Monday, July 30, 2012

Book Review: Rare Earth

As my flight took off heading to Oklahoma, I picked up the book I had been excitedly saving back to savor on the two flights I would be taking.  I had enjoyed his first book, Lion of Babylon, and wanted to find out what was the next adventure that Marc Royce would be going on.  This book is technically the sequal to Lion of Babylon; however, it is also a stand-alone novel as nearly all the other characters except the main character are new to this book.




By the time that I had reached page 50, my heart was pumping from the adrenaline.  I felt like I was in Africa which was the setting for this book.  I could just about smell the dirt, sense the fear among the people, and yet feel the hope that was being sought after.

As I was introduced to the various characters in the book - Charles, Philip and the elders, Kitra, Serge, and Crowder, I was not sure whom to trust and who not to.  As the plot deepened, you began to see that something was brewing under the surface...something so sinister that it did not care who or what it took to reach it's desired goals.

Again, Bunn did a fabulous job in his accurate portrayal of each person and the cultures portrayed.  I personally come from a Hebraic Roots Christian background, so I'm particularly familiar with Israel and many of the customs there.  He was very accurate in his portrayal of the Israeli desire for excellence, respect for life and people, and desire to protect it's own and others in need. 

At first I was not sure of Kitra.  She came across as a hard and stubborn person, but I soon came to realize that was just a wall she had built to protect herself.  As you came to know her throughout the book, you could not help coming to love her and want to protect her and her brother Serge who had gone missing!  As you came to understand the complexity of their lives, it made her become a person of much depth.

The many twists and turns throughout the book left you on the edge of your seat with no desire to put it down!  As the book came to a close, you were able to see how all the pieces finally came together to form a complete picture, but in the process, you had learned faith, asking questions, trust, and love.  By the time, I closed the book, I was a very happy reader and could not recommend it enough.

My only question is when is the next book coming out?  I cannot wait to see what happens as you are left with a question as you turn the last page...

Intrigued?  Get your own copy of Rare Earth!  Only one rule - you must have a U.S. mailing address.

To enter, answer the question of "If you were a secret agent, what three items would you keep on your person at all times?" by commenting on the blog.  If you sign up for Davis’s e-newsletter at http://www.davisbunn.com/news.htm  you'll get a second entry.  And if you like his Facebook page at facebook.com/davisbunnauthor, you'll get a third entry.  Tell me in your comment if you sign up for his newsletter and liked his Facebook page, so I can give you the accurate number of entries.  Deadline to enter is August 14, 2012.

In the meantime, enjoy this video preview:




Davis' Website and Blog:www.davisbunn.com


Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Camp Yeshua, Part 2

Well, I will pick up where I left off on my Camp Yeshua trip.  We had just finished our adult staff meeting, and I headed to our dorm to settle in with Nicole.  We were in the Upper Girl's Lodge which was newly remodeled and so very nice!!!!!!!!!  Nicole and I were sharing a room with two good friends of ours - Elisha and Joanna.  Joanna is from Ohio, and we see her family for some of the congregational gatherings/events.  Elisha is from TN, but she is like a sister to me...so we were glad for the excuse to be together!!!  Interestingly enough, Elisha and Joanna ended up on the same tribe, and Nicole and I were of course leading a tribe together.  Nicole and I got settled in our room and headed back out to enjoy greeting everyone that we had not seen in a year. 

We had a couple of hours to enjoy fellowshipping before it was time to gather in the Tabernacle to begin Camp Yeshua 2012!  We gathered by tribe and began meeting our tribe members.  After playing an ice breaker game, we headed to the dining hall for supper.  Ephraim had taken Nicole's and my experiment from last year of having our tribe eat as a tribe and made it camp wide this year.  We were very happy to hear that it worked really well and people felt that their tribes gelled quicker this year than before.  We began to settle into our daily routine. Get up and get ready, assemble in the tabernacle, head for breakfast. After breakfast was our morning worship and prayers then encounter time which is an alone time with God for each camper. Our tribal conference which was about an hour long and our small group Bible study/midrash followed and was one of my favorite times of the day. Our tribe had great junior staff who really helped a lot in contributing and leading. Then we had our organized activities such as Brentball, human foosball, water balloon volleyball, and the ropes course. By then, we were very glad lunch was next! The afternoon meant workshops and flex time which is where you are free to choose your activity but you must be doing something with someone. :) then dinner, our evening service which was always an awesome worship and teaching time, followed by starlit dancing, our closing tribal conference of sharing what Yahweh had been doing in your life and praying together, then off to bed only to do again the next day. As you can see, Camp is amazing! I'll stop here and share some more highlights again soon.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Camp Yeshua, Part 1

Camp Yeshua 2012 - Exodus Imminent was once again a great experience and a highlight of the year for me in so many ways.  I'll begin telling about it today; however, I know that it is going to take more than one entry!  :) 

I traveled out to Oklahoma with my dear friend, Nicole, who was also going as a counselor.  This was her second year and my third year.  We flew out on Friday, July 6 on a morning flight to Oklahoma City.  We made it into OKC 10 minutes which was a first!  Ann (Judah) Stropes picked us up from the airport.  We enjoyed going out for a girl's lunch and some relaxing fellowship before running a couple of errands.  Then we headed to the Lion and Lamb Office to get to work.  Ann and I were leading the girl's purity session at camp together, so we spent the afternoon combining our notes to make one smooth presentation.  Nicole helped package up the water bottle, t-shirt, and wrist band packages for all the campers. 

That evening, we went out to dinner with Monte, Lin, Ann, and Isaac.  Then we stayed with Lin for a bit before heading to the B'nai Shalom services which we greatly enjoyed.  After watching it on the internet each week, it is nice to be there in person.  And of course, we just had to see Dr. Scotty!  He has such an amazing love for Yahweh and for each person who is brought into his life.  A dear true saint!  We also enjoyed dancing there at B'nai as well as the teaching.

After services, Kathy Clayton (Mike Clayton's wife) picked us up to host us for the weekend.  She was the most gracious loving host we could have asked for.  She did everything she could to make us very comfortable.  It was like visiting family!  We got to see their farm, meet all the animals including this "so ugly he's cute" turkin!, help feed them, and enjoy a very relaxing Shabbat.  Nicole and I both commented on how comfortable and welcomed we felt.  We also enjoyed getting to know a new friend, Marsha, who was with us part of the time. 

Then Sunday morning, Kathy and Marsha drove us out to Oakridge Christian Camp where Camp Yeshua is held.  We had to be there at 10am for the adult staff meeting in order to be prepared for the campers.  We got there right on time, stashed our luggage in our dorm's sitting area, and headed for the meeting.  When we broke up for lunch, Nicole and I rode along with Chuck and his daughter Laura.  Laura and I are good friends, so we were glad for the excuse to hang out!  Then back for the second half of the staff meeting only to be done right in time for the camper's registration to begin! 

I will stop here for now...and continue in the next couple of days.  In the meantime, you can check out my camp pictures by clicking here