Shatter -- Native American Christian Worship

The New Administration and Frankenfoods

The New Administration and Frankenfoods

It is a new year, we have a new administration, and the time is now to rein in genetically engineered foods and crops once and for all. Recent news and scientific research has underscored the urgent need to take action. For example, the USDA recently admitted that genetic contamination of organic and non-GE crops was 'inevitable,' while the New York Times reported that biotech corporations are thwarting research and that Monsanto is in line to receive millions of dollars in tax credits this year. Meanwhile, family farmers declare bankruptcy in staggering numbers.

You can make a difference. Join the Organic Consumers Association and contact your Congresspersons today and urge them to:

1) Require mandatory labeling of all GE plants and animals
2) Place a moratorium on all efforts to deregulate or approve new genetically engineered plants or animals, and
3) Protect non-GE and organic farmers by assigning liability for injury caused by genetically engineered organisms.

Haters, By Maya Angelou

This has been on the internet a while and is attributed to Maya. I don't know where the original is supposed to be written. I don't know if Maya actually wrote this. But there seems to be some consensus that she did. (Ah, to reach that place of fame where folks make stuff up and attribute it to you or -- better yet-- to have your words all over the internet.


Anyway, here it is

Haters, By Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...

That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...

It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right?

You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story...

If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!

We've all got some haters among us!

Some people envy you because you can:
a) Have a relationship with God
b) Light up a room when you walk in
c) Start your own business
d) Tell a man/woman to hit the curb (if he/she isn't about the right thing)
e) Raise your children without both parents being in the home

Haters can't stand to see you happy.
Haters will never want to see you succeed.
Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side.

How do you handle your undercover haters?
You can handle these haters by:

1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are
*(VERY IMPORTANT!!)

2. Having a purpose to your life: Purpose does not
mean having a job. You can have a job and still be
unfulfilled.

A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be.
Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.

3. By remembering what you have is by divine
prerogative and not human manipulation.

Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live...when its your time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say, 'I've lived my life and fulfilled my dreams, Now I'm ready to go HOME!

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, 'Don't look at me...Look at who is in charge of me...'

Pass this to all of your family & friends who you know are not hating on you including the person who sent it to you.

If you don't get it back, maybe you called somebody out!
Don't worry about it, it's not your problem, it's theirs.
Just pray for them, that their life can be as fulfilled as yours! Watch out for Haters...BUT most of all don't become a HATER!

Dark Parable: Boy-Faced Lion

So there I was awake for the 8th night in a row. Luckily I had an hour or so of sleep.

I dreamed my older son -- who loooooves pets-- brought a lion in the house which had the face of a boy. It was very disturbing to look at this creature, although it was cute and harmless. I didn't know what weird sex act or genetic experiment had created the creature and I didn't want it in the house but my son had such pity for it that he forced it on us. I pitied it too but when I looked at it I was so sorry for what the human part of the creature might be feeling and so fearful and unsure of the lion part of the creature's nature...I just avoided it.

Then older son did something for my hubby and hubby was so proud of older son he said he could have anything he want. And what does older son do? He brings another of these creatures into the house! Much to my distress. But this one was older and bigger.

Something happened and my older got annoyed and threw a knife at either one of the creatures or someone else in the house. The older creature noticed how we reacted to the knife, picked it up, studied it and gently slid its finger along the knife's edge. I could see that it was learning what was harmful and how it could harm with a knife. It gave me the willies to think that it was studying us and learning. What, I thought, will this creature turn out to be?

I walked out of the house to my neighbor's house. Her name is Ruby and she is very sweet, kind, and generous. A real salt of the earth person. She said to me, "Oh, So-and-so died. And I'm taking these potatoes from her house." She had a bag of potatoes in her hand, and behind her in the dark of the house of her dead friend I could see a ton of potatoes.

Heaven knows what this means! I said to hubby. Lion with a boy's face. Wolf in sheep's clothing? Boy-faced lion? bold faced lying? Who knows?

Curse those sneaky temptations

So there I lay in bed, deciding I'd rise up in defiance of my symptoms. And what do I hear? The daily horoscope! I hate hearing this and I really should change the channel the alarm radio goes to but this station has music I like and reports school weather closings.

But I try not to hear the horoscope. And what does it say -- on a day I'm seriously wondering about money-- "Today is your lucky day. But act quickly!" And what does my mind say? "That means buy a lotto ticket for the noon drawing."

Yep, that was what my mind said...and I was seriously contemplating it. Aaargh. Ah, those little temptations just creep in.

But this reminds me: This is what I aim for in my novels... the little emotions, incidents, temptations, wrong choices on which life turns. Am really loving The Constant Tower. Will see.

Oddest Books List

The shortlist for the annual Oddest Book of the year award has been posted.
The winner of the 2008 award will be chosen by an internet vote at http://www.thebookseller.com and will be announced on March 27, 2009.

The shortlisted titles are:
* Baboon Metaphysics by Dorothy Dorothy L Cheney and Robert M Seyfarth (University of Chicago Press)
* Curbside Consultation of the Colon by Brooks D Cash (SLACK Incorporated)
* The Large Sieve and its Applications by Emmanuel Kowalski (Cambridge University Press)
* Strip and Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski (C&T)
* Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring by Lietai Yang (Woodhead)
* The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais by Professor Philip M Parker (Icon Group International)

Why I love Warriors

Okay, more and more it's getting apparent that I really love warriors. Of course women have always loved warriors. And maybe men love warriors too but never really explored women warriors.

The thing is in real life it's hard to find a warrior -- especially a warrior who fights by the rules. And I suspect the reason so many women love warriors in fantasy books is that honestly sometimes we're not married to a warrior.

My hubby is a sweetie. He's a bit of a warrior because he's still with me I suppose even after all the illnesses. But he's way too laid-back to be a warrior. He's way too stoical to be a warrior. He's too prone to get into a silence than to use songs to battle the foe. A warrior is someone who gets p*ssed about stuff after a while and gets angry. A true kind of anger in which he's angry at the devil, the world, but not the flesh because he knows what's what. But things have to get really bad for my hubby to even get flustered.

I'll admit I get annoyed at this. But the same easy-going kindness that enabled him to endure me and allows me to get away with a whole lotta crap is the same easygoingness that makes him not much of a fight. How do I get this guy to see the difference and to learn to fight the good fight? When one is in a spiritual battle and under spiritual attacks, one wants a true warrior at one's side. Oh, well, back to my literary warriors (I love these boys I've created!) And back to my spiritual warriors (Been listening to some sermons by William Branham.) And in the meantime, am fighting the good fight for the entire family. -C

Dark Parable: Cold noodles

Dreamed of an english man who had a chicken farm. we were talking about a chicken wire fence.

Dreamed of moving and realizing we could leave the furniture. We didn't have to take it with us to the new place.

Dreamed of going on a night trip to an oratory competition between pastors of different denominations. I was outside with other friends. a chinese boy, a chinese girl, two other boys. We were outside but we kept peeking in and speaking to a friend in the back ros. We heard one pastor speak. Thatas good. Then we heard silence. When the silence went on for a long time, I joked that that was probably a Quaker pastor's oration. Then I entered the door and an usher a black man handed me a lukewarm wad of pasta lying in his hand. He said, "I want to give you a little something." I thought, "Is this guy kidding? This is leftover cooked been out all day pasta and it's been in his hand or in his pocket ...probably insanitary. Icky."

My first big laugh of the day

Saw this over at Otium's site.

CFBA: Tender Grace

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Tender Grace
Bethany House (February 1, 2009)
by
Jackina Stark


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I have also spoken nationally and internationally at many retreats and seminars and enjoy running into many readers and former students. I have written frequently for both Christian Standard and Lookout, periodicals of Standard Publishing. Years ago I wrote two non-fiction books, published by College Press, but currently out of print. These days, I’m exploring fiction. My first novel, Tender Grace, will be released by Bethany House January 30, 2009, and a second, Things Worth Remembering, will be released in October, 2009. I’m working on new projects, including a third novel, as time permits. Whether speaking or writing, I love the opportunity to tell about Him whom Jesus called “Holy Father” and “the only true God.”

She lives in Joplin, Missouri with her husband, and she spends most of her free time doing is reading and writing. That is what she usually do when she's not teaching, enjoying the children and grandchildren, or sitting on the back porch drinking a Diet Coke and watching her husband till the garden!


ABOUT THE BOOK

Audrey Eaton awakes at three in the morning and gets up to retrieve her husband, Tom, from the recliner where he has fallen asleep watching a ball game. But when she enters the living room and looks at his gentle face in the soft lamp light, she knows their time together is over. Grief attacks her until all she can think about is how much she wants her old life back. Determined to find healing, she embarks on a journey to the one place Tom and she always intended to visit but never did. Along the way, she discovers, through shared experiences with friends old and new, the meaning of the "tender graces" God provides each and every day.

I've quit reading--even bestsellers, even the newspaper, even my Bible. I've also quit listening to music. This lack of appreciation for things I once loved is beginning to define me. More mornings than I can count, I say to myself before I open my eyes, "I don't want to do this." In the days shortly following Tom's death, that made sense, but what does it mean now? That I'm in trouble? One of the best qualities of the former me was thankfulness. As I was trying to sleep last night, needing Tom to be curled up behind me, his left arm slung across me, I realized to my horror that I couldn't remember the last time I was truly thankful. I think of a line from an old hymn: "Awake, my soul, and sing." I miss Tom. I also miss me. Determined to find healing, Audrey Eaton embarks on a trip to the one place she and her husband always intended to visit but never did. When things don't go as planned, will she embrace the unexpected graces that guide her journey?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Tender Grace, go HERE

Dark parable: working in the field

Dark Parable and interesting dream:

I dreamed my older son had somehow taken the numbers on the phone so I was trying to call my hubby but having trouble remembering where the numbers were. I accidentally got a guy in Hortonshire, a town in upstate NY (I doubt there is such a place, but I got to thinking about Horton hears a who.)

The man seemed to be expecting my call and turned out to be starting a new venture. I said, "well, I'm here. You can use me. I'm a writer." He said, "oh, perfect! perfect!" Next thing you know I'm outside near his place and he's meeting me at the door. He says a Bible verse which I totally don't remember. I look around and I see a large field with heaps of dirt here and slopes and holes there. It's not a plain field and I think it has to be leveled. I see sheep and cows and three large cats/tigerlike animals. The man says to me, "I want you to feed my sheep and my animals." He points to a hose, "And give them water to drink." I look at him and the first thing I think is, well, "I'm a writer and this job is a bit more active. But at least I'll be out of the house getting sunshine etc." But then I see the lions or tigers or whatever they were and all I can think is, "Honestly, they could destroy and kill me. What if I'm not a careful keeper?" I thought, "Well, my son would probably be better at this job than I am. And who knows? This guy's venture might turn out well." But at the end it looked as if I was going to take the job. I think this dream is about working in God's field. It might be that I will feed someone who will become greater than I am, or who will try to destroy me. But I have to work in the field to make the path straight and I must feed the sheep."

Then I dreamed I was at a feast and there was so much food left over. Most of which I really loved but because I'm allergic or because the Bible forbids eating it I couldn't eat. Shrimp on bagels, rich tortes, etc. They were going to toss them away. I so wanted them..so I started squirreling them away inside my bag. Then later I met folks who needed food to eat so I gave them the food.

Then I had yet another of my in the bathroom dreams. This time I'm sitting on the toilet -- yet again-- and a famous evangelist comes in. I'm wearing this very skimpy outfit. It seems I was a prostitute. (Ah, the exciting things one does in one's dreams!) And this minister had come in to use my services. But then he recognized me and he had to pretend he was looking for a sinner so he said, "uh, uh, ah, what are you doing here, Sister Carole?"

examining a symbol

So there I was, watching Link TV, a cable channel I have a kind of love-hate relationship with. (They talk about global issues and show a lot of different cultures and news from other cultures ---which I like. But they also have a kind of arrogance toward Christianity and they tend toward a syncretist view of religion...which we Christians simply are commanded not to have.)

So there I am watching it when a little spot comes on with Bede Griffiths. Bede is one of these venerable monks who started out as Christian and like Merton started getting into Buddhism. He now is in India with his own ashram. If there is nothing this station likes it's holy folks in holy garb (or sometimes secular garb but with a title such as sister this or cleric that) talking about syncretist spirituality.

So Bede holds up his hand and --pointing to each finger-- says something like: The great religions are like this. Christianity is the thumb, then there's Islam, then Hinduism, then XXX, then Buddhism is over here at the little finger. Buddhism is as far from Christianity as possible. But as you get deeper into each religion and into the hand...you all find the center.

Oh brother! Oh come on! First of all, those religions are so totally diametrically opposed at their center that I doubt they have a common center. But if one goes with what he says...that for those who go deep into their religion, yadda yadda....

First, the subtle dig here is that he is deep and can find the common center...unlike the shallow fundamentalists like myself.

Second, that Christianity is just one of many ways of finding the center.

Honestly, hubby and I just kinda sat there attempting to discern and puzzle this one out. On the one hand, it is quite true that God can be found no matter what religion we are....if the holy spirit draws the adherent. But honestly, there are folks who are deeply in the fundamentals of their religion who still haven't found God.

Also true in my opinion is that the religion we modern Christians know as "Christianity" probably doesn't have all the richness of the religion Christ taught his disciples. Jesus taught that there is a world of spirit and a world of flesh and the senses, that these worlds fight each other in the mind of the believer, that he is God made flesh, a unique being created to show what true man should be like -- flesh and spirit. And that he was God. Modern Christianity kinda doesn't even know the first thing of trying to be spiritual or to see spirit. Nor does it even understand how the incarnation of God as human flesh shows the purpose of God as to a creation that is both of flesh and of spirit.

But there is that dratted symbol. Some ignorant person who thinks he's deep will latch onto that symbol. The amount of damage the right appropriate symbol can do! Especially when it's a symbol made up or used by someone in clerical garb! I looked at this man and thought: How many deceived educated and wise people I see these days! Let this man meet a real demon at his bedside or see a vision of the folks in hell (And ALL religions speak of a terrible place of punishment!) and he'll see how deceived he has been... no matter how well-intended he is!

Jesus El Nazareno y un grano de mostaza y tu estas aqui

Four songs from church worship. Yeah, I love my Ecuadorean church



Si tuvieras fe como grano de mostaza
Eso lo dice el Senor

Tu le dirias a la montana
Muevete, muevete
Esa montana se movera, se movera, se movera



Paroles :
Esta noche nos vamos a gozar
Con Jesús el Nazareno
Invitamos al Espíritu Santo
Para que el culto se ponga bueno
Si, si, nos vamos a gozar
Con Jesús el Nazareno



This is my favorite slow song

CFBA: Gingham Mountain

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Gingham Mountain
Barbour Books (February 1, 2009)
by
Mary Connealy


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary's writing journey is similar to a lot of others. Boil it down to persistence, oh, go ahead and call it stubbornness. She just kept typing away. She think the reason she did it was because she was more or less a dunce around people—prone to sit silently when she really ought to speak up(or far worse, speak up when she ought to sit silently).

So, Mary had all these things, she want to say, in her head; the perfect zinger to the rude cashier, which you think of an hour after you’ve left the store, the perfect bit of wisdom when someone needs help, which doesn’t occur to you until they solve their problems themselves, the perfect guilt trip for the kids, which you don’t say because you’re not an idiot. She keep all this wit to herself, much to the relief of all who know her, and then wrote all her great ideas into books. It’s therapeutic if nothing else, and more affordable than a psychiatrist.

So then a very nice, oh so nice publishing company like Barbour Heartsong comes along and says, “Hey, we’ll pay you money for this 45,000 word therapy session.” That’s as sweet as it gets.

Mary's journey to publication is the same as everyone’s except for a few geniuses out there who make it hard for all of us. And even they probably have an Ode to Roast Beef or two in their past.

There are two other books in this Lassoed In Texas Series: Petticoat Ranch and Calico Canyon


ABOUT THE BOOK


All aboard for a delightful, suspense-filled romance, where a Texan is torn between his attraction to a meddlesome schoolmarm and the charms of a designing dressmaker. When Hannah Cartwright meets Grant, she's determined to keep him from committing her orphans to hard labor on his ranch. How far will she go to ensure their welfare?

Grant Cooper is determined to provide a home for the two kids brought in by the orphan train as runs head-on into the new school marm, who believes he's made slave labor out of eight orphaned children. He crowds too many orphans into his rickety house, just like Hannah Cartwright's cruel father. Grant's family of orphans have been mistreated too many times by judgmental school teachers. Now the new schoolmarm is the same except she's so pretty and she isn't really bad to his children, it's Grant she can't stand.

But he is inexplicably drawn to Hannah. Can he keep his ragtag family together while steering clear of love and marriage? Will he win her love or be caught in the clutches of a scheming seamstress?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Gingham Mountain, go HERE

Black Speculative Fiction Month for Black History Month

February is Black History month, and the Carl Brandon Society’s members have voted on a list of books they think worth recommending.

Dark Matter: A Century Of Speculative Fiction From The African Diaspora, Sheree R. Thomas, editor, Warner/Aspect, 2000

Sly Mongoose, by Tobias S. Buckell, Tor Books, 2008

Fledgling, by Octavia E. Butler, Seven Stories Press, 2005

The Good House, by Tananarive Due, Washington Square Press, 2004

Midnight Robber, by Nalo Hopkinson, Aspect, 2000

The Shadow Speaker, Nnedi Okorafor, Hyperion Book CH, 2007

The Icarus Girl, by Helen Oyeyemi, Nan A. Talese, 2005

Wind Follower, by Carole Mcdonnell, Juno Books, 2007

Song Of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, Knopf, 1978, many other printings available

Filter House, by Nisi Shawl, Aqueduct Press, 2008

God be praised for our teachers

Every once in a while I have to praise the great Christian teachers out there and up there! Am presently reading a collection of works by Simpson, Gordon, and Murray. I sooo love Andrew Murray. His works are up at sermonindex -- thanks to the many noble unsung guys who read the books and turn them into audio files -- and available for download. But since I was kinda incapacitated and stuck in bed yesterday I picked up the book and read. So great for building one's faith!

Thanks also to great teachers such as Emily Dotson, Lester Sumrall, Andrew Wommack. God bless them all.


There are some great places on the internet where you can download some great sermons.
Andrew Wommack's website,
Derek Prince's website
Internet Archive
sermonaudio
In The School of Prayer
Keith Gerner's website, Audio Christian
http://www.nathan.co.za/
and sermonindex


Plus there are these podcasts and videos online:

Sid Roth has archives of his shows from 2003 up at www.sidroth.org

http://www.godcast1000.com/
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/genre/religious/
http://www.godsipod.com/
http://cpodcast.net/

Remember, there is nothing in the Bible that says we should pray to God to give us more faith. We can ask him to help our unbelief and he may drop the gift of faith into our hearts for a specific situation but really have to grow our faith. We are told that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Sermons are created to build faith. We hear the word of the lord, we speak the word of the lord and that's how faith comes.
-C

But Will God Restore?

I hadn't really thought of God as a restorer until the health and financial issues started attacking our family. I know the Bible says He is a restorer. Now I'm in a place of really trying to believe it. The concept is overwhelming. One staggers under the weight of it? Will God restore? Health? Life? Joy? Money? Love? All?

Hubby and I have gone through the ringer. For us, life is a kind of holding on. Do I dare dream?

There are many Christians out there who will say things like, "Don't expect too much, though. God wants you to learn." These are not Christians I want near me. I know God wants me to learn. But these Christians who so readily tell me to hold on could not could not could not have gone through what hubby and I have gone through and what we go through daily daily daily. But they look at me as if I'm weak. Honestly, there marriages would have broken long ago under the strain of racist mother-in-law, financial debt, sickly continually weeping crying child (for 18 years), and sickly sleepless gone-to-fat wife. So when they come with their platitudes I just don't say anything.

There's a great verse in the Bible: Strengthen not yourself in the things of Egypt. Loose translation: Don't trust the false way to save you. When we get sick, instead of turning to the Bible we go to the internet to research our conditions and the world's (Egypt's) cures. With stuff like autism and sleep disorders, I can see why Jesus said "the gospel is preached to the poor." It's not just that one needs a heck of a lot of money but that one needs a heck of a lot of money to go to nutritionists, house repairers and mod removers (to get rid of the mold), immunologists, allergists, internists, MRI specialists, neurologists, (Yep, the body is complicated and it's never ever only one thing that goes wrong when the body suffers under the weight of the sin of the world), health food stores, specialized supplements...etc. So then we are left with so much to fix, and so little money to fix it with, and so much guesswork on the part of the fixers. Only God can restore. Only from him can the free gift of restoration of health and life come.

When John asked Jesus about another disciple's life, Jesus said to John, "What business if that of yours? Follow me." We are told often to look unto Jesus. That means not to think about how God works in other folks' lives to compare what may or may not happen in ours. I have watched too many Christian interviews (nonfiction) and secular movies (fiction) where I see folks trusting in God and God miserably disappointing them. I grew up on this stuff. How to trust God when this image works always in the mind, and even modern Christianity is prone to telling us that we probably won't get our answers because well God knows better or we don't have enough faith etc. (And, once again, it's the ministers who are supposed to be having faith, not the parishioners, but that's another post.)The Lord told us to take heed how we hear. I am trying so hard to uproot all the negative seeds this culture has taught me.

But dare I dream? Christianity over the ages has taught many of its adherents to edge their bets: they have taught us not to dream. They tell us suffering is good. I really don't want much. Just a kind of normal life with sleep at night -- am writing this while on a bout of 8 days with absolutely no sleep. Just a normal life with a child who isn't continually in pain. That's all I'm asking, Lord. Be a restorer unto me, my God, because I have loved you so very much...and never, ever, ever have I thought of leaving or forsaking you. Look on my tears o Lord and do not fail me, oh my God, my only God. Remember how much I have loved you and do not let my enemies -- sickness, despair, poverty, confusion-- triumph over me. -C

Psal's love song for Maharai

So, am working on the Constant Tower and my main character, Psal, is a studier. He's also on the verge of turning into a villain and I'm kinda struggling with that...but he's so dang bitter ...I'm afraid he could get totally out of control. Anyway, he's also a poet. So he wrote this long song for Maharai, the daughter of one of his enemies.

‘Those to whom I gave much
Have repaid me nothing.
But now life has loaned me Maharai
And none but death can take her love from me.

Those to whom I gave much
Heaped scorn upon me in payment
But now my heart is filled with Maharai
Who daily loads me with praises.’”



Yeah, the guy's got it bad. Now to find a publisher for this great work! ::smirk::

On Valentine's day in 1981 I met my sweet husband

Happy Valentine's Day! I said this poem to my sweet wonderful hubby on our wedding day. And yeah, we met on Valentine's day 1981

Loving K-pop and J-pop

I am so loving Jpop (Japanese pop) and Kpop (Korean pop)

Why can't so many Christian songs have this pain-filled longing? I mean I think of Evanescence and there's a longing there that doesn't sound pre-fab. It touches the soul and has the quality of a prayer...even if... That's how I feel about Kokia. As for DBSK...well they're a cute boy band. Nice song. Nice bodies.

The first is Chouwa Oto -- With Reflection by Kokia



Translated Lyrics and transliteration here

This is Kawaranai Koto -- since 1976



Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura



Translation from jpop lyric translation

Order is original Japanese, romaji, and English.

あなたの前に何が見える？
色とりどり魅力溢れる世界？
大事なものは目蓋の裏
こうして閉じれば見えてくる
Anata no mae ni nani ga mieru?
Irotoridori miryoku afureru sekai?
Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura
Koushite tojireba mietekuru
What can you see in front of you?
A world overflowing with multicolored charms?
The most important things lie behind your eyelids.
Just close your eyes, and you will see.
点滅してる光の中でもあなただけは消えなかった
大事なものは目蓋の裏から　そうして大事に覚えてる
Tenmetsu shiteru hikari no naka demo anata dake wa kienakattta
Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura kara, soushite daiji ni oboeteru
You, in the flashing light, were the only one who didn't disappear
The most important things lie behind your eyelids, remember that.
私はここよ　ここに居るの
厚い雲がすぐそこまで来てるわ
眠ってはだめ　眠ってはだめよ
虚ろな目がまばたきを始める　　夢を見るにはまだ早いわ・・・
Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no
Atsui kumo ga sugu soko made kiteru wa
Nemutte wa dame nemutte wa dame yo
Utsuro na me ga mabataki wo hajimeru yume wo miru ni wa mada hayai wa. . .
I'm here, I'm here.
The warm clouds are coming closer
Don't sleep, don't sleep.
Your vacant eyes begin to twinkle it's still too early to dream. . .
結局全ては信じること　離れることで近くなった
絆も今ははっきり見える　私だけが知ってる場所がある
Kekkokyu subete wa shinjiru koto hanareru koto de chikaku natta
Kizuna mo ima wa hakkiri mieru watashi dake ga shitteru basho ga aru
Everything you believe in gets closer
I can see what holds me back clearly now there's a place only I know of
大事なものは目蓋の裏から　夢じゃない　今すぐに見つかる大事な場所
Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura kara yume ja nai ima sugu ni mitsukaru daiji na basho
Because the most important things are behind your eyelids it's not a dream I've just found the most important place
私はここよ　ここに居るの
一羽の鳥が弧を描いてゆくわ
黙ってはだめ　黙ってはだめよ
夢の続きはその目で見ればいい
Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no
Ichiwa no tori ga ko wo egaite yuku wa
Damatte wa dame damatte wa dame yo
Yume no tsudzuki wa sono me de mireba ii
I'm here, I'm here.
A bird arcs across the sky.
Don't be quiet, don't be quiet!
Just watch the dream go on and on.
迷子の私は出口を捜して　我ム者ラに茨を歩く
流れるこの血は溢れた感情
どうしてこんなに焦っているの？
Maigo no watashi wa deguchi wo sagashite gamushara ni ibara wo aruku
Nagareru kono chi wa afureta kanjou
Doushite konna ni asetteiru no?
I search, lost, for the exit I tread recklessly on thorns
The streaming blood is my overflowing emotions.
Why am I in such a hurry?
私はここよ　ここに居るの
厚い雲がすぐそこまで来てるわ
眠ってはだめ　眠ってはだめよ
虚ろな目がまばたきを始める
Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no
Atsui kumo ga sugu soko made kiteru wa
Nemutte wa dame nemutte wa dame yo
Utsuro na me ga mabataki wo hajimeru yume wo miru ni wa mada hayai wa. . .
I'm here, I'm here.
The warm clouds are coming closer
Don't sleep, don't sleep.
Your vacant eyes begin to twinkle it's still too early to dream. . .
私はここよ　ここに居るの
一羽の鳥が弧を描いてゆくわ
逝ってはダメよ　逝ってはダメよ
楽園なんてどこにもないわ　最後は目蓋を閉じる時・・・
Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no
Ichiwa no tori ga ko wo egaite yuku wa
Itte wa dame yo itte wa dame yo
Rakuen nante doko ni mo nai wa saigo wa mabuta wo tojiru toki. . .
I'm here, I'm here.
A bird arcs across the sky.
Don't die, don't die!
Paradise disappears when you close your eyes for the last time. . .
ごめんなんて謝る私を許して・・・幸せに堕ちてゆく
Gomen nante ayamaru watashi wo yurushite. . .shiawase ni ochiteyuku
Forgive me. . .and be happy

.

This is DBSK, a Korean boy band, singing Mirotic



This Noona, by Shine, a boy band



Translations for this are on the right column in youtube if you want to listen to it.

It begins like Noona you are so pretty,
Boys won't leave you alone
Honestly, I know your shaking feelings
To you I know this love is one moment, one feeling
But no matter what is said, this is my life's everything

Maybe you are worried about my young age
But look into my eyes, what is it telling you?
and I think I'm gonna hate it girl
if the end comes
Your heart will tell you, regardless of what others say

He wishes for the cloths of heaven

Intimate Issues blog tour

Intimate Issues answers the twenty-one questions about sex most frequently asked by Christian wives, as determined by a nationwide poll of over one thousand women. Written from the perspective of two mature Christian wives and Bible teachers–women who you’ll come to know as teachers and friends–Intimate Issues is biblical and informative: sometimes humorous, other times practical, but always honest. Through its solid teaching warm testimonials, scriptural insights, and experts’ advice, you’ll find resolution for your questions and fears, surprising insights about God’s perspective on sex, and a variety of practical and creative ideas for enhancing your physical relationship with the husband you love.

With warmth and wisdom, authors Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus speak woman to woman: examining the teachings of Scripture, exposing the lies of the world, and offering real hope that every woman’s marriage relationship can become all it was intended to be in God’s design.

Dang! I have to review this book for a tour and I find myself having a hard time reading it. Why? you may ask. Shouldn't I be totally happy that Christians are trying to tackle sex and marital issues surrounding sex? Well, honestly, I really have a tough time listening to Christians telling me advice on anything. Perhaps it's the know-it-all way many have, perhaps it's their way of generalizing and reducing everything to a sin, perhaps it's their American Christian way of thinking about stuff based on wrong interpretations. Perhaps I just have bitterness issues. But I'll be reading this book rolling my eyes and hoping to be pleasantly surprised. (Yeah, i know...i sound as if I hate Christians.) Truly, though, if I weren't a Christian and if it weren't for some of the nice Christians I've met, I wouldn't really deal with Christians. They scare me. Why?, you ask. Because there is an addiction to propriety and American standards and class behavior that they often mistake for Christianity. Okay, okay, another post. For the nonce, let me just think of this book.

I'll have the review for this up at blogcritics soon. Honestly, it takes a lot of energy for me to read Christian advice on sex. Yeah, i know... but ...well, I'll deal with it after I've read the book. Maybe it'll be nothing like what I fear it is.


www.Amazon.com

- www.ChristianBook.com

- www.FamilyChristian.com

So the big question: Does Christian fiction, fiction self-help books, Christian movies, Christian music equal cringeworthy? Unfortunately for me they do. Or maybe I'm just overly-prone to cringing. Will see.

What We Don't Know

Had a wonderful night two nights ago with the Lord. First the day started yesterday with my friend Jessica and me talking about Christian delusion. Then a blogger talking about Oprah and christian deception. Last night hubby comes to bed and talks about some Christian minister apologeticists who used to debate a moslem cleric and who converted to islam after they spoke to him. This moslem cleric died after being unable to speak for the last ten years of his life.

So we got to talking about Christian deception and how many deceptions there are in the world and that we live in a world where we have to be so careful. I mean... Mary Baker Eddy was sick and invalid. She read her Bible every day. (Good so far) Realized there was power in the word of God (Good so far) Realized there was power in the world of spirit (Good so far.) Got healed. (Good so far.) Then she started saying Matter didn't really exist. (Tumbled over into deception.) In these last days, and throughout history the gospels and Jesus Christ have been attacked through counterfeits because one only attacks the real thing. I mean, why is the name of Jesus used as a curse word when folks don't use Mohammed, Buddha, or Moses as a curse word? Because Jesus is the son of God and the world is at war with God.

So then I told hubby my dream about the words "Come Closer." And as we spoke about the dream, the Lord just entered the room. The holy spirit just totally took over. Even more than he usually does. The first dream is about my two churches. In my dream there was a feast and both churches were there but they wouldn't eat each other's food...only food they were used to. I'm a bit of an ambassadorial type so I always go to places where I'm the only black person or the only Christian or whatever. And said to hubby that I think God is telling me that that is why he wants me at that church to make these two churches come together. But even so, I do have my tendency to be reclusive. (Yeah, i know...counter-phobic personality. I'm a totally nervous person who tends to be shy but I always go to places where I feel isolated cause I'm the only one of my kind there.) I felt the lord was telling me that my tendency to not include myself in certain festivities isn't helping the purppose to which I'm called.

But then the lord showed me what the "Come Closer" portion of the dream means. And He used something happening in my life to show His point. I'm always complaining that older son has this tunnel vision about what he intends to do and I have so much to tell him. For instance, the latest disagreement with older son was about taxes. I said, "I want to show you how to do taxes so that even if you never again do taxes in the future you will understand what is behind it." HE said, "Please just do my taxes." I said, "No." Next thing you know, he took all his records and went off. I said, "IF you get a tax preparer to do it, you'll have to pay them our of your refund. Then if you have a rush to get your money back and ask for a prepayment card, what you're really doing is taking a loan from them on your extended return and giving them additional money." Did child listen to me?

I felt God saying to me, "This is the way it is with you and me. You see what you want, just as your son sees what he wants. You want healing for you and your son, your son wants his money fast for tuition or whatever. But you want to tell him about the world so he can handle the taxes better. I want to tell you about my purpose for your life -- after your son is healed, after you are healed, and about things you don't understand...so that the healed life will fall into my plan better. But you are so focused on what you need--and I know you need it, and I will give it to you-- that you don't see the whole picture."

It was totally wonderful. He keeps telling me he has a plan for my life that I don't really comprehend yet but like my son I am trying to use my limited knowledge. Which I shouldn't. As the Bible says, "It is not in man who walks to know his path." We need someone ahead, above. I can't explain how wonderful it all was. I mean, I know God is always with me...but sometimes it feels as if his glory is also present and in super-abundance... my entire body was on fire.

I told him I was open and he could tell me anything and everything because I am like a child, just like my son... I don't know as much about the world or the future as He does. -C

Tamil Christian Song

CFBA: Cry In The Night

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Cry In The Night
Thomas Nelson (February 3, 2009)
by
Colleen Coble


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Colleen Coble's thirty novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best awards. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.


AWARDS:
2004 More Than Magic winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Without a Trace, Thomas Nelson
2004 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year



ABOUT THE BOOK

The highly anticipated novel that delivers what romantic suspense fans have long awaited-the return to Rock Harbor.
Bree Nichols gets the shock of her life when her husband-presumed dead-reappears.

Bree Nichols and her search and rescue dog Samson discover a crying infant in the densely forested woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Kade, who knows she'll become attached, Bree takes the baby in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother-presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier.
While teams scour the forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the missing woman. But she soon discovers something more shocking: Bree's former husband-long presumed dead in a plane crash-resurfaces. Is he really who he says he is? And should she trust him again after all these years?
An engaging, romantic suspense novel from critically-acclaimed author Colleen Coble.

If you would like to read the first chapter of , go HERE

Found this over at Otium Sanctum

Sci-Fi's Brave New World

Neat Article on Faith and Scifi in Christianity Today:
Sci-Fi's Brave New World
How the genre draws us to its own views of redemption

Appropriate Responses

Okay, I'm actually getting better at speaking up. Yay!!!!!!

I actually had a little disagreement with my Arab friend about Jesus. Okay, I've known her for about 18 years and I finally manage to speak up...but better late than never. I didn't push it as far as she did. But I'm okay. I mean, when an Arab person says "there is no proof that Jesus rose from the dead," I should be bold enough to say, "There is no proof that all the nations that were Syria, Egypt, Arabia, Lybia who existed before Abraham, somehow all disappeared and now ALL the Arabs are descended from Abraham? What happened to all the non-Ishmaelite peoples of the mid-east?" I wanted to say, "The Bible says the world would be blessed through the Jews. Jews are 5% of 1% of the world's population yet 20% of the world's nobel prize winners are Jewish. We have Einstein, Schweitzer, even Marx (although he was a baddie) affecting the world because God has blessed the Jews as people who will bless the world. Where are the great Arab scientists who have blessed the world with medical science, etc? If you are God's chosen people, how have you blessed the world with your knowledge?" I wanted to say, "Since you believe that Allah rules all things, and all that happens is Allah's will, and the Jewish Bible and Christian Bible are all corrupted, why not accept the fact that Allah is working through Christians and Jews and Allah allowed the corruption...since he controls all?" But nooo, I was a wuss. I just hate treating nasty folks nastily and giving tit for tat. Dang, I hate arguing. And the only thing nastier and meaner than a Moslem out to mock a Christian is a Mormon out to mock a Christian. (Yeah, I know...two religions whose prophets who had angels give them the "real" uncorrupted books from heaven.")

Now, must move on to friend who keeps using the name of my beloved Lord as a curse word. "Jesus H Christ!" "Jesus F*cking Christ" etc. Okay, I've got to say something. Back in the day, about 22 years ago, a woman at St Peter's Episcopalian church -- a very sweet older welsh woman-- said that whenever someone uses our lord's name as a curse she gently bends toward them and says, "Oh, excuse me, are you praying?" Okay, even then I thought that was a great answer. And I've always thought I would use it. But, yeah, wuss that I am...I have never used it. Yep, I've allowed folks who know I'm a Christian to do this and I've not stepped up. But now that I've gotten all brave and all, maybe I'll step up. Note the word "maybe" (Yeah, I'm still a wuss.) I find myself thinking of their possible retorts/comebacks. I mean, if they look dumb-founded and vaguely guilty, then that's cool. I've escaped unscathed. But what if they say, "No, I'm not praying. I ain't religious and everyone uses Jesus' name as a curse name." Then what an I supposed to do, then? Do I say, "okay, then, I'll say F***ing Mohammed!" That would only get me clobbered. I could say, "Well, that's the name of someone I love very much. If you aren't praying to him, I'd prefer you not use it near me." I suppose I could say that...but I am such a wimp. Honestly, I can't see myself answering. Then I'd leave the situation feeling like a fool and telling myself it's all my fault for standing up in the first place.

I have had a minor victory, though. YAY!!!! An agnostic Australian friend asked me what sign I was. I responded, "It doesn't matter what sign I was born under; I was born again under the sign of the cross." IT went very well. She thought it was funny and said something like, "Oh, yeah, you're Christian."

So I'm not as wussy as I used to be. Never let the sun go down on your wrath. I can't do much about my extreme quietness in the past but I can at least step up. Even if I can't defend myself against jerks, I just don't want to let anyone insult my lord.

The Gay Gospel by Joe Dallas

The Gay Gospel? How Pro-Gay Advocates Misread the Bible
By: Joe Dallas
Harvest House Publishers / 2007 / Paperback
Paperback
252 pages
ISBN: 0736918345
ISBN-13: 9780736918343
Blurb:

Can homosexuality and Christianity co-exist? Joe Dallas experienced firsthand the deception of uniting "Gay" with "Gospel" and in this book sheds light on this prevalent, misleading theology that believes being actively gay and Christian are compatible. In a sensitive approach-balanced, yet very straightforward-Dallas provides the tools to communicate truth to those who have adopted a pro-gay gospel.

In this updated edition of A Strong Delusion, author and counselor Joe Dallas helps readers understand what pro–gay theology is and how to confront it. In a biblical manner, Dallas examines believers’ personal responses and the need for bold love and commitment as they

become familiar with the movement’s background and beliefs
study a clear, scriptural response to each belief
extend Christ’s love to those living the homosexual lifestyle

This resource is an important one for those who have been unsure how to respond to the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the evangelical community. It offers the balance between conviction and compassion and a practical guide to communicating with those who have embraced the pro–gay Christian movement.

Here's an interview

CFBA: Against All Odds

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Against All Odds
Revell (February 1, 2009)
by
Irene Hannon


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Irene Hannon is an award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.

Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.

Since then, she has written more than 25 romance and romantic suspense novels that have sold more than 1.5 million copies. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), the HOLT Medallion and a Reviewer’s Choice award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.

In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a cantor at her church (where she does NOT ham it up!).

When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.


ABOUT THE BOOK

For FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Evan Cooper and his partner, dignitary protection duty should have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Monica Callahan isn’t making it easy. Estranged from her diplomat father, who is involved in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East, she refuses to be intimidated by a related terrorist threat back in the States…until a chilling warning convinces her that the danger is very real—and escalating. As Coop and his partner do their best to keep her safe, David Callahan continues his work—triggering an abduction that puts his daughter’s life at risk. And with every second that ticks by, Coop knows that the odds of saving the only woman who has ever managed to breach the walls around his heart are dropping. Because terrorists aren’t known for their patience—or their mercy.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Against All Odds, go HERE


WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

4 ½-star, “Top Pick” rating from Romantic Times BOOKreviews!

"Brava! Award winner Hannon debuts the heroes of Quantico series with a wonderful
array of believable characters, action and suspense that will keep readers glued to each page. Hannon’s extraordinary writing, vivid scenes and surprise ending come together for a not-to-be-missed reading experience.”
~Romantic Times BOOKreviews~

“I found someone who writes romantic suspense better than I do. I highly recommend Against All Odds as one of the best books I've had the privilege of reading this year. This is a captivating, fast-paced, well written romantic suspense destined for my keeper shelf. I loved this book, and highly recommend this author."
~Dee Henderson~ Author of the O’Malley Family Series

Weekend Movie Viewing

So what did I watch over the weekend? Akeelah and the Bee and High School Fantasy! Don't laugh. Wow, they were innocent and sweet and fun. I had totally forgotten I had this incredibly cheesy side of me that loved stuff like this.

Akeelah is about a smart black elementary school kid with a hispanic kinda boyfriend (but they're kids so it's very sweet and innocent) and a tough semi-bitter worried mom. Akeelah has a gift for spelling but she's in Crenshaw -- the hood-- and well, yadda yadda. The thing is predictable as heck but nonetheless very nice and fits into the sports/underdog/my hometown believes in me kinda flick. The formula kinda got to me sometimes but on the whole i loved it.

I've noticed this with a lot of "feel good" movies made by minorities in the US... cringeworthy scenes of nobility that...well, it makes a cold-hearted person like moi-meme kinda want to scream. I mean, honestly Mom Angela Bassett was so typical of the angry black woman who didn't achieve (because she was afraid of doing well ??????) but who wanted her daughter to do better (and to not be afraid of people hoping in her) that I thought, "Come on! I do NOT know anyone like this. I do NOT personally know any kid or smart should've-been people who was so afraid of success they gave up." But this kind of person exists in tons of movies and we are all supposed to nod our head understandingly. ::shaking head:: Ah come on! Then when we found out one of the local thugs had written a poem as a kid.... Ah come on! And the in despair mentor whose child had died and so was living on numbly..... Honestly, honestly??? Nah, that mentor was too kind and easygoing. (Hey, I'm a kind easygoing mentor. But the incredibly-educated mentor professorial types I've met???? Generally a bit elitist.) And yet, I liked this flick. So, am I cynical? But why did I watch the flick?

Then there was High School Fantasy! I watched this because honestly Scifi channel has been repeating itself way too often. One would think the channel had money to buy more flicks. Or would schedule themselves better. In this one, jock hottie and geekie hottie-ess join together to sing with evil villainess teenaged brother and sisters fighting them. So sweet, this flick. And my fave song was Status Quo. I think I watched this also because I have seen so many parodies of that status quo dance scene that I figured I should just go ahead and watch the thing. Way neat.

Leading but leading to what?

Okay, so there I was in bed praying for younger son and my mind starts wandering. I always believe it's a good thing for the mind to wander in prayer. That is often how Holy Spirit talks to us...by leading our minds to something.

So there I am praying away and affirming the word and praying in the spirit when suddenly someone I truly dislike appears SMASH in my mind. I truly dislike this girl. She has caused me a great deal of grief because she has a big mouth that always says what she thinks and I am very quiet. This kind of friendship is often dangerous because the talkative judgmental person talks and talks and is utterly unaware that her quiet friend is hurt and angry. So, for future reference, if you are a black woman with a big mouth and you have a quiet easygoing friend, never assume she isn't mad at you...even if she says so. Also, if you are a quiet person, for future reference, never befriend a talkative person who says everything that comes to her head. It might not work out.

So I say to God, "Lord, you have to be kidding! Why are you bringing this woman to my mind? I haven't seen her in about three years! I haven't thought about her in years! Do I have to forgive her? Do I have to pray for her?" NONE OF WHICH I ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO.

So I kinda do the big thing -- in my wimpy non-committed way-- and I say, "Well, if this woman is in any kind of trouble, Lord help her. And I forgive her --yet again!-- for her assholey behavior toward me. I'm sorry, Lord, but that's all I can do at the moment."

So this morning I'm walking around feeling furious cause I'm remembering all the things this woman said that I never challenged, and all the negative things she said. Gonna be spending the entire day attempting to forgive her. And also asking God to free me from all the negative stuff she tosses my way. People DO curse you. . . with their comments about your future and what will happen to you and it's very hard to deal with those types.

not something from nothing

I'm always whining about Christian misinformation, especially the stuff that is glibly tossed about.

Okay, latest whine...and although it seems like a small thing to whinge about, to me it's pretty big. And it's this: NOWHERE but NOWHERE in the Bible does it say that God creates something from nothing. I challenge any Christian to find anything like this in the Bible. So when some Christian comes and tells me "Don't worry, God can make something out of Nothing," I just want to scream.

The Bible tells us that God makes the visible from the invisible. Hebrews 11 He makes large trees from small seeds. Often large physical results from small spiritual seeds. But NEVER ever does he make something out of nothing.

This is an important point because it shows that pretty much folks simply do not believe or understand or work with the spiritual world. Would we really be so perplexed about certain Bible sections if we really understood that God is spirit, God works by and through spirit, God gives spirit. For instance, St Paul said, "we have the mind of Christ." We might say we don't have the mind of Christ. Or we might get all legalistic about showing others that we have the mind of Christ. But all that shows is that we don't get it. Same thing for God has given us authority and power. Same thing for "By his wounds we are healed." Same thing for a husband and wife are one in Christ. We simply don't understand spiritual things.

A seventh day adventist friend said to me once after my mother died, "your mother's dead. I mean, there's nothing left. She's dead." This is a very religious woman, mind you but she doesn't believe the spirit of my mother is in heaven. She believes that when my mother's body died, her spirit went to sleep and is pretty much non-existent. Come on! We are spirit. That is the primary part of us, that is what rules us. It's our spirit that comes first.

Many Christians really don't believe in the demonic, or in speaking to a sickness, or in the power of the Word of God. Why not? They don't understand spirit. But God says His word is living. Jesus said His words are spirit and they are life.

How can we fight the good fight of faith when faith deals with things of the spirit and we don't know what spirit is?

Jericho and the physics of sound waves

Uhm, got to thinking about the walls of Jericho. Lord knows why. Unless God wants me to do a Jericho walk around the house.

But I often wonder about the science of sound and vibration. Is it possible that the footsteps of a million or so people walking around a city in silence for seven days, and then the seventh day walking around it seven times and then finally a loud shout and horns blowing...could so affect the foundations of a city? I mean...God knows the science and power of sound and vibrations, doesn't he? I mean, Faith and the invisible being the source of the visible is very quantum physics. So God knows that...

Why then shouldn't he know and understand sound waves and how to use them to level the foundation of a city? Just a thought.

A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis

Here's the Blurb:

A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days (Book)
by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis
What if what you've been told about the Last Days is wrong?

The mark of the beast. Gog and Magog. 666. A confederation of ten nations. The antichrist's ascendancy to power. The abomination of desolation. Christians have become almost obsessed with trying to unravel the Bible's mysterious prophecies about such things.

Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Bernis brings fresh and extraordinary insight into Bible prophecy. in his brand new book, A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days! Through this book you will gain clear insight into the way Bible prophecies are being fulfilled in our day! You will explore the answers to these questions...

What is the surprising link between Israel, the Jewish people, and the return of the Messiah?
What is meant by "the fullness of the Gentiles?"
Why are "Replacement" and "Dual Covenant" theologies Satan's tools to disrupt the return of Messiah?
Why is Israel's salvation the Key to WORLD Redemption?
How can you fulfill your God-given Calling and Destiny in these "End Times?"
And more!

Most end-time Bible teachers forecast a future of DOOM and GLOOM! But this book declares that God's best is yet to come a time of supernatural healing, deliverance, miracles and Signs and Wonders!

It's also on CD

What if Starbucks marketed like a church

Arrived at this video by way of Otium Sanctum

CFBA: Word Gets Around

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Word Gets Around
Bethany House (February 1, 2009)
by
Lisa Wingate


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Lisa Wingate lives in central Texas where she is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books. Her novel, Tending Roses, received dozens of five-star reviews, sold out ten printings for New York publisher, Penguin Putnam, and went on to become a national bestselling book. Tending Roses was a selection of the Readers Club of America, and is currently in its tenth printing.

The Tending Roses series continued with Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, Drenched In Light, and A Thousand Voices. In 2003, Lisa’s Texas Hill Country series began with Texas Cooking, and continued with Lone Star Café, which was awarded a gold medal by RT BOOKCLUB magazine and was hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “A charmingly nostalgic treat.” The series concluded with Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner.

Lisa is now working on a new set of small-town Texas novels for Bethany House Publishers. The series debuted with Talk of The Town and continued with Word Gets Around. A new series is also underway for Penguin Group NAL, beginning with A Month of Summer (July 2008), and continuing with The Summer Kitchen in July, 2009. Lisa’s works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, The Literary Guild, American Profiles, and have been chosen for the LORIES best Published Fiction Award.




ABOUT THE BOOK

When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around Lauren Eldridge thought she'd wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances. Life's never that predictable, though. Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there's a spark of magic in the project--and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses. Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Word Gets Around, go HERE

What people are saying:

"Lisa Wingate writes engaging stories that strike the heart. God has gifted her with a marvelous talent and I, for one, am most grateful."
—Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author

The Sacrifice of Praise

The Sacrifice of Praise


So there I was – or rather, here I am—three whole days and nights without sleep and feeling faint and nauseated. I know, I know…it really is all my fault. I went off my regimen and I wasn’t as good about water. And bingo! The thing comes back with a vengeance. And then there’s younger son who’s been battling an autism headache for about five weeks.

So I’m looking up at the ceiling of our bedroom wondering if I should wake the beloved for sex so I can get two minutes sleep. If that. Then I got to thinking. Which is always a bad idea. I think about stuff when I should be sleeping. And the mind just won’t stop. So I think about having two husbands and what that would imply. Cause I’m working on my present novel but also cause honestly, having two husbands would be kinda fun. Then I think about the difference between Yahweh, Allah, Buddha, and the Mormon Heavenly Father. So I start listing. Yahweh co-labors with his people. The Bible is a collaboration with man. God even allows man to use the street language of the Greek empire to write the New Testament and even uses Paul’s petulance. YHVH loves humans and allows all his prophets to be themselves. Heck he even allows himself to be made powerless in certain situations unless human faith is applied to the situation. And of course He says He is love and that He is our Father. Allah doesn’t call himself love. In fact Allah is offended if we try to anthropomorphize him because he is beyond all that petty small human stuff. And of course his book, the Koran, fell perfectly formed with all its errors (In some sections it seems as if Mohammed believes Mary/Miriam Jesus mother was the sister of Moses. And he states that Alexander the Great was a great holy man who lived a long life because he was blessed by Allah. Not to mention places where it contradicts itself.) Then there is Buddha. A rich prince who lives in wealth and peace then has a nervous breakdown when he realizes how crappy life is for everyone else. Then reaches enlightenment and learns to accept that sorrows exist in the world…while he continues his good life. To be fair, though, Buddha doesn’t go around saying he is Creator. Just enlightened. So he really should be compared to the Son of Man (although Jesus is also co-Creator). At least Jesus grew up poor and connects to the poor and develops a theology of conquering evil, sin, sickness, death, demons. As opposed to rich stressed prince who tells us to accept and submit to evil and to aim for inner purity because our next life will be better or we will disappear into nothingness so it doesn’t really matter. Mercifully, Jesus promises us that we will keep our personality, and all the wonderful things we love as humans. Then there is the Mormon Heavenly Father who was once a man on another planet and grew to godhead then had sex with Mary (okay, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and the oldtimey Mormons believed this). But honestly, Heavenly Father is a God who vacillates, changes his mind, and just plain changes.

So then I got to thinking about writing a children’s book about two princes or two boys who both grow up. One having a life like Jesus and the other having a life like Buddha. Maybe I’ll call it Joshua and Bodie. And all the while I’m sleepy and nauseated and just can’t sleep. And in between I’m thinking of having two husbands. And all the time I hear younger son crying in his room as he has cried for 18 years of his life.

Then the alarm goes off and younger son comes to our room but not before he kicks the walls and some more plaster falls off. There are portions to our house where all you see is the wooden slats and the studs because a certain person is in pain and aggressively has to kick something or someone. So husband and I get up and look at each other and there is this wink of joy to each other and we start smiling at each other. Smiling and somewhat on the verge of laughing!!!! Now, isn’t this the grace of God? Sometimes our life is so odd and so weird --and it has been like this for so long—that we just end up laughing. I tell the beloved, I am so glad you are the one who are my husband! Weird life as it is, stressing and sad as it is, it certainly is an interesting experience.

Then I force myself to get out of bed because younger son drags me out of bed and kicking me and beating me up…as if dragging me out of bed and kicking me is gonna cure that headache. I start whining and getting weepy and saying how crappy and nauseated I feel. And husband starts singing. So what do I do? I join in. We start singing. Marantha songs, old-timey campmeeting, Anglican hymns, songs we’ve made up over the years. Sick and crappy though I was I waltzed through the house singing. That’s what the Bible calls the sacrifice of praise. I sang about the blood of Jesus and his victory over death. And I meant it too!

I totally believe in the sacrifice of praise. When I had older son I got the worst case of post-partum depression. Just this overwhelming fear of death and panic. It was awful. But one day I got so tired of it I got up in the middle of the night feeling so fearful and anxious and I sang my little heart out. And the sorrow just left. It’s been a fun morning. I sang and I sang. I know something happened in the spiritual realm because of all that singing. God’s word, the Bible, says something happens when we give the sacrifice of praise. And I believe God. And again I say, if I had to live this weird kind of life, there is no husband who has been a better match for this unplanned journey than the beloved.

Great is the Lord who enables us to fight the fight one day at a time, one hour at a time. I love him sooo much. -C

Weekend Movie Viewing: reality shows

I saw the latest episode of Confessions of a Teen Idol on VH1 and got really annoyed with Scott Baio's assessment that Eric went out into a world with an uncertain future because he couldn't deal with the requirements of fame. I thought, "Puhleze, Scott, stop the bullshit! The guy has integrity and maybe that's not his destiny to be famous!" It really annoyed me. He seemed so pretensious. I don't think I should watch this anymore.

Then saw COPs and as usual found myself more on the side of the criminals than on the side of the COPS. I just can't hate or mock or scorn these crack addicts or petty criminals. Life is hard and some cops have authority issues.

Actually, i think I spent much of the weekend really remembering my issues with authority. There was a marathon of a TV reality show called The Principal's office. So we meet kids and the principals and the troubles. Some of the principals were great, some annoyed the heck outta me. I truly believe that we should respect teachers. Cause I was a teaching assistant back in the day and I understand how rude kids can be. But honestly, after one has grown up one realizes that there are some very nutty folks out there who have become teachers. Folks with a desire to pick on others, folks with mental problems. And as I watched the show, all this anger came up against folks who had taken advantage of others through the use of their age, job, positions in life. And then the part of me who likes the under-dog, the broken hearted, etc.

I just got so annoyed. Hey, it'll help me understand and reconnect with Maharai and Psal. It's as if I'm finally realizing what I'm writing about. And the story is finally showing me what my own unhealed issues are.

Was it Ian Fleming who said if he hadn't invented James Bond he would've been a criminal? I think I wreite beause I'm a wimpy bitter revolutionary.

The prophets in the Bible care about the oppressed, the weak, the poor, the broken-hearted, those abused by power. I so wish Christianity had stayed with this instead of worshiping power and authority.

Luke 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. Luke 1:52-54 (in Context) Luke 1

Ecclesiastes 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 4 (Whole Chapter)

Isaiah 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Isaiah 3:11-13 (in Context) Isaiah 3 (Whole Chapter)

Isaiah 14:2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. Isaiah 14:1-3 (in Context) Isaiah 14 (Whole Chapter)

Publishing vid -- tongue firmly in cheek

posts across the net

Discovered some great websites over the past months and saw some great posts on old favorites.

New websites discovered

Wonders of Creation -- for those who love nature photography

Artists of the Day -- for those who love visual arts

John K Stuff -- he teaches about cartooning


Angry Black Woman's post that the dictionary is not a tool to use when arguing, especially about race

http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=1328

Claire Light on Cultural Appropriation

Alexandra Sokoloff does a great post on what makes a villain. I really liked it and I'll be studying it.

Sciencefictionbiology website posted a neat round-up of scientists discussing science fiction.

Redlines and Deadlines had a funny How many lightbulbs post