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by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas Can books changes lives? We all know the Bible can. But what about fiction? Thinking back on my own reading experiences, I would have to say yes. Reading awakens me to the beauty and strength of words and stories. Stories transport me to worlds I never knew and other places I have no way of knowing. They open my eyes to the ways of people of different cultures and time periods. Books fueled a life-long desire to learn. I know I�m a different person because of books.  The first book I remember reading was The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. Farley�s writing opened my eyes to the world of horses, to life in Arabia, and to the spunk of a boy about my age at the time. I still remember being transported to that place, to that world, and being immersed in it. Sophie�s Choice by William Styron took the historical facts of the Holocaust and made them real through the characters he brought to life. He humanized that devastating time in ways no history bo...

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas As you know from previous posts, I have a heart condition. A serious one. And sometimes it�s tempting to give in to it, to pamper myself, to let it limit my experiences and enjoyment of life. But I don�t. I want to live to the fullest, to enjoy all God has for me. I take care of myself and listen to my wife and the medical team around me so I don�t do stupid. But I won�t let the condition hamper me. Sometimes, I�ve been tempted to give up on writing because of what seems to be insurmountable obstacles and limitations. Building a platform, maintaining a presence on social media, being an active marketer seem beyond my reach at times. Poor sales of my indie books drags at me. Finding an agent seems to have more hoops than a Hula Hoop factory and they all have to be jumped through just right. And they keep moving the hoops. Focusing on the writing itself can overwhelm some of us. Limitations on our time, family responsibilities, health concerns, and our...

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas I was sitting and chatting with a group of writers the other day and one asked, �What makes for a successful writer?� People started to bubble up with definitions and dropping names on both sides of the question. I raised my hand. �How do you define success?�? The silence was like what happens when someone belches at a fancy dinner. Is success programmed into our DNA??Or is success for a writer a whimsical gift distributed apparently without rhyme or reason by the fairy god-agent? ? For me, success is doing what God has called me to do with full commitment and determination for as long as he calls me to do it.? Believe me, he and I have had several discussions about this, especially recently. Well, �discussion� may not be the correct word. Discussion implies two or more people talking. My discussions with him are more like me yakking and complaining and begging and him sitting and smiling, waiting for me to finish my rant.  Then he would ask...

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas Do you ever get the feeling life is running out of control and you�re racing like a car in the Indy 500? And falling further behind the rest of the cars no matter how fast you go? And your pit crew looks like the Three Stooges on steroids? A few months ago, my wife and I were going through a time such as this. We were involved in a ministry we love at our church and there always seemed to be more we could do to take our service to the new areas and levels.   We became grandparents for the third time. Our new grandson is an eight-hour drive away. Close but it�s not a day trip. It�s at least three days. We�re blessed with new friendships, close relationships we treasure.  The busier we get, the more things we can get involved in. All good things.  Then add work, keeping up with the rest of our scattered family and the routines maintaining the house and cars and other stuff. My own workload added to the frenetic pace. I had set a due date ...

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas Stress: a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existing equilibrium (Miriam-Webster�s Collegiate Dictionary, 11thEdition) If we�re breathing, we all feel stress. Something is always trying to disrupt our equilibrium. I remember a line from a movie in which someone asked a character how he handles stress. His reply: �I find the source of the stress and I break its kneecaps.� That sounded like a great solution to me until I discovered stress is more often internal than external. The stress comes from how I react to external factors in my life. And my reaction changes those external forces very little because I�m looking in the wrong direction. Here are some sources of stress. The belief that I have to be control otherwise things won�t happen. I don�t trust people to whom I delegate tasks to do things the way I think they need to be done.   When I get into discussions that turn to arguments because the other...