Final week of Veil of Pearls Pre-Release Party!!

The winners of last week's drawing are: Caroline and Jackie Smith!!!!

Congratulations, Ladies!!!!  Thank you all for entering. I just LOVED reading everyone's responses. I guess this last question was a little bit harder than I thought because only 9 out of 41 got it right. (Yikes, sorry about that!)   Here's the last part of the excerpt:

When she didn’t respond, the devilish twinkle in his eyes dissolved beneath a hollow melancholy. She shrugged off the sympathy it invoked. No doubt it was but another of his tricks to enslave an innocent woman’s heart.

It wouldn’t work with her. She thrust out her chin. “I haven’t seen you at church before.”

“I don’t normally attend St. Michael’s, though now that I know where to find you, I’m sensing a call to deeper spirituality.”

She narrowed her eyes. “The only thing you are sensing is your own carnal nature.”

“Ouch. Milady wounds me deeply.” He pressed a hand over his heart.

“Is everything a joke to you?”

“No.” He sobered. “I find no humor in receiving no response to my many calls upon your home.”

“No doubt you expect me to dash to your side every time you drop off your calling card?”

His green eyes flashed. A breeze loosened a strand of hair from his queue and dangled it over his impervious jaw

A. “Yes, now that you mention it, I do,” he said with a grin.


Morgan is a brat and hasn't quite been humbled enough yet. (wink)  

Anyway, that was fun! Thank you for entering. I have TWO more books to giveaway!!  But, first I want to mention a couple of fun things I've put together for you to peruse while you're reading the book, or to whet your appetite further into reading the book!

One is I've created a Pinterest board for Veil of Pearls with pictures of Charleston and how I see the characters, etc..   Here's the Link if you're interested:  Veil of Pearls Pinterest Board

If Pinterest isn't your thing, I also have a blog page dedicated solely to Veil of Pearls. It contains much of the stuff I've posted about this month, but there are also some reviews and some pictures of secondary characters. You can find the link at the top of my blog above. 

Now for the Video Trailer. If you follow my blog, many of you have already seen this, but I can't help showing it again. It is one of the best trailers I've seen for a book.   Enjoy it, leave a comment with your email address and I'll pick 2 winners next week!





And lastly for some news! I am leaving for Jamaica tomorrow!!!  It's hubby and I's 20th Anniversary and we are going completely off the grid and hiding away in a plush Caribbean resort.  Consequently, I won't be around all next week. But I have my regular posts all set to post in my absence so there'll be plenty to look at while I'm gone.  And I'll be sure and get some great pictures. One of the nights, we are going on a pirate cruise!!

Have a great weekend, everyone! God Bless.

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Port Royal Earthquake - judgement or random disaster?

http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Port_Royal

You may remember Port Royal as a city in Jamaica that is mentioned in several of my books. In fact, I believe I have many scenes set in that city.  You also may remember it from the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean!  But did you know that Port Royal suffered a devastating earthquake in 1692?  An earthquake from which it never recovered?  Most of us don't think of the Caribbean as a hotspot for earthquakes.

Founded in 1518, Port Royal was located on the southeastern coast of Jamaica. The Spaniards first came upon the beautiful bay in search of gold and silver, but upon finding none, enslaved the local Indians, the Arawaks, into farming sugar cane. They maintained control of the area until the English invaded in 1655, staking British claim to the island. By 1659, they had turned the city into a strategic military and naval base with over two hundred houses, shops, and warehouses surrounding the fort. It soon became the most important commercial center in the English colonies.

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However it's safe harbor and easy access to Spanish shipping lanes, also drew pirates and the city soon became a haven for such nefarious figures as Henry Morgan and three-fingered Jack Rackham. The Governor, however, welcomed these "Brethren of the Coast" because they helped defend the city against the Spanish who were always trying to recapture it. Hence, by the 1660s, the city had gained a reputation as the Sodom of the New World and was deemed by some as the "wickedest city in the word". Most of the residents were pirates, cutthroats, and prostitutes. Charles Leslie, in his history of Jamaica described the pirates of Port Royal:

Wine and women drained their wealth to such a degree that... some of them became reduced to beggary. They have been known to spend 2 or 3,000 pieces of eight in one night; and one gave a strumpet 500 to see her naked. They used to buy a pipe of wine, place it in the street, and oblige everyone that passed to drink.

At it's peak, Port Royal had one drinking house for every 10 residents. By 1692, there were 6500 residents of every profession, all of whom lived in multi-story homes crammed into 51 acres of land all built entirely on sand. 

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On June 7th, 1692, somewhere around 11:00 AM, an earthquake struck Jamaica, causing the sand on which Port Royal was built to liquify and flow out into Kingston Harbor. Eye witnesses said they saw buildings slide into the water and others sink straight down.  Resultant aftershocks as well as a massive tsunami completely wiped out the town, killing an estimated 3000 people. The diseases that ran rampant afterward claimed another 2000 lives.

Dr. Emmanuel Heath, the Anglican rector in Port Royal, who was a survivor of the earthquake, believed this was a judgement from God and hoped it would stand as a warning that God would make these people of ill repute reform their lives. The Boston-based Puritan minister, Cotton Mather, believed God intended it as a warning to Christians everywhere.  "There never happens an earthquake, than that God speaks to men on earth."

Although attempts were made to rebuild the city, a fire and several hurricanes and flooding kept it from resurrecting as a prominent city ever again.

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Wordless Wednesday

Tall Ship Windy Sails sails past the Chicago Harbour Lighthouse!

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Is the office of Protestant Pastor Biblical? Part 1

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-12

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The above verse is the only time the word Pastor appears in the Bible.  The Greek translation of this word means shepherd. Like the other functions listed, apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers, a pastor is not an office or a title but rather it describes a particular function within the church. That of a shepherd. And what do shepherds do? They nurture and care for God's sheep.

If we study the early church in the New Testament, we can find no one person who was in charge of each church, who gave a weekly sermon, who counseled people, who married people, officiated at funerals, managed the money, etc. Rather everyone in the church had a part, a function to perform. There were leaders or elders, of course, but there was no hierarchy among them, no pyramidal structure.  So where did the idea of a pastor come from?

It all began once again when the church moved from homes into formal buildings. Now, we needed someone in charge to take care of the building or "church". Ignatius of Antioch in 107 AD was the first man to institute the office of bishop. His views on the bishop were astounding for being so close to Jesus's life. Ignatius said ". . .we ought to regard the bishop as the Lord himself"  Consequently, the bishop took over every ceremony and every aspect of the church.

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It was all downhill from there. Clement of Rome (100AD) was the first Christian writer to make a distinction in status between Christian leaders and nonleaders, introducing such terms as "laity" and "clergy", which is a clear break from New Testament mind-set that all believers were equal. Soon the idea of a special priest was instituted (Council of Nicaea 325) and bishops themselves were believed to have the power to forgive sins!  Hence the idea that there must be a person who mediates between God and man. Gradually priests began to gain control over bishops and take over churches and the Catholic church was born.


By the 4th century, human hierarchy and the "official" ministry institutionalized the church of Jesus Christ, destroying the once living, breathing, Spirit-led, organic, functional meetings of all believers. By the 5th century the concept of the priesthood of all believes had completely disappeared. Now we had a special class of people, specially trained and "ordained" to be above the rest of the people. These leaders were powerful, charismatic, chosen, and looked up to as a spiritually elite group of Holy men. Thus the clergy/laity gap had widened to the point of no return. Clergymen were trained leaders of the church, the guardians of orthodoxy, the rulers and teachers of the people. They possessed gifts and graces not available to lesser mortals.

Okay, so that's the Catholics, right? What about Protestants?  Tune in next week to find out how priests became pastors! 

(Taken from Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna)

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Be careful what you pray for!

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2 Kings 20 tells a story about one of the kings who ruled the Southern province of Judah, part of the Kingdom of Israel.  His name was Hezekiah. And for all accounts, he was a pretty good king. Chapter 18 says that He was 25 when he began his 29 year reign in Jerusalem and he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his forefather had done. . .he trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him in all the kings of Judah.  Sound pretty good, doesn't he?  This man today would be considered a deeply committed Christian.

But like all of us, Hezekiah had a couple of  flaws.  One was selfishness and other pride.

After seeing God deliver him and all of Judah from the army of the Assyrians, Hezekiah became deathly sick, and God told him that it was his time to die. Personally I think it was kind of the Lord to tell Hezekiah His plan. I mean, how many of us would simply love to have God's plan for us laid out plainly.

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But Hezekiah was not too happy. Perhaps he truly didn't have a good picture of where he was going. Maybe he was afraid.  I think he was just proud and selfish. He had reached the pinnacle of his career. He was a good successful king and the people adored him. He's probably thinking. "What do I have to go now? I've got lots of good living still to do!"  So, he beseeched the Lord. He wailed and cried and begged and put up such a stink that God changed His mind.

Does that surprise you?  We are told God never changes. Yet, it's God character that never changes. Many times throughout the Bible, we see Him change His mind about certain situations in response to human prayer.  I don't know about you but that both humbles me and really frightens me to know my prayers have the power to change God's mind!

So, God gave Hezekiah 15 more years to live. He even gave him a sign by moving time on a sundial.  But, my question to you is, were these extra 15 years actually a blessing for Hezekiah? Perhaps God knew Hezekiah would do something in those years that would cause much destruction and ruin. Perhaps God was doing Hezekiah and all of Judah a favor by taking Hezekiah home early.

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Not long after Hezekiah's reprieve he received visitors (aka Spies) from Babylon and in Hezekiah's pride, he showed them everything in the kingdom, all the treasures and money and vast wealth, not holding anything back. (I believe this is one of the things God was hoping to prevent)

The consequence?

• Everything in Hezekiah's house and everything in Jerusalem was carried away to Babylon
• Hezekiah's sons were made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the Babylonian king
• Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, became king after Hezekiah and he was one of the wickedest kings in all of Judah ever! (He would not have been born if Hezekiah had died when God wanted him to ) 

Here's some of the things Manasseh did

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• He rebuilt the high places of idol worship
• He made altars for Baal and Asherah 
• He built heathen altars in God's temple
• He made his son pass through the fire as an offering to Molech
• Practiced soothsaying and augury and dealt with mediums and wizards
• Made a graven image of the goddess Asherah and set it ino the house of God 
• Because of all his wickedness God decided to wipe out Jerusalem and Judah and deliver them into the hands of their enemies.

The consequence of Hezekiah's selfish prayer were far reaching, to his children and long into succeeding generations.  My point?  Because God knows past, present, and future and because He is all wise and all knowing, His will is always the best thing.  In our limited and self-centered knowledge, we might think we know.. but we don't.   Prayer is POWERFUL.  I'm not saying don't pray for something. If you or a loved one become sick or lose your job or whatever, the tragedy, God wants us to pray to Him. We need to pray to Him for help. He is quick to answer and help us!  Yet, we must also be cautious in our words and temper our prayers as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane before he went to the cross.  "Not my will, but thine be done."

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Veil of Pearls Release Party - Week 4

 Welcome to the fourth week of  the Veil of Pearls pre-release party!!! 

  Last week's winners are Vanessa Johnson and J:-)mi (CTF Devourer). Congratulations, ladies!!  And thanks to all who entered. You have two more weeks to win and I have four more books to give away, so don't give up yet! 

Last week I posted an excerpt from the book, and based on what you learned about the heroine, Adalia, you had to guess what she would say next.

“I daresay, Miss.”  The light-haired man called after her. “How can you say such a thing? You hardly know me.”

“I know your type.” She shot over her shoulder and took a cautious step onto the bridge, which didn’t appear very sturdy now that she was up close. The wood creaked beneath her shoe.

“And what type is that?” His voice grew closer behind her. 

C. Adalia faced him. “The type who plays idly while men and women are enslaved to do your work.”

 Over half of you guessed the right answer!!! But if you didn't, don't be too down, it was a very hard choice. This week, I'm posting another excerpt and based on what you know about the hero, Morgan, you must choose what he would say next.  (Your answer does not affect your eligibility to win.)

In this scene, Adalia has just left church and is waiting for her employer to escort her home. She sees Morgan and is trying to avoid him. 

She didn’t see him coming until the tips of his boots slid up to the toes of her shoes. She knew it was him before she lifted her gaze. She knew because her skin tingled and her heart vaulted.

When she did meet his eyes, he gave her that boyish grin that did not aid her attempt to squelch his effect on her. Dressed in tight pantaloons of broadcloth, a fine cashmere waistcoat trimmed in gold, high boots and a black overcoat, he presented quite the gallant.

“Why were you staring at me, Sir?”

He leaned toward her ear, his warm breath wafting over her cheek. “Because you are beautiful, Miss.” He smelled of exotic spices.

Her stomach fluttered. She stepped back, trying to regain her senses. “There are plenty of other comely ladies present.” She pointed toward one particularly stunning blonde who glared at them from afar—Miss Emerald Middleton, if she remembered her name. “Please do me the favor of casting your vain flatteries elsewhere.”

“I meant no offense.” The humor left his voice, and the odd longing she’d seen before filled his eyes. Over his shoulder she saw the elderly couple and the little girl who’d sat with him in church climbing into a fancy carriage.

“Your parents are leaving.”

 “I’m staying in town.” He lifted one brow as if that should mean something to her.

When she didn’t respond, the devilish twinkle in his eyes dissolved beneath a hollow melancholy. She shrugged off the sympathy it invoked. No doubt it was but another of his tricks to enslave an innocent woman’s heart.

It wouldn’t work with her. She thrust out her chin. “I haven’t seen you at church before.”

“I don’t normally attend St. Michael’s, though now that I know where to find you, I’m sensing a call to deeper spirituality.”

She narrowed her eyes. “The only thing you are sensing is your own carnal nature.”

“Ouch. Milady wounds me deeply.” He pressed a hand over his heart.

“Is everything a joke to you?”

“No.” He sobered. “I find no humor in receiving no response to my many calls upon your home.”

“No doubt you expect me to dash to your side every time you drop off your calling card?”

His green eyes flashed. A breeze loosened a strand of hair from his queue and dangled it over his impervious jaw.

A. “Yes, now that you mention it, I do,” he said with a grin.
B.  "No. A simple response would suffice."
C.  "Hardly." He tugged on his cravat. "Not unless you find me completely irresistible."
D.  The twinkle left his eyes. "Every time you do not, I fear a piece of my heart chips away."


So what does Morgan say next??  Make your best guess, leave a comment with your email and I'll announce the two winners next Friday!  Good luck to everyone!
Have a great weekend!!

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British insult to the USS Chesapeake and the death of a great Commodore in a duel!

As many of you know from my War of 1812 Series, Surrender to Destiny, the British had began hassling US Navy and Merchant ships long before hostilities. In fact one of the main reasons for the war was their impressment or stealing of our men and forcing them into the Royal Navy. 

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So gross became the affronts that these seizures occurred not only on the ocean, but in our immediate harbors. The worst of these outrages was the "affair of the Chesapeake," which occurred June 23, 1807, at a time of profound peace. The Chesapeake, a United States frigate, built and launched at De Rochebrun's shipyard, Fell's Point, Baltimore, in 1800, had just left Hampton Roads under Commodore James Barron of Virginia on route to the Mediterranean to deal with some rather nasty pirates. Unfortunately, the British were watching. In fact, nearly an entire crew had deserted from one of their Royal navy ships, the Halifax, and come ashore in Norfolk, so they were mad on the hunt of these rebellious sailors. 

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 No sooner had the Chesapeake gotten out to sea, when, before she could be put in fighting trim, and, as Barron afterward confessed, while she was entirely "unprepared and unsuspicious," an officer of the HMS Leopard insisted on boarding her to "deliver despatches," but in reality to search for deserters. When Barron refused to let his crew be mustered for inspection, Captain Humphreys of the Leopard poured a broadside into the Chesapeake, which was followed within fifteen minutes by three additional broadsides. Three American seamen were killed, and eighteen wounded, including Commodore Barron.

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As the Chesapeakewas unable to return a shot, Barron ordered his flag hauled down. The captain of the Leopard refused to receive the Chesapeake as a prize, replying that, as he had taken off four deserters, he had fulfilled the admiral's orders. Three of these men, who were sentenced to a severe lashing, were afterwards found to be Americans, and were ultimately restored to the Chesapeake in Boston harbor in 1812, in time to avenge the gross abuse in the war against Great Britain.

Deprived of his flag, disgraced and humiliated, Commodore Barron returned to Hampton Roads, with his crew, cut to the quick by this insult to their honor. The affair was never forgiven nor forgotten by the American people. The excitement was intense and the country felt the premonition of war. In Baltimore, where the Chesapeakehad been so proudly launched a few years before, a town-meeting was held and a vigorous appeal sent to the President to end this disgraceful state of affairs. Jefferson, who was opposed to another struggle, ordered all British vessels to leave our waters, and for a time the excitement was allayed. 

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Commodore Barron, who was suspended for five years for "lack of preparation, and for surrender without having fired a shot," felt himself a victim of circumstances. However, the saddest sequel to the unfortunate affair came later when he challenged Commodore Decatur, his successor in command of the Chesapeake, and his harshest critic in the court-martial, to a duel at Bladensburg. Unfortunately, Barron shot and killed Decatur, thus depriving American of one of its bravest naval heroes.

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Wordless Wednesday!

Fireworks at Cape Charles!

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Is the Sunday Sermon Biblical?

http://www.youthblog.org/2005/04/

I challenge you to search through both the Old and New Testaments and see if you can find any precedent for the Sunday morning sermon.

The preaching in the Old Testament was normally done by prophets and priests. However, these speeches were not regular. They were done only on certain occasions and often only when God had something to say to His people.  These "speeches" also allowed active participation and interruptions by the audience, including the preaching that was later done in the Jewish synagogues.

The preaching in the New Testament by Jesus and the apostles followed the same pattern. It was sporadic, took many forms, was delivered on special occasions to address certain problems, and also involved audience participation.  The every-member-functioning church we see in 1 Corinthians 14 was marked by interruptions as well. Never do you find a single person developing a weekly sermon that was given to a quiet, captive audience.

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So where did the traditional sermon come from?  To find the answer we must go back to the fifth century Greeks. The sophists were a group of wandering teachers who were expert debaters at using emotional appeals and clever language to persuade people of their position.  As these sophists grew in popularity, they also grew in style, wearing special clothing and receiving lots of money for their work. They were the most distinguished men of their time, some even having statues erected in their honor.

Around the third century, as we already discussed, the Christian church began to be move from the home into buildings,  the service became institutionalized, and a hierarchical structure began to take root.   At that time, many pagan orators and philosophers were becoming Christian and thus naturally began to take on roles of early theologians and leaders of the Christian church. They began to use their Greek-Roman oratory skills for Christian purposes, and the sermon was born, a masterpiece of polished rhetoric, flowery eloquence, and strictly a monologue, devoid of listener participation.  The sermon became the privilege of church officials trained in schools to learn how to deliver it best.

Throughout the centuries Christian leaders have further raised the importance of the sermon to where it has become the center of the service today and the reason most people attend church.  The famous theologian, John Calvin, argued that the preacher was the "mouth of God".

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So what? I like the sermon. I truly do. I look forward to it each Sunday. Through the years, I've heard some pretty good sermons! In fact, my husband and I have switched churches because a pastor who gave great sermons left.  The sermon is indeed the center of the service and why we attend.  But then I got to thinking. does the sermon really change me? Do sermons really cause Christians to grow in their faith?  If they do, then why do we have so many floundering Christians these days? Why are there so many who struggle with the same problems over and over?  I'm not saying the sermon never helps anyone. Just hearing the Word of God can definitely encourage, comfort, and spur someone to move in a better direction. But how much does it really help?

• The sermon makes the preacher the main performer of the church, making the church a preaching station and relegates the congregation into a group of muted spectators.
• The sermon stalemates spiritual growth by encouraging passivity
• The sermon creates an unhealthy and unscriptural dependence on the pastor for one's Biblical knowledge
• The sermon makes church distant and impersonal
• The sermon does not equip the saints for their own ministry. This can only be done by experience and apprenticeship.
• Some sermons can be very impractical, being more inspirational, feel-good, and lacking practical application.

Let's face it, very few Christians are transformed by weekly sermons. They may be inspired, they may even apply some of the things they learn, but it is only through personal, meaningful encounters with Jesus can anyone truly be changed. And those encounters rarely come during a sermon. They come in our private times with the Lord and also in personal and deep fellowship with other Christians.


(Taken from Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna)

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Want to be picked for an adventurous task?

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also utensils of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble use and some for menial and ignoble use. 2 Tim 2:20 Amplified

http://goremasternews.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/

Any good captain aboard a ship knew most of his crew pretty well. He knew the men who worked hard, who studied and learned well, who didn't shirk their duties. He knew the men who didn't overindulge in drink, who didn't quarrel with others, who didn't gamble away their earnings. He knew the ones who were honest and had integrity. He knew the men he could count on.  So, when he needed to assign someone to a certain task or duty, he knew who he would pick. Especially for the really important tasks (and exciting ones) such plotting the best course to their destination, being in charge of a boarding party or gun crew, evading the enemy in a chase at sea, or going ashore and scouting out enemy territory! 


The other men on board, the ones who didn't measure up, well they never got chosen. The captain still valued them and took care of them, but they didn't get to go on any exciting adventures.


God is much like this good captain. When something happens on earth and He needs to send one of his crew to take care of things, I picture Him scanning the earth, seeking someone fit for the task. The job could be healing someone, delivering food to the poor, taking a stand against the enemy, giving a word of encouragement to someone in need, rescuing someone from Satan's grip..etc.. any number of things.  

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.  2 Chronicles 16:9 Amplified



Trouble is, I wonder how often God's glance passes over me and moves to someone else more fit for the task? How many times has God longed to send me on a grand adventure, but He knew I wasn't ready, wasn't fit? He knew I couldn't handle it.  That really makes me sad. For me and for Him!  

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In the Scripture above, Paul says that we are either vessels of gold and silver or utensils of wood and earth. The gold and silver vessels are used for honorable work and the others, menial tasks.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be used for menial tasks! Sounds dreadfully boring.

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So how do we become vessels of gold and silver??  Much like on board a ship, you have to obey the rules, study, work hard, be a person of honor and integrity.  Paul expounds on the qualities necessary in the same chapter of 2 Timothy. 

Take  your share of the hardships and suffering which you are called to endure as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of civilian life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him.  2 Timothy 2: 3-4 Amplified

So,

• Endure hardships and suffering like a good soldier
• Don't get entangled in things of this world
• Make it your aim to satisfy and please God

Further down in the chapter in verses 22-24, there are other instructions for becoming an honorable vessel. I summarize them here

• Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness 
• Pursue faith, love, and harmony with others
• Shut your mind against ill-informed, unedifying, and stupid controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels.
• Do not be quarrelsome. 
• Be kind to everyone 
• Be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong.

 So whoever cleanses himself from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences will then himself be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.  2 Tim 2:21 Amplified

Life been a little boring lately?  Don't feel connected to God? Don't feel useful?   Perhaps you need to ask God to help you do the things above so that together you can transform that clay into gold and silver. Then He just might choose you for His next great assignment! 

I don't know about you, but I don't want to sit on the shelf. I want the abundant life He died and rose again to give me. How about you?

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Veil of Pearls Per-release Party Week 3!

First things first, last week's winners are: Ashley Roberts and Kath!!  (Ladies please contact me ASAP. You didn't leave your emails and if I don't hear from you in a week, I'll have to choose someone else! Eeeek!!!)

Congratulations, Ladies!!!  And thanks again for all you who entered!!  I read and thoroughly enjoyed all your comments! But don't dismay! You have yet another chance to win!! 

Now that you've had a good look at each character, let's see how much you really know them!

 So without further ado, it's the ever popular, "Guess what the character will say next" contest!!

To set the scene this is Adalia's first encounter with Morgan. He and his brother have been playing at swords when she accidentally walks by. 

Adalia fumed. She should ignore the pompous scamp and head back to the carriage. But the man stood between her and the bridge.  A rather handsome man if she were forced to admit. Hair the color of wheat and as wavy as the sea under a high wind. Eyes as green as the moss hanging from the trees, glinted mischievously in the sunlight. His taut chest peeked at her beneath his loose shirt flapping in the breeze. Tight black pantaloons led down to bare feet. Her body heated at his lack of attire. Did he have no shame?

 He gave her an audacious grin which only infuriated her further. She had been silent too long in front of men like these, and now she had a chance to tell them what she thought without repercussions. For they held no power over her. She must remember that. No one owned her anymore. 

Morgan waved at the other impudent devil. “We shall perform for you, Miss and you may judge the victor.”

“I need no performance to make my judgment, sir,” Adalia replied.

“Indeed? Then, no doubt, you have been admiring our skill from afar?” The light-haired brat waved his arm with flourish. “I implore you, do dispense with formalities and deem me the victor.” He chuckled.

“I will deem you, sir. But as nothing but a swaggering, vainglorious despot.”

A gasp escaped the dark-haired whelp’s lips before a chuckle followed. At first a choppy sort of “I can’t believe she said that, chuckle” but finally ending with a full-fledged belly laugh. The light-haired man (Morgan) gaped at her as if she’d grown a mustache. He planted his sword in the dirt and leaned on the hilt.

“I do believe the lady is acquainted with you.” The dark-haired man stopped laughing long enough to say.

But she wanted no more to do with either of them. “Good day to you, sirs.” Gathering her skirts, she headed toward the narrow bridge.

“I daresay, Miss.”  The light-haired man called after her. “How can you say such a thing? You hardly know me.”

“I know your type.” She shot over her shoulder and took a cautious step onto the bridge, which didn’t appear very sturdy now that she was up close. The wood creaked beneath her shoe.

“And what type is that?” His voice grew closer behind her. 

Now it's your turn to choose what Adalia's answer will be!!  Put your answer in your comment, along with your email and you'll be entered to win one of two books.  

A. She swung around, eyes blazing. "The type who thinks every woman will swoon at your feet!"

B. "The type who has neither the mind nor heart to even know what type he is."

C. Adalia faced him. “The type who plays idly while men and women are enslaved to do your work.”

D. She felt a blush rising. "The type who forgets how to dress in the presence of a lady."

I know I've made it hard this time.. but think hard about what her values are. Next week, I'll choose two more winners (not based on your answer, by the way)  And I'll show another excerpt and have you guess what Morgan would say.  (Please don't forget your email!!)

Have a great weekend!

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The first war on Terrorism, 1801?

Some years ago, while doing research on pirates, I came across some interesting information about a group of Islamic pirates who sailed from the North African Berber states of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, and Tripoli (the Barbary Coast).  These pirates were the scourge of the Mediterranean for years, capturing merchant ships and enslaving or ransoming their crews for wealth that made the Muslim rulers of these nations rich and powerful.

Though the Mediterranean was across the sea, America was not immune to these attacks. The Barbary pirates captured and held the crews of several of our merchant ships. Before the United States won it's independence from Britain, the Royal Navy protected our ships, as well as France under the Treaty of Alliance.  But after we became a nation, all bets were off!  On October 11, 1784, Moroccan pirates seized the American brigantine, Betsey, and Thomas Jefferson, the then US minister to France, sent  envoys to Morocco and Algeria to try to purchase treaties and the freedoms of the captured sailors held by Algeria. He was successful in part for Morocco  did sign a treaty with the U.S. on June 23, 1786 that formally ended all Moroccan piracy against American shipping interests. 

http://alturl.com/2kik4

But Algeria was another matter.  On July 25, 1785 they captured the schooner Maria and the Dauphin a week later. All four Barbary Coast states demanded a sum of $660,000 as ransom for the captured sailors.   Diplomatic talks ensued but no agreement was reached, leaving the crews of the Maria and Dauphin in captivity for over a decade, as well as other soon-to-be captured ships and their crews. In 1795, Algeria came to an agreement with the U.S. that resulted in the release of 115 sailors they held, at the cost of over $1 million. This was nearly ¹⁄₆ of the entire U.S. budget, and  was demanded as tribute by the Barbary States to prevent further piracy.


In March 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja. Upon inquiring "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied:
 
It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy's ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once.

http://alturl.com/rfjb8

After returning to Washington, Jefferson argued that paying tribute would encourage more attacks. Although John Adams agreed with Jefferson, he believed that circumstances forced the U.S. to pay tribute until an adequate navy could be built. The U.S. paid Algiers the ransom, and continued to pay up to $1 million per year over the next 15 years for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. Payments in ransom and tribute to the privateering states amounted to 20% of the U.S. government's annual revenues in 1800!!  Can you believe we ever negotiated with terrorists? 

Jefferson continued to argue for cessation of the tribute, with rising support from George Washington and others. With the recommissioning of the American navy in 1794 and the resulting increased firepower on the seas, it became increasingly possible for America to refuse paying tribute, although by now the long-standing habit was hard to overturn.


On Jefferson's inauguration as president in 1801, Yusuf Karamanli, the Pasha (or Bashaw) of Tripoli, demanded $225,000 from the new administration.  In response, "Jefferson sent a small force to the area to protect American ships and citizens against potential aggression.

http://nelliebly.edu.glogster.com/barbary-pirates/

And thus we entered the first Barbary War. On June 10th 1805, a peace treaty was signed which halted hostilities and returned American prisoners for a price.  But by 1807, Algiers had gone back to taking American ships and seamen hostage. The War of 1812 kept America too busy to respond until 1815 when we sent two naval squadrons to deal with the problem.  The United States Defeated the Algerian pirates once again and on July 3, 1815, aboard the Guerriere in the Bay of Algiers, a treaty was signed that guaranteed no further tributes and granted the United States full shipping rights!! 
Fascinating!

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Wordless Wednesday!

http://caseamajor.wordpress.com/category/sweet-saturday-samples/

Struck by the wrath of God!

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Are we doing church right? Part 4

 So far, we've been asking where our current Christian church traditions have come from.  And are they Biblical? We discussed where we got our Church Building and how influential Emperor Constantine was on some of our early traditions.  Today, I want to briefly list some of the people and groups throughout the centuries who had added to our current way of doing things. 

Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss Reformer - Replaced  the alter table with the "Communion" table from which the bread and the wine were administered and carried to the people in little cups on a wooden tray.

John Calvin (1509-1564) - stressed the importance of the sermon during the service, going so far as to say that each believer had access to God through the preached Word. Calvin believed most of the worship service should be led by the pastor from the pulpit, making the pastor the MC and CEO of the service.

(This is in direct opposition to what the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, that Jesus is the head of the church and that He speaks through His entire body, not just one member)

Martin Bucer (1491-1551) instituted the idea that one should be quiet and somber when entering the church building. This practice grew so out of hand that in Puritan New England, people were fined for smiling in church!

Puritans - gave us the long pastoral prayer at the beginning of the sermon, a prayer that could last up to an hour!  The sermon became even more important to the Puritans since they believed it was equivalent to God speaking directly to them. Hence, they would punish church members for missing the service by fining them or putting them in stocks!  Like the Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists before them, the Puritan order of worship was highly predictable, written out in detail and followed to the letter

Methodists - brought loud singing to the service, but kept the Looooong pastoral prayer.  Gave birth to the "altar call"

George Whitfield (1714-1770) - invented the open-air revival meeting and made the sole purpose of preaching to win lost souls.  Instituted the use of emotional music to invoke a response from the people.

(While winning souls is a worthy goal, it was not God's sole purpose for his church, which was to have a relationship with His children and thus, make His presence more visible on earth) .

Charles Finney (1792-1875) believed that the sole purpose of a church service was to win converts by any means possible. He turned revivalism into a science and brought it into the church.  Many modern churches operate on this premise today. (Turning salvation into a procedure and process is unscriptural and takes the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit out of the picture)

D.L. Moody (1837-1899) - introduced the music that played during altar call. Gave us door-to-door witnessing, evangelistic advertising, decision cards, the sinner's prayer. The church was seen as a gathering of individuals and not the corporate body of Christ

Aside from the above additions to the order of church, the worship service has changed little in the past 500 years. Basically the modern church service is officiated and directed by a pastor, the sermon is central and the people are passive. In essence, God's people have never broken free from the liturgical restraints they inherited from the Roman Catholics.

So what, you may say, I like the way church is run. I'm used to it. Comfortable. But  let's look at some of the negatives associated with our modern church service.

• The current order of worship forbids participation and thus the growth of the Christian community. By silencing the body of Christ, it halts all use of individual gifts to encourage and build up the members. No one is allowed to give a word of exhortation, introduce a Spirit-led song, give a prophesy, word of Knowledge or word of wisdom, etc.
• The current order of worship strangles the headship of Jesus. Since the pastor leads the service, the church is limited to his knowledge and gifts. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit is not permitted to operate through any one else.
• The current order of worship makes for a boring service, lacking the power of God and the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit.
• The current way of doing church actually hinders spiritual transformation. Christians grow by functioning, not passively watching 

So, what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts

(Taken from Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna)

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