"Whatever is True" Part I

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true…think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Our first standard for fiction guidelines is to think about whatever is true. But how can fiction be “true”? It’s not factual. It’s not real. By its very definition, fiction is a fabrication, making up most of the people, places, and events found within its frame. It is, you might say, founded on “untruth.”

But the word true means more than facts. It refers to things “conforming to reality.” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary)

So does fiction conform to reality?

Some types of fiction are a clear yes. Contemporary novels conform to present reality. Historical novels conform to the facts of history. Many storyworlds of other genres—thrillers, romances, even some time travel novels—conform to facts because their settings are Biblical, historical, or contemporary.

What about the fiction that are set in worlds that don’t conform to these constraints—alternate reality, fantasy, some science-fiction?

On the other hand, must what is “true” be confined to what has been documented (history)? Or are the only “real” things what can be measured, analyzed, and observed by the five senses (science)?

After all, the Bible makes it clear that much goes on beyond a physical realm—just read Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation or do a study of angels, demons, and the spirit/soul. So who's to say that the fantastical might not reflect reality more than we know?

But more than that, the Bible also has statements of reality that don’t belong to history or science. For example, in Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned.” That is not a scientific fact. Nor is it historical fact, although history can be used to verify it. It is a statement about life that transcends time, people, and place—as a quick survey of history and the world around us will show. Therefore, since these moral truths transcend boundaries, it is possible for fiction to create a realm nothing like our own and still conform to reality.

So can fiction be "true"? I'd say most definitely yes, no matter what the genre.

Feet on the ground, head in the clouds,
Chawna Schroeder

CSFF Blog Tour: Sharon on Restorer, fantasy, and show tunes, Part 2

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Sharon Hinck, author of The Restorer.

Today I'm going to start off by playing a little bit of devil's advocate: Why did you use fantasy to tell this story of a heroic mom? Can't moms be heroic in the contemporary world too?

Sharon: I do also write contemporary novels about women making heroic choices. However, fantasy allows a way to look at things from a new angle. I think I chose the genre for purely selfish reasons. Sci-fi and fantasy novels have been among my favorites over the years. I wrote the book I wanted to read. :-)

C: I think both C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle each wrote their classics for the same basic reason. So you're walking with the greats!

And for those unfamiliar with Sharon’s other books, I would like to recommend them to check out her contemporary novels, The Secret Life of Becky Miller and Renovating Becky Miller, about a mom who makes—as Sharon would put it—heroic choices in the modern world.

Now obviously, you enjoy the sci-fi/fantasy realm. Yet this can be a very scary genre, especially when you look at some of the secular stuff. What do you see as the advantages of sci-fi/fantasy, especially CSFF?

S: Hmmm. I’m not sure that I think the genre has particularly scary stuff, any more than other genres. I do think speculative fiction can be a powerful way to look at old truths from new directions – and gain some different perspective. I’ve always been interested in the stories of the Judges, and in Deborah, and wondered what a modern woman would look like filling that sort of role.

C: I love CSFF for the same reasons. But nonetheless, scary or not, many Christians are wary of the genre because of its connections (perceived or real) with witchcraft and the occult. What encouragement or advice can you offer someone who's wants to try the genre but is afraid of getting mixed-up in the wrong stuff?

S: For someone who wants to try WRITING in the genre I think most writers benefit from both writing mentors and spiritual mentors. It’s great to have trusted critique partners who will say, “this section is not only dark, but it makes the darkness too appealing or intriguing” or “what are the theological implications of having this created culture function in this way?” I think the advice I’d give is the same whether you are writing pioneer historicals or chick lit or speculative fiction. Be plugged into your local church, be part of a small accountable community, seek prayer support, learn from others working in the genre.

For READING the genre you need the same discernment as you apply to any media you consume. Apply scripture, be sensitive to your conscience as it guides you, look at the effect certain kinds of books or stories have on you. Does it ultimately draw you closer to Christ, make you hunger to serve Him? Help you celebrate the universe He created? Stir you to love others? Even the light books I read for pure entertainment can sometimes remind me of important truths. Even the dark books that poignantly reflect the human struggle and the sin-sick world can stir me to deeper compassion and a desire to make a difference for those who are hurting.

C: So how has your faith intersected with the fantasy of Restorer? What effect has writing had on you or how have you grown through it?

S: I think some of the themes I write about come from struggles and questions that are fresh or immediate in my recent faith walk. But the interesting thing is, rather than “solving” those issues through the writing, I often seem to “live out” the challenges of my books again. While I wrote Susan’s story, I often reflected on some of the past roles I took up that were in-over-my-head tasks where I felt God had called me. Mission trips to Hong Kong, founding and directing an arts organization, being a parent (Lol!). I hoped the story could reflect some things I’d learned on those journeys.

Yet the adventure of writing a book, then stepping into the CBA world to offer it – the waiting, the “not knowing,” the strange and different culture, the taboos I blundered against, the mental discouragement – has been another whole challenging journey. These years after writing the book have given me ample time to practice faith in new ways, battle mind poison, and surrender to God more deeply, which I’m reminded about by Susan.

C: And neither your journey nor Susan's ends with The Restorer. Book two of The Sword of Lyric, The Restorer's Son, releases in September. What would you like readers to know about Restorer's Son, besides that it's your favorite?

S: LOL! Readers will get more glimpses into the cultures of nations surrounding the People of the Verses, Susan has even greater challenges in discerning friend from foe, and a favorite character runs amok. :-) Is that enough?

C: At least for now. :o)

Thank you so much, Sharon, for taking time to chat with me and answer all my questions. This has been both a pleasure and a privilege for me.

Thanks for inviting me to visit!
Blessings!
Sharon

Your interest peaked? Click here to order The Restorer today!

CSFF Blog Tour: Sharon on Restorer, fantasy, and show tunes, Part 1

Today it’s my privilege to welcome to my blog Sharon Hinck, author of The Restorer, a gracious friend and encouraging mentor—even if she leaves notes on the kitchen table for her characters. (Thankfully none of them have written her back. Yet.)

Sharon: Hi, Chawna!

C: First off, to prove that you are truly human, not some name on a book cover, what was the craziest thing you did concerning Restorer?

S: So I have to start off by showing my ridiculous side, eh? Okay. Minutes before leaving for the airport on my way to a writer’s conference where I’d be pitching the brand new proposal for The Restorer to agents and editors, terror suddenly squeezed every cell in my body. The only way I could muster courage to drag myself out to the car was to sing. Show tunes. Loudly.

Yep. Before leaving, I stood in my living room and belted out “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story. “Who knows....could be...there’s something due any day, I will know, right away, soon as it shows...Something’s coming, I don’t know, what it is, but it is, gonna be great.” Did I mention top-of-my-lungs loudly?

Yeah, I know. My family despairs sometimes.

However, for struggling writers, I highly recommend that song. You can check out the lyrics if you haven’t already memorized the entire score of West Side Story (like some crazy writer I know): "Something's Coming"

C: Hmm. I wonder who that could be? Personally I prefer the music and script from Hello, Dolly, but "Here, have some more beets, Horace dear," doesn't have the same ring, does it?

Now, I know that perhaps more than your other books, Restorer is your baby. What is the best part of finally seeing The Restorer published?

S: The best thing by far is hearing from readers about themes that encouraged them, characters they loved, or how they lost sleep because the story grabbed them. I’ve loved these characters for so long, it’s a blast to hear from other people who’ve gotten to meet them now.

C: Unforantely, most things also have a downside. What's the worst part of seeing The Restorer published?

S: Putting something out there that I care so much about is scary.
(Hmmm. Maybe I need to start singing show tunes again – “Cock-eyed Optimist” from South Pacific would be a good one).

C: LOL! And I thought I had a lot of show tunes crammed into my head.

So what reader do you hope to reach with Restorer?

S: Anyone who has found the journey of being a Christ-follower harder than they expected. Those who are a little weary at this point in the road, who need renewed courage, or who are struggling with the honest questions of suffering, destiny, calling, and service.

C: And what would you like those readers to receive from The Restorer?

S: C.S. Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone.” I hope readers will be immersed in an entertaining adventure, but also be encouraged that they aren’t alone. Life DOES seem to grab us into an unexpected universe sometimes. When a friend dies of cancer, or a marriage fractures, or a child rebels, or the dream job crashes around your ears, it feels like you’ve been pulled into a completely foreign world, and asked to fill a role that can seem impossible. Sometimes we need a friend to “sing us back” from the Rhusican poison. Sometimes a novel can be that kind of friend.

C: I know that feeling! And I doubt it will be the last time either.

But now I must end my post before it becomes too long. I hope everyone will stop by again tomorrow to check out Part II!

CSFF Blog Tour: The Sword of Lyric

Title: The Restorer

Series: The Sword of Lyric #1

Author: Sharon Hinck

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Alternate Reality

Chapter One of The Restorer:

The attic hideaway was all Mark’s idea. He meant to be helpful, and I admit he had good reason to be worried about me.

I couldn’t seem to cope with the little things anymore—scrubbing jam off the kitchen counter for the millionth time, carrying decaying science projects out to the garbage, answering the constant questions from two teens and two grade-schoolers. Was I the only person in the house who knew where to find clean socks?

Self-help books told me to regroup—find time to feed my soul. But when I’d sit at the kitchen table with my journal, the children would fly toward me like metal filings to a magnet.

Mark had noticed how often I’d been snapping at the kids. More troubling than my short temper, a heavy fog had settled on me. It pressed down with growing weight and separated me from everyone else. I didn’t have the energy to care anymore.

One day, in his typical determination to fix things, Mark pulled me toward our back hallway. “Susan, I have a plan.”

A suburban mom fighting depression accidentally crashes into the midst of murder, political intrigue, and a world desperate for a restorer.

The Writing: Overall the writing of The Restorer is clean, straightforward, and easy to read. It’s not the fastest-paced book ever written, but I don’t think it was intended to be. It does take several chapters to settle into the story, a bit longer than your average plot, but once it hits full stride, The Restorer strings you along in ever-growing conflict that only sags slightly near the middle. However, in the end, the story climaxes in such a way that makes the journey worth it.

The massive description, common to many sci-fi and fantasy books, is noticeably lacking within Ms. Hinck’s novel. There’s plenty of description to provide the feel of the new world, but it is integrated with the action so well that I rarely ever noticed it. More than that, the description is neither complex nor high-sounding—another common problem in sci-fi/fantasy novels—but is solidly grounded in the voice of the protagonist. Who else but a mom would look at buildings and see her kids’ Play-Doh creations?

And the characters of The Restorer, with perhaps the exception of the villain, are complex people with flaws, virtues, and struggles that we all face. The protagonist, Susan Mitchell, is especially well-drawn and grants me the type of hero I’ve wanted to see in this type of story for a long time. Far too many protagonists seem to accept their entry into a strange world all too flawlessly. After all, how many of us would feel brave, clear-thinking, and ready to explore like they seem to be? I know I wouldn’t—I’d probably be more likely to curl up under the nearest tree-like plant and cry. So when I read about Susan’s terror, bewilderment, and longing just to wake up from this nightmare, I found a character with whom I can identify and sympathize.

The Story: This is perhaps The Restorer’s greatest strength, just like in Ms. Hinck’s other books. She weaves in seamlessly allusions that help shed light on the Bible without turning the story into an allegory, and the story demonstrates effectively the power of Scripture, something I think we far too often discount. I am also encouraged by how the characters sometimes have to wrestle with the different aspects of the same problem over and over. Often in books characters learn their lessons the first time around, and for me at least, growth doesn’t usually work that way.

The Summary: Though neither flawless nor extremely fast-paced, The Restorer manages to present an unusually realistic reflection of life in an unfamiliar setting with plenty of adventure along the way. The violence portrayed is not done excessively or in an overly explicit manner. Therefore, The Restorer is enjoyable read for voracious readers of fantasy—both teen and adult—while the easy reading and well-done descriptions makes this story accessible to those less familiar with the genre.

Rating: 4.2 of 5

Curious what others are saying? Check out some of the tour's other bloggers:

Trish Anderson, Brandon Barr, Jim Black, Justin Boyer, Grace Bridges, Amy Browning, Jackie Castle, Valerie Comer, Karri Compton, Frank Creed, Lisa Cromwell, CSFF Blog Tour, Gene Curtis, D. G. D. Davidson, Chris Deanne, Jeff Draper, April Erwin, Beth Goddard, Marcus Goodyear, Andrea Graham, Russell Griffith, Jill Hart, Katie Hart, Sherrie Hibbs, Heather R. Hunt, Becca Johnson, Jason Joyner, Kait, Karen, Dawn King, Tina Kulesa, Lost Genre Guild, Rachel Marks, Rebecca LuElla Miller, Eve Nielsen, John W. Otte, John Ottinger, Rachelle, Cheryl Russel, Hanna Sandvig, Mirtika Schultz, Steve Trower, Speculative Faith, Jason Waguespac, and Daniel I. Weaver

(Book 2 reviewed here and Book 3 here.)

A CSFF Blog Tour Starring Sharon Hinck!

It’s time for the Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy (CSFF) Blog Tour, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! This month we’re featuring my good friend and writing mentor Sharon Hinck along with her newest release, The Restorer.

I met Sharon two-and-a-half years ago at a small, local conference, where we intended to pitch novels to an editor in attendance—a modern-day legend by me, a mom-lit with twist by her. Since appointments were made the morning of the first day, we both arrived extra early to sign up.

This left us with excess time before class, so we started talking—or rather she pulled me into conversation. Soon we discovered we shared a love for Christian science-fiction and fantasy—what else?—and I clicked with her. And throughout the conference, Sharon checked up on me several times, praying with me before my appointment (a first for me), and celebrating when we both received permission to send proposals into the publisher.

After the conference, we kept in touch. Her novel, The Secret Life of Becky Miller, was accepted for publication and we rejoiced. My proposal was rejected and Sharon gave me permission to mourn—before giving me a kick to keep writing. We swapped e-mails, then chapters and ideas when she drew me into her critique group when I had to withdraw from my previous group.

And through it all, Sharon has proven herself to be a beautiful daughter of God: gracious, generous, encouraging, everything I want to be when I grow up. I consider myself very blessed to sit at the fringes of her circle of friends--which is large indeed, even if she stubbornly insists she’s an introvert. :o)

Feet on the ground, head in the clouds,
Chawna Schroeder

While I could be tempted to recommend Sharon’s books just because of who she is, her books can well stand on their own—as I intend to prove with my book review of The Restorertomorrow. In the meantime, check out Sharon's blog and what else people are saying about this very cool book:

Trish Anderson, Brandon Barr, Jim Black, Justin Boyer, Grace Bridges, Amy Browning, Jackie Castle, Valerie Comer, Karri Compton, Frank Creed, Lisa Cromwell, CSFF Blog Tour, Gene Curtis, D. G. D. Davidson, Chris Deanne, Jeff Draper, April Erwin, Beth Goddard, Marcus Goodyear, Andrea Graham, Russell Griffith, Jill Hart, Katie Hart, Sherrie Hibbs, Heather R. Hunt, Becca Johnson, Jason Joyner, Kait, Karen, Dawn King, Tina Kulesa, Lost Genre Guild, Rachel Marks, Rebecca LuElla Miller, Eve Nielsen, John W. Otte, John Ottinger, Rachelle, Cheryl Russel, Hanna Sandvig, Chawna Schroeder, Mirtika Schultz, Steve Trower, Speculative Faith, Jason Waguespac, and Daniel I. Weaver.

Fifth Man

Title: The Fifth Man

Series: Sequel to Oxygen

Authors: John B. Olson & Randall Ingermanson

Genre: Adult Near Future Science Fiction

Chapter One of The Fifth Man:

Water.Valkerie Jansen forced one foot in front of the other, a weary survivor on a death march across a dry and barren planet. Water. Valkerie’s soul cried out for it. A patch of frost. A dark stain in the dust. Subterranean ice…

Dray dust coated her visor-red streaks across a blur of powder-white scuffs. The grit was everywhere. Valkerie could taste it, acrid and dry in the filtered air she breathed. She could feel it grinding in the joints of her EVA suit, eating deeper and deeper into the fragile seals that stood between her and death.

She plodded to the edge of a deep canyon and scanned the rocky walls below. Heavily shadowed grooves started at a point a hundred meters below her and snaked their way down the rocky walls, dividing into smaller and smaller subbranches. Weeping fissures. They looked so promising, so much like erosion gullies back on earth. But where was the water? She and Lex had searched hundreds of fissures, but they were all dry. Dry as…the rest of Mars.

Life-threatening disasters strike four astronauts on Mars--with no explanation.

The Writing: As before with Oxygen, The Fifth Man is strong, clean writing with a fast-paced plot that resembles a thriller more than your typical science-fiction book. And unlike Oxygen there’s no slow-down in the middle. The plot quickly accelerates to full-speed by the end of first chapter and doesn’t let up until the last page.

The Story: The story is challenging, daring the readers to think beyond the box concerning creation and ethics, and once more not all the questions raised will be answered by the end.

Summary: As with Oxygen, The Fifth Man is an entertaining and thought-provoking book, well-written, able to be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.

Rating: 4.3 of 5

Castles

In my household, we’ve been doing some spring cleaning—digging through closets, washing up curtains, stirring up tons (or at least a few pounds) of dust. The works. It’s amazing what is found in the dark recesses of a house, like my castle pictured at the left.

This castle was my big fifth-grade project. I spent weeks and weeks laboring over it, drawing in arrow-loops, designing a one-of-a-kind moat, and building a working drawbridge. When I finished, I was so proud of my construction that I kept it around instead of tossing it like many other projects.

As you can see, though, storage hasn’t been kind to my construction-paper castle. My walls have fallen over, the turrets are toppled, and my impenetrable fortress is no longer so impenetrable. A far cry from the mortar and stone predecessors that survived hundreds of years before crumbling.

But are the castles I build in my own life any better? My life gets crazy with activities and complications, so I create walls of inflexible schedules. I fear failure and being unimportant; I build impressive towers to display the flags of achievement. People criticize and hurt me; I dig a moat of emotional distance and install a drawbridge that I may or may not lower if you prove worthy. After all, I am the master of my life, lord of my castle…right?

Then disaster strikes—that unexpected thing no one can control—and I discover my castle is not built of stone and mortar, but of paper and glue. My moat is torn, my walls flattened, my towers knocked over, and my defenses destroyed. I am reminded once more that there is only one impenetrable castle, only one refuge of safety…and I’m not master of it.

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe—
His craft and pow’r are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He—
Lord Sabaoth His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

--Martin Luther, “A Might Fortress Is Our God”

Philippians 4:8—“Whatever”

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Thus far in our study, we’ve established this verse’s context, audience, and the application of the qualities listed in the middle. Now we turn to the good stuff sandwiched in the middle, starting with the “condiment” that seeps through and ties everything together.

Whatever: How much does whatever include? Only the things we like? Only that which makes us feel good? Only that produced by vocal Christians?It’s more inclusive than that, isn’t it? If anything—Christian or not—falls within these categories, Paul instructs us to think about, meditate on, absorb such things.

That’s why we can enjoy films and books of the gray areas: Guarded by the peace of God, we find what conforms to this verse’s standards and dwell on those aspects, discarding the rest from our mind.

What does that mean for us? If a book or movie—Christian or non-Christian—causes us to dwell on that which does not conform to these guidelines or causes fantasizing about what’s declared evil in the Bible, we should avoid it. No matter if there’s good in it; it’ll hurt more than help.

And therein we have our first rule of thumb for fiction.

Feet on the ground, head in the clouds,
Chawna Schroeder

Oxygen

Title: Oxygen

Authors: John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson

Genre: Adult Near-future Science Fiction

Chapter One of Oxygen:

Valkerie woke up screaming. A viper bat clung to her face with fish-hook claws, smothering her with its thin, leathery body. She tore at her face, but the creature had dug in too deep. She could already feel its venom burning into her lungs, constricting her chest in a long, convulsive cough. Struggling for control, she traced the contours of her face with tingling fingertips. Slowly, the clinging creature melted into her skin, fading back into the world of dreams.

The nightmare gradually faded, giving way to a new, more gripping terror. Valkerie was wide awake now. There was no such thing as a viper bat. But she still couldn’t breathe.

Valkerie flung herself from the camping cot and thudded to the floor. She lay on her back, gasping for breath. She was hyperventilating, but the burning in her lungs grew worse. An acrid stench filled the cabin—the smell of sulfur dioxide—SO2.

“Oh no.” The volcano was venting. “Oh God, please…” Valkerie rolled over and fought her way up onto her hands and knees. Dim red light filtered in through the cabin window, illuminating a large duffel bag in the middle of the room. She crawled slowly toward the bag, struggling through the coughs that wracked her body.

“Please, God.” Squeezing her eyes shut against the pain in her cramping muscles, Valkerie inched forward until she felt the heavy canvas. She dug underneath a metallic thermal suit and pressed her breather to her face. Her lungs choked shut at the rush of acidic gas.

A microbial ecologist gets caught up in a manned mission to Mars mired in disaster.

The Writing: It’s hard to find anything to criticize in Oxygen. It still lacks that indescribable pull that some books have, but not for lack of good writing. Clear and concise, the story has three-dimensional characters propelled by a plot that moves rapidly most of the time. It does bog down in the middle some, caused by a necessary time jump that makes me feel like I’m restarting the book. But Olson and Ingermanson soon shake this slowness, and the plot twists, which I’m usually pretty good at figuring out, kept me guessing until the end.

The Story: A very clean story and not a sermon in sight! Very refreshing. But if you prefer stories that are brainless, this isn’t for you. Oxygen does not shy away from asking some challenging questions—not all of which it will answer.

Summary: A page-turner with thought-provoking content—you can’t lose with this combination.

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

(Fifth Man, the sequel to Oxygen, reviewed here.)

One Step at a Time

Driving a car is difficult for me.

Give me a written quiz about everything I’m supposed to do on the road, and I’ll coolly pass with flying colors. But stick me behind the wheel of a car and ask me to do the same, and suddenly I’m tense and easily flustered—especially if I’m driving in unfamiliar territory.

But I still like the freedom to go and can’t always depend on someone else to drive me. So I’ve learned a few tricks to cut down on potential panic, mainly by knowing where I’m going and exactly how I’ll get there.

A good way to drive. Not such a great way to live, especially since God refuses to operate that way.

For some reason, he won’t explain what my route is, street by street. He won’t tell me what construction, roadblocks, or traffic I’ll encounter. Often he won’t even give me a precise notion of where I’m supposed to be heading!

So I grumble about having to walk blindly forward, not knowing if I really am going forward.

But despite all my grumbling, I’ve discovered that often isn’t true. God rarely asks me—at least in my limited experience—to walk blindly. He just insists I take the step I see in front of me before he shows me the second one and take the second one before he reveals the third.

Not an easy way to walk for a “Show me all the directions” person like me. Yet God has never failed to bring me to my destination safely and right on time. Isn’t that just like Him?

Feet on the ground, head in the clouds,
Chawna Schroeder

Philippians 4:8—“Think about such things”

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

To effectively build guidelines, we need to lay a firm Biblical foundation. Philippians 4:8 can provide such a foundation, but first we must take it apart word by word.

Last week, we considered the opening—“Finally, brothers”—which provides the verse’s context and readership. This week I want to look at the last words to bookend the list in the middle.

Think about such things: Simple enough command to interpret, right? After all, it’s not like thinking is uncommon or hard to do. We do it all the time.

But not all thinking is alike.

When you daydream, your thinking flit here and there and back again, scampering down rabbit trails and making large leaps of logic, the topics of thought lacking any cohesiveness.

But try to plan a party the way you daydream. You’d be liable to have an August wedding with birthday cake, presents wrapped in Christmas paper, and Thanksgiving turkeys decorating the reception hall—if you remember the decorations at all!

No, when you plan, your thinking is orderly and on one topic, full of lists (cake, present, decorations, invitations) and time sequencing (bake the cake, hang decorations, cool the cake, wrap presents, ice the cake). Random thoughts may occur during this process, but they are quickly discarded.

Now consider when you memorize math facts, Bible verses, and grocery lists. Totally different, isn’t it? Here your thinking is neither random nor progressive; it’s repetitive.

That’s only three types of thinking—and the Greek has fifteen different verbs for “to think”! So what kind of thinking did Paul have in mind when he penned Philippians 4:8?

This think (the Greek verb logizomai) “primarily signifies ‘to reckon,’ whether by calculation or imputation” and thus it also means to make something the subject of your thoughtful consideration or “to think upon a matter by way of taking account of its character.” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary)

In short, Paul has in mind a separation of wheat and chaff—the good and the bad—by consideration of character. Then when we have the wheat separated, we are to ingest it like a cud-chewing cow—to make the good ours through continuous meditation.

And what are “such things” we are to ingest? That’s where the list sandwiched between comes in.

Feet on the ground, head in the clouds,
Chawna Schroeder