Bob Rench

Discuss the Book -- Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory

2008-12-24T19:13:42Z

This page is a place where you can discuss the book Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory. I look forward to hearing from you and getting some lively discussions going.

Bob

Holidays ... Holy Days or Busy Days?

2008-12-23T20:47:59Z

Seems kind of redundant, talking about both "holidays" and "holy days". After all, the word "holiday" comes from the phrase "holy day". The first holidays started out as holy days, and were a time of rest and reflection, a time to stop the normal flow of things and do something different.

However, it seems that as the word "holy day" got corrupted into "holiday", so, too, did our attitudes toward those very holy days.

How many of you have been rushing around this year, trying to get everything done for the holidays? How many of you are tired of the seemingly incessant rush, rush, rush of this time of year?

Between religious services, pageants, recitals, shopping, standing in line at the mall or Post Office, having to go to yet another party, or traveling to be with family members you with whom you would rather not visit, it is very easy to forget why we are doing it all in the first place.

If you feel yourself starting to stress out amidst all the busy-ness of our lives, then I would like to give something to you. After all, it is the season of giving, so allow me to offer you this simple gift.

Just stop.

Seriously. Just stop for a bit. Give yourself 5 minutes to clear your mind. Allow me to help you relax.

If you could, please take out a sheet of paper and something with which to write.

For the first 60 seconds, I would like you to stop thinking about what needs to be done. Don't worry about the gifts that need to be bought, the food that needs to be cooked, the house that needs to be cleaned, the places you need to go, the people you need to see, or any of the things that need to be done. Just think about what you have already accomplished today, this week, this month, or this year. I am absolutely positive that you can name 3 things you have accomplished this year which you had no idea would happen back when the year started. Take in a deep breath and let it out slowly, and bask in the warmth of your accomplishments. Write those accomplishments on your piece of paper.

For the second 60 seconds, I would like you to think about someone who is very close to you, someone whom you love deeply. This can be your spouse, fiance, significant other, parent, child, or sibling. Bring his or her face to your mind and fix them in your inner eye. Imagine how different your life would be if that person were not a part of your world. Look at them carefully in your mind and visualize yourself telling them "Thank you for being my [fill in the blank] ... I am glad you are in my life." Write this person's name on your paper.

For the third 60 seconds, I would like you to think about someone with whom you have had differences this year. This could be somebody whom you have hurt, or perhaps someone who has wounded you. Strangely enough, it might even be the same person you were just thinking about. Bring that person's face to your mind. Imagine what would happen if you were able to say to them, "I'm sorry I hurt you" or "You really hurt me, but I forgive you." Either phrase might be very tough to say, even in your mind. Write this person's name on your paper.

For the fourth 60 seconds, I would like you to think about someone whose name you don't even know. This could be the homeless person you saw on the street, huddled against a cold and bitter wind. It might be a single mom struggling to feed her children on the meager pay from her job as a waitress. It might be a child with a dirty face or ragged clothes you saw when you were at the store. It could even be a neighbor down the street who has lost a job, or whose house is in foreclosure. Bring that person, and all others like him or her to your mind. On your piece of paper, write down the name of a charitable organization that helps people just like the person in your mind. This might be the local rescue mission, the Salvation Army, Red Cross, United Way, your church, your synagogue, your mosque, or even a local food bank. Next to the name of this charitable organization, write down an amount of money that you know you can give.

For the last 60 seconds, I would like you to think about your spiritual side and the spiritual observations you might make during this time of reflection. What do candles mean to you? What do presents and gifts represent? What do the words of the songs you hear, sing, or hum really mean? What do they mean to you? Think about the deeper meanings behind the rituals and the practices, the motions and the words.

If you want, you can take a minute to pray. Or, if you are not a follower of any particular religion, you can just observe a minute of quiet contemplation.

In either case, breathe deeply, and just rest. Let peace and quiet flow through your soul.

Still with me? Good.

Keep that piece of paper with you.

When you are worried about what still needs to be done, look at the paper and be reminded of what you have already accomplished.

When you need a smile, call or find the loved one and tell them how much you appreciate them.

If someone has hurt you, forgive them. It may not be possible to forgive them in person, but you can certainly forgive them within your spirit. Or, if you have hurt someone, apologize sincerely. Again, you may not be able to apologize in person, but you can express remorse within your heart.

All of these steps will help you put the holidays -- and the holy days -- into perspective.

Oh. And that charitable organization and the amount you wrote down? Yep. Do it.

Peace.

Bob

Jabez Podcast Debut

2008-09-22T15:29:12Z

I am pleased to announce that the podcasts for "Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory" was released on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 on Podiobooks.com. The first five episodes are currently available. I will be releasing at least one new episode each week until all 31 episodes are released.

Podiobooks.com is an awesome site that is trying to become the #1 place on the web for audio book podcasts, and they are well on their way. I am pleased to join the rest of the authors on Podiobooks.com.

This is an exciting time. I truly believe that this book is about to take off in ways that are hard to imagine. You can be one of the first to jump on this wave.

Here is how you can help make this launch successful.

1. Go to Podiobooks.com and search for my book. You can search for "Bob Rench". I have requested that the book be listed under "Inspirational Fiction". Currently, Podiobooks does not have an "Inspirational Fiction" category, so I am excited to be the first to break this ground on that site.

Update: The book is currently listed under "Spirituality", but will be listed under "Inspirational Fiction" shortly.

2. Download and listen to the episodes. Each episode is about 20 minutes in length, plus or minus 5 minutes. You can download the episodes to your computer, and from there, you can copy it to an MP3 device (such as an iPod), listen to it on your computer, or burn them to a CD. It costs nothing to listen to the book.

3. If you feel so inclined, please leave feedback for me on the Podiobooks.com page. This will help generate some "buzz", and may hopefully entice others to listen, as well.

4. The episodes are also released via an RSS feed, to which you can subscribe. This will allow your podcatching software to download the new episodes as they are released. (I would love to hear back from you on which podcatching software you use. I currently use iTunes, but want to try out some others. Please let me know by leaving a comment on this blog.)

5. Tell your friends. Send them this link: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/jabez-conceived-in-pain-delivered-in-victory. Perhaps you know people who don't have access to the web. You can burn the episodes to a CD and give them away.

Yes, I said "You can give the episodes away." It is not a copyright violation if you copy the episodes and distribute them, as is.

6. If you really like what you are hearing on the podcasts, consider leaving a donation for me on the book's page in Podiobooks.com. I will get 75% of all donations made this way; the other 25% helps pay for the upkeep on the Podiobooks.com site. I appreciate all they are doing to host my podcast, so you can help me show them appreciation in a tangible way.

7. Finally, if you would like to purchase the book, you can buy it from Lulu.com.

This is an exciting time to be an author. The publishing field has a lot of turmoil going on in it right now, due to the changing landscape. Print-on-demand technology means that publishers no longer need to print an initial run of several thousand copies in the hope they can sell them. With print-on-demand, there is no warehouse ... the book is printed as it is ordered and shipped directly to the consumer.

The difference between me and the big publishing houses is that I have no marketing budget, no marketing staff, and no warehouse.

What I do have is you, and quite honestly, I like it that way. Let's team together to help turn the book publishing world on its head. Let's show the world that a good book and a lot of word-of-mouth advertising can go a long way.

Peace.

Bob

Watch Me, Poppa!

2008-08-18T13:19:51Z

We had a busy weekend, and I am almost glad to be at work so I can rest. The reason I am so tired is that we ran around with our granddaughters. Although they are three-and-a-half and two, they can run circles around us.

One of the highlights of the weekend was taking them to Crown Center, here in Kansas City. Crown Center is an upscale shopping mall, with a whole lot more in the surrounding area. In the winter, there is an outdoor skating rink, while in the summer, they have a fountain that shoots out of the ground. Kids of all ages can run through the jets of water, including "Gramma Robin", who showed Savannah and Katelynn the proper way to get wet in a fountain. (Hint: If you aren't completely soaked, you're doing it wrong!)

I was manning the camera, and got to capture their joy. Their cries of, "Watch me, Poppa!" rang out over the whooshing and splashing of the water, and I would aim the camera in their direction and try to catch them in the frame. It wasn't easy.

Later on, we had a picnic in the backyard. I was keeping the girls out of Robin's hair while she got our dinner ready, and the girls were playing on the plastic yard equipment. Savannah kept showing me her new trick.

"Watch me, Poppa!" I assured her I was watching, and she would shoot head-first down the slide.

Time and time again: "Watch me, Poppa!"

After they were tucked in bed, I reflected on her actions. Why did she keep asking me to watch her? Was she afraid she was going to get hurt? Was she just so proud of her new-found ability that she had to show me over and over?

At first, I thought, "How childish."

But then I realized how wrong I was.

After all, we all have something inside us that craves attention. We all have a desire to show off to others. I think part of it is just to remind the world that we are alive, that we are here. We all want to leave our mark.

Some go out and win gold medals in the Olympics. Others create visual masterpieces on canvas with paint. Still others create fountains that kids can run through. Some of us write novels and record podcasts.

But more than just leaving a mark, a brief reminder of our existence, I think all of us have a need to make sure that Someone is watching. We want to know our Creator hasn't forgotten us. We want to hear God telling us He is proud of us.

So we do whatever it is He has asked us to do. We exercise the gifts and talents He has given us. And even whatever we do has the ability to entertain and bless others, deep down inside, I think our spirits are crying out to God: Watch me, Poppa!

Peace.

Bob

A Note To Parents of Younger Readers

2008-08-04T16:46:18Z

I apologize for the lengthy delay in publishing another blog post, but it has been very busy here the last few weeks. The good news is that I have completed three episodes of Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory. I need to have the first five done before I can release them to the actual site that will carry all the podcasts.

I have also re-recorded the first episode, because the first one was recorded with inferior equipment. I will put the newly remastered episode (as well as Episodes 2 and 3) out on the website later this evening.

Anyway, I just need to share something with you regarding the age-appropriateness of the book. I have been made aware that several readers under the age of 10 have found the first episode and have listened to it.

Please be aware that the book is written primarily for older readers. When I release the book on the podcasting site, it will probably have to carry a "PG-13" (or equivalent) rating. You need to know that there is a certain measure of violence and sexual content in the book.

I don't dwell on these adult themes, but they are there. For example, Episode 1 contains two scenes that might give a parent pause.

In one scene, Jabez's father is kicked in the groin by a bullock, and his "manly parts" are crushed. (I actually use that term.)

In another scene, Jabez's mother is raped by several men. I do not use the term "rape"; instead, I use the phrase, "ravaged".

Please know that I did not include those scenes just to satisfy some perverse desire. These two scenes are absolutely crucial to explain why Jabez was rejected by his own family and his village.

In today's society, some of these situations may be considered inappropriate for readers under the age of 13 or so. However, the irony is that the entire book is about an old man telling the story of his life to his great-grandson, who is only six years old.

So, why would it be appropriate for someone to tell a young child about things that, today, we might not wish to share with a child so young?

First of all, the setting of the book takes place in ancient Israel, shortly after the conquest of Canaan. This was a very violent time in Israel's history. Indeed, God commanded the Israelites to conquer the land and destroy the inhabitants. It is my belief that in such a time and culture, violence was a very real part of their lives.

Secondly, the setting of the book takes place in an agrarian society. It has been my experience that "farm kids" are exposed to certain practices at an earlier age than "city kids" (although, given the amount of sexual content, violence, depravity seen in popular culture today, this distinction may have eroded.) That is, children who are raised around animals typically have an understanding of "the birds and the bees" at an earlier age than children who are not raised in that culture. When a family's livelihood depends upon the successful breeding of the flock, it is natural for kids to be exposed to, well, natural processes.

Because of this, I believe that children 3,000 years ago were exposed to much more realistic life events than children today. This is especially true if we have raised our children in a sheltered bubble.

Anyway, if your child wants to read or listen to Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory, I would suggest that you make it a family activity. Read the book along with your child, or set aside some time to listen to the podcasts together.

Besides being a great way to spend time together, you will be able to help your child understand the cultural setting of the book. You can explore ancient Biblical times with your child, and answer any questions that might arise.

Peace.

Bob

Renewal

2008-07-14T02:49:39Z

The kitchen remodeling project is finally finished, and Robin and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary in style. We were surrounded by our family and friends. It was nice to see all the hard work we have all done come to fruition.

Robin wasn't expecting it, but we renewed our wedding vows. It was a great surprise. My daughter had prepped her and had asked her to write something that she wanted to share with me in front of our guests. She had no idea that it was part of our renewal ceremony. She did a wonderful job, and in a series of sentence snippets, laid out our entire lives together, from the time we met, to the present. It was fun reliving the thoughts that had gone through my mind when we kissed for the first time.

(For those who are curious, the thought that went through my mind was, "Wow! She kissed me back!)

For my part, I had written her a poem, which I would like to share with you.

    All Over Again
    If I had had a crystal ball
    And had seen the future once for all --
    If what I know now was known back then
    I'd marry you all over again.

    The ups and downs of ord'nary life:
    Times of peace and times of strife--
    Knowing we'd go through thick and thin,
    I'd marry you all over again.

    Through all the good times, and all the bad;
    When we had joy, when we were sad;
    Though we were nearly torn in twain
    I'd marry you all over again.

    Knowing that poor might not lead to richer,
    Seeing when children would enter the picture
    Knowing our lives could be filled with pain,
    I'd marry you all over again.

    So, now we've lasted all these years,
    We've shared our laughter, shed our tears.
    But I'm eager to see what the future contains
    For today ... I marry you all over again.

I am so blessed this wonderful woman is in my life. She has brought me great joy, two lovely daughters, and is a wonderful grandma to the two most beautiful granddaughters a grandpa could ever hold.

Thank you, honey, for marrying me once. Thank you for standing next to me through all these years. Thank you for renewing our marriage before our friends, our family, and our God.

But most of all, thank you for kissing me back!

Peace.

Bob

Don't Buy My Book

2008-06-27T17:00:32Z

That is probably the strangest thing you ever thought you'd hear an author say: Don't buy my book.

A few days ago, I obtained an ISBN number (I know, I know ... the "N" in "ISBN" stands for "Number", so "ISBN number" is redundant. I bet you say "PIN number", so there!") to help make Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory available everywhere books are sold, including Amazon.com, Borders.com, etc. With an ISBN number, the book is then listed in various industry publication catalogs such as Bowker's Books in Print, allowing one to even go to a local bookstore and have them order the book.

The problem I am having right now is that my print-on-demand (POD) source, Lulu.com, requires me to set the retail price of the book at a fairly high price. This is to accommodate the discounts that book wholesalers have with Lulu. The current price of the book on Lulu is $29.50, which I believe is too high.

Now, is the book worth it? Absolutely! I would be hesitant to pay $30 for an unknown author, but if I had bought this book for that amount, I would not feel I had spent my money unwisely. Yeah, as the author I am expected to say that. But, I really do feel this way.

So, even though the story in the book is worth every penny, I still think it is too high. The price needs to be about half of what it is.

Now, it is possible that Amazon and other online booksellers would offer the book at a discount. After all, what better way to show the "deal" they are offering than to be able to say, "Save $10 off the retail price!"?

I am exploring various ways to get the retail price down to where I think it should be. This may mean releasing the book without an ISBN number. Right now, I just don't know what is going to happen. Give me a few days or weeks to find a better solution.

I am sure there are some cynics out there who are thinking, "What a brilliant, reverse-psychology strategy!"

You can certainly think that this is all a ploy. It isn't.

I believe in openness and honesty in my business dealings. As a technical solutions provider, I have sometimes received flak from my colleagues and managers for being scrupulously honest with my clients. On several occasions, I have actually pointed clients to solutions other than the ones I could provide when I knew that a different solution was more appropriate to their need.

I always pointed them to a different division within my company. I would rather have a client be happy with another division of my employer's domain than to have a client miserable with whatever little corner of technology I happened to be in at the time. Yes, I lost the client for that transaction. But, they always seemed to come back later with more business, simply because they knew they were going to receive the truth.

I am not afraid to tell you the truth, even if it means a direct hit to my ego, pride, pocketbook, dreams, goals, or future.

So, don't buy my book. Yet.

Peace.

Bob

Changes Without, Changes Within

2008-06-24T13:02:37Z

It has been a busy time here the past few weeks. Robin and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in July, and our daughters are hosting a party ... at our house. For the past several weeks, we have been renovating our kitchen with the help of my in-laws.

Two weeks ago, we ripped out the tile, put up new drywall where needed, and my father-in-law rebuilt some of our cabinets. My mother-in-law re-upholstered our kitchen chairs. This past weekend, we put in laminated flooring. This week, we are painting and putting up wallpaper.

We have ordered new counter tops and a sink, and with any luck, they will be in before the anniversary party.

The changes we have made are remarkable, and have completely changed the look of the kitchen. It will be a beautiful, cozy kitchen when all the work is done. It really will be the best kitchen we could possibly have given the constraints of time, budget, and other resources. I was reluctant to try to do so much in so little time. I didn't think we could actually get it done. In truth, I didn't have the courage to make the changes that have needed to be made for so many years.

My in-laws have moved in with us while the work is being done, and it has put a crimp into my podcast recording schedule. I have found that I am quite self-conscious when recording my podcasts early in the morning. Whether it is because I don't want to wake them, or because I don't want them to hear me repeating the same passage over and over, I couldn't say. All I know is that I won't be able to get back to recording the podcasts until after they have returned to their home.

So, in the meantime, I have been going through a final proof of "Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory", and I am glad I did. I have found and corrected about 20 different spots. These were all minor things that either didn't get caught in editing or were introduced when I was applying my editor's fixes.

In some cases, the changes were so minor as to be almost unnoticeable, except by the most picky of readers. For example, in one spot, I had written, "... the Philistines battle wagons ...". As a few of you might notice, I need an apostrophe after "Philistines". Really minor, but important.

In another place, I wrote, "... only more body remained ...", when it should have been, "... only one more body remained ...". This must be a really gripping chapter, because not one person had caught the missing word. My super-picky editor missed it, my picky test-readers missed it, and more importantly, I missed it, even though I have read, re-read, and re-re-read that chapter more times than I can count. Within the context of the chapter -- or perhaps the way the sentence fell on the page -- the mind must have filled in the missing word.

So, although the changes were minor, they were all important. Could the book stand on its own without the changes? Of course it could. But I am glad I had the courage to make the changes, because, without them, the book just wouldn't be the best it could be.

So, changes without, changes within. All in all, everything fits together. The work on the kitchen led to my in-laws staying with us, which led to my inability to record the podcast episodes, which led to a final proofreading of the actual, printed book rather than a manuscript, which will lead to my applying for an ISBN number so you will be able to purchase the book wherever books are sold.

Changes without, changes within. Major improvements, minor improvements.

May you also improve in all you do. May you have the courage to make the changes that you can.

Peace.

Bob

Welcome!

2008-06-16T13:52:03Z

Hi there, and welcome to BobRench.com. I am glad you have chosen to spend a little time here.

I intend for this blog to be a primary place where you and I can share ideas and thoughts, whether about my books or about life in general. I look forward to having great conversations with you.

I hope you don't mind, but you will need to register to post comments. Hopefully, this will keep out the riff-raff and trolls who, for some reason, take great pleasure in making life miserable for others in an anonymous fashion.

My interests--and, subsequently, the contents of this blog--can be summed up in one word: Everything. I have yet to find a subject out there that doesn't have at least one or two interesting facets to it. Let me take that back ... actuarial science probably won't ever make an appearance in these pages. (Now, watch ... some actuarial scientist will write to me and point out a few interesting things. Go ahead ... I'd love to learn something new!)

I realize that "Everything" encompasses quite a few topics, so here's a short list of the things that might find their place on these pages:

Writing / Self-publishing
Podcasting
Philosophy
History
Quantum Mechanics
Programming
Languages
Word Play / Puns / Humor
Religion
Life
Motorcycles

So, again, thanks for joining me on this journey. I can't wait to hear from you.

And, just so we are all on the same page, I absolutely believe in freedom of speech. Every single one of us has the right to say whatever we want. However, if someone writes something that I consider utterly offensive, blasphemous, or completely off-topic, I will exercise my right not to have it on these pages and will remove it.

I can already hear someone asking, "How can you do that? I thought you believed in freedom of speech!"

Well, I do. Just remember, everyone is allowed to say what they want to say. That is freedom of speech. However, there are no laws stating how long the words said have to be allowed to linger. Thus, I can allow a person to have their say, but still not subject the rest of the readers to stuff that doesn't benefit the majority.

Hopefully, it won't be a problem. For those who might cry "Censorship!", my only suggestion is to find a forum that is more open to those types of postings. And if the forum cannot be found, then one is always free to start one's own.

Peace.

Bob