The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson

OK, I'll admit, I'm just not that into Pirate tales. I have certainly enjoyed the odd one here and there, provided the cast (or should I say crew) is interesting and entertaining. I'll also admit that the first time I saw this book, I passed on it since the cover depicting a girl at the prow of a ship didn't quite catch my eye enough. But then I noticed the title.

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot.

Very Nearly Honorable anything just promises a fun, humorous read, and so I bought it. Let me say that it is one of the more unique books I have read, every chapter ending with a "document" from the story that tells more of the tale in a refreshingly creative way. And even better, of course, is the story itself.

Hilary Westfield is the young daughter of the Admiral of the Royal Navy. Her goal and dream in life is to be a pirate, but there's only one problem. The VNHLP (Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates) doesn't allow girls to be pirates. And so, Hilary is sent to Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies instead. Hilary would rather die than attend Miss Pimm's, so naturally, she escapes and, along with her faithful Gargoyle, joins the crew of a rogue pirate named Jasper Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher's crew is just the kind of crew I love in Pirate tales. It consists of Hilary Westfield, her Gargoyle, Jasper Fletcher himself, Charlie (Mr. Fletcher's young first mate), Oliver (an old enemy of Hilary's), and--Hilary's governess, Miss Greyson. Their mission? To track down the Enchantress' legendary magical treasure. What follows is a wonderful story full of humor, a little mystery, a little suspense, unexpected twists and turns, friendship, betrayal, capture, treasure map deciphering, dancing sheep, and of course, magic!

I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book. The cast was very endearing and I was a little sad to come to the end of the story and take leave of them. But one can take joy in the fact that this is only the first book in a series--and a very good one at that too, I might add!

The Hands and Feet of Jesus (WARNING! Dirt Is Involved)

I've noticed over the span of a few years, that there is one area that is the greatest cause of contention and judgement in the church. No, it's not the issue of homosexuality. It's the media. Nothing can divide people like a different taste, standard, or theology on film, music, literature, and games. The subject of media can easily cause two families sitting across from each other to enter into an uncomfortable silence, each entertaining thoughts such as, "I can't believe they allow/don't allow that into their home." "I can't believe they listen/don't listen to that type of music." "How can be they so apathetic/uptight about that content in films/games." I've seen it time and again, in myself, and in the church as a whole. Why is media such a hot-button, contentious topic? Believe me, I've wracked my brains for an answer other than legalism (on both ends of the spectrum) and have come up with nothing. 

This is the one subject that I have heard INCREDIBLY strong opinions on from various people and factions within the church. It is responsible for a great amount of doubt pertaining to someone's salvation in Christ (for example, "he can't sing that type of music and still call himself a christian! I mean, listen to those drums and guitars!" "how can you call yourself a christian and watch a film that has that junk in it. You just need to get right with God.") It's the cause for a great deal of the fights between church members. Some debates I've heard can get pretty heated. And again, I have no idea why! And since I have no answer to that question, I will instead try to ask a different one.

Why are we so concerned about this? It's entertainment. Yes, I do believe that God can use media in great ways, but so often we fight over it as if it were the ONLY way He works.

We call Christians to support a certain company/artist/or particular art style in media all in the name of God and being His hands and feet. The truth is, our support of media--of entertainment--is not being the hands and feet. It's being the eyes and ears. It doesn't take all that much to support a music artist. All it takes nowadays is to whip out the phone, punch a button, and boom, you have now supported the artist. Again, don't get me wrong. I am in no way disregarding the wonderful work these artists are doing for Christ. I myself am a huge fan of and have a passion for media. I just believe we put too much into entertainment--not talking about quality here, but rather heart. I fear our heart is too deep into entertainment.

Here's an example. I've seen, first and foremost in myself and in others, the eager willingness to pour money into cds, books, and such, especially in the Christian media realm. We'll run to the store, plunk down sixty bucks on the counter, take our new purchases and leave happy. But then here comes that ragged man with the cardboard sign on the side of the road. Oh, gosh, now I gotta pray about whether or not to give that man a twenty... Here, Christian book store, take my forty for these three cds. Heavenly Father, these missionaries are doing a great work in Africa for You, if it is Your will, please speak to my heart if I'm supposed to give them financial aid...

And we say buying stuff makes us the hands and feet of God? Being Christ-like is listening exclusively to christian music and supporting it like crazy? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I thought Jesus had His hands in dirt more often than He had His ears around music, or His eyes around plays and paintings.

Jesus, first of all, was born in dirt and the muck of animals living in a small, confined quarter. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:1-2). I imagine it wasn't too clean out there. Most likely (and this is just speculation) he slept on the ground, which incidentally, is made up of dirt and foliage--sometimes sand, rocks, and mud. And bugs. He touched a leper to heal him (Matt. 8:1-3). You only need to look up the disease to know how nasty that must have been. Many of His parables included figures whose hands were in contact with dirt: the sower (Matt.13:1-9), another parable with a sower (Matt. 13:24-30), yet another man sowing in dirt (Matt 13:31-32), yet another parable of workers in a vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16,and a treasure in a field which a man dug around in the dirt to find (Matt. 13:44). Jesus took little children into His arms (Matt. 19:13-15). If you don't think that's less than an ideal hygienic situation, remember: mothers back then didn't have hand sanitizer with them at all times. He touched two blind guys' eyeballs (Matt. 20:29-34). He fell on His face in prayer in a garden(Matt. 26:39), which I repeat, is a lot of dirt and foliage. These are all examples taken from the book of Matthew alone! I didn't even get to that time he made mud by scooping up a handful of dirt, spat in it, and rubbed it in a blind man's eyes to heal him...

So then this begs some new questions. What were the hands and feet of Christ doing then? What are they doing now? What did Christ do in His time here on Earth? What are we doing with our time here?

Being the hands and feet of Christ is not staying home and being patrons of the christian arts. It is more often than not, going outside our own little worlds and getting down in the dirt, foliage, and germs to not just show Christ to others, but to be Christ to others.

And so, in ending, I'd like to say: to the many musicians, filmmakers, authors, and artists in the ministry. Keep blessing, encouraging, and admonishing the saints to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the farmers, programmers, cashiers, waitresses, and pizza delivery guys. Keep working hard in society to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. To the missionaries, bible translators, volunteers to help the sick and elderly, and soup kitchen workers. Keep ministering to those in need and spreading the gospel throughout the world to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God. And to the ones who have been locked inside their comfortable prisons for too long, who have been afraid of stepping out in faith, afraid of what they might lose. The rich young ruler lost the greatest opportunity to be with Jesus, to perhaps be one of His close disciples, because he too, feared the same things. Trust me, there is much more to gain than what there is to lose. Step out, bend down, and get your hands dirty, showing His love for the world around you to the best of your ability (in Christ) for the glory and kingdom of God.  

The Life & Times of a Modern Day Pharisee

With all the articles and quotes and even one or two books out there about the music in the church today, why write yet another blog post?

I don't know, really. I'm not trying to enter the battle that's raging over christian music today being worldly, unartistic, mediocre, or whether we should just do what we feel is right as musicians and let God do the rest. I don't really want to add another target out there for folks to attack, or to attack a target someone else has already put out. There are many times I want to though, because I do feel very strongly about this. But I'm going to do something uncharacteristic for me. I'm going to simply share my personal journey through this issue in a calm, collected manner and then let you, the reader, come to your own conclusion of whether or not a certain sound can be classified as godly or ungodly. And so, for your enjoyment, My Life Story In Music...
                                                             
Well, to begin, I was raised with music everywhere. In the house, in church, in stores, in the car, and, yes, sometimes even in the bathroom as a toddler while taking my bath (those Barney tapes were played to death). Other than the previously mentioned Barney tapes, the earliest genre I can remember hearing is Country. That's right. I grew up listening to some of the classic Country greats. At 6 years old I could've won a contest entitled "Voice Samples: Randy Travis or Alan Jackson". I knew the typical sounds of the guitars, fiddles, and dobros. So naturally, I wanted to play acoustic guitar. My parents also wanted me to play piano, but as a kid listening to Country, the desire just wasn't there. (I mean, what the heck do you use a piano for in Country music??)

There came a point though when my dad got rid of all the country CDs in the house. It was actually a good thing since at the time I was aspiring to be a Country artist (what else would I be?) and I just can't see myself up there now with Taylor Swift singing about his friends talking to my friends talking to him talking to me talking to my imaginary friend Phil who owns a nasty ol' pickup truck he never lets me drive... *ahem* Anyway, so what did came after that phase then?

The uptight Christian music phase.

I do not look back at this time with fondness or pride for my upstanding morals and boundaries. In fact, quite the opposite. It was a time of constantly praising one band or artist for their fantastic artistry of fitting the name God or Jesus into all 12 or 13 tracks of their album, or for managing to keep their guitar shredding down to a tasteful minimum. And it was also a time of excessive artist bashing. Don't mention God in one of your songs? "Ungodly!" Used the ambiguous You instead of actually saying Jesus? "Ungodly!" Created a funny music video that has nothing to do with spirituality? "Ungodly!" Mention the words "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" in a song or liner notes? "Ungodly!" Write a love song to your wife? "Ungodly!"

Seriously. These were all thoughts of mine. I was always told that living in righteousness was true freedom, but I felt no freedom at all. In fact, looking back, I felt like I was in bondage. A bondage of pride at how I alone seemed to be able to tell the godly bands from the "Ungodly!" ones. I alone was the one going to be the Christian artist who got everything right, because I alone knew what exactly was right. God, oddly enough, didn't even fit into the picture. To be truthful, I wasn't even a Jesus follower at the time. I was simply a skinny 12 year old pharisee.

As you can imagine, God had a LOT to work on in me.

Somehow a few years back, my parents' thoughts on the Christian music scene began to change slowly as mine... well mine went through a major overhaul. Naturally, the first thing God needed to change in me was my heart. I'm very thankful for the christian artist God used to show me that I was nothing more than a religious pain-in-the-neck with a filthy soul who had no desire for the REAL things of God. I finally began searching things out on my own in God's word. Yes, I began to FINALLY take God's word instead of my own, instead of my parents', and instead of my pastor's. I met the real Jesus (not the felt white man with the drooping solemn face I stuck on the felt board every Sunday School lesson) and He began to change me from the inside out.

So where does music fit in? Well, throughout all the difficult, trying, and just plain depressing circumstances I've been through during my relationship with Jesus, He decided to break down my legalistic laws and use the most interesting genres. Genres ranging from Punk Pop bands like Stellar Kart, to Hip Hop/Urban artists like Group 1 Crew, to hard rock groups like Fireflight. Songs from these artists in particular have spoken truth and comfort into my life and have challenged me in ways I had never been from other artists (who I am NOT saying are used any less by God).

So there you have it. My life story in music. As short as I could make it. You are now free to draw your own conclusions.

I'm Still Alive!

Hey everyone. Yes! I AM still alive. Been super busy with the holidays almost here. Plus a trip down to Florida, a performance of a Christmas song medley, and the planning of a short Christmas story are contributing to my full schedule. Thankfully though, I have time for a few fun things (hanging out with friends and family, video games, and drawing) as well as time to update my blog.

I would have loved to post about my first YouTube video, showcasing a cover, but unfortunately, I am not gifted with technical understanding (oh, you lucky Techies) and have not figured out why it's taking YouTube so long to upload a 4 minute video. But oh well, it'll come eventually.

And my book... Well, let's just say it's a long slow process and I apologize to my very patient friends for putting up with the wait. I am planning still on a Fall 2014 release of it though. Here's to hoping that it's well worth the amount of work and time put into it!

So, with so many of my projects being delayed, I wish I had something cool to show everyone, but... Wait! Maybe I do!

                                                                            Boom!

There it is, an epic picture to promote the book series Shadowmakers! This is, roughly, a sketch of a very mysterious assassin who appears in Book One: The Assassin's Trail.

So, a lot of exciting things to look forward to in 2014. (For me, at least)

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year's (and New Year's Eve Game Party!). I know I'll be enjoying one of my favorite times of year! Now to continue listening to Sara Groves' excellent Christmas album: O Holy Night! :)

Writers Need People--Specifically People Like This

Hey everyone! This is a recent Facebook post from my brother, just in case you needed further proof that my family is awesome.

Story Time! Before I start I need to tell you about the awesomeness that is Quik Trip. Quik Trip is like the shopping mall of gas stations. It's huge, extravagantly designed, and has an array of food choices inside. Among them are the most amazing taquitos and the best frozen coffee I have found anywhere. The best part is, the food is cheap. It's like finding Hollister clothing at a Goodwill. It's that good!

It was 10:30 in the pm and I wanted donuts. Only problem is, nothing is open that late. I tried looking for something to good I could get around the area but found nothing. I suddenly remembered that a Quik Trip opened a little closer to where I lived. The last one was an hour away and this one was 45 minutes away. But I didn't care, I love Quik Trip and the last time I was there was a year ago. 

I left at 10:45pm and got there, bought my frozen coffee and two taquitos and proceeded to head back home. My night had been made! But, on the way back Mr. Deputy of Butts County stopped me because apparently I had a headlight out. And as every officer does, he asks where I was going and what I was doing out so late. After telling I was going home after driving 48 miles just to go to Quik Trip, he got suspicious. Mr. Deputy of Butts County couldn't believe I would drive 45 minutes just to go to a gas station. What I couldn't get him to understand was that I did not go to just any gas station. I went to THE Quik Trip. The place where the best taquitos, the best coffee, and the fastest customer service could be found.

Mr. Deputy of Butts County made it sound like I had driven 45 minutes just to get a pack of gum. You can't find the kind of frozen coffee or taquitos Quik Trip has anywhere else! He then proceeded to assume I was carrying drugs! I was offended! My appreciation for a certain kind of coffee and Mexican food was found suspicious and I was accused of carrying drugs! He didn't search my car, but he did ask if I had anything that he should know about and that if he did search the car and find anything I would be in trouble.

People can ride a unicycle through the city dressed as Gandalf playing the bagpipes, but my particular affinity for good frozen coffee and taquitos that you can ONLY find at Quik Trip is suspicious and therefore I must be carrying drugs. Thanks Mr. Deputy of Butts County.

Yep! :) This is why I'm a writer.