All aboard who's coming aboard! --Predestination

http://www.flickr.com/photos/portcolumbuspics/3418127093/

Whenever a ship was being outfitted for a long voyage, the task of selecting the crew normally went to the Captain or master of the ship. The owner, who was usually a different person, trusted the seaworthy captain to choose the best sailors for the job.  If the captain had been at sea his entire career, he often knew sailors in every port. He knew which ones possessed certain skills, which ones were hard workers. And which ones were trouble makers! Manning the ship with the right men could mean the difference between success or failure of the voyage.

I've read through the Bible several times now and I simply cannot get away from the doctrine of predestination. It screams from nearly every book of the New Testament. Trouble is, I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to think that certain people were chosen by God and others rejected. To me, it sounded harsh, unfair and gave me little hope for those friends and family who didn't know God.

In Jesus's own words


All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10:22

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44

But then I got to thinking about the captain of a ship. Certainly he had the right to choose who he wanted to take with him. Being the captain, he had an in-depth knowledge of the voyage: what they were carrying in hold, what course they would take, what trials they would endure, what storms would hit them and where their final destination was. Much like a captain, Father God has knowledge of all those things as well. He knows the beginning from the end. He knows the past, present, and future. He knows how and where he wants the voyage to sail through the ages, He knows what He wants to accomplish, and He knows how and when the trip will end. And where! So, why shouldn't He choose who comes along and who doesn't?


But God knows much more than a normal seafaring captain. He knows each person who is standing on the docks in that large port town where he is outfitting his ship. He knows them intimately. He knows everything they will ever do in their life and everything they will do if they come on the voyage. And most important of all, He knows if they will stay on the ship, if their hearts are true to their captain, or if they will rile the crew into a mutiny.


So, let me ask you this. If a human captain could have foreknowledge like that, who do you think he would choose? If he was a wise, good captain who wanted a successful voyage, he would choose those he knew would follow him.


In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Ephesians 5:11

http://sabbathsermons.com/category/sermons-by-camron-schofield/

Do I believe God chooses people before they were born to be His children? Yes. The Bible is plain on that matter. Do I believe God doesn't give everyone the same chance to know Him and make it to Heaven? No. I don't. What I believe is that God's mind and thoughts and wisdom and ideas are so FAR above ours, that we will never be able to fully understand. All my small mind can grasp is this: God knows who will choose Him and therefore, He chooses them first.

Why does this matter?  I no longer fear predestination. It brings such freedom and peace! If that dear loved one or friend you've been praying for is God's, he or she will be on board! And the fact that you've been called to so desperately pray for them is proof that they belong to God. Why else would God put a person on your heart to pray so heartily for their salvation if they weren't chosen? So, do you stop praying? No. Absolutely not. Do you stop sharing the good news of the gospel? Never.  But rest assured, all will be aboard who are coming aboard!

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers  Acts 13:48

 





   

Funky Fridays! My next series!

Writing News:  I finished my manuscript, Forsaken Dreams, book 1 of the Escape to Paradise Series!  I turned it into my publisher, so it is officially off my desk! Well, at least until I get the edits.

Here's a brief story blurb.

The Civil War brought loss and devastation to thousands of people. No one knows that better than Colonel Grant Wallace, who lost his only brother on the battlefield and his entire family in the burning of Atlanta. Now, all he wants to do is escape the heartache, the memories, and the abuse of Northern rule and start over in Brazil where he can help rebuild a new Southern utopia.

Eliza Crawford can barely remember the days of her youth spent in opulence living at her parent’s upscale hotel in Marietta, Georgia. If only she hadn’t married Brigadier-General Stanton Watts, she wouldn’t be in such dire straits. Even after his death, her family would not forgive her for marrying a Union soldier.  Now, rejected by peoples on either side of the war, Eliza  finds herself alone in the world, without friends, family, or means to provide for herself.  Perhaps in Brazil, with her secret hidden, she can escape her past, her pain, and the rejection and start over.

When a group of Southern colonists board a ship bound for Brazil to start a new colony that will preserve their Southern way of life, they didn't expect to endure such a harrowing journey. But when repeated disasters strike their ship, including a vicious storm, a strange illness, a fire, and a bird attack, they begin to wonder if there isn't some evil force trying to keep them from their destination. In addition, some of the passengers are not whom they seem to be. An x-law man searching for pirate gold, a stowaway seeking revenge on his father, a doctor terrified by the sight of blood, a woman running from the law, a spoiled plantation owner's daughter intent on turning the ship around, and a politician with a penchant for the occult, to name a few.  What secrets do they hold? And could those secrets destroy the colony before it even begins?

I don't have a cover for this book yet, but I'll post it as soon as I do!  The book releases in February 2013!

And our weather here in California has finally turned warm and sunny!

Here's a picture of the scenery on my daily walk on a trail behind my house!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

A church service at the Capitol in Washington D.C.?

http://alturl.com/giwj2

I thought I'd bring your attention to a little-known fact about the early government of the United States that most people either don't know or don't want to admit.  Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd President, has been touted as being one of the least religious of our founding fathers and the originator of the idea and term, "separation of church and state"

Yet during his administration and that of James Madison, the state became the church.. Within a year of his inauguration, Jefferson began attending church services in the House of Representatives, making it a habit to ride there every Sunday on horseback, rain or shine. In fact, it is said that Jefferson never missed a single church service, even in inclement weather. Odd for a man who wasn't religious at all and who supposedly wanted government to have nothing to do with religion. Hmmm.

http://alturl.com/2h92g

Worship services in the House--a practice that continued until after the Civil War--were acceptable to Jefferson because they were nondiscriminatory and voluntary. During the years they were held there, preachers of every denomination, including Catholics and a female evangelist  appeared. The evangelist, Dorothy Ripley, even delivered a camp meeting-style exhortation in the House to Jefferson, Vice President Aaron Burr, and a "crowded audience."

Throughout his administration, Jefferson also permitted church services in executive branch buildings and allowed the preaching of the Gospel  in the Supreme Court chambers.

Only a rational person could come to the conclusion that Jefferson wasn't at all against the melding of religion and government. From various documents and letters, including the Bill of Rights, it seems obvious that he and the other founders were simply against having an imposed national religion. In fact, by attending church services on public property, Jefferson consciously and deliberately revealed his support to religion as a basis for good republican government.

Wordless Wednesday

Resting at anchor. Ahhhhhhh

Are we doing church right?

Is it just me or is there a nagging disconnect between what I read church was like in the New Testament and what we see today in Western Culture?   Is it just me or do you wonder if there's something more to being a Christian other than just going to church on Sundays, reading your Bible, praying, and trying to be good?

I remember years ago when my husband had a "road to Damascus" type experience with God and he got immediately saved, saw visions of demons and angels and was so excited about God and so filled with His Spirit, that he spent every evening reading the Bible from cover to cover!  I remember him asking me the question. "So now what?"

It's the same question most of us ask after we have a life-changing encounter with God. How can we go back to living our normal every day lives?  How can we do that, knowing what we now know! Knowing that this world, this life, isn't the end. Knowing that God loves us so much that He made the ultimate sacrifice of His Son to rescue us and give us eternal life?  I mean, it's so exciting!! It's so incredible? How can we ever be the same?

I had no answer to give him.  For me, I just did the things I saw other good Christians doing (see above list). I did the things I was told to do until eventually I blended in with everyone else in the world as I went to work and raised a family and went about my business. Trouble is, that's just what my husband did too.  But is that all there is?

Then I read the New Testament, in particular ACTS and I'm in awe of the lives these early Christians led.
Here are some differences I see from today's church

Today                                                                                  Early Christianity
Church meets in large buildings                                         Church met in houses
Christians are spectators, listening to sermons            Everyone participated in the meeting
Pastor has ultimate authority over church                   Levels of leadership were spread among people with
                                                                                                           different gifts (1 Corinthians 12)
Lord's supper consists of wafer and juice                   Lord's supper was sharing a meal with fellow believers
Miracles are the exception                                                Miracles were the norm
Most church growth is stunted                                         Church growth exploded
Fellowship restricted to private groups or meetings    Lives were intricately tied together to help each other.
Some churchgoers tithe their 10%                                   Christians gave everything to provide for the poor
Church flooded with nominal Christians                        Christians on fire for God

Can you think of more?  I realize these early Christians didn't have the funds to build churches and later on, they were hunted down and persecuted. But I've also heard currently in countries such as China and India, secret house churches are on the rise and Christianity is exploding.  Your thoughts?

                              

Is there a fiddle on board?

Even though there wasn't much idle time aboard a ship, when the sailors did have a few moments to themselves, there really wasn't much to do. They could play cards, write letters to loved ones back home (If they knew how to write), gamble, or whittle wood. But one of their favorite things to do was sing and dance. There was always someone on board who could play an instrument so  the crew would often get together in the evening and sailors would bring out their fiddles or harmonicas and the party would begin!  

There is power in music. Have you ever been really depressed and turned on a beautiful song and instantly been cheered? Or have you ever turned on some music with a nice beat and jumped up and started dancing? I have! Do some songs bring you to tears? Can you imagine watching a movie without the wonderful scores in the background? I bet your experience would be completely different.  I use music to create a certain mood while I'm writing, depending on whether it is a stressful, romantic, or adventurous scene!  

And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you.  But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.2 Kings 3:14-15

Elisha had been asked to bless a military venture by Jehoram and Jehoshaphat against Moab. Jehoram was a bad king and Jehoshaphat followed the Lord. But what I find interesting is that Elisha asked for music to be played before he answered the men. And as soon as the music was played the hand of the Lord came upon him and he told them what to do. The rest of the story is really cool. I encourage you to look it up.

Anyway, then I remembered how HUGE a roll the musicians played (no pun intended) in Israel's temple and in their worship of God. Every time the Ark was moved, it was moved with Musicians. 

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. 1 Chron 15:28

Musicians were very important because they were in charge of worship. To us, we may shrug and say big deal, but it was a big deal because music accompanied by worship had the power to bring down the presence of God. 



The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, 2 Chron 5:13



And who can forget the story of Joshua and his army marching around Jericho with trumpets until the walls fell down?

And do you remember how King Saul, who had an evil spirit tormenting him, would be soothed and the spirit would leave whenever David played the lyre? 

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. 1 Samuel 16:23  

So what is my point? It's twofold

Be careful what you listen to. Since music has power, if you listen to music that's dark and whose lyrics are negative and talk about ungodly things, then don't be surprised if you don't feel the oppression of the enemy. 

Feel depressed, low, had a bad week? Feel as though the enemy is on your tail?  Try turning on some heavy duty praise music and fill your house, fill your car, fill your mind with worship!

Writer's worst nightmare--the dreaded DEADLINE!

First things First!  The TWO WINNERs of Lisa Norato's wonderful book, Prize of my Heart,
are  Sheri Salatin and GreenDuckie13!!!   We had 46 entries, and I used Random.org to choose the winners. Thank you all for entering!!

http://phreelancewriters.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/missing-the-deadline/

I don't know about you, but I hate deadlines. There's a reason they call them dead-lines, you know. It's because they drain the life out of you, especially your creative genius.  I mean, how am I supposed to come up with a great story line, fantastic, deep, interesting characters, plot twists and turns, and suspense on every page when this dark grim-reaper is lurking in the corners of my office?  And the worst of it is, he's clicking his tongue, ticking away the seconds and minutes and hours until all my brain can hear is a clock! A deadly clock!

When that clock strikes midnight, and my book is not done, not only do I transform from a published author sitting in her big office chair and surrounded by her many published novels, into an weak-willed woman with the word LOSER stamped on her forehead, but my book, my precious manuscript turns into a pumpkin!

Okay, Okay. So, I've never missed a deadline yet, but with one looming on the horizon (May 1st, to be exact) I thought I'd share with you a little of the hysteria that only my poor husband gets to experience.

But what really happens if my deadline passes and I'm not done. Is it really so bad? Well, I suppose that depends on the publisher.  Most, with a pat on your back of understanding, will grant you another week or two, maybe even a month.  After that time, however, the pat on the back becomes a jab in the side in the form of money you now owe them for being late.  And believe me, we authors have usually already spent our advances a Long time ago!  If more time passes, you could lose your contract, which means the publisher no longer wants your book. Even worse, you are now branded in the industry as being a no-show on your manuscripts and no decent publisher will touch you with a ten foot pole!

So, you see why the hysteria?  In truth, I've never been good at deadlines. Even as a child in school, if I had homework due I always did it as soon as I got home. I wanted to get it done so I could play and not worry about it. I guess you could say I'm definitely NOT  a procrastinator. I do the same thing with my books. As soon as I sign the contract, I'm off and running...and running...and running...writing my little heart out. Six months may seem like a long time to write a book, but believe me, I need ALL of that time to write mine. There have been times that I've put the "The End" on my book the day before the due date. For someone like me, that's a complete nightmare.

http://lookingtobusiness.com/regular-mistakes/how-i-unwind-after-a-day-at-work

Then there's my husband, the perilous procrastinator.  He waits until the last minute to do anything. In fact, I doubt he could do anything without the added pressure of an impossible deadline. Whether it be an important paper or talk at work or fixing the leaking toilet, he waits and waits, enjoying life until the toilet is about to explode or his paper is due tomorrow and then he dives in and works!  I have no idea how he can stand living like this!  I would be in the funny farm.

http://www.flashcoo.com/animal/farm-animal/html/image17.html

Having said all that, I do believe I will be done with Forsaken Dreams, Book 1 in my Escape to Paradise series by May 1st.  Yes, of course I will be. MaryLu, miss a deadline? Impossible. But in the process, I've driven myself mad for 6 months, whereas if I was like my husband, I would have only driven myself mad for the last couple months and enjoyed life the months before.

So which way do you think is better? And which way are you? Do you work better under a tight deadline and put off what you can do tomorrow?  Or does a tight deadline completely freak you out and make you too numb to do anything?

What is a Navy Press Gang?

If you're a history lover or have seen any of the Hornblower series, you may already know the answer to this question, though most movies and books do not give a completely accurate account of the practice.

Impressment was a brutal tactic in which the Royal (British) Navy would send bands of seamen, armed with cudgels, and led by a Navy lieutenant, onto shore to kidnap men and bring them aboard for service. Yes, you heard me right. Some poor fellow is simply out for a stroll or on his way to work or maybe heading to see his lady love, when a mob of men attack him and drag him on board a ship where he must serve the extension of that ship's commission. (which could be years!)   You see see why the press gangs were feared!

So what would prompt a country to do this?  Although the press gang seems to have originated in the thirteenth century, it was the Quota Act of 1795 that increased its occurrence. The Act forced every county in Britain to provide a certain number of recruits according to its population. Though civic authorities offered bounties and even freed criminals and debtors to fill the quota, they still did not have enough men.

But these gangs wouldn't just take anyone. They were looking for the following:
Men between the ages of 18 and 55
Not apprentices or gentlemen
No landsmen. The men must have some experience on board a ship.

So if you were a farmer or shopkeeper or tradesmen who had never set foot on a ship, you were probably safe. Or if you were part of the upper class or nobility. Or a woman, of course!

You were particularly vulnerable, however, if you were a merchant with vast experience at sea.  These men were often stolen right off their ships before they even made port!

Before you get too upset, once these men were made to "volunteer", they were treated like anyone else in the Navy. They were given training and pay and clothing and food. Whether they were happy or not about their new career, we may never know, though I imagine their emotions ran the gambit from furiously miserable to happy to have a job.

And just so you know, America never really picked up this practice at large, although individual states did practice impressment from time to time depending on the local law. 

Wordless Wednesday

It doesn't get any better than this!

What is wrong with romance in our culture?

As a writer of historical romances, I find the display of so called romance on TV shows, movies, and some books a complete perversion of the true meaning and value of the way God intended romance to be.

This is how the story usually goes:
Boy meets girl.
Boy thinks girl is totally hot
Girl thinks boy is totally hot
They jump in the sack and have passionate sex
Something happens that puts a rift between them (no wonder, they barely know each other)
They separate. Miss each other.
Problem gets fixed and they jump back in the sack
They live happily ever after

But do they live happily ever after?
The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%; the divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%; the divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

Wow, you would think that by your third marriage, you'd have a clue what you were doing wrong!

There is a reason God asks us to reserve sex for after marriage. It's not because He's some kind of meany or kill-joy! After all, He created sex. And since He created it, He knows that the thrill of the physical act fades, along with the physical beauty of your partner, over the years.   If that's all your relationship is based on, you're in big trouble.

We live in a world where everything revolves around physical beauty. The beautiful, sexy people are the ones who get all the attention, have the fame, the money, have the hot boyfriends or girlfriends.  No attention is paid to the far more important aspect of a person. Their character. Kindness, Gentleness, Charity, Selflessness, Honor, Honesty, Patience... you get my drift.

Trouble is, determining a person's character takes time, perhaps even years. Romance in God's eyes is far too slow for our fast-paced society.  God wants us to wait. To get to know a person before we hop into bed with them. Believe me, you don't get to know a person that way. Sex is a very powerful force that will consume a couple and steal their focus off of what's truly important in their relationship. It glosses over all the possible problems that will surface later. It covers up a person's true character and replaces it with the allure of "having a good time."

When a relationship is based purely on physical attraction, it is doomed to end tragically. Leaving behind heartache and a feeling of dirtiness and unworthy.  The worst part about it is, the same promiscuity that is found in the world is also found among Christians. Why? Because somewhere we bought the lie that the rules laid down by the Being who Created us, rules meant for our happiness, are archaic and need to be adjusted for our contemporary culture. Somehow we believe that God couldn't have possibly predicted that someday it would be accepted and normal to have sex with whomever we wanted, whenever we wanted.

Might I suggest that in His wisdom and foreknowledge, that's exactly why He gave us His Word in the first place. He knew that in the middle of the darkness, we would a compass to point toward the light.

God's Resurrection Power!

http://www.christian-wallpaper.com/preview.asp?id=789

Last week we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus. Maybe you went to church, had family over for Ham, had Easter baskets and an egg hunt for the kids. Whatever you did, I wonder if you took any time to actually think about what resurrection really means.

When I looked it up in the dictionary, it had three meanings
The act of rising from the dead
The state of those risen from the dead
A rising again as from decay or disuse

Either way, it's a really good thing! And also very cool. It basically means something that was dead has been brought back to life. Something that was in a state of decay and disuse has now been restored and is useful.

If you know anything about God Almighty, you know He's in the business of resurrection.  And I don't just mean bringing dead people back to life. I also mean bringing life back into your finances, your health, your relationships, etc.  He LOVES to breath life into decaying and useless things!

Jesus told us Himself  “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die"  John 11:25

In other words, He is the only one who can resurrection your life, your health, your finances, your relationships, your soul, your spirit, and ultimately your body. Just Him. He doesn't just preform resurrections. He IS the resurrection.

In fact, anyone who comes in close contact with God cannot help but be resurrected. God is life. He is the Creator of all life. You cannot be close to Him and not be changed! 

Elisha died and was buried.   Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.  Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. 2 Kings 13:20-21

I recently came across this story in Kings and it blew me away. Elisha was a mighty prophet of God who had preformed countless miracles, even raising people from the dead himself.  Yet after his own death, as they were burying Him, God's presence, God's life-giving power was still so strong on Elisha's body that when a dead man touched Elisha's bones, he sprang back to life! Amazing.

http://www.shepherdofthehills.tv/

Throughout the Old and New Testament, God raised the dead multiple times.  We may think that's incredible and mind-boggling, but honestly, bringing life back into human flesh is no big deal for God. The real difficulty came in resurrecting man's dead spirit. The spirit that had been dead since Adam's fall. The spirit within each of us that was in bondage to Satan and sin.  That required a clever plan and a huge sacrifice. God's only Son had to offer Himself on the Cross and then rise again so that those who accepted His sacrifice, could have their spirits resurrected. 


When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, Colossians 2:13 

You may not feel like your spirit has been resurrected, but if you're a follower of Jesus, it has!  You have the Holy Spirit indwelling you, reviving your man-spirit and keeping it protected until you die and the Angels come to escort you to Heaven.  Not only that but God indwells you. That means His resurrection power is beaming out from within you to a broken world.  Like Elisha, our very bones should be so saturated with God that anyone who comes in contact with us should be affected in a positive way. Their spirits should feel something, sense something beautiful and hopeful and peaceful. They should sense Life!

If that's not happening, then perhaps we should pray the prayer from Ephesians 3 that says

May we be rooted deep in God's love and founded securely on love. May we have the power to grasp the experience of that love and what is the breadth, length, height and depth of it. May we really come to know practically and through experience the love of Christ so we will be filled with the fullness of God. That we may have the richest measure of the Divine Presence and become bodies wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

ttp://paintingsofsusannakatherine.blogspot.com/2011/02/painting-of-woman-praising-god-2.html

How to add description to your story without boring your reader!

Let's face it, some of those old time novels could get mighty lengthy on the old description.  Zzzzzzzzzz.  Talk about boring. If you're going to spend a page describing the scenery, I've already closed the book and moved onto something else. Yes, I'm that neurotic!  More like OCD distracted. Besides, in the pre-TV past, people had more patience and more time, but in the age of instant gratification, we want to jump right into the action.

I'm not really a detail person. I like the overall picture, a hint of two about the scenery and characters and then let's dive into the DRAMA.  Love drama on TV and in books. Not so much in real life.  Anyway, so how do you give the reader a sense of the surroundings and what the characters look like without putting them to sleep?

Simple. If you can't write a story without description (which I don't recommend), then make description part of the story!

Just like turning setting into a character, you can transform description into part of the character's experience.  What you want to avoid is writing a laundry list of descriptors such as

She entered the room. Glittering sconces lined the walls and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The foyer was large and crowded with people. An orchestra played.  Intricately carved crown molding lined the ceiling above Dutch floral paintings.

(Yawn....  Oh, sorry, I drifted off.) 

Here are some excerpts from my upcoming release, Veil of Pearls.

Light from hundreds of glittering sconces and chandeliers blinded her. She blinked as they greeted the host and hostess, both of whom barely acknowledged her. . . .The foyer was ten times the size of the Doctor’s and abuzz with chattering people who all shot their gazes her way to see what strange oddity Mr. Rutledge had brought to the party. Orchestra music drifted atop beaded and jeweled coiffures from a room to their left. A butler took Mr. Rutledge's cape and hat and her shawl before she could protest. She didn’t plan on staying that long. Mr. Rutledge patted her hand and led her into the massive ball room. The first thing Adalia noticed was how large the room was, the second, the intricately carved crown molding lining the ceiling above Dutch floral paintings and crystalline chandeliers—such beauty and lavishness she’d never seen. The third thing she noticed was that once again everyone turned to stare at her. In fact, the chattering faded to clandestine whispers as ladies leaned together behind fans.

The best way to write description is:
Show how your character reacts to his or her surroundings
Interject action among the description
Allow the setting to interact with the description

• The lights are bright. They blind her and she blinks.   
• Instead of just saying there were a lot of people, show how your character sees them and how they sound. Abuzz with chattering people.  
• Instead of just saying that the character heard music, combine the music with an added description of the people.  Orchestra music drifted atop beaded and jeweled coiffures
• Notice there's action incorporated into the description. A butler takes their cape and hat. Her escort leads her into the room.
•  And finally we have the description of the crown molding and paintings..followed by her reaction to them, such beauty and lavishness she'd never seen.  You can almost feel her awe and wonder!

And the same thing applies to descriptions of people

Mr. Rutledge seemed quite the don juan. He was handsome, wore a simple linen shirt, waistcoat and trousers tucked within high boots. He had wheat-colored hair, green eyes, and dark whiskers on his chin. 

By the way the ladies lining the marketplace gaped at him, Adalia assumed Mr. Rutledge was quite the don juan. Perhaps he wished to add another feather to his cap with the new lady in town. No doubt most servant girls would swoon over any attention paid them by this handsome, wealthy rake. For he was handsome, indeed. Even more handsome than she remembered. His face no longer held that look of abject boredom so often found on the spawn of the tediously affluent.  In fact, he seemed much more alive. Maybe his common attire—a simple linen shirt, waistcoat, and trousers tucked within high boots—brought his usual arrogance down to a manageable level. In any case, it couldn’t hurt to enjoy the way his wheat-colored hair flung about him in wild abandon, the sprinkle of dark whiskers on his chin, and even the spark of mischief in his stark green eyes. Though she’d spurned him, he held himself with authority as he awaited her reply.
 

• By showing how others react to Mr. Rutledge, the reader gets a good feeling of his appearance. the ladies lining the marketplace gaped at him  and swoon over any attention paid them by this handsome, wealthy rake
• This statement not only gives us a hint of his expression, but gives us great insight into our character's opinion of the wealthy.  His face no longer held that look of abject boredom so often found on the spawn of the tediously affluent.
• Again, our character is reacting to the sight of Mr. Rutledge when she says brought his usual arrogance down to a manageable level.   The reader sees that his current attire is not as fancy as what he normally wears. Plus we realize she thinks he is arrogant.
• We have the wind interacting with Mr. Rutledge's face:  wheat-colored hair flung about him in wild abandon,
• And instead of just saying he had green eyes, we see them through our character's eyes.... she sees the spark of mischief. 

 So, don't bore your readers!  Jump into your character's skin and show us how he or she reacts to what they see. It takes a little more work but the result is worth it!

Happy Writing and Reading!

Batimore, a nest of Pirates!

If you've read my Destiny series, you probably already know how important the city of Baltimore was to the American cause.

Baltimore sent out more privateers and letters-of-marque than any other city. Her captures were nearly double those of all the US vessels combined, and, in fact, nearly one-third of the total captures made.

Out of a total of 1,634 British prizes captured:

 254 were taken by the regular navy, later increased to 20 vessels

1,380 by the 250 American privateers. (Yea, Privateers!)

Baltimore sent forth 61, or nearly one-fourth of the privateers and letters-of-marque. These captured 476 prizes, or more than one-third of those taken by privateers. If to these be added the 41 prizes taken by Baltimore men in command of government vessels, the 19 captured by Commodore Rodgers' squadron, the 18 by the U. S. frigate Essex, Captain David Porter, and the 4 taken by the Chesapeake, there will be a total of 517 captures made by Baltimore vessels and men, which is not far from one-third of the entire number taken. 

No wonder the British referred to Baltimore as a "Nest of Pirates"!  

So, brilliant sages, do you know what the difference between a privateer and a letter-of-marque is?   Leave a comment and see if you're right!

Wordless Wednesday!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80955345/pirate-ship-at-sea

    Sailing on the Crystal Blue Sea!

Can we change our culture for Christ? Or is it too late?

How did an atheist activist, who once sued the city government in Athens Texas to have a Nativity Scene removed from the town square, do a 180 and become a follower of Jesus and want to become a preacher?

The answer is LOVE.

Despite his actions against the religious symbol, when residents found out that Patrick Greene was suffering from a serious eye condition that could lead to blindness and he was forced to retire, Christians came together to raise funds for him and his wife to purchase groceries after he fell ill.
They offered him $400 for groceries and other needs. This simple gift, which was given despite ideological and theological differences, apparently caused Greene to re-think his atheistic inclinations. The Christian Post recaps his transformation from non-belief to an adherence to Jesus Christ:

“There’s been one lingering thought in the back of my head my entire life, and it‘s one thought that I’ve never been able to reconcile, and that is the vast difference between all the animals and us,” Greene told The Christian Post on Tuesday, as he began to explain his recent transformation from atheist to Christian. The theory of evolution didn’t answer his questions, he says, so he just set those questions aside and didn’t think about them anymore.

But when the Christians in a town that had reason to be angry with him showed him a gesture of love, he began reconsidering his beliefs altogether. He eventually began to realize that evolution would never have the answer to his questions, he says, and it was at that time he began to believe in God.
“I kind of realized that the questions I [was] asking you just had to accept on faith without doubting every period and every comma,” he said. He later began studying the Bible, both the Old Testament and the Gospels, and also discovered his belief that Jesus is the Son of God.

Greene says his wife, who remains an atheist, is surprised by his conversion. That being said, he claims the two are able to cope with their differences without putting one another down or bashing the other’s beliefs.
Perhaps more surprising than Greene’s conversion — which was unexpected considering his past activism — is his plan to consider entering ministry.

It seems that turning the other cheek as the Christians did, while showing love can, indeed, have a positive impact.

So can we change the world???   YES. One person at a time.
Is it too late? NO.
Get out there and show the Love of God!!

Excerpts taken from article found at  The Blaze

Did Jesus descend into Hell?

http://www.turnbacktogod.com/jesus-christ-crucifixion-wallpaper-set-15/

I know. I know. Controversial subject, but hear me out.   As I'm writing this post, today is Good Friday, the day Jesus was hung on the cross to redeem all of mankind from Satan's grip.  It's a solemn day. A day to remember and reflect all that the Son of God did for us.  Many of you have watched the movie, The Passion, or at least tried to watch it. As horrible as that movie depicted the crucifixion, the physical torture that Jesus endured was beyond anything we could imagine.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

You may have heard it said that it was God's ultimate rejection of Jesus that actually killed Him and broke His heart. I agree. When the sins of the entire world, past, present, and future were laid upon Jesus on that cross, Father God turned His face away from His Son for this first time in all of eternity. And Jesus felt it. He cried out in agony:

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  Matthew 27:46

Have you ever been rejected by someone you loved, trusted, someone you thought would always be there? I have. It hurts horribly.  Yet, the rejection Jesus felt was so much worse that that. He and the Father had been in constant communication and fellowship in a relationship closer than we could ever imagine since before time began. The loss Jesus felt was unimaginable.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from saving me,
   so far from my cries of anguish?
 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
   by night, but I find no rest   Psalm 22

But that wasn't the worst of it.  It was much more than rejection. Jesus also suffered wave after wave of the full wrath of God for our sins while he hung there, all at the hands of His beloved Father. I can't imagine the horror of that!  Many of us know how much more painful a broken heart is than a broken bone.  Jesus suffered the worst of the worst kind of rejection.. the wrath, the punishment, the hatred of His Father, whom He adored.

But then Jesus cried, "It is finished."  And He gave up His Spirit. But then what?

“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. Ephesians 4:8-9

Jesus did descend into the lower parts of the earth, but not Hell. He descended into Hades, the holding place for the dead.  Why? For three reasons that I can find

• He preached to them (essentially gave them the good news!)
• He freed the Righteous Dead to go to Heaven
• He took the Keys to Hades from the Devil  

Boy, would I have loved to be there to watch that!!   Afterward, Jesus's Spirit ascended into Heaven to await His resurrection.

But God didn't leave His Son there.

For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
 You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of joy in Your presence.   Acts 2

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.  Revelation 1:18

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/10159247@N04/2782929264/

I, for one, am glad Jesus is in possession of the Keys of Death and Hades!  Why does He need them? Because when He returns and sets up His judgement seat, He will release those departed souls who've been locked there through the ages and each one of them will stand before Him and give an account of their lives.

A sobering thought for those who never received His free gift of eternal life!