Take My Online Poll

January 17, 2014

Dear Faithful Readers:

I am conducting an online poll on my blog homepage so that you can help determine which topics are chosen for future posts.  Now the reason for this isn't because I have run out of ideas, but because I really want your input and opinions.

I have listed a number of possible topics.  You may vote for more than one.  The poll will last six days.  If you don't find a topic that you are interested in, then I encourage you to email/message me and suggest one of your own.

Here is the list of topics:

• My Experience of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• More Top Ten Lists of Books
• Answer Your Questions
• My Adventures in Crock Pot Cooking
• My Anti-Bucket List (Things I Would Never Do) 
• My Upcoming Book Projects
• Sneak Peak (On What I'm Writing)
• Tech I Can't Live Without
• The Process of Writing and Publishing
• Someone Who Has Inspired Me
• A Day in the Life Of...
• Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?

My hope is that the readership for this blog will grow because there are interesting things to read here.  I also hope a type of online community will form around these various blog postings.

To participate in this poll, please go to my blog page - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and you will see the poll in the right hand side of the page, immediately beneath the "About Me" section.

To suggest a topic of your own, you can contact me through the blog post form or email me directly at: stephen@stephenarhodes.com.

Cheers,

Steve
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P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

January 16, 2014

Introducing a New Series: "My Top Ten in Books"

Everyone (well, most everyone) enjoys lists.  They are simple, informational and fun.  A good list brings order to the chaos of subjectivity.  A list can build community - as in a subject around which conversation may be had.  With this in mind, I've decided to start a periodic series of posts on what I consider to be my personal "Top Ten" in different categories of books.  Today's post is about books I've read which have made a difference in my life and would gladly consider worth recommending anyone.  These are my personal favorites.

I hope you will let me know what you think of my own subjective list of the "best" books in this area, and make your own recommendations of those that didn't make into my list but you think should have.

I encourage you to leave your thoughts and opinions in the "Comments" section of my blog - that way, everyone can see them and conversation can take place.

Cheers,

Steve
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My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

1.  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

2.  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

3.  11/22/63 by Stephen King

4.  Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin

5.  Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

6.  The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

7.  Oral History by Lee Smith

8.  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

9.  Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

10.  Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Hello! My Name Is...

January 15, 2014

I must admit that I am generally not a big fan of name tags.  I prefer the anonymity of large gatherings of people.  I also prefer introducing myself to strangers.  It just seems more personal.  That said, there is much to be said for name tags.  It's an ice-breaker between strangers.  It gives another person permission to greet me by name.  It's an invitation to get to know each other.

Today's post is about this very thing: getting to know each other.  Many of you have already reached out to me through messages and email, introducing yourselves and offering reasons why you are following my digital musings.  All of these are greatly appreciated.  Some of you have connected with me because we are already connected - as family, long-time friends, friends of friends or as colleagues.  Some of you have a different kind of kinship with me in that we share the same illness.  Still others of you feel an affinity with me because I am a writer or pastor.  Whatever the reason, I welcome you to this new community and look forward to getting to know you much better.  It is also my hope that you will get to know each other in this electronic fellowship by making comments in the "Comments Section" of this blog.  You can share in each other's thoughts and reactions.

Stephen A. Rhodes

Even though this blog has been going for a few weeks now, I thought it was time to introduce myself to you - to tell you a little bit more about who I am.

I was born and raised in Kingsport, Tennessee, which is in the upper east corner of the state.  My parents were Jim and Charlotte (Hale) Rhodes.  Dad was from Scott County, Virginia; and Mom was from the nearby county of Wise.  I have one brother, Ken.

When I graduated from Dobyns Bennett High School, I attended Emory & Henry College, which is near Abingdon, Virginia.  I was a religion major, but I actually took more courses in political science.  Both were and still are areas of major interest to me.

After graduating from E & H in 1983, I attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  I was a Woodruff Scholar at Candler and focused on theology, biblical studies and ethics.

I married Lynn Rasor in the summer of 1986.  She was the daughter of one of my college professors.  Lynn is a special education teacher, focusing on learning disabilities.  Together, we have five wonderful and inspiring children: Cora, Hannah, Sarah, Gabbie and Abraham.  They bring us much joy.

Our family (Summer, 2013)

I was ordained as a deacon in The United Methodist Church in 1985, and as an elder in 1988.  I am currently a clergy member of The Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.  Since coming to Virginia in 1986, I have served four appointments: 1) first in the Charlottesville area; 2) Virginia Beach; 3) Northern Virginia; and 4) Richmond, where I presently make my home.

I came to Richmond with my family in 1999 to serve as the senior pastor of River Road United Methodist Church.  I had five wonderful years with that congregation.  But while I was serving there, I became ill with a serious and mysterious illness.  Later diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this illness has been a part of my life since onset in November, 2001.  In 2004, I became so ill that I had to take a medical leave from active ministry.

There is much more to tell, but I will stop here.  Feel free to ask me questions.  I'll do my best to answer.

If you would like to know even more about me, then I encourage you to check out my website: www.stephenarhodes.com.  More specifically, check out my "Biography" and "Vita" pages.

By the way, I intend to devote a future post just to what it means for me to live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Hopefully that will help those of you who have not heard of this disease to understand it better; and for those of you with this illness too, I hope my experience with this illness will speak to your own.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

Happy New Year! (Roman Style)

The Roman god, Janus

January 13, 2014

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2014!

Okay, okay... so I'm a couple of weeks late in my greetings.  Still, it is a new year and well-wishes are always in order.

Do you know why the New Year begins in the month of January?  It all started when this month of the year was named by the Romans after one of their more important gods, Janus.  Janus was the god of time - specifically of beginnings and endings.  As such, he was also the god of all types of transitions - birth, death, marriage, journey.  Therefore doorways, gates and all types of portals were considered sacred to Janus, for to pass through one of these was to literally transition from one place to another.

Here we are two millennia later and we are still observing January the way that many Romans would recognize.  Not that Janus any longer plays a role in our celebrations, still we pause and reflect as we pass through life, acknowledging that one span of time has ended and another begun.

Janus was frequently depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions.  In much the same way, during the month of January, we take stock of our lives, looking back to what the previous year brought us, and also looking forward, trying to anticipation what the next one will bestow upon us.

One of the ways that we observe this time of transitions is assessing what didn't go so well in the past, and making commitments as to how we will change in the future.  Well intended, we start out the New Year with a list of resolutions: to lose weight; start exercising, drink less, get finances under control, eat healthy... the list could go on and on, but you get the drift.  Then a few weeks into the month of January - usually about this time - our resolutions seem to overwhelm us and begin to fall aside.

But I believe that there are ways we can make positive changes in our lives and chart a new course in the coming months.  Here are my suggestions:

1.  Set goals that are specific and attainable. 

Let me illustrate with one of my own resolutions for 2014 - to write more.  To make that very general goal work, I have made a commitment to write two pages a day of written material - minimum.  I consider this attainable, considering that the writer Stephen King sets a goal of writing at least 10 pages a day.  Two is reasonable for me.

2.  Be time specific.

My goal of writing is very specific - writing something every day.  Within that goal, I have set up a time frame for when I write and for how long I write.

3.  Track your progress.

I've started keeping track of my writing with a small moleskin notebook.  In it, I record the day and the amount written.  It is a way of keeping me accountable to myself.

4.  Reward yourself.

Goals become habits when a routine is established.  I discovered that one of the ways I can routinized my behavior is to give myself a treat when my task is accomplished.  Specifically, I tend to write before in the late morning and do not take a break until I finish my writing.  Thus, my lunch becomes my reward - generally a bowl of homemade soup which I find very satisfying especially during these cold days of winter.

5.  Make it public.

Tell others about your resolutions or goals.  Don't keep it private.  When you share your plan of change with others, first, it becomes more real, and two, it also holds you accountable to someone other than yourself.  I told my family about my goal of writing at the beginning of January, and now I'm telling you.  Help me stay on task!

6.  Practice grace daily.

There are going to be days when we fail ourselves and miss the goals we set for ourselves.  That's just the way it is!  So you will need lots and lots of grace and forgiveness for yourself for when this happens.  Then what?  You start fresh the very next day and just keep plugging away until you've worn a groove in your life making something new an ongoing routine.

So what are a few of your resolutions for 2014?  Share them with me and with others in the comments section.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

You've Got Mail!

Okay, I'll admit it - I am a philatelist - yes, a philatelist!  I love collecting stamps.  Recent ones, old ones, new ones, used ones - I love them all.

When I was about 10 years old, my mom's adopted (sort of) sister, Aunt Maude, came for a visit and especially to spend time with my grandmother, Cora.  My grandmother had taken Maude in at a very critical period in her life and had cared for her.  They loved each other as if they really were mother and daughter.

During her visit, Maude introduced me to two things: 1) Ranger Rick Magazines (a blog post in and of itself); and 2) the love of collecting stamps.  After she returned to her home in California, she sent me a large envelope of used stamps - some of which dated to WWII and were from Germany.  My parents promptly locked them away in a box because of this potential value, so I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy looking at them.  But I have never forgotten this wonderful gift - both of the stamps themselves and of the hobby.

In the last year, I have begun collecting stamps again.  It happened quite by accident.  After my

daughters, Sarah and Gabbie, left for college, I realized that four of my children no longer lived at home.  I wanted to stay in touch with them and so I started sending all four of them monthly (usually around holidays) greeting cards.  I picked out what I thought were cute cards or cheesy ones, but at least able to bring a smile.  Then I began to stop by the post office to pick out interesting stamps.  All the feelings of my childhood fascination with stamps came flooding back.  Soon it wasn't enough to pick from whatever was available at the local P.O., I started ordering directly from the U.S.P.S. online which had a much greater variety of stamps.

As time has passed, no longer do just my four daughters receive cards from me (now more frequently than monthly), but I've even started getting requests for cards.  My mailing list has greatly expanded - much to my joy.  I love picking out the cards and inscribing them with greetings.  I also enjoy decorating the outside envelope with various kinds of stickers - on both sides.  But the choice of which stamp to affix to each envelope really brings me delight!

I encourage you to think about becoming a philatelist - a stamp collector.  Or at least, become a supporter of the post office and buy stamps for letters and cards that you can send to your family members and friends.  The truth is - everybody loves getting mail, and especially mail sent adorned by beautiful stamps, cheesy stickers, and lots of love.

Cheers,

Steve

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.

In Memoriam: 10 Writers Who Died in 2013

Elmore Leonard

Here are 10 authors/writers who made a big difference in the world, who died this past year:

1.  Elmore Leonard
2.  Tom Clancy
3.  Seamus Heaney
4.  Haynes Johnson
5.  Frederik Pohl
6.  Stanley Karnow
7.  Doris Lessing
8.  Chinua Achebe
9.  Abigail Van Buren
10.  Oscar Hijuelos

The Books I Most Enjoyed Reading in 2013

Before I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2001, I was a voracious reader - sometimes reading 200-300 books a year.  But in the past 12 years, it has been much harder to read nearly that much.  It takes a great deal of concentration and energy, both of which I have in short supply.  Nevertheless, reading continues to be my passion.  I'm happy to report that I am able to reading daily, even if it's just for a short time.  But it is progress!

The books that I most enjoyed in 2013 were not all published in 2013.  This list represents the books I finally got around to reading in the last twelve months.  Some were read the old fashioned way, physical books of paper.  Others were read on the Kindle app on my iPad.  Still others were listened to through my Audible app, also on my iPad.  This last category may raise some questions.  Is listening to a book with your ears really the same as reading a book with your eyes?  I would argue that, yes, it is indeed reading.  And depending upon the narrator, it can be an even more enjoyable experience than I would have imagined previously.

I am adding a second book list to the first.  It is a list of 10 books published in 2013 that I would like to read and am planning on reading.  I actually have far more than 10 on my personal list, but 10 will do for this post.

I hope you enjoy both lists.  I would love to hear what you have read this past year and what brought you the most joy.

Steve

The Books I Most Enjoyed Reading in 2013:

1.  Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb
2.  The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
3.  A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
4.  In One Person by John Irving
5.  Two Graves by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
6.  11-22-63 by Stephen King
7.  Under the Dome by Stephen King
8.  On Writing by Stephen King (actually a re-read)
9.  Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe
10. New Collected Poems by Wendell Berry

Books Published in 2013 Which I Plan To Read:

1.  Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2.  Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3.  The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer
4.  Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
5.  Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
6.  Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
7.  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
8.  NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
9.  Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
10.  Guests on Earth by Lee Smith

My 2013 Year-End Review in Movies

It's that time of the year when lists abound, ranking and rating all manner of things from the past year.  So I thought that I would add my two-cents worth on the subjects of movies released in 2013.  My list(s) include both movies that I have seen as well as those that I missed, but wished I had seen.

You will notice immediately - that at least as far as this past year is concerned - I'm a total fanboy in my movie tastes.  Generally, I'm a much broader person when it comes to movies, but this year I saw far more movies that were comic book-based, sci-fi and generally geeky.  I wholeheartedly acknowledge my nerdiness - in fact, I embrace it.  But please know I am much more than just that in my overall entertainment choices.

So with no further adieu, I give you my 2013 year-end review in movies.

Steve 

My Top Enjoyable Movies of 2013:

1. Iron Man 3
2. Star Trek Into Darkness
3. Elysium
4. Thor: The Dark World
5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
6. Saving Mr. Banks
7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Most Disappointing Movie of 2013 (IMHO):

1. The Man of Steel

14 Movies I Wished I Had Seen (And Still Might See):

1. World War Z
2. The Butler
3. Diana
4. Gravity
5. Captain Phillips
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. The Book Thief
8. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
9. Inside Llewyn Davis
10. American Hustle
11. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
12. Her
13. The Invisible Woman
14. The Wolf of Wall Street

Which movies would be on your list for this past year? Which ones did you enjoy the most? Which ones did you wish you had avoided? Please share your opinion!

Welcome to "One Writer's Life"

December 26, 2013

Greetings readers, writers, family and friends!  And welcome to this new blog, "One Writer's Life."

This blog is both about the act of writing and of living one's life in the midst of writing.  I believe that the best writing takes place in the context of community.  By choosing to read this blog, you are a part of this digital community, and by that act will be involved in helping to shape my writing.  So thanks for being a part of this community and your willingness to walk along with me as I make this journey.

Writing has always been a part of my life in some form or fashion.  I "officially" became a published author though in 1998 when my first book was published.  "Where the Nations Meet: The Church in a Multicultural World" was written while I served as a United Methodist pastor to a multicultural congregation in Northern Virginia.  This church, Culmore UMC, had over 32 different nations represented in the congregation and many more ethnicities.  My book was an attempt to address the many practical issues on being the church in a world which is multicultural.  I'm happy to say that my book is still available.  It was just recently released as a Kindle book on Amazon.com.

Currently, I am working on two nonfiction books - both of which are memoirs. The first, "Confessions of a Second Grade Failure," is a coming-of-age memoir. It is set in Kingsport, Tennessee during the period from 1960-1972. It gives insight to life during this turbulent period and of the changes that came to cities throughout the country in an important decade. Both humorous and poignant, it weaves together the life story of one Appalachian child, his hometown and the cultural context of change in the country.

My other writing project is entitled, "The Reluctant Ascetic: A Journey Through the Desert of Chronic Illness." In November 2001, I became suddenly sick with a mysterious illness that continues into the present. I was later diagnosed as having Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. I have attempted to grapple not only with the illness itself, but also to find meaning and hope in the struggle to reclaim health. This memoir speaks to all persons who struggle and live with chronic and often invisible diseases.

I look forward to sharing my writing of these two both with you.  My plan is to post 2-3 times a week to this blog to keep you updated.

Please feel free to contact me directly.  There is an email form on my home page of this blog.  You may also subscribe to my blog through email or RSS.  You may also read my blog posts on my website: www.stephenarhodes.com.  You can also find out more about me there as well.

Cheers,

Stephen A. Rhodes