... that stuff about Christian quicksand - Issue #19

Refusing to sink in the sludge

I saw a clip recently of a comedian talking about how, as a kid, he thought quicksand would be a much bigger problem when he grew up.

That’s so true. My younger years were spent in the 80s watching movies and cartoons where it seemed like so many characters fell into quicksand pits.

It was everywhere! Think about it! Krull, The Beastmaster, The Princess Bride, The Neverending Story, and I’m pretty sure there was an Indiana Jones movie with that slowly sinking sinister sludge.

I was terrified of it. I remember playground games where, instead of the floor is lava, we’d pretend you’d sink in quicksand if you stepped off the jungle gym. I believe you had until the count of five to get out of the dirt or you were done for. Did anyone else play this?

I’m proud to say that at 46 years old, I’ve avoided sinking to my demise in that perilous pit of despair. At least physically!

See, that’s the thing. Quicksand may not present a problem in the physical realm, but it exists. That childhood fear is present today as the sinking that occurs when you remain stagnant too long.

When you stay grounded in your comfort zone.

I remember when I was in the military and arrived at my first base in Anchorage, Alaska. During our welcome briefing, they told us all the stuff to watch out for. Like the long days that often led to troops staying out fishing and drinking until 3am because the daylight was deceiving and time passed quickly when sloshed.

Or the combat fishing where aggressive fishers would cut the line of anyone who crossed them.

Or the people who’d go out fishing, step in mud, and stand in one place so long they got stuck. They’d sink. One story was that a guy got ripped in half when a helicopter rescue team tried to pull him out of the mud. See, they didn’t move their feet.

As Christians, we can fall into the same trap. We can grow complacent. Church becomes routine, specific hours are expected, and service needs to run in a series of pre-defined steps.

In our lives, we wake up and pray, maybe read our Bibles, go to work, come home, watch TV, read a book, and go to bed. Not everyone, but I’d bet most of us have a pretty routine schedule. Anything outside of that is unexpected and very much unappreciated.

That’s all Christian quicksand, my friends.

Now, I’m the first to admit I don’t like change. I’m opposed to it with every bone in my body. Jules swears I’m autistic. I’ve never been diagnosed with it, but plenty of signs are there. And change is one of my triggers. Change really bothers me. When I met her, she was way more spontaneous than I was, and it drove me nuts. It still does sometimes.

Only a month ago I was out picking up ingredients for a taco dinner night with snacks for the movie we’d agreed to watch. I was driving out of the store parking lot, trunk full of groceries, when Jules called and said, “Ann called and asked if we want to go out on the boat.”

“What? No, I just bought stuff for dinner and the movie.”

“I already told her yes. Just go with it. I know you don't like change, but you can do this.”

Sounds dramatic, but I REALLY did not want to “do this.” If I'd expected it, sure, but not on short notice! Was she MAD?!?!

So, we went out on the boat… 🤣. I survived.

So, yeah, I need to hear what I’m preaching. Change, growth, is necessary.

For that reason, we’ve visited a couple of different churches just to hear what’s going on around us. We’ve driven to Columbus, Ohio, a couple of times to experience World Harvest Church’s services. And we’ve both started classes at Valor Christian College.

Jules has been enrolled, but I started this week with my Biblical Studies classes. Let me tell you, taking English Composition 1 at my age is difficult. And I can’t wait for math. Ha!

I’m not doing it for the degree. Not really. I’m doing it because I need the growth. I want to learn as much as I can about God, His Kingdom, and what I can do to bring more people to Christ.

My feet were getting stuck in the mud. The quicksand was grabbing hold of me, and I decided to start pedaling. I had to move my legs, get the blood pumping, and become uncomfortable so I could stretch out, grow new muscle, and expand my horizons.

I’m going to write some books that will be truthful but controversial, and I may even dabble in nonfiction.

Jules and I have also been talking about becoming foster parents. We might foster to adopt.

One thing I know for sure is my wife won’t let me drown in the quicksand. She’s always getting me involved in things I’m unsure of. I mean, come on, children’s ministry? We’ve raised 7 kids in total. I didn’t see working with young kids in my future when I moved to West Virginia, but then my wife volunteered and, well, I go where she goes!

Now, she’s looking into the juvenile detention centers and trying to find out how we can start a youth ministry program for the misguided youth in our area. It’s an excellent idea. Will it be comfortable? No. Easy? Not at all. But it’s necessary, and if that’s the call we need to answer, we’ll pick up the phone.

And let me just clarify that pulling yourself out of the mire doesn’t necessarily mean kicking down doors or anything physical, really. It doesn’t mean you have to launch a new ministry or start a big project.

Maybe your escape plan is watching YouTube videos of reliable pastors and evangelists, reading books to enhance your Kingdom knowledge, or joining a group of like-minded Christian warriors like a prayer group or Bible study. Expand your mind, work on your wisdom, exercise your brain... just don’t let the pesky devil weigh you down.

I know I will not let the enemy’s quicksand keep me glued in one spot. He’s not pulling me under.

How about you?

Has there been a time you felt stagnant and had to get yourself moving again? Tell us about it in the comments.

... that stuff about writing

Scatter the Dark, my first Christian supernatural thriller, is doing great! I recently created this book trailer. I did use AI for the scenes, but it’s my story and my voice doing the voiceover. It’s not perfect, but making it was fun.

Here’s the universal link to pick up a copy if you’re interested: https://books2read.com/u/mqR1re

I’ve also paid for a Hindenburg Narrator subscription because my regular recording software wasn’t cutting it. I recorded the first two chapters of the Scatter the Dark audiobook and found out the files weren’t formatted correctly. Supposedly, Hindenburg makes that part a breeze.

Is anyone else using Hindenburg? If so, what do you think?

... that stuff about a song

As usual, I like to add a song at the end of the issue so you might discover new music for your Christian playlist. Finding one specifically about quicksand wasn’t easy. There were a few that I could have used, but I think the song that goes best with this issue isn’t about quicksand, per se, but it is about trusting in God even when you’re stepping out into the unknown. So, basically having faith that He won’t let you sink.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue. If you haven’t already, please subscribe so we can hang out again in future issues. And if you like what you read here, consider sharing it with the button below.

Here’s Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED