Harry Houdini Dies

Harry Houdini, the great escape artist, died on October 31, 1926 of gangrene from a ruptured appendix. He had performed earlier, although his temperature had reached 104 degrees. He passed out onstage but was revived and finished the show before being rushed to the hospital. He fought for his life for days but is reported to have finally said he was tired of fighting. He's still named as one of the best-known magicians and escape artists in history.

Houdini with mother and wife

Houdini was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, in 1874 to Jewish parents and named Erik Weisz, later changed to Ehrich Weiss. The family came to America in 1878 and settled in Wisconsin and then moved to New York City. Houdini worked as a trapeze artist as a child and became a champion cross-country runner. As a teenager, he was taught by a magician at an athletic club. He began performing with his brother, Dash, on Coney Island where he met performer Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner, whom Dash had courted. However, Harry ended up marrying her in 1894, and she became his assistant onstage. 

Houdini's list of accomplishments are quite long. He escaped from handcuffs, chains, ropes, and straight jackets, often while being stuffed into water-filled milk cans or tanks or dangling upside down. Jails could not hold him. He became most famous for his Chinese Water Torture Act. Here he was suspended upside-down in a locked glass and steel container filled with water. He had to hold his breath for over three minutes while maneuvering to escape the stocks which held him firmly. He also served as President of the Society of American |Magicians from 1917 until his death.

In addition, he became the star in several movies. However, he eventually quit, saying his earnings didn't make it worth it. He became a pilot, as well, and loved flying. In the 1920's, he used his experience as a magician to expose those who claimed to raise dead spirits as frauds. He figured out exactly how they managed to trick their audience. In fact, some of his family believed he had really been murdered by some of these spiritualists.

His death brought out more than two- thousand mourners to his funeral. He was buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Queens. Although relatively young, he'd packed a lot of living in his 52 years.

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Fear  

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"
(Proverbs 1:7a).

Of course the type of  fear referred to in this verse isn't the anxious, trembling kind. It's a proper respect and reverence for God, knowing that He loves us. However, the Bible also speaks to the other kind of of fear that makes us afraid. In fact, it tells us to not to fear 365 times - one for each day of the year.

Behold God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid (Isaiah 12:2).

There are many causes for fear, but failure to depend on God can be a major factor. Faith is not just the medicine we need to help cure our fear; it prevents us from becoming infected in the first place. Focus on God, and all your worries and problems that cause fear shrink. Help others, and you'll not only realize there's others with worse problems than yours, but you'll also get your eyes off yourself and your troubles.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7).

Reading God's Word helps grow our faith. Praying and surrendering to His Lordship works wonders too. Tell God about your fears and ask Him to help you with any unbelief. Wiersbe says, "The Holy Spirit is God's psychologist, so turn yourself over to Him" (kindle location 1167). The Holy Spirit reveals who God is and makes Him real to us, as He calms our fears.

(Parts taken from The Bumps Are What You Climb On by Warren Wiersbe.)

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The Trilogy

As a history major, I love to read and to write historical novels. Therefore, it was odd that the first manuscript I wrote was a contemporary novel about Isaac, a young teen who gets into trouble and is sent by the courts to live with a older couple on a farm for six months. I always say the the story found me, because it's not a story I would have chosen. I've gone back through Promise many times to edit and revise. So, when I recently pulled it out to get it ready to publish, it didn't need anything more than to be polished a bit.

This week, I pulled out the second book in the Farmers trilogy to reread it. I hadn't realized it, but I haven't done anything to it in at least four years, and I was amazed at the mistakes I found. The good side is that I've been able to see how much progress I've made as a writer. I had no idea. I found a few instances of unmarked point of view changes, using "said" too often instead of using beats, not varying the sentence structure enough, using past perfect tense too often, using "was" too often, and telling when I should be showing. Needless to say, I've been working hard on revisions, but Peace is already looking much better. It continues with Isaac's story but is also about his sister, Jasmine, who begins college.

I know the last book in the trilogy, Pardon, will also need lots of rewrites. I haven't been back through it any more times than I have Peace. This is the story of Isaac's younger brother, Kevin, who runs away to live on the streets for a while. As with all my books, these all have a definite ending. I don't like cliffhangers at the end of a book. Also like my others, the profits will go a scholarship for missionary children. I hope to have Promise out in January, Peace in March, and Pardon in May; and I'll be putting out more information about them.

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Transcontinental Telegraph

The first transcontinental telegraph line across the United States was completed on October 24, 1861. The line actually connected a network of lines already in the eastern part of the country to a smaller network in California. This additional link ran between Omaha, Nebraska; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Carson City, Nevada.

President Harrison

This was noted as a "milestone in electrical engineering" at the time, serving as the only way to get quick messages between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts during the history-making 1860's. To get some idea of what this meant, it had taken 110 days for the news of President Harrison's death to reach Los Angles.

Samuel Morse

Samuel Morse had put the first experimental line between Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland, in 1844. By 1850, lines ran throughout the Eastern states, and California soon had their separate lines to enhance their booming economy. It also became the first Pacific coast state to be admitted to the Union because of all this.

Original telegraph

Proposals to subsidize a telegraph line stretching to California were made several times in the 1850's. In 1860, the U.S. Postal Service was authorized to spend $40,000 a year to build and maintain the transcontinental line. In 1859, the California State Legislature had already appropriated $6,000 a year to do the same in their state.

The completion of the line ushered in a new era for communications. One of the sad consequences of the telegraph in the eyes of those clinging to nostalgia and the spirit of the Old West, however, was that it signaled the end to the pony express, which was about 18 months old on October 24, 1861.

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Immunity

Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good (Job 34:4).


Immunity can be good or bad depending on what we're talking about. Immunity to diseases is a good thing. We take vaccinations to build up just such an immunity so our systems can tolerate the virus and we not get sick. This type of immunity has saved millions of lives.

Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

However, I fear that our society, even Christians, are building up an immunity so we're tolerating more and more sinful behavior. Look at the difference between television programs and movies now and twenty-five years ago. Profanity is now common, as is sleeping around and showing more and more skin. Even the commercials show things they once never would.

Keep thyself pure (1 Timothy 5:22c).

When we listen to the news, we realize that corruption has become widespread at all levels. Mass shootings, sex trafficking, drugs, and violence are all too common. People used to choose to rest on the Lord's Day, and you'd never see road crews out working or rarely see someone mowing their yards. Not so today. Few even consider that Sunday might be any different than the other day, except for the few who spend their mornings in church.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

We all face daily choices of what we put into our minds. The more we hear cursing or see inappropriate behavior, the more we become conditioned to it. I'm a Christian author, and the fastest growing book sales are in the erotica genre. Isn't that sad? Unless we consciously make an effort to stop viewing or hearing ungodly material for us and our families, matters are only going to get worse. Don't settle for less than God's best, and decide to be the best that you can be for the Lord.

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An Interview with Clifton

Back in April I did an interview with Emma from the Appalachian Roots series. It became one of my more popular blogs. Today I thought I would follow up with her son, Clifton. He's the only character who appears in all four books in the series. In fact, he's the main character in part two of Cleared for Planting, and he's an important secondary character in all the following books. 

What was it like for you, growing up in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1800's?

Well, conditions were hard, but I had a wonderful childhood for the most part and certainly a wonderful family. Although I lost two brothers in accidents, I had a sister and my parents, and we were all very close.

You eventually fell in love with Hawk's niece. Tell me about her.

How can I explain how wonderful she was? Sarah was the most kind-hearted, giving person I ever knew, and very capable, but she was shy. We started off great, and then a woman I'd met earlier tried to cause trouble. Even when we finally worked things out and moved to start my medical practice, some people treated her badly because she was half-Cherokee. Yet, I never for a second regretted marrying her or she me. She was the most beautiful person I've ever known, both inside and out. 


You've always said you married your second wife while you were still grieving for Sarah. Do you see that as a mistake?

I wouldn't call it a mistake, because Frances gave me two wonderful children. After the Civil War, Maggie and I became especially close. However, I married Frances because I thought Luke needed a mother, and I was so lonely without Sarah. Then, I had to take the boy to live with his grandparents in the mountains, because Frances was so cruel to him. But I ended up having a good, fulfilling life in the end. I wish I'd had Sarah longer, but it wasn't to be. However, I lived to see my great granddaughter. One thing our stories show is how important family is.

You mentioned the Civil War. That was a difficult time for everyone. What was the worst part of the war for you?

There were many. I'd say the worst thing was being away from my family. My patients needed me in Salisbury, but I wanted to be with Mama, Leah, and the family in the mountains. Luke had joined the Union army to keep from being conscripted by the Confederacy. When we didn't hear from him after Gettysburg, that was hard. Again, God watched over us, and brought us through the horrors. I never have understood how people can be so uncompromising and cruel to each other or not realize how much they need God. 

I know each of the stories of your family members in the different books had a theme, but, looking back, what do you see as the overall themes in the series?

It seems that you've saved the hardest questions for me. I've already alluded to one of them - the importance of family. Another is similar; it's the importance of love. We all need to feel loved. But the most important one of all is God's love. Even in the hardest of times, my family has always relied on God, and He's seen us through. For those who have gone on before me, I have the assurance of seeing them again in Heaven. My life has been rich, despite the hardships, because of God's blessings.

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National Black Poetry Day

October 17th is National Black Poetry Day. I appreciate poetry and enjoy writing it, although I haven't done much poetry writing lately, because I've been too involved with my novel writing. However, today seems a perfect time to settle back and reflect on poetry. If you think you don't like poetry, think again. If you like any songs, you like poetry.

There are many wonderful poets, and the black poets have certainly made their mark. Almost everyone has heard of those like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou and James Weldon Johnson and Paul Lawrence Dunbar to a lesser degree. There are many to consider.

A couple of years ago, right before my first novel was accepted to be published, I took a poetry class. I liked the class because it stretched me into writing types that I would not have otherwise tried. One such poem was a blues poem. Here's what I came up with:

Mama, She Don't Sang

     Mama, she don't sang to me;

     No, Mama won't sang to me.

     Mama didn't read to me.

     She way too busy workin'.

     Mama never did hug me,

    'Cause she tired from workin'.

     All da church ladies whisper

     Mama be shirkin.

     Mama she don't sang to me;

     No, Mama won't sang to me.

     Mama never sung no songs.

     Work done snatched 'em away.

     A heart can't sang songs

     When it has nothin' to say -

     When it knows what will never be

     And sees no good day.

     But Mama started to hum today, 

     So thangs may not stay dat way.

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Witnessing and Discipling 

Some Christians use the terms "witnessing" and "discipling" as synonyms, but are they the same thing? I think they have similarities, but there are differences too. Both are important, but discipling takes witnessing several steps farther and is more involved.

Christian witnessing is basically telling others the Good News about Jesus. We can do this with anyone we meet. It may be people we never see again, but we hope to at least plant seeds of faith. I'm reminded of a sweet, little lady my husband and I met on one of our cruises. She had taken the cruise by herself, and she went around the ship asking everyone, "Do you know Jesus?" She was a diligent witness.

The Free Dictionary says that discipling is "training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior. Discipling takes more time, contact, and commitment. To disciple someone, means you must build a relationship with them. We then mentor them into a walk of faith. If we make disciples, they're more likely to train others to be disciples.

We are called to do both at times in our lives. Some people talk about witnessing to others, and never grow beyond that. But Jesus also wants us to be disciples and make disciples. Let's not disappoint Him.

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My Book Editors

I had written for magazines for years before I sat down to begin that novel I'd always dreamed of writing. But I'm finding that working with book editors is much different than working with magazine editors. Of course the experiences will vary between different writers and editors, but here are some of mine.

I have worked with four different editors in my almost two years of beginning to publish. The first one came with a publishing house, and she was one of the best. The second one was with the same publishing house, but she and I have had to learn to compromise. She insists on using lots of ellipses ( ... ) and not just when dialogue  or thoughts are left hanging. She doesn't like commas, and prefers the N-dash (the long one) when possible. I think commas are less intrusive and the others break the smooth flow of the story. She uses just the apostrophe after a singular noun ending in s. I always use  's for a singular possessive, except for the ancient ones, like Jesus. The list of things we see differently goes on and on.

When I began to also look at self-publishing a few of my manuscripts, I knew I wanted an editor. It's too hard for me to catch my own mistakes. For the first one, I hired a freelance editor I had met at a writers' retreat, one I felt I trusted. However, she didn't turn out to be a good fit for me. The book was set in colonial times, but the editor thought the store would have bagged the purchases. She made fun of the word "lawn" used as a thin fabric for a nightgown, and said it sounded as if it should be mowed. And she tried to make my book fit into a romance novel formula, but I don't want to write to a formula. A slew of mistakes also slipped through what we published, and I had to go back and correct them later. The bottom line is that she and I just were not a good fit professionally, although I love her as a friend personally.

The last editor I've used for the indies is good and a good fit for me However, we're trying to work together so that fewer mistakes slip though. Editors and writers both vary greatly, and the key to success is in finding those who work well together. The writers who have found that special editor are blessed indeed.

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National Native American Day

October 10th is National Native American Day. Having taught American and World history, Native American history and culture has always fascinated me. Now that I'm an author, I think this is reflected in my historical novels.

Many of my readers have told me that Hawk in the first book in the Appalachian Roots series is one of their favorite characters. He is the Cherokee brave who saves Emma from the one she calls Sliced Arm. I actually cried when I wrote the scene with Hawk walking away, but he wouldn't stay gone. He kept insisting I bring him back, and I did in Uprooted by War. At least two readers have asked that I write a novel with Hawk as the main character and tell his story. I don't think that's going to happen, because Hawk seems satisfied with the part of his story we know now, but it's gratifying that readers think that highly of him.

Emma's son ends up marrying a woman whose father is Irish and mother is Cherokee. Sarah is also Hawk's niece. When they go to Salisbury, North Carolina, so her husband can establish his medical practice, Sarah has to endure attitudes of prejudice and hatred because she's part Native American. Luke, their son, continues the family's story in Sown in Dark Soil, and Uprooted by War. His daughter, Rachel, is still fighting unfair treatment in the final book, Transplanted to Red Clay.

In the new series I'm writing, set in New Mexico Territory, Gray Fox becomes a main character. He's a Comanche who ends up with a white family who are his father's friends. Then his son is called a "half-breed," and the family continues to contend with prejudices. But Gray Fox and his son are the type of characters who steal readers' hearts.

So, to celebrate National Native American Day, why not get a good book with Native American characters to read. The four in my Appalachian Roots series are available. Bookstores can order them or you can get them at online stores. And all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children. Or look for them at your library.

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Christian Relationships

People were a priority for Jesus. Many times in His ministry, He would be tired or have other plans, but when He saw people in need, He would stop to help them. Sometimes it would be to heal them physically, like with the blind, the lepers, and the lame. At other times, He would mainly talk to them about their spiritual condition, as with the woman at the well and the young lawyer.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

God knew that we'd need relationships more than information or teachings, and Jesus modeled this for us. He chose twelve men to be close followers and developed deep relationships with them. Then, He taught them to go out and do likewise. This is the best way of encouraging others to accept Christ into their lives. We act like He did in loving and caring for others and investing time in them. Meaningful Christian relationships will pave the way to heaven.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (1 Corinthians 5: 18-19).

All creation started from the relationship of the Trinity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When man was created, he was invited to enter into the relationship too (see Genesis 1). What an incredible privilege! Why would anyone reject this? The Church is suppose to continue this relationship and build on it. So are we.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation if the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation through the Spirit.

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Oaxaca Scholarship Fund

My husband and I were married in April 2004, and we spent the school year of 2005-2006 as missionaries in Oaxaca (deep southern), Mexico. I taught high school history, and Jim taught Bible classes to mainly the children of Bible translators. The state of Oaxaca has about 150 different languages spoken, and most of them are Native American. Missionaries go there to translate the Bible into these different languages.

During that year, we noticed that some of the missionaries couldn't afford to send their children to Oaxaca Christian School, and they home-schooled them. Of course, this cut into their ministry time. Although the school is a non-profit, it has expenses and overhead. The teachers are all volunteers, but the the school has rent, utilities, books, supplies and a couple of support staff to pay; and therefore, they charge a tuition. 

When I started to publish my books, I looked for a Christian charity to donate my profits to. I talked with several larger organizations, but I didn't feel my small amount would make a great impact there. After prayerful consideration, I felt led to establish a scholarship fund for needy students at Oaxaca Christian School. I knew of them first-hand and felt even a small amount could make a difference in the lives of many, since the missionaries will touch others.

I truly feel that my writing is both a gift and a calling from God. I have seen ways He's using it to touch lives, and I'm amazed. Both my books and my blogs have been well-received, and I thank God everyday for the opportunities. Donating my profits to the scholarship fund is just another way of making an impact for Him.

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