International Readers

Going viral is an amazing phenomenon. After not writing in this blog for a number of years,I began again a few month ago prior to visiting Brazil again. Blogger shows me analytics of the various countries of people who are reading page views. These have spiked.At least thirty different countries are represented in most of which I know no one and have never visited. It's hard to imagine that the title draws many in as,Tychicus, although mentioned five times in the New Testament, remains,an obscure character While very thankful that so many from other lands have an interest in what I write, I am curious how they discovered the blog. Feel free to leave a comment.

Writing

As a young child I began to write stories. My first, at 5, was about a fox getting into a hen house. My teacher didn't believe I wrote it as an older sibling must have done it. My mother had to persuade her that I didn't have an older sibling. My first efforts were with pen or pencil. Eventually my mother gave me an old Royal brand manual typewriter which I used until I could no longer get ribbons. I resisted computers for years (I am a caveman with technology.) but finally gave in. My first serious novel was written in the mid 70's in a genre I still favor. I refer to it as plausible fantasy, something which could have happened but didn't. Over time I created a whole world with about 4 thousand pages of material. Along the way I received virtually no encouragement or receptivity. Any number of people said they would like to read something I wrote. To date only 3 people, two deceased, have read a complete novel of mine of which I have written 5 and,a short story. Perhaps the best is an evangelistic novel where I share the gospel of Jesus Christ through the characters in the story, itself a blend of plausible fantasy and modernity. The dilemma is whether it is within the will of God for me to write for my own enjoyment alone with all the time and energy involved something that no one else will ever read.

Depending on God.

The end of John 15:5 says "apart from Me you can do nothing." From personal experience I find this to be true. My dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in mine and others' lives must increase. It is His work, anointing and ministry that is efficacious. As I continue to reflect upon many decades of labor in His kingdom I see the fruit to be minimal in relation to my efforts. As John the Baptist says in John 3:30,"He must increase and I must decrease. One example is in memorizing and reviewing Bible verses, something that I have practiced for over 30 years. I have .modeled this, encouraged it and taught it to many people but I am not aware of anyone who has continued in it although some have done it for a time. In my remaining time here on earth may God be glorified in my life through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.