6.30.2011

Drawing a _____

Here's a glimpse into my life right now:

Writing. It's what I want to do, but sometimes I draw a complete and total blank. It's true. I mean, it's kind of hard to write when your character is knocked out stone cold for about an hour. I'm thinking of reviving him. I just have to get the scene right first. So hard, because each time I get it wrong I feel like he is still unconcious.

I've decided that watching TV is a really bad habit and that I should stop. Because I have so much to do and so little time. Isn't that just life?

The 4-H deadlines are coming up again and I'm sewing down to the wire again. I don't enjoy that.

Bible Quiz is starting up again mid summer and I don't have much memorized yet.

Vacation is upon me, but it's so hard to relax when I have a to-do list a mile long.

Not to mention...

But worrying is a sin. It's the result of not trusting in God like I should be.

Pray for me...

Brigid of Ireland by Cindy Thomson ~ review

                                                              Cover of ISBN: 082546112X

Brigid is a pure hearted, slave in early Ireland. She longs for the love of her mother who was taken away from her when she was very young. But she is not alone; she has God, the God of a man later to be known as Saint Patrick.
 Brigid confronts Pagan Druids, and helps the many down-trodden, during her search for her mother. Come along with Brigid into medieval Ireland where superstition is as rich as the loamy moss on the rocks. And God's voice is calling all who would believe. A warm read for most any age.

My Review: I found this book well-written, though at times, especially in the beginning chapters, a it choppy and a tad unnatural. But it got better, as the plot thickened. It wasn't until about half way though the book that I became engaged, after that the pages turned much faster.

I never really connected with Brigid, at times she seemed a bit self-righteous or her choices seemed to lack thought. But I can see where it would be hard to portray a person who was later sainted. And that brings up something else, this book had strong Catholic themes, which wasn't a bad thing. But since I'm not Catholic, I disagreed with some methods. But that was how it was in the early days of the church in Ireland.

I really liked the character of Brocca, I felt that her character was one of the best in the whole book. As well as that of a Druid named Bram. I didn't like the villian, Arden, but the author did a terrific job of making me not like him!

It was interesting to see the struggle between the early Christians and the Druid, drawn out so vividly and to learn about how so many people were living under foolish superstitions. I believe that Ms. Thomson presented a much different view than I have seen in similar books, and that was interesting to read. Overall I'm a bit lukewarm about this book, and would give it a 3 star rating. Thanks!

Buy the book HERE!

I received this book from Kregel publishers for free in return for an honest review. Thanks Kregel.

6.28.2011

The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry ~ Part 5

Today's the day you've all been waiting for! The day that we find out the truth about which of the Founding Fathers were Freemasons, and which of them weren't. The answers may surprise you!

Just so you understand how this works, this is a list of all the fellows who were labelled as Masons and their actual status in that matter.

*Neither John Adams nor his son John Quincy Adams were ever at anytime Freemasons. Both firmly denied any association with the later-to-become-infamous-group.

*Though George Washington was technically an American Freemason, he only entered a Mason lodge 2 to 3 times in his entire life. And that was in his early twenties. George Washington was an inactive Freemason, if the term Freemason even applies to him. Pictures falsely portray him as a active Mason, which he was not. There are no pictures from the actual time period in which he lived portraying him thus, these rather famous pictures (CLICK HERE) are modern imaginings! Painted nearly 200 hundred years after they claim it happened - which it didn't. I could write a whole book about all the false claims against George Washington, but the simple truth was that he joined the American Freemasons in his early twenties, went to 2-3 meetings, and was totally inactive as a Mason for the rest of his life.

*Benjamin Franklin was a Freemason. I guess he was a normal one, because nobody seems to defend him on this one. But it it good to note that Benjamin Franklin firmly defended Christianity when he responded to atheist Thomas Paine.

* James Madison as far as the records have found, had no association with Freemasonry whatsoever. And was not a Freemason.

*John Hancock was an American Freemason, but we should also note that he many times called the nations to prayer and  as Massachusetts's first governor, wrote a clause in the state's first amendment, requiring a statement of faith from all office holders. "I, ________, do declare, that I believe the Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth."

*Thomas Jefferson, despite many claims of the opposite was not a Freemason. There are no records that suggest otherwise.

*Richard Stockton was an American Freemason who died in the war. He was a strong Christian, as many papers in his own hand prove.

*John Dickinson,  a drafter of the Declaration of Independence, was an American Freemason. He urged the nation to prayer right before the Revolutionary War. And was very vocal in his walk with Christ on how, every good thing that had ever happened to him was because of God. It is also interesting to note that in the Mason records, it says that he joined, January 11th, 1780, and the note by his name states, "Never since appeared in Lodge."

*Alexander Hamilton, was not a Mason. Nothing proves his involvement at any degree.

*Robert Treat Paine was an American Mason. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a was a military chaplain during the Revolutionary War. He was paaionate about the Gospel and left behind journals and such that give us a glimpse into his life. This man was a Bible believing Christian.

*John Jay was not a Mason. The Mason records have no record of him. Neither are there records anywhere else.

*Gunning Bedford Jr. was not just an American Freemason, but was also a Grand Master of a lodge in the state of Delaware. Mr. Bedford is known for his open and unashamed embrace of the Gospel and Orthodox Christianity. This again shows how different Masonry was in early America. If you missed that post {CLICK HERE}

*Francis Scott Key, the man known for writing The Star Spangled Banner, is often labelled a Mason, though there is some possibility that he wasn't, was a strong Christian. He was a frequent delegate to Episcopal Church conventions, and was a manager of the American Sunday School Society. One of the other things Mr. Key is famous for is his commited correspondence with Mr. John Randolf, a decendant of John Rolf and Pocahontas. Mr. Randolf had a strong attachment to the Muslim faith and for many years Mr. Key wrote many letters to him witnessing to Mr. Randolf about Christianity. Then, one joyous day Mr. Key got a letter from John Randolf saying, "I have thrown myself upon the mercy of my Redeeemer, conscious of my own utter inability to conceive on good thought or do one good act without His gracious aid." [from Life of John Randolf vol. II]. To say the least Francis Key was jubilant. Mr. Key was a strong Christian.

*William Hooper joined a Mason lodge, but shortly after that lodge ceased to be and Mr. Hooper never attended a Mason meeting in another lodge.

*James McHenry also joined a Mason lodge in 1806, but by 1809, three years later he was totally inactive and the notation next to his name in the Mason record says, "Struck off in 1809."

*Charles Caroll, despite the claims of movies (such as National Treasure) and other literature he was not a Mason. In fact the Masons records firmly state that he was NOT a Mason. In fact Mr. Caroll was  devotely Catholic, and would have been excommunitcated if he had joined the Mason. So a claim that Charles Caroll was a Mason is pretty much ridiculous.


I guess that wraps up the series. Thanks so much for joining me. I hope this has sparked your interest. If you want to learn more about this topic check out Wallbuilders, or a book that is smaller and really easy to read, The question of Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers by David Barton. Be really careful when you research this hot topic, alot of common resources are sorta twisted so I suggest starting with Wallbuilders. Thanks so much!

6.27.2011

The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry ~ Part 4

Today we look into the truth of allegations of secret Freemason codes, signs and conspiracies as seen in movies such as National Treasure and read about in books. The short answer is: No. There are and were no such crazy conspiracies. But I don't expect you to take my word for it. I expect this series to pique your interest so that you will want to look into this more for yourselves. But a word of warning be very careful.

Okay, so you've probably all heard a little blurp (yeah, I meant blurp, so as not to be confused with a blurb, usually found on the back cover of a book), that sounds something like : During the early founding of our great nation the Founding Fathers built secrets signs and symbols into the very layout of our esteemed capital... Sorry to disappoint you but that's nonsense.

In this post I'm only going to cover three myths of secret symbols and such, the all seeing eye, the unfinished pyramid, and the Washington D.C. pentagram. I know there are countless other allegations, like false interpretations of Latin phrases and so on but, I think those are easier to look up for yourself, if you really want to know.

Let's start with the All-seeing Eye. I'm sure everyone has seen this one, it's on top of the unfinished pyramid, on the back of the one-dollar bill. The All-seeing Eye appeared for the first time on the great seal in 1783. The designers chose it because it "suggests the importance of Divine guidance in support of the American cause. The inscription Annuit Coeptis, translates as 'He God has favored our undertakings.'"  The Eye is a representation of Providence and how God is ever watching, it is encased in a triangle to symbolize the Trinity, only when it is not enclosed in a circle is it a Freemason symbol.

The first time the All-seeing Eye as a Masonic sign was in 1797, 14 years after it was used on the great seal! And also, when it was used by Masons it was used in the context of God watching, but being uninvolved, and also to promote a tolerance of all religions. It was also not encased in a triangle. So basically the Masons are the ones who borrowed it from the Great Seal!

Now on to the unfinished pyramid. Mason records say that the unfinished pyramid was at no time ever a Masonic symbol! In fact, "The unfinished pyramid means that the United States will always grow, improve, and build." To the designers of the seal the pyramid was the classic representation of strength and durability, also a great representation of the Triune God.

And last of all the rumored pentagram layout of Washington D.C. Well first of all there so many rumors that I'm just going to address 1 reason that makes it entirely unlikely. Here it is, Jefferson Memorial is rumored to be one of the points of  the alleged capital pentagram, but did you know that it (Jefferson Memorial) was not even build until 1943? And there were absolutely no plans for in it the 1791 blueprint. Not to mention that the location of Jefferson Memorial was underwater in 1791! Yeah, that's kinda of hard for those who make allegations about a secret pentagram in the capital to explain.

Just try and find a pentagram in the map below of Washington D.C.!

                                                  View Image
                                                 photo from www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/ellipses ver2.html  

There isn't a distinct pentagram. Enough said.

Tune in for the final part in my 5 part mini-series on The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry. In which we learn the who's who, and who weren't of early American Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers. The Answers might surprise you!

6.24.2011

The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry ~ Part 3

Okay, today is the day that we study the downfall of a admirably Christian based society, into something that is abhorred for its occult practices.

It all started in the year 1813, when American Freemasonry began recognizing other religions as the same or equal to Christianity. And that was just the beginning of the vast secular changes about to forever transform the face of American Freemasonry. It was around this time that speculative Masonry was integrated into the lodges, the tools of the mason (actual stone mason) trade were given extra "spiritual" meaning. For example, the level became the symbol of "universalism",the gavel came to represent "breaking off...all vices and superfluities of life," and the trowel to mean, "spread the cement of brotherly love...unites us a sacred band."

By the year 1825 American Freemasonry had changed dramatically. There were even Anti-Masonic groups formed as a result of the murder of Capt. William Morgan of New York, that followed the announcement that Mr. Morgan planned to publish a book revealing all the secrets of the Freemasons and the reality of what it had become. He was murdered by Masons.


 After that scandal, a mass exodus of Christians from the American Freemasons occurred, and many recanted their association with the Masons. In fact because of opposition to the Freemasons, a whole new political group arose, which is known as the Anti-Masonic Movement. They won multiple legislative seats, and even put up their own candidate for president in 1832, a former Mason, who had recanted his affiliation, William Wirt. For a full decade (1825-1835) the Anti-Masonic group continued it's passionate opposition of Freemasonry. Lodges that had once had as many as 480 members dwindled to 49.

But in 1835 Mason membership began to slowly increase. During the years of low membership, without the Christians there to stop them, the more radical Freemasons who stayed made drastic changes to Freemason culture. A doctor named Albert Mackey gave up medicine to devote himself to rebuilding the Mason societies. He rose quickly in the ranks during those years and became the Grand Master of the United States (the head honcho of American Freemasonry). Mackey is know for introducing the mystic/pagan aspects of Freemasonry, through his numerous literary works. Albert Pike is another man who was responsible for the dramatic change to American Freemasonry, he wrote much of the modern Masonic literature which openly integrated outright pagan rituals into the Freemason lodges, adding in mysticism and occult practices. He also wrote much of the Freemason lore. It is also interesting to note that Albert Pike is credited with writing most of the rituals for another infamous cult, the Ku Klux Klan.  By the 1870s much of the modern rituals and famously occult practices were in place, almost a full century after the time of the Founding Fathers.

So as you can see, the occult practices often associated with the Freemasons were not put into practice until around the 1870s. So it was impossible for the Founding Fathers to have participated in such frightening things. So we see the vast changes that accumulated into a horrible monster that a strongly Christian club, that prayed and listened to sermons at meetings, to a cult of horror and mysticism. If you missed my post about the strong Christian beliefs of the Masons of old {CLICK HERE} Tune in later to find out if there is any truth to the myths of Mason conspiracy.

6.23.2011

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet & Lori Wagner



About the book:Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.

Buy the book HERE!

About the Authors...

Leonard Sweet is a Senior Professor at Drew University (New Jersey) and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at George Fox University (Oregon). He contributes weekly to sermons.com and is a member of the Twitter Elite and Top 50 Facebook Pages. His increasing global influence has recently been recognized with his 2010 listing in the "Top 10 Most Influential Christian Leaders in the World" by Christian Telegraph.

Lori Wagner is a writer and novelist who has published poetry, articles and reviews on cultural studies of literature and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on writing, English and German literature, and science and culture for over 25 years.

My review: Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner do an excellent job of creating a believable future world their Apocalyptic novel, The Seraph Seal. The storyline was complex and fast-paced. Within the blink of an eye we are taken from one end of the world to another. This writing duo, do an excellent job of creating mystery and intrigue. But honestly, I wasn't engaged. There were so many characters to keep track of, from all over the world each with their own connected plot line, that I found it hard to feel or bond with any of them. So many of the characters weren't very nice either.

As I said, I had a hard time relating to any of the characters, and I just was sorta, "out of it." I didn't get swept off my feet into the story; I wasn't chomping at the bit to finish it either. But that's my personal feeling. I guess it was partly to do with how it was supposed to be the future of America, and how stark and sad it was. Also elements of the plot didn't really seem realistic in any way. And I had problems with how the book - I don't know how to say it - but they sort of added to the Bible, and that didn't sit well with me. Reading this book I had red flags, signs, flashing lights, and sirens going off at me, and I disagreed with how the fictional prophecies seemed to be tacked onto scripture verses taken out of context. I know this was fiction, but I just didn't sit well with me. This is MY personal opinion.

Overall this book started out well, but later on I lost interest, and things popped out as wrong to me. I recommend that this book be read with a mountain of discernment. Thank you.

*To avoid a conflict of interest I must, in order to comply with the FTC, inform you that I received this book for free in exchange for my help promoting this book and my honest opinion. I was not required to give a positive review. So this is my honest opinion. Thanks!

Special thanks to Booksneeze for my complimentary copy of The Seraph Seal.

The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry ~ Part 2

Have any of you ever heard of the Illuminati? You might not remember, but most High School graduates have probably learned something about them in school. The Illuminati is the group rumored to have fueled the French Revolution, which is the topic of a couple of noted literary classics, such as A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The Illuminati was basically the European branch of  Freemasonry, a radical group that strived for enlightenment through knowledge. I think you get the point.
But in young America, Freemasonry was something very different. From the 1730s to 1813, a man couldn't even be a member of one of the American Freemason lodges if he wasn't an Orthodox Christian. Yes, that was actually a requirement to join a Freemason lodge in America. I bet you never saw that coming!

If you look at American Freemasonic literature from the 1730s to 1813, you would be hard pressed to say that American Freemasons were unchristian, just look at a modal prayer from Ahiman Rezon ( a book of American Freemason literature, named after a Hebrew phrase):

Most holy and glorious Lord God...in Thy name as we assemble and meet together, most humbly beseeching Thee to bless us in all our undertakings, that we may know and serve Thee aright, that all our doings may tend to Thy glory and the salvation of our souls...This we most humbly beg in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

I don't think that sounds pagan to anybody.

Here's an excerpt from a sermon preached by Charles Brockwell, in an American Freemason lodge in 1749:

Whoever is a Mason can neither be an atheist, deist, or libertine; for he is under the strictest obligation ...to be a true Christian.

And there are countless similar statements found in numerous early American Freemason texts. Christian based sermons were preached at American Freemason lodges, and no other kind but Christian, Biblically based sermons. Though today at a Freemason lodge even using the name Jesus is forbidden.

But back then, American Freemasonry was strongly Christian. In fact there were so many Episcopal preachers who were members of the Mason lodges that it caused one Congregational minister, Ezra Stiles (1727-1795; an attorney, scientist and president of Yale) to complain:

We see this spirit of Episcopal intrigue already working with great cunning. It has set up and recommended the Fraternity of Free Masons and is pressing them apace to the end of increasing the [Episcopal] Church...The Free Masons have already within about a dozen years, increased from 3 to12 or 14 lodges. [From the Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles].

Wow! Not the usual conspiracy plot associated with Freemasons, is it? It's actually kinda funny.

Now you might be thinking that this isn't what you thought Freemasonry was in early America and you would be right in that train of thought. It wasn't. But, wait a minute! You might be thinking, What about those creepy blood oaths and strange pledges? Well, those were introduced after 1825, when American Freemasonry was already down hill quite aways. But since those were only introduced in 1825, that eliminates the Founding Fathers to being party to such occult practices. Especially when the vast majority of them that pseudo historians claim were Masons, really weren't! Stay tuned for the post explaining the Founding Fathers' association with Masonry; what is and what isn't true.

I hope that I have sparked your interest with these brief posts. Later we will learn about what happened in 1813 that changed American Freemasonry from the picture I tried to show you today to the image we commonly have now. I hope that this will convince you, remind you, or re-affirm you, that the Founding Fathers were not godless Freemasons, but men of strong Christian character who ought to be admired.

6.21.2011

The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry ~ Part 1

Okay, so this is the first in a series called The Truth about the Founding Fathers and Freemasonry, but before we get started I want to make sure you know that I'm not a conspiracy theorist or trying to promote some strange, scary weird ideas, but simply set the record straight about this somewhat confusing and controversial topic. Also note that this is not a hate rant or anything of the kind.

First let me tell you that the truth looks nothing like the Disney blockbuster National Treasure. And actually, that movie is really misleading, so don't fall for it.

I'm sure you've heard a lot of stuff about the occult beliefs of the Freemasons and blah-blah-blah... I'm not going to go into that. Today is simply a brief overview of Freemasonry in today's world.

Okay a lot of you have probably seen a Freemason, but you might not have realized it. You've probably seen a Shriner right? Those older gentlemen in those red hat decorated with all kinds of pins and a long tassel, and who drive around in midget cars in parades, those gentlemen are members of the charitable branch of the Freemasons, called the Scottish Rite, or simply the Shriners. And I think everyone knows who Shriners are, they sponsor circuses and raise funds for Crippled Children's Hospitals, and other such organizations. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with that at all. But I do have a problem with the larger branch of Freemasons, which though it does not get involved in politics, holds with white knuckled fists to 2 particular politic positions (1) separation of church and state [not in the way that our Founding Father's originally meant, but in the liberal, secular sense that seeks to restrict religious expression], and (2) to replace religiously affiliated schools with secular government paid for, public ones.

Another thing that is a big this with Freemasons is their acceptance of all gods, whether Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian etc. For Freemasons all deities are recognized by one name G.A.O.T.U. (Grand Architect Of The Universe).

 Freemasonry is supposed to be a secret society but because so many ex-Masons have written expos`e books about Freemasonry, very few of their secrets are actually secret anymore. (Learning about all their cool handshake and secret signals is actually pretty fun).

Originally Freemason were actually  stone masons, men who actually built large buildings such as churches and cathedrals. A lot of masons back then were not freed men, but little more than slaves, so that's where the free came in, they wanted people to know that they were self-employed.  But today, finding a Freemason who can actually carve stone would be quite a task.

But, later stone masons' work began to dwindle because of so many people choosing to build with wood and not stone, which was cheaper and much faster to work with. So it was then that Freemasons started accepting honorary members, who knew nothing of stone carving.

But one thing that I must point out is that women were not aloud to be Freemasons. There were so lodges that accepted women, but those lodges were never accepted as true Mason lodges. So, soon Freemasonry became something of a gentlemen's club.

Another thing I want to point out, is that Freemasonry was not founded on demonic worship as some believe, but rather, they held to strong Christian sounding codes such as, "Every mason shall cultivate brotherly love, and the love of God, and frequent the holy church." [Albert G. Mackey, A Textbook of Masonic Jurisprudence Illustrating the Written and Unwritten laws of Freemasonry]. But as many things do, it changed over time and became entirely something else.

By the 1700's Freemasonry had very much evolved in Europe to something called the Illuminati, which was very radical and liberal leaning. But American Freemasonry, as I shall call it from now on had branched off into something quite different. A highly religious group that listened to Christian sermons [there is no record of any other sermons  than a Christian ones being preached in an American Freemason lodge at an American Freemason meeting], often and many of whose members were Christian ministers. Mostly Episcopal. Members of other denominations actually said that American Freemasonry operated more of as the Episcopalian denomination's missional arm than it should have, leaving other [Christian] denominations out! Crazy huh? Now, this was the Freemasonry that the Founding Fathers would have been active in. But most of them weren't, or were inactive members!

That's all for today folks, this is getting long! I don't want to bust your brains in one sitting;) LOL!

Be sure to tune in later this week to learn, in detail, about early American Freemasonry and how it was different from the Illuminati, and why that makes all the difference!

6.20.2011

Litfuse Blog Tour - Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond



About the book:

With the death of her parents still fresh, Susannah Underhill agrees to become a mail-order bride, and marry her preacher's older brother, Jesse, a homesteader in the the rough Dakota Territory.
 
Susannah is very shy, and has suffered numerous hurts. Yet, despite her petite size Susannah proves herself in valuable time and time again, but she lives in constant fear of Jesse sending her back to Detroit. But Jesse is kind and far better than Susannah believes she deserves, she struggles with questions of doubt and self worth. But Jesse's confidence in her-and his faith in God's perfect plan-slowly begin to chip away at the wall she hides behind.
 
When she miscarries in the brutal Dakota winter, Susannah's fledgling faith in herself and in God begins to crumble. Still, Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.
She looks to the future with a renewed heart. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.


What the critics said: Booklist says, "Inspired by [folk] lyrics, Richmond arrives on the inspirational fiction scene with a moving debut novel. Readers will be filled with hope that Susannah will learn the true meaning of love. Highly recommended where inspiring, romantic historical fiction is in demand."

What other authors said: “I devoured Spring for Susannah in one lovely gulp. Richmond is an author to watch. Highly recommended!” -Colleen Coble, author of the Mercy Falls Series

"Filled with history and well-researched, Spring for Susannah kept me cheering for these well-developed characters until the very last page."
-Beth Wiseman, best-selling author of Seek Me with All Your Heart

"A stunning debut that will capture your heart and never let go."
-Julie Lessman, best-selling author of A Hope Undaunted



About the author:


Catherine Richmond was focused on her career as an occupational therapist till a special song planted a story idea in her mind. That idea would ultimately become Spring for Susannah, her first novel. She is also a founder and moderator of Nebraska Novelist critique group and lives in Nebraska with her husband.


For more about Catherine, please visit http://www.catherinerichmond.com/.

My review: Catherine Richmond is a gifted writer. She made me fall in love with her characters, they fairly danced across the page. Susannah draws you into her plight, and makes you genuinely feel for her. Susannah's character development throughout this book was excellently executed, Ms. Richmond had me cheering for her the whole way!
The other characters are also well done, Jesse was the spotlight to Susannah's star, they complemented each other nicely. I especially loved their Norwegian neighbors, they were some of the best secondary characters that I've read in awhile. They were absolutely delightful, and made this story all the richer because of them. I don't really have much to say about Jesse, because honestly, I can't really pin down how I felt about him. I didn't fall head over heels in love with him, but I didn't really dislike him either. His character was well written, but I personally don't have much to say about him.

 But I feel that I should warn readers that,this is a very romantic book, and at times I felt that in the intimate scenes between Jesse and Susannah that the bedroom door could have been closed a tad sooner, but that's mostly my personal preference. Even though they were married I felt that less detail could have been given.  Also, in the story a doctor talks very crudely about birth control, just so you are warned. And for this reason I would recommend it to mature readers, say sixteen and up.

But overall this was a really well written book, that captivated my attention from page one, I especially enjoyed the second half of the book when we see Susannah's fledgling faith really grow, and mature. I read  this book in just one day! This is an excellent debut novel from Catherine Richmond, and I'm hoping that we'll see a lot from her in the future!

Buy the book Here!

Be sure to enter the giveaway:

To celebrate her debut novel, Catherine and her publisher, Thomas Nelson,
have teamed up to give away a Spring For Susannah Prize Package worth over $150!



One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond (for KINDLE)

To enter just click one of the icons below and then tell your friends! But hurry,
giveaway ends on June 27th. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 28th at 5
PM (6PM MST, 7PM CST, & 8PM EST) during Catherine's Spring for Susannah Book
Club Party on Facebook
! Catherine is rustling up some fun for the party - she'll
be chatting about the story behind her novel, hosting a book club chat, testing your mail-
order bride trivia skills, and giving away some GREAT prizes! Don't miss the fun and tell
your friends!

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

                                                           

And be sure to check out other reviews this month! Check out this blog tour calendar!


*To avoid a conflict of interest I must, in order to comply with the FTC, inform you that I received this book for free in exchange for my help promoting this book and my honest opinion. I was not required to give a positive review. So this is my honest opinion. Thanks!

And special thanks to Litfuse Publicity  and Thomas Nelson Publishing for my complimentary copy of Spring for Susannah.

6.18.2011

Hey there! I had a great time at the Creation conference, I saw a good friend there whom I have not seen in forever! I also learned about 3 ways to make an ape man (all man made) - since God obviously didn't! I also learned about the intricacies of the ears and eyes, and how non of it could have evolved slowly over time by "Dumb luck!" I'm a very conservative teenaged homeschooled girl, if you didn't already know that. And yeah, I'll admit there weren't many kids there and the ones that were, were homeschooled. But I am extremely blessed with this opportunity.

Just so you know, I'm taking the time to be crazy and random because next week will leave little time for that. But don't worry, I'll post!

And just because I like ya'll here's a joke (it's not that funny):

Now there once was a lady who didn't know much about computers and her computer was going crazy on her, so she called the geek squad. Now the young man who came to work on her computer needed an access code, so he asked the lady, "Ma'am what's your access code?"

And she replied, "Mickey, Minnie, Daffy, Donald, Pluto, Bugs, Kermit, and Washington D.C."

"What made you choose that for a password?" the curious young geek asked, confusion creasing his brow.

"Well, it told me to use 7 characters and 1 capital!"

I know, that was bad but it's the best I can do right now. Have a great weekend!

6.17.2011

Hey there! Just thought I'd check in and tell ya'll what going on in my life. Tomorrow I'm going to a Creation conference taught by Dr. Menton, and I'm really excited about that because I am really passionate about Creation, and Answers in Genesis, a Creation ministry. I've seen Dr. Menton so many times on DVDs and read his books so I'm really excited about actually seeing him!
I have some interesting posts coming up next week, so be sure and stop in!
I've been reading a really good book that has been on my list forever, Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot and it details her struggles being patient and waiting to know if God's will was for her and Jim to be together. I love it already.
My cousin broke a ligament, and she's in some pain right now. Her horse fell on her. Please pray for her.
I'll try to post something tomorrow, thanks for stopping by!

6.15.2011

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden - Review

The Lady of Bolton Hill

About the book: Clara Endicott is beginning to make a name for herself as a journalist who is intent on exposing the dark side of industry. In the splendor of gilded age America, she soon finds herself face to face with the childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished steel worker she once knew.
Daniel Tremain has risen to become a powerful industry giant. He always idolized Clara, but when she writes an exposé about his company, her words trigger a series of events that threaten to destroy them both.

Read the first chapter HERE.

My review: This book swept me away! I'll admit that it was a bit slow moving in the first few chapters, while the characters were being established, but after that I couldn't put it down!

Elizabeth Camden transported me to Baltimore, 1879, at a time when factory riots were almost a daily occurrence and the wealthy railroad barons ruled the roost of society. I could tell that no small amount of research went into the making of this fine book.

Ms. Camden's vibrant descriptions really brought this book to life, I could feel the crush of the mobs, and the purity of a summer day. The little details are what made this book stand out, and truly come to life.

How an author deals with tough issues, often makes or breaks a book. In this book, Ms. Camden dealt with the issues of suicide and the difficulty of forgiving, both of which I thought she handled expertly.

Not to mention all the action, suspense, conspiracy and romance! By the end of the this book, I was riveted to the each page, hanging on every word, hoping that this book would never end. In all, The Lady of Bolton Hill is a terrific debut novel, that Ms. Camden should be very proud of, I am eagerly awaiting her next novel, which is rumored to be titled, The Rose of Winslow Street, coming out in 2012.

Buy the book HERE!


*To avoid a conflict of interest I must, in order to comply with the FTC, inform you that I received this book for free in exchange for my help promoting this book and my honest opinion.I was not required to give a positive review. So this is my honest opinion. Thanks!

Extra thanks to Bethany House Publishers who provided this book for me to review free of charge!

6.13.2011

Hi ya'll! As you have probably guess Summer is a busy time for me and most people my age. Not busy in the usual sense, but busy because I'm trying to squeeze all the things I was too busy for this last school season, into 3 short months. Crazy, huh?
I've been reading some great Summer Reads, and making a lot more time for writing. Which I have been trying to do forever! Convincing your parents to let you procrastinate on your schoolwork because you are busy writing the next Great American Novel, doesn't fly to far. If you've tried, which I think a lot of people have, you know what I mean. So this Summer I made a word per day goal of 300 words per day, which has been working great. But then, I've only been doing it for about 2 days.
I chose 300 words because it seemed achievable, and I didn't want to start out with a goal so high that I would completely burn out on the first day. I've actually been getting a lot more than 300 words in lately, so I think it's working. After 300 it's hard to stop!
I've been reading this major tough book called When Skeptics Ask by Norman Geisler and Ronald Brooks. It really is a great book, but it's not the typical Summertime Read, it's something better swallowed in small doses, but total gold! It is a book outlining how to answer skeptics' tough questions, by defending our faith biblically and logically. Something that could always be better, no matter how good at it you are.
I guess I should get to that writing I was talking about, oh, and for you information I do take a break on Sunday, considering that everyone in our family is banned from the computer on Sundays.
Well, toodle-dee-doo!

6.10.2011

Litfuse Blog Tour - God and Stephen Hawking by John C. Lennox

About the book: Science has immense cultural and intellectual authority in our sophisticated modern world. With this kind of cache, it must nevertheless be pointed out that not all statements by scientists are statements of science. Therefore such statements do not carry the authority of authentic science, even though it is often erroneously ascribed to them.

God and Stephen HawkingCommonly written off as the inevitable clash between science and religion, the God debate is actually one between theism and atheism, where there are scientists on both sides. With a remarkable surge of interest in God that defies the so-called secularization hypothesis, it could well be that it is precisely the perceived failure of secularization that is driving the God question ever higher on the agenda. Book after book is being published on the subject by prominent scientists, as Francis Collins, Richard Dawkins, Robert Winston, etc. But were Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Maxwell, to name a few, really all wrong on the God question?

With such a lot at stake we surely need to ask Hawking to produce evidence to establish his claim. Do his arguments really stand up to close scrutiny? Has the Grand Master of Physics checkmated the Grand Designer of the Universe?

In lively, layman's terms, Lennox guides us through the key points in Hawking's arguments-with clear explanations of the latest scientific and philosophical methods and theories-and demonstrates that, far from disproving a Creator God, they make His existence seem all the more probable. Lennox's book is a great resource for Christians, churches and those in ministry who seek to educate themselves and open authentic dialog with those who question.
God and Stephen Hawking (Kregel Publishers, September 2011,ISBN: 9780745955490, $5.99).
About the author: John C. Lennox
John C. Lennox is Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at the University of Oxford, and author of the bestselling God's Undertaker. He lectures on faith and science at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He has lectured around the world, including in the United States for Ravi Zacharias; in Austria; and in the former Soviet Union. For more about John C. Lennox, please visit http://johnlennox.org

Buy the book HERE!

My review: This book is energetically written and you can immediately feel his passion for this subject. Mr. Lennox refutes Mr. Hawking using logic and reason, adding humor and common sense. I really liked his energy throughout the entire book, his train of reason was easy to follow along with and I enjoyed the straightforward style of his writing, as if he were talking right to me. I felt that he argued well and that I learned somethings about other worldviews that I'd never thought about before. I also appreciated how he he stayed right on topic throughout the entire book.

On the negative, and I really don't like to say things that are negative but I felt that I had to speak up. In this book Mr. Lennox briefly mentioned the timeline of Creation and implied that nobody knows how much time it took and that it could have taken 13.7 billion years. This goes against my beliefs, I believe in a literal 6 day creation as written in the Bible. I felt that Mr. Lennox should have stood up for a literal 6 day creation, though I applaud him for boldly speaking out for unique Creation by the One and Only God, a thing that too few people do these days.

Overall I thought that this was an engaging read, that was easy to understand, and I learned a lot! But I would advise this book to be read with discernment, by a teenage and adult audience. Thanks!


*To avoid a conflict of interest I must, in order to comply with the FTC, inform you that I received this book for free in exchange for my help promoting this book and my honest opinion. I was not required to give a positive review. So this is my honest opinion. Thanks!

And a special thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Kregel Publishing for my complimentary copy!

P.S. I'm sorry about not posting yesterday, I was reading this book!

6.08.2011

The Appomattox Saga by Gilbert Morris

  
Hi ya'll. My last post was rather rushed as you could probably tell so today I thought I'd share one of my favorite book series with you. The Appomattox Saga by Gilbert Morris, who is my all time favorite author.
They are as the title implies a Historical fiction series, about the Civil War. But the Saga begins in the 1840's with two cousins, Clay and Gideon Rocklin. Two men both in love with the same woman. The rivalry drives one man to near ruin and the other to great sucess. So begins the Appomattox Saga, the epic 10 book series about a family split by the war that split the country in two.

The series follows the children of Clay and Gideon, as well as the many cousins, all of whom have a part in the Civil War. Many a Rocklin or Rocklin cousin serves their country in the colors blue or gray. A couple of them are even spies! Thoughout this series many of the Rocklin family puts their faith in the only true God, while dodging many dangerous circumstances. If I went into too much detail I'm afraid that I would bore ya'll to death and that I would probably end up writing a review for each and every book!

The pictures I used above are the cover photos of the omni-bus reprints that came out a in about 2009. You can find them at CBD, Barnes and Noble, Amazon for about $14 dollars each, which is a good deal for 3-in-1 (the 3rd omni-bus is a 4-in-1) books!
I enjoyed all of the series and all of them were excellent, but a few standouts in the series were:

#3 Where Honor Dwells

#4 Land of the Shadow

#5 Out of the Whirlwind

#7 Wall of Fire

#8 Stars in Their Courses

All the ones in between were great too! And you have to read #1 because it sets the stage for the whole series! There were just certain ones that I personally am more attached to, I recommend them all!

Thanks so much for letting me share with you!

*I would like to let you know that I was not compensated for this review in anyway, and that this is my honest opinion and I just really like these books!

I would appreciate your feedback!

Hey there! I'm so excited to be back to blogging but I wanted to ask ya'll a quick question. Would you rather have me write a long historical blog series about the Founding Fathers and the truth about Freemasons or would you rather have me just write a review of a book that you guys can read for yourselves?

To answer a few quick questions, no, it will not be about the evil practices of Freemasons, or a hate filled expos`e. In the blog series I would cover the surprising truth about the Freemasons in early America and how they differed dramatically from the Freemasons of Europe. Also I will include the true about the question of whether the Founding Fathers were Freemasons or not (there is a complicated answer, that is very detailed, but if you don't want to go into that the answer is simply, no). I will also attempt to help you understand how American Freemasonry changed suddenly, evolving into the image we have of it today. Not so good. But I won't go into morbid detail of their practices, or anything weird like that.

I would love to share all of this with you and I would love to know what your questions are so I can address them. So please comment below.

Also, I would like to inform you that I will be taking a Conservative Christian standpoint on this topic.

I would like some feedback on this, but if I don't hear from anyone I'll go with the long many part series (don't worry I'll take short breaks and do my normal posts and books review in between!)

6.06.2011

Marshmallow Wars and Cattle Drives

Hi ya'll! Sorry that I couldn't get to the computer earlier, but here I am.
I thought you might like to hear the highlights of my trip. One of them was that it snowed, which is amazing since where I am now it is well  over 100 degrees. Yeah, we're all sweating it out!

Some of the highlights were the many cattle drivers I participated in, driving stubborn, dog-hating cows up mountains and across the prairie. Not to mention all the grand times I had with my cousins!
I did my cousins hair into cornrows, and we drove around in her truck blasting Katie Armiger's Best Song Ever.
But on the last day, my cousins (3 of them that is), Uncle T. and Uncle G., my brother, my dad and I had an all out marshmallow war! The marshmallows were stale, but not hardened into rocks yet. (My uncle stuck some in his ears and used them for ear plugs!) The marshmallows hurt a little when we got hit, but not too bad. But it was sooooooo fun!
There were also 4 crazy dogs (including mine) running around, barking their heads off and gobbling up marshmallows as soon as they hit the ground! The marshmallows did not help the dogs calm down.
In all I had a blast!
I rode horses nearly every day, and had a total blast, not to mention almost reading my head off!
I'll be posting everyday this week now to make up for the deficiency in posts the last 2 weeks. So see ya then!

Spring For
Susannah Giveaway

6.01.2011

Sorry this isn't much of a post, but I will be back to posting normally on Monday the 6th. If Monday is the 6th...Hmm. Well on Monday I will be back. Thanks for your patience with me.
Tomorrow I'm going on a cattle drive down the mountain. Today I fixed fence. And I drove cattle, on Tuesday, and Saturday as well.
My horse is behaving beautifully!
Thanks!