Erick Burgess's Blog, page 2
March 4, 2013
RODMAN 2016
I imagine everyone in North Korea thinks that all americans are giant black cross-dressers.
February 12, 2013
5 THINGS THAT SHOULD BE ON EVERY WRITER’S BUCKET LIST
Though I know it sounds counterintuitive, sometimes being a writer is more then just writing. I know this goes against every writing book I’ve ever read and against every bit of advice I’ve given to aspiring authors. Just hear me out. Being a writer can be a solitary existence. For introverts like me, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Most of the things you do, you have to do alone: reading, writing, editing, blogging, platform building, marketing, facebooking and tweeting. Sometimes to truly feel like a writer, you have to step from behind the computer and out of your comfort zone. This list is to help boost your creativity and take full advantage of the greatest profession on the face of the earth. Who know? You can ignite your passion and maybe even find a few fans along the day.
1. Visit New Orleans and write about it.
Author Kala Ambrose (Spirits of New Orleans) writes, “Seeing a ghost in New Orleans is as common as having a bowl of gumbo. The question is not when but where best to savor them both. Each person who lives or visits the city of New Orleans quickly finds his or her favorite haunts and returns to them time and time again.”
As a writer, I challenge you to take a stroll through the Garden District and not be inspired. Try not to see the city as Tennessee Williams saw it. Good luck. Take a weekend and check into one of the many haunted hotels. Visit the LaLaurie Mansion and Marie Leveau’s Voodoo shop. Head down to the French Quarter with a pad and pencil and lose yourself in the most haunted city in America. Between the food and the music, you won’t want to leave. The city is alive and ready to embrace you with it’s rich history and culture. If you can’t find inspiration there, you are in the wrong line of work. Try being a banker maybe.
2. Create a YouTube show or podcast.
After listening to Paul Dini on a Kevin Smith podcast of Fatman on Batman, I found my passion renewed. I’ve written about it before so I won’t get into it again. As much as I enjoy writing and reading mysteries, thrillers and romances, my first passion was comic books. I started in the mid-eighties and continued through the early nineties when I went to college. A few years ago, I slowly started to renew my interest in my childhood hobby and by the time DC comics release the new 52 last year, I was back into it wholeheartedly. The more my interest grew, the more Rena and my boys wanted to explore this world. There are a few podcasts that I listen to and a few YouTube shows I watch as well. I had the thought that surely there are people out there like me that have collected comics in the past and are figuring out which current comic are for them. There are also people like Rena and the boys that are starting with a completely fresh palette. My show will be – The Monarch Theater Presents: Cluewriter on Comics. Rena and I will do comic reviews and recommendations. What is your passion? How can you share your passion with your audience?
3. Visit Your Personal Shangri-La.
In the 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, British author James Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley. It’s a sacred place of refuge. For me, it’s Mile High Comics in Denver, Colorado. It’s America’s Largest Comics Dealer, with over 5 million comics and over 100,000 Comics Trade Paperbacks and Hardbacks. Again, I’m letting my geek flag fly. It’s a good thing that it’s so far away or I would probably be broke by now. My wife has already accused me of trying to single handily put Eddie’s (Southeast Cards and Comics) kids through college. Locally that is my go-to place if I’m looking for any new or back issue comic book. Before the end of the year, you will see a blog about my Mile High adventure.Where is that place that holds a special place in your heart? Life is so short not to travel to your sacred place and write about every step in your journey.
4. Set an unreachable goal, then go after it.
As I continue to document my journey as a full-time writer, I’ve began using The Writer’s Devotional by Amy Peters. The reading for the second day had to do with motivation. The chapter started with the quote
“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” – Ben Stein
It’s simple but brilliant. What do you want to accomplish as a writer? Do you want be become a best selling author? Do you want to use your author’s platform to try and make the world a better place? Do you just want to finish your novel for yourself? These goals are as unique as fingerprints, but if you don’t make them specific for yourself, how can you every hope to accomplish them. If you want to sell more books than Stephen King, then you have to make a plan and roll with it. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, but sooner or later you have to take the appropriate steps to go from fantasy to reality. What is my unreachable goal?
I want to write Batman.
I wish it was something more altruistic, but I want to add to the Batman mythos like my favorites Neal Adams, Frank Miller, Paul Dini and Scott Synder. What is your unreachable goal? Who’s to say you can’t make it happen?
5. Read the Dark Knight Returns
Comic books are for kids, right? If this is how you feel, please go to your nearest bookstore and buy a copy of The Dark Knight Returns. In 1986, that book changed my life. Written and drawn by Frank Miller, The Dark Knight Returns takes place ten years after Batman has “retired”. In his absence, Gotham City has sunk deeper into the lawlessness that created the Dark Knight in the first place. When his city needs him most, he returns to reclaim Gotham. After facing off against his two greatest foes, the Joker and Two-Face, the Caped Crusader has to battle his former ally, Superman. This collection is a great place to start if you were a fan of the 1989 Batman or the more recent Christopher Nolan trilogy. The storyline and social commentary was so far ahead of it’s time that it still stand today. I’m my opinion, this is the greatest graphic novel of all-time and something that will continue to influence my writing until the end of time.
February 8, 2013
You Never Know Who’s Watching…
To most people, the best aspect of the Mall of Louisiana was its central location in the fastest growing, most affluent area of Baton Rouge. However, to Dwayne Bentley, it meant something entirely different: prime hunting ground. Along with the one hundred and sixty stores, four full-service restaurants and food court, an antique carousel ground out tinkling tunes hearkening to simpler times. The merry-go-round featured thirty-six jumper horses, twelve stander horses, and two chariots, all carved by hand.
The carousel also drew Dwayne to the mall. He smiled to himself and thought, “What is a monster?” No, not the fictional creatures invading the dreams of youngsters, but monsters like Dahmer, Gacy, or Ramirez ran through his thoughts. For that matter, they never even captured the Zodiac. What did these men have in common? They all preyed on the innocent. Dwayne had more in common with the victims than those monsters. After all, in 1968 the DSM-IV officially recognized his problem as a legitimate psychological condition.
He would often bring a newspaper to hide his eyes as he stared at the scores of children parading about the mall. If any shoppers even looked in his direction, they would take him for an average doting father allowing his child one last ride on the carousel before going home. He knew from experience that with parents, all too concerned with the new handbag they had just purchased or the newest models of plasma-screen televisions, no one would be concerned with him.
“It’s time to play,” he said to himself as he folded his newspaper and placed it under his arm. He walked over to the carousel as it began to slow down. He stared at a young girl who could not have been over nine years old. She had shoulder-length blond hair and bright blue eyes, and she wore a sunflower-covered dress.
The young girl tried to get her mother’s attention, but the self-absorbed woman continued with her cell phone conversation.
“Hi. Can you help me with something?” he asked the young girl as he held out a snapshot of a golden retriever puppy. “I lost my puppy, and I need some help finding him.” Even though cliché, the approach always worked. “I talked to your mom, and she said it was okay. She is going to make a few more calls, and I promised it would only take a few minutes. Please,” he pleaded, with honest eyes.
“Okay.” She answered without hesitation as she smiled. After looking one more time at the picture, she began walking with him toward the exit doors. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Dwayne put his hand on her back and guided her toward the exit. Her mother had yet to notice she had gotten off the carousel. He didn’t run or even walk fast. With his slightly graying brown hair and cerulean blue eyes, he could have easily passed for her father.
A rush of adrenaline, powerful enough to make his hands shake, signaled to him the most difficult part of his task was complete. The recent reports of men who shared his particular predilection blanketed the evening news daily. Back in the eighties, when children only guarded themselves against the dark, scary stranger, Dwayne had thrived. However, the nineties brought about a new awareness. The friendly, fair-haired gentleman who could be a deacon or scoutmaster became the focus of the media’s attention. None of it mattered at that moment, though, as Dwayne led the little girl toward the mall’s exit.
He thought about his plan. Once he reached his car, he would go to the trunk to retrieve the dog’s leash. Being the sweet child she was, the little girl wouldn’t think it strange for him to ask her for help, and when she stepped closer, he would shove her in and close the trunk. The extra padding would prevent anyone from hearing her screams. He lived only a few miles away in a discreet subdivision off Perkins Road.
There it was. The exit door. The point of no return. With the line of demarcation, only a few feet away, he took another step toward the door. He breathed a deep sigh a relief when a powerful hand grabbed his shoulder. Even before he turned, Dwayne readied himself with his usual pretext.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the man asked.
Dwayne relied on his usual pretext. He would say he was returning the lost little girl to her parents. But the man who stopped him wasn’t a cop or even mall security. Dwayne recognized and feared something in his eyes. The strange man smiled and continued, “I come from a place darker than night. Welcome to your nightmare.”
Dwayne’s heart sank.
Read the rest of the story in my new thriller, Darker Than Night. Available soon.
February 6, 2013
Best Laid Plans . . .
I started the week with impossibly high hopes and goals. Rena and I found wonderful resources at the East Baton Rouge Parish library. We each checked out an armload of books ranging from memoir writing to screenplay writing, both areas we will be dabbling in later this year. We had a great planning meeting where we set our game plan for the week. I contacted a few more agents/publishers and she worked on her query letter and targeted a few agents for her Christian romance novel.
As the saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”
Since our marriage in June, I hadn’t been able to visit family members in our neighboring state of Mississippi. Something came over me and I felt compelled to take the hour-long ride to introduce my wife and to reconnect with the most important thing in the world, family. I sat up in bed at about 9:00 pm and told Rena that we were driving to Mississippi the next day. Even though visiting family wasn’t anywhere on our tight schedule, she agreed, as I knew she would. Even though I did what I was led to do, there continued to be something dark stirring in my spirit. I fought it as best as I could and tried to rest. I battle with insomnia nightly, but there was something different that I couldn’t put my finger on.
The next morning was business as usual. Rena made sure the kids made it onto their respective buses; we gassed up my truck and we began our journey at around
8:30 am. We were listening to the Kevin Smith ‘Fatman on Batman’ podcast when I received a text from one of my former coworkers at Probation & Parole. It was 9:03 am, and the message read – “Have you heard?”
I worked in law enforcement for almost ten years so receiving a message like that wasn’t a total surprise. Usually it’s followed by gossip about who was having an affair, who got arrested, who got fired or something of that nature. Something that morning was different, but I didn’t know why. I knew it was going to be something bad. I asked, “What?” and waited with my heart in my throat awaiting the response.
An officer that I worked with and knew well had committed suicide the night before.
I continued to ride but have no recollection of the second half of the drive. It was like I had just been knocked out and couldn’t understand what had just happened. The first question was why. What happened? I made a few calls and got some background and nothing filled in the pieces. He was at work earlier in the day. He never gave any indication that things were that bad. He was probably the last person that I would have thought would do something like that.
He was a friend, but not someone that I was particularly close to. We were partnered together during Hurricane Gustav and spent a lot of time escorting prison buses throughout the state. I remember the many conversations we had and wondered what was going on in his life that drove him to suicide. I cycled back and forth through the five stages of grief in a matter of minutes. From 9:05 am on Wednesday, I’ve felt a dark veil over my soul.
The funeral was Saturday. It was surreal seeing so many of my older friends under such dire circumstances. One of them asked, “He was in the book, right?”
The thought had crossed my mind the night before, but I didn’t tell Rena about it. Even though I wouldn’t have said he was someone I was very close to, he affected my life enough to show up in one of my books. My mind continued to race — the last three funerals I had gone to were for fallen P&P friends. You know what else? All three men were in Darker Than Night. My emotions flooded as I saw many of these people that touched my life in ways that I couldn’t comprehend at the time. As I introduced people to my wife, I told her their corresponding name of the character in my book when they walked off.
Thankfully, I was able to mend fences and reconnect with friends that I missed dearly. Though I’m working through this loss more slowly than I would have liked, I would implore anyone who reads this blog to stay encouraged. Everyday that we wake up, we have a chance to get things right. Don’t ever give up.
“Always tell someone how you feel, because opportunities are lost in the blink of an eye but regret can last a lifetime.” – Unknown
Goodbye, my friend.
January 29, 2013
My Week in Writing – Passion
Last week I decided I wanted to keep a better record of my life as a fulltime writer. Why not share that journey with my readers? Well, as with most man-made plans, I was immediately thrown a monkey wrench. Shall we begin?
I received this review on Monday morning:
By Kelly
This review is from: Under Abnormal Conditions (A Michael Drake Mystery) (Kindle Edition)
I think this the most boring thing I’ve ever read! Or should I say started to read, I wanted to throw my kindle in the trash about 2/3rd’s of the way through the 3rd chapter. I so HATE giving bad reviews. So let me just say Eric, you do have potential, but you need to let your creative mind open up. You may love reading this type of book, but I can see its not what with in you. I suggest you try writing about your dreams, the things that fill you with passion and let it just flow from you. You are trying to hard. RELAX and it will just come flooding out when you are just about to give up.Good luck with your future endeavors.
Wow. That was pretty rough. Now I’ve received some bad reviews in the past. In fact, one lady wrote that her fifth grader wrote better fiction than I did. Usually I just let the criticism roll of my back. I know that everything is not for everybody and no one is going to like everything I write, other than my mom (gotta love moms). This review was different. She addressed me personally as if she knows me. If she felt that strongly, I wish she would have contacted me via email. If you don’t like the book, that’s fine, but don’t question where my passion lies. I fought the urge to fire off an angry response or find out where she works and go critique the way she does it. I hate to admit it, but it did get under my skin for a bit. Moving on . . .
In January, I gave away close to 21,700 ebooks of Under Abnormal Conditions and 200 ebooks of Paved With Good Intentions. Thankfully, that has translated into over 500 actual sales for the month of January. Even though I don’t know the exact numbers and I would need Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Shout out to Big Bang Theory) to translate the Amazon sales rankings method, Mask of Shadows has been selling its best since its release in April of 2012. As happy as this makes me, it drives me crazy that Darker Than Night is still sitting on the shelf after the debacle with MuseItUp Publishing. As good as those three books are, I know that Darker Than Night is my strongest book. At this point I’m wondering if I should try the traditional route again or self-publish. I’ve built up a pretty good following, so I could go either way. I decided to query a few carefully selected agents and if I didn’t receive a positive response by March, I’d publish the book myself. After a few rejections, I began to prepare the book for a March 5, 2013 release date. Then a funny thing happend. The agent that sent me the first rejection letter had a change of heart and requested to read the book. Who knows what’s going to come of it, but it was so encouraging!
Due to my ever present insomnia, I was up late Friday night listening to a podcast from an old episode of Kevin Smith’s Fatman on Batman,where he was interviewing Paul Dini who is best known for his great work on Batman: The Animated Series, as well as creating the characters Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya. In the interview, Dini speaks about the Heart Of Ice episode from the first season. The episode featured, the brilliant cryogenics expert Dr. Victor Fries who is transformed into Mr. Freeze, a vengeful creature who can only survive in subzero temperatures.
Screen capture from ”Batman: The Animated Series
Due to a terminal illness, Dr. Fries placed his wife Nora in a cryogenic stasis until he can find a cure. Due to cuts in funding, his boss arrived at his lab and shut down his top secret project, which in essence, sentenced Nora to death. Fries begged the man to stop, but he refused and callously kicked Fries into a table of chemicals. The chemicals damaged Fries so severely that the doctor is unable to live outside of a sub-zero condition. Fries becomes Freeze and uses a freezing ray to take his revenge on his enemy. As crazy as it sounds, it was a very powerful episode with a very sympathetic villain. When Dini spoke of the character’s motivation, he actually seemed to choke up. That’s passion. He took an easily forgettable, two bit character and and turned him into a top flight member of Batman’s illustrious rogue’s gallery. Dini’s voice was filled with the passion that made me an even bigger fan. That episode first aired in 1992. Even after so much time has passed and with all of his accomplishments, he is still so in touch with these characters he brought to life. Maybe that was why I took the bad review so hard. I put all that I am into my books and these characters aren’t just characters to me. They are my friends that I interact with daily. Even when the reading and writing is complete, they continue to live and breath in my consciousness. Thanks to Paul Dini for helping get back on track.
Saturday I received an email from a fan who loved both of my Michael Drake books and was ready for another one. It came at a perfect time. I had just made few changes to Dark Than Night before sending it off to what will hopefully be my new agent. Even though I’ll be a little disappointed if I don’t sign with anyone, I feel good that my art, my gift has touched so many people. I’ve received so much encouragement and positive reviews that I know I must be doing something right. My weekend ended with a trip to Southeast Cards and Comics. After getting me hooked on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I only thought it fair to introduce my wonderful wife, Rena, to the magical world of comic books. My friend and Southeast’s owner recommended Marvel’s 1602 series from 2003. Marvel 1602 is an eight limited series written by Neil Gaiman and penciled by Andy Kubert, where the familiar superheroes of the Marvel universe have been transplanted to the Elizabethan era. When their world is on the brink of destruction, the heroes must fight to save all they hold dear. She blew through the first seven issues pretty quickly so now I’m on a mission to find that precious last issue.
The creation of a comic book nerd.
All in all, I’d say the week was a successful one. Although I didn’t get to blog or do much writing, I was able to find strength from the most unlikely place. One bad review doesn’t make me a bad writer, just like one good review doesn’t make me a good writer.Passion and belief in my talent makes me a good writer. I know with each book I produce, I am putting my best foot forward. As long as I can continue to let my passion fill my pages, I’m satisfied. No. On second thought. I’m not satisfied, I’m happy. Though, it feels great to be ranked in the top five on Amazon, it feels even better to know that my self worth comes down to more than reviews, rankings and sales.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
January 18, 2013
I have MS, MS does not have me.
My previous entry was a fictional account of my last visit to my neurologist. I guess now its time to keep things real. My name is Erick and I have MS. More importantly, MS does not 
have me. If you are not familiar with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), it is a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS) — the brain, spinal cord, and nerve fibers to the eyes. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know that. Sometimes, I’m not sure if my family truly understands. Some of the common symtoms are:
Vision problems – this was my first symptom, though at the time I had no idea what it was.
Numbness, tingling, and abnormal sensations of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is one of the most common symptoms of MS.
Pain – thankfully I deal witha minimum amount of pain
Muscle weakness and uncontrollable shaking – I do notice fluctuations in my strength and spacity in my hands.
Dizziness - I sometimes feel off-balance and I’ve dealt with vertigo (the sensation of spinning, or of things around me spinning) in the past.
Fatigue – This is the big one for me. Sometimes it takes everything I have just to get out of bed in the morning.
Depression – I hate to admit it, but this is also I tremendous problem for me. I’m facing it and getting help for it.
Why did I list all of these symtoms? What do they have in common? You can’t see them. The normal person on the street would look at me as perfectly healthy. (Ok, they would probably think I need to lose a few pounds, but who doesn’t?) I’m currently taking the oral medicine, Gilenya. With so much going on my my life, I felt like this was the best course of action for me. The Rebif shots were painful and I had to rotate the injection sites each time. That led to me forgetting when and where I took my last injection. It also made travel extremely difficult. With my medicine, Gilenya, the side effects are:
Headache
Flu
Diarrhea
Back pain
Abnormal liver tests
Cough
It can cause your heart rate to slow down, especially after you take your first dose. You will have a test to check the electrical activity of your heart (ECG*) before you take your first dose in a medical facility where you will be watched for at least 6 hours.
Since my initial diagnosis in 2009, I haven’t been as diligent as I should have been in progress. Though no new lesions have developed since in 2009, I want to take this year to get ahead of this disease and not let it cripple my mind, body or spirt. To document my progress, I will use The MS Workbook: Living Fully With Multiple Sclerosis. I’ll use this guide to show how I manage depression, fatigue and weakness, cope with pain, get the most out of my health care system and to combat anxiety. Also, be sure to check out the National MS Society website for breaking news and developments.
My goal is uplift anyone out there who is dealing with the disease and maybe give some insight to their caregivers and friends.
January 16, 2013
When Bestselling Goes Wrong: What The Lord of the Rings Taught Me About Writing
“But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One ring to rule them all.” ~ Galadriel (The Lord of the Rings)
On January 2, 2013, I entered my own Unexpected Journey. I created a plan for the year with all of my goals and projects I wanted to finish. I decided to shop Darker Than Night for another few weeks before I self publish. I made a plan to finish my paranormal romance before the end of the month. I scheduled weekly meeting to discuss to plans for each week, month and quarter. I came up with a system to track my sales and downloads. I had everything planned, and then the strangest thing happened.
I became a best seller.
On January 3, 2013, Under Abnormal Conditions cracked the top five for free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers. One would think that would be a great accomplishment. Isn’t this why we all write? No. Well, it shouldn’t be. Everyday, I found myself logging into my Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Goodreads accounts to check my sales. Then I discovered that the book was selling even better in the UK. Everyday, I sat at the computer refreshing my browser and watching the numbers soar. I felt myself live and die with every review. I should have been on top of the world, but I wasn’t. Something was missing and I couldn’t figure out what is was. As more books sold, I felt better and better about my decision to become a full-time writer. For the first time, I found a sense of security. Something was still missing. I reviewed my plans for the week, month and quarter and still couldn’t put my finger on it. I came up with a list of topics to blog about. Still there was an emptiness in the pit of my soul that I couldn’t shake. What was wrong with me?
My wife, Rena, had been after me to watch The Lord of the Rings for the longest time. Surprisingly, I had never read the books or seen the movies. After two weeks of the kids being home for the Christmas holidays, we decided to take a break and watch the first movie, Fellowship of the Ring. As I watched, it finally hit me.
Smeagol & the One Ring – New Line Cinema
“We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious.” – Gollum
Who would have thought that I would have so much in common with a Stoor Hobbit. Gollum was originally know as Smeagol until he was corrupted by the One Ring. Though he loved and hated Ring, which he referred to as “precious”, he pursued it for the rest of his life. The Ring transformed him into a small slimy creature with an emaciated and gaunt appearance. I was transforming into a Gollum and being a best seller was my “precious.” All I cared about were the numbers. That takes me back to a question I asked earlier. Isn’t that why we write? For recognition?
I found my answer. In preparing for the weekly, monthly and quarterly goals, I left out the most important thing – I WASN’T WRITING!
I had lost my way and The Lord of the Rings helped me find it. I love writing. I love reading. I love storytelling. I love creating worlds. Before I realized it, I had turned my love of writing into a job, the very thing most writers try to avoid. I was writing to sell books and not because of my love of creating and storytelling. I let success, a little as it was, corrupt me. Thankfully, it didn’t take me 500 years to realize how far off my path I had strayed.
I know the numbers are important, but it’s not something I’m going to check daily or even weekly. Rena is in control of the books and numbers and I plan to let her handle it. At the end of the month, I’ll discuss sales and strategy with her, but other than that I refuse to obsess over those things I can’t control. As a writer, I have to write. As a writer, I have to please myself first. I have to create. If I don’t, I’ll succumb to the darkness that pulls at my soul. Am I being overly dramatic? If you are a writer, you know exactly what I mean.
My mantra for the new year:
1. I write because I cannot NOT write.
2. I write because I have to create.
3. I write because I dream.
4. I write because I have a story to tell.
5. I write because some NEEDS to hear my story.
6. I write because that is my gift for GOD.
7. I write because I love to tell stories.
8. I write because I want a record of the past.
9. I write because I can’t afford therapy.
10. I write because I don’t want a real job.
Join me on my path to self discovery as Rena and I begin a new Blog series called, Rena & Erick: Walking Along the Artist’s Way. In this weekly blog, we dive into Julia Cameron’s seminal book on the subject of creativity, The Artist’s Way, and share our experiences.
January 14, 2013
I must be less . . . so He can be Greater!
Heartsease Family Life Church
On January 14, my church, Heartsease Family Life Church, entered into a 21 day fast called Greater 3:30. Based on John 3:30, God doesn’t do GREATER things exclusively through great people…He does them through anyone who is willing to trust Him in greater things!
John 3:30
New International Version (NIV) – “He must become greater; I must become less.”
New King James Version (NKJV) – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
New Living Translation (NLT) – “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
So many of us have succumbed to believing in a Lesser, Loser Life based on whatever circumstances we are going through at the time. God wants us to know that more we seek him, the clearer our pathways in life will be. Though we will struggle, we have to recognize that out life is greater when we grab ahold of God and understand that He wants to use you and me. As his word says in John 14:12 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And what happens when we decide the fully commit to serving God? Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” That power from Heaven is working on your behalf on Earth!
Playing football for most of my life, I know the abilities that coaches have to pull every ounce of potential out of a player. I know for a fact that if it wasn’t for Coaches Butch Wax and Lloyd DeGeneres, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. As great as they were, there is still something more. God sees in you the greatness you don’t see in yourself. You can keep Nick Saban or Les Miles. I know who my coach is.
My 21 GREATER 3:30 Day Fast Began on January 14th, 2013
I commit to fast from January 14th, 2013 to February 3, 2013. The reason I am fasting is because I desire a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. I am committing to the Daniel fast where I will only eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. I will avoid all meats, dairy and other animal products. I will also abstain from all leavened bread, refined and processed foods, fried food and all solid fats. I will only eat to sustain my body and to take my prescribed medications. The results I believe to see take place is that in drawing closer to God, I seek to see less of myself and more in God in me. I believe that will make me a more loving husband and a better father.
January 13, 2013
God Doesn’t Call the Equipped, He Equips the Called
“I’ll tell anybody. One thing about God’s will, you can never see God’s will before it happens. You can only see at the end of it. For His will to happen this way, I could never ask for anything else.” Ray Lewis
(Photograph: Reuters/ Joe Giza)
If someone had told me thirteen years ago that I would be quoting Ray Lewis on my inspiration blog, I would have said that were crazy. On January 31, 2000, Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker were beaten and stabbed to death outside a nightclub in Atlanta. The murders remain unsolved. Lewis was arrested and originally charged with two counts of murder. He struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against two of his companions that night. The two were later acquitted of the murders, and Lewis went on to have a Hall of Fame career. The story could have ended there.
Lewis could have easily slipped into the circular mentality and continued on the path of drugs and violence that led to the deaths of those two young men. He didn’t. He made a stand. Instead of grabbing on to the things of the world, he grabbed onto God and refused to let go. He must increase, but I must decrease – John 3:30. Instead of seeing a brash football star, we saw a man who made the decision to trust in God and put Him first. Even though we see Ray Lewis making tackles and sacks, his desire was for us to see the God in him.
After his teams victory in Denver, Lewis said, ”If my effort can give you hope, faith and love then so be it and today was about me giving everything I got. No matter the circumstances that you may be going through, just push through it. If you can push through it, you’ll encourage somebody. Today, hopefully somebody was uplifted.”
While the tragedy of that January night will live on in infamy, we have to remember who we are and were we came from. If God can use someone like Paul, whose goal in life was to persecute the saints and the church of God, why can’t he use Ray Lewis?Even more importantly, why can’t He use you or I? In a great post by Jon Acuff, take a look at the disciples. In Mark 4, the disciples had witnessed countless miracles, but when a storm threatened their boat, they woke Jesus asking, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” We never know what storms are before us. Above all, we have to have faith and keep our eyes on God and continue on our path, regardless of hope the situation may look.
In 1 Kings 19:19, God saw something in Elisha that no one else, including Elisha himself, could see. No one know what God’s will was on the night of January 31, 2000. Maybe God saw something in Ray Lewis no one else did. What we do know is that God is good and the more we seek Him, the better equipped we will be to handle those storms.
January 8, 2013
Most Popular Posts of the Year.
2012 was a tremendous year for us and I would like to say thanks to everyone who dropped by our little website. To start the year, here are Cluewriter’s top ten most popular posts of 2012 (based on page views).
1. Tyler Perry is the new Alex Cross.
4. Have a Teen? We Need to Talk.
5. Dancing like No One is Watching.
6. Fifty Shades of Red.
7. Erick & Rena At the Movies.
8. If You Want to Make A Million Dollars Writing Books.
9. What if Batman Wrote Book Reviews.
10. What Pro Wresting Can Teach Us About Writing Thrillers.
If you found this post interesting, please give it a like, or subscribe or retweet. If you’re not on twitter, just mention it to someone in line at the grocery store*, or a classmate, or better yet, yell it out while driving down the street *.
Thanks again for a great 2012. I’m looking forward to making even more connection in 2013.
(*This website does not encourage reckless driving or talking to strange people in groceries stores.)
