Readers Corner Posts

I like to read fiction. I lose all track of time when I ingest a real page-turner novel. It doesn’t matter if it’s a NY Times bestseller or a fledgling writer’s first attempt.

But I don’t write novels. I’m primarily known as a non-fiction writer. But this modest volume is obviously fiction!

I had a delightful time trying my wings imagining and writing these mini-stories through the years for a change of pace. I guess I did it just to see if I could. I had such fun that I collected them into this book so you could share my enjoyment. I hope my readers will not only be entertained but find some meaningful take-away value in the hidden spiritual principles.

Jesus used stories as His preferred method of communication. His parables always had an illustration which the common people related to and accepted. They understood. Some of the religious leaders of the day heard Him with hard, unaccpting, critical hearts. Therefore, they just didn’t get it. Neither did His disciples at times, so He had to explain the quite obvious meaning later.

These selections may at first seem slanted toward juvenile readers, since I presented them in a fairy tale or fantasy format. They are, in fact, adult-oriented because of their symbolic and allegorical content.

I wrote these sketches to communicate biblical truth both for enjoyment and spiritual relevance. I have taken my own path to creatively express such truth and principles through humor and hyperbole. At times I interwove my contemporary poetry within the narrative.

These selections are what I choose to call “imagineerings” [my own word] developed from the following writing devices: parable, allegory, fable, metaphor, simile, analogy and dialogue.

I quite freely use anthropomorphic terminology. That means to ascribe human characteristics, emotions, speech, or attributes to a being or thing not human, including God. I call it personification, a poetic device which I’ve found to be an enchanting podium where ideas or emotions speak for themselves. I focus a spotlight on simple ideas and amplify them with fantasy. I try to unlock the doors to the reader's imagination. I do use a bit of poetic, artistic or dramatic license.

I tried to present these life-contemplations in subtle ways without moralizing or preaching. I respect the intelligence and imagination of my readers to draw their own moral conclusions or applications.

Each person who encounters these sketches will find something different from the next person. And every time we enter one of these mini-stories we are different persons than we were when we read it the first time. At each repeated reading we may find some new insight to understand ourselves and the nature of our unique life journey.

These pieces are not necessarily autobiographical, although some do reflect my personal responses to life and my relationship with God. Others echo the experiences and thoughts of humankind in general.

Each of these vignettes may stand alone, but overall they have something in common: a Christian worldview. When I “speak for God” in the dialogues, it is not in any prophetic or inspired sense. I support or source my ideation with relevant biblical references either quoted in full or only cited. I call those supporting pillars at the conclusion of each story, “From The RESOURCE BOOK,” which is obviously the Christian Scriptures.

I welcome the reader to enjoy these unconventional original "imagineerings." There are 31 of them, one for each day of a month. You could gobble down this book at one sitting, but you might get indigestion and not benefit for spiritual nourishment as you would if you took your time to meditate in a more leisurely way on each one.

This is an ideal book to take along for your vacation at the beach, for the quiet of a woodsy setting, or on your porch swing if you opt to stay in the comfort of your home for a “staycation.”

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