Just wanted to let everyone know that my latest book is now available for purchase at http://www.elizabethslondonguide.com/index.html
The book is a work of historical fiction. Join fictional author Willie Lightfoot as he guides you through 1598 Elizabethan London. Discover the world that brought us Shakespeare, the flushing toilet, Tom Foolery and the box office!
Pick up a copy, and tell all your friends! Ren-Faire fans won’t want to miss out on this!
Thanks!
For those of you who have not read this awesome book by George Bryan Polivka, the following blog might just be a spoiler for you. Read ahead at your own risk.
In this book, there is a lady, Jenta, and her husband. The dynamics between these two is very good and so is the description of the relationship between Jenta and her captor. There is a lot to this story, and a lot of plot twists.
One of the plot twists that I particularly liked was towards the end when the reader is led to beleive that Jenta’s husband and herself are dead and lost forever without seeing each other for a last time.
My emotions got the better of me while reading the scene in which they said goodbye and I liked having my suspicions confirmed about her husband.
I especially liked what happened at the end of the book with Mr. Delaney Smith…I won’t spoil it for you, but I can tell you that its not quite what I expected. If you are interested in this book, I would strongly urge you to go out and buy yourself a copy. It is a book that I plan on reading over again. I am sure I will not be as surprised with some situations in the book, but it is so well written that I want to be back in the story again. I think George Bryan Polivka is a great author and I will be spending some time looking for other titles by him at my library and local bookstores, I encourage you to do the same.
For more information about this book, check out what these other blogs have to say.
Blaggard’s Moon – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736925376 .
George Bryan Polivka’s Web site – http://www.nearingvast.com/
*Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespack
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
Watch your actions; you have never met a mere mortal. This is an exerpt that I think will affect those who love the Lord…
The Weight of Glory (edited)
C.S. Lewis…
It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken.
It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities[indeed one or the other is an eventuality], it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another… all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.
There are no ordinary people.
You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.
This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.
And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling[that is, heartbreak]for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to…[God Himself], your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ ‘vere latitat’—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.
This is my 2nd installment of my review of the book “Blaggard’s Moon” by George Bryan Polivka.
For those of you who have not read the book, most likely the rest of my post’s will be spoilers for you. Read ahead at your own peril.
In this book, there seem to be two narrators. One Delaney Smith, whom I mentioned in post 1, and one Ham Drumbone. While at times, it can make the story confusing, being pulled in and drawn out of the story within the story, I actually found it refreshing. I like the idea of the main character (although at times, it does not seem that he is the main character at all) having memories and being able to look into those as though they were my very own all along.
The author does a good job of bringing out all the emotions of each character in this book and making the reader unsure of what is going to happen next. There were many times that I thought I had it all pinned down what the plot of the chapter was to find that I had no clue at all. I like being surprised. While there were many, there were not so much that I expected the unexpected. (I hope that made sense!)
I especially liked how he seemed to be able to reason the woman’s part in the book. While at times it is not what I would have done in that situation, I think he did a good job of trying to get into a woman’s emotional state of mind and determination that arises out of crises.
For more reviews on this book take a look at these blogs.
Blaggard’s Moon – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736925376 .
George Bryan Polivka’s Web site – http://www.nearingvast.com/
*Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespack
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
It’s always cool to find out that your favorite animal comes in another form you never heard of. Squirrels and fish that fly, worms that melt, black bears that are brown, albino moose. It gives you a new perspective, more reasons to like the creature. It may even make it seem like there are more of that particular animal now that you know there’s another kind.
And considering that last effect, I now introduce you to another of Mount Rainier’s strange inhabitants… the Spotted Skunk! That’s right, there are more of these delightful creatures in the world than you realized. And they’re spreading the love just like their stripped cousins. There are a few types of Spotted Skunks, and the type in Mount Rainier are simply known as the Western Spotted Skunk.
These guys are smaller and faster than their cousins, and they have finer pelts. And they have the stink cannon too. They’ll give off a warning before spraying, usually tapping their feet and raising their tail. Sometimes they’ll even stand on their front legs and lift their rear end, where the spray comes from, up into the air. Watch out, they can spray accurately up to 15 feet away. They can pack up to five shots at a time before taking a week to reload.
Hydrogen peroxide or baking soda are the easiest things to use to get rid of a shot of skunk perfume. Be careful, these can alter hair color on people as well as animals. Bleach is also effective in getting rid of the odor, but obviously one should be more careful when using bleach. Your best bet… just stay far away from them. Don’t leave food out, they’ll get into just about anything an average camper packs to eat.
Some may want to brave finding one of these little guys for the sake of seeing such a unique creature, or maybe even for the sake of adding to their personal photo collection. The key to finding more of these unique creatures in Mount Rainier… hike through as much of the park as you can. The more ground you cover, the more chances you’ll have of seeing what few others have seen. Mt. Rainier has many different terrains, as we have seen in our series on Life Zones. To safely and comfortably navigate all areas, make sure you’re fully equipped. The best place to get all your Mount Rainier equipment… Whittaker Mountaineering. Not only do they likely have whatever gear you’re looking for, they’re also staffed with experts on Mount Rainier. Check them out at http://www.whittakermountaineering.com/pg/home
Remember to give God glory for all His creativity!!!
This is the 2nd book I have read as part of CSFFBT and I have got to say that it was quite interesting.
The book is “Blaggard’s Moon” by George Bryan Polivka.
I loved the cover art, which in my opinion is part of what draws one into a book, sometimes at first glance. It is what makes a person decide to follow the intrigue that it has brought up. In this case, the books cover made me smell the ocean air and see the giant moon up close. I wanted to be on the ship rolling across whatever waves might be lapping against the hull of the ship, and if I closed my eyes, I could imagine myself being there. I wanted to know though, where the ship was headed, what it was doing out on the ocean all alone, and most importantly, to find out what a “Blaggard” was.
The book does a good job of drawing you into its world. Even from the title of the first chapter. I actually had to re-read the first chapters heading to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind and not being able to read anymore, then I finally recognized it as a different language.
*possible spoiler in red*
The first person I came across in the book was Smith Delaney. A good fellow seems to be, but there are things at work in his heart and in his head that might convince a person that he is not quite so good.
I did find out what a Blaggard was, although I am still not sure if it is a real word or just one made up, either way, it seems to fit.
Look for installment #2 of Blaggard’s Moon and check out these other blogs for more about Blaggard’s Moon.
Blaggard’s Moon – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736925376 .
George Bryan Polivka’s Web site – http://www.nearingvast.com/
*Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Melissa Carswell
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Magma
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespack
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
The hour had now come for Jesus to be glorified. The Jews said their Hosannas, and now even the Greeks who came to worship God wanted to see Jesus.
And in this hour of glory Jesus states that He must die.
It may be hard to think of this as glorious, but remember that His life was not taken from Him. He laid it down willingly for his people.
We too shall be honored by God when we lay down our own lives; when we go where He goes, and live as servants of Christ. It may trouble our hearts to go through the hardships He calls us to, but remember it troubled Jesus’ heart too (v27).
But shall we say “Father, save me from this hour?” Jesus didn’t. It was for this very reason that He came to the hour of glory, the hour of death. If God brings us to a place that requires a cross, then we must remember that He brought us there for that very reason. If we love our life we will lose it.
If we can lose our life… we will find it. And it will be something better than we could have ever imagined!
The Jews of Jesus’ day were looking for deliverance from Rome. With that in mind, if we look at Zechariah chapter 9 it’s not hard to see why they were so excited when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem.
Zechariah 9 speaks of Jerusalem’s deliverer, and it is powerful! It’s exciting! Verse 8 says “But I will defend My house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I am keeping watch.” That’s just one verse of it, the rest is in the same vein.
This “Triumphant Entry” of John 12 was the same event in which Jesus said that if the people didn’t worship Him then the rocks would cry out. These people were pumped. But when it turned out He wasn’t making a physical kingdom, we see a shift in the crowds. It wasn’t long after this entry that the crowds shouted “Crucify!”
Do we do the same thing? We see the behaviour of these people as foolish, but then we go about our lives expecting God’s deliverance for us to be an earthly one. And when He doesn’t overthrow the Romans people get upset, they doubt Him, and they even put Him on a cross with their sins.
Read Zechariah 9, but recognize the truth of it. The real deliverance. We can, and certainly ought to shout “HOSANNA!” Our King has come, righteous and having salvation. He is gentle, and proclaims peace to His own. We will still face the hardships of this world if we live but a bit longer. Thank the Lord that His salvation for us is not simply from the temporary things, but from that which wages war on our souls.
Hosanna!
After withdrawing from the public for a time, Jesus comes to a dinner in Bethany (where Lazarus lived). The dinner was to honor Jesus.
Martha served, Jesus and Lazarus were among those reclining at the table. Mary was on the floor, pouring expensive perfume onto Jesus’ feet and wiping His feet with her hair.
And Judas was there, Judas Iscariot. When he saw what Mary was doing he objected, saying that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But as verse six tells us, Judas didn’t say this out of concern for the poor. He said it because he was a thief. He kept the money bag and liked to help himself to it.
How horrible that someone would do that! Steal money from the bag that belongs to their Saviour, and use it for their own desires. I don’t know why we do it.
God gives us so many talents. Though the Bible says not many of the called were of note, it also says that God gives to each one as He sees fit. And He gives to us for His own glory. We are to use those gifts to serve Him and His people.
Yes there are things God gives us for our enjoyment (and indeed our enjoyment should be in using those things for Him). But we’re no better than Judas when we dip into the treasury of the Lord in order to serve ourselves. This includes not only money, but every gift from Him.
There’s a story of a group of men who were told they would die if they didn’t turn bad. For some of them this was no problem at all. Some thought for a few moments before giving in. But one man would not do it. He feared his Maker more than those persecuting him. He declared his stance for what’s right, and he told them God was his reason. They killed him right then and there.
One of the men later looked back on the situation and wondered why the man died like that, saying that it was a wasteful choice. He thought the man should have lied for the moment, so that he could escape and then go on living and find opportunity to use his good faith. He thought “Now the man will never get a chance to use it.”
But the observer was wrong. It was in that very moment that the martyr had opportunity to use it. Though it cost him, he used the gift God gave him.
We cannot pass up opportunity to dip into God’s “money bag” for the purposes of God. We should not think selfishly, as Judas did, and horde the goods for ourselves. We need to give of our time, money, talents, and whatever else He’s given us. We need to give these things to His service. We should not steal for ourselves. And we should certainly not discourage others from using those things for God’s work, especially not for the purposes of serving self.
What’s that in your hand?
Whose purse did it come from?
After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Sanhedrin got really worked up. They knew that things had gone too far. They said “If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him”.
While they weren’t inspired when they said this, I can’t help but think that there was some truth in their statement. If Jesus were to keep on doing His work today, then a lot of people would believe in Him…
So did His body stay in the grave? No, we know He resurrected. And we also know that His body remains on this Earth. That is, the Church remains on Earth.
And His body continues to raise the dead. His body continues to heal the blind. But we could do much better. Obviously not in the physical sense. But then our call isn’t to fix the temporary. We are called to the deeper things.
If we were truly living as Christ called us to live, there would be a drastic difference in the world. There would likely be more persecution of Christians, but more importantly there would be more people freed from the bondage of death. We do so many good things by His power now, it shouldn’t be hard for us to believe in His power.
Caiaphas told the Sanhedrin in that meeting… “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He didn’t say this because of some craftiness of his own. He said it because it was a prophesy directly from God. And I can’t help but think about His body at this point. While it’s not a prophesy telling us to kill our physical bodies, it was a prophecy about Christ dying for our sins. And we are His body.
We can’t die for the sins of others. But in dying to ourselves we can have an impact on this world that continues to shake it as Christ shook it by His death.
Writing for Christ! 