Vicki V. Lucas's Blog, page 5

The Magic of Frozen: Accept or Reject?

Disney fills our lives with magical tales. But are these movies of magic good or bad for Christians to watch? Is magic ever appropriate in a story, and if it is, how is a Christian supposed to know when it’s okay? In case you are just joining us, I previously asked the question if Elsa is truly using magic. You can read it here. But for this post, let’s examine the magic of Frozen because it brings up a fascinating discussion.

Magic is the use of a supernatural force to get what you desire. We could go deeper into the definition of magic, but let’s take a quick look at Frozen and two questions I always ask when magic is part of the story.

Who does the magic?

Magic is bad. I know that sounds extremely simple, but I am shocked that I often have to clarify my opinion on this to other Christians. However, if you read the Bible, it clearly tells us that magic is not something for us to do. (Feel free to contact me about this if you have questions.)

If just the antagonist uses magic, I’m more lenient with magic in the storyline. It’s pretty common knowledge that bad people do bad stuff. I don’t believe the story should show the use of magic in detail or for a long period of time. However, most of us come from a moral compass that says bad people do this, so I don’t want to do that. I understand that some of it might look fun, but I still believe that the reader gets the idea that if the antagonist is doing it, then it’s not something to pursue.

What about the protagonist or main character?

I don’t like it when the main character of the story uses magic to defeat the antagonist. My reasons relate back to being a writer as well as a Christian. Keep reading to find out more!

How is the conflict resolved?

I’m disappointed when a story has the main character using magic to defeat the evil sorcerer. Why?

First, it’s an easy and boring plot line. If you have two individuals that can do the same thing, the story becomes a power struggle that will be resolved when one is stronger or smarter than the other. Think of Harry Potter. The stories are just about Harry’s journey. He finds out who he is (another missing parent plot…read more here), he goes to a secret school, and he studies and learns until he’s strong enough to overcome the antagonist who have been waiting around to kill him. It’s just about muscles (or brains or skill). It’s brawn against brawn, cloaked in magic.

Even Star Wars didn’t use this plot line. Luke finds about the truth about his parents (Note the parent issue again) and realizes that he has the ability to use the force. He gets some training, but far before he’s ready, he runs off to rescue his sister and winds up in a battle with Darth Vader and the Emperor. Does he find something deep within himself that makes him a better fighter than his enemies? Nope. His stubbornness, loyalty to his friends, and persistent belief of good in his father creates the change in Darth Vader.

Second, it misses a powerful message. When you look at the old tales, you have stories about witches, magic and more. But we read them to our children. Why? Because they show us how ordinary people can do great things. Look at Hansel and Gretel. Two kids get captured by a witch and are about to be eaten. Do they escape and run to the nearest secret school to learn magic so that they can return and defeat her? Nope. The girl shoves the witch into the oven and slams the door shut, leaving the witch to be burned to ashes.

Now that’s a story. Small girl outwits and overpowers evil witch.

G.K. Chesterton said, “Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” I would take this a step further and say that dragons can be beaten by you and me. Normal, average folks who don’t have any strange ability that we didn’t know of. With God’s grace and power, we can fight back and win over evil.

Third, it doesn’t allow a chance for God. With an individual controlling his destiny through magic, there is no room for God. God may want the person to succeed over the evil, or He may want the person to lose. While we prefer a happy ending, think of the first martyr Stephen and how God used his sacrifice to spread the Good News of Christ. The use of magic doesn’t give room for God to bring about His purposes.

Why is this better than magic against magic?

It keeps the reader guessing. Is Gretel going to win over the witch, or will the ending be horrible? How is Gretel going to kill the witch? Be careful, though, if you use this method in your writing. Make it too easy or simple, use something as a coincidence, and your reader will feel cheated.

Finally, it gives us hope. When we face the evil in this world, we come with the background of knowing that we can win. We don’t have to be frightened, cowed, or stuck. There will be a way to beat back the darkness, even if we don’t see it right now.

How does Frozen measure up?

**Major spoiler alert! Go away now if you don’t want the movie ruined!**

Okay, now that it’s just us, I can continue. If you’ve seen the movie, Frozen does an amazing job with this issue. Instead of falling into their recent story lines, they twisted it and gave us something unexpected. Love is the key. And not just any old love, not a first kiss. Nope. Real, true love. Love so deep and strong that it calls for a sacrifice.

Anna’s love for Elsa is so deep, even after all the years that she was pushed aside, ignored, and almost killed, she couldn’t bear to watch the sword drop on Elsa. In a flash, she took Elsa’s place because of her love. “Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.”

All the time we’ve been watching Anna’s heart freeze, but Elsa’s heart was a block of ice. Seeing her sister’s great love, Elsa’s heart thaws. This true act of love saves both Elsa and Anna as love is the answer.

See Christ in there? We’re Elsa. Our hearts are frozen. God reached out to us time and time again, but we ignored Him. We slammed the door on His face, rejected him, and refused His help. Then when He travels from Heaven and meets us in our ice castle, we not only throw Him out, we sent Him to His death. But we didn’t freeze His heart. We slammed a crown of thorns on His head, whipped Him, and nailed His hands and feet to a cross.

He did this because this was His act of true love. Has it thawed your heart?

Read more of Frozen here and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss any updates! (You get a free short story when you do!)

The post The Magic of Frozen: Accept or Reject? appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #3: No Missing Parents

Does your main character not know who he/she is? Have the parents been killed, leaving relatives to raise him/her? The third tip for writing Christian fantasy challenges you to change that plot line.

Why?

It’s overused. From The Sword of Shannara series, The Wheel of Time series, The Inheritance Cycle, Star Wars (although not pure fantasy, it includes many fantasy elements), and many more draw from this story line. Even Frodo in the The Lord of the Rings lived with his relative, Bilbo, because his parents were killed.

Can it still work?

Yes, of course. We like this kind of story, and it relates back to the classics, so the story line always appeals to readers.

So why shouldn’t you use it?

1. It’s easy to figure out. It’s so simple that readers will see the surprise coming. It doesn’t take much work to realize that the main character doesn’t know who his parents are, and then there’s a missing prince. Hm. Sherlock wouldn’t even blink. Obviously, your main character is the missing prince. The reader may think that there are no twists and quit reading.

2. It’s lazy. One of the main reasons I love fantasy is that it’s filled with creativity. When you find a well-written fantasy novel, people, problems and cultures are completely new and exciting. When a writer uses this plot line, often it’s because they haven’t thought about the story too much. Instead of contemplating the story for different ways to tell it, it’s easy to fall into this line of thinking. I did this with Toxic when I first started plotting it. I wanted one person to reach a certain place and thought it would be fun to make him/her an orphan although he/she didn’t know it. (I’m being vague as the series isn’t finished, and you’re not getting any spoilers!) After some time, I came to realize that I could get this person to the same spot by the end, and the best thing? You’re never going to see it coming!

Honestly, this way is a lot more fun! It was harder to think of, but it’s going to be well worth it!

The Challenge

Take some time to think about where you want your main character to be when the book or series ends. Look at how you got that person there. Is it because of some lost inheritance or because the parents went missing? Take a walk, do the dishes, and think of other ways you could get that person to the same spot without using old, familiar plot lines. If you absolutely need your main character raised by relatives, keep it and move on. However, if there’s another way to tell your story, it might be worth exploring.

Do you think this plot line is worn out and familiar? Do you have any suggestions on how to make it a new and exciting story where the reader doesn’t see the twists coming?

Like this series? You can follow on Pinterest or sign up to receive blog posts here and receive a free short story!

The post Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #3: No Missing Parents appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

Frozen: A Tale of Sorcery or Ability?

Even though I devour fantasy and action novels, I have to admit that every once in a while (okay, more often than I care to admit), I like a good Disney movie filled with romance and great music. I haven’t cared for the newer movies, but then Frozen came along. It surprised me with its humor, awesome twists, and a great moral lesson.

This picture was provided by Sherry Sauskojus. For more information or purchase, contact me.

However enjoyable, it still needs to be evaluated. Is Frozen a movie Christians should be watching? Should we allow our children to be watching it?

This is the first installment of a short series I am doing on Frozen. (If you haven’t seen it, I will be talking about a lot of spoilers, so go away and do some homework by watching the movie and then come back! I don’t want to ruin your surprise.)

Of course, Frozen is a movie with magic in it. That doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad. Even the Bible has magic. Elsa can change ice and snow at will, but is this really magic?

Elsa: Sorcerer or Talented?

The story starts with Elsa having the power to create winter. When they visit the trolls, we find out that Elsa was born with this ability. So, here’s my question.

Is Elsa’s ability to create snow and ice really magic?

Yes, Anna asks her to “do the magic.” But we all say that Disney World is a magical place. When we charm someone, we say that we “worked our magic.”

What is magic?

One definition of magic is “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.” Webster says that magic is “the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces” or “an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.”

Magic is a method of using words and items to make a supernatural force do what you want. I believe this is why God finds it so offensive. When we pray, we ask God for His miracles and trust that His plans are better, whether we get our requests or not. The use of magic is essentially saying, “I know best. I know better than God. I want this. Now give it to me.” Magic is rooted back to the very first sin of Adam and Eve.

But let’s go back to Elsa. She was born with this ability. Sure, she had to learn how to use it. However, it was part of her. She’s not asking some spirit to give her the power. Like Beethoven on the piano, Tiger Woods on a golf course, and Einstein in his lab, Elsa is merely doing what comes natural to her.

Is Elsa using magic?

I have to say that she isn’t employing magic. She is using a talent within her. We could argue how she got that talent and we may not understand it, but as far as the story shows, she isn’t commanding evil spirits to get what she wants. The movie never shows any scenes of her with bubbling pots and potions. (I understand this is a bit stereotypical, but you get the point.)

In fact, I would even argue that she doesn’t even want this ability. She never says this, but I believe she just wants to be normal. She’s hurt that she can’t live as others do. She misses Anna but lives in fear that she’ll harm her sister again. She’s upset that Anna wants to get married because she never can. And she flees the castle partly because she knows she could hurt her people or her country.

Yes, we see the joy of Elsa finally free to experiment with what she can do during the song “Let It Go.” But, in her own words, when Anna confronts her in the ice castle, she says, “I’m such a Fool! I can’t be free! No escape from the storm inside of me! I can’t control the curse!” Then her attention turns back to Anna, and she says to her sister, “You’re not safe here.”

Fear of what she could do wraps Elsa up like a thick coat, but it brings no warmth. And yet through this fear, she thinks of the safety of Anna. We read much about the love Anna has for Elsa, but the love is returned just as strongly.

Stick around! I have a little more to say about the magic in Frozen in the next post, but until then…

Do you think Elsa is using magic? Do you think it’s wrong to have magic in a story? Do you think Elsa thinks her ability is horrible or cool? 

The post Frozen: A Tale of Sorcery or Ability? appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

Frozen: Sorcery or Ability?

Even though I devour fantasy and action novels, I have to admit that every once in a while (okay, more often than I care to admit), I like a good Disney movie filled with romance and great music. I haven’t cared for the newer movies, but then Frozen came along. It surprised me with its humor, awesome twists, and a great moral lesson.

[image error]However enjoyable, it still needs to be evaluated. Is Frozen a movie Christians should be watching? Should we allow our children to be watching it?

This is the first installment of a short series I am doing on Frozen. (If you haven’t seen it, I will be talking about a lot of spoilers, so go away and do some homework by watching the movie and then come back! I don’t want to ruin your surprise.)

Of course, Frozen is a movie with magic in it. That doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad. Even the Bible has magic. Elsa can change ice and snow at will, but is this really magic?

Elsa: Sorcerer or Talented?

The story starts with Elsa having the power to create winter. When they visit the trolls, we find out that Elsa was born with this ability. So, here’s my question.

Is Elsa’s ability to create snow and ice really magic?

Yes, Anna asks her to “do the magic.” But we all say that Disney World is a magical place. When we charm someone, we say that we “worked our magic.”

What is magic?

One definition of magic is “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.” Webster says that magic is “the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces” or “an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.”

Magic is a method of using words and items to make a supernatural force do what you want. I believe this is why God finds it so offensive. When we pray, we ask God for His miracles and trust that His plans are better, whether we get our requests or not. The use of magic is essentially saying, “I know best. I know better than God. I want this. Now give it to me.” Magic is rooted back to the very first sin of Adam and Eve.

But let’s go back to Elsa. She was born with this ability. Sure, she had to learn how to use it. However, it was part of her. She’s not asking some spirit to give her the power. Like Beethoven on the piano, Tiger Woods on a golf course, and Einstein in his lab, Elsa is merely doing what comes natural to her.

Is Elsa using magic?

I have to say that she isn’t employing magic. She is using a talent within her. We could argue how she got that talent and we may not understand it, but as far as the story shows, she isn’t commanding evil spirits to get what she wants. The movie never shows any scenes of her with bubbling pots and potions. (I understand this is a bit stereotypical, but you get the point.)

In fact, I would even argue that she doesn’t even want this ability. She never says this, but I believe she just wants to be normal. She’s hurt that she can’t live as others do. She misses Anna but lives in fear that she’ll harm Anna again. She’s upset that Anna wants to get married because she never can. And she flees the castle because she knows she will hurt her people or her country.

Yes, we see the joy of Elsa finally free to experiment with what she can do during the song “Let It Go.” But, in her own words, when Anna confronts her in the ice castle, she says, “I’m such a Fool! I can’t be free! No escape from the storm inside of me! I can’t control the curse!” Then her attention turns back to Anna, and she says to her sister, “You’re not safe here.”

Fear of what she could do wraps Elsa up like a thick coat, but it brings no warmth. And yet through this fear, she thinks of the safety of Anna. We read much about the love Anna has for Elsa, but the love is returned just as strongly.

Stick around! I have a little more to say about the magic in Frozen in the next post, but until then…

Do you think Elsa is using magic? Do you think it’s wrong to have magic in a story? Do you think Elsa thinks her ability is horrible or cool? 

The post Frozen: Sorcery or Ability? appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #2: Be Brief

Instead of a lengthy introduction, I shall heed my own advice and jump straight into my second tip of writing Christian fantasy. (In case you have just joined us, this is the second installment of a series called “50 Tips for Writing Christian Fantasy.” You can view the first post here or follow on Pinterest here.)

Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #2: Be Brief

I love asking people what their opinions are about the books and the movies of The Lord of the Rings. Sometimes I find a kindred spirit who loves the books, but mostly people like the movies better. When I ask why, they list these reasons.

“Good books, but really, really long!”
“Too much description. Pages and pages!”
“Just get to the story! Stop the history.”
“Where did Arwen go and why isn’t she really in the books?”

As any self-respecting Lord of the Rings fan, I am always shocked and horrified. How could you not fall in love with the books?

Today’s audience is different than when Tolkien wrote his novels. In this modern age, we are used to getting what we want right now.

When writing Christian fantasy, weave your world in through the dialogue and conflict. Sprinkle it throughout the book, much like you would experience when traveling to another country. I’m not saying to delete all of it. (You might have to get rid of some of it if you have tons.) Just rework it throughout the book instead of dumping it all in one place.

Why It’s Better to be Brief

As you can see, readers want the story to progress. When you give them pages of history, it reads like a textbook. But small details of the surrounding or history can deepen the story.

For example, let’s say the main character is finding out that his parents were massacred years ago instead of dying for sickness like he’s been told. He could remember another person in the past he had always heard stories of. “This is what Rah must have felt when he heard that his parents were murdered.” Perhaps the main character would look across the rocky cliffs that held the wild dragons and think how hard life is.

Action Steps

Read through what you have written. Note anywhere you have a long paragraph or more of history, custom, language, or description. Reevaluate those sections. Can you separate out that huge chunk and weave it in throughout the dialogue and action?

What do you think? Do you love the long description and backstory? Do you always want more history while you read? Or do you want the story to continue?

The post Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #2: Be Brief appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #1: Be Familiar

Writing Christian fantasy is a blast because you get to create whatever kind of world you want. Purple, flying monkeys? Done! A world with no snakes or spiders? Done! And then you want to share all the cool aspects of your world in the first few pages of your novel because everyone will love it. Right?

This excitement can lead you into making a dreadful mistake. If you want to keep readers turning pages, do not begin with all the unique stuff. Instead, start with the familiar. Do not expound greatly about the strange places, difficult names, new customs, or all the unique creatures your world has.

Writing Christian Fantasy Tip #1: Be Familiar 

J.R.R Tolkien began The Hobbit by describing a house. Yes, the house is a hole in the ground, but it is still easy to imagine. The Lord of the Rings starts with a birthday party. Robert Jordan, author of the massive series of fourteen books, opens his books with a peaceful farm scene with a farmboy just wanting to dance with a girl he thinks is pretty. Terry Brooks, in the Sword of Shannara, has one of his main characters walking home through a forest. Of course, the Pevensie children start in London in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but even after Lucy enters Narnia, it is a familiar place with snow, woods, and a lamppost. Only after this normal scene does a faun introduce himself.

I can hear you saying, “But wait! My new world is cool! You’ll love it! I can’t wait to show everyone all the wonderful things about it…

Why can’t I show all the great stuff first?”

When you hit the reader with too much newness, they will find it too much work to read. If it’s too much work, then they will put it down and go to the next book. However, if they find a scene they can picture or a feeling they can relate to, they will keep reading.

Action Steps

Read through your opening paragraphs. Check to see how much new information you have given the reader. If you have a lot of new situations, customs, names, creatures, or places, save some of that for later. Weave these unique details into the following chapters slowly in order to give the reader time to enter your world. 

Using the comments below, feel free to share your first paragraph of your Christian fantasy novel so that we can see more examples of how the familiar draws in readers. 

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Collecting Tickets: Indie Christian Authors Blog Train – Elaine Baldwin

I started a Facebook group called Indie Christian Authors almost two years ago with the desire to fellowship with other Indie authors who are also Christians. The group has grown to almost 500 members with a strong sense of community as we help each other with advice and prayer. . We decided to feature a blog train with the authors in our group. I get the honor of featuring Elaine Baldwin, a co-administrator of the group, a talented author, and a dear friend. So let us begin!

Which author, either living or dead, would you most like to meet? What one question would you ask them?

I would like to meet C S Lewis because his books were the first that moved my soul to be a more determined and better informed follower of Christ. He did this in both his fiction and non-fiction writing which is what I am doing and aspire to keep doing.

I want to ask him about the book he didn’t write. (I think everybody has one) I want to know what it would’ve been about and why he didn’t write it?

What or who inspires you to write? Is there a “real person” you pattern either your protagonist or antagonist after?

My main inspiration is my kids. I guess it’s because I know them best and understand their psyche, idiosyncrasies and dreams better than anyone else I know; maybe even more than I know myself. LOL!

I embarked on writing my first non-fiction book decades ago because I wanted to be a better mom and I knew the only way I could do that was if I figured out how to truly love someone else. It was a long arduous journey but I finally finished that book one year ago. I am still not sure I have this love thing down! But I pray I have a small grasp of its foundation and power.

My fiction series is seeded in the life of my daughter as a single adult. In college she stopped reading Christian fiction because the standard plot line of damsel in distress, boy saves damsel, they marry and live happily ever after was nowhere to be seen in her future. These books depressed her; not entertain her. I wanted to write a series where the female protagonist remains single and still has a wonderful and fulfilling life living out her purpose in God.

I also wanted to write fiction; fantasy to be specific and, of course, I wanted to be like C S Lewis. Who doesn’t, right?! And that is where one of my sons comes in. He lives and breathes speculative fiction and fantasy and he pushes me to write this genre to its fullest potential. He doesn’t let me slack. He also helps me with the battle and fight scenes to make them as realistic as possible. He doesn’t even know this but one of the good guys is patterned after him.

What are some of your writing quirks?

I am a strange mix of an organized plodding writer and a seat of the pants (write it as it comes to you) kind of writer. I think it has something to do with being a little ADD and easily diverted!

I also use multiple types of media for my writing; notebooks, scratch pads, journals, computer and even my phone! Of course it all has to get on the computer eventually if I want anyone else to read it.

Where do you want to be in your writing career five years from now?

My heart’s desire is to be an author/speaker in ministry with my daughter! Way back in the late 1980s and early 1990s I had a small ministry and Valerie would often join me. She was between 3-7 years old at the time. Of course she stole the “show” with her beautiful chubby cheeks and adorable child’s voice.

I am convinced she will still steal the “show” though the chubby cheeks have been replaced with a beautiful young woman’s smile and the child’s voice is now a classical powerhouse. But more than anything I believe we can serve Christ in His church by sharing how we navigated a complicated mother/daughter relationship and lived to tell about it!

My dream is that in five years One Another Living Ministries will be a thriving organization that serves others in Christ’s Name and, just being real here, helps support us both financially.

What book project/s are you working on right now?

In light of the five year goal, I am working a several projects right now. The main one is finishing up the second book in the series The Books of Allelon. Of this, I need to eliminate all distractions and focus Elaine!!

I also have another Christian Living study book that I really want to complete and publish before some speaking gigs that are scheduled for late 2015. It is called The Art of Forgiving One Another and follows the first book of this series, The Art of Loving One Another.

For fun I am currently writing a blog series called Puppy Lessons which will be turned into a small devotional book in 2015. And just because I want to I hope to write a helpful book on how to survive moving your family. I am writing this with my sister-in-law and between us we have moved more than 50 times and have lived in 20 states and overseas!! We plan to call the book, Beyond the Boxes.

We, my daughter and I with techo son’s help, are working this fall on a new website design incorporating my daughter’s piece of the ministry and announcing her addition to One Another Living in January 2015. We plan to write at least one short book together in 2015 to help market our ministry and story. But, we have a wedding to plan for March of 2015, so that whole roll out may be delayed!!

Thanks so much for having me, Vicki! You truly have been a good friend and not just an author contact. I really do thank my God upon every remembrance of you! May God richly bless the work of your hands!

Vicki here – Thank you, Elaine! You have been such a blessing to me in many ways. Please check out Elaine’s books! I’ve read “If One Falls,” and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  [image error]

Those interested in connecting with me can find me as Elaine H. Baldwin at the following:

Ministry Site: www.OneAnotherLiving.com

Book Site: www.TheBooksofAllelon.com

Buy my Books: Amazon

Facebook: Author Page and Independent Christian Authors

Twitter: Author Page

Pinterest: Author Account

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Dissecting Divergent

As a Young Adult Christian fantasy writer, I was thrilled when my husband brought home Divergent (even if he got to the book before I did). I heard that it was not wholesome to read, but that response from the Christian community didn’t really surprise me. When I started writing Christian Young Adult fantasy, I found other Christians who were also writing in that same genre. Excited to meet a kindred spirit, I’d gush about the latest fantasy novel and ask if they had read it yet. I’d always get the same response.

“Oh, no. I don’t read anything that isn’t Christian because of all the …” (You can fill in the blank with your choice…swear words, sex scenes, graphic violence, false religions, etc.)

That response always left me feeling weird like there was something wrong with reading a book not written by a Christian, but I didn’t stop reading. Now I’ve reached a place where I see God and Biblical truths in all kinds of books, and I want to talk about what I read because there is good in secular books. But let me get back to Divergent. Honestly, it left me breathless not only due to the storyline but also for the ideas we we can discuss.

What It’s About (without spoilers) 

Divergent is a dystopian young adult book. In case you forgot or didn’t know, dystopian novels are normally the story of a completely degraded and awful society, and it is usually placed sometime in the future.

Due to major problems in the past, society has now split into five factions – Candor, Amity, Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. Young adults must choose their faction after a test that shows their aptitude to these five virtues. Once chosen, it is “faction over blood.” If teens choose a faction outside their family, they give up the ability to live with them, and in some cases, even see them again. The story starts when Beatrice is tested and presented with her choice. As she progresses through the story, she is faced with who she really is and how to respond to a world that is being destroyed.

The Bad in Divergent

1. Divergent gets a rating of PG-13 or higher due to the two sex scenes and a couple places where sex and/or nudity is mentioned. It’s not in depth, but you know what’s going on, and thus I can’t recommend it for younger people. Also, there are a few swear words. Honestly, there may be more, but I missed them because I had to know what happened next.

2. Forgiveness or mercy is not an attribute presented as good. At one point of the book, one of Beatrice’s friends does something to her that’s really bad. (I’m not saying what or who because that would be a spoiler.) Later this friend comes to Beatrice and begs for forgiveness. Beatrice says no. I almost wept for her at this point because Beatrice is filled with anguish of never having healing for this experience. She carries the scars of this decision, feeling the ache and doubting her choice.

My heart also ached because as a Christian, I know the healing power of forgiveness. I know it can be tough, but I know it can be done. I was reminded of the story of Corrie Ten Boom, who after surviving the concentration camps of the Nazis, faced one of the cruelest overseers of the camp she was in. He told her that he was now a Christian and had received God’s forgiveness. He also wanted her forgiveness. If you have the time, watch this clip on YouTube and see her struggle and the result of her decision. Watch here. To sum it up, she says, “You never touch so, the ocean of God’s love, as that you forgive your enemies!”

In Divergent, there is this priceless moment where the freedom of forgiveness could be shown in a powerful way, but unfortunately, violence and hate wins.

3. Violence doesn’t have much of a moral code. For example, you get the impression from the book that if someone hurts you, then it’s okay to hurt them back worse if given the opportunity. It’s the eye for an eye philosophy on steroids. Divergent is more of an eye for your eye and nose and ear and maybe your leg.This is an interesting point, though, because if someone tried to hurt my daughter, I would certainly fight to protect her. But I hesitate to praise this trait, especially the deliberate plotting for revenge.And, of course, I cringe to think of teens killing people.

I wince when Beatrice has to choose between killing a person or be killed. It frightens me that our current heroes are people who decide by themselves that society is bad and the only way to change it is with violence. Is it any wonder that we are seeing more and more attacks in schools?I believe it’s our sinful nature to resort to violence.

And, while I believe there is a time to fight, I keep coming back to the examples of God. God could have easily met violence with violence and has threatened to several times. However, the way that God chose to bring peace was to send His Son, Jesus, to die for us, not to fight back the evil. That is a far more powerful story than one of a person who kills to gain freedom. Instead of blasting the human race into oblivion, God gave His Son as a sacrifice for every single person to experience freedom from the chains of sin.

The Good in Divergent 

1. It’s a story you can’t put down. It gets you in and keeps you turning the pages until the end where you cry out for more. It’s also an easy read.

2. Divergent teaches a lot of great attributes. Beatrice and her friends value courage, honesty, intelligence, peace, and sacrifice. There are story lines that highlight them, especially sacrifice, that I can’t share without giving spoilers. There’s a strong theme of anti-bullying.

3. Beatrice is a strong female character. Unlike Bella from Twilight who must completely change to find love and happiness, Beatrice finds strengthen within her. She needs to be brave, and strong, and selfless. She is those things, but she just doesn’t know it yet. As the story continues, she reaches deep down inside of herself and finds that she is strong. She can overcome the difficulties. She can rise above the challenges. She is not a victim. That is a powerful thing.

4. While there is a romance, it’s not the all-consuming kind of Twilight. She keeps her friends. In fact, at times, he tells her to go spend time with them and mend rifts that have occurred. While they are together a lot, they don’t cling to each other.

5. Divergent made me think of how our church has split in certain points. If you are more charismatic, you worship over there. If you like hymns, you go there. Divergent makes the point that the factions need to include all virtues, not just one. Would the church be any better if instead of dividing into groups that we agree with, we stay together in one glorious mess where we could learn from each other?

6. Beatrice sees what is wrong in her society and takes action to stop it. She fights for the ones who can’t and saves lives. She doesn’t wait around for someone to do something. She does what she can to right a wrong. I can’t help but wonder how this world would change for the better if we would take only a bit of action to do something to make life better.

Should you read Divergent or let your teens read it?

That is a question only you can answer. I will not let my daughter read it at fifteen. Maybe even longer.

Will your children turn into sex-crazed killing machines if they read it? Oh, absolutely not.

Could you read it with your teen and have discussions about it that would lead to some great talks about the Christian life, consequences of bad choices, and other great applications? Absolutely! If your kids are dying to read it, this would be a great approach, and it would give you a great platform to discuss relevant issues without preaching.

Should you? Well, that’s up to you. I would highly encourage you to read it first though before allowing your teen to read it.

I would love to end this blog with some alternatives that are clean and present more of a Biblical viewpoint, but I can’t. Can you help me out? Have you read anything like Divergent that a Christian teen could easily read? What are your opinions of Divergent?

The post Dissecting Divergent appeared first on Vicki V. Lucas.

This Deadly and Devastating Disease

I’ve been suffering with a disease for most of March. This sickness is rampant, and it doesn’t care who you are or what you do. And while illnesses like the bird flu and influenza hit the headlines, this one is only whispered about, leaving the person who gets it stunned, helpless and isolated. What is it?

Quiticitis.

Quiticitis grows silently, undetected, until it takes over, and there’s a fight for your life to get rid of it. Think you might have it? Take a look.

  People Who Get Quiticitis

Anyone who is working on a big dream is a target. This disease will stalk you like a lion to its prey no matter which are of life your big dream takes you.

However, no one is safe from Quiticitis. We all run the risk of catching it. If you ever thought once that you would like to quit something, you have the ability to come down with this disease. Beware of the things that can make you susceptible like exhaustion, grief, loss of connection with fellow Christians, loss of time spent with God, and huge odds stacked against you.

Symptoms

Weariness
Loss of Joy
Loss of Purpose
Loss of Motivation
Questioning

Was it God’s calling for me to do this?
How do I know God’s calling?
If God really called me, would I be questioning it now?
Do I have any talent for this at all?


Depression
Isolation from People
Comparison

“That person is so good. I could never be that good. I should quit.”
“If only I had _____ (fill in: money, a house, talent, friends, etc) like that she does, then I’d be _______ (fill in adjective: happy, satisfied).
I could never be like him.
That person is so confident in God’s calling. Why am I questioning it?


You say things like…

I’m not good enough.
It’s not my thing.
It’s too hard. I’ve tried, and nothing works.
I guess I misheard God.

Oh, I had Quiticitis bad. I even had my resignation letter typed up for this very blog. March was a tough month. My Grandpa-in-law died which was sad but also exhausting with a 2,800 mile trip with a little girl. Upon return, my own Grandma passed away. I also have 4 anniversaries in March of very dear loved ones who left for heaven way too soon. Then we traveled out of town for a writer’s conference.

I walked through the doors of the conference only because it was too late to get a refund, and I’m a tightwad. I was going to see this thing through and then quit. Go home, sleep, stop writing, and live. I felt like it was God speaking to me when the keynote speaker spent time relating how she had quit many times. Her words were comforting…

“If you feel like quitting, quit. God will bring you back to it if that’s His plan for you.”

As I considered this, I realized that it’s not really quitting if you think that someday you will come back to it. No, quitting is tearing down your webpage, stopping all social media related to your career, burning what you have written, and throwing the computer out with the garbage. When nothing remains, not even the ashes, that’s when you’ve quit.

I’ve seen churches fold. I’ve seen businesses fail. I know people who have left a good career for something else. I’ve seen people quit their M.A. program with one course to go because they gave up. Not one of these situations did the people say “Oh, I’ll keep this sound system because I might need it later.” Nope. Every shred of that dream was given away, thrown out, and never ever saw the light of day again.

That’s quitting. That’s Quiticitis killing dreams.

The Cure

Right now I don’t know if there is a cure. Despite a small break and a lot of naps, I am still suffering from it. I sent my work in progress to my husband, minus the last part that needs to be written, and had a relapse.

It’s not good. I should rewrite it. This and that needs to be fixed. I don’t have the energy, strength or motivation to fix anything anymore. I should just quit.

And there it comes again.

I should just quit.

Never spoken out loud, because that would be too vulnerable. Never posted on Facebook, because we’re supposed to maintain a happy, successful attitude at all times. Never asked for prayer, because that would admit that we’re floundering.

However, I have found a few things to help in case you are stuck in this trap like me.

Rest. Often Quiticitis hits when you are exhausted. Note my statement. I don’t have the energy or strength to fix it. I’m wiped, exhausted, worn out, pushed to all limits emotionally and physically. I don’t have energy to write. Creativity flows from us when we are rested. If you are fighting Quiticitis, don’t push it. Take a break. Go for a walk or nap. The laundry and dishes will wait. The manuscript isn’t going anywhere. Rest.
Pray. There is no shame in crying out for God to reveal Himself to you. That’s a cry He longs to hear from us. Ask for His strength and comfort. Ask for His direction. Ask for Him to sustain you and calm you. Pray for renewal.
Read the Bible. Do not fear is in the Bible 395 times. The pages of the Bible are filled with comfort and rest. Find the passages that give hope and meditate on them.
Find friends. Withdraw from the people who bring you down. We are extremely sensitive to negativism. Surround yourself with people who encourage you. Try not to drain them, but lean on them for a little bit. Let them know of your struggles so that they can pray for you.
Be aware of the fight around us. Too often we ignore the spiritual battle that surrounds us unseen. But never lose sight that Satan does not want one thing to succeed that may further God’s kingdom. I don’t have the exact reference because I’m too tired to go find it, but C.S. Lewis says in Screwtape Letters that “if someone is doing nothing, then they are no threat to Satan or his demons, so they are left alone. It’s the ones who are working in God’s plan that need to be attacked.” If you are fighting Quiticitis, perhaps you are in God’s plan and running into opposition. If that’s the case, rest, pray, use your sword (the Bible), and stand firm.

As I end this, I feel another wave of Quiticitis coming over me.

But then I read Psalm 138:8, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.”

I have a purpose. God’s word is forever. His love is forever. And I will never be abandoned, nor will He abandon the work He is doing through me. As another wave of Quiticitis rolls over me, I realize that I don’t care if my work becomes a success. All I want is to follow God’s plan for my life. If that means Quiticitis wins, then I’m okay with that. If God’s plan is for me to keep writing, I’m okay with that, too.

I should wrap this up with some words of hope for you of how I’ve followed my own advice, and I’m back to writing 5,000 words a day. Unfortunately, that’s not true. I’m still resting. Perhaps as I rest, God will show me once more His plan. And that’s all I need.

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$1,500 and a Water Tank

783 million people are without water access. That’s more than 2 ½ times the United States population. 345 million of those people are in Africa.

I didn’t know when I wrote Toxic with the world being overcome with poisoned water how similar the story line is to problems we face in this world. Did you know that according to the United Nations Development Programmae said in 2006 that “The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.”

I wrote Toxic and Rancid with giving teens an exciting fantasy book to read that illustrates, but not preaches, God’s truths. But God had something bigger planned, and He began showing it to me through statistics like these.

One child dies every 21 seconds from a water related disease.
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five in the world. Around 1.5 million deaths each year – nearly one in five – are caused by diarrhea. It kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined.
Half of the hospital beds in the world are occupied by patients suffering from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

Where do we even start to help? God has a way to gathering people together to do something that is far greater than we can imagine. Hope 2 One Life is one example. They are based in Billings, Mt, but they have a heart for Uganda. This African country has been involved with a lengthy civil war suffering many human right violations, including mutilation, torture, rape, abduction of civilians, the use of over 30,000 child soldiers, massacres, and 1.7 million people have been displaced.

Hope 2 One Life traveled to Northern Uganda and spent time in Entebbe and Kitgum. They taught hygiene, sanitation and health issues. They took medical supplies with them to help clinics. While they were there, they became aware that they could treat illnesses, but the disease would recur unless they addressed the source of most problems – water. They started to create a plan for Uganda to give a self-sufficient process to provide clean water, improve health, support education , and give hope to people in need while sharing the love of God.

They opened Emmanuel Clinic with staff, a pharmacy and lab. Patients are being seen and health educational programs are being conducted. They give out mosquito nets, soap, toothbrushes, and seeds. People are traveling by bicycles to villages to do more training and clinic program mobilization. The training programs include malaria prevention, nutrition, maternal child health, sanitation, handwashing, HIV prevention, diarrheal disease prevention, and more!

What is the need? Emmanuel Clinic is looking for $1,500 for a rain collection system. This money would buy and install gutters onto the building to collect rain water. It will also provide a brick water tank to store the water in so that there is some available during the dry season.

How can we help? During the months of March and April, I am donating 15% of proceeds of Toxic and Rancid bought through me or my webpage to Hope 2 One Life to raise $1,500 for the rain collection system. In case you didn’t know, my books are a YA fantasy, much like The Lord of the Rings, where the water of their world is poisoned, and the main characters need to find a way to purify the water before the toxin contaminates all of it.

If you’ve already bought the set of books, you could purchase one more set for your church, school, or public library through my webpage at www.vickivlucas.com. You could give one to someone who likes to read. I’ve had people from age 7-75 like the books. Make sure you say who you want it autographed to so that it makes it extra special! Perhaps you don’t feel like doing that, you can go to Hope 2 One Life’s webpage and donate there. Tell them that it’s for the Emmanuel’s Clinic rain collection system.

Good erases harm. One of my favorite verses comes from Joseph in Genesis 50:20 when he says “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Now is the time of the saving of many lives!

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