John the Baptist

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist... (Matthew 11:11).

John the Baptist was a miracle baby who, like Isaac, was given to an older couple who had passed child-bearing age. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb and later given the task of preparing the way for the Messiah. Not only did he fulfill the Old Testament prophecy, but Christ called him the greatest of all the prophets, and he had the privilege of baptizing his Lord.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, this is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him (Matthew 14:1-2).

John was outspoken against Herod Antipas when he divorced his wife to marry Herodias, his brother's wife. It led to John being beheaded sometime around 32 A.D. Herod must have realized that John was special because when Jesus came to Herod's attention, the ruler said He must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. Perhaps his conscience was bothering him.

For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Phillip's wife. For John said unto him, it is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.... And he sent, and beheaded John in prison (Matthew 14:3-10).

John was related to Jesus and also had the great privilege of presenting Jesus to the world and preparing the people of Israel to receive him (Luke 1:5; 7:18-28). What a special person John must have been, and yet, it was necessary for him to pray, as well as teach his disciples to pray. Prayer is the key to a spirit-filled life, and John is just one biblical example of this.

(Parts taken from Prayer 101 by Warren W. Wiersbe)

_______________________________________________

Poetry and Prose

Writers can have many different hats, and each one helps to make their writing stronger. I enjoy fiction writing the most, but before I published my first novel, I wrote non-fiction articles in magazines. They were quicker projects while I was teaching. However, the first piece I had published was actually a poem. I was in the eighth grade at the time.

I enjoy writing. Period. Every form of writing has helped teach me the craft and made me a better writer. Poetry, with the necessity to choose exact words, helps firm up any writing. I plan to continue writing poems for as long as I can write because I love it all -- novels, non-fiction, and poetry.

In fact, I've toyed with the idea of publishing a collection of poetry. I know poetry doesn't sell anymore, but that's not the main reason I write. I am a writer; it's what I do. It fulfills me. I haven't felt the time is right, but if and when I do, I would like to release a book of poetry. Who knows? There may be a resurgence in the popularity of poems sometime in the future.

______________________________

Cranberries for the Holidays

When colonists first came to North America, they found some of the Algonquian peoples around New England using cranberries in some of their food, like pemmican, and for a dye. Explorers wrote of this as early as 1550. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, a petticoat dyed with cranberries was auctioned off in 1633. Thirty years later, a recipe for cranberry sauce appeared in a Pilgrim cookbook. Their history is a long one.

Having been raised in the South, fresh cranberries were never a staple in our house, nor was cooking or baking with them common for us. However, when I found cranberries on sale for 25 cents a bag one year, I couldn't resist. The bag had a simple-looking recipe on the back of it, so I gave it a try. A new holiday tradition was born. We loved the cranberry bread.
Here's the recipe I used:

Cranberry-Nut Bread

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together dry ingredients. Blend in orange juice, egg, and oil. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in a greased 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and let set 5 minutes before slicing.

__________________________________

A Thanksgiving Attitude

Giving thanks shouldn't be something we just do on a special Thursday in November or occasionally when we think of it. Even thanking God for our food before meals or when we recognize a special blessing isn't enough. We need to live with a thankful heart and make it "thanksliving." 

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).

We can cultivate a thankful heart since it's a choice we make. Paul gave thanks in all his situations (and he went through many hardships, beatings, imprisonment. and eventually, execution) because he knew God would bring good, even from bad circumstances. Do you trust God that much?

"As ye therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye with him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).

In Jesus Calling, Sarah Young writes, "A thankful heart opens the windows of heaven.... Thankfulness opens you up to these experiences [glimpses of heaven's glory], which provide further reasons to be grateful." Isn't this a marvelous cycle of blessings, understanding how great God is, and recognizing how good He is to us? Cultivate a thankful heart and attitude and see how much better your life becomes. 

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever" (1 Chronicles 16:34).

______________________________________________________

Longer Books

I find more and more readers telling me they are not looking for longer print or ebooks anymore. Most want books between 150 and 275 pages. They say these are long enough to develop the characters and plot without becoming tedious or taking too long to finish. The novella is growing in popularity all the time, too.

Audiobooks are the exception to this, however. On Amazon, those who subscribe to Audible are reluctant to spend a credit for a book under five hours, and they prefer those above eight hours. Authors with books over 300 pages should consider putting them on Audible. I find the process fun, and it's definitely an up and coming market. In our busy worlds, being able to listen to a good book while doing other mundane tasks is appealing.

As an author, I presently have ten books on Audible and three more in the works. I hope to soon have them all in this format and give readers/listeners another option. But I am also an avid Audible customer. I have almost 300 books in my Audible library, and I listen to an Audible book about every week and a half to two weeks. I especially have one going when I walk on the treadmill and when I drive alone. It's another way to enjoy a good book.

_________________________________

National Mickey Mouse Day

November 18th is National Mickey Mouse Day, and the character has a long history. He was created in 1928 with Ub Iwerke the main illustrator. "Plane Crazy" was the first short cartoon, but it had a poor reception, and Disney couldn't find a distributor. The second short, "The Gallopin' Gaucho" had the same experience. Neither cartoons were released.

The first Mickey Mouse animation to find a distributor was Steamboat Willie, which came out on November 18, 1928. In The Barn Dance (March 14, 1929), Minnie turns down Mickey in favor of Pete. Mickey wore his white gloves for the first time in The Opry House (April 28, 1929). When the Cat's Away followed (May 3, 1928).

From a meager beginning, the films continued, compiling a long list of successes. The first official color film of Mickey came with The Band Concert in 1935, and the movies just kept coming. In addition, Mickey appeared on television and in comic strips. He even started merchandising with numerous items for sale. He still remains a popular Disney character.

______________________________

Two Jameses 

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword (Acts 12:1-2).


Two men named James were important disciples in the Bible. The first one was John's brother, the son of Zebedee. He was one of the first disciples to join Jesus in His ministry. Mark 1:19-21 tells us James and John were at the seashore helping their father with his fishing business when Jesus called them to follow Him, and they remained with Him until His ascension. In fact, they were present at many of the events recorded in the gospels. James is believed to be the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred. Herod had him killed by the sword.


For neither did his brethren believe in him (John 7:5).

Fast forward a number of years, and the second James was the brother of Jesus. He became an important leader in the early church and was present during Paul's time. As Warren Wiersbe states in his book, Be Free, however, "Our Lord's brothers and sisters did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry." Paul writes that the risen Christ appeared to James and changed this (1 Corinthians 15:7). He helped make the important decision that Gentiles did not have to follow the Jewish rules and traditions to be saved. We get the Book of James from this apostle, and the teachings there are practical and deep. According to the historian, Josephus, James was stoned to death.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him (James 1:12).

_______________________________________________