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Peter DeHaan News

News Release: Peter DeHaan Addresses 2013 Breathe Conference

Writer Workshops by Local Author and Publisher are Well-Attended and Earn High Praise

Mattawan, Michigan; October 25, 2013—Peter DeHaan spoke at the 2013 Breathe Christian Writers Conference on October 11 and 12, 2013, in Dutton Michigan. Conference attendance set a new record, with many attendees greatly anticipating Peter DeHaan’s two workshops.

He opened with “Jumpstarting Your Writing Career” on the first day and concluded with “10 Tips to Improve Your Writing” on day two.

“Both sessions were well-attended, far surpassing my expectations. I was so encouraged by the high turnout and enthusiastic participation,” said Peter DeHaan, PhD, who is also a magazine publisher and editor. In between the sessions, DeHaan met one-on-one with several attendees to discuss their writing and careers.

“The response was incredible,” added Dr. DeHaan. “The attendees were eager to learn and share with each other. The Breathe writing conference is one of the best, and the enthusiastic attendees are one reason why.”

Joni McArthur, an attendee at his first workshop, said it was a “very good session filled with helpful tips.”

“Peter effectively relates his own evolving call to the vocation of writing to instruct and inspire,” stated Beth Ernest.

Esther Clark added, “His seminar took me to a new level.”

“His speech was like an orientation session for a new job!” said Nellie deVries. “Today I said, ‘I am a writer,’ thanks to Peter DeHaan.”

Sara VanLaan appreciated “the ‘rubber meets the road’ advice on writing.”

As a follow-up, Dr. DeHaan is providing additional information and free writing services to those who attended his workshop.

Learn more about the Breathe Christian Writers Conference and Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Peter DeHaan News

Imagine This! An Art Prize Anthology

Featuring Writers Across the Nation

In 2013, art enthusiasts found an exciting addition to ArtPrize: the literary publication Imagine This! An ArtPrize Anthology. It adds the written word as a new art form to the acclaimed festival. 

ArtPrize is one of the world’s largest art competitions (by cash awards) and is held each year in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Over 1,000,000 visitors come to view artwork displayed throughout the city.

Imagine This! An ArtPrize Anthology

The anthology adds the written word as a new art form to the acclaimed ArtPrize art festival. ArtPrize is one of the world’s largest art competitions and is held each year in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Over one million visitors come to view artwork displayed throughout the city.

Cascade Writers’ Group sponsored a national writing competition and selected winners for its first annual publication. Local writer, Peter DeHaan, from Southwest Michigan was a finalist for his poem, “Why I Write.”

“I am honored at my selection for this book and, as a writer, to be a part of ArtPrize,” said Peter DeHaan. “In many respects, writing is art, so this is a fitting match. I’m so thrilled to be part of this anthology.

“As a bonus, three friends from my writers’ group are also featured in the anthology: Jennifer Allen, Jerry Barrett, and Sally Stap. With hundreds of entries, this is a real tribute to our group.”

Art Prize Winners
L to R: Peter DeHaan, Jennifer Allen, Sally Stap, and Jerry Barrett

Along with winning short stories, essays, and poems by writers from around the U.S., the anthology includes featured writers from the Cascade Writers’ Group and color reproductions of prize-winning works from the four past years of ArtPrize, including first place winner Chris LaPorte’s “Cavalry” and cover art, Mia Tavonatti’s “Svelata.”

Lisa McNeilley, Ph.D., Editor of the anthology says, “The Cascade Writers’ Group received hundreds of excellent entries. The final publication reflects a range of styles and topics and will have wide appeal to ArtPrize visitors. 

“It has been an exciting project for our group. We have been able to give writers a way to express themselves and have also been able to give financial support to ArtPrize, which is so important to our community.”

According to ArtPrize Marketing Director Todd Herring, “What the Cascade Writers’ Group has accomplished with the anthology is truly innovative.

“Their passion for providing writers with new opportunities mirrors the same passion ArtPrize has for visual and performing artists. ArtPrize applauds this grand effort and congratulates all the winners, participants, and organizers of the ArtPrize anthology.”

Wendy Sturm, Project Manager of the anthology, says: “This success is the reward from efforts by many contributors. It is exciting to support the dreams of writers who want to share their talents. Local Graphic Artist Ron Kauffman handled the layout and design.”

Imagine This! An ArtPrize Anthology is published by Schuler Books’ Chapbook Press.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Peter DeHaan News

News Release: Peter DeHaan To Speak At The 2013 Breathe Writers Conference

Magazine Publisher and Editor Seeks to Give Back to Writing Community

Mattawan, Michigan, Aug 29, 2013—Author Peter DeHaan will speak at the 2013 Breathe Christian Writers Conference taking place October 18 and 19 in Dutton, Michigan.

“This will be the fourth time I’ve had the privilege to attend the Breathe Christian Writers Conference, and this year I’m looking forward to leading two workshops,” said wordsmith Peter DeHaan.

“The Breathe Christian Writers Conference is my ‘can’t miss’ event each year and a reoccurring highlight of my journey as a writer.”

Peter’s first workshop is “Jumpstarting Your Writing Career,” designed for new writers, those considering a writing career, and those who want to breathe new life into their work.

Peter started writing four decades ago, published his first article in 1983, and has been a magazine publisher and editor since 2001. Despite this long history of writing, it’s only been recently that he started calling himself a writer.

“Recalibrating my self-perception was a huge development,” said Peter. “My goal is to help every attendee make the same transition.”

Peter’s second presentation “Ten Tips to Improve Your Writing” applies to all writers at any level. “No matter where we are in our career, we can always improve as a writer—and I expect to learn more than anyone else!” DeHaan added.

The keynote for this year’s two-day conference is award-winning author Latayne C. Scott, the author of over a dozen books. Her highly anticipated sessions are “The Rule of Three” and “How to Model Reality.”

In addition to Latayne’s two keynote addresses, the conference offers other general sessions, an array of workshops, plenty of networking opportunities, and time for informal social interaction.

Learn more about the Breathe Christian Writers Conference and author Peter DeHaan.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Peter DeHaan News

News Release: Byline Blog Enjoys New Look On WordPress Platform

Peter DeHaan’s Writing Blog Facilitates Reader Interaction and Fosters Better Connections

Mattawan, Michigan, Jun 28, 2013—Peter DeHaan’s writing blog, Byline, celebrates thirty months of posts and reader comments with a fresh façade, supported by a robust platform.

Powered by WordPress, the leading blogging platform, the revised Byline blog is greatly improved, with a clean, new format to make reading easier.

The blog features a more robust delivery of posts via email or RSS feed. Readers can make comments with one-click simplicity, avoiding frustrating Captcha codes to decipher. With an archive of 150 posts, Peter adds new content each Saturday.

“The old blogging platform was not being updated anymore,” stated Peter DeHaan, the blog’s chief writer. “WordPress presented an ideal solution, offering a familiar structure and providing many features to benefit readers.

I’m excited with its present capabilities and the future opportunities it provides. I enjoy connecting and interacting with blog readers; already the new Byline blog is nicely meeting that need.”

Read, comment, and follow Peter DeHaan’s Byline blog.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Peter DeHaan News

News Release: Peter DeHaan Moves Blog And Unveils New Look

Peter DeHaan’s Blog Expands Ways For Readers to Interact and Comment

Mattawan, Michigan, May 30, 2013—First launched in January 2008, author Peter DeHaan’s blog—discussing biblical Christianity—celebrates its sixth year of existence with a new look and a new location.

Supported by powerful WordPress software, the leading blogging platform, the new blog is greatly improved:

  • A new format makes reading easier.
  • Readers can post comments with one-click simplicity, with no more Captcha codes to decipher and enter.
  • Subscribers will enjoy a more robust delivery of posts, via email or RSS feed.

With an archive of over 600 posts, Peter adds new content three to four times a week. On Sundays he covers topics of a general spiritual nature; Mondays he chronicles his journey of visiting 52 churches in a year; Thursdays he addresses the Bible; and on some Fridays he posts a book review.

“My old blogging platform was showing its age,” stated Peter. “WordPress presents an ideal solution and offers many features that benefit readers. I’m excited for all the features it currently presents, as well as the opportunity to add more capabilities in the future.

“The key for any blogger is to connect with readers and this new blog provides for that nicely.” Check out Peter’s blog posts about spirituality.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

Three Places Where I Find More

Last week I posted that while the Sunday morning church service can be good, I desire more. And I do occasionally experience more. Sometimes it’s in those solitary moments with just me and the Almighty.

But the sweeter times are when I experience more in community. There are three situations when more can occur.

1. Intentional Activity

Twice a month I have the opportunity to meet with like-minded spiritual seekers.

We share, we pray, we listen, and we practice, putting our faith into action in ways that stretch us and grow us: often uncomfortable but usually encouraging.

This is my prime community of more, one that has formed me into who I am today.

2. Around Food

There are a handful of close friends who I meet with periodically at coffee shops and in our homes.

We share our lives together, not in a superficial, gossipy way, but with deep connection, encouraging and being encouraged, challenging and being challenged, serving and being served.

Life is better in their company. Together we experience more.

3. Affinity Group

Once a month, I meet with a group of Christian writers. Our intent is to share our writing. By design we don’t offer a requisite prayer to start or end our meetings. We don’t schedule time to read the Bible or share a devotional.

We focus on writing—though God is always the subtext. We are artists, sharing our creations with each other and offering them to our Creator. This is a highly spiritual experience for me, a valuable time that can provide more.

All three of these situations offer me more. They provide the more I seek, surpassing the Sunday morning church service as my key times for spiritual formation and connection with the divine.

The traditional church service pales in comparison when I encounter more.

May we all seek and find more.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Personal Posts

Six Types of Books in My Library

What We Can Learn from My Overflowing Bookshelves

I really enjoy books. I like to read them and I like to buy them. My library collection is vast, falling into six categories:

1. Worth Keeping

I enjoyed reading these manuscripts, and I’ll refer to them again.

2. Reference Materials

Some of my books contain information I want to keep at my fingertips.

3. Plan to Read

These works are on my reading list. I really do intend to get to them—someday.

4. Once Was Enough

These books were enjoyable, but one read was sufficient. I’ll never reread them and don’t expect to ever refer to them.

5. Started But Not Finished

Although showing initial promise, these books just didn’t have enough substance to hold my interest. I abandoned them for something more exciting.

6. Seemed Like a Good Idea

These include used books I bought, as well as books given to me and some that just showed up—yeah, it happens. But the one thing they have in common is I’ll never get around to reading them.

There are too many more interesting books awaiting my attention.

Our house has four shelving units stuffed with books. In addition, there are more stacks on the floor. I need to take action.

Someday I’ll go through my library, pulling out the ones in the last three categories. They’re simply taking up room, space that more worthy editions deserve.

I may go through the first three groups in my library, too. But if I do, I’ll definitely keep all of my autographed copies—I guess that’s a seventh category.

Oh, and then there are the books on my Kindle, but that’s a different situation—at least until my Kindle runs out of room.

Lessons from My Books

What things do you have just sitting around taking up space and providing no value. It’s time we do some spring-cleaning. Care to join me?

More importantly we need to make sure that who we are and what we do are worth keeping too.

Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Why I’m Willing to Wait for Dessert

Craving dessert is a habit my wife, “The Queen of Desserts,” cultivated in me. She claims, however, my affection for sweets was well ingrained before we met.

When eating at home, I pace myself through the meal in expectation of a tasty treat at the end.

At restaurants, their oversize proportions and my training to clean up my plate leaves no room for my preferred conclusion to a meal. So I decline the dessert menu.

I’ve often joked that someday I’ll order dessert first. After all, if the world were to end halfway through my meal, I wouldn’t want to die with a stomach full of salad and empty of dessert.

But events require a proper order. You can’t receive a prize before you win the race. You can’t win the race before you run. And you can’t run before you start. Plus, if you’re wise, you won’t start before you practice.

This applies to most things in life. We want easy, but satisfaction takes time. We need to wait.

A common malady among aspiring writers is they want to have written but don’t want to write.

A frequent trap with spiritual seekers is they want the results without the journey.

We often desire reward but want to skip the requisite work.

While I like dessert, I know a diet of only sweets is unhealthy, unwise, and unsustainable. So I’m willing to eat my vegetables first.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

What is a Spiritual Community?

As a writer, I write alone; it’s a solitary activity.

So it’s good for me to periodically emerge from my self-imposed cocoon and spend time with other people—and other writers are the people who understand me best, those with who I am most comfortable to be around.

I just returned from a Christian Writers conference. It was a great time, full of information, encouragement, and rejuvenation. While writing was the focus, God was the foundation; it was a spiritual time.

As my buddy, Gerald the Writer, and I headed home, we processed out loud what we had experienced. It was a community, a spiritual community. The only problem is that it only occurs once a year.

However, the writing critique group we started happens every month. It’s also a spiritual community. We’re with kindred spirits and God is in our midst.

Our group’s focus is writing and helping each other hone our craft. Sometimes what we write is about God and other times, not, but regardless, it is all done for God.

Though we may sometimes pray, it’s not an obligation to do so according to schedule.

Though we may sometimes talk about the Bible, it’s not a preplanned activity. And if the subject of theology comes up, we quickly push it aside—it is not our goal to critique that.

Those who advocate a formula for spiritual community would dismiss us as missing out because we break all their rules.

But for us it is our spiritual community and our most significant one.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Peter DeHaan News

News Release: Peter DeHaan and Jerry Barrett Start Writers Group

The Kalamazoo Christian Writers critique group holds the first meeting and generates excitement.

Mattawan, Michigan, July 19, 2012—Peter DeHaan and Jerry Barrett have started a writers critique group, Kalamazoo Christian Writers (KCW), based in Kalamazoo Michigan. The first meeting was held July 11 at The Point, a non-profit community center located on the west side of Kalamazoo.

KCW materials, passed out at the inaugural meeting, state “Though this is a Christian writers group, there is no expectation that all our work must be ostensibly ‘Christian’ writing. Christians who write have a place in virtually every genre, market, and industry; we need to embrace and support that.”

“The response was great,” said cofounder Peter DeHaan. “We talked about the vision for the group, shared the critiquing process, and practiced on a couple of pieces.” Attendees were universally excited about the group and what it will offer to improve their writing and advance their careers.

For some time Barrett and DeHaan have been making an hour drive twice a month to take part in another critique group. When they realized the value of group critiquing and with the uncertainty of winter driving in Michigan, they began making plans to form a local group.

Though the two intend to remain connected with the first group, this new endeavor, KCW, will be their focus.

“The main value of a critique group is to help the writer to look at the window of the craft of writing not through it,” said cofounder Jerry Barrett. “The goal of critique is to help one another, as writers, to accentuate what is clear for the reader and to remove possible smudges on the pane.”

The critiquing process is scalable, so there’s no limit to the size of the group—and the meeting room is large enough to accommodate a much larger scope. Regardless of the number present, writers will split into manageable sized groups to maximize effectiveness and minimize time requirements.

Critiquing is best when done in groups of four or five, with everyone having a piece to share and everyone providing feedback.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.