‘The Redemption of Sarah Cain' by Beverly Lewis.
Completely different than the movie but wonderfully good. Sarah Cain's Amish sister dies and leaves the care of her five children to their successful, career orientated aunt. In the film version, Sarah brings the children to the big city, but in Ms. Lewis', she instead moves to her sister's house and takes over raising the children. There are touching moments and hints into the Amish life, not to mention a more clear ending than the film indicates in regards to Sarah's own future.
An absolute must read for fans of Amish fiction. Beverly Lewis is, as far as the blogger knows, the one who began the trend.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
'Why Not Question' : The number 8
The number eight in the Bible means the first of a new series and super abundant.
It is associated with Resurrection and Regeneration and the beginning of a new era or order.
For example, Noah was the eighth person to emerge from the Ark after the Earth was covered during the flood. It set in place a new order.
It is also interesting to note that circumcision was performed on the eighth day after a child was born and the first born was given to Jehovah on the eighth day.
Referencing Resurrection, Christ rose on the first day of the week which was actually the eighth day, beginning a new era for both the Jewish people and the gentiles.
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts eight days. Seven to complete the harvest and the eighth to designate a new beginning.
There are many more examples in the Bible but only a few are shared here. But it is obvious that the number eight holds great significance to the believer and should be studied to gain greater understanding of Christian spiritual inheritance.
Taken from: 'Number in Scripture' by E.W. Bullinger
It is associated with Resurrection and Regeneration and the beginning of a new era or order.
For example, Noah was the eighth person to emerge from the Ark after the Earth was covered during the flood. It set in place a new order.
It is also interesting to note that circumcision was performed on the eighth day after a child was born and the first born was given to Jehovah on the eighth day.
Referencing Resurrection, Christ rose on the first day of the week which was actually the eighth day, beginning a new era for both the Jewish people and the gentiles.
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts eight days. Seven to complete the harvest and the eighth to designate a new beginning.
There are many more examples in the Bible but only a few are shared here. But it is obvious that the number eight holds great significance to the believer and should be studied to gain greater understanding of Christian spiritual inheritance.
Taken from: 'Number in Scripture' by E.W. Bullinger
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
'Why Not Question' : Christmas - Myth and Truth
The blogger of 'Why Not Question' celebrates Christmas as a nice family holiday but has removed much of the religious significance it once held.
Why?
Because the blogger understands the truths about how the holiday truly came to pass and the traditions it has encompassed over the years.
Myth : Christ was born on Christmas day.
Truth : The shepherds were in the fields with the sheep. This only happens during lambing season. More than likely Jesus was born sometime in the fall. Estimations by Biblical experts places the birth sometime in September. December would be much too cold for the shepherds and the sheep. Sheep are very fragile and die easily from the elements.
Speculation : Christmas was invented by a certain religious group in order to entice the pagans into the church by embracing the Solstice.
Myth: There were only three wise men and they were present at Jesus' birth.
Truth: The Bible never gives a specific number. It simply says Magi and tells about the three gifts given. The Bible specifically says Mary and Joseph were in a house - NOT the stable. It also says that Harod killed all male children under two years old and indicates that a great deal of time had passed between the birth and Magi's arrival.
Myth: A huge star was present.
Truth: There were a series of astronomical conjunctions and that caused quite a stir in Rome. The Jewish people were the only ones who had no such knowledge, they didn't pay any attention to the stars,emphasized by Harod having to call the religious leaders to find out what the Magi were talking about.
There are quite a number of other myths and truths mixed in with Jesus' birth and Biblical scholars are researching to find out what really was going on historically. It doesn't detract from the savior's birth. Instead, it adds to the current Christian's understanding of what truly happened and brings the Word of God to life far more accurately - destroying the mythos that has sprung up over the centuries.
Christians should celebrate the truths coming to light because each new historical fact proves Jesus was born, is a real person, and not a myth.
Why?
Because the blogger understands the truths about how the holiday truly came to pass and the traditions it has encompassed over the years.
Myth : Christ was born on Christmas day.
Truth : The shepherds were in the fields with the sheep. This only happens during lambing season. More than likely Jesus was born sometime in the fall. Estimations by Biblical experts places the birth sometime in September. December would be much too cold for the shepherds and the sheep. Sheep are very fragile and die easily from the elements.
Speculation : Christmas was invented by a certain religious group in order to entice the pagans into the church by embracing the Solstice.
Myth: There were only three wise men and they were present at Jesus' birth.
Truth: The Bible never gives a specific number. It simply says Magi and tells about the three gifts given. The Bible specifically says Mary and Joseph were in a house - NOT the stable. It also says that Harod killed all male children under two years old and indicates that a great deal of time had passed between the birth and Magi's arrival.
Myth: A huge star was present.
Truth: There were a series of astronomical conjunctions and that caused quite a stir in Rome. The Jewish people were the only ones who had no such knowledge, they didn't pay any attention to the stars,emphasized by Harod having to call the religious leaders to find out what the Magi were talking about.
There are quite a number of other myths and truths mixed in with Jesus' birth and Biblical scholars are researching to find out what really was going on historically. It doesn't detract from the savior's birth. Instead, it adds to the current Christian's understanding of what truly happened and brings the Word of God to life far more accurately - destroying the mythos that has sprung up over the centuries.
Christians should celebrate the truths coming to light because each new historical fact proves Jesus was born, is a real person, and not a myth.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
'Why Not Question' : Movie - 'A Christmas Snow', a Christian paranormal. (Spoiler alert)
Kathleen is career driven woman who gets snowed in with the daughter of the man she's dating, Lucy, and an older man who rescued her from some hoodlums, who misses his bus to see his family, and she finally takes him home to stay with her. It is a delightful story about the heroine finding herself again through the two people she's snowed in with and forgiving herself for thinking she was responsible, as most children do, for her father leaving when she was young.
Sounds cliche' doesn't it? However, and the twists come with Lucy acting as a therapist to help Kathleen face her past, and discovering the rescued man, Sam, was actually her dead father.
Whoa! Wait a minute! Sam was dead?
Yep.
Hmmm. It is interesting to note that this film has been well received and widely watched world wide, yet no one seems to realize that 'A Christmas Snow' is actually a Christian paranormal. How? Sam was a ghost - a necessary element in the genre.
Yet, Christian publishers are shying away from the genre when it has already been shown how to successfully use a ghost in a story about forgiveness and moving on with one's life.
With the success of this film, the paranormal genre needs to be rethought, although not used as it is in the secular market. Or perhaps it should in order to open doors for witnessing to unbelievers.
Sounds cliche' doesn't it? However, and the twists come with Lucy acting as a therapist to help Kathleen face her past, and discovering the rescued man, Sam, was actually her dead father.
Whoa! Wait a minute! Sam was dead?
Yep.
Hmmm. It is interesting to note that this film has been well received and widely watched world wide, yet no one seems to realize that 'A Christmas Snow' is actually a Christian paranormal. How? Sam was a ghost - a necessary element in the genre.
Yet, Christian publishers are shying away from the genre when it has already been shown how to successfully use a ghost in a story about forgiveness and moving on with one's life.
With the success of this film, the paranormal genre needs to be rethought, although not used as it is in the secular market. Or perhaps it should in order to open doors for witnessing to unbelievers.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
'Why Not Question' : Religious Bumper Stickers
We've all seen religious bumper stickers on cars. Do they really witness to others? Or do they cause the unbeliever to roll their eyes and make some comment about holy rollers or intolerant condemning biggits who preach on thing and do another? Or can they be examples of how to act on our nations highways when road rage is the norm?
A very good question and one only the reader, if they have bumper stickers on their cars, can answer. Perhaps, it will make everyone stop to think twice about how they act behind the wheel, particularly when they're loudly proclaiming their faith.
Examples of religious bumper stickers:
1. The fish.
2. The fish swallowing the Darwin fish. 'Survival of the Forgiven'.
3. My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter.
4. KLOVE 91.1 'Positive and Encouraging'.
5. The Big Bang Theory" God spoke and 'Bang' it happened.
6. If You're Living Like There Is No God, You'd Better Be Right!
7. Are you making an appointment with St. Peter on that cell phone? (This one isn't really but is included for a giggle.)
A very good question and one only the reader, if they have bumper stickers on their cars, can answer. Perhaps, it will make everyone stop to think twice about how they act behind the wheel, particularly when they're loudly proclaiming their faith.
Examples of religious bumper stickers:
1. The fish.
2. The fish swallowing the Darwin fish. 'Survival of the Forgiven'.
3. My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter.
4. KLOVE 91.1 'Positive and Encouraging'.
5. The Big Bang Theory" God spoke and 'Bang' it happened.
6. If You're Living Like There Is No God, You'd Better Be Right!
7. Are you making an appointment with St. Peter on that cell phone? (This one isn't really but is included for a giggle.)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
'Why Not Question' : Three Days and Three Nights - Where Did They Go?
The Bible tells us Jesus was in the grave for three days and three nights. Yet most churches teach Christ was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday morning. Does anyone else see the error in this? If tradition is correct - than Christ was only in the tomb for two nights and one day. What happened to the other two full days and one night? And why do people blindly believe what is being taught rather than what God's word says?
We are instructed in Timothy to study God's word, workman who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. However, it seems today's Christians are too 'busy' to bother and only listen to what their priest, preacher, pastor, tell them. Thus, an erroneous teaching about the when Christ was crucified and rose, has stayed around for far longer than it should have.
It is far more likely Jesus died on Wednesday and rose on Saturday. The Jewish day runs from Sunset to Sunset - not Midnight to Midnight as it does today. Thus the sabbath would have started on Friday when the sun went down to Saturday at the same time. One would also speculate that Christ rose at the moment the sun set. The next morning the women went to the tomb - since it was customary to wait three days. Seems they wanted to make sure the person was actually dead. This little piece of information gives new meaning to the raising of Lazarus,the reaction of his sisters and why Jesus waited longer before going to see Mary and Martha.
Most Westerners are unfamiliar with Eastern culture and so this very important point escapes the reader. So Christ being in the grave three days and three nights emphasizes the point he was dead. It is also interesting to note NO ONE had come back from the grave - not in those days. So Jesus rising was quite spectacular.
Adding these little known details begins to bring the accuracy of the Bible to the fore front, defusing what tradition teaches and enriching God's word for the modern day believer.
We are instructed in Timothy to study God's word, workman who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. However, it seems today's Christians are too 'busy' to bother and only listen to what their priest, preacher, pastor, tell them. Thus, an erroneous teaching about the when Christ was crucified and rose, has stayed around for far longer than it should have.
It is far more likely Jesus died on Wednesday and rose on Saturday. The Jewish day runs from Sunset to Sunset - not Midnight to Midnight as it does today. Thus the sabbath would have started on Friday when the sun went down to Saturday at the same time. One would also speculate that Christ rose at the moment the sun set. The next morning the women went to the tomb - since it was customary to wait three days. Seems they wanted to make sure the person was actually dead. This little piece of information gives new meaning to the raising of Lazarus,the reaction of his sisters and why Jesus waited longer before going to see Mary and Martha.
Most Westerners are unfamiliar with Eastern culture and so this very important point escapes the reader. So Christ being in the grave three days and three nights emphasizes the point he was dead. It is also interesting to note NO ONE had come back from the grave - not in those days. So Jesus rising was quite spectacular.
Adding these little known details begins to bring the accuracy of the Bible to the fore front, defusing what tradition teaches and enriching God's word for the modern day believer.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
'Why Not Question' : Religion and Star Trek
'Bread and Circuses', an episode from Classic Star Trek, dropped the heroes Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy, into a Roman based world. The only thing striking them odd about the whole thing was a spreading belief about sun worship. It did not jive with what they knew about Rome back on Earth.
At the end, when they were finally safe back on the bridge of the Enterprise, it was Uhura who informed them it wasn't about worshiping the sun, rather, the son of God. It clicked in Kirk's mind that Rome also had Christ and wow, the word was just getting around.
Unfortunately, in Star Trek Next Generation, any type of belief in God had been done away with and the galaxy, a hundred years later, was filled with atheists. Although the crew did, from time to time, run into beings with religious beliefs, any type of belief in God was completely ignored.
Which begs the question, what happened in those hundred years to destroy God in the eyes of humanity? A question not answered by the writers and giving the new show a different flavor from the original.
At the end, when they were finally safe back on the bridge of the Enterprise, it was Uhura who informed them it wasn't about worshiping the sun, rather, the son of God. It clicked in Kirk's mind that Rome also had Christ and wow, the word was just getting around.
Unfortunately, in Star Trek Next Generation, any type of belief in God had been done away with and the galaxy, a hundred years later, was filled with atheists. Although the crew did, from time to time, run into beings with religious beliefs, any type of belief in God was completely ignored.
Which begs the question, what happened in those hundred years to destroy God in the eyes of humanity? A question not answered by the writers and giving the new show a different flavor from the original.
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