Book 7 Teaser–Force them to see reason

We’ve learned absolutely nothing. And we’re growing stupider.

Forgetting our history, we’re making the same mistakes we’ve been making for decades–no, for thousands of years.

We repackage every old injustice and sell it as something new.  Every rising generation decides it’ll be the one to end it, but they use the same flawed techniques of arrogance and force, creating even a bigger problem that the next rising generation is sure they can resolve by using the same flawed techniques themselves.

We’re only recycling old hostilities, the same old selfishness, the same “us-versus-them” mentality that caused Cain to kill Abel, that made the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Nazis, ISIS and even us rage war against those we think are “wrong.”

We try to force them to believe our point of view, but when EVER in the history of the entire world has that EVER WORKED?

That’s what I thought.

Here’s the secret to real peace: We each give up our own selfishness first. Until we are right with ourselves and right before God, nothing else will ever work. You’ll notice the most aggressive people are also the most personally bitter.

Once we fix ourselves, the rest of the world will follow suit.

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“I’ll force it! I can force the world to see reason like you forced me—”

We forced you to see reason?

“Yes!”

Obviously it didn’t work, did it?  It seems that forcing someone to accept your position only forces them to find new ways around it.

~Book 7, The Soldier in the Middle of the World, coming October 2017

Book 7 is coming! And here’s the title . . .

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Young Pere is in a world of trouble. Of course, being General Lemuel Thorne’s son has a tendency to cause that. It’s a tough place to be, not sure whose name to take or whose legacy to follow, especially when playing things just right might mean the world could be yours.

Like Young Pere, Book 7 is anxious to get out in the world, which is why I think final edits are going so rapidly. I’ve been tinkering with Books 7 and 8 (yes, there’s a book 8!) for the past five years, and it’s like they’re itching to be alive. I was hoping for a release before Christmas, but now I think it’ll be here before Halloween! 

Each week I’ll post another teaser from “The Soldier in the Middle of the World,” and soon I’ll have the official book cover as well. So hold on, the world’s coming at you pretty quick and fierce in just a few weeks!

 

 

In praise of regular days

My 10-year-old said, “I’m bored. What are we doing today?”

“NOTHING!” I shouted in delight. “Isn’t that amazing!”

“So,” she said, “we’re going nowhere and have nothing to do?”

“Isn’t that WONDERFUL?!”

She frowned but I was grinning. It’s been months–maybe even a year–since we’ve encountered so many quiet days. The frenzy of fixing things up, of taking things down, of moving cross country, of readjusting to new normals . . . all of it’s over, and for the past few weeks we’ve had boring days. Lovely!

I probably don’t appreciate regular routines as much as I should, but I am today. In fact, I feel guilty for not realizing that a couple of weeks ago we “settled in” because I’ve been glued to my laptop, deep in final edits of Book 7 (and Book 7 will likely be ready much faster than I expected–WONDERFUL!).

There’s immense comfort in knowing we’re facing another dull day, another routine with no pressing matters looming. School won’t start for us for a few weeks yet, and while we’ll have to move from this rental house again it won’t be for a couple months, so for right now we have blissful, sweet boredom!

It’s like God presses the pause button on occasion and says, “Let’s give you a few days, see if you notice that the biggest problems are that all the purple popsicles are gone and that the kitten mistook the bathroom rug for the kitty litter box again. For a few days, you can just be. Look outside, take a walk, notice the groceries aren’t running out too quickly, and breathe deeply.”

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When I’m done writing, I’m going to sit outside in this chair (apparently it’s not just decorative but useful), maybe get a few splinters in my behind, but enjoy it and a dull day.

Not everything is a crisis, not every day with children is chaos, despite what so many blogs and memes want you to believe. There’s no need to look for or create drama. We don’t even have to check the news or social media to find a reason to rage and roar at the world.

We are allowed, believe it or not, to simply sit back and enjoy the pause button days.

Real troubles will come again on their own, so let’s revel in the days that are dull.

“And what are you planning to do to Peto? Another dishonest distraction? I think Rector Shin is dealing with enough real problems without you creating a new one for him to chase!” ~Book 7, title to be announced VERY soon!