Sojourner's Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:58:00 +0000

FTP is unreliable at blogger. My new blog is at: http://landofmysojourn.net/blog/

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:20:00 +0000

Journey 4/15/08

This week I've been thinking about a lot of things and have posted a couple of entires about those thoughts, so in my Journey I just wanted to share a quote that I found to be impacting.

“To evangelize a person is to say to him or her: you, too, are loved by God in the Lord Jesus. And not only to say it but to really think it and relate it to the man or woman so they can sense it. This is what it means to announce the Good News. But that becomes possible only by offering the person your friendship; a friendship that is real, unselfish, without condescension, full of confidence and profound esteem.”

Brennan Manning

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:50:00 +0000

Expectations and Eternal Perspective

Since the ladies retreat in March I've been mulling over the topic of expectations and how it relates to faith. I've thought a lot about the subject and could spend days discussing all the different perspectives that I can see in the Scriptures, but the theme that I have found repeating itself remains the centrality of an eternal perspective.

Why would God not move and do the thing that we think would be good and right and glorifying to Him in the moment? He sees all of eternity and can evaluate with perfect knowledge whether that thing is the BEST thing or not. We don't know whether a thing is really the best thing or not when held in light of eternity. We see only in the finite.

My own expectations and desires, as dear as they are to my heart, are still finite. I was re-reading The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis again the other night and once again I was left pondering the quotes below.

How many of my expectations and desires are simple little mud pies compared to what God really has planned for me? What will I miss if continue to focus on what I think I want in this life? If I fail to make the hard choices (over and over again) to lift my eyes up and look beyond the circumstances of the finite, then I lose sight of the hope, the true expectation, that will never disappoint and the eternal perspective that is so central to the Scripture.

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like the ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot image what is meant by the offer of a holiday by the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

"If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, must bear at best only a symbolical relation to what will truly satisfy."

On a side note: I think that eternity, including teaching on heaven and the Kingdom, may be one of the most under-taught aspects of the Scriptures in the modern church. I understand the catch phrase that someone can be "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good," however, what we often refer to as the apostolic hope, what we really believe about eternity, effects every aspect of our Christian life. We were made for more than this world and if you want to challenge yourself to awaken hope in your life I'd recommend doing a Bible study on the theme of the Kingdom and Eternal Hope, in both the prophets and the New Testament. For further reading I would also recommend Ted Dekker's The Slumber of Christianity and, of course, C.S. Lewis' essay The Weight of Glory. Below is another quote from the essay, not on the subject of expectations and desires, rather on the subject of how our views of eternity and the eternal nature of mankind impacts our life here and now, just for thought.

"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often of too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility will carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspections proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:53:00 +0000

Ack - I'm having trouble with Blogger's FTP transfer not working! I've been getting error messages for the last week and occassionally I actually get something published, but nothing is working since Sunday the 13th. I wish they would hurry up and fix this! I guess I'll just keep writing posts and some day you might see all kinds of new things show up. In the meantime I am starting a new blog at : http://landofmysojourn.net/blog

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:58:00 +0000

The Love of God

I was reflecting on the words of the song "The Love of God" and I thought that I would share them with you. See my comments at the end.

By Rich Mullins
Romans 8:18-39, Ephesians 3:14-21

There's a wideness in God's mercy
I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning
To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

Now I've seen no band of angels
But I've heard the soldiers' songs
Love hangs over them like a banner
Love within them leads them on
To the battle on the journey
And it's never gonna stop
Ever widening their mercies
And the fury of His love

Oh the love of God
And oh, the love of God
The love of God

Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I'm tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

The song really speaks for itself but here are some of my thoughts...

I've been thinking about the Christian life lately and about the character of God. So often I am tempted to put God in a box that I feel safe and comfortable with. Yet, God is so much bigger than me, (That is the understatement of the century!) and if I am feeling too comfortable, if I have lost that sense of awe that comes with realizing how beyond me He is, then I need to go back to my knees and repent of, once again, making Him too small in my eyes.

I often need to be reminded of the character of God in the line "There's a wideness in God's mercy I can not find in my own." It is like God to redeem His enemies, to love the most vile of sinners and to forgive those that we desire to see pay for their crimes. His mercy is what saved me, but His mercy far exceeds what I can imagine or give. In fact, to be honest, sometimes His mercy is more than I am comfortable with.

Also, I love the lines, "Keeps me glad to have been caught in the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God."

To truly follow God is not something controlled or comfortable. It is often an overwhelming path that may appear reckless (as it may very well lead to a cross or some other path of abandon). We don't know how we will be tossed about in this world. We must trust his character, trust his goodness and hang on for the ride. If I wasn't sure that God was really good, if I wasn't certain that this life is fleeting and that I was made for eternity and if I wasn't convinced that God really does have a plan that will work out all things for good, then this would be terrifying. But God is good. I was made for eternity and He will work out all things for the ultimate and eternal good of those who love Him. God's perfect will is so much bigger and more unpredictable than can compare to my small plans and controlled ideas. And yes, for those of you who know me well, I do see the dichotomy that for all my personal desire for structure, clear plans and carefully laid out pathways, I find something irresistibly captivating about the wildness of God.

Like a river rapid, God's love doesn't so much offer a calm wading in a small creek as it sweeps over and consumes you, with the intent of leading you to surrender your life to this love even as Christ did. If we let Him, if we abandon ourselves to Him, then we will be enfolded and swallowed up in His love and I want to be consumed with nothing else.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Gödöllö Outing - Ibolya Nap (Violet Day)

Today we met the students from the Pécel English Club in Gödöllö for a tour of the palace. We have been looking for ways to get to know them better by meeting them outside of the school grounds. Only two students came but we still had fun. When we got to the castle we realized that today was a celebration called "Violet Day" with special programs, food, booths of items for sale and even pony rides. Here are some pictures of the outing.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:14:00 +0000

Spring Flowers

One of the things I love about where I live now is that I have a garden. When I moved in the owners told me how the last renter let the garden become completely overgrown. I told them that I didn't have much free time, but that I enjoy gardening and I would try to keep it under control.

The front and side yards were completely dirt so last fall I planted a lot of bulbs. This spring it is very nice to see the flowers emerging and there are also a number of bulbs that were already here that are coming in now. I am waiting to see for sure what variety of flower they are.

The back yard is bulbs, grass, wildflowers and ivy. It needs a lot of work, probably more than I have time for. This year I plan to concentrate on the front and side yard and the circle of roses that I planted in the back.

The weather is nice and it is good to be out in the yard. The few random conversations that I have been able to have with my neighbors have happened while I was gardening.

I thought I would share some more flower photos. God's amazing handiwork is uplifting!

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:13:00 +0000

Florida Pictures

In March I was away more than I was home and one of the places I got to go was Florida. I enjoyed being at my home church for a Mission Conference. Here are some photos from my time in the Sunshine State. They automatically scroll forward but you can pause to enlarge the photos that say "click me." Enjoy

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:02:00 +0000

Glory Revealed

When I was at the missions conference in Florida I heard the song By His Wounds on the radio. The other day I went looking for it in Itunes and I found this amazing album. It is a collection of songs straight from the scripture by popular artists.

What could be more encouraging than listening to the very words of God! You can watch the trailer about the project below.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:42:00 +0000

FLASH and my Flowers

Today I played with some Macromedia tutorials and created my first flash slideshow. I chose the flowers in my yard for this project at my mom's request. Enjoy.

PS - I am trying to learn Flash for a project that I am working on for my team. If any of you know any good, free tutorial sites I'd love to know about them. Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:34:00 +0000

I recently received a challenge from the CSFF Blog to tell ten people about three Christian Fantasy books that I think highly of. So here they are. I went overboard and listed more than three Christian Fantasy Books that I love.

My favorite Christian Fantasy Books –

1. Series: The Legends of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock The Light of Eidon, The Shadow Within, Shadow of Kiriath and Return of the Guardian King

2. Series by Kathy Tyers Firebird, Fusion Fire and Crown of Fire

3. Series by Stephen Lawhead The Search for Fierra and The Siege of the Dome

4. Series by Ted Dekker Black, White and Red

5. Arena by Karen Hancock

6. Gideon’s Dawn by Michael Warden

7. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

If you are into youth fantasy some of my favorites that I would recommend:

8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (of course)

9. The Dream Voyagers by T.Davis Bunn

And just in case I leave out some much talked about series, these are the series that I am have purchased which I’m looking forward to reading:

The Legend of the Firefish series by George Bryan Polivka
The Restorer series by Sharon Hinck

You can see more of my favorite books on Shelfari

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Journey 4-2-08

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 23:25-26

This past weekend I was at a conference where one of the topics was unmet expectations. During one of the sessions someone pointed out how we often have formulas that we expect God to abide by: A + B will surely equal C.

I was thinking of that statement as I read about Josiah. Josiah did all the right things. When the book of the law was found he wholeheartedly set out to follow all of its instructions. He renewed the covenant and cleansed the land. Wouldn’t it be expected then that God would respond in kind sending revival throughout the nation and establishing Judah? But the LORD’s anger was not turned away. God had a plan that included punishment of sin and also future redemption that included the removal of the nation of Judah.

So often we are surprised by God’s unexpected plans. We pour our lives out in obedience, serving as He has called us and often deep inside we expect to see something like Obedience + Sacrifice = A Mighty Movement of God (A church planted, a revival occurring, the ones we are serving turning to the Lord finding salvation of revival, etc). Yet, as C.S. Lewis often illustrated in his Narnia chronicles “He is not a tame lion.” God’s ways are above us. God is wild and free and ruler of all. He does not abide by our formulas, but blazes His own path of love, redemption and restoration in His own way.

Now Josiah had advanced knowledge of this situation through the prophetess Huldah. He knew that all his efforts and the results of his obedience would only last for his lifetime. I stopped and thought of that for a moment. Josiah was faithful even though he, not only had no promise of success, but when he had the assurance that what he was working toward would not last. Can I be as faithful when I don’t see God moving? Can I trust God’s long term plan when He moves outside of my carefully constructed formulas? When the formula doesn’t add up and the people are not yet restored, I want to still follow hard after the Lord Jesus.

Josiah may not have enabled the long term restoration and renewal of Judah, but his life still stands as a testimony of wholehearted obedience. I want my life to reflect the same, a testimony to the faithfulness of God in my lifetime.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:22:00 +0000

It is April FIRST--no foolin'--, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

The special feature author is:

ERIC REINHOLD

and his book:

Ryan Watters and
the King's Sword
Creation House (May 2008)
Illustrated by: Corey Wolfe

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eric J. Reinhold is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. The former Naval officer writes extensively for a variety of national financial publications in his position as a Certified Financial Planner® and President of Academy Wealth Management. His passion for writing a youth fantasy novel was fueled by nightly impromptu storytelling to his children and actively serving in the middle and high school programs at First Baptist Sweetwater Church in Longwood, Florida.

Visit him at his website.

I haven't read this book yet so I have no review to offer, but you can read the first chapter below.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Angel’s Visitation

It first appeared as a gentle glow, almost like a child’s night-light. Heavy shadows filled the room as the boy lay face up, covers tucked neatly under his arms. A slight smile on his face hinted that he was in the midst of a pleasant dream.

Ryann Watters, who had just celebrated his twelfth birthday, rolled lazily onto his side, his blond hair matted into the pillow, unaware of the glow as it began to intensify. Shadows searched for hiding places throughout the room as the glow transformed from a pale yellow hue to brilliant white.

Ryann’s eyelids fluttered briefly and then flickered at the glare reflecting off his pale blue bedroom walls. Drowsily, he turned toward the light expecting to see one of his parents coming in to check on him. “What’s going on?” his voice cracked as he reached up to rub the crusty sleep from his eyes.

***

Under a pale half-moon, Drake Dunfellow’s house looked just like any other. A closer inspection, however, would reveal its failing condition. Water oaks lining the side of the curved driveway hunched over haggardly, like old men struggling on canes. The lawn, which should have been a lively green for early spring, was withered and sandy. A few patches of grass were sprinkled here and there. Rust lines streaked down the one jagged peak atop the tin-roof house. The flimsy clapboard sides were outlined by fading white trim speckled with dried paint curls. Hanging baskets containing a variety of plants and weeds all struggling to stay alive shared the crowded front porch with two mildew-covered rocking chairs. Inside, magazines and newspaper clippings both old and new were carelessly strewn about. Encrusted dishes from the previous day’s meals battled each other for space in the bulging kitchen sink. In the garage, away from the usual living areas, was a boy’s room. Dull paneling outlined the bedroom, while equally dreary brown linoleum covered the floor. The bedroom must have been an afterthought because not much consideration had been given to the details. A bookcase cut from rough planks sat atop an old garage sale dresser.

Moonlight pressing through the dust-covered metal blinds tried to provide a sense of peacefulness. Instead it revealed bristly red hair atop a young boy’s head poking out from beneath a mushy feather pillow. His heavy breathing provided the only movement in the quiet room. Tiny droplets of perspiration lined his brow as he began jerking about under the thin cotton sheets.

Starting at the edge of the window, the blackness spread downward, transforming all traces of light to an oily dinginess. Drake was slowly surrounded and remained the only thing not saturated in the darkness. Bolting upright to a stiff-seated attention, Drake’s bloodshot eyes darted back and forth. He stared into the black nothingness shuddering and aware that the only thing visible in the room was his bed.

“Who . . . who’s there?” Drake cried out, puzzled by the hollow sound that didn’t seem to travel beyond the edge of his mattress. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck, connecting his numerous freckled dots. He strained, slightly tilting his head, ears perked. There was no reply.

***

Neatly manicured streets wandered through the Watters’s sleepy, rolling neighborhood. If someone had been walking along in the wee morning hours of March 15, they would have noticed the brilliant white light peeking out from around Ryann’s shade. Below his second-story window the normally darkened bed of pink, red, and white impatiens was lit up as in the noonday sun.

Ryann was fully awake now and quite positive that the dazzling aura facing him from in front of his window was not the hall light from his parents entering the bedroom. Golden hues flowed out of the whiteness, showering itself on everything in the room. It reminded Ryann of sprinkles of pixie dust in some of his favorite childhood books. His blue eyes grew wide trying to capture the unbelievable event unfolding before him.

“Fear not, Ryann,” a confident, yet kind, voice began. “I have come to do the bidding of one much greater than I and who you have found favor with.”

Read the rest of the chapter here.

BUY THE BOOK AT
WWW.RYANNWATTERS.COM/

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:28:00 +0000

Praying for a Miracle

(Pray with me)

I mentioned in my last Journey e-mail that my car had to be towed to the mechanic. I am still evaluating my options, but in the mechanic's professional opinion the car is not worth repairing because of the cost of the transmission repairs and the fact that they are not guaranteed. It is frustrating. Still, I know that even at home things like this happen, even in newer cars. The car purchase was made with careful thought and advice and this could not have been foreseen.

This car is a gift from the Lord and it is His to take it away. Yet, I am still in need of a vehicle and am now not sure of how to proceed. I am looking into all options (including the crazy ones like flying to the UK to bring back a big, heavy, difficult to mail, used part that currently can't be found here in Hungary) but, in reality, it looks like I need another car.

So I'm praying big. I am asking God for someone (or several people) who would in the next few weeks give generously to make this possible. Or for someone who would make an interest free loan for a car purchase knowing that they would be paid back slowly as I again try to raise car funds. (Foreigners can not buy on credit in Hungary and I simply do not have the funds) This is, of course, coming when support is already low and monthly expenses are continuing to rise. This is a big prayer! But God is both the God of miracles and the God who owns everything, so I know it is possible. Please join with me in praying about this need.

Also, I am heading out to a ladies conference/retreat and will be back Sunday night. My allergies are awful and my teammate Brenda is sick. We are two members of the worship team so we could use some prayer that we would be able to sing. :)

Thanks for praying!

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:35:00 +0000

Pray for Julika's Surgery Today

This morning at 9:30 GMT+1 Julika went into surgery for Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Please pray for:

Pray for the doctor doing the surgery, Dr Meszaros.
Pray for a successful surgery.
Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they decide what kind of treatment she will have in the future.
Pray for Zsolti, Mani and David her children.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for this precious servant. If you want to follow up on Julika's progress in this fight against cancer or go to: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/julika

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:56:00 +0000

Call for Prayer

Scary! I heard about this from a Christian author in the UK and then went looking for the details. Pray for this decision in the UK!

These are excerpts from the article.

------------------------
Cardinal O'Brien criticised plans to permit the creation of human-animal hybrids for research. He and other Church leaders see it as an attack on the dignity of human life.

The government says the medical benefits of allowing the creation of hybrid embryos for research purposes could ease the suffering of millions of people. The embryos are made by combining animal eggs with human nuclei, which can then be grown into stem cells and used by scientists. The bill comes in response to a shortage of available human eggs for research.

Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation are among more than 200 charities in favour of the creation of human-animal hybrids for research. Prime Minister Gordon Brown faces dissent over the bill, from some of his Labour MPs. But Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said an "accommodation" will be reached for those Labour MPs who are opposed to parts of the bill.

It is understood Labour MPs may be allowed to abstain on parts of the bill, as long as its passage is not threatened. The bill received its first reading in the House of Commons in February, and while no date has been set for its second reading - or approval in principle - it is viewed as a key piece of legislation on the government's agenda.

You can read the full article here. This article actually centers around a debate within the Catholic church and the objection by Catholic MPs over the issue, but it also outlines the basic tenents of the bill.

Other articles about this issue are located at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7310496.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7309445.stm

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:41:00 +0000

ODD NEWS - Hospital bridles at horse in lift

The hospital's policy is to inspect all animals brought by visitors

(I was just trying to imagine...)

A Hawaiian hospital has restated its rules on pets after a man took a horse up in a lift in a bid to cheer up a sick relative with his favourite steed. Man and beast were stopped by security guards only after reaching the third floor, after apparently passing through the lobby unchallenged. The patient was allowed to see them but it turned out to be the wrong horse.

A hospital spokeswoman said there was a visitation policy for dogs and cats, but not for horses.

Complete Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7310907.stm

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:36:00 +0000

Resurrection Sunday

Easter is my favorite holiday. Christmas holds the awe of the birth of Almighty God in the form of a man, but Easter holds the ultimate victory. After Good Friday's solemn reflection on the price Christ paid, comes the uncontainable joy of the resurrection. We have LIFE because of His Victory. Through the shedding of His blood we can live. He has provided a way!

In Hungary there is a lack of the pageantry that I am used to having surround the Resurrection week. So, I thought I would include a couple of videos here on my blog to let the music and the images celebrate the milestone of remembrance that HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Video: Arise, My Love

Video: Easter (Resurrection) from Hungary

HÚSVÉT ( feltámadás )

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:19:00 +0000

Finnigan and the Snow

Spending a couple of weeks in Florida made me ready for spring to arrive. When I returned to Hungary my crocus and iris were blooming in the garden and I thought, yes, spring is on its way!

Then Thursday there were snow flurries, but they were very light. Maybe it was a fluke? Not so. This morning I awoke to a steady stream of large white snowflakes and now they are starting to stick.

I tried to take a short video to share with you but Finn decided to try to eat my camera strap so the video is of the snow and the silly snow-white cat.

Enjoy!

And I hope that your Easter weekend comes with sunshine and spring dresses rather than coats, wool hats and mittens. :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:25:00 +0000

Journey update 3-21-08
I’m home in Hungary and back to my updates…

(Ahaziah, King of Judah ) He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 Kings 8:27a

(King of Israel ) The LORD said to Jehu. “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes”….Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, God of Israel , with all his heart. 2 Kings 10:30a, 31a

(King of Judah ) Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 2 Kings 12:2

(Jehoahaz, King of Israel ) He did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 2 Kings 13:2a

(Jehoash, King of Israel ) He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam. 2 Kings 13:11a

(Amaziah, King of Judah ) He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 2 Kings 14:3

I’ve been reading in 2 Kings recently and I was reminded again of how the Lord sums up the entire lives and the reign of the kings by such simple words.

He did evil.
He did what was right.

All of the choices, all of the decisions, all of the years of living are summed up in these statements. I find it interesting also, that these statements are also followed with insights for our enlightenment.

He walked in the ways of.
He was not careful.
He did as he was instructed.
He followed after.
He did not turn away.
He followed the example of.

These statements remind me to be careful of what my influences are. What example am I following? Am I walking in the footsteps of Christ? Am I careful to do what is right?

I wonder how my life will be summed up. I know that there is one statement that is sure. I know that I can expect to hear something along the lines of, “She chose well. She received the gift of life in my Son and her sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb. She is a child of mine.”

That in itself is an amazing thing! But beyond that, I wonder how my life’s epitaph will continue. May I live so as to hear “Well done, you have done what is right in my eyes.”

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:36:00 +0000

It is March 15th, but no need to worry about the Ides of March when we have a special blog tour for one of our FIRST members! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) Normally, on the FIRST day of every month we feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter! As this is a special tour, we are featuring it on a special day!

The special feature author is:

CAMY TANG

and her book:

Only Uni
Zondervan (March 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Camy Tang is a member of FIRST and is a loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick-lit. She grew up in Hawaii, but now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious poi-dog. In a previous life she was a biologist researcher, but these days she is surgically attached to her computer, writing full-time. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service.

Sushi for One? (Sushi Series, Book One) was her first novel. Her second, Only Uni (Sushi Series, Book Two) is now available. The next book in the series, Single Sashimi (Sushi Series, Book Three) will be coming out in September 2008!

Visit her at her website.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One

Trish Sakai walked through the door and the entire room hushed.

Well, not exactly pin-drop hushed. More like a handful of the several dozen people in her aunty’s enormous living room paused their conversations to glance her way. Maybe Trish had simply expected them to laugh and point.

She shouldn’t have worn white. She’d chosen the Bebe dress from her closet in a rebellious mood, which abandoned her at her aunt’s doorstep. Maybe because the explosion of red, orange, or gold outfits made her head swim.

At least the expert cut of her dress made her rather average figure curvier and more slender at the same time. She loved how well-tailored clothes ensured she didn’t have to work as hard to look good.

Trish kicked off her sandals, and they promptly disappeared in the sea of shoes filling the foyer. She swatted away a flimsy paper dragon drooping from the doorframe and smoothed down her skirt. She snatched her hand back and wrung her fingers behind her.

No, that’ll make your hips look huge.

She clenched her hands in front.

Sure, show all the relatives that you’re nervous.

She clasped them loosely at her waist and tried to adopt a regal expression.

“Trish, you okay? You look constipated.”

Her cousin Bobby snickered while she sneered at him. “Oh, you’re so funny I could puke.”

“May as well do it now before Grandma gets here.”

“She’s not here yet?” Oops, that came out sounding a little too relieved. She cleared her throat and modulated her voice to less-than-ecstatic levels. “When’s she coming?”

“Uncle picked her up, but he called Aunty and said Grandma forgot something, so he had to go back.”

Thank goodness for little favors. “Is Lex here?”

“By the food.”

Where else would she be? Last week, her cousin Lex had mentioned that her knee surgeon let her go back to playing volleyball three nights a week and coaching the other two nights, so her metabolism had revved up again. She would be eating like a horse.

Sometimes Trish could just kill her.

She tugged at her skirt—a little tight tonight. She should’ve had more self-control than to eat that birthday cake at work. She’d have to run an extra day this week … maybe.

She bounced like a pinball between relatives. The sharp scent of ginger grew more pungent as she headed toward the large airy kitchen. Aunty Sue must have made cold ginger chicken again. Mmmm. The smell mixed with the tang of black bean sauce (Aunty Rachel’s shrimp?), stir-fried garlic (any dish Uncle Barry made contained at least two bulbs), and fishy scallions (probably her cousin Linda’s Chinese-style sea bass).

A three-foot-tall red streak slammed into her and squashed her big toe.

“Ow!” Good thing the kid hadn’t been wearing shoes or she might have broken her foot. Trish hopped backward and her hand fumbled with a low side table. Waxed paper and cornstarch slid under her fingers before the little table fell, dropping the kagami mochi decoration. The sheet of
printed paper, the tangerine, and rubbery-hard mochi dumplings dropped to the cream-colored carpet. Well, at least the cornstarch covering the mochi blended in.

The other relatives continued milling around her, oblivious to the minor desecration to the New Year’s decoration. Thank goodness for small—

A childish gasp made her turn. The human bullet who caused the whole mess, her little cousin Allison, stood with a hand up to her round lips that were stained cherry-red, probably from the sherbet punch. Allison lifted wide brown eyes up to Trish—hanaokolele-you’re-in-trouble—while the other hand pointed to the mochi on the floor.

Trish didn’t buy it for a second. “Want to help?” She tried to infuse some leftover Christmas cheer into her voice.

Allison’s disdainful look could have come from a teenager rather than a seven-year-old. “You made the mess.”

Trish sighed as she bent to pick up the mochi rice dumplings—one large like a hockey puck, the other slightly smaller—and the shihobeni paper they’d been sitting on. She wondered if the shihobeni wouldn’t protect the house from fires this next year since she’d dropped it.

“Aunty spent so long putting those together.”

Yeah, right. “Is that so?” She laid the paper on the table so it draped off the edge, then stuck the waxed paper on top. She anchored them with the larger mochi.

“Since you busted it, does it mean that Aunty won’t have any good luck this year?”

“It’s just a tradition. The mochi doesn’t really bring prosperity, and the tangerine only symbolizes the family generations.” Trish tried to artfully stack the smaller mochi on top of the bottom one, but it wouldn’t balance and kept dropping back onto the table.

“That’s not what Aunty said.”

“She’s trying to pass on a New Year’s tradition.” The smaller mochi dropped to the floor again. “One day you’ll have one of these in your own house.” Trish picked up the mochi. Stupid Japanese New Year tradition. Last year, she’d glued hers together until Mom found out and brought a new set to her apartment, sans-glue. Trish wasn’t even Shinto. Neither was anyone else in her family—most of them were Buddhists—but it was something they did because their family had always done it.

“No, I’m going to live at home and take care of Mommy.”

Thank goodness, the kid finally switched topics. “That’s wonderful.” Trish tried to smash the tangerine on top of the teetering stack of mochi. Nope, not going to fly. “You’re such a good daughter.”

Allison sighed happily. “I am.”

Your ego’s going to be too big for this living room, toots. “Um … let’s go to the kitchen.” She crammed the tangerine on the mochi stack, then turned to hustle Allison away before she saw them fall back down onto the floor.

“Uh, Triiiish?”

She almost ran over the kid, who had whirled around and halted in her path like a guardian lion. Preventing Trish’s entry into the kitchen. And blocking the way to the food. She tried to sidestep, but the other relatives in their conversational clusters, oblivious to her, hemmed her in on each side.

Allison sidled closer. “Happy New Year!”

“Uh … Happy New Year.” What was she up to? Trish wouldn’t put anything past her devious little brain.

“We get red envelopes at New Year’s.” Her smile took on a predatory gleam.

“Yes, we do.” One tradition she totally didn’t mind. Even the older cousins like Trish and Lex got some money from the older relatives, because they weren’t married yet.

Allison beamed. “So did you bring me a red envelope?”

What? Wait a minute. Was she supposed to bring red envelopes for the younger kids? No, that couldn’t be. “No, only the married people do that.” And only for the great-cousins, not their first cousins, right? Or was that great-cousins, too? She couldn’t remember.

Allison’s face darkened to purple. “That’s not true. Aunty gives me a red envelope and she’s not married.”

“She used to be married. Uncle died.”

“She’s not married now. So you’re supposed to give me a red envelope, too.”

Yeah, right. “If I gave out a red envelope to every cousin and great-cousin, I’d go bankrupt.”

“You’re lying. I’m going to tell Mommy.” Allison pouted, but her sly eyes gave her away.

A slow, steady burn crept through her body. This little extortionist wasn’t going to threaten her, not tonight of all nights.

She crouched down to meet Allison at eye level and forced a smile. “That’s not very nice. That’s spreading lies.”

Allison bared her teeth in something faintly like a grin.

“It’s not good to be a liar.” Trish smoothed the girl’s red velvet dress, trimmed in white lace.

“You’re the liar. You said you’re not supposed to give me a red envelope, and that’s a lie.”

The brat had a one-track mind. “It’s not a lie.”

“Then I’ll ask Mommy.” The grin turned sickeningly sweet.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Trish tweaked one of Allison’s curling-iron-manufactured corkscrews, standing out amongst the rest of her straight hair.

“I can do whatever I want.” An ugly streak marred the angelic mask.

“Of course you can.”

Allison blinked.

“But if you do, I’ll tell Grandma that I found her missing jade bracelet in your bedroom.” Gotcha.

“What were you doing in my bedroom?” Allison’s face matched her dress.

Trish widened her eyes. “Well, you left it open when your mom hosted the family Christmas party …”

Allison’s lips disappeared in her face, and her nostrils flared. “You’re lying—”

“And you know Grandma will ask your mommy to search your room.”

Her face whitened.

“So why don’t we forget about this little red envelope thing, hmm?” Trish straightened the gold heart pendant on Allison’s necklace and gave her a bland smile.

A long, loud inhale filled Allison’s lungs. For a second, Trish panicked, worried that she’d scream or something, but the air left her noiselessly.

Trish stood. “See ya.” She muscled her way past the human traffic cone.

Read the rest of the chapter here.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:26:00 +0000

Laugh for the Day

I saw this on another blog and wanted to share the fun...

The Hawaii Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:23:00 +0000

Missions Week at Idlewild

Yesterday I had a great time at a ladies brunch. Table hostesses dressed up representing different countries.

The picture is of my mom in traditional Hungarian dress.

The speaker was wonderful. She reminded us that we were made to be lights in the darkness, not lights staying in a well lit room full of other lights. She challenged everyone to go and find the darkness and light it up with Jesus' light.

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:23:00 +0000

The March CFRB Tour is
The VOID
by Mark Mynheir

I haven't read this third book in the Truth Chasers series. You can read the synposis below - it sounds like a fascinating concept for a novel. You can get more information and read reviews at Amazon by clicking on the book cover. You can also read daily posts about the book during the week of March 2nd by clicking the CFRB icon. At the end of thsi post you can see the list of sites to follow to see what others in CFRB are saying about THE VOID.

Here is the book synopsis:
Someone’s trying to play God…and he’s turning Palm Bay into hell. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Robbie Sanchez devotes her life to crime prevention, and it shows: She has no personal life and doesn’t know the meaning of a day off. After all, someone has to be around to clean up the mess crime leaves behind. So when Officer Brad Worthington is brutally murdered, Agent Sanchez is called to the scene along with Brad’s best friend, Detective Eric Casey. The two turn to Lifetex, the genetics lab near the scene, hoping their elaborate security system might have captured the crime outside. But what’s going on inside the lab is far worse: a renegade scientist is cloning humans! As Robbie and Eric pursue clues–and a growing attraction–they are caught in a deadly battle as the clones begin to act on their own volition…but this battle threatens to claim more than human life; the clones are vying for human souls.

Participating Blog links:
The Christian Fiction Review Blog
Back to the Mountains
Queen of Convolution
A Frank Review Between Sundays
Bibliophile' s Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Sojourner) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:27:00 +0000

It is March FIRST, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

This month's feature is:

Sharon Hinck

and her book

The Restorer's Journey
Navpress Publishing Group (February 7, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sharon Hinck holds a BA in education, and she earned an MA in communication from Regent University in 1986. She spent ten years as the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, CrossCurrent. That ministry included three short-term mission trips to Hong Kong. She has been a church youth worker, a choreographer and ballet teacher, a homeschool mom, a church organist, and a bookstore clerk. One day she’ll figure out what to be when she grows up, but in the meantime, she’s pouring her imagination into writing. Her stories focus on characters who confront the challenges of a life of faith. She’s published dozens of articles in magazines and book compilations, and released her novel, The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House), in 2006. In April 2007, she was named “Writer of the Year” at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. When she isn’t wrestling with words, Sharon enjoys speaking at conferences and retreats. She and her family make their home in Minnesota. She loves to hear from readers, so send a message through the portal into her writing attic on the “Contact Sharon” page of her website, http://www.sharonhinck.com/. She is also an avid blogger...visit Stories for the Hero in All of Us.

The first and second books in The Sword of Lyric series are The Restorer and The Restorer’s Son. The FIRST chapter shown here is from the third book, The Restorer's Journey. (Click on titles to see them at Amazon.) I haven't read this series yet, but am anxiously awaiting time to sit down to read theses books. Look for my reviews on Shelfari within the next couple of months. Enjoy!

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One - JAKE

My mom was freaking out.

She stared out the dining room window as if major-league monsters were hiding in the darkness beyond the glass. Give me a break. Our neighborhood was as boring as they came. Ridgeview Drive’s square lawns and generic houses held nothing more menacing than basketball hoops and tire swings. Still, Mom’s back was tight, and in the shadowed reflection on the pane, I could see her biting her lip. I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better.

I ducked back into the kitchen and used a wet rag to wipe off the counters. Clumps of flour turned to paste and smeared in gunky white arcs across the surface. I shook the rag over the garbage can, the mess raining down on the other debris we’d swept up. Broken jars of pasta and rice filled the bag. I stomped it down, twist-tied the bag and jogged it out to the trashcan by the garage. Usually, I hated the chore of taking out the trash. Not tonight. Maybe if I erased the signs of our intruders, Mom would relax a little.

So Cameron and Medea dropped a few things when they were looking for supplies. No biggie. Why did my folks have such a problem with those two anyway? They’d been great to me. I trudged back into the house, rubbing my forehead. Wait. That wasn’t right. A shiver snaked through my spine. Never mind. They were probably long gone by now.

“Kitchen’s done.” I carried the broom into the dining room, hoping Mom had finished in there. But she was still hugging her arms and staring out the window.

She turned and looked at the china cabinet, then squeezed her eyes shut as if they were hurting. “Why?” she whispered.

Glass shards jutted from one cabinet door, and the other hung crooked with wood splinters poking out. Broken china covered the floor. Mom and Dad had been collecting those goofy teacups ever since they got married.

I pushed the broom against the edge of the fragments, but the chinking sound made her wince, so I stopped.

Dad strode past with an empty garbage bag from the hall closet and stopped to give my mom a squeeze. He nodded toward me. “Honey, Jake’s alive. Nothing else matters. We all got back safe.” He leaned his head against hers, and I edged toward the kitchen in case they started kissing. For an old married couple, they were a little too free with their public displays of affection. No guy wants to watch his parents act mushy.

Read the rest of the chapter by clicking here.