Seth - Who?

He was Adam and Eve's other son. After the "fight" with Cain and Abel, Eve bore another son. You might be thinking, "Seth, what did he do?"

It was the story of his brothers that is taught to our children at a very early age.

But Seth...Seth who?

There are two memorable things about the story of Seth. The Bible tells us that after Seth was born, people began to call on the Lord. The neatest thing about Seth is that it is through his seed that Jesus is born--not his other brothers.

So what does this tell me about my children? People--teachers, parents and friends--sometimes give the gifted or the problem child more attention. If the child is no problem, if the child is just ordinary, he can be neglected or ignored.

But big things come from the child that is just ordinary.

Children may not have a behavior problem. They may not be gifted. But they are children. We may not see their name in the paper. They may not be the greatest athlete. They may be quiet. They may be the last one picked for the team. They may sit on the back row. But they still need a front place in our hearts.

Their minds can be shaped. They can make a difference.

Just look at Seth-God had a purpose for him.

Back to School

It's that time again. Time for back packs, composition books and two-pocket folders. For parents it's a time for fear and that sense of not being able to protect our children from the dangers lurking.

In celebration of back to school and as an encouragement I will be studying children in the Bible gaining insight and inspiration from their lives.

JOSEPH

Joseph is one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament. Here was a boy hated by his brothers, sold and taken to another place having no contact with his family. For all practical purposes he had no family.

But that didn't stop him. He made something of himself.

The story doesn't end there. Because of the lies of others he was put in prison. You know the story.

Why does the story of Joseph mean so much to me?

Here was a misfit that was "victimized" who rose above his misfortunes. He couldn't change his past. But he could change his future. It didn't just happen. Joseph had patience. Joseph had determination. What Joseph didn't have was hate in his heart. It would have been so easy to want revenge.

I want my children to rise above the disappointments and failures. I want them to gain strength and wisdom from the events in their lives. I want them to have patience and determination. I want them to have love in their hearts and not hate. I don't want them to want revenge.

Yes, reading and writing are important. But along with that too heavy back pack I pray that they will carry these traits with them as they face whatever is in front of them.

I pray that they remember that Joseph overcame many obstacles and that they can, too.

I pray that they remember that they carry their mom's love and the unmeasurable love of our God.

Next time - Seth

Many People Don't Wear Hats

The westerns from many years ago depicted cowboys who were good and bad. The good cowboys wore the white or light-colored hats. The bad guys had the dark hats. As soon as you saw them on the screen, you knew which ones were good and which ones were bad. The problem is now the good guys no longer wear the white hats and the bad guys don't necessarily wear the dark hats. These days most people don't wear hats. It's hard to know the good guys from the bad ones.

How does this affect writing?

If as a writer, I can influence a child, I want the child to know good from bad. I want him or her to know the good guys from the bad guys. I want them to read about a character not that they can just identify with, but someone they can aspire to be.

Thinking Thursday - The Normal Child

Many years ago we had a saying that, “Oh that child is not normal.” I also heard people say, “Oh, they don’t come from a normal family.” Writers wrote “normal” books, and people lived normal lives.

Somewhere along the road things began to change. The normal “gauge” changed norms. A series of not-normal activities brought a lack of trust in what was always considered normal. In the case of writing that was good. There were more ideas, exposures and situations.

I am not so sure about our families. What changed the gauge on the normal children and normal family? I think we have to look at the definition of a normal family before answering, and there lies the problem. Many years ago a normal child—one with normal behavior, habits and questions for someone of the same age—came from a normal family—two parents, neighbors who took care of each other, a ritualistic bedtime for the children and a time for creating happy memories together.

Now, a normal family cannot be defined in those terms. There are two many one parent households, next door neighbors whose names we do not know, bed times whenever and very little time together. All of this not only redefines normal, but takes a toll on our precious children.

We still stay, “I did not have a normal childhood.” Now we don’t know what that means.
We need to be able to define a normal childhood and address the issues that will help make our families “normal.”

What do you think?

Thinking Thursday - People Skills versus Computer Relationships

I wonder sometimes with the onset of technology that my people skills will diminish. I am talking about the day to day, one on one contact we have in person—the confrontations, the companionships and the friendships-- versus the relationships that rely on technology.

I will admit that e-mailing people at midnight appeals to me as a convenience. I also like being able to delete those messages from certain people. I learn about others over the internet. I can see that from the popularity of internet dating.

But I also understand the joys of having a "live" friend at my side, the smiles and the touch.

One of the joys of writing is to observe. I observe body movements, voice inflections and eyes. I revel in seeing the excitement on children’s faces. I want the picture in my mind and the memory in my heart. I want to witness it.

I learn from confrontation. I grow from confrontation. It gives me plots in my writing.

Will friendships be only on the computer in the future? Where will I find my plots? Will I have to rely on the two-dimensional relationships (computer or texting)?

“Oh, you’re exaggerating,” some people have said. They tell me it will never happen. Some accuse me of momentary lapses of sanity and exhaustion.

Maybe I am exaggerating—and maybe not. Do you think technology will cause our relationships to become two-dimensional?

Do you think this shortage of "in person" interaction will affect writing in the future?

Thinking Thursday - Happy or Sad

I mentioned in a previous blog that I have happy endings in the books I write. I know that there are several good books out there with sad endings.

Books to me take the reader to exotic places and offers escape of the drudgery of life. They provide hope and sometimes information. They give us time to heal.

If I am reading a book, I want it to end on a happy note. I want to close the book after the last word and feel the satisfaction of knowing that I made the right choice in my escape. If I wanted to cry or feel hopeless, I don't have to read about it to do so.

Perhaps, I am looking at this the wrong way. Maybe books should provide solutions to real-life problems. But do they? Perhaps books should send a message that the sad feeling is normal? But do most children want to feel sad? Do we want children to base an opinion on reading on a sad book?

Maybe, just maybe, for a few minutes children want to smile.

What do you think?

The Kid in the Picture Book

Confession time.

I’m the kid in the picture book--you know the one with a problem searching for an answer--the one who uses the illogical logic to find the way to the happy ending.

And yes, in my writing children have happy endings.

I’m the kid who does the stupid things and learns from them--eventually.

I am the one that focuses on the problem at hand willing to give anything a try to get passed it. And hopefully, I am the one that does what it takes to get to the solution.

I am the one that finds peace in the simplest solutions and the satisfaction in knowing I tackled the problem and won.

I am the one who uses time-out as a planning period and nap time as plotting time.

I am the kid that doesn’t look past the nose on my face for help, cause it’s a hard enough journey to get that far.

I am the one that looks for possibilities with every touch, every smell and in every adventure.

But...

Just as a picture book has limited pages to find the happy ending, my life has a limited number of days.

I am the kid in the picture book!

And the only thing that matters is the journey between the front and back cover.