I am running a free promotion today and tomorrow on three of the stories I've published with Amazon.
Wrong Room: Bathroom Blunders
What happens when you have "TO GO" and your flying through turbulance at 30,00 feet? Or, when you are in Mexico City and you walk into the WRONG ROOM? These are true confessions of a Bathroom Blunderer.
Its free today.
Never By My Name A true story about the relationship a grandfather shares with his grandson while fishing the lakes and streams of North Carolina.
More Felt than Heard Poetry. More Felt Than Heard represents the reflections of living in a beautiful world that is not all it was created to be and the impression it leaves on the soul.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Too Close for Comfort
I've been giving some thought to government and religion today and have come up with an axiom. You may not agree and its OK if you don't, but I would love to hear your position on the subject at hand.
I am writing as a Christian who was born and raised in America and have always considered myself patriotic. I am also a pastor who has given considerable time to the study of Comparative Religion. My intent here is not to bash other persuasions, but rather... to establish dialog.
Axiom: Rouge governments are like pagan gods in that they prey upon the fears of their people.
In the study and discipline of Comparative Religion you will discover that every religion on the globe with the exception of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are pagan in nature.
What that means is that with the exception of the three all other religions have several things common. For instance: 1. Pagan gods are often manipulative and can be manipulated. A brief study of Greek Mythology will support the first premise and any serious consideration of world religion will affirm the latter. 2. A pagan understanding of time is nonlinear, therefore you have the believe of re-incarnation. Time moves in circular fashion rather than to a point in time as is suggested in Christian thought. 3. The pagan god must be appeased and to that end, ancient civilizations at times would sacrificially offer their children to the deities as an act of worship.
The motivating factor and driving force behind such behaviour was fear. People were afraid of the gods and that fear was often reinforced by witch doctors, priest and soothsayers.
The Role of Government should be to protect and serve the people it represents. Unfortunately that has not always been the case. The world is no stranger to tyranny and the twentieth century unveiled and exposed a darkness of the human condition. The Holocaust of Germany, the Gulags of The Soviet Union and The Killing Fields of Cambodia showed the world how ugly an oligarchy can be.
Both the Gestapo and KGB exercised fear tactics by controlling information, leveraging propaganda and brainwashing a society while those on top lived in luxury at the expense of the population.
Because of the fallen state of human nature governments will always be tempted to abuse the power with which they are entrusted. Whenever a particular party or person solicits fear tactics with hopes of manipulating the population a line has been crossed. An ethic has been compromised and danger is sure to follow. The dark act must be brought to light as steps are taken to correct the trespass.
I write as a Christian and as a student of Church History I've learned that we are not immune to corruption. While we are not pagan history reveals many of the bad decisions that have been made out of fear and ignorance.
When the church is on task this world has never seen anything more beautiful. But, when the church moves off center and gets away from Her mission this world has never seen anything more ugly, or dangerous.
As stated earlier, I am a patriotic American who is glade to call this country home. The Founders went to great lengths in laying out principals on which government could be exercised for the people and by the people. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution both serve as reminders of a better way.
If we as a people turn a blind eye to the founding of this great nation and the principals upon which it stands then we too shall reap the consequences others have endured.
And with that...we come full circle with an axiom. Rouge governments are like pagan gods in that they prey upon the fears of their people.
www.camdockery.com
I am writing as a Christian who was born and raised in America and have always considered myself patriotic. I am also a pastor who has given considerable time to the study of Comparative Religion. My intent here is not to bash other persuasions, but rather... to establish dialog.
Axiom: Rouge governments are like pagan gods in that they prey upon the fears of their people.
In the study and discipline of Comparative Religion you will discover that every religion on the globe with the exception of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are pagan in nature.
What that means is that with the exception of the three all other religions have several things common. For instance: 1. Pagan gods are often manipulative and can be manipulated. A brief study of Greek Mythology will support the first premise and any serious consideration of world religion will affirm the latter. 2. A pagan understanding of time is nonlinear, therefore you have the believe of re-incarnation. Time moves in circular fashion rather than to a point in time as is suggested in Christian thought. 3. The pagan god must be appeased and to that end, ancient civilizations at times would sacrificially offer their children to the deities as an act of worship.
The motivating factor and driving force behind such behaviour was fear. People were afraid of the gods and that fear was often reinforced by witch doctors, priest and soothsayers.
The Role of Government should be to protect and serve the people it represents. Unfortunately that has not always been the case. The world is no stranger to tyranny and the twentieth century unveiled and exposed a darkness of the human condition. The Holocaust of Germany, the Gulags of The Soviet Union and The Killing Fields of Cambodia showed the world how ugly an oligarchy can be.
Both the Gestapo and KGB exercised fear tactics by controlling information, leveraging propaganda and brainwashing a society while those on top lived in luxury at the expense of the population.
Because of the fallen state of human nature governments will always be tempted to abuse the power with which they are entrusted. Whenever a particular party or person solicits fear tactics with hopes of manipulating the population a line has been crossed. An ethic has been compromised and danger is sure to follow. The dark act must be brought to light as steps are taken to correct the trespass.
I write as a Christian and as a student of Church History I've learned that we are not immune to corruption. While we are not pagan history reveals many of the bad decisions that have been made out of fear and ignorance.
When the church is on task this world has never seen anything more beautiful. But, when the church moves off center and gets away from Her mission this world has never seen anything more ugly, or dangerous.
As stated earlier, I am a patriotic American who is glade to call this country home. The Founders went to great lengths in laying out principals on which government could be exercised for the people and by the people. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution both serve as reminders of a better way.
If we as a people turn a blind eye to the founding of this great nation and the principals upon which it stands then we too shall reap the consequences others have endured.
And with that...we come full circle with an axiom. Rouge governments are like pagan gods in that they prey upon the fears of their people.
www.camdockery.com
Monday, February 18, 2013
Grace and a Note
When I was eleven years old and in the fifth grade a friend and I managed to get ourselves into trouble when another student discovered a note we had written. Included in the note were several rude remarks about some of the other students and a few were even directed toward our teacher, Mrs Emory.
Forty years have passed since that note was discovered, but the memory stays with me and the thing I learned about my fathers heart became a small piece of a crucial puzzle that eventually changed the direction of my life.
I thought I'd post an excerpt. Hope you enjoy.
"It happened in the fall of 1973 when i was eleven years old and in the fifth grade at Sumner Elementary School. It was discovered just after the lunch break as we were getting settled back into our desks and making preperations for the the afternoon lesson.
It was found by a girl who had picked it up off the floor as she was walking over to the pencil sharpener. When she paused to read it and learned the content was more than a little offensive. So without hesitation she quickly ran over to the teachers desk and handed it to Mrs. Emory.
I was oblivious to what was going on, but when Mrs. Emory told us to sit down and held up a piece of paper and said, 'This has just come to my attention,' I knew I was in DEEP DOOOO.
Because I knew that what she held in her hand was a note that a friend and I had written and passed back in forth during the morning. Included in the note were several rude and very crude remarks about some of the other kids and if that were not enough to sink the ship, we had also made some very degrading remarks about Mrs Emory.
My young heart began to race as a sickness invaded the pit of my stomach and when I looked over to my friend, I realized he was also gripped by fear and dreaded the consequences. His appearence was more than a little pale: he looked as white as a bleached bed sheet....
...That nightmare of a school day was followed by a long walk home and a quiet dinner, as I sat at the table cringing every time the phone rang. Mom and Dad knew something was up......"
www.camdockery.com
Forty years have passed since that note was discovered, but the memory stays with me and the thing I learned about my fathers heart became a small piece of a crucial puzzle that eventually changed the direction of my life.
I thought I'd post an excerpt. Hope you enjoy.
"It happened in the fall of 1973 when i was eleven years old and in the fifth grade at Sumner Elementary School. It was discovered just after the lunch break as we were getting settled back into our desks and making preperations for the the afternoon lesson.
It was found by a girl who had picked it up off the floor as she was walking over to the pencil sharpener. When she paused to read it and learned the content was more than a little offensive. So without hesitation she quickly ran over to the teachers desk and handed it to Mrs. Emory.
I was oblivious to what was going on, but when Mrs. Emory told us to sit down and held up a piece of paper and said, 'This has just come to my attention,' I knew I was in DEEP DOOOO.
Because I knew that what she held in her hand was a note that a friend and I had written and passed back in forth during the morning. Included in the note were several rude and very crude remarks about some of the other kids and if that were not enough to sink the ship, we had also made some very degrading remarks about Mrs Emory.
My young heart began to race as a sickness invaded the pit of my stomach and when I looked over to my friend, I realized he was also gripped by fear and dreaded the consequences. His appearence was more than a little pale: he looked as white as a bleached bed sheet....
...That nightmare of a school day was followed by a long walk home and a quiet dinner, as I sat at the table cringing every time the phone rang. Mom and Dad knew something was up......"
www.camdockery.com
Thursday, February 14, 2013
My Valentine
I wrote this biographical poem a few years ago and dedicated it to my wife Lisa. She's still my Valentine.
The Twentieth of March.
The Twentieth of March.
How well I remember that first night.
The night you walked through the
door and lit up the room.
You were wearing pink cords, a white
sweater and a scent of Windsong... that
has stayed on my mind.
We met on the Twentieth of March.
And though winter had been long,
Spring came early.
Who could have imagined? Two
people so different, meeting in
a bar and landing in church.
And the story we have written while
moving across the country doing this
thing called life.
From a bar to an altar, through college
and across this continent we've followed
and across this continent we've followed
our hearts and walked against the grain.
And though I am not sure what normal
looks like, I’m certin it looks nothing
like us.
It seems I have been chasing something
for the greater part of my tired life. But
now, I just want to grow old with you.
I’m no longer afraid of all those things
I’ve yet to accomplish. I am content
knowing
…. We have truly loved.
- Cameron Dockery
Monday, February 11, 2013
Indies I Have Known
In December of 2010 my wife gave me a Kindle for Christmas and I've been tracking the rising tide of self-publishing ever since. It happened fast and no one saw it coming, but with the dawning of digital a new medium was birthed.
Now dream has become reality for several authors who never gave up. Their work has found an audience in a world that until recently didn't even exist.
The following list represents a few names I've been tracking since I began my own personal journey. Their success and willingness to help others have proved inspirational.
First I stumbled on Joe Konrath's Blog shortly after getting my Kindle and found him to be a plethora of knowledge in the field of publishing. With a firm handle on the how to of marketing and promotion Joe quickly became one of Amazons top producers.
When I began reading his blog A Newbies Guide to Publishing he had already become somewhat of a prophetic voice for Indie writers. Like no one else he has an ability to read the landscape and identify the trends of whats happening in the industry.
Then I found John Hartness from Charlotte N.C. His his book, Returning the favor and other slices of life was the first book I downloaded to my Kindle. Follow this link to his Amazon page then scroll down and you will find he published over twenty titles in just over two years. His Bubba The Monster Killer stories are packed with southern humor and have a little redneck thrown in for good measure.
His Black Night series delves into the darker side with two Vampires who've partnered with a priest and go about trying to rid the world of evil. John took a year off from his day job and committed to the writing gig. Today he continues to write and offers writing services such as editing, formatting and proof reading. I took a class he offered in Charlotte,N.C. and am looking forward to the next one. I've found him to be a great guy who has a heart for people and connects with his followers.
I soon leaned Amanda Hocking was the first to earn over a million dollars with her Paranormal Romance series when she caught the eye of a main street publisher and signed a deal worth over seven figures.
Then John Locke dialed things up a notch when he sold over a million digital books with Amazon in less than six months and turned down a few offers form the Big 6. He preferred to retain control of his work and opted to remain independent.
With the success of Wool I'm beginning to wonder if we've now entered into a second generation of Indie authors who are ringing the bell and inviting others to the dance.
I recently stated on my website that Hugh has pushed the possibilities through the stratosphere. He published WOOL just over a year ago and is knocking down over $100.000.00 dollars a month in personal income off combined sells.
His deal with Simon and Schuster seems to have been a serious game changer. When a card carrying member of the Big 6 allows an author to retain the digital rights it becomes obvious that a major shake up has taken place.
In just two short years I've watched the tide of Self-Publishing continually rise as new voices come to the table and more readers adopt to digital. We're still early in the game and so much has morphed it leaves me wondering whats coming next. No one knows...but two things are for sure: digital is here to stay and Indies are in a good position.
www.camdockery.com
Now dream has become reality for several authors who never gave up. Their work has found an audience in a world that until recently didn't even exist.
The following list represents a few names I've been tracking since I began my own personal journey. Their success and willingness to help others have proved inspirational.
First I stumbled on Joe Konrath's Blog shortly after getting my Kindle and found him to be a plethora of knowledge in the field of publishing. With a firm handle on the how to of marketing and promotion Joe quickly became one of Amazons top producers.
When I began reading his blog A Newbies Guide to Publishing he had already become somewhat of a prophetic voice for Indie writers. Like no one else he has an ability to read the landscape and identify the trends of whats happening in the industry.
Then I found John Hartness from Charlotte N.C. His his book, Returning the favor and other slices of life was the first book I downloaded to my Kindle. Follow this link to his Amazon page then scroll down and you will find he published over twenty titles in just over two years. His Bubba The Monster Killer stories are packed with southern humor and have a little redneck thrown in for good measure.
His Black Night series delves into the darker side with two Vampires who've partnered with a priest and go about trying to rid the world of evil. John took a year off from his day job and committed to the writing gig. Today he continues to write and offers writing services such as editing, formatting and proof reading. I took a class he offered in Charlotte,N.C. and am looking forward to the next one. I've found him to be a great guy who has a heart for people and connects with his followers.
I soon leaned Amanda Hocking was the first to earn over a million dollars with her Paranormal Romance series when she caught the eye of a main street publisher and signed a deal worth over seven figures.
Then John Locke dialed things up a notch when he sold over a million digital books with Amazon in less than six months and turned down a few offers form the Big 6. He preferred to retain control of his work and opted to remain independent.
With the success of Wool I'm beginning to wonder if we've now entered into a second generation of Indie authors who are ringing the bell and inviting others to the dance.
I recently stated on my website that Hugh has pushed the possibilities through the stratosphere. He published WOOL just over a year ago and is knocking down over $100.000.00 dollars a month in personal income off combined sells.
His deal with Simon and Schuster seems to have been a serious game changer. When a card carrying member of the Big 6 allows an author to retain the digital rights it becomes obvious that a major shake up has taken place.
In just two short years I've watched the tide of Self-Publishing continually rise as new voices come to the table and more readers adopt to digital. We're still early in the game and so much has morphed it leaves me wondering whats coming next. No one knows...but two things are for sure: digital is here to stay and Indies are in a good position.
www.camdockery.com
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Grace: Our Only Hope.
Over a decade has past since I first read Phillip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace and I've never recovered. After reading the book I was both challenged and convicted. First it drove me to my knees, then it led me to a mirror.
Now I'm convinced that if we followers of Christ walked out the grace we so ardently preach this world would be a much better place. If we were more concerned with broken lives and less consumed with local dynasty's more Americans would be going to church.
It's been estimated by those in the know that on any given Sunday less than 20% of our population attends Church. Though several things factor into the equation it appears that to the overwhelming majority church has become irrelevant.
The results of such an assumption have become obvious to the point that we now stand in need of a serious fix. One that far outweighs the ability of any one man or party. As a nation we are both morally and financially bankrupt.
If you were to study the conditions of Eighteenth Century England you will find we have much in common. As a nation England stood at the threshold of a revolution, much like that of France. Yet, something happened no one saw coming. It is now referred to as, The Wesleyan Revival. An entire culture was transformed as Wesley took The Biblical challenge of Social Justice serious.
If you fast forward form 18th Century England to 19th Century Russia you will discover that in 1869 Leo Tolstoy had just published his signature novel, War and Peace. The success catapults him onto the international stage of World Literature where he finds a platform and is given a voice.
At the time 80% of Russia was considered peasant. (Orlando Figes; A Peoples Tragedy) Remember this was old Russia and during the period of the Czars, at which time Russia was considered Christian.
Tolstoy appealed to the government and predicted that if something is not done to address the problem of peasantry in Russia a bloody revolution will follow. Nothing was done until October 25th, 1917 when The Bolsheviks brought a revolution that resulted in 70 years of tyranny.
One can't help but wonder how different things may have been had
the church stepped up and walked out the message of grace during those difficult times.
Today, we in America are living in desperate times though it appears as if the majority of our population's oblivious. Our government has tried everything a government can try and we're still in serious trouble. We've had both Republicans and Democrats at the helm and the ship's still sinking.
Might I make a suggestion? We who call ourselves, "followers of Christ," may we get serious in prayer and call on The One who alone can..." restore the years the locust have eaten." And while we're on our knee's may we not get up too soon. And when we do get up may we... as The Church, truly offer a cup of cold water in the name of the Lord.
Where the government has failed the church can succeed. Its called REVIVAL and its a product of grace and its our only hope.
Blessings,
www.camdockery.com
Like nothing else grace has an ability to transform a life. Sometime ago I wrote a true short story called The Note. It gives an account of how I experienced a moment of grace when I was eleven years old. I had managed to get myself into some rather serious trouble and my father was high on justice.
It happened back when a leather belt was the order of the day for boys who crossed the line and delved into unacceptable behaviour. In the process I learned about the power of grace and discovered something about my fathers heart.
I've made it available on Amazon and you can download for free until Midnight if you have a Kindle or Kindle App.
Now I'm convinced that if we followers of Christ walked out the grace we so ardently preach this world would be a much better place. If we were more concerned with broken lives and less consumed with local dynasty's more Americans would be going to church.
It's been estimated by those in the know that on any given Sunday less than 20% of our population attends Church. Though several things factor into the equation it appears that to the overwhelming majority church has become irrelevant.
The results of such an assumption have become obvious to the point that we now stand in need of a serious fix. One that far outweighs the ability of any one man or party. As a nation we are both morally and financially bankrupt.
If you were to study the conditions of Eighteenth Century England you will find we have much in common. As a nation England stood at the threshold of a revolution, much like that of France. Yet, something happened no one saw coming. It is now referred to as, The Wesleyan Revival. An entire culture was transformed as Wesley took The Biblical challenge of Social Justice serious.
If you fast forward form 18th Century England to 19th Century Russia you will discover that in 1869 Leo Tolstoy had just published his signature novel, War and Peace. The success catapults him onto the international stage of World Literature where he finds a platform and is given a voice.
At the time 80% of Russia was considered peasant. (Orlando Figes; A Peoples Tragedy) Remember this was old Russia and during the period of the Czars, at which time Russia was considered Christian.
Tolstoy appealed to the government and predicted that if something is not done to address the problem of peasantry in Russia a bloody revolution will follow. Nothing was done until October 25th, 1917 when The Bolsheviks brought a revolution that resulted in 70 years of tyranny.
One can't help but wonder how different things may have been had
the church stepped up and walked out the message of grace during those difficult times.
Today, we in America are living in desperate times though it appears as if the majority of our population's oblivious. Our government has tried everything a government can try and we're still in serious trouble. We've had both Republicans and Democrats at the helm and the ship's still sinking.
Might I make a suggestion? We who call ourselves, "followers of Christ," may we get serious in prayer and call on The One who alone can..." restore the years the locust have eaten." And while we're on our knee's may we not get up too soon. And when we do get up may we... as The Church, truly offer a cup of cold water in the name of the Lord.
Where the government has failed the church can succeed. Its called REVIVAL and its a product of grace and its our only hope.
Blessings,
www.camdockery.com
Like nothing else grace has an ability to transform a life. Sometime ago I wrote a true short story called The Note. It gives an account of how I experienced a moment of grace when I was eleven years old. I had managed to get myself into some rather serious trouble and my father was high on justice.
It happened back when a leather belt was the order of the day for boys who crossed the line and delved into unacceptable behaviour. In the process I learned about the power of grace and discovered something about my fathers heart.
I've made it available on Amazon and you can download for free until Midnight if you have a Kindle or Kindle App.
Friday, February 1, 2013
The President and The Poet
It was on January 20th of 1961 when Robert Frost stood on the inauguration platform with President John F. Kennedy and recitedThe Gift Outright. The Kennedy's had personally invited him to the inauguration and Frost had even gone as far as to write a poem for the special occasion. However, on the inaugural day the sun's reflection off the new fallen snow made it impossible to read the printed text, so the poet opted to share The Gift Outright.
On that day, The President of the United States shared a platform with the Poet of the Twentieth Century and the two make for an interesting study in contrast. Consider the following:
Privilege and Poverty
The President was born into wealth and privilege. He once joked he didn't even know of the Great Depression until he went to college. His father, Joe Kennedy, cashed in all of his stock one day before the Market crashed in 1929. As the nation sank into poverty Kennedy leveraged that wealth and when the time came positioned himself, as well as, his sons politically.
The Poet however, was born into a very poor family. His father died in 1885 leaving his mother with only $8.00 and no way to support their young family. With no other options she relocated to Lawrence, Massachusetts and moved in with grandparents.
Harvard University
Both the President and the Poet enjoyed a relationship with Harvard University. President Kennedy graduated with honers, but the Poet dropped out. In fact he also attended Dartmouth, but dropped out of there also. Unlike the President the Poet never earned a degree. However, during the course of his life Robert Frost received over forty honorary Doctorates.
Words Spoken
On that day, The President said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask, what can you do for your country." These words have long sense been edged into the collective memory of a nation. The Poet once wrote, "...The woods are lovely dark and deep, but have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep;" Beautiful words, long ago written- now considered sacred and forever celebrated in the archives American Literature.
It becomes obvious that I hold a serious appreciation for the work of Robert Frost. A number of years ago I was given a signed copy of his second book, North of Boston dated 1914 which is displayed in my home today.
A number of years ago I was asked to speak at a commencement ceremony for a small business college in Soldotna Alaska. I spoke about the contrast between The President and The Poet and challenged the graduates to follow their dreams.
For mor information on the life and work of Robert Frost click on this link and watch the video. It's the best conversational lecture I've ever heard on the life and work of the poet. Mike Braziller and Ed Hirsch do an excellent job of delving into the dark side of Robert Frost.
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