A Few Thoughts On Martha

    Martha, Martha, Martha.
    Anyone know who I'm talking about? The Bible's Martha? Sister of Lazarus and alabaster-jar Mary, housekeeper, "make my sister help me with these chores" Martha?
    She's cool! Flawed like every other human being, but still a great role model. In spite of the fact that she's only in a few chapters in half of the gospels, a person can learn a lot of things about and from her in those appearances. For example . . .
    -She worried. A lot. And lots of us can relate to this. In Luke 10:41 (NKJ), Christ plainly tells her, "'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed,'". That "one thing" He spoke of was Himself, fellowship with Him. And as Martha learns that, we do as well. The answer to all our anxieties is to spend time with the Lord, to hear His words.
    -Martha also served people. She was the one who invited Christ into the family's house (Luke 10:38), and during His visit she ran all over the place to serve Him. Verse 40 of Chapter 10 (NKJ) states that her "much serving" was being a distraction to her. But her intentions were noble, and she was definitely working as hard as she could to respect and honor the Lord; which is something good to do in a non-distracting way.
    -She got irritated when she thought her sister was shirking her duties. Most if not all people with siblings understand this. It's annoying when someone equal to you doesn't do their share! The words Martha uses in Luke 10:40 (NKJ) are: "'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.'" But Mary hadn't been intentionally leaving her sister to do all the work; she just wanted to be with Jesus. We with siblings could be often wrong about the way we think of them. Their "laziness" in our eyes could in reality be something completely different. This instance seems to be a really great example of that.
    -Martha ran the household. Never once are the parents of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus mentioned, and both Lazarus and Martha seem to be adults, which are pretty strong indicators that the parents had at that point passed on. The Bible never mentions a spouse of Lazarus or Martha in the picture either, which suggests to me that it's very probable that Martha took up full responsibility to care for her siblings as soon as their parents died. Whether that was the case or not, at the time of their roles in the gospel, Martha was the one running the house (a job that carries some serious responsibility and dedication), and she seemed to have been doing an impressive job.
    -Martha believed that Jesus is the Christ. The words she speaks in John 11:27 are pretty clear on that matter. She believed in Him, believed what He said, and had respect for Him.
    -Martha also knew that Christ can do anything, but she seemed afraid to dare to ask Him to. That was what I perceived when I read John 11:21-24. She says that she knows her brother wouldn't have died if He'd been on the scene, and that even after the death, anything He wished would happen. But she never flat-out asks "Lord, please bring my brother back to life." I sometimes feel that way when I'm praying for something, don't you? Knowing that God could do it, but not wanting to be greedy asking the Lord for "too many" blessings. It prompts a bit of nervousness and guilt that the Lord doesn't want us to have. Little had Martha known that what she was afraid to ask the Lord for was the very reason He came at that time!
    Martha's one of my favorite people in the Bible. The way the Lord comes into her life and the lives of the rest of her family is so wonderful and beautiful and a great learning experience.
    What do you like about Martha?

Ways to Make Characters Loveable (Part Two)

    The last post on this subject was kind of centered on endearing outer traits that make characters pleasant to be around. This post will be more about the things on the inside.


Some people are afraid of crows--or birds in general.

    -Fear. Everyone's afraid of something. Snakes, spiders, the unknown, death. General or specific fears can both be very sympathetic and it's a weakness that can be worked through in the story. In An Unexpected Journey, the first part of the Peter Jackson movie adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, sheltered Bilbo Baggins is spooked by . . . well, everything outside of the Shire. His anxious reactions to things outside of his comfort zone are funny, but also endearing. And understandable in most instances--because who wouldn't freak out if they got lost in a dark cavern inhabited by the likes of Gollum?
    -Good intentions with few successes. On the masterpiece of a show Downton Abbey, there's a character named Mosley who's the epitome of kindness. He's intelligent, timid, caring, and often does selfless things to help others; but for the majority of the show, opportunities seem to pass him by almost all the time. He has a humble desire to improve his status work-wise, but every time an opportunity comes up, he's typically shut down. Sometimes the tone of these scenes makes it slightly funny, but even while chuckling we would always say "Poor Mosley!" It was impossible not to like the guy!
    -Regret after doing something wrong. Even the noblest people have bad days, act like a jerk for a moment, and feel crummy about it later. And sometimes, even generally jerk-y people feel bad when they go too far. In one of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes does something that unnecessarily jeopardizes his and Watson's lives. Once the danger has passed, he actually openly apologizes. Anyone who's read some of Sherlock Holmes stories--or have watched the popular Sherlock series--know that this is a considerably huge deal. It's a rare moment of humility and repentance, and it shows that the character isn't unfeeling. It shows heart, and heart is loveable.

 

    -Brokenness. Usually before or right at the climax, a protagonist can have everything stripped away from them. Take away all their defenses. Let them hit rock bottom. Eliminate their support team. Let vital battles be lost. It's common among writers to joke about this--you know, how we imagine up these wonderful characters we love and simultaneously scheme ways to take everything they care about away--but it's really a serious and delicate process. When someone's world falls apart, it's a real, painful, and terrifying thing; not just something to make a story more dramatic. A breakdown moment in a story, I believe, should be written delicately and mindfully for the purpose of illustrating how it happens in real life, and how a person can rise up--or be risen up--out of it.
    -Redemption. The anti-hero goes back onto the noble road! The bad guy comes to the light! Yay! Awesome! A prime example of this kind of thing in a book character is Edmund Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. A lot of people adore this guy because of his wit in the movies, but I think his redemptive factor also attracts people. At the beginning of the book, he's selfish, rude to his siblings, and he disregards the warnings of a loved one, causing pain and damage to others in doing so. Everyone's done or been at least one of these things on a smaller scale. When Edmund turns back to his family and Aslan, he finds total forgiveness and redemption, and goes on to be a warrior. This is a wonderful story that can, in a real-life context, be replicated. And a life story like that is wonderful to hear!
    -Make the readers see themselves in them. This is probably the most effective way in making a character sympathetic, which is potent in making them loveable. When we share a character's problems, fears, hopes, beliefs, and similar personalities, it's like we can see pieces of ourselves in them, and we really know and understand them. And that's not only cool in how it's like we're in the story ourselves, but when the character finds strength and encouragement, we do too!
    Are any of these factors the reasons your favorite character is your favorite? Which character and characteristic would that be?

John 15:9

 

"'As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.'"

John 15:9 (NKJ)

 

    Abide in His love. What does that mean?
    Personally, I think it means to live life remembering and being influenced by God's love. Thinking about how wonderful life is because the Lord cares for us, always being kind to other people and caring about them because that's what He does, and being plain joyful because of the fact that God loves us. That in spite of every time we mess up, He still loves.
    Hope you have a fantastic week remembering His love! :)

Reading the Gospels

    The four gospel books of the Bible are good. Seriously good. Not just "this is awesome" good, but "this is wonderful and pure and perfect" good. Which is natural, considering it's God's Word.
    They're the testimonies of how Jesus Christ came into the world and redeemed mankind! They're the rich, descriptive stories of how Christ walked, what He did, what He said. It gives us a living picture of our loving God, and fulfills prophecies given in the Old Testament. In the gospels, Christ gives us vital instruction on how to live life to the fullest, and He talks of the Holy Spirit coming into our lives!
    And the four gospels aren't exactly like each other either--they speak of the same facts and don't contradict each other, but they have different writing styles, different target audiences, and some are longer and more detailed than others. That's pretty cool!
    Which of the four gospels is your favorite?

Writing Games: Fairy Tale

If you ignore the faint telephone lines by the tree,
this could look like the kind of weather in a fairy tale, right?

Fairy tales are cool.    And not just the ones where the main characters are princes or princesses. The heroes and heroines in some fairy tales have other occupations or even none, rising to fame and victory through skills related to their lifestyle.
    Numerous novels and movies have been modeled after stories like that of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, etc. They're unique stories with varied characters, touches of the unusual, and typically a happy ending. These factors add up to memorability that keeps these stories alive after many, many years.
    Have you ever wondered how the character/s in your project would behave in a world and a situation like that? Would they, having been shaped in a different environment, behave differently in certain ways? Would their core be altered at all? Would the female protagonist throw herself into a prince's arms, or make a run for it? Would the male protagonist climb up the golden rope that suspiciously looks like human hair, or would he do something else? Would the villain send out a huntsman to eliminate an enemy, or would s/he use a different tactic?
    The game is to throw your characters into a fairy tale world and see what happens. Have fun! :)

John 3:17

 

 

"For God did not send His only begotten Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

John 3: 17 (NKJ)

    Just about every Christian has John 3:16 memorized--it's the embodiment of the gospel message. However, maybe not as many people know the verse after it by heart.  But John 3:17 is also very vital to remember as a Christian. It's a fantastic proof for remembering God's character and for showing it to the person who thinks God is nitpicking at people's sins. The verse clearly verifies that God doesn't look for reasons to punish us or to condemn us whenever we slip up, but that He lovingly and graciously sought out salvation for all mankind.
    God is good, and this verse is awesome. Agreed? :)

Life Gets Bigger and Bigger . . .

The sky makes this large bird look so tiny!

    Today I went to see the college I've applied to, and man, is it big! It makes the very spacious and impressive high school I go to now look small. And the college is more complicated in all other aspects as well. Not complicated in a bad way, just . . . wow!
    The whole world seems to get more and more complex as one sees more of it. New things with their own factors open up, the directory map in the mind starts to expand, and the list of things to do tends to get longer. The world gets bigger, providing more opportunities and possibilities and paths to go down . . . and decisions suddenly get a lot more difficult!
    Thank goodness that the Lord is our God. That He loves us tremendously and wants to be in our lives. That His Word gives us instructions on how to live life in the most wonderful way. That He's given us His Holy Spirit to guide us in decision-making. That He's with us through every part of life. That He promises that even bad things that happen will be used for good.
    The world may be huge, but our God is even more massive. What a relief! :)

Every Second Counts!

    Yikes, this week has been so busy! It's like there's a stack of things and issues towering on top of my head; like life right now is like an overstuffed bookcase.
    But it's not really that bad. Being temporarily busy isn't horrible. Everyone goes through this kind of time every once and a while, especially when new things in life are developing.
    But it does get kind of difficult when it comes to writing, doesn't it? Writing even a little bit every day's important--it keeps the creative muscle from freezing and drying up--but when there are lots and lots of other things to do, finding time to sit down and just devote the mind to dreaming with the pen is hard! Writing is a special thing that should be done with attention and focus (and often re-writing, even when it's only a few sentences!); just three minutes isn't enough to really write something larger than a paragraph.
    But three minutes for every passing period at school? And spare time in class and rides in a car (as a passenger, of course)? The time spent waiting for the microwave to heat up lunch? Accumulated, the minutes can really add up! Those moments combined can give enough time to write more than just a paragraph, but a page and maybe even a full scene or chapter.
    What do you do to fulfill a writing quota when days seem short?

1 Peter 1:13

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

1 Peter 1:13 (NKJ)

    To "gird up your loins" is basically like rolling your sleeves up, preparing to do some hard work. I really like how this verse tells us to do this for our minds, to get in a mindset for getting some work done. Like focusing and thinking about useful things. It's also really cool how in the same verse, Peter additionally says that while having a work-ready mindset is vital, our salvation isn't dependent on works but on God's grace. Salvation is a gift; working is a blessing!
    Have a nice week! :)

Rainy Days!

    Woo-hoo! It just rained where I live today!
    And I live in a place where it doesn't rain or get cold very often, so it was really a blessing! A lot of my friends also adore it when it rains for multiple reasons.

    One: rain means more water for the land, which is a really good thing.
    Two: the chilly weather can be pleasant when it's not overwhelming. It gives an opportunity to warm up with hot chocolate and a blanket in the living room, and to wear nice warm clothes.
    Three: inspiration! In my opinion, rain is one of the most elegant and beautiful types of weather, and it can set so many great settings in a story; especially in a final challenge/battle scene. Rainy scenery can also make for beautiful pictures or subjects for painting. And rain inspires really great poetry. Also, the pitter-patter of rain can be really pleasant and even soothing; a nice background noise for being creative.
    Four: running/standing in the rain is really cool for some people. To feel light--or heavy--drops of water cascade onto your hair and clothes, like little kisses from the sky . . . it's just nice.
    Naturally, not everyone thinks this. And many rainstorms are not fun and pleasant--and can even be dangerous--but for other kinds of rainfall, these factors are really nice things to consider and enjoy.
    Do you like rainy days? :)

Ernest Hemingway: One True Sentence

 

"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know."

~Ernest Hemingway

    This quote is both motivational and interesting. The "truest sentence" sounds like the epitome of a book's/show's theme, the truth that the story portrays.
    Such a "true sentence" that Mr. Hemingway seems to be talking about in this quote is something undeniably and importantly true. Something rooted deep in the heart. And of course, writing from the heart tends to be beautiful and powerful writing.
    And it doesn't have to be written plainly word for word. A story's theme can be expressed through actions, story, and setting. And, of course, the theme can also be spoken as a sentence--a line in dialogue or narration or as imagery in description. There are a whole bunch of interesting and artistic ways to express theme!
    What's the "truest sentence" in your story? How do you write it?

Psalm 55: 22

 

"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

Psalm 55: 22 (NKJ)

 

    Physical burdens are difficult, but emotional ones can be heavier and even more difficult to get rid of. Stress, worry, fear, sadness. They're not fun, and you can't just wish it away.

    But amazingly and wonderfully, the Lord says that He'll take them! He promises us rest in Matthew 11: 28, and since God is all-powerful and unchanging, security is assured.

    Prayer and just trusting in God are two ways to cast our cares upon Him, and they work wonderfully. Don't you agree that it gives peace?

    Hope you have a wonderful week! :)