Elections. Our forefathers obviously thought they would be a good idea. And in light of what they faced - a tyrannical king imposing his will upon masses two thousand miles away - we can understand their reasoning.
What our forefathers believed, too, was in the general goodness of man. If left to decide, they designed a constitution, allowing the American to always choose the right thing, the right side, and the right candidate. Well, at least the majority will do so, that is.
What our forefathers failed to understand or believe was Isaiah 5. There a section in that chapter that aptly describes the state of the world as I write. Evil is good. Good is evil. Darkness is Light. Light is Darkness. Bitter is sweet, and sweet is bitter. People are wise in their own sight. Getting drunk is a badge of honor and makes everyone smile (Have you seen the beer commercials?). Wicked people are declared righteous for a bribe. Those who are righteous have their good standing removed. No matter how much you organize mankind into this or that kind of society, his sinful nature will twist that governmental structure into an evil empire run by the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).
Said all that to say this: Make sure you are serving the right Kingdom (Matthew 4:17). The Kingdom of Heaven has all of those things listed above correct. Evil is still evil. Good is what God is, and He alone, according to Jesus (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Light is still Light, and darkness comes from the evil one.
This is where our next guest comes in. He, too, is trying to point people in the direction of the heavenly kingdom. And yes, we know we are a week late in posting this blog interview, as we typically post on the second Wednesday of the month. However, our guest was out of the country, so we cut him a little slack on the deadline.
Tez, we need you to kick this interview off in traditional ABTS fashion. Give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Tez Brooks?
A multiple
award-winning author, filmmaker, and speaker, Brooks was recently named
one of the Top Writing Coaches by the Coach Foundation. His work appears in
Guideposts, Power for Living, The Upper Room, CBN.com, YouVersion, Focus on the
Family, and more. He and his wife are full-time missionaries with four
children.
I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.
On your mark. Get set. Go!
Favorite Song of All-Time: “Xanadu” by Olivia Newton-John because it says so much and makes so much sense.
Favorite Non-Fiction Book: The 1939 Farmer’s Almanac. It’s life-changing, weather or not you read it.
Favorite Bible Verse: “Jesus wept.” (Amplified Bible)
Favorite Movie: “The Swimmer” (1968) starring Burt Lancaster. The plot and the acting will leave you shaking your head in wonderment.
Favorite Actor or Actress: Eve Plumb. I am still not sure why she never won an Emmy.
Favorite TV Show: It’s a toss-up between Teletubbies or Barney and Friends. (Hmmm....)
Favorite Novel: Farrah Fawcett… oh wait! I thought you said “navel.” (I'm not even going to touch this...both literally and figuratively.)
Favorite Author: Paul Sheldon
Favorite Sport: I don’t care for sports, I’m not athletic. So let’s say, tic-tac-toe.
Favorite Team: Team Edward from Twilight? (I'm getting a little worried about this interview...)
Favorite Subject in School: Study Hall
Favorite Subject Now: I’m not in school now.
Favorite Teacher in School: None of my teachers are in school. They all graduated decades ago.
Favorite Time of the Year: 12:17 pm
Favorite Place to Vacation: Earth…for now
Well, that went well, uh, I mean, not too bad. The "Dad Jokes" crowd will love it. :-)
Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?
My life as a missionary with the Jesus Film Project has taken me all over the world. So by God’s grace, much of my list is checked off. But I’d like to see the Egyptian pyramids and walk the Great Wall of China, if the Lord sends me there at some point.
If you had your life to live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be your obvious answer), what profession would you choose?
I have a long history of acting and directing in the '80s and '90s. If I could have made enough to live on, I would have been a full-time actor. I loved acting in my younger days and the thrill of performing, especially in faith-based theater and films.
Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?
I paint (that talent was passed down from my grandfather) although I'm not as good as he was. I also sing, act, and anything creative. One day I‘d like to learn how to play the guitar.
Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
and others. It’s a practical advice book for young people who are just launching out on their own for the first time. I had fun compiling it and making it easy to read.
Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?
Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. I have a thick
skin, because I deal with rejection all the time from publishers. So, when a
reader posts a negative review I remember not everyone has to like me or my
books. That’s ok. A lot of people didn’t like Jesus either.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on.
I’m working on a book that offers 100 discussion questions you should ask your fiancé before the wedding. It is an expanded version of an article I wrote for Focus on the Family based on the pre-marital counseling I have done with couples as their officiant.
Has your writing crossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?
I have written flash fiction a few times and a few short film screenplays that won awards at film festivals. One in particular is titled Jangled. I enjoy writing these because they are quick to complete, and they help me develop the skills for a longer work of fiction in the future. Creating story from scratch is so much harder than nonfiction. I really admire authors who can write engaging stories with interesting characters.
As a writer, what is “success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you have traveled down the writer’s path?
It used to mean obtaining a good contract from a large pub house and selling thousands of books. I was one of those authors who felt that only traditional publishing through an agent was the way to go. Over the years, however, my definition of success is “finishing the book and making it available” to those who need it. If that means self-publishing and only selling a few hundred, so be it. We only have a few short decades on this planet, and we each have a lot of valuable information, advice, and stories to pass on to others. Matthew 25 reminds us that if we are to be good stewards of the talents God has given to us, we must work to invest those, not bury them on our hard drives.
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
I was going to say skydiving for my 50th birthday but maybe that’s
not so crazy these days. A lot of people have done that. So I’ll go with eating
a tarantula and a rat. Yes, you read that correctly. In Cambodia I ate a fried
tarantula. And in Africa I ate a BBQ’d rat because someone dared me.
That's why I could not be a world traveler to just anywhere. God banned certain things in the Old Testament for a reason. I'm convinced tarantulas and rats didn't make the cut in Acts 10 when Peter saw the sheet come down from heaven. Just sayin'...
We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life?
Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. It changed my entire spiritual life and opened my eyes to the amazing fact that I can bring nothing to the table when it comes to being born-again. God brought it all, and my salvation is not fragile. If you struggle with your identity in Christ and your security as his child, this book is for you.
I love R.C., but I have never read a book by him yet. Guess what's going on my TBR list?
When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you?
I prefer newer homes, because I’m not a fixer-upper kind of guy. I need a great view from the front or back. I need a room for my writing studio and a spare room for company. A nice yard is important to me. I need lots of natural light inside. In my bathroom, I don’t like open floor plans….I need a toilet room with a door please. LOL.
What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?Phil. 3:12 is my favorite verse. It reminds me how desperately I need Christ to continue transforming me.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
I love helping other writers. Teaching at writer’s conferences and sharing my knowledge is fun, and I love spending time with my peeps. When I’m not attending those, I enjoy coaching authors through Purple Mountain Literary Services. It’s so life-giving to me to help writers improve their craft and get a leg up by learning about the industry. I have a few openings for clients, and if any of your readers are interested, I’m happy to connect through my website at tezbrooks.com
Okay, readers, you heard him. Looking to improve your writing career? There you go. "Get a wiggle on," as Vera Stanhope would say.
But if not, and you're just looking for more books and articles to read, then check out Tez's website and social media accounts:
Thanks, Tez, for taking the time to stop by the Florida Front Porch and chat for a while. And to our readers, your numbers are growing! We're almost at 100,000 hits! Thank you for making ABTS and all this blog has to offer a success!
Until next time, which will be in December, May God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God!
