Tim Speer's Blog, page 3
June 15, 2015
Inspiration and Motivation
I've talked about how my writing has been inspired by God, and specifically through the Holy Spirit. However, I also owe a lot of my motivation to God. I must admit, if God is going to inspire you, it only makes sense that he will provide you motivation as well. In my case, while God motivated me throughout the writing of Return To Paradise, he has also continued to motivate me as I work to market the book. Often, the inspiration and the motivation seem to have come hand in hand.
One prime example of this occurred about a week after Return To Paradise was first published . I knew going in that it would take work to market the book. I just never had focused on it, and had never developed a marketing plan. So now my book was published and I found myself playing catch-up. As I usually do when I undertake a new task, I did quite a bit of research and reading on what to do and how to do it. And to be perfectly honest, I was beginning to feel somewhat lost and overwhelmed. Then about three in the morning on a Sunday, I woke up and could not go back to sleep. I couldn't get my mind off of the marketing of the book. And a plan began to develop. By four in the morning, I was writing notes on my phone, listing out a twelve point plan.
I was not going to have a lot of time to implement my plan that day, as we were planning on leaving at eleven in the morning to go with some friends to a worship service at a hermitage located about two hours away. And we would not be back until early that evening. Despite my lack of sleep that past night, I was up early and set to work on my marketing plan. By the time we left, I had my Facebook Author page up and running, and I had registered a domain name for my web page, set up the hosting, and started to work on the web page itself. I would finish the web page that evening . By the end of that week I had finished, or started in the case of ongoing tasks, every item on my list.
While it did take work on my part to accomplish this, it came at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed, and as a result, had not been accomplishing much. It is my belief, that the only reason I was able to accomplish what I did, was through the inspiration and motivation provided to me by God.
One prime example of this occurred about a week after Return To Paradise was first published . I knew going in that it would take work to market the book. I just never had focused on it, and had never developed a marketing plan. So now my book was published and I found myself playing catch-up. As I usually do when I undertake a new task, I did quite a bit of research and reading on what to do and how to do it. And to be perfectly honest, I was beginning to feel somewhat lost and overwhelmed. Then about three in the morning on a Sunday, I woke up and could not go back to sleep. I couldn't get my mind off of the marketing of the book. And a plan began to develop. By four in the morning, I was writing notes on my phone, listing out a twelve point plan.
I was not going to have a lot of time to implement my plan that day, as we were planning on leaving at eleven in the morning to go with some friends to a worship service at a hermitage located about two hours away. And we would not be back until early that evening. Despite my lack of sleep that past night, I was up early and set to work on my marketing plan. By the time we left, I had my Facebook Author page up and running, and I had registered a domain name for my web page, set up the hosting, and started to work on the web page itself. I would finish the web page that evening . By the end of that week I had finished, or started in the case of ongoing tasks, every item on my list.
While it did take work on my part to accomplish this, it came at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed, and as a result, had not been accomplishing much. It is my belief, that the only reason I was able to accomplish what I did, was through the inspiration and motivation provided to me by God.
June 10, 2015
Evangelizing and Pinterest
I mentioned in my earlier posts that I look at my writing as a way to evangelize. But also, that it has led me to other ways of evangelizing. Ways that I did not expect when I first started writing. One of these additional ways has been the sharing of my photography.
Once I had completed writing Return To Paradise, and had it published, I was then faced with the task of marketing it. One of the main tools for this was social media. And, in addition to Facebook and Twitter, one of the suggestions I read about was Pinterest. The problem was I had never done anything on Pinterest.
I was able to quickly set up an account, and put up a board titled "Inspirational Christian Novels". I then put up pins for Return To Paradise, along with a few other Christian novels. However, this seemed unlikely to garner much attention. So I decided on an additional board, one where I would post some of my scenic photography.
Putting up a Pinterest board with scenic photography may not seem like a method of evangelizing, but to me it is, although a more subtle one than others. First, although my original reason for putting up the scenic photography board was to help draw attention to my Pinterest posts as a whole, and hence my book pins; I also always had a desire to share my photography. And while I had shared some of my photography on Facebook posts, the Pinterest board gave me an opportunity to share a wider selection of it, and with a potentially much wider audience. I look at this as a way of sharing the gift that God has given me. And this gift is twofold. First, the ability to take the pictures; and second, the opportunity to have visited a number of beautiful places. To me this sharing, of my gifts, and sharing of the beauty of God's creation, is a form of evangelizing. And it is one that I believe I will be able to expand on in the future.
At this point, I must confess that I am by no means a great photographer. I consider myself a decent amateur photographer. I am reasonably proficient in the use of a camera. And I have read enough, and practiced enough, to know the basics, as well as a lot about what does and doesn't work. I don't however, have the truly artistic eye that separates a great photographer from a good one. The best thing I have going for me is the truly beautiful scenery that God has created for me to photograph.
In writing this, and thinking about my photography relative to my book writing, I have come up with an idea for improving my photography. I mentioned in my earlier posts that, at the start, writing a book was something I did not think I had the ability to do. To that extent, I relied on the Holy Spirit to guide me. And every time I sat down to write, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to inspire me and to guide me. This is something I have never done with my photography, but perhaps I should.
Once I had completed writing Return To Paradise, and had it published, I was then faced with the task of marketing it. One of the main tools for this was social media. And, in addition to Facebook and Twitter, one of the suggestions I read about was Pinterest. The problem was I had never done anything on Pinterest.
I was able to quickly set up an account, and put up a board titled "Inspirational Christian Novels". I then put up pins for Return To Paradise, along with a few other Christian novels. However, this seemed unlikely to garner much attention. So I decided on an additional board, one where I would post some of my scenic photography.
Putting up a Pinterest board with scenic photography may not seem like a method of evangelizing, but to me it is, although a more subtle one than others. First, although my original reason for putting up the scenic photography board was to help draw attention to my Pinterest posts as a whole, and hence my book pins; I also always had a desire to share my photography. And while I had shared some of my photography on Facebook posts, the Pinterest board gave me an opportunity to share a wider selection of it, and with a potentially much wider audience. I look at this as a way of sharing the gift that God has given me. And this gift is twofold. First, the ability to take the pictures; and second, the opportunity to have visited a number of beautiful places. To me this sharing, of my gifts, and sharing of the beauty of God's creation, is a form of evangelizing. And it is one that I believe I will be able to expand on in the future.
At this point, I must confess that I am by no means a great photographer. I consider myself a decent amateur photographer. I am reasonably proficient in the use of a camera. And I have read enough, and practiced enough, to know the basics, as well as a lot about what does and doesn't work. I don't however, have the truly artistic eye that separates a great photographer from a good one. The best thing I have going for me is the truly beautiful scenery that God has created for me to photograph.
In writing this, and thinking about my photography relative to my book writing, I have come up with an idea for improving my photography. I mentioned in my earlier posts that, at the start, writing a book was something I did not think I had the ability to do. To that extent, I relied on the Holy Spirit to guide me. And every time I sat down to write, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to inspire me and to guide me. This is something I have never done with my photography, but perhaps I should.
June 5, 2015
My inspiration
I mentioned in the post on why I decided to write, that a lot of the religious content for Return To Paradise was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The truth is, I feel most of the book was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it was only through the Holy Spirit that I was able to write the book.
One of the reasons I didn't start writing the book earlier, even after having developed most of the story line, was that I was pretty sure that I didn't have the ability to. And I am not a pessimistic type person, or one who easily gives up on things. I have often learned to do things, or accomplished things, simply because I took the attitude that if I set my mind to it, I could do it. At the same time, I'm a pretty good judge of my own abilities. There are things I do well, and am confident of myself in. And there are things I know I simply can't do. For instance know I can't throw a baseball ninety miles an hour. Nor, with any amount of work or practice, would I ever be able to. I also know I can't sing. If you doubt me on this, I'd be happy to give you a demonstration - ear plugs are recommended.
When it came to my assessment of me not being able to write a book, it was not made groundlessly. I read a lot, and I have read a lot of fiction. I was thus well aware that it takes more than a simple story to create a novel. There's plot structure and development, character development, and dialogue among other things. Although I can't say when, because it wasn't a conscious thought, I know at some point in time I started thinking in the back of my mind about writing a book. That's because when I'd read a novel, I would find myself analyzing these elements and how the author developed them. And my conclusion was that I could not do what they did.
So ultimately, in the end, here I was feeling called to do something I didn't think I was able to do. How did I deal with it. The first thing, was not to tell anyone. Not even my wife. Only after she heard me in my office pecking away at the computer keyboard for a couple of nights, was I forced to fess up. And then only after making her promise not to tell anyone. The reason for this was simple. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to write it, and I didn't want to have to explain that to people when they started wondering why I hadn't finished it.
I have been told that God will not ask you to do any task without giving you the ability to accomplish it. And so it has proved true with Return To Paradise. God took the idea I had developed for a story, and through the Holy Spirit, gave me the inspiration, motivation, and ability to turn it into a novel.
How do I know this, and how do I know I'm not just deceiving myself. I told my wife early on that there would be one simple test. If very few people read it, and those that did said it was stupid, then I would know I had deceived myself and this was just another (yes I have had a few) dumb idea of mine. On the other hand, if more than a dozen or so read it, and more than one or two said they liked it, then it was in fact God and the Holy Spirit who had guided me, for I would have accomplished something I was previously incapable of. As I write this, about two months after the initial release of Return To Paradise, somewhere around 700 copies have been distributed (the majority through a free promotion I ran). That's a long way from the New York Times best seller list, but it's a lot more than a dozen. And all of the feedback I've received so far has been very positive.
So where do I go from here. I know that if I am called to write, and I follow what the Holy Spirit leads me to write about, it will be something people find worth reading. If I decide purely on my own to write something for my own benefit, it will probably be something noone wants to read. Will there be another book? Right now the answer is probably yes. What will it be about? Will it be a sequel, or something new? Right now all I can say is that it will have a Christian theme. Beyond that, God only knows.
One of the reasons I didn't start writing the book earlier, even after having developed most of the story line, was that I was pretty sure that I didn't have the ability to. And I am not a pessimistic type person, or one who easily gives up on things. I have often learned to do things, or accomplished things, simply because I took the attitude that if I set my mind to it, I could do it. At the same time, I'm a pretty good judge of my own abilities. There are things I do well, and am confident of myself in. And there are things I know I simply can't do. For instance know I can't throw a baseball ninety miles an hour. Nor, with any amount of work or practice, would I ever be able to. I also know I can't sing. If you doubt me on this, I'd be happy to give you a demonstration - ear plugs are recommended.
When it came to my assessment of me not being able to write a book, it was not made groundlessly. I read a lot, and I have read a lot of fiction. I was thus well aware that it takes more than a simple story to create a novel. There's plot structure and development, character development, and dialogue among other things. Although I can't say when, because it wasn't a conscious thought, I know at some point in time I started thinking in the back of my mind about writing a book. That's because when I'd read a novel, I would find myself analyzing these elements and how the author developed them. And my conclusion was that I could not do what they did.
So ultimately, in the end, here I was feeling called to do something I didn't think I was able to do. How did I deal with it. The first thing, was not to tell anyone. Not even my wife. Only after she heard me in my office pecking away at the computer keyboard for a couple of nights, was I forced to fess up. And then only after making her promise not to tell anyone. The reason for this was simple. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to write it, and I didn't want to have to explain that to people when they started wondering why I hadn't finished it.
I have been told that God will not ask you to do any task without giving you the ability to accomplish it. And so it has proved true with Return To Paradise. God took the idea I had developed for a story, and through the Holy Spirit, gave me the inspiration, motivation, and ability to turn it into a novel.
How do I know this, and how do I know I'm not just deceiving myself. I told my wife early on that there would be one simple test. If very few people read it, and those that did said it was stupid, then I would know I had deceived myself and this was just another (yes I have had a few) dumb idea of mine. On the other hand, if more than a dozen or so read it, and more than one or two said they liked it, then it was in fact God and the Holy Spirit who had guided me, for I would have accomplished something I was previously incapable of. As I write this, about two months after the initial release of Return To Paradise, somewhere around 700 copies have been distributed (the majority through a free promotion I ran). That's a long way from the New York Times best seller list, but it's a lot more than a dozen. And all of the feedback I've received so far has been very positive.
So where do I go from here. I know that if I am called to write, and I follow what the Holy Spirit leads me to write about, it will be something people find worth reading. If I decide purely on my own to write something for my own benefit, it will probably be something noone wants to read. Will there be another book? Right now the answer is probably yes. What will it be about? Will it be a sequel, or something new? Right now all I can say is that it will have a Christian theme. Beyond that, God only knows.
June 4, 2015
Invitation to all
At this point, I would like to reach out to non-Christians and atheists, as I do not want my writing about religious experiences to chase you off. While Return To Paradise does contain Christian themes, it is also a story that stands on its own. It's a story of intrigue, one about fighting to right a wrong, it's a love story, and it's a story about life in rural America. All of these are aspects of the plot that stand alone with or without religion.
In any story, the characters, if they are well developed, have a given set of beliefs and values. And these beliefs and values do not necessarily need to be ones held by you in order for you to enjoy the story. They are merely part of the story, in a sense, part of the setting and background of the story. For instance, I don't need to believe in anything called "the force" to enjoy Star Wars, even though the characters in the movie do.
It is also said that a story should take you places. We learn from novels, and expand our horizons by being taken to worlds, or places we haven't been to. One of the places Return To Paradise will take you is into the life, thoughts and beliefs of a Christian. One who, in ways, is still struggling. It will also take you into the life of a small farming community, one that is in the midst of a crises. And it will take you into the lives of people who, whether they are conscious of it or not, are struggling to find out where they belong, and what their place in the world should be.
So I invite you to come along and enjoy the story, and to enjoy the journey. And, if in the end, it does make you think about your beliefs, and evaluate what you believe and what you don't believe, is that really a bad thing?
In any story, the characters, if they are well developed, have a given set of beliefs and values. And these beliefs and values do not necessarily need to be ones held by you in order for you to enjoy the story. They are merely part of the story, in a sense, part of the setting and background of the story. For instance, I don't need to believe in anything called "the force" to enjoy Star Wars, even though the characters in the movie do.
It is also said that a story should take you places. We learn from novels, and expand our horizons by being taken to worlds, or places we haven't been to. One of the places Return To Paradise will take you is into the life, thoughts and beliefs of a Christian. One who, in ways, is still struggling. It will also take you into the life of a small farming community, one that is in the midst of a crises. And it will take you into the lives of people who, whether they are conscious of it or not, are struggling to find out where they belong, and what their place in the world should be.
So I invite you to come along and enjoy the story, and to enjoy the journey. And, if in the end, it does make you think about your beliefs, and evaluate what you believe and what you don't believe, is that really a bad thing?
June 3, 2015
Why I write
I am sometimes asked why I decided to write a book. To give an honest answer, it's because I felt God was calling me to write it. I have never had any aspirations of becoming an author. Nor had I previously given any serious thought to writing a book. Somewhere along the way though, the idea for the story line developed in my head. Over time I continued to develop the story until I had the entire plot developed, along with a lot of the dialogues. All of this was still in my head. But then, in the back of my mind, I began to think about writing a book. Ultimately, I felt what I believe was a calling to write the book. And although I was hesitant at first, from that point on there was no turning back.
From early on, if not when I first started to develop the story, there were religious themes to it. However, as I began to actually write the book, the religious content increased substantially. I firmly believe this was guided by the Holy Spirit, and most of it came as inspirations that typically occurred around three in the morning. This seems to be the Holy Spirit's alloted time for visiting me.
It may well be that a part of my calling to write this book was in answer to prayer. Let me explain. I had been struggling for some time with the topic of evangelization. As a Christian, evangelizing is something I am called to do. And I was feeling a stronger and stronger calling to evangelize in some way. However, talking to people about Christ was not something I was ever comfortable in doing, or felt like I was very good about. I have some atheist friends, and I heard from them numerous examples of the wrong way to approach someone about religion. But I could never figure out the right way. So I usually settled for the "I'm evangelizing by being a good example for others" (which I try to do). Or, "I support those who evangelize and are good at it" (which I do). But this didn't seem like enough. So I often prayed, asking how I could do something to actively evangelize about Christ.
Thus, it's quite possible that my calling to write Return To Paradise was in answer to my prayer. And I do look at this book as a way of evangelizing. However, I have found that the Lord was still not done with me when it comes to evangelizing. We'll talk about that later. For now, God bless you and have a great day.
From early on, if not when I first started to develop the story, there were religious themes to it. However, as I began to actually write the book, the religious content increased substantially. I firmly believe this was guided by the Holy Spirit, and most of it came as inspirations that typically occurred around three in the morning. This seems to be the Holy Spirit's alloted time for visiting me.
It may well be that a part of my calling to write this book was in answer to prayer. Let me explain. I had been struggling for some time with the topic of evangelization. As a Christian, evangelizing is something I am called to do. And I was feeling a stronger and stronger calling to evangelize in some way. However, talking to people about Christ was not something I was ever comfortable in doing, or felt like I was very good about. I have some atheist friends, and I heard from them numerous examples of the wrong way to approach someone about religion. But I could never figure out the right way. So I usually settled for the "I'm evangelizing by being a good example for others" (which I try to do). Or, "I support those who evangelize and are good at it" (which I do). But this didn't seem like enough. So I often prayed, asking how I could do something to actively evangelize about Christ.
Thus, it's quite possible that my calling to write Return To Paradise was in answer to my prayer. And I do look at this book as a way of evangelizing. However, I have found that the Lord was still not done with me when it comes to evangelizing. We'll talk about that later. For now, God bless you and have a great day.
May 27, 2015
Saturn at opposition
Saturn is now at opposition, meaning it's bigger and brighter than at any other time. Saturn and its rings are easily visible through even a small telescope.
Maybe I'm just wierd, but looking through a telescope at the heavens always makes me feel closer to God. It gives me a reminder of just how awesome his creation really is.
Maybe I'm just wierd, but looking through a telescope at the heavens always makes me feel closer to God. It gives me a reminder of just how awesome his creation really is.
May 21, 2015
Scenic Photography
A little off topic but I've created two boards on Pinterest at
www.pinterest.com/314Philippians
One board is to promote Christian books including Return to Paradise. On the other I am posting some of my better scenic photographs. I will be continually updating this. It is purely for public enjoyment.
www.pinterest.com/314Philippians
One board is to promote Christian books including Return to Paradise. On the other I am posting some of my better scenic photographs. I will be continually updating this. It is purely for public enjoyment.
May 19, 2015
Devine Intervention
I've recently started a correspondence with a gentleman who is starting up a new Web site: kickbackinstyle.menu
He is an avowed atheist, but open to discussing religious topics. We are currently thinking about starting a blog where we discuss religious issues. As a starter he asked the following question, which I am posting along with my response.
Question :
what point do I stop waiting for divine intervention or a big company to tell me what to do, and just have faith in myself?"
My answer:
As to your question on waiting for Devine intervention, or some big company to come and give you everything you need, I would have to ask first, on what basis do you expect this. People tend to want to look at God as some big gift horse that will give them everything they need. Well, God is a gift horse, he gave us everything we have. If you have a talent, it's because God gave that talent to you. Sure, we have to cultivate it and hone it, that's what God expects. Think about it, if you have, or were to have children, would you automatically give them everything they want? Would you do everything for them, dress them and tie their shoes for them, even when they're in high school? Would you do all of their homework for them while they watch TV or play video games? If you did, how would you expect them to turn out? Yet this is what we often expect God to do. Bottom line, nothing is going to happen automatically of you just sit around waiting for it. You already have had Devine intervention, God gave you life, he gave you talents, he gave you a good brain. So trust in God and use what he has given you. That's the first step. The second is to find out what God really wants you to do, and to follow it. This may sound easy to some, but it is probably the most difficult thing you will ever do.
He is an avowed atheist, but open to discussing religious topics. We are currently thinking about starting a blog where we discuss religious issues. As a starter he asked the following question, which I am posting along with my response.
Question :
what point do I stop waiting for divine intervention or a big company to tell me what to do, and just have faith in myself?"
My answer:
As to your question on waiting for Devine intervention, or some big company to come and give you everything you need, I would have to ask first, on what basis do you expect this. People tend to want to look at God as some big gift horse that will give them everything they need. Well, God is a gift horse, he gave us everything we have. If you have a talent, it's because God gave that talent to you. Sure, we have to cultivate it and hone it, that's what God expects. Think about it, if you have, or were to have children, would you automatically give them everything they want? Would you do everything for them, dress them and tie their shoes for them, even when they're in high school? Would you do all of their homework for them while they watch TV or play video games? If you did, how would you expect them to turn out? Yet this is what we often expect God to do. Bottom line, nothing is going to happen automatically of you just sit around waiting for it. You already have had Devine intervention, God gave you life, he gave you talents, he gave you a good brain. So trust in God and use what he has given you. That's the first step. The second is to find out what God really wants you to do, and to follow it. This may sound easy to some, but it is probably the most difficult thing you will ever do.
May 13, 2015
God's will
One of the themes in my book, Return to Paradise, is learning to follow God's will. This is something I have been working on personally for some time. The writing of this book is one of the times I have chosen to follow what I felt God, through the Holy Spirit, was calling me yo do. In doing so I have been taken in directions I did not expect it to lead, and found my own spiritual life has grown.
Although the specific events and circumstances are greatly different, David, the main character in Return to Paradise, goes through a similar journey as he too learns to follow God's will.
Although the specific events and circumstances are greatly different, David, the main character in Return to Paradise, goes through a similar journey as he too learns to follow God's will.
God's will
One of the themes in my book, Return to Paradise, is learning to follow God's will. This is something I have been working on personally for some time. The writing of this book is one of the times I have chosen to follow what I felt God, through the Holy Spirit, was calling me yo do. In doing so I have been taken in directions I did not expect it to lead, and found my own spiritual life has grown.
Although the specific events and circumstances are greatly different, David, the main character in Return to Paradise, goes through a similar journey as he too learns to follow God's will.
Although the specific events and circumstances are greatly different, David, the main character in Return to Paradise, goes through a similar journey as he too learns to follow God's will.
