My fourth book just hit the (Internet) streets!

I was surprised to realize that I hadn’t posted anything since the release of my third book, “The Glory of a King” (still available for only 99 cents at Amazon.com and BN.com!). In my defense, I’ve been busy … working on my fourth book. And now “One World, Infinite Possibilities” is done, and it’s out, and its beautiful bold cover is staring you right in the face! Yayyyy!

And of all my books so far, I’m kind of happiest about this one. Not because it’s the latest, or that it’s intrinsically better than all my other books (I love ALL my books equally). But because it’s representative of a lifelong love affair with science fiction.

The better mousetrap, or “Why I like Netflix”

You’ve heard the phrase, “build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door”?  The quote is usually credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson, although he died several years before the line ever appeared in print — and several years before the modern mousetrap was invented — but Emerson did say something similar:

If a man has good corn or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.

And by and large it’s true — provided, of course, that the man is able to get the word out about his better corn, chairs or church organs.  Innovation for the better will always attract people away from the old and inferior, as long as there are no entrenched powers preventing it.  That’s why we don’t ride around on horses much anymore, or store food in the basement, or do basic research by laboriously leafing through books.  It’s much more efficient, speedy and easy to use automobiles, refrigerators and the Internet.  (That Emerson quote above — I cut and pasted it from Wikipedia.  Took me two minutes to find it and ten seconds to insert it here …)

And that’s why I can drive around my hometown and see empty storefronts that used to be video rental stores.  Because something better came along, and we created a broad hard-beaten road to it.  Or in a word, Netflix.

Periodic Pingback: A congregation bringing hope

(Blogger’s note: Every so often, I’ll come upon something on the Interwebtenternet that I think should absolutely be shared with you, my dear readers.  In blogging terms, it’s called a “pingback”.   “Periodic Pingback” is an irregular feature here to share those other voices in cyberland, for your edification and/or amusement.  Read and enjoy!)

I’ve occasionally written here (and elsewhere) about how the American church has seriously dropped the ball in reaching out to the world they’re supposedly dedicated to saving.  Too often, people outside the church see either a club of people who aren’t significantly different in their behavior from anyone else or, just as problematic, don’t see the church at all.  We have at times been guilty of being so busy with our own insular activities inside our own buildings that we aren’t giving anything to anyone outside that circle.  But that’s why we’re here on earth — if the only point of being a Christian is to go to Heaven, God could’ve struck us dead right after we committed ourselves to Him.  Instead, He left us here, to share the hope we now have with those in need of it.

Yesterday my friend Dairl sent me an excellent example of a congregation that gets it.  The Christian Reformed Church in Ellsworth, Michigan has found a wonderful way to bring its community together in the face of the current economic downturn, and provide hope and fellowship for their neighbors.  Not to mention what I imagine is some pretty good pie.  You can check out the full story by clicking here.

As Dairl put it in his e-mail, “Maybe church isnt so bad after all, if they do stuff like this …”  I suspect he’s not the only one who would feel that way.