Into the Fire

Presence . . .

 

 

    

 

Say what you will for personal actor preferences. Whether or not you think an actor is talented, attractive, perfect for action roles or dynamite cast as villains, the one thing that separates an actor's performance from ordinary is "presence". I don't believe it can be manufactured or conjured. You either possess it in a role or you don't. Kevin Kostner has performed in some great films and some pathetic films, and you might or might not think he's a good actor. In The Bodyguard, Kevin Kostner achieved a screen presence unlike any other film in which he's acted. Stunning, understated, stoic, and passionate in his silence, few opportunities give actors the chance to demonstrate this kind of presence. He pulled it off in spades.

So. Can there be "presence" created in a novel? Can a writer give readers such a lasting impression of a character that the character sticks with them above so many others. Can that character be retrieved from memory at any time and enjoyed - or hated - all over again? If you ask me, the answer is yes for both hated and loved, admired, or any other emotion reserved for those who touch our souls. And we store them for reminders of meaningful writing that hold a lasting place in our minds and hearts.

Mitch Rapp, Lance Michelli, Joey Parr to name three of my character favorites . . . with presence. 

 

God, your Presence is the most desired and wow-ing of all. I long for it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

*http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Pictures+of+Kevin+Kostner+in+The+Bodyguard&view=detail&id=92A32693BBB5A3CC1FDDA40DC07A6FFD08E5CD17&first=0&qpvt=Pictures+of+Kevin+Kostner+in+The+Bodyguard&FORM=O1HV

Committing an . . . Act of Valor

 

                           

 

I'm not a war movie kind of girl, but I am a patriot. I saw "BLACK HAWK DOWN" because I knew it was based on a tragic and shameful real life incident. When I watched the preview of "ACT OF VALOR" and learned the history behind the making of the film, I knew I had to see it. Friday was the day.

Most of you probably know that real Navy SEALs play the "roles" of Navy SEALs. There was some criticism from the Hollowood - er - Hollywood leftwingers that the "acting" and dialogue was stilted on their parts and supposedly based on that opinion some of them gave the film one star. The reason actors and stunt men weren't used is because there weren't qualified people who could do what these men do. "Damn few." The significance of that phrase is made clear in the film. Live ammo was often used throughout filming, and some of you might know the entire movie was filmed with a $3000 camera.

The story is about what this nation faces on a daily basis: Islamic terrorism with players from all over the world. A female CIA operative/doctor is captured by a Russian arms smuggler who provides weapons and a unique bombing device for his childhood friend who has become a jihadist planning multiple attacks within the United States. The operative is brutally beaten and tortured for information. It is up to the SEAL Team 7 to extract her. In the process they discover just how big this specific terror network is and how the plan is supposed to go down. Their mission is expanded to stop the attacks on US soil.

If in watching this movie you are not moved to admiration, respect, appreciation, gratitude, and sorrow, something is seriously wrong with your heart. These amazing individuals, these warriors, who put country first, risk it all, and truly sacrifice, deserve the honors that performing acts of valor inspire. Soldiers fight to protect this country. Special Forces go all over the earth to keep evil people from taking down this blessed nation and perpetuating evil wherever they can.

The gut-wrenching final scene hurts to the core but emphasizes exactly what the film's title means. Go see it if you haven't because it's worth every penny of the price of admission. A must-see movie. Edge of your seat, heart-stressing, adrenaline pumping film. Rated R for violence and some language. I say it's rated R for REAL.

 

*Poster: http://www.movieweb.com/news/act-of-valor-poster

 

God, you are everywhere always. You know the hearts of men. I pray these brave and gifted  mighty-men would know you above all others and that you would give them your insights and divine protection. Please bless them with the knowledge of your Son and the peace of your eternity. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.      

Sunday's Offerings

 

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

2 Peter 3:11-14 (NIV)

****Political Update****

 

Scribecast: Sen. James Inhofe Says Global Warming Is ‘The Greatest Hoax’

Rob Bluey and Lachlan Markay

March 3, 2012 at 10:08 am

(0)

In a new book out this week, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) traces the history of global warming hysteria and concludes it’s a downright hoax. He also reveals how climate-change champions are benefiting financially by promoting the idea.

Inhofe’s book, “The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future,” is sure to inspire heated debate on the controversial subject of climate change. As the ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Inhofe has been at the center of that debate for the past 10 years.

He’ll visit Heritage on March 14 for a detailed presentation that examines why global warming is a hoax. (Click to RSVP.) We spoke to him this week about the book as well as his views on rising gas prices and energy policy.

Listen to the interview with Sen. James Inhofe on this week’s Scribecast

Download

 

Inhofe recounted that when he first began to question conventional wisdom about global warming his phone rang off the hook as scientists complained their work was rejected because it didn’t fit with environmentalists’ preconceived conclusions about the issue.

Ten years later, Inhofe is still an outspoken critic. Today he warns that Americans are facing costly new regulations from Washington. “The regulations that come with this are much more punitive to my kids and grandkids,” he told us.

The podcast runs about 12 minutes. It was produced with the help of Hannah Sternberg. Listen to previous interviews on Scribecast or subscribe to future episodes.

Posted in Energy and Environment, Scribe

 

**Reprinted from The Foundry

 

God in heaven, we are so desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Friday Five

 

Five of the stranger things I've done in my life:

Rode in the back of a State Patrol car without being a criminal. I needed a ride from one town to another, and that's how I got it.

Interviewed for my job at the racetrack in high heels and a mini dress.

Went to London to meet David Hemmings (British actor). Called his manager and got in to see him. David Hemmings was in the USA getting married. His manager Nigel invited me and my friend to a party, and we went. On the last day of our nearly three month sojourn to Europe, I got to see David Hemmings who greeted me with a "Good morning".

Danced on a table in a bowling alley lounge on a dare.

Bought those black calf-leather boots that went all the way up. Loved those boots.

As you might have figured out, these incidents were all before I met the Lord Jesus Christ. It's so good to know He loved and loves me anyway.  

 

Just a few . . .

 

A few of the novels I'm looking forward to reading soon . . .

 

                      

 

                     

 

         

                    

                  

                    

 

Father, thank you for your writers. What a pleasure to share in their talents. Please continue to bless them with more stories to tell and the means to do just that in obedience to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Titles of Novels

 

 

                                              

Titles rate high in my book, pun intended. A clever title says a lot about an author. Or does it?

The publishing machine often changes the titles authors give to their novels. Unless we have inside knowledge of a particular work, we don't know if the book dons its original title. I like my titles, and I'm sure other authors favor their own selections. Sometimes I see the title before the story or sometimes it works its way to the surface through the words of the story as it develops, fairly quickly. However, the story I'm working on now is halfway finished and it has no title. Shocking. For me.

 

                      

How do you feel about titles? Do you get yours before, during, or after you've written your story? How would you feel about someone wanting to change it?

Father, you have many titles. All noble, powerful, indicative of superlatives and perfection and ultimate beauty in the purest form. Titles are important to you as well. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Angry.

 

****Caution: Rant****

 

               

Round One: Let me address this problem first. I'm mad at the NFL. I'm angry because they're as politically correct as the, well, as the politicians. And it makes me sick. Because the so-called fans of the game are "outraged" because of the bounty hunters in football. Really? Every time a player goes on the field to compete, he is asked to hit his opponent hard. If he can intimidate his opponent by stunning tackles, all the better. It's called football. No, we don't want to see any of them get hurt, but look at the sizes of these competitors. Their speed, their muscularity, their intensity. Unleashed. Controlled mayhem. Look at the highlight reels. See the contortions of these athletes catching passes, throwing passes, running into defenders, pursuing quarterbacks? It's not a girly game. People watch football because it's technical skills-meet-power collisions. No, we don't want to see the attitudes of "the assassin" revisited. We want to see fair games, hard hits, little interference by the referees, and the ongoing display of the athletes that were born to play the game of football. If coaches and players make stupid decisions, let it be handled in house. If a fine is warranted or even a firing: fine. Just get it done without sweeping the whole stupid uninformed pseudo fans into it.

Round Two: I'm furious about the Rush Limbaugh flap. Those who hate Rush, those who've never listened to his program, those who have no morals except when it comes to citing Rush for using "offensive" language to refer to Ms. Sandra Fluke's, a leftist women's activist, efforts to get free birth control and abortion provisions into Catholic universities and everywhere else under Obamacare, are thrilled about certain of his advertisers bailing like rats on a sinking ship. The latest "dismissal" by Ms. Fluke of Rush's apology for using the words "slut" and "prostitute" in his absurdist example of Ms. Fluke wanting contraception and abortion provided for "free" is another effort by the liberal left to give this woman her 15 minutes of fame for supposedly taking down the conservative talk radio king Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Limbaugh admitted sinking to the level of the left in his absurdist response to Ms. Fluke's plea to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and other women Democrats at their assembled press conference. He apologized not for his point which was reasonable and valid but for the choice of his words in reference to the example Ms. Fluke set before this panel. None of these women complained about the left's vulgarity when referring to Sarah Palin. Not one of them stood up and expressed their "outrage".

Ms. Fluke and the liberal left do more damage to womanhood than anything Rush Limbaugh could possibly say or do. I'm disgusted by their hypocrisy, double-standard, self-righteous ideology. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.

God, forgive me for the struggle in my soul. The anger I feel. Help me not to sin in my anger. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Shuttering who you are . . .

 

                       

 

Shutters close off a view. They serve the same purpose as curtains or window shades. They conceal or protect or both.

How much of yourself do you shutter? On the web some people reveal all kinds of things they probably shouldn't. One thing is certain: the longer you write, whether it's on the web, constructing novels, posts, essays, and/or comments on others' posts, articles, Facebook, or wherever, you will show people more of yourself. If your words are guarded because you choose to reveal very little of yourself, it's sometimes surprising how much is still exposed.

Life is unshuttered if you know what I mean. You can close yourself off to a lot of it, but it doesn't stop happening as a result. The older you get the more you realize how this existence here on earth is not "life" in its natural sense. It's a form of death. And that death comes rapidly for some and slowly for others. Those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ still leave this earth via physical death. Our transformation to real life occurs through the Spirit of God and transports us to our Creator post death.

Some things about ourselves we cannot hide. I'm a passionate person. I feel deeply, react strongly, and invest wholeheartedly or not at all. And I don't hate adverbs. Seriously, though, I was born with the "prophet" mentality. That can mean on some days I'm Elijah on his worst day, Jeremiah in his lametations, or Malachi in his consternation. If I feel anything, it isn't lightly. Although I have a decent sense of humor and love to laugh, I'm a serious person. I'm fiercely loyal, a good listener, and if you're my friend, I don't just like you, I love you. If you come against those I love, Look Out.

As a writer, I give a picture that is somewhat unshuttered. Not totally. The partial "unshuttering" is not to conceal life but to protect readers from a portion of it. To avoid the all out brutality, vulgarity, and instead hint at it. To give the suggestion of it without a graphic "high-definition" account. If the all-out graphics are required to depict the honesty of a scene, I can do it. So far, this hasn't been a necessity. Implications have worked effectively. However, I haven't written horror or thrillers. And you won't find me writing erotica.

How do you live? How do you write? Shuttered or unshuttered?

Father, you know my past. You've heard my repentance. You love me anyway. I'm desperate for you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

 

*picture from http://www.theshutterstore.com/Gallery/

Sunday's Offerings

 

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son: your sins are forgiven."

At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe, and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew 9:1-8 (NIV)

Farewell, Warrior.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAHJsJqgcts

 

Father, please continue to comfort Andrew's family during their time of mourning and grief. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

****Political Update****

 

20 Economic Statistics That Will Make Your Jaw Drop

February 29, 2012

http://www.mrconservative.com/

The Dow has closed above 13,000 for the first time since 2008, and the mainstream media is declaring that a strong economic recovery is underway. Barack Obama is telling anyone who will listen that his economic policies are a huge success, and U.S. consumers are piling up astounding amounts of new debt. Unfortunately, this euphoria about the economy will be short-lived. None of the long-term problems that are destroying the U.S. economy have been solved. In fact, there are dozens of statistics that can be quoted that prove that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than it was when the recession supposedly ended. If dramatic changes are not made very rapidly, our nation is going to smash directly into an economic brick wall. Sadly, most Americans are so addicted to entertainment that they have no idea what is about to happen. Most of them are “sheeple” that are content to trust that the “experts” know exactly how to fix our problems as they continue to enjoy their entertainment-induced comas. After all, it is much easier to turn on “American Idol” or “Dancing With The Stars” than it is to think about debt ratios and monetary policy. But that doesn’t mean that we should not try to wake the sheeple up. It just means that it will not be easy.

If you went to the doctor tomorrow and he told you to take some little blue pills without telling you anything else, would you take them?

Of course not.

You would want to know what the little blue pills are for.

But if your doctor told you that you have a deadly incurable disease that is about to kill you, and that the little blue pills are the only cure, then you would definitely be interested in taking them.

Well, it is the same way with the American people. Until they understand just how sick the economy is, they will not be interested in fighting for a solution.

We need to show all the sheeple out there that the U.S. economy has terminal cancer and is headed for death.

We need to show them that the future of our children and our grandchildren is literally being destroyed.

Way too many Americans are sitting around waiting for the government to save them.

It isn’t going to happen.

It is up to those of us that are awake to wake up those that are asleep.

And there are many out there that think that they are awake that are only partially awake.

One very famous author once wrote that “people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”, and that is exactly what is happening in America today. Most Americans simply don’t understand what is happening economically, politically, socially, morally or financially in this nation.

Please help me wake the sheeple up.

The following are 20 economic statistics to use to wake sheeple up from their entertainment-induced comas….

#1 The United States has more government debt per capita than Greece, Portugal, Italy, Ireland or Spain.

#2 The European Commission has formally declared that Europe has now entered another recession. German banks are leveraged 32 to 1 and the European financial system is rapidly approaching a nightmare. Lehman Brothers was only leveraged 30 to 1 when it finally collapsed.

#3 There are clear signs that economic activity is also significantly slowing down in the United States. For example, new orders for goods manufactured in the United States experienced the biggest drop in three years in January.

#4 U.S. consumers are busy racking up staggering amounts of debt once again. Total consumer debt rose at an annual rate of 9.3 percent in December. It is now sitting at a grand total of 2.498 trillion dollars.

#5 The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to eliminate 35,000 more jobs.

#6 There are more unemployed Americans than there are people living in the entire nation of Greece.

#7 The percentage of American men that have jobs is near an all-time record low.

 

Father, you know all things. You know the hearts of your people. You hear our prayers of repentance. You hear our pleas to intervene. To heal our land. We're desperate for you. Please help us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Technologically . . . Off the Grid

 

                                          

 

I am a total non-geek. Non-tech savvy. Non-person when it comes to technology. I wholeheartedly admire those who take to it, young and old. My brain does not function at any technological level. Talk to me about horses and writing, and we could carry on all day, but if you want to converse in computer lab dialogue, I'm outa here. You are speaking foreign words to my English comprehension. So it is with this personal disclaimer that I review Off the Grid by Mark Young which can be purchased in the Kindle edition for a mere $2.99. Geekiness lovers, this is the thriller for you.

I might be a bit skewed when it comes to the thriller genre since they were originally defined for me by reading Robert Liparulo's first three adult novels, particularly Germ. I think Robert's breakneck pace, multi-faceted plots, and the intensity of "mission-oriented" good and bad guys (and gals) epitomize what the thriller genre truly is supposed to be. Although that definition can be further categorized into sub-classifications, i.e. political, legal, medical, etc. thrillers, I think all of the aforementioned characteristics should apply to some extent. Few authors can equal the pacing factor of Robert's Germ and his other gems.

Off the Grid can scoot into the thriller category because of it's constant and immediate relocations due to the effective success of technological wizardry. The pursuit and identification of the protagonist Gerrit O'Rourke and his uncle and associates make for critical chases by evil antagonists who seek - what else? - to control the world with their technology.

Once again we encounter a character in Gerrit who holds an eidetic memory and a doctorate in some kind of computer genius from MIT. After he chose to continue his expected military service with the guys under his command in Afghanistan instead of assisting his brilliant father at MIT with a discovery that he wouldn't reveal to Gerrit for reasons Gerrit didn't understand, Gerrit's parents were murdered by a car bomb in Seattle where it was disguised by law enforcement. When Gerrit learns of his parents' death, he leaves the Marine Corps and joins the Seattle Police Department, working his way up to detective, his real purpose to investigate how his parents died.

In Gerrit O'Rourke we see a man who's locked off his emotional investments, bent on avenging his parents' deaths. He's invited - or coerced - to visit an amazing technological compound outside of London, given a push by the female prosecutor he occasionally sleeps with and her D.C. Senator father in a private rendevous.

After meeting the compound's head honcho Richard Kane, Gerrit's discernment level ratchets up and produces an uneasy assessment of and underlying agenda to what he's been shown.

The thrills take off from this point and don't stop until the last few pages with an open ending to insure further Gerrit O'Rourke ventures to come. Peripheral but important characters contributing to the various pursuits include Gerrit's Uncle Joe, another brilliant computer genius, his ragtag team of a hulking ex-con, a female so similar to Ziva David from NCIS that I couldn't help but "hear" her everytime this woman spoke, and another computer wizard "Willy" along with a secretive FBI agent, a military contact, and various traitors mixed throughout the ensemble of characters. There is a vague faith thread sitting just below the main action offering an available reliance for future storylines.

I will mention a couple of weaknesses in this story. However, nothing severe enough to not recommend it to those readers who love technological thrillers. There were a couple of instances where "too available" solutions seemed to appear, causing me to balk at the possibility of their convenience. The other thing is that Richard Kane (noting the possible implication of his last name) and "Stuart" play to the typical stereotype of evil guys who lust for power and want to control the world. There's nothing to distinguish them from any other villain, and I found them and most of the bad guys to be one-dimensional with the exception of one traitor. Also there were some proofreading errors that made it through process of production and seemed to increase toward the end of the story. Outside of these minor "problems", geeks who love thrillers will thoroughly enjoy this high-tech story. Off the Grid by Mark Young will satisfy those tech-savvy readers who long for more stories examining their ever-expanding tecnological advances.

Father, please continue to bless the career and life of Mark Young. Give him more stories to tell and the provision to write them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.