by Roseanna White | Oct 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today we’re moving forward into I Corinthians 2. For your convenience, I’m pasting it here, this time in American Standard Version. =)
1 Corinthians 2
1 And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought:
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory:
8 which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:
9 but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.
10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
12 But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
~*~
Today’s passage continues the theme we started last week about man’s wisdom v. God’s wisdom, man’s weakness v. God’s strength. But chapter 2 names it, reminding us all that it is the Spirit who instructs.
Can you share a time the Spirit spoke His wisdom to you?
Is there another part of this chapter that struck you?
by Roseanna White | Oct 20, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I’m going to try to share news in a way that doesn’t tell what I’m not at liberty to tell yet. =) Let’s see how I do.
This much I think I can say: In the last two weeks, I’ve gotten two offers for book contracts. One for a three-book deal. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not going to say what books or what publishers given that the contracts haven’t been settled yet, but yeah. Wow. I have been one EXCITED woman, and have done much calling to family and best friend so I can squeal. =)
The funniest part was that when I told my daughter (who will be 6 on Sunday! Where did the time go??) about the more recent of the two, I said, “Xoe, remember this story I told you about? Well a publisher bought it!” And Xoe’s eyes got really big, she jumped up and down, and said, “Where is it? Let me see!”
LOL. If only it were so quick. 😉
But it’s really neat to see how the Lord worked all this out at once, and both a relief and an excitement to know that my next writing-year is now filled. I work well with direction. =) It’s also a blessing to be working with these publishers and editors who I really admire. I’ve already had a phone call with the second editor, chatting about all the aspects she loved, the gleam that had lit the president’s eye when she described my story to him, and how excited they all are about this project. Music to an author’s ears!
But alas, after the initial jigging comes reality, which in this business means WAITING. And in the case of October, it means a lot of family activities taking my time. So these next few days I’m going to be making a birthday cake with a pirate ship, cutting out the same from a giant cardboard piece for the kids to play in at the party, assembling a variety of homemade games and decorations, and trying to squeeze research and writing in there wherever I can.
Oh, and I just got a Kindle! That, at least, is helping me with my reading. Yesterday it read to me as I packed books into envelopes. =)
Well, there you have my exciting, amazing two weeks. I’ll share the details as soon as I can!
by Roseanna White | Oct 19, 2011 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Though I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of the research I need to do for my Savannah-set work-in-progress, thanks to Saving Savannah and the mountains of research the author has done, I’m beginning to get an idea of what oh-so-interesting details I want to work in.
And of course, one of the biggies is the slave culture in lowland Georgia All I knew of it was what I’d picked up from novels and movies–I’ve already learned more just from the first chapter of this book, LOL.
Most of Savannah’s slave population came from West Africa, and after their years here they developed a mish-mash of African and American ideas. Some meshed together well, other aspects seemed to clash. The culture of South Carolina and Georgia slaves has come to be termed Gullah-Geechee. Their language was Geechee–a combination of English and West African dialects. And they used Geechee to speak through metaphors, which I find really interesting. Gonna have to find a good way to do that among the slaves in my book!
The Gullah-Geechee culture draws a lot from its landscape, and the lowland, marshy regions in which the enslaved now served had a lot of similarities to their homeland, where waterways were sacred–they were in fact believed to host spirits and allow them to circulate among the living. So you can imagine that everyday life in an area spiderwebbed with marshlands fostered a spiritual existence for these people.
Which leads right into their faith and religion. Some stuck solely to West African beliefs, but even those who embraced Christianity had a unique type of it that integrated their traditions into it. Most believed in ghosts and spirits–they were a fact of life in their eyes, not up for debate. Christian baptism reinforced their beliefs about water being sacred. Their stories began to shift to include what they were taught and what was around them–another something I’m looking forward to integrating into my story!
The final detail I’ll put in here today is their trade and economy. When a slave had finished his allotted labor for the day (if he/she could finish it, which wasn’t always possible), they were permitted to work for their family. Most slave families ended up with chickens and gardens, with hogs and goods that they traded first among themselves and then were allowed to take in the cities. Some–few–ended up with a little nest egg. Mostly, though, these resources were what fed and clothed them–and the masters took it as an excuse not to do so themselves.
So there we have the first glimpse of what will be a secondary, underlying setting for my book. My little brain’s just a-turning, trying to figure out how to smoothly put a storyline in that will showcase this unique culture that would have been pulsing alongside the world of hoop skirts and balls!
by Roseanna White | Oct 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
Back in August I gave my review of
Yahshua’s Bridge by Sandi Rog, an epic tale set in first century Rome. I promised to let everyone know when it was available for pre-order, and it now is! So rush over to
DeWard Publishing’s site now and order your copy, especially if you enjoyed
The Master’s Wall. As a reminder of why you want to . . .
“Stupefying, stunning, and stirring–Yahshua’s Bridge is a tale that takes the reader from the darkest valley to the highest pinnacle of hope. For anyone yearning to go deeper, this story of hearts broken and promises kept will take you there, and leave you astounded by the beauty of our Savior.”
I don’t give words like “stupefying, stunning and stirring” lightly. It takes real skill as a writer and superb story to earn those words from me–and Sandi deserves them all. This was a story unafraid to show us the ugliness of the world, the injustices that can destroy our lives, the cruelties that might plague us. All these are written with what I can only term bravery. It would have been so much easier to tell a story with simpler conflict and a happily-ever-after for everyone involved–but as Sandi said to me, that would have been unfair to all the early Christians and what they went through for their faith.
Read My Full Review
Of course, I’m reading some new things now. =) They’re not available yet, but . . . 😉
The first one is
Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach. This is a story of love and faithfulness set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. What I love most is that the characters are both British, but have come to America for a new life, unfettered by family’s expectations. While the hero already fully believes in the American cause and knows from the get-go he’ll fight for it, our heroine doesn’t so fully understand–all Eliza knows is that she loves Hayward. Will that be enough to sustain them?
Next up is
Love’s Sacred Song, the next biblical fiction from fabulous author Mesu Andrews. I just got this one for endorsement purposes the other day, and I’m heading out this morning to buy a Kindle so I can read the PDF with ease. =) Based on Song of Solomon,
Love’s Sacred Song is sure to delve deep into a story of love and passion and ancient politics that I cannot
wait to discover!
by Roseanna White | Oct 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
Welcome to the first week of the online Bible study! Through the wonders of my random flipping through my beloved Precious Moments Bible (no laughing!), I’ve decided to start on I Corinthians. Though y’all are welcome to suggest other books after we’re through with this one.
And through the wonders of www.BibleGateway.com, I’m going to paste the chapter here for your ease. 😉 This is from the NKJV, though you can access pretty much any other version at the link above.
I Corinthians 1
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
18 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. 19 For it is written:
“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[a]
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”[c]
~*~
So which part of the chapter strikes you the most forcibly, and why? Think about it for a minute and respond below, or reply to another comment. If we need a jumpstart, let’s consider this question:
Have you ever been like the Jews, seeking a sign? Or like the Greeks, chasing after wisdom?
by Roseanna White | Oct 13, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
We love to torture our kids. And by torture I mean tickle them, “eat” them up, chase them around, pretend our hand is a monster . . . you know. Torture. The sweet kind. I imagine that’s a fairly universal love of parents the world over, and it’s no great secret why. We do it because we love to hear that belly laugh, hear those delighted shrieks of “No, no! Hey, why’d you stop? Do it again, do it again!” We love to see those huge smiles on their faces.
We love their abandon.
My hubby will tickle me, too, but we often get a good laugh out of how he does the same “gobble” to me he does with the kids, and I just look at him. And usually say, “Um . . . sorry. I’m not as much fun as the kids, am I?” Which yeah, makes us chuckle. But it’s not a belly laugh. Those same simple things don’t result in such instant
Joy once we grow up.
Man . . . I sure wish they did!
The abandon of a small child has its ups and downs. It results in those moments of unbridled bliss, and it results in equally unbridled fits. Laughter and tears in equal measures,
Joy and frustration, love and rage. I’m sometimes amazed at how my kids can go from total contentment in their game with each other to hitting each other and screaming at the top of their lungs, then straight back to fun.
It’s something we learn to control as we grow up, something we teach those kids to do. Self control is important, especially when it comes to those negatives. And those who never learn it . . . end up with reality shows on TV??? 😉 Seriously, that control is a must, yes.
But what are some of your best moments from adulthood? Are they when you’re sitting there, perfectly controlled? Are they when you don’t react to something? No–our favorite moments are the ones where we regain a moment of childhood abandon and embrace the
Joy of life. When we scream our heads off on a roller coaster. When we laugh until we cry. When we let it all go and just
live.
Sometimes it’s hard to do that, especially in this stage of my life where I have to keep the Mommy turned on. Oh, I can laugh with my kids. But I’m also trying to make sure knees don’t collide with heads as we wrestle, that things tossed up in
Joy come down in one piece. I’m trying to protect and nurture and so can’t give my full attention to the game. I
have to do this. I
love to do this.
But sometimes I just wish I could let loose a belly laugh and not care.
And that goes for my prayer life too. That should be the one place I can let go completely, but even there I’m usually trying to protect–myself. I find myself praying, “Lord, you know I hope . . . you know I fear . . . I’m trying not to hope too much because then I fear I’ll be disappointed . . . I’m trying not to expect disappointment though because that would be faithless . . . I don’t want to assume your will . . . I don’t want to miss your will . . .”
But there I need to let go of the control. With the Lord, I need to be unafraid of the extremes. I need to show him the highs and the lows. I need to be unafraid of letting that kid inside me out before my Father.
I need to embrace the abandon.
~*~
On a different note, I making another change to my Friday posts and doing a Faith on Fridays theme instead of giveaways, etc. I’ll have occasional faith-themed guest posts, but mostly I’d like to begin an online weekly Bible study. I’ll post the chapter of the week and my thoughts on it, and hopefully we’ll get a discussion going on it.
So tomorrow we’ll begin with I Corinthians 1. Hope y’all will join in!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, 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. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.