BlessfulWritings

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2011-02-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Read: Another Man's Moccasins.

Maybe it's the time of year.

Maybe it's the lack of appreciation.

Or maybe it's just because they keep adding more stuff, and more stuff...and one day the camel may just break.

The Classics

2011-01-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Perhaps, high school English teacher is not the job for me. During a lecture today on Charles Dickens--introducing A Tale of Two Cities--I commented that I did not like Great Expectations. One of my students remarked, "For an English teacher, you don't seem to like many of the classics."

This is no surprise to me, but maybe my students shouldn't verbalize this fact.

In my defense there are classics I do enjoy. I love A Tale of Two Cities. I've learned to recognize the value of The Scarlet Letter, Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales. Shakespeare is a blast to teach. But for every fine point in these stories there are many literary avenues to critique. As a teacher, I think the critique is a major part of the fun.

Therefore, when I express my opinion of a book--oh, wait? I'm not supposed to unduly influence my students regarding my personal opinions. There's the problem! I shouldn't have an opinion in the first place. A classic is a classic. On the other hand, I believe it is healthy that my students know and understand that they are not crazy if they do not enjoy a particular "classic."

The key is learning to identify quality literature. Figuring out what is worth reading and why.

Few books, if any, demonstrate all the elements of a great book. If one author truly and completely met all the standards in one book it would be perfection. Ah, but that honor has already been taken, and no one on this Earth can compare.

Worth Reading: Encyclopedia Brown

2011-01-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

My son was given a gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas. Without delay we went online and began the search. Like many other websites, Barnes and Noble has a multitude of search options. Of course there are the obvious title, author, keyword, ISBN searches, but then there is a nifty selection by age, reading level, area of interest, and price.

But after trying all of the above, we found nothing appropriate for a voracious ten-year old reader.

We tried again a couple of days later. This time, I noticed a title that I recognized, but had never read: Encyclopedia Brown. My husband had read the books as a child and remembered them as some of his favorites. We ordered two: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch.

The evening they arrived, we (husband, boy and I) read both books!

A few things to note about Encyclopedia Brown. The story is not a straight-forward beginning, middle and end fictional tale. Each book is divided into a series of short stories, always with a continuing thread, but not always directly connected to the story before. At the end of each story is a question basically asking: How did Encyclopedia know? You check your answer at the back of the book.

A few things remain the same in each story: Encyclopedia Brown is the ten-year old son of Chief Brown, Idaville's local police detective. One of his best friend's is Sally, a tough young lady with an eye for clues. Bugs Meany, as his name suggests, is not the nicest of boys.

Best of all, the stories contain a mystery. A mystery in which you the reader have been provided with all the clues to solve. The key is learning to read closely, use deductive reasoning and apply prior knowledge to situations to solve the crime. Most of the stories may be read in two to five minutes.

Donald J. Sobol is the author of more than twenty-five Encyclopedia Brown books. His concise, witty, writing style captivates the reader from the first page. Variety in the stories and solutions keep you reading.

Discover Central Christian

2011-01-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Before I started working at Central Christian School, I had no idea there was a Christian school in Redmond. I couldn't even find the building when I attempted to deliver my application! When I did find the school, I hesitated to even go in. After all, what kind of school would be in a building like that.

Typically, first impressions are not far from the truth. Central Christian needs a new building. The current facility limits the number of students and staff, the classrooms are not state of the art spacious venues for learning, and the lack of a gym and locker room is sorely felt throughout the year.

However, for Central Christian, the building does not tell the whole truth. What an individual can not see from a precursory drive through our parking lot or a quick stroll through the building is the heart of the school. The heart is found in the victories, challenges and spirit of everyone involved in our school.

If you've never visited Central Christian School, consider participating in a Discovery Tour. Each program is an hour long: provides an in-depth tour of the school, information about the history and future of the school, and allows students and staff to share inspirational stories.

This is not your typical sight-seeing tour. This is an opportunity for you to discover what Central Christian School offers.

I for one am quite pleased that God gave me that extra little push and I ventured through the doors that first time. It's not the building that makes the school: it is the people; it is the heart; it is the Lord.

Good Books

2010-12-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

Each year, I guide students through a selection of approximately 16 titles. These books are considered classics and the majority are on a list of "must reads" for high school students. Although I have found that the must read lists vary greatly. Students do not really understand how a classic to one person, may not even make the list of someone else.

It is a matter of opinion.

But the best critical readers base that opinion on certain factors. Not arbitrary or contrived factors, but measurable, or at least provable, characteristics. Good stories will include elements of character, setting, plot, dialogue, and theme worthy of notice. Great stories will stretch and twine those elements into a pattern worthy of discussion.

Good stories are meant to be read.

Great stories are meant to be pondered.

Good stories are read.

Great stories are read, reread and shared.

But how do you find a great story? Do they still exist?

Greetings and Salutations

2010-12-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

Let's give this another try. A new look and a new purpose. Watch for new information coming soon!

A Time For Change

2010-05-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

The time has come for a re-evaluation of the blogosphere, or at least my part in it. I began this blog three years ago, while my husband was serving overseas and I devoted a part of everyday to writing. My child was in kindergarten and gone half a day, but that's another story.

My love of words and writing has not diminished. But for the time being my focus, by necessity, is teaching young people to read critically and write better than the average teen. For the foreseeable future, and considering the posts of the last few months--or year as the case may be--it is time to say adieu.

My hope is that this will be a short hiatus and I will return with better and bigger ideas in the not too distant future.

Review: Forget Me Not

2010-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it would be like to forget your whole life? It doesn't seem possible. But what happens if you forget AND someone is trying to kill you? To make matters worse, the person you appear to be, is already dead.

Vicki Hinze's new novel Forget Me Not begins en media res for not one woman, but two. Or does it? The opening chapters drops us in the middle of the story, observing the brutal murder of Susan Brandt. Then three years later, the horrifying kidnapping of...Susan Brandt? How can this be? The two women look uncannily alike. Everyone "Susan" meets is shocked and confused by the similarities. Not to mention put completely out of sorts when "Susan" turns out to be wearing the dead woman's necklace.

This is not your typical suspense novel. The reader is kept guessing and events pile up quickly--adding to the confusion. It is a page turner. It is a quick and entertaining read.

This is not a character driven novel. Events, dangerous events at that, keep the novel moving. And a spirit of knowing God is with us, no matter what.

If you are interested in an evening of suspense, this novel delivers.

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Visit www.vickihinze.com to learn more about Vicki’s books, blogs, and writing programs.

This book was provided for review by Multnomah Publishing.

Another Man's Moccassins

2010-04-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice, if everything you said and did was greeted with understanding and care?

What would happen if the people you loved and cared for above all others would look beyond themselves, and listen to the heart of your words?

There are only 24 hours in any day.

A typical day in the life: On the best of days my husband and I get about 7 hours of sleep. Oh, I know, some people think that is a lot--but for our health and sanity it is what we need. We are up by five and preparing for the day. Most of the time, he is finishing the work he did not have time to do the night before, doing a short Bible study and wrangling kids.

Despite our best efforts--making lunches the day before setting out school clothes, etc.--there is something that was overlooked. Lunch most often. But this time also includes walking the dog, feeding both pets, making sure one kid gets cleaned, and everyone has breakfast. Not to mention all the extraneous stuff.

We are in the car, all of us by 6:45. On our way to work. No need to explain what that entails. Sometimes we get done as early as 4:00. But for at least three months this year, it was 5:30 or 6:00 before we got home.

Our evening is spent making supper, feeding the pets, walking the dog (often twice cause she can't do two jobs in one trip), getting kids ready for the next day, supervising homework, grading papers, and for the last four months curriculum guides. Curriculum guides which took no less than 100 hours for each of us. Somewhere in there we get some kid snuggles and storytime and kids are in bed by 7:30.

For at least an hour, sometimes two and half hours, there is more work to be done. Work work, not work for the home. After that we have to keep some type of order in the house, you know the little things like dishes and laundry. Nothing BIG like actually putting laundry AWAY or buying groceries. By ten we are out.

We do this all week, everyday, over and over and over. And we make enough money to barely get by.

The weekends? Oh, did I mention curriculum guides? Or, the school play? There are no weekends. It's been more work, laundry and dishes.

We bought sleds for Christmas for the kids. You know how many times they used them this winter? Twice. On an inch of snow, on a small slope in our backyard.

Did I mention I've been sick during EVERY single break in the school year save one? And Husband? Let's just say the world keeps spinning for him, spinning and spinning, and he can't hear it go by.

Our work is not about money. We work with incredible kids and we get to share the love of Jesus with them on a daily basis. We are serving our LORD.

But not everyone understands.

For some reason, no money = you could if you wanted.

Exhaustion and no time = lack of caring.

There are only 24 hours in our day.

For all those out there who are juggling a home, husband, kids and a full-time job--May God bless you with rest and the ability to say no to anything that tears at the fragile shreds of hearth and home!

Review: Here Burns My Candle

2010-03-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

It's just not historical romance without a bit of mystery. Liz Curtis Higgs gives us more than a little mystery, as her characters are brimming with secrets in her new book, Here Burns My Candle.

But there is so much more. The story unfolds quickly and the reader falls in love with the characters. Living breathing characters who are refined through fire: challenged to become more than they ever imagined possible. Filled with historical and geographical detail the reader is transported to another time and another place.

Liz Curtis Higgs tells a story worth hearing. Her words and characters ring true. She deals honestly with real life issues through a Christian perspective. The reader would be hard pressed not to find parallels between the characters lives and her own.

Here Burns My Candle is set in 18th century Scotland and retells the story of Old Testament story of Naomi and Ruth.

A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Finally, a book worth reading from cover to cover!

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS is the author of twenty-seven books with three million copies in print, including: her best-selling historical novels, Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Christy Award-winner Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes, a Christy Award finalist; My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland, an armchair travel guide to Galloway; and her contemporary novels, Mixed Signals, a Rita Award finalist, and Bookends, a Christy Award finalist. Visit the author’s extensive website at www.lizcurtishiggs.com.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Review: Yesterday's Promise

2010-02-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday’s Promise

Once again, Linda Chaikin delves into far away destinations and historical intricacies in this new novel from Waterbrook. Reminiscent of her earlier Heart of India trilogy and The Empire Builders (which I enjoyed), Yesterday's Promise sets the age-old story of lovers, separated by circumstance and nearly torn apart by secrets, among the hidden treasures of South Africa and the more stoic society of England.

The story weaves mystery and romance in such a way that the reader should be intrigued from the first page. For those who enjoy culturally relevant vivid descriptions of life in another time, Yesterday's Promise is for you.

But there is a problem...it is hard to follow. Instead of grabbing the reader, the opening pages leave the reader wondering: What's going on? Who are these people? And why should I care?

The appeal will be in the story and the exploration of good vs. evil without the worldliness of many modern writers.

Some of the dialogue is stilted and will not appeal to younger readers. The subject, although having much potential, never quite reaches the heights the reader hopes to find. Unlike the subject matter of The Empire Builders, Yesterday's Promise couldn't hold my interest long enough for me to wade through all 364 pages.

A Novel...
by Linda Lee Chaikin– Rogan Chantry faces danger from tribesmen, ruthless politicians, and his own family as he searches for gold in South Africa. In England, his beloved Evy is injured by a mysterious assailant. The greed and intrigue surrounding the diamond mines could very well drive them irrevocably apart.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

NaNoWriMo

2009-11-30T18:01:00.001-08:00

National Novel Writer's Month ends in a few hours. Once again I have tortured a group of pre-adults with this daunting experience. They made it farther than I did.

I worked on several pieces, sporadically, and made some progress. But overall I was distracted and refused to write. I don't know if it is a rebellion against husband, girl and boy. Or simply a product of my exhaustion while working full time.

I miss the days of going to writing group. Completing a chapter every week. Getting the words down on paper.

The good news? I have an office now. And soon it will be a nice pretty green color. I'm SURE that will be the key to getting more words down.

Look out November. NEXT year I will be a winner.

Review: The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn

2009-07-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

My wife likes romance novels. Loves them, in fact. Me, on the other hand....not so much. There have been times when I found myself in the throes of boredom and have read a couple, but that was when there was nothing else to do.

It's just never really been my cup of tea.

However, if all Christian romance novels were like Liz Johnson's, then I would seriously be rethinking that attitude.

Ms. Johnson wastes no time with this book: she introduces us to to Kenzie Thorn and Myles Parsons on the very first page, sparks are flying in the second chapter, and Myles has kidnapped Kenzie by Chapter three. However, unlike the typical romance novel, Ms. Johnson merely introduces the characters and then gets down to telling us the story, allowing additional descriptions of the characters to naturally fall into the flow of the story.

Also unlike the typical secular romance novel, there's no sweat-glistened skin or heaving bosoms.

None. Anywhere.

Ms. Johnson's depiction of two people truly falling in love is certainly a breath of fresh air in a world where "love" has been turned into a four-letter word and sold on daytime TV.

Now, the Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn isn't simply a love story. The love story is interwoven with a gripping suspense story that leaves the reader guessing until the end.

Most importantly, all throughout the story, Kenzie and Myles are in constant communication with God. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul exhorts the church in Thessaloniki (and us) to pray constantly. Constant prayer is clearly demonstrated in this story.

So let's recap: this story is a Christ-centered, gripping suspenseful romance that contains a lot of prayer, true love and not one heaving bosom in sight.

Sounds like a winner to me! I can't wait to see more stories from Ms. Johnson.

Buy this book on Amazon.

Liner Notes:

Myles Parsons is just another inmate in Kenzie Thorn’s GED course until he kidnaps her, offering only a feeble explanation–that he’s actually FBI Special Agent Myles Borden. Terrified, Kenzie doesn’t want to believe his story of being undercover to protect her. Moreover, she can’t believe that someone might really want her dead.

But just when Myles thinks he has her out of harm’s way, his plans start to fall apart. He attempts to take Kenzie to a safe house—but the stubborn woman won’t go! So together they must uncover the clues that will reveal a most shocking perpetrator. All the while Myles tries to keep his distance from Kenzie … but finds himself falling in love.

Read more about Liz Johnson on her Author Page.

Review: Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart

2009-06-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

I've read Book Two in the Knights of Arrethrae series (reviewed here), and the more I read, the more I like Chuck Black's style. He takes Biblical precepts and truths and effectively weaves them into a medieval-style story to make the truths accessible to youth.

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart, Book Three in the Knights of Arrethrae series, is more of this allegorical storytelling. Sir Dalton, a young and inexperienced knight recently graduated from training camp, finds his skills as a Knight of the Prince challenged. He becomes a captive of the Dark Knight Lucius and finds that being a Knight of the Prince is very different than simply strapping on a sword and fighting evil.

This book is highly entertaining, but it's meant as much more. The discussion questions at the end can be used by parents, youth leaders, teachers or students themselves to examine and discuss Biblical truths about faith in Christ, true friendship and spiritual warfare.

I plan on teaching my own kids with this series. If that's not a testimony to the book, I don't know what is.

Liner Notes:

Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.

But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.

When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

Get it here.

Author Info:

Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of eight novels, including the popular Kingdom series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

Never the Bride

2009-06-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

If you are one of us who cried, "But I'm going to be forty...someday!"

If you ever asked "But why didn't he wanna marry me?"

If you have ever been in love with your best friend--the one who shares all his heartbreaks with you and tells you about the ones he loves...

If you have sat alone at Valentine banquets, church picnics, and Sunday services directed at smug marrieds....

If you have helped most of your friends with "the most important day of her life"...

If you are still searching for your one true love, or even if you've found him after living through any/ALL of the above, then this is the book for you!

Cheryl Mckay and Rene Gutteridge's book, Never the Bride takes a heartwarming look at a not-so-young-anymore woman who is waiting through her thirties, just as she waited through her twenties, for her life to begin. What does she believe it will take?

A man.

More importantly, a husband.

Follow Jessie, as she talks to you like a beloved friend. Experience her daily meanderings and obsessive thoughts of love and finding love. Perhaps take a few lessons from a fictionalized character who embodies a dozen people I myself know!

There is just enough of Jessie left in me that I wondered if I could stand to read a story about wanting to get married if she didn't find love and happiness in the end. For other readers out there who will feel the same way, and I know you're out there, the ending is very satisfying. Just like the man she meets along the way.

Cheryl McKay is the co-author (with Frank Peretti) of the Wild and Wacky, Totally True Bible Stories series, which has sold nearly 200,000 copies, and the screenwriter of the award-winning film The Ultimate Gift. Rene Gutteridge has published thirteen novels including Ghost Writer, My Life as a Doormat, the Boo Series, the Occupational Hazards Series, and the Storm Series. Together, McKay and Gutteridge are the authors of The Ultimate Gift, a novelization based on the feature film and popular book by the same title.

Amish Love

2009-05-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

What’s all the hubbub about Amish fiction? Major media outlets like Time and ABC Nightline are covering it, and authors like Cindy Woodsmall are making the New York Times bestseller list regularly. What makes these books so interesting?

Check out the recent ABC Nightline piece here (http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7676659&page=1) about Cindy and her titles When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends. It’s an intriguing look at Amish culture and the time Cindy has spent with Amish friends.

And don’t forget that Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge hits store shelves August 11, and is available for preorder now.

History or Mystery

2009-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

In my files I have a dozen stories waiting to be completed. Stories range from the 18th century through the 25th century and I have often pondered what they all have in common. I've been told, as a writer, that I must choose a genre and stick to it! Otherwise you are starting over with your reader base with each new book. The fact that my current reader base is quite small, I am not too concerned. But I must hone my skills.

The next dilemma is that writers must read. So, I consider my reading tastes. Again a huge range of time periods and and genres.

Whatever am I to do?

Every now and then I think--what would happen if I combined the things I love to write? A modern novel with a historical/suspenseful twist. Hmmm.

Time for a little research.

Review: Enduring Justice

2009-05-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

When I picked this book up, I had to steel myself. Within the first few chapters it was clear that this book addresses some very difficult topics: kidnapped children, evil racist men who hurt children and the FBI's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

However, as I read on, I found that the story is more about healing and Godly attitudes than the atrocities themselves.

Hanna Kessler is a barista in her father's coffee house. She has a dark secret that she has never discussed with anyone. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Michael and Steven (Hanna's former boyfriend and her brother) are investigating a case that brings Hanna's secret to light.

However, this isn't Tom Grisham's A Time to Kill. Rather than writing about vengance and anger, Mrs. Wallace tells a story about love, healing and moving on. This story answers the question: what should be the Christian's response when bad things happen?

You can find this book here.

Publisher's synopsis:

Hanna Kessler’s secret remained buried for decades. But when the shadows of her past threaten those she loves and the system fails FBI Agent Michael Parker, setting a white supremacist free, they must learn the difference between vengeance and justice is their choice to heal.

Author bio:

Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

Review: A Flickering Light

2009-04-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have been fans of Jane Kirkpatrick for a couple years now, and we eagerly anticipate the new books as they come. A Flickering Light certainly lives up to Jane's reputation.

This story is about a young woman in the Midwest who dreams of being a photographer, despite the field being very male-dominated. She realizes her dream, but at the risk of her honor and his family.

I found myself fussing aloud at and about the characters, which never happens as I read a book. Of course, I knew that the characters were based on real people and only realized after I was done that Jessie was actually Jane's grandmother.

This story really draws you in and gets you involved with the characters, as is the case with all of Jane's stories. It will make an excellent addition to the Jane Kirkpatrick section of your personal library.

-----------------------------------------------
Summary:

Returning to her Midwest roots, award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick draws a page from her grandmother’s photo album to capture the interplay between shadow and light, temptation and faith that marks a woman’s pursuit of her dreams. She took exquisite photographs, but her heart was the true image exposed.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele loves nothing more than capturing a gorgeous Minnesota landscape when the sunlight casts its most mesmerizing shadows. So when F.J. Bauer hires her in 1907 to assist in his studio and darkroom, her dreams for a career in photography appear to find root in reality.

With the infamous hazards of the explosive powder used for lighting and the toxic darkroom chemicals, photography is considered a man’s profession. Yet Jessie shows remarkable talent in both the artistry and business of running a studio. She proves less skillful, however, at managing her growing attraction to the very married Mr. Bauer.

This luminous coming-of-age tale deftly exposes the intricate shadows that play across every dream worth pursuing—and the irresistible light that beckons the dreamer on.

--------------

Author Bio:

Jane Kirkpatrick is a best-selling, award-winning author whose previous historical novels include All Together in One Place and Christy Award finalist A Tendering in the Storm. An international keynote speaker, she has earned regional and national recognition for her stories based on the lives of actual people, including the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Hall of Fame. Jane is a Wisconsin native who since 1974 has lived in Eastern Oregon, where she and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 rugged acres.

Review: Aurora

2009-04-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Wrap yourself in a fantastic journey, a remarkable commitment, and a spare and splendid story. Master storyteller Jane Kirkpatrick extols the beautiful treasures, unknown to a wider public, rediscovered in the Old Aurora Colony of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley.

The people and legacy of Aurora, a utopian community founded in the mid-1800s, will stir your imagination, hopes, and dreams; and remind you that every life matters—that our lives are the stories other people read first.

~Featuring~

Unique and treasured quilt pattern variations
More than 100 photographs, many never-before published, from 1850 to today
Cherished stories from Aurora descendants
Rich images of fine crafts from the Aurora Colony and private collections
An introduction by renowned American artist John Houser

Aurora is about the difference every ordinary life can make—and a beautiful celebration of a time and place in which people expressed their most cherished beliefs through the work of their imagination and hands.

Buy this book from Random House.

Sir Bentley

2009-02-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I've read any of Chuck Black's books. I have to say, I'll likely be getting this whole series. The books seem aimed directly at the Middle School level, and as such were a very quick read for me.

Set in a fictional land in a vaguely medieval time, this book is allegory through and through. However, had I not been familiar with Scripture, the story would have been a wonderful teaching tool on the Book of Acts. As it stands, I wanted my Bible next to me as I was reading in order to catch all of the allegory.

The main character, Sir Bentley of Chessington, is alternately reminiscent of Simon Peter and Paul. The fact that he starts out as an elite Noble Knight (who stand for the Pharisees of New Testament times) lends the character even more of a Pauline tint. In his exploits, Bentley has a conversion experience, sees the true joy in the service of the King and Prince (God the Father and Jesus), and fights the minions of Lucius (Lucifer).

I recommend this series as a teacher and as a father, and I can't wait to read the rest!

--------------------------
This second installment in Chuck Black’s Knights of Arrethtrae series tells the tale of Sir Bentley, an honorable knight who abandons all to seek the truth of the Prince. Eirwyn, a mysterious young woman who brings food to the poor, teaches Bentley the power of compassion to overcome evil. Together, they save the people of Holbrook from poverty and despair.

Sir Bentley’s quest for the truth of the Prince finds him battling Shadow Warriors, a powerful lord, and a terrifying creature. Will greed destroy Holbrook? Or can Bentley and the mysterious Eirwyn restore prosperity to the kingdom through the compassion of the Prince? Intended for family read-alouds and Christian teens, this fantastic story will entertain and edify parents and kids alike.

To purchase this book, go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601421257

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Chuck Black, a former F-16 fighter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the author of eight novels, including the popular Kingdom series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

For Couples Only

2009-02-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

For Couples Only Box Set:
Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.

Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you. [Part of me wanted to make this paragraph past tense—yielded and produced—because of the first paragraph, but that took away some of the immediacy of what the books offer. I’ll leave that up to you.]

So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!

Author Bio:
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn hold graduate degrees from Harvard University and are popular national speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs. They are also active church members and the parents of two young children, and they enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

Love as a Way of Life: Devotional

2009-02-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

Last year we reviewed the book Love as a Way of Life. Now, the devotional is ready to go.

Love As A Way Of Life Devotional

In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.

Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.

The Love As a Way of Life Devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.

Author Bio:
Dr. Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-six books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. Dr. Chapman, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wake-Forest University, and Southwestern Seminary, serves on a church staff in North Carolina.

Review: I Do Again

2009-02-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

With their professional success and adorable twin daughters, Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs looked like the perfect couple. But their polished facade concealed a widening chasm between two people unable to connect on an intimate, soul-deep level.

After years of frustration, Cheryl’s desire for emotional fulfillment led to an affair and, finally, divorce. Yet, incredibly, seven years later, Jeff and Cheryl once again stood at the altar, promising to “love, honor, and cherish” one another. A new and vibrant love had risen out of the ashes of this family’s pain.

I Do Again details the fascinating real-life story of a couple whose relationship seemed shattered beyond all hope until a spiritual awakening led them to reconsider their definitions of “happily ever after.” A riveting account of the power of prayer and redemption, this remarkable book offers renewed hope for even the most troubled marriages—and reveals why the rewards of restoration are well worth the wait.

Author Bio:
Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs are the founders of Hope Matters Marriage Ministries, and for the past several years they have shared their incredible story of a marriage restored with audiences across the nation. Jeff is an account manager with OshKosh B’Gosh, and Cheryl has served as director of the Frisco, Texas, office of the Center for Christian Counseling. They live in Dallas, Texas with their two college-age daughters.

Romanced by Evil?

2008-12-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

In a world full of evil, Christians must make decisions about morality on a daily basis.

Some decisions against evil are easy. We choose not to murder, or steal, or commit sexual sin. But other decisions may not--on the surface--require a moral battle to be won. We make these decisions when we choose what to watch, which video game to buy, which book to read, and even what words come out of our mouths.

I can almost hear the moans: But there’s nothing wrong with what I watch! It’s just a movie! My friends read it! I know it’s all fake…

But is it?

Violent video games, movies and books are easy to identify. The odds are that nearly everyone at CCS has, at one time or another, watched an act of violence. Be it on TV--ever watch the news?--or in a movie, or in a video game. TV shows, movies and video games are graphic representations of violence. What is the graphic representation based on?

Reality.

“Evil is deceptive…” (Jess, age 14)

The big question: Which is more evil?

“…a big scary monster with five inch canines, and deep red eyes, and sharp claws, and long legs and arms.” (Allan, age 15) OR the evil that poses as “an angel of light.”

In Isaiah 5:20 the prophet explains, “Those…who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter…” are as good as dead.

Wow. That’s a bit harsh isn’t it? But, it is the Bible, and God tells it like it is.

Look around your world. Do you see any instances where evil has been disguised as good? Has anything that was once considered evil been “prettied up” until it appeals? Any examples of something from the dark being recreated, renamed, or rewritten into the light?

“Evil can look like something that is [innocent]…fun or pleasing. Evil…attempts to draw you away from God.” John (age 14)

Think about your choices. Do you have the discernment to, “Stay away from every form of evil”? (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Children's Book Extravaganza: God Gave Us Heaven

2008-08-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

God Gave Us Heaven was read with great interest in our home.

The story presents simple answers to difficult questions often posed by youngsters. Over the course of a day, Papa (a polar bear) patiently answers Little Cub's questions. Vibrant captivating pictures help tell the story and engage young readers. The pictures received rave reviews from my kid.

The plan of salvation is presented in an easy to understand way aided by pictures to appeal to auditory and visual learners. Kids remember best when they see, hear, and read something. This book meets those criteria.

From the young readers in the family we have reviews of: "AWESOME!" and "The pictures were cool!" and "It was so cute!"

Author Bio: Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than one million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Heaven is Lisa’s fourth children’s book, following in the tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She makes her home in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

Illustrator Bio: Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

COME BACK on Wednesday for a review of God Loves Me More Than That

and Friday for When God Created My Toes, both by Dandi Daley Mackall

BEST OF ALL, I have a free copy of each book to give away at the end of the week...Keep reading for more information!

Love as a Way of Life

2008-07-15T17:52:00.001-07:00

Interview with Gary Chapman:
1. Describe some of the everyday situations that can be changed if a person has a foundation of love.

When love becomes the focus of ones life it will change every encounter we have with people. In the family, the husband is thinking, “what can I do before I leave for work that would be helpful for my wife?” Such thinking may lead him to take the trash out, put his breakfast plates in the dishwasher or feed the baby while his wife takes a shower.

In the workplace, employees are asking, “on my break, what might I do that would help someone else?” They will also make time to listen to a co-worker who seems to be having a hard time with a personal issue.

At the bank, post office, or cafeteria, the lover will look people in the eye and smile, perhaps opening the door to a conversation. They will express interest in what is going on in the lives of those they encounter.

The focus is not on “it’s all about me.” But, rather on “It is all about others.”

2. What is the take-away message of Love as a Way of Life?

Love as a Way of Life is designed to help the person who sincerely wants to make a positive impact in the world. I believe that is ‘most of us.’ Our biggest problem is that we don’t know how and we keep getting tripped up by our own selfish ambitions. The purpose of the book is to help us break free from the prison of selfishness and come to experience the satisfaction of truly loving others as a way of life. It is little acts of love that build up to a lifestyle of service.

3. Why do you need a foundation of love before you start figuring out our love languages?

The five love languages give information on the most effective way to express love in a meaningful way to a particular person. But, if you are not a loving person – don’t have the heart or will to focus on others – the information is of little value. Most of us must make a conscious change of focus from self to others if we are going to genuinely, and consistently enrich the lives of others. Love as a Way of Life is designed to help people make that change.

4. When did you realize the need for this book?

I first recognized the need for Love as a Way of Life when in a counseling session a husband said to me, “I’ll tell you right now, if it is going to take my washing dishes, and doing the laundry for my wife to feel loved, you can forget that.” I had just explained to him the concept of the five love languages and that his wife’s primary love language was ‘acts of service’ and that these acts would deeply communicate his love to her. I realized that he lacked the will to meet his wife’s need for love. He was locked into his own perception of what his role was to be and it did not include washing dishes and doing laundry. I knew at that moment that there was something more foundational than simply knowing a person’s love language.

5. What are the seven characteristics of lasting love?

I view love not as a single entity, but as a cluster of traits, which if developed will enhance all of life. These traits are:

Kindness: discovering the joy of helping others
Patience: accepting the imperfections of others
Forgiveness: finding freedom from the grip of anger
Courtesy: treating others as friends
Humility: stepping down so someone else can step up
Generosity: giving your time, money, and abilities to others
Honesty: caring enough to tell the truth

6. Why do you think it’s so hard for people to embrace these characteristics?

All of us have some of these characteristics to some degree. Most people see love as being better than hate. But most of us are comfortable to live somewhere between love and hate in a lifestyle that is fundamentally focused on self. We feel good when we are making money, accumulating things, gaining status, but in time these things do not ultimately satisfy what I call the ‘true self’. The true self longs to make the world a better place to live. To do something to help those less fortunate than we.

However, we all suffer from the malady of being ego-centric. I call this the ‘false self’. It is that part of man that pulls him to focus on self-preservation and a self-centered lifestyle. This is not all bad. Indeed we must meet our own physical and emotional needs in order to continue life. It is when we never get beyond this self focus, that life becomes a ‘dog eat dog’ world where everyone is out for self even at the expense of others. Such a life never brings long-term satisfaction. However it is often later in life that people discover the emptiness of selfish living. I’m hoping that Love as a Way of Life will help people discover the satisfaction of developing the ‘true self’ earlier in life.

Gary D. Chapman

Book Summary:

For decades Dr. Gary Chapman’s best-selling books have shown readers how to speak the “love language” of those they care about. Now he digs even deeper to uncover the foundations of what it means to cultivate a lifestyle of love and how doing so leads to satisfaction and success in every area of life.

Drawing fresh insights from timeless biblical principles, Chapman presents poignant stories of real people who have discovered the joys of living out the seven characteristics of authentic love: kindness, patience, forgiveness, humility, courtesy, generosity, and honesty. Enhanced with eye-opening self tests, practical ideas for building daily habits of love, and inspiring examples of love’s power to change lives, this book guides readers in putting love to work in all of their interpersonal relationships.

Convinced that in a world of constant conflict people desperately need authentic love, Chapman paints a compelling vision of how life can be richer and relationships more satisfying for anyone who practices Love As a Way of Life.

Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-five books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. Chapman, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wake-Forest University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, serves on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Too Much

2008-07-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

There are days when it all feels like "too much." There is too much to do, too many dishes, too many people getting away with stupid stuff. Sometimes I feel like curling up in a warm fuzzy blanket and just sleeping for a week or two. Maybe three.

This is one of those days again.

Some days it is almost impossible to convince myself that God does have a plan. And no matter how many times he comes through, it is still hard to see when you are in the middle of something. Thoughts are scrambled. Nothing seems to fit. Something doesn't feel right.

If only I had that fuzzy blanket today.

The Trouble With Book Reviews

2008-07-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Book reviews are difficult. I want to say nice things about the author. I want to say it is a great read. But that is not always the case.

It is summer, which means I get to read whatever I want right now. Currently, I am reading an old historical romance and a new mystery/suspense published by Multnomah. Two very incompatible reads.

The mystery/suspense utilizes concise action driven writing. The historical over uses passive construction and shifts point of view randomly, but I have read dozens of books with these problems and can overlook this. This type of structure is typical for the genre and for books written during that era. The newer book has plot holes and contradictions within the story. Which is worse?

Either way, it is hard to read! I am line editing everything. But really it gives me hope. The stories are still getting out there. The books are still getting published. Books are still being read.

Hopefully in a few days I will have a new book review. Two if I can get through the non-fiction I just received. As for the historical romance--I have no room to dis on Johanna Lindsay. However, I will have to pick up the newest novel to see what she has learned in the past thirty years and forty plus books.

God's Provision

2008-05-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose one word to describe the first book in The Good Earth series, perhaps it would be provision. Of course that is a theme in most every life, but for my characters Bethrina and Kjell, God's provision is phenomenal.

It is interesting how God chooses to provide sometimes. Many people call it a miracle. Others simply call it life. I know in my own life God has provided some pretty amazing things. The problem, as I often see it, is timing.

My novel begins with a young woman who has experienced little or no caring in her formative years. She is longing for a home of her own and someone to love her. What she does not realize is that the Lord is waiting with open arms. Not until she is forced away from the life she knows does she let go enough to experience God's extraordinary provision.

Bethrina suffers from a bit of the same problem I do. Timing. God's timing is not her timing. She has hopes and dreams and when things do not go as she planned she assumes God must not love her. As I write her story I lead her down that path, which I know God has sent me on a time or two. I help her--one day at a time--learn her own worth in the kingdom.

Therein lies the key. One day at a time. If we live one day at a time, we will all see the blessing of God's provision. The hope that we have is in Him. He is our all in all.

Editing

2008-05-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

A great deal of my time as a High School English teacher is spent editing. In my free time I work on my novel, and often times that means editing. Even in my free-free time--those times when God, family, writing and work are not requiring all my time--I search multiple listings* for homes and end up editing. My husband and I have decided there is absolutely no prerequisite for a real estate agent to spell, be concise, or use grammar rules of any sort.

How tragic that our culture puts so little emphasis on literacy that a professional has no need to be professional.

One thing I can't seem to get my students to understand that editing is not a one time proposition. Read what you've written. Read it out loud. Read it to someone else. Read it again. Perhaps you will still make an error, but your effort will make a much better product.

To my loyal readers who are eagerly awaiting my novel, I say all this to let you know that after a bit of polishing the first three chapters have been submitted to an editor--per request.

*For those who are not familiar with "multiple listings," this is the real estate business' fancy way of saying a house is searchable by other real estate agents, and in the day of the internet, house hunters everywhere.

Review: A Mending at the Edge

2008-04-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever finished a book and realized that you had been so immersed that it felt like you were reluctantly saying good-bye to the characters? In her Author's Notes at the conclusion of her latest book, Oregon writer Jane Kirkpatrick says something similar about one of her characters. After reading the book, I fully understand why.

A Mending at the Edge is the third and final installment in the Change and Cherish Historical Series, a trilogy that shares a fictionalized account of the historical figure Emma Wagner Giesy. Once again, Mrs. Kirkpatrick has done meticulous and extensive research and has masterfully amplified history with infusions of fiction. The end result is a teacher's dream: history comes alive and is truly meaningful to the reader.

The story starts where the last book (A Tendering In the Storm, reviewed here) left off. Frau Giesy has grudgingly accepted the help of the Aurora Colony and the colony's spiritual leader, Herr Doctor William Keil. Over the course of the story, her grudging acceptance transforms into loving Christian servanthood and the mature understanding that God knows better than any human ever could.

In addition to making history accessible and appealing to the reader, Mrs. Kirkpatrick shows us through Frau Giesy that following the Word of the LORD is much more important than following the pressures of those around us.

This book will take its place on our bookshelf next to the other books from the series, but I doubt they'll sit unread for long.

A synopsis of the history of the Aurora Colony can be found here.

Jane Kirkpatrick is the best-selling author of two nonfiction books and fourteen historical novels, including the popular Kinship and Courage series. Her award-winning writing has appeared in more than fifty publications, including Sports Afield and Decision. She’s won the coveted Western Heritage Wrangler Award, an honor shared by such writers as Larry McMurtry and Barbara Kingsolver. Jane is a licensed clinical social worker as well as an internationally recognized speaker. She and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 acres in eastern Oregon.

Doris Marie Heiser Moore

2008-03-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Doris Marie Heiser
Nov. 2, 1921-March 11, 2008

My grandmother died. Of course I never called her grandmother, she was my Granny. The woman who would kill a snake with anything she could wield, including her heel.

Her hair was always braided, and she snapped at me when I asked her about it. Why? Goodness, who knows! She was Granny. But then later she let me watch her comb through the long strands as I sat at her feet.

We would go for long walks along the railroad tracks listening for the wildlife. She would point out the bunnies, birds (my favorite were the kildeer), and nutria. For years, I believed she had made up the nutria, because not once in all my growing years did I actually see one. Not until I had my own place in college did I see a nutria. Bit creepy those critters...

One of my favorite memories was rearranging her spice rack whenever my parents and I arrived. I would accuse her of mixing them up just for me. Then I would spend the first part of our visit putting the spices in order. The rest of the time I spent upside down doing cartwheels or headstands. Thing is, it was always very difficult to sit still at Granny and Poppo's, if you did one of the dead animals on the wall just might attack. The red fox isn't too bad, especially when Poppo would let you touch it just a little.

She passed away only two weeks ago, but my best memories are from two decades ago. Why?

Granny had Alzheimer's. It isn't that it was contagious, but that she went from being a cantankerous-stubborn-old woman, to being a bitter-forgetful-suspicious-cantankerous-stubborn-old woman.

You may think I am being harsh, but here are a couple of examples:

She got in an argument one time with Poppo and a few others. Her claim: matches have dynamite in them. In order to prove her point she got out an encyclopedia and read the ingredients, and low and behold HER dictionary included dynamite as one of the ingredients. That encyclopedia certainly disappeared soon after.

One of my favorite tales is my own. When I was about eleven years old, I spent a week with Granny and Poppo. They have ten acres of farmland near Albany, and in the front corner of their land stands an old house from the turn of the century. The house always fascinated me and Granny would tell me stories. She told of a suicide in the front room, she gave details including how much the house and land originally sold for. She drew a map of the entire town, back when it was a town!

Just a few years ago, Granny claimed that I had made up all those stories myself. But that was Granny.

She was a strong woman, who worked hard all her life. She loved her family, all of us, and her farm. No matter how we argued while I was there, I was always given a hug and a "Be good, babe" when I left. Except maybe in the last couple of years when the line between reality and the haze of illness was no longer clear.

In the last three months she no longer crossed into the realm of reality. It was time for her to go. Now it is my time to sort through all the years when I was scared of her and felt like she didn't care, to see the woman she was, before her mind began to fail...

The woman who cooked atrociously. The woman who loved the land and everything on it. The woman who gave life to my dad and therefore to me. The woman who loved me.

My beloved, My Granny.

Fiction Book Proposal

2008-03-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

My school is on Spring Break. I thought I had another week, but it turns out that I have until Thursday night to write a book proposal. Believe it or not, I was not procrastinating. Honestly it never occurred to me that I could hand a document this large to an editor I may meet...

A book proposal seems to consist of the following elements.

Fiction Proposal Outline

Cover Sheet
Table of Contents
The Market/Audience
Marketing of the Book
Promotion and Publicity
Author's Promotion
About the Author
Synopsis
Chapter Outlines
Two Sample Chapters

Needless to say, I have a lot of work to complete.

Stagnant Blog

2008-03-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Dear faithful and loyal readers,

I know it has been some time since I posted. My heart has been elsewhere. Being a first year teacher after thirteen years of teaching is a challenge. The tender years of my children are too precious to pass up. Then there was the persistent illnesses followed by the death of my grandmother.

Here is to a renewed effort to post most every day. Every attempt will be made to find focus.

Coming soon: Review of Jane Kirkpatrick's new book A Mending at the Edge. You will also have a chance to win a copy of this book.

Thanks for reading...

Brush Up Your Shakespeare...

2008-02-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

High school English is an interesting creature. My job requires that I teach a group of hormonally driven, confused, but well-intentioned young people about literature and the fundamentals of writing. This becomes especially challenging when you throw parents into the mix.

I recently fielded a phone call from a concerned parent. The issue: The Taming of the Shrew contains lewd scenes and inappropriate innuendo. The suggestion was that we do one of Shakespeare's less offensive plays.

Maybe Midsummer Night's Dream? Or perhaps Hamlet?

An old movie version of Shrew has a comical dance number performed by two thugs in which they sing "brush up your shakespeare, start quoting him now." After reading Midsummer this spring my junior's adopted "tawny tarter" as the new dis*. But really how often do you quote Shakespeare?

Do you even know when you are doing it? Shakespeare invented or coined somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 words.

*Teen term for disrespect or put down.

Review: Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear

2008-02-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest...when we first picked up this book, we were skeptical. I mean, the title sounded like a toy-based horror flick and the first chapter contained as many clichés as a dog has fleas.

However, after I respectfully decided to give Mrs. Dunn the benefit of the doubt, I was caught...hook line and sinker.

This story is the second book in a series following Ginger, Suzanna, Arleta and Kindra in their quest for bargains and the adventures that seem to follow them. In a manner reminiscent of Diane Mott-Davidson's character Goldie Bear, Mrs. Ginger Salinski is an unlikely hero with a cadre of loyal friends.

However, unlike Goldie, Ginger is portrayed as a strong Christian with morals and values to match. Throughout the book, Ginger's decisions, actions and attitudes reflect her faith, a trait not often seen in a mystery novel hero.

This book is a playful whodunit with a twist. I recommend spending an evening with Ginger and the rest of the Bargain Hunters Network. I know that after reading this one we'll be looking for the first book in the series, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie. We'll be looking for a sale-priced copy...gotta find those bargains!

And you can take that one to the bank.

------------------------------------------------------------

Sharon Dunn is the author of Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, book one in the Bargain Hunters Mysteries, and the Ruby Taylor mystery novels including Sassy Cinderella, which was voted Book of the Year by American Christian Fiction Writers. She earned a BA in television production and a master’s in history Sharon lives in Bozeman, Montana, with her husband of twenty years, three children, two cats, and lots of dust bunnies.

While They Are Young

2008-01-22T05:38:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about teaching in a Christian School is the morning prayer time with the staff. Last week, during this special time, I was shocked to learn that Jenessa Byers had lost her battle with cancer. This sweet little girl was only eight years old.

Despite the fact I have never met her, and my connection to her is precarious at best, I cried. And cried some more.

Her story reminded me that God has gifted me with two children for the time he designed. Some days I feel sorry for myself because I missed those precious years when they were infants and toddlers. Of course my son was little more than a toddler, but that time passed far too quickly. As does every day since.

While they are young: I will dance with them in the rain.

While they are young: I will play steamroller with my son.

While they are young: I will braid my daughter's hair.

While they are young: I will play puppy with my son.

While they are young: I will listen to girl's stories.

While they are young: We will make snowmen in the yard.

While they are young: I will read bedtime stories every night.

Before it is too late.

Terrebonne Depot

2007-12-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

In 1911, the Terrebonne Depot was a stop on the brand new train route cutting across Central Oregon. The route connected Washington and California and opened up the realm of possibility for this rich desert land.

Today, the Terrebonne Depot is open again, this time as an American Cuisine restaurant. On a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago my husband and I stopped in for our first sampling of the fare.

Our main reason for stopping in? My story. The Good Earth Series of course includes key details for the coming of the railroad to Central Oregon--more specifically Hillman/Terrebonne. What a pleasant surprise to find a truly enjoyable respite. The Terrebonne Depot boasts tables and a bar fashioned from the original 8" x 8" old growth fir pier supports on which the original depot stood. The combination of modern elegance and rustic ambiance is quite pleasing.

My husband enjoyed a Mediterranean Burger, complete with feta cheese and Greek olives. Part of the novelty was the buffalo meat patty. House fries accompanied his meal and were a definite treat with the spice adding a surprising kick.

On the lighter side, I tried the tomato basil soup--not for anyone squeamish about basil--and the salad with honey mustard dressing. I know it was only a dressing, but the honey mustard was "to die for." I wanted to lick the plate, but of course refrained.

To complete our meal we splurged on bacon wrapped shrimp. What a find! The bacon added an interesting flair to the jumbo shrimp and was perfected by another tasty sauce highlighted with cilantro and a delicate blend of sugar and spice.

Despite the fact that there was a workable selection of kid friendly dishes, we will not likely make this a weekly stop. The Terrebonne Depot earned a spot in our elite list of "for parents only" guilty pleasures.

The End of NaNoWriMo

2007-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

National Novel Writer's Month ended at midnight on Friday night. One of my students claims that NaNoWriMo is Japanese for "suffering." Don't believe it for a moment.

Today we totaled the students' word counts. The seniors, a class of eleven students, proudly boasted 90,440 words. The juniors with a smaller class--eight boys and one girl--finished with 103,000 words!

Fifteen of the students wrote at least 9000 words, and one student excelled with 20,280 words.

Overall, this was a great month. Comments heard around school this month included:

"I never thought I could write this much."

"After writing a 10,000 word novel, it will be tough to limit myself to a two page essay."

"Now I am going to have to finish writing my story."

Students accomplished something they never dreamed possible. Even the students who did not reach their goal wrote more than they ever dared before. The writing is not perfect, and is certainly not ready for publication, but students put words on paper. Their fluency improved, their confidence grew and for a few short weeks they knew what it is to be a writer.

The question has been posed, "Do we have to do it again next year?" accompanied by the requisite moans.

However, my resounding "Yes!" was followed by a fiery discussion of the possible stories each student could use next year.

Perhaps the suffering was worth it.

Update:

Senior Total 99,057

Juniors 103,000

Total Word Count for November: 202,057

Review: For Parents Only

2007-11-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

I teach High School English. In rare moments, when the towering youngsters are quiet, I look at them and imagine my own children in a few years. Then I wish for a way to stop time.

In the first chapter of For Parents Only, author Shaunti Feldhahn describes a moment when she watched her children breaking away, running down the hill and racing toward growing up. Since we can not stop time we must find a way to cope with the rigors of increased hormones and alien takeovers in our precious little darlings.

For Parents Only provides some guidance in doing just that. Last night I was reading Chapter 4 entitled, "The Good Thing About Being the Bad Guy." The chapter discusses a parent who is in control and the fact that this is what kids really want. Parenting is difficult on the best of days, being the big bad enforcer of rules is sometimes heartbreaking in the moment. But the truth of the matter is; discipline engenders a feeling of security and love.

Even my seven year old recognizes this fact. On Thanksgiving he listed all the things he was thankful for "having Mommy, Daddy, Sister, and most of all having jobs." I had to ask, "Jobs?" He answered happily, "Yes," and he nodded and grabbed my face for kisses, "because you make me do jobs so I will learn responsibility." I have such amazing children!

For Parents Only covers a wide range of topics: rebellion, discipline, talking/listening, attitude, moods, freedom and others. Drawing on the results of a nationwide survey of kids and teenagers, these questions are addressed:

What do moms need to understand about the “tough and tender” boy who values respect over love?
What do dads need to understand about their daughter’s need for affirmation?
What are the six biggest pet peeves teens have about their parents?
Understanding the answers to these and other important questions can help parents make the holidays a time of celebration and unity, not strife and friction.

For Parents Only offers a unique look into a child’s mind and frees readers to communicate in healthier ways as they discover that understanding their kids may not be as complicated as they think.

CONTEST: Send me your "cuter than cute" story about your teen and you can win a free copy of Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice's For Parents Only.

Author Bio: Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of For Women Only and numerous other books, with sales totaling nearly one million copies. A nationally syndicated newspaper columnist andother books, public speaker, Feldhahn earned her master’s degree at Harvard University. She and her husband, Jeff, have two young children. Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother of two teenage girls, and a screenwriter and producer.

Update: NaNoWriMo

2007-11-13T10:05:00.001-08:00

We are into the second full week and the students diligently write for at least 50 minutes in class everyday. There are the brave few who continue the journey on their own time (fulfilling their homework load) and pushing on towards their individual goals. Our school word count is currently hovering at approximately 16,000 words.

Sounds like we need to pick up the pace!

NaNoWriMo

2007-11-05T13:36:00.001-08:00

Ah! Some of you have not yet heard of NaNoWriMo? It is an entire month devoted to writing a novel. A month of drudgery, words, sleepless nights and a larger than life, looming, lengthy goal of 50,000 words or perish.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writers Month. This year my junior and senior English classes are participating in NaNoWriMo YWP. The students are terrified. The students do not think they can do it.

I believe they can. And when they are all done, no matter what their final word count, they will have accomplished more than they ever dreamed possible in the world of writing.

Our total goal is 200,000 words! Sounds like we need to pick up the pace.

Contest: Mosaic

2007-10-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

Blessful Writings is proud to offer an opportunity for our readers to win a free copy of Amy Grant's new book, Mosaic.

Here's what you have to do:

Write a brief letter, or essay, explaining how music has touched or blessed your life. Submit your entry via the comment link on this post. Our panel of judges will review the entries and choose the top three entries to receive Mosaic. All entries are due by midnight October 31, 2007.

In the meantime, keep reading!

An Actress to Remember: Deborah Kerr

2007-10-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

Deborah Kerr worked in Hollywood in the days of elegance and discretion. Love scenes were filled with tenderness and promise, never nudity and vulgarity. If you want to see the proof, watch "An Affair to Remember" made in 1957, the movie treats romance and falling in love with the magical hand long sense gone from movie making.

Or check out "The King and I." Starring opposite Yul Brenner, Ms. Kerr portrays the heart of a woman who loved a man, through respect and understanding. Two key ingredients, so often lacking in love stories of today.

Ms. Kerr proved her versatility with the role of Karen Holmes in "From Here to Eternity." She and Burt Lancaster made sand in your bloomers look nigh on erotic. Her Broadway debut, "Tea and Sympathy" also departed from her genteel and proper persona.

Her movies continue to touch hearts and lives. The 1993 hit "Sleepless in Seattle" introduced Kerr to a new generation of movie goers.

She nearly disappeared from the silver screen by 1970, citing disillusionment with the direction of the movie making industry. Who can blame her? Deborah Kerr said in an interview given in 1982, "Believe me, Cary and I knew how to kiss. When we did a love scene, we may not have been trying to swallow each other but, for those brief moments, we just loved each other."

She also said, "I think I understand what women see in the movie. There is a sweetness that is appealing and far removed from today's crudities. It makes them realize that the world has lost something delightful."

I think she is right.

Deborah Kerr, 1921-2007

Review: Mosaic by Amy Grant

2007-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ah! Time to review Amy Grant's memoir Mosaic. I have not read the book cover to cover yet, but I have read several of the stories. For me, it is the type of book I will pick up time and again. I will read a segment, or simply the words to a song--her songs are interspersed throughout the wonderful pages--and feel inspired, encouraged, and uplifted.

The stories are poignant, funny and real. This American icon of Christian music shares little pieces of her life in conversational vignettes. If you are looking for Amy Grant's life laid bare, every little detailed revealed, this is not the book for you. She talks about motherhood, marriage, friendship, faith, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. And of course, she shares some stories about life with the remarkable Vince Gill.

If you want to spend an afternoon reflecting on life's miracles, and crying with someone who has experienced heartaches, check out Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far.

Best news yet: You, my loyal readers, will have the opportunity to win a FREE copy of Amy Grant's Mosaic. Come back in a few days and find out how!

Amy Grant is the best-selling Christian music artist of all time and the first to garner the number one spot on Billboard’s chart. Since beginning her career at age 17, she has earned six Grammy Awards and twenty-five Dove Awards, and last year she received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Grant’s numerous television appearances include Oprah; Good Morning, America; and Late Night with David Letterman. In 2007 she’ll tour nationwide, performing with local symphonies in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and elsewhere.

Never Forget

2007-10-11T06:36:00.001-07:00

LCpl Jeremy Burris

On Monday, October 8th, LCpl Jeremy Burris lost his life. His patrol vehicle struck a hidden detonation device. Although he survived the initial blast, and heroically aided the other Marines to escape to safety, he was hit by a second blast when he returned to the vehicle to recover equipment.

He is the son of Brent Burris of Texas and the grandson of my Uncle Buddy and Aunt Billie Sue.

Our family sends heartfelt regrets to his family and friends who must endure this time of mourning. May God send his fullest blessings and greatest comforts during this time.

Newstories:

MySA.com
Click2Houston
Beaumont Enterprise.com

Extreme Makeover: Jenessa Byers

2007-10-06T07:38:00.001-07:00

Cancer changed the life of eight year old Jenessa Byers. Earlier this year, ABC's Extreme Makeover changed it again.

Stricken with a rare childhood cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma Jenessa continues to give God the glory for every milestone she reaches. Read about her challenges and celebrations on her website: Jenessa Byers.

Jenessa is the niece of an old and dear friend of mine. Our family has been praying for Jenessa since soon after her cancer was discovered in January 2006. How thoroughly pleased I was to learn that her family--which struggles with the financial burdens of cancer--has been blessed with an "extreme makeover" home.

Jenessa is a "sparrow" in Oregon. Sparrow Clubs is an opportunity for Oregon students to help kids who are fighting life threatening or disabling medical conditions. Students learn what it means to have compassion for others and to make sacrifices to help others.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airs this coming Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Read a preview of the upcoming show on TV Guide.

Music of Life

2007-10-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

I was about ten years old before I cared a whit about music. I didn't own any tapes (those little cassettes with funky brown ribbons in them that were notorious for being eaten by the tape machine), nor eight tracks (gigantic cassettes which no one under thirty has ever seen) and I didn't own a record (a throw back to the first talking machines with their ridges and grooves in black vinyl). The only music I knew about was the stuff that came over the radio, nothing I took notice of then, and hymns, the mainstay of any good Southern Baptist church.

Then one day my dad bought a new pick-up. And by "new" I mean one of those old beat up kinds that he could fix up, make run, and sell when he found a new project. Under the front seat of this super cool find was a cassette. Dad brought the funky off-white, slightly smudged article into the house and asked, "You want this?"

I shrugged, but took it into my room. I didn't have any cassettes before this, but I did have a cassette player--I like to be prepared. I set up the cassette player on my windowsill and discovered the magic of The Eagles and Hotel California.

My interest in music grew quickly after that, but never attained the great depths of appreciation and association some people have. I liked to sing--or was it scream?--songs from Pink Floyd's The Wall just as much as I loved to belt out a chorus of People to People and Pass It On (radical contemporary songs found in the 80's Baptist Hymnal.) I had no idea who sang my favorite song, Running with the Shadows of the Night. I didn't know the difference between Sylvia and Amy Grant.

I have friends who can sing choruses, and even entire verses from songs, not to mention naming the artist and quite possibly what album the song is from. For example, I hated the New Kids on the Block, but one day, after weeks of LOVING a particular song I discovered to my chagrin that it was the quintessential NKOTB song. (Yeah, ok it was Tonight, I'm over it.)

My taste in music is eclectic to say the least. I still have some of those fabulous "long playing albulums" (if that phrase is foreign to you, you haven't watched Grease 2 enough) a bizarre collection of cassettes and a chaotic mix of CDs. (I started buying CDs before I bought a CD player, because I like to be prepared!)

Buried somewhere on my computer is a collection of mp3s. There is only one iPod in our family so far, but I still enjoy a bit of music from time to time. In fact, this week I discovered a fabulous group called Rescue. They are an a cappella group with a heart for ministry. The best part of the group? The vocal percussionist, reminiscent of 80s beatbox, but so much more! Check them out at www.rescuemusic.com.

In the years since I received that first Eagles tape, I have learned the value of music. The format of music evolved. The genres of music evolved. My taste in music evolved. One thing stays the same, music touches my life. Certain songs elicit memories. Memories of people who are no longer a part of my life. Memories of dreams once chased. Memories of good moments, crazy moments, and moments best forgotten. But music brings all these things together and orchestrates the novel which is my life.

President Bush: Sept 11, 2001

2007-09-10T20:12:00.001-07:00

Better than Diamonds

2007-09-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

In my cache, I have two very precious jewels.

The first, shimmers with goodness, purity and light. The second is bright, sparkling, and well I have to say it, priceless. If I had to describe their color I would say the former is yellow sunshine and the latter is liquid blue highlighted with fiery red sparks.

Once a year, I have to let them go out into the world on their own. Today is that day. For the next nine months their luminosity and clarity will be challenged. It is a little like throwing them into the fire and seeing how much farther they can be refined. I will have glimpses of this refinement in the coming months, but not until some day in the future will I see the fullness of this polishing.

So, I whisper my quiet prayers for protection and care. I lay my heart before the Lord and entreat Him to surround them with His love. And I trust that these precious gifts he has allowed me to enjoy will come home more vivid and exceptional than before.

Find out what it means to me...

2007-08-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

So when you think of Aretha Franklin, you think R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Sock it to me.

As my wonderful wife has pointed out, the most popular Aretha song of all time was actually written by a guy. Not just any guy, but Mr. Sittin'-on-the-Dock-of-the-Bay himself, Otis Redding.

This guy was smooth. He was good looking. The girls loved him. But according to his song, he just wanted respect.

Heck, ask any guy if he'd prefer to be respected or loved, he'll most likely choose respect. It's the way we're raised, and it's the way our brains are wired.

So it should come as no surprise that many guys have a tough time showing love to their wives. Guys often think that the way to show their wives love is to do things for them, earn more money, work harder, buy more stuff...in other words, by being a guy!

WRONG!

She doesn't want your stuff, she wants YOU.

But...what does she need from you?

Well, most men cannot figure out women at all. Heck, there are men in their 80s who have been married 50 years who still don't understand women.

Since we are often so very clueless, our all-knowing Creator has TOLD us in his Word:

Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. - Ephesians 5:33

OK, so there's that respect thing again...but we must love her as we love ourselves? Hmmm...

Lets back up...

In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. - Ephesians 5:28-31

Wait..."as their own bodies"? "Become one flesh"? That has a familiar ring to it...

Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman, "for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family. - Genesis 2:22-24

Wow. So from the dawn of time to Jesus' coming and thereafter we have been commanded to love our wives as if she were part of our own bodies...because spiritually she IS part of our own bodies!

But this has limitations, right? I mean, there's some things that a guy just can't put up with. Right?

Right?

Consider this....

The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery. Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.” So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her. Then I told her, “You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with another man, and I also will wait for you.” - Hosea 3:1-3

Hold it...time out. God wanted the prophet Hosea to go to his wife, who was not only gone but shacked up with a new guy, and to take her back? And he was not only commanded to take her back, but to LOVE her!

Little did Hosea know that this was setting the stage for a "bridegroom" yet to come.

Jesus loves His people unconditionally and without reservation. He is the bridegroom to His bride (the Church) just as men are the bridegroom to their wives.

He loved us so fully that he left His place in Heaven to come to Earth and live as one of us. He loved us so unconditionally that His sacrifice on the cross paid for ALL our sins, past, present and future, no matter WHAT we do.

So too must men love their wives fully and unconditionally. Only when she feels fully loved can she meet your emotional needs and find out what it means to YOU.

A Little Respect

2007-08-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

What you may not realize is that Aretha Franklin's number one hit song, R.E.S.P.E.C.T., is a cover of a song written by Otis Redding in 1965. Despite the song's popularity and common affiliation with the feminist movement, it was originally written as a song about a man's desire for respect.

"What you want
Honey you've got it
And what you need
Baby you've got it
All I'm asking
Is for a little respect
when I come home" --Otis Redding

Respect.

Sounds simple enough.

But...In my experience, women tend to place more value on love. We ask, "do you love me?" We spend hours, days, years figuring out ways to be loved or to be loved more. But how much time do we spend figuring out ways to increase the amount of respect we have? Not nearly as much as men.

How does a woman show her man respect?

Remember the Taming of the Shrew? Petruchio insisted on a little respect. Kate had to learn how to give it. The ensuing relationship was built on mutual contribution: Kate learned to respect him, Petruchio learned to love her.

Some interpretations of the play, I'm certain, portray her as a docile, domineered wife. However, in an earlier post on the Shrew, I suggested Kate might show some qualities of a biblically submissive wife. A simple reading of the play may not give that interpretation, but plays are meant to be seen, not read! The Ashland production this year, played to the interpretation that Kate learned to honor her husband, even respect him.

The preface, presented to add depth to the hearing of the play, even suggested Shakespeare's England may have known a few things about biblical submission. The point is: Kate did not roll over and play the doormat and is not to be mistaken for Ibsen's Nora Helmer.*

Why mention Kate again? Because she learned a few things about speaking to her husband and to others about her husband.

Just like Kate, most women I know have a way with words. Most importantly, we know how to cut with words, but that same ability allows us to build up with words. Perhaps the first step in showing our husbands respect is watching our words--how we speak to him, about him, and for him.

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue."
--Proverbs 31:26

For more information about the issues of love and respect check out the book by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs called Love & Respect.

*Nora Helmer is the protagonist of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House. In Ibsen's play, Nora is the quintessential oppressed wife. She was a possession of her husband, not his partner. The marriage relationship served to dehumanize her and rob her of her own identity.

A Tendering in the Storm

2007-08-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading Jane Kirkpatrick's A Tendering in the Storm. The story is written from the perspectives of two main characters: Emma Giesy and Loisa Keil.

Originally part of the same close-knit religious community, these two German women have traveled across the rugged Oregon trail arriving in the Northwest in the mid 1850's. But their paths have taken them in different directions. [Read A Clearing in the Wild, book one in the Change and Cherish series, to find out what divides the flock.]

Louisa and her husband, leader of the community, continue on to settle in the Aurora Mills area, near present day Portland, Oregon. Louisa is struggling to put the death of her son into the context of her life. He lives on in her, and she now seeks to understand what sin she committed to warrant his death. Her very nature is absolute submission to her husband.

Emma Giesy, remains in Willapa--Washington territory--with her husband and small family. She desires the freedom to speak her mind, explore the wisdom she feels brimming inside and to live independently, at least a little, from the religious family that surrounds her. She dares to believe women are more than quiet servants to their men, and hopes that they may even be equal in the eyes of the Lord.

The novel is based on a true story; filled with historical detail and vivid true-to-life characters. The women come alive, as you walk alongside their exploration of fear, vulnerability and strength. Mrs. Kirkpatrick weaves the natural beauty and spirit of the Northwest into every chapter. Words and images (oystering, the ocean, the swaying lantern to name a few) are chosen with a deftness that conveys the import of the landscape on the lives of these women.

Emma Giesy explains about the inner strength of a woman: "It's something I've learned about myself since coming here. What we can do on the inside isn't always reflected by what's on the outside."

"Sounds like an oyster shell..." Her friend Mary replied.

As I continue to read, I expect that we will see more of what Emma, and Louisa for that matter, are really made of--on the inside.

Jane Kirkpatrick is the best-selling author of two nonfiction books and twelve historical novels, including A Clearing in the Wild and the acclaimed Kinship and Courage series. Her award-winning essays and articles have appeared in more than fifty publications, including Daily Guideposts and Decision. A winner of the coveted Western Heritage Wrangler Award, Jane is a licensed clinical social worker as well as an internationally recognized speaker and inspirational retreat leader. She and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 acres in eastern Oregon.

Shakespeare on Submission Part II

2007-08-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare, a proponent of submission? Verily!

In the Taming of the Shrew, the play builds to a pivotal moment: the three newly married gentleman engage in a little good natured ribbing which results in a wager. The wager is meant to determine the most "obedient wife." Of the three, Katharina is the only one to come when her husband bids. She is then sent to retrieve the other wives and she admonishes them:

"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience;
Too little payment for so great a debt....

And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace;
Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway,
When they are bound to serve, love and obey...."

Forsooth, dear Kate! Obedience? Service? Kneeling?

You must be kidding.

But she's not. Check out what another writing says about submission:

"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:22-24 NET Bible

Kate is not so far wrong after all.

And really, if you look at the entire context of the play, what has she learned? Perhaps, that being a shrew is pretty nasty business. It is not the way to "win friends, and influence people." But when you consider the overarching theme of disguise, it is interesting to consider who concealed themselves the most fruitfully.

Katharina put on the guise of a shrew, her mode of dealing with the inequity of her father's excessive and cosseting treatment of her sister. Bianca put on the guise of an obedient and charming woman, her way of winning a prized husband. But who gains the most in the end?

When Petruchio sets out to woo his wife, he decides the best course of action is to kill her with kindness. (Act IV Scene 1) His harsh words are not directed to her, but rather rails and flails on her behalf. Always insuring her comfort and care. He praises her wit and beauty and emphasizes her value.

Petruchio's methods could be construed as an attempt to break Kate's will. But nothing could be farther from the truth! He compares his plan to the taming of a hawk. Falconry does not seek to break the spirit of the bird, but redirects the hawk's natural impulses. Her fiery spirit is one of the things that drew him to her from the beginning, he has no desire to put it out.

Petruchio adopts the guise of the shrew. From his behavior, Katharina sees herself in a new way. And despite his pretense she experiences, first hand, the equity of the next verse in Ephesians.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;" Ephesians 5:25 Net Bible

Katharina's reprimand to the other wives ends. She turns to her husband and says:
"My hand is ready; may it do him ease."

Petruchio replies:
"Why there's a wench. Come on and kiss me Kate."

And she does.

One more thing. Skip down a few lines, past the pained musings of the other husbands, and read Petruchio's final lines,

"Come, Kate, we'll to bed.
We three are married, but you two are sped.
Twas I won the wager, [To LUCENTIO.]
though you hit the white;
And, being a winner.
God give you good night!"

In the OSF production (summer 2007) the players left little doubt to the meaning of these words. Petruchio and Kate leave hand in hand. Smiles on their faces and a impish wink from Kate to the other brides.

Has he tamed her? Or loved her?

Shakespeare on Submission

2007-08-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Although some critics insist The Taming of the Shrew no longer has a place in our modern, forward thinking culture, playgoers flock to its presentation. This past weekend, my husband and I attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and heard the Shrew in the Elizabethan theatre with nearly twelve hundred other playgoers.

First, a little background and summary for the Shrew. A shrew is a small "mouselike insectivorous" mammal.

Wait!

A mouse?

Yes. That was the original, and enduring definition. The word was adapted along the way to mean a "spiteful person" (c. 1250), "wicked, or dangerous," and "evil or scolding" person. And it meant a male. Not until 1386 was the term applied to a woman. It is possible even that Shakespeare's creation had some hand in refining the word to become the term we associate most often with a nagging, scolding, violent-tempered woman.

And so begins the play, with a shrew. Or more specifically the play begins with an "induction." The induction frames the play, and sets up the players as a vision or dream watched by a man named Christopher Sly. The theme introduced here is: beware of appearances.

The conflict is evident from the beginning: The merchant Baptista has two beautiful daughters--Bianca, lovely and desirable and Katharina, lovely, but despicable. He insists he must marry off his eldest daughter Katharina before he will give Bianca away in marriage.

Bianca's suitors agree the only way to succeed in their pursuit is to find a man who is willing to take the fair Kate for his wife. Petruchio, a fortune hunting man of Padua, enters and agrees to woo the maid. What follows is a cacophony of concealment and deception. Bianca's suitors don complicated disguises to wheedle themselves into her and her father's good graces.

Petruchio begins the difficult task of taming Katharina and arranging for their impending marriage. In the end, Petruchio and Katharina are quite happily married. Bianca has married Lucentio, a man of Pisa, and another of her suitors has found contentment by marrying a widow. It is in the final scenes that we see who the real "shrew" is.

Could it be the fiery Katharina who scolded and screeched all of her life?
The fair and docile Bianca who was evidently a victim of her sister's rages?
Or perhaps the father who favored one daughter over the other?

In the final lines we have Shakespeare's view of submission through Katharina's closing monologue...and this is where we will begin in part two of this post.

Jane Kirkpatrick: Change and Cherish Series

2007-07-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

Jane Kirkpatrick's newest book, A Tendering in the Storm was released earlier this Spring. My husband and I are taking turns with the book, as I will be writing a review to be published on this blog sometime around August 6th.

After attending an author event at Paulina Springs Bookstore earlier this week, we realized we needed to get reading. Mrs. Kirkpatrick signed books and spoke about writing, "first baskets" and coping saws. She never fails to leave her audience with tidbits of faith and encouragement to live strong in the Lord.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick is an award winning author, with at least fifteen titles to her name. She writes Historical fiction filled with faith and often based on the lives of real people. I am impressed with the open friendliness Mrs. Kirkpatrick displays when speaking to her fans. After seeing her in person, you feel that she has opened up her personal world and let you in, a bit like visiting with an old friend over a cup of tea.

The Paulina Springs Bookstore is located in historic Sisters, OR. If you are not familiar with Sisters, it is famous for PRCA Pro Rodeo events and the annual Quilt show. The Rodeo was in June, and the quilt show is in full swing this weekend. If you are passing through Central Oregon plan to either join the fun or avoid Sisters entirely because main street will be impassable today.

A Thousand Tomorrows, Karen Kingsbury

2007-07-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

While chatting with a friend this evening I was reminded of a book I read a few months ago, A Thousand Tomorrows, by Karen Kingsbury. I have read many books--enjoyed many books--over the years, but this book stood out for two reasons.

First of all, it made me cry. I am not talking about a few tears, although that is how it began. There were entire sections of this book that turned on the floodgates. Heart-wrenching tears that challenged me to take a hard look at myself and my own feelings about life, love and marriage.

Secondly, the characters were living, breathing people. They were challenged by life and learned to overcome--not by their own power, but through the power of God. I was, quite honestly, relieved to read a book that allowed the protagonists to be flawed. She writes about sinners who keep on working out their faith. ( A little like the passage from Phil. 2:12)

I know Kingsbury has written a number of other books--several surrounding the 9/11 attacks and the lives of those impacted. I look forward to reading One Tuesday Morning and Like Dandelion Dust when I am no longer swamped in historical research, but I plan to have a box of tissues at the ready.

Enough is Enough!

2007-06-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever spent a tormented night waiting for the Lord to answer your prayer? You toss and turn questioning the rightness of a particular decision. Is this the Lord's will? My will? What if I misunderstand? What if I choose incorrectly?

In Genesis 32 Jacob wrestled with God. Of course when the struggle began, he did not know with whom he wrestled. Often this passage is compared with prayer. The NetBible challenges this common allegorical interpretation pointing out that it was not until the man touched Jacob in the hip, crippling him, that he realized his opponent was the Lord. Only after he stopped fighting, did he ask for a blessing.

What an interesting idea. He stopped fighting.

He asked for a blessing.

The prophet Jeremiah writes to the exiles in Babylon and reminds them to whom they belong. He writes these words from the Lord: "When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’says the Lord..." Jeremiah 29:12-14a

Seek the Lord in prayer. Seek Him with all your heart and soul. Ask for a blessing.

Wouldn't that be so much easier than wrestling all night long?

"It's my will, and I'm not moving
Cause if it's your will, then nothing can shake me
It's my will, to bow and praise you
I now have the will to praise my God" --DC Talk

Historical Snippets

2007-06-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Train Schedule 1900
The Good Earth series fictionalizes the railroad war of 1908-1912 through the Central Oregon desert. In the first book, Bethrina Granger is sent from Seattle, Wa to Hillman, Oregon. Along the way she encounters a variety of characters who will help her in her journey to become a confident self-assured woman of God.

One segment of her journey takes place on the Columbia Southern Railway from Biggs to Shaniko. During the first decade of the twentieth century Shaniko was the "wool capital of the world." By 1911, a flood in Hay canyon and the completion of the new line from the Dalles to Bend left the Columbia Southern Railway to the history books.

Bethrina settles in a small town known as Hillman. The town is named for two railroad barons, Hill and Harriman, who dream of connecting Washington and California by rail. The ensuing rail war will challenge Bethrina's faith and determination in ways she never imagined possible.

The Writer's Spouse....

2007-06-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

So how do you lovingly tell your wife that her new chapter really stinks?

Don't know?

Neither do I...

Thankfully, she hasn't written a stinker yet. I don't anticipate this issue arising, but the military man in me likes being prepared.

So far, my duties regarding this book have been simple: tell her she's doing great and help her edit her work.

The first one's really easy. The second...not so much.

The work continues.

When you DO read this book, you may notice that the author has skillfully portrayed male mannerisms and speech despite her lack of a Y chromosome. I think she'll give a nod to at least a couple guys in her life....

Mary Higgins Clark: No Place Like Home

2007-06-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

My first love may be historical fiction, but every now and then I enjoy a good psychological thriller. Nothing too twisted, but a book with a lot of suspense. There's something decadent about vicariously experiencing danger through the pages of a good novel.

Mary Higgins Clark's No Place Like Home delivers a good pace, plenty of clues and a solution that satisfies.

The pacing is good. She reveals enough clues, strategically placed, to keep up the tension and keep the reader engaged. However, this is not a book that compels you to read it straight through the night.

Clark's ability to drop clues is once again superbly demonstrated in this story. She weaves a tale that is believable, and lulls the reader into a false sense of security before springing the climactic surprise.

The solution is believable, but the epilogue throws in a twist that sounds a bit like an afterthought. This is a very good read. However, if you are looking for an edge of the seat thriller try one of her earlier novels such as: Where are the Children?, The Cradle Will Fall, or Loves Music Loves to Dance.

Send in the Clowns

2007-06-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

My grandmother has fallen victim to a vicious predator of the aged. Is it Alzheimer's? Dementia? We may never know. For more than a decade, she's been afraid that her doctor is conspiring against her. Sometimes she thinks he is trying to steal her land, at other times she believes he is trying to kill her by prescribing "rat poison." (It was actually coumadin--a blood thinner.) She refuses to go to the doctor anymore.

The problem is, her deteriorating memory is leading to a myriad of dilemmas. She is becoming more and more unstable.

She puts Metamucil in the coffee pot. She questions who the "old man" in her bed is (Poppo, her husband of 45 years). She puts dirty dishes away instead of washing them. She is convinced the government took her driver's license away because she turned eleven.

This is a woman whose memory was longer than the Willamette River. She worked as hard as any draft horse. And she cooked well enough to--well, she cooked well enough. She plowed, and hoed, and raised a field of roses.

Soon my dad and uncle will have to place her in a care facility. What a terrible decision to have to make! The good news; Poppo has finally realized it is time, and he is ready to go with her. Even through all the pain...through the lapses in her memories...through the hateful things she says and does in her diminished state, he loves her.

In an earlier post ("Marriage First--Part III," published March 15, 2007) I asked the following question:

"If a husband is not meant to be our strength, if he will never love and accept us perfectly, what is he good for?"

Poppo is a wonderful example...

The Writer's Life: Finishing the First Draft

2007-05-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought it would be so time consuming to finish the first draft? Actually, my struggle is the temptation to edit and rewrite as I go. Of course, I argue, doesn't that mean I will have less to do at the end?

Not necessarily.

The story evolves. (Can I use that word in a Christian setting?) Anyway. As I write the story changes, reshapes, refines, transforms...The novel I am working on this year, is one I began almost seventeen years ago. My worldview has been refined. The story I want to tell has changed.

But I need to finish. No one else will ever read this story if I keep writing and rewriting. My story isn't meant to be the best story ever written. I do hope it is an engaging story that may have some touching or funny moments, but most of all, I want my readers to remember my characters, to glean from their stories.

Then of course, to finish book two and three.

DET @ SJ Game 4 - Tomas Holmstrom

2007-05-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

It's playoff season. When I am not writing and chasing children I am watching the Red Wings. This goal by Tomas Holmstrom is simply awesome. Look for another BIG quiet Swede in the first book of my Good Earth series.

The Month of May

2007-05-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

Time is slipping by so quickly! May is such a busy time for our family. I have a birthday, my husband has a birthday, and thanks to Uncle Sam our wedding anniversary is this month as well. The sun is up so long it is nigh impossible to get the kids to bed at a reasonable time.

We have already been to Washington once (come to think of it, my hubby's been twice) this month. We have oodles of family arriving at various intervals during the next six weeks.

The good news is, I have outlined the rest of my novel. The writing is progressing.

I should be back in a routine soon, and will begin publishing posts every few days again.

Review: Falling for Rapunzel

2007-04-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Falling for Rapunzel is a charming fractured fairy tale. This updated version has Rapunzel completely oblivious to the fact that the prince has come to rescue her. High up in her tower, she is unable to understand his directives meant to save her.

He calls out--Rapunzel, throw down your curly locks. Having misheard his words she throws out dirty socks. A series of rhyming couplets move the story along as the totally baffled Rapunzel tosses numerous things out of the tower.

How long does the prince attempt to save the self-sufficient Rapunzel? Can a couple with such horrid communication ever find happiness? Read the story to find out!

The illustrations are fun and kitschy. Lydia Monk used a combination of acrylics, colored pencils and paper montage to create the wonderful landscape and amusing detail that compliments the words perfectly.

The recommended age level is 4-10, but it is fun for all ages, and a great read-aloud.

Contentment

2007-04-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

Paul founded the church of Philippi during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-40). Later, possibly while in Rome, he wrote to the church from prison. As with any letter, Paul conveys several messages to the people to whom he writes, but for this post let us concentrate on his message of contentment.

In chapter four Paul writes of his thanksgiving. He expresses his thanks for their concern. Then the verses that have often made me wonder, "I am not saying this because I am need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing." (Phil. 4:11-12, NET Bible)

Paul knows how to be content? Even in jail?!! I don't know a lot about prisons, but this was, after all somewhere around 49 AD, anywhere you were would be far below any 21st century American standards. I imagine the jail situation was not pleasant.

Yet, Paul used the word autarkhs which means sufficiency or contentment. What can he possibly mean?

We live in a society where more is better. The one with the biggest toys wins. There is always a bigger, better, more modern house, car, computer, cell phone, etc. Even if you have no desire to upgrade to something new, then corporate America forces our participation if we are to keep doing the things we have become accustomed to doing. For example, by February 19, 2009 any home relying on broadcast TV will be forced to have a digital converter to receive these stations. An analog TV will be obsolete.

How can we find contentment when we are never satisfied?

Where does contentment come from? Look back at Philippians. Paul says, "I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13, NET Bible) Is he saying it is not all about us? Not about what WE can do? Our contentment is not about our achievements and abilities?

Isaiah 40:31, NET Bible "But those who wait for the Lord's help will find renewed strength..."

God gives us the strength to live day by day. He gives us the strength to not only survive, but be content--no matter what comes!

His Grace is sufficient for me.

Standing Against the Odds

2007-04-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's tragic shooting at Virginia Tech has prompted me to post a Case study I wrote a few years ago. The audience is primarily teens, but could be used with other groups as well. Lessons plans are available. This case study is copyrighted. If you wish to use this material please email me--include the name of your group and the setting in which you wish to use the study. I will send you a complete document, including lesson plans, that may be used one time with a small group. All other use is prohibited.

Standing Against the Odds
Study of “David and Goliath” 1 Samuel 17:8-50

~Jefferson High~

Jefferson was a typical high school. Students milled about, tending to social duties before first period. Everyone consumed with the complications of young love, raging hormones, and avoiding the watchful eyes of homeroom teachers. Students trying to fit in. Students trying to break away. All trying to figure out who they are and what their purpose in life is. Asking themselves: What choice do I have?

~Mariah~

Looking at her, Mariah was not unlike the other students, even if she was barely over five feet tall. She wore the popular hip hugging jeans paired with a baby tee emblazoned with a smiling yellow sponge. She carried a bright pink cell phone in her leopard print bag. Everyday afterschool she attended volleyball practice and left in a battered blue Honda that once belonged to her older brother. After practice she rushed across town to her part-time job at the Beanery.

But there was something about Mariah that set her apart from her peers. She was a Christian. Not an Easter-morning-go-to-church kind of Christian. Not a “going to church cause her parents do” kind of Christian. She was a Bible carrying, church attending, friend evangelizing, Jesus freak. Her faith loomed large about her. Her friends knew. Her teachers knew. Her classmates knew.

~Steve~

Steve, on the other hand, would try anything once. And honestly? If it didn’t kill him the first time, he would probably try it again. The more he looked for pleasure and happiness the less he found. He grew to hate everyone around him, almost as much as he secretly craved to be loved and accepted by them.

Tipping the scales at 250 pounds he had been scouted by the football coach, but Steve dismissed the notion, complaining the coach’s demands were too outrageous. School work, responsibility and teamwork held no appeal for Steve.

If he stopped to look back, which he never did, he would remember that he had been very well liked--even popular--until his freshman year. The year his dad died. Six months after that, his mom remarried. And every week since, Ron, his stepdad gave him a $100 bill and said, “Find something to do.” Ron preferred the nights when Steve didn’t come home at all.

~Reality~

Steve and Mariah didn’t run in the same circles. Once, he made a pass at her, in his way. Then stood aghast when she replied kindly, politely even, to his lewd suggestions. Later he cornered her by her car and asked “Why ain’t you like other girls?”

“I think I am.”

“Nope. You ain’t.”

“Steve, I live my life for the Lord. His expectations aren’t the same as yours.”

He laughed at her.

Steve knew the stories about this so-called God. His dad prayed every day, insisted on regular church attendance, and cried out to God in his final hours. Why would a loving God take such a man away?

He also knew Mariah wasn’t the only fool to believe in this fantasy. With an almost submissive spirit, he knew what he would do.

~The Choice~

Mariah and her friends sat whispering in the library, cheerfully making plans for the football game on Friday night. Their conversation barely slowed when they heard the first commotion in the hall, but the noise grew louder. And suddenly, someone was screaming.

The three girls stood and started toward the library’s double doors. The screaming multiplied. Students ran. A tall figure appeared in the half glass of the library doors and they caught a glimpse of a rifle swinging.

Frozen by terror they watched. The rifle crashed through one of the panes and the girls whispered desperately to each other. “Get behind the books!”

The doors burst open just as Mariah’s pale gold curls disappeared behind a low shelf. Shots ripped through the room. Mariah covered her head as books, torn from their shelves, rained down on her head.

The librarian tackled a freshman near the office. The two crashed to the floor and seconds later the office door was barricaded. Steve ignored them. He had seen the one he was looking for.

He called her by name, “Mariah?” He smirked. “I know where you are. If you'll stand before me, I’ll let your friends live.”

She remained quiet and calculated her chances of changing positions. It’s only about ten feet to the sophomore hall entrance. Maybe--

Before she decided he stood over her. “Stand up!” he ordered. The gun trained on her. “There is only one way out, for you and your God-lovin’ friends.” She remained where she was, tears streaming down her face. “Stand up!” he yelled.

Her vision blurred. She forced her shaking legs to support her and dragged her eyes to his. He accepted this and continued: “Admit there is no God.”

Neither moved. No one spoke. The library was silent.

After a few moments he asked, “Is there a God?” but his meaning was still clear: deny God and she may live, stand for her faith and she would die.

What choice did she have?

The Old Homestead

2007-04-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been reading Jane Kirkpatrick's Homestead. The true story follows Jane Kirkpatrick and her husband as they face the challenges of building a home along the John Day river in the early to mid-1980s.

In our free time we are searching for a home of our own. Currently we rent. We have dreams of a home with an office (for my writing), a large yard for kids to play, and a kitchen with space for a coffee bar, a large pantry, and enough counter space for two to make sushi.

The problem: land is an expensive commodity in Central Oregon right now. If we find a house we like, it is on a postage stamp size lot. When we find the yard we love, it has a home that needs a good remodel and update to accommodate a family of four (or more someday.)

Every now and then we imagine our own homestead. Taking that leap into the wilds of Oregon--a place where no man has traveled (at least no phone, cable or electricity.) The trials and tribulations that the Kirkpatrick's faced help put that possibility into perspective.

Then there is the question of faith. Waiting upon the Lord. We know that He will direct us and guide us to the home He has for us. In the meantime, are we being good stewards of our time and resources? And how does our dream fit with His will?

Authors Note:
Jane Kirkpatrick is an Oregon author. She has written more than a dozen books, with her newest release A Tendering in the Storm available this week. The first chapter will be available on her website after April 17th.

Start Making a Reader Today

2007-04-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

When I was little the phrase "Reading is Fundamental" was gaining momentum. All I really knew was that someone somewhere was encouraging kids to read.

The Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program has it's roots in 1966 Washington, D.C. Former teacher Margaret McNamara gifted four boys she was tutoring with books. The boys were overjoyed. She soon learned that many children have never owned a book of their own. She organized a group of volunteers, and by December of 1966 the RIF program was launched.

Today I volunteer with a program that is very similar to RIF. Every week, for one hour, I read with a child. The program I participate in is SMART: Start Making a Reader Today.

The SMART program is a non-profit literacy organization in Oregon. Children are chosen for the program on a case-by-case basis. The child is pulled from class for fifteen minutes twice per week to read with a caring adult volunteer.

Twice per month the child is given a choice of books to take home. The child is encouraged to take books at their current reading level. Over the course of the school year the SMART kids should receive a total of sixteen books. Children can participate in SMART any time during K-3 grades. If a child participates all four years they should have a collection of sixty-four books!

The program is completely dependent on adult volunteers. It takes only one hour a day, once a week, but you can make a difference for a lifetime. Often children are chosen for the program based on circumstances or reading ability. Either way all children benefit from reading and being read to.

Reading ignites the imagination, improves vocabulary and spelling, and increases a child's success rate in school and life. The RIF program is available in all fifty states. SMART is an Oregon program. Make the time. Start making a reader today!

Expressions

2007-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part V

The day concluded with a presentation by Jane Kirkpatrick. What a remarkable story she has to tell! If you have not read any of her work, I highly recommend Homestead. This is the true story of the years of work and struggle Mrs. Kirkpatrick and her husband went through to carve out a life along the rugged John Day river in Central Oregon.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick discussed the four expressions of women of the West: landscape, relationships, spirituality and work. To demonstrate each expression, she presented slides of paintings by artists, Emmy Whitehorse, Hung Liu, Anita Rodriguez and Alison Saar.

Landscape sustains people.

Relationships strengthen us.

Spirituality reminds us this life is fleeting.

Work is what we do.

These four elements help create the story of women of the West. How does the land influence or hinder? Who are the people that come into our lives? Why do we live? What fills our days?

School Marms, Saloon Girls, & Calamity Jane

2007-03-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part IV

Molly Gloss set the record straight about women in the West. Her love of literature, and westerns in particular, has provided ample opportunity to become familiar with the "accepted" version of women's roles out West. However, dissatisfied by the dime novel and Hollywood portrayals she did a little research of her own. The result: The Jump-Off Creek and Wild Life.

Think about frontier women--women of the west--whom you have seen on TV or movies. I think of the mothers who gave their all, such as "Ma" Walton and "Ma" Ingalls. Or the rough and tumble tom-boy Doris Day portrayed in Calamity Jane. Or Judy Garland (the proper maid) and Angela Lansbury (the saloon girl) in the Harvey Girls. The other often portrayed woman of the west is the teacher, as in Christy or Ms. Beadle from Little House. More often than not, women in old westerns were portrayed in stereotypical ways and suffered from the want of a good husband. Was there more to the story?

Molly's presentation was "Proving Up: Homesteading Women in the Literature of the American West." In the late 1800s less than one-half of homesteaders were women (without men!). By the 1910s every one in five homesteader was a woman. Women made their way West as mothers and wives. But how often do we hear about the single women wanting to work the land? The hard-working widow? Or the deserted wife/mother who must make the way as head of the household?

To "prove up" an individual had to be 21 years of age, head of the household, live on the land, make improvements and farm the land for five years. The real kicker? Women proved-up more often than men!

Read about real women of the West. Dozens of books are available regaling the lives and struggles of these women. Read until you break the mold of popular novels and movies.

Tip: Look for memoirs written by women who homesteaded in your area.

And don't forget, Alice Day Pratt's Homesteader's Portfolio (1922), Three Frontiers (1955) and Animals of a Sagebrush Ranch (Juvenile, 1931). This remarkable woman, single and nearing forty, traveled from her home on the East Coast to file claim on 160 acres of land in Central Oregon (Prineville area).

For a more modern version of the homesteading woman read Jane Kirkpatrick's, Homestead. I will write more about this fabulous book in an upcoming post.

One Hundred Years Down the Road

2007-03-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part III

The Imperial Ranch has been in operation for over one hundred years. The legacy of that first homesteader lives on in the rich history still maintained on the ranch.

What does this mean for my loyal readers? My first novel begins in the rain-drenched region of Seattle, but moves quickly into the High Desert of Central Oregon: First stop Shaniko. The Imperial ranch is fifteen miles Northwest of Shaniko. Considering the size of the ranch and the success of the same, at the turn of the twentieth century, watch for historical references to this important ranching family.

Driving north on highway 97 you may notice roadsigns proclaiming, Bourbon Lane, Starvation Lane, Egypt Lane, Rufus, Dufur, and many others. If you have ever wondered about the origins of the names dotting the West--as I have--check out Sherry Kaseberg's, Sherman County Place Names.

Mrs. Kaseberg contributed to the Western Heritage Gathering by sharing a "field trip" through Sherman County. She presented an enjoyable slide show accompanied by informational teasers about how places were named. She grew up in Moro listening to the stories of her elders, relatives and other area residents. The data was eventually compiled to create her book.

Imperial Ranch: Ninety Miles & One Hundred Years from Bend

2007-03-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part II

The first presentation at the Womens Heritage Gathering was from Jeanne Carver of the Imperial Ranch near Shaniko, Oregon. Her energy and vitality was engaging. There was no doubt that this woman loves the land and the history she inherited as the current ranch woman.

Some of the history she imparted:

Richard Hinton was born on the Oregon trail en route to Lane County where his family settled in the 1850s. He grew up in the Willamette Valley watching the land be fenced, plowed and become overcrowded. In 1871, he shook the mud from his feet and headed to the high desert of Central Oregon.

With a lone packhorse he found his way to the area known today as Bakeoven and established his homestead at age nineteen. He bought sheep and cattle and began farming. The next year he married Mary Emma Fitzpatrick and brought her home to his bachelor pad: a dugout cave in the creekbank. Together they raised two children in this little cave. After ten years of hard work they proved their claim. Mary died the very next year.

Richard continued to be a shrewd landowner and rancher. His flocks flourished as he developed a remarkable cross-breeding program for quality meat lambs and wool. Within two years of Mary's death he met and married Clara Bird, this time bringing his new wife home to a home he had built on the ranch. Clara was a socialite and was not required to work the ranch as her predecessor had. Two more children were born.

Hinton became the largest single proprietor in Wasco county, and eventually all of Oregon. By 1900 the Hinton's were able to build a Queen Anne home, which still stands today. The family hired staff including a personal cook, house boy, private tutors and a chauffeur. The family enjoyed trips to Portland (where they maintained a rented apartment) for theatre and cultural events. Clara and her daughter were able to commission dresses made by the renowned Shogren Sisters.

James Hinton, Richard's oldest son, took over the ranch in 1915. His business acumen never equaled that of his father. James did not marry until he was in his fifties. By the 1930's a man from Antelope named George Ward joined the operation. George and his wife Mary (Hampton) earned James' respect and in 1945 a half share was sold to George.

Subsidies were introduced in the 1930s. War and synthetic fabrics further cut into the highly profitable sheep industry.

Mary Ward was a true partner to George Ward. She handled the people and the bookwork. She would drive to Portland to hire from Skid Row or to Gresham for fruits and vegetables. The ranch was still known for the entertaining begun during the days of Clara Hinton. Mary was involved in the care of her home, Wool Grower's Association, Cowbells, and the PTA. In her free time she drove to Portland to take tailoring classes.

James Hinton sold his remaining share of the ranch to George Ward in 1967. George and Mary struggled through their final years of ranching. Following a serious car accident George and Mary relied heavily on prescription drugs, pain killers and alcohol. Their children refused to continue the rigors of ranch life and the ranch was soon sold to Dan Carver in 1988.

Today the ranch continues the tradition of sustainability with four commodities in production: sheep, cattle, hay and grain. The sheep business is still a challenge, but the Imperial Ranch is finding their way. Through ingenuity and determination 100% of the meat is now sold to restaurants. Quality wool yarn and project kits from the Imperial Ranch can be found at Woodland Woolworks and The Stitching Post. Finished garments can be found through the national retailer Norm Thompson. A complete list of locations carrying Imperial Ranch products is available on their website.

The headquarters of the ranch is a National Historic District and can be viewed by prior arrangement.

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West

2007-03-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Moro, Oregon is a charming little town approximately 20 miles south of the Oregon/Washington border at Biggs. Anyone traveling from Biggs south on highway 97 to Central Oregon will pass through Moro. Just off main street is the Sherman County Historical Museum with a pleasant park and restrooms for the traveler. The Café Moro serves up a very nice meal (and when we visited, offered a Military discount which we greatly appreciated!)

The Presbyterian church, which has been active for one-hundred twenty years, hosted the Western Heritage Gathering on Saturday, March 24th. The gathering celebrated the role of women in the West (homesteaders, postmistresses, ranchers, wives, mothers, writers, and a myriad of other roles unlike those we see in moving pictures.)

Nearly one hundred twenty-five people attended the event. Drawn from all over Oregon and parts of Washington to remember the women who came before us into the great land of the Pacific Northwest.

The presenters included women who are continuing the tradition of strength and endurance in this rugged landscape. Over the next few days I will share some of the things I learned during this event.

Oh the journey that still lies ahead!

Review of Bad Kitty

2007-03-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post (March 3, entitled "Weekend Warrior") I lamented having only one reader for Bad Kitty . First order of business...I was so preoccupied with the topic I forgot to properly cite this book. I will remedy that oversight now.

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel is a charming ABC book for children. My daughter picked this book at a Scholastic book fair. I was hesitant at first, encouraging her to choose something at her reading level (I admit I was pushing chapter books.)

Once we placed the book in our collection it became one of the household favorites. The pictures are colorful and fun. There is a prevailing sense of silliness. Cat lovers (and haters) will find something familiar. My children love to read along with us (my husband and I sometimes read in tandem) and the kids add the sound effects.

Bad Kitty is not your every day alphabet book. The Kitty is a character you can care about and unlike other ABC books has a plot with tension. The author has identified some unusual phrases and words to keep the rhythm and interest of readers. The best part is the ending...

Age recommendation: Great for emergent, developing and fluent readers of all ages.

Bonus: The cover pictures lend themselves to pre-reading predictions. Ask children to make predictions about why the Kitty is "bad." Also, how might the character on the back cover contribute to the story?

Response: Marriage First -- Part III

2007-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

What is a husband good for? What about killing spiders, mowing the lawn and fixing garbage disposers?

But in all seriousness, the insights presented in the post below underline the fact that we should not go through life seeking our "perfect mate" on our own. We should instead trust that if the LORD needs us to be married, He will bring us together with that person in His time. Far too many marriages fall to pieces because we base them on our own strength and our own definition of marriage rather than trusting that the Maker of the universe knows what He is doing.

Marriage First--Part III

2007-03-15T07:13:00.001-07:00

Men were not created to carry us. A husband does not supply our strength. (For a quick study of what the Bible says about strength, check out a few of the following verses: Ex 15:2; 1 Ch 16:11, 27, 29:12, Ps. 18:1, 32, 39, 23:3, 29:11, 59:9, 17, 105:4, 118:14, Isa. 33:2, 40:29, 31, 49:5, 58:11, Jer. 16:19, 1 Co. 1:25, Eph 6:10)

Let's take it a step further.

Have you ever dreamed of someone who would love and accept you completely?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary puts Psalms 118:9 another way, "trust in him [God] alone to accept and bless us."

Oh my. Is it possible that we find the greatest acceptance in God? The one who made us and knows all about us? If you are seeking this kind of acceptance through love and marriage, you are looking in the wrong place.

"Do not trust in princes, or in human beings, who can not deliver!" (Psalms 146:3, NET Bible)

A husband will never live up to the dream. God is the only One who can love and accept us completely. God is Love. (see 1 Jo 4:8 & 1 Jo 4:16) And His love is perfect.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love."

(1 Jo 4:18, NET Bible)

If a husband is not meant to be our strength, if he will never love and accept us perfectly, what is he good for?

Marriage First--Part II

2007-03-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend complained that her marriage is not what she thought it would be. Her husband is not as attentive and romantic as he was before they traded rings. She lacks the interest to indulge his wants and needs. Instead of a spark turning into a raging inferno, the coals are barely warm.

My question would be, did she marry because of a heart prompting from God? Or did she marry because she was "in love" and marriage was the next logical step?

In 1995, John Michael Montgomery had a number one hit with "I Can Love you Like That." In my acquaintance, the pervasive sentiment of love and relationships is expressed in the first lines of this song:

"They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your Prince Charming
Would come rescue you
You like romantic movies
You never will forget
The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet
All this time that you've been waiting..." ("I Can Love You Like That," by Steve Diamond/Maribeth Derry/Jennifer Kimball)

How true! Young girls often hope for Prince Charming: a romantic notion of a white knight who will sweep us off our feet. But is this a biblical view?

"It is better to take shelter in the LORD, than to trust in princes." (Ps 118:9, NET Bible)

Ouch!

Psalm 118 is titled "Thanksgiving for Victory." Found in the fifth section (or book) of Psalms it is part of the "Songs of Ascent," written after the second temple was finished, and used by the Israelites as a song while traveling up to Jerusalem. Wait? The Israelites, the chosen people of God? Who better to realize the faithlessness of princes or nobles? And if this verse is written by David, think of his experiences with Saul--talk about betrayal.

The verse is written in the original Hebrew as a comparison. "It is better...than..." (Ps 118:9, emphasis mine). Depend on the LORD. Rely on the LORD. God is almighty, powerful, just, and benevolent. God is truth. God is Love. Could a mere man carry us through death? God did! The death of His son on the cross carries us into eternity. If he can do that, why would we seek anything less to carry us through life?

The Psalmist is very clear. Do not trust in princes (nobles). The point is: even men with the greatest power--men who are chivalrous, honest and true--do not have the strength to lift us up--to carry us!

Marriage First--Part I

2007-03-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

The working title of my novel is First Comes Marriage. If you read my blog sometime in the last few days you may have noticed the phrase "First Comes Love." Every now and then I slip and say the latter. The title comes from the children's rhyme, "K-i-s-s-i-n-g, then comes love, then comes marriage..." and the rhyme is embedded deeper in my mind than my own title. (By the way--I fixed the error this morning so no need to search for it.)

This is the first in a trilogy exploring the pioneer era of Central Oregon. The railroad was not complete and water was still a prized commodity. Travel from Shaniko to Terrebonne (58 miles) would take no less than 8 hours by auto-bus, 24 hours by stage or as long as 4 days by horseback! And we think we have it rough driving through Redmond at rush hour.

Each title in the series will playfully twist the familiar rhyme: First Comes Marriage, Next Comes Love, Along Comes Baby.

Why marriage first?

In the United States, the modern conventions of marriage lead us to believe that when someone falls madly in love, the natural fulfillment of this love is marriage. What if the reverse is true? Can a man and woman marry and find the natural fulfillment of this marriage is love? How does this fit with God's view of marriage?

Character Diary: Bethrina Granger (First Comes Marriage)

2007-03-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

July 23, 1909

Dear Diary,

Dinah plans to send me away. Truly! This time, she has set the deed in motion. I found the proof.

I have known since the first day I arrived she was unhappy with me, but this? How could she do it? If only Uncle Alfred would say something. Of course there is no hope there.

I think of the day Charlotte proclaimed her love for Thomas White. Aunt Dinah fainted! I administered the smelling salts and she came awake squealing, "My baby will never marry a lumberman!" Charlotte pleaded with her mother for nigh on a week, Uncle Alfred watched quietly from his side chair. The poor girl waited nearly three years for another offer.

In my imaginings I see myself standing before her, telling her that I will choose my own husband: I will choose my life. But how can I? She has cared for me all these years. She suffers so much from my presence. I would dishonor her, and my family to do so. Or perhaps I simply lack courage.

My only hope is for this stranger, Mr. Henry Wyatt. Oh! I can't think of that now.

I must put out my light and prepare for bed, but to what good? The new street lights glow all night long and I will never sleep.

With the hope of something new,
Bethrina

The Writer's Life: Rewrite #247

2007-03-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

I am working on an article that is very close to my heart. One of my writer friends suggested I write this article--about an answer to prayer. The funny thing is, God's answer didn't look anything like I told him it should.

The article needs to be 1500 words. I have exactly 1500 words. But now, I realize a few lines must change. The most challenging is the first line. Do I leave it as is? Or do I rewrite it a few hundred times more? If the best fiction begins in the middle of the action I don't know why a grounding/reality statement is necessary (the advice I have from one in my critique group.)

Time for #248.

Weekend Warrior

2007-03-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

The myth of the National Guard is that one weekend a month is not too much to give up. The reality is missed birthdays, school events, kid's sports, church and family time.

Not to mention that two "sleeps" (as our children think of it) sounds like forever when you are just starting to adjust to the fact Daddy is home again. Home, but not home. Two sleeps is so monumentally better than five-hundred and twenty-four sleeps some people might wonder "What difference does it make?"

We all remember that Daddy used to leave for one weekend a month. Then one weekend turned into a year and a half.

Before we became a family, Daddy and the kids would travel from Washington to Oregon to visit me. The kids remember that it is a long drive from Oregon to Washington. Now Daddy has to travel all alone, all that way.

The reassuring aroma of coffee is gone.

Only one voice is available for dramatic interpretation of Bad Kitty.

Morning snuggles leave you only half full.

Laughter is replaced by grumps and groans.

Living becomes waiting.

I Don't Like Them Sam-I-Am

2007-03-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

In honor of the 103rd birthday of Theodore Geisel, Dr. Seuss, (did you know that his name is pronounced like "voice?") our family tried green eggs and ham this morning. The kids thought it was great fun. I thought it was most disgusting.

The eggs and ham--all green--tasted basically as they should. So, what was it I did not like? The green slime of the over easy egg? The slight marbeling of green dye soaking into the slab of ham?

When I visited Japan last spring, I tried a plethora of foods (mostly from the sea) I never imagined existed. When presented with a bowl containing a single raw egg, I waited expectantly for a means by which the unfertilized ova would become edible. Afterall, as an American, I knew that raw egg was to be avoided at all costs. There was no such transformation.

Japanese sukiyaki is meat and vegetables simmered in a pot in the center of the table. A portion is dropped into your bowl, on top of the raw egg you have beaten with your chopsticks. A chunk of meat or slice of mushroom is pulled from the mess that looks like the beginnings of an omelet. Suspended in the air the bite drips with raw egg. In your mouth you are very conscious of the slimy raw egg.

The surprise? I absolutely loved sukiyaki! Therefore, I conclude that it was not the slimy egg of my green eggs and ham I did not enjoy.

While still in Japan I was treated to a multi-course traditional Japanese meal. The one dish that stands out was the snapper boiled in sake. The plate arrived with just the head and tail of the fish--skinned to the bone and one eye protruding from the skull. I stared at that emaciated corpse for a long time, and he stared back. The tableau was frightening.

Visions of dead fish flitted through my mind when I ate green eggs and ham this morning. I saw the eye bulging, the white skeletal outline with no visible flesh to eat. I know in reality it was only a little green food coloring. But for today, my plate held a green slab of poor defenseless pig interspersed with the remnants of what could have been a cuddly chick.

Is this how God sees us when we have sinned? With a little green dye coloring all our flaws, accentuating every little thing, until He has to turn away?

Thank you Dr. Seuss, for your amazing contribution to children's literature! And for the moral--you don't know until you try it.

I tried it. I don't like green eggs and ham. I don't like them Sam-I-am.

This isn't Kafka's Motorbike

2007-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the launch of BlessfulWritings. Sadly, Bridget was unavailable for our launch, so I will have to muddle through. The fact is you could very well be reading the blog site of the author of one of the top ten books of our time. In the very least, it will be "very good too."

In these pages you will find a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, articles of faith, marriage, family, literature, and Central Oregon.

Watch for recurring posts with tantalizing information about my upcoming novel in the form of character journals and historical tidbits from the era.

Also coming soon: book reviews, and scripture exegesis.

I look forward to embarking on this journey. God has called me to be a spirit-filled writer. I write to affect the hearts of women and educate young people with Love-centered stories and faith-based curriculum.

My prayer is that my readers will find encouragement and inspiration in my writing.

"Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness, and there is ruin in a flood of empty words." Ecclesiastes 5:7.

Cuppa Joe...

2007-03-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Good morning to the blogosphere. I'm the Assistant Author of this blog, and you'll find my submissions listed under DisplacedTexan.

I would also like to welcome everyone to the launch of BlessfulWritings. Out of the two of us, Oreganowinger is the actual author, in that she is writing books and doing research and pursuing a serious calling. I on the other hand am not a real author, but I DO play one on TV.

But seriously, what you'll see from me is one male perspective on faith and family, as well as a bit of comic relief.

Since this is the first day of National Caffeine Awareness month, I'm posting about one of my own personal vices. While caffeine is not usually considered "bad," we must remember that the Lord does not want us to allow anything worldly to control our lives. If we are afflicted with an addiction, be it caffeine, alcohol, gambling or drugs, we should pray that the Lord give us the strength to overcome the addiction.

Now, my favorite author does not drink caffeine in large amounts, but I most certainly do. Below is an excerpt from a Yahoo news article I found this morning, as well as a link to caffeineawareness.org.

Take the quiz and use the caffeine calculator. Find out if you wish to rethink the amount of Joe in your cup.

-----
"Today kicks off Caffeine Awareness Month and we're buzzing with excitement at the thought of 31 days dedicated to our favorite addiction. In the spirit of the event, we wonder, are you aware of caffeine? Statistics suggest you are, since 90% of Americans consume caffeine daily, and it's the most widely-used drug in the world. Great! Our job is done: We're all aware of caffeine. But after another delicious cup of joe and some high-speed research, we discovered that we're supposed to be aware that caffeine is bad -- or at least that it has negative effects. While there are conflicting reports about its long-term effects on health, there's no denying that trimethylxanthine has immediate effects on the body. It releases dopamine in the brain, triggering feelings of pleasure and reward, just like food, sex, and many other drugs. Caffeine is a psychoactive drug, after all -- a stimulant, like cocaine and methamphetamines -- and it can be addictive and even fatal in large doses. But is it really that bad? Humans have consumed caffeine [for centuries], and just look how far we've come since then. Can that really be a coincidence?"

Take the quiz! http://www.caffeineawareness.org/

The Lord works in mysterious ways...

2007-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

I never thought that the Lord would use me in any significant way until Uncle Sam had his way with me.

Setting: Iraq
Time Frame: sometime between May 2003 and now.

So there I was, sitting in the sand...well, not literally, but you catch my drift...pun intended. I was away from my family, I was getting shot at every so often, and I was REEEEEEEALLY appreciating the modern techology that is UnderArmour(R).

Sure, I was praying...pretty much everyone was in some way shape or fashion; there's no atheists in foxholes.

But instead of simply asking for a safe trip home for me, I was also praying that all the soldiers in my unit come home safe. I prayed for the spiritual well-being of my fellow soldiers, and told them I was praying for them. I did a daily devotional, occasionally posting a particularly inspirational tidbit near our platoon area, and every time the subject of faith came up, there was never any question which side I'm on.

Little did I know that these little things I was doing were shaping me into who the Lord needed me to be at that point in time. After a year of working closely with the same people day in and day out, at least 150 people have a very good idea what a Christian looks like. Several of those folks had what could only be termed as a revival of their faith. I'm still hearing of changes the Lord has made in people's lives, and I thank God that I was able to serve Him in this manner. And I just thought I was strengthening my OWN faith.

He is the potter, I am the clay. No matter how many times I flop over and spin off the wheel, He can still use me for His purposes.

Lord, I pray that you continue to make me into the man I need to be. Help me to walk the path You have set before my feet.

Greetings and Salutations

2007-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog. We are still in the initial stages, so please come back on the first of March for the big launch party.