Owls: Our Most Charming Bird - Book Review

This book is written and illustrated by Matt Sewell, a British artist and ornithologist.  He has created several books about birds, and this one focuses on the mysterious owl.  This is a readable and fun book. The illustrations are charming and the descriptions are a little zany, comparing owls with people and more. Besides the mention of myths/gods and one illustration of a woman who isn't too modest, it's quite a swell book, about pocket-size.  There is a place to check off owls you've seen, as well.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Remembering WWII in Linden, 2015

The morning of September 26 was one of hectic getting ready--unwinding pin curls, donning shoes, picking out hats or jewelry, making sandwiches, and forgetting things I meant to take.

Our brother Matthew was our chauffeur, as Annie tried to cheer me up about my hair not having time to be pinned up properly--I had videos on WWII hairstyles that I hadn't had time to watch.  I did my best as we bumped along the roads.

Me with a vintage roadster

Life is never perfect, and I soon forgot all the little things as we entered the Linden event, remembering the big things that happened in time past.  Men and women lost their lives in concentration camps, men fought for freedom from oppression.  The spotlight was not on me.

Some of the audience

Arthur Pais

 We heard the first speaker, Arthur Pais, from a ways back at first, as we sat on the side, hardly able to concentrate on his speaking.  Eventually we moved up, and saw his grave face as he spoke about being separated from his family as they went to work camps (or death camps)--never seeing his mother again.  His humor was not extinguished during the talk, however, or his grace and humility.

As it was nearing noon, we decided to head to the car and eat our packed lunch--an assortment of chicken salad sandwiches, apples, ginger snaps, and chocolate-covered pretzels.  It was nice to relax in our van as we ate and sipped water or iced tea.

The streets and sidewalks were bustling, with vintage vehicles, clanging fire-engines, troops, and onlookers in everyday clothes.

Annie and I split up from Matthew, so we could each listen to a different speaker.  We wanted to hear Norman Weber, an American boy who lived in Germany and even joined the Nazi Youth.  The walk was longer than I expected, and my previously untested high heels began to dig into my feet and rub blisters into them.  But it was worth the walk.  Near the speaking site, we saw rows of tents.

A soldier in camp

Norman Weber

After a few well-sung songs sung by a Courter girl, we heard Mr. Weber speak.

He recounted his story clearly, and an interesting story it was.  It felt normal for him to join the Nazi Youth at the time, not knowing all the atrocities to come.  He was saved from harm through this, and never questioned as to his birthplace, since he looked like the ideal German--tall, erect, blond-haired and blue-eyed. But what was going to happen when the Americans came and won the city?

After his talk, I walked over to meet him and get his autograph.  He was happy to oblige.

I pointed out the vintage vehicles and people getting rides, and asked Annie if we could try to get a ride in one.  It would save us another walk, too.  The back of the jeep we chose was so high that I didn't think I could step up onto it. They pulled out part of the seat in the front so I could get by that, and we got up and onto a bench seat in the back.  Two young friends from church joined us, one of them crouching and holding onto the front seat.  Then three modern-day marines (I think) hopped on the back, as well, making for a pretty crowded ride down the street.  I was near the front, with open air to my left.  It felt rather nice to be riding along with wind in my hair.  Matthew, unbeknownst to us (and he didn't know we were riding, either), took a photo of us as we rode.  The marines wanted to get off near the stop-light, and Annie and I got off there, too, as did our friends.

Around 2:00 pm (shortly after the ride), we met up with Matthew, as well as some friends, in the back row of this "Courthouse Stage."  We listened to Lacie Bowman sing two songs: "The White Cliffs of Dover" and "It Hurts to Say Goodbye."  Her voice and presentation were beautiful, though the impact didn't hit me there at first, because I was talking with one of the Seargeants off to the side.  Then I sat down with the group to watch.  We then heard Jerry Neal, not ashamed to say he owed everything to his God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Jerry Neal

Next there was a parade of vintage vehicles and veterans, with young men and women running out to give them honorary white carnations.

Mr. Courter interviewing twin veterans

These twins (left) also had interesting stories to tell, involving an explosion.  The man on the right was a twin, too, and told about a shark story.

At 4:00, there was a battle reenactment, which began peacefully, with women walking the streets, sitting at the Cafe, and having their identification cards checked.

Then shots rang out, and the street was filled with the fake but effective blasts for many long minutes.  I plugged an ear at times, and wished for it to stop. . . . How much more the soldiers of WWII must have wished this, as not just the noise jarred their ears, but comrades fell around them, the bloodied, moaning, and dead.

It was a good day to meet up with friends:

The Seargeants and Sierra

Anna

Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez

Norah

Laura Verret

We saw many friends, and stopped to rest here (photo below).  Steven Bowman said the beignets were excellent, so we decided to split one three ways.  Annie and Matthew went to order the pastry at "Cafe Normandie."  Indeed, the pastry, with a dollop of jam and sprinkling of powdered sugar, was excellent!  It was light and airy on the inside, and crispy on the outside.

We had to walk back to the encampment area to eat our supper (we'd purchased tickets upon arriving that morning), and I could barely stand the walk.  Next time maybe I'll be smart and wear flats!

The tables were decorated, with charming lights strung overhead.  A band played to one side ("Merchants of COOL"), lilting and jazzy.  We got in line and got our meal of fried chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, and dinner roll.  We picked up a bottle of water or soda and a root-beer float, where I saw some other friends.

At our table, David Noor met the three of us for the first time, and sat down to eat with us, with our permission.  So we enjoyed chatting with him about various things. A friend of his joined us for a bit, too.

Waiting around

After the meal

Then it was time for the USO-style show to begin.  There were announcements of thanks, prizes for the best reenactors and the family who traveled the farthest (from New Zealand!), more singing, including a children's choir, and a recitation of Winston Churchill's famous "Never Surrender" speech (given on June 4, 1940; House of Commons).

Lacie Bowman singing

Steven Bowman reciting Winston Churchill's speech

 After being immersed in the music, words, and look of the era, I was feeling as if I had stepped back in time; I felt the emotion, the honor and courage of these men and women.

Many of the places in town also appeared to be back in time.

Annie and me posing for a shot

The night ended in fireworks, which we watched after walking halfway back to our van.

Grand finale

Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators: Mastering the Art of Drawing from Memory - Book Review

Admittedly, I have not read this whole book, but I have flipped through it and have begun reading it.  From what I have seen and read, I believe this will be quite a helpful book to me as an aspiring illustrator (I have partially illustrated a book before, my mom's Hebrew alphabet book entitled Hebrew: Beginning Your Journey). However, to be a first-rate illustrator, I greatly desire to be able to come up with poses and drawings without having to meticulously copy a photograph.

That's where this book comes in.  It's true that the majority of the poses in the book are dramatic, such as the cover shows, but the proportions, angles, and shapes should help.

The book begins with two and three-point perspective, something which I have never understood well or mastered.  I still need to practice it and reread this section.

Then it moves on to the "glass mannequin," which is, as on the cover, a basically see-through shell of the body.  This is helpful because it allows you to think better about where, say, the arm will come out if partially hidden behind the body.

Then there are the high and low-angle drawings, which are more commonly used in movies or comic books, but could perhaps be useful in a regular book.  I practiced one of them, here, after reading how to draw in the four sections, etc.

It is certainly not perfect, but better than I could have done without this quick book training, and I'm sure would get better with practice and after reading the rest of the book.

There are a few pictures in the book which are quite sensual in nature, showing more than necessary, so I covered them over.

Overall, I'm glad I got this book, though at first I worried that it would be only applicable to those going into animation art or comic books.

A big thank you to bloggingforbooks.com for a review copy of this book!  I was not required to give a positive review.

Prayers for New Brides - Book Review

Prayers for New Brides: Putting on God's Armor After the Wedding Dress by Jennifer O. White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Though I am not a bride--new or old--I wanted to read this book and have it in my collection.  As I was hoping, it has many helpful thoughts for me at this stage of life, when I am preparing for the possibility of someday getting married.

The books is separated into two large parts, five smaller parts, and 40 short chapters.  I was glad for the small chapters and sections within chapters, making it easy to digest. Each chapter ends with a "prayer prompt" and "a wife's call to action." The whole book is chock full of Scripture, but especially the prayers. They are not always word-for-word quotes from Scripture, but the ideas are probably at least loosely found in the passages referenced. I was disappointed by one or two that I looked up and didn't find very helpful or fitting. I think most of them fit, however.

I liked the practical assignments ("a wife's call to action"), which included interviewing others who have years of experience in marriage, listing reasons why your husband is fun to love, memorizing Scripture, etc.  Some of these will be more helpful to a married woman, but a few of them are possible to employ before marriage.

Here are a few quotes I like from the book:

"Your heart and mind toward your spouse and your marriage will be as healthy as the information you put into your mind and speak from your mouth."

"Your fight for your marriage is not something you can put on hold while you pursue some other honorable mission.  Sitting down on this job is not an option."

"Remember, God is not sitting on the throne evaluating your ability to stand in hopes that you make it this time.  He is actively involved in helping you stand.  He has an unlimited supply of time, wisdom, strength, and love for you.  He empowers you to stand."

"You cannot walk away from the job of holding up the mirror to your husband.  Your thoughts about him, good or bad, are obvious to him and others.  And they are contagious.  Think about it.  What you've communicated to your parents and friends about him is the foundation where their thoughts of him originate.  Are you painting a picture that looks like God's image of this man?"

"There is no problem in you, your spouse, or your marriage that God cannot resolve.  Nothing that comes against your marriage is stronger than God."

"She explained that talking negatively about your husband was a slap in the face to yourself because the two of you are one."

"Jesus pursues a present-tense love relationship with His Church. You said "I do" to the very same lifestyle of enduring, pursuing love and oneness."

I'm not sure if I quite agree with the interpretation of 1 Peter 3:1, something I've thought about quite a bit.  If a husband is unsaved, is this passage saying that the wife should be totally silent?  The verse says "they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives," but it doesn't say she can't say anything about the Lord to their husbands. I'm sure that's not what the verse means, as we are supposed to be evangelists.  However, the book may be saying that in general Christian women are to be meek and not badgering their husband all the time regarding the faith, mostly just living it out, which is what I believe the verse means. It's hard to tell, but it seemed to be taken almost literally, since the book states "no more preaching."

There are a couple of other doctrinal fallacies, or so it seems, implying that God will always work marriages out if we follow Him, etc., but it was subtle, and I think with all the battle involved in marriage, the positives of God's victory and strength are needed encouragement. There may have been some Arminian doctrine, as well, but I tend to filter that out unless it's constant.

There are a couple of chapters that offer more to read online, extra stories of encouragement, that I want to look up.

There is a chapter focusing on physical intimacy, which is written tastefully.

The book ends with a brief addressing of abuse in marriage.  I think she handles it well, speaking of separation if needed, yet believing that God can work things out.

My top takeaways from this book:

Marriage is hard, self-sacrificing work, more-so than I imagined (it goes far beyond the basics of cleaning and cooking), yet God is there to uphold and empower when we seek Him and obey Him.

We as women need to be confident in God's love, not seeking man's love to hold us up--God's love is perfect.

Spilling troubles and complaints about husbands with others is most often disastrous.  We should lovingly work out differences one on one with our spouses.

~I received this book from CrossFocusedReviews.com for my review; I was not required to give a positive review.

Hiding in the Light - Book Review

Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus by Rifqa Bary

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an amazing true story of a Muslim Sri Lankan girl who moves to America, meets Christians, and becomes a Christian herself. She hides it for many years, fearing the consequences, though feeling guilty for lying.  Eventually her parents find out and things go from bad to worse, in many ways.  She has to run for her life, unwilling to deny the faith when her father gives her an ultimatum.  Through jail-time, courtroom battles, sickness, and more, Rifqa Bary keeps trusting the Lord, feeling His presence even amid fears.  Read it and be inspired and humbled, as I was.  Though Rifqa didn't do everything right, she is a testimony to God's grace and power.  Most of us don't experience half of the burdens she faced, yet how weak and small is our testimony and love for the Lord! 
4.5 stars.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review (thank you!) and was not required to post a positive review.

More Info About the Book and Author

Frame 232 - Book Review

Here's another old book review that slipped through the cracks!  Written on May 14, 2013.

The story captured my attention from the beginning, with descriptions real and frightening.  For some reason, the last half was not as gripping as the first for me, though parts of it did keep me glued to it.  I think there was a little too much time spent on the bad guys, not enough on the main characters and their personal feelings and actions.  Perhaps it would make a better movie than book, although there are some scenes that would not transfer in a godly manner into film. (The book mentioned people swearing, prostitutes, etc.)  Then, the Christian aspect of the book was lacking, in my opinion, though trusting in Jesus was mentioned briefly. Catholic churches and works were too accented, which may cause confusion for readers. However, it was well-written, with characters you basically either love or hate, and with a few twists, so I liked it. And if a book succeeds in making a conservative with no previous interest in the subject fascinated by the history (albeit speculative/alternative history) surrounding someone like JFK, I guess it deserves points. Overall, it is a vivid and fast-paced conspiracy novel, and I am interested in seeing what comes next in Jason Hammond's life.

Thanks to Tyndale Blog Network for giving me a copy to review! My review was not required to be positive.

Questions Jesus Asks - Book Review

How would you answer if someone asked you "What are you seeking?" or "Why are you afraid?"  Someone has, and His name is Jesus.  He asked them of His early disciples, along with many other questions, and the questions are for us today, as well.  The topics covered in this book, all inspired by questions Jesus asked, are:

• Christology
• Virgin Birth
• Family
• Discipleship
• Money
• Healing
• Counseling
• Fear
• Demonology
• Servanthood
• Government
• Forgiveness
• Apologetics
• Lordship
• Prayer
• Suffering
• Love
• Persecution
• Hell
• Resurrection

There are also two appendices about the Hypostatic Union and Communicato Idiomatum.

Yes, this is a lot of ground to cover in one small book, but there is a good foundation here and some good thoughts to mull over.  Israel Wayne writes about them in an approachable way, with a few stories from his life, Bible quotes, and bite-sized sections.

If you are looking for a book to further your arguments from the Scriptures and to provoke thought, then this is a helpful place to start.

Many thanks to CrossFocusedReviews.com for providing me with a copy to review!  I was not required to give a positive review.

Lessons In Friendship

Friendship is a beautiful word, and one I've longed to see deeply in my life ever since I was a young child.  I watched Anne of Green Gables, yearning for the kind of "kindred spirit" that Anne had in Diana, or vice versa, since I was mainly more like Diana.  I was the shy, self-conscious one, with a seemingly smaller brain than my intellectual siblings, but with a love for camaraderie and imagination.  My shyness kept friendship to a minimum--probably because I didn't feel sure of myself, or able to express myself without nervousness and stumbling, and that somewhat continues until today.  Perhaps because I was the "baby," the one to be ignored or scowled at because I would tag along, bumbling through things, distracting.  I felt this keenly, though I knew, most of the time, that I was loved.  But being left out, even just occasionally, can be hard for a sensitive person who loves family time.  I'm sure that sometimes it was for my own protection, such as when my family was building a tree fort when I was five or so--we even have a photo of me by the side of the fort, crying.  Words and actions are important--saying "I don't want you to get hurt" is much better than saying "you'd just get in the way." (I'm not sure how my family put it to me, but I'm pretty sure that's how I felt in those type of situations--that I was a nuisance.) That's a lesson for another day, I suppose.

Today I'm focusing on friendship, but now you know some of my background, and partly why it's hard for me.

However, I'm certainly not without blame.  Proverbs 18:24 says: "A man who has friends must himself be friendly . . . "

I was not very friendly, very much looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4)--an unsaved person is not at all good at this.  But even now, as a Christian, I struggle with this . . . selfishness, and perhaps self-pity, is ingrained.

That is one of the lessons I've been thinking about, trying to achieve: be interested, truly interested, in others.  Even if they're talking about a plain piece of wood, or any boring subject you can think of--if it interests them, it should (if it's not a bad subject/gossip) be of vital importance to us.  ("Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. -Philippians 2:4)

Another lesson is not to nurture jealousy.  This can be a real joy-killer, and leads to bitterness, anger, and perhaps distance or the end of a friendship.  There are many Bible verses about jealousy.

Another lesson is to empathize with your friends, both in sorrow and in joy.  Romans 12:15 says: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."  If you don't truly put yourself in your friends' shoes, they can sense this, and won't have your true care, concern, or excitement.  I don't mean to say that we should put on a front, but that we should try our best to understand and show our care, whether it be with a sincere smile, hug, note, gift, deeper conversation, or what-have-you.  This goes along with being interested in others, and not being jealous.

I have felt jealous, hurt, and bitter, at times, when I felt left out of my friends' lives.  I didn't receive what I thought I should--the recognition, thanks, position, etc.  This stems from pride.  I'm thinking I'm more important than I really am, more wonderful, when I am but dust and ashes, terribly sinful.  Even if I happen to be forgotten for something I should have received thanks for, I have to put myself in my friends' shoes, and realize they can't always remember everything.  They may not have realized how much something cost us in effort, time, or money.  They may not realize that we were hurt, or longing for something, or how important it is to us. We (or me, especially, with my quietness) may not have expressed much of an interest.  Can our friends read our minds?  Perhaps if they have known us for all our lives, they can often anticipate our reactions or desires (I have a dear sister like this, and ironically her name is Ann), but if it's a friend of shorter standing, one cannot expect such special capabilities.

Parts of being a friend are serving, laying our lives down for the other, listening, being humble, thinking the best, loving--I Corinthians 13 springs to mind.  The very definition of friendship in Merriam Webster has to do with helping the other person.  Do we expect to do all the "getting" in friendship, or do we expect to give of ourselves?  "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." -Philippians 2:3

And when other friendships falter, there is the precious end of the verse I quoted from earlier (Proverbs 18:24): "A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

. . . How amazing is that, when God knows all our sins (infinitely magnified in His holy sight)?  He pities us as a dear Father. ("As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him." -Psalm 103:13) 

But more than that, we can call Him friend, as that verse in Proverbs states, as well as this verse: "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15

When we focus on this--believe this--it makes so much difference.

Polycarp Movie Review

Friends of ours offered to let us borrow Polycarp, and we gladly accepted.

The movie, while using a very limited budget, was more thought-provoking and effective than most high-budget, secular-made movies.

The story revolved around a young girl named Anna, a former slave.  She is bought by the kind-hearted and God-fearing Polycarp, who gives her freedom.  Anna becomes the charge of a couple, and she starts to feel like family among them all.  Germanicus is a young man who, like a brother, works along-side Anna.  Anna hears new and startling doctrines, of one God, not many.  She asks questions of her new family, and they answer with patience and joy.

But not all is joyous.  The Roman government is trying to quell the Christians.  And on the day of testing, will Polycarp stand for the truth of Jesus?  Will Germanicus?  And how will the persecution of Christians affect Anna? . . .

Some of the acting in this movie was not the very best, but Polycarp's (or rather, Garry Nation's) was good, as were Germanicus's (Dusty Martin's, who played on Courageous) and Anna's (Eliyah Hurt), most of the time.  In any case, I was moved to tears many times.  How would my faith hold up under fire?

It is made for the entire family to watch, with nothing graphic, though the themes are somewhat deep and possibly scary.  Based on the real lives of Polycarp and Germanicus, your family should find this film inspiring.

Bravo, young filmmakers, Joe and Jerica Henline!  They had a lot of help, of course, as you can see in the behind the scenes documentary, but they are still impressively gifted.  Most of all, the message shines through in this movie, the message of courage among fear, faith beyond failure, and the love of God, which casts out fear.

Help the West Ladies Build a New Homestead!

Our sweet friends, the Wests (of Homestead Blessings), are in need right now....They have to move and build a place to live within a few months, and they'd really appreciate donations, as well as prayer!  The sooner the goal is met, the better, so they can start and complete their house!  Please consider donating and sharing the link. :)

Also, read more about this on their blog.