Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 25

I’m Looking for Guest Posts!

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Hi there readers! As you probably know, I’m Kellyn Roth, the author of Reveries (this blog). I’ve been blogging since September 2015, and it’s been quite the journey.

I’ve gone from writing for my mom and a few friends to an audience of over a  thousand who actively engage in my silly posts. (God has truly blessed me there!)

But here’s the thing—I want to give my readers a bit more variety! So I’m looking for guest posters. Not just experienced bloggers. I’m looking for newbies, too!

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Here’s some quick FAQ:

What kinds of guest posts am I looking for?

All types! You can be lost in a reverie on any subject—and that’s just fine. I love talking about everything from writing to life tips to movies to animals. Basically, what you care about is what I want you to share about on Reveries!

I have some guidelines, of course. I’m looking for clean blog posts from a Christian perspective. I’m not interested in more intuitive posts—for me, reveries must be based in fact and dirt and the sweat of a hard-working dragon.

Dragons sweat. I’ve seen it.

I would be willing to publish short stories, though probably not poetry because I have an OCD thing when it come to rhyming and very particular tastes.

Why YOU Should See the Unplanned Movie

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Rather than do a review like a normal person, I am going to do a blog post that talks about the Unplanned film and why you should watch it.

I saw this movie last Monday, and it was FANTASTIC! We had to go to Portland to see it, and it was a fun trip … and I really enjoyed the movie.

Am I the only one who loves truth? It just makes me happy inside that this movie is actually OUT, and people can watch it! Let’s talk about why you should see it.

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Why You Should See the Unplanned Movie

an essay by Kellyn Roth

If you’re a pro-life activist …

The Unplanned movie will make you as sadly happy as it made me. I was so glad to see the truths about the abortion industry openly shown and preached. This movie is honest. It’s not graphic or overdramatic; it’s real and honest.

You need to see this movie.

If you’re pro-life but haven’t really thought much about it …

This movie will be an eye-opener. This issue is one no human being on the face of this planet should ignore. The murder of innocent babies as well as the effect it has on the women who get abortions is horrid, and we must stand against it.

You need to see this movie.

If you’re pro-choice …

This movie is an honest story about a former Planned Parenthood clinic director. It is sensitive and truthful, and it does not pass judgement against those who have had abortions, those who perform abortions, or those who believe in abortion.

You need to see this movie.

If you have had an abortion …

Abby Johnson, the focus of this movie, actually had two abortions, and she offers a beautiful perspective on recovery afterwards … as well as honesty about her situation.

You need to see this movie.

If you’re involved in the abortion industry …

This movie is, again, sensitive and understanding. The main character eventually becomes the director of an abortion clinic (a branch of Planned Parenthood) although her parents and husband are pro-life. Also, there are some important things you need to see and listen to!

You need to see this movie.

If you’re squeamish …

Honestly, it’s not that graphic. There’s some blood, and we all know that women are having abortions—a couple are on-screen (though nothing graphic is really shown). However, I’m of the opinion that it’s not that bad, and it’s certainly less graphic than a lot of action movies nowadays. I think that, unless you have a serious reason for not doing so, you should just toughen up a bit.

You need to see this movie.

If you’re under 17 …

Unjustly so, this movie was received an R rating (it does not at all deserve it; I can maybe see PG-13, but that’s it). That means you can’t see it in theaters if you’re under 17. I hope that someday you will be able to see it, though, because it is so important!

You need to see this movie. Though I understand it may not happen while it’s in theaters.

If it isn’t showing nearby …

Either drive (definitely worth it) or wait until it comes out on disc and BUY IT.

You need to see this movie.

Additional reasons to see this movie …

Unplanned has unjustly received an R rating. This censorship should not be stood for.
Twitter has repeatedly shut down the Unplanned movie’s account, removed followers, automatically blocked followers, and refused to allow people to follow it. This censorship should not be stood for.
Unplanned has been blocked from advertising in many venues and kept from a lot of theaters. We need to support it.
Despite the fact that this is the honest account of a formerly faithful employee of Planned Parenthood, they insist that it’s full of lies and propaganda. But what reason would Abby Johnson have for lying?
Unplanned was carefully researched and is accurate to life. It truly is Abby Johnson’s life story, and it truly does expose the lies of Planned Parenthood.
Though this book features Christian characters and turns to God for some answers, it’s not overly religious, and it probably won’t offend non-Christian folks.
This film WILL open your eyes!

To find out more about the movie …

Visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is a movie that you absolutely need to see. No ifs, ands, or buts. I won’t take any excuses short of, “I literally have seizures at the sight of blood” or “My children will starve if I pay to get in.”

See it! You won’t regret it. Even if it can’t be in theaters for whatever reason, you can buy a copy later. It’s important and worth it. DO IT!

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

What you seen the Unplanned movie? Do you want to? What do you believe: prolife or prochoice? Have you heard Abby’s store yet? What are your thoughts on this whole movie?

The post Why YOU Should See the Unplanned Movie appeared first on Reveries.

April 2019 Dares

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HELLLLLLOOOO! March hit me hard. Like, really hard. And I have a ton of catchup. But let’s take some time to write a quick recap even though I’m dead inside.

On a sidenote, CAMP NANO IS HERE! And I am so excited! I changed my project Monday to finishing up the Kees & Colliers series because I am so far behind, but that’s what’s gotta happen.

I cannot seem to get over this terrible cold/flu, and I’m swamped with work, but … ugh. My outlook is not positive but that doesn’t mean this post shouldn’t be. SO LET’S GET INTO IT.

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March 2019 Recap



Get eARCs out for Souls Astray. Failed

Ehhhhhh … it didn’t happen!


Finish writing Flowers in Her Heart. Failed

I didn’t! But I’m sooo close! That’s my Camp NaNo goal!


Read some more. Failed

I … didn’t have time.

3 Old TV Shows You Should Watch {Part 1}

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If you know me even a little bit, then you know that I love movies and TV shows. I may not be a fangirl in that I don’t tend to obsess over any one thing, but I do enjoy watching, quoting, and talking about these shows.

Things is … I have somewhat weird tastes. Or at least some people might think they’re weird. I don’t love tons of modern television (some but not a lot). I tend to gravitate towards the oldies.

And today I’m going to dedicate a post to 3 old TV shows you might have heard of but probably never watched! (Stay tuned for more info!)

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NOTE: this is a series!

This week we’re taking on three … then next week three more … and so on for WHO KNOWS how many weeks! The thing is, I have a TON of TV shows I want to share with you … so why not make a blog series of it?

I was going to do 10 to start with, but that didn’t work out. The reasoning behind this is that I’d just finished #2, and I already have over 1,000 words. Which makes for a long blog post!

Sooooo … a few at once will work, right?

(note: images in this post are credited to their original owners)

3 Old TV Shows You Should Definitely Try
1: Emergency!

This was a staple of my early childhood! And honestly, it’s pretty great. Because of the crazyness that was the ’60s/’70s, there was a series of TV shows promoting public services (basically saying: “hey, not everything coming from the government is evil & we’re doing our best”) – including paramedics.

This show (which ran from 1972-1977) follows paramedics Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto as well as the staff of Rampart General Hospital.

It’s primarily about what it sounds like – emergencies. Everything from four-alarm fires to people getting their toes caught in the bathtub drain … this show is fantastic.

Emergency! made me want to be a fireman. Or a paramedic. Or something. I just wanted to help people! It teaches us a lot about goodness and being a hero.

Though it has its light moments (a lot of escapades between firemen who are like quarreling brothers, goofy calls, etc.), it also has some heavy material.

Drugs and violence cause people to die. Foolishness leads to serious medical emergencies. And this show teaches you a lot about common sense and not getting into those stupid situations in the first place!

Overall, this is definitely a show I can recommend to families and lone watchers alike!

My Favorites:

I loved the head nurse, Dixie. She was so spunky and smart! Joe Early is also a sweetheart. Dr. Kelly Bracket bears my name, but I didn’t always love him! He was kinda brusque.

I thought Johnny Gage was super cool when I was little, but he’s sort of an idiot. Stillllll … he’s cute.

10 Reasons to Read Baby Mine

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Hello readers! Today I’m going to share with you about a book you should definitely read … though more than a book, it’s a short story. Still, you should read it.

Baby Mine is a 9,000-word historical fiction story about a little girl named Amaliya Preobrazhensky, her mother, and a man and woman who can take everything from her.

I LOVE this story! It was inspired by one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite childhood movies (WHICH SHOULD NEVER GET REMADE YOU PAGANS), and I want to share it with you. But why should you care?

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First, a bit about Baby Mine

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Amaliya Preobrazhensky lives with her mother in a tiny apartment. They don’t have much except each other … but that’s all right. Every day, God provides.

When Amaliya’s father, who hasn’t been around since before she was born, returns and a custody battle begins, it’s hard for her to understand. Can a man she’s never met really take her away from her beloved mother? Why would God let such a thing happen?

This short story is a perfect afternoon read for both tears and smiles!

Preorder on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Negative Content

Language: absolutely none!

Violence: absolutely none!

Sexual: Mentions of the actions of a child’s parents making a mistake/sinning but the child herself not being a sin or a mistake. The main character’s mother is single (through a 5-year-old view, it’s hinted that she was conceived via a one-night stand).

This story is clean, sweet, and innocent … and it’s a quick read, too.

10 Reasons to Read Baby Mine

(a somewhat prejudiced list)

It’s a historical story that is both joyful and tear-inducing.
HAS A TINY BABY (well, a five-year-old) WHO IS SO PRECIOUS.
Dumbo references + Baby Mine , obviously.
It’s a very loose Dumbo retelling, actually (but without the flying elephant part) (okay, basically it just has a single mom separated from her baby, BUT you know).
Social and moral issues still relevant to today are portrayed.
The mother is THE BEST ever. She tries so hard.

I Hate That I Love Pink

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I hate that I love pink.

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Flowers, kittens, and puppies. Baby animals. It annoys me that my whole room is pastels and stuffed animals and dolls. I hate that I don’t just love stark things.

And I have fairies lining my ceiling and crystals on my lacy curtains.

I love romances. That I like reading a good story about a couple falling in love—especially if some drama is involved.

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Why does that bug me?

These are all normal things for a girl to love, aren’t they, after all? The things girls are supposed to love.

I guess that’s part of why I hate it. I want to be a super tomboy—but I can’t fit the tomboy stereotypes.

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Yes, stereotypes are there for a reason—but people are people, not stereotypes, and they’re way more complicated than the average

You can be tough as nails and still love pink, playing with dolls, and reading romance novels.

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The thing is, I have reasons I love romance and family drama and all that good feeling stuff. It’s because, well, I don’t naturally take time to process my emotions by myself … and reading and writing books really helps me with that.

I love playing with dolls because it was fun imagining being a mother someday, something that I’ve always wanted (even though I doubt it’ll happen because marriage looks hard).

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And I love pink because I love pink. Pink is cool.

I believe that everyone is different. There are tons of girls who are traditionally girly but don’t love pink.

Now, I would consider myself a bit of a tomboy. I love sports and the great outdoors and dogs. I’m not a fan of overthinking, prefer logic over emotion, and simple over complicated. Generally, I love “gross” things like bugs and frogs. I’m not afraid to get dirty. The smell of cow manure actually makes me happy. I have watched a calf I bottle-fed be shot, butchered, and then ate it—and it doesn’t bug me.

I don’t really care for emotions in the real world and find them bothersome, and I dislike when people bring up philosophy. Often I base my “instincts” off the real world and what I can touch and feel, not off random feelings which mean nothing.

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People are more crazy and wonderful than a stereotype.

There are multiple sides to every person. I may just show you one of my sides … or maybe I’ll show you a lot of them!

I wrote this post for two reasons—first, to express my distaste for people telling me I’m girly because I love girly things (yeah, I’m pretty girly, but that’s not all there is to me—“no blood, no guts, no game”). And second, because I wanted to stretch my “intuitive side” (it doesn’t exist, haha) and see if I could write something more … abstract.

It’s not working, but oh well.

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Basically, let people be who they are. Quit trying to box them up. You can be more than one stereotype, you can fit no stereotypes, or perhaps basically everything about you is girly-girl or a tomboy or a nerd.

That’s cool. Be you. Don’t let it be a competition—“who’s the most tomboyish?” or “who is the nerdiest?” That gives others the power to determine what you are as you try to be more like the stereotype and less like yourself.

There’s only one Being in this universe Who gets to say, “Hey, don’t be like that.” God.

Here’s one way of looking at it: I am naturally a very stubborn, independent person who doesn’t want to accept help from no one. That’s okay—some people are independent and stubbornness can be good as well as bad.

Now, if someone says, “You need to rely on people for everything because otherwise you won’t be fulfilled,” they’re wrong.

Independence doesn’t mean I have a fear of being controlled, necessarily or that I’m somehow emotionally scarred as some media likes to portray. It just means doing things by myself for myself is something that’s important to me.

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I am an independent person, and God made me that way. It’s not a sin.

But there’s a flipside. God says, “Hey, Kell, you have to love on other people and support them, and sometimes I’m going to put people in your life to help you where you are helpless.”

In that case, it’s just my stubbornness keeping me from God’s best plans and gifts for me.

God doesn’t take away our individuality or stick us into a slot. He made us as different as spots on a giraffe or stripes on a zebra.

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I used to think it was absolutely impossible that no two zebras would have the same stripe pattern. “Surely,” I thought, “we just haven’t discovered the two matching zebras that are out there.”

Nope. I now believe that God individually designs the stripes of a zebra’s hide to be different … and each of us is different in the same way.

Each of us are also tempted by sin in different ways because we are different in personalities and experience. But when God helps us move past our sin, He isn’t trying to move past that difference. The difference is God’s. The sin is just a blemish distorting our differences.

Now, I fear I’ve gone waaaaaayyyy too far in my efforts to be vaguely philosophical. But I just wanted to share some thoughts on individuality and true identity in Christ … and why I shouldn’t feel bad about loving pink.

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How did this come up?

I was buying a case for my iPhone, I liked a rose-patterned one, but then I went, “Hold up—do you really want something that girly? Is that what you want people to think of you?”

No, it’s not—but it doesn’t matter. People will think what they will think. And, honestly, I don’t mind surprising people a little. “Yes, I do feel comfortable rolling around on the floor with this dog!” and “Of course I want to walk barefoot on this gravel road for half a mile.”

I thought I was pretty insusceptible to people’s opinions, but I guess not because I sure hesitated for a second. The other part, though, was, “can I live with myself if I buy that case?”

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But … the case I was looking at was the wrong size, anyway. So. That was useless.

In conclusion, I shouldn’t hate that I love pink. I should just embrace it. It’s a color like any other, and people have favorite colors, and that’s cool.

I’m not any one type of person. There are some girly-girl stereotype things I hate with a passion—squealing, crushes, emotional outbursts, and sensitivity make up the top of the list—but others that I am able to embrace.

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So be yourself. Everyone else doesn’t want to be you.

5 Tips for Finding Your Market {a writer’s guide}

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As writers, whether we’re independent or working towards being published traditionally, we’re often given a piece of advice: know your market.

This basically means “know who you’re selling books to.” Don’t be a person who says, “Oh, yeah, everyone will like my book.” Instead, focus in on the best readers for your novel—and sell to them.

This is an excellent piece of advice which every writer needs to hear. However, it can be hard to determine exactly who would want to buy your books. Here are a few tips for figuring that out!

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5 Tips for Finding Your Market
1: Know your niche—and then start reading books from that niche.

Do you write fantasy? Romance? Fantasy with romantic elements? Fantasy with romantic elements which mainly focuses on the heroine’s journey? Fantasy with romantic elements which mainly focuses on the heroine’s journey to learn how to be a professional dragon-trainer?

Though genre can sometimes be a broad term—for instance, speculative fiction can encompass dystopian, science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal—make it more specific. Find your niche, and then find books that are like your book and read them.

Now, you won’t always be able to. But creating a new niche is going to be pretty impossible, both from an independent and traditionally published standpoint.

Now, here’s an example. For years I thought The Dressmaker’s Secret was uncategorizable, but then I realized I could and should do it.

TDS is a Christian historical women’s fiction novel. Though it has romantic elements, I wouldn’t categorize it as a straight romance novel. It’s a family saga which might remind readers of a BBC period drama.

Already I’ve got a bit of a niche to squeeze into!

2: Find out who is reading those other books in your niche—and why!

If you’re one of the readers of your genre, you’ve got something to work with, at least.

Liberty vs. Anarchy: what is our freedom of choice?

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Lately there’s been a lot of buzz about the United States government making vaccinations mandatory. As a conservative girl, I see a lot of social media posts along the lines of “They are taking our freedom of choice.”

When I read that, my mind went to “pro choice.” Can’t the people who believe abortion is all right make the same argument? “My body, my choice,” they say, but we all know it’s not all right to murder innocent babies.

It’s basic ethics: people cannot CHOOSE to commit murder or steal or hurt others … but where is that line drawn? Where does freedom end and anarchy begin?

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What is liberty vs. anarchy?

When I speak of liberty, I mean:

“The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views.”

When I speak of anarchy, I mean:

“Absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.”

Anarchy may be a political ideal, but it’s not a realistic one. In reality, people are sinful. They mess up. They do bad things just for the sake of doing bad things … and they cannot be reasoned with.

They will not choose the good of their fellow man or even their own good. So we do need some laws, something to keep us from experiencing a constant state of dystopian horror.

Since people are sinful, you need laws

God talks about sin and the disorder of humanity a lot in the Bible. We discussed it a while back here in regards to Christians who still commit sins (despite their best efforts). Romans is one of my favorite books for this subject if you want further reading.

As Christians, we put ourselves under God—He is our dictator. We follow Him unconditionally, we put Him in charge of our lives, and we trust Him to take care of us.

But under human authority, a dictatorship will not and cannot work. The reason behind this? Well, a human dictator (whether a government of many decision-makers or just one person) is flawed.

Sure, they could be good people trying their best for humanity. But chances are they aren’t.

So, while a dictatorship seems like it would work out, it won’t. There are many other systems of governments, but I don’t feel qualified to address them all. Still, I will say …

I am personally convinced that the ideal of the United States government (a democratic republic) is the best one.

Republic, Democracy, and Democratic Republic

Republic: A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.

Democracy: A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. (Wikipedia)

The United States is a mix of these two, traditionally. We also have the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to cement what liberties we can enjoy.

The Constitution & the Declaration of Independence

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (read full here)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (read full here)

Sidenote: originally, the Declaration was going to state “Life, Liberty, and Property.” I wish they’d kept it that way. *sigh*

But, basically, in this system we (the people) are allowed to vote in our leaders, our laws, and most importantly, choose which laws seem fit to us.

However, when humanity as a whole is evil (which it really is), having humanity make the laws is a flawed system, too.

Ideally, we’d consult God’s Word first for the rules

Why is it wrong to murder? Why is it wrong to steal? To commit adultery? Why is it wrong to marry someone who is the same gender of you? Why is it wrong to lie?

Our morals, our sense of justice, come from God. Unfortunately, us earthly folks aren’t too keen on that.

As you know, a lot of standards have slipped. And, truthfully, we cannot have a government that obeys every one of God’s rules because, well, Christians aren’t the only people being represented. In fact, they’re a minority.

The problem is, slowly our government’s rules are shifting so they’re anti-Christian. Yep, we had a good 150 years where the United States as a whole had predominantly Christian-based laws (although even then it wasn’t perfect, of course; there were many flaws that took years to address).

But now we’re living in a society that does not respect God.

But should we just remain silent? How far can we allow the world to go before we take a stand?

Should Christians submit to government authorities?

In general:

Romans 13:1-7

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

“Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

“Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good.

“But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

“Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

However, this is not always possible.

Acts 5:29

“We must obey God rather than men.”

It’s a tricky balance. We have to be VERY aware of what’s going around us as Christians in a sinful world.

We have to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. (For instance: babies, the mentally ill, the elderly, those who are discriminated against.)

We have to be aware of the laws of this government and how they coincide with God’s rules. (Is it okay to kill a baby? Can a man become a woman and a woman become a man?)

Christians must stand up against what is immoral and wrong and continue to be positive lights in a generation where darkness prevails.

But let’s return to our main topic.

Should Christians vaccinate?

Frankly … it doesn’t matter! Do it if you want to; don’t do it if you don’t want to. I don’t think God cares, frankly. The Bible certainly doesn’t discuss it.

Be sure to make an informed decision, because we don’t want to just go with the crowd in regards to our health. It’s important to know what you’re putting into your body and why – and weigh the pros and cons wisely.

But no. It’s not a moral issue. If you vaccinate, you haven’t sinned. If you don’t vaccinate, you haven’t sinned. It’s not a matter of right vs. wrong but rather a matter of choice.

Which brings us to …

Should you be for mandatory vaccinations?

I say “no.” And here’s why.

Though it’s not a moral choice, the ability to choose things like this is so important.

To me, this is like if someone were to come in and say, “you can’t wear white socks after labor day, and that’s a rule.”

It’s just none of the government’s business whether or not we vaccinate. This sort of mandatory, choiceless, opinionless society is exactly what a communist, socialist, or dictatorial government needs to take power.

I am quite convinced that we need to remain a democratic republic. Our current system of government allows us not only to worship our God as we choose but to reach out to those who live in terrible governments that don’t allow us to.

We are incredibly fortunate – no, blessed! – as United States citizens. Though this is a messed up place, we are not persecuted for our religious beliefs. Though we may be laughed at and ignored, that is nothing compared to torture, death, or being forced to worship fake gods.

So I say it’s our responsibility as Christians to protect the United States as a place where we can still make decisions for ourselves in the little things … and therefore in the big things as they come up.

Our ability to reach out to others is severely hindered if we become another politically anti-God country.

But wouldn’t persecution make us stronger?

*sigh* This is an area where I disagree with a lot of Christians. I’ve heard of people in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and other areas praying that American Christians would experience persecution.

Why? Because it would bring us closer to God. Because it would shake us out of our stagnation.

Personally, I think they should be grateful we currently have the freedom to send help and missionaries in other countries as well as reach out to those within our own.

I wish instead they’d pray that our freedom of religion would be protected—and that, without persecution, we would wake up and realize the blessing we have and use it.

So what should we be able to choose?

It’s difficult to make a case for this to a non-Christian—I’d say almost impossible—but I say as long as God hasn’t made a stand, then we should be able to choose.

God has said …

Babies are precious.

Murder is wrong.

Men are men and women are women.

Adultery is a sin.

Lying, stealing, and disobeying your parents are all wrong.

Punishing your children for disobedience is right.

We are to submit to the government as much as we are able to while remaining His children.

However, God has not taken a stand on …

Vaccinations

Clothing

Much of politics

Tastes in all the arts

Genres of books

Flavors of icecream

Or what kind of dog is best.

And if we can live in a country that allows us to make the same choices God allows (as well as the all-important decision to follow Him), I think we are hugely blessed and should protect that freedom.

In summary …

American Christians, I beg you. Do not remain silent. Protect what freedom you are given. Fight against what is wrong and fight for choice in what is simply a choice.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

What do you think? Should America accept mandatory vaccinations? What’s your stance on the whole issue – both the mandatory side and the simple “should we vaccinate” side? Have you ever gotten shots? (I haven’t, haha, but my brother says it’s not horrible.) Have you ever thought about liberty vs. anarchy?

The post Liberty vs. Anarchy: what is our freedom of choice? appeared first on Reveries.

The Alice and Ivy Series {Past, Present, and Future}

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Hey y’all! Lately I’ve been working a lot on prepping for the next books in the Alice and Ivy series (and spinoff serieses) as well as doing some edits of The Dressmaker’s Secret.

Since I’ve been working on them, obviously they’re on my mind, and obviously I want to write a blog post about them! I actually meant to do this Saturday, but … eh. Didn’t work out.

Lately I’ve been having some serious focus problems when it comes to blogging. But … I’m back! And I have a post lined up for Wednesday. So hopefully I’ll stick to it. *firm nod*

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What is the Alice and Ivy series?

Well, I’m not renaming The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, if that’s what you’re wondering. That stays. However, I refer to a whole lot more books than the ones in TCOAAI as “the Alice and Ivy series.”

The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy includes my already published works in the series as well as A Prayer Unanswered and Love Once Lost (scroll down quite a bit).

But I call a bunch of books “the Alice and Ivy series.”

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So there ya go.

5 Things Raised-Christian People Miss Out On

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A couple days ago, I was filling out a sheet which had slots for things like the character’s lie and truth as well as, of course, backstory. I had the character’s faults, the lies he tells himself, and the truth he needs to learn …

But why? Why does he act like that? I needed a backstory. After all, without a proper motivation, there was no reason for his behavior. This is quite important in a story world because otherwise the reader feels that the character is directionless and unreal.

At last I laughed and wrote in the backstory slot: “a proper Christian upbringing.” Well. That’s worth the discussion, I think.

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Why would David, without a tragic backstory, even have a problem?

You see, all my character David needed for this particular lie was to learn it through application. And what better way to learn something than through the people who raised you?

David has a legalistic view of the world, that there are some sins that make one so dirty and empty that you can’t come back.

And the thing is … he knows better. It’s his heart, not his mind, that’s caught in that lie. That endlessly convicts him, without grace, and does the same to others. (I wrote a post about this earlier, sort of.)

The lies of, “This is how far you can go without losing God’s love” and “I would never do something so bad!” somehow got communicated to him even though they’re not Christian ideas.

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Raised Christian … but that doesn’t mean you are one.

Now, I was raised in a strong Christian family like David. I bet many of you are. Now, I could technically say I’ve been a Christian since I can remember, but realistically, it was just about my family until I was thirteen or fourteen.

I believe that is true of many young Christians who were raised in a Christian household. They don’t take it as their own – at least not right off – and it ends up kinda messy.

You have to take God for yourself. He can’t be your parents’ God, your grandparents’ God, or your church’s God. Just yours.

One of my favorite Bible characters, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples, John, has an extraordinary perspective. Throughout the book of John, he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

That’s the kind of ownership of Jesus Christ, or rather being owned by Jesus Christ, that we ought to embrace! An “I am the one He loves” kind of thought process.

Is Being a Raised a Christian a Blessing?

In my way of thinking at least, being raised a Christian is one of the most amazing blessings ever. It means you are equipped and supported by your family. It makes lots of things so much easier …

… but it can also become a crutch. Raised-Christian people miss out on so many things that people who come to the faith in other ways naturally gain.

And we have to watch and make sure those things aren’t a crutch, but rather something we’re aware of.

So without further ado,

5 Things Raised-Christian People Miss Out On
1: Coming to God and finding Him for yourself.

Yes, eventually you absolutely have to make God your own separate from your family and church. But you don’t get to find Him for yourself originally.

I know I’m not the only one who’s wondered, “Would I even have found God, would I even be a Christian without my family?”

If you’re wondering: yes, probably. Though we never know “what if,” we do know that if God wants you, He’ll get you! But it’s hard not to wonder.

2: Being a child of God straight off.

Most Christians start off as grandchildren, ushered into God’s presence by their parents, often unwillingly. However, there are no grandchildren in Heaven. We’re all children of God, and He doesn’t have a special place set aside for the earthly babies of those who chose Him.

But it can be easy to fall into passivity or never make God yours as an automatic “grandchild.” You have to take steps to become a child of God. You don’t start out there.

3: You never get to start from scratch.

A former non-Christian coming to God for the first time gets to work everything out for himself. Yeah, he might get lost, but he also doesn’t have a bunch of preconceived notions and lies to work through. (And sometimes, even a lot of the time, Christians are raised to believe things that just aren’t Christian.)

I oftentimes wonder if I really have as much of an open mind while studying the Bible or evidence about Creation or other things like that. I believe I do my best. But it would be cool to start from scratch or disprove anti-God beliefs rather than simply starting with the truth and discovering it!

4: You don’t experience it as a miracle.

I don’t know about you, but I was never really awed by Christianity as a child. It was just … the truth. Christianity was just my life. It wasn’t new or impressive or exciting.

In fact, I still find church, still find Christian music, still find sermons ridiculously boring. There’s nothing new there, and I adore new things!

I believe this is one of the biggest problems long-time Christians face. It’s not a miracle anymore if it ever was.

Yet it is a miracle – it is amazing that Jesus Christ died for our sins! Yet it’s so hard for even a child to experience that wonder when they were raised in a household where that is old news.

Miracles were so commonplace to me that they weren’t impressive. And that’s not good!

5: Rebelling but not knowing it.

Okay, this one is a bit more silly than the others, but it’s still kinda true!

When you were raised in a (real) Christian home and you rebel, you’re not really a lost soul. You’re just a hypocrite.

Furthermore, as a Christian, when you rebel, you know you’re rebelling! You know you’re sinning, you know it’s not all right. There’s no illusion there.

And though this is a GOOD thing, it’s also an annoying thing, because you cannot get away with murder. Your parents would kill you. You’d be convicted!

So yep. That’s not fun!