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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Intriguing new Bible Study! The Book of Ruth - A Story of Love and Redemption
Friday, November 11, 2011
Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home, a new anthology
Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home, an interview with April Gardner and
Elaine Marie Cooper, two of the contributors to this anthology.
Saying
good bye to a loved one leaving for war is a gut-wrenching proposition. But for
those left behind, their deployment marks the beginning of our
battle. And yet, it is possible to find God’s peace in the midst of fear and
conquer the terror that lurks in the darkness of doubt. In Fighting Fear:
Winning the War at Home, parents, spouses and siblings recount their
personal journey as God goes before His people during times of spiritual,
physical and military warfare. Learn the secret to living a peace-filled life
when a loved one leaves for battle. Fight fear; win the war at home.
1. Tell us how you got
involved in this project and what you hope will result.
April: It was actually Elaine that alerted me to the project. I knew
instantly that I needed to do my part, in this amazing book. Deployments are a
regular part of my life. I've been there many times, and will be there again.
Besides the Lord, it's been the support of understanding friends that's gotten
me through. That's what this devotional is--friends reaching out to touch the
lives of those who are lonely, fearful, and in need.
Elaine: I got involved in this project when I saw a posting on a
blog that Edie Melson was looking for contributions to a devotional for
families who had a loved one at war—any war. Edie wanted first person accounts
that emphasized various aspects of dealing with the real-life difficulties of
having a loved one on deployment and how, as Christians, our faith was able to
sustain us. Since my own son had been deployed twice, I was able to draw on the
personal angst of a Mom who knows her son is in danger, yet trusting that the
God Who created him would be his shelter in war. What I hoped to impart was my
own real life scenario: already dealing with the loss of my daughter to cancer,
limited support of my family members, and struggling to maintain faith amidst
my own battles on the home front. I hope that by sharing my own moments of both
fear and faith, I can help others walking in my shoes.
2. Can you share a little
summary of your contribution to the book?
April: When I heard about the project, my husband was in the middle
of an eight month deployment in Baghdad. I knew instantly I needed to be a part
of Fighting Fear, but it took months for the Lord to guide me in exactly
what to write. It was over the holidays at a small town post office that God
used an elderly woman and her generosity to sooth my ache. Needing to be a
constant pillar of strength for my kids, I didn't know how scared and lonely I
was until that kind stranger gave me permission to cry. God's strength and
comfort comes in many forms and it's those forms this book addresses.
Elaine: I couldn’t believe the title of my son’s e-mail: “In the Sandbox.”
My breathing quickened as I clicked to open it.
There were the words that made my heart lurch and my soul cry out. My son was
actually in Iraq on the ground.
He’s supposed to be in
the Persian Gulf on his aircraft carrier,
I thought. Tears were pouring down my cheeks. Why is he there, on the
ground?
My son Ben explained in
his note that he had been flown into the country from “the boat” to help
coordinate flying missions. It was an honor and spoke highly of his character
and leadership ability.
But that’s my son, I cried out to God. This isn’t fair.
I
remembered telling my children for years that life was not always fair. Never
had it seemed more unfair than three years prior to Ben’s deployment, when my
only daughter was taken from us, the victim of a brain tumor. Before she had
been diagnosed with this devastating cancer, the horror of 9-11 had occurred,
prompting Ben to join the Navy and defend our nation. So while my husband and I
fought our daughter’s cancer battle at home, Ben was sent to Florida to train
to go to war in the Middle East. In May of 2006 he left for Iraq.
3. What was it like to write
about this experience?
April: It was tough! But good for me. Writing it freshened the
experience and its encouragement. It reminded me of God's sovereignty and love.
Elaine: Writing about my experience was heartbreaking. Even now
reading it, the tears begin to flow. I don't know that the passage of time ever
removes the deep, painful times from a mother's heart. And knowing that in 2012
he could be deployed again only adds to the distress. Yet the God Who watched
over my son in 2006 is still watching over him today—and tomorrow as well.
4. Have you connected with
others and/or learned something in the process of this project?
April: I've been amazed at how eager and desperate people are for
encouragement during deployments. Not only family members but friends, as well,
who want to do something to help. Many have already told me they can't wait for
the release so they can buy the book for someone in need.
Elaine: Other than April and Edie, I have not connected with any
of the other contributors as yet. I want to read the whole compilation of
stories before reaching out to the others on a more personal basis as we share
our struggles as fellow fighters of fear.
5. Anything else? Thanks for the opportunity to share about this much
needed book. The war in the Middle East is now the longest war in American
history. Our troops are weary. Their families are falling apart. Fighting
Fear couldn't have come at a better time.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Day Tour with Elaine Marie Cooper
About The Promise of Deer Run:
America’s war for freedom from England has been over for seven years, but the wounds of that conflict still haunt the minds and hearts of the residents of Deer Run. Young American veteran Nathaniel Stearns has withdrawn to a life of isolation as he awaits his father who never returned from the war.
America’s war for freedom from England has been over for seven years, but the wounds of that conflict still haunt the minds and hearts of the residents of Deer Run. Young American veteran Nathaniel Stearns has withdrawn to a life of isolation as he awaits his father who never returned from the war.
A
near-tragedy in the woods brings Nathaniel face-to-face with nineteen-year-old
Sarah Thomsen, someone he had long admired but he assumed had eyes for another.
This chance encounter opens a crack into the door of his heart as mutual
affection quickly blooms.
But slander and lies soon mar the budding romance, rendering both Sarah and Nathaniel wounded and untrusting as their faith in both their God and each other is shattered. Set in 1790, this book continues the story of the Thomsen and Lowe families as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of the war that birthed the United States.
About the Author:Elaine
Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest with her
husband, her three dogs and one huge cat. She has two married sons and triplet
grandchildren who are now one years old. The Promise of Deer Run
is dedicated to the triplets and to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. Elaine has been a magazine freelance writer for many years,
and is a regular contributor to a blog on the Midwest called The Barn Door and a blog on Christian
living called Reflections
In Hindsight. She is the author of The Road to Deer Run and the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run.
Prior to becoming an author, Elaine worked as a registered nurse.
An Absolutely Charming Tale!
Once again, Elaine Marie Cooper pens an absolutely charming tale of eighteenth century Americana. War, no matter the era, takes its toll on both soldiers and families. The Promise of Deer Run is a precious next story following Mary and Daniel’s story in The Road to Deer Run, picking up with Mary’s sister, Sarah a few years down the line. Be sure to read the first book too! As a historian and author, I am grateful to Elaine for her dedication to authenticity.
—Lisa Lickel, author of A Summer in Oakville
Leave a comment with your e-mail here by November 18 to be entered into a drawing for the following: Winner announced November 21, 2011.
Grand Prize (Retail Value: $297.38) Contains:• Basket • $25 Starbucks gift card • Spode Christmas teapot • Spode Christmas mugs • Yankee candle • Hardbound copy The Road to Deer Run • Hardbound copy The Promise of Deer Run • Bath and Body Paris Amour scent
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Letters to God - special today
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Touring with my friend Elaine Marie Cooper
About The Promise of Deer Run:
America’s war for freedom from England has been over for seven years, but the wounds of that conflict still haunt the minds and hearts of the residents of Deer Run. Young American veteran Nathaniel Stearns has withdrawn to a life of isolation as he awaits his father who never returned from the war.
A near-tragedy in the woods brings Nathaniel face-to-face with nineteen-year-old Sarah Thomsen, someone he had long admired but he assumed had eyes for another. This chance encounter opens a crack into the door of his heart as mutual affection quickly blooms.
But slander and lies soon mar the budding romance, rendering both Sarah and Nathaniel wounded and untrusting as their faith in both their God and each other is shattered. Set in 1790, this book continues the story of the Thomsen and Lowe families as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of the war that birthed the United States.
The Promise of Deer Run
ISBN: 9781462037964
Softcover: $16.95 ISBN: 9781462037971
Hardcover: $26.95 ISBN: 1462037968
E-book: $9.99 Released: August 16, 2011
In book one, The Road to Deer Run and now in the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run, I made every effort to stay true to the colonial times. Descriptions of food, homes, clothing, farming, worship practices, medical care, etc. are the result of extensive research.
It has been a personally inspiring experience to write these novels. While the times have changed since the 18th century, the same struggles of their day are our own. Forgiveness, fear, pain, illness, despair, the pain of having a family member at war, the death of a loved one—these are all the battles we contend with in the 21st century. But we also share faith, laughter, love, the excitement of that first kiss, the wonder of looking at a newborn. These are the same joys that we share with our ancestors who are so much a part of who we are.
Their journeys are interwoven with our own.
Grand Prize (Retail Value: $297.38) Contains: • Basket • $25 Starbucks gift card • Spode Christmas teapot • Spode Christmas mugs • Yankee candle • Hardbound copy The Road to Deer Run • Hardbound copy The Promise of Deer Run • Bath and Body Paris Amour scent
ON THURSDAY, COME BACK TO READ THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY AND SEE THE TRAILER.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Classics Review of The Grand Inquisitor with Lorilyn Roberts
The Grand Inquisitor
by Fydor Dostoevsky
A Politically
Incorrect Critique
The Grand Inquisitor
by Fydor Dostoevsky is a parable in his novel, The Brothers Karamazov. The story takes place in Seville , Spain
According to the parable, Christ came back once again,
briefly, and appeared quietly in the midst of the people, healing those who
came to Him. The crowds recognized Him and clambered to be near Him. Christ
healed the blind and the needy bowed down to Him. But Christ was too good, too
powerful, and the guards came and took Him away. The Inquisitor came to the
Prisoner and asked, "Why, then, art Thou come to hinder us?"
There followed a conversation between the Prisoner and the
Inquisitor which was disturbing. Christ’s thirty-three years on earth was
distorted. The Inquisitor implied that Christ had failed at His mission; that
He didn't set men free, for example, and therefore it fell on the church to set
men free. According to the Inquisitor, freedom meant bondage. The Inquisitor
believed that men couldn’t be free, that they needed to be told what to do, and
the church saved the masses by forcing them to cower in submission.
The Inquisitor twisted the meaning of Christ's three
temptations in the wilderness; speaking as if he (the Inquisitor) was Satan
incarnate, using distorted logic with a kernel of truth when carried to its
logical conclusion.
The parable encompassed more than a spiritual meaning and
made a political statement; i.e., referencing the notorious conquerors of
Timours and Ghenghis-Khan, who subdued men in the name of unity. The Inquisitor
valued submission.
When one contemplates the ideology and the two choices
presented in the parable—freedom versus bondage—and the Bolshevik Revolution
that followed a few decades after Dostoevsky’s death, I wonder what Dostoevsky
had in mind—who was The Grand Inquisitor?
And surely he gave the Russian people more credit than what he opined. Did Dostoevsky
not believe they could live in unity and freedom?
Was the great experiment of American democracy in the 1800’s not sufficient to persuade him? Or was he prophetic? Did he believe the populace would be unable to handle the same freedom if given it? Or was he equating the Inquisitor simply with the time of the Great Inquisition and the depravity of mankind; that even if Christ had returned again, He would have been rejected? Did he accuse men after sixteen centuries of being just as wicked, concluding that Christ had failed once again? Could one surmise that the Inquisitor was Satan himself?
Was the great experiment of American democracy in the 1800’s not sufficient to persuade him? Or was he prophetic? Did he believe the populace would be unable to handle the same freedom if given it? Or was he equating the Inquisitor simply with the time of the Great Inquisition and the depravity of mankind; that even if Christ had returned again, He would have been rejected? Did he accuse men after sixteen centuries of being just as wicked, concluding that Christ had failed once again? Could one surmise that the Inquisitor was Satan himself?
I read The Brothers
Karamazov to understand the context in which the parable was written. The
parable was told by Ivan, an intellectual, to his Christian mystic brother,
Alyosha. Alyosha, in my opinion, was too weak, but represented a moderating
influence on the otherwise dark story that covered much of the book.
Toward the end of the parable, Alyosha stated to Ivan,
"You don't believe in God." Those who don't believe in God take the
most loving aspects of Christ—His salvation and death on the cross—and belittle
it. Perhaps Alyosha was comparing his brother to The Grand Inquisitor. Alyosha kissed his brother Ivan on the lips,
reminiscent of Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss. But representing the
opposite meaning—a feeble attempt at best.
Dostoevsky referenced the Masons in a less than glamorous
way, accusing them of possessing the same "mystery," perhaps in
conflict with the Catholics' pursuit of unity.
Dostoyevsky raised more questions than he answered. I felt a
sense of hopelessness in the parable. Perhaps if Alyosha was more assertive and
less passive, he could have countered the progressive mindset of Ivan—who
attempted to intellectually provide answers to questions that did not require
belief in a higher being. Ivan’s tone
was over‑reaching and intolerant. The two brothers represented types‑‑the
intellectual versus the mystic (I will include the third brother when I analyze
the entire book).
The parable provides no easy answers to the accusations of The Grand Inquisitor. Did Dostoevsky
have an answer? Perhaps that's the point—to give the reader the freedom to
ponder, unlike the accusations of The
Grand Inquisitor, who didn't give people enough credit to even do that.
Perspective is everything. Having had more time to consider
the book, The Brothers Karamazov, I
wonder if my early thoughts were flawed. Upon further reflection, I don’t
believe Alyosha was weak. He was humble. His responses were much like Jesus’
response to those who criticized Him. He never lashed back, except at the money
changers. And perhaps Dostoevsky was making a broader statement about life.
Communism followed in Russia America
If you cherish your freedom, don’t be like the masses who
expect the government to take care of them. Don’t take that government handout.
Don’t expect the government to do for you what you can do for yourself.
God gave us freedom in Christ. He knew there would always be
tyrannical governments, like the Romans, and Alexander the Great, and Hitler.
If each person takes a leap of faith, trusts God, and become his brother’s
keeper, we can prevent our country from going the way of others.
As my mother says, our country is going to hell in a
handbasket. Little by little, The Grand
Inquisitor will have his way in America
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Classics Review of A Tale of Two Cities with Lorilyn Roberts
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens
Review by LorilynRoberts
(spoiler)
A Tale of Two Cities has
a complicated plot with twists and turns that eventually unravel the tightly
woven story. The story begins in France ,
several years before the French Revolution, switches to England , and then returns to France France
Of particular interest are the characters; the protagonist,
Lucie Manette, discovers her father has been found alive imprisoned in the French
Bastille for the last eighteen years. Lucie is the embodiment of love, and her
unconditional love restores her father’s sanity.
As the French Revolution draws nearer, the reader senses the
progression of hopeless bloodshed through the continued foreshadowing of
events. There is an overarching uneasiness that something evil is going to
happen to the main characters. The darkness of one of the main antagonists, Madame
DeFarge, and her constant knitting of the names of those condemned to death,
stands in stark contrast to the loving protagonist, Lucie Manette.
Soon Darnay and Lucie marry, and a few years later, the French Revolution begins.
Soon Darnay and Lucie marry, and a few years later, the French Revolution begins.
Dickens shows the intense suffering and affliction of the
masses and the arrogant aristocracy, which is portrayed by the heartless Marquis Evrémonde when he runs over a
poor plebian child. The impending conflict in France
creeps ever so closer to the Manette family in England
when Darnay travels to France Paris
The tight
plot, where nothing is wasted, builds to a stunning conclusion with the
eventual escape of Lucie, Darnay, and their young daughter from Paris back to London
One of the most poignant characters is Sydney Carton. In the
beginning, he is an unhappy attorney that has taken to drink and feels his life
has been wasted; yet, he still longs for a meaningful relationship and finds it
in the ever-so-compassionate Lucie Manette. Through her kindness, he becomes
more than he could have hoped for or imagined. Her love reaches deep, and, in
the end, propels him to make the ultimate sacrifice for Lucie and her family,
where his purpose in living embodies ultimate redemption.
A Tale of Two Cities
reminds me of those books and movies that need to be enjoyed twice; the first
time for the overview of the complex plot, and the second time to appreciate
the various symbolisms and motifs that make for a magnificent story.
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