Seek high road when criticizing songs, books
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
3y ago
Recently I’ve been bothered by posts on social media by people I respect that have disparaged the songwriting abilities of certain Christian artists. “Listen to other Christian artists besides X and Y,” others have posted. These posts left a bad taste in my mouth, and I’ve been trying to figure out why. It’s no different than writing negative reviews of books or movies, is it? I guess not. Except I find reviews ripping up fiction hard to stomach as well. Here’s why. Many Christian artists, whether singers, songwriters, authors or filmmakers, see their work as their mission. Their talents are g ..read more
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No matter what happens, we still have ice cream (In other words, count blessings along with votes)
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
3y ago
On Election night I went to bed without having watched any of the coverage. It seemed like a good strategy, given that I have steroid-induced insomnia on chemo days as it is. As I write this I still don’t know who won. But the things I do know are brighter, clearer, and more hopeful than ever before. Before I climbed into bed I read a poem by Poet Mary Jo Bang “How It will feel months from now” that just “happened” to be in my inbox from the Academy of American Poets. Here’s a snippet: The walls of time dissolve whenever the lights are turned off. The lights that made the day so easy to be wit ..read more
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God, it’s me. Sorry I made it about music. Again.
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
Much joy rang out in Whoville recently when churches were able to open their doors again for services in sanctuaries. Music rang out again. Hallelujah! Like many churches, prior to the pandemic, mine had adapted a two-pronged approach to style of worship—contemporary and traditional—to accommodate the different tastes of our congregation. Strong feelings abounded on this topic, particularly when it came to the music, and much discussion occurred before the two very different services were developed. Returning to church with the limitations necessary to ensure the safety of church members has r ..read more
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My weapons of choice: prayer, writing
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
To say it’s been a difficult, troubling season for all of us would be an understatement. More than 100,000 loved ones dead in the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States alone and many more affected in a multitude of ways. Sheltering at home. Businesses closed. Schools closed. Church buildings closed. Jobs lost. The world has a dystopian, nightmarish quality some days. Then came the horror of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police. Along with the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. The anguish and responses across the country over such naked, ugly racism rearing its head over and o ..read more
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Writing romances offers chance to learn, share faith
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
One of the many blessings of being a writer is how much I learn when I write books. How I’m stretched as a person. How much I learn about myself and what I believe as a Christian. I know what you’re thinking. Kelly, you write Amish romances and romantic suspense. Fluffy stuff. And it’s true, novels like mine are first and for most intended to entertain. If they don’t, I haven’t done my job. But many authors of Christian fiction also hope to nudge readers toward a better understanding of the Christian faith. I do. It’s how I use my spiritual gift to spread the Word. The idea is to weave this fa ..read more
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My 2020 Writing State of the Union Address
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
As usual, time sprang a new year on us right after Christmas. I knew it was coming, but I was so busy writing in 2019, I couldn’t really give 2020 much thought. Today, I’m forcing myself to take a short breather to assess what I accomplished last year and what this crazy writer’s life might be like in the new year. As painful as it is to break away from writing a book that is due in 34 days (who’s counting, right?), I feel I must. If we don’t pay attention to where we’re going we might accidentally walk off a cliff! I think that’s why elected folks do state of the union addresses—to remind us ..read more
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Amish Fiction: Does it portray the Amish accurately?
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
Being able to visit the site of my novels helps me use authentic details in the stories. This long suspension bridge near Rexford, Montana, plays an important role in the Amish of Sky Country novels.Recently while perusing Facebook—procrastinating instead of writing—I came across a reader’s query regarding Amish fiction. How realistic is it, she asked? Does it accurately reflect how the Amish really live? It’s a great question and one I’m sure many readers ask themselves. It’s also one I’ve longed to answer for myself as the author of fifteen published Amish romances and seven novellas (with m ..read more
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Accessibility project gave purpose to my weakness
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
The newly installed chairlift at my church. The space was created when the sanctuary was constructed, but no funds were available for the lift.I arrived at church recently to find a shiny new addition nestled near the stairs that lead from the sanctuary building to the education building. Since I started using a walker ninety percent of the time, I rarely look that direction because I can’t navigate the steps necessary to access the breezeway that leads to the other building. But this day I saw a beautiful chairlift that will allow people in wheelchairs or with a myriad of mobility issues to g ..read more
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Sunday school: It’s not just for kids
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
Being able to recite the fruit of the spirit is not the same as applying them to your life.Some people like me who grew up going to church tend to think of Sunday school as something we did as kids. I have vivid memories of walking to church with my four brothers and sisters every Sunday. We’d stop and pick up the newspaper at the Arcade on our way home and buy some penny candy. Then I grew up. I was busy being a professional, a wife, and a mother. I never gave Sunday school much thought again until I had kids of my own. To be honest, I started attending Sunday school as an adult because my ki ..read more
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Novel research leads to deeper story, insight
Kelly Irvin
by Kelly Irvin
4y ago
Trees blackened by fire near West Kootenai.One of the aspects of doing research for my novels that I really love is finding a story line that hasn’t occurred to me.  That’s exactly what happened when I went to Montana last summer to research my Amish of Sky Country series. I intended to write three books, each about a different Amish friend whose life is changed by the terrible wildfires that damaged the tiny village of West Kootenai. As I did interviews and toured the countryside, I realized the impact on these Amish women was closely tied to the impact on their entire community. My sense of ..read more
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