Monday, May 28, 2012

TOP NEWS STORIES OF THE DAY – UFO’S, ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, WAR, AND MORE: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts


       



UFOs sited in Missouri, man attaches dynamite to a dog and blows it up (for you dog lovers, the dog survived and is being taken care of by a Good Samaritan who renamed him Rocket), a man bites off parts of another man's face, Greece's economic woes may eventually impact banks in the U.S. and the 2012 elections, an emergency U.N. meeting is called to deal with the crisis in Syria—these are just some of the news items of the day.
If I were an alien on a UFO visiting, I think I would hightail it and find another planet on which to take a vacation where there was more peace and less war. On a more serious note, how is it possible to listen to the news stories that bombard us day in and day out and not become depressed or despondent?
Many years ago at a Christian writer's conference, an editor asked me what I do for a living.
“I provide closed captioning for television,” I told him. His eyes lit up as if there must be plenty of writing material in those juicy stories.
I laughed at him and shook my head. What good stories could I write? Oftentimes the news left me depressed. Perhaps the same sentiment was felt by Nathanael in John 1:46 when he commented about Jesus’ birthplace, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
But my response to that editor has always bothered me. 
Can I not find good in the world if I look for it? Does God not bring good out of evil? Can He not redeem the worst story I have ever reported?
Sometimes at night when I'm falling asleep, I will think back to something I captioned during the day and will be troubled. I won’t be able to get a disturbing image out of my mind. Perhaps it's Satan's way of attacking me—after all, if He can make me doubt God's love and providence, how effective can I be in my witness?
In my limited wisdom, all I can feel or see is the pain and suffering inflicted. And while I despise someone else’s gross behavior, as a sinner, I am just as guilty of hurting others. Sometimes I wonder how God tolerates it all. How can He not get angry? If I have righteous indignation in my limited understanding, how much more so does God become angry?
In I Corinthians 2:7, the Bible speaks of God having secret wisdom—a wisdom that is hidden, that not even kings and presidents and premiers can understand. 
Not only that, but He says that He was “destined” to give that wisdom to us even before time began.
The Bible also claims that Jesus would not have been crucified if the rulers had understood what it was they were doing. That means it was necessary that the people not understand what happened to Him as even today we don't understand many of the things that happen in the world.   
When I am closed captioning and wonder, how could God let that happen, I remind myself that I am thinking this way because I don't have the wisdom of God. It's not like God sits up in the heavens wringing His hands and wondering how mankind screwed up His planet. Not only does He know, but whatever He has planned for us far surpasses even the most horrendous event that can happen in our lives.
It takes a lot of faith for those roots to go deep into the human heart. I Corinthians 2:9 says, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. That means physically and mentally we can't know, but God has revealed it to us by His Holy Spirit.


In Matthew 24:12, when referring to the latter days and the signs of the end of the age, Jesus stated, Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold...
It's very easy to read this and flippantly think, “Oh, I would never do that. I will always love my neighbor, my family, my husband.” 
No matter what happens, can we believe that? Is our love greater than that murdered child or a broken heart or abused animal? Is God's love greater still? Even if I don't understand it now, it is enough to know that someday I will.
As Peter said in John 6:68, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. My faith must be strong enough to stand up to the worst of humanity because Satan is relentless. His fate is sealed and he has nothing to lose. Whenever I start to doubt, again, I remind myself it is God who holds the words of truth.   
One thing we can do in response to the news is be an intercessor. God never tires of hearing our prayers. Some of those suffering souls that get reported in news stories may not know the Savior, but we know as Christians the one who holds their future. We can be assured that God's love is deeper than their pain and great enough to reach across states, oceans, and continents.   
On a grander scale, I fear not so much a battle with weapons of mass destruction as I do the war imposed on Christian principalities and beliefs. 
In light of that, some upcoming topics may make you uncomfortable, but I hope you will read my blog anyway. Please feel free to leave comments as I love to hear from readers. 

Saturday, March 17, 2012

LORILYN ROBERTS BOOK REVIEW: ”On Moral Fiction,“ By John Gardner






I empathize with John Gardner and his frustration with the mediocrity of modernism, postmodernism, and nihilism, and the lack of what he refers to as moral fiction in much of the arts. I have struggled with it also as a reporter/captioner; and art, as he so pedantically stated, imitates life.
Thomas Watson said, “The chief aim of man is to glorify God.” To glorify God is my standard as a writer. If I deviate from that, I need to find another avocation.
I struggle with the fact that for the past thirty years I have made my living providing court reporting and captioning for broadcast television and that very few of those millions of words I have labored to accurately record have glorified God. They will burn up in the last days when God judges mankind and the world.
In the sense of structure, I did my job professionally, but the content did not glorify Him. As a creative writer, I relish the freedom to write what I choose.
As I was reading On Moral Fiction, Ecclesiastes 12:11 came to mind: “Of making books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” I grew tired of trying to understand some of John Gardner’s more salient points which oftentimes made little sense to me. I found a lot of what he said to be the ranting of a frustrated critic tired of analyzing art in a mediocre world that does not care for Good, Beauty, or Truth. While I agree with his attitude toward the meaning of art and the responsibility of the artist, I disagree with some of the conclusions he drew and found them depressing.
Here is an example. I want to quote the following paragraph from page 181:
“Art begins in a wound, an imperfection—a wound inherent in the nature of life itself—and is an attempt either to learn to live with the wound or to heal it. It is the pain of the wound which impels the artist to do his work, and it is the universality of woundedness in the human condition which makes the work of art significant as medicine or distraction.” 
I found this quote to be insightful and uplifting. But he lost me with his conclusion when he then went on to say:
“The wound may take any number of forms: Doubt about one’s parentage, fear that one is a fool or freak, the crippling effect of psychological trauma or the potentially crippling effect of alienation from the society in which one feels at home, whether or not any such society really exists outside the fantasy of the artist.”
From a worldly point of view, I suppose these would be legitimate observations, but from a spiritual point of view, we know that God doesn’t leave us in doubt, full of fear, a psychological cripple, or alienated; and He is more real than any fantasy that an artist could dream up, sane or crazy.
Gardner failed to instill the hope of healing and that things can be better. I believe his idea of Beauty, Good, and Truth, while a good beginning, falls short. I hope to take his idea of “moral fiction” one step further which I will expound on in a moment.
On page fifteen, Gardner gives a definition of moral as being, “...life‑giving—-moral in its process of creation and moral in what it says.”
According to Miriam‑Webster’s dictionary, moral means “relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.”
Clearly, these two definitions are not the same thing. Perhaps Immanuel Kant’s philosophy is instructive in the use of the word “morality.” Peter Kreeft in “The Pillars of Unbelief—Kant,” The National Catholic Register (January ‑ February 1988), discusses Kant, and summarized Kant’s philosophy that morality is “...not a natural law of objective rights and wrongs that comes from God, but a manmade law by which we decide to bind ourselves.” 
I normally wouldn’t quote someone who espouses a belief contrary to Christianity, but I believe it makes my point. Morality is arbitrary depending on the situation, culture, and religion.
If one is in Nepal, it is considered immoral to kill a cow because cows are worshipped.  In our culture I consider abortion to be immoral, but according to our laws, it is not immoral to kill a baby inside a mother’s womb.
In the Bible, Jesus turned over the money tables in the synagogue because the religious leaders had turned His house of worship into a den of thieves. What Jesus considered a moral and righteous act the religious leaders of his day considered immoral and sought to arrest him. Therefore the term “moral art” has an ambiguous meaning because it is too subjective.
Gardner attempted to refine “moral art” to more precisely say that it should pursue Good, Beauty, and Truth.  He believed good art would embody these qualities and bad art wouldn’t.
To talk about each of these words individually, Gardner discusses “Good” on pages 133 through 139, but he leaves out any understanding of God. Because man is inherently sinful, or immoral, leaving God out of this discussion came across to me as meaningless commentary.
His definition of good is described as “...a relative absolute that cannot be approached”(page 139). Because it can’t be approached, he states that “The conclusive answering of a question has not to do with the Good but with the True,” and “...thus relative absolute ‘Truth’ through reason”(page 139).
God is the ultimate source of Good and is not a relative absolute who cannot be approached. He came to earth and dwelt among us and indwells us with His Spirit—a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. It was interesting to me that when Gardner was unable to define Good in an understandable way, he then tied good to “...truth through reason.”
As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?”  I do not believe it is possible to come to an understanding of “...truth through reason” at the level that Gardner intimated and Pontius Pilate asked.  This type of truth, humanly speaking can’t be seen, heard, or written, but through art, we can “feel” His presence and capture that longing for something beyond ourselves. If Truth could be arrived at through human reasoning, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day would not have sought to crucify Him.
I have found Truth to be the most elusive of the three—Good, Beauty, and Truth—because sin blocks the ability of each of us to recognize Truth. It takes a very honest person to confront his own sin and be willing to seek Truth at all costs.
Despite the limitations of knowing Truth this side of eternity, I take comfort as a writer that I am pursuing Truth that is embodied in a person and not in a relative absolute. 
The third example he gave of moral art is it should portray Beauty.  I recently watched the movie, American Beauty, and while it won five Oscars, I was struck by how ugly this movie was. Finding beauty in a floating trash bag, a dead bird, and perverted sexual behaviors is not my idea of beauty. Again, Gardner’s use of the word “Beauty” is too subjective and therefore only partially instructive in what moral or good art should be.
I also take issue with his railing against “bad art.”  I don’t know if it’s fair to classify art as good or bad. I believe it’s a matter of how redeemed we are and what our capacity is for recognizing what God would call “good art.”
That brings me to what I believe the purpose of all art should be, and the most important point—it should be redemptive. 
Even though most art today is not redemptive, I don’t believe that means we should get rid of what Gardner would probably consider “bad art.” In the end, God can use anything, good or bad, to teach us more about who He is. However, we have the choice, because we have the freedom, to choose what art we like and don’t like. If someone chooses to like bad art, they should have the ability to enjoy it for what it is.
Once we start putting labels on what art is, however, we become critics (like Gardner). Once we judge art as bad, we might believe it gives us the power not to allow it or to do away with it. Once we believe we can rid the world of bad art, then who is to say that someone, given the right circumstances, would not attain the power and do away with good art? Freedom is necessary for the expression of all art, good and bad, to use Gardner’s words, and I for one do not want to do away with pluralism even though I cringe at much of the art today because it is offensive.
It struck me as interesting that the authors whom John Gardner attacked in On Moral Fiction mostly have been forgotten.  Bad art, if it’s bad, won’t last anyway, so I don’t see a need to categorize it. Pluralism is safer because then the Hitlers of the world and mockers can’t take away our freedom for what is near and dear to us as Christian writers.
Continuing with the idea of Redemption, let me give an example of the power of Redemptive art—the quality that goes beyond Beauty, Good, and Truth.
In 1999, I was in Hanoi over Christmas. Displayed in the front window of one of the restaurants I frequented was a large Nativity. Vietnam is a communist country and there are many Christians who have been killed and imprisoned in Vietnam for their faith. But the Nativity scene was displayed prominently in the window as art—redemptive, full of Good, Beauty, and Truth. I may have been the only one who recognized it for what it was, but it spoke volumes to me about the freedom of art and how it can accomplish so much more than what we can didactically or academically.
Art gives us the ability to speak the Truth in a way that can reach the masses. It reassured me away from home that God was with me. Who knows what it spoke to others—but that is the catharsis of art. The individual expression in the heart of the person works out Redemption in a way that goes beyond reasoning. God is at work bringing glory to Himself, and as I said in the beginning, the chief aim of man is to glorify God.
The other piece of art I want to share comes from the same trip to Hanoi in December 1999. It was Christmas Eve and there was a lovely Christmas celebration in downtown Hanoi. Uplifting holiday music wafted from the loudspeakers over the noisy crowd. The music spoke a message of “tidings of great joy.” My soul felt enraptured with joy, a balm for my homesick heart. I found myself enveloped in oneness with those around me who were there for a different purpose.
But it was the art of music that sung Truth wrapped in Beauty and Goodness, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ who brought Redemption.  For me, that is the purpose of art.
I do take comfort in the fact that God promises in Isaiah 55:11, “...it [my word] will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Perhaps someone in Vietnam heard the music or saw the Nativity and asked the question, “What is Truth? What is Beauty? What is Good?” We will never know, but I don’t think it matters. We’re just the bearer of what Gardner would call “moral art.” We pursue the purpose for which God made us, whether we are the planters or the reapers. In the end, God’s will is done and we, through Redemption, can have a small part in it. 
I always like to end on a positive note, and so I will do so here. There are many great writers, in my opinion, where Beauty, Truth, and Good have been used to achieve the ultimate purpose of art—redemption. The likes of C.S. Lewis, George McDonald, Madeleine L’Engle, and J.R.R. Tolkien have withstood the “isms” of the world and embodied hope in their writings that have impacted my life. 
My favorite quote from “On Moral Fiction” appeared on page 204: “So long as the artist is a master of technique so that no stroke is wasted, no idea or emotion blurred, it is the extravagance of the artist’s purposeful self‑abandonment to his dream that will determine the dream’s power.”
As a creative writer of memoir, that would be my dream—that what I write will not burn up in the last days but will survive into eternity. Maybe, just maybe, one person will be drawn to the Creator because of the creativity God has given me. If that is true, I will have accomplished my goal as a writer—to glorify God.







Wednesday, March 14, 2012

BOOK REVIEW BY LORILYN ROBERTS: "The Gift of Fate," by Valerie King - Mysterious and Hauntingly Beautiful




The Gift of Fate

by Valerie King





“What if you had the ability to know your fate?” That question lingered in my mind as I read The Gift of Fate. It challenged me to think, if I did, how would I live my life differently?  By the end of the book, my whole being had embraced the question in this hauntingly beautiful story which seemed more real than imagined.

If you like a story that asks profound questions, you won’t be disappointed.  The Gift of Fate is mysterious and thought-provoking. Teenagers face life and death choices and the story threads passion and love into a surprise ending. Well-written from the first person point of view, you won’t be able to put this book down. I read it in two sittings.

Want a fantasy book that doesn’t cross the line of Christian values?  Make sure you read The Gift of Fate. A book that makes me ponder deep questions long after I have finished reading it is a book that I must recommend and share with others.

***

Valerie has always possessed a vivid imagination and a mind full of stories waiting to be told. As life moves forward, her pen has finally hit paper and incandescent sagas are being written. Her passion has transformed itself into the Fatum book series, along with a number of short stories. May you find a fable of deceit or perhaps a love story to fill your heart. Welcome to her journey…
Valerie lives with her husband and their three children in Dallas, TX.

Friday, March 9, 2012

GUEST POST BY CHRISTIAN PASTOR BOB SAFFRIN


 

Today I received this email from a reader of my book Children of Dreams. I was moved because it was written by a Christian pastor, Bob Saffrin, who just recently returned from India. So many children, so many needs. What we could do if more Christian families would choose adoption, or even sponsor a child internationally.




Lorilyn,
I read your book Children of Dreams on the 20+ hour plane ride to India. I thought it would be a book that appealed more to women but I wanted to read it because I am trying to read stuff that will help me be a better author. 
I was surprised. I think it is the best book I have read for as long as I can remember! I was so touched by your struggles to have a family and how well you related it all to God’s own efforts to have a family. Mercy is not my giftedness but I have been on many trips with “moms” who cry over little naked village children with no hope and no future. They cry as we get into our rented SUV and drive off, leaving them behind. 

This year I met a 12-year-old boy who worked in a brickyard making bricks by hand by filling a wooden mold with mud. He had no family, his mother just dropped him off there when he was 5 because she couldn’t feed him. I asked him how much money he made. He said he had to make 1000 bricks a day. It took him 12 hours, 7 days a week and he made 5 rupees a day (10c), and they also gave him rice. This boy was a virtual slave and I stood there and there was nothing I could do. I made friends with him, had him teach me how to make bricks, and introduced him to Jesus but in the end, I got in the car and drove away. 
I was touched as I read your book to hear of two little girls who God rescued from the darkness and the hopelessness. I wish every woman that is considering an abortion could read your book.  I’m so glad that in your book you recognized that they truly are children of dreams but they aren’t your dreams, they are God’s. You just got to go along for the ride. Little by little I’m learning to let go of my dreams and connect with God’s dreams for my life.
Some of the cultural issues you dealt with in Nepal reminded me of India. In India, unless you are in a major city there is no such thing as TP. If you ask they don’t even know what you are talking about. When I meet with new team members for India I usually tell them they can bring their own or I will have it for sale for $1.00 a sheet. It seems that God has given you and me a similar call to adventure. By the way, I looked at your Facebook photos because I wanted to see Manisha and Joy and I discovered that you and I share the same birthday – Oct 17th. J

Sunday, February 19, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: “Children of Dreams,” Five Stars from Amazon Review/Author Katherine Harms: “Finding Fulfillment”





Here is a review that Katherine Harms posted last week that I loved. Yes, some reviews impact authors more than others; when they hit that nerve within us that speaks to the heart of what we have written. 

*~*~*~*

I think everyone I know has asked at some time, “Why am I here?” Lorilyn Roberts asks that question, too, and she answers it in Children of Dreams. Acting on her faith that God never abandons someone who is following his call, Lorilyn wades through, works around, or climbs over obstacles spread over half a world. Having traveled in a few third-world countries myself, I recognized some of the bureaucratic nightmares that stalked her effort to adopt two little girls and fulfill her dream and calling to be a mother. 

Many people would have been stopped in their tracks by the initial processes and endless forms required for an international adoption. Many, many people would have wilted in Nepal as soon as they discovered they should have brought a carton of toilet paper with them. Not many single women would have braved what passes for a mountain highway in Nepal on a tiny scooter navigating past barricades and stone-throwing rebels for love of a baby. Many people would have given up on the whole thing as promise after promise was broken in Viet Nam before Lorilyn finally held her new baby in her arms.

A chronicle of faith in action, Lorilyn’s path was as convoluted and full of tears as the path of the Israelites to the promised land. She, too, discovered that God has his own way of shining light into dark days and ultimately giving his children more than they even hope for. This book is worth much more than the time you will spend reading it. Don't miss Children of Dreams.