How Christians Reject God

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

Christians should turn to God for direction more than they do. One of the ways even Christians reject God is by not studying the Bible or praying. We must do this if we are to be obedient to our Lord and have the relationship with Him that we should have. In fact, everything about growing our faith hinges on this.

Go now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For what ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that (James 4:13-15).

Then, even if we do study our Bibles, have a planned daily prayer time, and pray throughout the day as well, we often make decisions and plans for our lives without consulting Him. Why do we act like we have complete control of our lives when we know we don't? Why would we not seek direction from the One who knows all, sees all, and is all-powerful -- the One who wants only the best for us?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an unexpected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

In talking about this in his book, Guidance and the Voice of God, Phillip Jensen says, "People still live like that today, Christians among them. They take no account of God in their plans. They just make up their minds and do it, without considering that the Lord of the Universe might have something to say." Do you?

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Audibles Eliminate Many of the Mistakes

Recently, I read a copy of a book and then listened to the audio edition, and I realized anew that many of the mistakes are removed in the audible version. Of course, it won't change the content, so the story still needs to be written well. But it will glide over many of the punctuation errors or homonym issues.

A good narrator will even enhance a weak story to some degree. The book I read came across as somewhat juvenile and simplistic when I read the sentences, but it didn't sound nearly as simplistic when I listened to it. At first, I thought the narrator's voice was actually a bit old for this book, but it worked. She was able to do the male characters well and did an excellent job of adding to the Western setting and giving the proper ambiance to the story.

Click on photo to enlarge

I am getting close to having all my books put on Audible, except for the five published by a traditional publisher, and they own the audio-rights to those. Thankfully, I own the rights to those published by my smaller, print-on-demand publisher and the last ones I've published myself. I find that if I have an easy-to-work-with narrator, I enjoy the whole process. It's another way to reach a wider audience, and the audio market is growing.

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A Day for Chocolate Cake

January 27th is National Chocolate Cake Day, so let's take a closer look at the decadent dessert. Spanish explorers found chocolate beverages among the Mesoamericans in Mexico. They took the beans back to Europe where sugar was added to the drink they prepared to make it more popular.

In 1764, Dr. James Baker discovered how to make chocolate usable for other treats by grinding the cacao beans between millstones, much like grinding grain. Conrad Van Houten from the Netherlands found a way to extract the fat from the cacao liquid in 1828. This produced a solid mass and ground into a powder that made chocolate much more affordable. Now, chocolate cakes became common.

The Duff Company, a molasses company in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, introduced the first devil's food chocolate cake mix in the 1930s, but mass production was held up until after World War II. Today there are many versions of the chocolate cake. Here's an old recipe for devil's food cake written for today's cooks:

        Chocolate Devil's Food Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 leveled cups dark brown sugar, not packed tightly
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup margarine and shortening mixed
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup hot water
3 egg whites

Cream together sugar and shortening mix. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together three times. Alternately add milk and hot water while mixing. Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees until done (about 30 minutes for 9" layer pans). Frost as desired.

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The Bible and God's Will


Blessed are they which to hunger and thirst after righteous: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Too many Christians put reading their Bibles on the back-burner and then lament they have trouble discerning the will of God. The Bible is the main way God reveals His will to us, both on the big issues and the little ones. The Holy Spirit can use a passage to touch our hearts and make us see the words in a way meant especially for us.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

The Bible reveals 100% of God's moral will, and it instructs us how to live in all areas of our life. But sometimes, when there's a choice to make and there's no clear-cut right or wrong answer, we may need to pray and trust God to direct us in the best choice. This type of complete surrender and total trust may be hard for some, but reading and Bible study will help in this, too. The better we get to know God and His character, the more we will trust Him.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God (Matthew 22:27).

Reading, studying, and meditating on God's Word is so important there is no excuse for a Christian neglecting it. If you love God, you will; if you have truly accepted Christ as your Savior and had that heart change, you will; if you have your priorities straight, you will. In fact, you will be eager for the special time you set aside to hear from God and for the time of being in His presence in prayer to follow. 

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Accents in Audiobooks

Authors and narrators need to be conscious of accents in audiobooks. I recently listened to a book by a well-known author set in England in the Middle Ages, but the narrator had a distinctive American accent, and it sounded odd. I remained conscious of the accent during the entire series. As an author, I don't want my listeners pulled out of the story like this because it detracts from their enjoyment. When I chose a producer for my book set in the Middle Ages, Time-Told Tales, I selected a British narrator.


I also find light accents work best because heavy, thick ones can do the same thing -- pull the listener out of the story and make them work to understand the book. It's okay for the narrator to use a thicker accent for a minor character, but it's best not to have the entire book read in one. Jennifer Groberg did this when she narrated Mountain Mishap. The heavy Appalachian mountain dialect was only for two minor characters. Otherwise, it's tiresome for the listener, and you want them to relax and enjoy the story. Many of my books are set in the Southern United States. However, I don't want an overdone Southern accent like so many actors give. That's even a turn-off to me, and I have a Southern dialect. A light one is much better for audiobooks.

Douglas Birk from Missouri narrated Mountain Storms
where many of the characters were from Missouri.

Unless I already have a producer in mind, I usually look for a narrator from the area my book is set in. These people often have a general American accent from their experience and training with a hint of an accent from that area. As an avid listener, I want my books to be read as authentically as possible but not be weighed down in an accent I need to work to understand, and this is what I look for in a narrator, too.

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Inauguration Day

The capitol on Inauguration Day

Since 1937, January 20th has been Inauguration Day in the years when there've been Presidential elections. The only exceptions have been when January 20th fell on a Sunday. Then, the inauguration is held on Monday, January 21st. This marks the first official day of the new presidency.

Donald Trump takes the oath of office

Saying the oath of office is the only part of the ceremony mandated by the United States Constitution. However, it's become a tradition for the chief justice to administer the oath. And since Ronald Reagan, the ceremony has been held on the west side of the United States Capitol building, facing the National Mall with the Washington Monument easily visible and the Lincoln Memorial in the distant background. Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration in 1945 was the last regularly scheduled inauguration not to take place at the Capitol. 

Maya Angelou at Clinton's inauguration

Other events have also become common parts of the celebration. This might include special speakers, parades, dinners, balls, or other social gatherings. Of course, the ceremony itself is a heavily covered media event with major television networks and cable news channels broadcasting it live. Part of the history of this day, January 20th, then, includes the history of Inauguration Day.

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Over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long event, including parades and multiple social gatherings. The ceremony itself is carried live via the major U.S. commercial television and cable news networks; various ones also stream it live on their websites.

The Shepherd's Staff


...thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4c).

In biblical times the shepherd's staff had many purposes. The shepherd could use it to catch or lift sheep, especially lambs, from rough terrain. He could part heavy, dense growth with it, and wield it as a weapon against predators or enemies. He often used it as a walking stick when on long journeys, climbing or descending hills, or on treacherous ground.

And the Lord said unto him, What is in thine hand? And he said, A rod (Exodus 4:2).

The shepherd's crook could also be a form of identification. It not only told the occupation, but each shepherd made his own staff and had some sort of identifying mark or design carved on it. Most often biblical staffs were crooked at the top, but they could also be straight, and these were often called rods.

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks... (Proverbs 27:23a).

In artwork, Jesus is often pictured with a staff, showing He is our Good Shepherd. In fact, the shepherd's staff eventually came to symbolize high-ranking religious leaders and emphasize their responsibility to their flock. The Bible mentions shepherds over 200 times, and you can be sure their staff stood along with them.

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