Photo Assignment #15: People

I rarely photograph people. To me, it's easier to photograph critters. (They don't talk back to you, do they?)

But some photographers I know have a special gift for photographing people. So this week, submit your best shots of a person or of people. Just make sure you have their permission to share the photo.

Then, share it with us over at the Pix-N-Pens photo album. Use the password inspired to access the account. When you post a photo, come back here and leave a comment, so we'll know you're participating.

And don't forget - toward the end of October, we'll announce a special contest involving all these assignments.

Through the Eyes of Christ ~ How to Lead Muslims into the Kingdom of God

Reviewed by Tracy Ruckman

Through the Eyes of Christ ~ How to Lead Muslims into the Kingdom of God

by Harry Morin and Nikki Arana



When I first learned of this book, I was eager to read it, eager to "get down to business" in converting Muslims to Christianity. I thought the book would be a simple "step" book, as in "Do this, this, and this, and wham, they're converted."



Yeah, right. No, I'm not really that naive. Just hopeful, I guess. And even though there are some Middle Eastern people in our area, there aren't very many. So I knew my role would be more of a prayerful role, than one of action - at the moment anyway.



But as I began reading the book, the Lord spoke to me in a number of areas. This book is thoughtful, and laid out in such away that it is indeed a step-by-step process. But many of the truths offered in the book apply to more than Muslims - the truths apply to us as Christians as we go about our daily lives, interacting with people in general - people of all faiths. To be honest, the book touched me in a way I had not expected, and wasn't sure how to deal with it.

Thankfully, I am acquainted with Nikki, so I wrote to her, and we had a conversation. Today, I'd like to open the conversation up to all of you Pixels. I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and comments after you read about the book. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments, and Nikki will be happy to answer.

First, from author Nikki Arana:



God called me to a ministry to Muslims about two years ago. I live in Post Falls, Idaho and have never seen a Middle Easterner in the 15 years I've lived here! Needless to say, I found this call unusual. But I've walked with the Lord long enough to know that He prospers what He ordains, so I waited for clarification. Over the past two years He has done that for me. I find that my ministry is not directly to Muslims. He is asking me to help call the American Christian Church to reach out in friendship to the Muslims who live among us, model the love of Christ to them, and then with the leading of the Holy Spirit give them the Gift that Islam can not give.

I found there were few resources available for me to use to learn about Islam and the Muslims. Through further prayer God led me to Global Initiative, in Springfield, MO. Harry Morin, on staff there, has been involved in ministry related to evangelizing Muslim people for over thirty years. I explained to him that God had burdened my heart for the Muslim people living here. Though his ministry is primarily overseas, he agreed to join me in writing a book designed for the lay Christian in America who is at least curious about the Muslims they live and work with. (I'm an award-winning author of Inspirational fiction, so this was provision for the non-fiction assignment the Lord had led me to!)


The book introduces Christians to Islam and the Islamic culture, and with the use of scripture shows the reader how to see Muslims through the eyes of Christ. The book is titled, Through the Eyes of Christ: How to Lead Muslims into the Kingdom of God. Billy Graham Center has endorsed the book.

While I was waiting for the book to be printed the Lord provided me with one more resource . . . I went to a Bible study and sat next to a woman I didn't know. It turned out that woman has been a missionary to Muslims in Europe for 24 years. She is associated with Arab World Ministries. She and her family moved to Idaho just last year. She had been wondering how, in north Idaho, God would use her and her years of experience of ministering to Muslims! We began to pray He would show us.

It seems the next step of this journey is now being revealed. I have recently learned that an Islamic Center opened about fifteen minutes from my house. Their Grand Opening was July 10, just a couple of months ago! This gives new meaning to all that has happened over the past two years. Beyond that, I just found out that the Anglican Church of North America is beginning an effort to evangelize Muslims here in the US. I can't help but believe that God is starting a movement in the United States.

If you feel that the increasing population and influence of Muslims here is something that we should respond to, but you haven't known how to do that, now there is a resource you can use that will equip you to reach out in love to the Muslims who live and work in your area.

To learn more about Nikki, please visit her Web site.


TRACY HERE:


This book is challenging, inspiring, encouraging - to our faith, to our beliefs, to our daily walk with God. The chapter titles alone are revealing:



Why Should I Care?

Islam: A Religion of Peace or a Religion of War?

Why They Hate Us

By Our Love They Will Know Us

Cultivating a Sincere Understanding About Muslim People

The Major Beliefs and Religious Practices of Muslims

The Dark Side of Islam - Folk Islam

How Muslims View God and Sin

What I Need to Know Before I Witness

What I Need to Know About Islamic Culture

How to Respond to Islamic Culture

What Would Jesus Do?

How Can I Deepen My Relationships with Muslims?

Leading Muslims in Prayer

Why Are We So Often Misunderstood by Muslims?

Learning to Avoid Unnecessary Controversy

Keeping to the Core Theme of the Gospel

What Topics Can I Discuss That Will Build Bridges?

From Jesus the Prophet to Jesus the Savior

Leading a Muslim to the Lordship of Christ

Discipleship for Muslim Background





Order the book through Amazon or an e-store. To order 10 or more copies, e-mail Nikki.



As you read this book, look at the truths it shares. These truths can be applied to your life with not only Muslims, but with other cultures, too.



Be sure to check out the back of the book, too. Appendix A offers an interesting (and admittedly sad and alarming) look at Population Growth Comparisons, originally titled "Christianville" and then, "Islamville."





Through the Eyes of Christ is definitely a MUST-READ for ALL Christians.

Writing Prompt #15: Humor

This past week, several things have tickled my funny bone, so I decided to put it to use.

Use humor in a scene to add contrast to a situation. Laughter at a funeral has been done - and experienced - so stretch yourself further than that.

Toward the end of October, we'll be asking you about these prompts, so be sure to keep them in a notebook or a special file so you can pull them up when needed.

Do We Ever Truly Know Anybody?

Reviewed by Phee Paradise
The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry

I’ve read a lot of good books since I started writing reviews for Pix-N-Pens, so I hesitate to tell you that The Familiar Stranger is the best book I’ve read in a while. But it’s one of them. It’s a story about a family clinging together in the face of a medical disaster. It’s also a story about a wife’s Godly response to her husband’s adultery. And it’s a fascinating mystery with just enough clues to make you think you can solve it before the end.

But I couldn’t solve it, and I’m sure you won’t either. Berry spreads out the clues like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Each new revelation adds a little more to the picture, but she withholds the crucial piece until the end, surprising us with the finished puzzle. Halfway through, I thought I had the solution and kept flipping back for clues I had overlooked. Even so, I didn’t figure it out.

The mystery is what moves the story along, but it’s the relationships that hold it together. Denise, the faithful wife, is amazingly human. She relies on God’s strength to help her love and support a husband who was unfaithful, but doesn’t remember it, while helping her sons face life with a handicapped, amnesiac father. Naturally, it sometimes overwhelms her and then she lets go in anger or tears. But she always returns for more of God’s grace to forgive and love. I liked Denise because she’s like me and I hope I would respond as well as she did in such difficult trials.

My only complaint with the book is that the medical situations didn’t ring true. My own experiences made me cringe at recoveries that were too quick. I felt like Berry forced the medical problems to fit the plot, rather than letting them help direct it. But don’t let that keep you from a truly satisfying reading experience. I think everyone will enjoy this one.

Pros: A good mystery, wonderful characters and an interesting approach to point of view.

Cons: The solution to the mystery was a little bit unrealistic, but hardly worth mentioning.


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Craig Littleton has decided to end his marriage with his wife, Denise, but an accident lands him in the ICU with fuzzy memories. As Denise helps him remember who he is, she uncovers dark secrets. Will this trauma create a fresh start? Or has his deceit destroyed the life they built together?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!
Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers. Find her at www.christinaberry.net and www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com

Editng Tip # 13: Settings

Kathy Ide’s Editing Tips
© Kathy Ide, 2009

In this column, freelance author, editor, and speaker Kathy Ide shares tips on self-editing your manuscript.

~ SETTINGS ~

A good fiction writer uses settings to create visual images that not only show where the action takes place but also reveal something about the characters and the story. So choose your location for each scene very carefully. The right setting can add depth to characters, set a particular mood, and even serve as an allegory for the emotions being experienced by the characters.

Descriptions also add authenticity. If you’re writing a story that takes place in a location you aren’t familiar with, do your research. If at all possible, visit the place (or a similar one) and record what you see, hear, smell, etc. Then write vivid descriptions that set the tone for that scene and will make your readers feel as if they are really there.

Setting description is far more than just the name of a city, the size of a room, or the location of a park. It can include details such as the weather, season, month, year, time of day. But don’t just tell what a location looks like. A long paragraph filled with simple, objective adjectives will bore your readers and take them out of the story. Instead, weave the pertinent details subtly into the scene, and always in the perspective of the point-of-view character.
Envision the room’s décor. Is it cozy, formal, drab, cheerful, elegant, sparse, filled with knickknacks? Such elements reflect the room’s owner, which provides a clue to the personality of that character.

When a point-of-view character enters a room, describe the overall appearance of the room. Make the description brief, showing only what the character notices right off. As you show the character doing things in the room, weave in descriptions that fit the action. For example, if you have your heroine sit in a chair, describe the chair. Is it a hard-backed wooden chair with pastel cushions tied to the seat and the back with brightly colored ribbons? Is it a black leather office chair? a rare antique with gold filigree? an old overstuffed recliner with rips in the armrests?

Make sure you have a good reason behind your choice. Don’t just pick something randomly. Consider who lives in that room, who owns that furniture. How would that character have decorated the room? What kind of furnishings would that character have bought for that location? If outdoors, why is the character in that place at that time? What’s the weather like?
Show the character’s reaction or response to the setting. What happens when she sits in the chaise lounge? looks out the dirty window? sees her home town for the first time in twenty years? What emotions do the puffy white clouds (or dark, ominous clouds) evoke?

Use as many senses as fit appropriately with the scene. If a character enters a kitchen, dining room, or restaurant, for example, describe the smells that greet him. How do those aromas affect him? Do they make him hungry? Nauseated? Homesick?

A particular setting can trigger memories in your character’s mind, providing you with the opportunity to reveal bits of backstory in a realistic manner. A well-described setting can trigger memories and emotions in your reader as well.

**********

NOTE: It is an infringement of copyright law to reproduce this
publication, in part or in whole, without the express permission of the
author. To request permission, please e-mail Kathy@KathyIde.com.

**********

AUTHOR BIO:
Kathy Ide has been writing for publication since 1988. She has written books, articles, play and movie scripts, short stories, devotionals, and curriculum. She is a full-time freelance editor, offering a full range of editorial services for aspiring writers, established authors, commercial book publishers, subsidy publishers, and magazines. Her services include proofreading, copyediting, substantive/content editing, coauthoring, ghostwriting, and mentoring/coaching. She also speaks at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more, please visit www.KathyIde.com.