Welcome to Book Readers Heaven! Find Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
Guy Graybill's latest book is a compilation of written poems over the years--ones that were meant to be shared someday... Rhymes from the Hinterland brings to readers history, humor, romance and so much more... Guy has strong opinions; he shares them freely as one who writes poetry often does. For poetry is the words of need--a short time expressing what is in your mind or heart...
Sometimes heavy with warning, sometimes light in joy of life. Sometimes he writes with words of old, yet, the meaning for today seems so clear...
THE VIGIL MAINTAIN
So, you’ve put away all of your armor.
So, your lance you have now set aside!
And you say we have slain all the dragons?
Here our thinking is bound to collide.
You’re a fool, who is too soon deluded.
Our world’s yet the dark, beast-laden wood.
Here live creatures that hope to devour us;
Here are foes who would do us no good.
They are cloaked in a guise that is modern—
Like the razor-sharp blade in the sheath—
So that, outwardly, they appear harmless;
But, the ‘dragon’ still lurks underneath!
Some are nations that feign would embrace us; Others, groups that would offer us peace.
Some are concepts that promise Utopia . . .
The proverbial ‘wolves under fleece’?
All those brutes would, with ease, overpower us,
If we fell, importunely, asleep.
So, we must have the moat filled with Caution
And let Truth help us strengthen the keep.
We’ve no choice but to maintain the vigil,
And be certain our young can derive
A concern for the imminent dangers.
The alert are the ones who survive!
~~~~
UPBRINGING
While I was yet an infant,
My parents cast the die.
They weaned me on bologna;
They fed me rabbit pie.
And as a lad, a-growing,
They gave me kettle meat,
Along with steaming mince pies,
Both savory and sweet.
They set my tastes forever
And didn’t even try.
A carnivore they raised me;
A carnivore I’ll die.
😁
Some of my long-time readers will remember his book, Bravo, spotlighting music from Italy... I think I individually covered most of those individuals mentioned, more extensively at Book Readers Heaven. With this new book Guy has again become an ongoing contributor here, sharing over 160 poems found in this book through the upcoming moths or years... On the other hand, I've already read the entire book and can highly recommend it to all poetry readers.
As mentioned, style of writing changes, based upon the topic... I find it delightful that he adds a touch of "theatre" to each poem...
SUNRISE AND SADNESS
When hopes lie shattered on the shore,
Good friends are often wont to say:
“The Sun will rise; just as before.
Tomorrow is another day.”
That’s what good friends are wont to say.
But grave injustice came to call.
Yes, grave injustice came to stay.
So, I must dine on bitter gall
And I’m condemned to sip dismay,
No matter what good friends might say.
On days when duties don’t impede,
My will can’t push me from the cot.
If bladder does not intercede,
I’d rather slumber; rather rot,
Than join a world where truth’s forgot!
I curse the knaves who gain success
By trampling ethics under hoof.
One thought ignites my bitterness:
I sense the crime; but lack the proof . . .
I sense the crime; but lack the proof.
To know injustice, unerased,
Leaves morning’s joy forever gone;
With courage lost and hope effaced.
So long as justice is withdrawn,
Sunrise and sadness crow the dawn . . .
😞
Folks, this last poem spoke to me,
of attempts to progress backward...
For each day we see that,
indeed, a failing justice
How many thousands of years
has this gone on,
but never more
than today's sad morn
I don't profess to be a poet,
Yet words speaking truth
do call to me...
Thus, a responsive attempt by me...
😍
Plan on seeing Guy around along with other contributors... In the meantime, I suggest that you get your own copy and place it next to where you sit... Turn the noise of news down or read a poem or two during commercials. Each time a new one comes, you'll find that it may just speak to you as well...
Vicky had ordered her usual pink cow and took a sip as she responded to her new friend, Ari. They had been talking about a talent show that was coming up and Ari, who was very involved with music, was asking for details...
Of course, they were including comments about Hester, who had won the contest for the last two years...
Hester? She was dating that cute, rich boy that Berta dreamed about before she met Howard. Let's just say Hester flung that connection around to all the girls in the school--"He's mine!" Even Ari, who was new to the school had already noticed, and after their discussion, she decided she would sign up!
And the jukebox played on...
If you all don't mind, I'd like to share one of my own past stories that I thought of as I was reading these books, the last one, by the way, is my favorite, maybe for that reason... But probably because of Ari's music interests... And her decision to compete...
Too many years ago for me to remember the year, I had just met a new member of my family, by marriage. The WVU fieldhouse was still on the main campus and she and I attended a basketball game... It was a small facility and I was seeing many people I knew. But one of the faculty members with whom I worked happened to be looking around at the same time and we recognized each other and waved hands, smiling... I got a strange look from this new female and she asked me if I knew him... Then, for whatever reason, she asked me if I would date a Black man... At that time, I had already been very conscious about prejudice against Black people, since I was already meeting many more non-white people than I had ever interacted with there... This is what I said: "Probably not, my main concern would be the children that could result from a relationship--everybody knew that other children still picked on children different from them. That was the end of that conversation. However, a week or so later, my aunt with whom I'd always been close, asked me, bluntly, "Are you interested in dating Black men?" I probably said, "ah, What?" She promptly went on and told me who has told her that. We looked at each other, immediately knowing what we were thinking... Then she told me, that she had talked so much about needing a coat, that my aunt finally gave her money. We would be on the alert from now on... And, I can't help but worry just a little, about what's happening, again, today... But I've learned to admire the Black Culture, especially those individuals I've met through their wonderful books, like this trilogy.
I bring this up because of the new family that came to the "Black Diamond district." You see, Ari's father had originally lived there many years ago... He had left and had joined the service, fighting in WWII but his greatest love and job was playing piano... And he knew he would always be able to find somebody who needed a piano player... Thing was, as he worked, he realized that nobody seemed to know he was a Black man. Even in the service... So, why would he make a point of it?
And what happened to make him come back home? He fell in love. With a beautiful Mexican woman... And Ari became a mixed-race child who knew as soon as she was old enough to understand that they were holding a secret. You see, at that time, Mexicans were classified, legally, as white. And it was illegal to be married to a Black man... It was time to go home to Black Diamond...
At first, the family was...watched... Many of the older residents knew he had passed for many years out in the white world... It seemed everybody adopted a wait-and-see about why he came back. But, that was the grownups... Berta, when she first say Ari sitting alone, she felt...empathy... And even though she was a little jealous of what Howard said about her being pretty, Berta went over and started talking... Soon, Ari had filled the place that had been vacated in the threesome which were Vicky, Berta, and now Ari...
You know that television that was new in town? Well, Ari was the first to be invited over, along with others from school, to watch TV... And if the young shall lead, Berta's family soon invited Ari's parents to watch a drama one evening...
So while that was happening the trio continued to ponder whether Ari should compete in the talent contest... So Vicki checked out the rules and discovered that it said nothing about whether a mixed-race individual could compete... BTW, Hester had told Ari that she should check the rules... That made the decision much more easy, of course. But Ari wondered about what should she do for her talent. Her Dad had been teaching her piano since she was very young. But, she was also had a beautiful voice. In any event, she was afraid her need for practicing would disrupt her home too much... So, that was quickly arranged by the pastor of their church being willing for her to practice--as long as the music didn't get to jazzy... LOL
When I heard Black Diamond, I knew this was the video to use... even if Ari would also be playing piano...
It was Ari's turn, she wore a beautiful gown she'd worn before to a special event. She sat down to play, but hesitated... At the last minute she knew the song that she really wanted to sing--and how to sing it...
Unfortunately, I've spent it seems hours trying to find a video, which I really wanted to hear and use... of exactly what Ari had chosen to do... She had sung the first time in English, and then she sang the last version in Spanish... Finding this song in Spanish? Even Latino stars chose to sing in English...Sigh
Of course when we read about Hester's talent, we knew who would win!
But, the more important part of the story was when Ari's mother came to her after she'd left the state... You see, Ari had missed her grandmother who they didn't see much since they'd moved... Little by little, the use of their Spanish had been eliminated from their daily lives... Ari, who was of two cultures, wanted to celebrate them both... And sharing the other part of her there in Black Diamond was something she felt she really needed to do...
Many have said lately that you cannot choose with whom you fall in love. In a single race community, or nation, it may never come up. But in a land where all people are welcomed, love comes, sometimes, from a different ethnic descent you meet--somebody who turns out to be their one and only soul mate... Does it matter? In the 40s, the government regulated marriage by color of your skin... Ari and her parents had to come to Black Diamond and felt safe for, maybe, the first time since they were married years ago... I so applaud Nadine for writing from a historical perspective that we are now once again facing... But, no matter who says what, know that we are all God's Children...
I recognize that I may have overplayed the historical part... But with this last book, I want to point out to our teen readers, that these books really are fun to read... watching teenagers back in the 40s, you may find, is not really different... Or is it? In any event, they are escapes from reality... Brining in the War was a small part of it all... The books rock with music, gossip by the local store boy who bags groceries repeating anything and everything that is most talked about as people check out...and then share to the next group of people... LOL Why wait for the newspaper, at least until Vicky is working there one day!
More importantly, it is a time when friends could be friends--both boys and girls--and find that they could be themselves. Only one girl seemed to have a problem with other students, but, really, there's probably more these days, right? Bottom line, I loved these books... I wish I had been able to find the final song, Nature Boy, sung by a beautiful teen who learned both English and Spanish from her parents. At least it was Nat's daughter, but his voice is so much smoother and dreamy...LOL Hint I was/am his fan!
It was Saturday afternoon in the community of West Hill, nicknamed "Black Diamond District," and teens were flooding to Bro Brown's Malt Shop to push coins, first into the Jukebox, and then head over to order their favorite drink, to get started... My choice? Orange Cream, but I doubt it was available in the 40s...LOL But no matter what era, I was there to enjoy the music and check out another kind of whodunit...
Hear that, the flavor of Autumn Leaves, which is one of my favorite Nat King Cole vocals, is right in there at the beginning... Now at my time, the word was groovy...in the 40s, I don't know what they called smooth jazz... but it's what most was happening at Bro's place... a central location of these books--where friends could gather and talk, hear the latest news, or meet up with others from school for a little out-of-school JOY...
In fact, the trilogy surrounds the lives of a threesome of teen girls at all times--with one change when a family had to move to another part of the country. And Ari came in to find herself in a safe place finally... More on that later... Vicky was in book one; however, you should also know that the lives of all three girls are continuously within the pages of the trilogy. Here, you'll find just a few main facts that I found of personal interest and wanted to share with all of you!
Berta considers herself just an average student, in most ways. In fact, she only began to find herself recognizing her value, when a certain young boy came stumbling into her life... You see, Howard sat in front of Berta in one of their classes... While Berta was dreaming of ever having a date with the most popular boy in school and deciding that wasn't going to happen. My thought immediately was that Howard was secretly interested in Berta... And shy around her...
So much so that when he was coming to class, one time he stumbled right before he got to his own chair and fell onto Berta's desk... How humiliating! All the class was laughing; but, it was only later that Berta, remembered, that, when Howard's head popped up and he leaned on her desk, he had asked if she was ok! You know, that's when my mystery solving mind decided, Yep, he's whodunit! He's the guy for Berta!
And I was right...
So, one day, Berta was meeting Vicky... And, there she sat wearing Willie's sports jacket! How Cool! Berta had her own secret to share; but, being Berta, she allowed her friend to share her joy of wearing Willie's jacket first... And, only then, did she reveal that her family had a new addition! No, you're wrong if you immediately thought what most people would think, LOL... Her father had bought a Television!!!!
Ahhh, that did bring back memories for me... We were too poor to have a television for many years after they came out... But a neighbor of ours had purchased one--he worked for the railroad where a train traveled right in front of our house and I guess he made lots more money than my widowed Mom... Anyway, my sister was a good friend of his daughter, plus we all went to the same church... Soooo, we got to go to their house to watch TV, just like you'll read about, when Berta invites her friends! Cool, right?! And by that time, Howard was definitely invited, especially when Berta found out he had been their paperboy and had routinely interacted with her Dad! But she had never known him then... True...
But I have to tell you about their first date! Howard fumbled around and finally got it out that his sister was getting married and, like, would Berta be his date at the wedding? She almost swooned... Her first grownup event--what would she wear?! Thoughts flooded into her mind, until she finally remembered she had to say "yes" to Howard!
And the very first thing she noticed at the wedding? Howard was not awkward or stumbling around... She realized that he was in a safe space, where everybody loved him and came to hug and talk to him... I believe it was then that Berta began to see Howard for who he really was... And that, somebody, was somebody she really began to like--a lot!
Until Berta began to have trouble understanding the material of a couple of her classes. She found she had to spend more time studying and less time with her friends and the malt shop... But what are friends for? Vicky one day just came out and asked her friend what was wrong. And Berta confessed she needed to study more but some of it she just couldn't understand... It was algebra for me... I had to take a class to be able to take a few management courses on campus when I started working right after I graduated... All I can remember now, and immediately after I passed the course, was that there was an 8 on its side and it meant infinity... LOL Anyway, Vicky forced her to make time to meet with her to study together... until she moved on to the other major concern that had developed...
Vicky had career goals even early in her teens... It wasn't until Berta began to have trouble with some of her classwork that, perhaps for the first time, she realized that she'd never thought about plans for the future--that she didn't even think about it enough to wonder if she wanted to work, what would she do? Her self-doubt became so great that she was no longer able to deal with the reality of her day-to-day life activities... She even began to worry about Howard when he said that a new girl was pretty...
Until she opened up, at Howard's insistence, to him...
This, then, is one of the reasons, I wanted to spotlight this trilogy. Keels has a personal connection to all that has happened within the Black Culture. Her books reveal that connection and her desire to create the books that she could never find when she was growing up and going through her teen years... She wanted to share those books and I believe she has done a fantastic job... Sure, these books all have Black characters... But, I have to say, I've never found anything that makes me think that color of the skin makes our teen years, or, in fact, any part of our lives, different because one is black and one is white. It's NOT true... Circumstances may be a problem, but never the people unless... well, you all know what I mean...
One of the first books I read by a Black woman, had a cover with a white woman. I asked her why. She told me there were no covers readily available with Black people! And that's been within the last twenty years! I am a fan of book covers. It's the first thing I do when I get a new book... Kudos to Keels for making sure this historical trilogy reflected exactly what she wanted to have found when she was a teen! And for again, providing a final narrative on, this time, the Black culture and capitalization/writing concerns... is covered...
I especially enjoyed the three characters that Nadine created... Each one entirely different in so many ways; yet, they had become friends... Reminded me of the trio I was part of in junior high and on through graduation. One Black girl, One Catholic girl, and one white girl, who thankfully believed that God had created all people! And, isn't that the way it's supposed to be?! But, just as we are experiencing once again, our Black neighbors being persecuted. We need to question, don't we?! We are all God's children, every one of us. And, surely, if in the 1940s, the Black songs were not even allowed to be played by many radio stations, then surely we should have progressed by 2026! And we have to some extent... but not under the president that I don't recognize...as...mine...
And remembering my very first Black girlfriend, Marian Davis, in the 7th grade when we both started going to junior high school... And the many Black friends I have found through their books, including Nadine C. Keels... We must fight for freedom...again!
God Be With Our Black Neighbors
I've been a fan of Nadine Keels for many years. I follow her on Amazon and had picked up books when they send a notice they've been published. So I had read one and discovered it was a trilogy. I then read another I already had, and finally went out and got this first book that I'd missed... After reading I knew I wanted to spotlight this trilogy, for so many reasons...
First, it is set soon after the end of WWII--I was born about that time, LOL... My mother had made it clear to me, when I asked, that I was an America. Even then she disassociated herself from Hitler and his war against the Jewish people. And, I wanted to learn more about that era just as Nadine had done to add a historical perspective to these books...
And its music, of course.
Nadine provides a short historical perspective for each of these books, varying. In this case, she talked about what was called "race music." Yes, there has always been discrimination, hasn't there? (As far back as Jesus Himself...) The local radio stations at that time refused to play what, essentially, was the Blues.
That was the decision by which the Malt Shop owner installed a jukebox... The Malt Shop became the central setting as the book progresses... And it was normally packed, especially by teenagers, who would come in, go immediately to the jukebox and put in some coins!
Nat King Cole was known as a trio at that time, and, of course, you all will find Cole on my blog from time to time with historical or seasonal books (Autumn Leaves is so beautiful). Nat surely was on the Jukebox... Some of the town's soldiers had never returned... The Black community was still mourning their loss...
Vicky was known as The Brain of her school, something which she didn't really enjoy, but the kids did tend to give nicknames, and Vicky was one of the smartest students in the school. She was also interested in writing, already planning for a career in Journalism, hopefully at her local newspaper so that she wouldn't have to leave town...
But Vicky was really a young girl who had not yet found her way... Even though she was 16, she had never dated anyone, even though one of her best friends already had a steady boyfriend (you'll meet her later). But then there was a day--a very special day... And there was a boy, a special little boy she had once played with when her parents had come together. They would go outside to play and leave the grownups to do what they did, and they'd run, run, run everywhere, having fun, as children do...
But, this day, she was alone at the Malt Shop and ready to place her order, when the son of the Shop's owner...well, let's just say, there was an incident. A very special incident for Vicky and, it seemed, for...him...
Now Vicky, when she dreamed, she thought of somebody she could be interested in, who'd consider maybe going to the library as a date... at least she thought that would be a wonderful way to spend time together. But when she was matched with a new student at school for a two-person project, she really learned what that "could" mean. Whew, she even had to spend time talking to her mother about that situation! LOL Let's just say he was a black sexist pig... And I have no ideawhether that was known as a phrase in the '40s...
More and more Vicky remembered the incident. An incident that she had never shared with her best friends... It was too precious...
And with that she could keep it close to her heart secretly, at least she could keep the secret until he had made and given her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... She had to share!
Willie, the teenaged son of the owner of Bro Brown's Malt Shop, had been talking with friends when he turned around--and the incident occurred... Yes, he was the little boy with whom she'd run through the house and yard as a child... Now he was the most important football player on the team and their lives, for the most part had gone separate ways until that day... She hadn't been looking for a beau, but, still...
Willie had held Vicky that day, to save her from falling. But they held in that position much longer than needed. And, their eyes had held, neither wanted to move... She wasn't sure what to do. He certainly didn't... Willie, we can plainly see, is really somewhat shy. There is no indication whether he'd had a crush on Vicky when they were much younger, but their time at that time, obviously had stayed with each one as time had gone by...
Perhaps a new song flipped up on the jukebox, but finally the incident moved on... Vicky went on to meet her friends. Willie might have gone back to his Dad and said something about Vicky needing a new drink... Perhaps his Dad had perked up with how his son was talking, maybe a little nervous, his eyes wandering around the kitchen... His Dad warmed inside... Since his wife had died, he had been the only parent and was often too busy working to spend time with his son...just...to...see how he was doing...
And when Willie's Dad suggested he have a small group of friends in, Willie agreed--he wanted only to have Vicky come! So he suggested she invite her friends too... And Vicky did come, but was quiet and sat watching others dancing. When Willie came and asked, worriedly about her, she finally admitted for the first time that she didn't know how to dance...
Willie took her hand and pulled her to her feet, guiding her into his arms... They danced to Nat Cole again...and when they didn't break at the end of that song, Willie's friend just played the song over again...
And the rest, as they say, is history... Willie began showing the town that Vicky was his girl, simply by pointing the football toward her after he's made a goal...and plans were made... And gossip spread throughout the school... the town... Willie and Vicky!
And the Jukebox continued on...
Watch for Book 2 Next...
In the meantime, More History vs. Today
Note: I got lost in the 40s era... Some songs have been remade and/or in different eras on the same videos... So I decided to choose the songs that seemed best to match what was happening in the book...
Also, When I planned on starting the spotlight today, I had not realized that it was a holiday (hopefully that will continue!), I'm sorry, Nadine, I had not planned on bringing in so much history versus today's madness... Folks, these books are both fun, as well as informative... Teenage love is just plain sweet to read about, in my opinion... Grab the trilogy for your own children!
“Praying isn’t going to make things any better. There is no cure.” “A cure isn’t the only way for things to get better...”
Pastor Cooper began to pray... “Dear Heavenly Father,” Pastor Cooper prayed. “You are rich in mercy. Thank you for making us your own when there was nothing beautiful about us. Thank you for washing us in Jesus’ blood and cleansing us from our sins. Thank you for seeking after us even when we have sought after other things. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would work in hearts everywhere, that all may believe the beautiful truth of your mercy and be saved. Amen.”
Faith smothered a yawn as she pulled into the dark parking lot at Daisy’s, steering past the empty spaces alongside the building to the employee parking area at the back. She didn’t have a reserved spot—she didn’t need one, since she was the first one here every day—but she always chose the same spot anyway: under the giant magnolia tree, looking out over the river. She turned off her car and just sat, watching the reflected light of the quaint lamps along the riverwalk ripple over the surface of the water. The sun wouldn’t be up for over an hour yet, and by then, she would be elbows-deep in mixing and rolling pie crusts. But she loved this time of the morning—she always had. Even in high school, when most of her friends would sleep in as long as they could, she would often roll out of bed before the sun rose and tiptoe out the patio door of her dad’s house to settle on the big outdoor sofa that overlooked the river. It wasn’t so much the sunrise she was watching for. It was the stillness of the moments before it, when there was only the gentle rustle of leaves and the quiet hush of the water to keep her company. And that first sound of the birds waking—that always sent a thrill through her that she couldn’t explain. But it felt like . . . like a little inside moment between her and God, when they were the only two up to hear the birds. She hadn’t paused to really enjoy those early morning moments in a long time, but this morning she needed a good dose of tranquility. Seeing Judah yesterday had shaken her in ways she hadn’t been prepared for. She’d spent half the night lying awake thinking about him, and the other half dreaming about what could have been, if only . . . No. Things couldn’t have been like that, and she knew it. Faith made herself open her car door, the already-humid air brushing over her body like a cloak as she stepped into it. She should get into the bakery and get busy, but the river beckoned to her. Maybe she could give herself just a minute more . . . As she strolled slowly toward the riverwalk, she let her mind drift to prayer. She prayed every day—multiple times, even—but it seemed like those were always rushed, terse prayers thrown off in the heat of the moment. Lord, please protect Evan. Lord, please help me get this order done on time. Lord, please let Evan remember to take his meds. Lord, please help me deal with this obnoxious customer graciously. But now, in the stillness of the morning, her mind and prayers slowed. Thank you, Lord, for this new day. Thank you that your mercies are new each morning. Thank you for redeeming me and calling me by name. Let me be a light of your love in my thoughts, words, and actions today. Please bless Evan and keep him safe. Bless his— She fumbled for a word in her mind, settling on, relationship with Willow. Let them both seek your will for them. In spite of herself, her thoughts drifted to the early days of her relationship with Judah. How thrilling it was the first time he asked her out at the beginning of their senior year of high school. The first time he held her hand. The first time they’d kissed, right across the way, along the riverbank in Founder’s Park. Stop. She made herself draw her thoughts back. It did no good to dwell on how different things had been then. And yet, she couldn’t help adding the little prayer she’d prayed for him on and off over the years. Touch his heart, Lord. Turn it back to you. Then, almost guilty, she turned and hurried back to the pie shop. When she reached the back door, she had to pause to dig her keys out of her purse. A strange sound caught her ear, and she lifted her head, straining to hear better. It was a sort of low hiss. Or maybe a shushing sound. She looked around, trying to pick out where it was coming from. Her hand landed on her keys, and she pulled them triumphantly out of her purse, deciding the sound would probably go away once she was inside. But the moment she opened the door, the sound intensified to a gush, with sporadic metallic clangs. She stepped inside, gasping as her foot came down with a splash and water surged into her shoe. “What in the world?” She took another step, her second foot getting just as wet. She reached for the light switch, then thought better of it. Was it safe to turn on a light switch when you were standing in water? But why was she standing in water? Had she accidentally left the faucet on last night? Would that create a puddle all the way over here? She pulled out her phone and flipped on the flashlight, shining it first at the floor, where a good couple of inches of water covered everything, and then in the direction of the sound. “Lord, help me,” she cried. A waterfall gushed from a gaping hole in the ceiling, pouring onto the large island below and pinging off of the pots and pie pans she’d set out last night so they’d be ready to go today. All the air caught in her chest and every single one of her limbs seemed to be set in concrete. She stared at the spraying water, trying to figure out where it could be coming from. Who cares where it’s coming from? You have to make it stop. The thought jolted her into action. She had a vague memory of seeing a spigot outside, on the side of the building. Maybe that was the building’s shutoff? She backed out the door, her wet feet heavy as she ran around the building. There was no light over here, and she shone her flashlight along the wall, searching— There. She flew to the valve and cranked it to the right as far as it would go. Then she ran back to the building, praying she hadn’t made everything worse. The first thing she noticed when she yanked the door open was the silence. She swung the light from her phone toward the ceiling. Water still dripped from the hole, but the gushing had stopped. She let out a breath and stepped carefully through the door, shining her flashlight ahead of her as she waded toward the center of the room. Huge chunks of plaster rested in the water on the floor, and she pointed her flashlight up to inspect the hole more closely, wincing as a drop of water smacked the middle of her forehead. The hole leered at her, big enough for a much larger person than her to climb through. She had no idea what the pipes up there were supposed to look like. But she was pretty sure there wasn’t supposed to be water on the outside of them. She sighed and lowered the light, shining it on her island workspace. Bits of plaster floated in the water that filled all of the pots and pans, and a shiny puddle gleamed on the surface of the cooktop. She spun and pointed the light toward the wall of ovens behind the island, cringing at the water that dripped down their doors. “I guess the other shoe did fall after all,” she muttered to herself. She flipped her phone over to check the time. It was barely 6 a.m. The shop didn’t open until 10 a.m., but there was no way she could prepare even a single pie by then. She waded over to the small office where she managed the books and pulled out a piece of paper and a marker. She scribbled a quick sign: Closed. She bit her lip, looking at the word, then added one in front of it: Temporarily. She prayed that was true. Then she grabbed a roll of tape and carried everything to the front door, hanging the sign up just as the first golden rays of the sun broke the horizon. She blinked into the light, then shook her head and turned back to her darkened kitchen.
...it had been a long time since he’d really noticed the sunrise. He paused at the top of the porch steps, watching the almost breathtaking play of colors against the silhouetted treetops of the mountains to the east. The majesty of it was almost enough to make him wonder— But no. Of course it wasn’t God. It was the scattering of sunlight as it passed through the atmosphere...Walking with her last night had been . . . really nice. It had been a long time since he’d had anyone in his life he could really talk to. Maybe she had been the only one ever. He shook the thought off. It wasn’t like he needed to talk to anyone.
~~~~
Faith and Judah had been in love as teenagers and when Judah went to college, they had met when he came home to a small town where they had both lived all of their lives... Absence had made them grow fonder and Faith had become pregnant... She had gone to talk to Judah but he was ranting about a friend... and what he said that day, made her pull back from telling him anything about what she had come to reveal. That was a mistake, yes, but, like all of us Faith had become afraid. Especially when her father, when he learned about her pregnancy, had denounced her!
The relationship fell away as Judah worked to meet his career goal as a heart surgeon. He became one of the best in the world and, as we learn later, made much money. Money that meant little to him. He had saved many lives which is what he felt he was meant to do... But in choosing that life, he had also chosen to separate himself from his family back home. At first, he would mention his faith in God, but was ridiculed by many classmates who had chosen to leave religion out of science... Judah was ready to make a final decision in that direction. He and his father had fought. Judah said something to the effect that if his Dad didn't quit talking about God all the time with him, he would leave... His Dad was a pastor. His life was dedicated to God. Little in his life was separated from God. He could not make such a promise to even his son...
Eighteen years later is when the book begins. Judah has been fired from his surgery career. He had developed an inherited disease, essential tremor, which created constant tremors in his hands. He could no longer perform surgery. There really was no choice by the hospital. One of his brothers has contacted him to come home to meet his new baby. He forced a promise out of Judah--else he probably would never have come back. Could Judah enter a family celebration where all those who would be there worship God?! What could he say... He didn't want to tell them about the tremors, for surely they would think he came back because of not being able to work. Lies began to be developed... Although as it turned out, he and his father did share a little and it was an uneasy alliance at least at the start...
But then there was also Faith...
He had actually met her first when he came back. She had inherited a pie shop from an old friend and had returned, also to her home town. Each were shocked to meet each other when Judah had stopped there to buy pies. Her mind immediately went on guard. Questions started to form... Because Judah didn't know he had an 18-year-old son...
I mentioned recently that I have lost my trust in people given what has happened during the last decade in our country. But I don't think I've ever Not Trusted My Father in Heaven... That doesn't mean that I've not turned away at time...or that I have not lied at times, usually to keep peace with somebody... and what I was thankful most about this bookwas that Bodden wrote exactly where most of us are on a day-to-day basis. Trying to trust that when God sent His Son to die for our sins, that He Meant It! Yet, time and time again, yes, with God's gift of Free Will, we choose to depend upon our own thoughts, feel our own fears, and/or just not know what to do in a chaotic situation. That's exactly how I'm feeling these days.
God told me "I Got This..." about what has been done to split Christians in America. I and many others grow afraid, and become impatient. This, then, is one family's life shared that, in my opinion, reflects the life that each of us lives... Being almost persuaded to Trust... Having trouble accepting that God takes each of us, Just As We Are! And there's even a lovely story to illustrate exactly that... BTW, this is part of a sermon! I wish there were more churches like the one in this book...
“Well, y’all,” Pastor Cooper began, his tone friendly and conversational. “About a month ago, I got a dog.” He shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe it. “I blame our friendly town veterinarian over there.” He pointed to the Calvanos’ pew, and Joseph lifted a hand to wave. “He called me up, and he said, ‘I know you’ve been looking for a dog, and I have the perfect one for you.’” Pastor Cooper paused. “Y’all, I wasn’t looking for a dog. I have a cat.” A sprinkle of chuckles sounded around the room, and Judah smiled. His old friend sure had captured the interest of the congregation. “But I said I’d take a look at the dog, mostly to humor the good doctor. So I go down there, expecting to find a lab or a husky or, you know, some kind of beautiful dog. And Dr. Calvano comes out with this mangy, half-starved, flea-ridden, parasite-riddled, matted-hair, chewed-up-ear dog.” He shook his head vigorously. “It was a dog no one could have wanted, not even its mother. So I took one look at that dog, and I said—” He paused dramatically. “‘I’ll take it.’”
The congregation roared with laughter, and Judah chuckled along. Faith’s shoulder lifted against his as she laughed too. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Pastor Cooper pressed his hands to his temples. “Or, well, actually, I do. I felt sorry for the poor dog. I couldn’t bear to see her hungry and homeless and broken. I wanted to save her. I wanted to have mercy on her. Just like Dr. Calvano knew I would.” He glanced over at Joseph again. “Thanks for that.”
And, that's why I claimed that you'll be going to a revival (if you know what that means) when you read this book. It is, by far, the most overall uplifting fiction novel I've ever read. Bodden gets US... She obviously has been given the gift to share her words and thoughts about how people really are. We are often afraid. We are angry, We are afraid not to trust God in ALL things... And, yet, we see what happens when God is in Control...
You will learn that the timing may not be what we want. After all, these two main characters, Faith and Judah had lost 18 years before a plan of action was put in place. And you will, as I was--as all of the family in that little town was--see the miracles that God "could" generate... Sure, it's fiction... Or, is it?
This is a book to be experienced... It cannot be adequately "reviewed." Although I've tried to express what this book is about. I call it a must-read, especially if you are discouraged about how citizens across our nation are being persecuted by those who choose the evil of power above our God... I was Revived by this Book. May God lead you to knowing that God does Love All His Children! I've already purchased the remainder of the series... So look for more from Valerie Bodden in the future!
“I feel so wishy washy, like one minute I trust God, and then something happens, and I doubt, and then I trust again. But then the next thing I know, I’m doubting again, even though God has shown me time and time again that he’s there for me.” She shook her head in frustration with herself. “I want to stop doubting. But how do I do that?” Pastor Calvano chuckled gently. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
You know folks, I've said before that I consider myself like Thomas, a doubter by life and personality. And, when I was treated as I was by the West Virginia University, I lost one of my most important responses. I began not to Trust, one of the most important word for me and, perhaps, for many of you. So it was natural that, once I had responded to God to share my Testimony yesterday, I immediately began to be nervous. Did I say everything that I should have said... Should I have included my present fears from the republican party... Well, he sent to messages. One from the book that I had just started--the individual excerpt provided today was my answer...
When I went to YouTube to find the song that was referred to in the excerpt, the following video which was two months old, was on the first page... Right now, I'm so proud of Jasmin. She was much more prepared than I've ever be to debate the Bible. I'm not ashamed of that. It is my reality given my own life. I accept. But, you know, folks, one of my major concerns was just how Christianity is being "used" by the republican party as a tool for manipulation of our citizens... I had never seen any news about this particular event... I wonder why? Was it withhold or just not shared publicly? I don't know... Why I bring it up at all is because, somehow, that 2 month old video was on my screen when I opened that site... If you don't feel chills when I say that, like I just did, then you may want to think through what you know about the Holy Spirit working within each of us...
This video is a dramatization. I'm opposed to much of the use now being "created." But I must admit that I was so thankful for finding it waiting for me. Johnson has been a special thorn for me... Professionally when he told the House to go home so he didn't have to bring something to the House, per Trump's wishes I knew, I lost all desire to listen to his actions. They were tainted in his claiming he followed the words of Christ...
I was crying as I fell to sleep last night, just as I am crying right now as I write... Not in sadness, but once again being thankful in all the confirmations of life where I KNOW that God is Alive and watching... Listening... Working through His children as their talents allows... Read this sermon from the book written by Valerie M. Bodden/
“Children of God.” Dad’s voice came through the phone, and Judah swallowed. It had been a long time since he had heard his father preach, but those words were so familiar that they brought a strange ache to his throat. “You all might not know this about me,” Dad said, “but I don’t mind making a fool of myself.” A ripple of laughter came through the speaker, and Judah snorted. “Or maybe you do know that,” Dad quipped, and the laughter got louder. Faith joined in.
“I forgot how much I love your dad’s sermons,” she said. “The pastor at the church in Nashville was good, but he was so stuffy. Almost made you feel like laughing in church was a sin.” Judah nodded. He couldn’t deny that his dad was a good preacher, even if Judah hadn’t believed the things he preached about in a long time.
“My kids always loved that, growing up,” Dad continued. “Having a dad who wasn’t afraid to embarrass himself—and them in the process. When they were little, we would take them to the zoo, and I would start singing the Wizard of Oz song. You know, the ‘follow the yellow brick road’ one. And I’d do the whole scarecrow walk too, like this.” He broke into song, and Faith’s laugh filled the car.
“Is he doing the walk?” Judah demanded, not taking his eyes off the road. “Sort of. As much as he can in the pulpit.” Faith giggled. “Did he really used to do that?” “Oh yeah.” Judah groaned, but it turned into a smile at the memory. “The younger kids would always join him, and the rest of us would try to pretend we didn’t know any of them.”
“Or there was the time,” Dad continued, “that I made the whole family enter a lip sync contest. We had a choreographed dance and everything.” “You did not.” Faith turned to Judah with a disbelieving laugh. “We did,” Judah said grimly. “How did I never hear about this?” “It was before we moved to River Falls. My siblings and I swore each other to secrecy.” Faith was still chuckling as Dad said, “So when I say that I’m not afraid to be called a fool, you know I mean it. And that’s a good thing, because, well, I’ve been called a fool more than once in my life. And not only for the silly things I do. For what I believe.” Dad’s voice sobered. “For the God I serve. For the faith I have.”
Judah’s hands tightened involuntarily on the wheel, and he winced as pain shot through the injured area. But it was foolishness, what Dad believed, the God he served. Sure, Judah had believed it too, a long time ago. But that was only because he hadn’t known better. Once he’d gotten to college, seen more of the world, he’d realized that none of it made sense. A higher power. Miracles. Eternal life. All of that was just silly, wishful thinking. Silly, wishful thinking that made him look like a fool when he brought it up. That drew snickers and eye rolls from his professors and classmates. And unlike Dad, he did have a problem with being called a fool.
“I can’t blame people, really,” Dad continued. “After all, what we believe as Christians does sound a little bit foolish. We believe that God spoke the whole world—the whole universe—into existence, out of nothing. We believe that he is triune—three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in one God. We believe that Jesus is both true God and true man. We believe that he came into the world as a baby, born of a virgin, to live a perfect life in our place. We believe he died on the cross—carrying the weight of our sins with him—and then rose from the dead three days later. And we believe that because of that, we will live eternally with him in heaven, even though we die. I mean—” Dad whistled quietly. “None of it seems to make much sense, when you think about it. No wonder people think it’s foolish.”
That was exactly the conclusion Judah had come to. But he knew Dad well enough to know he wasn’t going to leave things there. “Here’s the thing,” Dad continued. “These are all things I can’t adequately explain. They’re things I can’t prove with scientific evidence. They’re things, some of them, that I don’t even fully understand myself. And we don’t like things we can’t understand, do we?”
Judah accidentally made a sound of assent. He felt Faith’s eyes come to him, but she didn’t say anything. “And so people dismiss the truth as foolishness,” Dad went on. “They tell us it can’t possibly be real. It’s not reasonable to believe. Well, let me tell you something. Faith isn’t reasonable.”
Judah’s eyes flicked to the phone in Faith’s hand for a moment. Had he heard right?
“That’s why it’s called faith,” Dad continued. “We can’t reason it out. We can’t reason ourselves into believing. In fact, too often, our human reason gets in the way of our faith. Not because our human reason is bad. When it comes to paying the bills and growing crops and building cars and performing surgeries”—Judah wondered if that last one was for his benefit—“human reason is wonderful. It’s a gift from God. But when we put our trust in that reason, above faith—that’s when we get into trouble.”
Dad paused, and Judah’s gaze skipped to Faith, who was nodding along.
“I know this feels like a new problem,” Dad said. “But Paul was already warning about this only twenty or so years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. He writes in 1 Corinthians, chapter 1: ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. . . . Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power and wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.’” There was a pause, and Judah could imagine Dad gazing at the people in the pews, making sure the words sank in. “That sounds complicated and deep,” Dad finally said. “But really, it’s pretty simple. When it comes to salvation, the wisdom of this world is nothing. The foolishness of God—of believing in a Savior who came into this world to take away our sins—that’s everything.”
Faith shifted in her seat, her arm brushing against Judah’s as she leaned on the console. Judah told his arm to move out of the way, but it didn’t listen, and they sat with their arms pressed together.
“Speaking of the foolishness of God—” Dad’s voice was slightly louder with Faith holding the phone closer. “Let’s talk about that. Because when you think about it, God’s love for us is rather foolish, isn’t it? After all, we have nothing to offer him. We can’t pay him back. In fact, rather than paying him back, we too often spit in his face. We sin against him. We ignore him. We deny him and turn away from him. If anyone treated us that way, we would walk away from them. But God’s love isn’t contingent on our love for him. He doesn’t love us because of who we are. He loves us because of who he is. He loves us because he is love. He loves us with a love that never holds back. He lavishes us with his love, as 1 John 3:1 says: ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’”
Faith sighed, and Judah glanced over to see her blinking back tears. “What’s wrong?” He was instantly on alert. She laughed a little. “Nothing. Sorry. It’s just— Sometimes I forget how much God loves us.” Judah didn’t say anything, but his heart twitched. Or, it didn’t—he knew without a doubt that hearts didn’t do that. And yet, there was no other way to describe it. He almost wished for a moment that he could believe what Faith did. That he could go back to a time when he did believe. But now that he knew better, how could he?
“And not only is God’s love for us foolish,” Dad was saying, “but the way he chose to save us seems pretty foolish too. I mean, if it were up to us to come up with a means of salvation, I’m pretty sure we would say, ‘Well, of course you’ll have to do something to earn it. There’s no free lunch. You have to be a good person. Follow all the rules. Keep every commandment.’ But God knew we couldn’t do that. He knew that not a single one of us was good enough or could do enough to earn our way to heaven. So he didn’t say, ‘Well, do the best you can, and maybe if it’s good enough, I’ll let you in.’ No, he said, ‘I’ll do it all for you. I’ll send my one and only Son to live in your place. To be perfect in your place. To die in your place. You don’t have to do anything. Only believe.’ We hear it in Ephesians 2:8-9, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.’” Judah let out a breath that he hoped Faith didn’t hear. Even if he wanted to, how could he believe something so unbelievable?
“People want proof of that, they want evidence, they want to see it with their own eyes. Well, it’s all right here. And beyond that, it’s right here.” Judah’s eyes flicked to the screen in Faith’s hand. “The Bible,” she said, as if realizing what he was trying to figure out. “And our hearts.” Judah nodded but pressed his lips together. This was where he had a problem. He couldn’t base his whole life on feelings. “I’m not talking about feelings,” Dad said, as if he had read Judah’s thoughts from forty miles away. “I’m talking about faith. There is a difference. Feelings depend on our circumstances. Faith depends on our Savior. It relies on what he tells us in his Word. It holds to his promises, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense to do so. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, ‘Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’” Dad paused, as if letting that sink in, then continued, “But how? How can we possibly have confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see?”
Judah nodded. Exactly. It was silly to expect someone to believe in what there was no evidence of.
“Fortunately—” There was a smile in Dad’s voice. “That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. He is the one who works on our hearts, the one who gives us a heart transplant. ‘I will give you a new heart,’ the Lord says in Ezekiel, ‘and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’” Judah caught his breath. There was no way Dad knew that verse had been playing through his head ever since Amina had said it to him—he didn’t even know Amina had existed. And he couldn’t know that more than once over the past few weeks, in the privacy of his own room, Judah had reread Mama’s note alongside those verses in her Bible. So was it only a coincidence that he had brought it up?
Or . . . Had God led him to— No. Obviously not. Judah dismissed the possibility. But he couldn’t dismiss Dad’s voice as he continued, “The Holy Spirit takes our hearts that are by nature dead in sin, and he replaces them with living hearts, overflowing with faith and love in him. Hearts that have ‘confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ Hearts that are willing to ‘become “fools” so that you may become wise.’ Hearts that have an answer that is stronger than any physical proof, any scientific evidence, any seeing with our own eyes. And that answer is Jesus. Amen.”
“Amen,” Faith whispered. Judah kept his eyes on the road and his lips pressed tight as Dad led the congregation in a prayer. If anything, the sermon had only made the ache in his throat sharper, but he didn’t know why. Saying Jesus was the answer to everything sounded nice. But in real life, it didn’t work that way. He’d seen too many children pray for a parent’s recovery, only to have to bury that parent a few days later. Too many spouses with unanswered prayers. Too many parents weeping over the bed of a child they’d been sure God would save. You can’t save me, Dr. Judah, God already has. Amina’s words slipped into Judah’s thoughts. He saved you too, did you know that? Judah had believed it once, but believing it again now felt too . . . futile. Besides, he had turned his back on God for years. There was no reason for God to take him back, even if he wanted to go back.
“’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his Word.” The words of the hymn seemed to fill the car, and it took Judah a moment to realize that was because Faith was singing along with the hymn. Her voice was low and sweet, and her face shone with a smile that said she trusted completely the truth of the words she sang. Judah’s heart gave another weak twitch, but he tried to ignore it and turned his eyes back to the road.
!!!!
God Bless
Gabby
This is why I enjoy this retired pastor...
We must all consider to choose between God and This World
Only then will Peace be Achieved...
Peace is created or lost by all of us...
Right now, it's the worst time of hate and violence I've seen...
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