Rooms by James L. Rubart

Rooms is a book that has a serious believability problem. The problem however, doesn’t lie with the author but with some readers. For many readers this story will make them ponder supernatural things. The author is unashamedly Christian, so therefore it is written from a Christian worldview. A worldview where God is King and anything, and I mean anything can happen. In this book the impossible becomes an every day occurrence.

This isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. If you don’t believe in a supernatural God who is personally interested in you, you may want to skip this book. If however you think there is a chance God is reaching out to you to form a loving personal relationship, you will get much from reading this one.

The major point of the book doesn’t dwell on sin so much as what a deep relationship with Christ looks like in a human being. There are many Christians who go to church every Sunday, who are not living a Christ centered life, a life where God is central and first. That is hard to do in a human sense. But what if you could let go of your white-knuckled Christianity and let God have those areas of your life? What would that require of you? Perhaps an 80% surrender rate? 90%? 99%? Mr. Rubart’s answer lies between the pages of Rooms and it is breathtaking and heart wrenching!

If you are looking for a read that will furnish thought provoking challenges to your walk in Christ this might be the one for you. My suggestion, enjoy the ride, think of God as someone who can do anything (He is by the way), and leave your believability problems in your top sock drawer.

The Third Heaven: The Birth of God by Donovan Neal

I think what makes Donovan Neal's writing so unique, is his ability to take scripture, early Hebrew writings and folklore and put them together in a thrilling plausible story written from a heavenly viewpoint. Handling time and theological mystery with aplomb, he gives us a glance into what an angel might view and feel.

I love the personalities and attributes of the different types of angels and the explanation of the ongoing war between Heaven and Satan's fallen angels. This was a fun read and in no way should we look at this book as revelation or scripture, though its contents are loosely based on scripture. As stated by the author this is speculative Christian fiction. You can't help but wonder at the things we cannot see and the longing in our hearts for the unknown back-story that frames the history of mankind. We know that God loves us, and yet to trust Him sometimes is so hard. We see the same problem with many of the angels in this story.

The character of Enoch is also very interesting and knowing the Old Testament we know that he did not die as other men but was brought to heaven because of his close walk with God. In this book he is given life and character. If he is anything like he is portrayed in this book I can see why God took him without death.

All in all this was a very satisfying romp through the imagination and story telling prowess of Mr. Donovan Neal. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Christian Speculative Fiction. It is a real treat to look at heaven from a different viewpoint and let your imagination go! I am eagerly awaiting the third book of the series.

5 Stars

 

AWAKEN

Awaken

One man awake,

Awakens another.
The second awakens
His next door brother.
The three awake can rouse a town
By turning
the whole place
Upside down

The many awake
Can cause such a fuss
It finally awakens the rest of us.
One man up,
With dawn in his eyes
Surely then
Multiplies

--Lawrence Tribble

Written in the late 1700's, Awaken is a poem about the Great Awakening,

 a movement of God's Spirit and the subsequent results of God's saving grace in men. God's relationship with you results in such a change! Your prayers for others results in God awakening others to His grace. His presence in a person makes them a new creation that realizes God loves them so much, that He (Jesus) died and was raised again to provide a way for us to have an intimate relationship with Him. God's love abounds in such a child of His. With God's love in your heart you will surely multply!

I believe that God is sending another Great Awakening. Don't miss this one! It may be the last before His return!

Chased by Hounds

"Desportes fox" by Alexandre-François Desportes

"A dear friend of mine who was quite a lover of the chase, told me the following story: ‘Rising early one morning,’ he said, ‘I heard the baying of a score of deerhounds in pursuit of their quarry. Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making its way across, and giving signs, moreover, that its race was well-nigh run. Reaching the rails of the enclosure, it leaped over and crouched within ten feet from where I stood.
A moment later, two of the hounds came over, and the fawn ran in my direction and pushed its head between my legs. I lifted the little thing to my breast, and, swinging round and round, fought off the dogs. I felt, just then, that all the dogs in the West could not, and should not capture that fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength.’

“So is it, when human helplessness appeals to Almighty God. Well do I remember when the hounds of sin were after my soul, until, at last, I ran into the arms of Almighty God.”
--A. C. Dixon

Be Brave Part 1- Bethel Music

Wow! Inspirational Video by Bethel Music speaks to the heart! Enjoy!

LifeLock CEO’s Identity Stolen 13 Times

Were you thinking about getting LifeLock to prevent identity theft? You may want to rethink that stategy.

Apparently, when you publish your Social Security number prominently on your website and billboards, people take it as an invitation to steal your identity.
LifeLock CEO Todd Davis, whose number is displayed in the company’s ubiquitous advertisements, has by now learned that lesson. He’s been a victim of identity theft at least 13 times, according to the Phoenix New Times.

Original Wired.com article.

Determined Osprey Thwarts Maryland Transportation Authority

Once in the while an unlikely hero steps into the limelight and impresses us with his brazen disregard for the authorities in his quest for a greater goal. And so in front of the traffic camera designated Gantry N-1, on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, our hero Mr. Osprey has decided to take a stand.

This determined bird is on his fourth nest after the Maryland Transportation Authority has torn down 3 others that were blocking Gantry N-1’s view of traffic. I live along a highway so I have to say I’m on the bird's side!

The best part of this to me is the fact that intelligent human beings see no other solution than to remove the nest. I’m not sure what these cameras look like or how they are situated, but how about an extension pole to lift the camera a little above the nest. You waste a ton of taxpayer money already so how about it? Let's stop and think of a way to preserve and not destroy the osprey’s quality of life.

Here is the Fox News report of the story.
Here is a Link to the Traffic cam to see our hero. Choose the camera link Gantry N-1.

Update: Fox News Report Update  An Osprey who continued to try building a nest on a Bay Bridge traffic camera will be accommodated, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced on Wednesday.
Update2: Traffic cam, Bay Bridge ospreys coexisting: A newly built platform allows a family of ospreys to live next to, instead of in front of, a Maryland Transportation Authority traffic camera on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun video)

Some more photos...

 

Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs

Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs share how God healed them and their marriage. It is an incredible story of how God can change lives. Also here is the link for the story on the "I Am Second" website.

The Third Heaven: The Rise of Fallen Stars - Donovan Neal

This speculative Christian fiction novel has been described as a prequel to the Bible. Please let me preface this review with a disclaimer. In no way is this book to be taken as a true scriptural approach to the events surrounding the fall of Satan and the rebellion of one third of God's angels. It is what it claims to be: A speculative book. Based on scripture, The Third Heaven gives us a possible behind the scenes look at the events of the great war and fall of Lucifer and his fallen angels. It is designed to answer how, along with one third of the angels, Lucifer lost his position in Heaven.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's take on the fall of Lucifer and how that came to be. The reasoning behind how Satan thought he could get away with supplanting God on His throne and taking His place was an example of creative writing at its finest. The action and war scenes were masterfully and emotionally penned. The story flows wonderfully and his prose is remarkable. The descriptive passages seem to lift from the pages into your imagination. Descriptions of angel's personalities make them all the more real. Neal's handling of the story in my opinion was quite plausible.

Mr. Neal realizes that this story is hugely speculative and that there are problems with telling it. The fact that there isn't much written in the Bible about it is a witness to that fact. He has provided a link for some of these questions at: http://donovanmneal.wix.com/donovanmneal#!thinking-behind-the-third-heaven-series/c22ty I would recommend you read this before reading the book, though it's really not necessary. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the story of the fall of Satan and the one third of angels. At the very least this book provides some possible thoughts as to how this came to be. Just remember, keep telling yourself "It's just a story!"

Rated 5 Stars

The Third Heaven: The Rise of Fallen Stars

Jason Gray - Remind Me Who I Am