Saturday, August 29, 2015

Let Peace Fuel the Scurrifunge

DW today had an interesting conversation with another lady.  Details are private and unimportant to the topic, but main point is, she was weighted down to the point of exhaustion by all of the duties her religion required of her.

Quite sad.

But that begs a question, doesn't it?  Of course we've got all those rules that still apply - not coveting my neighbor's things and so on.  And more than that we're supposed to be proactive too, right?  Like feeding poor people and puppies and stuff.

On the one hand, when you encounter someone it's easy to think, "you've got issues". On the other hand, all of humanity shares a common enemy, therefore the same temptation "over there" in the other guys life usually has some sort of manifestation in our own.

And it does too.  Especially now, "Month of Kung Fu", schedule of doom, working like a crazy person.  Here's the confession:  It gets to me sometimes.

Yesterday, when driving home from a Bible study, windows down, and Madonna's Material Girl cranked on the radio (Back off, I'm confessing here!) it hit me.  Peace, though inactive in itself, is a catalyst!

But backing up, it all sounds a little like Mary and Martha, right?  Martha is busy doing everything and being the perfect hostess.  Meanwhile Mary says nuts to the dishes, I want to hang out with Jesus.

My gut reaction at this point is, "Yeah!  Get after that lazy girl, Jesus!".
And then he gets after... Martha!!!

The point of the incident is to not worry about going around doing stuff.  Stop and enjoy the presence of Jesus.

It only makes sense.  If what needs doing is all that important, the all powerful, miracle-working creator God could do it just fine without my help.

I mean, yeah, we have a purpose to fulfill for good in the world, but before even thinking about that, it all has to start with "the better thing" Jesus was talking about.

Getting the plan backwards is the fast track to an ulcer, but beginning from the right starting point, what stress is there?  I'm really fine whether I get everything on the checklist done or not.  I don't need to achieve anything to be with Jesus.  I started there.

Everything else is just gravy.

It works, too.  And the strange thing is... (well, maybe not so strange) ...what you do do actually works out better and more efficiently.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Jesus
(Matthew 11:29-30)


Now comes the only hard part of the whole thing.
Remembering to do it!


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher


Thursday, August 27, 2015

Nothing to see here, folks.

Ah, yes.  Time to blog again.

...

...

[Somewhere in the distance a dog barks.]

Okay, I've got nothing.

...

So...
yeah.

...

Anybody wanna play a board game or something?

No?

Oh well, I'm signing out then.


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L.Fletcher

Monday, August 24, 2015

Like a Steel Pipe to the Gut

What's new?

Well, we've decided to somehow get our house, in its disheveled state of constant construction by me and demolition by the kids, in shape for a birthday party for me this year.

That, on top everything else, including helping the kids run two businesses, and, oh yeah, getting published.

How did I ever have time to hold a job?
(And somehow the threat of running out of money and having to go back, still lingers.)

Speaking of the businesses, I've also been working like a madman to get their websites and social media all set up and inter-linked with etsy and ebay so they can do selling online.  I think getting this going for them may take their businesses to the next level, not only in terms of larger audience, but also better margins due to less of a "bargain bin" mentality you get at farmers' markets and swap meets.

And the only other thing to report is that I was working on a cabinet today and, due to a mishap, wound up taking a heavy steel pipe in the gut.  I'll spare you the pictures but I have a nice black and blue gash across my left side abdomen.

I could say that at that moment I only thought and said things befitting a man of God.
But that'd only add lying to the list of offenses.

I'd say I hope I'll do better at that next time, but frankly, I could do without there ever being a "next time".  Because... OW!

But hey, doing stuff means risk.  And even with that, it still beats not doing stuff.
So I guess for all my pain and complaining I wouldn't change a thing.


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Since last I blogged, I got some more done on the kids' book.

I was originally planning on doing full page spreads for each page, but due to a certain amount of over-zealousness on my part, I didn't leave enough room for the text.  To be fair though my poetry editor was as over-the-top with words as I was with art.

To quote the old Western cliche', "Aint room enough in this town for the both of us."

So what finally broke was DW's idea to make like a digital scrapbooking look.  We tracked down some great CU swirly fabric prints and ribbons and things.  Then we slapped the text on a parchment scrap and pinned on the artwork like a separate photo on the page.

I think it looks great.  It helps to give the different pages a unified look and makes it seem more... like a story book, I guess.

Again, I wish I could show what I'm taking about.  Words alone just don't do it justice.

But I'm pretty sure that it's the look we're going to stick with, so you'll finally get to see what I mean when I push the big red button and start printing the thing.

Random topic change...

On a more personal note, I don't know exactly what's up but I've just been cranky lately.  Bad cranky.  Like letting every little thing get to me and chewing people's heads off for no reason, cranky.

On the positive side, it's a good thing I'm not commuting to work, at least.  Because I'd probably be all road ragey and running semis off the road and stuff.

Still, kidding aside, it's something I REALLY need to get a handle on before my family disowns me, so please pray for me if you get a chance.

Much appreciated!


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Our Place in the Univese... From a Music Video?

I haven't talked a lot about music on this blog.  Well, except for my pitiful inability to play any.  Still, I do like music.  In fact, I think I appreciate it all the more since it is beyond my ability.

Anyway, I wanted to take some time out to discuss one of the current songs that I like.
The song in question is Glorious Unfolding, by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Music video (though be warned, the story is a bit of a tear-jerker):

Okay, sure, it is a nice tune, but why bring it up on an author blog?

The premise of the song is summed up by the lines:
This is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over...

That's right!  "Story"!  He used the S-word, plain as you please...  and that isn't the only time, either.  Indeed, this "unfolding" spoken of is the unfolding of your life's story.

It can be kind of a deep concept to chew on -- that we are each living out a storyline written by a Master Author.  Obviously not a literal book, but as a framework it can help us to understand our place in the universe.

(Furthermore, what if the stories we tell could also be viewed a case of art imitating life?  Good, evil, heroes, villains, pain, struggle, victory... all part of reflecting the state of our own reality back at us from the printed page?  But that's probably too much for this blog post.)
The song is also a restatement on a concept I've been fiddling around on this blog, even down to my tag line itself.  This life we live and how we live it really is an epic in the making.  Chosen heroes vs an overwhelmingly evil world.

At times it can be easy to focus on the pain of our wounds and get mired down with the sheer hopelessness of it all. 

It changes things, however if we never forget that the Author is at work and has the gloriously-unfolding plotline all under control.

The fact that He has given us a written copy of the story's ending in the Bible helps too.  But concerning the end of our personal part in the story, I think the song says it so well:
We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning


Call me a sentimentalist, but it does a heart good to hear the classic, "...and they lived happily ever after", awaiting us.

If life's a glorious unfolding, then what could be more appropriate than a challenge to live it out?


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher

Monday, August 17, 2015

Christian Author takes SCANDALOUS Big-Game Photos!!!!!!

Disgusting!  Christian author Edmund Lloyd Fletcher poses with his latest kill!

Scroll down for more gory photos, but I must warn you... this is not for the faint of heart!




For those of you who just arrived at the savannah, I have been stalking this beast for days.
And let me tell you folks, the gas tank of a 1998 Chevy is no easy prey.

Now I need to weld up some new hanger bolts (to replace what I had to cut off) and get the thing re-installed.
If all this rigamarole doesn't fix the fuel problem, let me tell ya, I may have to shoot it for real.
I'm keeping that option open.

In other news though, I got the typesetting started for the kids' book.  I still need a few more graphic spreads and to correct some annoyances, but a first draft should be forthcoming this week.  That's the goal, anyway.  We'll see.

Remember, you don't have to travel all the way to Africa to...


Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher