Comparing Paul and Jonah

Rome

Surprisingly, Paul and Jonah have quite a lot in common. Both men were Jews who worshipped God and were called to serve Him. God called Jonah to go to Ninevah, the largest city in the Assyrian Empire, and He called Paul to go to Rome, another huge city and the center of the Roman Empire. Both cities were known for their wickedness, and these two preachers were supposed to deliver God's messages among the pagans there, messages they didn't think would be well-received. Both men boarded ships and experienced terrible, life-threatening storms which endangered the entire ship, passengers, and crew. Both men knew what they needed to do for the men to survive.

But of course, there were also differences. They lived in completely different time periods. We find Jonah in the Old Testament, while Paul helped build the early Christian church in the New Testament. Paul felt the need to go to Rome and even looked forward to telling them about Christ. Jonah abhorred going to Ninevah and ran in the other direction. Paul faced many obstacles on his way - a near beating, injustices, imprisonment, a shipwreck, etc. Jonah faced a storm and being swallowed by a great fish, but his main obstacle was himself and his attitude. 

Jonah

Although Jonah eventually learned he had to obey God, he did so reluctantly. If you search the book of Jonah, you will be hard-pressed to find a single incident where Jonah was happy. Perhaps he had been so in the past when everything was going his way, but not after God asked him to do something he didn't want to and he disobeyed. Paul, on the other hand, seemed to glow with happiness and peace after his conversion on the Road to Damascus. Despite all the terrible situations he found himself in, he could be joyous. Why? He was being obedient to God and knew he was in God's will. There is no better place to be. Obedience to God brings peace and joy.

Where are you in your Christian life? Are you more like Jonah or Paul? You can make any needed changes right now, and you have the Holy Spirit to guide and help you. Pray about it.

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Rewarding Readers

Most writers know to write an interesting beginning because they need to hook readers quickly if that person chooses to continue with the book. However, other parts of the book are just as important if the author wants to maintain their readership. Certainly, the whole book needs to be well written, but that's a vague observation, and such a shotgun statement holds very little meaning when it comes to application.

The conclusion is every bit as important as the opening, if not more so, in the long run. A good, emotional, satisfying ending is an author's way of rewarding the reader for choosing and sticking with the book. The more struggles and upheavals the main characters have experienced, the more important it is to knock the ending out of the park. I don't know how many novels I've read that didn't do this, and, as it turned out, the book just wasn't worth my time.

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Endings, even epilogues, shouldn't be just told or recounted. In fact, use epilogues with caution. Readers need the story to end at the highlight of the relationship or epiphany. They need to experience something special. This is why cliffhangers are not the best way to go. They turn a reader off more often than make them want to grab the next book, especially if readers must wait for it to be released. You can end this section in the character's life and begin the next book with a new set of problems. If you properly reward your readers, they'll become fans forever.

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Heart-Healthy Cooking Tip

Heavily seasoned foods aren't healthy, but what's a Southern cook like me to do? I can deal with limiting fried and red meats, but vegetables like green beans, greens (turnip, kale, mustard, and collards), and legumes (black-eyed peas, cornfield peas, pinto beans, etc.) need some sort of seasoning, and vegetable oil just doesn't give much flavor.

I came up with a solution years ago in the mission field. I was doing a semester interim in the Southern Philippines, teaching missionary children. The principal's wife had me over for dinner, and she used beef stock to season her soups and vegetables. She made it healthier by putting it in the refrigerator to cool completely and then skimming off the tallow that forms at the top. This is the part that causes so many of the problems, like clogging arteries. I liked it better than meat grease and have been using it ever since. Cooking this way also has fewer calories.

It's simple to do. Any time you boil beef, like stew beef, or bake a roast, save the broth in small jars. I save the ones jellies, etc. come in for just this purpose because they're smaller, but half-pint canning jars would also work. Freeze some of it for later use. It doesn't take much broth, and you can experiment to get the amount you prefer. Part of a beef bouillion cube can be added if you like even more flavor. It may take a little getting used to at first, but I think you'll come to like it better the way I do.

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Paul's View on Women

Most people seem to think that Paul didn't have a very positive view of women. They arrive at this conclusion by taking a couple verses from his epistles out of context, not always the wisest thing to do. Although most men during Paul's time looked down on women, Jewish society tended to hold women in higher regard and treat them better than many of the Gentile nations did.

In this case, actions may very well speak louder than words. Let's look at how Paul treated women. Of all his followers, he considered Timothy most like a son. Yet, he gave Eunice and Lois, Timothy's mother and grandmother, credit for the young man's deep faith (see 2 Timothy 1:5). When Paul went to Philippi, he not only baptized Lydia, a successful businesswoman, but he and his followers also stayed with her while they were there. Then in Caesarea, Paul lived with the evangelist, Philip, who had four daughters that were prophetesses. If outspoken Paul had any problems with this, he would have likely made it known, but he didn't. Perhaps he remembered the judge and prophetess Deborah from the Scriptures.

These are only a couple of the many biblical examples of how Paul treated and felt toward women. He also wrote favorably: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Beth Moore writes of Paul's attitude toward women in her book, To Live Is Christ: "A study of the entire life of Paul reveals an interesting fact. He had a vastly different view of women than many people think."

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Publisher's Mistake

I just had something happen that has never happened before with my books. My Appalachian Roots series is published by a traditional publisher, and they put all their fiction books on sale in July. The sale was supposed to end on July 31. However, when they got to my books, for some reason (I assume it was accidental) they only put the second book in the series, Sown in Dark Soil, back to the regular price of $4.99 on Kindle. The other three books in the series, Cleared for Planting, Uprooted by War, and Transplanted to Red Clay, remain at 99 cents.

These books continue to sell well. Just yesterday, I had someone buy the entire set of four books. In fact, Cleared for Planting continues to be the bestseller among all my print books, but that may because it was the first one published. I debated whether to mention the price discrepancy to the publisher, but I have a new book. Through the Wilderness, being released by them soon, and they will likely discover it then. They normally put some of my previous books on sale when I have a new release.

In the meantime, readers can take advantage of this mistake. Even though Sown in Dark Soil is back at regular price, they can still buy the entire set and get all four Kindle books for just $7.96 instead of the normal cost of $19.96. Don't you just love a bargain?

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National Radio Day

August 20th is designated as National Radio Day. No one person can take credit for inventing the radio. Instead, it was a succession of inventions spread across the globe that finally lead to the sound being transmitted and received successfully. The first radio broadcast just for entertainment purposes originated in Massachusetts in 1906. The first commercial radio station, 8MK (now WWJ) began operations in Detroit on August 20, 1920. By 1938, four out of every five homes in the United States had a radio.

The radio became a new way of spreading information from scheduled news reports to presidential addresses and political campaign coverage. It became a new form of entertainment, too. Programming soon included comedies, soap operas, mystery series, drama, quiz shows, talent shows, variety shows, and more. The Golden Age of Radio ran from the early1920s through the 1940s.

Although radio paved the way for the television audience to come, the introduction of television also marked its decline. However, radio is far from being dead. On October 1, 1999, the first satellite broadcast was launched, giving listeners another option and specialized radio. According to the FCC, about 15,000 licensed radio stations were in operation in 2012. So, to celebrate National Radio Day, it will be easy to find a station near you.

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Flawed

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Ecclesiastes 6:20).

It's said Amish quilters used to intentionally put a flaw in their quilts to ensure they showed their human frailty and that only God could make perfection. I'm also a quilter and have always been struck by the arrogance in that attitude. I've never had to intentionally put a flaw in my quilts. They always have at least one naturally. Although it might not be obvious, some corner might not squarely meet the adjacent one, a stitch might be slightly irregular, or the binding not exactly uniform all the way around. The same is true in my writing. Despite all my best efforts and the efforts of editors and beta readers, a few mistakes often slip through.

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

The truth is that no one who has ever walked this earth has been perfect, save one - Jesus Christ. On our own, we remain highly imperfect and sinful. However, when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we become perfect where it counts through Him. Because of his sacrifice on the cross and subsequent resurrection, we're able to exchange our imperfections and sinfulness for his perfection and righteousness. Therefore, we can stand before the Father without flaws or fault.

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

This is the wonderous, glorious Good News of the Gospel, our hope and joy forever. This is the message we are commissioned to share with the world. To not do so is the epitome of selfishness and neglect. Remember love and faith only grow as we give them away. You will be richly blessed as you become a blessing to others in Christ's name. Go and be blessed.

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