Into the Fire

     Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

     The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

     Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live by bread alone.'"

     The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

     Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

     The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

            "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

     Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put your God to the test.'"

Luke 4:1-12 (NIV)  

Some "D" words I find potent and expressive. You?

Damnation

Diatribe

Destination

Despicable

Decadent

Disruptive

Disciple

Disdain

Diffuse

Depraved

Dialogue

Deplorable

Father, there are never enough beautiful words to describe you or what you do, who you are. Never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

If you enjoyed the first Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland, this one looks every bit as fantastical. Normally, I don't care for these kinds of movies, but the first Alice was very well done, and I suspect Alice Through the Looking Glass will be too.

Father, if only they knew you were the source of their amazing creativity. I pray they will realize the One who's blessed them with such talent. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The only things I don't like are the chair covers. Otherwise, I love it.

Ah, Lord, I guess I love the rustic beauty. I know all things of beauty come from you and your immense creativity. I'm in awe and always, always desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

One of these days our family will be moving to a new home in a city just southeast of our current location. We're familiar with our new area having attended church there several years ago, and we have friends we've known for many years who live there.

Change is in the air. Leaving our home of over 30 years will be somewhat of a shock when it all finally becomes a reality. There will be mixed emotions, some melancholy I suspect, but ultimately it will be a welcome change because we will be moving to the country since we are now surrounded by urban development in what used to be an unincorporated rural area. 

I'm generally not fond of change. This is a necessity, and I do welcome it. From the emotional standpoint it will be hard to say goodbye. We have buried three horses, two dogs, and one cat here. Memories collected for this many years will not be abandoned even when this house is torn down to make way for an apartment complex. Relationships with our neighbors will be sustained from different locations, but our friends behind us have made an offer on a home about two miles away from ours!

Anyway, the blog may be irregular and undependable now and then leading up to, during, and after the move. We could use your prayers for a quick turnaround with technical "stuff" – and everything else that comes with a major relocation. Thank you for your faithfulness in sharing this blog with me. I hope to continue to offer cool things to look at, read, and ponder. I look forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you're moved to give them.  

For the time being, we will proceed . . .

Father, thank you for all of this. It's not easy, but it's a gift from you, and we're so grateful for it. Words always fall short when it comes to you. Thank you is never enough, but I offer it from my heart. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

     When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,  heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

     Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.

Luke 3:19-23 (NIV)

Every now and then I need to read some "lite" fare. Most of you who visit here know I prefer to read thrillers, mysteries, and novels which are generally intense. Occasionally I break away for some reading "lite". That usually means a romance.

I'm very selective when it comes to romances because I'm not a huge fan of the typical formula for the genre. Characters are everything when it comes to a romance. If I can't work up a genuine empathy for the protagonist(s), the chances of enjoying the story diminish considerably. I tend to stick with faith fiction when in the romance market.

Do you ever venture away from your normal reading tendencies by exploring other genres? Do you need a break from your reading choices or do you tend to vary your genres?  

Father, thank you for all your authors who write to honor you with what you've given them. Please help us all to do what you ask us to do. Always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

                                          Love this one. You?

Father, thank you for the friendship of pets. It means so much to so many of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sterile and efficient, contemporary. Not my style but I like the ovens, the size of the island, but would prefer more cabinets to drawers. Is this in an apartment, a condo, or a penthouse, I wonder?

Lord, there is functional beauty for all tastes because of your great provision in the imaginations of mankind. Beauty originates with you. Thank you for every example of it on earth. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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Kitchens still . . .

Continuing kitchens . . .

. . . this is what I mean. Christianity will be spoken of, practiced by some, and not a hidden part of the story. God will be a prominent character even if He's in the background because He will provide motivation for many of the actions contemplated and performed by those characters who embrace Him. Not all characters will necessarily be believers. In fact, many might not. There may only be one Christian in the entire book, but readers will know what that character believes and represents.

Some authors who are Christians get riled up about the term Christian Fiction and declare defiantly that books/stories cannot be "Christian", that Christian is not an adjective. However, today's descriptions of everything from color to political positions are labeled with words and phrases that aren't used as their natural identifier (i.e. noun, adjective, etc.). Christian Fiction explains to the reader what could be inside to enable them to select the novel based on an honest depiction of what they might encounter. It's particularly annoying when a review of a Christian novel cites its religious content as the reason for a one-star assessment. What did they expect if its properly labeled?

There are degrees of Christian in the fiction. Some are bold, some are subtle. Some Christian authors prefer vague references to God and prayer. Some include the full Gospel in their stories. These factors often determine who their readers will be.

I have found excellent writers in both types. I have been disappointed with both types. So much depends on the preferences of readers – genres, writing quality, differences in belief systems, depths of characters on either side of faith.

What say you?

Father, I am nothing without you and apart from you, I can do nothing. My desire is to honor you with my writing. May it be so. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.