christianity |

When Santa Moves In

By Natasha Hayden
December 11, 2014

photo credit: Joriel “Joz” Jimenez via photopin cc

Santa Claus did not come to my house when I was a kid. I don’t remember having any feelings about Santa Claus one way or the other, actually, because we celebrated Christmas differently. I come from a rich Christian heritage. My grandfather on one side was a pastor. My Opa on the other side was a missionary and Bible translator. My parents are missionaries, and I grew up on the mission field from ages 7-16.

We had interesting Christmas traditions like opening presents on January 6th, the day on which the Church observes the wise men’s presentation of gifts to Jesus. (I do remember that being quite a trial. It might as well have been two months instead of two weeks!) My dad preferred anything but a normal Christmas tree. At least one year, we had a gigantic live wreath suspended from our ceiling by ropes, a sort of hanging advent wreath. And Christmas stockings? I had one of those one year. I didn’t know what to do with it except fill it with homemade presents I intended to give to other people. I’d empty it sometimes to see what I’d collected, and that’s how I discovered a little surprise from my mom that I wasn’t supposed to see until Christmas.

When we moved to Brazil, there wasn’t even any snow to get us in the festive spirit. Nope, just 90 degrees and 100% humidity. In fact, if we celebrated any Christmases in Brazil, I don’t remember them. I remember more the times we visited family back in the United States or even Peru, South America (where the one set of grandparents were missionaries), for the holidays. Christmas was a time when family gathered. What we did didn’t so much matter as being together. And you know what? In all that, I didn’t really miss Santa.

But now it’s different. (more…)

December 11, 2014 - Tags: christianity, culture, holidays, Natasha Hayden, personal Posted in: Blogs

Now that’s a Christmas Tree!

By Timothy Deal
December 5, 2014

This year, it felt like an important part of my family’s Christmas died before the season even began. For the first time, our parents bought a fake Christmas tree instead of a live one.

“Gee, do they still make little Christmas trees?”

Those who have grown up with an artificial tree can hardly understand the dismay my sisters and I felt by this betrayal. Our family is known for getting big, lush, beautiful, real Christmas trees that can occupy up to a quarter of the family room. For us, it wasn’t just about getting a tall tree; it also needed to be wide and bushy to accommodate all the ornaments five kids, two parents, and a grandmother can accumulate over the years. Visitors would stop in our family room, drink in the intoxicating pine aroma that candles and air fresheners can only wish to imitate, and gaze in wonder at its magnificent size and sparkling vision of lights, garland, glass balls, and tinsel. The experience would prompt many guests to say, “Now that is a Christmas tree.”

Yet nevertheless, in recent years our parents had warned us they intended to trade this wondrous experience for an artificial tree the first year our youngest sister went off to college. With their children either moved out of the house or increasingly preoccupied with significant others (or both), apparently Dad and Mom decided to sacrifice a longstanding tradition in the name of convenience and simplicity. (more…)

December 5, 2014 - Tags: christianity, culture, holidays, Timothy Deal Posted in: Blogs

No Great Master

by Laura Fischer
April 22, 2014

Thomas Hawk via Compfight

At our last meeting for Children of the Wells, I volunteered to write the blog for Easter weekend. It seemed like a subject that would be rife with ideas, and I thought I might be able to write something about my involvement with the Easter program at my church or something. But once I actually started thinking about what to write for this blog, I was stymied. Nothing that occurred to me seemed at all interesting or unique. What can I say about Easter that hasn’t been said a million times before? (more…)

April 22, 2014 - Tags: christianity, Laura Fischer, philosophy Posted in: Blogs

Oh, That Depressing Thing

by Nick Hayden
March 28, 2014

Calea’s lost arm?
Ben Andreas Harding via Compfight

When we–the writing collective that is Children of the Wells–discuss The Well’s Orphan, it’s usually referenced as “that depressing thing,” or by some equivalent phrase. Fellow writer Nathan Marchand accused me of being “downright nihilistic” in the story.

What’s interesting about these (playful) insults is that in person I’m an optimistic, glass half-full sort of guy most of the time. I have my deep philosophical funks, certainly, but they’re over quickly. In my writing, however, I tend to probe the spiritual dimensions of man. That’s the center of conflict, to me–how a person understands his place in the world and his relationship with God. (more…)

March 28, 2014 - Tags: christianity, Nick Hayden, philosophy, The Well's Orphan Posted in: Blogs

Making Up God

by Natasha Hayden
February 28, 2014

Trey Ratcliff via Compfight

This week in Children of the Wells, you were treated to a glimpse of the more zealous side of one of this world’s religions: the worship of the god Elthor. He is the god of Thyrion’s monotheistic state religion. The Emperor and his family believe their godlike power comes from Elthor. They believe their divine right to rule comes from him. In fact, they take their belief a step further: they believe they are gods themselves. Others, like the High Priest Pelag (from The Fall of the House of Kyzer) are fervent, more traditional believers, and still others believe only as far as Elthor suits their needs and whims. (more…)

February 28, 2014 - Tags: christianity, Natasha Hayden, The Well's Orphan, world-building Posted in: Blogs

One Thousand Gifts: Received

by Natasha Hayden
November 29, 2013

Disclaimer: In accordance with Thanksgiving, this blog will be a bit more of a personal reflection and have less to do with Children of the Wells, though anything personal serves to give our readers a glance at the person behind the mask, and that has everything to do with what we are creating here.

Over the past year, I have been keeping a journal of Gifts. I was inspired by the book 1000 Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, which I highly recommend. I capitalize Gifts because these aren’t just birthday or Christmas gifts or any nice little thing somebody gives me. The Gifts I’ve been recording are the kind that come unexpectedly on any given day. They are beautiful. They are meaningful. Some are simple. Some are physical. Many are intangible. All remind me of the ultimate Gift-giver: Jesus Christ. In fact, I consider each one to be a Gift from him. (more…)

November 29, 2013 - Tags: christianity, Natasha Hayden, personal Posted in: Blogs

Remembering C.S. Lewis

By Nathan Marchand
November 22, 2013

This blog was also posted on the author’s website.

I realized the other day that this is a week of noteworthy anniversaries. November 19 was the 150^th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Today, November 22, is a day loaded with significance. Fifty years ago today several events, both joyous and tragic, occurred. On the bright side, the British science fiction TV show Doctor Who first aired. But today is also remembered for the deaths of three great men: President John F. Kennedy, author Aldous Huxley, and theologian C.S. Lewis. (more…)

November 22, 2013 - Tags: christianity, inspiration, Nathan Marchand Posted in: Blogs

Messy As I Am

By Natasha Hayden
May 24, 2013

An early concept drawing for Katrina.

For The Story Project, whose stories are now done but were part of another shared universe with multiple writers, I once wrote a character who was so seemingly hateful of the world that nobody liked her or understood her or knew how to write her. But I loved her.

Katrina was self-sufficient, deeply distrustful of men, hard-hearted, tough, driven, and downright intimidating. What’s not to love, right? She didn’t care if people hated her, thrived on it really. But all that, perhaps much like what we see from Calea in The Select’s Bodyguard, was her persona, the exterior she wanted everyone to see.

When other writers wrote her into their stories, Katrina came across as very one-dimensional: just a mean person no one really wanted to be around. But I saw so much more complexity and potential in her. Where others saw hard-hearted, I saw world-wise. Life had knocked her around a bit until she learned to knock back. Where others saw intimidating, I saw forthright. When there was a job to be done, she did it or made sure others did, no nonsense. Where others saw hateful, I saw hurting, even before I myself had written or even knew her backstory. (more…)

May 24, 2013 - Tags: characters, christianity, Natasha Hayden, other projects, The Select's Bodyguard Posted in: Blogs