Respect

(Just another post in the general musings category...)

I don't often discuss religion here on the blog (nor politics, for that matter) simply because nothing good usually comes from doing so (and people tend to lump everyone into stereotypical silos based on their preconceived notions). That said, I'm a member of the Nazarene denomination (probably not a very good one, considering the material I write into my Aston novels, but nonetheless...), and one of their main tenets is that of missions, or spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

I bring this up mainly because we had one of my favorite missionaries at church this past Sunday (a last minute opportunity came up to bring her in) to speak to us about her ongoing missions work in Belize (which you can follow at the blog she keeps). I met Rebecca about two years ago when she first spoke at our church, and I've been a supporter of her efforts there ever since (and if you ever find yourself with a chance to have her speak to your own congregation, or to hear her speak at one nearby, I highly encourage you to do so).

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But before I go all "fanboy" here, I do have a point to all of this...I think the reason I have such respect for the work she does is the idea that a person could give up on all the modern conveniences that we have in the United States and do the work of God in another country like this. It sort of puts things in perspective when you really need it the most (as I have recently).

Without going into details, I do however feel called to help out a bit more than I have...and despite the not-so-Nazarene nature* of some of my work, I'm pledging all of my royalties from August (retroactive to the 1st) through the end of December toward Rebecca's work in Belize. I encourage you to read her blog and hopefully you'll feel led to donate...but if not, read one (or all) of my books and assist me in my own efforts to help.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

*Although there's a bit more violence and physicality (not nearly enough for some, it seems) in my books and stories, I do think a little of my Nazarene-ness comes through from time to time. For example, Aston has a drinking problem (drinking is a big no-no for Nazarenes, which is one of the reasons why I don't do it myself), as we all know, but you'll find quite often that his drinking leads him into far greater trouble...two examples come to mind, one from the first half of Heroes Die Young, and the other from the middle of Friends in Deed. Conscious decision on my part? We may never know...