12/31/2012

A Prayer for the New Year

"O God, be thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me decrease that Thou mayest increase, let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, 'Hosanna in the highest.'"
~ A. W. Tozer
(The Pursuit of God, pg 59)

12/24/2012

Meal: Unforgettable

I was going through my collection of old writing assignments again and dug up this interesting piece that was brought about by having to describe a meal without ever mentioning a taste. . . My teacher's exact words were:
"I really don't know from what depths of randomosity you pull these things, but you have a marvelous imagination."
I hope your opinion is half that positive ;P :)

Meal: Unforgettable

J D White
4/16/2009

The smell is awful. Fire arcs up into my brain through my complaining nostrils.
    My vision blurs as a plate is placed on the table before me. Through the constant rush of tears brought on by the horrific stench incinerating my olfactory nerves, I look down to inspect the plate’s contents.
    A wash of appalling colors nearly overload my optical nerves, joining the horrendous odors in their assault on my brain. Fighting past the initial shock, I force myself to observe the supposed “food” more closely.
    A bubbling, sickly yellow sludge with neon pink sprinkles oozes about one corner. Several black, purplish-turquoise striped rectangles are stacked to one side, a bright brown slime oozing out from between them. Piled high on the rest of the plate is a steaming, moving mass of bright orange and blue stringy substance.
    I pick up my fork and push a fist against my lips to hold back a gag. Pressing the fork into the rectangles, I find they are hard and flaky. They crunch under the pressure of the utensil as I cut them in half. The brown slime squelches out from between them. I stab one of the pieces then dip it in the bubbling yellow ooze.
    The ooze, unwilling to let go of either, stretches between my fork and the plate as I pull it away. I hold my breath before bringing the fork to my mouth.
    Then I take a bite. . .

    EDITOR’S NOTE:
    We apologize for the inconvenience, but the writer was unable to finish this story. He is currently at Odd Ailments Hospital in a comatose state. . .
______________________________________________________________________


Yup, pretty crazy, huh?

My friend (who agreed to do a quick check on this for any grammar/spelling mistakes before I posted it) said:
"Ohhh-KAY then. Wow.  This is . . . um . . . hilarious? . . . disgusting? . . . I’m not really sure.  Was this out of a dream or something?"
Then she added this to the end of it:
"SECOND EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer should be in Crazy-Person Therapy for actually trying to EAT the stuff. . .  just sayin’. . . . ;P :)"

12/17/2012

Tragedies Punctuate Travesties

So, in the last few days many of us have been inundated with all the news about the shooting in a Connecticut school this Friday that followed on the heels of a shooting in Clackamas Town Center right here in Clackamas, Oregon . . . (not to mention that whole nasty business with the Dark Knight Rises a while back).

Though I feel the need to pray and mourn for all those involved in these indeed tragic events, I also find myself wondering why we do not feel this way Every Single Day . . . Think about it. Things like this happen all over the world, especially considering that there are many countries at war with one another right now. And even more blatant than that is the Admitted and Recorded FACT that the United States alone murders children in the tens of thousands every day! (Yes, I am talking about abortion).

Again, I will say that the things that are claiming the attention of much of my family and friends are indeed tragedies. And I pray that the LORD would comfort and reveal His grace and mercy to those who are directly suffering from them. But what about the travesties of how our country (and the rest of the world) look at so many other things? Violence such as is being mourned over in these cases are considered 'cool' and 'entertaining' when it takes place in movies or TV. Life and people are not regarded as they should be. True Hope is lost or obscured under false security that is found in earthly comforts or merely 'humanitarian' acts of kindness.

Regardless of how you(or I) react or think about these things, these are all examples and reminders of one thing: the world is consumed in sin and in rebellion against God, and because of this we are all in need of the Gospel of our Savior and LORD, Jesus the Christ.

May I encourage you to read the following passages of Scripture as we continue to pray about the specific events we are aware of and also seek God's face for His glory, honor, and  praise to be proclaimed to all the earth?

Romans 1-3 . . . . Psalm 23 . . . . Psalm 17-20 . . . . Psalm 27-30 . . . . Matthew 6:25-34 . . . . John 3:16-21 . . . . Hebrews 12-13 . . . . Revelation 4:11 . . . . Isaiah 45:22-23 . . . . Romans 14:7-12 . . . . Philippians 2:8-11 . . . .

LORD, please guide our thoughts and prayers, not only in these things and in the next few days, but in All things and in Every second of the years to come. Make us concerned for Your glorification and praise in this world. Please bless us with confidence and boldness in proclaiming Your love and calling those around us to repent and turn to Your precious Son, Jesus. 
    Please reveal your glory and grace to those affected by the tragedies that have caught the attention of our country in the last few days. Convict those who need to be convicted, and please offer comfort and healing as well. Please work your redemptive glory in those lives.
    We are nothing and worse apart from You, Almighty God, I ask specifically that You pour Your grace upon this country and guide its leaders and citizens to repentance, that You and Your statutes would be held in honor, reverence, and respect.
    Thank you, dear Father, for your patience and faithfulness. Thank you for your Son, and the cross by which you have made salvation and reunion with you possible.
    In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. . .

~ J D White
12/17/2012

12/04/2012

Some More Art and Other Stuff

 I recently was a student in a Christian art school's College Program during their first term of official days devoted to college-level classes. One of the classes I took was a Computer Art class in which I was able to learn some graphic design and digital painting.

~ This is what I did as a graphic design project


~ And this is the digital painting
(The two characters in the back, from right to left, are a Sagri and a Kohtloac - and the foreground characters, also from left to right, are a Gandoran and a Nanhew)


Also, a friend of mine generously posted and commented on a writing assignment that you can read HERE 



Oh, and as a side note . . . one of my best friend's birthday was yesterday . . . I praise and thank God for that friend :)
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. ~ Psalm 79:13

11/28/2012

Gentleness

Recently I was asked to give a 'talk' on gentleness during lunch at Christian school (the 'theme' for lunchtime throughout the term has been the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23) . . . I only wrote down a few notes for the talk, but the LORD had begun showing me a few things in those notes that I thought it would be beneficial to look a little closer at . . . What you are about to read is the result. . .

The word 'gentleness' in the Galatians 5:22 passage is translated from the Greek word chrestotes: which is used in the Bible for 1) moral goodness, integrity and 2) benignity, kindness . . . (If you don't have your own concordance, you can check out this link) . . . which suggests (as any in-depth look at the Fruit of the Spirit will) that this is mainly pointing to a 'heart/motive' aspect, rather than just a way of behaving. . . (Ephesians 4:1-3)

However, as far as the practical aspect went, I began to think and try to find an example or picture of gentleness in everyday life that would be simple to understand. The first thing that came to my mind were Prismacolor Colored Pencils because the Colored Pencil teachers that I've known have a tendency to make a running joke out of how they want students to treat their pencils because of how expensive they are. Because of their price and the fact that they are easily broken, even tapping a colored pencil on something is greatly frowned upon. They are an item that needs to be treated with care. . .

But then I thought that that would be a really shallow example if left by itself, so I turned to the obvious and only Perfect example given us in Scripture - Jesus Christ. . .

As I looked through the Gospels in search of Jesus' showing gentleness, I thought about many of the examples where Jesus showed mercy and compassion, but God pointed me specifically toward the few accounts of Jesus with children. . .
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. ~ Mark 10:13-16

In order to understand some things it is helpful to know the subject’s opposite . . . and what is the opposite of gentleness? . . . I waited a bit after asking this question, watching as the children I had been speaking to began to think. And I was glad to see a little girl light up and raise her hand before giving the answer I was looking for: Violence.

I nodded and began to talk about how it was so rare to find violence used as a positive in Scripture. In fact, the only place I could find where that might be the case was in Matthew 11:12 – which suggests to me how aggressive we should be in ‘pressing into the Kingdom’ or in seeking to know God.

On the other hand, there is a veritable cornucopia of references to how vile and wrong violence or the violent person is:

The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. ~ Psalm 11:5 NASB

Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. ~ Proverbs 3:30-32 ESV

Those of you who have spent a lot of time in Psalms and Proverbs know that those are only a fraction of the examples and commands given regarding violence as it corresponds to the righteous or the wicked . . . And that those are mostly in the context of men dealing with other men – mere hints at the wrath of God concerning the subject. . .

After mentioning some of this, I returned to gentleness and asked the kids if they could give me examples of ways that we can ‘practically’ (as a physically conscious demonstration) show gentleness toward one another . . . Once again I waited as they looked up at the ceiling or at one another in search of ideas. A few good responses were called out, but a little boy finally called out a word that I could not help but think was given the child by the Holy Spirit.

The boy had said ‘kindness’ . . . I smiled at this suggestion as I realized that this was another of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, and that it helped confirm my belief that all of the ‘fruits’ correspond to and find strength in one another as the Holy Spirit works them into the growing believer. I pointed this out as I continued speaking once the boy had suggested being kind as a way to show gentleness.

At this point I had no more notes, and at the moment I am still not quite sure where to go from here (only because there are numberless things that could be considered in Scripture starting from this point and moving into different things), so I ended my ‘talk’ by reading the following from my New American Standard Bible:
As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great. You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped. ~ Psalm 18:30-36

 
J D White
11/25/2012

11/24/2012

Thanksgiving Proclamation


George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
 
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Click Here to see the Original Document. . .
* * * * *

A friend of mine sent me the above proclamation in an email on Thanksgiving and I thought I'd share it. :)

I always find it ironically amusing (and unfortunate) how the government abuses the term 'separation of church and state' (which is not a part of Any of our original documents setting up our government - i.e. the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.) . . . Especially when compared to decrees made by our Founding Fathers like the one above. . . .

Oh well, the Lord is good, and in Him we can confidently Trust. . .
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! ~ Psalm 9:9-11 ESV

11/22/2012

Give Thanks






Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. ~ Psalm 7:17

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. ~ Psalm 28:7

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. ~ Psalm 30:4

Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! ~ Psalm 33:2

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. ~ Psalm 54:6

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. ~ Psalm 57:9

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. ~ Psalm 79:13

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. ~ Psalm 86:12

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! ~ Psalm 97:12 

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. ~ Psalm 100:3-5

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! ~ Psalm 105:1

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 106:1

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. ~ Psalm 106:47

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 107:1

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. ~ Psalm 108:3

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. ~ Psalm 109:30

Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. ~ Psalm 111:1

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 118:1

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 118:28-29

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever... ~ Psalm 136:1-3

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:26

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” ~ Revelation 4:11

May we never cease to offer thanks and praise to our great, magnificent, wondrous, gracious, and loving LORD of lords and King of kings, the one and only God Almighty who is worthy of All honor, praise, and glory!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

10/31/2012

Another Old Writing Assignment

I've been asked by a friend of mine to put together all of the 'scenes' that ended up getting deleted from Warrior's Fury before it was finally published. But as I was going through old notes and documents to do that, I found this short story about Zeegan I had written in 2009 for yet another class assignment...

Anyway, I thought it was kinda funny and everyone I've shown it to has at least not hated it, so I thought I'd post it ;P :D   

(NOTE: I only did some cursory editing, so it may not be 'perfect' as far as that goes ;)


Dream or Nightmare?

Written by J D White
November 17, 2009


“And then there’s ‘I don’t eat bacon – but I do like the flavor of shoelaces.’ Man, I’m tellin’ you, that is gonna be the greatest rock hit of the century when me and my sophomore buddies get a record deal.”
            It was taking all of Zeegan’s willpower not to start screaming and ripping the fur out of his head. He was pretty sure it had only been an hour since he had met Jared, but already he was convinced the boy was insane.
            Zeegan should have been all comfy-cozy in his warm bed aboard the Giou-Zeeganzy with his wife. But no, here he was trudging through inch deep snow in nothing but a pair of short cut pants, headed down a mountain towards a lake that he hoped would reveal a way home, followed by an insane sixteen year old boy who claimed that they were in the western region of a mountain range called the Sierra Nevada.
            Suddenly Jared started singing some horrible melody with a voice that Zeegan was convinced would attract every carrion eater for miles – not to mention all the other animal’s that would most likely come to smite him just to stop the atrocious din.
            “Jared!” Zeegan screamed as he spun around to face the boy. “Will you PLEASE, shut up? I am trying to concentrate on the source of the nayrl.”
            “On the source of the what?”
            “There is an energy source near that lake down there–”
            “Hey, that’s Red Lake.”
            “Realy? That’s amazing. I believe I will find a way home down there.”
            “Awesome man . . . Hey I’ve been meaning to ask you, what planet are you from?”
            Zeegan sighed and turned away from the boy, continuing on down the slope towards the elongated lake. . .

            He guessed it was about half an hour later when they came to the shore of the lake. Jared sat down with a muted ‘grunch’ in the snow and leaned back against the trunk of a tree, while Zeegan knelt down at the shore to cup some of the cold water into his mouth.
            Something wasn’t right here. The wind had died and there was no sign of the animal life that had been prevalent when he first awoke higher up on the mountain. Zeegan stared out over the lake in the waning light of twilight, trying to determine where the disconcerting stillness had originated.
            A rustle in the sparse underbrush behind him brought Zeegan slowly around on his heels. Close to where Jared sat was a group of bushes that rustled ever so slightly.
            “Jared!” Zeegan hissed as loudly as he dared.
The boy opened one eye and looked over at him. “Whuh?”
“Don’t move.”
“Why?”
Zeegan pointed at the group of bushes and Jared slowly turned his head to look at them. The branches began to move about once more and Zeegan felt his uneasiness grow.
Suddenly, out of the bushes popped a small creature with a long snout and a black mask around its eyes. It looked like it weighed about twenty pounds, its bushy gray fur made its body look like a big fluff ball, and it had a bushy tale with black rings.
“Ah, come on man, it’s just a raccoon.” Jared said grinning and leaning towards the creature. “And it’s a cute one too. Come’ere little buddy, come on.”
Zeegan’s face screwed up in a grimace of concern. “Jared, get away from it!”
But the boy was ignoring him. When Jared got within a few feet of the raccoon, it suddenly stood on its hind legs and hissed, white foam fizzing up around its mouth. Its ears were now drawn back flat against its skull and it looked thoroughly violent.
Jared apparently finally got the hint, he screamed and tried to jump back but was far to slow. The insane raccoon leaped right at Jared’s face and latched on, still hissing. The boy leaped to his feat and swung his head around violently, trying to shake off the beast.
Zeegan leaped forward and dashed to help Jared. Grabbing hold of the vicious raccoon he yanked it off the boys face and threw it away with all his strength. The beast hit the ground on its feat and skidded to a stop half a dozen yards away.
“Run man, come on let’s run, go!” Jared was in a veritable panic.
“Calm down will yu’, its not’n I can’t handle.” Zeegan said, holding up his hand to show that it was now covered in a glowing hazel-yellow, semitransparent, gel-like mass of energy.
The raccoon was charging back at them at full speed. Zeegan balled his fists together and went into a crouch. Focusing, he willed the mass of energy in his hand to glow brighter and move to float in front of his fists as it solidified. Then – thrusting his hands forward with all his might – launched the mass of energy directly at the crazed creature.
The solid mass of semitransparent energy screamed through the air and would have torn straight through the raccoon – that is of course, if the raccoon hadn’t leaped up and smacked the center of the projectile with its front paws and sent a wave of counter energy through it, causing it to blast apart in a harmless explosion of dissipating energy.
Both Zeegan and Jared’s jaws dropped open at the thoroughly baffling sight. The raccoon landed on its hind legs a few feet away and hissed at them again.
“All right, running sounds good now.” Zeegan said. . .

For the next ten minutes Zeegan and Jared ran as fast as they could along the shore of the lake, screaming at the tops of their lungs as they attempted to escape the rabid raccoon.
Zeegan snatched Jared’s wrist and pulled him into a cave. Pushing him back against the dark wall, Zeegan stood next to him and waited – trying to quiet his breathing.
He heard the creature scamper frantically by still hissing violently, but it did not turn into the cave-mouth.
“Good, it didn’t see us come in here.” Zeegan whispered breathlessly. “No doubt it’ll realize it’s not behind us any more and back track, though. Let’s go.”
Jared whimpered and nodded, following as Zeegan headed deeper into the cave.
“Any particular reason we’re going into this cave?” Jared asked eventually, once he had sufficiently calmed down.
“The energy I detected is this way.”
They turned a corner in the dark tunnel and found a large door at the end. Two massive torches sat in heavy brackets on other side of the door, giving off a sputtering orange glow.
When they got within a few yards of the door, a massive hulk of a man fell through the stone ceiling and landed in a crouch before them. Rising to his full seven foot height, he held a round shield in his left hand and a short sword in his right. He was dressed in a light armor chest plate, a strange skirt-like garment, and a pair of sandals.
“I am Leviticus Claudius.” He said in a deep voice that rumbled from the depths of his massive chest. “I have served my lord Caesar as the guardian of this doorway to another world for twenty, of my forty-five years.”
Zeegan and Jared stared, trying desperately to keep hold of their individual sanities. Unfortunately Jared’s grip slipped.
“Great, first a giant alien-porcupine-wizard, then an evil, mutant raccoon, now we got a freakin’ gladiator that can travel through time’n’space!” Jared started laughing hysterically and jumping up and down in circles. Suddenly he disappeared in a poof of inability to accept stupid, impractical situations.
Zeegan blinked as tiny bits of dust drifted to the ground where Jared had stood and scratched his head furiously in confusion. A hissing from behind warned that the raccoon had discovered their trail and was close behind.
Zeegan looked back down the dark tunnel and wondered if he shouldn’t just let the vicious little creature tear him apart. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up into Leviticus’ dark brown eyes.
“Go, little man.” The hulking man said. “I shall do my duty and guard this door to the end.”
Zeegan just nodded with a blank look in his eyes and opened the large door, praying to the Almighty Creator that this was just an insane dream and he would awake from it soon. . .

Once Zeegan had closed the door behind him, Leviticus turned to face the demented, foaming-at-the-mouth raccoon.
“Thou shall not enter here, foul beast.” He whispered as he swung about his short sword.
As if in answer the raccoon roared and charged for him. Bellowing a war cry, Leviticus also charged. . .

Zeegan nearly tripped when his surroundings turned from the dark cave to a bright forest filled with creepy, rainbow colored, elastic-like bears jumping about singing: “Gummie bears – bouncing here and there and every where. . . .
Finally Zeegan could not take it anymore; he clamped his hands over his ears and screamed at the top of his lungs to drown out the horrible noise–––and lurched into a sitting position when something bashed against his nose.
“You awake now, Gy’doht?” Biyon asked from where she sat on her knees on the other side of the bed, a book held nonchalantly at her left shoulder where she had apparently decided to rest it after hitting him in the face.
Rubbing his nose with a rueful grimace, Zeegan nodded and thanked his wife for waking him from the bizarre nightmare. . .
_________________________________________________________________

Let me know what you think :)

10/08/2012

Art from Friends, Part 3

Still working on some posts that I hope to put up in the next couple of weeks (lots going on right now :P ) . . . But for now, I'll post another piece of art that yet another friend did after reading my book, Warrior's Fury...

~ This is an illustration of a scene in Chapter 71 done by Sean
(He did this on his own using some form of inking pens. Thanks, Sean, glad you liked the book! :)

10/03/2012

Art from Friends, Part 2

I was goofing around one day and did a quick sketch that I ended up forming into a decent drawing...


~ The monster is a Rinvot, and the guy he's jumping on is supposed to be Rim...
(the light up in the corner is because I used a camera instead of a camera to move the image to the computer ;P :)


Anyway, I showed it to a friend of mine, Noah, and he wanted to put color to it...
~ And the result is a more dramatic Color Pencil version :)
(Thanks Noah :D )

The concept for the drawing comes from a scene in Warrior's Fury where Rim is infiltrating a fortress on a stormy night and is jumped by a monstrous sentry...

9/27/2012

Art from Friends

As I'm sure you can imagine, going to an art school/college presents one with lots of opportunities in the area of illustrations... So I thought I'd post some of the art that friends of mine have done based off things I've shown them or described to them :)
~ This epic digital painting, done by Maria, is an almost perfect representation of a Taygrit :D
(THANK YOU, MARIA! :)

Hmm... I was planning on posting something else, but I'm experiencing some technical difficulties :P . . . look for Part Two later :)

9/19/2012

Concept Art: Harin

~ I've only got the one Photoshop painting of Harin Oudek today...
(I had a reference for this one..)
l
Harin is responsible for much of what takes place in Warrior's Fury - at least as far as getting important events started goes - and he is missing his right hand . . . and I just realized that both in this picture and on the cover of the book, I have illustrated him with blond hair, when in the book I describe him as having dark brown hair... :P  oh well, I just spent over five hours on this (to say nothing of the cover already being in use), so I'm just going to leave it for now :)

8/30/2012

Concept Art: Rim

Rimmegoan Dayor, is the title character of Warrior's Fury. He is a forty-two year old Nanhew mercenary-for-hire (or 'blade' as they are commonly referred to on Melyund). . .

I've attempted to draw Rim quite a few times since his character began to morph into what it is today...

~ This is a cartoon I did of Rim early on in the writing of the book.

 
~ This is one of the first 'decent' portraits of Rim that I attempted.


And then, recently I tried my hand at another portrait that I decided was good enough to translate into a Photoshop 'painting'...

~ My original pencil sketch of the latest Rim portrait...


~ Photoshop 'painting' of Rimmegoan Dayor.

The sword Rim is holding (and the rest of the weapons in his arsenal) is supposed to be made entirely of klombortin (a pure white metal) but I wasn't quite sure how to get the hilt to come across so I settled for just the blade being white for now . . . Anyway, let me know what you think! :)

Next I plan on doing a portrait of Harin Oudek, so keep an eye out. . .

8/08/2012

The Proof has Arrived!

I received the the first proof for Warrior's Fury today! :)

The cover is a little dark (the good news on that is it provides me with an excuse to improve the art at the same time that I brighten it up ;) and there are a few tiny formatting details to be taken care of - but it is now a definite guaranty that the book will be available close to the end of this month! :)

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 117
ESV

8/02/2012

Concept Art: Gree'uhk

I've been encouraged by several friends to get more illustrations up on my blog, since there won't be any in the book. I am planning on drawing out a map that will at least cover the places traveled in Warrior's Fury...


For now, here's some art for the Race that Ayom (a character in Warrior's Fury) is a member of...

~This is the first full sketch of a Gree'uhk that I did.
(The medium is Pen'n'Ink)
~And this is a Photoshop 'painting' :)

Gree'uhk are essentially just a 'branch' of the Melntayjj Race, however, the differences between the two (mainly the Gree'uhk's wings) are enough that they are usually considered distinct by the other Races. Also (and this is a bit of history I will expound on later), the Melntayjj disowned the Gree'uhk several years after the Great Migration, which caused the 'cultural' skew between the two that helped along the other Races perception of the gap between them...

Anyway, Ayom isn't a very important character (and he doesn't have a giant sword)  in Warrior's Fury but he's definitely among the 'cooler'-looking characters in the book ;P

Let me know what you think! :)

7/30/2012

Joy

This is a 'paper' that I wrote up a few months ago after a good friend and I had a conversation about how a Christian should strive to have a happy/joyful countenance . . . I had come to the conclusion that one of the things that might help my friend in overcoming the seemingly 'gloomy' demeanor that plagued her at times would be searching Scripture for what it means to have the 'joy' that Christians are so often exhorted to display..... and thus, my own look into this concept is what followed...



'Joy in the LORD' + 'Peace in the LORD'

 *v = verse(s)

Psalm 34, 121, Proverbs 3:1-12, John 14:27, Romans 5:1-5, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 2(v* 13-14), 6:10-20, Philippians 4:4-9, Psalm 4(v 7), 21(v 6), 43(v 4-5), 66(v 1), Habakkuk 3:17-19, 1 Thessalonians 1, James 1(v 2-3), 1 Peter 1(v 8), Psalm 98, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 1 Chronicles 16:8-36, Psalms 61-63, 113-119(v 118:24, v 119:162), Ecclesiastes 11:5-10, 12, Romans 12(v 12), 2 Corinthians 6:3-10(v 10).....

    In considering the subject of joy (which only bears true meaning in the context of 'the joy of the Lord' or - more accurately - 'joy in the Lord') I doubt anyone would not at some point consider the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (there are passages - namely Colossians 3:12 and Romans 5:1-5, and more I'm sure - that suggest the same pattern, at least in part).
    I find it interesting that joy is placed second in this list, especially considering that it can be argued that Paul started the list with the most important fruit . . . (see Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 13:34-35 and 15:8-17, Matthew 5:43-48, 1 Corinthians 13, etc...) . . . Following the same line of reason, it is also interesting that peace comes third in the list.
    After noting this, I noticed that peace and joy often correspond to/with one another in several of the scriptures listed at the beginning of this paper: see Psalm 4:7-8, 21:6-7, 43:4-5, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Philippians 4:4-7, Romans 5:1-5, Proverbs 3:1-12, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:8-9..... I'm sure you realize by not that I could go on for quite a few more lines - but I'll stop here and give you my thoughts on the verses already named...
    Now, I realize that Psalm 21:6-7 and Psalm 43:4-5 (along with several others) do not expressly state anything about peace, but please allow me to explain why I find the suggestion of it to be evident (and, hopefully, thereby indicate how I see it in the other verses mentioned).

    First, in Psalm 21, verse 6 obviously states how the king is glad: because the LORD's presence brings him joy . . . Though verse 8 would not stand very well for suggesting peace without the context of the entire psalm, how could the king not feel spiritual peace in God's presence, and physical peace (at least in part) when the LORD is 'swallowing up His enemies in His wrath?'
    Second, in Psalm 43, verse 4 has the psalmist praising God and calling Him his 'exceeding joy' . . . In verse 5 the psalmist is astonished (I think) that he could feel despair or disturbed in his soul, considering the first 4 verses of the psalm, and clearly calls for peace by placing all his hope upon God...

    Proverbs 3:1-12 obviously presents us with the opposite question: where is the joy in this Scripture?
    To that I would answer with another question: How could one who could be described by this passage not experience joy at all of these things? Let alone the joy he must have in his knowledge of and service to the Most High God! (which I would think is the case if he obeys the commands of the afore mentioned Scripture)...

    All of that said, wouldn't it be reasonable to follow the logic that if God grants His ever strengthening and hope giving peace to one of His elect, wouldn't He then grant them joy as well?... Or: how could one feel the unfathomable joy of the LORD, if God has not granted peace in his soul? (or vice versa)...
    Well, I suppose saying all of this has only served to point out the close affiliation of joy and peace (I'm sure the same would be found of all of the fruits of the Spirit - i.e. they would all develop with and build up one another)...
    So where do we go from here?

    Perhaps we can start by looking at some of the things that should give us joy just by considering them.
    Consider Luke 2:8-14 . . . Just the mere fact that God sent His Son to dwell among us in the flesh and start the process by which He would save us should fill us with joyous gratitude and praise every time we consider it(verse 10 and 14), let alone that He has changed us and now dwells with us through the Holy Spirit...
    May we never react in any way contrary to that of John the Baptist (or his mother, or Mary) when the LORD makes His presence known... Luke 1:39-56, Mathew 3:14, Hebrews 12:1-3...
    "...Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ~Nehemiah 8:10(final half)  Although this is only the last half of the verse and it has been taken out of context, I believe it can stand alone in many instances...

    "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you." ~Psalm 5:11

    With all of this talk of joy, I feel that I must acknowledge that this is not a constant euphoria that our mind, body, and soul is held in . . . I must even admit that the true sense of 'joy' that I try to convey will never be attained until all nations bow before the throne of God and praise Him in eternity...
    No, in this life Ecclesiastes all too often sums up life; especially for those who are not granted the overflowing mercies and grace of God (Ecc 3:1-8) . . . But those who have been saved should count those times as blessings, because those times of sorrow and trial will press them harder toward their Savior (James 1:2-3)...

    This is about where my 'thoughts' start to wander until I decided to just shut up ;P . . . so I would like to close with this:

    The holy, holy, holy God of the universe, our LORD and King, is the only true source of anything that would come close to 'purpose,' or 'fulfillment,' or any other kind of thing that people seek in this life. We were created to chase after Christ with every ounce of might that we are granted by the Father. Oh may we only find pleasure in knowing and pursuing not only the things of our God, but God Himself...

"Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" ~Psalm 117

7/25/2012

It Will Cost You Everything


I first heard the sermon this video is an excerpt from at SermonAudio.com . . . but you can also go to the website given at the end of the video to listen to the whole sermon :)

P.S. Yes, I do plan on posting videos like this on Wednesday for at least a couple weeks more ;P :)
They come from the 'sermon jams' page of IllBeHonest.com

7/24/2012

A Lesson in Nayrl

This is a short-story I wrote with the idea that it'd be a good introduction to the concept of 'wielding' that is used/encountered quite often in Warrior's Fury . . . and will probably pervade many more of the books I write in the universe of Mythos ;P

I hope you enjoy the story (and that it doesn't totally confuse you) :)

A Lesson in Nayrl

Tender dreams were shaken by the sudden intrusion of a harsh voice and hard ground beneath his back as a boot dug into his side.
    Esh’Donen shook himself into consciousness as he struggled out of his blankets in an attempt to obey the raspy voice of Dhaeg’n as it grew clearer with wakefulness.
    “Come along, young Nanhew,” Dhaeg’n barked again with brisk command. “Time to see what you can do.”
    Esh climbed to his feet, rubbing his eyes as he attempted to follow the tall, broad-shouldered Deon over the rocky, uneven ground that traveled for miles in all directions.
    Suddenly the hair on the back of Esh’s neck stood on end, and he was barely in time to bring up his arms before a heavy blast of air struck his upper body and propelled him backward and onto the ground once more.
    “Awake now?”
    Leaping up, Esh glared into Dhaeg’n’s eyes – their airy green irises in stark contrast to his nearly black, green-hued skin – across the short distance that the Slayer had placed between the two men by striking Esh with a burst of Power.
    “Don’t look at me like that,” the Deon commanded with an uplifted finger. “You know what I am, and that should mean you know that who you are dealing with is very coarse and impolite when dealing in certain areas with his peers.”
    Esh blinked, barely catching the meaning of the heavily accented pronouncement.
    “You consider me a peer?”
    “Until such time as you prove the assumption premature,” Dhaeg’n replied with a curt nod.
    Esh arched an eyebrow as the nine-and-a-half-foot Deon looked away to search for something in the belt-bag at his waist. He found it odd how Dhaeg’n could treat the differences of Race and class between them with such an air of ‘it means nothing special to me.’
    “Merely for the sake of good communication, and so that we know that we’re standing upon even ground,” Dhaeg’n said, pulling something from his pocket and keeping it hidden in his fist, “we’ll start with the basics.”
    Again arching his eyebrow, Esh took a more relaxed stance and shrugged before offering a half-hearted nod.
    “What is nayrl?”
    Grunting as he shook his head, Esh felt a sneer try to pull at his lips. “Uhm, p-power . . . it’s uh. . . .”
    “Nayrl is translated into the Common tongue as meaning ‘Power,’ or ‘THE Power,’ in reference to its being a substance found in all things within Creation. It is believed to be a tangible substance by which the Creator forms and upholds every Realm He has Created, along with all things within them.” Dhaeg’n spoke as if he were reciting something that was permanently ingrained into his very being. “Repeat!”
    Esh jumped slightly at the harsh command and quickly did as ordered. Dhaeg’n made him repeat the words several times until he seemed satisfied that Esh had memorized the definition.
    “Very good. Do not forget it,” the tall bulky Deon nodded. “Now, what are kolth?”
    That one Esh was sure everyone in the Realm of Khytowg – starting with those having been able to speak for a year – could name and describe well enough to satisfy even one with a Slayer’s knowledge of nayrl.
    “Kolth are ores that can often be purified – depending on the type – to be forged into metals. They are saturated with far more nayrl than anything else, and can be wielded by Nayrldosh. . . .”
    “Stop.”
    Esh felt his throat and tongue halt as if the command had had a physical effect upon them. Dhaeg’n was holding up a meaty index finger as he considered Esh.
    “I understand that you were raised to use that term when referring to a wielder, but here and now you must learn to use the proper verbiage.” The broad-shouldered Deon placed his finger against his own chest. “I am an Ihk-Nayrldosh; a dosh capable of not only wielding but also creating – or summoning, if you will – the particular kolth that I wield, fol’ty.”
    Esh arched an eyebrow. He’d only ever heard stories about the Slayers from his half-senile grandfather, so he hadn’t been aware that there were different names for specific types of nayrl wielders.
    “You are the only true Nayrldosh that I have heard of existing within the last millennia,” Dhaeg’n said, pointing at Esh. “And, for that matter, you are the first Nanhew Nayrldosh in Creation – as far as I know.”
    “So. . . ?”
    “The meanings of the terms are very simple.” Dhaeg’n silenced him again with an uplifted index finger. “Dosh, simply translated, means ‘wielder’ or ‘the wielder of.’ And nayrl means, obviously, what it is. The overwhelming majority of wielders are not so much wielders of nayrl as they are wielders of nayrlkolth – the purified forms of the different kolth.”
    Esh waited through the pause, arching an eyebrow. He was beginning to think that Dhaeg’n the teacher was going to be a lot different than Dhaeg’n the traveling companion.
    “I suppose that’s enough of a verbal lesson for today. Let us get to the practical teaching so we can move on.”
    Dhaeg’n lifted the hand he had held at his side for the course of their conversation and chucked at Esh’s head whatever he had taken from his carrying-pouch earlier.
    Flinching back, Esh had just enough time to feel that it was a raw hunk of nowlrik right before it touched the tip of his nose. Reacting to the touch instantaneously, he willed the chunk of kolth to its PureForm. The nayrlkolth streamed over his face like a splash of water before he called it to collect again a few feet above and in front of his right shoulder.
    “Nowlrik is the nayrlkolth you are most adept at wielding in a manner that is conducive to strategic battle,” Dhaeg’n said. “So knock me off my feet before I do so to you.”
    Esh was barely fast enough to avoid the blast of green-tinged air that Dhaeg’n sent tearing toward him.
    Falling into a roll, Esh threw his right hand out toward the bulky Deon. In response to his will, the glowing, sapphire orb floating over his right shoulder snaked out and lashed at Dhaeg’n’s shins.
    The powerful Deon remained perfectly still as his own mass of nayrlkolth – tingeing the air around it a rich, emerald green – swept downward to create a gale that blew the purified nowlrik away from its target.
    In the second that their blows landed, Esh sprang to his feet and rushed toward Dhaeg’n.
    Dhaeg’n swung his arms up, and his mass of nayrlkolth swept away from its strike against Esh’s ‘whip’ to burst toward Esh himself.
    Taking the last few yards between himself and the Deon in a hard leap, Esh threw his fists out in front of him as he impacted against the glowing-green nayrlkolth of his opponent. The instant his flesh made contact with the Power, he willed it to disperse.
    Time seemed to have slowed as Esh’s feet finally regained contact with the dusty ground, and Dhaeg’n’s eyes widened.
    With a shout, Esh threw his arms wide. The Power inhabiting the space separating him and Dhaeg’n burst outwards like the explosion of molten rock from a raging volcano.
    The bulky Deon was picked up off his feet and tossed through the air. Landing on his back with a heavy ‘whump’ several feet away from where he had been standing, Dhaeg’n remained motionless for a moment as Esh bent down to rest his hands on his knees, fighting off a sudden assault of dizziness and an ache that lanced up from the base of his neck and pulsed through his skull.
    Esh blinked a couple of times, wondering where the headache had come from.
    “Did you just usurp control over the Power I was wielding?”
    Esh glanced up to find Dhaeg’n propped up on his elbows, cocking his head to one side as he awaited a response.
    Shrugging and shaking his head, Esh squeezed his eyes closed. He let his head dip back down, and another slight pulse of pain informed him that his headache wasn’t going to subside anytime soon.
    “Well, regardless, it is clear that the Creator has endowed you with an impressive command of Power.” A heavy hand fell on Esh’s shoulder, and he glanced up into the towering Deon’s rough, grinning face. “Come, let us continue our journey.”
    Esh nodded as he followed Dhaeg’n back to their fire pit. Despite the persisting headache – or, perhaps, because of it – Esh wondered if he could become proficient enough in wielding to be capable of besting Dhaeg’n under any circumstance. He helped the powerful Deon repack their equipment, and as they climbed atop their mounts and set out once more, Esh continued to ponder the question. . .
 _______________________________________________________
(Thanks to Kate, for taking a moment to quickly run through this to catch at least the blatantly obvious 'grammar mistakes' ;) )

Let me know what you think :D

7/18/2012

The Gospel

I know it's a bit long, but I hope those of you that choose to watch this video will take the hour and fifteen minutes to listen to the whole thing :)




I pray the LORD uses this video to bless you...

Followers