Happenings of the Month: January 2017

I feel like it's been so long since I did any kind of life update, since I skipped my Happenings post for December. Ultimately, it hasn't been that long, but some of December's stuff may bleed into this post.

Sunday Psalms: Chapters 77-78

Psalm 77:19 "Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, though Your footprints were not seen."

In this chapter, a man despairs and wonders if God has forgotten him. Then he remembers all that the Lord has done. This verse, of course, is a reference to the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites.

Talking About the "Christian" Genre

Last month, Aimee Meester of To The Barricade wrote a post about the Christian genre of movies, books, and music. It delved a little bit into what quality work is and why the genre exists. The discussion got a lot more in-depth in the numerous comments that followed. You can read the original post and comments here.

I don't follow Aimee, but a lot of the people in my circles do, so that's how I found out about the post. And, I will admit, at first I was offended. In reading the post a second time and scrolling through the comments, though, I was able to see more of Aimee's heart in writing it. This isn't a post meant in any way to bash Aimee (or anyone else) or her opinions. I just have a lot of thoughts about the issue in general that I want to introduce here.

 

Breaking Down the Adam Young Scores Project

In 2016, Adam Young of Owl City chose to take a break from his normal music to work on his first love: soundtrack music. From February to December, he released one album a month based on a historical event that inspires him. The project was purely creative for him, and he offered each score completely free. You can read more about the project and his reasons for doing it here. I was really excited when I heard about the project, for a few reasons: 1) I'm already a fan of his, 2) I love history, and 3) I love soundtrack music.

I'll admit that I didn't always get what I was expecting. I write to soundtrack music, and I can't always write to everything Young has put out for this project. But his albums are tied tightly to their inspiration, and I've found that I deeply enjoy hearing an album illustrate the arc of a historical event. I eagerly waited each and every month to see what the new score would be; Adam Young's scores were a highlight of 2016 for me. With that in mind, I'd like to break down my thoughts on the project for you. I hope you enjoy.

Sunday Psalms: Chapters 72, 73, & 75

Psalm 72:18-19 "Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen."

This is an interesting passage. For most of it, David describes the role of a righteous king – protecting the innocent, punishing the wicked, etc. But he begins by appealing to God's wisdom, asking for God to "endow the king with [His] justice." And he ends with these verses, putting everything into perspective. A righteous ruler is a gift to his or her people, but everything that ruler does is subject to God's authority.

Reading Through My Bookshelf: December's Reads

December brought about the reading of only five books, but two of those were stories that I have been excited about for months.

 

Creating an Informal Pitch, Part 2

Last week, I considered the terrifying moment when we're asked what our stories are about. To be prepared for such an occurrence, I began the process of creating an informal pitch for two of my projects: my novella, Through Time, and my novel (possibly duology or trilogy), Raiders' Rise. You can read the post here, where we gathered all the building blocks for our pitches. Today we're going to make them into something coherent.

Sunday Psalms: Chapters 67-69

Psalm 67:1-2 "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine on us, that Your ways be known on earth, Your salvation among the nations."

This passage is incredibly soothing to me. It's such a benediction of peace. And of purpose. I want God's face to shine on me. Of course I do. There can be no greater blessing than His Presence. Yet He has set His people as a testimony upon earth, a testimony to His greatness, His salvation, His love.