Here’s What You Have Missed at The Blog Pile

The Blog Pile recently moved to http://theblogpile.com/ and if you didn’t move with us, here are some of the posts you missed:

• Reading Is Here To Stay
• Frogger or Blogger?
• Breakfast and a Doubleheader (Visiting Church #45)
• The Value of Spiritual Training
• Three Communication Styles for Writing
• Plus dozens more!

Don’t miss another post. Go to http://theblogpile.com/ and subscribe via email or use our RSS feed.

I hope to see you at the new Blog Pile!

(No new posts will be added to this old blog and it will soon be shut down.)

The Blog Pile is Moving

The Blog Pile is moving to a new home. With a fresh look and powered by WordPress blogging software, the new Blog Pile boasts many improvements:

• A new format makes reading easier.
• Comment with one-click simplicity.
• Subscribers will enjoy a more robust delivery of new posts to their inbox.
• More features are planned for later this year.

Plus the complete archive of past posts has been moved as well.

Go to The new Blog Pile today to check it out, subscribe, or connect to the RSS newsfeed.

[The Blog Pile is written by Peter DeHaan and published by Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc.]

Have You Ever Been Overwhelmed by the Glory of God?

From Peter DeHaan’s “The Bible Blog”:

When Solomon dedicated the temple, the people praised God with much fanfare and then something strange happened.

A cloud formed – inside the building. But there’s more. “The Glory of the Lord filled the temple.” It became so intense that the priests couldn’t even work; God’s presence was that strong. It was extreme.

They became overwhelmed with God’s presence and his glory. But what exactly does that mean?

• It could be the awe of God engulfed them to such an extent that nothing else mattered.
• It could be that fear of being so close to God effectively paralyzed them.
• It could be the cloud was so thick – that is, God’s presence was so heavy – that they literally couldn’t see what they were doing, or
• It could be that with God in the house nothing else mattered.

Regardless of the explanation, we can conclude that God’s presence was so significant that all activity ceased.

Can you imagine worshiping God and collectively feeling his presence to such an extent that all the singers stop singing and all the musicians stop playing? Silence fills the room and nothing else matters. Then the highest form of worship becomes to simply do nothing and bask in his presence.

Have you ever been that overwhelmed with the glory of God?

5 Reasons Why a Writer Should Self-Publish

From Peter DeHaan’s “From the Publisher’s Desk” blog:

Last week we looked at “5 Reasons Why a Writer Should Go With a Traditional Publisher.” Now we’ll give equal time to the opposing view.

Here are five reasons to self-publish.

1) More Control: Self-published authors enjoy more say over their work and the finished product. This can be good and it can work against them, but either way they have more control, usually a lot more.

2) Earn More Per Book: Self-published authors can earn more on each book sale, generally much more. They can earn five times as much or even more.

3) Faster: Production of a self-published book is quicker, putting it in the hands of readers faster than a traditional publisher. This means writers can start selling books sooner and making money quicker.

4) Ideal for Small Niches: If your market is small or hard to reach, traditional publishers will likely not be interested. Self-publishing is ideal for small and undefined markets.

5) Great for Entrepreneurs: Self-publishing is effectively a small business. The entrepreneurially minded will enjoy this route, realizing the rewards of success.

What would you add to this list?

How I Lost Five Pounds

From “The Musings of Peter DeHaan” blog:

Last year I lost five pounds — overnight. Really! This occurred without me eating less or exercising more. How did I achieve this amazing weight loss? Quite simply, I got a new scale. Before you criticize my claim as being misleading, permit me to explain.

My family had long complained about my scale weighing “heavy.” This never bothered me. I simply used it to track changes. A slight decrease gave a reason to cheer, while a slight increase provided an incentive to eat more carefully. The fact that my scale claimed I hovered around 183 mattered little to me – or so I thought.

My family sought to remedy my wayward scale by giving me a new one for my birthday. The new version proclaimed my interaction with gravity to be five pounds less. While my weight didn’t change, my attitude did. I now weighed in at a svelte 178.

With a spring in my step, I strode with more vigor when I walked. When I looked in the mirror, I beamed with greater satisfaction. My clothes even fit better. One hundred and seventy-eight looked good on me. I felt great about myself, my weight, and even my overall health.

I more or less maintained my new weight throughout the year: sometimes more, sometimes less, but always hovering around my new norm. I felt much better at 178 then I did at 183. In reality, nothing changed physically, but my mental attitude did.

Even still, there are family members who claim my new scale weighs high, too.

Maybe they’ll get me another new one. Then I can drop five more pounds. I’d love for my next weigh-in to be 173.

[This is from the December issue of Peter DeHaan's Newsletter. Sign up to receive the complete newsletter each month via email.]

Making Personal Connections (Visiting Church #41)

From Peter DeHaan’s “Spiritually Speaking” blog, the “52 Churches” thread:

“Hi, are you the DeHaans?” The usher’s question surprises me.

“Yes, we are.” I nod, a bit confused but pleased at his acknowledgment.

“I’m Greg.” Then gesturing towards Candy, he explains, “I answered your email.”

I nod again, this time with a smile. “Thank you so much. It’s nice to meet you, Greg.” Either he took time to Google my wife’s picture or they have few visitors and he assumed the new people matched the name in the email. Regardless, his extra effort pleases me. We exchange some quick pleasantries and then head into the sanctuary. With few people milling about and most sitting, we do the same.

The service leans towards formality but in a casual way. We sing hymns with organ accompaniment. Brief bits of liturgy occur throughout. There’s an upbeat song by the choir, followed by a children’s message, prayers, and a sermon. The minister concludes the service with a blessing and dismisses us.

We exit the sanctuary, making our way into the fellowship hall for refreshments. We pick up a beverage and snacks, then look for a place to sit. Many of the tables are full, with the rest hosting people engaged in closed conversations.

I pick an empty table. After a few minutes a woman asks to join us. We gladly welcome her, enjoying a meaningful dialogue as we share our faith journeys. Our conversation warms my heart. She readily understands our sojourn and is able to engage in discussing the vast variations we’ve encountered along the way.

Just as with our fellowship experience two weeks ago, one person made the difference between us feeling welcomed and ignored.

Today marks another memorable Sunday at church, celebrating God in community.

Celebrating the Highs and Lows of Last Year

From Peter DeHaan’s “Spiritually Speaking” blog:

It’s not good to dwell in the past or fixate on what was, but it is wise to periodically review it.

As we recently transitioned from one year to the next, my wife and I spent time with close friends. We recalled our personal highs and lows from the year that was ending.

For those without God in their lives, the results of such an exercise could be ill-advised. For the good that happened, they might take pride in their accomplishments or celebrate the rewards of their hard work. For the negative that occurred, they might curse bad luck or blame others. For them it could be an empty exercise of elevating self and criticizing circumstances.

However, for us – who hold God central to our being – the results were quite different. For our joys, we praised God’s generosity, his provision in our lives. For our sorrows, we celebrated God’s comfort, his carrying us through dark times. In both the good and the not so good, we thanked God. It was a spiritual experience. God was present; we basked in his love.

I recommend periodically taking time to reflect on the high points and the low times of our lives. Annually is a good start, though some do so more often: monthly, weekly, or even each night.

Then we can praise God for his work in our lives.