Now Fully Released - A Historical Fiction Trilogy

 It's been in the works for a long time, like since 2015 or 2016. Lots of genealogy research, plus many rewrites. Now I feel I've gotten some of the inspiring true events in my family history expressed as well as I can, expanded into historical fiction to make for more interesting reading.  Even since Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" authors have been into trilogies, though often they grow to more than three books.  I know my "Peaks at the Edge of the World Saga" did. But then, so did C.S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia."

So here is mine:  Part 1 tells the story of my great-great-grandparents and great-grandparents, who came from Bavaria and Denmark, and how the met in Houston, Texas--of all places.

Part II continues the tale of their descendants, my grandparents and parents. 

Now Germany and Ireland begin crossing paths.

And eventually I make an appearance.

And last but not least, is the story of how some of my great-great-grandparents 

survived the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s, and ended up in America.

This one was a Semi-finalist in the Great Reads Awards!

These books can be ordered wherever books are sold,

including online from Amazon and from Ingram Spark.

Will this expand beyond three books?

I don't know yet...

 

Happy Lammas (Only at little late)

 August 1 marks the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox.  Like the other midway or Fire Feasts (May Day, Halloween, and even Groundhog Day) it had significance in early agrarian societies, especially in ancient Ireland.  But it is the one that's been lost to modern times for the most part. No, it doesn't have anything to with the South American animal, or the seekers of Tibetan Buddhism.

It’s taken me a long time to find information on Aug. 1 or Lammas.  I finally got information in a book on Druids that I ran across at a workshop of Celtic Heritage in America.  I learned, as I suspected, that Lammas is a feast of harvest.  In northern climates, it would be just the early first-fruits.  The word Lammas in Irish is Lughnasadh, and in Scottish Gaelic it’s Lunasad.  Lunasa is Irish for August, too.   

The ancient god Lugh, in Irish myth, is god of all arts and crafts.  He is also considered to be the greatest of the gods, and the name implies he has a large head.  Lugh is found beyond the British Isles, too, being depicted in early art from Sweden to the Punjab. Archeologists have now determined that the ancient Celtic, or Gaelic, culture began in the East, such as present-day India and gradually moved west, culminating in Ireland and other parts of the British Isles and Brittany.

Of course, the Irish added  their own twist, weaving the story that Lugh has now become “Lugh-chromain” which is the Irish word we pronounce as “leprechaun,” certainly a crafty character if ever there was one.

Fat Little Baby

 Two things I've noticed recently.  According to a University of Michigan poll of consumer confidence in our economy, it took an unprecedented downward plunge in 2021. Funny how that coincides with Trump's attempt to stage a coup and overthrow the duly elected president in the 2020 election.

And now five years later, he's still whining about how he was cheated out of that election. What a sore loser!  Amy Grant once wrote a song that to me describes him perfectly:

"He's a fat little baby. He wants his bottle and he don't mean maybe..."  No one matters but himself and his overgrown ego.

The Meaning of Liberty

 July 4, 2026:

For dear brothers and sisters, we have been called into Liberty. But don't use your liberty as an excuse to overindulge your personal greed, for Freedom is more than a privilege. It comes with responsibilities--to care for the greater good of all. Galatians chapter 5 puts it this way:

"For we have been called unto liberty;

only don't use this liberty as an excuse to indulge yourselves, but by love serve one another." 

That's my take on America. Are we in a sunrise or a sunset? Each of us had to decide.

A Country Losing Its Vision

                 

          This photo of Mount Rushmore was taken last week. I think it's symbolic of where our country is.

We're losing sight of the democratic ideals of our founding fathers, just as they are veiled by fog in this photo. We are in danger of losing our freedom of thought and freedom of speech, as we are being increasingly controlled by an oligarchy who claim they're the only ones who are right.

Beware, folks!  Remember Germany in the 1930s...

Excellent Advice from a Reliable Source

 I just finished reading The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis. It's a wonderful work, laced with scripture lessons. One of his key points is that Mercy is greatly missing in our world today. Too many have forgotten how to practice it, or what it even means. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this work:

"The Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy--the most stupendous attribute of the Creator and of the Redeemer..."

"...in a word, wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy."

"The Lord asks us above all not to judge and not to condemn. If anyone wishes to avoid God's judgment, he should not make himself the judge of his brother or sister."

(See how badly too many "Christians" are missing the boat on this!)

"How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out by the indifference of the rich!"

"Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!"

"Corruption is a sinful hardening of the heart that replaces God with the illusion that money is a form of power. It is a work of darkness, fed by suspicion and intrigue... If it is not combatted openly, sooner or later everyone will become an accomplice to it, and it will end up destroying our very existence." 

This is a voice, we all need to heed, regardless of our church affiliation. It looks like Pope Francis's successor is trying to carry this mission on. I pray for him in this ministry, even though I'm not Roman Catholic. Rather, I belong to the "holy catholic (universal) church, which encompasses all Christians.

It's time the politicians quit telling the Pope not to talk about religious doctrine. How ridiculous!  Someone needs to tell the politicians to stop talking politics, to think about the good of all people, not just themselves and their power.

The Meaning in Creation

 I know it's been a long time. Travel and revising a historical fiction book into two books (shown above and below) have diverted my attention from blogging. Now spring has come at last to northwest Montana. 

As I watch the birds at my feeder, the male finches especially, vying for dominance, I see a creation crying out for its  redemption, as St. Paul described in Romans 8:22--groaning and waiting like a woman in labor. Mother Earth wants to bring forth the New Creation God has promised. But it's still not her due date, I guess.

Yet, at the same time, there is still beauty and intricacy--from the tiniest atomic particles we can't see to the huge expanses of the universe we can't fathom with our finite minds. The creation still reveals the glory of God, His power, might, and knowledge, all beyond our understanding.