BOOK REVIEW - BITTER TRUTH BY JANET SKETCHLEY

There are some stories that I find hard to give a teaser for without being a spoiler as well, and this is one of those stories. What does that usually mean? It means you've got a well-written novel that will keep you glued till the end.

Bitter Truth is part three of the Green Dory Inn Mystery series by Janet Sketchley, and yes, I'd recommend that you read the previous stories to help you become more familiar with the characters and what had previously occurred.

I've enjoyed this series, but as far as mystery, this one is the best. A nice assorted cast of possible suspects, and lots of twists in the plot that will keep you guessing.

However, the best part are the characters. It was nice to see some favorites like Nigel back in the story, as well as some visitors from Sketchley's Redemption's Edge trilogy. But the other characters are definitely three dimensional, and there are plenty of issues to think about. I've read some cozy mysteries that seem shallow and even silly; this is not true about this series.

I've read reviewers that seem allergic to anybody mentioning issues of faith, and mainly the Christian faith. This book does have a faith thread in it, but 1) that thread is organic to the story and not used as an opportunity to preach and 2) recognizes that the Christian life isn't easy and deals with true dillemas many believers have.

I would without reservation recommend this book and the rest of the series. You also might enjoy Sketchley's Redemption's Edge stories.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for my unbiased review.

One last comment for my blog readers: This is a book I'd love to be able to discuss in a discussion group. 

BOOK REVIEW - DEADLY CARGO BY JODIE BAILEY

 

 Why did Alaska State Trooper Will Stryker get a bogus tip that bush pilot Jessica Jefferson was smuggling drugs? And why is someone trying to kill her? Is it due to Stryker and his K-9 partner Scout's investigation? Or was it due to why Jessica is in the Witness Protection Program?

Deadly Cargo is part 5 of the Alaska K-9 Unit series. One other reviewer (at least) said it was the best so far in the series, and I won't argue. I'm also not surprised, because I'm a fan of the author, Jodie Bailey. I've read six other books by her, though this is the first K-9 book I've read of hers.

Will and Jessica are compelling characters I really learned to care about. If you want a romantic suspense, this is great in both categories. However, if you look at the adorable border collie on the cover and want to read a lot about Scout, you'll be disappointed. The only other weak spot is some poor editing, though this isn't the first in the series with that weakness (which surprises me from a publisher like Harlequin).

As is typical for Love Inspired Suspense stories, this does have a faith angle to it. That angle is one reason I enjoy these books, and Bailey, as usual, does a great job keeping it from being preachy but rather consistent to the story.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and I'm looking forward to both the next Alaska K-9 tale as well as the next novel by Jodie Bailey.

IS THE CHURCH BEING A FRIEND TO THE WORLD OR A FRIEND OF THE WORLD?

 

Courtesy of Abolish Human Abortion in Ames Iowa

This week, I've seen the extremes of where the American Church is. One good via a pair of Christian Universities. The other? Well, let me continue.

One of the two is from my Alma Mater, Arizona Christian University. Actually, when I attended, the school was Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College (also known as Southwestern College, which is easier to write and to speak). Since then, it has changed from being a small denominational Bible College on East Cactus Road in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix. Now, it is a non-denominational Christian Liberal Arts College in Glendale. 

From two different sources, I saw a release from George Barna and the Cultural Research Center, dated August 31, 2021. I'm not going to give a detailed account (you can read it by clicking here), but I will mention that in it, it states between 6-9% American adults have a distinctly Christian worldview. While the report is discouraging, I'm encouraged that my Alma Mater was involved with this project. By the way, today, Becky heard of another Barna report on how many parents are actively making disciples of their children ... would you believe that's only 2%?😱

Are all Christian schools (whose health is not unrelated to the strength of the American Church) on board? Today, I've learned of another Christian University that is inaugurating their new president. Part of it is a prayer breakfast which states guests of all faith backgrounds will join in praying to the Lord for that Christian School. Uh, are they all praying to the same God? If that particular Christian School is training their students to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, wouldn't that put them in opposition to those inter-faith guests? 

Could this be what James is talking about when he writes, "Adulterers and adultresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God?"

Now, one of my favorite Christian songs is by a group called Liaison titled "Friend to the World." Is that encouraging what James is condemning? No - the point of the song is we have the only source of hope for the world (meaning the people in the world). The best way to be a friend to the people of the world is to oppose the ungodly patterns we live with. 

Are we trying to reach the world by fitting in? I mentioned one verse refuting that view - there's plenty of others that agree. 

James Lawson, a Christian cartoonist friend (you can see a review of his book Therapeutic Insanity by clicking here), told me that Christians should be living Sola Scriptura, that is, by Scripture alone. I say a hearty amen, though I don't believe that we'll be able to live it out consistently as long as we are in the flesh. If we attempt to live it out, we'll stick out, and the world will NOT approve.

I need to ask myself where I fall short from living out Sola Scriptura, where my worldview is reflecting the world's perspective as opposed to the Word's perspective, where I'm uniting with those from whom I should be divided from (and vice versa). How many will join me?  

BOOK REVIEW - COLD CASE TAKEDOWN BY JESSICA PATCH

 It was bad enough for the High School quarterback to be murdered a decade ago. But is that the only problem with the football program? Reporter Georgia Maxwell and cold case detective Colt McCoy want to find out the answers. Others in the town don't, and they're willing to kill to keep the answers buried.

I absolutely loved "Cold Case Takedown," the first of the three part Cold Case Investigators series by Jessica Patch. It has the suspense (and romance) you'd expect from a Love Inspired Suspense (LIS) novel. It also has the great characters I find in Patch's novels (my all-time favorite male LIS lead was Wilder Flynn from Patch's "Dangerous Obsession;" my favorite LIS female lead is Georgia Maxwell of this story). This also has a mystery in it that is more like Agatha Christy than a typical LIS story.

One thing I liked in this story was Georgia's battles with anxiety. To me, that helped the story stand out.

As stated, this is the first part of a trilogy. I have a hunch that I've been introduced to the leading ladies and one of the male protagonists of the following installments. I haven't read the plot description of the other two, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I guessed correctly.

This is one of my favorite novels I've read this year, and Jessica Patch is already one of my all-time favorite authors. In other words, I highly recommend it.

INTERVIEW WITH CASEY PRICE OF FORSAKEN HERO

 

A week ago, I checked to see who was coming to the Kingdom Come Festival this year and scrolled down the list. (Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angie Leyda of Always One Ministries, who puts the festival together each year; if you missed it, click here to read it.) One of the bands listed was Forsaken Hero. I listened to their songs, and was impressed.

I'm interviewing guitarist/lead vocalist Casey Price. The other members of the band include Casey's sister Emily (vocals) and brothers Marcus (lead guitar), David (drums) and Matthew (bass, piano) Collins.

 JR: When, how, and why did the band start, including the choosing of your name? Could you introduce who all is in the group?

CP: Forsaken Hero started in High School. Over 11 years ago! Crazy how time flies! The name was based on our love for Skillet. Both Forsaken and Hero are Skillet songs. But the scriptural meaning is Jesus is our Forsaken Hero. We forsake him and sin daily. But he still died for our sins anyway!

JR: How many CDs do you have out? Could you tell us about them?

CP: Forsaken Hero has released 4 albums. Only two of them are currently available as well as some singles that were released not on disc between those periods of time. The first two albums in 2013 and 2016. Where made before we rebranded and started making professional records in Nashville etc.

JR: I’m looking forward to hearing you this year at the Kingdom Come Festival this year. I also notice you have quite a long list of people you’ve opened for, including Stryper. Is there a concert that has been especially memorable?

CP: There's so many memories of so many different shows over the years. The two Stryper tours we did were wild. Kingdom come is always a blast because there are so many amazing bands we are friends with it's just such a great time of fellowship and worship. Probably our favorite show we've done was a youth conference in Indiana in 2020 right before the pandemic, over 1000 high schoolers on fire for God, worshiping and singing and jumping around and praising together was just such an amazing experience!

JR: I consider Christian musicians are often on the front-lines of Spiritual Warfare. What sources do you have for godly encouragement? Any mentors or authors or bands that lift you up?

CP: Mentors are definitely our church family and peers at Highlands Fellowship in the Virginia and Tennessee area. Most of our band members play at different campuses since our church has multiple locations so there's a lot of people to create friendship and Godly bonds with. Musically Skillet's Comatose and Awake albums were a huge blessing and influence in my life and music.

JR: The first song I heard of yours is “God of Revival”, and absolutely loved it. What inspired that song? I’m sure you agree the church – at least in the U.S. - needs an awakening – what do you think it will look like, and is there anything we need to do for it to occur?

CP: So God of Revival is actually a cover song. It's originally by Bethel worship. We just loved the song and the lyrics and message of the song but the real song is very soft until the end and it gets huge and I was like what if we made our own version and had it big right at the beginning?? That would be awesome! We don't release a lot of cover songs to streaming since there's a lot of red tape getting the rights to the song etc. But this song was very important to us to release to the world.

JR: Thank you for your time. What’s on the horizon, both in recording and in performing? How can we keep up with you?

CP: Forsaken Hero is currently writing our new record now. And we also came out with a hard rock side project called Sonflower Seed. Same message just heavier music. We currently have one single out "Fate Holds The Gun". And our next single will be releasing soon. And Forsaken Hero will be announcing new music soon as well!! 

If you'd like to keep up with the band, you can click here to get access to their webpage and social media sites

BOOK REVIEW - SUPERHEROES CAN'T SAVE YOU: EPIC EXAMPLES OF HISTORIC HERESIES BY TODD MILES

 

Who says Christian apologetics can't be fun?

Todd Miles (professor at Western Seminary in Portland, OR) has given a useful and relevant understanding of who Christ is in his book Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies. He looks at seven incorrect views of who Jesus Christ is through history (he refers to them as bad ideas about Jesus) and compares these distortions with various superheroes. The result is a fun, readable book that helps us understand doctrine.

Each chapter follows this format:

1. Introduction to the superhero and autobiographical insights
2. The heresy (or false teaching or "bad idea about Jesus"
3. Who follows this heresy today? (In this section, he'll mention particular groups that hold to that teaching but also ways that someone may be slipping into a particular trap of thinking that isn't accurate.
4. What does the Bible say?
5. Why does it matter?

When I was younger, I considered the three most important aspects of theology to be Bibliology (the Inspiration of the Bible), Christology (who Jesus is) and Soteriology (the teaching on salvation). While I consider all three (and also all other areas of theology) important still, I'm at the point of believing Christology is the most important. Of course, you need a solid Bibliology to have a solid Christology, and if you have a proper Christology, you will by default realize our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Thus, this book is helpful in identifying a Biblically consistent Christology.
I highly recommend this book both as a student of the Word (I considered calling myself a theologian - it sounds more intellectual and intimidating, even though "theologian" and "student of the Word" are the same thing) and as a comic book fan.

BOOK REVIEW - TRACKING STOLEN SECRETS BY LAURA SCOTT

 

 Alaska State Trooper Helena Maddox, along with local cop Everett Brand, are hunting for her twin sister Zoe (albeit for different reasons). Her K-9 partner Luna is a help for that goal; Christine, Helena's infant niece she didn't know about before she was left at Everett's cabin, and having their location compromised repeatedly are not.

This is the fourth part of an eight part series. If you are familiar with these multi-author series, you'll know that this is a stand-alone story with references to other plotlines that are sprinkled through the series. If you're not, you can enjoy this story without reading the others.

The plot, as you'd expect, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are easy to care about, especially Everett who has reasons for discomfort in the situation he's in.

When I saw the cover for this book, I was surprised. I'm used to seeing the K-9 hero on the cover of these stories, and am used to seeing German Shepherds, Labs, and Beagles. But was that really a Norwegian Elkhound in this story? Yes, it was. A pleasant surprise.

I enjoyed this novel, and am enjoying working my way through the series.

AN EXPERIMENT ON WHO I GET TO SEE FIRST ON FACEBOOK

  Do you have any say on what shows up on your Facebook page?

I've known for years that you can pick out 30 favorite people/pages to "see first". Yet I'm not sure that it accomplished its goal.

One of my friends (FB and real life) a couple of times asked if I got notifications of his posts, because he had a suspicion that Facebook was not posting notifications of his posts, and his political ones in particular.

So I decided to do a little experiment. I selected 30 friends and pages as "See First" (or Favorites). Then, I would at one point go once a day through the first fifteen news updates and see how many of the thirty were among the top 15. The make-up was 12 people and 18 pages (i.e. promoting a band or a news source). 

My goal was to do this for seven days. I decided to stop after six days, because I believe the following conclusions would not have been affected.

So here are the results.

•  Of the 90 posts I saw, 21 were from "See First" sources. Another 18 were ads. This leaves 51 from people who were not on my "See First" list.
• The daily numbers of my 30 "See First" being among the first 15 I viewed were 7 (Monday), 1 (Tuesday), 4 (Wednesday), 5 (Thursday), 4 (Friday), and Zero (Saturday).
• None of those 21 posts were from pages. This is the week of Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and thus there were several posts about it on the Baptist Press and North American Mission Board pages, but none of them showed up on my newsfeed. One of the pages was for a local Christian rock band I'm following; the lead singer is also on my friend's list. You might call this cheating, but after I saw several for the singer, I switched from the band page to her page. 
• The 21 posts were from seven of the twelve friends I included (6 from one, 4 from one, 3 from three, and 1 each from two) . Four out of the five that I lacked posts from didn't post anything this week, so it was understandable. By the way, there are two other friends who were not on my list of 30 that I saw several posts in the top 15.
• Was politics an issue? Three posts had a political theme. Two of the friends I've included lean Libertarian: one of those had one post on my wall, which happened to be non-political, and the other didn't have any posts though he did post some this week (which surprisingly or not was the one who I referred to above, who wondered if his political posts were not being promoted by Facebook). I also included a political cartoonist, and only one of his posts made my top 15.
  
• I will also add that the ads were in character to my regular postings and messages from friends. I told you I didn't get any from a pair of Southern Baptist pages, but several of the ads I got were from another Southern Baptist ministry. 

So what does this mean? Well...

1. Before this experiment, I doubted my friend's political posts were deliberately not shared on his friends' walls. Now, I'm not so sure. No proof, but I did find it interesting to see the lack of political posts, and wonder if I leaned liberal if I'd see more posts.
2. I was always curious that I didn't get a lot of posts from wall pages I followed (e.g. Reformed Thug Life). Now, I conclude that it is that they put the weight on friends, not on pages, which I'm not going to complain about.
3. Facebook doesn't put a priority on those you want to give priority to. Is there priority based on anything other than who posts more? Probably not. 

Now, I can try this again with various variations. I can make the 30 ones that are more active. I may divide those 30 into religious and political. I may include a more liberal friend and see if his posts show up more often than ones who are more conservative.  

 

 Have you noticed any trends that agree or disagree with my observations?

I'M EXCITED ABOUT MISSIONS! AREN'T YOU?

Map in CEF director's Reese Kaufman's office, indicating where the sun is shining on the world.

 

One of life's great mysteries I started think about while in Junior High: Why did some missionaries have full 8 1/2 x 11 length prayer letters, folded in half so they can fit in the bulletin, while others' letters were half that size?

I don't know how long it took me to figure that out, but it still wasn't long. The full size letters were from CBFMS missionaries, while the half page letters came from CBHMS missionaries. The ones serving on foreign fields got the full size paper, while those on the home field (North and Central America) only got the half page.

Which left me wondering why they thought the home missionaries didn't deserve the same amount of paper the foreign missionaries did.

One other thing I noticed. At Verde Baptist Church, the Conservative Baptist church I attended, they had pictures of their missionaries and where they served. There, at least, the foreign and home missionaries got an equal due.
Then, when I attended Cactus Baptist Church when I moved to Phoenix to start college, I would see a different set of pictures. Mel Bitner, who was in France, was on both missionary boards, but the others were different. Why? Because CBFMS and CBHMS would appoint the missionaries, and then the missionaries would "discover" their support at the various local churches. Each congregation would choose who they supported.

Over the years, I moved East. In that move, I noticed fewer Conservative Baptist Churches, and more Southern Baptist. the main difference? How they support missions. The Southern Baptist Convention has the Cooperative Program (CP), so basically all Southern Baptist Churches are supporting all the Southern Baptist Missionaries.

One thing that excites me are the Lottie Moon Christmas and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offerings. As you'd expect, any Mission organization has overhead costs, and for the Southern Baptist Convention, the CP takes care of those. With the Lottie Moon Offering, 100% goes to the international missionaries; the one named after Annie Armstrong goes entirely to those serving in North America. (I'm posting this the final day of Annie Armstrong this year.)

Why do those offerings excite me? Because at the beginning of those offerings they send out a pamphlet on how to pray for specific missionaries each day for a week. Usually, I select one or two to keep praying for after the offering ends. 

Becky and I are also interested in other mission organizations. Becky's active with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which has official workers in every country except one (can you say North Korea, boys and girls?). We used to volunteer with Voice of the Martyrs and actively correspond with two sister ministries Spirit of Martyrdom (which is in Clarkdale Arizona, where the CEO attends Verde Baptist Church) and Vision Beyond Borders. We've attended dinners for Wycliffe Associates (where they send workers to take care of things like teaching and construction so the Wycliffe translators can concentrate on translating). One of my former roommates is active with Community Health Evangelism and Medical Ambassadors International. 

International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

 How many would think Thru The Bible would fit in the conversation? Oh, but they do. That program is heard in 120 languages and dialects around the world. No, you're not going to hear Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Texan accent speaking in Tagalog or other languages, or even the quartet singing "How Firm A Foundation." The programs are more aimed at the locality it's aimed for.

Are you excited about missions? If so, what excites you? If not, what would it take to change your mind? 

BOOK REVIEW: UNDERCOVER MISSION BY SHARON DUNN

 If you enjoy Love Inspired Suspense's K-9 series, you'll enjoy this one.

Alaska State Trooper Maya Rodriguez goes undercover on a cruise ship where one slender, pretty brunette is murdered and another escapes the same fate. By the way, did I mention Maya also is slender, pretty brunette? Or did you already guess? Can she, with the help of her K-9 partner Sarge (also undercover, as a service dog) and the handsome ship Security Officer David Garrison (this is a romantic suspense, after all) stop the killer before he stops her?

If, like me, you like this type of story, you'll enjoy this. This is the third part of an eight part series. If you are familiar with these multi-author series, you'll know that this is a stand-alone story with references to other plotlines that are sprinkled through the series. If you're not, you can enjoy this story without reading the others.

I especially liked the relationship with Maya and David, especially her early concern if she should reveal her assignment to the security officer, since he clearly realizes something isn't being told to him.

I enjoyed this book, and I'm enjoying the series.

BOOK REVIEWING CLASS - AND I'M ONE OF THE STUDENTS!

 

 HELP!!!

Yes, I know. I've been writing book reviews for years. But am I doing a good job? Your feedback is desired and valued. I have some questions at the bottom.

Allow me to start with some rationale for my reviews, and permit me to start with fiction. I've noticed many reviewers give a brief synopsis that is about the size of a back cover blurb. It's rare for me to give any description of the plot, and if so, it's usually only 2-3 lines. Two reasons why:

1. The less I write, the less I spoil. I've read some novels that I don't see how I can describe the plot without spoiling a plot twist (which is a compliment to the story). On the other hand, I've read back cover descriptions that tell about items that don't happen till at least halfway through the novel. (One back cover revealed a plot twist that wasn't mentioned until the next to the last page of the book!) 
2. I also make the assumption that whoever reads my review is already interested in the book, and probably has already read the back cover. Thus, I don't want to repeat information that was already covered.

For every book, I consider my primary audience to be the prospective reader. Normally, I'm presupposing that I and my review reader share an interest in the book. Thus, if I'm disappointed, I usually mention what I thought might be done better so the reader knows what to expect.

However, I also realize that the author might be reading it, in spite of people warning them not to read their reviews lest they be puffed up by positive reviews or devastated by negative reviews. Some reviewers only write 5 star reviews to avoid the latter, because they don't want to discourage the writer. I won't guarantee a 5 star review - if they didn't do the best job they could, I'm not going to act like they did. That being said, with fiction my percentage of reviews being 5 star is between 95 and 99; they have to "earn" a poorer review. 

One item I bring up is Christian content. I've read many one or two star reviews for the reason that the author dared to have a strong faith message. To me, those reviewers have bigotry that needs to be called out. 

For me, the hardest reviews to write are music reviews, which is ironic for a songwriter. I find it awkward reviewing each track, and likewise I don't like giving a general review without giving enough details.

So if you want to make my day, could you answer the below questions in a comment to this blog? (I get so few comments, any comment makes my month.)

• Do you read any of my reviews on this blog or other platforms I write reviews on (Amazon, Goodreads, Indianapolis Public Library)? If so, have they ever either created or quenched interest in a product?
• What do you want to know when you read a fiction/movie review? Non-fiction? Music?
• If you're an author/musician, what do you find helpful in reviews of your books/music?
• Any suggestions that you have for me to improve my reviews?

BOOK REVIEW - BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: HOW THE CHURCH FAITHFULLY TEACHES THE GOSPEL BY NICK ROARK

 

What is Biblical Theology? Some may think it is the opposite of Unbiblical Theology. Actually, though, it is compared with Systematic Theology. Systematic Theology deals with how the Bible as a whole deals with doctrine X. And Biblical Theology? Well, it depends how you view Biblical Theology. 

After reading this book, I've concluded there are two different approaches to Biblical Theology. When I was in Bible College, I took the term to mean small picture, topical Biblical Theology. Instead of asking what the Bible says about the topic, it looks at one book at a time to determine what that book teaches about the subject (e.g. what Nehemiah teaches about prayer). 

In this helpful book, author Nick Roark looks at what I'd term as big picture, thematic Biblical Theology. His approach is not what the Bible teaches about a certain topic, but rather what is the overarching story/message of Scripture, and how each part of the Bible fits into that big picture. That story is of Creation, the Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. 

Early in the book, Roark deals with some of the various theologies we have today (e.g. the Prosperity Gospel). Then, he takes several chapters going through the story of the Bible and how it is developed through Scripture. Then, he goes back to the theologies and answers them in light of the metanarrative of Scripture. 

I originally checked this out from the library. However, my wife thought it was important enough for us to own a copy of. I highly recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW: WILDERNESS DEFENDER BY MAGGIE K. BLACK

  

I have read a lot of Love Inspired Suspense - this was #43. All of them I have enjoyed, but there are a few that rise above the others. This is one of those.

This is the second installment of the eight part Alaska K-9 Unit series. As those who have read these continuation series know, there are some loose ends from book one (Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed) which won't be tied up till the later books. While it would help to read part one, it's not necessary to enjoy this tale.

First of all, I'm a Stormy fan. There are certain breeds I expect in series like this; an Irish Wolfhound like Stormy is an example. If she's typical of the breed, and I could afford to feed a large dog like that and give her a place to run, I'd want one.

As veteran readers know, though, the dog is always part of the supporting cast. The focus is always on the male and female leads. Poppy and Lex were very enjoyable characters. The plot is also quick paced and full of twists. Then, you have a villain worthy of a good story like this.

The only weakness is that the main characters do a lot of praying. Some reviewers of Part 1 complained it was too Christian, and they'd complain about this one, either unaware or ignoring that Love Inspired Suspense is a Christian fiction series. To me, the feeling I get is that the author needed extra words in their word count and while not preachy, it did distract from the story. My opinion only.

I make a list of favorite novels I've read each year. This is the end of January and I have a lot of reading to go, but this will have to be an out-of-the-world year in stories for this not to make my top ten.

ASH WEDNESDAY, LENT, UKRAINE, AND PERSECUTED HYMN WRITERS

Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church, Indianapolis, IN

On the 63 Ash Wednesdays I've lived through, I've only been to one (as far as I know). Part of that might be my work schedule; a bigger part could be that I've never regularly attended a church that celebrates Ash Wednesday or Lent. When Becky served as a chaplain at Eskenazi Hospital here in Indianapolis, Becky and I went to a lunch time service at the chapel there, officiated by her supervisor, Father Robert Lyons.

There have been a couple of times I did give up something for Lent, though I'm not sure how kosher my observance was. Once, I gave up creamer in my coffee, and once I gave up condiments/sauces on my sandwiches/entrees (may have been same year). Now, I did continue to use sweetener in my coffee, and I excluded horseradish from the abstinence list. But adding cream to my java or putting BBQ sauce or mustard or some oriental sauce were more luxuries.

But a fair question is what does giving up for Lent accomplish? One of those times, I linked it with praying for someone's salvation for those 40 days. But does merely doing without draw you closer to God? The same with fasting. I remember a blog titled "Fasting or Hunger Strike?" Are we making sacrifices to earn favor from God? Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

I've been taught the primary reason to fast is so you have the time you'd normally be chowing down to pray, and sometimes a fast is for a particular need. This leads me to Ukraine. We definitely need to be praying for that country. The ERLC has an article title "4 Reasons Why Christians Should Care About What's Happening In Ukraine." You can click here to see the whole list in detail, but allow me to give two items that have my attention:

1. Russia's invasion could cause a refugee crisis in Central Europe, and
2. The Ukrainian Church, which faces possible persecution.
   

This is why I pictured Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church (part of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese). Christ is the joy of all who sorrow, and those in Ukraine deserve that joy.

Allow me to conclude with a tie-in with my two previous posts, reviewing biographies of Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. Both were preachers and both were hymn writers, in both cases writing the words but neither writing original music. Both, however, lived under persecution.

Isaac Watts' father was in jail when he was born. Why? Because the senior Watts was a deacon of a dissenting church. Several years later, while the younger Watts was still a child, his father was removed from his family for two years because of the same issue. Laws changed as the younger Watts grew up, but because he wouldn't join the Church of England, he wasn't eligible to run for office, and he could not attend the elite schools like Oxford and Cambridge. (The irony is later on, these schools and also Yale used the book on Logic Watts wrote.)

Technically, the Methodist movement was part of the Church of England. However, this did not spare Charles Wesley from persecution due to issues including open air preaching. Rioters tried to break in, Charles and others were beaten, and if the local law enforcement did more than watch, they usually assisted the rioters.

I know. Today's blog rambled a bit, didn't it? But let me state that we in the U.S. should not expect to avoid the persecution our brothers and sisters are experiencing around the world. We should also take Hebrews 13:3 to heart: "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them - those who are mistreated - since you yourselves are in the body also." (NKJV). 

Allow me to add Psalm 69:33 (again, NKJV): "For the LORD hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners."

What are your thoughts on what I covered? How are you reacting to the Ukraine crisis? Are you observing Lent, and how?