Stu Jones's Blog, page 2

Kathy Griffin, Political Opinions, and Being a Professional.

This is a tough one for me to learn. I've had my social slip up's. I've posted or shared stuff I shouldn't have. It can be hugely tempting sometimes. I, like many others, have been lulled into the belief that social media offers us a safe space��where even people who feel differently��will try to understand us when we vent our raw opinions, frustration, or bias. It's not, and they won't. If anything, the ease of��making these statements to a virtual audience, instead of someone's face, is dan...

Kathy Griffin, Political Opinions, and Being a Professional.

I've had my moments. I'm not perfect, and I'm certainly not a perfect writer. Which is why every day I'm up bright and early, learning something new about my craft, fixing something broken, expanding my style. I'm not going to do anything that would jeopardize the progress I've made... Which is why I've decided to do my best to keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics on social media. Kathy Griffin,��the comedian, might have ruined her career this week. A bad idea turned into a bad joke,

Begin it now!

"Whatever you can do, or think you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now!" ~ W.H. Murray - The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, 1950. The quote above, written in shorthand and taped to the surface of my desk, is positioned just at the edge of my right elbow when I sit down to write. The paper is tarnished and a little worn, the tape coming free in a few places just enough to ticklemy arm and warrant a glance before I get started with the most important

Begin it now!

"Whatever you can do, or think you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now!" ~ W.H. Murray - The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, 1950. �� The quote above, written in shorthand and taped to the surface of my desk, is positioned just at the edge of my right elbow when I sit down to write. The paper is tarnished and a little worn, the tape coming free in a few places just enough to tickle��my arm and warrant a glance before I get started with the most important...

Writing is tough. Why bother?

Writing is tough. So why do we bother? The answer will surelyvary based on your perspective. The people I like to call "career authors" most likelywrite because they are passionate about their work. They probably also like to eat and have nice things. Outside of a career change - they have to do this madness. The rest of us don't. We don't even have a real reason for volunteering to make ourselvescrazy 24/7 since our work doesn't actuallypay the bills (yet ;). Our reasons are usually

Writing is tough. Why bother?

Writing is tough. So why do we bother? The answer will surely��vary based on your perspective. The people I like to call "career authors" most likely��write because they are passionate about their work. They probably also like to eat and have nice things. Outside of a career change - they have to do this madness. The rest of us don't. We don't even have a real reason for volunteering to make ourselves��crazy 24/7 since our work doesn't actually��pay the bills (yet ;). Our reasons are usually

Welcome to the Hatchet Room: Updates, ramblings, and other stuff most people won't read.

The Hatchet Room: Updates, ramblings, and other stuff most people won't read.That's the name of the new blog. Why?Inamed itafter reading that only 20% of people will continue reading the actual text of the blog after reading the title. 20%. I think that's generous. I'd be surprised if 5% of people who saw most postings actually clicked on it and than read it through. That got me thinking about something else. Why do people do it? Blogging, I mean. Here I am, still not dressed for the day,

Welcome to the Hatchet Room: Updates, ramblings, and other stuff most people won't read.

The Hatchet Room: Updates, ramblings, and other stuff most people won't read.��That's the name of the new blog. Why?��I��named it��after reading that only 20% of people will continue reading the actual text of the blog after reading the title. 20%. I think that's generous. I'd be surprised if 5% of people who saw most postings actually clicked on it and than read it through. That got me thinking about something else. Why do people do it? Blogging, I mean. Here I am, still not dressed for the...

Seeing these three side by side… It’s a great...

Seeing these three side by side… It’s a great feeling. #accomplishment #checkthatbox

ATFOTL Character Spotlight: saints and sinners - the story of Jenna and Dagen.

All
this business of God and purpose swirling around inside him made him feel
crazy. Why would God want anything to do with a man like him? He had murdered
innocent people—innocent children. He wanted to believe Jenna; he wanted to
believe more than anything that there was such a thing as redemption for a man
like him—and recent events had nearly convinced him. What he’d accomplished
wasn’t possible. He couldn’t have done what he had without outside help,
without the protection and empowerment of something greater. The way his broken
body had been so emboldened, so filled with strength. It now seemed far away
and dreamlike to him as he recalled the moment—dashing in to rescue Jenna from
the clutches of that sadist, Raith. It had felt good, really good, to protect
her—to do something good for her. Jenna. The lingering thought of her caused
his skin to tingle.

                  Jenna,
the woman who had pulled him back from the brink. For some inexplicable reason,
she had shown him mercy. Mercy—after he had murdered her husband and infant
child. After he’d held her hostage, physically and emotionally abused her, and
stood by as the Coyotes had ruthlessly raped and beaten her—she’d shown him
mercy. What kind of person acted like that? Who could forgive like that? Jenna
could. And had. She’d told him that God had spared him for a reason. That Jesus
had died for him—that even his life
could still have value. It was almost too much for him to believe. When he had
hit the very bottom, she had been there, gently, consistently guiding him
toward the truth. And even though he hated himself for it, he now knew without
question that, because of her nature, because of her devotion, he loved her. He
loved her with unbridled desperation, and he knew there was no distance he
wouldn’t travel, no battle he wouldn’t enter, to secure her safety. He would
never be able to do enough to atone for his injustices against her.