Q: What advice would you give a teenager who wants to make a difference and do something for the Lord but does not know where to start? A: I would first point you to 1 Timothy 4:12-14. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. " Secondly, I would urge you not to misunderstand the scripture; public speaking or preaching may
not be your strong suit! Please remember that these are instructions to young Timothy based on
his spiritual gifts! However, lastly, and most importantly, I assure you that we have ALL been given spiritual gifts, and we are all, like Timothy, expected to use them...whatever they may be! Discover them...use them! I could go on trying to eloquently explain the process and necessity of discovering your spiritual gifts. However, I will do you one better and point you to the most beautifully written explanation of this process that I have found to date. Pick up a copy of and study Day 32 of
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. (I STRONGLY recommend reading the entire book, and when you are done, starting back at the beginning and reading it all again. YES, it is
that awesome!)
Q: Have you ever read A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks? Did you love it? A: Yes! I am yet to read a Nicholas Sparks novel that I didn't like. Of course, I have enjoyed some more than others, and I do definitely have my favorites!
A Walk to Remember ranks fairly high on the list, but my all-time favorite Sparks novel (oddly enough, when I met him I found out this is
his favorite too) is
The Rescue. Make sure you check that one out!
Q:Do you only write fiction, or do you also write nonfiction? A: While I love reading nonfiction, and do so quite often, my one venture into the world of nonfiction was enough to remind me why I am addicted to the creative process involved in writing a novel. There is far too much fact checking involved in nonfiction, and, in my opinion, the players too frequently screw up their lines! Hehe! I was intrigued, though not entirely surprised, to hear the incomparable John Grisham express the same exact sentiments after publishing his nonfiction Bestseller
The Innocent Man (highly recommended). Yet, what I
also recall is that Grisham claimed he had never been so proud of a book as he was of his nonfiction work, because, while writing novels comes to him naturally, completing and accurately portraying a true story of justice gone horribly awry was a whole new challenge. I can appreciate that sense of accomplishment that he felt upon the book's completion, and, for that reason, I would never completely rule out nonfiction in the future. If the right opportunity arose, I might be up for the challenge, but my love is creating a story from scratch, watching it develop and seeing what it turns into.
Q: Are you currently accepting speaking engagements?
A: For any inquiries about speaking engagements, please e-mail me and be sure to include your name, the event, date, time, any topics of interest
and any contact information you would like me to have. Each inquiry will be reviewed on an individual basis, but if I feel that God is leading me to participate, I will most certainly be there.
Q: Can you post more pictures of Meatball? A: It is no surprise that since I posted Meatball's Easter picture here on my blog, the most frequent questions I have gotten are all about Meatball and most include requests to post more pictures of him. Meatball needs an agent! But for now, I will just pose a question of my own(photographic evidence provided). Meatball has read both of my novels, have you?
