Dr. Warren Wiersbe, an ode to a life extraordinary.

Dr. Warren Wiersbe and his lovely wife, Betty.

It's amazing how long it takes for thoughts to finally gel together when we lose an extraordinary person. I've finally been able to coalesce my meanderings, and hope this is well received. Here goes...

I first met Dr. Warren Wiersbe when I was about 12, during the time I helped my parents with janitorial work. I'd heard of him and knew he was a writer, which I passionately wanted to be, so I found his desk and left him notes from, "Janitor Mark." Amazingly, he kept all those notes and filed them for safe keeping. Well, he was enchanted by my youthful exuberance and met me in person, and thus began a lifelong friendship and mentor-ship. We spent many hours talking, learning, and joking. His humor always managed to dig under my shyness and tear it loose. He was a wonderful man, and I loved him dearly.

He heartily encouraged my writing, and critiqued everything I wrote--including my first two books. The amazing thing was, though he disliked fiction, he always found time to read whatever I created. His wisdom helped me in far more than writing. He mentored me spiritually, and I will forever be grateful for his guiding light. I owe him a great debt.

My favorite memories are when he would take me to the steak house and we would have lunch together. At the time I wasn't aware of just how special those times were, but I was a kid and was at least wise enough to make those times count. When I turned 16, and got my driver's license, he gave me a congratulation card with $25 inside for my first ticket! What a jokester. The privilege of such attention was lost on me at the time, but now I can only look back with wonder.

When my son was born, we named him Peter Warren, in honor of Dr. Wiersbe. My whole family met both him and his wife many times. We didn't take enough pictures, but I'm glad for the ones we have, and he gamely posed for them. It's impossible to express just how big of an impact he made on me and my family. What an extraordinary man.

If there is one lesson that Dr. Wiersbe taught me above any others, it was quiet humility. He always gave credit to God first, and only accepted praise second-hand as the tool of the Creator. I saw how he treated fame, the way he practically ran the other way when confronted by it. He enjoyed anonymity whenever he could, but didn't complain when I'd introduce someone to him. What a fantastic example he was!

I hope that I've passed on his lessons to my own children. I hope his influence has made me a better man. I hope his memory never fades. I wish I could talk to him more, and ask his opinion on things, but that time is sadly gone. I will never forget him, or his special ministry to me.

Thank you, Dr. Wiersbe, and thank you, Mrs. Wiersbe for always being gracious and loving even when we interrupted dinnertime. We miss you both.

- M

Snuggle up to some good books ... mine of course!

During this uncertain time of illness and tragedy, we all need something to slip our minds into a better place. We need good books. We need some escapism. We need fun back in our lives.

My Erahsil fantasy trilogy is perfect for such times, if I do say so myself. These three books are full of hope and overcoming obstacles, and naturally heroes and villains. The stories are filled with enough imagination and twist to please anyone. Yes, they are labeled as a Young Adult series, although I feel the stories are for anyone willing to let their mind drift and be care-free once more.

In short, Phaedra, a girl finishing high school, and later Craig, also her age, battle to save the world of Erahsil from destruction. It's at first an unwilling mission, but quickly takes them on a journey that will see them save two worlds.

I love fantastical creatures and magical places, so I've filled Erahsil with all those aspects. My readers tell me they really enjoy it and I hope many more will experience the wonders of Erahsil.

You can find all of my books at Amazon, here.

Erahsil, book 1,    Erahsil, book 2,    Erahsil, book 3.

May you all be blessed and stay warm and healthy.

- M

The pleasure of sitting still and being quiet.

My daughter, and my brother, having fun.

Since the very beginning of our lives, we live in a world of spinning excitement, which never quite stops for anything. There's a constant whirl of activity all around us. It seems we fill out lives with so much to do, that we never pause to let it just happen. Watch a baby, as they are incapable of large actions and don't interrupt with lots of talking, and you'll see they keenly observe everything. They want to be involved in the world, but can only interact in a limited way. Yet, they are a part of it all, even without dancing around. Just because you sit still, doesn't mean you're a lump of coal.

I think we forget to stop and be quiet. How frequently do you turn off everything and just sit still? My guess is you had to think about it for a while. Our lives swirl with activity, at times so intense we get headaches from the din. We pine for vacations and to get away from it all. Well, just sit down and relax, without any entertainment or chaotic noise. Anyone can do it. Anyone can take the time. Anyone is in the position, every day, to stop and relax. It's one of the healthiest activities we can undertake, and you'll find that stress doesn't quite pile up like it usually does.

The more technology marches forward, the more I find myself wanting to let less of it into my life. It's funny, because I'm a programmer, a tech nerd, and love computers. But, I also have noticed how there's less personal contact and less community than ever before. We know more about everything and less of everyone. I think my desire to sit quietly and peacefully is a reaction to this. I'd never want less technology, as it has provided a standard of living previously unknown, but I also recognize a need to slow down and enjoy life as it is. Take a moment to sit and be quiet, and listen and dream and live.

- M

Swear to me!

Movie tough guys are constantly roughing up baddies and demanding information. One of my favorites lines is when they say, "Swear to me!" Yup. That'll work. Terrified people will admit to anything. But, you also get the opposite end, where someone swears on their mother's grave. In this instance, the oath is a mighty pledge based on honor and reverence. Isn't it interesting how the same statement can be so different in context? That's one of the big reasons language is so difficult to decipher and is among the best secret codes you can make (I love making secret codes).

Batman being tough in "Batman Begins"

The funny thing is, we do this sort of thing constantly. Sarcasm is the fine art of saying what you don't mean and implying something else. Humor is a slippery subject, but I think we can all agree it's better to laugh than sulk. Don't take life too seriously. There's so much hilarity around us, and we fail to notice it most of the time. Swear to me you'll open your eyes! Swear to me!

Ha. That's actually lots of fun to say, though I can't imagine myself being a tough guy who punches baddies in the throat--I'm just a big cuddly teddy bear. Well, I doubt movies will change this sort of thing, but we can still laugh. That's the thing about language anyway, sometimes it's just too strange to take seriously. So, paste a smile on your face and just go along with it.

- M

The smell of fresh wax and candles.

We latch onto many things throughout our lives, and a great number of them are smells we associate with memories. Good or bad, these smells are powerful. For husbands, the fragrances our wives wear are intimately tied together with our love for them. The smells of childhood imprint on us so powerfully that we can be sent back to our youth with just a whiff. And then there are the smells we just like to have around: candles, cedar, evergreen needles, and many more.

I find it interesting how we build huge industries around fragrances of all kinds. How much money do we spend just to smell nice? What about candles for our homes? Our cars? It seems nearly every activity and location in our lives is filled with good smells. That means it's not just important, but essential to who we are as people. In fact, we even bury our loved ones with beautiful things surrounding them.

Knowing this, I think it's important to pay attention to what things are cherished by the people we care about. Scents make wonderful birthday presents, unexpected gifts, and sensational house warming presents. I prefer candles, because they come in a huge variety and are easy to turn on and off (fire is great for that you know). It's a fine fabulous feeling to give something special to friends and family. I promise.

- M

Why we always need heroes

When things go wrong, we want heroes to save us. However, we need heroes anyway. We need examples to emulate, people who are greater than we ever hoped to be, living role models who lift us up simply by existing. Heroes provide hope, inspiration, power, excitement, and yearning for greater things. I'm talking about true heroes, who live their lives with passion and purpose, not the fake sort forced upon us by spiteful people. We need heroes to press us forward, guide us, and make us see a better future. Real heroes do all these things.

We don't have to be Superman to be heroes
Superman by Alex Ross

For some reason, our culture loves deconstructing heroes and either destroying or making them worthless. Sure, people are flawed, make mistakes, and generally louse things up. Heroes aren't perfect, and if they were they would be impossible to imitate. It's okay to want to be like them. Battlefield heroes inspire courage, workplace heroes encourage diligence. Heroes are found in every area of life, and I submit they are needed there just as much.

I think we have taken the danger of hero-worship too far. Sure, It's not good to idolize anyone to the point of ridiculousness, but if we only strive to destroy any great example then we lose the value of powerful role models. In an age of no heroes, there is no hope and anyone who tries is torn to ragged bits. Then, we run the risk of passing into the anti-hero, who does all kinds of mischief and does good only as an idle after thought.

We need heroes in our lives. We need to celebrate heroes. We need to once again place heroes in places of honor. And, not just military heroes, but all walks of life. I'd like to nominate my dad as my lifelong hero. Who's yours?

- M

Words of Power

One of the reasons I originally became fascinated with language is the capacity to bring hope and comfort to those hurting. Stories are especially potent in this regard, because we insert ourselves into the characters and live out their adventures. Sure, I was with Bilbo when he found the One Ring in The Hobbit, and I scurried with Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings. I haven't found any other medium with such power and majesty, and I doubt I ever will. There's something very special about living through a good story; the characters become part of our lives.

A well crafted story is capable of developing truly astonishing levels of emotion in the audience. Whatever the genre, stories burrow into the heart and draw forth the power of our feelings. But, it's not just the language doing it, there is the journey to take into account. Truthfully, if there is no journey, there's no emotion. If you were told the ending, without everything before it, the story would fall on its face and bear no power at all. We all require a process of growing to reach maturity, so should it be any different with a story?

The power of words is undeniable. The right words, at the right time and place, can change the universe. I my estimation, language is the greatest power of humankind. With it, we build cities, form societies, and develop future generations. Words are the future, the past, and the present. The old phrase of, "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never harm me," is true only in the sense that words don't physically injure. However, words have massive impact on our spirit. Use them with care.

- M