By Josh Weidmann on Sunday, November 29, 2009 12:43 AM

"It cannot be stated too frequently that the life of a Christian is a warfare, an intense conflict, a lifelong contest. It is a battle, moreover, waged against invisible foes, who are ever alert, and ever seeking to entrap, deceive, and ruin the souls of men. The life to which Holy Scripture calls men is no picnic, or holiday junketing. It is no pastime, no pleasure jaunt. It entails effort, wrestling, struggling; it demands the putting forth of the full energy of the spirit in order to frustrate the foe and to come off, at the last, more than conqueror. It is no primrose path, no rose-scented dalliance. From start to finish, it is war. From the hour in which he first draws sword, to that in which he doffs his harness, the Christian warrior is compelled to 'endure hardness like a good soldier.' "

 

By Josh Weidmann on Saturday, November 28, 2009 9:00 AM

Don’t take yourself too seriously, as a person and as a preacher. Remember what you mother often said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

By Josh Weidmann on Friday, November 27, 2009 7:52 PM

I noticed a while ago that C.S. Lewis rarely sites another person. Perhaps he believed that if you can’t say it well yourself, then don’t say it. There is great validity to this. I will strive to speak my own words as often as possible. When someone else has said it better than me, I will let their words stand alone without my commentary.

By Josh Weidmann on Friday, November 27, 2009 5:00 PM

I contemplated this week whether I am a writer or an author. I suppose I am both. However, if I had my druthers I would rather be a writer (though all writers dream of being an author).

An author is someone who is published and spends a lot of his or her time appearing, signing, interviewing and speaking. All of those tasks are fun and inviting, however, they take you away from the task if writing. In the end I suppose they are the necessary evil, but nonetheless they remove you from the task you (should) love.

(I am acutely aware that there are some authors that are not writers at all. I have been one. All they do it dream up things for other people to write and then put their name on the cover. This is precisely what I don’t want to be – anymore.)

A write is someone who always is investing in their skill of crafting words. They read about writing. Talk about writing. Spend time writing – whether they feel like it our not. Most importantly, they write even if they will never be read. If it is only for their own benefit that they record thousands of pages of words, they are fine with that.

I want to be a writer.

By Josh Weidmann on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 7:50 PM