Goliath

"Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span..." 1 Sam 17:4




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We are having our Missions conference at church this week and one of the speakers, Dr. Tony Beckett, spoke about David & Goliath.

I have been a Christian since I was 7yrs old, so you can imagine how many times I have heard the story of David & Goliath in Sunday school, but Dr. Beckett mentioned something in the story I had never realized before. So I thought I'd share it with you.






David


The familiar story goes likes this....Israel is surrounded by the enemy. The Philistines are threatening to invade the small country with their powerful armies. Their champion, Goliath, comes out and taunts the Israelites. For forty days and nights, this giant of a man taunts them.


Finally, David, a young shepherd, comes forward to King Saul and says that he will fight the Philistine. 


But before he does, King Saul wants to arm David with armor to protect him in the battle.


1 Sam 17:38-39  "Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off."






Testing


Did you notice that? David did not want to wear the armor. Not because it was bulky and cumbersome.


No, he could not wear the armor because he had not tested them. So he took them off. 

 David was an experienced warrior. But he did not put his trust in the armor of men. He knew that before you wear armor, you have to test it in order to have confidence in it. 



No, David put his trust in the might of the Lord. He had seen the LORD work. He knew the LORD and trusted Him. 


1 Sam 17:45-46  "Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you..." 






Goliath


I honestly had never thought of it that way before. The lightbulb went off over my head and immediately, I thought of what "Goliaths" am I facing and am I trusting in the ways of men? Or in the ways of the Lord?


I have always admired David's absolute trust in the Lord. We tend to desire to trust in the Lord, but do we really believe He will deliver us from the hands of our enemies? Do we truly believe that we can conquer the taunting Goliath with the power and might of the Lord?


I want to.


I want to put my trust in the name of the LORD of hosts. I have seen Him do mighty works in my life in the past, so why wouldn't I trust Him with my future?


I want to look at Goliath and shout, "For the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands!"




What about you? What Goliath are you facing? Have you put your trust in the LORD of hosts or the ways of man?




Blessings,
Ruth

Story Structure

There are many ways to structure a story. I have heard authors mention a few structures at conferences and have read about story structure in other blogs.

But today I wanted to share a story structure that was presented at a recent conference because it was phrased differently. It was presented in a more visual manner that suited me.

Part I- A Day in the Life...

In this section, you introduce your main character to the reader. Present just a slice of their regular day. 

Then present the problem...give the reader a sense that something is coming.

Part II: A Change Will Do You Good...

In this section of your story, you present what forces the character to change. A person? An event? An invitation to a school for wizards? A lottery where the main character has to fight for her life?  

You present the reader with that challenge that will force your main character to change.

Part III: I Don't Think I Can...

Uh oh, your main character is scared! Let your reader know that the challenge just might be too big for your character. This challenge can either make the hero excited...or scared out of his mind!  Your hero might even question if he can make it through to the end.

Part IV: You Can Do It!

This is usually where a mentor comes in and helps the hero. The mentor might even lead our character through. The mentor you present might not be the "classic" mentor. You know the type, the professor or the teacher or the parent or the kind neighbor. No, your mentor doesn't have to be the "classic" mentor. Perhaps it's a robot? A computer? The store owner? The librarian?  Be creative with who your mentor is.

Part V: Whole New World

What inspires your character to keep keeping on? Friends? Family? Home? In this section, your character might learn knew skills (just like Harry Potter did at Hogwarts...) or might even meet some enemies, but in this section, you reveal to your reader how the main character's world has indeed changed.

Part VI: The Trials

                                   

Now that your character has learned new skills, met some friends, found a mentor...she is ready to face that challenge! In The Hunger Games, Katniss fights in the arena... in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry must pass through the phases in order to succeed.

Present the challenge(s) your main character must face in order to make it to that final destination. Don't be nice to your protagonist. Add many obstacles. 

Part VII: Almost Over!  ...Or is it??

This section can be fun because you, the author, can add an element of surprise here. The surprise must align with the rest of the story, however, if it is to work. Think of when Gandalf dies in The Lord of the Rings. That was a sad surprise. But then we discover that he indeed lives and is better than ever before! What a great surprise! Notice how this type of surprise works in the story. 

In this section, it looks like your hero just might make it out alive. She just might make it through that challenge. But to make it more interesting to the reader, add that bit of uncertainty. Make them want to turn the page to see what happens in the end!

Part VIII: Okay, You Can Go Home

Whew! Your hero made it. Now he is changed forever. He has had his faith tested and came out stronger...or maybe he came out weaker. 

The point is, your character must come out changed in some way: emotionally, physically, psychologically, etc. But your character must come away from the challenge changed in order for your readers to relate.  

Here is where your hero earns her reward. Does she win a prize? Does she move to the next level? Perhaps she made a new friend. Who knows! But you, as the writer, should be creative in how you present that reward. 

In my book, The Dragon Forest 2: Son of the Oath, our hero is finally able to head off to Knight Training School. He showed his valor and made it through an enormous challenge. Now, he can have his reward!

So, as you can see, some of these parts may be familiar to you, but they are labeled differently. I liked how they were presented. I could visualize each part. 

I hope this structure has helped you as much as it has helped me. I found it easier to come up with ideas for my story after reading through it and discussing each part. Give it a try for your story!

Most importantly....just write!

Your Turn:  How was this structure helpful for you? Do you tend to rely on a certain story structure or do you just wing it?

Blessings,

Ruth

Rush and The Controversy

"What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke [sic] who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex -- what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right?...  She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex." -Rush Limbaugh, referring to Sandra Fluke, a student at Georgetown Law School

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I am a fan of Rush Limbaugh.

There,  I wrote it. I feel much better now.

I began listening to Rush in 1992 during the Bush vs. Clinton campaign year. I was a Liberal Democrat back then working in a frame shop alone all day long. I switched to talk radio to pass the time while I worked alone.

I immediately thought he was funny, conceited, but funny. I loved his Al Gore parodies! But I mostly disagreed with everything he said. That is, until I started to really listen to what he was saying. I was taught (by Liberal television shows) that Ronald Reagan was a dunce idiot and perhaps the worst US President in our history. But Rush said on his show that Reagan was perhaps our greatest President. What? How can this be?

Do you mean that what they said on TV was…gulp….WRONG??

He spoke of Reagan's policies and how they helped America out of a deep recession. He played some of Reagan's speeches about how great America is. I had forgotten what it meant to be proud of my country until I listened to Rush's show. 

I stopped listening to Rush when I changed jobs in 1993 and didn't listen to him again until the Monica Lewinski debacle happened in 1998. I was sickened by what Clinton did and tuned in to hear what Rush had to say about it.

Suddenly, I found myself agreeing with him. How'd that happen?? Could it be that I was older and much wiser? I relished how Rush went after Clinton. He felt the way I did: disgusted that a US President would behave in such a way.  And in the Oval Office! Ick!

I was hooked. I started to listen to Rush's show every day faithfully. I didn't agree with everything he said, but I was a Dittohead through and through. I even held on for over an hour to talk to him once. Unfortunately, I had to hang up before it was my turn. Oh well.

In 2003, I thought for sure his show was over when he admitted to being addicted to Oxycontin and headed out for rehab. But we loyal listeners and sponsors held fast…and he returned better than ever!

Now it is 2012 and he has been on the air as long as I have been married:  24yrs this year. Is this the end for Rush because of what he said about Sandra Fluke??

Hardly.

As a fan, I agree that Rush was wrong to resort to ad hominems. He is above that. I know what he was trying to say (spending $3,000 a year on contraceptives does seem excessive, doesn't it??) but he said it all wrong.  However, what he said pales in comparison to what sexist hateful remarks Bill Maher and other celebrities have spewed out about Sarah Palin.

At least Rush apologized. Bill Maher remains silent so far regarding his comments about Sarah Palin.

What this controversy has done is revealed the hypocrisy of the Liberal Left. It has shown people that they believe they can do and say anything because they are Liberal and have no moral standard. But the Right claims to have morality and, therefore, must be held to a higher standard.

Really? How asinine is that logic?

But they hold onto that logic like a life vest through a storm in the ocean.

Will Rush go down like the Titanic?  No. He will continue on through this storm and unite the Conservative base. We will rally around him and continue to point out the hypocrisy of the Left and the bias in the media.

That's how we roll!

Keep on, keeping on, Rush. Keep raising millions of dollars for children's cancer research. Keep giving your time to various charities. We all make mistakes. At least you own up to them.

Blessing,

Ruth

Draw Near

"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good..."

Psalm 40:28

One of my favorite workouts is to run up North Mountain because of the incline. For those of you outside of Phoenix, AZ, it's not really big enough to be considered a "mountain"...more like a big rocky hill...but it is big enough for a great workout!

Another reason I enjoy it, is for the view from the top. You get a 360 degree view of the Valley and on a clear day it is refreshingly beautiful. I especially love the view when a summer storm comes rolling into the Valley.

Breathtaking.

But for me, the time alone with God is main reason I love this workout. I find to be near Him is the ultimate reward. I stand up there, out of breath from the run, and just spend a few moments thanking Him for so many things:

• The ability to run and exercise
• My son
• My husband
• Our home
• Our lives
• My parents
• My siblings
• My friends

And on and on and on...

When I am up there, sometimes other people are around me, but that doesn't keep me from worshiping the Lord. I find a spot to just talk to Him and listen to Him.

This life can get hectic with taking kids to school, report cards, doctor appointments, dentists, orthodontists, work, meetings, cooking, cleaning, writing....

The Psalmist had it right when he wrote that the nearness of God is our good. 

A friend of ours who is a Muslim convert to Christianity once told me what made him come to Christ was how the Christian missionaries told him how God is near. In Islam, God is far off and impersonal. But in Christianity, He is near...and relational and longs to be with His own. He said this attribute is what endeared him to the Lord.

Amen!

I know what he means. Imagine the Creator of this universe wants to be near to YOU. Not for His sake...He is eternal and has no needs. But for OUR sake!

As for me? The nearness of God is my good....all the days of my life. I pray this is your prayer too.

Your turn: What about you? How do you draw near to the Lord?

Blessings,

Ruth

TAG! You're it!

I was tagged by author Rebecca Kiel...so here are my answers now that I am "It":

1.    What is the one book you couldn’t live without?

This is a hard one.  My Geneva Study Bible. I suppose I could live without it, but wouldn't want to! I have twelve years of notes, underlinings, and a beautiful note from my husband in that Bible. Dr. RC Sproul was one of the editors and the notes section is amazing. If I lost it, I don't know what I'd do!

2.    What can you see out your window at the moment?

No windows...I am at work in a cubicle. Sigh.

3.    What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Escargot, I suppose. It is delicious, though!

4.    What fictional character would you most like to marry?

None. I don't read much fiction. My hubby is THE man for me!

5.    If ever a fictional villain was going to win, who would you want it to be?

                 I love movie villains, so I am glad Darth Vader was redeemed in the end of that series.

6.    How many types of cheese can you name off the top of your head?

Probably four?? ...cheddar, asiago, mozarella, parmesean...

7.    If you didn’t want to be a writer, what would you want to be?

An art teacher. I am an artist first and foremost. I came into writing late, so teaching art is my dream job!

8.    Can you play a musical instrument?

I have played the clarinet and am teaching myself piano. I wish I had more time to tinker on the piano...someday!

9.    Do you own a Kindle or a Nook or any sort of e-reader?

Nope. I prefer print copies of books! BUT I did ask my husband for a Kindle Fire for my birthday later this month. We'll see how I like it!

10. If you do, how many books do you have on it?

N/A

11. You just got published. In a glowing review, someone calls you “the next [insert famous author name here]”. Which famous author has to watch their back now you’re on the scene? 

The real sign of having arrived on the literary scene is when I read a review of someone else’s that says, “The next Ruth A. Douthitt”  (borrowed from Rebecca!)

Now to pass the game on:

Lindsay Harrel- The Mustard Seed

Katie Ganshert

Jillian Kent Blog

Shawn Lamb

Look for their answers on their blogs!

Have fun!

-Ruth

The Rewrite

The dreaded rewrite...

This is perhaps the most frustrating part of writing, for me anyway.

After working with my editor for almost four hours, I decided my completed manuscript was headed in a direction that led to a dead end. 77,000 words and I didn't have a way to end the book in a satisfying way.

FRUSTRATION!!!

But, after much prayer and contemplation, I decided to go in the direction I had originally thought of back in 2009. With the help of my editor, this direction seemed to make the most sense.

What does that mean? It means setting aside 77,000 words and starting over.

Sigh.

It's a good thing I enjoy writing!  And it's also a good thing that, as an artist, I already know about starting over and how it can lead to a much better product in the end.

In art school, I had to complete at least 20 sketches for one painting before my instructor would even consider me ready to put paint to canvas. This was a new strategy for me since I usually just started painting without giving it much thought!

Not so...said my instructor. He was a master artist raised in Communist Cuba, so he knew something about discipline. He told me his art instructor made the students do push-ups as punishment for talking in class! Not in American classrooms. So, it took some getting used to his methods. But his methods had merit.

I became a better artist just from listening to his ideas and obeying his commands. I sketched...and sketched...and endured his harsh critiques.

So now, starting over doesn't mean the end of the world for me. It's just another step in the writing process. It means I am sketching out my idea before I put paint to canvas. It means stopping and standing back to look at my sketch and asking some questions: is it working?

I know I will have a better product in the end as a result of this discipline.

But most of all.....I will keep writing!!

Blessings,

Ruth

Infamous

Amanda Knox at her appeals trial in Italy

in·fa·mous

  

adjective

1.

having an extremely bad reputation: an infamous city.

2.

deserving of or causing an evil reputation; shamefully malign;detestable: an infamous deed.

News came out last week that Amanda Knox signed a book deal with Harper Collins for her memoirs for almost $4 million.

When I read this news, I was deeply troubled but not at all surprised. I mean, we live in a world where a publisher paid money to have O.J. Simpson write a book about how he would have killed his wife, if he had actually committed the crime.

???

How sad is that? As a writer new to this publishing business, I am deeply troubled by the fact that publishers still shovel out serious money (4 million dollars??!!) for a memoir for no other reason than to make money off of sensationalism. To me, this lowers the publishing business down to the sewers.

Acquitted

Ok, so she was acquitted on appeal. But the fact remains that someone killed that young girl, Meredith Kercher, in Italy. The fact remains that the victim's family still mourns her death. The fact remains that the case still goes unsolved.

Yet Harper Collins forgets all these facts all for sensationalism.

I hope the books flops.


On Writing

Still, we "wanna-be-successful" writers plug along writing into the wee hours of the night hoping for our big break. We long to have our stories read, readers' imaginations stirred, and some money in the bank in order to keep on writing even if we may never get that Harper Collins book deal simply for being infamous.

I know some people will buy her book. They will be intrigued by her story. Harper Collins will make their money back. But it just irks me that this nobody who became somebody because of a murder is now going to have her book published when there are so many talented writers out there who may never get to experience that great feeling of holding their book in their hands. Sigh.

That's the way it goes, I suppose. The publishing business is strange....strange, yet fascinating.

Oh well. Life goes on. I think I'll just keep writing despite what I know of the business...maybe I'll write a book about a girl who is acquitted of murder, sells her memoirs for millions, only to discover her victim isn't dead after all. Hmmm.....



Blessings,
Ruth