Come Back, Dear Sun: what if the sun took a vacation?

Come back, Dear Sun by Geena Bean is the story of one little girl’s mission to have the sun return. The story opens with Kaylee waking up with the sun still gone. She and her sister, Mattie, hatch a plan to talk to the moon about the sun. Along with their friends, Lilly and Fran, the girls make a string phone and with the help of a bow and arrow, shoot the other side to the moon. The moon comes close and tells them that the sun has taken a vacation. She is sad that she is no longer admired. The kids no longer play outside. The girls decide to write a letter to the sun, asking her to come back. After a few days, the girls wake up to a brilliant and radiant sun. The kids promised never to take the sun for granted again.

Ms. Bean had the inspiration to write this story after she couldn’t convince kids to play outside and use their imaginations, they rather play inside with video games. She believes the rise in violent video games has led to the lack of outside activity and to bullying. While I don’t blame video games for the rise of children’s inactivity and the rise of bullying, I do believe that children need to play outside more and get exercise that cannot be achieved indoors. It is unfortunate because many kids today have both parents working and must come home to an empty house. Or they live in neighborhoods which aren’t safe for playing outside. I enjoyed this story as a fun adventure with a great message. It had beautiful and colorful illustrations. I recommend it for any family's or school's library. 

Arise and Restore: a great local charity working to help our military vets

My husband and I are proud supporters of our military and our military vets. My late father-in-law was a Korean War vet and both my grandfathers were WWII vets. We both have other family members who are active military or vets.  This year my husband and I went to the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California. While we were walking among the different shops and exhibits, one particular exhibit caught my husband’s eye. It was filled with military merchandise and signs. The exhibit was being run by the Arise and Restore ministry. 

Arise and Restore ministry is a non-profit organizations which provides help for vets especially vets with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in partnership with FrontSight Military Ministry. Their mission is to “establish an environment whereby military service members who are lost, hurting and in search of support and guidance can meet with former and active duty military men and women in a setting of mutual trust and understanding” (FrontSight ministry pamphlet). This wonderful organization offers a gym, counseling services as well as recreation center where their members can come and talk and interact with fellow vets. 

The ministries provide support and guidance specially dedicated to the military community from a Christian perspective. Their mission comes from the Biblical verse, 2 Chronicles 20:17, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord who is with you.” A verse to help remind and encourage these vets that they are not alone. 

Arise and Restore runs a thrift shop with all the proceeds going to help run the facilities for their members and provide the help that they so desperately need. Please visit their website for items they accept for donations as well as other ways you can help these deserving men and women. 

Arise and Restore 

 www.ariseandrestore.org

FrontSight ministry,

 www.frontsightministry.org

or if you are in the LA/Inland Empire area, 

visit the Arise and Restore Thrift Shop at: 125 S Mountain Ave, Ontario, CA 91762

The Reluctant General: story of faith against all odds

The Reluctant General: A story about Ancient Israel by Herb Sennett is the story of Barak and Deborah from Judges 4. It is the story of the Israelites defeat of King Jabin of Canaan and the evil general Sisera. In the Bible, judges were rulers or military leaders who led the people into battle as well as someone who presided over legal matters.

The story opens with a quiet village waking up to a new day when soldiers come on horseback and in chariots, killing men and woman, kidnapping children, and laying the village to waste. Word soon reaches Barak, son of Abinoam, a farmer and Deborah, a judge and prophetess. After much discussion and doubt, Barak and Deborah gather men for an army and forge a plan to fight back against the army who was ravaging their villages and killing their people. Will they succeed against a political power of the ancient world?

I enjoyed this fictionalized story of the Biblical events. I enjoyed seeing the human side of these heroes. I enjoyed seeing Barak’s doubt and renewal of faith as to what God can accomplished against insurmountable odds. Anyone who is familiar with the story of Barak and Deborah knows the outcome and the famous battle at Mt. Tabor. I still enjoyed the foreshadowing of future events. For instance, when Deborah declares “a woman will deliver Israel from the clutches of Sisera,” I was excited because I knew who this woman was and eagerly waited for her introduction into the story and how she become in involved in this fight. I highly recommend this book for its great storytelling and exciting action.

The Reluctant General is available on Amazon

for the Kindle for $4.99 and in paperback for $17.96

Desi Arnaz: the man I didn't know

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I decided to research a famous Hispanic individual whom I knew of but did not really know about. I came across the biography of Desi Arnaz, the bandleader and most famous for his role as Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy.”

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III was born March 2, 1917 in Santiago, Cuba. His family fled Cuba when his father was accused of being involved in the 1933 revolution led by Fulgencio Batista. The family would settle in Miami, Florida where Desi would take any job he could until he was hired by Xavier Cugat, the “king” of Latin music. He would soon form his own Latin band and launched the conga craze in the US.

He would met his future wife, Lucille Ball on the set of “Too Many Girls” (1940). The two would marry on November 30, 1940 and they would have two children: Lucie (born July 17, 1951) and Desi Jr (born January 19, 1953). Desi and Lucille would form Desilu Productions in 1950 and produced their first show “I Love Lucy” which premiered on October 15, 1951. They both would later confess that they produced the show in order to save their troubled marriage. The show would be revolutionary in the television. In the course of producing the show, Desi would be credited with many inventions in which the television industry still use today. The set of “I Love Lucy” would be the first to use several cameras, a warm-up act, performing before a live audience and rerunning old episodes when production would take a break. When “I Love Lucy” finished airing on May 6, 1957, it left still at number 1. He would also be the first Hispanic man to own his own production company. 

Sadly, his marriage to Lucille Ball would end in divorce on May 4, 1960; however, the two would remain friends until his death on December 2, 1986 at the age of 69 from lung cancer. He is forever remembered and honored as one half of the one of the greatest comedic duos in television history. With “I Love Lucy” in syndication, the show still reaches approximately 40 million Americans each year and many of their fans were not even born when the show originally aired. He would also author an autobiography entitled "A Book". He was a great man who made history and an impact on this country and the world in so many ways. 

Dobyns Chronicles: a story of strength, faith and survivial

Dobyns Chronicles by Shirley McLain is about her great-grandfather, Charley Dobyns and his life growing up on ranches in Texas and Chickasaw Territory (which is part of present day Oklahoma) in a time when the old ways were moving into the modern era and the old life would only be seen in movies.

The story opens with Charley standing on his land for the last time as he moves from his home. He reflects back to his life on his father’s farm and his early memories of his parents. When his parents died tragically during the yellow fever epidemic of 1888, Charley must figure out how to keep his siblings together and keep them alive. They would endure extreme weather, tragic accidents and situations that no one could possibly imagine and they came back stronger and ready for the next one.

I love this story. I love the perseverance to survive. While I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother on her parents’ farm in Oklahoma during the Great Depression and the stories she would tell me of what they did to survive. I wonder if today’s generations would have the same survival spirit as out grandparents and great-grandparents. The story was so engrossing that I read the entire book in one day, which I thought I wouldn’t do but I had to finish and what find out the rest of the story. I really enjoyed the family photos at the end of the epilogue. It helped put faces to the names and their incredible story. I loved the Dobyns’ commitment to God and His Word. No matter what was going on in his life, the family always turned to God for guidance and comfort. I highly recommend Dobyns Chronicles. It is a story of love of family, love of the land and survival against great odds.

Dobyns Chronicles is available on Amazon

on the Kindle for $3.99 and in paperback for $19.99

What Christians can do in a world which hates them

It always seems to shock me when Christians are shocked or angered at the treatment of other Christians because of their faith. While it saddens me that Christians can’t practice their faith, it should not be a surprise at the world’s disdain for Christians. For Christ told us that it would be this way. In Matthew 10:22 (NIV), “All men will hate you because of me.” Christ also said in John 15:18 (NIV) “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” My fellow Christians may be asking “What shall we do? Do we just lie down and take it?” No, we don’t but my plan of action is simple: prayer.

First, I find direction in Jesus’ final prayer: “Father, forgive them for do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV). Christ had every right to ask His Father to consume those who put him on the cross but instead he prayed for the Father to forgive them as He directed in Matthew 5:44 (NIV) “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” I find this very difficult to love those who hate me or try to hurt me, but I know that my hate hurts me more than it hurts others. I follow my Lord’s lead and pray for those who would do me harm. I pray that the Lord show them the errors of their ways and that they may turn to Him for guidance.

Second, non-believers will ridicule a believer’s claim because they can’t see from God’s perspective. The evidence that I have for my faith is not going to be the same for someone else. I am commanded by Christ to spread the Word and share my faith. It is not my duty to save them. Christ does that. I am just the one who is planting the seed. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NIV) “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, makes things grow.” It’s not important who plants the seed of Christ in someone’s heart or who waters it, it is God who makes it grow. It is God who changes the heart and mind. Not me, not the TV evangelist, not the pastor at the pulpit on Sunday. It is God. We need to pray, let go and let God.

In conclusion, the Christian life is a long and difficult road with rewards beyond our wildest dreams that await us in Heaven. The most powerful tool, as Christians, is prayer. We must pray for our family, friends, our country and its leaders and the world. We must pray, let go and let God. He is in control and has much more power than we could ever muster.

The Hockey Saint: a lesson in celebrity idols

The Hockey Saint by Howard Shaprio is a graphic novel which is the second book of the Forever Friends Trilogy. It is the unlikely friendship between Tom Leonard, a struggling college sophomore and hockey great, Jeremiah Jacobson. The events that occur will change the lives of both Tom and Jeremiah.

The story opens with Tom is awaken from a strange dream about his parents. Tom meets Jeremiah through a twist of fate and the two become fast friends but their friendship is put to the test when Tom discovers the secrets that Jeremiah tries so hard to hide. When Tom confronts Jeremiah about his secrets, Jeremiah must decide to seek help and save his career and his life or go down in flames.

When I requested to review this book, I didn’t realize that it was a graphic novel but I decided to give it a go anyway. The illustrations by Marcia Inoue and color work by Andres Mossa are beautiful and very realistic. The story is very compelling as many people fail to realize that our celebrity idols are human too and they have faults and will make mistakes like any regular person. The graphic novel will appeal to young boys and men who enjoy reading the sequential art of comic books and graphic novels. It is a fast paced story which I was able to read quickly. I recommend The Hockey Saint for its story with a great message.

The Hockey Saint is available on Amazon

in paperback for $13.95