Do Your Homework

Prov. 10:20 “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.”

As a writer I was taught to do my research; research into facts before writing so that people can believe and trust in my words. A classmate in a nonfiction course recently said that he was writing a ‘creative nonfiction piece, embellishing a little here and there’. Well to me that is clearly fiction because it isn’t the truth. It is embellished truth. Just like facebook posts, embellished truth that no one cares to do research on.

I have two facebook accounts: one for family and one for my community of writers. On both pages I see people posting stuff just to cause dissension to the masses. Do they do their homework first into what the truth really is? No. They love the commotion and the hate swirling pool so they feed the fish that are hungry for anything to be angry at, seeking some sort of unified agreement into their hate; their unified hate, I might add.

What is ironic is that they post these lies in a let’s unite and fight manner but these same folk are the seemingly Christians who need PROOF of the living God? Wait, they can post lies without doing any research but need proof of God and His Word? We can all find the truth that we WANT to believe. Kind of makes me wonder if we don’t have a bunch of Jim Jones followers among the living. They are the folk that will follow any wind of doctrine handed them and try to pull in like-minded folk.

As I said before we don’t live in God’s world, we live in a political world where people are living and breathing politics and everything being politically correct and then squeeze in some time for God, for good measure I imagine.

This is going to be a year where we have a race for the Presidential finish line and everyone will be caught in the stampede not unlike the running of the bulls. Attacks will be bloated, lies will flourish like a streaming waterfall, causes will be heightened, illegals will be pressed like grapes in a winery, every agenda under the sun will be exasperated and the silent will fall.

Here we are living in the End Times and political issues are all that people care about, really? I don’t see anyone shouting from the rooftop that Jesus is returning. I don’t see them digging into their homework on THAT matter. Nope, satan has them wrapped around his little finger and they are engrossed in politics, being caught unaware no less.

A lot of people think I’m a closed-minded fool not caring about the world around me. What a false belief yet again. I care so much I just saved a beetles life that was drowning in a pool of water. Care? I care that people would rather focus on the negative aspects of life instead of focusing on the positive aspects thus bringing about a positive change.

I see people drowning in the pool of hate and I want to save them but unlike the beetle that will see the extension of a branch as a life preserver, humans would rather flail their arms and fling splashing water all around than grab onto the Branch of the Living that could possibly save their life.

I look out my window to see the pivots circling the field with nurturing water for the crops to be replenished day after day. While some humans would rather wait for the rain and do nothing to replenish their soul, there is Living Water out there that will fulfill you to no end. If you do nothing but see the negative hate in the world, you are missing out on the positive that the living, breathing Branch extends to you to restore your soul and prepare it for eternity.

The CHOICE is YOURS whether you do your homework or not. Live a lie or live the Truth.

John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.[5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Poetry Sunday~ I am but a Flower

I am but a Flower

I am but a flower dancing in the sun
protected by Light since my life begun.
I am but a flower flowing in the warm breeze;
safely sheltered by the low hanging trees.

I am but a flower with a purpose in life
I grow and learn through trials and strife.
I am but a flower planted firmly in soil
too much water and my roots will spoil.

I am but a flower please understand
my duty in life is to beautify land.
I can not be plucked and placed where one needs
I have to grow to nurture my seeds.

I’m am but a flower reaching for the sky
Some days I wilt and never know why.
I need some nutrients to replenish my soul
to make this flower feel beautifully whole.

I am but a flower rained on from above
Given life by His gracious love.
Although I grow I have high ambition,
Remember this rose has a sweet smelling mission.

POD

Print on Demand ~~

Print on Demand is the term for digital printing technology that will bring your complete manuscript to be printed and bound in a mere matter of minutes. A lot of author’s are going this route so they are not stuck with hundreds of books that sit in the garage and they have no way of selling and promoting their work.

What’s the catch? It is this: you are paying to publish your own work. In other words it is self-publishing all of your hard work for a fee. All self-publishing is costly but there are quite a few out there that are reasonable.

POD allows you to print up say, as little as three books, and market them to the right places and see if they are well received.

Self publishing vs. POD
SP - The writer controls all aspects of the publishing process, from cover art to print style to pricing.
POD - You get limited services depending on the package you choose.

SP -You retain all rights with self-publishing, you remain in complete control depending on the package you’ve chosen, and with self-publishing you get all of the proceeds
POD - You get ‘royalties’. They get paid twice, once when you choose a package and have made the final decision, and then they get part of the royalties from your book sales

SP - You retain all rights.
POD - You basically give up those rights when you choose a POD service.

These publishing houses don't provide proofreading, editing, or marketing (although some publishers offer these as add-ons to the basic publishing package, at additional cost mind you). READ THE FINE PRINT!

The POD houses look like vanity publishers to the unknowing writer, and some are. They are there to take your money, make your dreams seem hopeful, and in the end, the vanity publisher wins AGAIN and who gets left behind? You, the hard working author who has waited years upon years to see his/her work in print.

There are a lot of things to consider before shelling out the money for a POD book. Besides being expensive, the quality might not be up to par, your book will not be publicized, they will be frowned upon in professional venues and many book sellers will not be putting YOUR book on their shelf.

So once again I say, DO YOUR HOMEWORK before getting all worked up. Think things through and see if your work wouldn’t be better placed with a real publisher who is ecstatic about what you are offering. Don’t set yourself up for a fall. Be patient with your work and all the success will be worth waiting for.