From the sexy sound of a blade cutting though the air ...... to the dripping of the blood

Apart from being a vampire I think out of the things I do to worry people is …….well how I answer interview questions …………..

Ever since my book has come out I have been interviewed by lots of different humans and heck I was not told that I should lie!

I am sure people have been taking Twilight too seriously and so being too honest can get a strange look or two from the interviewer. Yes, blood is best served fresh and warm preferably from its human contained ………..

Just why are they shocked by my answers …………

Don’t these people go to the movies?

Look if you are doing an author interview it may be best not to be so surprised when they

answer your questions ………….. I do try and keep it nice and warm and cuddly

……….. but heck I am a vampire just who do you think you are interviewing the tooth fairy? ………

I know I can worry people when they ask:

So as teenage vampire author please tell our readers the sort of things you like ...........................

Ok, ok, So I should say Chocolate and Cats which is true as I do …

 

…….but sometimes I tend to give away a little too much personal stuff……..

………and I say things like:

The sound a blade makes as it cuts the air, so nice er…. Like silk……… sigh……….. (well ask someone who uses a blade they will explain it to you …………… but it is a nice and sexy sound)

Then there is the feel of a well balanced blade in your hand, as it becomes part of your body as you turn and spin ……….

By the way it is wrist and finger control which  gives one the little playful moves.

did you know you can always test someone who says they can use a samurai sword by asking what noise in makes when returning to its sheath................

 

...................... but I do not know how it makes the sound...... can anyone tell me that?

Ho well get ready for the next interview and hopefully this time I will remember when they ask if I had a wish what would it be I should say I wish for world peace …..er…….and not what I said last time ……………..

Well how was I to know that saying how about a nice big bag of Blood Diamonds would upset so many people ………such a nice colourful name ………… ok I will have rubies instead …………

 

My Reflctions of the Death of Osama Bin Laden

As I write this, I anticipate much anger directed toward me.  But as I meditate on the events that have transpired over the last 11 hours, I find myself having very mixed emotions.  Let me begin by stating that I think the death of Osama Bin Laden is a good thing.  Like every American, every year on the anniversary of 9/11, I mourn the death of the innocent Americans that died at the hand of the terrorists he led.  With a heavy heart, I think about the children that lost parents.  I think about husbands and wives that lost their soul mates and thank God for my wife and family.  I mourn the loss of the soldiers that have died over the last 10 years, fighting for freedom and to end terror in this world.  I am proud of this country and thank God for the freedom I have each and every day; the same freedom I have to write this blog today.  I love this country, but it’s not the Kingdom I choose to serve.  The Kingdom of God is where my perspective must come from, and that’s where my emotions must rise from.  

     

So, with that said, it may shock you to know that I mourn the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Like I said, I do believe that His death is a good thing and our world is safer from it, but I still mourn his death.  From beginning to end, this man’s life and America’s association with him has been nothing to rejoice.  The news we received on Sunday night was simply the pinnacle of a long progression of war and death, and more than likely, not the end.  War and death are not something to celebrate.  In the general scheme of things, the Kingdom of God has not been advanced one inch.  To be honest, from an eternal perspective, what has transpired doesn't matter all that much.  War is not a sporting event and as much as we want to believe it, Jesus is not on our team.  He doesn’t rejoice at the death of Osama Bin Laden and does not breathe a sigh of relief that America gained a few more points in the game.

What I do believe is that God is very much anticipating how each and every one of us is going to react today; not so much from an external perspective, but internal.  What do our hearts really feel at this moment?  What is the truth that will be taken from these events and what is God’s perspective on what has happened.  That’s the perspective that I choose to view this from.  And a great deal of that perspective comes from Scripture.  But before I refer to Christ’s words, let me address one particular perspective that I’ve seen some folks using as a defense.

 

Many people refer to some of the Old Testament examples of war, and how God seems to bless, approve and even rejoice in the victories of Israel.  It appears that by looking at these many references, God endorses war and rejoicing in the victories of war.  I understand completely why some well intending people would use these examples as justification for America’s rejoicing today.  However, as with anything in Scripture, we have to look at this from a proper perspective.  The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people.  This was the nation that He chose to build this world through.  These were the people that would begin the long progression of events that would bring Jesus Christ into this world and begin the eventual realization of the Kingdom of God coming to fruition.  These were His people, His nation, His mission and in essence, His  In many ways, it was not the people of Israel fighting other nations, but God fighting through them to defend Himself, His honor, worship and glory.  When Israel celebrated the death and victory from war, in many ways it was God celebrating and the people glorified God more than they did country.   They celebrated in the Temple.  We celebrate on the White House lawn.  

So, flash forward several hundred years.  Things have changed.  Messiah has come.  Jesus has inaugurated the Kingdom of God and calls the people of Israel to start looking at things very differently.  In essence, Rome was terrorizing and oppressing God’s people and they wanted nothing more than for a political and military Messiah to rise up and smack Rome on its ass.  But instead, we start hearing things like, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)  “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39)  "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew26:52)

These are only three examples, but in the historical context of these references from the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus is speaking to the Jews and more than likely referring to the Roman Empire.  I guarantee you that these words were not easy for Jesus’ followers to hear.  They went against everything they felt, were taught and believed at that point, but Jesus was calling His followers, and all of us, to look at the world from a different perspective.  To open our view of “kingdom” and “nation” to more than just the borders that surround us.  To view brother and sister to include more than just those that we see each and every day.  In essence, Jesus was calling us to view the world from His perspective and not ours.  You won’t like hearing this, but God loved Osama Bin laden, longed for his salvation and knew the number of hairs on his head, just as he does for you and me.   And that leaves me with a sobering thought.  Would those that cheer his death, be the same one's cheering his salvation?  And how many of us actually prayed for his salvation?   

This does not diminish the death of those that lost their lives on 9/11 and does not take away from the fact that Bin Laden’s death is justified.  Like I said before, in reality, it is a good things that he is dead and if you were to ask me if I am glad, in a deep dark place in my heart, I have to admit that I am.  I will admit to you that my first reaction to the news was excitement, joy and the urge to celebrate.  But taking a few steps back, and asking myself the cliche question, “What would Jesus do?”, for the life of me, and as hard as I tried, I could not image Him standing on the lawn of the White House, arm in arm with Americans and chanting, “USA!  USA!  USA!” 

Coffee and Cancer

"Everything is meaningless."  I just ran into a friend of mine whose husband is dying of stomach cancer.  It's not pretty.  It's not pleasant to hear about.  It's not easy to talk about.  But she's my friend, she's hurting and her husband is dying.  He's suffering.  He's in pain.  From the look in her eyes, I could feel his pain emanating though her, even though he is currently miles away in a hospital room.  When talking with her, I felt how obvious, real and close their relationship is.  It was almost as if he was just behind her eyes, shaking his head in disbelief and pleading with me to help them both.  It was very real.  This is real.  It's life.  It's death.  It's pain, in a very real, raw and powerful form.

It hit me like a ton of bricks as I helped my friend carry some boxed to her car.  They are having to move from their home because of expenses.  She works at Starbucks and actually seems to enjoy what she is doing.  I think it gets her mind of everything, her life, her pain.  But how can serving coffee to fools like me pay the bills for such heavy expenses?  There was a time when her husband did very well in his career, but today it's different.  There was a time when they didn't worry about paying bills, didn't worry about hospitals, chemo and death.  There was a time when their plans of life did not include getting a nice case of stomach cancer, loosing a career, working at a coffee shop, watching a loved one die an agonizing death or spending their retirement days wondering how to pay the bills.  But it's life.  Their life.  And it brought me to tears just before I wrote this.

She was working just above me, at the counter, pumping coffee flavors into white paper cups.  I was banging away on my laptop, trying to write something, and watching her as well.  She gave me something to write about today.  I wonder if she knows that.  Sonny and Cher were singing "I Got You Babe" over the speakers above us.  She began to sing along.  Not just humming, but singing in a soft, beautiful voice that caused me to stop typing and start listen.  I thought of her and her husband.  I thought of another time when they were young.  I wonder if that song meant something to them years and years ago.  It was the way she sang it.  I could her her singing to him.  Maybe she's sing it to him when she gets to the hospital today.  "Then put your little hand in mine. There 'aint no hill or mountain we can't climb."

I was up early this morning.  My dog casually threw up on my bed as he laid next to me.  That kind of ended my goal of sleeping a little later this morning.  But everything has a reason.  I got to my favorite shop shop to write and two men were talking about life and their faith.  I'm not sure exactly what their conversation was about, but one man said to the other, "This kind of crap makes no sense at all.  Why do these kinds of things happen to good people?  People that follow God?  People that always try and do the right thing?"   Prophecy for me maybe?  Was this conversation intended for my encounter with my friend?  She's not the one that uttered these words, although I'm sure that she shares that sentiment.   She works at a different coffee shop that is miles away.  I made my way there because my first choice was too crowed and loud.  But I was there.  I heard those words.  And I answer them to myself, even though my friend is not here to respond.

"The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don't." (Ecclesiastes 9:2 - NLT)

And the wheels on the bus go round and round.
 
"I don't understand what's going on.  I hate my life!  Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude that God destroys the good right along with the bad." (Job 9:22 - The Message)

I don't understand either.  And sometimes I hate my life as well.  I don't have the answers.

God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45 - NIV)

Ashes to ashes, we all fall down.  

"Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt." (Genesis 3:19 - The Message)

I don't know.  I guess what I'm getting at is that God never painted a beautiful, blissful picture of what our lives were life.  We live in a culture that recoils at the thought of even the hint of pain and suffering, and we're shocked when it falls on us.  All the while, God gently whispers to our disapproval of life circumstances with a very matter of fact, "I beg your pardon.  I never promised you a rose garden."  Instead, the stark reality is that life sucks.  Plain and simple.  Bumper sticker philosophy.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33 - NIV)

Translation: "Don't be surprised when the proverbial shit hits the fan.  I told you that it would.  I told you it would make a mess.  I told you that it would stink.  So, just accept it for what it is and move on, OK?" 

But the one thing that remains clear, and it's why I wrote this blog to begin with.  In the exact same verse Jesus say that we are commanded to "love one another".  Proverbs also tells us that "love covers over all wrongs."  And 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. 

There is so much hate in our world today, isn't there?  Don't you just feel like screaming, "Enough!"   So, I come to this very realistic, but sobering conclusion: when we love one another, we are in essence, showing God to one another, in a very real way.  He is manifest in the flesh through us, the Body of Christ, the Church and living as the Church is supposed to live.  And when we show others God, He covers over all the garbage and refuse that we walk around in every day of our lives.  And that is the equalizing factor that makes this life bearable.  That is the one aspect that brings unity among us all and gives purpose and reason to this sometime meaningless existence.  


"Love one another." 

Faith

I spend a lot of time meditating on life and the world we live in. And when I think about it, I've been like this ever since I was a little boy. I remember sitting in my room, staring at the ceiling and asking questions like, "Why am I here?" "Why am I who I am?" "Why does this world exist?" "Why is there death?" As I developed a deeper concept of God, these questions began to make more sense, but I have to admit; even today, I ponder these issues probably more than most people. And probably more than I should. After all, the book of Ecclesiastes opens with the words, "Meaningless! Meaningless!...Everything is meaningless." Maybe he was on to something?

I guess you can say that I got a glimpse of the "meaninglessness" of life a few weeks ago. Let me share with you what happened on an ordinary day after getting my haircut. As I turned my car onto FM 518, I saw the familiar and peppy gallop of two dogs that I met and rescued just after Christmas. Trevor and Faith were trotting down the busy League City street in the familiar and aimless manner of dogs who are not at all street savoy. Afternoon congestion only caused confusion, as they blindly dodged in and out of traffic; for a moment darting off the side walk and then back on again. I instantly knew that I was going to have to intervene to keep these two out of imminent danger yet again.

I began to pull over, but before I could initiate a plan of attack, the two suddenly split up. Trevor, a terrior mix, sprinted down the sidewalk that parallels FM 518, and Faith, a black lab, dodged into an apartment complex, apparently limping as she listlessly hopped a parking lot curb. Assuming that she would be safe for the moment, I chose to try and round up Trevor as he raced East toward my neighborhood. Speeding ahead of traffic, I screeched into the next intersection, cut him off at the pass, and waited for him to get a bit closer. "Come on Trevor! Come on boy!", I yelled out, assuming he would recognize me. But much to my surprise, he quickly darted to the left, and fell into a full speed sprint through an open field.

Realizing that there was no chance of catching him, I quickly made an illegal u-turn, and backtracked to find Faith. Back at the apartment complex, I made my way through the back parking lot until I saw two people standing behind a few parked cars looking down at the grass. I asked if they had seen a black lab, and my heart sunk as a woman replied with tears in her eyes, "Yeah, she's right here! And she's messed up bad!"

Jumping out of my car, I raced over to where the people were standing. And there on the ground, laying in a grassy spot was Faith; gasping for breath and bleeding from the mouth. "Is she yours?", the woman asked. "No, but I know her and know where she lives. I saved her a few months ago and was trying to do it again.". I put my hand on Faith's head and whispered that it was going to be OK. You know, the way "dog people", like myself, find themselves talking to dogs? The other person was a man pouring cold water over her head and mumbled that she must be bleeding internally. We agreed and after a few minutes, we glanced at each other, shook our heads, and without a word, agreed that she was not going to make it. Unfortunately, our unspoken assumption was right.

As I rubbed Faith's head with my right hand, she laid her head on top of my left, gave one last raspy gasp, spit out some blood, closed her eyes and died. Just like that. We sat there, starring at Faith for a few seconds and it was very quiet. I wasn't unusually sad, but I suddenly felt very out of control. Not panic, anger or fear, but just a simple realization that I really don't have a lot of control in life. This elaborate system that God has created is complex and in reality, we are just a part of it. We don't control the system, we only live in submission to it or aimlessly attempt to manipulate it.

The author of Ecclesiastes goes on to say that "No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death." Yes, you may be thinking that Faith was just a dog. And I guess an animal's life is not on the same level as that of a humans, but life is life. God grants it and He takes it away. He starts all the internal clocks of life and stops them when time runs out. We have no real control, and I think a large part of our healthy functioning in this system God has created, is just accepting that.

Job understood this simple concept. And when he found himself in in the midst of the deepest grief and despair in the death of his sons and daughters, he lifted up his hands toward God and cried out from the depth of his soul, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job knew that life is in the control of the hands of God, just as the wind that blows and cannot be contained with feeble human hands.

Sure, I could look at this experience and say to myself, "Hey, Faith was just another dog that got hit by a car. It happens everyday". But I chose to dig into the moment and focus on what was really happening. God's system of creation is constantly moving around us and for the most part, it functions better than anything human hands have developed. Life is an amazing thing and seeing life end from time to time helps us to realize how incredible each breath of it really is.

Getting to Know You

A few weeks ago, like many people in the Houston area, I heard about a tragic bus crash that killed at least 15 people around Sherman Texas. A group of 55 Vietnamese Christians were on their way to a Catholic religious festival in Missouri when the bus blew a tire that sent it smashing into a guard rail and flipping it onto it's side. It was 12:45 a.m. and people were just dozing off to sleep. I began to think about this. I imagined a carefree atmosphere as these folks were on their way to a much anticipated time of worship. I imagined many of them asleep. Many of them talking quietly, maybe discussing faith. I'm sure that many of them had been waiting for this trip with great anticipation. I imagined that many could not sleep as they meditated on their adventure.

Then I imagined many of them awakened to the sound of the tire blowing out, the sound of twisting steel and the crash of the bus on the side of the road. I imagined the terror that these people must have felt. I imagined the fear that suddenly rushed through their bodies as the adrenaline suddenly surged. I imagined the screams. The cries for help. The helpless feelings as they felt themselves becoming airborne throughout the bus. The dark wave that came upon the survivors as they realized that many of their friends had died.

A week after the accident, I discovered that one of the people on board the bus was my tailor of some 10 years. Unfortunately, she was one of the people who lost their lives. As I read the local newspaper article, I was somewhat shocked. I just saw this woman a few weeks ago. I can see her face very clearly. I know who this person is. How am I supposed to react to this? I found myself wondering and asking myself something very strange. Should I be crying? I know that sounds odd, but I found myself in the middle of the road and wondering if my acquaintance with this woman warranted my tears. And I asked myself why? I've know this person for over 10 years, and I'm asking myself why a tear is not welling up in my eyes? Come on!

But then it hit me. I knew this person, but I didn't really know her. Yes, I knew her name and she knew mine. We recognized each other and probably would if we ran into each other in a restaurant or at the mall. We knew of each other, but did not know each other. Don't get me wrong. I was, and still am very saddened by this woman's death. As I dropped off a card for her husband at the alteration shop, I felt a coldness from not seeing her behind the counter. The shop felt empty, like part of it was missing. But to be honest, I moved on with my day. I went about life without much of a hitch. My question is this; "Should this have affected me more? Had I taken only a few minutes on any given day and talked with her, really talked with her, would I have found a tear in my eye? Would I have wept. Is that all that separated me from knowing her? Just one more conversation.

I don't know. I don't know if a few more words would have made any difference. The point is that there were over 10 years of opportunities to build more of a relationship and they were never taken. There were over 10 years to really know this woman, and they were wasted. It makes me think about the people we run into during the course of our days. We pass them at the store. We wave. We might say "Hi", and then ask ourselves, "What was her name? Don't I know that guy?"

John 11:23 records the shortest verse in the New Testament: "Jesus wept". As Jesus realized that His friend Lazarus has died, he is overwhelmed with grief and weeps. Someone that He knew had died. We know nothing of the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus. All we know is that Jesus wept. Maybe Jesus and Lazarus had spent many hours together talking. Perhaps they walked along the banks of the Jordan or the Seas of Galilee, Lazarus intently listening as Jesus went on about the kingdom of Heaven. Maybe they just sat together, shared a meal and joked about the Pharisees. Whatever it was, they knew each other and the loss of his friend brought Jesus to that point where the lip quivers, the throat tightens, the eyes well up and we can control it no longer. Jesus knew this man, and now he was gone. Jesus, the man, had a very close friend that died and He felt the loss deeply. He shed tears, as He would later shed blood. He was a man. He felt. He grieved. Lazarus had really died. Jesus really hurt. Jesus really wept. Jesus and Lazarus really knew each other.