I personally don’t need convincing that reading is essential to our health and happiness. But two recent articles (really, a report and an essay) have reminded me of that rudimentary, but oft ignored, fact. Galleycat, in Want to Feel Better About Yourself? Read a Book, cites a recent survey concerning “Optimism”: While the official survey [...]

There is, without question, different views as to the aim of Christian fiction. On one side are those who believe Christian fiction should target Christians — encourage them, inspire them, reinforce their values, and ultimately make them better believers.  On the other side are those who believe Christian fiction should target seekers — whet their [...]

I’ll admit, I’m seriously tempted. Especially now that Sony’s upping the ante with a $199 device. These babies can hold something like 200 non-illustrated titles, and with a memory card, upwards of 1,500. 1500 books on one small device! There may be more upside than downside to owning an eReader, but for me the downside [...]

Despite one’s field, the term “sophomore jinx” or “sophomore slump” means virtually the same thing. It is the baseball player who gets Rookie of the Year, only to struggle his next. It is the musician who wins a Grammy for Best New Artist, before becoming a one-hit wonder. It is the undiscovered actress who bursts [...]

I’ve been following the story of David Bazan’s retreat from Christianity with a sort of painful assent. The once iconic frontman for Pedro the Lion, “Christian indie rock’s first big crossover star,” has become an agnostic. It’s sad. But hey, it happens all the time. The once faithful lose faith, begin to question the Church, [...]

So the “Beer Summit” fell flat. It’s still a refreshing concept, and one that I hope to employ often in future negotiations. Although the beer selections were a bit uninspiring (especially if it was on the House), it’s still a proven venue for men to work out their differences. Had I attended, I would have [...]

This commercial is brilliant! Or maybe scary is a better word. Watch… http://www.viddler.com/player/93e01f9f/ The makers of this ad want you to believe that you are a thetan, an amnesiac god who’s forgotten your true nature, and that long ago, an alien ruler named Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft, stacked them around [...]

I’m not sure who coined that saying, but we used to throw it around a lot at our church leadership meetings. The argument goes something like this: __Joe__ (fill in name of church volunteer) is not a very good worship leader. He has a great heart, but his timing is poor and he can’t carry [...]

That question has bothered me for the longest. For one thing, the Bible never talks about a “call to write,” though many writers and artists describe their occupation in those terms. As if they were destined to tell stories. Sounds corny, but that’s the way I felt when I began seriously pursuing writing in the [...]