 David Meigs is an emerging novelist whose fresh voice challenges the limits of Christian fiction. His background in youth outreach spans across thirty years and three continents. Having overcome severe dysfunction in his own life, he specializes in ministry to at-risk youth and their families. Though loved by all ages, his novels provide a unique, life-changing quality, critical for the youth of today. David and his family live in Seabeck, Washington, where he serves his church as youth pastor. |
Real-Life Example of Life-Transforming Fiction at Work |
Anyone who works with youth knows that teenage girls are often ruled by their emotions. These kids ride a habitual roller coaster of raging hormones and peer pressure, in which every little hiccup in a relationship explodes out of proportion. They seem to live and even thrive on drama. The term “teenage drama queen” aptly applies.
In My Life Unscripted (Thomas Nelson), author Tricia Goyer courageously wrote fictional mini-scripts of some of her own most intimate struggles from her teenage years. Its powerful, life-changing message touched my heart. I decided to test the material on a teenage girl from my youth group. I asked Anjulie to read the book and then write a short script of her own. She even agreed to a short interview! About Tricia
Interview with Anjulie David: Boys or puppies? Anjulie: LOL—that’s hard to choose . . . but I guess I have to go for puppies. David: How long have you been a Christian? Anjulie: I have been a Christian for about five years. David: What did you learn about yourself by reading this book? Anjulie: I learned that when I feel lost and confused, I too often turn to my friends, that I need to look to God first, and with time and faith that my prayers will be answered. David: What was your favorite part? Anjulie: When they discussed being a slave. I hadn’t ever thought about slavery like the way she talked about it. I realize now that I was a slave to soooo many things, and like it says in the Bible, you cannot have two masters. David: In what ways did this book help you to understand relationships better? Anjulie: It helped me understand better my relationship with my family. Though at times it was hard to read the book because she assumed the reader had Christian parents. |
David: What did this book teach you about God? Anjulie: It taught me to look for God in the smallest of things. It showed me that my relationship with him needed more work. In a way, I was only half listening to what He was saying. I only listened when He said what I wanted to hear. Anjulie’s Script (of her old life) Int. ANN (12) sits against the table. Across from her are WILLIAM (18), JASEY (15), and ADAM (10). In front of her is a line of white powder half gone, next to the powder lies an empty pen shell. ADAM: So . . . what do you think? I told you it was great!!!! ANN: My nose hurts, but that was awesome! (coughing) (William and Jasey laugh.) WILLIAM: And it only gets better from here. (He pulls out a bottle of vodka from under his coat.) You ready to try this? ANN: (laughing) You’re hilarious! Do you really think this is the first time I have ever had cheap vodka? JASEY: Told you, Will. She’s not a goody-goody. Her parents keep her trapped in her house most of the day. What the heck do you think she does to keep herself sane? (They all begin to laugh. William opens the bottle takes a swig and passes it around.) WILLIAM: (slurring his words) Sooo, Ann, do you want to buy some or not? ANN: Duh . . . here, take it before I change my mind. (Hands William $60.) How long does this stuff last? JASEY: Well, you’ll get off your HIGH horse (chuckling at his own joke) in about three hours. But trust me, honey, you’ll want more before then. (Jasey puts on some music, and before long, they are all high and drunk.) WILLIAM: Ann, are you okay? ANN: Actually, I am getting really tired. OH @#*^, I’m gonna barf. (Ann runs to the bathroom, and isn’t seen again for about ten minutes. Adam walks in after her and finds her passed out on the floor of the bathroom.) ADAM: I am sooo not carrying her home. JASEY: I’ll have my sister call her mom and ask if she can spend the night... WILLIAM: Let’s have some fun first. FADE OUT Thank you, Anjulie! Isn’t it wonderful what God will use to transform our lives! Come back next month, when I will share another testimony of a real-life changed through a fictional character from Violet Dawn, by Brandilyn Collins. |
Tricia Goyer was named Mount
Hermon Christian Writers Conference “Writer of the Year” in 2003.
Tricia was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award, and she also
won ACFW’s “Book of the Year” for Long Historical Romance in 2005 and
in 2006. She has written hundreds of articles, Bible study notes, and
both fiction and nonfiction books. She’s married to John, and they have
three great kids whom she home schools: Cory (17), Leslie (14), and
Nathan (12). They make their home in northwest Montana with their dogs,
Lilly and Jake.