____________________________________________________________________ ASPECTS: ABOUT DAVID LAMPEL ____________________________________________________________________ I accepted Christ at the tender age of eight, and was baptized by immersion in a Baptist church at nine. I am now in my mid-forties and have been happily married for (at this writing) 24 years. My wife and I live on 11.68 acres in the countryside of Madison County, Iowa. As we favor the company of animals over people, our family consists of three indoor and one outdoor felines. Friends who happen by include families of deer, possum, chipmunks and squirrels, raccoon--and myriad birds: cardinals, blujays and bluebirds, orioles, woodpeckers, nuthatches, tufted titmice, and more. The Lord has given us a very good life, and has made it possible for me to serve Him full-time. A number of years back, He impressed upon me the philosophy of servanthood--that we, as believers, are bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. If we call Jesus Master, then we must also call ourselves slaves, or servants. Permit me a few mom- ents to expand on this, as it is the foundation of any description of my work. PHILOSOPHY OF SERVICE We owe our heavenly Father the debt of our lives--our eternal lives. This is not a covenant debt, where if we fail on our side, He will retract His promise. No--and that's what makes our payment of the debt so important, so sweet--God the Father will love us no matter what, because our salvation debt has been paid by Christ. But our debt of gratitude is still outstanding. We owe our Father the common courtesy of living for Him, out of a full and joyful heart of thanksgiving. We owe Him the very best of which we are capable-- nothing less. People serve their Lord in many different ways, depending on the gifts and responsibilities He's given them. Some who serve their Lord do it full-time and are supported financially by that service, e.g., Pastors, Music Ministers, etc. Others have been called by God to serve full-time, but to do it without pay. I fall into this latter category. The Lord has only blessed my work when I have done it without charge. PROFESSION So, if someone asks what I do for a living, I answer that I am a writer. That is the short, easy answer. My work--as a writer in ser- vice to our heavenly Father--has, for the most part, been divided into three areas: Plays and Musicals, Devotional or Bible Study, and Software. Plays and Musicals - His Company --------------------------------- Since before 1985 I have written Christian plays and musicals for the church (I do not write music; I compile the music and write the dialogue or narration). Some of these have been published, all have been performed. Most have been performed by my drama group, His Company, begun in Southern California in 1985 and moved to Iowa in 1991. Most scripts have been commissioned by various churches around the country. Devotional or Bible Study - Aspects, In Unison, & more ------------------------------------------------------- Almost everything I have done has been commissioned by someone. Once it has been produced, the piece is then offered or syndicated to other churches. This has included such things as a series of articles on Praise & Worship to be used by the choir director (In Unison). Aspects is the exception, in that it was not commissioned, but was something that I began on my own, between projects. That was in the fall of 1990. It has been published every month since (except for the month during which we were moving from S. Cal. to Iowa). Software - CLAY JAR Systems ---------------------------- I have written some programs for churches (PC platform); including MemberFile, a church membership program; SystemMenu, a simple menu program; and Time Frame, a Bible chronology program. All have been distributed free of charge. BACKGROUND I have long had a passion for learning--but I dislike intensely being taught. Therefore, I am self-taught in everything I do. If I write well, it is because I write--and because I am a voracious reader.His- tory is my passion--especially ancient history--and most of the vol- umes in our rather large library are history of some sort. I have long been involved with the stage, so, from years of experience I have become a capable actor and director. When I began writing com- puter programs, I found the necessary books and taught myself. IN CONCLUSION I live to worship and serve my God. My pleasure (and my payment) is found in His pleasure. The answer to how and why I do what I do can be stated most eloquently and succinctly by the apostle Paul: For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. [Romans 11:36 NASB] David S. Lampel (dlampel@dlampel.com) Winterset, Iowa January, 1995 -------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/aspects: 00biog-note.txt .