Though my faith is important to me, my work doesn't fit into the rules of that genre. If you've read books from the Christian market, you probably picked up on that 😉 Sorry, but my murderous psychopath protagonist isn't gonna go to church and convert. And yet, you will hear about my faith on my blog and social media if you stick around long enough. Here's why (and it's not some sort of "hide it under a bushel" cheesy answer).
Category: Faith
The spiritual practice of lament
We like to skip to the "happily ever after" in the Bible stories, and Abby Norman's new book "You Can Talk to God Like That" is a breath of fresh air....
My experience in the Created to Thrive mentoring program
"Nobody buys art because they need it. They buy it because of connection." - Matt Tommey That is the basis of Matt Tommey's marketing approach which I've been learning and applying since I joined the Created to Thrive mentoring program last September.
A welcoming church for battling anxiety
Oftentimes, church isn't built for people with anxiety. You see, when my anxiety began to ramp up, I had to drastically change my life in order to keep living it. Only having so many spoons (so much energy) to give and all that. Which factors in to all the things I weigh when attending church. For example, here my list of frivolous-seeming items I consider at church, not for the spiritual aspect, but for my own mental health:
Karitos 2019
For five years now, I've been attending the Karitos Christian creative arts conference in the greater Chicago area. I've written past posts about Karitos and what I'm learning there, but here's overall what keeps bringing me back:
While I was doing other things, life.
"Your life gets lived while you're busy d0ing other things." --Rizzoli & Isles I'm pretty sure formulaic crime dramas aren't supposed to be inspiration for writing. But I finished Gilmore Girls and need some feel-good TV female relationships. And every so often a certain quote just hits you. I don't always make the right entrepeneurial-dreamer… Continue reading While I was doing other things, life.
Christianity is kinda like vampirism
In defense of vampires....we're all kinda them too The mythology of vampirism is that they’re humans turned immortal surviving off of the blood (life) of others. We can see why this is unScriptural. I would not argue that this creature is holy and pure by any means. But there is a Christian perspective to… Continue reading Christianity is kinda like vampirism
How to Break Up with your Church
I have been on the giving and receiving end of a "church break-up." I would even say I've probably been a part of the cause of a "church break-up." I don't have all the answers, but I do have some good and not-so-good experiences to pull from. This isn't going to cover if/when… Continue reading How to Break Up with your Church
5 Books for Christian Artists
Being an artist is difficult. Adding Christian to that title puts a whole other spin on things. Here's 5 Christian books I recommend for artists. To build your artist brand: "Crafting Your Brand" Matt Tommey This book is perfect for anyone looking to make their art a business. Branding is especially big right now,… Continue reading 5 Books for Christian Artists
How to Retain Youth in Church
Questions aren't the enemy. The more I hear from those jaded and disillusioned by the church, those who love some idea of God but not the church's, the more I feel the need to say that questions aren't the enemy. Can we just admit that we don't know what we're talking about? We follow some… Continue reading How to Retain Youth in Church