Lee is a trained journalist and attorney. He may be a minister as well even though he began his inquiry as an agnostic or athiest. He approaches this Lee is a trained journalist and attorney. He may be a minister as well even though he began his inquiry as an agnostic or athiest. He approaches this book as if it were a major assignment of his paper and as a dogged attorney looking for any instance of falsehood. Recommended!
I finished it about 3 days ago and have now loaned it to a friend. Strobel did me a favor and summarized each chapter in the last few pages. Went to Bible Study today that is taking the book chapter by chapter. I'm afraid most of the fellow members have never had any angst over their faith and do not know why anyone would bother studying the reliability of the Gospel accounts because it 'sounds fine' to them as they blythely change the subject when if it really is an account of God making a visit to planet Earth then we can't avoid the call to lay our lives on the altar and strike a match. ...more
1/11/13 continued: Just getting off the peninsula took the lives of all the mules. Rory met Georgia's first husband, liked him because he really cared 1/11/13 continued: Just getting off the peninsula took the lives of all the mules. Rory met Georgia's first husband, liked him because he really cared for the wounded and dying, and saved his life by getting him on a hospital ship bound for Alexandria.
Rory then headed to Ireland where he wasted no time reconnecting with the Larkin past and destiny. Women who knew Connor thought he had been reincarnated in Rory even though he was going by Landers. Rory was disabled somewhat but still managed to help the Irish cause after 'the Rising' which led Brodhead to sentence 90+ to death by firing squad. 80 were commuted to prison terms and later released (along with over 1,000 captured elsewhere) after Rory and Carolyn killed Brodhead whose body would never be found.
Rory returned to NZ, to his father, and to Georgia. 'had a daughter named Rory - conceived before the war in Europe and a son named for his dad, Liam after his return.
I will never see the Irish conflict the same again....more
9/26/12 [update - continued] Brad knew that his profession asked him to put men in harms way but he never liked doing it. He was good in any job to wh9/26/12 [update - continued] Brad knew that his profession asked him to put men in harms way but he never liked doing it. He was good in any job to which he was assigned, training, administration, whatever. The first opportunity for all of them to work together was in the Tunisian operation in North Africa. Ike had difficulty in restraining conflicts between allied units. Patton had barely managed to restrain himself from taking the bit in his teeth and teaching the British what they aught to be doing. Brad... just always did a great job even if he didn't like it...like delivering bad news to a friend. Patton experienced personal loss when his personal aid Dick Jensen was killed in a Nazi air raid, and despite a period of serious strain in British-US relations, it did work out to better air cover from British planes for US troops....more to follow.
9/28/12 [update - continued] Palermo. Patton sometimes ignored orders from British General Alexander but made such great progress that his disobedience was overlooked. Brad wasn't getting much action but it was beginning to improve as he was given an objective up near Messina. Anything was better than the painful hemoroids with which he had begun the campaign.
9/30/12 No one knew but the Brits's assignment of Gold - Sword beaches was a cream puff whereas the American Beaches of Utah and Omaha would become a blood bath. Patton was finally invited to lead an invasion army under Brad. Brad wasn't happy to have the loudmouthed General in his command.
10/02/12 [update - continued] After all landings had been completed the allies still had operations on the beach for weeks or months as they unloaded supplies for moving inland and stacked them for later distribution. It was weeks before Bradley succeeded in getting out of the hedgerows and in the meantime called for Patton to activate Third Army and head east. Montgomery didn't want Patton there because he knew Patton would do a better job than Monty would do and thus get more media coverage, which he did, but he had better sense than to make any statements to the press. In getting out of the bocage (sp?) the allies had encompassed and captured several thousand German troops even though some escaped.
10/06/12 [update - continued]action being conducted by other armies such as Bradley's and Patton's. Eisenhower at times had to all-but-fire Monty, and probably would have but he was trying to use him as much as possible to keep the British happy. The 3rd army was advancing fast toward the east when the Germans hit Bradley's army with 17 armored divisions (pardon me if my military jargon is wrong) so Patton had to turn around and stop the Germans from doing any more damage. George was just happy to be 'killing krauts'. Once the bulge counteroffensive had been stopped (and Montgomery had been put in his place) Bradley and George set about crossing the Rhine River and pacifying central and southern Germany since Eisenhower had told them to let the Russians take Berlin. Eisenhower never got over seeing the true nature of Nazi brutality that he saw in the concentration camps and insisted on TOTAL DENAZIFICATION in their postwar administration of conquered territories.
Patton's death from injuries in a minor traffic accident that paralyzed him for months may have been the kindest end for a man that would not have been happy in a world of compromises and kissing asses required for peace....more
He wastes no time getting started and starts at the most promising point, Jesus teaching his disciples when they asked him to tAuthor's photo: [image]
He wastes no time getting started and starts at the most promising point, Jesus teaching his disciples when they asked him to teach them to pray. They had obviously seen that he had power with God that no other man had. I don't know if they had already or would soon see him quiet the sea of Galilea, raise the son of the widow of Nain,and his friend Lazarus from the dead and heal the man who had been born blind but they knew his habit was to pray and they wanted to know how.
I have heard enough of my fellow christians' stumbling efforts to know that I am not alone in needing this instruction.
11/08/12 - This is not a long book but it took a long time to read because as I read it I had to take some actions to mend some spiritual fences and still I'm sure I missed a few. Each chapter teaches an important aspect and I'll not try to describe them all but briefly Jesus is the only one who can truly instruct you as to how to pray; true prayer is spiritual and only true worshipers in the spirit, can pray effectively (touching God); personal prayer is for God's ears only but there is a place for communal prayer for mutual support; while there is no set 'form' of prayer we do well to remember the sample prayer that Jesus gave us, in which we are reminded that God is Our Father, that we are to honor his majesty, holiness and power and to pray in an attitude of eagerness for his RULE in our lives; our personal needs have their rightful place as we petition for their provision along with our need for forgiveness in the same measure as we forgive others. Closing with acknowledgement that the kingdom belongs to God, that he has the power to give you what you are asking and is due the Glory for his generous gifts through his son. Since God is our Father he really WANTS to answer the prayers of his children who are led by the spirit of Christ-whose words constantly guide their actions; Our Father wants us to ASK for what we need so we can KNOW when he answers our prayers. Some answers take time and sometimes we need to persist in our request. God knows why, maybe to be sure we REALLY want it, or to be sure that our motives are in line with the will of God. Christ is our intercessor and we have a role to play in His intercession as we are IN HIM. Prayers prayed truly "in the spirit of Christ" can not fail to be heard and answered since Christ's prayers (even those through OUR lips) are always heard and acted on by the Father. Test this, but I seem to be hearing that both the 'object-specific request' and our 'motive-our pleasure or God's glory' must be in alignment with God's will.
Prayers prayed for the accomplishment of God's purpose through you are sure to be answered.
I've just hit the high spots. I recommend you read the book....more
In just a couple hundred pages Miss Alther manages to convey the drama of dark and dismal events as well as the pathos of wasted and yearning lives. SIn just a couple hundred pages Miss Alther manages to convey the drama of dark and dismal events as well as the pathos of wasted and yearning lives. She talks honestly about the cultural tendencies that persist without rendering judgement. Oh sure she is clearly against murder in the middle of the night but you also learn by the end of the book that these people also reacted to changes in their world over which they seemed to have no control and many people in the world and undergoing changes in their lives that are just as profound and they are reacting in similarly irrational and violent ways. We really need for Christ to return! It is a tremendous book!...more
On the one hand Hemingway rescued Hadley from the depressing life she lived with her mother who absolutely despised all men. It is really surprising tOn the one hand Hemingway rescued Hadley from the depressing life she lived with her mother who absolutely despised all men. It is really surprising that Hadley was conceived and had siblings. On the other hand Hadley rescued Hemingway from a wasted life of total disolution. She kept the home organized - clean clothes, regular meals, etc. He was NOTHING without Hadley who adored him and his talent. Hemingway was gallant and courteous to Hadley at times but selfish and totally self absorbed at other times. They lived like paupers and neither of them cared that her clothing was threadbear and moth eaten. They really did enjoy each other's company, sex, skiing, but most of all drinking to the point of throwing up together.
When they broke up, the whole Paris expatriate community was shocked. They had seemed like the perfect couple even though Hadley was blamed for holding E back from his greatness and E was blamed for his callous infidelity (like everybody else).
They both continued to live but on a lower plane of personal satisfaction. E trying desperately to hold onto his muse (Hadley) while he tried out 3 other wives and H just filling each day with her son and friends and music. E killed himself when he knew that all the sources of joy in his life were gone. His last book A Moveable Feast was a memoir of his life with Hadley. Hadley died in a nursing home.
When Peter died he was a young man and though he had experienced an earlier brush with death, neither he nor his wife were prepared for his death. CatWhen Peter died he was a young man and though he had experienced an earlier brush with death, neither he nor his wife were prepared for his death. Catherine was numb for a while but her faith began to pull her through the bereavement. First she was drawn to publish his sermons, which she did as Mr Jones, Meet the Masterand then the story of his life as A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall. She was a talented writer but as she discovered her efforts were inadequate to bring the sermons or the man to life and she began to lean more and more on her Lord and to trust that Peter was still alive, though in a different form.
Later she got the opportunity to sell the movie rights to a studio and work with the script writer to make the movie just as touching and real as the book had been. This got her writing career off on a strong footing so she no longer had any fear of how she was going to support herself.
The story included snippets of her son growing up and of her parents retiring from the ministry and of the charming old home she helped them buy.
When I started reading I thought I needed to read some more to make it worth reporting on. Then I realized that I had read too much to report details.When I started reading I thought I needed to read some more to make it worth reporting on. Then I realized that I had read too much to report details. I just have to conclude that it seems to be the true story of many lives that founded the west. At least I would hope that others who stood their ground for right living and for their lives held no malice for the men who lived there before them and loved the land as much as they.
L'Amour should be required reading for all young men. Sorry I never heard of him until I was grown....more
Different communities came from different circumstances but all sought freedom and order under God's rule. Some experienced hardship, freezing and staDifferent communities came from different circumstances but all sought freedom and order under God's rule. Some experienced hardship, freezing and starvation, some died but the communities persisted and they learned how to live with one another and that experience "informed" our understanding of what government should do for us, setting us on a collision course with all forms of monarchical rule....more
7/2 - cont'd John knew he was heading into the valley of the Doones but he keeps adventuring until he tops a hill and finds a beautiful 8 year old gir7/2 - cont'd John knew he was heading into the valley of the Doones but he keeps adventuring until he tops a hill and finds a beautiful 8 year old girl who notices how hurt he is from walking barefoot over sharp stones in frigid water. They are both smitten but part as she is sought by men from the Doones who would have killed him if caught.
The language is still difficult. I had to look up "lorch". Goldfish sized to 1 ft long scavengers prized for acquariums today.
7/12 oops. hit the ENTER key and didn't get to add a short comment. Well as Blackmore would say, let that pass. John Ridd has had quite a busy life these past 100 pages. 'been sought by an emissary of the King, 'traveled all the way to London, ' spoken with the Chief Justice, ' walked home to a wonderful homecoming, and learned at last the Lorna loves him but will not accept his gifts for the moment as a kindness to him.
7/16 Tom Faggus showed up for a visit and showed way too much interest in Lorna's diamond necklace for John Ridd's comfort but it remained safe. Then Jeremy Squires, the King's emissary, came for supper having just escaped three Doones. It is a wonderful tale!
7/20 John Ridd has gotten so close to the battle that he barely escapes being hanged by the intervention of Jeremy Squires who is then duty bound to take him into 'custody' and to London, when John finds Lorna in the very intimate circle of the Queen's friends. John saves Lorna's uncle/custodian's life and money and captures 2 thieves long sought by the king, gets knighted for his brave deed and earns a coat-of-arms to boot. Becoming 'Sir Ridd' still does not raise him into Lorna's status but still to a level of prestige.
Having been away from home a long time he goes home and right into local trouble with the Doones who have been taking off women and now have killed a nursing child. John, after much urging heads up a local effort to rid the valley of the Doones once for all. The plan they devise, getting a large part of the Doones to attach a 'shipment of gold' and entering the Doone valley from the lower end succeeded. They burned all the dwellings after getting all the women and children out. The only men to survive were Carver and his father 'The Councilor'. John allowed the old man to live and leave after he took back Lorna's necklace from his pocket but gave him one of the beautiful stones.
After some time John and Lorna's wedding was taking place when Carver Doone shot Lorna and finally John had more than he could take, following Carver on his own strong horse to the Wizzard's Slough and beat him in hand to hand combat but having no responsibility for Carver's death, who was sucked under by a black bog. Carver's son though present through part of this had chosen John as his father and he was sent to school when he was old enough and turned into a fine man.
John was badly hurt in his combat and took a long time to heal especially as the doctor kept 'bleeding' all the strength out of him but began to mend as soon as Ruth let him see that she had nursed Lorna back to life and health. They lived a nice long life together, occasionally remembering her dismal beginnings as Lorna Doone...more
What was the centerpiece of Pyle's work? Places? No, oh yes he did an adequate job describing deserts or rivers or frozen landscapes but the places paWhat was the centerpiece of Pyle's work? Places? No, oh yes he did an adequate job describing deserts or rivers or frozen landscapes but the places pale in comparison to the PEOPLE he met! We have as a nation sired hundreds of true characters: fur trappers, inventors, scholars, former slaves, record-setters, the diseased and the incurably healthy of advanced age.
This was America before 1940. If I pray real hard, can I please go back there?...more
5/21/12 "I KNOW I'm going to like it. Depictions of people and places are in the words of the great men of the day. England couldn't imagine losing bu5/21/12 "I KNOW I'm going to like it. Depictions of people and places are in the words of the great men of the day. England couldn't imagine losing but they miscalculated by ignoring the common heritage of the colonists and their own people, the enormous resources at our disposal and the indomitable spirit of a people fighting for their freedom." 5/22/12 "Wow! Imagine what Knox achieved in bringing all those huge cannons from Ft. Ticonderoga to Boston. Imagine the disbelief when the British saw those cannon on the summit of Dorchester overlooking Boston. Checkmate! The "rabble in arms" didn't seem so easy to sneer at anymore. And the rebels still didn't have enough gun powder for more than 10 musket shots per soldier!" 5/23/12 "Winning a battle (as at Boston) is not the same as winning a war. America had just a few months to rejoice as British Gen. Howe returned to England. The American army made good use of their time moving to New York, building new forts and gun emplacements on high ground as found at Brooklyn. A plot to kill Washington was foiled and independence was declared by Congress. But sobriety replaced joy as over 400 ships anchored near by after offloading over 30,000 well equipped troops on Staten Island. 5/24/12 "Washington's army had left a pass through the heights unguarded on one end of their line and the British found out about it. They soon made use of it and the fight for New York was begun. American infantry showed that they could stand and fight as well as any English soldier but overwhelming force from front and back carried the day." 5/25/12 "It was the Jamaica Pass that had been left unguarded but even if defended America would have lost this battle because of the overwhelming odds against them. By the grace of God, the defenders of Brooklyn escaped during the night to the complete surprise of the British. A discreditable beginning for Washington and his army but they were learning and they have lived to fight another day." 5/26/12 "Amateurish optimism, self destructive awe of superior enemy forces, glaring errors of judgement, valiant, "right smart" skirmishes, miraculous evacuations, retreats, and demoralizing losses of men, materiel, forts and towns. Things were not going well for America in 1776." 5/26/12 "Driven by overwhelming force from New York, deserted by thousands of his men as their enlistments ended, assaulted by bitter cold, yet still supported by trusted and able officers like Knox and Greene, Washington overwhelmed the Hessian unit at Trenton to restore life to the flame of independence. 1776 had ended but under Washington it continued success by victory at Princeton against Howe's expected reinforcements." 5/26/12 "The narative has strayed into 1777 and the war would last into 1781. This book does not touch on Valley Forge where approx 10,000 troops spent the winter and 2,000 died of disease and exposure. Nor does it tell of the rest of the war and the battle at Yorktown that ended it. But we've seen how Washington chose Gen's Knox and Greene as green New Englanders and how they proved to be his most able and loyal." --------------------------------- The limitation on "progress notes" didn't allow much comment but I loved the book. I would recommend it to anyone. PAGE 294 ended the narrative. Acknowledgments, Source Notes and Index follow. If we had not achieved our independence when it took England 3 months to hear what was going on over here and respond, we would probably still be colonies....more
I just have finished the book and, I confess, I'm in way over my pay grade. The introduction just begins the discussion with a little story of how ourI just have finished the book and, I confess, I'm in way over my pay grade. The introduction just begins the discussion with a little story of how our misguided efforts to protect ourselves only manages to further dehumanize us and enslave us (leaving little for our known enemies to do that would be more injurious than what we are doing to our society ourselves). It really seems to be a digression from the main point of the book unless you can see it in the light of a world system doing all it can to protect itself from those it has enslaved by its greed.
It can hardly be denied that those who have more than others, especially if their wealth is achieved by the underpaid (or unpaid) labor of others make natural targets for the wrath of their victims that has often led to revolutions like that of the Israelites who cried to God because of their cruel treatment and were rescued by his intervention.
(99% of OUR people are basically slaves, only receiving enough to keep them HOPING that they will be able to vault into the truly privileged 1% that owns 80% of the productive assets of the world. People are beginning to cry out as the Israelies did in Egypt and God always hears the cry of the oppressed. You can and do mock them because even in their lowly estate they imitate their oppressors by what they own and do (within their credit limits).)
Egypt built “treasure” cities to hold all their wealth and they built them with the labor of slaves. Ah but God delivers them and calls them to himself at Sinai for a wedding between himself and all of his people. They have been slaves so long they let their fear gain control - when they wonder if Moses has died - 1) worshiping an idol (breaking a commandment they haven’t even heard yet and 2) asking Moses to be their go-between so God won’t kill them. After the image and those who made it are destroyed. Moses brings back the 2nd set of 10 commandments.
God wants them to act as beings made in HIS image but first he has to get them out of some bad habits of thinking about him and themselves (from their slave past) so he begins by saying 1) Hey! Look, there aren’t any other gods, masters or lords, so don’t venerate and obey any other creature AS god. 2) Don’t even TRY to depict what I look like because your depiction (a creation of yours) will receive the honor and praise that you should only give to ME. Want to know what I look like? Look at yourself. I made YOU in MY image. YOU are not a slave. YOU are a prince and a priest. 3) The world will judge ME by how YOU act and I will not hold anyone guiltless who dishonors me by their words or acts. 4) Slaves work every day, but you are FREE men and in recognition of this fact you must rest one day every week (just as I did when I made the world and you). You will call this day the “Sabbath” and will treat it as a holy day.
Then God can begin to address how they are supposed to act in society to bring honor to his name (as a natural consequence of being faithful priests), first to those close to them then to others. Honor your father and mother, respect and obey them, so they are never forced by your rebellious behavior to bring you to the elders to be stoned to death. Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t desire to have/take what belongs to someone else. Don’t commit adultery.
With the basics taken care of God begins to reveal his plan of redeeming all of mankind by changing the way people treat the lawbreaker, the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, the servant and the poor. Former slaves are being taught how to act so they will not become (to others) like the Egyptians were to them: haughty, heartless, unforgiving, overbearing, and cruel. Does God expect the lawbreaker to be treated with respect? Yes. Deuteronomy 25:3 “but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes. If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.”
God fulfilled his promise, settling Israel in its land but Israel did not do what it promised Moses (and God) at Sinai. Israel took up the ways of Egypt and empire and God being true to his word, heard the cry of their downtrodden, and sent them BACK into captivity, shame and slavery first under Babylon, then Assyria and finally Rome at the time of Christ. Christ came as a servant, not as a king. He rode into Jerusalem on a gentle donkey not a war horse. His apostles didn’t ‘get-it’ until they will filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that he was not restoring the empire of David or Solomon but though them was restoring the perfect righteousness of HIS rule in the lives of men. Once again we drifted away into a cloistered, venerated, wealthy, corrupt priesthood and blind, needy enslaved people.
Some are still crying and waiting for our exodus while the Pharaohs in our society grow more powerful and wealthy. Some don’t know they are part of Pharaoh’s supporters and plan for expensive remodeling of church buildings when almost 1 in 5 of their neighbors is desperately poor. This is not good stewardship in God’s kingdom. ...more
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