The following is a parable I wrote about the key to getting stronger physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Something we all try to avoid…

Ronnie wasn’t physically strong. It’s not that he didn’t have the desire for it. Of course he wanted to be strong. Who doesn’t? Everyone wants to be strong in some way. But Ronnie worked a desk job, his hobbies involved watching movies, reading, or things you have to put together. And the closest he ever got to the sporting world was his fantasy football team. He wasn’t strong, because he had never really been in an environment that pushed him to get strong.

One day, Ronnie decided he wanted to improve his body. He had always wanted to be in shape, to get fit, but he had never done anything about it. Now, it was finally time to take action, time to make a change for the better.

He was going to get strong.

[Read more...]

“This world is actually two worlds combined, one world of everything that I hope for and the other world of nothing that I want.” – Heroes and Monsters

Josh Riebock’s Heroes and Monsters is more than a book, more than a memoir. It’s fresh air. The words and stories alive with honesty and vulnerability. Weighty, connected, and getting under the surface, the writer’s uncommon humility and truthfulness shed light on our common struggles and victories. Josh’s story is our story. Beautiful, messy, glorious, awkward, faithful, disloyal, heroic, and insecure. We’re all the same at our core: despairing and weak in spite of our desire to be hopeful and strong. Each of us cherished by a God who spends each day inventing new ways to communicate his unending love for us.

On Monday, I had the privilege of interviewing Josh about Heroes and Monsters. Engaging, unassuming, funny, humble, and wise beyond his years, Josh shared with me his perspective, his fears, his heart. The following is an excerpt from our conversation. You can read the interview in its entirety by clicking here.

MDP: You talk a lot about being inspired. What inspired you to write the book?

JR: I wanted to write the kind of book that I wanted to read. I had been processing a lot of things in my own life, and I just wanted to get it out and move on. I didn’t think I’d be able to do that unless I wrestled with it and wrote about it.

MDP: You have described Heroes and Monsters as ”an illustrated memoir mixed with intentional fiction” What was the most difficult part of writing it?

JR: From a style standpoint, it was really difficult to let go and follow my instincts into some of the fictional pieces. I’m amazed at how concerned I am about being called weird. I didn’t ever realize how much I’ve tried to avoid that label in my life. I remember thinking, “my publisher is going to think I’m so strange.”

MDP: What is/are your favorite chapter(s)?

JR: I loved writing about the cow, to consider “If a cow walked into my house, what would we talk about? What would he look like? What can I learn from a cow?” Another chapter was the last one, when it’s all in Heaven. It really came out of the question, “how do I end this thing?” I didn’t want to wrap it up in a false sense of closure on this planet, because I don’t believe that’s gonna happen. But I do believe in eternal closure. And so it just made sense that would be the most hopeful, and simultaneously truthful, way to end it.

MDP: There are a lot of authors out there who are telling us things, bullet lists, inspirational thoughts, pep talks. You choose storytelling. What is it about story that connects?

JR: For one I feel like I’m horrible at advice. To me, stories are needed because there are some truths that can’t be “bullet-listed” out. Where lists end, stories have to begin. When I’m telling a story, I’m not saying “here’s what you have to go do.” I’m trusting that you’re an intelligent person and that you’re gonna figure out what to do. And it’s even trusting that God is going to move in that space that a story leaves for someone to wrestle.

MDP: In another interview you did (with yourself) you said, “I have a strong love for words. I believe in their power.” What do you hope this book, your words in this book, will do in the lives of people?

JR: I hope it unlocks in people their own ability to just be open with their life. To stop hiding, to stop feeling they’re not worthy of something, to do away with the idea that the godly man or the godly woman is the person who has it all together, and maybe say the godly man or woman is the person who is so finely tuned to the fact that they don’t.

MDP: Early in the book, you have an encounter with an unusual character, who recurs throughout the narrative. Tell us about Jack.

JR: I wanted to tell the story of my life in a way where other people could see the interaction of God and not just in this far-out way, but where they could see the practical presence. I tried to be very intentional to talk about Jack in very basic moments. He’s holding a cup of coffee, he’s a groomsmen in my wedding, we’re driving in the car. These are things I say I believe, but what would it actually look like if I could actually see that in my life? I wanted to capture that presence of God, but I didn’t want people to tune out. If you create a character where, at first, someone isn’t necessarily sure what it is, by the time they figured out what you’re saying, you’ve already pulled them in.

MDP: One of the most compelling lines in the book is “One night of freedom can sometimes make life worthwhile.” How has that been true for you?

JR: In my life, I find it easy to forget that, in the midst of how difficult life can be, when we experience liberation from a fear or a guilt or a shame, that one moment of freedom makes the hell that it took getting you there worth it. That’s hard to feel in the midst of [the struggle]. But in that cloud of freedom I’m reminded life really can be a beautiful thing.

MDP: Early in the book you wrote, “Everybody wants to be somebody’s audience.” Who do you hope your audience is?

JR: I wish I had a great answer to that. I just would love for people who have put God in a box, to play a part in ripping that box to shreds for them. And for the people who think God wants nothing to do with them, who think He would never step into their life or into their world, I would love to play a part in shattering the glass on that belief.

MDP: You write, “Sometimes dreams are ignited by the most unlikely voices.“ Other than the cow, what unlikely voices ignited your dream?

JR: I grew up in a fairly “churched” environment, I felt the expectation was that the people who were going to be used to do the most in my life would be of the same faith. I’m learning that so much of the dreams I have, even my love for other people, who I am, have been shaped by people who believe nothing like me. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think God ever said, “Only be shaped by the people who agree with you.”

MDP: You describe faith in terms of “just hanging on.” That understanding came out of a very dark part of your life where you lost both your parents in a couple of months time. Any thoughts for people who are just hanging on?

JR: The typical language that we use for faith is about going and doing something that in our minds is awesome. I think maybe the most profound demonstration of faith that gets brushed over because it doesn’t seem glamorous is when someone simply hangs on, when they simply get up the next day. Especially in the midst of something difficult. Someone who isn’t in our minds going to change the world, but they still dialogue with God in spite of all the things that would seem to add up to them letting go. They hang on.

MDP: What is the main message of your book that you want readers to grab hold of?

JR: When all is said and done, the book is a story. My hope isn’t necessarily to impose on somebody else what they should get. I guess if I was to be very specific about what I think a lot of people will be forced to consider is, “the way the parts of me sometimes disagree, it’s a wonder this body doesn’t shatter.” I guess it’s just to recognize the internal conflict in every person and the tension of life. But to realize that doesn’t mean that God isn’t with us in that. To me, that’s so much of the beauty of it. It’s not that “hey I’ve got it together and God is with me,” it’s “I am coming apart at the seams, and God is with me.”

**In conjunction with this interview, Josh has graciously agreed to give away five signed copies of Heroes and Monsters along with a Heroes and Monsters t-shirt. To be eligible for the free book and t-shirt drawing, just subscribe to my mailing list by entering your e-mail address in the required field on the left of this page, and then leave a comment about your reaction to the interview below. All who subscribe to my mailing list and comment by midnight (ET) Sunday, August 19 will be entered into the drawing for a signed copy of Heroes and Monsters plus an official Heroes and Monsters t-shirt. You may also wish to subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address in that field as well.**

Want to order your copy today? Follow one of the links below.

Order Heroes and Monsters here: amazon.com

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