by Roseanna White | Aug 5, 2015 | Ancient World, Remember When Wednesdays
In the final book of my Ladies of the Manor series, which I just finished writing, I have a character from Russia. Now, I’ve longed loved Russian literature, which has given me a bit of an understanding of that famed Russian soul, but it’s been a while since I’ve read any. So I picked up an awesome book on Russian culture and the ideas and morals behind it to help me write Kira Belova in a believable way.
Throughout the book, she peppers in some of her Russian-peasant stories and traditions, which I think are oh-so-intriguing. And tells one of their most prevalent folk tales, about the mystical city of Kitzeh.
Kitzeh, so tradition goes, was the most righteous city in the world, filled with true believers–those of the Russian Orthodox faith who practiced it as Christ and the disciples themselves instituted, with none of the compromises and corruptions that had crept into other faiths over the years. Kitzeh was so righteous that it was like Heaven on earth.
But when the Mongols invaded the Nizhegorod province where Kitzeh resided by a lake, the waters swallowed up this holy city to keep it from being overrun by the faithless invaders–but it was no tragedy for the occupants. No, they were all saved when this happened. And the story goes that the city is still alive and well under the surface of the waters…but only those of the truest faith can see it.
Every year on the summer solstice, people would go on pilgrimage to this lake in the Nizhegorod province, tacking icons to trees and gathering together in a sort of outdoor church, praying and singing…and listening for the tolling of the church bells under the water. Hoping, praying it will resurface.
Did Kira ever hear those bells? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to figure out that one. 😉
by Roseanna White | Aug 3, 2015 | Word of the Week
No, not in honor of Donald Trump. 😉 The question arose this past week with my hubby and son, as to where “fired” and “sacked” come from. So naturally, I ran out to my computer to answer it.
Fire, as in to terminate employment, is an Americanism from about 1885 that’s right up my alley, since it’s a total play on words. Before then, “discharge” had been the word used in this context. But “discharge” is also what a weapon does when it…fires. Which, yes, was another word for that early on. So people thought, “Ha! Since discharge has two meanings, and one of those meanings is ‘to fire,’ let’s apply ‘fire’ to its other meaning too!” So they did. I love it. =) (Not that I love getting fired…well, not that I’ve ever been fired per se, but…you know.)
Another word that means the same thing is sack. This one dates from about 1825. It was originally a noun–“to give someone the sack.” This appealed to the visual idea of handing them their sack full of tools when they were done a job. It then just became used as a verb as things are wont to do in English. =)
by Roseanna White | Jul 30, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I am a mom–an imperfect one, but one who tries to show her kids what she can…and who is constantly amazed by these two precious little people who latch onto my waist and declare, “Mine! You’ll always be my mama!”
He is my Father–a perfect one, who shows me in so many ways what I can do through Him. Who constantly amazes me with the gifts, small and large, that He has given us. Who patiently whispers, “Mine. You’ll always be my daughter.”
I am a wife–one who messes up now and then, who says the wrong thing and forgets to make dinner. But one who still gets that little pitter-patter inside at the thought of seeing her husband after a short absence. Who dares to dream along with him of somedays and maybes.
He is the Bridegroom–the one who is always waiting for his Bride to remember her vows, to remain faithful, to reach for perfection. The one with arms outstretched in love for His church, for the world.
I am a bit of recluse–the kind who likes company, sure, but who gets lost in a crowd. Who sits at a party feeling awkward, even when it’s all family. Who can give a sermon or a speech no problem, but who often stumbles through the unscripted…until she has a keyboard under her fingers or a pen in her hand.
He is everywhere. Always. And yet He doesn’t force His way in. He stands outside the doors of our hearts and awaits our invitation. To come in. To sit with us. To give us the words we can’t find and the sense of belonging that sometimes evades us.
I am a homemaker–but not the kind who makes a beautiful, showcase home. I appreciate those, but they’re not for me. I would rather spend my spare dollars on dreams and goals and helping those who have less than on curtains or decorations. All I need, I have discovered, is enough–when I find myself with more, it’s meant to be used for a greater purpose than my own comfort.
He is the Creator–the one who made the world and all that’s in it. Who clothed the lilies of the field. Who made a home for every creature. The one who bids me, “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just follow Me today.”
Sometimes, when I’m tired or down or just overwhelmed, it’s easy to focus on all I’m not. But I’m not not. I am. I am all He made me, and all He made me to be that I haven’t yet realized. I’m flaws and strengths, weaknesses and determination.
I’m a shadow of Him–a mirror, I pray, of His light. I am His. And He is I AM.
by Roseanna White | Jul 27, 2015 | Word of the Week
Yesterday my hubby called our daughter “The apple of my eye,” and she looked at us like we were off our rocker. “The apple? How does an eye have an apple?”
Good question, my girl. Good question. =)
The word apple has been in English as long as there was English to be in…but in a much broader sense than you might think. It applied to all fruit, even including nuts and berries. This was true as late as the 1600s. (So translating Genesis with the forbidden fruit being an apple was being rather vague, really…)
As for “apple of the eye”–it was literally the pupil, which people thought was a solid thing; but by calling it the apple, they were saying it represented that which was most treasured or cherished. It’s a phrase that comes from Old English too, in which case, it shouldn’t be too surprising, since all fruit in an area belonged to the lord in the days of serfdom, and commoners seldom tasted it.
by Roseanna White | Jul 23, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
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| The potato harvest in Bulgaria ~ Food that can change lives! |
It’s been a familiar refrain for me lately–that I don’t want to be all talk, I want to do something to share my faith, take a stand, make a difference. And I know I’m not alone in this. But all too often, we ask…but what?
I have a what. And I’m excited about it. =)
I’ve talked a bit before about friends of the family who have been traveling as missionaries to Bulgaria for the last 20 years. Right now they’re in the planning stages for a permanent move to Bulgaria, so they can serve the community of Romas (the gypsy people) they love like their own. Well, last week they got some news with the potential to devastate this community–their crop of potatoes had been harvested, but the market had bottomed out. They had no buyers. What were they going to do?
Our friend, Mike, had been praying about the situation, and talking with friends in the field. Friends ministering to another group in that region in desperate straits–the refugees fleeing ISIS. Tens of thousands have come into this region in the last year, running for their lives. Many are Christians. Some are “not Muslim enough” (read: extremist). All are in a dire situation, living in camps and not sure where their next meal will come from.
The refugees need food for the families.
The Romas need to sell their crop to support their families.
The solution is pretty clear–the Romas can send their potatoes to the refugee camps, solving both problems. But that requires us.
I’m so incredibly thrilled to have a tangible way to help! This is something I can relate to: potatoes. They cost $300 a ton, including transportation to the refugee camps. $300 to feed hundreds of people.
I spend that on my family’s groceries in a couple weeks. Kinda puts it in perspective.
But our donations can make a very real, very direct difference in all these lives. And it’s not a donation to some huge organization, where I have no clue if my money is actually helping or just paying for mailings that get tossed. Absolutely 100% of funds raised (after the fees of the site hosting our fundraiser) will go toward this mission.
It’s officially being hosted by the non-profit my husband started recently, ARM (Appalachian Relief Mission ~ an ARM outstretched) in conjunction with our friends’ organization, Roma Missions International. Both have new websites with not a lot on them yet, but you’re welcome to check them out. www.AnArmOutstretched.com | www.RomaMissions.org
I can’t imagine being forced from my home to keep my family from being slaughtered by extremists–but that’s the plight of these refugees.
I can’t imagine growing up in a country where talking of faith, of God, was illegal–but that’s what these Roma farmers faced until the fall of communism at the end of the 20th century.
Let’s make a difference. Let’s feed some people. You can find the GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/zyrq3s
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.