The Rosetta Stone

Egyptian hieroglyphics

The Rosetta Stone was found by a French captain in the Egyptian village of Rosetta on July 15, 1799. The stone tablet became the key to unlocking and translating Egyptian hieroglyphics. It's inscribed with a decree in three different languages: Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, Demotic scripts (another language of Egypt), and ancient Greek.

The Rosetta Stone

The stone found is a large piece of the original, which may have had ornate carving at the top in the style of other similar messages and likely resembled a symmetrical tablet shape. It is believed to have been carved during the Hellenistic Period (323 BC - 31 BC) and displayed at a temple, perhaps at nearby Sais. The stone itself is composed of granodiorite stele, and the multi-lingual carving made it the first such work to become translatable. It garnered much attention from the public as well as experts in the field.

British Museum

After sitting on display at the temple, it was moved from its original location at some point. Years later it became part of building construction at Fort Julien in the Nile delta area. It was here that Pierre-Francois Bouchard found it during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt. It later came into the hands of the English and today resides at the British Museum in London.

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There Are Many Ways to Be a Missionary

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 alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Great Commission tells us to take the gospel into all the world. Obviously, not all Christians are called to move to another country to become a foreign missionary, but there are many ways to fulfill the Great Commission. Of course, we can witness and make disciples by talking to and developing relationships with those in our neighborhoods, co-workers, and people we come in contact with. But we can also support domestic and foreign missions and never leave home. Here are some ways:
1. Be a sender. These people financially support missionaries.
2. Be an intercessor. Become a prayer warrior for specific missionaries, as well as missionaries in general.
3. Be a mobilizer. Work to get others involved in the work of missions.
4. Be an assistant. Help missionaries and/or their team in practical ways with backup support. Many times this can be done via computer or technology.
5. Be a welcomer. Welcome others to church, your home, or to the family of God. People long to feel a sense of belonging.
6. Be a trainer. Help equip others in some aspect of mission work.
7. Be a goer. God does call some to go and serve away from home. It may be in another community, county, state, province, or country. Always heed God's call.
8. Be an encourager. Missionaries can use all the encouragement they can get, but so can anyone in God's service. Send emails, calls, cards, letters, packages, etc. You'll be surprised by how encouraging others encourages you.

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Characters on the Cover...or Not

For years, the trend has been to have the main character(s) on the cover of a book. Designers believed this appealed to and drew in more readers. Research has definitely proven that covers are critical in getting potential readers to take a closer look. An attractive cover will cause readers to pick a book, while an unattractive one will result in them passing it by.

In the last couple of years, however, publishers have developed another perspective. They wonder if showing a character's face might impede the reader envisioning the person in a way they find attractive, and perhaps it is better to leave facial features to the reader's imagination. This resulted in heads being cut off or showing the back view of a character.

Now, there seems to be a new trend of not showing a character at all. I don't have a personal preference from these three options, as long as the cover is attractive. No matter which is used, I will envision my own look for the characters from the written descriptions. But I find the choices people make for covers interesting, and I like the design aspect of publishing.

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Dunvegan Castle

Sitting atop a rock summit about 50 feet above sea level and located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, Dunvegan Castle is an impressive sight. Just a mile away is the village of Dunvegan. Many believe the site was originally a Norse fort, but the castle took its place in the 13th century. The present structure was built in about ten stages over the centuries. It is has been continuously occupied by the same family for around 800 years.

The castle has long been the stronghold of Clan MacLeod and is still the seat of the clan chief. The promontory was walled in the 1200s, and a four-story tower house appeared in the 14th century. The Fairy Tower was added as a separate building sometime around 1500, but later construction connected it to the main structure.

Inside, the castle is just as impressive as the outside. Artifacts from its history furnish the rooms, and touring these halls is truly a walk through history. Visitors can also take seal boat trips to Loch Dunvegan, a sea loch. For history lovers, a day at the castle is time well spent indeed. 

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Taking Prayer to Another Level

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth (Psalm 145:18).

Prayer shouldn't be just a chore or a duty; it should be a joy. It's a chance to spend one-on-one time with God. What could be more satisfying or gratifying? It draws us closer to our Creator in an intimate, personal relationship that fills the empty spaces of our lives as nothing else can do.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37).

Can you recall a time when you finally got a chance to spend time alone with someone you loved? Can you remember how the time flew by as you talked and learned more about each other? How much more should this be true of our time with God? He should be the greatest love of our life. The Bible tells us we should love Him with all our hearts, our souls, and our minds.

Delight thyself also in the Lord...(Psalm 37:4a).

Set aside a special time in your day to spend some one-on-one time with your Lord. Open your heart, share yourself, and experience His presence. You should still pray impromptu prayers all through the day -- prayers of thanks and praise or of needs and requests. However, nothing can replace this scheduled meeting. I like what Daniel Henderson says in his book, Transforming Prayer. "One thing I know -- once you have tasted this kind of prayer experience, nothing else satisfies and everything else is seen in a new light." 

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Unfriend Me

Many of you may know that Amazon has gotten more aggressive to make sure no family or friends leave a review for an author's book. They even check who you're friends with on Facebook and other social media sites. I've had some of my own reviews not accepted because I was online friends with Pepper Basham, Tamara Lee, Marylu Tyndall, etc. I have also had some of the reviews for my books removed because fans had friended me, I accepted, and therefore Amazon would not accept their reviews of my books.

I can understand Amazon's intent, but as an author, I have nearly 3,000 friends on Facebook alone. I have never met most of them, and being friends on Facebook doesn't mean we are actual friends or even acquaintances. Having online friends is an entirely different matter, especially for 
public figures.

However, now, before I leave a book review, I check and unfriend the author if necessary. I am hoping my online friends will do the same. They can still keep up with me by liking my author's page, but it's better that we not be friends online. I need the reviews much more than I need another online friend. What a shame that it must be this way!

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Loch Ness

Loch Ness has long fascinated visitors and for more reasons than the strange creature who is reported to live in the lake. Located southwest of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, it's been set in a picturesque location for ages. We took the backroads to get there, and the scenery was spectacular. The loch also boasts of several records, including the first person to swim its entire length. Brenda Sherratt accomplished this in 1966 in thirty-one hours and twenty-seven minutes.

Loch Ness is the second largest lake in Scotland in surface area, but it is the largest one in volume because of its depth. It contains more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined. It originally contained nine species of fish, and two more have been introduced. It's also home to a Royal Navy Lifeboat Station manned by volunteers. 

The Loch Ness Monster, commonly known as "Nessie," is a cryptid, a large, unknown animal. Guides say that sonar has proven something is there but just not exactly what. Nessie first came to the world's notice in 1933, but photos from that first publicized sighting of Nessie were proven to be a hoax. Some of the other lakes in Scotland have similar stories of creatures. The earliest known sighting of such a monster came in the 6th century by an Irish monk, so most of them have been around through Medieval times.

On the day I visited Loch Ness, a damp, misty fog covered the area. This made it a typical day for Nessie sightings, but not such a good day for photography. Of course, I didn't see Nessie either. However, I did see the shack of the resident Nessie expert. He has made studying the lake and its "monster" his life's work. He sells souvenirs to tourist and takes donations to support his endeavor. He's nearly as interesting as the lake itself. A trip to Loch Ness is certainly worth the time. 

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