He’s the only guy I know whose alter ego is the subject of weeklong posts and parodies. To say Mark Bertrand is a bibliophile is an understatement — he is a kingpin in the black market of literary ideals, relentlessly laboring to subvert the status quo and raise a banner in the ghetto of mediocrity. [...]
Offending and stumbling other believers is a serious sin. Says who? He [Jesus] said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that [...]
A preacher took the pulpit, scanned the congre – gation, and said, “The world is going to hell and most of you don’t give a damn.” The crowd gasped, but the minister continued unfazed. “And what’s worse, most of you are more upset that I just said ‘damn,’ than that people are going to hell.” [...]
I’ve chronicled here the funk I fell into after I completed my first novel. Actually, writing those things was cathartic (perhaps that’s one benefit to blogging). You may recall that the joy of finishing said book was quickly doused by the realization that I must now sell it. Somewhere between trend analysis, researching comparative titles [...]
I’ve lamented before about the lack of good Christian book review sites and gotten myself into heaps of trouble. Okay, so I’ve mellowed a bit since then. But finding Christian Fiction Review has helped. Tim Frankovich is the MC over there… and man can he crank out the reviews. Tim clearly has a love for [...]
Church history is anything but pretty. Schisms and rifts mar the terrain. I once recall reading about a heated controversy that erupted between two groups during the Middle Ages regarding baptism. One group believed in baptism by immersion, the other, baptism by sprinkling. The debate finally ended when a member of the immersion group drowned [...]
According to the editors of the World Christian Encyclopedia there are 34,000 separate Christian groups in the world today. The authors have compiled global diagrams, statistics on martyrdom, geo- political- religious blocs, and other unusual tidbits, such as: The 5 most dangerous of all Christian vocations (over 3% murder rates) are: bishops, evangelists, catechists, colporteurs, [...]
I recently received an email enquiring about two chicklets on my site. Their proximity to each other and inclusion together perplexed (maybe bothered is a better word) the writer. The banners in question are The Ooze and The New Pantegruel (TNP). I enjoy and recommend both sites, yet they come from two very different angles, [...]
Writers are peculiar people. So just imagine what happens when you cram eleven of them on the same bus. Well, the folks at The Master’s Artist prove that it can be an entertaining, informative ride. These authors, poets and journalists are never at a loss for words. Whether it’s a lesson on craft or a [...]
“The unexamined life,” said Socrates, “is not worth living.” However, too many autopsies can bleed us to death. The problem with self-examination is potential paralysis. It’s hard to enjoy the sunset when you’re fixated on the mirror. So I continue my ruminations on calling with trepidation. I desperately want to be on the right path, [...]
