C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

Facing the Critic Within

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We’ve never seen him (or, her – for me it’s a him) but we’ve all heard his voice. Call him the voice of doubt, the inner critic or, heck, call him the natural thief of confidence and productivity. It all means the same thing. It’s that nagging voice that comes from within. I hear it all the time. After all, I believe that I am my harshest critic.

Self-criticizing can be very detrimental. It can stifle creativity. It can cause you to doubt your abilities and the work you’re doing to the point where it slows you down or even leaves you completely unproductive. It can cause image issues, relationship fears, and often leads to full-blown depression.

All this to say that the critic within needs to be taken seriously and managed appropriately. To avoid the downward spiral that leads to self-destructive behavior, it is my humble opinion that the critic needs to be listened to and responded to because it can’t be all-together avoided. If, instead, we can harness the criticism and re-direct it into self-improvement, we will become happier and more successful people. So, how do we do that?

First, we must accept the fact that no one is perfect. We aren’t, never will be, and expectations of perfection are both ludicrous and harmful. Goals are great but keeping them realistic is critical so that we set ourselves up for success.

Next, we need to identify the motivational source of the voice. Is this coming from a place deep inside where we know we have room for improvement in a certain area? Or, is this coming from a place of pain? A place of deception? For some, the critic within comes from a place where they have been hurt in the past.

For example, a boy that was teased as a child for being overweight can grow up to be a man who feels fat no matter how much time he spends in the gym or how many times he passes on the French fries, opting instead for the kale salad. That’s when you know the voice is a liar and needs to be kicked out of your life. Choosing the gym and the kale salad made the man a better version of himself than accepting his “fate” as a fat man and eating French fries while watching The Biggest Loser in tears would have. But, he already made that improvement so, continuing to listen to that voice would only mean inevitable self-destruction. Time to move on.

As a Christian, I also believe that the voice within me can be the Holy Spirit shining a light on dark spots in my life that need to be exposed so that I can improve. So that I can become the man I was created to be and live the life I was created to live. That’s a voice I want to listen to because it makes me a better person and, ultimately, a happier one.

As a writer, the critic within can make my work better. Again, I just need to learn to harness it and use it for good rather than let it overwhelm me and take me down the path of self-destruction. Like me while I’m on this side of heaven, my work will never be perfect. And, also like me, there’s always room for improvement. We are all works in progress. And, until my books are in print, I’m trying to improve every little detail until I have to let go.

The bottom line is that the critic within can be a good thing. Or, it can be your worst enemy. The choice is up to you. One thing that’s for sure, we all face that voice from time to time. The trick is in how we decide to handle that standoff.

Give Thanks

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By C. S. Elston

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

2020 has been a crazy, difficult year. Is there anyone on the planet who disagrees with that statement? I doubt it.

Still, I have so much to be thankful for: a roof over my head, food to eat, a car to drive, an educated background, friends and family that I love and who love me back (including the most amazing wife a guy could ever dream of,) and, most importantly (yes, even more so than that beautiful, gracious wife,) the hope of eternity with my Creator. A lot of that probably sounds like obvious stuff but, it’s good for the soul to express it anyway. The Bible instructs us to give thanks for many reasons, but I will briefly focus on two.

First, it honors and glorifies God.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11 (ESV)

Second, it puts our focus on the blessings in life and gives us a more positive outlook.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Quite simply, giving thanks is a healthier way to live than the alternative.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

It’s important to remember these things as we head into what might be the most difficult Thanksgiving holiday we’ve ever experienced. With that in mind, please allow me to end this on a lighter note and one of my favorite subjects: food.

We all look forward to the turkey. Well, most of us do anyway. A lot of people look forward to the desert, too. Of course, you don’t have to pick just one item to look forward to about the greatest American meal of the year (yes, even 2020.) But, if I was forced to, mine would have to be a side dish. No, it’s not the cranberry sauce or even the mashed-potatoes and gravy. The latter is high on the list, however. My favorite would have to be my mom’s Sweet Potato Casserole. So, I got special permission to share the recipe. It’s so good, it just wouldn’t be fair to keep it to ourselves.

Ingredients

2 cups of mashed Princella canned Sweet Potatoes — drain the syrup before mashing

4 tablespoons of softened butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Dash of salt

2/3 cup of sugar

Directions (part one)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine above ingredients. Mix well. Place in greased casserole dish and bake for approximately half of an hour. Remove from oven.

Topping Ingredients

6 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine

1/2 cup of chopped nuts

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of flour

Directions (part two)

Combine topping ingredients. Mix well. Cover casserole with the topping mixture and place back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove and serve. This dish should take care of about 8 people. But, if you love it as much as my family does, you may have to drop that number to 6 . . . maybe even lower . . . I actually prefer this to most of the pies. Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Food of Fall

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By

C.S. Elston

Two of my favorite “F words” are “food” and “fall” – I truly love this season. The cool, crisp air of a sunny autumn day and the warm, comforting foods we start to crave feel like a glimpse of Heaven to me. So, I thought I’d share a few of the recipes I tend to turn to around this time of year. For me, one of the most cozy and comforting foods on a cold day is a hot bowl of soup. So, it’s no coincidence that three of the five recipes fall into that category. I say five but, stay tuned for a bonus 6th recipe – a delicious, post-pumpkin-carving snack.

Fall also tends to be when I’m trying to shed a few pounds from the summer BBQ season. So, I’m going to include a healthier version and a “cheat meal” version of the same recipes. Typically, the difference between the two is a minor tweak but, the lower calories help when you’re trying to slip back into the jeans that fit you in spring and suddenly feel just a bit more snug. This is particularly appropriate for some of us after the COVID-19 quarantine.

Without further adieux . . .

Spicy Chili

Healthier Version –

2, 20-ounce packages of 99% fat free ground turkey breast

2, 26-ounce jars of Ragu Tomato & Basil Sauce – light

1, 15-ounce can of black beans, drained

1, 15-ounce can of red beans, drained

1, 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained

1 chopped onion

2 chopped tomatoes

3 cups of chopped mixed bell peppers

12 minced cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons of fajita seasoning mix

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

1/2 tablespoon of white pepper

1/2 tablespoon of red pepper

1/2 tablespoon of dark chili powder

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

*** Makes 12, 1 ½ cup servings

Cheat Meal –

3, 16-ounce packages of 80% fat free ground beef

4, 12-ounce bottles of chili sauce

1, 15-ounce can of black beans, drained

1, 15-ounce can of red beans, drained

1, 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained

1 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

1 chopped red pepper

1 minced clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of white pepper

1 tablespoon of red pepper

4 tablespoons of fajita seasoning mix

2 chopped tomatoes

Brown the meat in a skillet, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess liquid.

Add meat and all other ingredients to a slow cooker or a large pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dish reaches preferred temperature and the vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness.

Serve in a bowl. If it’s a cheat meal, a little sprinkle of some freshly grated cheddar cheese won’t hurt most people’s feelings.

Shepherd’s Pie

Healthy –

Canola oil spray

1 pound of 96% fat free ground beef

1 cup of chopped onion

2 2/3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups of diced Roma tomatoes

4 russet potatoes, quartered and boiled until soft

½ cup of skim milk

2/3 cup of WW Mexican Style shredded cheese

¼ teaspoon of white pepper

½ teaspoon of black pepper

1 ½ teaspoon of salt

*** Makes 4 servings

Cheat Meal –

4 teaspoons of canola oil

1 pound of 80% fat free ground beef

1 cup of chopped onion

2 2/3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups of diced Roma tomatoes

4 russet potatoes, quartered and boiled until soft

¼ cup of 2% milk

1/8 cup of melted butter

1 cup of freshly grated cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon of white pepper

½ teaspoon of black pepper

1 ½ teaspoon of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat a skillet to on medium and add oil. Brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Add onions, tomatoes, frozen mixed vegetables, ¼ teaspoon of white pepper, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 5 minutes.

Mash potatoes with milk (and butter for cheat meals,) ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.

Move meat and vegetable mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover with potatoes. Top with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbling.

Cut into four equal parts and serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Healthy –        Spray oil

2 Chicken Breasts – approximately 1 ¼ lbs.

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups of shredded carrots

4 cups of celery, chopped

¼ of a cup of green onions, chopped

12 ounces of high fiber spaghetti noodles

3 quarts of chicken broth

½ of a teaspoon of dried nutmeg

½ of a teaspoon of dried sage

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried marjoram

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1 teaspoon of ground salt

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with pepper

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with cumin

*** Makes 8 servings

Cheat Meal –  1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

2 lbs. of chicken

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups of shredded carrots

1 cup of red onion, chopped

4 cups of celery, chopped

¼ of a cup of green onions, chopped

12 ounces of wide egg noodles

3 quarts of chicken broth

½ of a teaspoon of dried nutmeg

½ of a teaspoon of dried sage

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried marjoram

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1 teaspoon of ground salt

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with pepper

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with cumin

Flatten chicken and cut into ½ inch pieces. Brown in a soup pot with oil (and butter if this is a cheat meal) and add onion, celery, carrots and seasonings when done. Continue cooking and simmering for at least 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until it boils. Add noodles. Turn heat to low and let simmer until noodles are nice and soft.

Divide equally into 8 bowls and serve immediately. Put salt and pepper out so people can add to individual taste.

Open-Faced, Stuffed Bell Peppers

Healthy –

Canola oil spray

1 cup of uncooked brown rice

20 ounces of ground turkey breast

1 cup of chopped yellow onion

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of Weight Watcher’s Mexican Style Cheese

1/8 of a cup of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of dried sweet basil

1 teaspoon of crushed oregano

1/8 of a teaspoon of black pepper

1/8 of a teaspoon of white pepper

1/8 of a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

½ tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with cumin

1 cup of water

4 bell peppers (any color)

*** Makes 4 servings of 2 pepper-halves per person

Cheat Meal –

2 tablespoons of canola oil

1 cup of uncooked brown rice

20 ounces of 80% fat free ground beef

1 cup of chopped yellow onion

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of Shredded American Cheese

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of dried sweet basil

1 teaspoon of crushed oregano

1/8 of a teaspoon of black pepper

1/8 of a teaspoon of white pepper

1/8 of a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with cumin

1 cup of water

4 bell peppers (any color)

Slice peppers in half lengthwise, removing stem ends, seeds, and membranes. Immerse pepper halves into boiling water for 3 minutes each. Sprinkle insides with Adobo seasoning and invert on paper towels to drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet to medium. Add meat, garlic and onion. Cook until meat is brown and onions are tender. Stir in tomatoes, rice, Worcestershire, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender (15-20 minutes.) Stir in half of the cheese. Fill peppers with mixture from skillet and place in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through and cheese is brown and bubbly. Let stand for 1-2 minutes. Serve.

* You can use cooked rice (in which case water is not needed when rice is stirred in) to save time.

Turkey & Pumpkin Chili

Healthy –

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 package (12 ounces) of frozen, chopped onions

1 package (12 ounces) of frozen onion and bell pepper blend

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

2 pounds of 99% fat-free ground turkey breast

3 cans (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes

4 cups of pumpkin puree

1 can (15 ounces) of tri-color beans

1 can (15 ounces) of kidney beans

1 can (15 ounces) of black beans

2 heaping tablespoons of chili powder

4 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

Cheat Meal –

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 package (12 ounces) of frozen, chopped onions

1 package (12 ounces) of frozen onion and bell pepper blend

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

2 pounds of ground turkey

3 cans (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes

4 cups of pumpkin puree

1 can (15 ounces) of tri-color beans

1 can (15 ounces) of kidney beans

1 can (15 ounces) of black beans

2 heaping tablespoons of chili powder

4 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey and cook until evenly brown. Mix in tomatoes, beans and pumpkin. Add in all the seasonings and the brown sugar. Stir it up while raising the heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

One of the Shine-A-Light authors is bringing her husband over for lunch in a couple of days and will experience the above chili for herself – with a twist. Instead of turkey we’re going to try it with pork for the first time. Actually, three kinds of pork. Shredded pork loin, diced ham and crumbled bacon. It will be new to all of us but, with bacon involved, it can’t be bad.

A week or so after the Three Pork & Pumpkin Chili has settled, it will be “Pumpkin-Carving Weekend” at my house. However, I secretly call it “Pumpkin Seeds Weekend” because eating the seeds we roast after the pumpkin carving is over is easily my favorite part of the event. So, I thought, as a bonus, I’d also share the recipe (modified from one passed on to my mom by her best friend from childhood, the late, great Sheila Williams.) Sheila was a delight, these seeds are an annual treat, and hopefully, sharing this recipe, in some small way, honors a wonderful human being who is at home with our Lord and experiencing so much joy that, if she read my earlier “Heaven” comment, I’m sure she’d tell me, “You have no idea!”

Best Pumpkin Seeds Ever!

Ingredients for every Cup of Unwashed Seeds

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of melted butter

1 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning salt (Johnny’s, Lowry’s, etc.)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Mix the seeds (I cannot stress enough how vital it is to leave them unwashed) and the other ingredients (again, portioned according to the number of cups of seeds – I usually have at least four cups, which means four tablespoons of butter, four teaspoons of seasoning salt and two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce) in a bowl.

Grease a baking sheet (I just use a little spray oil – doesn’t take much because of the butter) and dump the seed mixture into it. Spread the seeds out into a single layer (or, at least, relatively close.) Depending on how many cups of seeds you started with, you may need to use more than one baking sheet.

Bake to desired crispness (stirring occasionally and sprinkling a bit of extra seasoning salt if you like them super salty.) I like mine rather crispy so, two hours, is a bare minimum. Again, depending on how many seeds there are, it can be three or four.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting. I find it to be extremely difficult.

Happy Fall, everyone! Enjoy the crisp sunny weather and, especially, the food!

Announcing Shine-A-Light Press

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I have been a lot less active online for a year or so. In that time, my wife and I have moved from Bothell, Washington to Prescott, Arizona and started a new multi-media company called Shine-A-Light Corp. Our mission is to “shine-a-light” in a world with far too much darkness.

Phase one of getting the new company off of the ground is the launching of Shine-A-Light Press. This division combines our twenty years of experience, Andrea’s running a classroom and mine as both a film/television writer and an author. We are hitting the ground running, producing both books and educational curricula for preschool through high school.

Our commitment is to provide quality curriculum, supplementary material, and literary works that can easily be integrated into your current curriculum and used as either read-alouds or simply for personal enjoyment. Our educational resources exceed most widely accepted learning standards, but many are aligned with state standards and/or Common Core for certification purposes.

The products offered by Shine-A-Light Press are available in both hard copy and digital formats and can be purchased in our public store or are included in our various membership packages. Whether you are a single-family with one child in second grade, a homeschooling co-op serving several grade levels, or a P-12 school with 800 students, there is a membership level that applies to you and a price tag that matches appropriately.

Memberships grant the account holder access to the digital material appropriate for their membership level, including early access to new products up to a month before they become available in the store. A perfect example is my new book “The Four Corners of Darkness” which will be available in the store at the end of the month but is currently available as an eBook to our upper elementary, middle school, and premier membership levels. New products that arrive during the annual membership cycle are added to the membership at no additional charge to the account holder. Plus, every member has an automatic 15% discount on all products in the store, site wide.

 We have many products planned beyond what you can currently see in the store. Many of which will show up in the next few months. More are already on the calendar to debut in the months that will follow. Our inventory will continue to grow but we are committed to maintaining a personal, small-business level of customer service and family atmosphere. We look forward to getting to know you, serving you, and want to start by saying, “Welcome to the Shine-A-Light family!”

 

 

Holy Water

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I love water. After my morning cup of coffee, water is my drink of choice all day long and leading up to bed. Unless, of course, it’s a night when my wife and I decide to have a glass of wine. Water is awesome. It’s not only thirst-quenching, it’s incredibly good for us.

Water helps us maintain healthy organs and muscles as well as aiding in both the digestive process and the regulation of body temperature. It also flushes us out, helping us remove harmful toxins from our bodies and fight off viruses like the flu and the common cold.

Bottom line: We were made to need water.

This is an indisputable fact when it comes to our bodies and we would be hard pressed to find a serious person who would claim otherwise. But, it is also true for our souls. Spiritually, we were made to need the invigorating streams of living water that only God can provide. The Psalmist knew this truth when he said in Psalm 42:1, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

Jesus Christ knew it, too. He said as much when He told the Samarian woman at the well, in John 4:13-14, “’Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”

We are all sinners. A quick read of Paul’s letters to the Romans makes that abundantly clear. And, anyone who takes, even a cursory but, honest look at themselves knows they are no exception. Therefore, we all need to flush out the sinful toxins from our souls. These toxins include things like unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy, selfishness and rebellion. We need to be cleansed from the inside out. Physically, we can chug more water. Spiritually, we must go to Jesus. We must repent of our sins, bathe our lives in prayer, and devour the Holy Word of God.

Who’s thirsty?

  • Verses are quoted from the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible

A Servant’s Heart

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Selfishness is demolished when we take on the form of a servant.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what we are supposed to be. If the God of Heaven can humble Himself and become a man . . . If a sinless life can take on the sin of the world . . . If perfection can love imperfection . . . If the King of Kings can live as a servant . . . How can we complain about anything that God would ask of us?

As a sophomore in high school, I joined the juniors and seniors on a trip to an orphanage in Mexico for eight days of serving. We built a church for the community and played with children who had experienced more suffering in their first four or five years than I will likely ever know. Yet, they had as much, if not more, joy in their hearts than I did. It teemed out of them in a way that you couldn’t miss, even if you tried to.

During our trip, we visited with an old man who felt the call of God on his life to sell all that he had, which was only a few pigs, and to use his land to build a church out of cardboard boxes. He had done as God told him. I cannot even guess at how long it had been since he had showered or changed his clothes but, his heart was pure and Christ was pouring out of it.

Coming from an upper middle class background, that trip was a life changing experience for me. It taught me about humility and about joy in suffering. In short, it was a giant stepping-stone in the journey I am on to become the servant that God has called me to be. The first step is demolishing selfishness. It’s a step that has to be taken all over again each day of my life. If you’re a Christian, you are called to be on this same journey. We all are. The only difference between us is that God allows each of us to get there by travelling on different roads.

How The Christian Walk Is Like American Football

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I highly doubt that I’m the first to make this connection but, it struck me this morning, as I wrapped up my morning devotions and checked the schedule to see what time my University of Washington Huskies would be playing the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend, how much the Christian walk is like football. To some, that statement may sound a bit silly. But, to others, like myself, who has loved the game of football his whole life, it puts a few simple truths into relatable terms.

 

Football is all about executing plays. In order to do that properly, a football player must start by getting to know the playbook. The player goes to work studying the book full of plays drawn up by his coach. He memorizes them. He practices them. He gets to know that playbook inside and out, backwards and forwards.

 

For the Christian, that playbook is the Bible, the holy scriptures, the very Word of God. We need to go to work studying, memorizing, and practicing the principles laid out for us by our holy and righteous Creator. We need to learn that book every bit as much as the football player must learn his. After all, it contains the foundations for our victory.

 

Next, both the football player and the Christian need to know which play is being called. The football player must look to the sidelines and read the signal. The Christian must go to God in prayer. In both cases, allowing the One calling the plays to do the majority of the communicating is a key factor.

 

The final event that needs to take place before it’s time to execute plays is the huddle. This is where the football player makes sure the team is all on the same page. Otherwise, you could wind up with eleven guys trying to run eleven different plays. Unity is essential for a football team. The same is true for Christians. For us, the huddle is about finding an uncompromising, truth-preaching and truth-practicing church that relentlessly puts God’s ways ahead of popularity and world acceptance, and then plugging into it with zeal and firm commitment.

 

Once we’ve studied the playbook, received the play call, and had our huddle, we’re ready to run the play. Some plays will be harder than others. Some days we’ll lose yardage. But, the only path to victory is to repeat the process until the end of the game. Even if you’re down thirty-five to nothing at half-time, keep trusting your coach. Go back to that playbook. Receive His call. Get in the huddle. Execute the next play. Who doesn’t love a good comeback story?

 

Hut-hut, hike!

 

Common Design?

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I thought, this week, instead of a typical blog post, I would post a small excerpt from the first novel I wrote and had published, “The Four Corners.” I’m currently writing the sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness,” so my head is in that space right now. The following is approximately the first page of a chapter entitled “A World Aware” and it occurs almost half way through the book. My hope with this post is that it can spark some conversation. I’ll paste, below the excerpt, links to where you can find me on various social media platforms. I’d love to know what kind of thoughts this excerpt generates about both the scientific and spiritual implications.

Without further adieux:

Like a plant, every person begins as a seed. Each seed contains the genetic make-up, passed on through the generations of family members in the lineage of the father who produced that seed.

It is then placed in the mother’s womb where it adds the genetic make-up from her lineage. The mother of all plants is the earth itself and, therefore, that womb is the soil the earth provides. For people, the womb is inside the mother’s abdomen.

Both wombs provide protection from the outside environment so that the seed can grow and start the process of becoming what it was created to be. Inside both wombs, the seed is provided with the nourishment required to mature into the plant or person it needs to become before it is ready to enter the outside world.

However, once the plant or person has entered that world, it is not meant to be detached from its mother just yet. The plant still has its roots embedded in the womb it came from and the person, while not physically, still does as well.

Both continue receiving nourishment from their mother. The plant still gets it directly from its mother’s womb. The person, however, can then be fed by either parent. Or, even another person.

In the outside world, the protection of the mother’s womb has significantly decreased. Both plants and people are still growing into what they were created to be but that growth is determined by additional factors. Not the least of which, physically for the plant and spiritually for the person, is how much exposure they have to both the light and the dark.

 

 

Excerpt from “The Four Corners” used with permission from Electric Quill Press, LLC.

 

Find C.S. Elston on: Twitter – @cselston; Facebook – facebook.com/cselston; LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/cselston

Summer Sabbath — Update

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Technically, autumn (fall) doesn’t start for almost three weeks. But, at least around here, school is starting back up this week and my wife and I are nearly over our “Where did it go?” shock and are starting to settle back into our normal routine that applies to all of the months outside of summer and the Thanksgiving through New Year’s stretch. So, I thought I would post an update to my June 9th “Summer Sabbath” plan.

The idea was to treat this summer as a sabbath season. My thought was that both the Sabbath and summer are already similar in the way that they are meant for rest in the sense of relaxation, connection and renewal. So, I wanted to spend this summer intentionally slowing things down and making it a season of connecting with family and friends, growing closer to the Lord, and recharging my proverbial batteries. I was encouraging others to do the same in the hopes that, by the time autumn rolled around, we would feel more prepared to tackle the rest of life than we had in years and, perhaps, we would decide that a reasonable amount of Sabbath should be part of our lives seven days a week and three hundred sixty-five days a year.

Well, here’s the update. I did spend a lot of time with family and friends this summer and it was wonderful. I also feel like I continued to grow closer to the Lord over the season. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that I failed miserably on the “slow down” portion of my goal. In fact, summer is always a season when my wife and I get a lot of exercise and we barely had time for that. This summer was so packed, so full . . . I guess that’s why we feel like we practically blinked and missed it. It’s nice that it was full of so many lovely things but, I do regret not slowing things down a bit more. Quite a bit more.

Looking back on it, I think one of the main things that crowded the calendar, is that my wife and I both have trouble saying no to things. We need to give ourselves permission to say no even if we don’t have a good excuse. We don’t lie, which makes saying no a little more difficult than it is for some people. If they don’t have an excuse, they just make one up. We won’t do that. But, we need to learn to say no just because it’s the healthy thing to do for us. That’s okay. That’s actually all the excuse we should need.

Maybe next year. In the meantime, practice makes perfect. We’ll try our hand at saying no a little more often. And, as far as the general Sabbath idea, we still have Sundays . . .

9 Rules from Chris Pratt, “Generation Award” Winner

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I don’t often quote or promote celebrities but, Chris Pratt is not just any celebrity and he recently did something worth quoting. Sure, he’s an awesome actor who has been in some really cool movies. And, yes, I’m a little partial to the guy because we grew up in the same area. Also, while working on a screenplay about a decade or so ago, I sat one table over from him and his then girlfriend, Anna Farris, at a coffee shop called Priscilla’s which was nearly across the street from the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA. I didn’t want to bother them, so we never spoke, which makes it a far less interesting story.

However, and far more importantly, Pratt accepted the “Generation Award” from MTV a few nights ago and took the opportunity to do something we don’t see often enough at awards shows. While some celebrities have been using these shows to promote political or social causes, Pratt used the platform he has been blessed with to offer some practical advice that could actually make people’s lives better by sharing his “9 Rules from Chris Pratt, ‘Generation Award’ Winner.”

After thanking his family and the fans, he told his audience, “This being the ‘Generation Award’ I’m going to cut to the chase and I am going to speak to you, the next generation. Okay?  I accept the responsibility as your elder. So, listen up.”

Here’s a transcript:

  1. “Breathe. If you don’t, you will suffocate.”
  2. “You have a soul, be careful with it.”
  3. “Don’t be a turd. If you’re strong, be a protector. And, if you’re smart, be a humble influencer. Strength and intelligence can be weapons and do not wield them against the weak. That makes you a bully. Be bigger than that.”
  4. “When giving a dog medicine. Put the medicine in a little piece of hamburger – they won’t even know they’re eating medicine.”
  5. “Doesn’t matter what it is, earn it. A good deed . . . reach out to someone in pain, be of service. It feels good and it’s good for the soul.”
  6. “God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do.”
  7. “If you have to poop at a party, but you’re embarrassed because you’re going to stink up the bathroom, just do what I do. Lock the door. Sit down. Get all the pee out first. Okay? And then, when all the pee is out, poop, flush, boom. You minimize the amount of time the poop is touching the air because if you poop first, it takes you longer to pee and then you’re peeing on top of it, stirring it up, the poop particles create a cloud, goes out, and then everyone in the party will know that you pooped. Just trust me. It’s science.”
  8. “Learn to pray. It’s easy and it’s so good for your soul.”
  9. “Nobody is perfect. People are going to tell you you’re perfect just the way you are. You’re not. You’re imperfect. You always will be. But, there is a powerful force that designed you that way. And, if you’re willing to accept that, you will have grace. And, grace is a gift. And, like the freedom that we enjoy in this country that grace was paid for with somebody else’s blood. Do not forget it. Don’t take it for granted. God bless you.”

Here’s the video:

Pratt did an excellent job of mixing humor with important advice and, while we’re getting better quality Christian movies out of Hollywood these days, Pratt’s overall message, which I would break down into two parts, was not one we hear coming out of Tinsel Town very often:

  1. You have a soul. Treat it well. Two of the best ways to do that are communicating with God through prayer and treating others well.
  2. You’re imperfect but that’s okay. The God who designed you loves you and wants to show you grace.

When is the last time you remember a celebrity using their award acceptance speech to remind the audience who they are, who God is, and, most importantly what can happen when they know Him? Not a single memory of such an event comes to mind. That’s why this was worth quoting. It’s worth passing along.

While most celebrities are trying to get us to look at them and admire them, Pratt took the stage and told us to look at the God who bought our soul’s freedom with the blood of His Son and to accept that freedom. Jesus is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” No one is a bigger deal than Jesus Christ and nothing is more important than how you respond to that fact. After all, at His name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

And, because he is using his platform to make that known, I just became an even bigger Chris Pratt fan than I was already. I was going to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom anyway but, maybe now I’ll have to see it twice.

 

Time Is NOT Money

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The old adage that “time is money” is dead wrong. Sure, they have things in common. For example, they can be spent both wisely and foolishly. They can be used selfishly or to serve others. And, in both cases, some of us have more than other people.

However, the differences far outweigh the similarities. Money can be saved up to be spent at a later date. Time, on the other hand, is spent with or without our consent and no matter how hard we try to keep it from happening, ultimately expires for each and every one of us.

Time is far more precious than money. It’ a non-renewable resource. How are you spending yours? I purposely made this post short so I didn’t waste any of it.

If I were you, I’d spend the time I spared you wisely . . .

People Pleasing

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“Those who please all men at all times ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion.” — Johann Albrecht Bengel

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make people happy and it is completely natural to want to be well-liked. However, the goals of pleasing everyone and remaining someone who is honest both with themselves and those around them cannot co-exist. For me, and most of us, I presume, the latter is the priority.

As a Christian, my absolute highest priority is actually trying to please God. And, if I’m being two-faced, I’m failing in that primary goal. Two-faced people are not authentic people and God demands authenticity. After all, authenticity is truth and Jesus told us that the truth shall set us free. If pleasing my God is my top priority, I must be striving to please Him in every conversation I have. Therefore, I can’t be one person with my church friends and another with my school or work friends. I have to remain that God-pleasing person in every public situation, as well is in private. My inner person must match up with my outer person, always. That’s authenticity.

As a writer, trying to please everyone is the kiss of death. Different people like different things. Therefore, I write things that I would enjoy reading. When I do, I accept that some people will also enjoy the things that I do. I also accept that some people will not. That’s okay. Unfortunately, I even have to accept the fact that there will be people who actually hate what I do. That can be tough to swallow but, when it comes right down to it, it’s natural and, therefore, it’s okay, too. After all, if I write a piece about Jesus being the Son of God, I can’t expect an atheist to appreciate it. And, if I write something to try and get everyone to love it, chances are very few people are even going to like it. I’ll take 100 five-star reviews and 100 one-star reviews over two hundred three-star reviews because I know 100 people are going to want to read what I write next.

At the end of the day, the truth is, what I really want to do is to write things that please God. If He likes it, I’m happy. If He can use it, He’ll guide the right people to it. In other words, I must only strive to please God at all times and He’ll take care of the rest.

What the World Needs Now

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After seeing the title of this post, you’re probably singing “is love, sweet love” in your head. Or, maybe you’re not keeping it inside and you’re belting out the 1965 Jackie DeShannon hit to either the delight or severe dismay of those around you. Perhaps you’re by yourself, in which case I say go ahead and belt it out. I’ve convinced myself that God loves the sound of my voice, even if no one else does. I’m sure the same is true for you.

Love, sweet love is synonymous with how I would finish that sentence with or without the song. After all, God is love. And, we’re not seeing enough love these days, are we? The culture seems to be in a state of chaos. It seems like there’s another school shooting every other week, another terrorist attack just as often, and we’re in danger of adding more wars every day. Yesterday it was with North Korea, the day before that it was Russia, and this morning it’s Syria. Dare I even mention that the current political climate has the United States of America more divided than ever?

So, what is the answer? Border Walls? Gun control? Mental health mandates? How about our spiritual health? Let’s take it back to love. Let’s take it back to the cross. Why? Because I whole-heartedly agree with both William Barclay who said, “Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares” and the late, great Billy Graham who said “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’”

I look to the cross and there is nothing that anyone can say or do to make me believe that God does not care about the chaos in our culture or that He does not love me in a very personal and direct way. He’s already proven it.

So, why don’t more people see it that way? Well, quite simply, we’ve pushed him out of our lives. We’ve put ourselves on the throne where He rightfully belongs. We see it all around us every day. Sadly, even often at church. Therefore, I would argue that it is our spiritual health that is in crisis and if we can fix that, everything else will fall into place.

Obviously, we can’t remove sin from the world. The world will be restored but it will be God that does it. Which is all the more reason to look to Him now. We need a revival. We need repentance. We need to make holiness and righteousness our primary goal. We need to put God back on the throne of our lives and, by extension, our culture.

I am convinced that with true, Christian revival would come a drastic reduction in murder, terrorism, war, racism and the indiscriminate shouts of hatred toward others that we see on the news every day and night.

Respect for God means we respect what God respects and love what God loves. God is love and He loves each and every one of us. That means that if we would wholeheartedly turn to God and changed our lives to reflect our love and respect for Him, we would almost automatically love and respect each other. If we respected each other, we would stop breeding hatred and, ultimately, stop killing one another.

In other words, passing all the laws in the world can’t do what turning to God can do. You might say, what the world needs now is Jesus, sweet Jesus. Perhaps now more than ever before.