Last updated: Saturday, November 27, 1999
Tim's Writings
All are relatively short unless indicated.
This piece outlines a little of what "Jesus Christ changed my life" means for
me.
On the importance of daily spiritual nourishment.
Original Pieces
In June, 1996 I exchanged correspondence with an inquiring friend. He asked some common
questions, so I decided to publish a generic form of the letter for any other agnostics
who may be curious about the same matters as my friend.
I have grown very intrigued with Biblical end times (eschatology) and God's
relationship to time. During Advent, 1996 I wrote an essay using the analogy of a skydiver
jumping out of an airplane. Writing down my thoughts has certainly enhanced my own sense
of anticipation in the Holiday Season! Read the essay if you
want to know the answer to the question, "How long does a skydiver have to open his
parachute once he's jumped out of the plane?"
I finished my story in January, 1996 after starting it over eight years before that.
Over the next few months I investigated options for submitting my work to magazines and
entering it in contests, but I decided that to do so would be more than I care to put into
my writing avocation at the time. Instead, I am taking advantage of this new publishing
medium through which you are reading these very words, and I offer it for your enjoyment
here.
The story is not a happy one, so your "enjoyment" may be in an uncomfortable
sort of way. Nevertheless, I have received compliments about the quality of the story from
friends and strangers alike.
C.S. Lewis is a brilliant twentieth
century thinker and an honorable defender of the Faith. I read his book in February, 1996
and found myself taking notes throughout the experience. When I was done, I had cited
enough passages and copied enough quotations that I thought it would be of some use to
people who otherwise might not read the book. Of course, it is no substitute for reading
the book, but perhaps it will get some agnostics thinking about their position.
Resist the temptation of pornography.
I went caving with a Boy Scout troop in the summer of 1997.
In February 1997 I went on a retreat to a monastery.
I had a letter to the editor published in the Gazette Telegraph, my local
paper, on the subject of abortion.
I also sent another letter to them with my opinion about who should
care for the poor in response to an article about Roman Catholic
bishops. They published it on Sunday, November 19, 1995. Unlike my first letter, I was
not quick enough to grab their online version. Just as well, since this second letter was
apparently too long for their tastes (their stated threshold is 250 words), so they edited
it. They narrowed the focus, leaving out my call for all Christians to pledge to donate
100% of any tax decrease they saw next year to a Christian charity.
I wish I could have obtained a copy of the column that inspired my latest letter, but
you will just have to imagine the nonsense that it contained to realized why I spent the
first productive hour of my day writing a letter about Christians
seeking a democratic voice.
Every writer has been influenced by what he or she has read. Visit
my musings about the books that I have read recently.
Miscellaneous
I'm keeping a journal about my life since being diagnosed with
thyroid cancer.
I took notes during the 1994 Anglican Conference.
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