It’s not that cheating hasn’t existed before now, but it’s just so easy these days.

I think it’s an amazing opportunity…for those who are willing to resist the temptation to let a computer think for them.

In a few years, this first AI generation will be entering the workforce. Those who depended on AI generators to complete their work will have brains that effectively function on the same level as a 5th grader (no offense, 5th graders!). Those, however, who actually made a priority of their education, who read the books, slugged through math equations, completed the science projects — they will be positioned to take over for CEO’s and world leaders. They will be miles above the majority. Their minds will actually be college-educated!

From a Christian worldview, we know that God commands us to do everything to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31). We also know that we are made in the image of God, with complex, amazing brains that God has gifted us to use to help care for this world and its citizens.

So, Christian student, RESIST the urge to take the easy way out. You don’t need a computer program to write that paper. You can do it! EARN your education, exercise your beautiful brain, and then go out into the world and do amazing things for God’s glory!

It’s a crucial question for the evolutionists – their entire theory rests on this origin story: At one point in history, there was nothing. Then, somehow, there was something. From there, the something became matter, which became organisms, which became life, and so on.

The difficulty for these scientists is that there is no way to begin with nothing. Even in a “vacuum”, matter exists.

In contrast, those who hold to a Christian worldview can rest in the logic of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God is eternal. There was a time when He existed and nothing else did. And then, there was a period in history when He decided to create the universe. In one moment, something came from nothing because God spoke that something into existence.

Those, like my husband, who are experts in creation science, can demonstrate myriad aspects of this universe that point to a Creator. Think of the intricacies of the cell, the vastness of the universe, the exactitude of gravity. To believe these all occurred randomly is illogical. Like the old analogy, it’s like putting the pieces of a watch in a bag, shaking them up, and expecting them to come out fully formed. You can repeat that experiment millions of times and all you’ll get is pieces of a watch. A watchmaker is needed to take those pieces and make them into a working whole.

Christians are often accused of being simpletons, of using our faith as a “crutch”. We must stand against those accusations. It take more faith to believe something came from nothing than to believe a Divine Creator is behind the universe as we know it.

If you want to know more about this topic, check out Answers in Genesis.

I realized, though, that I miss writing here. I miss writing in general. And even if no one reads this but me, I’m going to go back to my 1-2x/week posts. Because I want to.

Join me if you’d like. Share, subscribe, comment. Or don’t.

Email me, if you enjoy that medium – I still do! – and let me know if there are any particular topics you’d like me to tackle.

If you’re reading this….thanks! It means a lot 🙂

More soon…

Krista

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

America in the 1920s experienced massive changes at a rapid pace: Between the Great War and the Spanish Flu, millions of people died suddenly. There were battles against alcohol, which resulted in Prohibition on one side and rampant black market speakeasies on the other. Women were able to vote, they were joining the work force, cutting their hair, shortening their skirts. The change in fashion from 1915 to 1925 was unlike anything we’ve seen before or since.

And right in the middle of all the action was F Scott Fitzgerald. He and his wife Zelda were described as the “prince and princess” of the Jazz Age. Their exploits around New York City were stuff of legends. They drank and partied and lived it up…until they didn’t. Sadly, both died very broken and fairly young.

Although The Great Gatsby was written in 1925 – the height of the Jazz Age and of the Fitzgerald’s fame – it reflects what was broken about this era.

Jay Gatsby was a legend himself. In fact, in the novel, the reader has to wait three chapters (almost 1/3 of the book) before meeting him. He is discussed, rumors fly about him, his parties are described in detail. But he is a mystery. The narrator, and Gatsby’s next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway, discovers Gatsby is more than any of the rumors, “better than all the others put together”.

But Gatsby has a fatal flaw – love for the shallow Daisy Buchanan. He fell for her when he was a young soldier stationed in Louisville and built his entire grand empire with her in mind: If he could just make enough money, become “great”, she would be his. And it worked…for a while. But this is a tragedy. And, without giving away too much of the ending, his dreams do not come true.

This novel asks the question, Is the American Dream really possible? And the answer, according to Fitzgerald, is a resounding “no”. We can’t get anything we want, not even if we work really hard. And no one ever “has it all.” Everyone lives behind a facade.

Looking at this work from a biblical worldview, we can see the longing people have – to be “important”, to be loved, to have value. These desires aren’t wrong. I believe they are God-given! But they can only be realized through a relationship with Christ. In Him, we have immense value, we are deeply and eternally loved. To seek those things apart from Christ is futile. Fitzgerald saw the futility but, sadly, he didn’t see that there is hope, that salvation from meaningless life is available.

This delightful novel tells the story of one woman’s journey from harsh dependence to loving independence.

The End

When I taught AP Literature, Jane Eyre was one of my favorite novels to cover. It has it all: strong heroine in a coming-of-age story, symbols everywhere, and universal themes like love and independence. On top of all that, it has a crazy woman in the attic! What’s not to love?

From a Christian perspective, we see genuine faith contrasted with all types of hypocrisy and coldness. When Jane is in Lowood school – a “low’ point in her life (ah, the symbols!) – the “pious” director, aptly named Mr. Brocklehurst – forces the pupils to live an austere existence while his family lives in luxury. In contrast, Jane’s tragic friend, Helen Burns (the names in this book — every one means something!!) is able to rise above the harsh treatment, to find joy in her hope for eternity. One could say, she “burns” with true faith, like a light in the darkness.

Later in the book, St. John reflects dour faith – symbolized by all things cold. He offers Jane the life of sacrifice as missionary in India. But, as Jane recognizes, St. John isn’t going out of a passionate calling. His entire demeanor is sterile and so completely opposite of the fire she knew in Rochester that should could not accept his proposal.

Jane herself demonstrates a firm adherence to truth when she gives up all that is comfortable, pleasant, and warm to remain faithful to what she knows is right. She leaves Rochester, despite his great love for her, because he is married. Rochester can justify his adulterous intentions – Bertha is insane, and he was tricked into marrying her. Readers sympathize. But Jane’s conscience won’t permit her to join Rochester in those justifications.

In the end, Jane gets it all – the freedom she has always craved, the man she loves, and the life she wants. And she gets it all without having to compromise her integrity. A happy ending, indeed.

This story has stood the test of time for many reasons, but I believe the primary reason is because we know these characters.  We know the pragmatic Charlotte who chooses practicality over passion. We know the slick Wickham who can make girls believe he only has eyes for them – when his eyes are actually roving all over the countryside. We know the ridiculous Mr. Collins who seeks to ingratiate himself with those he hopes will elevate his status.

When Elizabeth says of Jane that she will never be as happy as Jane because she isn’t as good as her, we understand. And when Elizabeth refuses a wealthy, handsome man because she has far too much self-confidence to accept his offensive proposal, we want to believe we would do that, too.

This story has also retained its popularity because it’s a love story between two equals. In a time when marriages were arranged, based on social stature, land ownership, and titles, Elizabeth and Darcy marry for love. And they don’t marry until Darcy sees that Elizabeth is his equal in every way. She accepts nothing less, and we love her for that.

The clergy in Austen novels is always of special interest to me, as they are rarely sympathetic characters. Something to note about this time period (early 19th century) is that a man was given the position of clergy, not because of a calling, necessarily, but because it was a respected occupation, a “living”. As a result, clergy may or may not have been very religious at all. As we see with Mr. Collins, he’s far more concerned with status than souls, and his personality is mercilessly mocked by the author and her protagonist. Darcy shows far more real compassion than Collins ever does.

Austen also mocks the upper classes – as with the Misses Bingley and Lady Catherine. In “real life” during this time period, women like this would always be treated with respect, would marry someone “worthy” of their stations, and would never be thrown over by someone “common”. But in Jane Austen’s world, worth is determined by character, not status, and Elizabeth, therefore, is most worthy.

No matter how many times I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, the story and the characters never get old. If you’ve never read the book, now is the time! The movies – not even A&E’s (in my opinion, the absolute best) – can come close. Austen’s prose is so sharp that even two hundred years later, she can make us laugh, cheer, and swoon.

This novel is a combination of everything Lewis loved, and it is his fiction writing at its most glorious and most mature. Based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the novel’s protagonist is Psyche’s oldest sister, Orual. The novel is a first-person account, detailing Orual’s complaint against the gods and her eventual retraction of that complaint.

This novel, Lewis insisted, is a parallel, not an allegory, like Narnia or the Space Trilogy. It doesn’t fit into neat boxes in its connection to Christianity. And yet, this is an even greater apologetic, in my opinion, than Mere Christianity. As Orual rails against the gods – who seem to torment her and mock her throughout the first part – we see humanity. Orual is incredibly intelligent, strong, able, and she loves deeply. But she is blind to the truth. In her hatred for the gods, she cuts herself off from everyone – her disconnect with others symbolized by the veil she wears over her face most of her life. She views life through the “veil”, sure that she is correctly interpreting reality, but actually becoming more and more blind with every passing year.

Her understanding of the world and the gods is limited, and yet she sets herself up as the gods’ accuser, as the victim, as God Himself.

She finally discovers (spoiler alert!) that she has been lying to herself her whole life. That the Truth can only be seen when she is honest with herself, when the veil is removed, when she accepts, like Job in the Old Testament, that God is God and she is not.

This book is so rich – an incredible work of literature and an incredible reminder of who we are before a holy God. If you have not read this – get it! Read it. If you have read it – read it again! I find some new nugget of truth and beauty every time I revisit this story.

“To say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or nothing less or other than what you really mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words.” (Till We Have Faces, 294)

This has been a passion for years — My undergraduate degree is in Literature; I have been an English teacher for over a decade and a half, and I taught AP English at Christian schools for over half that time.

I’d love for this to become a forum where my posts are just the start of rich conversations about great works of literature.

So, to start this discussion: Where do we begin? I’d love your input as I choose which books to examine. I’ll list a few of my very favorite works below. Feel free to add yours in the comments!

• Till We Faces by CS Lewis
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Or maybe it’s just me. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “What is she talking about?” If that’s you, feel free to swipe up on this blog and enjoy your carefree life.

For the rest of you — there’s a one word solution to our fears of the future. Are you ready for it? Grab a pen….

Just stop.

Before you swipe up, give me a chance to explain:

We can choose what lives in our mind, what takes root and grows. Conversely, we can choose what only stops in for a visit.

For example, I am often tempted to let fears about the future take root in my brain. I hear something on the news about potential war, and I begin thinking about books I’ve read about World War 2, about bombings and deaths and men dying and economies being crippled…and on and on. I can let that one thought develop into hours of fear, creating stories in my mind (a downside of being a writer!).

But I don’t have to let that thought take root. I can push it out. God doesn’t want me dwelling on a hypothetical future. In fact, Jesus commanded that we “do not worry”!

So what can I do when those thoughts drop in?

• Memorize a Bible verse (I recommend Phil. 4:8 or Matthew 11:28-30)
• Pray for someone
• Look for someone in your life you can serve or encourage
• Share your struggles with a godly friend
• Read a Christian book

Friends, to worry is human. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. And for some of us, it’s become a habit — a habit that we need to break.

So, when you find yourself circling down the drain of worry, STOP. Retrain your brain. It is possible, I promise. Not easy! But so worth the effort.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ~Phil. 4:8

I find myself identifying with them – a few years ago, I was part of a ministry in which church leaders were anything but godly and whose decisions and behavior devastated our family and many of our friends. I’ve had to pause a few times and confess, again, anger towards those men, as feelings resurfaced that I thought were long buried.

Sadly, many of us have stories like these – maybe not as extreme as the testimonies from Mars Hill. Still, we have been hurt by those claiming to be Christians, and those wounds fester and the pain from them can affect our future ministries, relationships, and thoughts.

And, yet, it’s complicated. As I think on my traumatic experience, I know there are people in that same ministry – still today – who love the leadership, respect them, support them. How is that possible?? Do they not know who these men are and what they’ve done??

On the other hand, I have friends who have been hurt by ministries I’ve been part of — ministries that I love and whose leadership I support. They can’t understand how I can speak highly of people who have devastated them. Do I shun those ministries, in support of my friends? Do I shun my friends, in support of the ministries? Is it possible to support both? Why am I not as outraged on their behalf as I am on mine? Conversely, why I can’t I justify the actions of people who have wounded me when I can justify those who haven’t?

Which leads me to the reality that I am sinful. I know this, theologically. But I tend to overlook it, practically. I’m great at recognizing the sins of others. Really great. But recognizing my own sins? Not so much. And, yet, I’m sure, in the 20+ years I’ve been in ministry, that I have hurt others. I know there have been times I’ve lashed out at students. I’ve said things I shouldn’t, criticized, been negative, lacking in mercy. And those words may very likely have sunk deep, those wounds festered. They may be looking back on me as someone who hurt them, as the root of their own spiritual trauma. I may not be as bad as the pastor in the podcast, or the leaders at the church that so wounded us, but sin is sin. And I’d get a lot farther in my own sanctification if I focused more on my own sin and less on others’.

Spiritual trauma is real. It hurts and recovery takes time. If you have experienced it, I recommend that, if possible, you seek the help of a Christian counselor who will help you work through those emotions. What we have to do, and what is most difficult, is forgive. Know that forgiveness isn’t the same as excusing. There’s no excusing some behavior. But we can forgive. We forgive because God forgave us. We forgive because it frees us. We forgive and know that God, not us, is the ultimate judge. If we focus on revenge, we’ll miss out on the abundant life God has for us.

Forgiveness isn’t a one-time event. I’ve had to go back and forgive again and again – every time the memories return. But I choose to keep forgiving, not to give Satan a foothold in my mind and heart. And I choose to check my own heart, my own behavior. I choose today to reflect Christ in what I do and say, in how I treat people. I choose to seek the forgiveness of those I’ve hurt, and to do all I can not to hurt others. I want to be an instrument of healing, encouragement, and light. I want people to see Jesus in me and to draw closer to Him as a result.