National Camera Day

First daguerreotype camera

June 29th is National Camera Day. The first permanent photograph from a camera came in 1825 from Joseph Nicephore Niepce. He used a sliding wooden box developed by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in Paris. In the 1830s, William Henry Fox Talbert in England also worked on photographic techniques. The first photographic camera developed for commercial production came in 1839 when Alphonse Giroux produced a daguerreotype camera. Many others also worked on improvements to photography around this time. By the time of the American Civil War, the camera had progressed enough to give us good images of the soldiers and the war.

Box camera (CC BY-SA 3.0, httpscommons.wikimedia.
orgwindex.phpcurid=222433)   

Another great advance in photography came in 1885 when George Eastman started manufacturing a paper film for cameras. He switched to celluloid film in 1889. His first "Kodak" box camera came out in 1888. Over the next years, the camera had many improvements with single-lens reflex cameras being a big one. Instant photography, developed by Polaroid in 1948, came into vogue for a while.

We have come a long way in photography. Today, we not only have digital cameras, but our cell phones are also capable of taking photos. According to Business Insider, over 1.2 trillion digital photos were taken in 2017. We can but wonder what will happen to cameras and photography in the future.

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In the Light

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5b)

The Bible tells in several places of God being light. Most people prefer light over darkness. When people are cooped up in a place for a long time without enough light, we talk of cabin fever. God dispels our spiritual darkness, making everything better. When Moses came off Sinai after being in God's presence, he glowed. We also need to radiate God in our lives.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee (Isaiah 60:1).

You must have noticed how flying insects flock to the light. They are drawn to it with an irresistible urge to get closer. That's how we should be with our Lord. We should have a burning desire to get closer and know more of Him. We should never be satisfied, never stagnate, but always be moving forward and growing in our faith, growing in Christ. 

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

It is amazing to watch how quickly our pupils grow small when in bright light. That's how we should be in God's light. We should grow smaller so that He will be glorified. As John wrote, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (3:30). We must learn that life is not all about us but all about Him. When we live for Him, we become the people He means for us to be.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

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Consequences of Audible Royalty Changes

With ACX (the production arm of Audible) changing their policy and no longer paying royalties on promo codes given out for Audible books released from April 2020 on, there have been several consequences. Obviously, there will be fewer royalties for both the author and narrator, making producing Audible books less profitable for them. 

Because of this, authors and narrators are less likely to find it worth their time to offer the promo codes for new books to listeners. It takes time that they have far too little of as it is. It might also take away some of the customers who would have paid for the book if they weren't offered the free code. In addition, listeners may find fewer books being produced for Audible.

As an author, I am also finding it harder to find quality narrators for my books. Since all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children, I only do royalty sharing with the narrator, and without the revenue from promo codes, many are no longer accepting that method of payment. Thankfully, I have a great male and female narrator I have worked with and can turn to, but I do occasionally need a narrator with a different accent, and new ones are getting harder to find. As time goes on, there may even be other repercussions. I would love for ACX to take another look at the change and decide to reinstate royalties for promo codes, but I don't think that's likely to happen. 

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Pushing Pins

A workhouse

John Ireland Howe invented the first practical machine to make straight pins on June 22, 1832. Trained as a doctor, he worked at the New York Almshouse and saw people there trying to make straight pins by hand which required eighteen separate steps. He started to work on a machine that would do the tedious job. Howe's machine has been called, "one of the most ingenious and beautiful pieces of mechanism."

After receiving a patent for his idea for the pin-making machine, Howe secured the backing of some New York businessmen and formed Howe Manufacturing Company.  The company stayed in New York for three years before moving to Derby, Connecticut, the state of Howe's birth. After some struggles, it became one of the largest pin manufacturers at that time. In 1839, the company was producing around 72,000 pins a day, making them readily available to tailors, seamstresses, teachers, and other people who needed them.

Howe built a home on Caroline Street in Derby and retired from manufacturing in 1865. He died in 1876 and was interred in Oak Cliff Cemetery in Derby. His house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His invention may seem insignificant at first glance, but it wasn't. Just think of all the ways the pin was used over the decades. As a teacher, craftsperson, homemaker, and quilter, I would not have wanted to do without them.

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God, Our Father

One God and Father of all, who is above all (Ephesians 4:6a)

The Bible refers to God as our Father. In fact, the Lord's Prayer opens this way, "Our Father who art in heaven...." This is true in the Old Testament, as well in the New. Whether or not we have an earthly father, we can always have a heavenly one if we just accept Him. God has many characteristics, but being our perfect Father emphasizes that He wants a personal relationship with us, while not being seen as an equal.

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? (Malachi 2:10a).

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are adopted into the family of God and made coheirs with the Son. We then have a divine inheritance, including eternal life, and untold blessings. We have a Father who will always be there for us and wants only the very best for us.

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8a).

As children, we expect our fathers to provide for our needs, protect us from danger, and encourage us through the hard times. This is exactly what our heavenly Father does and more. Why anyone would reject such a Father is incomprehensible, but some do. Perhaps, they need someone to tell them about Him. Will you?

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089WC1HC2

Jack's Jewel

I am pleased to announce the release of my fourth story in the Time-Told Tales series. This one rewrites "Jack and the Beanstalk," taking out the make-believe and magic and making it an inspirational romance. Jack's Jewel is a Kindle ebook (and also on KU), but I will soon combine it with Patricia's Prison to make the paperback, Time-Told Tales, Volume Two for my readers who prefer a print book. It should be out toward the end of the month.

In Jack's Jewel, Jack's mother sends him to sell their cow, but he can find no one who wants to buy her. Just before the town market closes for the day, he trades the animal for some remarkable beans. His mother is not pleased, however, and demands that Jack leave. He heads south, hoping to find a home. In Fairleigh, the earl agrees to let him plant the beans in one of his fields, but Jack cannot help but notice the earl's beautiful daughter. However, he will have to use all his wits if the earl allows him to court Pearl.

Pearl is the youngest daughter of the Earl of Fairview and the only one not married. After he regretted that he'd secretly imprisoned Patricia in a remote tower because she refused to wed the duke he chose for her, Father promised Pearl he would not force her to marry a man she didn't want. However, that doesn't mean he will approve the man she does. Thankfully, her brother, Keynan, married a commoner by tricking Father into thinking she really did spin straw into gold and is willing to help Pearl. But is her interest in Jack for naught, or will love prevail once again?

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Skittles, Ninepins, and Bowling

When the first colonists came to the New World, they brought English customs with them. One of these was a game called skittles, later known as nine-pins. It was a forerunner of bowling, although the rules are quite different.

To play this game, nine large, wooden pegs or pins are set up. Then, the player throws a hunk of rounded wood, often called the "cheese," at the pins. However, the cheese must bounce once and only once. It cannot hit, slide, or scoot into the pins without bouncing.

There are different ways of scoring in the game, and, in England, these varied as to region. The game also has a long history and is still played today on occasion. In fact, you can sometimes find it demonstrated at historic locations, like Roanoke Island Festival Park on North Carolina's Outer Banks. 

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Are You a Saint?

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33).

I was once in a church service where the pastor asked all the saints to raise their hands. People shuffled uncomfortably and looked at each other warily, but very few raised their hands. If we've accepted Christ as our Savior, traded our sins for his righteousness, and been made anew in Him, then we are saints. The Bible tells us so.

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (Psalm 30:4).

The Apostle Paul uses the term, "saints," several times for the followers of Christ in his letters, but he wasn't the only one. David used it in the Psalms and John used it in Revelation. Others also hinted at it or used some word that was similar. We, who are in Christ and have Him in us, are saints.

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, God sees us as saints. We belong to Him, and no one can ever change that. Jesus said, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand" (John 10: 28-29).

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Without a Dream Audible

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Dream-Another-Chance-Book/dp/B089LC2SP6

I am happy to announce that the Audible edition of Without a Dream is out. This is the last book in the two-book Another Chance series. It follows Off the Streets, the story about Gwen and Hunter. Without a Dream features Gwen's teenage son, Brandon, and his girlfriend, Leslie, although you'll still get to see the rest of their families again, too.

Brandon McAllister is devastated when Leslie's mother moves her family from his hometown of Charlotte to Dallas and keeping in touch becomes difficult. He goes to Dallas for Leslie's junior prom as they planned, but she doesn't come to his senior one the next year as promised. All he gets is a vague, confusing letter. The series of events to come leaves them both reeling. How do you face the future when your hopes and dreams have been shattered?

Because the male narrator I usually use was busy recording Dust Storms and then Unexpected, I went with a new producer this time, and I was very pleased with his work. Todd Napper read with a hint of uncertainty that fit Brandon and Leslie's situation. He also has a slight Southern/Texas accent in his general American voice that mirrored the characters and is easy to listen to. You won't want to miss this series where the main characters are given another chance when they thought it lost.

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Where Have All the Fireflies Gone?

Do you remember watching fireflies come out on warm summer evenings? I do, except we called them lightning bugs where I grew up.  They were so plentiful you may have even collected some as a child to make your own little jar lanterns. Have you seen many lately? Like many insects today, fireflies are on the decline and may be headed for extinction.

Scientists tell us there are three main reasons the fireflies are endangered. First of all, they are losing their breeding habitats. Fireflies lay their eggs in warm climates under rotting wood in forests or in woody debris at the edge of ponds or streams. Both places are getting harder to find due to construction and development. Of course, toxic chemicals have long been the enemy of insects, and this applies to fireflies also. And lastly, there is light pollution. Fireflies use their built-in lights to mate. When lights are all around them, their mating patterns are disrupted and fewer fireflies are born.

But fireflies aren't the only insects on the decline. Experts estimate that there's about a 9% decline in the insect population every decade, and 40% of the world's insects are now affected. Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and dragonflies are on the top of the list. Loss of these insects would have far-reaching consequences. Life is connected in a chain so that the extinction of any part causes a domino effect. There are birds and mammals that eat insects, so those could become extinct, causing other shortages, etc. However, as another summer is almost upon us here in the Southern United States, I just miss the fireflies.

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Humility

... God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (James 4:6b).

The Bible tells us over and over again that God values humility. In fact, pride and haughtiness are sins. Have you ever been around someone who thought too highly of themselves? It's not a comfortable, pleasant place to be, is it? 



When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).

Moses' later life is a good example of being humble. Numbers 12:3 says, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were on the face of the earth." Could this be one of the reasons he got to speak to God in person, unlike other prophets? It was certainly the reason God was able to greatly use him.



Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Philippians 2:3).

Humble people will depend on God; proud people depend on themselves. As we depend more on Him, our faith will grow and deepen. As our faith increases, we will trust Him more, and therefore, depend on Him even more completely. This is the way He wants us to live.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6).

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Unexpected Audible

https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected/dp/B088X13BVZ

My audiobook, Unexpected, lived up to its name. ACX unexpectedly approved it for sale in only five days. I have never heard of a book being approved for Audible this quickly before. None of my other audible books even came close to this. ACX says they approve a book within 30 business days, but my last book took 61 days and well over 30 business days.

But I'm excited about the book. Douglas Birk is back to narrate. He also produced Mountain Storms and Dust Storms for me. I love his smooth, expressive voice, and he's a pleasure to work with. Although I have caught up with getting my backlist on Audible, and I will need to write and publish more before another novel comes out on Audible, which will slow down the process, I already know of at least one other in the works that I hope Doug will narrate. 

Unexpected is about a young couple, Oliver Hartsell and Marie Austin. When he went to repair Mr. Austin's windows, Oliver had no idea that he'd end up proposing to the man's daughter, but that's exactly what happened. He didn't regret it because he’s secretly been in love with Marie for a long time. However, he doubts she feels the same way about him, but he's determined that she will. Yet, life has a way of throwing unexpected surprises. Set in 1961 in a small town, this book will steal your heart. 

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The Mecklenburg Resolves

The Mecklenburg Resolves were approved on May 31, 1775, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Mecklenburg Committee of Saftey had begun drafting them on May 20, 1775, in response to the Lexington and Concord conflicts in Massachusetts. They were one of the first such resolves with only the one in Hanna's Town, Pennsylvania, known to be a few days earlier.

The NC flag has date Resolves started at the top

The resolves proclaimed that "...all laws...derived from the Authority of the King or Parliament, are annulled and vacated...." The document declared the Great Continental Congress to have all legislative and executive powers in the colonies. It encouraged all colonies to govern themselves, suspend British military action, and arrest any royal officials who resisted.

The state seal also shows the date

There has been some controversy over the existence of the Mecklenburg Resolves because the document had been lost sometime during the war. However, an early newspaper was found in the archives of The South Carolina Gazette with the complete text of the resolves printed. Students have studied the Mecklenburg Resolves for years as part of North Carolina and American history.

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