The Christmas Bell

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

Who you are?

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Read Any Good Books Lately?

Janson Mancheski’s The Chemist ~ Reviewed

The Chemist By: Janson Mancheski

Published by Bridgeway Books

ISBN 978-1-934454-28-2

Back Cover:

“Theories abounded. Everything from cults to witchcraft covens, from serial kidnappings to random relocation from the area. Through it all, however, one troubling question remained. How could three healthy, drug-free women, along with their automobiles, vanish without a trace?”

Last spring, three girls went missing. Nothing linked the cases except a frustrating lack of clues or motive. Then, one of them turned up headless in Lake Michigan pumped full of date rape drugs. Detective Cale Van Waring doesn’t have proof, but he knows that girls are being abducted. Now, spring has returned, and so has Van Waring’s invisible kidnapper. Another girl is missing, but this time Van Waring finds a spotty trail. With his boss on his back and his girlfriend threatening to leave unless he commits, Van Waring struggles to put the pieces together before another girl ends up missing—or dead.

Review:

The book started with a bang and ended with one, too. In between lay a series of twists and turns that had me struggling to piece together the hows and whodunnits of this cop/thriller ride. I was particularly impressed with the ‘real’ feel of the police officers and their daily lives. Also of note was the obvious research that went into the scientific aspects of the story. Adding professional football players (Green Bay Packers) to the suspect list was a nice twist. This was a fast read, one that with few exceptions, kept me turning pages. Mancheski really cranked up the intensity, however, in the last quarter of the book. I stayed up late getting to the end.

Weaknesses lay in the dreaded sagging middle. While the story did not slow enough to make me stop reading, I did find myself anxious to move forward, to uncover new clues, or see some sort of unexpected twist. This was a minor flaw, however, in a relatively engaging novel that I’m happy to recommend.

Cautionary Note: Book contained some graphic details and language.

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At a Loss for Words. . .

What's a writer to do when the words just won't come?

I've been struggling with this for a couple of days now--scenes that don't flow, characters that don't speak, words that won't come. Deep down, I sense it springs from a weariness in my spirit, as though somehow, the frenzy of the season has sapped the well dry. But how can that be? Shouldn't this most holy celebration of my Savior's birth stir a creative well-spring? Shouldn't words flow from my fingers as easily as songs of praise fly from my lips?

Perhaps it is this common misconception that has placed a wall of doubt before me: Christians shouldn't be sad at Christmas. And why not? Distance puts family out of reach. Death creates a longing for seasons past and loved ones who have gone before.

Unless. . .

I remember that though Christ was born a baby, He came to die a Savior.

God did not count it too great a sacrifice to part with His Son for Christmas. In fact, He considered it His greatest gift. So, while the days ahead may be packed with traditions and obligations, I won't forget to pause this holiday season and reflect on the one who made the celebration possible. Perhaps in doing so, I'll once again find the words. . .the ones that mean the most. . .the ones that speak of Jesus.

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Friday Funnies

Why we love kids...

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Meet Michelle Griep!

Minnesota author, Michelle Griep, has been writing since she first discovered Crayolas and blank wall space. She has homeschooled four children over the past twenty years, and teaches both Civics and Creative Writing for area co-ops. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. Michelle's debut historical romance, GALLIMORE, is scheduled for release December 15, 2008.

Description:

Jessica Neale’s faith is lost the day of her husband’s death, and with it, her belief in love. In a journey to find peace, she encounters a gentle, green-eyed stranger who leads her to the ruins of the medieval castle, Gallimore.

On his way to battle, Colwyn Haukswyrth, knight of Gallimore, comes face to face with a storm the likes of which he’s never seen, and a woman in the midst of it who claims to live centuries in the future. The Lady Jessica of Neale is an irksome, provoking bit of woman to be sure. And she’s about to turn his beliefs on end.


The product of a family rooted in pain and evil, Colwyn has focused on naught but himself—until Jessica. To a mysterious prophecy stitched on a tapestry, through the invasion of Gallimore itself, Colwyn and Jessica are bound together by a lesson in forgiveness and love—a bond that might be strong enough to survive the grave.

A Code of Chivalry For Writers by Michelle Griep

Strict codes of conduct dictated the life of a medieval knight. For instance, armored knights raised their visors as they rode past royalty. This gesture not only identified them but showed respect as well. It’s this custom that has evolved into the modern military salute.

Following the code of chivalry, a knight should be brave and fearless in battle but also exhibit cultured qualities showing themselves to be devout, courteous, and generous.
All this to say that if rough and tumble warriors of the past displayed the good sense to behave in a civil manner—aside from the occasional decapitation or two—then today’s writers, aspiring and ordained, should be able to maintain a gracious demeanor as well.

I googled Writers Code of Chivalry and guess what…there isn’t one. Never fear, though. After hanging out with writers for the past decade, I came up with one of my own.

The first rule to take to heart is do not cry as if your tongue has been stapled to the carpet just because you get a tough critique. Yes, it’s painful but get over it. Your mama’s not always going to say nice things about your writing anyway.

Also, it’s an all-around bad idea to stalk an editor. Just say no to this felony even if you think you’ve got some sweet covert operational skills. Trust me on this one, seeing your name on a mugshot is not the same as seeing your name on a cover.

Refrain from excessive blabbering about your characters and plotline. Really, the check-out clerk at the Wal-Mart store does not care if your hero kisses the heroine and saves the world all in the first chapter.

If you’re going to ask other writers to read and comment on your rough drafts, please do the same for them. Hiding behind a deadline to avoid returning the favor is wrong on about forty-three different levels.

Holing up in a room with a computer is fine for short periods of time, but if you exit with cadaver-toned skin and swirling pupils set in blood-shot eyes, then you’ve definitely crossed a boundary. Do not alienate yourself from your family members or the general public at large.

Writers are a quirky lot. Not many others would submit to constant criticism and low wages, but do so as gallantly as possible. After all, maybe five hundred years from now a new military practice will be instituted in honor of an aspect of chivalrous writers behavior.

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