Sabbath: a day of rest and worship

Sabbath is a weekly day of rest and worship. It was instituted at creation when God hallowed the 7^th day and rested after his creative labors (Genesis 1:1-2:3). There is no distinct mention of the Sabbath in Genesis and no mention of the Sabbath until Exodus 16:21-30 when the Israelites were in the Desert of Sin before reaching Mount Sinai. God gave them a double supply of manna on the 6^th day of the week in order that the 7^th day may be a rest from labor (Exodus 16:23). Jewish tradition holds the Sabbath on Saturday (beginning at sundown on Friday) and Christians hold the Sabbath on Sunday. What exact does the Sabbath entail? What is the history behind it?

Observing the Sabbath became a requirement after Moses was given the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, 34:1-5). The 4^th Commandment states that the 7^th day would be observed as a holy day. A day when everyone, including strangers, would be required to rest from any work and labor. The reason given for this day of rest is that the Lord rested on the 7^th day, having blessed it and hallowed it. God intended the Sabbath to be a blessing of both physical and spiritual. The sanctity of the Sabbath was to include the sacrifice of two lambs including a regular burnt offering (Numbers 28:9-10) and 12 loaves of showbread (Leviticus 24:5-9, 1 Chronicles 9:32). The Sabbath required extra offerings because it was a special day of rest and worship, commemorating creation and deliverance of Egypt. Numbers 15:32-36 dictated that a willful Sabbath breaker was to be put to death. When the Jews returned from their exile, Nehemiah made several reforms in order to reestablish their traditions including observance of the Sabbath. Trade was forbidden on the Sabbath because the lure of money interfered with the need of rest (Nehemiah 10:31) and traders were sent home and the city’s gates shut as the Sabbath hours approached (Nehemiah 13:19).

There have been attempts by Old Testament critics to find a Babylonian origin for the Jewish Sabbath. There is evidence that among the Babylonians, certain things were to be avoided on the 7^th, 14^th, 19^th, 21^st, and 28^th days of the months. However, the 19^th day breaks the sequence of 7s and there is no question the Hebrew Sabbath is older than the Babylonian observance. The Sabbath was associated with the idea of worship, rest, and divine favor rather than certain taboos and avoidance. Over the centuries, many Jewish religious leaders added rule after rules to God’s law which guaranteed that everyone who be in violation. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath to show that while the Sabbath was holy, it was created for man’s benefit and people’s needs must take precedence over the law (Matthew 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-36, Luke 6:1-11, and John 5:1-18).  The best time to reach out to someone is when he or she needs help and it is right to care for others’ needs even if it involves on a day of rest (Matthew 12:10, John 9:14-16). Seven times he performed miracles on the Sabbath. Why? Jesus empathized the intent of the law while the Pharisees focused on the letter of the law (Matthew 12:5).

Early Christians, most of whom were Jewish, kept the 7^th day as a Sabbath. Since Jesus’ resurrection occurred at the beginning of the week, they began to meet for worship on the 1^st day of the week which they designated as the Lord’s Day. As the split between Jews and Christians widened, Christians gradually began to meet for worship on the Lord’s Day and eventually it became the Sabbath and they gave up the 7^th day observance. Through the centuries, the Lord’s Day (or Sunday as we know it today) became known as the 7^th day. Unfortunately, there are Christians today who develop the attitudes of the Pharisees and forget the true nature of the Sabbath and look down on other Christians who are not in church every Sunday. And in this day of companies being open 7 days a week, it would be hard for many Christians to take every Sunday off. So, when someone a day off in the middle of the week, that day could be there Sabbath. A day to rest and worship God and study His Word. Bill Sunday (1862-1935) once said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” There’s more to be a follower of Christ than church every Sunday.

In conclusion, it is easy to let responsibilities of work, family, and community to crowd our schedules that we don’t take the time to worship. Taking a day of rest, any day, is important to reenergize and focus on God and his Word. I think too many people get hung up on semantics when they argue whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday. The Sabbath is simply a day of rest and worship. So, whether you rest and worship on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, et cetera, you are keeping the Sabbath. While the Sabbath is an important day, it does not allow us to be lazy bumps on a log. If you see someone who needs help, it is good for you to help, just as Jesus did.

The Summer We Lost Her: a story of every parent's nightmare

The Summer We Lost Her by Tish Cohen is the story of Matt and Elise Sorenson who spend the summer fixing up the family cabin for sale as they struggle to keep their lives together while praising their own career ambitions. Elise Sorenson is an equestrian with Olympic dreams. Matt is offered a partnership with his law firm. It is evident that they both are madly in love with each other and they adore their daughter, Gracie. However, they seem to be slowly growing apart. As they struggle to find a way to pursue their goals while remaining a family, tragedy strikes, and Gracie goes missing. Will they find Gracie safe and sound? Will they be able to bring their lives back together?

The Summer We Lost Her was a hard book to finish. I didn’t care for the characters especially Elise. It was hard to sympathize with her as she struggles with her dreams and her role as wife and mother. The first half was very slow as I was waiting for the drama of Gracie’s disappearance and the search for her. The second half seemed way too fast. The resolution to the story was a bit of a letdown and the overall feel of the story was uneven. At the end, I felt nothing for these characters: no sadness, no sympathy, no tears. I do not recommend The Summer We Lost Her.

The Summer We Lost Her

will be available June 4, 2019

in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Shadow Among Sheaves: a love story inspired by the Book of Ruth

Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens is a historical romance inspired by the love story of Ruth and Boaz of the Bible. The story opens in July 1861, Rena is an Indian woman who is traveling with her mother in law, Lady Nell Hawley after the deaths of her husband, Edric, and father in law, Alistair. Rena and Nell find themselves in dire straits as people refuse to help the women. The Indian Mutiny of 1857 is still fresh in everyone’s mind and Rena is seen as the enemy. In desperation, Rena picks up grains which have fallen on the ground when she is caught by the estate’s steward, William. He takes pity on her and allows her to gather what she can carry. When the lord of the Manor, Lord Barric, sees Rena in the fields, she allows her to take whatever she needs. Soon Barric helps the women when so many had turned their backs. As the attraction between Rena and Barric is undeniable, will they allow love to blossom? Or will society and prejudice keep them apart?

I loved Shadow Among Sheaves. It was a great story with a great twist on the story of Ruth and Boaz. Having read their story so many times, I never imagined that Ruth, as a stranger from a strange land, could have suffered the prejudice that Rena does. However, it makes sense that she would have. And Barric is the caring yet stern landlord that Boaz may have been, Their story felt very real for 19^th century England and is very relatable to today’s social and racial climate. I highly recommend Shadow Among the Sheaves.

Shadow Among the Sheaves

is available in paperback and eBook

What are empaths?

Do you know anyone who seems to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders? Someone who seems to completely understand what you are going through. Or maybe it is you? Maybe you can connect with someone on a deeper level than just simply empathizing. Over the past couple years, I have heard the term, “empath” and everyone seems to claim that they are one. I have only casually researched what an empath was. Recently; however, I became curious what was an empath really was. What does it entail to be an empath? And how can you distinguish between a real empath and a fake one?

According to an online dictionary, empath is defined as a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual. However, Dr. Judith Orloff, states that the trademark characteristic of an empath is the ability to feel and absorb another’s emotions and or physical symptoms due to high sensitivities. Empaths tend to filter the world through their intuition and have a difficult time intellectualizing their feelings (Orloff). Often overwhelmed with the impact of stressful emotions, empaths can have panic attacks, depression, chronic fatigue, and other physical symptoms which cannot be medically explained as well as engage in food, sex and/or drug binges (Orloff). When you search for signs or traits of an empath, you might get overwhelmed with the number of articles with some suggest there are numerous traits. However, many traits overlap. One classic trait is an empath will take on others’ emotions as their own (Solo, 2019). Many of the traits describe an introvert such as needing alone time and being overwhelmed in crowds which is possibly why so many people claim to be empaths. Another core trait is an empath will be able to understand where people are coming from (Solo, 2019).

During my research, I came across a term, covert narcissist, essentially someone who claims to be an empath but is really not. Covert narcissists care for themselves and the idea of caring for others. Many times, they will rally for the rights of others because it feeds their ego and makes them look good (Bell, 2017). Many covert narcissists have the attitude that they are the “misunderstood special person” (Ni, 2016). This attitude includes statements to the effect that they are special, one of a kind, or ahead of their time: “I’m so unique that no one can possibly understand me.” Covert narcissist still crave attention; however, they will do so passively and will try to sabotage someone’s other relationships if it is in their way (Winter, 2018). They are highly sensitive to negative feedback and will vilify anyone who dares try to unmask them. “They’ll use their shyness to rope people in who will do their best to nurture them, reassure them of how special and giving and kind they are, and then turn around and vilify their White Knight if they dare to pull back and stop lavishing them with praise” (Winter, 2018).

After reading the descriptions of an empath and a covert narcissist, it seems hard that one can pretend to be other. However, I can think of a couple of examples from my life which I can now say these individuals were covert narcissists. Dr. Ava Pommerenk suggests three basic methods to uncover a covert narcissist. First, set and reset boundaries. The best way is to respectfully and calmly set boundaries and note their response. A true empath, while initially embarrassed and/or defensive at being called out, would consider why what they said or did was wrong and understand your position. A covert narcissist will not and will play the victim and you the perpetrator. Second, watch what they do when you get angry and frustrated. An empath will immediately care and offer some help or reassurance. A covert narcissist will, at first care, but will eventually grow impatient or act wounded by your anger and frustration. Third, ask a lot of pointed questions and observe how they identify with being a helper. An empath will detail their own spiritual path and how it led to helping others. A covert narcissist’s narrative will show how shallow they are when the narrative focuses on themselves and how they have helped others rather than their journey to that path.

In conclusion, empaths are people who feel deeper empathy for others. Empaths are often overwhelmed by emotions as they view the events of the world. Covert narcissists are empaths in disguise in which they portray themselves as empaths in order to manipulate others and hide their own insecurities. Of course, as with any topic, the information out there about empaths is vast and expansive, so I have only written on overview of the main details and encourage you to seek out more information if you wish.

References

Bell, Margaret. November 8, 2017. The narcissist as the empath. http://margaretbellcounseling.org/blog/2017/11/7/the-narcissist-as-the-empath. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Ni, Preston. January 10, 2016. 7 Signs of a Covert Introvert Narcissist. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201601/7-signs-covert-introvert-narcissist. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Orloff, Judith. Top 10 Traits of an Empath. www.drjudithorloff.com/top-10-traits-of-an-empath. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Pommerenk, Ava. December 12, 2018. Narcissists claiming to be Empaths and Three Methods to Uncover the Truth. medium.com/@apommerenk/narcissists-claiming-to-be-empaths-three-methods-to-uncover-the-truth-daf841bbe15f. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Solo, Andre. January 18, 2019. 13 Signs You are an Empath. www.highlysensitiverefuge.com/empath-signs. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Winter, Catherine. Mary 18, 2018. The Covert Narcissist and Why They Can Be So Hard to Identify. www.aconsciousrethink.com/5420/covert-narcissist. Retrieved April 16, 2019.

Sunset Beach: a quick summer read

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews is the story of Drue Campbell, a 36-year-old woman who is forced to take a job with her estranged father’s law firm. While she is battling her father and stepmother every step, she comes across a case she feels the firm dropped the ball on. She takes it upon herself to investigate and find justice for a young woman, Jazmin Hayes, that everyone has seemed to have forgotten. Has she gets closer to the truth, a series of events occur which seem to be a warning to stay away. However, Drue is determined to see it through regardless of the danger. At the same time, she is dealing with her mother’s death, moving into her grandparents’ beach cottage where she finds information to a 40-year-old case involving missing woman, Colleen Broadman Hicks. Will she find the truth? Will she convince the authorities of her findings? What is the link between the missing person and her family?

I wanted to really enjoy Sunset Beach and when I finished, I had mixed feelings. At first, I didn’t care for any of the characters, especially Drue. I only continued to find out what really happened to Jazmin and Colleen and how the cases connected to Drue and her family. The first half was very slow with the second half being very fast paced. I liked the resolution with the Jazmin Hayes case; however, the Colleen Broadman Hicks case was a little flat. Overall, it was an ok book. Nothing too great but it wasn’t horrible either. If you are a fan of Mary Kay Andrews, then you may enjoy Sunset Beach.

Sunset Beach

will be available May 7, 2019

in hardcover, eBook, and Audiobook

Jackie Robinson Day: honoring the man, the legend and his legacy

Today is Jackie Robinson Day, an annual traditional event for Major League Baseball, which commemorates and honors the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut on Opening Day April 15, 1947. Robinson was the first black major league player which ended an approximately 80-year segregation when he began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers). First started in 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated by every team in Major League Baseball. Who was Jackie Robinson? What is his journey into major league baseball? And how is the day celebrated in baseball?

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 to sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. His middle name was in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt who had died 25 days before his birth. His father left the family in 1920 and his mother moved Jackie and his 4 older siblings to Pasadena, California. He attended John Muir High School (Muir Tech) where he played several sports at the varsity level. He would letter in 4: football (quarterback), basketball (guard), track and baseball (shortshop and catcher). He would then attend Pasadena Junior College (PJC) where he continued his athletic career. In 1938, he would be elected to the All-Southland Junior College Team for baseball and later selected as Most Valuable Player (MVP). After graduating PJC, he enrolled in UCLA where he was the first in the school’s history to letter in 4 sports. In 1942, he was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army Calvary unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. After a series of horrible racist events, Robinson was court-martialed in August 1944, charged with 2 counts of insubordination during questioning. He was acquitted by an all-white panel of 9 officers. He would be honorably discharged in November 1944, having never seen combat.

Early 1944, Robinson was offered a contract for the Negro League team Kansas City Monarchs. He would become frustrated with the leagues lack of organization. He pursued potential major league interests. No black man had played in the major league since Moses Fleetwood Walter in 1884. In 1945, the Boston Red Sox held tryouts, but it was a farce and Robinson left humiliated. On a side note, the Red Sox would be the last team to integrate, holding out until 1959. However, other teams were serious about signing a black player. Branch Rickey, club president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, actively scouted the Negro League teams in the mid-1940s. Robinson wasn’t considered the best player in the league so when he was signed, it disappointed other players like Satchel Paige (1906-1982) and Josh Gibson (1911-1947). Larry Doby (1923-2003), who broke the color line in the American League the same year as Robinson, said, "One of the things that was disappointing and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player. The best was Josh Gibson. I think that's one of the reasons why Josh died so early – he was heartbroken” (Moore, 1988).

Jackie Robinson retired from baseball on January 5, 1957 at the age of 37. He died October 24, 1972. His number, 42, was retired by the Dodgers in June 1972. In 1997, his number would be retired across the league. He is the first pro athlete in any sport to receive such an honor. Jackie Robinson Day is held on April 15 and April 16 (for teams that are not playing on the 15^th). All players, managers, coaches, umpires, and other on-filed personnel will wear #42. All licensed royalties from sales of items commemorating Jackie Robinson Day are donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The foundation was founded in 1973 which provides scholarships and other programs for disadvantaged students of color. Robinson’s widow, Rachel and surviving children, Sharon and David, attend Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

In conclusion, Jackie Robinson Day is a day to commemorate and honor the man and his accomplishments in the sport of baseball as well as an inspiration for the many players who would follow him. Jackie Robinson faced many challenges and obstacles as he made history with his athleticism; however, he is an inspiration for perseverance and determination. Even though I am not a big baseball fan, I cannot ignore the impact Jackie Robinson has had on the game and those who followed him.

References

Moore, Joseph Thomas (1988). Pride and Prejudice: The Biography of Larry Doby. New York: Praeger Publishers. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-275-92984-8

For more information on Jackie Robinson Day events around MLB, please visit, www.mlb.com/mlb-community/jackie-robinson-day.

Cheers! It's National Beer Day!

Today is National Beer Day! It is a day to celebrate the anniversary of the enactment of the Cullen-Harrison Act. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 22, 1933, the Cullen-Harrison Act legalized beer containing up to 3.2% alcohol by volume. The act would lead to the repeal of the 18^th Amendment on December 5, 1933 with the ratification of the 21^st Amendment. Beer is one of the oldest prepared beverages which dates to 9500 BCE by some estimates. It has been recorded in written histories of ancient Iraq and ancient Egypt. Beer has great cultural and social importance to many groups in the United States.

National Beer Day was first created by Justin Smith of Richmond, Virginia and after encouragement from his friend, Mike Connolly, Smith created a Facebook page. The page was noticed by Colorado Beer Examiner Eli Shayotovich and later officially recognized by Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe in 2017. It was first recognized on the Congressional Record of the 115^th Congress on April 7, 2017 by Congressman Dave Brat of Virginia in 2017. The holiday was officially recognized by the Virginia General Assembly with House Joint Resolution 90 in 2018.

When Prohibition was first being passed, many voted for it with the understanding that beer and wine would be allowed. When the Volstead Act greatly lowered the allowed alcohol by volume, it felt a bad taste in their mouths. Beer had been a part of American life for decades as evidence shows that even the Native Americans had a form of beer made from corn, birch sap and water. When the Germans arrived during the Great Migration with their lager which had a longer shelf life, the sale of beer skyrocketed. It seems fitting that beer would be the first alcohol allowed as the country moved toward repealing the 18^th Amendment. The Cullen-Harrison Act is named after its sponsors, Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi and Representative Thomas H. Cullen of New York. The act redefined what an intoxicating beverage was under the Volstead Act. Alcohol of 3.2% was chosen because it was considered too law to cause intoxication. After signing the act into law, President Roosevelt famously commented, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” The states had to pass their own similar legislation to legalize the sale of low alcohol beverages.

According to the Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesales Association, beer was a more than $350 million industry in the United States. In 2017, Bud Light was the #1 selling beer with 15.4% of the market. However, many traditional beer sales are on the decline. Why? The answer craft beers. Craft beers and microbrewers have become insanely popular in the United States. According to the Brewers Association, to be considered a craft beer, the beer must be: 1) small with an output of 3% of the market, 2) independent with only 25% of the brewery owned by anyone not identified as a craft brewer, and 3) traditional which a “majority of its total beverage alcohol by volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients in their fermentation.” Craftbeer.com is a great resource about each type of beer as it can be overwhelming when one views the list of possibilities. From pale ales to lagers to stouts and specialty beers, there’s a beer for everyone.

In conclusion, National Beer Day is a day to commemorate the Cullen-Harrison Act being enacted and the beginning of the end of Prohibition. First started in Virginia, the day has started to gain a following as craft beers and microbreweries have become increasingly popular. Beer has become more than just the familiar names and the flavors have expanded to a variety of flavors such as pumpkin. For those who love beer, lift of your glass to celebrate National Beer Day. Cheers!

The Silent Order: when secrets can't stay secret forever

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson is another title in her Legacy of Love series. Set during Prohibition, Detective Rollin Wells is determined the take down the Cardano crime family. After he and his partner are gunned down deep in the country of the Ohio Valley, he is nursed back to health by the Lehmans, an Amish family who have their own secrets to hide. Katie Lehman is trying to raise her son and doesn’t want the trouble that this outsider will bring. As Rollin continues to find evidence against the Cardano family, Katie struggles to keep her deepest, darkest secret hidden. Will Katie trust Rollin and finally reveal the truth? Will Rollin be able to bring down the family?

This is the second book I’ve read in the Legacy of Love series and once again it was a great book. I loved The Silent Order. It is an excellent story with lots of twists and turns. From the opening scene to the final chapter, the story held my attention that I didn’t want to put it down. I love a story in which I cannot reveal too much as it would spoil plot points. When Katie reveals the secrets she has been hiding, I can say I did not see it coming. Once again, Ms. Dobson’s historical details are spot on and I enjoyed seeing more of the Prohibition era than just Chicago or New York. The characters of the Cardano family were terrifying and I was afraid of the Cardano family and held my breath as Rollin got closer to a final showdown. I highly recommend The Silent Order!

The Silent Order

is available in eBook and paperback

It's National Poetry Month!

Many people run from poetry. They think it’s boring or difficult to read. While many poems can be complex, others are simple, beautifully simple. April is National Poetry Month. It was first introduced in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. It’s website, www.poets.org, has a wealth of information about local poetry events during National Poetry Month and provides free educational resources to teachers for classroom celebrations and activities. For National Poetry Month, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite poets and a few of my favorites of their work.

First, Robert Burns (1759-1796) is the national poet of Scotland and one of the pioneers of the Romantic Movement. He collected and translated many Scot folk songs. Many of us know his poem, Auld Lang Syne, which is sung every New Year’s. He wrote in Scots language as well as English and a light Scots dialect. One of my favorites is his poem, To a Mouse (1785), originally written in Scots language and which we get the line “The best laid schemes of mice and men/Go often askew.” According to a legend, Burns was inspired to write the poem when he accidently discovered a mouse’s nest while ploughing his field. And according to Burns’ brother, Burns wrote the poem with his hand still on the plough (Greenblatt, 2002). It is a line which has influenced many authors, for example, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (1937) and Sidney Sheldon’s The Best Laid Plans (1997). Singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan once cited Burns’ poem A Red, Red, Rose (1794) as the source of his greatest creative inspiration (Simpson, 2009).

Second, Robert Frost (1874-1963) is a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, a Congressional of Medal recipient (1960) and the poet laureate of Vermont (1961). One of my favorite poems is Mending Wall (1914), a complex poem with several themes including the distances and tensions between men. The poem contains many contradictions about life and humanity. For example, the role of boundaries in society that both separate and join as man makes and breaks those boundaries. The most famous line from this poem is “He says again, “Good fences make good neighbors” which is a proverb that appears in difference cultures in various forms. Another favorite poem of mine is The Road Not Taken (1916) which is about a divergence of paths both literal and figurative. It is one of his most famous and misunderstood poems. Most people think it is about following your own path; however, Lawrance Thompson, a Robert Frost biographer, suggested that the narrator is one “who habitually wastes energy in regretting any choice made: belatedly but wistfully he sighs over the attractive alternative rejected” (Thompson, 1959).  It has been said that this poem was based on his friend, Edward Thomas, who in Frost’s own words, “whichever road he went, would be sorry he didn’t go the other” (eNotes.com).

Lastly, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) is best known for being a relative recluse for most of her life at her family home in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was a prolific writer, corresponding with numerous friends and writing an approximately 1,800 poems. Most of her poems were discovered after her death. Her poems were unique for her time as she wrote in short lines, typically lacking titles and often used slant rhyme.  Slant rhyme is rhyme in which either the vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are identical, as in eyes, light; years, yours. Many of her poems deal with the themes of death and immorality. One of my favorite poems is Hope is the thing with feathers which contains the imagery of hope living inside the soul and never stops singing despite the cold. “Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul, /And sings the tune without the words, /And never stops at all.” Another favorite of mine is If I should die which contains the imagery of the peacefulness and natural aspect of life and death. The circle of life and how life continues when we’re gone. “If I should die, /And you should live, /And time should gurgle on.”

In conclusion, poetry is a beautiful artform which can be appreciated by all. From the very complicated to the simple, poetry speaks to everyone. It is not just for the intellectual or the educated. It can be used to encourage, to inspire, and to be a call for change. Poetry uses unique language with sounds to convey images and messages. It is about what we experience in life and what we observe. I highly recommend checking out different poems and poets. You may be surprised to find one who speaks with imagery you enjoy, and which inspires your heart and soul.

References

eNotes.com "The Road Not Taken.” www.enotes.com/topics/road-not-taken/in-depth. Retrieved March 25, 2019.

Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. 2012. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton. Print.

Simpson, R (5 October 2009). Bob Dylan names Scottish Poet Robert Burns as his biggest inspiration. London: Daily Mail. www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1069069/Bob-Dylan-names-Scottish-poet-Robert-Burns-biggest-inspiration.html. Retrieved March 25, 2019.

Thompson, L (1959). Robert Frost. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved March 25, 2019.

The Masquerade: a love story set in the Gilded Age

The Masquerade by Melanie Dobson is a novel in her Legacy of Love series. Set in the Gilded Age, on Mackinac Island, Elena Bissette has the summer ahead of her. A summer of trying to find a husband, if her mother has anything to say about it. After the financial fallout of her father’s business partnership being dissolved, the family is in dire straits and their once high society position has left them scrambling to find their way back up. Every single girl will be eyeing the most eligible bachelor of the summer, Chester “Chase” Darrington, who wants nothing to do with the girls but focus on his own business ventures. Elena and Chase meet, by accident, in an isolated place and neither one tells the other who they really are. Under the night sky of the island, they fall in love, but the real world and their social obligations threatens to bring it all crashing down on them. Will they fight against their true feelings for each other?

I have been a fan of Melanie Dobson’s since I read her book, Catching the Wind, and with each new book I enjoy her stories even more. I enjoy the historical settings with the issues of the time as well as the faith and struggles with God of her characters. The questions the characters have are relatable to questions that many believers have had or will have in their life. While the story formula is familiar, I call it the “Pride and Prejudice” formula, it is a formula that works. I loved reading Chase and Elena fall in love. I screamed with frustration when they missed “meeting” each other at the social events on the island. And cried when the truth revealed themselves and the animosity that ensued. However, I loved the ending and closed the book with satisfaction. I loved each character in this beautiful love story. I highly recommend The Masquerade.

The Masquerade

is available in eBook