Hoping for Transformational Work

I have been working hard on my new book, the sequel to my first novel, The Bark of the Covenant. Here is a sneak peek at the cover, designed by Perry Elizabeth Designs. I love her covers! Having received great feedback from my beta-readers, the folks who read the draft and look for mistakes, I am now in the final edit. The editing process for most writers is similar to locking oneself in a small room with no anesthesia and a dentist.

Nonetheless, just like dental care, editing is one of those things that writers have to do. If all goes well, the book will be released by Valentine's Day. I worked several hours on it yesterday. I didn't hate the editing as much as usual because honestly, I really like this book. I read all the time, and had just finished reading a book that left me angry. It was well written, but had claimed to be a "clean read." It was not. It was littered with pretty filthy language. Had I been warned, I would never have bought it. The false claims burned me.

As I was mulling that over, while editing, I realized I write books I want to read. Or at least I attempt to. I want books that make me think, that teach me new things, that draw me closer to God, that have humor and pathos, that don't have explicit sex or violence or bad language, that end on an uplifting note, and that make me want to be better than I am. As in any of the creative arts, that combination is not easy to find.

But the world needs more Christians in the arts, every area of the creative fields, to step out and produce art, writing, games, videos, movies, TV shows that do all of the above. If not, we are handing the world to Satan on a silver platter.

We are to be in the world but not of the world. And if we are truly committed, we are to transform the world.

Off soapbox and back to editing.
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Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 3:18 

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Galatians 2:20 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 5:1-21

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.