M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 49

Sonnets For My Savior 53

What A Warrior Knows

Only those who have fought know War’s horror.

Only those who have seen pain realize the cost.

They know to resist opening War’s door.

They’ve seen enough, and remember what they’ve lost.

Those who have faced War then

seek to make peace whatever situation they’re in.

Blessed are those men,

for they are God’s children.

But War is a result, not the foe.

The enemy of peace is sin.

Unrighteousness is the source from which these conflicts flow,

and righteousness the source of peace within.

War is glorious only to those who have never gone through it.

Blessed are those who value peace, and diligently pursue it.

 

 

What A Wonderful Day

Bless this wonderful day;

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

For this is the Day the LORD has made;

May I glorify His name all the way through it.

May I spend it in love and honesty.

May I live in peace and happiness.

May I live in patience and humility.

May I live righteously, so my life will bear His witness.

For the Lord allowed me to sleep and wake.

He brought the sun down and raised it up.

Please help me draw nearer with every step I take.

Help me to take up my cross and drink from His cup.

For this is the day the Lord has given to me.

Work through Your humble servant to bring Your will to be.

 

 

Orient On God

Fix your eyes on Him.

Ensure each step moves in His direction.

Endeavor to do only the things that please Him.

Doing so demonstrates your devotion.

You fall short of His glory,

so there are times when you will stray.

However, Jesus Christ, provides the righteousness that is mandatory.

Repent and trust in Christ, for He is the only way.

Keep God’s word on your mind.

Let your heart delight in His will.

Do this, and you will find

that your heart’s desires will be filled.

In any situation, be it optimistic or grim,

the solution is always to orient on Him.

 

 

For Those Who Sinned

Whom would you die for?

Would it be a friend or a loved one?

To whom would you give your life and more?

What would you give to see their lives won?

Would you refuse an enemy?

Would you let them die so that you might live?

Could you sacrifice yourself for the guilty?

Is there even anything you’d be willing to give?

But Christ died for us

even when we were in our sins.

Christ paid the price for us

so that we might be cleansed from within.

What man wouldn’t die for those who love him?

But Christ gave Himself up so sinners could be reconciled through Him.

 

 

I Have; I Need

You have provided me with food and drink.

You have blessed me with things of plenty.

You’ve given me more than I can even think,

but please, Lord, work in me pore purity.

I have such a loving family.

You’ve given me a job I love, which provides money.

I’m humbled, Lord, for you’ve blessed me greatly,

but please, Lord, fill my heart with even more purity.

I won’t pretend I don’t appreciate worldly things.

I have more than I deserve.

But if I crave more, let it be the blessing that purity brings.

For there is nothing greater than to be in your presence and serve.

For blessed are those whose hearts are pure.

For they shall see You, and in Your presence be secure.

 

 

I Believe

I believe in the loving God.

I believe in the just God.

I believe in the righteous God.

I believe in the holy God. 

I believe in the God who rejects sin.

I believe in the God who sent his son to pay the price for my sin.

I believe in the God who forgives those who repent of their sin.

I believe in the God who provides the way to resist sin.

I have faith in Jesus, who died so we may see God.

I have faith in Jesus, who is the only way to God.

I have faith in Jesus, who died to satisfy the wrath of God.

I have faith in Jesus, who advocates for us with God.

I believe in God, who knows all things.

I believe in God, who made all things.

 

 

Forever and Ever

Forever and ever, Lord, let the people praise your name.

Forever and ever, Lord, let your will be done.

Forever and ever, Lord, may your son Christ reign.

Forever and ever, Lord,  to you, let the people run.

Forever and ever, Lord, let the peoples worship You.

Forever and ever, Lord, let them offer up music and songs.

Forever and ever, Lord, let the people’s actions please You.

Forever and ever, Lord, let the peoples do right and never wrong.

Forever and ever, Lord, let Your Spirit dwell in us.

Forever and ever, Lord, let Your commands be obeyed.

Forever and ever, Lord, may You smile upon us.

Forever and ever, Lord, may You bring back any who have strayed.

Forever and ever, You are the one God of men.

Forever and ever, A-men.

 

 

This is the 53rd week of sonnets, which means I’ve written more than 365. I started this project as a way to continue to honor and praise God after I’d finished my testimony.  I enjoyed this labor. It truly challenged me and forced me to grow. My hope is to have this published at some point (obviously it’s already published, but I mean as a poetry book).

My nest testimonial, Christian project will begin next week. It’s called Musings on Christianity. The goal of that project will be a sort of on line panel in which I provide an area of discussion. My hope is pastors from my church and others will provide strong Biblical insight and information on the topics presented.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these poems. Thank you so much for reading,

Matt

 

Stealing Freedom Is Out! Why Should You Buy It?

[image error]Greetings all,

Stealing Freedom went live Oct. 1, and so I wanted to take the chance to let you know that and give you a bit of information on why this might be the right story for you.

It is currently 99 cents and will remain at that price until midnight Oct. 16, when it goes to the standard $2.99.

A mother strives to free her daughter from the ruthless communication laws of her planet. 

The initial inspiration for this story was a mental picture of a mother standing in line just so she could buy the right to say “Happy birthday!” to her daughter. Ardelia’s whole motivation for her scheme was ensuring her daughter wouldn’t grow up in a world where speech was restricted.

A gang of thieves become the heroes when they use their skills to free the planet from tyranny.  

I’m talk about this a bit more later, but Stealing Freedom is basically a heist story. The cast is diverse and unique (in a manner of speaking). My favorite part of this aspect of the story is Elvin, who has no business being in a gang of thieves. Why is in the group? Well, I guess you’ll have to read to find out.

[image error]Do you miss the TV show Leverage? Stealing Freedom is what would happen if Leverage took place in a dystopian, cyberpunk future.

I personally loved that series. It’s honestly fantastic from beginning to end. Even then, I don’t think give it enough credit because I never seem to place it in my top ten TV shows. Regardless, the add copy above is accurate. If someone were to post in a review: “This is pretty shameless imitation of Leverage!” I’d respond with, “Thank you so much!”  So why not go and watch that show? What’s the difference?  Well there are a few.  First, the MC is female. Second, she’s a family woman. Unlike Nathan Ford (a great character in his own right), Ardelia isn’t morning and regretting the loss of a child. Instead, she’s fighting for the child she loves, and the bond between Ardelia and her daughter is plain from the first scene.  Elvin (mentioned above) is also another twist. Where the cast members of Leverage are all highly competent, highly proactive characters, Elvin is a wonderful fly in the ointment.

A cop turned thief faces off against the best cop in history in chess match where the prize is the future of a planet.

I love a good chess match. I love when two worthy opponents face off. The relationship between Ardelia and Vance (said best cop, called monitors on this planet). They’re both smart. They respect each other. They constantly work under the belief that they’ve accurately anticipated one another’s future moves. This conflict is what drives up the stakes. Vance isn’t cookie cutter though. In a lot of ways, he’s supposed to be the hero. If he were defending a law people supported, he would be. He hates Ardelia for choices she made. He thinks of her as the traitor, and his conviction, I think, is believable. If you like movies like “Catch Me If You Can,” I think you

[image error]Stock image from Pixabay.

‘ll like this. “White Collar” is another good comparable show that has these themes, though the relationship between Vance and Ardelia is far more antagonistic than those shows.

In a world where any form of communication is ruthlessly suppressed, how do people communicate to support each other or enact change?

This was the biggest causal inspiration to the story. Even today in the news, people are talking about the freedom of speech in some pretty negative ways. What horrifies me is that in our efforts to silence speech that is just plain wrong, we’re closing the door on our right to say things that need to be said. It wasn’t that long ago someone was “wrong” or “stupid” for saying a woman shouldn’t vote or a black man was less than a white man. If we silence or restrict speech just because people are saying things we don’t like to hear, we prevent humanity from being able to hear the things they need to hear.

All of those “sell lines” apply to this story. Any one of them works for an accurate description of what the book is and why anyone should read it. My hope is you’ll give the story a chance and feel free to let me know if one or any of the above promises aren’t fulfilled. You can purchase it through the link above, or just click here.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Antithesis by Mitch Goth from Alien Days Anthology

[image error]Cover image taken from the book’s Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Antithesis by Mitch Goth is the second story in the Alien Days Anthology. Dr. Jonah Edwin has received a request. They want him to talk to some aliens. The aliens themselves have found a way to speak, but communication is still suffering. What is it that has these visitors so baffled?

Character:  Edwin doesn’t really grab me. He’s thrown into a situation, and then he just kind of rolls with it. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t go. He doesn’t evoke change. This story is a plane-ride conversation followed by a interrogation room sort of conversation. Edwin doesn’t take any action. I don’t know anything about him, so I don’t care about him. I can’t even mentally picture him. 

Exposition: This story reads like a musing designed to help mankind appreciate his mortality more. This might be satisfactory for a younger reader. The main conversation (see above) is essentially looking at mortality from the perspective of an immortal filter. Since, while I hope to live many more years, I’m fairly comfortable with my mortality, the 30-minute discussion on mortality didn’t do anything for me. 

Worldbuilding: This story takes place on an earth setting, and it largely takes place on that plan and in the medical area/interrogation area. We don’t learn much about the creatures, and we only get a bit of insight to their biological needs (air). 

Dialogue: While the story was driven by conversation, it’s not particularly lively conversation. There isn’t much snap to the dialogue, and the conversation just sort of expands on a pretty narrow summary. I mean, if I had the chance to talk to aliens, I’d probably have more than one subject of conversation. Even if the realization in this story was true, I’d still want to know more. But this story just sticks to that topic of conversation and calls it a day. 

[image error]Image of Mr. Goth was taken from his Amazon author page for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

Description:  I get more information on the plane in the beginning than I do on the aliens. I have more of a sense of that flight than I do the rest of the book, and the only value of the flight was to set up the “The More You Know” ah-ha moment at the end of the story. This story was 90% tell and 10% show, and that 10% didn’t do a thing to advance the plot. 

Overall: This is a pretty “scathing” review from one point of view, so I want to clarify this a bit. This is less a story than it is a dialogue exercise with an existential scientific prompt. It asks a great question. It gives a satisfying realization. Those are true things. However, it’s not a story. There are no obstacles to overcome. In fact the only possible obstacle was handled before the story even started. There’s no conflict, so there is no resolution. The characters are only proxies for the perspectives of the motivating debate question. This might be the best philosophically driven dialogue exercise I’ve ever read, but it’s not a story. 

Thanks for reading

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 52

The Lessons In Pain

Why is there pain?

Could it be there are lessons in suffering?

Those who hold fast to Christ will learn their faith is not in vain.

Those who endure in faith will see Christ and all the rewards his return will bring.

Why would God allow pain to come?

What parent hasn’t allowed a child to fall

so that the child might learn what shouldn’t be done?

Pain is a harsh teacher, but its lessons come to all.

Pain can equip someone.

Those who’ve suffered can help others in similar situations.

One who’s suffered gains the strength to overcome.

Those who endure can push beyond previous limitations.

Some things happen, and they hurt more than a person can know.

But as we endure, we learn; we demonstrate our faith, and we grow.

 

 

 

Merciful

I should not laugh at another’s misfortune,

even if he is my enemy.

For every man receives his proper portion,

and I should offer mercy as it’s been given to me.

Never forget those times you’ve suffered.

How much did you cry for understanding?

Shouldn’t you offer the same to those who are flustered?

When others mourn, shouldn’t you be listening?

The Lord’s mercy is great.

He his abounding in love and forgiving.

No matter what mistakes you might make,

his love for us is ever enduring.

Just as your Father is merciful,

so should we be merciful.

 

 

 

He Will Always Seek You Out

Fear not lost sheep,

He will seek you out.

In his arms, he will keep

you no mater where you run about.

Do not lose your shine little piece of silver,

He will seek you out.

He will search under every floorboard and pillar.

And when he finds you, he will, with joy, celebrate and shout.

Do not give up, repentant sinners,

He will seek you out.

He sent His Son to deliver

all those who repent from their pain and doubt.

If you are lost, and you’re unsure what you should do.

Have faith and seek Him, and He will always find you.

 

 

Love

What has hate ever gained someone?

What need does it satisfy?

What good has it ever done?

It only leads to more hate, and no one understands why.

But if you love the one who hates you,

There is hope for better gain.

If you bless those who curse you,

You proclaim your father’s Heavenly name.

You can not know God if you don’t know love.

If one does not know love, God is not in him.

God is love,

And whoever loves a brother abides in Him.

Any man can hate those who hate him,

but a world filled with hate is one that’s dark and grim.

 

 

Pride

When I feel like I know best.

When I feel like things should go my way.

When I don’t get my way, and I feel stressed.

When I feel others should do as I say. 

This is my sinful pride.

This is when I place myself on a throne that isn’t mine.

But the prideful seeking God’s kingdom will be denied.

An arrogant man seeks justification, but he will not find.

God, place in me a Spirit that’s humble.

For the earth is the meek’s inheritance.

Forgive me, Lord, when my pride makes me stumble.

Forgive me, Lord, for I offer my repentance.

There is no love in me if I place myself above others.

Let me exalt You, Lord, above any other.

 

 

 

Repentance

What need do the perfect have for forgiveness?

Why should they seek salvation?

If only I could obtain such righteousness.

If only I could resist each and every temptation.

Why praise Christ as propitiation,

when so many mortal men call you good?

Surely you can rest upon your own perfection.

If any could argue their case before God, surely you could.

You’ve never called anyone a fool.

You’ve never looked at a person in lust.

Indeed, you’ve followed God’s every rule.

Indeed, you’re always patient and just.

I, however, lack such earthly perfection,

so I depend on Christ and his crucifixion. 

 

 

Abide

Keep your faith in trying times.

Hold fast, and anticipate the good things to come.

Keep your faith in joyful times.

Don’t turn away in complacency and lose the good things to come.

Keep your faith, though you may be sad.

God is good and always keeps His word.

Keep your faith, though you may be glad.

God is just and always upholds His word.

He is not a tool to use in need.

He’s not a person to cast aside after you’ve catered to your greed.

He is the Lord who made you.

He is the Lord who loves you.

Abide in Him, so that, when He returns, you won’t cower in fear.

Abide in Him, so that you may receive His gifts when He returns here.

Finding the Time: If You Want To Be A Writer, Write

Greetings all,

[image error]I kissed the bride.

I’m not sure what post it was in, but a few posts ago I mentioned my wonderful life and how that life has altered my schedule. I had been and remain adamant that anything in life deserves a level of commitment. That level of commitment should reflect the importance you give it in your life. I’d advise anyone to take a serious look at the things they say they want to do in their lives and evaluate how much effort they make to do those things.

It’s a good way to put things in perspective too. If you keep investing your time in other things, maybe those things are actually more important to you. This isn’t a judgment. It’s your life, and you’re free to spend it doing whatever you want. If you look at that life and realize you spend a lot of time doing X, then you can either realize that X really is more important or change your habits.

Being married has been a huge adjustment. I’m about 10 months into my marriage, and we’re still figuring things out. It’s not just me. My kids’ lives are very different than they were before I showed up, and they’re even more different after I became their father. My wife’s life is different. We’ve talked several times (Julie and I) about what we want to find time to do and how we can pull it off.

So I offer this bit of rambling to you who say you want to write but can’t “find the time.”

First question: Do you really want to write? Really? Do you want it more than sleep? Do you want it more than football? Do you want it more than video games? Do you want it more than time with your wife? I’m not saying you have to sacrifice everything. However, there are only so many hours in a day, week, or month. You can’t give time to something unless that time comes from somewhere. If the things you’re already doing are more important than your desire to write, it’s no shame on you. I think you should simply think about other ways to find time. Maybe take a vacation day here or there. Maybe do some sort of writing retreat. Maybe look at the situation and say to yourself that you’re happy with your life the way it is. If you can’t let writing go, then don’t. But that means working to find that time. Before moving on to any step be aware that finding time means investing time. If there’s nothing in your life you’re willing to do less of, then writing isn’t that important to you, and that’s OK. But if you do this seriously, and you’re heart is set on writing, then you’ll find the thing you’re currently spending time on that isn’t that important.

[image error]Things more important to me than writing: God. My family. Being a good employee. Those are areas of my life that I won’t give up to find time writing. I love writing. It’s been part of my life forever, but I won’t take time from those things to find more time to write.

Things I really, really like: Football and video games. Those are things that I’ve found can compete. However, when I realize I’ve spent more hours playing video games than I have writing, it’s usually a convicting moment for me. Football is a fairly seasonal thing, and commercials are awesome! They let me do social media things or work on a cover. I wouldn’t necessarily tell people to write during commercials. I think that divides too much of your attention, but there are somethings you can do that will let your dedicated writing time be all about writing. If I’m up against deadline, video games are usually the first to go, and I can reduce my football. I love my 49ers most, so I tend to want to watch that game, but the rest of the games are things I can set aside if I need more dedicated writing.

Easier said than done: So above, I mentioned my family. That’s a lot of time. Homework time. Dinner time. Family time together. Bible time (at least in my house). Laundry. Cleaning up. Bed time (at least in my house). This takes up the better part of most evenings and every other Saturday. So time at my house is such a premium.

I don’t get a ton of writing done at home these days. I usually get a bit on Saturdays. Most of my writing time is done during my authorized lunch time. Rather than what I used to do (enjoy a mindless hour on Youtube), I use that time to write.  After we get the kids to bed (my wife an I alternate bedtime), I might have to not play video games so I can get more writing done.

[image error]The boys.

My point is, the time is there. When I feel myself getting frustrated at the amount of time I have to write, the first thing to do is make sure I’m not wasting time I could be writing. However, I’m not a crazy person. Those video games are usually how I calm my self down (animated though I may be during the games) before going to bed. Who doesn’t need relaxation now and then. Writing is actually pretty relaxing on one end, but it activates my mind. When I used to try to go to bed right after writing, I found I couldn’t shut off my brain. I still have my normal goal of 1,000 words (of something) a day. That might be editing like I’m doing now with Betrayed. It might be outlining, like I will be doing with Discovered. I love drafting most.  Tuesdays and Fridays are set aside for blogging right here. No, I don’t have nearly as much time to “write” as I used to, but I still managed to find the time I’ve always believed I “need.”

Other places I find time: My wife drives. First, she likes it, and I hate it. So while she’s driving, I can get social media done or even some drafting or editing if the trip is long enough.

Stay up a “bit” later. Honestly, I’m 40 now. Man my body needs way more rest than I’m used to. I used to be able to be pretty much good to go off maybe  three hours of sleep. Not any more. I need five. Five is probably pushing it, but I have to get five hours of sleep to have a hope on Earth of waking up on time for work or church. On an occasional time or two (or Saturdays if I’m being honest), I pull of four hours of sleep, but I usually hate myself. However, I can probably find an hour when I need to after everyone else has gone to bed.

Wake up a “bit” earlier. If I’m being honest, this would probably be the more feasible option if I needed it. I’ve found that no one in the house likes going to sleep alone, but no one in the house gives two toots who wakes up first. My bias is I hate waking up regardless of the hour. If I could sleep for a whole day, I would. However, it’s an available option to me.

I wanted to share this to help anyone out there struggling. If one were to ask me, “Do you feel like you get enough time?” I’d probably say, “Not as much as I want, but at least what I need.” Still, before I was married, I wrote a bunch and had all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted. It wasn’t fun. It’s way more fun having three wonderful sons. It’s way more fun having a wife. So I take the lunch hour I used to waste on videos and get the 1,000 mandatory amount, and then I carve out other blocks if I feel I need to.

It’s really just about taking a good, hard look at your schedule and making a decision about what you’re willing to give up, which is why that first question is the most important.

So, busy authors who are more successful than I am, what do you do to find time? What ideas have you had that I haven’t mentioned above?

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: The Shanti Heist by Killian Carter from Alien Days Anthology

[image error]Cover image taken from the book’s Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Shanti Heist by Killian Carter is the first story in the Alien Days Anthology. Eline, haunted by the death of her sister, has taken a heist that ended up as a setup. Now she has to find a way out of the situation, but just as things look darkest, help comes from the most unanticipated place.

 

Character:  Eline is a solid character. She’s smart and capable. Her love for her sister is obvious even though we never saw the relationship develop. I mentioned an issue with this in my last book review, but in this case, we see a character mourning for a lost loved one (which makes sense) more than a character defending her relative’s cannibalistic insanity.  I can’t say Eline stuck with me after the story, but I remembered the gist of the story even though I’m nearly done with the entire anthology. I’d say that the longer a character sticks with you after reading, the better the character is.

Exposition: This was solid, especially for a short story. The story moved at a brisk pace and didn’t lag down with explanation or background history. 

Worldbuilding: This wasn’t so good. I’ve come to expect this from short fiction, but I didn’t really understand the setting or world I was looking through. I saw what I needed to understand what was happening, but I didn’t feel immersed. I felt like I was watching a play where the set looked obvious if I looked closely enough.

Dialogue: This was pretty neutral for me. It didn’t lag me down. It revealed character. Those were good things. It just wasn’t snappy or memorable.

[image error]Image of Mr. Carter was taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Description:  Much like with the worldbuilding, even I think this book could have used a bit more description. What the author did that I appreciate is give me a fast-paced story that had some emotional power. I just miss a bit of the visuals and context that make a good story  a great story.

Overall: This is one of the better stories, somewhere in the top three (though I’m not done with the whole anthology yet).  The ending was powerful but a bit of a bummer for me. I would say it was a great lead-off story for the anthology because most of the others (I’ve read so far) have similar pacing and (unfortunately) similarly unfulfilling conclusions. This story felt like a cliffhanger to me, and I was left (not in a good way) wanting more. That doesn’t make the story bad. I certainly enjoyed it while I read it. If this were an excerpt from a longer work, I’d probably understand and then maybe see how the rest of the story unfolds when my TBR didn’t look like a manifesto.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 51

What Do You Desire More

Some questions for those who deny Heaven or Hell:

What if they do exist?

Would you still proclaim that all is well?

Would your desire for earthly things persist?

What would you give to avoid a moment of pain?

What if that torment were to last forever?

Would you still be selfish with all you’ve gained?

Wouldn’t you pursue a new endeavor?

If worldly goods are all you desire,

worldly goods will be all you receive.

But if you set your sights on One who is higher,

you will gain more than you could ever believe.

If after this life there is indeed something more,

what good are the worldly things you work so hard for?

 

 

Rest

Let us be joyful in our loss,

for believers who die yet live.

During life, we take up our cross.

When our time on this earth ends, we gladly receive the blessings you give.

Let us take comfort in You.

We fix our eyes on the unseen.

Though feel sadness in this grief we are going through,

we know that all pain, sadness, and sin has been washed clean.

Comfort us,

for our hearts are broken.

Heal us,

for we take comfort in the promises you have spoken.

We take heart because Jesus died and rose again,

and so we believe God will bring with Jesus those who’ve fallen asleep in him.

 

 

Shall Not Want

My Lord provides for me;

He will ensure I have all I need.

My Lord comforts me;

He wipes away my sorrow and grief.

My Lord defends me;

He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.

My Lord guides me;

He establishes my path and directs my feet.

My Lord loves me;

He is with me all the days of my life.

My Lord encourages me;

He is with me in times of joy and strife.

I will dwell with him; I need not despair or fear,

for my Lord is always good, and He is always near.

 

 

After The Door Is Shut

After the door is shut,

he will not answer you.

It will not open no matter what.

For you had the time to enter, and you chose not to.

When you say, “but I ate at table with You,”

He will reply, “I never knew you.”

When you say, “but I did so much for You.”

He will reply, “Depart from me; I never knew you.”

Strive to enter through the narrow door,

for many will seek but be unable.

Do not ignore the prophets who have come before,

lest you be forced to watch those who answered sit at His table.

Your pride and lusts are the costs you must pay.

But letting them go and following Him is the only way.

 

 

He is There

A man trapped in a dark room may think the sun has gone.

A flower planted in a desert may feel water has run dry.

One who toils all night may think he’ll never see the dawn.

A mourner may not feel God’s presence, though he may try.

But the sun remains in the sky even in the night.

The oceans still swell though the desert is far.

The sun will rise, and you will see its light.

God is with His elect no matter where they are.

He is with you;

Do not be dismayed.

His Spirit will guide everything you do.

He will strengthen you and give you aid.

Do not let the night lie and convince you the sun isn’t there.

He will answer, only seek him continually in prayer.

 

 

Gracious

The LORD is gracious,

though We are underserving.

He teaches and cares for all of us,

though we are constantly stumbling.

His rain falls on the just and the unjust,

but we need only wait to see

He allows the sun to shine on the just and the unjust,

for there is nothing that happens that He has not allowed to be.

He is merciful to grant us time to grow.

He is loving, providing His word to teach.

He sent His Spirit to help us know

that he is always with us, and nothing can take us out of His reach.

Sanctify us, oh Lord, and continue to guide us.

Thank You, oh Lord, for your patience and graciousness toward us.

 

 

Find me

Come and find me,

for I am lost.

Lift me up on your shoulders and rescue me.

Celebrate my return, for You’ve paid the cost.

Come and find me.

Though ninety nine are with you.

Come and rescue me,

for I am lost, and I don’t know what to do.

Pick me up.

Though you have nine pieces of silver still.

Lift me up,

so that I might serve Your will.

I cannot come unless you call,

Please let your voice be heard by me and by all.

Some Reviews For Various Audiobooks

Greetings all,

It’s a bit harder to share reviews for audiobooks because there aren’t any direct links to just those reviews (or at least I haven’t figured out the trick). However, I’ve gotten a number of reviews for a lot of these audiobooks, and so I wanted to take a chance to share some of the comments.

[image error]Caught:  Caught has two ratings and one text review.  It has an average 4.0 rating (again only two ratings) at the moment.  The text review just kindly said that the reader loved the print version so much that they wanted to listen to the audio version while I work on Betrayed.  The reviewer also took a moment to praise the plot twists, which I honestly think is the greatest part of the book.

 

 

The Power of Words: The Power of Words has four ratings for an average of 4.3 overall.  It also has two text reviews.  The most recent reviewer said the stories were entertaining. He appreciated the range of genres, which I was actually concerned would be a problem. He took a moment to praise the narrators on this (and I think Lisa and J.M. are indeed worthy of praise.  This reviewer concluded by acknowledging that short stories don’t have the depth he typically looks for (“…they’re usually over before you can really get into them.”)

The older text review focused again on Lisa and J.M. The reviewer did say the collection “lives up to the title.” I appreciated seeing that.

[image error]Repressed: Repressed has one rating and text review.  The reviewer had issue with the tone and target audience of Repressed vs Caught (Repressed, as you may know, is based on Kaitlyn from Caught).  I honestly accept this criticism and respect it. I had to make a choice on what to do here. I wanted so desperately to give Kaitlyn her own short story, but when I did that I had to gauge the content against those most likely to read it. So it’s completely fair and just to have this thought. My hope is, those who love Kaitlyn will appreciate this story. Those who love the darker, more horror driven aspects of Caught, it’s fair to say, won’t enjoy this.

The reviewer also took a moment to compliment Jennifer on her reading. I always felt she had the perfect voice for Kaitlyn, and I’m glad this reader agreed. My hope is Repressed get’s Jennifer plenty more offers.

And I think that has me caught up with the reviews for my work so far.

If you’ve read any of my work, I humbly request you take a few moments to toss up a rating and review on Audible, Goodreads, Amazon, or all of those above. I can’t tell you how much reviews help in so many different ways. Even if you hated it, feel free to spend however many thousands of words  you feel you need to express your discontent. It’s still valuable feedback.

If you’re interested in any of my audiobooks, and you don’t have a credit you want to spend on one, just send me an email, and I’ll send you a free promo code for whichever (or all) you want.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Blood and Bile by J.C. Boyd and Joshua Robertson

[image error]Spoiler Free Summary:  Blood and Bile by J.C. Boyd  is and Joshua Robertson is the first book in the Legacy series. Runa’s brother has lost his mind. The evidence is composed of the bits of his wife still stuck in his teeth. Even so, Runa’s priority is to help her brother return to sanity even if it costs everything else. Hunfrith, however, is determined to see the letter of the law fulfilled and Ranvir, Runa’s brother, killed. The battle for Ranvir’s life will test how far both Runa and Hunfirth are willing to go to see their ends met.

Character:  Hunfrith made perfect sense to me. I didn’t necessarily like him, but he was a believable character. He was proactive and competent, but not very sympathetic, but as the antagonist, how likable is he supposed to be? Run, however, didn’t make as much sense. This isn’t a gender issue. My problem is everything about Runa rides on her love for her brother, but the reader never sees that relationship, so there’s no context for the basis of her entire character. Is it plausible that a person would do anything on earth to save her brother? Yes, but the emotion is lost because the relationship wasn’t established. She’s is a formidable opponent to Hunfrith because she’s equally as proactive and competent. 

[image error]This image is the same from source file in previous reviews.

Exposition: I felt this dragged this particular story down. The book felt so slow (especially in the beginning). Some of it was necessary to establish the world and the culture, but I felt “told” a lot about the world’s history and society when I would have preferred to have seen it or experienced it. This story has amazing drama and a very satisfying (in terms of rising action and plot development) ending, but it definitely takes a while to warm up.

Worldbuilding:  This is the strongest part of the book. So books that have amazing worldbuilding and lack that proactive character link aren’t bad books by any means, but I don’t thrive on worldbuilding alone. When a book has amazing worldbuilding, but it doesn’t hook me with a character, I tend not to like it as much. Now, there are those who hate a book if worldbuilding isn’t on point (or even if it’s not amazing). So I want to make it a point to say this culture is amazingly researched and incredibly well thought out. And if you like deep worlds and settings, this is for you.

Dialogue: There are some “tales” that happen, and in a movie, when the director can shift to a flashback, these aren’t so hard to get through. However, when the reader can only read or metaphorically listen to the tale, it’s just more exposition. I recall one story about how the big bad of this world’s history was killed. If you take those away, the dialogue is actually pretty powerful. The conversations that weren’t clearly there to establish back story or culture revealed character and had some great snap.

[image error]This image of Joshua Robertson was the same used for previous reviews. 

Description:  This is the other high-quality aspect of the story. This book puts you in the scene. All the senses are activated. These authors do a great job of using the most underutilized aspect of storytelling. They even gave distinct character quirks to their cast that did more to reveal their character and personality.

Overall: This book started slow, and it took a long time for the plot to get going. What amounts to a political fantasy drama takes a while to come to a head, but when it does, everything is all the more satisfying. The ending was awesome. While it was hard to connect with some of the characters, this book ramps up to an amazing end that promises great conflict.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Sonnets For My Savior 50

Giving Father

Praise the Lord, who never fails to answer prayers.

Praise the Lord, whose mercy is endless.

For He knows and listens to all your cares.

His steadfast love is boundless.

Be persistent,

for God gives justice to those who cry out day and night.

God is never inattentive or distant.

He never fails to care for his chosen or do what’s right.

He has heard my pleas.

He has answered my heart’s calls.

His generosity brings me to my knees.

His power has raised up kings and thrown down walls.

I’m not worthy to receive such kindness,

so I offer my praise with a heart full of gladness.

 

 

The Other Brother

What did he serve for?

Was it because his heart longed to do good?

Or did he hope his work would earn him more?

Was his anger over not getting what he thought he should?

Does correct behavior make a good son,

or is it the heart that brings truth to light?

No amount of good deeds lead to God’s heart being won.

Service offered in love is the practice that is right.

How much better was the one than the other?

One demanded then while the other hoped for more later.

But desire led one to be jealous of his brother.

Wouldn’t it be better to set one’s eyes on something greater?

Don’t become envious of those who return to your Father’s door,

for you are with Him always, and all He has is yours.

 

 

Compared to

Compared to other men,

I may seem righteous.

Compared to other men,

I might be considered pious.

Compare to a killer,

I am peaceful.

Compared to an adulterer.

I may not seem lustful.

But compared to our perfect, holy God,

I am filthy.

Compared to a perfect, just God,

I am guilty.

Rather than glorify yourself with your comparison to humanity,

Look up to the LORD and see the need for humility.

 

 

His Gentle Rebukes

Praise God for the guilt I feel,

for I know this is how His spirit speaks to me.

One way to know my salvation is real

is how detestable sins grow to be.

I feel remorse when I realize

how empty sin really is.

Fear of His wrath is what begins to make me wise.

Each sin I turn from helps me know that I am His.

When I feel convicted,

I know he is calling me back.

His rules no longer make me feel restricted.

His gentle rebukes are what keep me on track.

I pray to always avoid temptation’s seduction.

Instead help me to listen for His Spirit’s instruction.

 

 

And 70 Times More

Time after time, I’ve stumbled.

Time after time, You’ve forgiven me.

Your mercy has me humbled.

Your grace has changed the man I used to be.

Time after time, I’ve been sinned against.

Let me reflect the patience you have shown.

Why should I become incensed,

for my sins prevent me from casting a single stone.

Let me forgive regardless of the offense.

Let me forget any amount owed.

For my debt to you was so immense,

but still, from You, forgiveness flowed.

If I’ve forgiven my brother 70 time before,

let me forgive him still 70 times more.

 

 

His Love For Us

We break every rule He has set.

We only call to Him when we have a want or are in need.

We demand of Him anything we can get.

We’ve no interest in His will, only our own greed. 

If we were treated thus?

Would we not feel frustration?

Would we say such people love us?

Would we not demand compensation?

Even as we committed these acts,

Christ died for us.

Even as our sins are piled in high stacks,

Christ paid the price for us.

His love for us is shown in this:

Despite our wrongs, Christ gave himself up for those He calls His.

 

 

Who Will Be Exalted

Sit at the lowest table seat.

Let the host come move you to a higher place.

Pray as if Heaven’s place your eyes can’t meet.

Let the loving finger of God lift up your face.

Kneel and pray for forgiveness.

Do not stand and justify yourself with comparisons to man.

Let your Father, who sees in secret, offer you his kindness.

Let your Father, who hears in secret, lift you up, for only He can.

Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who seek,

for they shall find Christ, and receive more than their worth.

Those who humble themselves will be raised high.

Those who exalt themselves will be cast down by their own pride.