Parchment Paths

Well, opening night of my church's Easter Drama, Fishers of Men came and went. I cannot believe how quickly that happened!  All of the practice paid to the sound of a standing ovation. Of course, while I love that the audience enjoyed the performance, the main point is that message of Christ's redeeming love is heard. If you missed out, there's one more performance tomorrow at 7:00pm at High Point Baptist Church in Larksville.   

Adults place such an emphasis on children's future careers. At first, this is a good thing; it shows kids that interests and hobbies have a purpose in their lives, it also teaches them about the different people that make up a community. As we age, however, we become obsessed with the god of career. "I have to get good grades so I can get into a good college so I can have a good career." What should  be a healthy sense of accomplishment  becomes our identity. "I'm a teacher," or "I'm a store manager." For me, it was being able to say, "I'm an author, a published author."  Well, aside from newspaper articles that hasn't happened yet. My fiction has either returned  from publishers and agents or still sits on flash drives and notebooks. So, am I still an author?  Do I become dejected by the rejections or do I become obsessively driven? I've struggled with both, mostly with dejection to be honest.  I was led to believe ...

High Point Baptist Church is once again presenting an Easter drama this year on April 17th and 18th at 7pm. This year's story entitled, Fishers of Men is told mainly from Peter's point of view from being chosen by Jesus to  the beginning of his ministry after the crucifixion and resurrection. The cast includes church members of varying ages to create a realistic setting of the people Jesus and His disciples ministered to.   There is no cost to either performance so everyone is welcome to hear the ultimate story of love and sacrifice.   

  I enjoyed this book much more than the first of the series, as the plot finally "thickens" as the old saying goes. Not only were the main characters fleshed out so were new ones, such as the invading forces. Over all, it was a much better read, a quicker pace, and a deeper insight into both plot and people. The last lines of the book especially left me eager for the next book. "You know how you said people would follow met to he gates of hell? .... you'd better find them; that's where we're going."  

A few days ago, I got to see the newest play at Sight and Sound Theaters in PA.  The much anticipated play was Moses.  What I love about their plays is their ability to stay true to the Biblical story while adding just enough to allow even the audience, whether they know the Bible or not to personally identify with the characters.  Of course the gorgeous sets, costumes, music, and animals are wonderful to see as well. As with all the plays, their are little things that stand out. For instance, I never made the connection of how hard it must have been for Mose to go from being an Egyptian noble to a shepherd. I'm not just talking about the work and poverty, I'm talking about the cultural hatred ancient Egyptians had toward shepherds due to an invasion of a shepherding people years in Egypt's past. Another amazing part of the play is how after each plague a statue of the god the plague had mocked would shatter; after the frogs came , for instance, the fertility frog ...

This past weekend my friend and I visited The Anthracite Heritage Museum .   I had been there once before for an elementary field trip, but have wanted to go back. I love museums and am fortunate that my local area has a few.   I was surprised how much was inside. I expected the obvious, coal cars, miner's hats, documents, but there was so much more. There was a whole wing about the local textile industry.  And another detailing the lives of  miners and their families. A miner's home miner's church      Their were also displays detailing the variety  of immigrants that made up the mining community.  Irish history book It was a fascinating look into the industry that shaped the local community. Several of the ethnic groups still thrive in the area and it was all thanks to the coal .  

This book by   Diane Duane was a lot of fun to read. The friend who gave it to me described it as "literary junk food", meaning that while it's not particularly deep, it's a quick, delightful read that leaves you wanting more. While, I believe those who enjoy Harry Potter will also enjoy this, they're are some differences. The children have only occasional guidance in using their new found magic, which rather than being an inborn trait, is a choice and a promise they make to protect the universe by assisting nature and energy.  Their defeat of a terrible dark power is exciting, but seems like a great deal of beginners luck, unless other books reveal Nita and Kit to be super wizards. The concept of machines and space anomalies having  lives and the ability to communicate was a bit strange, but after a few chapters I was used to it. Overall, it's a cute, fun book.