"A Fictional Place" - part 6

Here's another installment on the history of Morning Star Fellowship in Kye Valley.  Ed Hart, Jack Kealy, and Marty Stephens are still in their college years.

3 Friends
Back home in New York Jack had a girlfriend named Sophia.  They were high school sweethearts.  They were married the summer after his first year of college.  Jack and Sophia moved to an apartment near the college campus.  Sophia worked at an insurance company while Jack continued attending college.

Ed and Marty remained good friends with Jack.  As time went on a Bible study was started in Jack and Sophia's apartment.  It was open to ministry students at the college.  Ed, Jack, and Marty took turns leading it.

Almost two years after Jack and Sophia were married their first son was born.  They named him Jack Jr.  Father and son were affectionately called Big Jack and Little Jack.  Sophia was now a stay at home mom.  Every month Jack's parents sent him some money to help pay bills.

At this point in time Ed, Jack, and Marty were going into their fourth year of college.  They were still holding the Bible study once a week.  But it had grown to about 40-50 people and a little too big for Jack and Sophia's little apartment.  Besides that there was a little baby there now.

Sophia suggested moving the Bible study to their apartment complex's clubhouse.  But Ed, Jack, and Marty discovered that the clubhouse came with a rental fee.  They did not have enough money between them to pay the cost, and they really did not want to ask their fellow students for donations.  They knew that college students generally did not have very much extra money to spend.  Jack mentioned the situation to his parents in a letter home.  His father, who happened to be a businessman, called him and offered to send the money every month to pay for the rent.  The three friends took him up on his offer.  Then the Bible study moved to the clubhouse.  Jack's father faithfully sent him the rent money every month.

"Amazing Grace" part 2

I want to share some more about the hymn "Amazing Grace".  Earlier I was working on a new story called "Grace Song".  Nathan is a character who loved this hymn and was always singing it when he was a child.  I wrote a scene where his brother Lindsey has a dream about him singing the first and third verses.

As I shared last night this hymn that John Newton wrote has six verses.  The following verse is a well known one that's included as being a part of this hymn in church hymnals.

"When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun."

From what I discovered, in researching the Internet, this verse is not one that John Newton wrote.  It was added later, and actually comes from another hymn.  But it's a verse with good words.

Here are the modern words to John Newton's hymn.  Basically they're still the same words.

"Amazing Grace"
"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine."

"Amazing Grace"

John Newton wrote a beautiful hymn that first appeared in a hymnal called "Olney Hymns".  He wrote six verses for this song that we've come to know as "Amazing Grace".  I've been researching this song on the Internet.

I've been thinking about putting the words on one of the first pages of my book "Dawn Comes Softly".  There's a character in the stories who loves this hymn.  Grace is a major theme in the stories.

I understand that the following words are as they appeared in "Olney Hymns".  I hope you all enjoy these beautiful timeless words.

"Amazing Grace"
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Writing Update 2-5-12

I am still working on "Sweet Nathaniel's Eyes".  I have started doing some more editing/revising on "The Peace Within".  I have also started revising "Little Sister".  I have started a new story with the working title of "The Whole Truth".  I have previously mentioned a couple of story ideas called "The Promise" and "Come Home".  I may make them both one story.  The working title may be "Grace Song".

I have prayed about using the title "Dawn Comes Softly" for my one book of stories - which is a story collection.  I have peace about using the title for now.  It's possible that when I get all of the stories written for it that I may come up with a different title.  I'll see what happens.  For now I really like the title "Dawn Comes Softly".

I have about 5 different story collections that have been started.  In other words, I have 5 books started.  "Dawn Comes Softly" is the one that I want to get copyrighted first before I start sharing stories from it here in my blog.  But I would like to get a couple of more stories written for it before I copyright it.  "The Peace Within", "The Whole Truth", "The Night The Heavens Cried", "Little Sister", and "Grace Song" all come from this book.  "The Night The Heavens Cried" is the story that I would like to share first in my blog.

"Sweet Nathaniel's Eyes" comes from a book (story collection) that I'm thinking about about calling "A Light Shines In The Darkness".  This is a book of stories about various people who live in the town of Kye Valley or who are from there.  I have several stories already written for this book.

"Boundaries" is a story that is from a book (story collection) that's about a family from the town of Shaw Falls.  A possible working title for this book is "Legacy".  Two of the stories have been written so far.

I do have a prayer request.  The Internet has been distracting for me.  News websites, facebook, and twitter can be very addicting.  Please pray that I will make time for writing and getting my stories all finished.  I know that God has called me to write fiction stories, and I want to be faithful to do that.  Thank you.  :)

"A Fictional Place" - part 5

I am continuing with the background history of Kye Valley's Morning Star Fellowship.  I left off last weekend with Ed, Jack, and Marty having a conversation about God's forgiveness.  Here's the rest of their conversation.

3 Friends
Jack became silent while he remembered something from his childhood.  It was something that had always puzzled him in light of God's Word - including this very passage.

Ed noticed that Jack's face had grown serious.  "You're remembering an incident?"

"Yes."  Jack nodded.  "It happened a long time ago when I was a little boy.  I don't remember very many details about it now.  I had an uncle who was raised in the church.  But when he was grown he started getting into trouble, getting into sin, and doing things that he shouldn't.  Later he decided that he wanted to get right with God again.  But our church wouldn't let him come back.  He went over to a couple of other churches in town.  They wouldn't let him in either.  Then he disappeared, and no one ever heard from him again."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Marty answered, "Hopefully he found a church that let him in."

Jack replied, "I have always hoped that."

Marty reminded them of Jesus' ministry on earth as recorded in the Gospels.  Jesus reached out to a woman at a well.  She had been married five times and lived with a man whom she was not married to.  There was a woman who had lived a sinful life.  She washed Jesus' feet with her tears and her hair, and Jesus forgave her.  Jesus also forgave a woman who had been caught in adultery.  There was the parable of the good shepherd looking for his lost sheep.  The shepherd found the lost sheep, brought it home and held a celebration for finding it.  There was also the parable of the prodigal son.  The father waited for his son to come home, hugged him when he saw him, and threw a celebration for his return.

"I'm sure you remember King David in the Old Testament?"  Ed asked.

Jack and Marty both replied, "Yes".

"He committed adultery and murder.  What was his reaction when he was confronted with his sins?"

Marty answered, "He immediately repented."

"Did God remove him from the throne?"

"No."

"I find it interesting that he still wrote psalms after that.  Didn't he write more than half of the psalms?  He was known as the sweet psalmist of Israel.  And Jesus was born in his family line."

"And Jesus was called the Son of David."

Jack questioned, "Isn't it in the New Testament where it says that David was a man after God's own heart?"

Ed replied, "Yes.  I think the Bible says that in a couple of places."