Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Excerpt from a new book I'm working on!

There is the Leviathan
(Title not definite)



Daniella hurried away from the group of Mark-adorers.   Although she liked Mark, she had always despised the giggling possy of fans always around him.  She wanted Mark to like her for her, not as just another adoring fan.

  As she arrived at the bus stop, she realized that she was just a minute too late.  She had her driver’s license but no car and so always took the bus.  Mark and his friends all had their own cars. She looked back toward the school building, wondering if maybe someone would offer her a ride.  No one was in sight.  She would have to walk home.  She started off, but suddenly saw Dustin.  He had always picked on her and was probably mad that Mark had told him to stop, and so she automatically ducked behind a nearby car.  He was walking right towards her though, and Danny looked around for somewhere to hide.  She saw a door to the school music hall she had never noticed before.  It was close enough that she could make it to the door and stay behind cars.  She quickly began to run towards the door, stooped over so Dustin wouldn’t see her.  Reaching it, she quickly opened and ducked inside, pulling the door shut behind her.

  Instantly Danny knew something was wrong.  She had no idea where she was.

   She was standing in the middle of a large field.  She could see a huge city in the distance, several in fact.  She turned back to the door to let herself out, but the door was no longer there.


What do you think?  I'd love to hear your comments!


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New Blog!

My friend Rachel and I have started a new blog!  It is called Trailblazer's College Talk and offers practical encouragement for the "college-age" years!  Come check it out at


http://trailblazerscollegetalk.blogspot.com


Be sure to follow us and tell all your friends about it!

Monday, August 15, 2011

On Life

John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 6: 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Many times throughout the gospels, Jesus preached that He is life.  He is life, in Him is life, and He alone can give life.  Life as evidenced here on earth, in no matter what form, is a symbol of Him and a manifestation of His glory.  Only God can create life.  Only God can give life, and only by believing in Jesus can we receive eternal life.
This is why life is so precious.

Life is not something that you and the next guy can create.  Not even scientists can just up and breathe life into an inanimate object. Life is something that only God can produce.
God has given each and every one of us life to some degree.  We are all breathing and our hearts are beating.  Plants also are alive, and animals, and yet we have souls, which differentiate us from them.  It is because of the immortal soul that God has given to man that a human being in a coma, is very, very different than a vegetable.  It is insulting to God and the human race to make such a base comparison.  And yet although we as humans have souls that will exist forever, not all humans have received the gift of eternal life, which again, God alone can bestow.
1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
God alone can give us life--here on earth as well as eternal.  Life, therefore, is an attribute peculiar to God alone.  This is why Satan hates life.  It reminds him of God, the only one who can create life.  When we see the Mona Lisa, we think of Leonardo da Vinci.  When we hear the Messiah, we think of Handel.  And when we see life, we should think of God, the creator of it. 

Satan does all in his power to destroy life--as much life as he can--and especially human life, because it is the most precious, for it contains an immortal soul.  In this way he attacks God, by destroying His best creation. 
John 10:10 The thief comes only to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
And many have died over the years of history as a result of Satan and his servants.  Take for example abortion, or the many holocausts.  Death is Satan's trademark, and his way of twisting and distorting the beautiful thing God created called life.  However Satan can kill the body, but he cannot kill the soul.  The martyrs are a beautiful example of this.   Men who did not fear God (and any who do not fear God serve Satan) rose up with a mind of hatred towards the children of God.  They sought to murder and destroy all they could.   They killed many, many innocent people.  And yet the blood of the martyrs is seed for the cause of Jesus Christ.  The martyrs gave their earthly lives for Christ, and went to live with him forever.  In doing such they were a thundering witness to the world around them.  Many more came to know Christ, and to accept the gift of eternal life because of them.
It is because Jesus is life that life is the most precious thing on earth.  And it is because life is the most precious gift, that the giving of one's life for others, which is called redemption, is the most noble, beautiful, amazing thing there is.

Mathew 20:28 Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Jesus set the example for us in nobility.  He gave His life that all those who believe in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16) rather than an eternal death in hell.  Life is the most anyone can give, and the most precious.  This is why we honor and respect our soldiers and veterans--because they were willing to give their lives.  This is why we honor those who died for our freedoms.  This is why most every great book has an element of redemption in it, even if it be only so little.  This is the case in books such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Tale of Two Cities, Pilgrim's Progress, The Celestial Railroad, and of course, the greatest redemption story ever, and a true one at that, the Bible.  Giving your life to save others is to follow the highest call of nobility, the greatest example ever set, that of Jesus Christ.


Romans 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
And it is because Jesus is life, and God alone can create life, that life is the most beautiful, majestic, holy, sacred, precious evidence that there is a God ever created.  And it is because life is so incredible that any form of life is not to be thrown away or taken carelessly.  And human life--life to whom God has granted the gift of a soul that will last forever, through all eternity--that human life must be preserved and protected at all costs.  But this alone is not enough.  We must share the good news--the gospel of Jesus Christ--with all, that God might use us and cause the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts, that their ever-existing soul may not go to die an eternal death, but to live an eternal life, in communion with God.



Friday, August 5, 2011

The Shadowlands



The closer a subject is to my heart, the harder time I seem to have writing coherently.


I have always read that a good author will draw from their own experiences.  I have started several stories in which things happen to the characters that have happened to me, but they never run smoothly and are difficult to write.

Even now I am having trouble.

I can always seem to make my point in a fictional story.  I may go to the extreme of making my points too well.  But when I write from my own experiences, with the thought of allowing someone else to read it someday, I can never seem to get the point across.
Perhaps it is a subconcious guard against vulnerability.

Anyway, this is a short sketch I wrote last October, early in the morning, watching the sun rise outside my hotel room window, in preparation for the funeral of someone who I loved very much.  It was dark in the room, but outside the sun shone in all its glory.  I could see the brilliant rays reflecting off the roofs of the buildings across the street.

Please comment and let me know what you think of it.  Is it coherent?  What did you understand from what was written?  I am not sure I quite understand the full meaning of what I was writing.  I had a vague idea of what I was trying to get at, but was having difficulty putting it in words.  However I seem to have managed to put several concepts down in trying to get at the vague one. 

Oh, and as I tend to do when something has affected me deeply, towards the end I rambled off into poetry.:)  Blank poetry, which is unusual, but there is certainly a difference between that and the previous prose.

The Shadowland

“What a bright day it is today,” Muriel said happily.  Two candles were lit in the dark rooms. 
“Yes, it is rather bright,” said her twin, Judy. 
   “It was kind of the landlord to send us two candles,” their mother commented.
The family and all their friends lived in a castle with no windows, where it was always dark.  The landlord sent them a candle every day, and occasionally two candles, to light the dark rooms. 
   Every few years, the landlord would come during the night and take one of them as they were sleeping out of the castle to the world outside.  He would leave a note to inform the others.  The loss of these was always mourned by those remaining within, but the landlord’s plan was to one day bring them all outside of the castle. 
   One morning Muriel rushed out of her room.  “Mother, Mother, come quickly,” she said.  “I can’t find Judy!”
   The mother followed Muriel back into her room.  Glancing at Judy’s empty bed, she asked, “Muriel…what is that on the bed?”
   Muriel went to it and picked it up.  “Oh, no Mother, it is a note!” She cried.
   “Then the Landlord has taken her away,” the Mother replied.
   Muriel and her Mother and the rest of the family wept for Judy for a long time.  But they could only see what went on in the Shadowlands.  They did not have the whole picture.  They wept for Judy having been borne away in the darkness.   BUT,
   Outside, in the sunshine, Judy stood with the Landlord gazing at the castle.  The tears were running down her cheeks.  “We never knew it was so bright outside,” she said.  “I wish we had known.  I wish everyone inside knew now.”
   “They do know, but it is hard for them to understand what the world really looks like. All they can understand is the great brightness of two candles in a dark room.  They cannot envision anything brighter.”
   “But they have the candles themselves!  Cannot they envision it being as bright as the candle itself?” Judy asked sadly.
   “They could…but they do not.”
   “We used to mourn for those who were borne away in the darkness.  How little did we know that we were the ones who walked in darkness!”  Judy mused.  Another tear slid down her cheek.  “Rather I should mourn for those who are still in darkness.”
Catching a vision of something so much brighter
The sun is bright yet there IS something brighter
We mourn for those who have gone on before
But perhaps they mourn for us who are still behind
And yet in and through it all the landlord…Our Landlord…has a purpose
brighter and better than anything we can here see.   We are confined by our dimension.
We can picture things less than what we have here but nothing more
Yet in glory we will see things as they really are
In catching a vision of something brighter…better…more…we catch a vision of heaven…and yet
 the vision will be far surpassed by the reality.


Saturday, July 30, 2011

A New Song I'm Working On

Here are the lyrics to a new song I'm working on.

So many girls want to put their hope in men
To save them, to love them, as only God can
They worship an ideal of a prince they've created
Only God can fill the void and yet they're still saying

Where are you Darcy I've been waiting so long
And every night I pour out my heart to you in song
I'm a damsel in distress - or single - same thing
So hurry up and show your face and start the rescuing

They sit on their balcony dreaming all day
watching in the distance for a sparkling ray
falling on a rider on a white horse
And the the knight in shining armour doesn't show they say

Where are you Romeo I've been waiting so long
And every night I pour out my heart to you in song
I'm a damsel in distress - or single - same thing
So hurry up and show your face and end my suffering.

But they're worshipping an ido they've put in God's place
Man cannot save you, God only saves!
For some trust in chariots, horses, idealized men
But we must trust in the Lord our God and say

Here I am Lord, surrendering every care
And every night I pour out my heart to you in prayer
I am your child - how can I serve you
I am busy about your work - what else can I do?

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Covenanter Song

I was cleaning out my desk and I came across this song I wrote in 2008.  I actually remembered the tune I wrote for it, and it was really lame.   It was basically the same thing over and over again for every line.  But I think the words, or the meaning, are not bad, and so I thought I'd post them.

Covenanter Song
'Twas a bright sunny morning as I walked through the glen
I was going to chapel and I'd go there again
There I met my lover: He'd loved
Me long before I ever loved Him
He'd wooed me, protected me an' died for me too
He gave His life to save mine and I never knew!
He rose from the dead; lives forever to save
I fell on my knees, wept, to Him my heart I gave
Every Sabbath I went to chapel to hear
Of the works that my Saviour had done o'er the years
But then England came an' tried to force us apart
I could not give up the love in my heart
Some of my friends were killed, they never gave in
I determined to be strong, like them, for Him
The took me me, bound me, ordered me break the 'trothal I had
They told me they'd kill me I was making them mad
I could not I would not break the betrothal
My lover gave His life for me I'd give my life for HIm!
After much pleading, persuasion in vain
They chose to take upon themselves the mark of Cain
They once again took me and bound me anew
Within a few moments my soul away flew
What they would have known, if they had paused
Is the blood of the martyrs is seed for His cause
Do not mourn my death but rejoice in my life
For those cowardly soldiers have ended my strife
Those who sought to destroy our understanding
Have rather instead hastened our wedding
'Twas a glorious death, I'm glad it was so
rather than dying peacefully tho'
He gave his life for love of me, I died for love of Him
And now may I in glory rise
And look into my lover's eyes
And remember with joy, unfaded then
Of meeting my lover in the church on the glen.

I hadn't realized I was such a romantic.  A great deal too much for my taste now, anyway.:)  And yet I think that there are some good concepts hidden within this.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Giveaway!!!

Ends August 5th.  Enter for a chance to win a free Lilla Rose Hair product of your choice!*

*Equal to or less than $20.00 catalog value

Your name is entered once for every copy of either The Teacher or The Tiphereth Trilogy you buy.  The more books you buy, the better chance you have of your name being drawn.

The Teacher and The Tiphereth Trilogy are both now on sale until August 5th!

Sale Prices: the Teacher - $8.00
The Tiphereth Trilogy - $16.00
Shipping and handling: $2.98

You will be notified on August 5th if you are the winner! 

E-mail me at Khprovidence.1@verizon.net or leave a comment with your e-mail address to purchase a book and enter the giveaway.
View Lilla Rose Hair Products here: www.lillarose.biz/KatieNHepner

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

SALE!

Both The Teacher and The Tiphereth Trilogy are now on sale, 20% off listed price!!!

That's only $8.00 for The Teacher, and $16.00 for The Tiphereth Trilogy!*

*does not include $2.98 shipping and handling

HURRY AND BUY NOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT SALE!  SALE ENDS AUGUST 5th!
If you have not read both these books, buy one now!  If you have read both books, be sure to purchase one for a friend!

Click here to read about these books: http://mariashiphrahdaltonpublications.blogspot.com/p/purchase-books.html

To order, e-mail us at khprovidence.1@verizon.net  now!

Liberty Song

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call,
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonour America's name.

(Chorus)
In freedom we're born and in freedom we'll live,
Not as slaves but as freemen our money we'll give.

Our worthy forefathers - let's give them a cheer -
To climates unknown did courageously steer;
Thro' oceans to deserts for freedom they came,
And dying bequeathed us their freedom and fame.

(Chorus)

Their generous bosoms all dangers despised,
So highly so wisely their birthrights they prized,
We'll keep what they gave - we will piously keep,
Nor frustrate their toils on land or the deep.

(Chorus)

The tree their own hands had to liberty reared,
They lived to behold growing strong and revered,
With excitement they cried, "Now our wishes we gain,
For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain."

(Chorus)

Swarms of Placemen and Pensioners soon will appear,
Like locusts deforming the crops of the year,
Suns vainly will rise, showers vainly defend,
If we are to labor for what others will spend.

(Chorus)

Then join hand in hand brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a call, let us hope to suceed,
For heaven approves of each generous deed.

(Chorus)

All ages shall speak with amaze and applause,
Of the courage we'll show in support of our laws.
To die we can bear - but to slave we disdain -
For shame is to freemen more dreadful than pain.

(Chorus)

This poem I crown for our sovereign's health
And this to Britannia's glory and wealth;
That wealth and that glory immortal may be,
If she is but just and if we are but free!

...John Dickinson

I love this poem; my brother and I wrote music for it.  There are a lot of good concepts and principles within these lines - concepts that more of us need to grasp and take to heart.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Independence Day!

Micah 6:8

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."



A few years ago when I won the VFW essay contest "Patriot's Pen", I was given a book of quotes called "Lift Every Voice". There are a few really good quotes that I would like to share.



"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."...Benjamin Franklin



"The condition upon which God hath given liberty unto men is eternal vigilance."...John P. Curran



"Freedom is not a heritage, it is a challenge. And preservation of freedom, whether in the United States or elsewhere is a fresh challenge for each generation." ...C. Donald Dallas



We need to face this challenge and preserve our freedom with vigilance!



"If anyone asks me the meaning of ur flag, I say to him: Under this banner rode Washington and his armies. This banner streamed in light over the soldier's heads at Valley Forge and at Morristown. It crossed the waters roiling with ice at Trenton, and when its stars gleamed in the morning with a victory, a new day of hope dawned on the despondency of this nation."...Henry Ward Beecher



"It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war; but if it shall actually take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves."...Thomas Jefferson



"The spirit of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."...Margaret Mead



"Fathers and Mothers, if you have children, they must come first. Your success as a family, and our success as a society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens at your house."...Barbara Bush



How true! We are raising/will raise the future voters who will eventually determine what sort of things take place at the White House!



"In love of home, love of country has its rise."...Charles Dickens



I think it is important to remember, that though this nation has many sins, and that though our Declaration of Independence and Constitution may have flaws, and though our founding fathers were fallible and none were perfect, yet this nation was created with a mind to God's Word. Therefore, although we may regret the flaws, we must see that this nation has been great--because of God's blessing upon us. The fourth of July is a day to celebrate the freedom and liberty God has blessed us with. The State ought not to have a say in the affairs of the Church, but the Church most certainly ought to be a large participant in the affairs of the State if we would be blessed. I think that as Christians, we ought to find out about the candidates on local, state, and nationwide level, and if there is a candidate who is a Christian, and/or upholds Christian principles, it is our duty to back that candidate.



As Americans and Christians, let us be mindful of God's grace and blessings. Let us repent of our sins and pray, that God will hear, turn and heal this land.



Happy fourth!
 

Friday, July 1, 2011

A passionate dedication...

This dedication is found in the front of the book entitled, "Inez, or, A Tale of The Alamo" by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson.   This was her first book.

To

The Texan Patriots

who triumphantly unfurled and waved aloft the
"Banner of the Lone Star!" Who wrenched asunder
the iron bands of despotic Mexico! And
wreathed the brow of the "Queen State!"
with the glorious chaplet of "Civil
and Religious Liberty!"

This Work is respectfully Dedicated

by the author.



It isn't often I find a dedication as stirring as this.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Hero Showdown!

Princess Aramiel versus Maria Dalton!

Captain Wesley Elliot was voted favorite over King Aramoth, we will see how Aramiel and Maria fare!

Occupation 
Maria: Schoolteacher, Wife, Mother
Aramiel: Princess, Daughter, Wife, Mother

Siblings
Maria: None
Aramiel: 1 older brother, Aramoth

Favorite Color
Maria: Blue
Aramiel: Red

# of Children
Maria: 12.  6 boys, 6 girls.  Names and Gender: Courage, Purity, Strength, Honor, Shiphrah, Puah, Hamilton, Mercy, Gallant, Pilgrim, Trust, Truth
Aramiel: 14.

Color of eyes and hair
Maria: Dark brown hair and eyes
Aramiel: Dark brown hair and eyes

Middle Name
Maria: Shiphrah
Aramiel: None

Character Quality that describes them best
Maria: Servant
Aramiel: Leader

Meaning of Full Name
Maria: Living Fragrance, Beautiful, My God is the Lord
Aramiel: Earnest Seeker of God

From this and reading the books, you should be able to choose a favorite!  If you don't have a copy of one or both of the books, e-mail me at khprovidence.1@verizon.net !



Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Winner of the Hero Comparison?

I was sure King Aramoth would win the Hero Comparison, but Wesley Elliot is currently winning by one vote!  Calling all King Aramoth fans, can you allow this to happen?  Vote now for your favorite!  You can view more info on the heroes by scrolling down!




Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pictures from Savannah





So here are the pictures from my trip!  These are pictures from the drive down.  The sky was really pretty, and along the side of the road there were wildflowers in big patches.  You can see the red in the picture above.

I had my class all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It was in a huge vacation home!

Here is the huge bridge I had to drive over to get to the house!  The class was on Hutchinson Island and this bridge is the only way on or off!

It doesn't look bad in the picture because it is so far away and you can only see about a tenth of it.  But when you are on the middle of it, you can see tiny specks of houses in South Carolina!

When I got home at 9:00 p.m, having been there since 8:30 on Friday, I had homework to do! Besides that, we were taking "midnight" walks...

And then we would come home and eat ice cream!!!

The neighborhood I was staying in took about half an hour to drive through, it was so huge.  And take a look at some of these houses!




This last one is my favorite.  Keep in mind that this is half of the house.  The other half is connected to the right and also contains a three car garage!

My friend who drove down with me and I got to ride around in the golf cart belonging to the family we were staying with.  Yeah, this was in all my free time.  The last day of class, I got to leave at 6:00 p.m instead of 9:00, so this picture is probably from that day since it is still pretty light out.

We stayed an extra day to rest up for the ride back and explore a little.  We took a quick walk around historic Savannah, and then went to our friend's relative's house and jumped off the railing of the high dock you see in the background.  I only did it once, as I was shorter than the other girls and couldn't get up on the railing on my own. :(


And the ride back!  I had so much fun there I really didn't want to come home.  But I got my certificate from the class and so now I am a DONA trained doula! I just have a few little things to do, besides documenting some births, to become a DONA certified doula!

The trip was very profitable!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Tiphereth Trilogy Review

Elaine from EJ's Library has reviewed the Tiphereth Trilogy!  Here is the link, be sure to go and read it!

 http://ejlibrary.blogspot.com/2011/05/tiphereth-trilogy-book-review.html

And don't forget to vote for your favorite hero below in our hero comparison!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Special! Hero Comparison




King Aramoth vs. Captain Wesley Elliot
Showdown!
Occupation

Wesley: Soldier (captain), Bank Clerk, Clergyman, Husband, Father
Aramoth: King, Soldier, Commander-in-chief of the army, Husband, Father

SiblingsWesley: 4 younger Faith, Karl, Calvin, Joy
Aramoth: 1 younger Aramiel

Favorite color
Wesley: Blue
Aramoth: Red

# of children
Wesley: 12. 6 boys, 6 girls. Names and Gender: Courage, Purity, Strength, Honor, Shiphrah, Puah, Hamilton, Mercy, Gallant, Pilgrim, Trust, Truth
Aramoth: 9. 4 boys, 5 girls. Names and Gender:
Tiphereth, Arrabon, Hoplon, Agathosune, Eilikrineia, Ischus, Nikao, Artios, Katharos.

Color of eyes and hair
Wesley: Medium Brown Hair, Blue eyes
Aramoth: Dark Brown Hair, Dark Brown eyes

Middle name
Wesley: Alexander
Aramoth: none (People don't have middle names in Basileia)

Character quality that describes them best
Wesley: Protector
Aramoth: Leader

Meaning of full name
Wesley: Prosperous Spirit, Brave Protector, my God is the Lord
Aramoth: Earnest seeker of God





Monday, May 2, 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Hero Showdown!

ANNOUNCING...

The Hero Showdown!

Captain Wesley Elliot














versus:




King Aramoth!







How it works:
Leave a comment asking any questions you like pertaining to either of these characters, regardless of whether or not you have read the books. (If you haven't, be sure to order one by e-mailing us at khprovidence.1@verizon.net !)

When a sufficient number of questions have been submitted via comments, I will add some of my own and write a post comparing the hero of The Teacher and the hero of The Tiphereth Trilogy. There will then be a poll so that you can vote for your favorite!

If the "Hero Showdown" idea is at all popular, I may have other Hero showdowns comparing other characters in the books, possibly including Aramiel vs. Maria Dalton, Eleutheria vs. Faith Elliot, Gwynarae vs. Mrs. Elliot, Hiram Grady vs. The Enemy, and so on!

Be sure to comment with good questions!

Imagine you are interviewing the two heroes for a panel discussion...:)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Resurrection Day!


Christ the Lord is risen today,
Sons of men and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Sings ye heavens and earth reply,
Sing ye heavens and earth reply.




Love's redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won.
Death in vain forbids him rise,
Christ has opened paradise,
Christ has opened paradise!



He lives!  He lives! Our Glorious King,
Where, O Death, is now thy Sting?
Dying once he all doth save,
Where thy victory, O grave? 
Where thy victory, O grave?



Soar we now where Christ has led,
following our exalted head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies!



Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to thee by both be given;
Thee we greet triumphant now;
Hail, the Resurrection Thou,
Hail, the Resurrection Thou!





Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say "Alleluia!"
In vain the stone, the watch, the seal,
Christ has burst the gates of hell,
Christ has burst the gates of hell!


Jesus Christ is risen today,
Our triumphant holy day,
Who did once upon the cross,
Suffer to redeem our loss.
Hymns of praise then let us sing,
Unto Christ our heavenly King,
Who endured the cross and grave,
Sinners to redeem and save.
But the pains which he endured,
Our salvation hath procured.
Now above the skies he's King,
Where the angels ever sing.
Sing we to our God above,
Praise eternal as his love.
Praise him, all ye heavenly host,
Father, Son and holy Ghost.


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Review of The Tiphereth Trilogy!

Kelsey from Little Notes has reviewed my book, The Tiphereth Trilogy!  You can read it by clicking on this link:

http://mychristianreviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/tiphereth-trilogy-by-katie-hepner.html

Thank you so much Kelsey for a great review!

Be sure to purchase your copy now while it is on sale!  Scroll down for details.

To learn more about the citizens of Basileia, you can visit http://loyalbasileians.blogspot.com/ !

Sunday, April 17, 2011

St. Elmo Murray's Ordination

   It was a beautiful Sabbath morning, just one year after Edna's departure from the parsonage, and the church was crowded to its utmost capacity, for people had come for many miles around, to witness a ceremony the announcement of which, had given rise to universal comment.  As the hour approached for the ordination of St. Elmo Murray to the ministry of Jesus Christ even the doors were filled with curious spectators; and when Mr. Hammond and St. Elmo walked down the aisle, and the old man seated himself in a chair within the altar, there was a general stir in the congregation.
   The officiating minster had come from a distant city to perform a ceremony of more than usual interest; and when he stood up in the pulpit, and the organ thundered through the arches, St. Elmo bowed his head on his hand, and sat thus during the hour that ensued.
  The ordination sermon was solemn and eloquent, and preached from the text in Romans:
   "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."
   Then the minister, having finished his discourse, came down into the altar and commenced the services; but Mr. Murray sat motionless, with his countenance concealed by his hand.  Mr. Hammond approached and touched him, and, as he rose, led him to the altar, and presented him a a candidate for ordination.
   There, before the shining marble pulpit which he had planned and built in the early years of his life, for the idol of his youth, stood St. Elmo; and the congregation, especially those of his native village, looked with involuntary admiration and pride at the erect, powerful form, clad in its suit of black--at the nobly-proportioned head, where gray locks were visible.
   "But if there be any of you who knoweth any impediment or crime, for the which he ought not to be received into this holy ministry, let him come forth, in the name of God, and show what the crime or impediment is."
   The preacher paused, the echo of his words died away, and perfect silence reigned.  Suddenly St. Elmo raised his eyes from the railing of the altar, and turning his face slightly, looked through the eastern window at the ivy-draped vault where slept Murray and Annie.  The world was silent, but conscience and the dead accused him.  An expression of intolerable anguish crossed his handsome features, then his hands folded themselves tightly together on the top of the marble balustrade, and he looked appealingly up to the pale Jesus staggering under his cross.
   At that instant a spotless white pigeon from the belfry, found its way into the church through the open doors, circled once around the building, fluttered against the windows,  hiding momentarily the crown of thorns, and, frightened and confused, fell upon the fluted pillar of the pulpit.
   An electric thrill ran through the congregation; and as the minister resumed the services, he saw on St. Elmo's face a light, a great joy, such as human countenances rarely wear this side the grave.
   When Mr. Murray knelt and the ordaining hands were laid upon his head, a sob was heard from the pew where his mother sat, and the voice of the preacher faltered as he delivered the Bible to the kneeling man, saying:
   "Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to administer the holy sacraments in the congregation."
    There were no dry eyes in the entire assembly, save two that looked out, coldly blue, from the pew where Mrs. Powell sat like a statue, between her daughter and Gordon Leigh. 
   Mr. Hammond tottered across the altar, and knelt down close to Mr. Murray; and many who knew the history of the pastor's family, wept as the gray head fell on the broad shoulder of St. Elmo, whose arm was thrown around the old man's form, and the ordaining minister, with tears rolling over his face, extended his hands in benediction above them.
   "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you alway."
   And all hearts and lips present whispered "Amen!" and the organ and the choir broke forth in a grand "Gloria in excelsis."
   Standing there at the chancel, purified, consecrated henceforth unreservedly to Christ, Mr. Murray looked so happy, so noble, so worthy of his high calling, that his proud, fond mother thought his face was fit for an archangel's wings.
   Many persons who had known him in his boyhood, came up with tears in their eyes, and wrung his hand silently.  At last Huldah pointed to the white pigeon, that was now beating its wings against the gilded pipes of the organ, and said, in that singularly sweet, solemn, hesitating tone, with which children approach sacred things:
   "Oh Mr. Murray! when it fell on the pulpit, it nearly took my breath away, for I almost thought it was the Holy Ghost."
   Tears, which till then he had kept bravely back, dripped over his face, as he stooped and whispered to the little orphan:
   "Huldah the Holy Spirit the Comforter, came indeed; but it was not visible, it is here in my heart."
   The congregation dispersed.  Mrs. Murray and the preacher and Huldah went to the carriage; and, leaning on Mr. Murray's arm, Mr. Hammond turned to follow, but observing that the church was empty, the former said:
  "After a little, I will come."
   The old man walked on, and Mr. Murray went back and knelt, resting his head against the beautiful glittering balustrade, within which he hoped to officiate through the remaining years of his earthly career.
   Once the sexton, who was waiting to lock up the church, looked in, saw the man praying alone there at the altar, and softly stole away.

...from St. Elmo, by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson

I think that this is one of the most moving scenes in the entire book.  Everyone should read St. Elmo and any other books by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson that they can get their hands on.  Some day, I would like to witness an ordination.  Not as eventful, nor as dramatic a redemption story as the one portrayed here probably, but I think it must be a beautiful and solemn thing.



Disclaimer:  I do not neccesarily condone the appearance of, decoration choices, and so on of the church herein described.  The authoress is describing an Episcopal church and while I certainly believe that one could be a true Christian and attend a church such as is described, but I would certainly suggest some changes.  

Friday, April 15, 2011

A Song in the Making...

Oftentimes when a certain concept has been really striking me or lying heavy on my mind for a while, I come to a point where I need to overflow and it's often onto paper.  I enjoy writing so this is a familiar way for me to free my mind.  If I'm in the middle of a story and I can work it in, I'll do so, perhaps causing some indignant words to flow from the mouths of my characters that seem incongruent with the story.  If, like now, I am trying to take a break from writing books to catch up on the myriad of other things that make up my life, these thoughts remain pent up in my mind a little longer...which almost always causes them to end up on paper with a rhyme, a rythym, and a bit of tune...
Could be called the lyrics to a song...

After a bit of perfecting I take my laptop to the piano and try and put my tune on the keys, which usually results in my recording to my laptop a new little bit of piano playing.
Which said recording has definite tune to it, but would be rather lame as an actual song if it were just piano and singing.
I personally am partial to the sound of electric guitar (especially bass) and drum sets.  Sadly (to me anyway)we don't own those instruments despite the fact that we have a whole collection of instruments including some (very) unusual ones. 
With a bit of drum added to the piano, perhaps a violin, and an acoustic or electric guitar, these songs wouldn't be all that bad.  But for now I am leaving them at the piano stage.

I thought I would post some of the lyrics to one of my more recent songs, called:
The world around us


feeds us worldviews

different than God’s word

And oftentimes we suck it in



They say “Someday your Prince will come”

But that’s not always true

They say no harm will be done

Make last first kiss sound so sweet



They call good bad and evil good

They make good look dark and scary

They put the bad in a field of flowers

With a sunset, water and sparkly lights



But it’s all

Fairytales




It doesn’t look as popular

nor as beautiful to you

Because you’ve been deceived

And accepted their worldview



They make the story however they want

Stealing gets applause and truthfulness a grunt

Rebellion is applauded while obedience decried,

In real life it doesn’t work that way it’s an outright lie


...
But they make the lies seem beautiful

and wickedness so cool

That we easily get drawn away

and allow the lies to rule
...

And their lies lead to destruction

their path leads down to death

so guard your heart, mind, soul, and eyes

with every waking breath



Cause it’s all fairytales
...


They capture your heart

and excite your poor mind

They capture your fancy and

make wiser eyes blind

They draw you away and

They poison your mind

They make you start looking

For things you can’t find

When you should seek God and

to live by His law for their

attractive lies are fairytales

and aren’t true at all


...
God’s word alone contains the truth

though the path is narrow and the way is hard

that path alone will lead to life

so follow it with all you are

Cause the world cannot give you truth

the best that they can give you is a dressed up lie

And it’s all Fairytales



This isn't the entire song but these are the best lines and will give you the general idea.  What do you think?

Don't forget to leave a comment with your e-mail to order your books while they are on sale!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Roses and a great post

First, the "poem" I mentioned, written years ago when I first read L.M. Montgomery's "Anne's House of Dreams."

Roses
Roses, Roses, a gift from above.
White Roses, white roses, forsaken love.
Pink Roses, pink roses, love expectant,
Red Roses, red roses, love triumphant.

I liked that each color had a meaning! 

While speaking of L. M. Montgomery,  I was reading The Story Girl and found a reference to a Henty book!  The children are going to go pick berries or something, but the oldest brother prefers to stay home and finish reading his new Henty!  I enjoy finding references like this in my books.

I only just read this, but there is a wonderful post on Romance and Literature that everyone should read!  It's on the Ballantyne the Brave blog.  Here is the link:

http://www.ballantynethebrave.com/blog/romance_in_literature_1/

And the best sentence (with the previous sentence for context) to get you started...

"Be careful, though, that you don't fill your mind with unrealistic ideas about who your spouse should be. Mr. Darcy is much too busy answering mail from his fan club to think about marrying you."

And by the way, how did Mr. Darcy get to be the poster child for every girl's ideal?



Monday, April 11, 2011

Dripping...

I've been going through my poetry notebook and found all sorts of "scribblings" some terrible and so copied and others not half bad.  I've decided to post some of these over the next few weeks.  Even though the quality of the poetry can sometimes barely be considered poetry still the concepts are rather uplifting, I think.  Actually I'm just looking forward to putting pictures that go with the theme!

Dripping
Dripping, dripping, dripping,
though it is not raining,










Everything is wet,
although it has not rained,
the sun is brightly shining,
yet it is quite cold,








With every little drip
happiness gushes up in our hearts.  Why?









Because the snow is melting,
Because Winter is over,








And every drip of melting snow
Brings the happiness of Spring!










The next poem will be about Roses.:)  By the way, these were all written over the years and some are much older than others, the ones with more sophisticated language are more recent.

Don't forget to order your copies of The Teacher and The Tiphereth Trilogy now while they are on sale!  There will rarely be a sale this good!