tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2945800114805506872024-02-06T19:25:26.525-08:00Amy DeardonSearch for Truth!Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-61397770081230020992011-10-24T13:35:00.001-07:002011-10-24T13:38:18.933-07:00My New AddressHi Everyone! I've moved. My two new blog addresses are:<br /><br /><a href="http://amydeardon1.blogspot.com">http://amydeardon1.blogspot.com<br /></a><br /><a href="http://thestorytemplate.blogspot.com">http://thestorytemplate.blogspot.com</a>Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-21854982892026794872011-07-09T06:50:00.000-07:002011-07-09T06:51:12.532-07:00Old BioI'm a skeptic who came to faith through studying the historic circumstances surrounding the death of Jesus. My first novel, released January 2009, is an adventure about a small military team that travels back in time to film the theft of Jesus' body from the tomb. It will hopefully challenge you no matter what your beliefs! <br /><br />This blog is an eclectic, hopefully thought-provoking and winsome mix of writing, religion, science, and other subjects as they catch my fancy. I'm eager for you to join in! <br /><br />Check out my website at www.amydeardon.comAmy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-38914030839893866792011-06-20T02:43:00.000-07:002011-06-20T02:43:00.214-07:00Motivation Reaction Units (MRUs)Dwight Swain first described these. MRUs are the smallest units by which a story is told, and when these are consistently used correctly your story will powerfully draw in the reader.<br /><br />There are two parts of the MRU, the stimulus (cause) and the response (effect), that string together to form a narrative.<br /><br />The stimulus is external to your character. In other words, it is something occurring in the environment that could be seen, heard and/or touched by any character in that location. It should be significant to your POV character so that he will feel he needs to respond. Some examples of a stimulus might be a dog breaking its leash and viciously growling as it runs toward the POV character, the hard-won note with secret information fluttering from the POV character’s pocket, or the POV character’s love interest whom he thought hated him unexpectedly kissing him.<br />The POV character is not written as the subject of the stimulus because this distances the reader from your character. In other words, you would say, “The drawer pinched Sharon’s finger,” not “Sharon felt the drawer pinch her finger.”<br /><br />The response describes your character’s reaction to the stimulus, and must occur after the stimulus. In other words, you wouldn’t say, “Sharon yelped and pulled her hand away after the drawer pinched her finger” because this is out of order. First Sharon feels the pinch, then she reacts. This may sound obvious, but it happens more frequently than you might expect. Although the reader may not identify the reversed order, he will feel like something is off.<br /><br />The response has four components that must always be in the correct order. These components are: emotion or sensation, reflex action, rational action, and speech. For example:<br /><br />A loud crack ripped through the canyon. (stimulus) Jack started (emotion/sensation) then looked up in the direction of the sound. (reflex) The careening boulder was almost on him and he grabbed the bush to pull himself out of the way. (rational action) “Too close,” he said. (speech)<br /><br />The boulder thumped where he had stood a moment before.(stimulus) He felt the ground vibrate (emotion/sensation) and shivered. (reflex) He hadn’t escaped yet. (rational action)<br /><br />“Ryan, we’ve got to get out of here now!”(speech)<br /><br />Most of the time you will not use all four of these response components. When you use fewer than four, just make sure that the ones you do use are in the correct order.<br /><br />When do you use all of these reaction components at once? Since these components intensify the reader experience, you use all four when you want to increase tension or else to highlight something important.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-49946475522698728572011-06-17T02:36:00.000-07:002011-06-17T02:36:00.140-07:00Air Force One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIEIsV6Ex0CsCdodX_eCmfMi6IymIDk9cdrZbTMhDCh2EkBH3AhWfTLm9xPx8mYdJUmriPXtsM_hj8mgaXetokJnQnryrvTZQxPPcsyFnpfp-IIHA5Rw7ojTV4P18uhe8kCyC9nBEUA/s1600/51YGCZNXA9L._SL75_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 52px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIEIsV6Ex0CsCdodX_eCmfMi6IymIDk9cdrZbTMhDCh2EkBH3AhWfTLm9xPx8mYdJUmriPXtsM_hj8mgaXetokJnQnryrvTZQxPPcsyFnpfp-IIHA5Rw7ojTV4P18uhe8kCyC9nBEUA/s200/51YGCZNXA9L._SL75_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618780254322595282" /></a><br /><br />While cleaning out the basement, I found a VCR of Air Force One. This movie came out in 1997, a handful of years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here's a quick synopsis of the story:<br /><br />The President, James Marshall (played by Harrison Ford), over enormous political pressure has coordinated the capture of the dangerous dictator of Kazakhstan. Ivan Radek is waging a civil war with the newly liberated Russian bloc countries and has nuclear weapons. In Moscow Marshall states a new, strong, "no tolerance" policy of the USA for any terrorists because "it's the right thing to do."<br /><br />On the way home, a pro-Radek team of terrorists hijacks Air Force One and herds the hostages into a locked conference room, demanding the release of Radek. Marshall escapes capture and sabotages many aspects of the terrorists' plans, including the parachuting release of most of the hostages. <br /><br />Marshall eventually defeats the terrorists, but since the pilots are all dead must now fly the damaged plane with low fuel out of the enemy region before another attack by air commences...<br /><br />*<br /><br />Let me say first that this is a violent movie, so watch it at your own risk. However the violence is not gratuitous but represents a realistic portrayal of how terrorists might deal with their mission, which I find instructive and a good reminder of what "bad" people are willing to do to get their way. It raises some thoughts: how might I behave in that situation? Would I be able to stand up to that evil?<br /><br />It was refreshing to watch such a positive portrayal of strength and goodness in the United States and with the military. I've missed that. Marshall, we're told, is a Medal of Honor Winner and "flew more rescue missions in Vietnam" than anyone else under a high-ranking officer's command. Marshall was brave. Marshall was strong. Marshall held to the good despite enormous pressure to bow to the easy.<br /><br />The military pilots and others who assisted with the rescue showed amazing feats of training, discipline, and selfless courage. Glenn Close, who played Vice President Catherine Bennett, was another strong leader. There were many heroic acts from the nameless characters -- the secret service men and other staff who stood in gunfire to guard safe passage for Marshall and others, others confronting and fighting the terrorists to protect the hostages. It was inspiring.<br /><br />Wow, wow, wow. It seems lately that there is so much negativism and corruption permeating our country, leading to fear and despair in the American people. <br /><br />James Marshall, where are you?Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-59645206730383516702011-06-15T02:42:00.000-07:002011-06-15T02:42:00.766-07:00E-Book ContestI just heard about a "Global E-Book" contest sponsored by Dan Poynter's organization. Entrance fee is $59 (discount for multiples) and deadline is June 30th. Categories include covers, multiple nonfiction topics, and multiple fiction topics. You can check it out at http://awardsforebooks.com/<br /><br />I don't know any more. Investigation is key since $$ is involved. Good luck if you enter!Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-82537158722519609992011-06-13T02:23:00.000-07:002011-06-13T02:23:00.225-07:00Amazon Kindle and Print Sales<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hkYz_c6-rgL9-BTfQIYbdBWqfDxpOObl6BrjUFl1hPaIfZevWH9lJFRwuml3ytphANwo7LdP4jzmATaE7sT9h7z4b5NrtpAUjB8Lpfdunp4lTZ3gZyJtD3EFKMP8QF-RiDCdRrMKkQ/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 167px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hkYz_c6-rgL9-BTfQIYbdBWqfDxpOObl6BrjUFl1hPaIfZevWH9lJFRwuml3ytphANwo7LdP4jzmATaE7sT9h7z4b5NrtpAUjB8Lpfdunp4lTZ3gZyJtD3EFKMP8QF-RiDCdRrMKkQ/s200/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617478326489744658" /></a><br /><br />Amazon recently compiled sales data from the first five months of 2011 of both printed and e-books to come up with its "Most Well-Read Cities in America." Here they are:<br /><br />1. Cambridge, MA<br />2. Alexandria, VA<br />3. Berkeley, CA<br />4. Ann Arbor, MI<br />5. Boulder, CO<br />6. Miami, FL<br />7. Salt Lake City, UT<br />8. Gainesville, FL<br />9. Seattle, WA<br />10. Arlington, VA<br />11. Knoxville, TN<br />12. Orlando, FL<br />13. Pittsburgh, PA<br />14. Washington, DC<br />15. Bellevue, WA<br />16. Columbia, SC<br />17. St. Louis, MO<br />18. Cincinnati, OH<br />19. Portland, OR<br />20. Atlanta, GA<br /><br />It's interesting to note that there are some strong college cities in this list, including Cambridge MA. Cities, especially college cities, might be expected to have some good bookstores in the area. Unfortunately there are no figures comparing brick-and-mortar store sales to online store sales, but it's not hard to imagine that a creeping change of how books are sold and how people read is going on. Just this month at Amazon's yearly meeting, Jeff Bezos announced that Kindle books were outselling print books on Amazon. Is this a good thing? <br /><br />I love my Kindle. I love being able to almost instantly have the new book I want to read -- instant gratification. At the same time, a) I can spend a lot of money if I'm not careful; and b) as wonderful as the Kindle is, the e-books still have disadvantages over DTBs (dead tree books). I can't share the book easily (although Amazon is instituting some sort of lending policy), and I wonder what would happen if my Kindle died. Well, my books are stored "in the cloud" but I'd still have to purchase another Kindle, and I'd lose my PDFs and other documents. DTBs also have problems, most notably that they take space to store. <br /><br />One can't stand in the way of an oncoming train. What do you think of changes in publishing?Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-65919518481047472472011-06-10T02:25:00.000-07:002011-06-10T02:25:00.870-07:00Definition of a LiberalI don't know a better term to use. By "liberal" I mean a politician who believes the rules don't apply to him, but doesn't mind creating and imposing them on others. No disrespect intended to other politicians.<br /><br />Here it is, the definition of a liberal:<br /><br />Someone who doesn't mind what you do, as long as you're mandated to do it.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-71898513184222915472011-06-08T02:08:00.000-07:002011-06-08T02:08:00.173-07:00I Just Won $2 Million Dollars! Ya think?Honestly, how stupid do these people think I am? Here is yet another of these emails that tells me my dreams will come true if only I give some people in Africa or Eastern Europe all of my personal information before collecting an amazing prize. Ya think? I will give this email writer points for writing in better English than some of these emails. <br /><br />I was so tempted to respond to this email with a "how stupid do you think I am?" comment, but figured they'd then know they had a live person at the other end. (Although they probably do already since the email didn't bounce). Nah, not worth it.<br /><br />I read an interview with a con man a few years ago. He said that cons worked because the mark was convinced he might be able to get something for nothing. Scrupulously honest people weren't usually caught in the net.<br /><br />There's no honesty question here with a "sweepstakes" though, simply skepticism. I don't believe in doing sweepstakes, and if I did I think I'd remember a $2M prize was offered for one. Puleeze.<br /><br />*<br /><br />Attn: <br /><br />We want to notify you that your Winner prize payment of US$2,000,000.00 has<br />been processed, packaged and forwarded to EE Security Service after your<br />inability to respond at all our notification. This was for security reasons<br />and all arrangement was made with the company Lawyer who assured us that they<br />will deliver your consignment package to your house with the company special<br />diplomatic Immunity with a cheaper rate, he stated that the assigned diplomats<br />will proceed to your country immediately the required legal obligation is met. <br /><br />As am writing now, your package is with security department of the company<br />because we paid for keeping charges already, to this end all arrangement has<br />been concluded for the shipment as the company is waiting to hear from you<br />regarding the shipment with the reconfirmation of the below details. You have<br />to get in touch with them immediately by contacting below address:<br /> <br />Name: EE SECURITY SERVICE<br />E-mail address: ( blanked)<br />Contact Person: (Dr. Nana Pedro)<br />Also required are as follows..........<br />Your full names_________________<br />Your Current Address______________<br />Cell & Telephone numbers________________<br />Country of origin__________________________<br />A copy of your ID or Passport____________________ <br /><br />Please for your information, your consignment was on package number<br />XC653/518/U006M registered as Family Valuables. not as CASH for security<br />reasons, the said package is under SECURITY MONITORING UNIT. I will be waiting<br />to hear from you once the contact is made to the company for an update. <br /><br />Thank You,<br />Mrs. Anita Claude<br />Payment Coordinator.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-18826320258605522162011-06-06T02:35:00.000-07:002011-06-06T04:39:38.744-07:00The Sixth Day of the Sixth Month<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU6Ra5bu2E8kXSBjNmi7TjR4hZgKTJmsY5TtLNWwSaa7Q3YHC-aHHf6yL6AJiDTsLn8rb9uK9iJO31ZWf9vmihGpzy3pWqyG_fLHNXlJAUHR4ZW_RflCIjly4xxIyTdOHihOJqnM8pA/s1600/245-0605100941-2007-06-06D-Day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU6Ra5bu2E8kXSBjNmi7TjR4hZgKTJmsY5TtLNWwSaa7Q3YHC-aHHf6yL6AJiDTsLn8rb9uK9iJO31ZWf9vmihGpzy3pWqyG_fLHNXlJAUHR4ZW_RflCIjly4xxIyTdOHihOJqnM8pA/s200/245-0605100941-2007-06-06D-Day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615069863364017954" /></a><br /><br />Today is the 67th anniversary of D-Day, the Allies' first move to gain a foothold on the main European continent to push back the Nazis.<br /><br />The invasion of fortified Normandy, France, had originally been planned for June 5, 1944, but because of weather was pushed off for a day. Air assault conducted soon after midnight softened the Nazi entrenchments of Normandy (bridges, road crossings, terrain features and such). The amphibious assault occurred soon after 6 am along five beaches: Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword, and Utah. Germans mowed down soldiers from high cliffs, yet the Allies persisted and were able to establish a beachhead from which they launched their counter-invasion of Europe. This was the largest one-day invasion ever, with more than 130,000 troops landed by the end of June 6.<br /><br />I am humbled thinking about these brave young men going forward in the face of blinding artillery and seemingly certain death in order to free nations from the Nazis' grip. Anyone who has seen that opening scene of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan will have a hard time wiping those (realistically staged) images from his mind.<br /><br />I am humbled thinking of all of the soldiers and civilians, throughout history, who have bravely and anonymously faced terrifying conditions and made wrenching choices in order to improve the lives of others. So much of what we enjoy in this country is due to these sacrifices.<br /><br />It seems insufficient, but I just wish to say to these men and women, thank you.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-75485281198620913692011-05-18T02:09:00.000-07:002012-07-08T14:37:04.627-07:00The End of the World<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b9acwNHKvoo" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><br />About a month ago as I was driving on the Beltway, I saw a painted van warning of horrible events on May 21, and to turn to the Lord. And this morning, I just heard a representative of Harold Camping's Bible Institute on the radio who made the most outrageous predictions about "Judgment Day" on Saturday. This makes me angry -- yet another excuse for people to mock Christ.<br /><br />What do you think of this?<br /><br /></span></span>Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-58562425818504547682011-05-16T02:00:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:00:00.145-07:00The Ultimate BrowniesI'm getting close to deadlines for my book, but am still madly working. I hope to return to a regular blogging schedule soon. In the meantime, I thought I'd share these brownies with you which may be the best I've ever tasted. The secret is in using Dutch-processed cocoa, not the regular stuff. Hershey's makes a "special dark" blend that's pretty close; this looks like the regular cocoa but has a red slash on the label across the front. Sadly, I've noticed over the last 2-3 years that my regular sources of Dutch-processed cocoa have disappeared.<br /><br />Enjoy, dear friends!<br /><br />Brownies<br /><br />1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted<br />2 cups sugar<br />2 tsp vanilla<br />4 eggs<br />3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) Dutch-processed cocoa<br />1 cup flour<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />chocolate chips (5-6 oz)<br /><br />Oven 350F. Grease 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake about 30-35 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.<br /><br />Icing<br /><br />1/4 cup (1/2 of one stick) butter, melted<br />6 T Dutch-processed cocoa<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />powdered sugar<br />milk<br /><br />Mix first four ingredients. Add about a cup of powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of milk. Keep alternating sugar and milk until consistency is correct. Be careful because a little milk goes a long way. Swirl on brownies, and sprinkle jimmies on top if desired.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-36283126368018215362011-05-02T02:24:00.000-07:002011-05-02T02:24:00.213-07:00Don't Be a Welfare HydraFor those of you who don't know, I've done an in-depth study of story (novels and films) with the aim of articulating how stories can be put together. I've been fortunate enough to coach several writers to apply and refine my paradigm, and I think I'm onto something! This algorithm is scheduled to be released as a book THE STORY TEMPLATE at the end of June.<br /><br />A main, and I mean really main, really big, problem that I keep running across while editing I've called the "One Darn Thing After Another" syndrome. But I've just found the icon for this that I think is perfect -- the Welfare Hydra!<br /><br />First, take a look at this 3 minute clip. This scene is from 1963's Jason and the Argonauts, where Jason needs to kill the 7-headed Hydra in order to steal the golden fleece. The chick is Medea, a high priestess who's basically betrayed her people to help Jason, but we won't go into the whole ethics of Jason's quest here -- after all, this is high Greek mythology, so let's just watch it for fun:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ow-dkIuIaz8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ow-dkIuIaz8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ow-dkIuIaz8" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><br />This is an impressive movie with astounding special effects for 1963, and I enjoyed watching it on many levels. I first saw this movie a few years ago with my boy, when as a first grader he became interested in ancient warfare topics in general (as an aside, he impressed the heck out of his teacher by taking half an hour to explain the Pelopynesian War to the class. My daughter, though, is the Greek myth expert. But as a proud mom, I digress).<br /><br />I feel a bit guilty being so critical here since the special effects technology WAS so primitive, but hey, this makes my point. In this clip, did you notice what the Welfare Hydra does?<br /><br />...<br /><br />???<br /><br />Nothing!<br /><br />Yes, the Hydra waves its heads a bit, hisses, and slithers on its floppy little belly. It even catches Jason in its tail at one point, but promptly lets him go and doesn't press the attack. You can almost hear the Hydra saying (in a squeaky voice) "I'm scary! I'm scary! See how scary I am?" At the end it bares its chest so Jason with his sword can conveniently stab its heart, at which it obligingly dies.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with writing?<br /><br />Simply this: in many of the stories that I critique, I find this same sort of "Welfare Hydra" mentality appearing, on both the macro and the micro levels. The writer describes exciting (or not so exciting) events that the protagonist wrestles through, but in the end, these events don't make any difference to the story. They don't push the story along.<br /><br />The micro events just add word count. A character will find a chilled bottle of water, unscrew its tight cap, take a few sips of the cold liquid, then screw the lid back on and wipe her hands on her black summer-cloth-weight capris, feeling refreshed now. Excuse me? Does any of this detail really add to the story? Now, maybe if the character had arthritis, then her method of opening a bottle might give a little grace note to her character, but otherwise this is throwaway stuff.<br /><br />So how might one push a story along? There are many techniques to do this, but the core principle is to consistently raise the stakes for the protagonist: put more in jeopardy, make it uncertain that the protagonist can accomplish a goal that is vital to him and for the long-term success for the story. Everything counts, including little actions. Who cares how the character opens a bottle of water? But if the character isn't sure that she will be able to sneak a sip of water to calm a cough before she has to make an announcement, it might become more interesting.<br /><br />A good way to raise these questions is to write in a deep third person point of view. Many manuscripts I read are written in a superficial POV, where actions are captured as if on camera, and there is no insight into the character's thoughts. The penetrating POV is one of the great strengths of novel writing. (Films of course have music, camera angles, and other tricks that make them a different, yet also strong, medium).<br /><br />Use your POV!<br /><br />Here are two passages:<br /><br />(1)<br /><br />Sam ran down the hallway. It was long, and there were no windows. He picked up speed. The entrance was twenty feet away. (objective POV)<br /><br />(2)<br /><br />Escape.<br /><br />Sam couldn't see the intruder, but knew he must be close by. This was the hardest part to get out of the building: a long white tunnel, no windows.<br /><br />Twenty feet. He might just have time. If only he could turn off these lights to race in the dark, but no time, no time.<br /><br />And then he heard a footstep behind him...<br /><br />(penetrating POV)<br /><br />**<br /><br />OK, it's a hokey example written off the top of my head, but you get the idea, I trust.<br /><br />When you write, whether a paragraph or a scene or more, keep asking yourself, "Are my words a Welfare Hydra?" If they are, stab them through the heart.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-13053575588561269062011-04-26T02:24:00.000-07:002011-04-26T02:24:00.145-07:00Norman Geisler: If God, Why Evil?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDljCh2oT1WcExsEyOWSsoqDKIHlx9X_XbHla0LaBl1_e2GsgIJCtdihC17udMSPqeRPbBH1HlqDI4llEST4ahuoKLhYLqhDTaKuIl-Ynn2gwbNmyQ2vsLQClrp8uL7jy_BEQypsRpA/s1600/51DBQiOkEkL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDljCh2oT1WcExsEyOWSsoqDKIHlx9X_XbHla0LaBl1_e2GsgIJCtdihC17udMSPqeRPbBH1HlqDI4llEST4ahuoKLhYLqhDTaKuIl-Ynn2gwbNmyQ2vsLQClrp8uL7jy_BEQypsRpA/s200/51DBQiOkEkL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599651020361706642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5 stars: Fabulous and Rigorous, Highly Recommended<br /><br />Geisler's book would not necessarily be the most comforting to read for those who are concurrently going through an emotionally trying time, since it maintains an objective presentation for the problem of evil. At the same time, it WOULD be helpful for those who wish to puzzle through these issues, and gives credible reasons for believing in God despite the existence of evil.<br /><br />The ten chapters with topics that Geisler addresses are:<br /><br />Three Views on Evil<br />The Nature of Evil<br />The Origin of Evil<br />The Persistence of Evil<br />The Purpose of Evil<br />The Avoidability of Evil<br />The Problem of Physical Evil<br />Miracles and Evil<br />The Problem of Eternal Evil (Hell)<br />What About Those Who Have Never Heard?<br /><br />Geisler presents arguments for the existence of the Christian God: a separate being from his creation, who is all-knowing, all-loving, all-just, and all-powerful. He asks blunt questions: if this evil type of situation exists, how can God be there also?<br /><br />Geisler sets up the arguments against God in a syllogistic format, stating the premises that lead to disbelieving that God exists, and then discusses why some of the premises may be faulty.<br /><br />His arguments are elegant, with information that takes time to digest. Even so, the book is only about 175 pages, certainly not over-intimidating. Geisler also includes three appendices: Animal death before Adam, Evidence for the existence of God, and a Critique of The Shack, that are provocative.<br /><br />As a Christian I found Geisler's arguments compelling. At the same time, while talking with atheists I find that straight logic is usually not sufficient to "prove" God's existence, although God's existence can be strongly supported. (Strongly supported enough that as a scientist and skeptic, I came to faith through studying the historic circumstances surrounding the death of Jesus). There is an emotional resistance to the Christian God's existence, probably because accepting His existence means bowing to Him as Lord, something many are reluctant to do.<br /><br />Geisler's book is a concise and smart rendering of Christian arguments to answer the question: If God exists, why is there evil in the world? I wish I could have given this book more than five stars. Highly recommended.<br /><br />I am grateful to Bethany House for providing a copy of this book for me to review. I was not bound to give a positive review, simply a review.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-54374064210280869532011-04-20T02:13:00.000-07:002011-04-20T02:13:00.214-07:00New Book: The Story TemplateI'm happy to announce that my new book, THE STORY TEMPLATE, is scheduled to be released in July. This book describes a hands-on process that someone can use to develop a complete, compelling story from a vague idea. I came up with this algorithm from story coaching a number of students, and it really works! <br /><br />As far as I'm aware, this is the only book that gives a practical, clear process for someone to follow from beginning to end. I'm hopeful.<br /><br />The book's chapter outline is:<br /><br />1 - Introduction<br />2 - 4 Story Pillars, Logline<br />3 - Story World and Moral Story Pillars<br />4 - Plot Story Pillar<br />5 - Character Story Pillar<br />6 - The Story Template (explanation)<br />7 - Template – organizing your own<br />8 - Character template<br />9 - Characters and Subplots<br />10 - Comprehensive Template “Cheat Sheet”<br />11 - Synopsis<br />12 - Bubbles<br />13 - Story Boarding<br />14 - Beginnings<br />15 - Writing the Individual Scene<br />16 - Writing Techniques<br />17 - Editing and Criticism<br />18 - Submitting a ms<br /><br />If I am a bit erratic in posting blogs in the next few months, I hope you understand! Deadlines are tough things, although useful.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-66218748763814531532011-04-15T02:37:00.000-07:002011-04-15T02:37:00.454-07:00April 15April 15th seems like a jinxed day:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.topicsites.com/abraham-lincoln/Abraham-Lincoln-Shooting.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 600px; height: 446px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://www.topicsites.com/abraham-lincoln/Abraham-Lincoln-Shooting.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Abraham Lincoln died on this day in 1865 after being shot on Good Friday the night before by John Wilkes Booth. It was just 6 days after General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox. One wonders how our country's reconciliation between North and South might have gone differently if Lincoln instead of Andrew Johnson had overseen Reconstruction: Johnson weakened the fragile union by encouraging Southern rebels, denying freed slaves any rights, and breaking rich men to redistribute wealth.<br /><br /><a href="http://mossavi.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/titanic-sinking.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 1130px; height: 745px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://mossavi.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/titanic-sinking.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Titanic sank early in the morning on this day in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean while steaming from Southampton England to New York City. 1517 people were lost; the Titanic carried a lifeboat capacity of less than half of its total 2223 persons on board. Only 706 people, 31.8% of the total, survived. Titanic was the most modern and luxurious ship built at the time, and was thought to be unsinkable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacYZZeSfy6QUW5lQXJNjlupiVPQSfvQ53bGAWFY4_Jjcc7aChNRJDhoOnWwY9RrZgYDS6ahP3c-S16Lal5Xmmas_z8kAJV7uurblBm1aI7tgWCyzUPVVRb48JtgUvyEEZFcushvLFHA/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacYZZeSfy6QUW5lQXJNjlupiVPQSfvQ53bGAWFY4_Jjcc7aChNRJDhoOnWwY9RrZgYDS6ahP3c-S16Lal5Xmmas_z8kAJV7uurblBm1aI7tgWCyzUPVVRb48JtgUvyEEZFcushvLFHA/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595526205325540354" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And of course, April 15th is tax day. OK, I won't go there.<br /><br />*<br /><br />No, I'm not superstitious, and I remain full of hope even on this dark day.<br /><br />Speaking of taxes, though, I will say this. I deeply resent this new "class warfare" that was so evident in Obama's speech on Wednesday about "The Rich" paying their "fair share" of taxes to diminish the deficit. (They already pay an amazing proportion, while many pay none). "The Rich" are not evil. For the most part, they have worked hard from moderate means to get where they are. Their activity fuels the economic engine in this country, both by the companies they own that produce jobs, and the goods and services they purchase that produce jobs.<br /><br />We are ALL Americans, are we not? Even the Rich? I am so grateful to be in this country, where I and my children can aspire to be in this heady class. I hope these opportunities continue.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-70813584988312357782011-04-13T02:57:00.000-07:002011-04-13T02:57:00.318-07:00A Lesson from Three StoriesA Lesson from Three Stories<br /><br />There are three stories that are considered classics, and yet have always irritated me. Watching one of them this weekend, I think I understand why, and there's a lesson in them for improving one's writing. Here they are:<br /><br />1. Tchaikovsky's ballet: The Nutcracker. Yes, I know this is a ballet and one goes for the dancing not the story, but I can't help being a curmudgeon. Very quickly, at a Christmas party Clara is given a nutcracker that her brother promptly breaks. After midnight Clara dreams she sees the mouse king and Nutcracker fighting -- through her heroic slipper-throwing she dispatches the mouse king and breaks the spell on her beloved Nutcracker, who is really a handsome prince (of course). The prince takes her to the Kingdom of the Sweets where he and Clara hold court over all the dancing subjects in the kingdom celebrating the prince's return and Clara's bravery. The End.<br /><br />2. Alice in Wonderland (Disney's movie, 1951). Yes, I know Lewis Carroll wrote this novel as a veiled political commentary of Britain in 1865, but Disney’s movie makes no sense. I hated it even as a kid. Alice is bored, then sees a white rabbit with a watch and the nonsense begins. I basically learned from this movie not to eat or drink strange things lying around: Alice shrinks or grows tall, talks to disappearing cats, attends bizarre tea parties, rumbles with the Queen of Hearts ("Off with her head!") and basically has a confusing time of it before waking and realizing it was all a dream. The End.<br /><br />3. The Wizard of Oz (Fleming's 1939 movie). Yes, I know this extravaganza broke a lot of ground, including the use of Technicolor and Judy Garland's song “Over the Rainbow,” had a fabulous set and cast of many, won many awards, and is considered a classic, but what can I say? I don’t like it. Dorothy on her way home from rescuing her dog is caught up in a tornado and dropped in the land of Oz. She's chased by the Wicked Witch of the West (love Margaret Hamilton), wears ruby slippers, and wanders through the country picking up assorted companions as she goes to find the Wizard of Oz so he can send her home. I'm still trying to figure out Dorothy’s line at the end that goes something like, "I learned that when I go looking for my heart's desire, I don't have to go farther than my own backyard, because if it isn't there, I never lost it in the first place." Huh?? The End.<br /><br />Does anyone see what the common problem in these stories might be? Anyone? Anyone?<br /><br />I think the reason these stories don't work well as stories is because they don't have a point. In all three, the main character goes on a journey, but comes back exactly the same as before. Well, Dorothy in Oz DOES have a character arc, but it's a trivial one: She basically learns that it's good to be home. This is like saying that the grass is green. Do I CARE about what happens to Clara, Alice, or Dorothy? Not really. <br /><br />So, in light of this, how might one make a story gripping? How might one cause the reader or viewer to identify with the protagonist?<br /><br />Answer: There must be an element within the protagonist with which your reader or viewer identifies. By this I'm not talking about statistical data (white male, 30s, lives in Chicago, day trader), but rather, what the protagonist desires in the story, the point through which the character arc traverses.<br /><br />Let's do another example: Rocky, a classic film that I love love love! But wait a moment. I detest boxing; I can't stand the violence, crowds, yelling, smoke, blood, etc. I'm not an Italian man. I don't live in Philadelphia. I don't go to bars, or have friends who trash their houses with a baseball bat when they're angry. I don't punch raw meat. I do love dogs, so I could see myself running with Rocky’s Boxer, Budkins, but that's about it. Oh, and the music is great.<br /><br />But surely this isn't enough to keep me watching. What I love about this movie is Rocky's determination to make something of himself: he doesn't want to be "just another bum from the neighborhood." Gee, I can definitely identify with this. I know that this is a hard thing to accomplish. I watch Rocky's heartbreaking struggle: he's pushed down at every turn, but somehow through a lucky break and some very hard work, he's able to claw himself up to prominence. He doesn't even win the final fight, but he knows that he has indeed become a Somebody through hard work and determination because he was able to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed.<br /><br />Rocky's character arc parallels the course of triumph that I wish for my own life. He fights; I fight. He's knocked down; I'm knocked down. He makes progress; well, maybe I can make progress too. There's some hope.<br /><br />The reader or viewer must care about your protagonist. To do this, there must be a deep abiding drive in your protagonist that your reader or viewer can identify with, and root for, and hope to see victorious. If your hero can do it, the reader or viewer thinks, then maybe so can I.<br /><br />*<br /><br />NOTE: this entry is reposted. A perceptive commenter remarked that all three of the stories I named (The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz) were written in the 1800s or early 1900s, when fantasy types of stories were just beginning to emerge. She suggested that the story world in these stories was sufficiently entertaining for an audience not as sophisticated in terms of story type and development as we are today with mega-special effects and mind-twisting story worlds. Brilliant point, Gwen!Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-76054183499946222942011-04-08T02:28:00.000-07:002011-04-08T02:28:00.263-07:00Tension in Fiction Writing, and the Individual SceneThere are both plot-driven and character-driven stories, but in my humble opinion they both need tension in order to move forward. Tension must be in every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence. Tension is the uncertainty of at least one issue in the story. For example, here is a conversation between character A and character B:<br /><br />A: Do you like eggs for breakfast?<br /><br />B: (answer #1) Yes.<br /><br />B: (answer #2) My mom used to make eggs, soft boiled, you know, and she'd break them over toast so that the egg yolk would soak in.<br /><br />B: (answer #3) Why is it any of your business?<br /><br />Answer #1 stops the conversation, and the story. There are times when this answer might be appropriate -- say, to establish an abrupt interchange -- but in general, #2 or #3 might be a better choice. #2 opens up a chance to deepen character background in a natural way, and #3 suggests a brewing fight. My general rule for questions in writing, whether spoken or implied, is *never* to put down a direct answer.<br /><br />When I write, I like to plan out the broad outlines of a chapter before I start in. I often end up changing it, mind you, but I at least start with a direction.<br /><br />According to Jack Bickham in Elements of Writing Fiction: Scene and Structure, there are two units of story construction: a SCENE and a SEQUEL. Very roughly speaking, the scene follows the advancing plot, and the sequel describes the POV character's reaction to it. Bickham describes that all stories are beads of Scene-Sequel-Scene-Sequel, although many times the sequel can be pulled to speed up the action.<br /><br />While I don't agree with everything he describes in his book, his thoughts on Scene/Sequel were quite helpful, and allowed me to develop a technique for planning each chapter. Here's my technique, for what it's worth:<br /><br />At the top of the page, I'll copy in my little outline:<br /><br />POV:<br />GOAL:<br />CONFLICT:<br />DISASTER:<br /><br />POV stands for the point of view character, in whose head I am writing from. Hmm, maybe I should write a blog on character viewpoint. Basically, since I prefer the 3rd person limited, everything is told from that character's perspective: what HE can see, what HE knows.<br /><br />GOAL: what is the short-term goal that my POV character is trying to achieve within the next few pages? When writing the draft, I try to have the character actually state his goal clearly close to the beginning.<br /><br />CONFLICT: what obstacles will stand in the way of this goal? Obstacles can be both EXTERNAL (other people, physical obstacles) and INTERNAL (fears, worries, lack of knowledge). I like to come up with at least 5 conflicts. Even though I can't always come up with 5, and even if I do come up with them I don't always incorporate them into the draft, they are still helpful to prevent writers block -- if I'm stuck I can always throw another problem at my poor POV character.<br /><br />DISASTER: the scene should not end happily. Even if the POV character is successful with his goal at the beginning of the chapter, he should be in a worse situation at the end of the chapter. More questions are raised! The reader thinks, I'll read just one more chapter...<br /><br />*<br /><br />I also use sequels, the emotional reaction of the POV character, although less frequently. When I'm ready to write a sequel, I post this outline at the top:<br /><br />EMOTION:<br />THOUGHT:<br />DECISION:<br />ACTION:<br /><br />EMOTION: refers to the POV character's emotional state immediately following the previous scene. Is he frightened, worried, angry, desperate?<br /><br />THOUGHT: once he's had some emotion, he's able to logically evaluate the circumstances.<br /><br />DECISION: the character is in a bad situation, and must decide what he is going to do.<br /><br />ACTION: He begins to do what he decided.<br /><br />*<br /><br />There is no easy way to write, but doing this little bit of preplanning at least for me is quite helpful to prevent writers block. Often my scene shapes up differently than what I'd thought, but that's OK too -- I go with the flow.<br /><br />So, how do you go about facing the computer screen every day?Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-73740029124353816802011-04-06T02:21:00.000-07:002011-04-06T02:21:00.359-07:00Don't Waste Your LifeI don't remember who spoke at my high school graduation, but all these years later I do remember her opening line:<br /><br />"You've already lived one quarter of your life."<br /><br />This was powerful stuff for an eighteen year old. As I've thought back on her talk through the years, I am grateful that she pointed my attention to be careful, not to waste life, while I was still young.<br /><br />Life IS very short, isn't it? When you're 18, it seems like it will last forever, but by the time you're 28 you've already made some pivotal decisions of the direction your life will go (marriage, career, family, location) and by the time you're 38 these decisions are even more entrenched. And so on. Yes, you can always alter your path, but it gets progressively harder.<br /><br />And no matter what you do, the past years are already gone.<br /><br />You feel the touch of the mortal hand: bodies age, people die, disappointments multiply, safeguards fail. Life is not limitless as it is when you're 18. More and more potentials become actualities as you build the legacy you will leave, stone by stone.<br /><br />What legacy will you leave? Sweetness or bitter? Gratitude or anger? Emphasis on others or yourself?<br /><br />You've heard this one before, but what would you do if you only had a day/week/month to live? Would you change your focus for these last hours or days, or would you more or less do what you're doing now? Do you think it's important if you'd change your focus? What is your guiding principle in life?<br /><br />Will you choose to follow God? I believe this life is the only place you can freely make this decision, and also that this is the most important question of all.<br /><br />Ponder these things. In the meantime, let me make the statement that the woman made to our high school class:<br /><br />YOU'VE ALREADY LIVED A LARGE PROPORTION OF YOUR LIFE. DON'T WASTE WHAT'S LEFT.<br /><br />Make your life count. Build your legacy, whether it is to play with your children, be with your family, or do your job that will make life better for many. Design that computer program, start your dream business, paint your masterpiece. Love and bless others. Search for truth. Search for God.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-22466926731238540042011-04-04T02:07:00.000-07:002011-04-04T02:07:00.483-07:00DISC Personality TestThese personality theories are fun if taken with a grain of salt. The DISC personality test was developed from the work of Dr. William Marston by John Geier. It examines preferences of the person when dealing with other people and work environments.<br /><br />There are four dimensions that can be set into a grid as follows (hoping my grid works):<br /><br /> TASK SOCIAL<br /><br />EXTROVERTED D I<br /><br />INTROVERTED C S<br /><br />The categories are:<br /><br /> * Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness. D people will quickly and aggressively find solutions to problems.<br /><br /> * Influence – relating to social situations and communication. I people tend to be emotional, and value the other person.<br /><br /> * Steadiness – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. S people tend to be calm and predictable, and value routine.<br /><br /> * Conscientiousness – relating to structure and organization. C people tend to be detail-oriented and careful.<br /><br />You can take a free online test to see where you fall <a href="http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/aw8npyx/DISC-Personality-Style?view_quiz=1">HERE</a>.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-68017190993117178842011-04-01T02:44:00.000-07:002011-04-01T02:45:01.199-07:00The Small ThingsTwice yesterday I was reminded of small actions people had done for me over the past year or so that were encouraging. As I reflect on the topic now while writing this blog entry, I can remember others.<br /><br />I've been thinking: it's important to watch even the small things you do, because you don't know how they may affect others. Do all things well. Go the extra mile for the person who asks you for help, even if it seems little. You just don't know. The small actions that I smiled over today, might have seemed inconsequential but they weren't. They weren't.<br /><br />I always loved this part of Paul's letter to the Philippians, when he thanks them for encouraging him in his ministry when no one else did. He calls these actions a fragrant offering.<br /><br /><em>Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.</em> (Phil 4:15-19)Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-21325500690212899182011-03-30T02:33:00.000-07:002011-03-30T02:33:00.713-07:00Wow. Just Wow.As writers, we have probably all experienced negative responses to our work. Heck, not even writers, everyone gets criticisms from time to time. They can be true and helpful -- as the Bible says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," (Proverbs 27:17) and "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." (Proverbs 27:6). Sometimes the criticism is motivated out of jealousy or misanthropy. Sometimes the criticizer is simply not qualified to give a good opinion.<br /><br />Doesn't matter. IMHO the best way to respond to criticism, no matter what, is to say, "thank you." Period. Don't defend yourself, since you're not going to change someone's opinion anyway. Take the words back with you, and study them. Try to maintain an objective stance (it may take a little time to get there). If the words are pointing out something true, then internalize the message and learn from it. If the words aren't relevant, for whatever reason, then discard them.<br /><br />This is difficult of course. I have learned that when someone criticizes my manuscript, often what they think is wrong isn't the problem (for example, it may not be a character issue but simply that I'm truncating an emotional scene), but there is SOMETHING there. When more than one person points to the same passage, I scrutinize it with a microscope. I am so grateful for the comments that people have given me to help improve my writing. Even the mean ones can be helpful.<br /><br />With all this being said, check out this blog review and the comments after it. This just showcases how your defense of your work might appear to others. Wow. Just wow.<br /><br /><a href="http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html">http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html</a>Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-78466520300357753932011-03-30T01:41:00.000-07:002011-03-30T12:02:13.899-07:00Jacqueline Howitt Part 2PS I'm not trying to pile tsk tsk criticism onto this woman. She lost control -- we all do. Her novel (The Greek Seaman) was apparently based on something that really happened to her, she was upset, and now she is experiencing a flame war. I'm thinking she probably feels pretty bad this morning. Jacqueline, hang in there and I hope this experience is eventually helpful for you. Writing is tough, and you've GOT to listen to feedback and use it to make your work better, not become defensive. But also, you are not a failure as a human being.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-12006695252987472972011-03-25T02:19:00.000-07:002011-03-25T02:19:00.808-07:00Jefferson's PrescienceJefferson had some amazing thoughts that saw the potential of some of the problems circling our government right now. As our country recklessly careens towards earthquake-type change in its reach into our lives, I will pray and ponder these thoughts. I hope you might also.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/beacon/fall06images/22-jefferson-bible/jefferson.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 314px; height: 407px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/beacon/fall06images/22-jefferson-bible/jefferson.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />*<br /><br />The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.<br /><br />*<br /><br />It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.<br /><br />*<br /><br />I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.<br /><br />*<br /><br />My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.<br /><br />*<br /><br />To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-22511014993421400352011-03-23T01:55:00.000-07:002011-03-23T01:55:01.203-07:00China Market StoreI hope you forgive me for today's entry. A friend sent these photos to me of *mart* offerings in China. I am discombobulated.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFu5mM33CA_CGiPlTMJOILUGuk5laSIvQoldocpk3lK5CGrP1wTgkikHNj9Yqk1i7cb3qniYFVZN5WZ0htQU_ab3XKDk3SyarHpoKDnI6Yxu5NlAASiYRhCL5o2oDEu4C5Rj4z6YhPg/s1600/china1.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFu5mM33CA_CGiPlTMJOILUGuk5laSIvQoldocpk3lK5CGrP1wTgkikHNj9Yqk1i7cb3qniYFVZN5WZ0htQU_ab3XKDk3SyarHpoKDnI6Yxu5NlAASiYRhCL5o2oDEu4C5Rj4z6YhPg/s200/china1.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587013512375761634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxy1wwYEVKjXUIKUBmZV7bD4gzuZAYj2Kz4qQoeKo-sFFZrkmNP7NBX3h2MsqLZeLIIdAkrbl2vh0jHa9Q9ZF2GhFG13cooPUVN7Dibbh8OuclAV7vtcTnbbxQvhGt5j0iW31LnjQqQ/s1600/china2.htm"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_eG_ewCr2MHSKMRMBgxLPiT8g9SR5OrmGCt1L5ubCV8McRjn6qLk5fy1D3e47ko8qrX3OBHzPpjJlDUUgyY0fD4WFqehKGavAQIxj69bz7iEHjd3PZ1zfPOCMVpzbcY1hrVvZTXJGw/s200/china4.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587013191571966562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvzkQWJczEaG7TDGeVX2PcJfxBinl1VUS4G8NC98mjMCvMsmcAoJWAB9vCLg7Tbyk1CbtFQ3ue9QpYfGPbGKiDGGqfuNzpZz8TCKvrKeNgygCYSv1Uvdxk8LNqjs953pP9NupnNrTzA/s1600/china5.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvzkQWJczEaG7TDGeVX2PcJfxBinl1VUS4G8NC98mjMCvMsmcAoJWAB9vCLg7Tbyk1CbtFQ3ue9QpYfGPbGKiDGGqfuNzpZz8TCKvrKeNgygCYSv1Uvdxk8LNqjs953pP9NupnNrTzA/s200/china5.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587013100301295218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEW88ImzVEgN7mnRCkVizCZ7aX3j135BrDKt_xuao1zpQ0gb4iANU3Tvvzkq6TGEJ7s8QhdUfsl7bsftT_BISgE0VW12GgsffgWYik9S2yTyEcM4kynBHUhrNeRSWMSH6CeymUZWs8oQ/s1600/china6.htm"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8nqrhp-YsYfrND23YzYAPF_ppg-zhkfgLofVpc8tTqhsQqx4Qc-AjsTpKjv83qj0oxxdLtfAG6xjx_oHFmOfmN8UGFvaNwjcep1KGNfHLNLYtEWRiVkp1tmnmGdL4mVfHEroeJ11XQ/s200/china8.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012800336918098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3vN0RDDaXmCQrX4rOxy2rS_g0mf6Bp4U_3G9I073Ve6nmJasRxHDKgcdbjV1wbfXIfBcikIXre5AL16i6s31OAef7B8WJuPIRfJEtHHhWRNcow_6IbCbIWgULD9uX5py3PTbOAJwxQ/s1600/china9.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3vN0RDDaXmCQrX4rOxy2rS_g0mf6Bp4U_3G9I073Ve6nmJasRxHDKgcdbjV1wbfXIfBcikIXre5AL16i6s31OAef7B8WJuPIRfJEtHHhWRNcow_6IbCbIWgULD9uX5py3PTbOAJwxQ/s200/china9.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012649927032594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHktapRxCbzljZ25d3oqlpn8EiKS1-C9j23RfAhzQVG1w4WayaffnnKgdG9TuQ2V47zhJCAgSDQYeF-vGScsVfAi8slGpd1Z0db67D56ZLsKwBFbS739K0wKt6hH706aZ5oXrkYgV-hg/s1600/china10.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHktapRxCbzljZ25d3oqlpn8EiKS1-C9j23RfAhzQVG1w4WayaffnnKgdG9TuQ2V47zhJCAgSDQYeF-vGScsVfAi8slGpd1Z0db67D56ZLsKwBFbS739K0wKt6hH706aZ5oXrkYgV-hg/s200/china10.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012542271327650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOnLQjBrVoXGcKb9LzYPjUc1vUm-llvs9lAiVND4nMiTLKAIofQ1iBN45aivVsF2lEjZ-45pGRPmENI73LwYN9qz_Gw74AZuCqhO6ON9cShea0s5K6Nv_mBpSQc8_10Fe3iLhz_EOig/s1600/china11.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOnLQjBrVoXGcKb9LzYPjUc1vUm-llvs9lAiVND4nMiTLKAIofQ1iBN45aivVsF2lEjZ-45pGRPmENI73LwYN9qz_Gw74AZuCqhO6ON9cShea0s5K6Nv_mBpSQc8_10Fe3iLhz_EOig/s200/china11.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012468197261186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_yALSZP8WdNm2M92b_hPd4x8n1sQAAIF82_XpE8Jtl-KhhtaieTqPRBcv3rkjL9riYnqbibviVYxGkEEqlRps1RWPzxomDYj8Hh0q-3k_aj2YPu9VRAo3YNPXmSN4M-8CaEo_Fv_lw/s1600/china12.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_yALSZP8WdNm2M92b_hPd4x8n1sQAAIF82_XpE8Jtl-KhhtaieTqPRBcv3rkjL9riYnqbibviVYxGkEEqlRps1RWPzxomDYj8Hh0q-3k_aj2YPu9VRAo3YNPXmSN4M-8CaEo_Fv_lw/s200/china12.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012359396642514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt_cC3KQu44pep6WAL0-iPMdhIexKRbnohiv41quImjzIY-Re0LoWgf-TjPuA2-kTz4zPZ01VsXonfkkM3j3dvj5a1PMf6d51Fd-PXU-tcMU-SsRC7l_njMnsFLwdh-lcD3WUhyphenhyphenARWQ/s1600/china13.htm"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt_cC3KQu44pep6WAL0-iPMdhIexKRbnohiv41quImjzIY-Re0LoWgf-TjPuA2-kTz4zPZ01VsXonfkkM3j3dvj5a1PMf6d51Fd-PXU-tcMU-SsRC7l_njMnsFLwdh-lcD3WUhyphenhyphenARWQ/s200/china13.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587012250768440018" border="0" /></a>Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294580011480550687.post-89814931505247365382011-03-21T02:51:00.000-07:002011-03-21T02:51:00.699-07:00Japan 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix485pomCnICSLRrgmlusKvk04BTCWC-tQCEYxmwrcvJ5-6HRakgHRYbaI5jGSiUKub7L_p4L1vtYt9aGHxDjSmciKeVkEQS3y2HMNG1CYK42KEm-4WF1Ke5spTxIoNt9DoJ0jrpWnA/s1600/japan%252Btsunami%252B2011-12.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhix485pomCnICSLRrgmlusKvk04BTCWC-tQCEYxmwrcvJ5-6HRakgHRYbaI5jGSiUKub7L_p4L1vtYt9aGHxDjSmciKeVkEQS3y2HMNG1CYK42KEm-4WF1Ke5spTxIoNt9DoJ0jrpWnA/s200/japan%252Btsunami%252B2011-12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586283488168622882" border="0" /></a><br />Looking at the apocalyptic wreckage in Japan, I can’t help thinking that this might be how God feels looking at the wreckage of sin in this world. To us the world looks orderly, with stately mountains and neat four-square streets in cities. God sees the human hearts, and He weeps.Amy Deardonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01360116339457651031noreply@blogger.com1