Steven Colborne's Blog, page 66

One Week Until Launch!

It’s exactly one week until God’s Grand Game will be released, and with that in mind, I wanted to give you an overview of my plans surrounding the release. This week I’ll mostly be doing all the technical ‘behind the scenes’ stuff; trying to make sure the book goes live in all the right places at all the right times and that kind of thing. I’m working with three different distributors and each has a different system, so there’s quite a lot to do. All good fun though!

Unless you’re new here you’ll know that I’ve been organising a blog tour surrounding the release. Here’s the full schedule for the blog tour:

Blog Tour Schedule



Week 1

Monday 25th March (RELEASE DAY!)
‘God’s Timing is Perfect’ — a launch day post by Steven Colborne
https://perfectchaos.org

Tuesday 26th March
An overview of God’s Grand Game by David Robertson
https://perennialfollower.wordpress.com

Wednesday 27th March
A review of God’s Grand Game by David Wilson
https://madmanslantern.com

Thursday 28th March
An interview with Steven Colborne by Chris Schallert
https://gestalticocean.wordpress.com

Friday 29th March
A piece about God’s Grand Game by Lily Pierce
https://retrospectivelily.com

Week 2

Monday 1st April
A review of God’s Grand Game by Faith Okpoyo
https://faithspen.wordpress.com

Tuesday 2nd April
A review of God’s Grand Game by J.C. Lynch
https://thinkingmoon.com

Wednesday 3rd April
A review of God’s Grand Game by Logan Noland
https://pilgrimagetosomewhere.com

Thursday 4th April
An interview with Steven Colborne by Ashley Tanner
https://yellowpoppies.wordpress.com

Friday 5th April
A review of God’s Grand Game by Virginia Carper
https://neptunesdolphins.com

And last but by no means least…

Monday 8th April
A review of God’s Grand Game by Mani Ratnam
https://thinkandexplore.com

A huge thank you to everyone who’s taking part in the blog tour!

Blog Spotlight (Mar 2019)

Once a month I shine the spotlight on three bloggers who have submitted their blog to my Promote Your Blog page. I’ve been getting a little behind with these posts (sorry!) but readers have continued to submit their blogs, and this month I’m delighted to feature three Christian bloggers, each with a slightly different focus but all with fascinating blogs. Please show these bloggers some love!

1) Hope in Your Story

Hi! My name is Candace and I’m one third of the Hope in Your Story blog. We’re a Christian based Mental Health Outreach and we’re passionate about helping those facing mental health problems in the church. We write a lot about our own personal experiences with mental health, and we have a monthly podcast too!

You can check us out and say hi at: https://hopeinyourstory.com

2) Thoughts of a Theist

Hello, my name is Brett and my blog is titled Thoughts of a Theist. As a Christian heavily engaged in Apologetics and Philosophy (and some theology), I write about interesting ideas I find in my readings or general thoughts/reflections on others’ work as well as intellectual problems I try and solve. Come check it out!

https://thoughtsofatheist.wordpress.com

3) The Indefinable Emotion

Hello, my name is Gabriel and my blog, The Indefinable Emotion, has a twofold purpose. First and foremost, I write to proclaim the truth of Christ in the midst a broken world and a broken church. This side of my blog is under the heading, “The Hinterlands.” The second part of my blog is as an author and to other aspiring authors. These labels are sorted under “Ink Soaked Hands.” Thanks for the promotion!

https://theindefinableemotion.wordpress.com/

I hope you enjoyed checking out this month’s blogs. If you’ve submitted your blog and haven’t been featured yet, don’t worry, there’s every chance your blog will appear in a future Spotlight post. If you haven’t submitted your blog yet, you can do so via the Promote Your Blog page.

Thank you for reading!

Spiritual Clouds

Good morning, friends. I have just been looking through my drafts and found this post which was written nearly exactly a year ago. I’m not sure why I didn’t hit the publish button on this one, but I like the way I reflected in this post, so I thought I’d share it with you today. Wishing you all a blessed week xx

At times like this I’m grateful for the gift of writing. Sharing feelings, in the form of words on a page, is a wonderful way of making sense of jumbled thoughts. So thank you, God, for giving me this ability to write. I really cherish it.

I’m struggling a little. It’s not that today hasn’t been fruitful and productive. In fact, I’ve ticked everything off my things-to-do list for today and it’s only 5pm. I do have ongoing things to do that are frequently entering my mind; nothing particularly urgent – books to read, articles to write, scriptures to study, songs to write and record, exercise to do, etc.

Does depression come as a result of unaccomplished tasks? I think to a certain extent it does. I really value peace of mind, and it seems that feeling peace often coincides with having accomplished things. I’m aware that much of the pressure I feel is self-imposed – I don’t have to record songs, or read more books, or do more research. I set myself goals which seem exciting at the moment of inspiration, but then in the executing of those tasks there is a certain weight of self-expectation, which can feel like a cloud hanging over me.

Another factor contributing to this feeling of a cloud hanging over me is the medication I take. It makes me feel subdued. I rarely ever feel excitement and I generally feel inhibited and antisocial due to various side-effects. It’s also a constant worry knowing that I am taking in chemicals that might be damaging my body. I just have to prayerfully trust God about this, and I am immensely grateful that my current medication is so much more tolerable than many of the medications I have taken in the past.

I pray and count my blessings regularly. That’s part of my daily routine. And I find that God always answers my prayers in some way or another. There’s never been a day when I have been unable to count my blessings and see how God has been merciful. Materially, I have everything I need. Everything is just perfect in my flat, and the frustrations from neighbours are relatively minor. I have food and drink, financial stability, warmth and clothing, heating and shelter. How could I possibly complain?

Then again, there are bigger issues that are constantly weighing on my mind. Issues to do with my relationship with Jesus, and the state of my soul. Reading the Bible each day I am constantly convicted by Jesus’ command for us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. I’m not in a position to do that right now, because I’m not theologically convinced of the veracity of the Christian faith. Nevertheless I fear God, and many theologians teach that salvation is a process, and that it can be lost, so I face the fear daily of not knowing whether God is planning to harden my heart, draw me away from Christ, and subsequently make me suffer as a form of punishment. It’s a frightening prospect.

One thing that the experience of turbulent mental health teaches you is that our feelings are not always related to our circumstances. There have been times when my mood has been so high that I felt ecstatic and completely uninhibited for weeks, while at other times, I have been so deeply depressed it has been a struggle to wash, to eat, to work, to live. I don’t believe these feelings reflected my material circumstances at those times. It’s possible to have very little and be happy, or have abundance and be miserable.

God is in control. He is working out a plan for all our lives with great care and attention to detail. All I can do is trust in Him, keep begging Him for mercy, stay focused on matters of faith and spirituality, and keep learning and growing (by His grace). As the song quite rightly says, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. And as the saying goes, you’ve got to keep on keeping on.

I have closed comments, as I’m not wanting to discuss the content of this particular post (it was written some time ago, after all), but you’re always welcome to email me if you’d like to discuss anything or share any thoughts. Also, for a comprehensive overview of my struggle with Christianity, see my essay entitled An Almighty Predicament. God bless you and thank you for reading

Defining the Being of God

There is a branch of philosophy called ontology, which looks at the nature of being. Today, I’d like to ask you to consider what you would be comfortable to say constitutes the being of God.

I’m not asking you to talk about the things that God can do, although this is of course a related subject area. Instead, I’d like to hear specifically about what you believe God is. Here are a few questions to get you thinking.

Does God have a form?
Is God purely spiritual, or does God’s being encompass material things as well?
Where is God right now?

You are invited to think deeply about these questions and leave a comment with your thoughts. You’re welcome to quote from the scriptures of a particular religion, the words of your favourite poet or writer, a definition you found in an online dictionary, or anything else that you feel meaningfully answers the above questions.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Event Cancellation and Other News

Hello, friends of Perfect Chaos! I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining outside and in. Did you have a good week?

These last few weeks have been somewhat of a crazy ride for me. As the release of my third book approaches, there has been much to do, and it hasn’t all gone smoothly.

For the launch of my book I was planning to host a philosophy and theology fair in South West London. I invested a significant amount of time, effort, and money, in organising the event. The response from the public was fantastic, with lots of people registering to attend, but despite my best efforts, I was unable to find authors or other creatives wishing to exhibit and/or sell their work at the event.

Today, after agonising over the decision, I decided to cancel the event. So the last few hours have been spent updating websites and social media, sending out group emails, and apologising profusely to everyone who wanted to come. I’m sad that the event won’t be happening, but I feel confident that the decision to cancel is the right one.

On a more positive note, there’s lots to look forward to. The God’s Grand Game blog tour is still happening, with the first post scheduled for 25th March 2019 (the release date for the book). I’m expecting a hardback print run of books to be delivered to my flat on Monday, and am very excited to see what they look like.

Following the release of the book, I’m looking forward to settling back into a regular blogging routine. I’ve really missed blogging regularly. When I think back a few months to a time when I was following a schedule and blogging four times a week with regularity, I feel a little sorrowful that I don’t have the time or headspace to do that at the moment. But for everything there is a season.

I hope you’ve all been well. Do stay in touch, and make sure you connect with me on social media if we’re not already linked up. Or feel free to send me an email any time, because I love hearing from anyone who enjoys my work — especially my blogging buddies.

Chat soon! Peace and blessings, Steven x

Blog Tour Update

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Morning, dear ones!

This is a very brief update regarding the blog tour I’m organising for my new book, God’s Grand Game. There were 10 spaces available for the blog tour, 6 have now been taken, so only 4 remain.

Those participating will get a free copy of God’s Grand Game, as well as some other lovely benefits.

If you’d like to get involved, simply email steven@perfectchaos.org with an expression of interest, and we can get you booked in.

Not sure what a blog tour involves? Read this article.

Thank you so much, and have a great week!

Steven x

God’s Grand Game Blog Tour

Have you ever taken part in a blog tour before? With the release of my new book ‘God’s Grand Game’ only a few weeks away, I’m looking to collaborate with a handful of other bloggers in a way that should provide some enticing benefits for those who take part, as well as helping me to raise awareness surrounding my book release.

Allow me to explain what I have in mind…

The release date for my book is 25th March 2019, although a batch of advance copies will be available to purchase at my book launch event in London on 16th March (to which you are all invited, naturally!). For those who can’t make the event but are interested in getting involved in the release, I’m looking to collaborate with approximately 10 bloggers over a two-week period in the form of a blog tour.



Bloggers who take part will be asked to write a post related to the book. This could be a review, an interview with me, an extract from the book, or something you suggest yourself. Each blogger who takes part will schedule their post for a specific date in the fortnight following release day.



There are obvious benefits for me, in that this will raise awareness in the blogosphere surrounding my book. But if you take part, there will also be benefits for you, including a free copy of my new book, plus I will write a blog post linking to your blog on the day that your post is published, thus (hopefully) introducing your blog to a potentially new audience.







Would you like to take part?

Simply email steven@perfectchaos.org with an expression of interest!

If you’d like to include a pitch in your email concerning why you’d like to be involved and how you’d like to collaborate, then that would be a great starting point. We can have a discussion and I can send you any assets you need for your post, such as a book cover image, a press release, a blurb for the book, etc. Oh yeah, and a copy of the book itself in your preferred format!

It doesn’t matter what you normally blog about. If this appeals to you, please reach out to me and let’s see what we can do together!

Looking forward to hearing from you. Steven x

Truth Above All Else (event)

I have a psychological battle every Sunday trying to decide what constitutes ‘work’ and what doesn’t. You see, even though I don’t identify as a Christian these days, I still treat Sunday differently to other days. I make a point of resting, being thankful, having quality prayer time, and doing everything — particularly eating and drinking — in moderation on a Sunday.

My reason for treating Sundays differently to other days is partly a hangover from my Christian days, but also I find it’s a good way of regrouping, taking stock, and thanking God for all the good things in my life. But there are certain activities — like reading and writing blog posts, cleaning my flat, or sorting out admin — that aren’t clearly distinguishable as ‘work’ or ‘not work’. Can any of you identify with this struggle?

Perhaps it’s silly to wrestle with this, but I find that unless I am strict with myself, and commit to taking a rest each week, Sunday just turns into any other day, with all the stress associated with living a busy life in London. By the way, I also try to be mindful that others need a break too, and my way of putting this into practice is not purchasing or ordering things on a Sunday which would cause others to have to work. I feel British society has for many years been slipping into as 24/7 working week, and I feel it’s not sensible, as we all need regular breaks from work in order to be healthy.

The reason for all of this preamble is that writing today’s post is a classic example of an activity that I can’t decide whether is work or play. It doesn’t fit neatly into either category. But I’ll trust in God to allow me a little flexibility on this occasion, and try to ensure that after publishing this post I discipline myself to relax for the rest of the day

Does Blogging Have a Future?

I’m a committed blogger and I absolutely love blogging here on WordPress. But I am concerned about the future of blogging, because technology is evolving rapidly, and the way in which people consume content has changed a lot and is continuing to change. In this post I’ll be offering a few reflections concerning what I feel is happening. I’d love to get your thoughts on this.

Social Media

Reading blog posts requires patience. While social media apps like Instagram offer gratification in just a few seconds, blog posts represent a greater time investment, which may be less appealing to busy people. Children are growing up addicted to their smartphones, and scrolling through social media feeds requires less concentration than committing to reading a 1000 word blog post, for example. This is one thing that poses a challenge for us bloggers.

The Rise of Video and Audio

YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet (behind Google). This evidences the fact that people are very keen to consume video content these days. The ability to watch videos on a wide range of devices, including of course smartphones, means that watching content is easier than ever before. The experience of watching video on a smartphone is much better than the experience of reading articles, mainly due to screen size. Most blogs don’t look good on mobile devices. Video also requires less intent concentration than reading blog posts.

In terms of audio, podcasts are incredibly popular at the moment, because you can listen to a podcast while going for a run or cleaning the kitchen, and it’s just not possible to do this with a blog post.

Changes in Our Attention Spans

Have you had the experience of seeing a long post and feeling so daunted by it that you simply close the page and move on? The post might contain amazing content, but the time investment just feels too much. I believe that as content consumers many of us are becoming impatient these days.

Quality is Declining

It’s not uncommon to see blog posts where little or no attention has been given to crafting a great piece of content. Many posts are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, and many bloggers don’t even consider such things to be important. The fact that there are so many thousands of blogs of this type may have given blogging a bad reputation. I’m very proud to call myself a blogger, but it seems that many people who call themselves bloggers that are not really committed to putting in the time and effort required to craft posts into valuable content. When I say to people “I’m a blogger!”, I think the response is often an internal groan that kind of says, “So what? Haven’t you got anything better to do with your time?”

What’s the Solution?

I’m sure that one of the motivations behind the new WordPress Gutenberg editor is that those in charge are trying hard to keep up with the competition. But from what I can gather the new editor hasn’t had an amazing response. The editor can feel rather complicated to use, and this is another barrier to creating great content.

But what we must do is create great content.

Thankfully, reading and writing remain very popular activities. We may need to consider more carefully the way we write blog posts in a changing world. Incorporating more video and audio might be beneficial. Also, writing our content in a concise way and breaking up the text using formatting and images are some things that could help. Considering how our blogs look to people reading on tablets and smartphones is important.

Three Examples of Great Blogs

If you’re looking for inspiration regarding how you can up your blogging game in 2019, here are a few blogs to check out.

Little Grey Box
This travel blog offers great content and is rich in video and images. Posts are regular and well written.

Retrospective Lily
Lily’s blog posts are always very well crafted and easy to read. They aren’t overly long but always offer value.

YariGarciaWrites
Yari’s writing blog is attractive and well formatted. Her posts are of a good length and are always interesting and thought-provoking.

What are your thoughts on the future of blogging? What are your favourite blogs and why? Please let me know in the comments below!

My New Book: Title and Artwork

Hi friends of Perfect Chaos! For the last few months I’ve been working hard on project managing all aspects of the creation and production of a new book. This will be my third book (or fourth if you count the eBook I released last year).

In this post I’m going to show you the finished cover art for the book, designed by a lovely chap who works for Bloomsbury Publishing (they did the Harry Potter books) but who fortunately takes on some freelance projects in his spare time.

I thought it might be interesting for you to see the process that we went through, from my original idea to the various concepts we discussed, and then finally the finished design.

So let’s start at the beginning, and I’ll walk you through how the process unfolded.

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My Initial Idea

The main theme of the book is that the whole of existence is a grand performance orchestrated by God. With this very rough initial design, I wanted to communicate the fact that God is in control of all religions, as well as science. The football and goal are included because God is also in control of all the playful everyday aspects of existence.

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My Designer’s Initial Idea

My designer came back to me with the following rather playful design. He felt the puzzle effect might work well with the ‘game’ idea. I liked it, but felt the design was a bit too ‘childish’ and asked if we could perhaps go for something that would feel more like an ‘adult’ book.

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A More Adult Feel

My designer came back to me with this lovely design, and this is where the cover really started to take shape. I really liked the aged feel of the symbols, and the colours and simplicity really appealed to me.

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The Cosmic Style

I decided upon a new subtitle, and suggested I might like to see some ideas that were a little more ‘cosmic’ in feel. My designer got back to me with this idea, which I thought was great, but it looked somehow too ‘new agey’ for me, and I felt it might appeal less to my target audience.

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We’re Nearly There

When I saw this design I started to get very excited, because this is professional and slick, while also incorporating all of the elements from the other designs that I liked. I said I liked it, but that it would be nice if the design incorporated the aged symbols like on the white design above.

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The Final Design

The finishing touch was to incorporate the aged feel of the symbols into the design I liked. It’s quite a subtle effect, but I think it will look good on the physical product, once the books have been printed. The cover is serious but also has a playful element, with the football providing a little humour alongside the gravitas of the religious and scientific symbols. Oh, and the all-important apostrophe is improved!

God’s Grand Game is tentatively scheduled for release in March 2019. To read the blurb for the book click here . I will keep you posted regarding the release date and where you will be able to buy the book, but if all goes to plan it will be available worldwide through Amazon and a range of other retailers, in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats. To be notified of all news related to this release, please subscribe to my email list .

Do you like the cover? Let me know in the comments below!