life. revisited.
Listening to my dad dream inside Sprig Studios is pretty amazing. Watching it coming to life in real time is even more so.
We’re right in the middle of build out again, this time with the end in sight. Lights getting ordered, flooring finishes being assigned, and new equipment getting ready for purchase.
Here are a few images captured during Redline Conference this weekend. For those of us fortunate enough to have been there, our lives will never be the same because of King Jesus.
Like my series of articles last year on Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, there is yet another Christian Pastor who’s been in the Iranian headlines over the last several months: Pastor Saeed Abedini.
An American citizen, married, with two children, Saeed converted from Islam to Christianity in 2000 and began planting house churches, acts the Iranian Government’s Islamic Revolutionary Court deems as “threatening the national security.” He was forcefully removed from a bus last September while working on his family’s orphanage following a trip into Pakistan. His arrest was followed by what Western authorities bemoan as a “sham trial,” and has now been served an eight-year sentence in one of Iran’s most deadly prisons. Missions group Asia Harvest is noted as reporting that some prisoners last “only a few days or weeks before they perish” in Evin Prison.
Together with his wife, Naghmeh, Pastor Saeed was active in starting around two-thousand underground house churches. Naghmeh’s last phone call with her husband on Monday came with confirmation of her husband’s violent physical and physiological torture. His phone calls are also being more heavily restricted since his January 27th verdict.
“When I heard this from my husband, I cried. It broke my heart. Behind those walls he feels helpless and relies on us to be his voice. It is so easy to feel forgotten in the walls of the prison. Please help me make sure he is never forgotten,” Naghmeh told the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).
Like Yocef, Saeed is close in age to me—one year younger. Tracking these types of stories hits close to home. Not only am I reticent to endure torture (as I think anyone would), but I can’t even begin to imagine the impact imprisonment and torture on the grounds of religious bias would have on my wife, my children, and the rest of my family and friends.
But fear can not cripple us. We are called to serve, pray, organize and reach the unreached, bind up the broken and set captives free. It is our Great Commission.
Even while I prepare to leave for China next week, I realize that my own life is in jeopardy. But then again, it always has been.
I once asked Dr. Leslie James, president and founder of he William Carey School of World Missions in Durban, South Africa why he had never considered leaving South Africa (which is the most beautiful and violent country I’ve ever traveled to). His famous reply is one I carry with me to this day:
If I flee to a safe town in a safe country, I can just as easily die in a car accident as I can here of a gun shot. It makes no difference when you realize it’s only God’s hand than keeps you alive. So I would much rather live in a dangerous place with God’s favor than in a safe place without it.
So today I’m praying for God’s favor on Pastor Saeed and his family. I’m praying for souls to come to Jesus in Iran. And I’m signing the petition put forth by the ACLJ in the hopes that the current political and legal bodies of our day will help bring about Saeed’s release.
Please do the same. Then tell those you know.
ADDITIONALLY: Read William Jepma’s article and watch the Save Saeed video he links to. Well worth it.
This is New Life’s third year of hosting the Redline Conference, and even after leaving the youth pastorate (in much better hands, I might add), I’m honored they still asked me back.
You can check out all the details on iRedline.tv, but before you do, I feel like mentioning a few notables, as this is seriously one of the most excellence-driven, Jesus-focused events for youth that you’ll ever attend.
First is the heart of this conference’s leadership team. I don’t doubt every Christ-centered youth conference on the planet has amazing leaders behind it, but I can’t say I know them personally. I know Redline’s core team. I know their DNA, what drives them, and what they give up to pull of an event of this caliber. They’re some of my heroes, and my dearest friends. I admire their hearts, their sacrifice, and their desire to see teens meet Jesus as well as to make mature disciples of Jesus. Whether you’re a teen who’s considering attending or a parent or youth pastor thinking about sending your students, I’d trust these people with my own children, socially and theologically.
Secondly is the line up. When Jennifer and I recognized that we would have the opportunity to start directing conferences on our own (starting with Awakening back in 2005), we felt convicted to abide by a simple belief: put the right people on the stage at the right time, with no real time constraints, then stand back and watch God move.
This year I have the privilege to preach alongside one of the greatest youth communicators in the world, Mr. Reggie Dabbs. While he’s headlined events like Planet Shakers, Acquire the Fire, and Creation Festival, my connection with Reggie goes back to our days at Joshua Revolution. We ministered to thousands of teens in New York, Alabama and Florida, and saw thousands come to Jesus at those events. Few communicate the Father’s heart like Reggie does, and I’m so excited that Watertown, NY gets to host the expression of Jesus in Reggie.
Similarly, Brothers McClurg so impacted our city last year that it was a an instant and unanimous vote to have them return. Few bands today flow like these guys, and carry such sweet and humbled spirits. They minister out of relationship with God, and connect with worshippers in the audience as good as I’ve ever seen. Definitely a group that leaves a Jesus-mark on those who engage with them.
The other workshop speakers are all some of my favorite people, and I expect youth and their leaders to come out with pages of notes taken, and brains and hearts filled with new ideas and inspiration.
If you’re planning on coming, make sure to register soon enough to catch the early bird special. And if you’re not attending, due to scheduling or distance, please consider forwarding the site to your eligible friends.
This shot of “new believers cards” collected during tonight’s altar call at the BCY event in Syracuse, NY says it all for me.
All I desire for 2013 is more souls won to Jesus. Keeping that at the forefront helps put everything else in perspective.
I was honored for the opportunity and privilege of sharing the Gospel with some amazing teenagers who heard heaven’s call to wake up and walk into the light.
Happy New Year everyone. Let’s endeavor to esteem and promote Jesus this year more than ever before.
So I’m back to work on my old, new book again.
Old, because it was birthed in my head during a late-night drive on Rt. 81 North about five years ago.
New, because it’s my current book.
And I’m pretty excited.
At the time of inception, I couldn’t start it as I was coming off The Lion Vrie, starting Athera’s Dawn, and Wayne and I were in the midst of Curse of the Spider King, and then Venom and Song. But once VnS was wrapped up, and with little hope of ever writing the 3rd book of The Berinfell Prophecies once the publisher declined our third installment, I had time to start in on the story. Twenty-five chapters worth to be exact.
But it was again delayed when Wayne and I journeyed into the very real possibility of self-publishing The Tide of Unmaking. Which we did. And which you read.
In the wake of tToU’s release, I needed a break from writing. To refresh. To reset. But recently I’ve felt that nagging itch to get writing again. And nothing provokes me more than a snow storm.
In recent weeks I’ve been making copious notes about plot twists, themes, politics, and character issues. Then finally, today’s 9″ snow storm pushed me over the edge.
I set in to editing the first five chapters, re-internalizing the story, reworking some major character points, and—most dramatically—transforming the entire manuscript into first-person-present. I’ve wanted to attempt to write from this POV for years, having first been challenged to do so by friends Sharon Hinck and Bryan Davis, and further inspired by Stephen Lawhead, Suzanne Collins, and many other notables.
I will say that it’s a bit tedious at first; getting my head in that writing mode when I’m already so well versed in past-tense-limited is quite the ordeal. But once engaged, it’s addicting, fast-paced, and dangerously powerful. I love it, and not quite sure how I got along without it in the past. Present. Er—
I’m still not ready to release the concept names yet, so you’ll need to wait a bit longer (still code named “TSR” for now). But I can say that there will be three installments, and each from a different character’s view point. And it’s definitely a veritable steampunk wonder-world of awesome.
And I’m working very hard to release all three in one year: 2013.
Crazy, I know.
But I think my readers’ veracious appetites can handle it, and the lack of publishing restraints on this new self-publishing model allows me to try and meet it. We’ll see.
Thanks again for all your support, my faithful readers. Knowing you’re out there to devour these books once they’re released encourages me greatly.
The news has always been riffled with negative headlines. Because it sells. Too bad.
It’s quite depressing when you scroll through a seemingly unending list of humanity’s worst efforts — political, tyrannical, and otherwise. I check the news in some for at least twice a day, and have grown accustomed to “insulating” my heart from certain aspects of what I read.
But every now and then the news lets a piece slip through that you hope reflects the rest of humankind. You know the stories. The ones that tug on your heart and reaffirm your secret suspicions that not all humanity is attempting to dismember their neighbors.
Thank God the news got this one right (or mostly right, as Adam Owens said today on his Instagram feed).
Meet Adam and Karen Owens, a daddy and mommy that I’ve been “friends” with for over a year on Twitter and Instagram — and their amazing children. ABC has a piece up on their front page, and I’m hoping it gets a lot of traffic. Why?
I believe in promoting things that reflect Kingdom values.
I believe in admiring and elevating Godly parents.
I believe the world needs everyday heroes to shake us out of our lethargy.
I believe we need real heroes.
To Adam and Karen, they would dismiss my assertion that they’re heroes, probably because they would claim that this is how Christians should act every day. And they’re right. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are heroes — by definition, admirable examples.
I love following Adam on Instagram for one simple fact: he’s the epitome of what it means to be Christ-like. He’s a regular guy, working a regular job, dealing with his “everyday stuff” like me and anyone else, and yet choosing to faithfully support his family and glorify Jesus. That’s the Kingdom in action, and that’s the kind of example we need — faults and all — to be promoting to our teens. Heck, that’s the kind of example I need. People like this keep me going and keep me inspired. That’s the beauty of the Body of Christ, and technology allowing us to connect as the global Church.
Adam and Karen, well done. Keep going. You’re an inspiration to so many, but most importantly to your beautiful children, and to heaven itself.
Merry Christmas,
Adam’s Website: adamowens.com
Karen’s Website: gavinowens.com
Karen’s Instagram
Just before the end of the world, Jennifer Lee and I snuck in one more anniversary.
But we cheated.
When we chose our wedding date 9 years ago, we consulted the Mayan calendar.
Nice when a plan comes together.
Babe: Thanks for walking beside me and making these the greatest 9 years of my life. I’ll stand with you on the edge of eternity any day, and leap.
Forever yours,
(at least until the Zombie Apocalypse)
I’m pleased to announce that my newest ebook, Handbook to Publishing Your Novel: A step-by-step practical guide on how I self-published my books after leaving traditional publishing, is out on Kindle. This release come with a big thanks to the continual prompting and encouragement from a slew of fans and close friends. When tweeting about it, please use the hashtag #HPYN.
While the bulk of the content of the manuscript already exists here on my site as freely accessible posts, I received a substantial amount of feedback saying people would gladly pay $0.99 (and more) for the information if it was assembled in an ebook. After many months of delays, I finally buckled down and finished it, and have kept the ebook at $0.99 because I want as many people being equipped as possible.
I already feel some of the information is out of date, and at the rate of acceleration the publishing world is in, that could be said of a product posted last month. As such, I hope the comment’s section fills up over time with questions until such point that a second edition is deemed necessary.
For those unfamiliar with the nature of this ebook, here’s the back matter:
This 10,000 word ebook is a collection of personal writings and blog posts documenting my journey through self-publishing my novels. After having my books published by two different traditional publishers, I realized that aside from having a built-in sales network, they weren’t really doing anything for me that I couldn’t do just as well, if not better. As such, I’ll cover: editing, interior design, cover design, publishing for print, publishing for ebooks, and marketing.
While some how-to books have the reputation of being obtuse, obnoxious, and providing little in the way of meaningful content, my hope here was to give simple and easy to understand tips in what it took me to get my novels online in both print and digital form. Likewise, you can keep in touch with me via my website as this ebook slowly becomes obsolete (which it will, given the nature of the advancement of digital technology). I’m just one author trying to help other authors make it on their own.
So if you’re a writer and looking for help through the process of getting your first manuscript out to the public, or if you know someone who is, I hope this little ebook is a valuable resource. Let me know what you think!
IN ADDITION: I feel it’s worth noting for the tech-savvy, would-be content creator out there, that while I emphasize the use of Adobe InDesign for layout in HPYN, this entire ebook was assembled in Microsoft Word and uploaded as a .docx file. It was painless, simple, and has a solid result. So it can be done, and pretty quickly; InDesign simply gives you more power, especially when laying out for print, thus why I lean heavily toward it.
As a businessman, a pro-life father, and someone who was taught the fundamental value of self-reliance from an early age – among other politically-oriented attributes – it’s easy to understand that my personal desire to see smaller government in the United States was hindered by this morning’s election results. Meanwhile those who see government taking a larger role in American society, have far more broad social permissions, and put less emphasis on the entrepreneurial prowess as a means for economic advancement, were no doubt elated that our President will be in leadership for another four years.
But regardless of your present state of happiness as a Christian today, there are some things to be discussed which go beyond politicking. While political activities should and must play a role on the stage of any sober-minded citizen’s heart, these happenings can serve as telltales of a larger wind, one that every Christian should turn their faces toward. For if we properly read the wind, then we’ll always know how to set sail.
But we can not properly assess our direction if we are not first aware of our position.
Here are some reminders for those of us who claim the name of Christ. I challenge you to read these and process each one, asking yourself if you truly believe it, or if you merely mentally subscribe to it.
1.) Jesus’ kingship in my life far outweighs a political leader’s influence outside of my life.
2.) I am a Christian before I’m a party member, not a party member and therefore a Christian.
3.) I will not jeopardize my position among a Royal Priesthood by failing to carry out my superior duties of praying for my leaders. See 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Timothy 2:1.
4.) While no one will care who the President of the United States was in 1,000 years, the Lord will remember my behavior and judge it according to his own for eternity.
As a Christian, the response I’ve glimpsed this morning on social media is sad. In many cases, appalling. And atrociously unbiblical. Much of this post is coming from a motive to gently remind you and me that we are called to a higher level.
“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” -Paul of Tarsus 1 Timothy 2:8
Christians who fail to honor the king with their words prove they cannot be trusted by the Lord in places of high responsibility (as evidenced by their current lack of responsibility). See 1 Peter 2:17, Daniel 4:19.
If the recent exit-poll statistics about our nation are correct, with over 50% of Americans not working, 47% paying no taxes, and only 25% regularly attending any kind of religious service, then I believe this will be the Golden Age of the Church. Not only does a pervasive spirit of entitlement place a demand on others for the fulfillment of personal responsibility, but it numbs the emotions that drive us to be compassionate for others (since it can be presumed that a magnanimous government has already filled the need). This mentality can not be addressed politically, nor can it be mitigated legislatively; the only hope for the heart of the individual is Jesus and the ways of his Kingdom, asserted in love and brought to fruition by the Bride of Christ.
To the spiritually-minded Believer, great need must be answered by superior generosity. And I, for one, am wholly grateful for the need I see before me as it calls me to a place of Christlikeness that I have yet to walk in.
Father, be with President Obama and the First Lady. Grant them tremendous wisdom, discernment and strength for what has to be one of the most difficult jobs on the planet. Be with them Lord.
Following a jump-start to our van on Sunday morning (some may remember the Tweet), I got in an interesting email-conversation with my friend, Steve Byers. It was so interesting – and inspiring – that I asked him permission to pass it on as I knew my readers would share my sentiments.
Steve was a Sergeant in the US Army with 2/15 FA, stationed with the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq when this picture was taken. I know, rather humorous.
Until you get the details:
Funny story about this. I was sound a sleep in my bunk when we came under attack at the little outpost we were at in Baghdad. I jumped out of bed barefoot and grabbed my gun.
After 10-minutes in the firefight, the shell caseings were burning my feet, so I ran in and grabbed my gear.
About 5-minutes later we got a radio call from two guys that were pinned down and they needed some fire support. As soon as I heard it, I grabbed one of my soldiers and ran to help them.
About 20-min after the firefight, I radioed down to my Platoon Sergeant and asked him if I could come down because I was cold (it was December), and he started chewing me out saying, “This is no time to be worried about the cold! We are under attack!”
So I said, “Well, if I dont come down and at least put some pants on, these white legs will give away our position.”
Needless to say, I was allowed to come and get dressed. My Platoon Sergeant told me later that he thought he was losing his mind because someone ran by him going to the fight in their underwear.
I actually got an award for it! They took a picture and sent it to our Commander.
I’ll admit, I love my Jason Bourne, James Bond, and Mission Impossible films. But true heroes drop everything when lives are at stake; the last thing they think about are themselves. Or their pants.
And ladies, he’s single.
I’m very proud to announce that my amazing, talented, and enigmatic mother – from whom so much of my personality is derived – has officially begun taking new vocal students here in Northern New York.
For those that know about Nina, her diverse musical background, and her history in the greater New York music community, this is an obvious blessing for those in her new home of Jefferson County. Since moving here 10 months ago, I’ve been eager to see what she (and my father) will impart to this region to enrich and beautify the lives those who live here; the joy of appreciating and creating music being just one of those contributions.
For those who don’t know about her, I’m excited to see their response, for she is one of the most talented, enthusiastic, joy-filled people I’ve ever had the privilege to know. And her passion for the arts is certainly one of the main reasons I am thriving as an artist today. I owe her a deep debt of love.
So help me spread the word, if you don’t mind; at the very least, tell those you know in Northern New York about her website. She’s accepting new students at the moment, and getting a terrific response. I’m so excited for her, and for those whose lives will be touched by her just as mine has.
Go make some noise!
