Traveling Light

Every morning when I read my devotions, I like to read a devotional book after I read my Bible. I have just recently finished reading a book by renowned Christian author Max Lucado.
In Traveling light, Mr. Lucado takes the reader through Psalms 23 verse by verse explaining how Christ wants us to drop off our baggage at his feet. He talks about the burdens of discontent, worry, guilt, death, and many more. He explains the verses using other references from scripture and some wonderful short stories. The book is only about eighteen chapters of five or six pages each, yet  the message of the Psalm shines brightly in each.  Learning to drop off the baggage of life has been a lesson that I am constantly learning and this book helped me immensely. I am reminded of Matt. 11:28, "Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." If you've been struggling with some burden or you just want a good book to help your faith I highly recommend this book! I'm going to rate Traveling Light by Max Lucado Five out of Five empty suitcases. 


 Lance Fillmore (PSEUD)

 You can purchase any of Lucado's books here: maxlucado.christianbook.com
 

Terrestria Chronicles

Cover of The Search for Everyman

Have you ever heard of Ed Dunlop? He is a Christian author and has written many books for kids and teens. I have always loved his Sherlock Jones series and my brother loved his Young Refugees series. But it wasn't until my Youth Pastor let me borrow a couple of books that I found--- the Terrestrial Chronicles. 

Follow the prisoner Josiah as he struggles to leave Argamor's dungeon, and as he is pardoned by the very King of Terrestria. You will watch as he struggles with spiritual battles that face you and I every day. In the second book Josiah goes on a pilgrimage for his King and you are invited to journey with him. But my favorite is book three. 

The King has a special mission for Josiah and his friend Prince Selwyn and his sister Gilda. They are to travel to the dungeon of condemnation to deliver a pardon to Everyman. They face many challenges, but learn to rely on the strength of the King. With a powerful message on being a strong witness for Christ this book definitely hit home for me. 

Though the series is targeted to pre-teens, as a seventeen year old I have thoroughly been enjoying it. If you are a fan of John Bunyan, Chuck Black, or other allegorical authors, I highly recommend these books.  This series of allegorical tales will challenge your faith and make you want to do so much more for your King. I'm going to recommend this series for ages ten and up. I will also rate it five out of five two-edged swords. I hope to write again for you soon!

Lance Fillmore (PSEUD)

Here is a link to the Terrestria Chronicles website:  http://www.talesofcastles.com/

Confession

OK, so I have a problem. I do not enjoy reading Pride and Prejudice. I know I said I'd write an article about it, but I can't even finish reading the book. I've read quite a few other books that I'd love to write articles on, but I want to just clear the air for a minute. I will not be writing an article on Pride and Prejudice at this time. That feels good to get off my chest! I hopefully will someday, but not now. I don't want to discourage you from reading the book. Many people I know enjoy it immensely, I just couldn't get into it. Thank you all for understanding. :) (By the way it's one of the very few books I can't get into.) I hope to write again soon for you all!

Until then,
Lance Fillmore PSEUD

Trying the Jury

Recently in school I read a short story entitled "A Jury of Her Peers," by Susan Glaspell. I wasn't going to write a review about it, but the more we discussed it in class I decided I should. The story is about a lady who is accused of murdering her husband. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff's wife, accompany their husbands, along with the county attorney, back to the scene of the crime. The story moves quickly and, while I don't want to spoil it for the rest of you, I will say I did not expect the ending. There were a few issues with this story though. I do not take issue with the story over my opinion, but over what the Bible says.

The whole concept is based around the idea that, even though Mrs. Wright committed the murder, her reason was justified. The Bible expressly says, “Thou shalt not kill.” The Bible also tells women to submit to their husbands. Even though the men poked fun at their wives’ habits and hobbies, the wives should have submitted and respected them. Likewise the husbands should have loved their wives as, "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it." That said, I think the author did an excellent job molding the characters in such a shot amount of time. Glaspell expertly crafted each person to foil another, highlighting their traits and accentuating their differences. Technically it was a wonderful story. I, overall, enjoyed this story very much. It is not as much a mystery story as a thriller, yet in some aspects it is more a mystery than a thriller.

As I said, as a Christian I don't agree with all of the views presented in this story, yet when read with a discerning spirit it can be quite enjoyable. I would probably recommend this story for ages fourteen and up and I'm going to rate it four out of five golden birdcages. 

Till next time,

              Lance Fillmore, PSEUD

(The version I read was a short story, but I believe it was also written as a stage production.)

Up Next: Hopefully, Pride and Prejudice

We're back!

Dear Readers,
Happy 2013! I hope you all have had a wonderful first month. I am just writing this post to let you know the blog is not forgotten. Yes its been a while since any of us have posted, but hopefully 2013 will be a more productive year. Here is a short glimpse of a few of the books being reviewed this year: Pride and Prejudice (It is coming!), The Hunger Games Trilogy, Fahrenheit 451, The Kingdom Keepers, and many many more. If you have a book you would like us to read and review, let us know in the comments below. And please share us with your friends and family, not for our benefit, but so that others can get a taste for what the world of literature has to hold. Have an amazing day!

 Lance Fillmore (pseud)

Billy Goat Hill: Forgiveness and Faith

Billy Goat Hill: Forgiveness and Faith

A few months ago Billy Goat Hill was unknown to me, until it ended up on my booket list. after reading the description on the back I decided the book wasn't for me and so I started to read with much skepticism. As I began to read I was swept away from reality and sent back to the 50's to meet young Wade Parker. The more I read the more I was engaged and swept through time on young Wade's thrilling adventure. Mark Stanleigh Morris did an excellent job at using a thriller to emphasis the theme of Christ's love and forgiveness.

The book is 349 pages and I think it is very well written. Mr. Morris uses the first person point of view, which was an excellent choice for this type of Bildungsroman. You will follow the story of young Wade as he grows up into a man. He has a rough journey one of pain, suffering, but he discovers how to carry on through his life although he is continually hurt by those closest to him. With a burden of guilt he carries and a longing inside for the the truth, he discovers what forgiveness means and what having a fulfilling life really means. This book is very emotionally powerful and has a strong Christian message.

While I enjoyed Billy Goat hill tremendously and I believe it is a must read for anyone struggling with forgiveness or pain or heartache, I would like to warn you that it is not for everyone. I would not recommend it for young children as there are some themes tending towards late teens and young adults such as death, divorce, and alcoholism. I had never read a Christian thriller such as this before and I am pleased to say that I highly recommend it.

Were it not for the total emphasis on Christ's forgiveness and love, it would have been a sad and depressing book, but that is just the point! Life with anything, but Christ is sad and lonely and meaningless, but when a person receives Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, their life can be transformed into a work of grace! Praise God for his love and goodness!

So what's holding you back from finding a copy of Billy Goat Hill today!

Warning: I cried and I rarely cry while reading! 

 

Up next: Pride and Prejudice (hopefully)   

Les Miz

Les Miz

Very likely, you fit into one of two categories: Someone who loves Les Misérables, or someone who’s never heard of it. The chances you fall in between are slim to none. If you are the latter, then you have been missing out on one of the greatest works of the millennium.

What is Les Mis? It is a riveting tale of 19^th century France written by Victor Hugo. It is a chronicle of society. If there is one word I could use to outline it, it would be redemption. Without completely expounding upon the plot, it is the story of a wretched convict named Jean Valjean whose life is completely transformed by an act of pure mercy. 

The title, Misérables, is a French word that cannot be fully described in a single English term. Some example translations might be The Miserable, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims. It refers to, obviously, the downcast and low class of folk that populate the story. The emphasis on the horrible condition of these people is a central topic throughout.

Now that the simplest possible form of the narrative has been laid, some more detail can be discussed. First off, there is a misconception that this work is about the French Revolution. It is not, but rather set around fifty years after, and it chronicles the June Rebellion, a relatively small but unsuccessful uprising comprised chiefly of students. 

Hugo’s themes are beautifully woven within the writing, such as Mercy, Justice, Injustice, Redemption, Love, Compassion, and of course it’s title, Misérables. Although the book is amazing, it is also incredibly dense. It requires a lot of effort to work through it, but in the end, as always in this echelon of novel, it is worth it.

The musical is truly astonishing. It manages to convey all of the book’s themes and the majority of the plot over into a form which may seem odd for this type of story. If you have not listened to it yet, then I strongly urge you to look into it. A movie of the musical is at the time of writing in production, and it is definitely going to be spectacular. 

Les Mis Trailer:

The movie based upon the book (not to be confused with the movie based on the musical) is also worth seeing, as it it portrays the main story arc between Valjean and Javert extremely well. It does a great job of condensing a 1400 page book into a 2 hour movie, as impossible as that seems. 

In the end, I can only hope this long-winded post will either turn interested ears towards a truly mind-blowing experience, or provide fans with a look back at it. Characters like Jean Valjean and all that they stand for shall go down in history as the individuals who we should take note of and look up to. 

“Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!”