Just a little Saturday ramble

It’s dogeared and worn, the pages a rainbow of highlights. There are margins full of quickly jotted annotations and it’s full of sticky notes and index cards with connections and random notes. The cover is almost more tape than cardstock. But this book has been a part of my life for the past twenty some-odd years, ever since I first read it in college. It’s been through three moves and has been read cover to cover a few times. It was also bought second hand, rich with a likely veritable history of being read over and over again before it even came into my hands.

It’s my copy of C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.

I make no secret in my writings that I am a Christian, though I do hesitate to broadcast that quite loudly. Indeed, my writings come from a place in my soul where my faith, intuition, intellect and rationality seem to intersect, converging upon one another in a maze that is often knotted with no ends. My Bible is well work and full of musings, quotes, song lyrics, thoughts, highlights and such, and Mere Christianity is my most second well-read possession.

I say I hesitate to broadcast my faith because I truly believe that this is a personal journey, one that only I can traverse. I try to show the love I have been shown in my writings. I try to show that I am a light, but I also know how deeply hurt others have become because of others who proclaim they are believers but don’t show the world what that should mean. I’m reminded of a quote that expresses far more than I can ever put to words:

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

~ Brennan Manning

But I press on.

It’s no wonder that some of my favorite writers of fantasy were also active Christians. C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Madeleine L’Engle have all influenced my reading and my writings. I find solace in their fictional works, and in the case of L’Engle and Lewis, I also find a great deal of comfort in what they have written non-fiction wise as well.

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

~ C. S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity” Book III.10

And because they’ve influenced me, I believe in the fairy tale and the fantasy along with the stories that come from my faith. They have been intwined in my soul, creating me to be the daydream believer I am today. I am a creator of worlds, yes, but that’s because I believe I was created by the one who created those worlds to begin with. I believe in the magic of this world and the next, holding fast to it as I continue to write not only my Portals Series but also the story that is my own life as well. I love deeply. I hope for the best, even as I prepare for the struggles and the storms. I rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. While I struggle with it a great deal, I even find peace because of my faith. I try to live the life I am meant to live, to be the best I can be,

And while I stumble, I pick myself back up, dust myself off and keep going. I try to help others do the same.

After all, it’s part of the magic of this life.

Whether or not you are a Christian, know that I hope the best for you. I pray that you find the magic of this life in whatever means you need to find it, that you also find some sort of peace, joy, love, hope and yes, even some faith in something. Make your life something to write about, no matter what.

Stay magical, everyone.

Write your own story.

---

If you liked this blog post, comment below! I do return comments!

Share with others, if you dare. Subscribe to my blog for updates. Visit my “About me” page if you want to contact me.

If you wanted to see some of the fantasy works I have written, check out my Portals Series < Click the title to see it.

If you are interested in my other online endeavors, check out the drop down menu to see more.

And as always, #writeyourownstory