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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God of Deliverance

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses (Psalm 107:6).

Elijah and the widow's son at Zarepath

Over and over in the Bible, God delivered people from dire situations. He delivered the Israelites from Egypt; Rabab from destruction; Joseph from his brothers' evil intentions and then from prison; Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace; Daniel from the lion's den; David from the giant, Goliath; the widow of Zarapath's son from death; and Jonah from the big fish. And these are only a few from the Old Testament. The list could go on.

Raising of Lazarus

And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer (2 Samuel 22:2).

There were plenty in the New Testament, too, such as the madman of Decapoles from unclean spirits, Peter from prison, Paul from numerous disasters, Lazarus from death and his tomb, the lepers from their disease and sure death, the thief on the cross from going to hell, and numerous others.



The righteous cry, and the Lord, heareth, and delivereth them out of their troubles (Psalm 34:17).

And the good news continues. He still delivers today, not only from desperate situations but also unto salvation, so that we can be with Him in eternity. Just as He has done throughout history, He is waiting for you to call upon Him, to surrender, and to make Him Lord of your life. Don't delay. Aren't you glad He is the God of Deliverance?

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me (Psalm 50:15).

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Off the Streets Audible  

https://www.amazon.com/Off-Streets-Another-Chance-Book/dp/B088RDLDRK

Off the Streets is now available in the Audible version, as well as in print and on Kindle. Set in Charlotte, Gwen McAllister is attacked in the parking lot of the soup kitchen where she volunteers. She thinks the worst is about to happen when a shadow comes out of nowhere and sends her two attackers running. The shadow turns out to be Hunter Nash, a former Army Ranger who is now living on the streets. She talks him into going to her house for supper, but she can't convince him to let her help him more. However, circumstances bring them together again, and although Hunter wants to protect her, he knows she doesn't need the baggage he carries from his past.

I went back to Jennifer Groberg to narrate Off the Streets since she's done such an excellent job in the past, and listeners seem to love her. She has produced Mountain Mishap, It All Started at the Masquerade, Deceitful Matters, On the Road to Jericho, Past Storms, and now Off the Streets for me. When I need a female narrator, I ask her first.

Off the Streets is the first book in the Another Chance series of two books. Without a Dream, the second book, is in ACX's approval queue now and should be out in a few weeks. It is about Brandon, Gwen's son. ACX's approval process is now taking over six weeks. Jennifer can produce several books in that amount of time. She's that good.

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Remembering Those Who Died in War

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, the day the United States has set aside to honor those who gave their lives to protect our nation and its interests. The holiday was established in 1868 but first called "Decoration Day" because the day was meant to be used to decorate the soldiers' graves. 

Here are the rounded numbers of fatalities from all the major wars:

• Revolutionary War - 5,000
  
• War of 1812 - 2,000
• Mexican War - 13,000
• Civil War - 500,000
• Spanish American - 2,000
• World War I - 117,000
• World War II - 400,000
• Korean War - 54,000
• Vietnam War - 90,000
• Persian Gulf War - 2,000                                 
•  *Statistics from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans' Affairs

As you can see, more died in the Civil War than any other. That's because both sides were America. But let's remember all the brave men and women and their families from all military services who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Let us never take that lightly and never squander what's important by bickering over things that don't really matter.

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Church Fellowship

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:    and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ (1John 1:7a).

Jesus emphasized that believers should fellowship with one another and with Him as He fellowships with the Father This establishes a triangular exchange that edifies, teaches, and supports us. It's the way Christ designed His Church from the very beginning because it grows our faith and makes us stronger.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another  (1John 1:7a).

Matthew records Jesus telling us, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Christian fellowship pleases the Father, draws Jesus into our midst, and causes His Holy Spirit to move among us. This is illustrated in the fellowship the apostles experienced and in the early churches they and their contemporaries started. It was God's plan and Christ's design from the beginning.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

In these troubled times, it is even more important that we gather together in love, encouragement, and support as Jesus taught us. We cannot get the same experience or the same benefits from distant churches, although they can be a blessing, too, and certainly have been during our semi-quarantine. As we begin to return to normal (although it might need to be a new normal for a while), it doesn't need to be an either/or situation. We can learn from and enjoy all types of Bible study and worship. But let's not forsake ourselves from gathering together in Jesus' name.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

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The Different Facebook Pages I Manage

As I've become more involved in writing, publishing, and social media, I have come to manage or co-manage several Facebook pages. The first was Janice Cole Hopkins, my author's page. This is a good place to keep up with what is happening with my writing projects and in my career as an author. I don't post much of this on my personal page. https://www.facebook.com/JaniceColeHopkins/

The Appalachian Roots page came from the first series of four books I published  (Cleared for Planting, Sown in Dark Soil, Uprooted by War, and Transplanted to Red Clay), set in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1800s. However, this is the culture where I grew up, and the page has broadened to reflect that culture and region.  
https://www.facebook.com/Appalachian-Roots-1560747940894713/

There are two church pages I started and still administer or co-administer. These came from my husband pastoring there -- Powellsville Baptist Church and Palmerville Baptist Church. Regrettably, I don't have the time to devote to these pages that I once did, but I still post regularly, at least once a week.
 https://www.facebook.com/PowellsvilleBaptistChurch/   https://www.facebook.com/Palmerville-Baptist-Church-109380113920495/

Three pages saw my blogs and asked me to become an administrator for them -- Southern Plantations, Haywood County History and Events, and North Carolina Authors, Writers, Readers, Book Clubs, & Literary Org. Then, I saw a page I liked, Christian Book Lovers, becoming less and less active, and I offered to help with it. 
https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlantations/
https://www.facebook.com/Haywood-County-Events-and-History-276474499226291/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/northcarolinaliterarygroup/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/314211825413566/

With Free Promo Codes for Christian Audible Books, I saw a need and created a page to fill it. There were pages for promo code giveaways, but these also had all genres, including those with explicit sex and profanity. There were a few pages for free Christian audiobooks, but these mainly featured YouTube and other venues. I wanted a page just for free Christian Audible promo codes, so I created one.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2797241590334924/

My newest page is The Greatest of These Publishing. This is my publishing company, organized when I began to publish my books independently. I originally thought I might eventually branch out to publish books by other Christian authors, but I've stayed too busy managing my books to do much with it. The idea is there, however, should I ever want to expand.
https://www.facebook.com/The-Greatest-of-These-Publishing-101010351324547/

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National Visit Your Relatives Day

With the social distancing stemming from COVID19, visiting our relatives may be more challenging this year, but it's no less important. Families are a special part of our lives, and it's important to stay in touch. Depending on which state you live in, this may be more difficult for some than others, but we can a least pick up the phone and call family members. This is a good day to do that since May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day.

However, the restrictions due to the virus are easing in some states. There's a push to begin resuming some of our normal activities and let businesses get back to work. In addition, it is usually still in compliance if there are ten or less present. So, even with the semi-quarantine, we can still get with family members. Some think staying outside is safer, so perhaps a small family picnic or an evening sitting around talking in a backyard or park.

Whatever method you choose, this would be a good day to reach out and check on relatives, especially the elderly, have a long chat, and do some catching up. One good thing about our situation is that many of us have more time now. Let's take advantage of it.

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