Devotion of the Week
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal" (Jeremiah 26:3-4).
I broke away from my older sister's hand and ran across the street. With my limited four-year-old understanding, that was the right thing to do. Why wait?
A car rounded the corner and hit me. There was no peace as I lay on the hot pavement with the large car looming over me and the tires nearly touching my little leg.
My sister knew best after all. I should have trusted her and obeyed. Yet, following all of her instructions wouldn't have brought perfect peace. We can't find perfect peace from following anyone except the omniscient God. No human government can produce peace. Human education always lacks perfection.
Later in life, I learned to trust the Lord and not lean on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). When I do this, peace floods my soul and my life. He holds me by the hand (Psalm 37:24). I never want to break away from His grasp and run into danger.
Insight: Only the Prince of Peace Jesus can bring peace to our hearts. He is worthy of our trust.
Published by Anchor, Haven Ministries 2007
Joke of the Week
When the executive returned from the big event, he was furious.
"Why did you write me an hour-long speech?" he barked. "Half the audience walked out before I finished."
The employee was baffled. "I wrote you a twenty-minute speech," he replied. "I also gave you the two extra copies you asked for."
Writers Tip of the Week
Readers can learn much about your characters by the way they react to the situations you lead them into.
Real people feel emotions and express them various ways. What do people do when they feel anger? Some people turn anger inward and get sick. Some put their fists through walls or break dishes. People kick the dog or attack other people verbally--or even physically. Some swear and curse God, blaming Him for their own choices. Then there is the “silent treatment.” Really spiritual people might pray until they see things from God’s perspective instead of their own. They might tell God they are angry because their selfish desires were denied, and ask his forgiveness. Characters can struggle and learn to handle anger more effectively.
Of course, anger comes in degrees. If you check a thesaurus, you will find synonyms ranging from irritation to outrage. Thus, one might express irritation by eye rolling and outrage by violent behavior.
Usually people get angry because their expectations didn’t come to pass. Many times anger follows hurt. For example, Sharon expected company for dinner and spent hours preparing an elaborate meal. Karen and Ed didn't show up and didn't even call. Sharon feels hurt (cries), and that could lead to anger (silent treatment). Her husband sees her red eyes and slumped shoulders and asks, "What's wrong?" She answers, "Nothing," while thinking, I'm not calling Karen and certainly never inviting them to dinner again.
Joe expected Jane to keep her wedding vows; but a month after the wedding, she left him for another man. Would he feel hurt (depression) and outrage (yelling and fighting)? What dialogue could you write about this?
How do we tell readers our character is angry? We could simply say, “He was angry” or rely on a cliché such as “He was mad as a wet hen.” That isn’t effective though. Remember the common writer’s motto, “Show, don’t tell.” OBSERVE how real people express irritation, seething anger, and rage.
Consider how you could show: fear, love, compassion, surprise, humiliation, grief, loneliness, hope, depression, guilt, excitement, confusion, curiosity.
Quote of the Week
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