On that particular day my grandmother had said, "Maxine, please put this blanket on the line for me." But as I went to do the job my mother made a very different remark. "No. She's too small. She can't possibly hang that heavy blanket."

Critics can be among our family members, co-workers, friends, media, publishers, editors and lots of people we'll never meet. A critic either gives constructive criticism or finds fault with who we are and what we do.

Constructive critics express reasoned judgment with valuable input or observations. These people help us to advance what we do. We can trust them to have our best interests at heart. Compassionate constructive criticism is always appreciated.

On the other hand, harsh, fault-finding, destructive critics are hard to bear up under. Nothing they say is helpful. It's hurtful. A fault-finding critic is one who passes judgment without clear understanding; or one who does it to meet a self-serving agenda. 

Jesus was plagued with critics. Mark 3:20─34 is a good example of the antagonists who came against Jesus. In this passage of Scripture Jesus has entered a house. A crowd has followed him. There is no time for him or his disciples to even eat. From verse 21 we learn that his family has been informed of what's taking place. We can assume his family is genuinely concerned for their loved one's physical health because they went to take charge of him. But their words, "He is out of his mind," are neither correct or kind.

And, at the same time Jesus is touching thousands of people with hope and healing, the Pharisees and teachers of the law work harder and harder to bring him down. For them, the quicker they can get rid of Jesus, the better. Verses 22 and 30 inform us that this particular gang of opponents takes the verbal abuse to a higher level by saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons...He has an evil spirit." Their outrageous accusations are neither true or courteous. They are downright mean-spirited.

Different kinds of critics but one sensible response 

OCW Winter 2010 Conference
Red Lion Hotel, Salem, OR
February 20, 2010

Our Keynote Speaker for the Winter 2010 Conference is

Robin Jones Gunn

Robin’s first grade teacher wrote on her report card, “Robin keeps the entire class entertained at rug time with her stories.”

Even with such an early affirmation, Robin didn’t think much about becoming a writer during high school or college.  She was more intrigued by the idea of traveling to foreign lands and telling people about God’s love. 

Robin’s husband noticed her gift for storytelling and urged her to attend a writers’ conference.  That first conference in 1979 opened the door for publication of devotions, articles, interviews and 14 children’s books.

When her two children were young, Robin would rise at 3 a.m. and brew a pot of tea.  Then she would go work creating a series for teens that developed into the Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen and College Years books. Her first novel was published in 1988 and she has continued to write between two to five books a year.

Robin’s 63 published books include 47 novels, which are still in print. Sales of her popular Christy Miller Series , Glenbrooke Series and Sisterchicks Series are approaching four million copies sold with translations in nine languages. She is the recipient of the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist and two-time Christy award finalist.

Robin has received thousands of letters from readers around the world who have come to know Christ after reading one of her novels. She sees this as her dream come true.  Her stories are traveling to foreign lands and the characters are doing what she always longed to do; telling people about God’s love.

More About Robin:

Robin grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawai’i. She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon and have been married for 30 years.  They spent the first 22 years working together in youth ministry and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

Robin’s passion for storytelling and travel are evident in all her books, especially the Sisterchicks novels. 

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love.  She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives. 

Robin serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.

Interviews with Robin:

For interviews with Robin, visit the Q & A section , or check out Faithful Reader or Focus on Fiction.
 

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

May 15, 2010
Spring One-Day Conference
Northwest Christian University
Eugene, Oregon
Keynoter: Rick Johnson

August 2-5, 2010
Summer Coaching Conference
Canby Grove Conference Center
Canby, Oregon
Keynoter: Bill Myers

You Must Be Kidding! $8 for Meetings?

Billie Reynolds - OCW Treasurer - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Recently, another writer asked me about the one-day OCW conferences. She was lamenting having missed the February 2009 meeting where Paul Young of The Shack fame was the keynoter. I told her she should not miss the October 17th conference, when Eva Marie Everson will be the keynoter, nor the topnotch workshops in the lineup.

“How much will it cost me?” she asked.