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Living Life Beyond the Golden Arches . . . My Message to all 2021 Graduates

 I once heard a pastor say that the McDonald’s extra value meal represents everything that is wrong with today’s thinking and contradicts everything that honorable members of society should stand for. For example, the idea behind the extra value meal is this: get as much as possible by giving as little as possible. It causes you to ask questions like “How far can I stretch my dollar?” “How much can I get without it costing me very much?” Now don’t get me wrong… I went through college. I lived on Top Ramen.  I know the value of a dollar.  That’s not my point. The question that we should be asking ourselves is, “What can I give knowing that I might get little or nothing in return? You may have noticed there are not that many people asking those kinds of questions which is why I believe society is quickly unraveling at the seams and there are not very many who care to pick up a needle and thread!

Not only does the value meal glorify an unappetizing outlook, but it also sacrifices nutrition and quality for convenience and quantity. The food offered in an extra value meal is not exactly what you want to base your dietary regime on, and yet it’s offered in the largest amount. Its popularity suggests that people will readily forsake what’s good for them for what conveniently and inexpensively satiates their appetite. How popular would the value menu be if the items you could supersize were salads and grilled tilapia? Society is dependent on people who don’t buy into sacrificing anything for convenience…those who are willing to make choices that do not compromise integrity, core values, or Biblical truth. There are so many opportunities in life to sacrifice these things for convenience. Please don’t do it. We all know the value meal does not hold out in the end…you usually end up with a stomachache and quite possibly multiple trips to the bathroom. Society is dependent on people whose character is defined by what they do when no one is looking, what they do when they know they won’t get caught, and what they do when they know they wouldn’t get praised either! People of true character are so needed more than ever right now!

Aside from just the value meal, the whole McDonald’s mentality is all about speed.  Fast food is exactly what the name implies…it is a quick fix.  Instead of putting time and energy into a homemade dinner, you can be in and out of McDonald’s in 5 minutes with everything from your drink to dessert. Scholarship does not reflect this same principal, as you all well know.  You spend hours studying, you pay attention in class, you absorb knowledge. Scholarship is more than getting the right GPA. It is a life-long love of learning… and that does not happen overnight.  Each time you decide you want to learn something; the experience will be so rewarding that the next time will be that much easier and soon learning becomes a habit. At that point, your desire to learn makes getting A’s easier, and the focus isn’t on the grades anymore, but the acknowledgment that life is full of learning opportunities…embrace it!

Think about McDonald’s slogan… “I’m lovin’  it.” The world says… it’s all about me! I’m hungry…  I gotta feed the need.  An honorable member of society says the opposite and prizes citizenship above all which involves looking out for the needs of a group. It requires you to look beyond your own interests as encouraged in Philippians 2:4 – “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (NIV) I love that Paul doesn’t advocate total selflessness but implores his readers to look beyond personal desires and not let them run your life.

The main topic of this blog has not only made me hungry but reminds me of an event in Jesus’ life recorded in John 4: 31-38. The disciples were urging Jesus to eat something. I’m not totally positive on the background of that, but for some reason they were. Jesus’ response to them was simple: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” As the disciples were wondering who could have snuck him a snack pack, Jesus patiently went on to explain that His sustenance was doing the work of the Father and He was looking for some additional employees. The harvest of men’s souls was ready to be reaped. Others had laid the groundwork and it was time for the disciples to pick up their garden tools. Oftentimes we reap the benefits of someone else’s works. A good leader does that. They learn from other’s mistakes. They learn from other’s examples. You have amazing parents and a heritage of teachers and education that you can reap from and build your leadership style from. You in turn will sew what others will reap. You will lead by example. You will lay the groundwork for your siblings, your friends, or future students to harvest. What you leave behind as you use your God-given leadership abilities to do his will.

And that’s the main point that I want to leave you with.  None of this means anything without a personal relationship with the Lord and a desire and dedication to doing His will. He loves you. He created you. He gave you the characteristics that are recognized in this society.  My charge to you is this: seek to understand how you can use them for God’s glory. He promises to be faithful to complete the good work that he’s begun in you. Allow yourself to be used by him. Do not give into the value meal theology and the McDonald’s mentality. Live your life beyond the Golden Arches. Just some food for thought. Congratulations on all your achievements and the many more that have yet to be seen.

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The Inspiration Behind “The Blue Phoenix and the Silver Foxx”

by Elaine Beth Doebereiner

Readers have expressed a curiosity about where I discovered the inspiration for my first novel. The truth is that the story was born from a dream I had at age 16. I was an aspiring writer in junior high and high school. The only thing I found time for was my poetry, however. I never forgot that dream even into adulthood. I tried several times to sit down and write the story that had been born in my mind. I would get 10 chapters written and then scrap it. Then, a year later, I would write 12 chapters and throw those out, too. The story was not good enough in my eyes. So, I took a long break from it but never stopped thinking about the characters that I had not been able to do justice. Created and birthed in my mind, I watched as they grew up and developed. Soon I was losing sleep thinking about them and their story. The characters had become like children to me and I believed it was my duty to give them life. So, I took the sleepless nights as a sign from God that it was time to finally write this story for real.

The initial dream that I had at 16 was basically just one short incident with one character. A young girl falling from a mountain top with the mission of saving earth. The scenery was vivid, and the girl was so real to me. I constructed the other characters and plot around this singular point of origin. Other constructs came to life as I realized, I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. I have always had this burning desire to help others. What better way to reach an audience then through a story where they can see themselves in the characters and experience what the characters feel? So, I set out to write a book that could be a beacon of hope and inspiration to the world.

I added in the bible verses because I saw them as favorites of the characters writing the journal entries. They serve to make the characters feel more connected to God as they find comfort in His Word and I wanted the readers to feel that same comfort. My desire is that my readers will know that they are not alone. God’s not dead. There is hope. Your prayers are indeed answered even if you don’t realize it at the time. They may be not answered in the way or the timeframe you think they should be but God knows better than we do. Be patient and trust Him. We all make mistakes and those mistakes do not define us, you just have to learn from them and move on. Its healthy to experience sadness, failure and all the bad feels. You cannot grow as a person, or in faith, or in spirituality without facing fear, going out of your comfort zone, and learning from life’s experiences.  If you need guidance or counsel, open the bible, the answers are there.

I also made the characters a hodge podge of people. Different genders, races, ethnicities, angels, humans, demons. . . a total mixture. This was purposefully executed in the hopes that I could convey the fact that it does not matter who you are or where you’re from, you can do the work of God and we can all do it together. We are all His children. We should love one another no matter who or what we are and regardless of the color of our skin. You can choose your own path no matter the manner of your birth or where you came from. You do not have to be perfect to do good things in this world. When you think that God is not doing anything to help the world, stop and think about how much he loves us, His creations, His children. He gave his only son to die on the cross so that we could live. He wouldn’t do something phenomenal like that and then just turn His back on those He sacrificed for. He places special people in our lives on purpose, events happen that shape us, and I believe that angels do walk among us, strategically placed to keep the balance and to help mankind. All you have to do is keep an open mind, be observant, be patient, and have faith.

What started out as just a dream evolved into hopeful inspirational ideals. I pray the world loves the characters and this story as much as I do and I hope it touches the hearts of many around the world. It would be such an honor to know that it helped people and made a difference in their lives.

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The Inspiration Behind “The Four Corners” Trilogy

by C.S. Elston

Admittedly, I’ve told this story before. But it answers a question I get asked a lot and, with the recent release of “The Four Corners of Darkness,” I thought it would be appropriate to, once again, share the inspiration behind the series.

I was driving down the 101 freeway just north of Los Angeles, California, somewhere between Studio City and Sherman Oaks about fifteen or sixteen years ago. Looking out the side window of my Jeep Wrangler as I passed by a sea of houses and apartment complexes, I don’t know why I was thinking about this but, all of the unhappy home environments that exist all around us entered my mind. I thought about the fact that a lot of people who feel unloved, really are in fact loved. They are just in an environment where the people who love them either don’t know how to say it or show it, or they’re too wrapped up in their own problems to recognize the ones they’re causing in the lives of the people they love by simply not expressing the love they really do have deep down. Sometimes, we just overcrowd that love with so much self-created, negative clutter, that no one can see it because it’s like a wonderful gift hidden in the back of the closet where no one will ever have the opportunity to enjoy it.

That got me thinking about how quickly someone’s attitude could change if they were faced with losing the person or people they love. Somehow, that translated into this fantasy world called Kadosh, which is a Hebrew word that means “set apart for a Holy purpose.” In the books, people are being yanked out of the real world and separated onto islands, presumably, for eternity. So, while God intends for these people to love one another, the fact that they are not doing that in the real world gives the demon ruler of this fantasy world the ability to pull them into his realm where he can keep them apart from one another.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And, in an extreme situation like that, the aforementioned gift is going to find itself through the clutter in a hurry. Then what do you do? When love and regret overwhelm you like that, you can’t keep it inside. You must let the people you have those feelings for know about it. In the case of the Snyder family in “The Four Corners,” that means an incredible journey lies ahead. Ultimately, the risk is worth the potential reward.

The sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness” is inspired, at least in part, by a one-act play I acted in while attending college at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I think it was called “Doors” but, I can’t remember for sure and, I have no idea who wrote it. But the play was about a bunch of people who seemed permanently trapped in a house. The doors were locked and couldn’t be opened, and the windows had bars on them. It was an allegory about sin and salvation. Ultimately, someone from the outside, who had been there before and been shown the way out, had to go back inside and pay it forward. In the same way, while the Snyders and a bunch of others find their way back home at the end of the first book, their youngest child, Kinsey, recognized the responsibility that came with that accomplishment. He knew they would have to go back and show those who didn’t take the journey with them the first time, that there is, indeed, a way to get out and go back home. Now that the second book is out, I guess I’d better get to work wrapping this story up with the final installment of “The Four Corners” trilogy. . .