Carol McClain

How To Please Your Man

2012-02-12T14:43:00.001-05:00

Ideally, these should be in a heart shaped box

Valentine's day. Ah, every woman wants a box of chocolates and a dozen long-stemmed roses. But we must remember there is another side to our love life. The man. How can we please him? I've got 5 fail-proof plans.

Men like to save money. They budget everything. Therefore, hit the sales. Often you can dove-tail a sale with a clearance item and really make him happy.
Men are visual beings. Therefore it is essential you look your best. Contact your Arbonne or Mary Kay representative and get a make-over.
And speaking of a make over, what good is the make-up and clothes with ragged nails. Manicure time.
If you're like me, hubby is your foot warmer at night. We do not want to scratch him with our jagged, winter-dried heels. Pedicures will cure that problem.
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Make your dinner reservations early.

Do you have any ideas you'd like to share?

Who Is This Woman?

2012-02-11T10:09:00.004-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Rev 17:1-6

As I don't understand much beyond the first three chapters of Revelation, it's not my preferred reading. However, we are currently immersed in a study of this book. This first jumped out at me though, and a lively discussion ensued about who the woman is.
Most people believe it to be a church. Some believe this depicts a government. However, I see this as today's society because:
1. Society is obsessed with riches. Look at the stars. Our TV shows--from the ordinary to the reality ones on HGTV. Society loves its life glittering with gold.

2. Society is adulterous. How many people jump into live-in relationships? How long before one sleeps with one's date? Moves in?

3. And the filth of society's adulteries has morphed from the traditional heterosexual to homosexual and pedophilia.

4. Who is the only fair game to lambast? Christians. We cannot portray any other sub-group in an abominable manner. Muslims on their prayer mats are admired. Ethnic groups are celebrated. But let TV zoom in on a cross worn on a character and you know, that one is the evil one.

Any suggestions, with reasons for them, as to who is this end time whore ? I'd love to know. And if you have links, I'd love that, too.

Fandango Finale: St. Augustine

2012-02-07T10:35:00.001-05:00

Me, Neil, Linda & Steve Rondeau

Old School house in shopping district

Shop until your credit line drops, eat until your belly bursts or explore history--St. Augustine features all this and more. It's a wonderful spot, especially when shared with friends.

walls made of coquina

The crown jewel of St. Augustine, the oldest settlement in the United States, is the Castillo de San Marcos. This fort, perched over Mantazas Bay (if anything in Florida can be said to "perch") guards the sea routes south to the Bahamas and inland with cannons that can fire up to three miles. The guns are angled so that if one misses you, the other is going to blow you to smithereens.
The walls are made of coquina--sea shells, and much of the original walls still stand. The Spaniards cemented this coquina with lime made from oyster shells dessicated in kilns until they crumbled to a fine powder. So I suppose, those of us who like to collect shells now have something to do with them. Stick them all together to form a stone and cement them with oyster shells. Our homes will last a long time. With all the sea material, Disney should introduce the Little Mermaid to the Castillo.

stay out of range (3 miles at least)

And the Castillo had never been taken by force. All the transfers had been through treaties. We need to learn this--live peacefully with all men and you shall inherit the kingdom.

Florida Fandango: Six Reasons to Not Go to Busch Gardens

2012-01-31T16:51:00.001-05:00

Sheikra (notice, half the seats aren't on the track)

1 John 4:7-97 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. 8 The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can't know him if you don't love. 9 This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.

1. Busch Gardens has six roller coasters like none I've ever seen. But what good is a roller coaster if your companion will ride none? As you will note from the photo to the right, these things are nasty. Which brings me to number two on my list.

2. What good are six coasters if you won't ride four or five of them yourself? You have to be nuts to ride some of these.

3. You can't take your camera on any of the water rides. I took mine kayaking once and the end result wasn't pretty.

4. A chocolate alligator costs $10. I thought I had found the ideal gift for the grandkids, but a ten dollar melting chocolate gator was not in my budget.

5. A flamingo headband costs $15. This was the perfect gift for Sarah. The headbands were prettier than this one, but fifteen bucks?

6. Good friends awaited us in Floral City--and this trip was entirely about friends...so why look for fun when you have it where you are? And we certainly had it with Cathy and Jim Harwood.

Florida Fandango: Booth's Bowery

2012-01-28T14:13:00.000-05:00

Have you ever eaten a sandwich with powdered sugar on it? And this sandwich should be dipped in maple syrup or honey. Sweetness.

a Monte Cristo

   Al and Tina introduced me to a Monte Cristo, thick Italian bread, ham, turkey and Swiss cheese--grilled and so delicious.

     And the sweetness increases exponentially at Booth's Bowery in Daytona, Florida when shared with great friends.
     I left my swamp monkey family and young homesteader, hippy wannabes and met up with the real deal hippies: my former pastor Al and his wife Tina, my soul-twin friend. We sat outside, beneath palm trees and chowed down on some of the most delicious food that side of the Mason-Dixon Line.
   I hadn't seen Al & Tina for several years, but our fellowship flowed as if we parted ways the day before. So different from Jessie and Bill and my niece and nephews, yet the electric excitement of sharing our lives again was the same as with the Hartfords.

For those who know Al & Tina, they still minister freely. Every winter they share the love of Jesus in Germany. At home they minister to the Rainbow People, a group of young people who live in forested areas and stay off the radar of mainstream society. They are always willing to love, to change and to evangelize.

With the Nords, I had no need for sugar on my sandwich.

The Real Swamp Monkeys of Nassau County

2012-01-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

     The Florida of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings still exists. In the little hamlets of northeastern Florida only a few miles from the famed Okefenokee lay dirt roads leading to dirt roads wending their way through tupelo plantations, long pine and palmetto.
     It's here my niece and her family make their home. And here these "swamp monkeys" (so dubbed from my previous posts) live much like Jody and Penny and Ma of Rawlings famed book The Yearling.
     Every morning Kaitlin rises, grooms Joules, her pony, and rides her. And should Kaitlin be thrown from the horse, she climbs back up and keeps on going. Will and Zach lead me down the dirt roads where we scare up deer and armadillos, see no snakes or alligators even though they live around here.
     And two-year-old Callen? He comes along whenever he can.

This is me. I'm NOT one of the Swamp Monkeys

   What a world of "forts" off overgrown paths--isolated homes of neighbors who know their neighbors--of ponds of crystal water and the whitest sand where one can swim or fish or hunt.
     Of course these swamp monkeys love video games--Zach delighted in completing too many levels of my "Angry Birds." They enjoy TV, love to cuddle. But they still relish the lost culture of the outdoors--of reveling in the glory created, not by man, but by God.
     It's a delightful wilderness filled with lakes and fresh air and adventures. Both fortunately and unfortunately a part of Florida no tourist sees.

Florida Fandango: Okefenokee Pt. 2

2012-01-20T12:20:00.000-05:00

We continued our search for alligators along the car route and were rewarded with three juveniles swimming in a little pond as well as a young one sunning himself with head resting on a log. But our main objective was to see the Chesser Island Homestead.

If you ever heard of this place, you would have read a much copied, word for word version of the settlement of Chesser Island. (Has anyone ever heard of plagiarism?) Our boat guide told us another tale.

W.T. Chesser shot a man in a brawl. He did not want to go to jail, so he fled to the swamps and built his homestead. Forty years later he discovered a judge ruled the shooting a justifiable homicide. Therefore, W.T. essentially jailed himself for forty years in a mosquito plagued swamp known as "Trembling Earth" or the Okefenokee.

This begs the question: Isn't it better to admit our failings and accept the consequences? Although the homestead is charming, I've been in enough swamps to know there's a reason people don't settle in these places.

And an aside that has nothing to do with history, the water pump to the left intrigued Callen and the rest of the Swamp Monkeys. They all drank from it until the water ran green. At that point we all agreed, perhaps we shouldn't drink the water.

Florida Fandango: Okefenokee

2012-01-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

Okefenokee--what a way to start my Florida vacation. In size, it's bigger than 300,000 football fields. (Even the Pats would find touchdowns difficult in a field that size). This last summer, much of it burned up--but like God refining us in the fire, this will restore the swamp. If fire didn't kill the growth, the vegetation would suck up all the water and we'd be hunting gators on a freeway.
As a matter of fact, engineers did try to drain the swamp, but they ran out of money and never connected it to the St. Mary's River and the outlet malls went elsewhere.


Getting up close and personal with the gators

Sandhill Crane

   And that was a good thing. The swamp is home to myriad species: Sandhill cranes, alligators, great blue herons and bunches more.
   The water looks like tea, and like tea, is dark because of tannic acid. But don't drink it! The temp is only 68 degrees and tepid tea is not tasty.
      One critter that is not as well known is the swamp monkey. Out in the midst of the swamp where methane rises like the bubbles in a lava lamp you can find this creature. One must lean over the sides of the boat and stare into the depths of the water. Inevitably, you will see the swamp monkeys. I was lucky enough to capture photos of six of them.

Swamp Monkeys Neil, Zach, Will

Kaitlin Swamp Monkey

rare picture of mamma & baby

Whom Do You Trust?

2012-01-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

The ILT

I love my GPS--or as I've called her once before, my ILT (I'm Lost Too). With faith I program her and believe wholeheartedly she will get me where I'm going. But...

In Madrid, she told me my hotel resided under a four mile tunnel.
In Wilmington, NY she believed my route followed EVERY cemetery in the area, and she took me to Malone via Plattsburgh (50 miles east of my destination)
She told me Target lay in the middle of a four lane highway.
She thought a side trip through Washington D.C. would be a nice diversion forgetting I've already seen the Washington and Jefferson Monuments and my destination was Charlotte, NC not D.C.
She had no idea that South Tryon Street existed. It's a major thoroughfare through Charlotte.

Still, every time I travel, I turn ILT on and with faith follow her lead. So why don't I do this with my Lord and Savior? Who best can direct my steps? God never leads me astray, never loses satellite connection and knows every twist and turn of my being. If I trust the fickle ILT, I certainly can believe my Creator.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

Christmas Resolutions

2011-12-30T09:57:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

A week has passed and friends have ditched Christmas trees and stashed ornaments back in their boxes and resumed their post-holiday lives.

For my family, Christmas arrives tomorrow. I may run to the store and wonder why they're opened or why traffic jams the roads because it's Christmas.
We celebrate the holiday on the first Saturday after December 25 because conflicts with extended family make it impossible for us to all get together on the actual day or the eve of. And it never fails. I'm shocked that the rest of the world is back to its crazies when it's Christmas.

With the new year we'll make resolutions. But what is most important to us? Those we love and who love us in return.

I thank my Lord and Savior for the gifts of this year:

My brother Alan survived when he should have died. I pray the event changes his life and brings him to Christ.
My mother, in the hospital as I write, is looking good, looks refreshed and is excited about her family gathering once more in the name of the Savior and family she loves.
My niece made it up from Florida. We rarely get to see Jessie and Bill and their children, and after they return home, they'll host Neil and me.
My husband loves me, and he actually is still deceived and thinks I'm wonderful.
I have a doting daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren, and added to that, Sharon allows me to call her daughter and be a grandma to her son.

My resolution and my Christmas gift is to not forget all I have been given and still have to enjoy in the coming year.

Little Known Bassoon Facts

2011-12-15T13:38:00.003-05:00

My annual Christmas cantata has ended to thunderous applause and requests for us to return in the spring. Before I, personally perform, I want to clarify some little known facts about the most wonderful instrument in the band.
Did you know?

1. The bassoon is indeed the prototype of a bazooka. If you wet tissues, roll them into the size of a golf ball and shove it down the bell joint, when the bassoonist hits a high C, it will easily shoot one thousand feet. I have heard that the designers of the game "Angry Birds" use a bassoon at its highest level.

2. The bassoon also is the forerunner of an IED. Watch a bassoonist roaming around before a concert and see how many innocent attendees she bops with the horn. Few survive.

Bassoon

3. The bocal is not a hookah.

4. The bocal is a good substitute for a water balloon. Innocently look ahead as you blow the condensation out of it at the end of the concert. Your neighbor will be saturated.

5. It does not make the same noise as a dying cow or a moose in heat.

6. When someone points at a bassoonist and says, "das faggott," they are NOT insulting her. That's the German name for it and it means those sticks.

7. No ships are ever lost at sea when a bassoon yields its low notes.

8. The bassoon is not an oboe.

A Sword Shall Pierce Your Heart

2011-12-09T11:54:00.001-05:00

“Then Simeon blessed themand said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the fallingand rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, sothat the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce yourown soul too" (Luke 2:34-35)

Have you ever wondered at some ofthe hard Scriptures concerning a time we epitomize as pure joy?

Picture Mary waiting forty-one daysof her purification (Lev. 12:4) before bringing her son to the temple. HereSimeon greets her and tells her wonderful news: a sword would pierce herspirit.

His words proved true. Mary knewsorrow as she watched the life of her son unfold, culminating in hiscrucifixion.

For Jesus, his birth came at a greatcost—not just in his brutal death, but He was equal to God and owned the world.Yet he came as a defenseless child dependent on sinful man for His survival.

Today we sing happy songs and focuson the joyful season. And it is joyful solely because Jesus came to earth toreconcile us with the Father. For that reunion, the heavens rejoiced.

But as we go about our lives, alsorealize this is a season of sorrow for many.

My son-in-law works in a psych wardin Salem Hospital. Christmas time brings a plethora of patients overwhelmed bythe emphasis on family when they have none and giving when they have nothing.They worry about debt to buy the elaborate gifts our culture demands and feelguilty because happiness eludes them even though the world rejoices.

On top of this loved ones die,siblings become ill, babies are miscarried, children are abused and addictionsabound.

Don’t be dismayed if you don’t feelthe joy the world tells us we must feel. Realize that our faith andfaithfulness are not pain free. We will be challenged in all things human, evenas Christ our Savior was. Like Mary, great blessings will come, but swordswill, too.

Rest in Him through the hard times,and He will give you peace that passes understanding.

The Roots of Thanksgiving: Keep Christ in Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

Image by aronki via Flickr

     Sarah and David argued. "Lincoln invented Thanksgiving," my grandson said.

     "No he didn't, the Pilgrims did," said Sarah.

     They debated and my grandson ended in tears. "You don't understand what I'm saying."

   This argument continued in the manner that only my dogged grandson could maintain, so Sarah emailed his teacher and asked for the facts. She discovered, Lincoln did "invent" Thanksgiving. In 1863 he made a proclamation declaring the third Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving. However, because of our new interpretations of the First Amendment, David couldn't hear the complete story. (And his mother wasn't entirely wrong).

     Lincoln unified the disparate celebrations into one national holiday to honor "the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies." He didn't end there. He said, "(these) are the gracious gifts of the Most High God...(who is) dealing with us in anger for our sins."

     And the school didn't talk about Washington's comments about Thanksgiving. In 1789 George Washington assigned November 26 "to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
     The recognition of God's favor in our lives is still politically stated probably because of our hubris--God of course favors US. However, Washington, like Lincoln, went a step further. He said we should ask that, "the great Lord and ruler of Nations... (would) pardon our national and other transgressions."

     Can you imagine our leaders today acknowledging the fact that we've transgressed? I think we need to remember 2 Chron 7:14. "(I)f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

     And David, your mother wasn't entirely wrong. Our first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims to thank the Creator for His blessings. I think we need to keep, Christ not only in Christmas, but Thanksgiving as well.

(The quotes were taken from Mark Galli. "The Enemy Within." Christianity Today 18 November 2002. (76).

How NOT to Write

2011-11-19T16:20:00.001-05:00

Image by Enokson via Flickr

Life as an English teacher had many rewards. I watched students learn to write and become competent. However, sometimes they made me wish I was the drinking type. In 2005 I received an email with true but BAD similes. Believe me, these errors happen, but ELA teachers do not advocate this style

She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree. (Notice, the hyphens are correct).
The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to a wall.
He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.

Can you recall any crazy writing--either your own or someone else's that didn't evoke precisely what the author intended?

Lose Weight--Eat Dessert

2011-11-14T09:17:00.001-05:00

Image by escuelahosteleriabenahavis via Flickr     I set out on my annual pilgrimage with my daughter. Over Veterans day we hunker down in Burlington, Vermont, scrapbook and eat at the Olive Garden. Ah, the Olive Garden--home of the Tour of Italy and breadsticks and Tiramisu. Except the food police hit. Now in Vermont, restaurants carry three--make that four--little digits at the bottom of each selection. Calories!

     1450 was the huge digit at the bottom of the Tour. That was one thousand four hundred and fifty calories. As my daily budget is 1290 calories (which I thought was what the poor, starving people in Africa ate per day), this meal, minus breadsticks (150 per stick) and Tiramisu (510) would have me porking on the pounds.

     To work off the calories from the Tour alone, I'd have to run MORE than a half-marathon (that's 13.2 miles) or ride my bike for eight hours or walk for ten. That's HOURS! And I still hadn't extras to eat.

     So instead of taking the Tour, I opted for strawberry mousse with white chocolate cream cake--210 calories complete.

     Life should be sweet!

The Border Conundrum: Bootlegging in Malone

2011-11-10T17:42:00.001-05:00

     Wending my way to Ellenburg, I run into an old friend, Sgt. Martin (or whatever you call the border guys). He sports Elvis-styled sideburns and a gun. Yikes. You know I stop, not because I'm an Elvis fan. We meet on a regular basis--either on Rt. 11 of 190.
    Fortunately, Sgt. Elvis isn't interested in me or what I'm toting in my suitcase. He's looking for drugs or aliens (of the earthling persuasion),
and he knows this old granny doesn't fit the profile of a drug runner.
     And speaking of profiles, Sgt. Elvis fits that of North Country law enforcement fighting the opportunism of a rural border which allows good to happen--like the runaway slaves and the Underground Railroad--as well as bad.
     But my tale deals with Prohibition which became law on November 18, 1918, and according to Del Forkey in the Sesqui-centennial of Malone: 1802-1952, "...a complete history of this region's part in the 'dry era' would contain some rather stirring, blood-flecked pages, including everything in the rum-toting category from bootlegging and high-jacking to running gun fights through the streets of peaceful villages" (87).
     Ouch. And Sgt. Elvis thinks we have it bad.
      The bootleggers means of hiding booze aren't different from drug hiding today--in the woman's bloomers (which is why they grope us in airports), baby diapers, false doors in their cars. And they loved BIG cars (carried more Mountain Dew aka hootch). Some bootleggers became such good drivers they could spin the car around and then aim for the law officers. Or they'd use decoy cars--autos that would speed off in an opposite direction allowing the one loaded with white lightening to flee.
      I love this stunt the best. A bootlegger would get through the road blocks and then be hijacked by another bootlegger who now didn't have to face the 1920's Sgt. Elvis.
     These booze runners were depraved. One even went so far as to dodge rabbits skittering across the roads, but he'd aim his car at law enforcement officials.
     Forkey claimed most of the villains were outsiders like the infamous Mobster Dutch Shultz and Legs Diamond. I'm not so sure. Many arrested for drug dealing aren't native, but many are. And we must remember:

     What has been will be again,
   what has been done will be done again;
   there is nothing new under the sun. Eccl. 1:9

Do We Have Any Volunteers in the Audience?

2011-11-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Picture stolen from Kimberly Connel

     I peeled my eyes opened. Eight a.m. on a Saturday. Forget the fact that my weeks have six Saturdays and one Sunday, my brain had been trained and Saturday is sleep-in, lazy sacrosanct. However every Saturday we members of North Country Habitat for Humanity banded together to work on the restoration of a house for a needy and deserving family..
I didn't want to go. Jimminy Crickets, it was Saturday. But James 2:14-17 might as well be engraved on my forehead. "Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? ... Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"(from THE MESSAGE)
   So I rose and within the hour I shined. Once again I discovered joy in giving. I hammered nails, chatted with friends, learned skills, watched our family work for the home they'd soon inhabit and ate a fabulous lunch prepared by Joanna, a dear friend on our local board. I couldn't imagine any greater way to spend a Saturday.
   And I learned some valuable lessons to boot:

toenailing has nothing to do with a pedicure
a shank isn't something prisoners use nor something you braise in an oven
a stud is not a virile man
strapping is not used in S & M
a dike is not a gay woman nor something that holds back water

So tell me what you think these mean?

Tyranny of the Quick Fix

2011-11-04T13:06:00.001-04:00

Image by jimmywayne via Flickr

     Malone, NY, I do love thee...but have you learned the tyranny of the quick fix? We look for easy ways out of problems and so we bring in prisons. Oh the economy will revive.
     Nope. Just brought in prison families and lots of convicts who clog the judicial system.
     We hope the casino will have a trickle down effect and build more hotels.
     Nope. Didn't work either.
     But we're not to blame--it's in our DNA. From the town's inception we've looked for the get rich quick schemes. Last week we explored the wolf head scandal...oh those dastardly dogs look so much like wolves. However, that scandal had a forerunner--espionage and fraudulent land claims.

Image by dougtone via Flickr

During the War of 1812 many county residents favored the British. And they discovered a benefit to that favoritism. They traded military secrets for the filthy lucre. Being a border town wasn't much different than as it is now--only today our barter is with the drug and alien trade.
During this time period, we had fraudulent land claims. People would state that property had been confiscated or destroyed or goods consumed. Then they received payments. Oddly, once the investigation proved the fraud, the claimants claimed they didn't know the claims were made. Oh, my bad.
Hops didn't do it either.

So, you ask, this is an itty-bitty, inconsequential village in the frozen tundra, what does it have to do with me especially as it happed over 200 years ago?
There is nothing new under the sun. How else do we try to skim the cream?

P is for Pompeii

2011-10-30T17:24:00.003-04:00

                           Image via Wikipedia     Pompeii existed over two thousand years ago as a prosperous town. People loved and fought, bought and bartered, reared their families and planned for the future. Until Mount Vesuvius had other things to say. Within twenty-four hours the angry volcano annihilated their world.
     Ash preserved the torment of the humans who had lived there. The ash shells were filled with plaster, and the exhibit made me cry as though this disaster just happened.
     The image to the left haunts me the most. The man looks as though he's crying and well he could be. In reality he's covering his face trying to protect it from the choking ash and noxious fumes.
     A world of sermons and lessons and contemplations exist in the exhibit I saw. However, one stands out the most:
     To get their clothes clean, these people used pee! Having no clorox or bubbling suds or whatever, they resorted to ammonia. Ammonia is a primary component of urine. Not only did people pee on their clothes, they collected it from total strangers.
     Large urns (old-fashioned urinals) lined the street. When the urge hit, the populace used it. These urns were brought to the laundromat and launderers stomped on the laundry in their bare feet!
     In case I haven't mentioned it: YUCK.
     Since then I've learned, from my pastor no less, that this is an age-old remedy for many things.

Rome believed urine to be theraputic. Thus these troughs could be accessed by anyone to imbibe. Giant urine fountains for their health!
Gypsies used cow urine to cure Bright's disease. Maybe that's why the Romanians aren't found of this ethnic group.
Yogis and Lamas from Tibet extended their lives by drinking their own pee.
A book titled One Thousand Notable Things describes the use of urine to cure scurvy, relieve skin itching, cleanse wounds, and many other treatments.
An 18th century French dentist praised urine as a valuable mouthwash.
In England during the 1860-70s, the drinking of one's own urine was a common cure for jaundice.
In more modern times, the Alaskan Eskimos have used urine as an antiseptic to treat wounds

Say what you will about the lessons from Pompeii. This is one I don't want learned in the modern world.

The Wolf Head Scandal

2011-10-27T01:00:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia     Everyone loves a good scandal, so how do we create one? We are all familiar with Dutch Shultz, but gangsters like him are either in short supply or unwanted in our communities--unless we stuff them in the prisons that decorate our outskirts of our lovely villages.

     In 1815 we discovered a great scheme that perhaps we could turn to good use today--after all, our politicians believe the ends justify the means.

     Way back in Malone/Bangor/Chateaugay's beginnings, we turned quite a profit off the "noxious" wolves and this scandal made Franklin County notorious in New York State.

     Prior to 1815 the state paid us approximately $1,000 per year in bounty for wolves, all we had to supply were the heads. (What government office wants the whole carcass rotting in the file cabinets?) From 1815-1820 that sum jumped to $55,269. This solved our financial problems back then--perhaps we can resurrect one in the same spirit.

     How did our forefathers alchemize wolf heads?

     1. When out of wolves--they'd been known to substitute dog heads. Okay, I know this appalls many of my readers as we do not condone chopping up Fido. A deer head had been documented as a good substitute. Who knew: deer/dog/wolf--what's the difference?

     2. If they only have one wolf head, they passed it out the window to their buddy. While the clerk still filled in the document for that head, a buddy would carry it back in and voila, more cash for the coffers.

     3. Everyone kept quiet because no one had been prosecuted for the crimes.

Maybe this is a way to lower our taxes--after all: 1. we learn from experience 2. our legislatures aren't shamed by wrong doing.

My Pear Butter is Equal to My Singing

2011-10-23T15:19:00.000-04:00

Blessed with more pears than anyone has the right to own, I decided to make pear butter. Never having done something before has never been a deterrent to me. So I began:

I ran off a recipe. Of course when googling information, the first item the search turns up is the most reliable, right? This one ran 36 pages. Unfortunately, I walked away from my computer after I hit print.
It took me three hours to chop and seed all those pears, mash them down and food mill them into puree. I added spices and let it cook. My house smelled like heaven. Page thirteen had the details on about this portion--I should have taken the hint from the number of the page.
I plopped the glop into my slow cooker. Page 24 said this process would take a long time and a slow cooker would guarantee my results. (They didn't tell me what the results would be--it might have been page 33 where my printer ran out of ink and I thought I'd wing it.)
Two days later, the butter was burnt--inedible. It glued the removable pot of my slow cooker to the base. I attempted to pry it off and the base separated from the guts, all the wires fell out and my house didn't smell so hot.

Hint: If a recipe is more than ten lines long, go to the store and buy it or go to search result # 2 on google. If you persevered to the end of this article, you know exactly how well I sing.

The Underground Railroad: Malone

2011-10-21T07:20:00.001-04:00

Can you imagine living peacefully, running a successful business and having all of that ripped away simply because of your race? The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, nicknamed the Bloodhound Law, did just that. This law deemed that even if people of color had escaped or had been born free, they could be sent South based solely on the claimant's word, whipped and enslaved. To force people to comply, stiff penalties and prison time were given to those who refused to turn in the so called runaways.

Luther Bradish

     Coupled with this, New York State said being in the state didn't mean you were free. Therefore, Southerners could vacation or work here for six months and their "property" could not be released.
     Franklin County and Malone played a part in fighting this law. First, Luther Bradish, our Lieutenant Governor--who lived in Moira and helped establish St. Mark's Episcopal Church, spoke out against this atrocity. (for more information see: http://franklinhistorian.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-07-03T16%3A24%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 ).
     And of course, our own Congregational Church as a part of the Underground Railroad created a tunnel in its basement to hide fleeing slaves.

Note the bend at the far left

I always pictured this tunnel as a subway tunnel traveling under the streets. However, it's a tiny little reinforced hole traveling from the west side of the church to the north. It turns, underground at a sharp sixty degree bend, and to hide in it, you'd have to be desperate.

Neil slipping into the tunnel

Carpe Dieum--It's the only way to nab inspiration

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

My students laughed and said I loved Annie Dillard because I was her. They then produced a photograph to prove it. In that one picture--yes, I did. But no, it's not her face I loved, it was her mind.

In The Writing Life, Dillard says:

“He is careful of what he reads, for that is what he willwrite. He is careful of what he learns, for that is what he will know.”

“Similarly, theimpulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it isdestructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost toyou. You open your safe and find ashes.”

“It is no less difficult to write a sentence in a recipethan sentences in Moby Dick. So you might as well write Moby Dick.”

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek tells about a Creator who gives freely--abundantly--who is ineffably profligate with gifts. Shouldn't we aspire to that in our writing?

Which of these quotes most speak to you about your writing journey?

God’s Abundance: e.g. Mud baths

2011-10-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

Callie's Corner

We oftenmiss God’s abundance, even if it’s as clear as mud between our toes. TakeCarol, for example. The other day I was taking her for a walk when she steppedinto a mud puddle. I could understand her revulsion had she been wearingshoes, but she wore her Tevas. She screamed, changed direction and made me takeher back to the cabin. She missed God’s abundance in a free mud bath. Thinkabout it:

People pay a lot of money for this beauty treatment, and God gave it away.
True to His nature He gave the best. The mud had been aged. Formed by tropical storms Irene and Lee, He added leaf and other plant matter and allowed it to age to a divine consistency.
Carol pays money for perfume. This ripened debris was given with a profligate hand. To get an idea of its pleasant aroma, imagine the dozen roses your hubby gave you. Allow it to sit in a vase on the table for a week. Now empty it. The scent wafting from your sink? Heaven!
She’s always pestering Neil for silky clothes—loves the sliding, slick texture against her skin. Yet with mud slathered liberally between her toes in the slickest of textures, all she did was squeal. (And not in delight I might add).Image by Rev Stan via Flickr

Next time you complain—think about it. It’s probably ablessing in disguise.

The Pumpkin Muffin Diet

2011-10-09T14:20:00.000-04:00

Image by kmevans via Flickr Idiscovered this fantastic diet quite by accident. Once more relying on myGarmin while visiting Paul’s Paradise near Albany, I got lost. A twenty minute drivetook an hour and the grocery store I searched for had been washed away by HurricaneIrene. I ended up twenty minutes later in Cobleskill. My hunger threatened tokill me until I made an emergency stop at a Dunkin Donuts.

I got alatte. Staring at me from the shelves of delicacies, white sugar glaze topped aburnt-orange offering and said, “You’re hungry, Carol, and look at me.”

(You should have heard thevoice—you would have succumbed as well.)

I boughtit, and the pumpkin flavor of the moist cake exploded in my mouth. Each crumbsatisfied in a way that a celery stalk could never. I nibbled. I licked myfingers and sucked every crumb from my finger and the napkin strewn across mylap as the lady inside my Garmin directed me home.

Before Ieven finished my latte, my appetite vanished as though I left it in Cobleskill.No need to devour the half of sub sitting in the fridge once I got home. Ididn’t even desire apples or cheese or veggies. My belly swelled in delight ina manner that no salad slathered with non-fat dressing on the side could do.One little muffin satisfied.

So myadvice to you—stock up at Dunkin Donuts (these muffins are seasonal after all),and eat one muffin for breakfast, one for lunch and one for dinner. You’ll besatisfied until your stash vanishes.

Share yourdiet results here. I’d love to learn new techniques.

The Distribution List

2011-10-08T11:45:00.001-04:00

Image by shareski via Flickr     I watch Pam circulate the classroom encouraging each student gently yet firmly. Two wishes flicker across my mind: how do I get my grandkids into her class as they live three hundred miles away? The second is a yearning. Why couldn't I have been like her?
     She smiles and listens to each of her charges. She remembers disparate needs, is patient and knowledgeable. The classroom displays vocabulary and misspelling reminders and assignments. In hall, she catches a student from another period and remembers exactly what he owes. No one falls between the cracks.
     She stays until six most days and has been known to take essays to bed with her.
     Compared to her--I lacked. But then--the distribution list didn't give me her talents and intelligence and that is no fault of mine.
     My education lacked, my intelligence doesn't match hers, my primary gifts lay elsewhere. I taught--sometimes quite poorly, but I wasn't content being mediocre. I continued to learn, modeled teachers I admired, loved my students fiercely and finally retired from a field I had loved.
     Today, I still use my gifts to learn and to advance quality education. Even as I observe my student teachers and their sponsors, I think of ways to improve. I cannot use them on my high school students, but I share with my student teachers. The next generation of teachers will more closely resemble Pam, and our country will be better educated.
   I know when I meet Jesus, He's not going to ask me why I wasn't more like Pam. He'll smile and tell me, "Well done good and faithful Carol."

"But as the Lord has deistributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk" (1 Cor. 7:17)

If It Feels Right? Wrong!

2011-09-30T08:07:00.002-04:00

"In most times and in most places, the group was seen to be the essential moral unit. A shared religion defined rules and practices. Cultures structured people’s imaginations and imposed moral disciplines. But now more people are led to assume that the free-floating individual is the essential moral unit. Morality was once revealed, inherited and shared, but now it’s thought of as something that emerges in the privacy of your own heart" (David Brooks, "If It Feels Right," http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/opinion/if-it-feels-right.html?_r=2&ref=davidbrooks)

   Much could be said about the sixties--much of it good. I grew up in a time when people were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the moral good: Freedom riders, protestors jailed because of opposition to the Vietnam War and the birth of the environmental movement.
   Sadly, it gave birth to the "if it feels good--do it" movement, a movement that now has distorted our moral compass and shattered lives.
     Think about it. What has this aphorism created?

widespread drug abuse
sexually transmitted diseases with no cures
pre-born babies named fetuses--and thus easily disposed
disgraced banks that caused financial collapse
pornography on TV
young adults without the vocabulary to understand explicity what is right or wrong

I urge you to read the entire editorial that began this article. We need to start a moral dialog. We know right is right, and it doesn't depend on your feelings.
Any opinions?

Apostrophizing on the Apostrophe

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

All Things Literary

(If the paraphrase fits: use it)

     A horrid act has murdered the apostrophe--the lovely, lowly apostrophe, but it appears I am the only one in America who cares that the little comma that hangs in the air to denote a letter omitted or a possessive is misunderstood.

     When my surname was D'Avanzo, I never told a sales clerk about the little hanging dingbat. If I spelled: d-apostrophe-a, the clerk would stop typing, think and then realize what I meant. I could see her gears grinding--or smell them smoking. Forget about alphabetizing D'Avanzo. Was my name filed under A? Yes, five times out of ten, that's were my name ended up. To make life more pleasant on this planet, I became Davanzo.

What does this taxi own

     Then we come to the naming of a home--the McClains for example. It's not the McClain's. I want to ask--the McClain (whatever that is) owns what because the apostrophe denotes ownership of the single noun McClain.

     The McClains' is a little better because I can infer we're talking about their home--so I'm titling my home: The McClains' home.

I may shock the world, but designating who lives or camps at a certain locale is written--The McClains.

     Abominations abound. To the left is a real sign--what does that taxi own?

Who's Ladie?

And we wonder who got bad news?

Meet Penny Zeller--Author of the Montana Sky series

2011-09-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

All Things Literary
(sorry NPR--if the paraphrase works: use it)

I've recently read Hailee by Penny Zeller--a sweet book by a sweet woman. (But you've got to meet Lucille Granger--love this minor character). In a recent interview, Penny shared some thoughts about her book and writing.

Hailee is thelast of your MontanaSkies series. How does it connect to the other two books: McKenzie and Kaydie?Hello and thank you for allowing me to be your guest on Pentalk. It’s greatto be here!

Hailee is the final book in my MontanaSkies Historical Romance trilogy. Readers will catch a glimpse into the livesof those who call Pine Haven home and will revisit the characters from the twoformer books.

My hero, Nate Adams, is McKenzie and Kaydie’snephew (their sister, Peyton’s son).I introduced himKaydie, and was excited to expound onhis character and follow his struggles in answering God’s calling on his life.

My heroine,Hailee Annigan, is a new character. She arrives in Montanato fill the vacant teaching position at the Pine Haven School. Following is the blurb:

For years, orphan Hailee Anniganwas just a ragamuffin in the Cincinnatistreets, stealing food to keep her two younger brothers fed. Her thieverylanded her in a home for delinquent youngsters, where her life was changed,thanks to her teachers. Now, nineteen-year-old Hailee excitedly heads to Montana to be a teacher,yet she's still plagued by her shameful past and the fear of never seeing herbrothers again.

Based on his upbringing in high-society Boston,no one would have guessed that Maxwell Nathaniel Adams Jr. would attendseminary and become a church pastor in rugged Montana. Even now, Nate's parents refuse toput aside their own plans for his future and accept his calling.

When their paths converge, an immediate attraction draws Hailee and Natetogether, even as the pressures and demands of others pull them apart. Can theunlikely pair come to terms with their pasts and face the future together?

Tinkertime Productions produced the book trailer for Hailee, which can be seen here: http://youtu.be/LEGoM43jtwA

What are the themes of this work? My passion is to write books that impact lives forChrist. Readers can expect to share in Hailee’s pain and sorrow, as well as thejoy she experiences. They will watch as her faith wavers and her heart breaksat the losses she experiences in life. They will share with Nate as hestruggles to release to the Lord burdens he was never meant to carry. My booksare character-driven, and as such, throughout the book and with a variety ofcharacters, readers will catch a glimpse of themes that include struggles withforgiveness, Salvation, rededication to Christ, and the hope of a new life.

Where can we find information about you and your work andwhere is it for sale? Hailee is available atbookstores everywhere, including the following online stores:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hailee-Montana-Skies-Penny-Zeller/dp/1603742182/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311604365&sr=1-1

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/hailee-montana-skies-penny-zeller/9781603742184/pd/742184

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hailee-penny-zeller/1100048476

Do youlive in Montana?If not, why have you chosen this locale? Actually, I do not live in Montana. However, our family hastraveled extensively through Montanaon road trips. We have visited two well-preserved ghost towns, which providedme with so much inspiration! I love the scenery and the history of Montana and couldn’twait to base my characters in that setting.

Aside fromwriting, what are your interests? I enjoy spending time with my familyand friends, camping, hiking, canoeing, bicycling, and playing volleyball. Ialso enjoy reading and gardening.

Can you tell us a little about your family? Sure. Ihave been married to my husband, Lon, for 19 years (we married really young!)and we have two elementary-aged daughters.

What lessons is the Lord teaching you now and will theywork their way into your next book? The Lord is teaching me morethan ever to rely on Him in all circumstances. He has also placed it in myheart the desire to be completely in His will in my writing ministry and to besensitive and open to His leading. I am weaving this into my next book throughmy heroine’s character. She is all alone, has no one to rely on, and faces anuncertain future. Will she learn to trust and rely on her Creator to guide herno matter where that path might lead her?

What pieces of advice could you give aspiring authors? Thisis a great question! I would say the most important thing authors can do is topray and give their writing career to the Lord. Secondly, I would say to putothers first and to be an encourager of other writers - and not only anencourager to other writers, but also an encourager to your readers. Connectwith them and let them know you appreciate them. Third, I would say it’scritical to build an online presence in order to promote your book. This can bedone a variety of ways, including a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook,Shoutlife, and LinkedIn.

Tell us something about your next work. I am working on a series that takes place justafter the Civil War. I have completed the first novel and am working on thesecond.

Thank you again forallowing me to be a guest on Pentalk. It has been an honor to be here.

Chocolate

2011-09-18T20:36:00.002-04:00

Funday/Monday

(starting on Sunday)

Inthe beginning, the Lord created chocolate, and he saw that it was good. Then heseparated the light from the dark, and it was better (author unknown, found on www.virtualchocolate.com).

Image via Wikipedia

Winter's here: time for lots of chocolate. But chocolate is a health food. Here's why:

Asingle chocolate chip can provide enough energy for an adult human to walk 150feet. Thirty-five chips enables the adult to walk one mile. For 875,000 you canwalk around the world.
It's a great, natural anti-depressant. (Imagine what I would be like withoutchocolate!) It contains tryptophan which helps create serotonin. Forget theturkey. I want chocolate for Thanksgiving.
Milk chocolate contains milk which has calcium, and it's good for your bones.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants which help prevent cancer. The darker the chocolate, the better it is for you.
Chocolate's main fat does not raise cholesterol levels. The stearateactually raises the HDL levels (Healthy Darn Lipids).

Your Last Moments

2011-09-09T14:52:00.003-04:00

On a Tuesday morning ten years ago,I was walking down the hall of Franklin Academy trying to get some prep workdone for my afternoon classes. A colleague stopped me and said, “A plane justflew into one of the World Trade Centers.”

“Oh,” I said, unimpressed. Accidentshad happened before with the towers, and this man wasn’t always the mostreliable.

Of course, as you know, I erred. BigTime. A little while later, with the TVs on in the classroom, I saw the secondplane careen into tower number two.

This month we commemorate the tragicevent—and it was heartrending. But what are we commemorating? Is it thatterrorism surrounds us? Is it hatred of an enemy? Is it that someone DARE dosuch an awful thing to us?

In my opinion, these are not thethings we should remember. Thousands of people went to work that morning neverrealizing it would be their last day on earth.

Did the daddy kiss his daughter goodmorning? The wife argue with her husband? Did the teenager tell his father thathis father was right and he didn’t really hate him?

No man knows the time or the hourand we’re not promised seventy or eighty years of living.

My friend, Lorraine, dropped dead ofa stroke at the age of sixty. My uncle died alone from a bleeding ulcer in histhirties.

Babies have died as they took theirfirst breath—and perhaps, if we who love someone are lucky—he will live intohis eighties and die shortly after the wife of his love has. What will we do with the lives we have now? Weneed to love others, certainly our families, but also our neighbors and ourfriends. We must serve others, and not wile away our days playing video gamesor sitting on the front porch complaining about the village taxes.

God never promised us a long andcharmed life, only the grace to live the days we have.

Be like the wise virgins, keep yourlamps full, your wicks trimmed and let your life be to do the Father’s will.

Books of Note: Tosca Lee

2011-09-06T10:25:00.001-04:00

All Things Literary

(Sorry NPR--It the paraphrase works--use it)

I need to introduce you to Tosca Lee. I've just read the second book of hers, and at this juncture, she rises to the status of my favorite author. Havah tells the story of Eve and the Fall. Ho-hum, you say. You know the story.

However, Lee captures the pathos. After reading her work, I knew what it meant to have had that communion with God and to have lost it. I yearned for Him--for The One--like I haven't in years--I recalled my own sins and grieved anew for lost innocence.

I read one other book about Eve--called Eve. It was a secular book and contained none of the human poignancy--it left nothing but bitterness and misanthropy, in its purest sense. Havah leaves the reader nobler.

And my blog introduces Lee not just this novel. Havah is not the only work she produced that gives the reader this experience. Demon: A Memoir also leaves behind every Christian cliche. The subject matter is one that makes me feel worms slither beneath my flesh--but in her case, it lifts me to the Divine.

If you want a fast paced, thoughtless piece of mind-candy, Lee is not for you. If lyrical prose, thoughtful stories and an original voice is what you want, you've got to read her.

My webpage contains a link labeled books. Since I have none published of my own, this link tells you the books that I personally treasure. Visit it at http://www.carolmcclain.com/. The list includes fast/fun reads as well as literary and non-fiction and poetry.

Eyes On the Prize

2011-09-02T18:24:00.000-04:00

My grandchildren introduced me to Chuck E. Cheese. If you never experienced this arcade/restaurant, you’re missing a treat. Here kids can play arcade games. For each game, they receive at least one ticket, depending on the score. At the end of the day, they turn in their tickets for points. Add up the points, they get a prize.

As we entered both Caroline and David pointed out the prize they were working for: a HUGE teddy bear that cost 90,000 points.

“We’re saving up for that,” Caroline assured me.

“I’m not going to spend ANY of my points,” promised David.

I nodded my head, bought tokens and knew what lay ahead.

We ate pizza and played games. We hit the jackpot on one and got literally hundreds of tickets. At the end of the day, Caroline earned 700 points, David garnered 500.

And you know what happened.

We went to check out, and suddenly the lure of the prizes called to them. They wanted cheesy, cheap trinkets.

“What about the bear?” I asked.

At nine and five-years-old, they lost sight of the huge bear they had to wait for.

I convinced them to spend only a few tokens. Caroline bought: a packet of trick gum, David, a little lizard. I tucked away their big points for their mom to guard and ushered them out.

We adults smile at their impatience. Ah, children. No self-control.

But God probably does the same about us—only not so endearingly. The prizes we lust after don’t simply eat away 50 of our tokens toward a cheesy, big bear. We lust after: pride and gossip, an extra beer, an idle night watching questionable TV shows.

Maybe we skip our prayers for extra sleep, eat too much at a buffet, yell at the kids, slap the wife or the husband, lift a trinket from Wal-Mart. We forget the big prize, the one we yearn for but will not attain before we die. We are like my grandchildren, too often—consumed by the lust of our eyes and hearts.

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Mark Twain: Writing Tips

2011-08-31T13:29:00.002-04:00

All Things Literary

(sorry NPR--If the paraphrase works--use it)

Want to be a great writer? Follow these tips. Mark Twain is back by popular demand.

Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring heron and let her scream.

Fiction is obliged to stick topossibilities. Truth isn't.

Ideally a book would have no order to it,and the reader would have to discover his own.

It's no wonder that truth is stranger thanfiction. Fiction has to make sense.

Substitute "damn" every timeyou're inclined to write "very"; your editor will delete it and thewriting will be just as it should be.

Image via Wikipedia

The man who does not read good books has noadvantage over the man who cannot read them.

What a good thing Adam had. When he said agood thing he knew nobody had said it before.

Guest Blogger Mark Twain--Water

2011-08-29T06:51:00.000-04:00

Funday-Monday

Cover of Mark Twain

I'd like to introduce my guest blogger, Mark Twain. As we know over the last week, we've been inundated with Hurricane Irene news. Well, Twain is an expert meterologist and here are some of his insights about water.

The solution to our water problems ismore rain.

Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fightingover.

My books are like water; those of the greatgeniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.

In the Spring, I have counted 136 differentkinds of weather inside of 24 hours.

Climate is what we expect, weather is whatwe get.

Can you share your water experiences?

Roxana Saberi--Between Two Worlds

2011-08-26T10:44:00.000-04:00

Character Counts

On January 31, 2009 journalist Roxana Saberi was arrested in Iran, whisked away to Evin Prison and detained for one hundred days. Fear forced her to accede to her captors demands and give a false confession stating she was a spy. She implicated an innocent man and yielded to all the details her captors demanded because she believed their threats: if she didn't, she'd be an old lady before she was released.

Once out of solitary confinement, she was able to converse with other political prisoners--ones who would not and could not confess to crimes they did not commit. Shame overwhelmed Saberi, and she recanted.

   Her ordeal kept her imprisoned and denied her access to a lawyer. Her captors hid the charges against her, forbade contact with those outside the prison, began her trial without warning--as a matter of fact, she was fifteen minutes into some questioning when she realized she was currently being tried. Throughout her incarceration, she lay on hard floors with few blankets, little to do and much time in solitary. Her book Between Two Worlds paints a picture of a nasty government and people with no rights.
     As I read of her ordeal I wondered, what would I do if I were imprisoned for my faith (or politics--but my faith is dearer to me). Would I acquiesce to demands so I could be free? Would I submit to physical torture? (Saberi faced only the psychological torture--an awful punishment for unspecified, trumped up crimes.)
   I am grateful I live in a time and a place where I don't need to be subjected to these indignities--but I pray my faith and convictions are strong enough to withstand them.
We need to guard our liberties so we, in America, don't end up like those in so much of the world.

Journey to Riverbend by Henry McLaughlin

2011-08-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

All Things Literary

(sorry NPR--if paraphrase works--use it)

How to start? I should, with a book review, start with the book. But...

I know Henry as personally as one can in cyberspace. He was a crit partner for me, and his eye for edits was unparalleled. Last year we lost him from the group because he had entered a contest with Jerry Jenkins--and apparently didn't win. As he was going to their conference, he decided, in his quintessentially humble manner, that winning wasn't the end and he would go and learn all he could from the experts. To his surprise and his crit group's joy, Henry won the First Novel contest. The committee had goofed and had left his name off the finalist's list.

This, of course, was fantastic news--but as he needed to work on the book, we did lose him as a partner. Henry's a fine man, great writer and fervent Christian--which brings me to his book--Journey to Riverbend.

In my youth, I adored westerns and sadly the genre has faded. We do get a taste with prairie romances--but never the masculine intensity of a true western.

I said Henry was "quintessentially humble," thus the rawness of some of his details surprised me--the West in this book is not sugar-coated. A near rape, the torture of the disreputable Sam Carstairs, and the grittiness of Riverbend form a background of adventure and love for Michael Archer who tries to carry out an innocent man's dying wishes to reconcile with his father--Sam Carstairs.

In Riverbend, Michael meets Rachel--a former "soiled dove" and falls in love. Sam is kidnapped--and the adventures escalate--to find out how, I advise you to buy the book.

If you love westerns and clear Christian messages--you will LOVE Journey to Riverbend.

What's Your Memoir?

2011-08-22T09:43:00.000-04:00

It's--Funday-Monday

In six words, can you write your memoir?
I heard in this Sunday's Sermon that Ernest Hemingway was asked to prove his writing skills by creating a short story in six words. He wrote: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." The congregation as a whole gasped with the power of the "story." Other examples:

I still make coffee for two. (From an 88 year-old man who lost his wife two years previously)
Revenge is living well without you. (Joyce Carol Oates)
Not quite what I was planning. (unknown)
If it looks good, eat it. (Andrew Zimmern, Bizarre Foods)
Living is Christ, dying is gain. (St. Paul)

So I wondered, what would my memoir be? I decided:
Dreams come true through due diligence.
Or--God answers prayer--Neil is proof. (But then, that's could be considered 12 words because I gave two examples!)
Or-- Shoot it, scrap it, share it.

Can you share with me, in six words, your memoir?

Time and Hour?

2011-08-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

Image by scubadive67 via Flickr    Tuesday night NBC told a human interest story about a police officer Jeremy Henwood who was shot while sitting in his patrol car outside a McDonald's in San Diego. Henwood survived tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and no one expected him to die while eating lunch. Minutes before he died, a young boy entered the McDonald's and asked to borrow ten cents because he didn't have quite enough for cookies. Henwood bought them for him. Minutes later, he died.
     His last act, his last words were of kindness. What will ours be like?
     Will we be playing solitaire on the computer? Watching questionable TV shows? Dreaming about what we're going to do in the future? Will we die after maligning a neighbor or cursing our politicians or sleeping too late and ignoring our homes?
     We need to be cognizant that we are guaranteed nothing but the moment we are living. We must make our character count. How will people remember us?

Wacked-Out Words

2011-08-17T09:03:00.001-04:00

Where'd we get these words?

Image via Wikipedia

pulchritude--means great beauty. Sounds like me after food poisoning.
flummoxed--confused? Again, sounds like the after effects of food poisoning.
bung hole--sounds obscene to me. It's just a hole drilled into a barrel with a cork in it.
concupiscence--sounds like problems with the urinary track--but it means sensual desire, lust
synecdoche--I could never say this even though I had to teach it. It's a metaphor--like arm of the law for cop. The arm's a part of the cop. The ABCs represent the alphabet.

Can you give me some of your favorites? Maybe they'll show up here!

Calli's Corner: Five Steps to a Better Life

2011-08-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

The nose knows

I'd like to introduce guest blogger, Calla Lily Sunbird Mac. She has a few words of wisdom she'd love to share:

How do you get the most out of life? It's simple. KISS--Keep It Simple Stupid.

Always kiss her good morning. Morning mouth is an added benefit.
Always comfort her when she's sick. And you just might get something out of it, too.
Toys are only good when they're shared.
Relish your dinner no matter how simple--someone loves you enough to feed you.
Nothing you're doing is too important and if she wants to take you for a walk or a run, drop all your plans and go for it with gusto.

Of course, depending on your genetics, you can change the she's to he's. It works equally well when your friend's a male.

And the key is to go for it with GUSTO!

Under construction

2011-08-01T18:30:00.002-04:00

The brick wall had tumbled down,trash littered every square inch of the floors while raccoons chirred in thewalls and plaster hung in large chunks.

“This house is perfect,” our projectmanager, Mo, said. “It’s beautiful.

The board accepted hisrecommendation and currently is renovating the house on Academy Street for alarge, blended family who deserves a home.

We cleared the yard, coatedourselves in plaster dust as we stripped walls, and exposed the rooms to theoutdoors.

Amish masons restored the limestonefoundation and the brick walls. New floors are in the process of being laid.

This home is still a long way fromcompletion—but the work we’ve done displays the beautiful bones of a historichouse, and before Christmas, the family will have a home more beautiful than it's original design.

This, too, is us.

What were we before Christ?

Some, blessedly, had always beengood and upstanding and didn’t need to see the filth of depravity to know he orshe was a sinner.

The rest of us struggled with drugsor alcohol or bad marriages or rotten relationships or loneliness or depressionor cruelty (ours or others) or…

But God sees our glory—sees throughthe debris and knows what a master craftsman and our hard work can produce.

Yes, I said hard work. Jesus won’tdo it all, but we won’t do it without Him and He won’t do it without us.

We can become a glorious habitationif he adhere to Eph 2:10

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Joy

2011-07-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

Explanation by Jean Ingelow, 1820-1897

It is a comely fashion to be glad

Joy is the grace we say to God.

Sourpuss. I haven't heard that term in many years, and in my childhood, sourpuss was a quintessential insult. No one wanted a sourpuss or a crybaby as a friend. Then we matured and it became fashionable to be sardonic, sarcastic, pessimistic. But what does that really say about us?

We are ungrateful. We moan because it's hot in summer and cold in winter, it rains too much or too little. Our spouses--the one we pledged to honor doesn't pick up and toss his empty shampoo bottles, our kids stay out too late.

And so we tell God that He failed us. The cool evening air doesn't re-invigorate us; the wood that keeps us warm is insufficient, that it isn't fun to splash in puddles or revel in the sunshine. And that husband doesn't go to work each day, hold us when he returns and yokes himself with you to build a beautiful life.

When did it get so fashionable to be rude, ungrateful and irreverent? In real life I shun the sourpusses. I want to laugh and dance and celebrate and I want to tell God He's blessed me plenty.

Next time I complain about Malone or a neighbor or the government--smack me up side the head and remind me that joy is the grace I say to God.

Pursued by Lillian Duncan

2011-07-23T11:10:00.002-04:00

     Do enjoy mysteries? Romance? Inspirational Christian fiction? Then you'll enjoy Lillian Duncan's new release from White Rose Publishing--Pursued.
Up-and-coming lawyer Reggie Meyers bumps into Dylan Monroe--literally--when their cars collide. Her vehicle is totaled and she has no way home The handsome farmer--who she calls her cowboy takes Reggie under his care, and without this gift from God, Reggie would be unable to overcome the events that follow.
   Of course this confident lawyer, trusts no one and must learn to lean on the love of strangers and of a God she doesn't know to conquer clear and present threats to her life.
     And what follows? You'd have to read this novel to find out. Duncan crafts a fun, fast read that offers everything good mysteries and romances require. You won't be disappointed.

Are You Really a Disciple?

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaIn our chaotic lives,we delight in church. We sing and Jesus meets us. Suddenly the cares of theworld drift away.

Then we hear a goodmessage. We cry because it convicts us. We rejoice, because we are justified.

Of course, whensomeone brings in the special homemade treats, we really love church. We grab asticky bun or a cookie (we avoid the fruit and healthy food) and head for ourcars.

Life is good as aChristian.

However, are we trulydisciples? For me, the litmus test is John 13:35. “By this all will know thatyou are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“Okay,” you say. “Ilove my pastor— I love my spouse. Of course my kids, too.”

We know we are easy tolove. But how about them?

Periodically I getcalled by someone who annoys me. We never have anything to say, but the person wants to talk.

I can look at mycaller ID and avoid the call—quickly turn off the answering machine, and forthe ten minutes demanded of my time, avoid the displeasure.

How often have wecrossed the street to avoid someone? Talked about the aggravating co-worker?Sneered at someone?

Worse yet, do we shunthe members of our church because they irritate us?

Church does exist forus. We must be fed. We must identify God’s Spirit and grow as Christians. Butwe can’t forget the unlovely. We need to show we are Christ’s

The true measure ofdiscipleship is loving people in the manner that Jesus loved.

Christian Tossed Salad

2011-07-09T20:17:00.004-04:00

Image by Professor Bop via Flickr After a late start, my garden’sproducing. And what it produces doesn’t totally delight me: radishes, cabbageand yellow squash. But then my husband Neil is stuck with tomatoes, peppers and green beans.

Two of us share this garden, and thetwo of us have different tastes. Neil loves the pungent taste of Brassicaceaefamily (that’s the biological term for the cabbage kind of things). I will eatfresh tomatoes (Solanaceae) until my mouth breaks out in sores from the acid.

I’m sure those of you who relishyour gardens are the same. The kids won’t eat anything except the “trees”(broccoli), and you have to take up too many rows with three types of lettucein order to make everyone smile at the dinner table.

Even so, when company comes, howmany of us take them out to the garden and show off the wonders? How many hoursdo we toil to gain our produce? Whether we love every plant we grow, we loveour gardens.

Our church is a fabulous garden aswell—unlike our backyard variety—it’s always is season. However, to please allpeople, we are a varied group.

Some are outgoing,gregarious-(perhaps we’d call them annoying). Some are artistic (weird). Somearen’t very pretty, some aren’t very fit, some complain, some are just toohappy all the time and finally, some are just too active and keen on fitness.

Just like our veggies, each comeswith its unique pests, yet each displays its own flavor. We are unique and thatdistinctiveness is essential. A tossed salad without tomatoes is boring, and ifyou don’t like the little red glob plopped on your plate—your dining partnerwill snatch it up for you.

In our churches weall have a role to play, and our church could not perform as God intendedwithout each of us.

“Just as each of us has one bodywith many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body,and each member belongs to all the others. Rom 12:4-5

Another Side to Disdain

2011-06-26T17:36:00.000-04:00

     I know this will come as a shock to those who know me in real time--but sometimes people drive me bonkers. Having read Scripture once or twice, I know this isn't a trait I should brag about on a public blog visible to all the world--but you've never met "Sophia."
     Sophia quotes Scripture all the time--you make a statement, she gives a relevant chapter and verse. You do something not up to her standard--along comes chapter and verse. Someone doesn't see things the way she does--perhaps you like Corvettes when she prefers Mustangs, disdain curdles her voice, it becomes whiny, then supercilious (of course--I, the erstwhile English teacher, would have to define that word for Sophia). No one would dare dispute her assertions because she'd have the chapter and verse to prove how much better Mustangs are--the Bible does talk about horses--never autos.
     How are we to love someone like that?
     This morning I discovered a key. Romans 12:17b says, "Have regard for good things in the sight of all men." My footnote from the Nelson Study Bible says, "A Christian should not concentrate on the evil in others, but instead should focus on what is good. By doing so, we encourage others around us to aspire to the good" (1903).
     If I applied this to Sophia I would discover a woman who has raised wonderful children whom she loves dearly--her love is evident in her words and her actions and her children's sweetness. She's been married only once and still loves and respects her husband. She volunteers in church, is reliable and dedicated to both her job and her ministry. As a faithful, loving woman she demonstrates her Christian character.
     How can I not like her?

The Blood and the Water

2011-06-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Hypovolemic Shock

Blood and water poured from Jesus’ side. How can this be? Water doesn’t flow separately from blood? Biologically, Jesus probably suffered from hypovolemic shock.

The thirty-nine lashes He received would have exposed bone, muscles, sinews, bowel. His blood pressure would drop. He’d lose blood

Prior to death, the decreased blood flow causes fluid to gather around the heart sack. When the soldier pierced Jesus’ right side, he probably pierced His lung and heart., releasing the fluid. Thus blood and water flowed.

Give Jesus the Dregs

2011-06-14T19:08:00.001-04:00

Dregs contain the least value of anything. Originally it described the left over sediment in wine. Undoubtedly, you’ve drunk coffee or cider or pulpy orange juice, What happens when you get to the end?

Wine from Bible times was not as refined as today's vintages. So think of Jesus as He drank the Passover wine. When He got to the bottom, and what did He do? He drank every last drop. He gulped the sediment of pride and gossip. He swallowed murder and abuse. He digested self-righteousness and arrogance.

All our sins settled in the waste of wine. In His act, He gave us two choices. We could allow Him to drink it. Or we could allow it to be flung out at us in judgment.

Image via Wikipedia

Within twenty-four hours, the wine he drank became his blood. The soldier pierced his side and from it flowed blood and water (John 19:34).

The disciples had to have recalled Jesus’ prophecy from the Last Supper.“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28). If we don’t allow Jesus to drink our sins, we must drink them ourselves.

In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs (Ps 75:8).

The Goodness of Imperfect Fathers

2011-06-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Dad, me, Art, Mom

My father wasn’t perfect—he drank too much and smoked unfiltered cigarettes and died too soon. However, these aren’t the moments I recall. Much of the goodness in me and my family is the direct result of him.

He adored my mother. I remember him coming home from work and we kids would crow for his attention. We received our hugs and kisses, but then he got to mom. He’d hold her in the kitchen and they’d hug and smooch—none of us existed in that moment. Their love came first.

His interests centered on his boat—and the boat meant family time. We spent summers sailing the Long Island Sound, picnicking on sandbars, fishing off the boat and cruising.

He’d arrive home from work at the same time daily. The great joy of my life was to “surprise” him by walking the half-mile to the main road to meet him.

These are heirlooms I can finger, joys that play out in my life today.

Bob, Dad, Janine, Alan

He consciously taught me not to smoke by showing me the tar his cigarettes produced. Neil bought a boat and it’s the one motorized entertainment I relish. And today, when Neil’s return from work nears, I grab the dog, and walk down the route he takes. I feel a childhood joy in meeting my love.

Little details of my life show my father’s impact: my love of reading, Of classical music, the joy of learning.

He taught me faithfulness to my spouse and integrity.

My father loved anything to do with the sea—was a commander in the Long Island Coast Guard Auxiliary. His dedication to altruistic causes flows in my veins.

And how about you, fathers? You see your flaws, and honestly, so do your children. But they see your goodness and both will impact them for the rest of their lives.

Marianne, Mom, Dad, Art, Bob, J-9, Al



.

Strengthen what’s good and perfect and true—it will push out the negative.

And children—what do you choose to remember about your father? You can allow bitterness and unforgiveness to highlight the pain or allow Jesus to help you forgive so you know this man as God designed him to be.

This Father’s Day celebrate the dad he always wanted to be.

BURNING HEARTS by Nike Chillemi

2011-05-19T15:32:00.002-04:00

C: Nike, knowing you, I can imagine how you became interested in the sordid, crime ridden world that intrigues you—however, can you give us the authorized version?

N: Well, Carol, to begin with, I live in Gotham (NYC) and life here isn't always sanitized. My husband is a certified social worker, an MSW. He's the assistant director of a substance abuse program at one of the busiest, craziest city run hospitals. He's been in the substance abuse field all of his adult career. I've heard the most bizarre stories. Some were fistfights right in the emergency room when my husband was present and even involved in restoring calm. Earlier in our marriage, we were foster parents. Then after a couple of years, we adopted from the foster care system. We know what type of horrid abuse of children goes on. So, for me, I can't write a pie in the sky story.

C: What is the inspiration for BURNING HEARTS?

N: I keep a plot file of potential interesting stories and the storyline for BURNING HEARTS emerged from that. As often happens, my characters soon start taking over. Heroine Erica Brogna, began to display some of my feisty characteristics. And like I have, from time to time, she gets into a bit of trouble. I didn't realize it for a while, but Erica's mother who runs a boarding house and is a fantastic baker is very much like my Czechoslovak immigrant grandmother did those same things. Mrs. Brogna has a great sense of humor and so did my grandmother.

C: What would you say are the major themes of BURNING HEARTS?

N: A major sub-theme in this story and in all my stories is justice for the victim. I'm really big on that. My main characters strive to bring some small measure of restoration by bringing the killer in. In BURNING HEARTS the unease between the older, more established residents of the village and the new Czechoslovakian immigrants is another sub-theme. Also how Americans recovered from the sadness and loss of World War II by going into the jitterbug age, big band and so forth.

C: All books are written to be enjoyed—many have underlying ideals the author wishes to impart to the reader. Is there a message you hope the reader gleans from your debut novel?

N: I want to show how ordinary people can rise to great heights in standing for what is right and against evil. I hope my readers can see the "natural nobility" unpretentious people can display when against all odds they do the right thing. As we've talked about in the earlier questions, there is great ugliness in the world. I don't want to deny the ugliness, but want to show there is greater beauty. I hope my reader comes away knowing the greatest, most powerful force on earth is love.

C: Against common sense Erica Brogna trusts Lome Kincaid. Are these characters representational of people you know?

N: Erica feels a lack of faith at the opening of the story, but she's still very spiritually connected to God. When Erica and Lorne first meet, something happens…immediately. Well, he's a gonner. He falls in love hook, line, and sinker. She discerns something deep inside him and knows he's a good man. It takes her a while to admit she's in love with him. I'm not going to tell my age, but I think the longer a person is on this planet, they do hear some love stories like this.

C: I understand the fashion of World War II era intrigues you. Why?

N: The fashion of the 1940s is classic and chic. The men were debonair. The women loved to dress up, despite shortages of rayon, nylon, wool, and leather. Hollywood drove fashion trends. You had the great costume designer Edith Head designing for the stars and in effect, she became America's fashion designer. Many women knew how to sew and could duplicate what they saw on the silver screen.

C: What else about this time period interests you?

N: I'm fond of common courtesy and civility. This was the norm in the 1940s. Oh, you had your louts, but they were called a dolt or an oaf. No excuses were made for them. Most ordinary people in that time had dignity and class.

C: You’ve judged the Inspy and Carol awards. Why do you enjoy judging?

N: I'm also the founding board member of the Grace Awards. I love to judge. I love to see what's coming up the pike in Christian fiction. I think exciting things are happening. The Christian publishing industry is expanding. I'm seeing more speculative fiction and young adult fiction. This is great. There's no reason why Christian teens should be left to read Twilight when they could be reading Christian themed stories about vampires and time travel.

C: With your experience judging and your monthly reviews for The Christian Pulse, what words of advice can you give to aspiring writers?

A: I'd say first of all, read in your genre. See what's being published and by which publishing house. Write, write, and write some more. Don't stop with the first novel. Have two or three novels ready to submit. Join a writers group. American Christian Fiction Writers probably offers the most to new authors. If the author's work is a bit gritty or pushes the envelope in some way join Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning). There are also regional and local writers groups. But get active in these groups. Take advantage of everything they offer. If they have a critique group, run don't walk, and get into it. That's where you can hone your craft.

C: Anything else you’d like to add?

N: Please, buy my book. How's that for shameless promotion?

From the Heart: Concrete Steps to Take to Heal the Ache

2011-05-11T17:47:00.000-04:00

If you're at all like me, you want to take action, do something to heal the ache. Rest assured, most of the time this is what Jesus wants you to do. Here's what has helped me:

Talk to the offender privately (Matt. 18). The first step is one on one--and even though Scripture states to not let the sun go down on your wrath--wait until you've cooled down. You don't want to inflame the situation. If the person won't hear you, go with another, and finally with a pastor or elder. Most of our ills are not egregious--however, some are terrible and Jesus would not be offended if you went straight to step three for a severe offense.
Don't replay the offense over and over in your brain. Every time you think of it, change your train of thought. Pray, "I forgive." Then think on other things. At first you're liable to be praying non-stop (actually quite a spiritual thing!), but eventually, the thoughts dissipate as you no longer reward yourself with bitterness.
Since we know God can make all things work together for good (Romans 8), try to take this hurt and make yourself better. The dunderhead who grieved you doesn't feel any of your pain--so turn it around on the devil and decide to make sweet out of the bitter.
Think of those who have taken severe hurt and created a world of good--know that you can, too. For example, as I drove in my car I heard a tale of a couple, Rick and Sally, who lost their son in 9/11. He was in one of the planes that slammed into the World Trade Center. With the death of Bin Laden, they didn't cheer. For years they've been supporting Afghan schools. They turned their bitter hurt into a way to end the violence.

Forgiveness does not condone. Forgiveness does not necessarily undo the damage the attacker did--a rape victim will always have been raped, an abused child is abuse, and psychological wounds take time to heal. However, we know, through Jesus, we can forgive and be healed and come out stronger on the other side.

What has helped you overcome the pain of offense?

From the Heart: Searching the Scriptures

2011-05-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

Bitterness is the poison we drink hoping someone else will die. (author unknown)

Simultaneously with praying, in order to forgive, we need to search the Scriptures. How else would we know what God is saying to us if we don't learn His character? And we can only learn that from the Bible. Pastors, teachers, friends, other Christians can lead us, can help us understand God's character, but we must be like the Bereans and learn it for ourselves. Only through knowing the Word can we release ourselves from the poison of unforgiveness.

We all pray the Lord's Prayer--we cannot forget the critical mid-section of this prayer. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt 6:12). We know we're forgiven--at a great cost. Can we expect forgiveness unless we give it? And I'm not a Bible scholar, but to be the as in this verse can imply that we receive forgiveness in the manner we forgive. That idea scares me--repentance and humility are critical to the Christian character--because I know how I can hold a grudge!

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Col 3:13). And how did Jesus forgive? The critical example is seen in the most extreme circumstance. As Jesus hung on the cross, falsely accused, beaten, tortured, mocked and dying, what did He do? I would have cursed and screamed and damned the perpetrators to hell. I would have retained the sins of my torturers in hopes than heaven would never pardon. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"( Luke 23:34). I don't know about you, but my righteousness does not exceed His, and if He can forgive in these extreme circumstances, how can I not forgive in my petty ones?

Do you have Scriptures that have helped you? I'd love for you to share them with me. My next blog will deal with the process prescribed to deal with those who have wronged us.

From the Heart: Praying for Forgiveness

2011-05-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

When cut to the quick by those who should have loved us, the pain hurts more than the wounds of a stranger and Jesus certainly understands this more than we. We know the Scriptural admonition to forgive--and this doesn't mean to condone or accept because wrong is wrong. However, we know we are flawed individuals, and we each have erred. And forgiveness is not an option. When we me our Father on Judgment Day we want to hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant" not "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoer!"

So how do we forgive, especially when we were right--clearly and without pride? (and remember, this isn't always the case--we are human, after all).

The first step is to pray for the offender which is not easy and often our will rebels against it. However, we cannot hold the sin against the believer--whatever we forgive on earth is forgiven in heaven, and we certainly want forgiveness from God and people for ourselves. To get that, we must give it.

One trick I've found that works when I do not want to pray for something goes like this: "Lord, help me want to pray for forgiveness." Sometimes I go a step further and pray that I want to want to--because I know how to hold onto a grudge. Usually I couple those prayers with an actual petition for the offender, and I'm honest. I tell God I may not mean it now, but I want to mean it. Eventually, my prayers become sincere.

Prayers restorative. Read James 5:16 and see. Although verse 15 talks about praying for the physically ill-- it has an application beyond the physical. "...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

For me, I want to be able to fix things--do something. However, we cannot forgive unless we lean on God our Father. This is the first step.

My next post will explore concrete steps to take.

From the Heart: Forgiveness

2011-05-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

Matt 18:35
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

From your heart...this is not a superficial forgiveness, but a deep, no loop-hole forgiveness. It sounds good, but the Bible doesn't give us a twelve step program on how to achieve this. Perhaps because each of us is different, we need to find our own path. Although the process offers latitude, the end result doesn't. We need to forgive.

The ability to give grace from our hearts is God's gift. People have been raped, beaten, cheated and destroyed by others, and God does not absolve them from forgiving because the severity of the issue—unforgiveness condemns us. So how do we do it?

Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, represents a perfect example of God’s divine will. His position in Egypt could exact vengeance on brothers who had caused him years of misery. But what did he do? He forgave them all and gave them sanctuary. Because of Joseph’s actions, his family found salvation.

Matthew 18: 35 be says, “…forgive your brother from your heart.” We frequently mouth the words with conviction, but God wants us to go beyond words, beyond confession. He demands forgiveness from the heart.

Heartfelt forgiveness doesn’t condone, doesn’t say, “Gee, no problem.” But it does release us from pain. It does loose forgiveness from heaven. Like Joseph, it can lead our enemies to salvation.

I suppose the first step in forgiving is acting like Joseph—treating the offenders with love and respect. But I’d like to hear from others…how does one forgive when every fiber of our lives is torn? What has helped you?

How Do You Deal With Pharisees?

2011-04-30T11:52:00.000-04:00

Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

    The above Scripture is the summation of the parable of the Pharisee and the sinner. The Pharisee had been acknowledged as the holy one in the church. Indeed, his deeds were good: he prayed, read Scripture, tithed, gave to the poor. His problem? He made sure no one--not even God--forgot. He probably even corrected those who lacked in their faith in efforts to make them holy or get them saved.
     The other guy? He didn't have a resume. He knew only one thing: he was a sinner and unworthy of all God gave. He admitted where he was weak and asked for help.
     I wish I was holy, but I'm not. I hear people disparage those who do egregious things, and shame burns because I know that I certainly am capable of doing the same things--both as a sinner and a Pharisee. I can envy those who know their faith is flawless and they please God in every detail, that their salvation is irrefutable and that God is lucky to have them on His side. I'm lucky Jesus accepts me--warts and all.
     And I write this in grief because I am a sinner and I am who I am and others must remind me of my lacks. Without Jesus I cannot change.
     And I wonder...how do you deal with the Pharisees in the church?

In Death We Find Life

2011-04-22T18:51:00.002-04:00

     After 92 years full of giving and loving and caring, my husband's Uncle Neil passed away. He was a man who knew his own mind right until the end--sometimes to our own chagrin. For example--he had to be hospitalized in Potsdam--not Massena--he refused to have a will, yet took meticulous care that his funeral was taken care of, and will be laid out in a flannel shirt--so he'll be comfortable for eternity. We watched him fail for nearly a year, and watching him become increasingly helpless hurt almost more than his passing.
     Tomorrow the McClain clan will gather at Hammill Funeral Home to say good-bye. Yet, there's a sense of celebration. My Neil has found old pictures of his family in their youth to share--times when they looked gawky or the fashions really needed to rethink themselves. Unc Neil's niece and nephews and great-nephew will travel long distances to say their final farewell--and these are distances they traveled for Unc Neil when he could still appreciate them.
      Over the past year, we've shared tales of Unc Neil's strengths, his character and his foibles. We've been blessed with neighbors who looked at Unc Neil more as their father than a man who lived down the road.
     We'll gather and cry--the family together. Then we'll share a meal and in that time, strengthen the bonds that make the McClain group the family of character (or characters) they are. We will rejoice in our lives and the memory of one that touched us all.
     How significant that Unc Neil died on Maundy Thursday--and will be laid to rest over the Easter weekend. I can't help but think of another man whose death brought life.
     Have you found joy in dying?

God Created the World for Women: The Proof

2011-04-17T15:43:00.000-04:00

God must be crying over the irony of the patriarchally driven world when the very opening of the Bible shows us the world was created for us--the women. I do not expect you to take this thought in blind faith, so I will demonstrate it exegetically. (Go to the source, and see that I don't err).

Image via Wikipedia

Day 1--Every woman knows she looks best with a sun-kissed tan, thus day 1, God created the sun.
Day 2--What better place to get a tan than on the beach? Day 2, God separated the water from the land and thus gave us beaches.
Day 3--I covered this in depth yesterday. Coffee, chocolate, wine and golden Oreos all come from plant life.
Day 4--(Do notice how creation gets more complex as it goes along--this is an important point). We now have moonlight and starlight for a little romance in which to enjoy our chocolate.
Day 5--What good is a red wine without the red steak? Or an excellent book without a kitty cat purring on our laps? On Day 5, God created the animals.
Day 6--the complexity builds--and here I'll separate two components. God creates man who all alone cannot deal with life. But he is necessary to provide for God's crowning achievement--the beach house and fine foods and romance. Once man is finished--along comes woman, His crowning achievement. With the creation of woman, what else can the good Lord do? He's done it all.
Day 7--He can finally rest.

Therefore, woman was the sole reason the world was created. I am so glad I am a Bible scholar! No one can refute this.

The Third Day Proves God's Love For Us

2011-04-16T15:40:00.000-04:00

Gen 1:11-13
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening, and there was morning — the third day.

How do I know God's love for us? Genesis 1:11-13 prove it. Man didn't come along until day six. But God prepared the way. Vegetation!

Chocolate comes from the cacao tree.When a rotten mood hits, what makes me feel better? Chocolate. God knew he'd make a woman in three days--He made sure we would have something to delight us.
Coffee comes from the coffee bush. How could I wake up in the morning and smell the roses without my jolt of caffeine. A strong cup of black java is ambrosia. A latte or cappuccino is divine. and some of you have to adulterate it with sugar?
Sugar cane is also vegetation. Because of it, we can eat golden Oreos.
And of course we have flowers. Any man knows the way to a woman's heart is with sweets and flowers shared over a steaming cup of coffee.

Gen 1:29
Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Oh the immeasurable love of God!

Bellyaching Gives you a Bellyache

2011-04-15T20:15:00.000-04:00

Sulks come and sulks go--people will always annoy me in some fashion. Yesterday I thought I'd air my pet peeves on a daily basis--but one problem: I can't get specific enough without hurting someone. Hurting others is the last thing I want to do because it's only through family and friends and the God who made them that I can overcome.
And how am I blessed? Let me count the ways:

Image by Timothy Valentine via Flickr

I NEED Oreos. It's cold and late, and my husband leaves the warmth of our torn apart house and dashes to Price Chopper returning with Golden Oreos and milk. Can life get better?
I sulk on Facebook--and the outpouring from friends makes me cry--my pastor reminds me of all who love me--including the Great Lover of us all. Another friend emails me. My sister calls. How can I grieve?
My blonde soul mate encourages my writing--we both suffer the pangs of rejection and although I'm not demonstrative, she always lifts me up. How can I fail?

In one day, three things remind me I am not alone. Our Father God cannot allow me to forget love patterned on His so I can see it.

And so I ask--how have others encouraged you?

Can You Help Me?

2011-04-14T20:04:00.000-04:00

     I have a question. You're in a group of friends and you are asked a question--asked to respond honestly. You begin, and a member of the group--one who always is the expert, jumps in, interrupts and asks: "How can you say that? I could never..."
     And you can fill in the blanks as to what he/she says. How do you respond?
     I can say honestly, I don't respond well. Unable to finish my sentence, I listed my credentials--credentials my critic didn't have and would never have, forced out my thoughts and shut up.
     What would you do?

Introducing I Called Him Dancer by Eddie Snipes

2011-04-09T09:27:00.001-04:00

Eddie Snipes' debut novel comes out this week. It's a uplifting contemporary novel about a talent dancer who'd been neglected as a child. He allows the tragedy of his life to destroy his dream. Snipes takes us into the world of dance.

I could write up a generic review--however, Edie's sense of humor and insight speaks more highly of his skills than anything I can write. I'm proud to offer this interview.

1. What started your interest in writing? Has it been a lifelong dream?

I hated writing until I realized I had something to say. Unfortunately, that was much later in life. My ‘real’ writing journey began around 1998. I was doing prison ministry and the inmates were asking for reading material. I thought it would be best to give them Bible studies based on what we were learning in our services. I began writing out my studies and giving them out each week. As my experience with writing grew, my work became more thorough and detailed.

I started an in-depth study at church on a requested topic. I spent weeks writing it out and then presented a 6 month 140 page study. When I handed it out, someone asked, “Wow, are you a writer?”

I responded, “No. I just put Bible studies together.” It would be more than a decade before I came out of denial. In those days, I had to force myself to write, but over time, I began to love writing. I kept asking God to show me what he wanted me to do as a ministry. For years I wrote while I sought direction. Finally, I opened my eyes and said, “You know, I feel led to write.” Brilliant deduction, Sir Watson!

2. I understand a poem called “Dancer” became your inspiration for your latest release I Called Him Dancer. Could you explain how?

Actually, it’s a song. Tralena Walker and Tom Webster spoke at the Atlanta Writers Club. They spoke about writing songs with stories. It was interesting, but not something I thought would be useful to me. Either Tom or Tralena said, “We think this would make a great novel and we’ve been looking for someone to write it.”

One moment I was a passive observer, the next moment my head was exploding. After cleaning up the mess and putting the pieces back together, I realized that I’d had an epiphany. I saw the plot of the story unfolded in my mind. I agreed to write the book and began working with Tom and Tralena. I gained two valued friends and a great story.

3. This book deals with the world of dance and art and New York City. As a Southern gentleman and the unusual aspect of dance, what drew you to these two areas?

The story in the song drew me in. The song leaves the dancer homeless, and I knew I had to finish his story. It took a lot of reading and research to learn about dance, New York, and competing. A lot of the scenes just needed good old fashioned imagination. I had to think about what a coach / teacher would do, and how a pupil would respond. Never having been involved in dance, I was apprehensive when the book was printed, but my concerns were laid to rest when people started asking me how I knew so much about dancing. I just do a pas ballonné and say, “Must have been something that sprang up out of the blue.”

4. I Called Him Dancer concerns itself with God’s never failing, enduring love. What would you want your readers to take away with them after reading this work?

There are two things that I believe inspire people in this story. First, many people I know have loved ones who struggle with self-destructive behavior or addictions. My goal is to inspire them with hope that God’s love can reach the hopeless. Second, those who believe God can’t love them may be inspired to believe. I tried to make Michael brutally honest about his bitterness toward God to show the Lord’s love in spite of our failures. Hypocrisy, misguided advice, suffering, and betrayal are real problems that people deal with. My goal was to address these things through the life of someone struggling, and then to show what true faith is through the humble, but very human Kenyon.

5. This novel is contemporary fiction. Is this your only genre and what is it that draws you to this particular genre?

I have six other books in various states of completion. I wrote a thriller before I wrote this book. I liked I Called Him Dancer so much that I put everything else on hold until I could finish it. I’m also working on a non-fiction book called Simple Faith that should be out sometime this year. Though I plan to write in various genres, one thing I hope to keep in mind is the eternal perspective. Entertainment is fine, but unless people are being inspired to look toward their creator, there is little eternal significance in my work.

6. Is I Called Him Dancer your first published novel?

Yes. I always thought my non-fiction work would be first. I really like the story of my ‘waiting to be revisited’ thriller. But when the song about Dancer showed up, I knew this was the first book to be published.

7. You are president of the Christian Authors Guild. What is the purpose of this group?

Our motto is: Sending out a Christian wave upon a secular sea.

Our goal is to encourage, teach, and cultivate good writing qualities in Christian writers. We have beginning writers up to published authors. Each person has value and significance. Our goal is to provide a safe environment where others can share their dreams and work while learning how to improve their craft. Ultimately, we want to see Christian writers affecting both the Christian and the secular markets for good.

8. Can you tell us something about your ministry Exchanged Life?

Exchanged Life Outreach started as a prison ministry. Then while discipling men, I created a website where others could get the study material we were using. Over time the site grew to over 100,000 hits per month and had a distribution of nearly 1,000 subscribers. My goal is to provide biblical answers in a non-technical way. The Apostle Paul instructed the church not to be led away from the simplicity of the gospel; therefore, true discipleship should make the truth plain and easily understood.

Springtime of the Spirit by Maureen Lang

2011-03-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

I love a good historical fiction--it's the only way I learn history. And Maureen Lang didn't let me down. Springtime of the Spirit is set in post-World War I Germany--a time period I knew nothing about--and to learn of the awful government, the despair, the self-interests coat this beleaguered country, I can understand how someone as heinous as Hitler could have gotten a stronghold.

And for those of you who do not care for history in any form, Lang creates a memorable story that will sweep you out of your life and into another world.

Disillusioned Christophe returns from the battlefield wanting to forget the horrors he had to inflict there. The parents of Annaliese Duray ask him to find her. Annaliese had abandoned her capitalistic family for the ideals of socialism and strives to attain fairness for all.

Annaliese also struggles to forget the request Christophe made that caused her sister's death.

In this beautifully layered book, nothing is as it appears and caught in a world between wars, Christophe and Annaliese struggle for reconciliation.

Lang is a master storyteller and Springtime of the Spirit proves it.

Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington

2011-03-14T09:20:00.000-04:00

     Teen-aged Roxi, policewoman Abby, bookstore clerk Christy--all damaged, all struggling with the weight their mistakes, their pasts and the death of Christy's fiancee and Abby's brother, Hunter--a death caused, in part, by the throw-away teen Roxi.
     How can justice be served, especially to a young girl who never experienced it? And how can damaged people find healing?
     As Christians, we know the obvious answers, but the young novelist, C.J. Darlington, weaves a tale that will keep you reading into the night, turning page after page--your heart aching for those whose lives have been wrenched with pain.
     I rarely wholeheartedly recommend a novel, but this one I do. You will be entertained with a good story, uplifted by a strong theme and learn a little about antiquarian book dealing. Darlington's done it all in this Tyndale release. I will read more of her work.

The Perfect Man

2011-03-05T20:04:00.002-05:00

In a Minute Fiction

She ran her hands along his well-muscled chest, her long fingers stroking the dark whorls of hair. Here was a man who took care of himself, his pectorals firm, his arms solid but not bulky like men addicted to circuit training. Her hands traveled to his hands. She found uncalloused fingers and fine nails with no irregularities, and they weren't manicured. Thank God for that. She hated androgynous popinjays.

She had her fill of that type, full of themselves, filled with lust, concerned only with how she could fulfill their needs since she was blonde and buxom and beautiful.

It's funny, she thought, how the male of this species believes he is so original yet only thought in stereotypes. She'd bump into a Bruce Willis wannabe in Starbucks--he'd look at her chest and the mating dance began.

They never looked at her hands or her mind, never asked about her degree or cared about her career.

But her career was just what this one needed to unlock his mysteries. He lay under her hands: young, well-muscled and mute.

The perfect man, she thought, as she sliced through his chest to begin the autopsy.

Poetry: A Villanette based on Elizabeth Bishop

2011-02-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

No, I shan't have lied. It's evident
that traditional poems are not in vogue.
Yet I'd swear by him--the ode familiar.

The onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhyme'
Old favorites, now passe, I must save for my ess-ays
But, I shan't have lied. It's evident

that heavy, rhythmic poesy, is ever so much e-a-sy
But obtuse modern angst is clever, dark and chic.
still I'd swear by him the ode familiar

no more rhymes on coupled lines
shall litter all these poems of mine
I shan't have lied. It's evident
I'd swear by him--the ode familiar
My pet, the ode familiar.

Vera

2011-02-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

Image by leonem via Flickr

The winter wind whisked her along Fifth Avenue
to Central Park. She stood above the lake
skimmed with ice. Her brothers hurling rocks
had hoped to make a hole that wouldn't freeze again.
Intent upon their burden, they ignored
a little girl who stood meekly at their side.

"I can break the ice so it won't freeze again."

"Tommy-rot," they said and shut her out.
But she could prove she was as smart as they.
A she leapt from the bridge and her brothers learned
when Vera spoke, they'd better listen.