Arthur M. Feldman, a cardiologist and the administrator of a large practice, speaks out on the ten things he hates about health-care reform in an article in The Washington Post. I suggest you read it. He makes some very valid points.
This book was featured on September 4th, but I had not had a chance to finish reading it at the time. I knew I could not do justice to a review until it was read. I’ve been a fan of Tim LaHaye’s books for a long time, so I expected this one to be another good one. I wasn’t wrong.
Mr. LaHaye shows us prophecies and fulfillments of those prophecies in Jesus. A fascinating section is the comparison of Moses and Jesus. He will help you see Jesus more clearly.
The world will always be fascinated by Jesus, whether you are a Jesus lover or Jesus rejecter. This is evidenced by his appearance on the covers of TIME, Newsweek and US News and World Report over 2 dozen times in the last decade. Where do you stand? Read this book if you need help deciding.
Happy Birthday to my Labor Day baby!
My daughter was a Labor Day baby. Of course, she’s no longer a baby. She’s a beautiful young woman. But the memories of that much awaited daughter are still strong. Her birth wasn’t expected for another two weeks or more. Her older brother was two weeks late, so I wasn’t prepared for this child to be born yet.
Do you not think it a bit presumptuous for a doctor to go out of town over Labor Day when he has an expectant mother so close to delivering? That’s just asking for it. It took most of the day, but I had my daughter. I wanted a daughter so much that I refused to hope even a little. I wouldn’t even look at little girl clothes. Everything that I purchased was gender neutral. But I made up for it later.
The joy of a new mother is one of God’s miracles. I was overwhelmed with joy when I was blessed with this beautiful baby girl. Anne Marie, I’m glad that you were that little Labor Day baby. I love you very much.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this event was created by labor union leaders to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers. The first celebration was first held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. Since 1884, Labor Day has been the first Monday in September. 
The U.S. DOL states
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Labor Day is no longer that tribute. Today it is a long weekend and a paid day off work. It’s a day for picnics, grilling out and enjoying family and friends. Some places still have the parades and speeches, but that’s going by the wayside. No longer is the U.S. big on production and manufacturing. We’ve let other countries take over and pass us.
Now that we’re in a recession (sliding into a depression), we need to be able to manufacture more of our products. The decrease in easily available oil, wars around the world, emphasis on the so called “climate warming” and multiple other factors make it more difficult to abide our disposable economy.
We need to focus more on once again producing durable goods for our consumption. Will the labor be more expensive than that overseas? Yes. Will it take as much fuel and other expenses to get to the consumer? No. It will probably balance itself out. Are we willing to once again turn into a nation of laborers? It’s questionable.
ISLAND BREEZES
Lael Click, a daughter of frontiersman who has strong ties to the Shawnee, is verging on womanhood and the confusing emotions that go with it. I grew to love this young woman, enen though she has the most convoluted, messed up love life throughout this book. One has to read all the way to the end nearly to figure out just what she’s going to end up doing. Will she marry one of the three men in her life, return east to teach school or just stay in the wilderness on her own. This is another book you won’t want to put down. Just be sure you have a comfy chair, a cup of tea and lots of time. And yes, you’ll need that box of tissue again.
This is one of the best historical novels I’ve read in a long time. Thank you, Laura Frantz.
Love, Loss and Forgiveness on the Kentucky Frontier
Stunning debut novel will delight historical fiction fans of Lynn Austin
in this story of romance and adventure during one of America’s most exciting eras
In The Frontiersman’s Daughter, debut novelist Laura Frantz plants readers into the demanding realities of frontier life during the time in American history when Daniel Boone was settling Kentucky. This story has personal significance to Frantz, because her ancestors were among those settlers who journeyed with Boone—and many remain in those original areas of Kentucky.
Drawing from cherished family lore as well as in-depth research in her writing, Frantz is able to paint a story with a distinct, captivating authenticity.
Frantz introduces readers to Lael Click, who is lovely but tough as nails and coming of age in the fragile Kentucky settlement that her father—a celebrated frontiersman—founded. Life as a pioneer isn’t easy, and it’s more than just the hardships of living in the wilderness that Lael must contend with: The arrival of an outlander doctor threatens her view of the world, God, and herself—as well as the power of grace and redemption.
In the midst of this, Lael must also face the loss of a childhood love, a dangerous family feud, the affection of a Shawnee warrior and the secret sins of her family’s past. Rather than give up, this strong woman draws strength from the rugged land she calls home. This epic novel gives readers a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman.
The Frontiersman’s Daughterby Laura Frantz
(ISBN: 978-0-8007-3339-1; August 2009; $13.99)
Laura Frantzcredits her 100-year-old grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz’s family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in 1792 and settled in Madison County where her family still resides. Frantz is a former schoolteacher and social worker who currently lives in Port Angeles, Washington, with her husband and two sons, whom she home schools.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.
Go here to purchase the book.
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.
You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for your are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Psalm 31:1-5
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Jesus: Why the World is Still Fascinated by Him
David C. Cook; New edition (August 1, 2009)
Author, minister, educator, Dr. Tim LaHaye has written or coauthored more than fifty books, not including the New York Times bestselling Left Behind series. A pastor for thirty-seven years, there’s nothing Dr. LaHaye likes to talk more about than the Lord Jesus. Dr. LaHaye and his wife, Beverly, reside in Southern California.
Visit the author’s website.
Product Details:
List Price: $22.99
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 143476625X
ISBN-13: 978-1434766250
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
To invoke a well worn cliché, truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Never in a million years would a novelist or playwright attempt to create such a story … a story of a young carpenter from an obscure village who would go on to become the most influential person in all of history … a story of a man who would continue to impact the world two thousand years after his execution … a story of a man who could miraculously heal the sick, predict the future, and even rise from the dead! No one would ever believe such a story … right?
Well …
It has been estimated that there are currently between seventy and one hundred million people in America alone who do indeed believe such a story, and as many as two billion more worldwide. Not only are most of these people convinced the story is true, they have gone so far as to stake
their eternal destiny upon it.
During a break from our TV interview on Larry King Live in March of 2006, Larry surprised Jerry Jenkins and me with this statement: “I am not a believer, but I have the utmost respect for Jesus Christ. I believe he was the most influential person who ever lived.”
Why would Larry King make such a statement?
Because it’s true.
Of the more than thirteen billion people who have lived on the earth since the dawn of recorded history, why does the one named Jesus Christ draw so much attention—more attention without question than any other person? The world has always been, is now, and will forever be
fascinated by Jesus. But why? Before we attempt to answer that question, let’s consider the facts:
He has served as the inspiration for more literature, more music, and more works of art than any other person in history. Millions of churches throughout the world have been built in His honor. Our calendar has been set according to His birth. The two biggest holidays celebrated worldwide each year, Christmas and Easter, commemorate His birth and His resurrection. Nearly everyone who has lived on this planet during the last two millennia has heard of Him. Is there any other person who comes to mind for which the same can be said? Amazingly, His influence in the world has not diminished over the course of the succeeding centuries. Despite ever-evolving cultural changes and notwithstanding media reports to the contrary, Jesus is just as relevant to this generation as He was when He walked the shores of Galilee. Throughout the ages, people inspired by His teachings have taken the initiative to build the majority of the world’s hospitals,
instigate the formation of most of our colleges and universities, and launch countless humanitarian programs in nearly every part of the globe.
Even those who discount the miraculous side of Jesus’ persona nevertheless find His teachings to be astute and infused with wisdom. Secularists and followers of other religions alike seem compelled, at the very least, to esteem Him as a great teacher or wise sage. However, simply having an abundant level of intellectual insight doesn’t really begin to account for the amount of adoration Jesus has received during the past two thousand years. Have there been other great thinkers and philosophers down through the ages who are equally as worthy? Confucius, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Russell, and Sartre are names
familiar to those who have studied the subject of philosophy. Has the level of devotion to any of these men risen to even a fraction of that which has been afforded Jesus? Then there are the “big three” of the ancient Greek philosophers— Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle—who together are said to have formed the philosophical foundation of Western culture. And yet, despite being in the public eye for only three and a half years, Jesus and His teachings have arguably impacted the world far more than the collective erudition of these three great philosophers whose combined careers totaled more than 150 years.
Still, there are others who deem the attributes of Jesus to extend far beyond that of mere wisdom. Many believe Jesus to be a prophet, a Messiah, even God in human form. And it is these claims that have motivated some to go to great lengths to try and curtail His influence in the world. Down through the centuries untold millions of Christian martyrs have been subjected to horribly agonizing deaths on account of their allegiance to Jesus, beginning with the stoning of the apostle Stephen shortly after the crucifixion of Christ3 and continuing ever since. By the middle ages, the
various types of torture and killing devices used on Christians had become so grisly as to almost defy description. It seems there was no shortage of creative ways in which martyrs could be stretched, burned, flayed, sawed, pierced, hung, boiled, or drowned.
Throughout history countless writers have felt compelled to publish their personal perspectives on the historical facts surrounding Jesus and His teachings. The works of second-century writers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian, for example, support those of the New Testament writers Matthew Mark, Luke, and John. Other apologists (defenders of the faith) from Augustine to Francis Schaeffer followed in succeeding centuries. Of course, there have been numerous detractors as well throughout the last two millennia. One such author was Englishman H. G. Wells. Although overshadowed by his famous science fiction works that included The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Invisible Man, Wells was also a prolific writer of nonfiction. One of his efforts, titled The Outline of History, was a twelve-hundred-page volume that traced the history of our planet from its supposed primordial origins up through World War I. Wells was an outspoken socialist and ardent promoter of Darwin’s theory of evolution. And he was certainly no fan of Jesus of Nazareth. It therefore must have come as a bit of a shock to discover that upon the completion of his manuscript, Wells had devoted a staggering forty-one pages to Jesus Christ, which turned out to be a far larger amount than he had bestowed on any other historical person mentioned in the work, including his personal hero Plato, who only received a mere two-page
mention from the writer. Likewise, the secular Encyclopedia Britannica in a recent edition saw fit
to dedicate more than 21,000 words to Jesus Christ, which turned out to be the largest of any of its biographical entries, surpassing that of former President Bill Clinton who collected only 2511 words. A more compassionate oeuvre of Jesus can be found written by the celebrated nineteenth-century American author Mark Twain. In his 1869 publication, The Innocents Abroad, Twain recounts his travels through the Holy Land, and in particular the city where Jesus spent His youth:
In the starlight, Galilee has no boundaries but the broad compass of the heavens, and is a theater for great events; for the birth of a religion able to save the world; and for the stately Figure appointed to stand upon its stage and proclaim its high decrees.
Although not as well known as some of his other works such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Innocents Abroad became Twain’s biggest selling book during his lifetime. In more recent times there has been the unprecedented (and unexpected) success of the Left Behind series of novels written by myself and my cowriter Jerry Jenkins. This fictionalized account of the last days scenario as presented in the book of Revelation has struck a chord with readers who have been looking forward with anticipation to the promised return of the Lord Jesus Christ. With sixteen books in the series and more than seventy million copies sold, it has become the biggest-selling adult fiction series of all time, no doubt due to our readers’ fascination with Jesus and the
subject of biblical prophecy.
If you were to look closely at America’s three leading news magazines— Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report—you might notice a rather odd recurring phenomenon. These magazines are dedicated to covering the top political, economic, scientific, and entertainment news from around the world each week. And although they occasionally touch on religious issues, these would certainly not be classified as religious publications. And yet, they have placed Jesus Christ on their covers more than two dozen times in the last decade! In fact, Jesus has appeared on more covers of Time than any other person who has ever lived, with the exception of the last few U.S. presidents. It begs the question as to why these news organizations who deal primarily with current events would find the details surrounding a Jewish carpenter from an insignificant Middle Eastern village who lived and died two thousand years ago so compelling
as to feature cover stories about Him again and again. What’s going on? Time magazine itself has featured Jesus on its cover an astonishing twenty-one times during the last seven decades—and that’s in addition to another sixty-five cover stories dealing with the subject of Christianity during this same period. To put this in perspective, examine the following list, which chronicles the number of times each of these other famous individuals (excluding recent U.S. presidents) have appeared on the cover of Time since the beginning of World War II:
Jesus Christ—21
Mikhail Gorbachev—14
Saddam Hussein—14
Henry Kissinger—11
Nelson Rockefeller—11
Al Gore—10
Fidel Castro—8
Princess Diana—8
Bill Gates—8
Joseph Stalin—8
Spiro Agnew—7
Yasser Arafat—7
Douglas MacArthur—6
O. J. Simpson—6
Mao Tse-tung—6
Winston Churchill—5
Thomas Dewey—5
Newt Gingrich—5
John Kerry—5
Martin Luther King—5
Osama bin Laden—5
Yitzhak Rabin—5
The Beatles—4
Dick Cheney—4
Albert Einstein—4
John Glenn—4
Billy Graham—4
Adolph Hitler—4
Howard Hughes—4
Monika Lewinsky—4
Nelson Mandela—4
Colin Powell—4
Darth Vader—4
George Washington—4
Woody Allen—3
Tom Cruise—3
Walt Disney—3
Jesse Jackson—3
Shirley MacLaine—3
Oliver North—3
George Patton—3
Dan Rather—3
Steven Spielberg—3
Marlon Brando—2
Bill Cosby—2
Sigmund Freud—2
Alan Greenspan—2
J. Edgar Hoover—2
Thomas Jefferson—2
Stephen King—2
Rush Limbaugh—2
Marilyn Monroe—2
Ross Perot—2
Harry Potter—2
Frank Sinatra—2
Bruce Springsteen—2
John Travolta—2
Ted Turner—2
John Wayne—2
Benjamin Franklin—1
Abraham Lincoln—1
Mother Teresa—1
The news magazines of today that feature a portrait of Jesus on their covers are most often accompanied by stories which give credibility to ancient Gnostic ideas while simultaneously undercutting proven historical biblical data. Taken from the Greek word meaning knowledge, Gnosticism primarily teaches that the human soul is divine and is trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god. In order to escape this inferior world, one must obtain esoteric spiritual knowledge reserved only for an elite few. Frequently, these magazine articles claim to clear up some ancient mystery, reveal some hidden secret, or offer some new insights. In nearly
every case the reader is asked to jettison their traditional beliefs about Christianity or encouraged to merge their “outdated” views of Christ with more “intellectually sound” Gnostic concepts. Often these new discoveries and new appraisals are nothing more than variations of old Gnostic ideas, which are based on second- or third-century documents of dubious origins that have been repackaged to appeal to a postmodern culture. Similarly, there has been a resurgence of these identical Gnostic ideas in a number of recent high-profile books whose primary objective, it appears, is to undermine the historical facts surrounding the life of Jesus. Chief among such modern day pro-Gnostic tomes is The Da Vinci Code by author Dan Brown, which spent more than two years on the New York Times best seller list. Its revisionist claims include the assertions that Jesus was married and that His divinity was a concept invented by the Emperor Constantine
in 325 AD. When confronted with proof of the innumerable historical errors contained in the book, Brown defenders simply sidestep the issue by stating that The Da Vinci Code is supposed to be a work of fiction. A plethora of other like-minded books are on the market, such as The
Jesus Papers by mysticism expert Michael Baigent; The Jesus Dynasty by religious studies professor James Tabor; Beyond Belief by Gnostic specialist Elaine Pagels; and Misquoting Jesus by lapsed evangelical Bart Ehrman, all of which, unlike The Da Vinci Code, make no claim of being fictional. These books elaborate on many of Gnosticism’s theories including the idea
that Jesus didn’t actually die as a result of the crucifixion, that the resurrection was fraudulently staged, and that the Bible is so filled with textural errors as to be completely worthless. Traditional Christians would claim that today’s revival and promotion of Gnosticism amounts to nothing more than a full frontal attack on the basic doctrines of Christianity. Gnostic promoters on the other hand would say that biblical doctrines were corrupted from the start and that only now is the full truth being revealed. So who is to be believed?
Not surprisingly, the success of the book The Da Vinci Code caught the eye of Hollywood producers shortly after it made its way to the top of the best sellers list. Noted actor Tom Hanks teamed up with film director Ron Howard to bring Brown’s thriller to the big screen in 2006. The film ended up grossing more than $200 million domestically and was heralded as a bona fide success by the media.11 Many of the same anti-Christian themes that had permeated the book made it onto the screen. Two years earlier, another Jesus-themed motion picture, Mel Gibson’s
The Passion of the Christ, had taken Hollywood by surprise. Gibson’s film did better than The Da Vinci Code at the domestic box office bringing in more than $370 million.12 However, both films would ultimately succeed beyond anyone’s expectations by generating in excess of $1 billion dollars each once the foreign box office receipts and DVD sales had been counted.
Theologically speaking, the two films could not have been further apart. For many, The Passion, despite its reliance on some nonbiblical texts, was seen as an attempt to make a film that was somewhat faithful to the Scriptures upon which it was based. This was, to say the least, astonishing for a film produced and directed by a major Hollywood insider. The Da Vinci Code, on the other hand, was more typical of Hollywood and was seen as a blatant attack against various biblical precepts that millions hold dear. Media watchers were painfully aware of the double standard that had been employed by the studios regarding the production and distribution
of these two films. As expected, The Da Vinci Code was enthusiastically embraced and promoted through the Hollywood system while The Passion was thwarted at every stage of its production and distribution. Only through Mel Gibson’s tenacity and resourcefulness (financial and otherwise) was The Passion able to eventually see the light of day. However, what is truly amazing in all this is that here were two major modern-day Hollywood films whose storylines, despite the polarity of their theology, revolved around a Jewish carpenter who hailed from an
insignificant little town twenty centuries ago. And yet these films were still culturally relevant, controversial, and able to generate billions of dollars—two thousand years after the fact!
The Bible records an important exchange that took place between Jesus and His disciples while they were visiting various towns in the region of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus had been praying alone when He was suddenly approached by His disciples. As they began to walk together along the
road, Jesus turned and asked two crucial questions. So significant was this discussion, that it was recorded in the first three books of the New Testament (referred to as the synoptic gospels)—in Matthew 16, Mark 8, and Luke 9:
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered
and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–17)
Peter, who was known for his impetuousness when it came to speaking out, may not have fully understood the implication of what he was saying at this point in time. Not only was Peter affirming that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the literal fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, but that He was also deity—God in human flesh.
Today, these remain the two most important questions anyone can ask … “Who do men say that I (Jesus) am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” Your answers to these questions will determine the course of your life along with your eternal destiny. Whenever I have been interviewed by various television and radio talk show hosts such as Larry King, Bill O’Reilly, Morley Safer, Glenn Beck, or others, the question invariably comes up: “Why do you say believing in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven?” The answer is found in who He is. If He was truly ‘the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin’ as the Bible presents Him, then He qualifies as the only way to salvation since He said of Himself:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
But if this thirty-three-year-old Galilean carpenter was just another of the thirteen billion people who have lived on the earth, then the devotion of those who esteem (or hate) Him is surely misguided. In any event, wemust answer a critical question … Why after two thousand years is the worldstill fascinated with Jesus?
|
|
 |
|
A Man of His Word is set in a large Amish settlement in Middlefield, Ohio. Although this romance may take place where life is simpler, emotions are not. A young bride loses her husband. She is left pregnant and alone with no hopes of ever having love and happiness in her life. How does she handle this tragedy? It’s going to be especially difficult with others around her finding love and marriage.
This book left me with a yearning to live a simple life filled with family and beloved friends. There are so many things going on in this book and so many characters that I grew to love. I would really like to see this turn into a series. I want more.
By the way, you’ll need that box of tissues. And now I must move on as I have someone standing here with hand out wanting to read this book. Be careful. A good book is hard to hold onto. They will queue up for it.
Read more about this book and author at Thomas Nelson Publishers. Click on the book above to read the first chapter.
I have two dessert recipes to share with you today. They can bring your fresh goodies to a sweet ending. The first is my father’s recipe for concord grape pie. This was his specialty. I don’t know where the recipe originated, but it was synonymous with George Lawson. The second is a carrot cake recipe given me by Jeanette Poole while I was attending OBC.
CONCORD GRAPE PIE
Seed grapes. Mix sugar, flour and salt. Add to grapes. Stir in lemon juice. Let stand while pastry is made. Line pan with pastry, add grape mixture and dot with butter. Cover with pastry lattice top. Lay a pastry strip around edge of pie and crimp edges. This pastry “collar” will help hold in the juices. Bake in a very hot oven (450F) 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate (350F) and bake 20 to 30 minutes longer.
CARROT CAKE
Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Bake in 3 – 9″ pans at 350F for 30 minutes or until done.
