In the Zone

Matt Todd is a graphics designer who helped with the Sheep Among Wolves book series I co-wrote with Tony Harmon. The second book, The Gathering, is out now.  Click here for the Kindle version. As part of our promotion, Tony interviewed Matt for the my blog.  Here's the interview. Question 1:   How did you get into graphic design? Answer: I remember drawing became my first passion. I would draw Disney comics, super heroes like the Hulk , and even my favorite cars like the General Lee  from the Dukes of Hazard  television show. I knew early on that I wanted to do something related to creating art in some form. After high school and working various jobs, I looked back to my art for some direction. After some research, I discovered that Graphic Design was a perfect niche for me as it encompassed so many aspects of the art world that I enjoyed. I went to Eastern Kentucky University, graduated, and have been busy in the field ever since.  ...

"I believed in Jesus.  I went to church all the time.  Then my dad got sick.  I prayed for him to get better, but he never did.  So I stopped praying." I have heard a version of this story many times.  I'll ask people about their faith or spiritual beliefs and sometimes I come across stories similar to this one.  Something happened--an illness or job loss or a death--and it caused the person to abandon their faith.  For some reason, they didn't believe God existed or cared or had the power to intervene.  Maybe they never did. Far too often in our society, we take the easy way out.  As human beings, we like the path of least resistance.  If it doesn't fit with our own ideology, we drop it instead of seeking a great understanding of what is happening. Or, as the popular phrase goes, when the going gets tough, we go. In our society, we have the universal belief that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad pe...

Isn't amazing then when eyes are on us, we always work a little harder, clean a little better and pay attention just a little bit more? I always make the joke that we host a lot of people in our house because it forces us to clean house often.  It's a joke because we do clean house regularly.  But there is also some truth in the joke.  You see, if you know someone is coming to your house, you make sure it is extra clean.  When eyes are on you, you do a better job.  (And truth be told, we do clean more thoroughly when we know company is coming over.) It's not only like that in our homes.  We have the same work ethic in our jobs.  In our superiors are coming around, we make sure to look busy at our work, clean up our stations and do everything by the book.  We want to impress our bosses, so we work extra hard when their eyes are watching what we do. Paul, though, says that's not the way believers in Christ should operate.  In Ephesians ...

Pictured to the right is a Yield sign. If you drive, you probably know this sign pretty well.  (In fact, one is located on the intersection next to my house.)  It means you must yield to oncoming traffic. The traffic on the other road has the right of way, so you must let them go first. A yield sign is intended for our safety.  The traffic on the other road cannot safely stop to let oncoming traffic merge.  Therefore, we must stop and only merge into a new lane when it is safe to do so.  Ignoring a yield sign could earn you a ticket (at the least) or cause a major accident (at the worst). Safe drivers honor yield signs.  It makes sure traffic flows smoothly and you do not put others in unnecessary danger.  We voluntarily submit to on-coming traffic for the good of everyone involved.  No one questions a yield sign. Yet, we often question why we should submit in marriage. Submission has gotten a lot of publicity lately, especially with t...

A few years ago at a church sponsored event, I noticed several young ladies and women who had distanced themselves from the crowd.  While most of the people stayed in a rather central location and talked, these women, ranging from age 15-40, had quietly moved to a more remote location just within view. Why had these women separated from the group?  To talk about Fifty Shades of Grey, the novel all of them had recently read.  Their conversation had started when they revealed to one another they read the book.  When the conversation grew larger and they realized people could hear, they quietly moved away from people to discuss the intimate details of the book. If you don't know about Fifty Shades of Grey, it's a trilogy of novels about a young girl who is seduced by a rich man and features explicit sexual encounters that include violence and domination.  It is not for the feint of heart.  It is so explicit that the movie being released this week ...

Recently, my daughter broke a piggy bank. She had stacked a load of stuff, including a coat, toys and her piggy bank, on top of a desk in her room.  As she reached for her coat, she tugged it off, crashing many of the things, including the piggy bank, to the floor.  Pickles the Piggy Bank didn't survive.  The plastic split in two, chipping part of his "face" and spilling coins and money all over the floor. Immediately, she began to cry.  "I broke Pickles," she wailed.  Over and over she cried about the loss of her piggy bank (even though she has two.)  I tried to use that moment to teach her a lesson.  I explained that had she not piled up her things on the desk, then Pickles would not have broken.  I wanted her to see that keeping a neat, orderly room prevented accidents like these. I'm not sure she got the message.  She was still crying at the time. We can know the right thing to do and still not do it.  That's the difference...

"It's been three minutes.  Do you want to start chest compression?" I stood next to my wife, who had just given birth to our son, as the nurses and doctors, swarmed my son and tried to get him to breathe.  I knew almost immediately that something was wrong.  I never got to cut his umbilical chord and I had yet to hear him cry. I never prayed harder in my life.  I just watched as they scrambled to get my son to take his first breath.  Thankfully, a few seconds before chest compression began, he took a breath and let out a scream.  His heart rate climbed too.  After a brief 24-hour stay in the NICU, he was right as rain. I share that story to emphasize the importance of breath.  Breath gives life and without it, we cannot live.  Breathing allows us to move and function and provides necessary oxygen for our brain, organs and tissue.  Getting full breaths makes us awake, alert, and active. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul writes th...