IN MEMORIUM: S.S. EDMUND FITZGERALD

The Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with her entire crew of 29 men on Lake Superior November 10, 1975, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan.

Sailor’s, rest your oars.

ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Today I worked on my non-fiction book proposal. The non-sample chapter part is almost done. (Is there another name for the non-sample chapter part?) I still have to figure "Other Possible Books in this Series" and "Ideas for OTHER Other books that interest me."

The Introduction and Chapter One are already written. I still need to write at least one more chapter. Finally, I will have to edit my work looking for all the amateur phrases and mis-spellings I am famous for.

WRITERS CRITIQUE GROUPS

I am a member of High Desert Christian Writers. We meet once a month for encouragement, advice and to critique one another's work. You don't have to be a Christian to be part of our group. You don't have to write exclusively Christian content, either. We are simply Christians who write and meet to help each other improve in their craft.

I wrote my first novel--Precipice--before I discovered the existence of such a thing as a critique group. I had a lot of fun writing on my own. The writing at the end of the book is much better than at the beginning. I taught myself how to sit down and write. Something I did not teach myself: industry standards. I had no clue that there were such things. I figured you sat down, pounded out a best-seller and everyone would want it. Silly boy.

After I finished my book I looked around for someone to tell me how to publish my best-seller. That's when I found my critique group. They helped me by showing me everything that was wrong with it. That is a bit daunting, but in fact, a writer who is not willing to take a "thick-skinned" critique will never make it out of the hot house. I tell people now, if my first novel were a car it would be in the garage, up on blocks with greasy engine parts strewn all over.

I tried for years to edit that novel to perfection. I finally gave it up. It was more of a patchwork quilt than a flowing literary masterpiece. Instead, I wrote a second novel, Colombian Kilo. Though I ended up self-publishing that, I am much happier with the over-all writing. I have found, as writers are fond of saying, my voice. I know my style and can execute it on demand. I learned that through the patient, knowledgeable writers in my critique group. I owe them a debt for praising my writing where it deserved it, and wading in with machete's when it didn't.

The High Desert Christian Writers holds an annual writers conference each May. 2012's conference will be on May 4-5. Learn more at Antelope Valley Christian Writers Conference.

THANK THE SLAVS

For some reason this blog is becomming popular in what is normally considered the Slavic states: people from Russia and Romania account for the bulk of my non-USA followers. They are closely followed by Latvia-which I believe prefers the term "Baltic State."

If I have misunderstood your heritage or mis-labeled you, please correct me. I want to learn better manners.

I am currently reading Dr. John Julius Norwich's three volume history of the Byzantine Empire. For an American it is quite an eye-opener to learn of the changing people and politics of your part of the world.

I included this photo of Hagia Sophia, in what is now Istanbul, because I believe it must be the most beautiful Christian Church ever built.

CULTURE WAR... SIGH

FEATURED SITE: THE HOT ROD CHURCH FOR SINNERS

I came across this unique ministry a few years ago. The Hot Rod Church For Sinners meets at Santora's Hot Wings in Mission Viejo, California.

Two things strike me about these Christians. First, they remind me of the excitement and sense of fun I had as a new believer. Anyone who is willing to drive around in a rat rod with "Hot Rod Church for Sinners" painted on the door is having FUN. There is a myth among unbelievers that you must be a sourpuss in order to be a Christian. I disagree. And these believers are certainly the antidote to that notion.

Second, the Gospel of Jesus the Christ has NO BORDERS. Whosoever Will and Just As I Am are alive and well in this fallen world. These folks are living for Christ and giving glory to Father God just by showing up. In case you're not familiar with the culture, this is Rockabilly, with a continuous nod to the Fun Fifties.

Another great thing about their church, and in particular their web site, is the free music downloads. The Pioneers are the official band of the Hot Rod Church. Their albums are featured on the web site and available for free. I have several myself. So, since you're here, that means you are wasting time surfing the web anyway. Why not click the link and visit their page. You just might be blessed.

If you find yourself in Mission Viejo of a Sunday morning you should go worship with them. I plan to.

WEEKENDS ARE FOR FUN

PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH

I'm sure you've been there; some Big-Cheese tells you how super-important you are to them. Then you find yourself blown off by the same honcho, sometimes within minutes. It might have been a corporate phone tree message or an employee meeting. It doesn't really matter. At one such meeting the CEO himself made that statement to us employees, then asked for input. Someone took what they heard at face value and responded with a criticism. The CEO's answer: "Perhaps you're not right for this organization."

I sat in one of those meetings again, today. Not employees this time, but volunteers for a large government entity. We heard the same assurances from the CEO; we are valuable, necessary, almost indispensable to the organization's mission.

YAWN. Been there, heard that. ...Not today.

Let me fill in the back story. The meeting took place in Los Angeles; a ninety-mile drive from my house. Since I am an important, valuable, irreplaceable asset, I got to drive a company vehicle--burning company gas--to the meeting. As they say in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, "I chose... poorly." The car I drove had a slight electrical problem. When I started the tank registered FULL. However, ninety miles later it still read FULL. Worse; after the meeting it read EMPTY.

I swallowed my pride and went back inside to ask if there was a company gas pump at this company meeting place. "Yes, there is," said the NUMBER-FIVE PERSON in this organization of over 4000. Then, "It's locked, let me take you to it." That person spent the next thirty minutes tracking down the gate combination and using his ID to fill my car. Need I complete the moral? That is practicing what you preach.

HIT PARADE

Whew. fifty-three hits in thirty minutes. I guess I'm not the only Don Francisco fan.

HE'S ALIVE

I've never had a chance to meet Don Francisco. I've loved his music since the '70's. We do have some significant connections. His father, Clyde Francisco, the John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky is one by proxy. Clyde wrote several of the text books I studied in graduate school. That is not surprising, because of my other point of contact. My friend Bob Cate, who was Dean and OT professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Bob was Clyde's student assistant at Southern. He told me this once when I brought up my love for Don Francisco's music. One of his collateral duties, he confided, was watching after a young Donny. (not me)

This song, "He's Alive" is the first of Don's I ever heard. I woke up to in one morning in 1979 as the radio alarm came on. It is forever iconic and my favorite of all Francisco's music.