I watched an episode of “The Walking Dead” a couple weeks ago at the suggestion of a friend. “The Walking Dead” is a story centered on a handful of humans trying to survive in a world that has succumb to a disease that turns people into zombies. It’s graphic. It’s gory. And, strangely for me, it was very sad. Half of me was horrified of the zombies. Their decayed bodies, their thirst for living flesh, their pack mentality. The fear that once you are bit, you will become one of them. Yet there was a part of me that felt …
Bad Boy Characters
I never set out to write a “bad boy” character. In real life, I was not interested in them. I had been taught at an early age to stay away from that kind of guy and diligently did so. They were trouble, and I didn’t want trouble. So how did an assassin not only sneak into my book, but also become one of the focal characters? I’m still not sure. As I wrote Rowen’s story, there was another character standing in the shadows. The first time I met Caleb Tala, he had just murdered a man. Really, Morgan? This was …
Sunday Devotion–Acts 8, Simon and Samaria
13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the …
In Darkness There is Light
This is not only a tagline for the kind of fiction I write, it is a tagline for my life. When my husband was laid off and went almost a year without work, there was light. When my son became so ill he stopped breathing and had to be lifeflighted to Portland, there was light. When a lump the size of a golf ball was found in my breast, there was light. It wasn’t a blazing light; it wasn’t a burst of sunshine. The darkness that filled my life during those times felt so overbearing that I felt I would …
Sunday Devotional: Acts 6 and Stephen Seized
Let’s see…i before e, except after c, and “a” as in neighbor. That’s the rule, right? Then why am I struggling with seized? Should I say rules are made to be broken, I talk funny (should it be pronounced “sazed”), or make fun of authors like myself who have to institute spelling rituals to keep themselves out of the clutches of editors? I know! Let’s have a spelling contest! Doc Holliday As I write this, I’ve just completed a lesson on Acts 6 for tomorrow’s service. Here’s the text: Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed …
Sunday Devotional – Breakthroughs
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.” – Psalm 107:15-16 (NIV) As a writer, there are days when the story gets stuck, when finding words is like fishing in oatmeal, when our own doubts become a bully holding us under the water as we choke and gasp for air. What a gift it is to run to Jesus, to know that He has the power to free us and give us the breakthroughs we need. Lord, we …
Lost in the Crowd — A short serial (Part 1)
Steve Rzasa here–in the run-up to the release of Crosswind on Nov. 1, I’ve embarked on a short serial that will fill in some of the background for the story. The events take place the day before the prologue of Crosswind and follow one Troy Keysor as he uncovers a dangerous truth about the plans Trestleway–southern neighbor to the city-state of Perch–has for expanding its reach. I’ll post a new part each Friday, up until and including the last couple weeks of October. Enjoy! * * * * Lost in the Crowd by Steve Rzasa Part 1 … The morning …
Sunday Devotional – Approval
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (NIV) As a writer, if I focus too much on pleasing my critique group, my editor, my agent, my readers, reviewers, or some amorphous “them,” I end up paralyzed, defeated, and ineffective. Whatever our calling, Jesus invites us into the beautiful freedom of focusing on Him instead. Lord, I confess I so often hunger for human approval. Change my appetites. Make it …
Sunday Devotional – Lasting Fruit
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16 (NIV) I think it’s a longing in every heart to make a difference, to accomplish something each day, to allow God to create something of worth from our lives. We can distract ourselves with chasing activities that feel important in the moment, but Jesus has appointed us for more. He invites us to bear fruit that will last. Lord, show us where …