What Superheroes Replace

     Don't get me wrong. I love superheroes. I love Marvel movies. I love the whole team of Avengers-not to mention those you see in some of the Avengers' personal movies. I don't think it's wrong to watch these movies. But I have a question for you. Why have we created superheroes? The answer is simple. We humans can't rescue ourselves; we need a Savior. Sound familiar?

     Even though the secular world hasn't accepted Christ, for millenniums humans have recognized that we can't save ourselves. We need heroes. People have built idols, because of the inborn knowledge that there has to be someone greater than us.

     This has inspired superheroes. Essentially, they are a substitute for God. The secular world, while denying the importance of Christ, knows we aren't enough. They have created heroes-people or aliens who are more powerful than us.

      Remember in The Avengers how there was an ongoing disagreement between Cap and Iron Man about making the hard choice, the sacrifice? Even in a secular movie, in a world that "doesn't need God" because there are heroes, there is a parallel to Jesus. Iron Man was willing to sacrifice himself to save a city full of people. Yet again, in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, there was a sacrifice. Quicksilver gave his life to save Hawkeye and the child. Even though this wasn't as close of a parallel, I find it significant that people all over the world subconsciously know the need for a sacrifice.

      So, why have humans created superheroes? Because we, as humans, have an inborn knowledge that a sacrifice is needed to save us. Truly, all the superheroes in the movies have had to make some sort of mental, physical, or ultimate sacrifice. Superheroes have been put in Jesus's place.

      I don't think a watching superhero movie is wrong. I don't think making superhero movies is wrong. But I think it's important to keep in mind that Jesus is our ultimate superhero. As great as the superheroes are in movies, they are fictional. He is real.

Book Review: Brothers and Betrayal by Sarah Holman

A boy, running for his life

A princess, trying to save her people 

And an archer who seeks to defend the defenseless 

Bryon, after witnessing his brother’s murder, takes his sisters and flees into the woods to a mysterious figure known as The Archer who lives there. But though he finds temporary safety, bitterness threatens his heart. 

Brianna only wants to help the people of Taelis, but her father, the king, seems bent on making life hard for all of them. She works tirelessly to save the kingdom from war, while secretly helping The Archer. 

Join the adventure in...Brothers and Betrayal

     So I reviewed the first book in the Taelis series and gave it about 3 stars. The second book in the series was much improved. This, I believe, is something that any writer would be glad to hear.

     The plot was much improved and quite enjoyable, the points the author was trying to get across were done well. This was a book I would read again.

     The characters were like able and easy to connect to. My favorite had to be Brianna, though I liked the others as well. What I didn't like is that The Archer was inconsistent. He was supposed to be this really Godly, father figure type of person. And he was but in some respects, but at the same time he was cocky and prideful when it came to the whole Robin Hood plot line. There were times when he was full of it, but then there were other times when he was super humble. 

     

     I did not like that he used fear as a weapon, it wasn't ethical. Yet he wouldn't allow killing, even if needed to keep someone else alive. 

     So there were some inconsistencies, and not everything was perfect but she definitely had improved herself. A solid 4 stars!

Who You Are in Christ

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1) I am God's child (John 1:12) I have been justified (Romans 5:1) I am Christ's friend (John 15:15) I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20) I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27) I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6) I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20) I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline  (2 Timothy 1:7) I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18) I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3) I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11) I am holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4) I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5) I am given God's glorious grace lavishly and without restriction (Ephesians 1:5,8) I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30) I have redemption (Ephesians 1:8) I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14) I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11) I have hope (Ephesians 1:12) I am included (Ephesians 1:13) I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18) I am salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14) I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1,5) I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8) I am God's coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1) I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20) I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5) I am raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12) I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6) I have been shown the incomparable riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7) God has expressed His kindness to me (Ephesians 2:7) I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) I have been brought near to God through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13) I have peace (Ephesians 2:14) I have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18) I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19) I am secure (Ephesians 2:20) I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19) I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22) I share in the promise of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6) God's power works through me (Ephesians 3:7) I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12) I know there is a purpose for my sufferings (Ephesians 3:13) I can grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ's love is (Ephesians 3:18) I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19) I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21) I have been called (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9) I can be humble, gentle, patient and lovingly tolerant of others (Ephesians 4:2) I can mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:15) I can be certain of God's truths and the lifestyle which He has called me to  (Ephesians 4:17) I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32) I can be kind and compassionate to others (Ephesians 4:32) I can forgive others (Ephesians 4:32) I am a light to others, and can exhibit goodness, righteousness and truth  (Ephesians 5:8-9) I can understand what God's will is (Ephesians 5:17) I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20) I don't have to always have my own agenda (Ephesians 5:21) I can honor God through marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33) I can parent my children with composure (Ephesians 6:4) I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10) I have God's power (Ephesians 6:10) I can stand firm in the day of evil (Ephesians 6:13) I am dead to sin (Romans 1:12) I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5) I am growing (Colossians 2:7) I am His disciple (John 13:15) I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23) I am united with other believers (John 17:20-23) I am not in want (Philippians 4:19) I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16) I am promised eternal life (John 6:47) I am promised a full life (John 10:10) I am victorious (I John 5:4) My heart and mind is protected with God's peace (Philippians 4:7) I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12) I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8) I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32) I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) I am a light in the world (Matthew 5:14) I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21) I am safe (I John 5:18) I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6) I am healed from sin (I Peter 2:24) I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2) I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13) I am overcoming (I John 4:4) I am persevering (Philippians 3:14) I am protected (John 10:28) I am born again (I Peter 1:23) I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) I am delivered (Colossians 1:13) I am redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13) I am qualified to share in His inheritance (Colossians 1:12) I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)

My Journey to Writing

     I am a writer. I have been since I was seven and entered in a short story contest. It was probably only 290 words long. Only a few paragraphs, I had taken the time to think out a story, type it up, and edit it. It took me a few days. But the story was mine, and I couldn't have been prouder.

      When I  was nine I rewrote a new version of my first story. It was 1,300 words long and I was amazed at how much I liked it. I wrote two more stories independently, and several others for school.

     When I was ten or eleven I got a book called Story Starters, this was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It gradually helped me to increase my skill in writing and before I knew it I was pretty good at writing.

      At the same time I was beginning to read more types of books. I had always loved to read but I began spreading out in what genre's I was reading. I read the Pirates and Faith Series, and liked it. I read Radialloy from the Firmament series and liked those too. Then I read my first fantasy book. Truth from the Makilien Trilogy. My mind was literally blown. I had never read fantasy, (unless you think of the Narnia books as fantasy, I tend to think of them as more fairytale-ish.) I liked it so much I read the book for six hours straight and finished it a few days later. Very rapidly I finished the rest of the series. I had never liked any books so much. The Makilien Trilogy set off my desire to write. For years I had liked to write but I had always thought being a writer would be boring. Without realizing it for years I had been growing in and nurturing my writing, but the Makilien Trilogy set off my conscious desire to write.

Then, last year ago, I decided to participate in Jr. NaNoWriMo. From June to November I developed my ideas and cultures in my journal. When November came I jumped in head first. With help from cranberries covered in chocolate and LOTR's movies I wrote 30,003 words. I had a nearly a third of a novel written.

     Ever since I have worked on and off on my book. Added and additional 10,000 words over weekends and evenings. I have tons more ideas, plot twists, and character developments. I have ideas for a whole series and even since last November have grown in my writing. I am planning on doing NaNoWriMo again, only this time I am going to try 50,000 words.

      One thing I am realizing  as I recap my journey to writing is that God was working in my writing even before I realized I wanted to write. I am a writer. I like to tell stories, why? Because when you write stories, when care deeply about them, you put yourself into the stories. When other's read those stories they relate to them in some way or another. They can feel you in the stories. Stories are like magic, they work in peoples hearts, sometimes without the person even knowing it. When I write, I create my own world. I have the ability to put in subtle or loud messages. I have the power to connect with a person's heart. That, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful thing in the world. Someone who can connect with one of the deepest parts of you is someone who can change the world.

      This is my journey. In life and writing I am growing, maturing, and becoming more of what I need to be.  If you take a look at your own journey you may find that there was more going on than you thought. ~Soli Deo Gloria.

Book Review: Hebbros by Nicole Sager

In a realm that feasts on wickedness, and a city that thirsts for power, the faithfulness of a few will be tested.

A MIZGALIAN SEEKS JUSTICE…

When members of his faith are exiled from the city of Hebbros, Luke vows to resist the forces that tore his family apart. Armed with a divine gift and the aid of friends, he undertakes to right a world of wrongs. Opposed on all sides by evil men determined to silence the Faithful and outlaw their powerful God, Luke’s small band will be tried and tested as they battle for truth, freedom, and the overthrow of rampant evil in their city.

AN ARCREAN SEEKS FULFILLMENT…

Three years after Elaina’s world was turned upside-down, the former nobleman’s daughter still tastes the sting of bitterness. When an act of betrayal sends her north into slavery, Elaina finds herself face-to-face with the truth she has long resisted and a choice that will change her forever.

THEY WILL DISCOVER A MATCHLESS GRACE…

Brought together in a desperate attempt to pluck a remnant from destruction, Luke, Elaina, and a host of unforgettable characters will discover the greatness of the power of God, and the startling truth that some things are not what they seem.

     Okay, so I read the series this book was based off of and enjoyed it. The writing wasn't bad, the characters were like able, and the plot's pretty good. But when I read this book I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Personally I felt this book deserved to be ranked with books and series such as, The Ilyon Chronicles, Firmament, NEVER etc.

     The skill of the writing was stupendous. One thing that is hard to do is get an equal balance of description. Too much leaves you feeling annoyed and like you had to walk through a dangerous bog in Middle Earth. Whereas too little ends up making me feel confused about what's going on and where the story is set. But the amount of description in this book was perfect for me personally. And one thing I really admire about it is that Sager used words that felt true to her. Words, I wouldn't use, or some other authors wouldn't use but they were words that were true to her, it made you feel her in the story far more than you would have otherwise. Another thing I liked about her writing was that she allowed her male characters to cry, well truly cry isn't the proper word. Sob your guts out tears is more like it. It made them deeper, I feel like a lot of writers get it stuck in their head that their male characters must have no tears. Which in my opinion is idiotic considering the depths of emotion all of us humans experience. I understand that females tend to cry more often but that doesn't mean you should strip your male leads of all open emotion. Nicole was able to allow her men to show open emotion and still leave you feeling they were strong, manly, and a force to be reckoned with. That deepened the whole book incredibly. The descriptions of places and characters were consistent and even though Sager took artistic liberty with the appearances of her characters she left enough open for the readers to create their own picture of the characters. Also I felt that there was a good deal of humor in this book, which it needed. If it hadn't had it it would have been too overwhelming. So the amount of humor I liked very much. And it humor I could actually enjoy, lots of writers try to be funny but I just can't connect. This, however, sent me chuckling aloud or randomly grinning-earning me several questioning looks from my family.

     Now, as to the characters. They were magnificently done. Each one exciting or special in their own way, and they had a great depth. This book was so long that the characters felt like friends. They were developed very well, and at a good speed. Many people have their characters-in thoughts, hearts, and actions-go from point A to point E without landing on the places in between. Even in some of Nicole Sager's earlier books she did the exact same thing, but her writing has grown incredibly and she was able to have consistent development in her characters, that is something that truly shows the skill of the writer. Bravo. I won't say too much about each character but I can assure you no matter who you are you will be able to find a favorite character in the vast assortment of enjoyable characters. My favorite being Luke.

     Plot wise it was great! It was deep with meaning and there was tons of excitement without it being overly dramatic. I could read this book over and over again as once you have read a few chapters in you wish to read the whole thing again, a hefty challenge considering it is like 600 pages long. I liked the little pieces woven in from the earlier Arcrean series. Throughout all her books Sager has been good at putting little pieces of previous or future books in the present book. And I found it fun that she was able to weave in an element from her 3rd book in the Arcrean series. I always find this very cool. She did a good job surprising me. Like I have said before, I like to be surprised in books. I want to be able to figure some of it out but not all, I want to think I have it completely figured out and have it turn out something was completely different than I thought. By putting so much mystery and intrigue into books the author is guaranteeing that their readers want to read on. And I did....constantly. Like seriously, I couldn't stop reading it.

      Overall I would like to express my deep admiration at Nicole Sager's book Hebbros. Not only admiration but thanks for further opening my imagination and ability to define skill in writing and how to grow in it. Truly this book was a pleasure. Totally 5 stars out of 5!

My Top 10 Songs

    So I was thinking of some of my favorite songs lately and I figured I would share them with you all. Most likely I will finish this post, publish it and walk away feeling satisfied....until I remember that 1 song that I absolutely l-o-v-e, and forgot to add. So these are some of my top 10 favorites songs.

#10. Hmm, probably one from Disney's Tarzan, "Two Worlds". So, it's catchy and powerful and full on 90's. Not to mention the heart it has to offer.

#9. Sorry, no picture for this one. This would have to be the theme song on the awesome show CHiPs. Alan Silvestri did incredible on that soundtrack.

#8. For this one I would probably choose "He's a Pirate" from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl. Really this theme runs throughout the whole soundtrack. What I like about it the fun and excitement. It makes great background music.

#7. The main theme from Avengers-entitled "The Avengers"-the music is so triumphant, exciting, and has a sense of coming together in it.

#6.Well, I am going to make an exception and say the whole soundtrack for Thor. I absolutely love the music, Patrick Doyle's soundtrack have such an incredible depth and excitement.

#5. It would have to be from A New Hope. Specifically, "Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About the Force". I love the melancholy almost prolonged sound in the beginning.

#4. So it would have to be "Flying With Mother" from the 2nd How to Train Your Dragon. This song features when Valka and Hiccup are flying together. The music is freeing, exquisite, and has a vigor about it. It is simply jolly and inspiring and showing the growing friendship and unison between Hiccup and Valka.

#3. This would have to be Rohan's theme music. The strength and power and victory of it is so powerful. It is triumphant, hopeful, full of vigor and strength. That song truly shows the power of music.

#2. One from Narnia's The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, entitled "Only the Beginning of the Adventure. To me it speaks of what's to come and what has already been. It's full of hope and excitement not only for life but for the eternity after it. You feel like one of the four Pevinsie's thinking of the beautiful incredible past you've had in Narnia, and the exciting future you have with Aslan/Jesus and in Narnia. It makes me thrilled for not only this lifetime but the eternity afterwards.

#1. Imogene Heap's "Can't Take It" featured in the credits of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Something about this song leaves me in absolute awe. It perfectly describes what you feel when you see Narnia and Aslan. But even above that I feel like it perfectly sums up humanities wonder at all that God is, all that he has made, and all that he means. Sometimes when I hear this song it is so beautiful it hurts. Just like Jesus.

     So here are my top ten songs! Feel free to comment below and let me know what some of your favorite songs are!