unless there was a conflict worth leaving the comfort of their holes.  Aslan would have never brought ordinary children to the extraordinary if there was not some great task they could accomplish.  Tasks nobody else could complete.  Authors are all different.  The next time you pick up a book, check the author's style.  Do they describe with large, grand words?  Do they prefer short, staccato sentences?  Is there a trend in perspectives?  Do dystopian novels just work extremely well in first person?  That just goes to show the diversity among our traits, talents, and traditions.  Isn't that grand?  Authors can accomplish much, and I would encourage writer's to use their gifts for hope's sake.  My own admission is to shine Christ's light.  Maybe my characters have been pushed to their limit.  Maybe there is absolutely no way everyone can come out alive.  Perhaps there isn't a solution to the world's problems.  But determination and perseverance are curious things.  If my writing has inspired simply one person, and God is glorified, my work is complete.  Our treasure is not stored up in earthly things.

"What are we holding onto, Sam?" Frodo inquired hopelessly.

Sam took his friend's arm and pulled him to his feet. "That's there's still good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for!"

(DISCLAIMER... author may break into Lord of the Rings quotes at ANY given time... my personal opinion is that there is a Lord of the Rings quote for everything)

-KMB

Tongue Pen

Words are powerful.  From the ramblings of celebrities or commentators to the careful speech of politicians, words are meant to affect us.  Whether for good or ill, words hold weight.  Shakespeare rightly proclaimed "All the world's a stage!"  His actors didn't only act, they spoke.  It was his words that made impact.  Where is your stage?  What is your script?

I quote Proverbs, chapter 15, verse 4: A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.  They hold control over our emotions.  They establish or shake our confidence.  They sway our opinions.  Surely we have all been cautioned to think before we speak.  But we do not simply speak, people listen.  No matter who we are, this is a great responsibility.  James 3:5-6 states: So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  Fires are destruction, but they also bring light and warmth.  It is up to us to let our words be chosen carefully and make an impact, whether spoken intimately to close friends, proclaimed in public places, or typed out on the internet.  This is our great charge, especially to writers.

My Tongue is the Pen comes right out of the Psalms.  Psalm 45:1 is a verse of special significance to me as a writer.  This is my heart behind my writing and my inspiration to press forward.  It reads: My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.  I always say that I never set out to become a creator of books.  But my head was filled with stories, and those stories traveled straight to my heart.  You might say they overflowed.  How else could these stories possess life unless written down?  I soon encountered a thought, the Holy Spirit probing my heart.  What is the point of these stories if they do not point back to their author?  If you read one author long enough, you can find their style, their preferences, and that signs their work with a signature.  But I am not the author.  The Lord Jesus Christ is my author, just as He is the author of my life.  Why should I write if not to glorify Him?  No matter where this road through these stories takes me, I wish to only be the tongue of His pen.  He is the ready writer.  Fellow writers, artists, creative geniuses, I exhort you to use your gifts and talents for His glory.  After all, He can do so much more with these projects then we can.  That makes the journey an adventure.  The thrill and excitement of following where He leads.

-Kaitlyn