Monthly Archives: June 2009

Miracles and Faith

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img_1857_2_21In church on Sunday, our pastor spoke about the storms of life and our faith in God. In Luke, chapter 8, we find the disciples and Christ in a boat trying to cross from one side of a lake to the other. I’ve never been to Israel, but I understand the storms there (such as on the Sea of Galilee) can form very quickly, making it quite dangerous for boaters.

In the Biblical account, Christ is sleeping in the boat when such a terrible storm comes up and the boat becomes swamped with water. At that point, the disciples woke Christ  with a frantic, “Master, master, we perish!” Christ rose, rebuked the wind and raging water, whereupon the sea became calm. Then Christ turned to the disciples and asks them where their faith is. At this point, the disciples are both afraid and filled with wonder, asking, “What manner of man is this? For he commands even the winds and water and they obey him.” (Luke 8:24-25, KJV)

The disciples were fishermen. They might have built the boat they were in. The knew the lake, they knew the weather patterns there. They knew each other and their capabilities. They put their faith in what they knew and Christ called them on it.

Like the storm, there are things that can rock our world: finances, fear, failure, uncertainty. And yet, as our pastor said, storms do not build faith. Storms reveal faith. Troubles in our lives show us where we have placed our faith. It might be in ourselves or in others around us.

Here comes my favorite part. I love miracles, the things that fall into the realm of the fantastic. I love the fact that Christ can stand up and command the elements to obey him. How cool is it that Christ can also save me from the difficulties in my life? Christ knew the disciples’ circumstances; he knows–and can change–my circumstances. And if he chooses not to, he has a reason. But the lesson here is to have faith in Christ regardless of our present circumstances.

In these uncertain times, life is difficult for many people. Here are a couple of scriptures that I find very comforting:

“…I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (1 Timothy 1:12b, KJV)

“The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of who shall I be afraid?…For in the time of trouble he shall hide me, he shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:1, 5)

Thank you, Lord, for watching over us, for knowing–and guiding–the circumstances in our lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Winner of The Lord Protector’s Daughter

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The winner of The Lord Protector’s Daughter by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., was…

Linnéa Ashford

Congratulations!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Win a Copy of Dreamstone, by P.A. Hendrickson

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dreamstoneSuzanne Hartmann is giving a away a copy of Dreamstone by P.A. Hendrickson over at her blog. I haven’t read the book, but it sounds intriguing so I thought I’d let you all know about the contest. To enter, go to Suzanne’s blog: http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/2009/06/contest-win-free-book.html.

Here’s the summary:

DREAMSTONE: A dreamer can change the world…if he is willing to sacrifice his own reality.

When Joebin Vassiter’s home world of Prothia is faced with extinction at the hands of vicious slavers from Gildus-5, a voice in his dream lures him on a journey to the mysterious, uncharted regions north of his settlement. A mismatched band of volunteers join him as he searches for the one thing that can save Prothia—The Dreamstone.

To hold the Dreamstone is to hold the power of transforming the subconscious into the conscious, the dream into reality. But pursuing the stone is not without risks. There are others in the hunt. Governor Kress Moltaire, a self-serving manipulator, desires its power for the sake of building her new order in the galaxy, and Colonel Penzin and Captain Klonda seek the stone for its financial value on the black market. As time runs out on the once-insignificant world of Prothia, Joebin wrestles with his own deep-set insecurities and new truths concerning his home planet. Can he conquer his fears and defeat the slavers and rival seekers of the stone before it’s too late? —Not on his own and not without the Dreamstone.

P.A. Hendrickson’s website: http://www.pahendrickson.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dragonforge, by James Maxey

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dragonforge-tinyDragonforge is the second book in James Maxey’s Dragon Age trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Bitterwood, and so I ordered Dragonforge. Before I read it, however, I was disappointed to find out the author is a self-proclaimed atheist. Regardless, I had ordered the book and decided to go ahead and read it.

I found Dragonforge (like its predecessor) to be well-written and very imaginative. The story is set in a world where dragons have ruled for thousands of years over mankind, unaware that mankind was once the dominant species. Dragonforge continues a human revolt that started in the first book. The story moved along well with a nice pace, good use of dialogue and vivid descriptions.

James Maxey is obviously familiar with Christian theology, even to the point of quoting scripture. However, his religious philosophy is also quite apparent in the pages of the book. Although I enjoyed the quality of the book, I found his underlying viewpoint to be rather dismal.

For more info on Dragonseed (the final volume in the trilogy to be released later this month), click on the link below:

[amazon-product text="Dragonseed: A Novel of Dragon Age" type="text"]1844167550[/amazon-product]

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You Know You’re a Fantasy Nut When…

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I saw this posted by Rebecca Miller at the Speculative Faith website, but it was originally posted by Ëarwen at her blog. I thought it was fun and deserved re-posting. Thanks, Ëarwin!

You know you’re a fantasy nut when…

You and your friends speak *your* language, not english

You are shocked when you meet someone who has never seen The Lord of the Rings

All you want for your birthday is the latest christian fantasy book, a slice of cake, and thou

You go around offering to teach people elvish (Sindarin or Quenya? One lump or two?)

When you read a verse in the Bible and shout “That’s like my character, when…” (has happened, by the way!!)

You are past your fifteenth birthday and still read ‘Grimm’s fairy tales’ for inspiration

You drink tea out of your favorite ‘alice in wonderland’ oversized teacup (I have one! =D)

You can’t watch a good fantasy movie without writing your own fanfiction to go with it

You drool every time you hear Howard Shore’s music

You are adamant that Legolas does NOT look like a girl!

You are shopping for your archery things and you keep saying “I want Susan’s Arm Guard in Prince Caspian” and “I want Legolas’s quiver!”

You are determined to name your little girl Galadriel and your little boy Eragon (or Sienna and Eristor)

Someone asks you what your favorite animal is and you say “DRAGONS!”

You hardly know the meaning of the word ‘non fiction’

You search the Bible looking for names to name your fantasy characters (I found two, perfect for stupid henchmen – Lud and Phut! they were actually doomed cities.. haha! But forget Mahershalalhashbaz)

You are more excited about the new Vision Forum dvd ‘Science Fiction: Reclaiming the Genre for Christ’ than you are about the new Pixar movie (so that one’s more Sci-fi – I love that, too!)

Every time you wear a ring, you call it your precious (sss)

Your favorite exclamations are “Fool of a Took!” and “Forth Eorlingas!”

You MUST have everything with a Celtic design or leaves on it, because it’s positively Elvish

Every time you see an eagle you shout “Gwaihir!”

You respect moths for some odd reason…

You speak elvish more often than english (wishful thinking on my part)

You see someone with exceptionally pale skin and are convinced they are a Glimpse

Every time you and your sibling say something at the exact same time you shout “Nock and Bolt syndrome!” (in me and my little sister’s case, we go “KYS!” for ‘Kayle and Yane Syndrome!’)

When a star is shining especially bright you say “Second star to the right, and straight on till morning…”

Your dearest wish is that you could fly (always has been, always will be)

You think that you have both elvish AND hobbit somewhere in your family tree… (Glorfindel and Daisy Cotton, for instance…)

(Technorati Profile)

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”