Shirley Plantation

Shirley Plantation

Shirley Plantation sits majestically on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is the oldest active plantation in Virginia and the oldest family-owned business in all of North America. The plantation itself dates back to 1614 and was established by Sir Thomas West, a baron. It grew tobacco to be shipped to other colonies and to England. Edward Hill obtained part of the land in 1638.

James River

The Georgian, red-brick house standing today was started in 1723 and completed in 1738. The original Hill House had remained until the late 1860's, when it was torn down. Today, Hill descendants live in the upstairs rooms, and the downstairs is open to visitors. It may not be the largest or best known plantation in Virginia, but it's still quite impressive and worth the visit.

Kitchen

The estate includes several outbuildings, including a large kitchen with living quarters for slaves, a two-story laundry with rooms for slaves, an ice house, a smokehouse, a stable, a storehouse, and a round dovecote. Strolling around the grounds is like stepping back in time and experiencing history.

Dovecote

Stable

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The Wisdom of Elihu

See Job 32-42

Three of Job's friends pointed their fingers at him, judging and condemning. They were convinced that Job had sinned greatly, and God was punishing him because of it. In their own reasoning, this was the only explanation for Job's unending troubles, and they thought him a hypocrite. Although, they didn't know what Job had done wrong, they were certain it had to be serious. They had no understanding or compassion and refused to listen to what Job had to say.

Elihu, the youngest man in the group, felt differently, however. He had listened while the others spoke and came up with a different conclusion. Job hadn't done anything wrong to deserve his situation, but he did have a bad attitude about that situation. He tried to justify himself, instead of waiting for God, the only One who can justify, the only One who is truly righteous. He had also begun to see God as his enemy, instead of looking at the true source of evil, Satan. When Job understood these things, he repented.

As God addresses Job, He doesn't rebuke Elihu, but rather adds to what he said. As it turns out, Elihu was the wisest one among Job's friends. Wisdom can come with age, but it doesn't have to, because wisdom comes from God. How many times have we judged others too harshly or pointed fingers that hurt instead of helped? Only a close relationship with the Lord, an understanding of His Word, and surrendering to the guidance of the Holy Spirit brings wisdom. May we all be wise through Him.

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Pantsers and Plotters 

I had a very interesting online discussion recently about pantsers and plotters. There were a lot more pantsers who do very little outlining or storyboarding than I thought there'd be. I'm a pantser all the way. I even wrote the outline for my research papers in college after I wrote the paper if I could get away with it. 

If I had to figure out the details of what was going to happen beforehand, I wouldn't want to write the novel after I got through with the preliminary work. I write, just like I read, to find out what happens. Oh, I know my characters well, because I've lived with them in my head for months. I also know my setting and even researched it if necessary. Most of the time, I've lived in the places I write about.

I see scenes play out in my imagination like in a movie, and these continue as I write the story. I write quickly, because it's thrilling to see what the characters say and what happens. I've written the rough draft of three of my full-length novels in one month. If I had to plot it all out first, it would take the joy and excitement out of it.

However, this doesn't mean that plotting is wrong. It depends on the author. Writers who write character-driven novels tend to be pantsers, and those with plot-driven books tend to be pre-planners. Then some types of novels, mysteries for example, take more plotting than others. You'll find most of your pantsers among romance writers. The best technique is the one that works for the author and his or her readers.

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National Drive-Through Day 

July 24th is National Drive-Through Day. The trend for drive-throughs started in the 1930's. The Grand National Bank of St. Louis was the first bank with a drive-up window. Jordan Martin kept the idea going, and it caught on.

Besides banks we usually think of restaurants and fast food places as having drive-throughs. Then, of course, there's those blue mail boxes to drive by and drop off mail going out. Pharmacy windows are also quite common. Beverage stores often have a drive-through window, and so do a few grocery stores and photo processors, like Fotomat.

Public libraries, like the one in Cleveland, Ohio, may be moving in that direction. And there's also the drive-through wedding chapels in Las Vegas. The one that surprised me the most, however, was a drive-through funeral home. Supposedly you can drive by and view the open casket of your friend or family member through a glass.

Once, while on a road trip, I saw an Amish horse and buggy in the McDonald's drive-through in Mansfield, Missouri. It was so eye-catching and unusual I've never forgotten it. So, how will you celebrate National Drive-Through Day?

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Marching Orders

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20).

All Christians should be aware of our marching orders. We call it the Great Commission, and it's our call to service. The Bible tells us, if we truly love the Lord, then we will obey Him, but many don't take this commandment seriously. If all Christians did, the world would be a different place.

 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand (Ezekiel 33:8).

This is a chilling statement. We are to be held accountable for a man's eternal death in sin if we do nothing to try to show him his need for God. I think we all have probably fell short here at one time or another. But we serve a God of forgiveness. All we need to do is repent and ask his help to do better. And we need to remember to reach out to all in love the way Christ did. Finger-pointing and condemnation won't lead people to Him; love will.

Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 33:9).

Let's begin to take the Great Commission seriously and join with other Christians to spread the Gospel message. Thank goodness the first disciples weren't pew sitters, giving excuses why they couldn't go forth, at least to their neighbors. Our Lord and His Holy Spirit will give us all the guidance and support we need. So beginning right now, let's go forth in truth to share the message with others.

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Writing Dialogue  

One of the members in a critique group I belong to made an interesting comment at a recent meeting. After reading one of my chapters and discussing it, he said dialogue was my strength and I shouldn't hesitate to use it.

I had never consider writing dialogue as one of my strengths. In fact, I had one reader who thought I used too much dialogue, because she wanted to be inside the characters thoughts more. I try to do both. I find writing is often a balancing act, and, although I certainly want to please my readers, I also stay true to my writing style and who I am as an author. My stories are character-driven, and I let my characters direct the writing to a large extent.

All dialogue should have a purpose and move the story along. I don't know how may books I read that have too much chit-chat and doesn't need to be there. The key to writing good dialogue is to make it sound natural, the way people talk, but make it meaningful. Reading it aloud often helps. If I tend to read a line a little differently than I wrote it, I change it to how I say it. I consciously strive to make it smooth so it won't pull the reader out of the story to think about how something is said or what it means. I hope the gentleman was right. I'd like to think writing good dialogue is one of my strengths.

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Greenbacks

Congress authorized the first printing of paper money on July 17, 1861. These bills were quickly called greenbacks, because the backside was printed in green ink.. There had been other temporary paper money in the past, most to serve a special need, but this was the first permanent paper money to be used for legal tender.

The paper money came about because of the Civil War. Within a short period of time leaders began to see they'd underestimated the cost of the war.  When President Lincoln sought loans from banks, mainly ones in New York, they wanted to charge  24-36 % interest, which he found unacceptable. He charged Secretary of Treasury, Salmon P. Chase with finding another way.

This money's use evolved over the next months. The value of the greenbacks also fluctuated At it's low, it took 258 dollars in greenbacks to equal 100 in gold, but the victory at Gettysburg caused it to rally and be worth 131 dollars to 100 in gold. The idea of paper money had come to stay.

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Turn Back

The book of Ezekiel tells of the downfall of Israel and some of the nations around them for turning their backs on God and going their own, wrong way. There are always consequences to disobeying God. We are told of several times in the Old Testament when Israel became wayward for such a long time that God finally allowed them to be conquered by the enemy, not only for punishment but to eventually bring them back to their Lord.

Secular history shows us some of this, too. Strong, vibrant civilizations that eventually became corrupt and immoral fell. Egypt, Greece, and Rome are three major examples. We really do reap what we sow, and we can't disrespect others, mistreat those who have opinions different than ours, and encourage immorality and hope to prosper. 

In so many ways, the United States of America is headed down the wrong path as a society. We are more concerned with being gender neutral than with establishing strong family units. We are too busy spreading hate under the guise of stopping those with narrow minds to maintain the open climate of freedom that our forefathers worked so hard to build. It's more important to us to protect the rights of criminals and illegals than it is to teach a respect for authority and the need to be law-abiding citizens. As a society, we seem more concerned with having our own way than doing what's right.

It's time for America to wake up and realize that we need to be "one nation under God with liberty and justice for all" again. Years ago, Nikita Khrushchev told us, "We will destroy you from within." Is that happening? One of our former presidents said it quite well, "And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."  Have we forgotten that we're one nation under God? Will America turn back to the One who made us great or continue on a path of self-destruction? Only we, the people, can determine that.

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An Audible Experience

Audible cover

Well, I've done it. The producer and I finished the project for my first audible book on Amazon last week, and ACX is now reviewing its technical quality. Hopefully, With Summer's Songs won't need tweaking and will be released in a few days. 

Voice too mature and sad

I am the type of person who
learns best by doing, so I just dived in without knowing much about the process, but I had a good experience. I first posted the project trying to attract producers, another word for narrator. I did have one lady audition, but her voice sounded too old for my main character, and she sounded sad and gloomy. 

After that, I decided to actively seek my own narrator by listening to the samples they've posted on ACX. The first one I asked to audition was afraid to give me her email address and appeared difficult to work with, so I declined and continued to look. I found Elisabeth Lagelee, liked her audition, and offered her a contract, which she accepted. She turned out to be a good choice. Here is the recommendation I gave her:

I chose Elisabeth Lagelee to read my book for audible publication because of her clear and expressive voice, and I've been very pleased. She worked diligently without complaint to get it right and finished well within the time frame of our contract. She is easy to work with, listens to all suggestions, and tries to please. I am very impressed with her and her work ethic and would highly recommend her.

The project turned out to be time consuming. I must have listened to the book through about three times before we finished.  I also had to design a square audio cover for it. However, all went well, and I found it very satisfying. I would be willing to put another one out after we get With Summer's Songs released. I'll post notices as soon as this one comes out, and you can have a look.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee first published To Kill a Mockingbird on July 11, 1960. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize and became very successful. Today it's considered a classic of modern literature. The book is filled with quaint Southern charm, but serious themes lay just beneath the surface.

I served as a missionary in the Philippines for a semester, teaching high school English at a private, Christian school established mainly to educate the children of Bible translators. The principal chose To Kill a Mockingbird for the seniors to read, even before he met me. I told him he couldn't have chosen a better novel for a Southern to teach. I hope my students had as much fun with the book as I did.

To Kill a Mocking Bird was Harper Lee's only published novel until Go Set a Watchman came out on July 14, 2015. Lee refused to make any public appearances after 1964. Still, her first book has had a huge impact on American culture, either as a novel, movie, or play.

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Sacrifices

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11).

In Numbers 15, God told Moses about the sacrifices he wanted His people to make to atone for their sins. Not only did they give up some of their resources and repent, but such acts also kept their focus on God and doing His will. However, even with specific laws and sacrifices to do for breaking them, man continued to go astray, and it became too much.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

The coming of Jesus changed all this. He became the ultimate sacrifice that would save all mankind if they would only accept Him as their Savior. The blood shed by He-Who-Knew-No-Sin would atone for any and all sins. In addition, after His resurrection, He would send the Holy Spirit to help us keep our focus on God.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1-2).

But God still expects sacrifices from us. He expects us to sacrifice our selfishness for the good of others and His kingdom. When we lay all that we have and all that we are on His altar in complete surrender, then we can become all that He intends us to be. What a wonderful life!

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).

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Predictable or Unhappy Endings

In book reviews, I read complaints over and over again that books, especially those with some romance in them, are too predictable. I don't mind predictability if it means there'll be a happy ending, and I would be very upset if I spent my time reading a book that concluded with an unhappy ending. Certain genres seem to necessitate some degree of the expected.

I've read books that try too hard to provide a twist. The worst ones end up trying to trick the reader into believing one thing, when something else has really happened. I hate this technique, because it doesn't make sense to me. If I'm in a main character's point of view, he or she is not going to be thinking in a misleading way. In essence, the author ends up lying to the reader for a while.

As you can tell, in a contest between being unpredictable and having and unhappy ending or being predictable and having a happy ending, I would choose the latter hands-down. However, the best scenario is to be less predictable and still have a happy ending. I've read authors that do this well. However, if you like romances, you'll likely know how the novel is going to end. But it's still fun to see how it gets there. If you had to choose between the two, what would your choice be?

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The Declaration of Independence

King George III

Conflict between the American colonies and England had been mounting, and the colonists were becoming frustrated. They were being taxed beyond what they considered reasonable, far more than the citizens in England were paying. They were informed that the taxation was to help pay for the French and Indian War, where British troops were sent to protect the colonists' lands. However the colonists kept saying this would only be fair if they were given representation in Parliament, which levied the taxes.

Thomas Jefferson

American leaders began to see that nothing they said made any difference and they needed to do something to break the stalemate. The Continental Congress, on the recommendation of John Adams, chose Thomas Jefferson to draft the document that would become known as the Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental Congress adopted it on July 4, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House, which we know as Independence Hall.

Although many have stated otherwise, this document did not give us our independence. We had to fight and win the Revolutionary War before that happened. However, it did lead to our independence. That's why we celebrate July Fourth as Independence Day.  Parts of it has become famous all over the world.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

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