Saturday, I drove to Plymouth, Indiana for a meeting of the Indiana ACFW chapter. Plymouth is a charming town — a perfect example of the type of setting I’m trying to create for Cherry Hill. Quaint downtown stores located in brick buildings no more than two stories tall. Large lots for big and small houses. And a wonderful mixture of architecture. I really wish I’d taken my camera, though some of the residents might have found me a bit strange, since my car would have crawled down the streets.

Saturday reinforced the importance of community. As we follow God and chase dreams, it is so important to have a community of people who get us. Folks who travel similar paths (though at Saturday’s meeting we had fantasy, sci-fi, romance, inspirational, women’s fiction, suspense, poetry, and more). If you’re looking for a community of Christian writers, American Christian Fiction Writers is the group to join and its conference is the one to attend — 26 days and counting. And if you’re in Indiana, let me know so we can get you connected to the Indiana chapter.

After a meeting like Saturday’s, I start pondering what motivates me to spend time writing. I’ve often thought and said that Christians need to be actively engaging the culture. Rather than saying there isn’t anything good to watch, read, listen to, etc., we should produce quality materials that compete head to head with what the world offers. Today I found a post regarding Brewing Culture. Infuze Magazine has an interview up with Erik Lokkesmoe about what constitutes art. I think you’ll find it interesting and thought provoking.