Into the Fire

Just one among so many great hits from The Supremes. Fabulous trio. Amazing songs. 

Lord, so much talent, so many gifts. Only you know hearts. May those with many talents know from whom they've been gifted. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

                               
 Belinda Blake and the Birds of a Feather is Book 3 of the Exotic Pet-Sitter Mystery Series by Heather Day Gilbert. 

There's a lull in Belinda's pet-sitting business when she learns of an older friend's death in her hometown, so she leaves her Greenwich, Connecticut, carriage house rental and the dashing Stone Carrington the Fifth who seems to be falling for her. The woman who died is her parents' neighbor in Upstate New York, and her son Jonas was her caretaker besides running their farm. Belinda loved the woman – plus she has all kinds of attraction to Jonas. When she arrives, she immediately takes over the care of his mom's homing pigeons until Jonas can find them a new home. 

After the funeral, Belinda takes a casserole over to Jonas and his visiting brother. Following dinner, Jonas points out an article in the local newspaper to Belinda about a college student who was killed in a hit and run. Jonas is convinced there's something suspicious about the death and asks Belinda to take a look at it knowing how good she is at figuring out odd circumstances. Between taking care of the pigeons and trying to see as much of Jonas as she can, visiting with her old friend Chloe who writes for the newspaper, she decides to investigate and gather information about the young man who was mowed down. She and Chloe want to know more. 

The mystery takes on a darker tone as Belinda discovers that members of a book club are being murdered, after the first one of them (Claire) was mysteriously hit by a train when the club met together one night a few years ago. As Belinda begins to add up what she's learned, it seems one person should be the definite suspect, but somehow she can't quite accept it. 

Belinda faces all kinds of emotional conflict as she sorts out her life during the hunt for a murderer. Should she go back to Greenwich and the wealthy, gorgeous Stone Carrington? Should she move back home and face the fact that Jonas has her heart? Does she have his? All these personal decisions run interference during the search for who is killing these kids. 

This Book 3 is a genuine murder mystery with a romantic thread amidst the darkness of the deaths. Heather ends it with just enough answers and solutions to satisfy the reader but leaves it open to more intrigue for a possible Book 4.  

This is a fun, interesting, entertaining, and unique Cozy Mystery Series. Definitely recommend it. 

Father, I ask that you continue to give the inspiration, time, energy, and all provision for Heather to continue telling the stories you have just for her to tell. Bless her in your abundance. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

. . . Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:18-19;22-23 (NIV)

Five Fun Things:

Writing 

Reading 

Walking 

Riding a horse

Going to the ocean

(and Laughing, Vacation Drives)

Father, thank you for it all. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 
          

In this era of social media and cell phones, everything is recorded. Pictures, videos, selfies, you know the drill. Recorded for posterity or until new images are necessary to replace the ones from last year, last week, last night. Lives are suspended in the time it takes to grab that phone, catch that photo, pose for that picture, snap that event. The temporary memory logged. 

I had a Konica 35 mil. camera that I loved. I got it for my 20th birthday. It went with me to Europe and recorded roll after roll of film shots. Some were made into photographs. Others remain on slides. This was a long time ago. That camera many years later was stolen out of our home along with other possessions that could never be replaced including a silver pocket watch with horses etched on it and engraved inside to my husband, and my mom's wedding ring set. Irreplaceable. 

Well, that information took a downturn from the "fun" facet of this post . . . The point being: fun has many faces. What's fun for me might not be even close to registering on your fun meter. Fun is fleeting and sometimes meaningless in the big picture, but fun can also be remembered as one of the most important days in a life. Recollections of genuine fun can sustain a person in times of melancholy or bring a renewal of energy to pursue happier times.

Not all fun things need to be recorded in imagery other than the pictures in the mind. Some fun things deserve that lingering memory that only an individual's thoughts can capture. A feeling, a scent, a sound, a sigh. That special thing remembered as fun. 

Father, you've given me so much fun in my life. And I know you will continue to bless me with more. I treasure all that you've given me and am thankful beyond words for all that you've done for me in my life. Thank you for rescuing me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Yeah, driving a 65 Pontiac LeMans, yellow with a black rag top. Man, I loved that car. I used to drive it down I-5 at 100 mph at around 4:30 AM on my way to the racetrack. That is until one very rainy morning when I ended up doing about 3 donuts and managed to not hit the concrete bulkheads of the freeway as they passed in and out of my vision. I slowed down to 80 when I got straightened away. 

Father, you protected me even when I was lost. I can never thank you enough for all you've done for and given me. Blessing upon blessing. Forgiveness. You rescued me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

When I need a break from reality, an escape that brings a smile, just for fun, yeah, I watch a couple scenes from the "new" Magnum PI just because. We can all agree this isn't the "real" Magnum PI, but it's an enjoyable substitute and each new season has improved with the cast of characters growing into their roles. So there. 

Father, the reality is we all need you above all else. I pray that each one with amazing creative abilities recognizes from whom their talents and gifts come. Thank you for all of them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

With most authors you will find readers who are die-hard fans or are die-hard critics. I'm amazed at how some people choose to review novels they don't like. And when those critics expound on those things they didn't like in direct contrast to how the majority of other readers perceived the story, its characters, and nearly everything else about the novel, it does tend to mystify me. The few (in comparison to the 5-stars) one-star Amazon reviews for this novel were utterly baffling.

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin is a love story at its core told in first-person by his protagonist "Jo Jo". But it's also a picture of lives that went haywire for all kinds of different reasons and consequently experienced crushing pain deep within their souls. It's a story of coping and not coping with the damage done and fearing any real rehabilitation from that pain is doubtful. It's a story about confessions and revelations, betrayals real and perceived, failures at every emotional level and successes where it's least expected. It's about sorrows and horrors and rescues and resurrections. About lies and truths. It's about death and life and guilt and shame. 

One thing is certain: if you're going to read a Charles Martin novel and you happen to be either fairly emotional (as I am) or somewhat sentimental (which I can definitely be), prepare to be incited to tears, heart-wrenching, gut-level sadness, and hopeful relief at the end. Because it's gonna hurt at different points of the story, and Charles can definitely bring the pain. With exquisite writing, deep character development, unusual deep-dive plots, and unique structure to his storytelling, it's an experience which won't pass quickly once you come to "the end". 

Faith fades in and out in a haze like watching something at a distance in the sunshine.

Five stars. 

Father, you've given Charles incredible talent and many appreciative readers for his work. Please continue to bless his life, his writing, and the supply of stories you have just for him to tell. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

"There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked."

Isaiah 48:22 (NIV) 

There is much evil in the world. This isn't new. It goes back to the Fall of Man. The end of perfection and serenity because of disobedience that came in the form of an incredibly selfish desire to be "like" God. The first to demonstrate that impossible task was kicked out of heaven. His name was changed from Lucifer, meaning "day star" or "son of the morning", to Satan which means "accuser" or "adversary". Using his own fallibility (pride) to convince Eve and subsequently Adam to eat from the only tree in the garden (out of many) from which they were instructed not to eat, they sinned against their loving Creator and the two of them were banished from the perfect life they lived in the Garden of Eden. And with them they took sin and all of its consequences with them. 

So. Here we are today. 

Taking a different look, let's translate that to art. Since I'm a writer, I'm going to go in that direction. You might have had the opportunity to read some of Mike Duran's work (both fiction and non-fiction) or maybe have read some of his posts on Facebook and elsewhere regarding the Christian Fiction genre. He explores the horror genre and how it pertains to Christian fiction. Often demonstrating his ability to teach by inspiring conversation and exploration, Mike's opinions make excellent points about the various reactions to novels which have been classified as Christian but might reside outside the box that so many Christian readers demand that Christian authors never escape.  

What inspired this post today is my irritation with Christian readers who slur the authors of novels regarding their stories which might be contrary to their religious doctrine, offend them with authentic examples of real romance, fail to see the redemptive quality of a story over their objections to it not being "clean" enough to suit their rigid demands. Now, let me say this before I proceed: they have every right to feel the way they do, to comment on either circumstance, but, as Christians, it seems to me they could reduce the harsh criticisms, slurs, contempt, and, yes, self-righteous pontifications in their 1-star reviews and simply say, "This novel didn't work for me. I adhere to a different theology, less romance." Something that would explain their stance without offering an opinion that reeks of "my opinion is more valuable than this author's" or "this author should be ashamed." 

I'm overstating this point because it deeply bothers me. When I read some of those 1-star reviews given to extremely valuable novels with wonderfully redemptive stories, I'm greatly disturbed that some of what is written in those reviews does not reflect well on a part of the Christian reading audience.

It's Friday. Go have a good weekend in spite of "it" all. 

Father, you know hearts. You know minds. Nothing escapes your knowledge. Thank you for being the Creator and for your incredible patience with us. Please help me to be the one you designed me to be. Still working on it, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.