Filing for Spiritual Chapter 11 Protection

Every other day it seems news breaks about another business going belly up and filing for bankruptcy. Earlier this week Hostess became the latest company to bite the cream-filled dust.

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A Trip to Hell with Screwtape

Max McLean as Screwtape

In describing the process of writing The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis said, “I never wrote with less enjoyment . . . The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch.” Nevertheless, Lewis’ book of diabolical epistles remains one of his most popular works, as Fellowship for the Performing Arts’ successful and highly praised stage adaption proves.

 

Blog of the Living Dead

I love zombies. Always have. As kids, my brother (also a big fan of zombies) and I would gurgle lines from classic zombie films and record them as the outgoing message for our answering machine. Our mother was less than thrilled.

 

Grappling with Grace

Most writers are probably familiar with the saying “Writing is easy … just open a vein.” We pour passion into our words. And once pen hits paper, our vulnerable selves are open to critique. Sometimes the response is harsh, à la “Nobody reads your blog.” Other times the response is constructive, like “This would work better if…” The latter is what we always hope to hear, but it doesn’t often work out that way—especially when those words are on the Internet. (Anonymity has a way of breeding cruelty, does it not?)

 

These Vamps Don’t Bite

It’s the day Twilight fans around the country have been dying for. Some have squirmed and squealed—with Team Edward or Jacob shirts at the ready—for the long awaited 12:01 AM premiere. (Count me in that group!) Others have had the willpower to hold off ’till daylight. Whichever camp they’re in, Twilight fans are salivating over New Moon, the latest film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling saga.

But Meyer’s vampiric phenom is more than just a story about an average teenage girl and her vampire boyfriend.

 

Not Good Enough? You’ve Got Company

“I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me.”

These are the words of self-help guru Stuart Smalley, a Saturday Night Live character played by Al Franken (yes, the Minnesota senator).

Though Smalley’s daily affirmations were merely a playful gibe at those offered from real twelve-step groups, the message rings true for many. If we’re good, smart, and likeable, that ought to be enough.

But how good is good enough for heaven?