All posts by Morgan L. Busse

Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the epic fantasy Follower of the Word series and the award-winning steampunk series, The Soul Chronicles. Her debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel.
Writing

Realm Makers: 2013

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Realm Makers: 2013 was a blast. Imagine about 80 Christian speculative lovers gathered in one place for two days. I can’t believe the place didn’t explode! We had some great speakers including Jeff Gerke, Bryan Davis, L. B. Graham, Robert Treskillard and more. Classes and panels included writing horror, worldviews and world building, swordfighting, and comics. And of course a night of dinner and cosplay 🙂

Here are the pics from my first Realm Makers conference:

Realm Makers
Me and my friend Jill
Stephen Burnett and Phyllis Wheeler
Me and Becky Minor (Realm Makers founder)
Me and Kathy Tyers
Me and Kathy Tyers
At the book signing with Jeff Gerke (my editor)
Realm Makers
With friends Jen and Joe
Sword fighting!
Sword fighting!

 

To find out more about future Realm Maker events, follow their website at www.realmmakers.com

 

Christian Life, God's Character, Personal

Jesus Wept

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WeepingI wrote this post two years ago and still find comfort in the truth I discovered during a dark time in my life: that God still cares about us even when He is working everything for good.

If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you are told that all things work together for good and God’s glory. The suffering that comes into your life will make you a better person. Just give it to God.

Then you find yourself hit by life. The pain is far beyond what you thought it would be: It goes right to the core of your heart. And suddenly those platitudes you have heard uttered by Christians give no comfort whatsoever. You see no good in what you are going through. And you see God as a stoic being, moving around the pieces of life like a chessboard. You are only a piece to be moved around so God receives the glory.

I felt like this a couple weeks ago. I knew all things work together for good. I knew that my life is not my own, but for God to use for His glory. But I felt like God didn’t feel for me. That God was up above, moving around my life with a look of disinterest. I was only a means to an end. And my suffering meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

Then I read began reading the book of John. And God showed me a picture of himself. Yes, He is orchestrating all of our lives for good and yes, He does all of this for His glory (for when God receives glory, we bask in the warmth). But He is not looking down on us with a stoic expression. He is moved by our hurt.

Sometimes He weeps.

As a child, it was a contest to see who knew the shortest verse in the Bible. And in case you didn’t know, it is “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). But I never understood the full power of that verse until a couple weeks ago. As I read John 11, I felt moved by the story of Martha and Mary and their brother Lazerus.

Lazerus is deathly sick. So his sisters send word to Jesus. They know Jesus can heal their brother. They have seen His power and miracles. But Jesus never comes. And so Lazerus dies. Can you feel their shock, their feelings of betrayal? Why did Jesus heal so many others but never came to help them, His friends? They bury Lazerus, probably along with their hope.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ point of view. Jesus receives word that Lazerus is deathly ill. But He has a plan: a plan for good and God’s glory. So Jesus waits. And waits. Until Lazerus dies. Then he tells his disciples they must head back to Judea so he can awaken Lazerus.

However, you do not see an unemotional Jesus in this chapter. Look how He responds when he sees Mary and the others who are grieving with her: “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.” (John 11:33). Jesus was moved by the grieving he saw.

They head out to the tomb. And at this point Jesus weeps. He sees the grief and hurt of the people around him. My friends, God sees the hurt and grief going on inside of us too. He is not callous to our battered hearts and lives. Even while God is using us for good and for His glory, I believe He is also weeping with us. We have a God who has also suffered. “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” (Hebrews 2:18).

Jesus wept. What a powerful verse. Those two simple words opened my eyes. I no longer see God as a stoic being above me, moving around the pieces of my life with a calloused hand. Instead I see a God who weeps with me.

 

My Books, Writing

Writing Book Three

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When I published Son of Truth, I jokingly told my husband that I would probably receive death threats due to the way I ended the story. I never realized how real those words would turn out to be.

No, I haven’t received any death threats. But I had one reader very, very angry with me. So I went back and looked again at my story. Could I have ended it any other way? Was there a better place to conclude Son of Truth and begin book three? Honestly, no. Son of Truth ended right where it needed to before everything starts in book three.

So I write this post to assure you there will be a book three. All the story threads that have been woven into Daughter of Light and Son of Truth since the prologue (yes, that is a hint that the prologue is important) will end in book three.

Rowen will finally meet the Shadonae. She will discover who she really is and what happened to the Eldarans. Nierne will arrive back in her homeland to find it changed. Caleb will be forging a new identity as a Guardian and an outcast of Temanin. And Lore will find Rowen, but it will be a bittersweet reunion.

It is a relief to finally be writing book three. For six years I’ve known how this series would end. These characters have lived a long time in my head and I am both ready and sad for them to leave.

Thank you, readers, for joining me on this journey. I want to give you the best, most satisfying ending that I can. I have a tentative title for book three, but am not ready to release the name. Book three will hopefully release 2014. Until then, I will continue writing.

 

Christian Life, Personal

Blessed are the Poor

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Budget“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5:3. (emphasis mine)

I started reading the Beatitudes today and the first one jumped out at me, probably because I’ve been struggling with finances the last few months. Each month I look at what we need, what needs paid, what we have, and ask what can we do without or what can be pushed off until the next month.

Ever been there? Pretty soon, after a couple months of living like this, you start to feel stretched out and stressed. I pinch every penny until it screams (and I start screaming along with it). We are living as frugally as we can, but I start to secretly wish for more. I wish for twenty bucks to take the kids swimming or out for ice cream. I wish I didn’t have to scrutinize every price tag and ask if the need is so great that we simply can’t live without it. I look longingly at what other people have and ask God why I can’t have that too.

You know the one thing I haven’t been doing? Talking to God about it. Instead, I’ve been treading financial waters, trying to stay afloat, keep our family going, and getting angry at everyone around me.

I have probably read the Beatitudes a thousand times, and know God blesses the poor, but today it hit me. There is nothing in that verse that says God will raise us above our need. Instead, it is our need that points us back to Him. We come to the end of ourselves (sometimes doing everything in our own power first, like I am apt to do), just to find He’s been there all along, waiting.

God has never let my family starve. He has always made sure we had a roof over our head (even when it looked like we would lose everything). He has provided for our needs. So why am I worrying? Perhaps it is because I have become discontent. Dan and I work hard, and in America there is this assumption that if you work hard, you will reap. But that is not reality. Reality is Dan is in ministry, not for the paycheck, but for the people. And I don’t write for a paycheck but for the joy of storytelling.

Being poor is not a virtue most people pursue. But it is one God honors. It is easier to realize our need for God when we are poor. We have nothing else. No distractions.

So instead of looking at what I don’t have, today I will turn my gaze on God instead and be thankful for what I do have.

 

Christian Life

What Shape are You?

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ShapeFor years, I felt out of place amongst most of the Christian women I knew. Many of them were quiet, submissive ladies who loved to run social events, Bible studies, and church potlucks. I would look at them and wish I could be as loving and thoughtful as they were. Instead I was an analytical, inquisitive, geeky, database-loving gal. And I wondered how could God use a person like me.

Then I was introduced to S.H.A.P.E. and realized God did not make a mistake when He made me. All the eccentric and unique parts of my personality, my past, and my position made me Morgan. I experienced true freedom when I finally embraced who I was.

That is something I am passionate about now: people discovering that, apart from their sin, they are exactly who God made them and there is nothing wrong with that. So let me share S.H.A.P.E. with you.

S: Spiritual Gift. Every single person in Christ is given a gift or an ability that wasn’t there before. Mine happens to be teaching. I hate getting up in front of people and talking. But the moment I am on stage, all fear leaves me. I love presenting God’s Word in a practical way so people can understand God.

H: Heart. What do you love? What are your passions? I love stories, cats, and  junior high students :). Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that. What you love is part of who you are. I love stories, therefore I write. I love junior high, therefore I work in youth ministry.

A: Abilities. What are you good at? Each of us has unique abilities. Some people can cook really well. Others can draw. Some are good at listening, or speaking, or working in the background. I am good at databases and organization (unless my kids are home, then mommy brain sets in ;)). Dan, my husband, is really good at counseling people (he amazes me!). So think about what your unique abilities are.

P: Personality. Not only do we have different passions and abilities, we have different personalities. Outgoing, introvert. Feeler, thinker. I am a thinker-introvert kind of person. I cannot be around people for very long before I am worn out. Now that I know this, I can plan. For instance, Dan and I have discovered if I teach VBS in the summer, he needs to take time off the following week so I can recover (I am usually so drained I can hardly move). There are no bad personalities, only different. And all of them are needed in this world.

E. Experience. You can have two people with the same passions, abilities, and personality, and yet be different because of their experiences. One person might have grown up in the heart of Chicago while the other grew up on a dairy farm in Oregon. Two parents or one parent? Money or no money? Popular or unpopular? Moved a lot or stayed in the same town? I come from a divorced family that moved a lot and didn’t have much money. My experience has helped me reach young people who come from divorced families as well. Our experiences shape us. What experiences have shaped you?

I love how God has uniquely made each and every one of us. We are all needed, we are all special. How about you? What S.H.A.P.E. are you?

Writing

Christian Book Lovers Hop

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Hey everyone! Welcome to the Christian Book Lovers Hop. Looking for new authors or books? This is a great place to start!

CBL Hop

book giveawayAs part of this blog hop, I will be giving away a $10 amazon gift card and 2 kindle copies by two award winning authors whose books are on my own summer reading list: Crosswind, a western steampunk by Steve Rzasa and Mask, a futuristic dystopia novel by Kerry Nietz. To enter, leave a comment below with your email address so I can reach you. After June 30th, I will randomly select a winner 🙂

To discover new authors or blogs and to win some great prizes, click on the links below.

My Books, Writing

Daughter of Light a Carol Award Finalist

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More news to share. I found yesterday that my novel, Daughter of Light, is a finalist for the Carol Awards in the speculative category. As my son said, “That’s pretty cool, mom!” And I told him, “Yeah, it is. But God had a big part in it.”

I can’t tell you how many times I would lay my head down next to the computer and pray. I wanted to give up. I didn’t know what to write next. And after Daughter of Light was published, I was so discouraged I wanted to walk away from writing and never come back. But God didn’t let me. He brought encouragement via friends and emails. He brought ideas. He brought people who have helped me walk this path. And so I kept writing.

Yes, it is really cool to be a finalist for the Carol Awards. I never thought it would happen to me. But I didn’t do it alone. So thank you, God, for another blessing in my writing.Carol Award

Christian Life, God's Character

When God Says No

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When God says NoMonths ago I started reading a book. For the life of me, I cannot remember the book or the author. But the author made a statement that has stuck with me ever since: It is easy to have faith when God says yes and everything happens the way you want it to, but it takes a deeper faith when God says no. The moment I read those words, I wanted that kind of faith.

I should know by now to be careful what I wish for. In order to develop a faith strong enough for God to say no, I have to let Him say no. And that’s not easy. In the last few months, I think that is about the only word I have heard from God: no. In big things, like selling our house, to little things, like finding Philip’s lost glasses. I have asked…and not received. After a while, it has weighed down on me and made me ask what is faith really?

I think we subconsciously view faith like this: if I have enough faith, God will do it. If I don’t, then it’s my own fault. And that has paralyzed me. I am a woman of little faith. Some people have the gift of faith. Not me. I have always been a logic, scientific kinda gal. I need to see it to believe it, figure it out, understand how it works, and then I will accept it. So because of my natural inclinations, does that mean I will see less of God’s blessings? Because I don’t have enough faith?

Then it hit me today: that kind of thinking is the same kind as hoping I am good enough for heaven. People who strive to be good enough for God always have a fear in the back of their mind, “Am I good enough?” Same with faith. “Do I have enough faith?” And when a loved one dies, or the bank takes the house, or you lose your job after praying hard on your knees, you can’t help but think you didn’t have enough faith, so God didn’t provide.

But in the end, doesn’t that place everything on ourselves? That we need to first have faith, then God will work?

Perhaps our view of faith is wrong. It is not about what God does, but who He is. Because if our faith is set on what He does, then we are going to be disappointed. But if our faith is set on who He is, then we will be confident no matter what happens because we know that He is in control. When He says no, we will not be shaken. We will  believe He has a reason for saying no, a reason we may not see or understand (after all, if we truly understood everything God did, then He wouldn’t be much of a god, would He?).

I still have a ways to go in developing this kind of faith, a faith placed squarely on God. But I want it. And I will continue to pursue it.

How about you? Has God told you no before? How did you react? Was it hard? Did your faith grow from the experience?

Christian Life

What is Faith?

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I have been thinking about the meaning of faith lately and came across an old post of mine. Here it is and I hope to follow up on more thoughts on the matter next week:

Here is a quote I came across a couple months ago: Faith is not believing God can, but that God will!

But what if He doesn’t?

I couldn’t help but look at those words and ask what about the people who have lost loved ones? Or parents who prayed and prayed for their child to live, but their child died anyway? Or the man who lost his job and eventually his home?

Did they not have enough faith? Did they not pray enough? Or is faith something more?

Last year I found my faith stretching beyond anything I had ever known. For the first time in my life, I believed God could do anything, not just with my head, but with my heart. That faith carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life… until nothing happened.

God didn’t come through.

I couldn’t believe it. It was the biggest letdown ever. I had prayed, prostrated myself before God, and thought for sure that God was behind us. But He didn’t show up.

I felt alone and devastated. Was my little kernel of faith just not big enough? Mentally and emotionally I felt like I was being sucked down into a vortex of darkness. Could I trust God anymore? And what is faith really?

It was the story of three men that made me start to think there is more to faith than just believing God will do something. The men’s names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Most people know them by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were three young men taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar and sent off to Babylon where they served him.

In Daniel chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar creates a statue of gold and commands his people to bow and worship it when the music starts to play. The music plays, and everyone bows… except for those 3 men.

They are brought before Nebuchadnezzar. He tells them he will give them a second chance. But if they fail to obey and bow down, he will throw them into the blazing furnace. “And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (Daniel 3:15)

Here is their response: ”O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18).

Did you catch that? These men knew God could save them. They had faith. But their faith wasn’t based on what God would do; it was based on God Himself. That is why they could say even if He doesn’t. Even if God did not save them, they would still follow Him and not bow down. They completely put their faith in God to do whatever God was going to do, even if God’s plan did not include saving them.

Wow.

Do I put my faith only in what God is going to do? Or simply in God Himself? Do I trust God so much that I place myself in His Hands and know that no matter how dark the outcome, He has a reason for it?

That is a different kind of faith than the quote up above. A faith that has allowed Christians in the past to face torture and death. One that allows me now to see beyond my current circumstances. A faith in God alone, not in just the outcome we want from Him.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Remedy (Eyes of E’veria, Book 2)

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The Remedy by Serena ChaseThe Remedy picks up where The Ryn leaves off (click to read my review of The Ryn).  In The Ryn, Rynnaia , the main character, finds out she is actually the long thought dead princess of the Kingdom. She was hidden at birth because she is the fulfillment of a prophecy that predicts she will free and heal her people from the Cobelds. Healing for those affected by the Cobelds’ curse will come from a hidden remedy, one that Rynnaia must find (hence the title of the second book, The Remedy).

I enjoyed this second installment by Serena Chase. Her writing style and story reminds me a lot of Jill Williamson and her Blood of Kings trilogy. Knights, quests, magical items, romance, and adventure. The usual fantasy fare with a unique twist.

Rose is a strong, likable heroine. She is determined to help her people, but at the age of 19 is still finding her own way in the world. Serena does a good job balancing the responsibilities and growing maturity of a young woman in Rose’s position: not too juvenile but also not seeming to know it all either.

If you enjoy high fantasy and are looking for a new series to start, I recommend The Ryn and The Remedy.