Just Getting By

Are we becoming a society that is satisfied with just getting by? Sometimes I wonder. Except where money and material possessions are concerned, I think it might be true.

I know when I taught, too many students seemed to have this attitude. They didn't really care about how much they learned or how well they did - as long as they didn't fail the course. When I recently picked up some classes at a nearby university, just for the love of learning, that seemed to be the case with many college students, too. I've often said that education is an area where people want to be cheated. They like easy and good grades over challenging and learning. They don't want to get their money's worth.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord... (Colossians 3:23).

A lot of workers seemed to have absorbed this attitude. They want to take home a good paycheck, but they don't want to do much to earn it. I've always found that the more effort I pour into something, the more satisfaction I get from it, and the better I like it. If I put forth little effort, I don't feel good about it.

This is also true with our churches and our faith. Do you find yourself just going through the motions of church? Do you cringe at the thoughts of someone asking you to take a leadership role, teach a Sunday school class or Bible study, or take part in some committee or project? If God calls you to do something, He wants you to rely on Him and not yourself, and He doesn't call anyone that He doesn't give them what they need. Look at Moses. He tried to tell God He wasn't equipped to go to Pharaoh and ask him to free the Israelites. He really felt reluctant at first, but look at what great and mighty things God did through him. Are you missing out on things God wants to do with you? Does your spiritual life seem dry and dusty? I've met people who have told me they've been saved; they've done what they needed to in order to go to heaven when they die, so they don't need to do anything else. I wonder. James did, too.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20).

God didn't make us to just get by. He wants us to live a committed, surrendered, joyous, and rewarding life, close to him and showered with His blessings. Are you living the abundant life God's planned for you, or are you just getting by? This is your one life on earth; make it count.

...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

________________________________________

Why I Write Christian Fiction

At a recent interview, I was asked why I choose to write Christian fiction, instead of for the more popular secular market. The answer is multi-faceted and more complicated than it would first appear. It is intertwined with who I am and what I see as important in my life.

One of the main reasons I write Christian novels is that I view my writing as a gift from and blessing of God. When I look at my roots and where I came from, it is a miracle that I learned to love language and am able to write and publish a book. Since God gave me this love of writing, I want to use it to glorify His name and further His kingdom. This is also why I donate all my profits to Christian charities. May God use my writing as it pleases Him, and may I always write what is pleasing to Him.

I would like for my books to touch people in a special way. I want them to come away encouraged, enriched, and feeling they've discovered or been reminded of some important truth. I cringe at some of the books I see. I don't know how someone would want their name on a book filled with profanity; steamy, explicit sex scenes; or blood and gore. I want to write books that I can be proud of, even when my grandchildren read them.

I write Christian books, because my faith is a big part of who I am. At this point in my life, I think it would take more thought and be much harder for me to write a secular book than a Christian book. Although I have other manuscripts, I chose the series now coming into print to be first, because my roots are in Appalachia, my love is with history, and my heart and soul belong to Christ.

God has blessed me in so many ways and been with me through all the valleys and over all the rough terrain. He means everything to me. The better question is how could I not write Christian fiction?

___________________________________

Stocks and Pillories

Stocks

Stocks and pillories were a form of Medieval, Renaissance, and Colonial punishment. The culprit was locked into a position for a certain amount of time, which became very uncomfortable. The device was usually made from wood with holes cut to secure either the head, hands, feet, or any combination. This form of punishment was also meant to humiliate.

Pillory

In addition other forms of abuse might be rendered while the person was secured in the device. Leaders hoped that seeing someone in such a position would serve as a deterrent to others.

Although they're often used as synonyms, technically stocks and pillories are different. Stocks always secure the feet and sometimes the hands, as well. The pillory usually locked down the head and hands, but not the feet. A person sat in the stocks but stood for the pillory. In Germany, a similar device was called a "pranger." No matter what it was called, however, it wasn't something you'd want to experience.

In the pillory

  

_______________________________________

Bodie Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse

As part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks and a few miles south of Nags Head, Bodie Island Lighthouse welcomes visitors. This structure was built in 1872. The one built in 1847 was abandoned in 1859 because of a faulty foundation, and it's location is now under water. Another one was built that same year, but it was destroyed in 1861 by retreating Confederate troops who were afraid the Yankees would use it as a lookout tower.

Renovations were started on the current lighthouse in 2009, but some other issues and Hurricane Irene interrupted it in 2011. The work was resumed in 2012 and completed in 2013, allowing visitors to climb up into the lighthouse.

Hatteras Lighthouse

Perhaps because of its more famous neighbor, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, sometimes Bodie gets skipped. At times it almost seems to be in the taller lighthouse's shadow. Bodie is shorter, and its black and white stripes run horizontally instead of diagonally, like the ones on Hatteras. However, in my opinion one can never see too many lighthouses, and Bodie is certainly worth a visit.

______________________________________

National Pick Your Own Strawberries Day

May 20th is National Pick Your Own Strawberries Day. Although the strawberry crop may be waning in the Deep South, they're at their peak in many parts of the country. However, some won't be ready until June. Of course, it all depends on what the weather has been like, and that varies from year to year.

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and have many health benefits. For more information about strawberries and their benefits, see my May 6 blog. By picking them in the fields, you'll get a better price, fresher berries, and more exercise. I love them on cereal, in yogurt, by themselves, and as strawberry shortcake. Home canned strawberry preserves is special too. Here's my recipe:

Strawberry Preserves

Wash, hull, and dice strawberries, so you have 3 & 3/4 cups. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon of margarine (to prevent foaming) and 7 cups sugar. Bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add 1 3-ounce pouch of liquid pectin. Continue a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Ladle into clean jars. Add lids that has been kept in slow boiling water. Tighten rings. Process in a hot water bath for 10 - 15 minutes. Boiling water should entirely cover the jars. Remove and allow to cool to seal.

______________________________________________________________

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne died on this day in 1864 at the age of 59. He was born in Salem Massachusetts in 1804 and lived much of his childhood in Raymond, Maine. One of his ancestors, John Hathorne, was the only judge at the Salem Witch Trials who never repented of his decisions. Nathaniel, ashamed of this, added the "w" to his name to hide the relation. He attended Bowdoin College along with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At the age of 38, he married the painter and illustrator, Sophia Peabody, who was 33. Theirs was a love match, and they admired each other greatly. Sophia had suffered severe headaches that confined her to bed, but marriage seemed to have cured them.

Sophia Peabody Hawthorne

The couple first lived in an old manse in Concord, Massachusetts, and Ralph Waldo Emerson was their neighbor. However, both Nathaniel and Sophia tended to be shy and never became an integral part of the writer's social network. They had three children, two daughters and a son. The Hawthornes lived in various places in New England, including Boston. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne not long before his death

As the Civil War raged, Nathaniel's health began to fail. Experiencing severe stomach pain, he assured Sophia that a trip with his friend, Franklin Pierce, would be good for him. He died on the trip in his sleep on May 19, 1864. Sophia was so devastated she needed someone else to plan the funeral.

Nathaniel was mainly a short story writer, but he did also complete several novels, including The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. He is often considered one of the early American authors of note, and his works have become classics.

_____________________________________

The Cupola House

A distinctive Early American home stands in the historic town of Edenton, North Carolina. The Cupola House was built in 1758 by Francis Corbin, who was a land agent for John Carteret, the Earl of Granville and one of the last Lord Proprietors given vast land grants by King Charles II. After Corbin died, Samuel Dickinson purchased the house, and his descendants lived in it for over 150 years.

This house is said to be the most studied building in North Carolina, and some believe it to be the finest example of Jacobean architecture south of Massachusetts. Some of the design features of the house puzzle historians, however. The overhang jetty had gone out of style almost a hundred years before the Cupola House was built, and yet it's used here. The lantern cupola is also unusually large. The Georgian moldings above the doors and fireplaces go all the way to the ceiling. And, the second floor hall and a window are not aligned quite correctly according to construction of that day. Still, it's a breathtaking 
house.

The house eventually fell into disrepair, but citizens rallied to restore it around the turn of the century. Some of the furnishings are original, since the Dickinson family lived there so long, and certain items were kept. The gardens are also quite lovely, especially during growing seasons. Today the Cupola House stands proudly as a testimony to earlier times. 

For more information you can emal: CUPOLAHOUSE1@GMAIL.COM
It's located at 408 Broad Street, Edenton, NC 2793
Tour tickets can be purchased at the Edenton Vistor Center

_________________________________________