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Out of a Far Country and Heaven is for Real: Understanding Chronology

I recently read two books providing great examples of chronological order: Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan, and Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent.

Chronology provides a logical order to a series of events and eliminates reader confusion. There are two ways chronology presents order of occurrence: forward and reverse. Although starting a story at the end and taking the reader back to the beginning is effective, forward-moving chronology is more natural and universally understood. Both books I read were forward moving.

Out of a Far Country

Out of a Far Country was written by a mother and son team. It tells how the son’s homosexual and drug-driven life led him and his mother to the Lord. What I appreciated about this book was that, not only did the beginning of each chapter list the title and who penned it, but it recorded time references. Some chapters listed the month, day, and year, while others used the season such as “Spring 1997.”

The timing was established before I dived into each chapter. My understanding of time never became warped and thus eliminated the frustration of flipping back through the pages getting time straight. However, when I wondered if mother and son experienced difficult parts of their journey simultaneously, all I had to do was reference the dates provided so conveniently at the start of each chapter.

Desire by John Eldredge: Guest Post by David Andrews

Six months ago I read a book by John Eldredge, and it blew my boat right out of the water. I like reading, but I especially love  when a book comes along, grabs your hands, and takes you on whirlwind journey of discovery. More about my journey later.

In Desire, formerly titled The Journey of Desire, John Eldredge president of Ransomed Heart Ministries, describes the course we must take to find the desire of our heart. Desire has been given to each of us by God, and it is set deep within our hearts. We often overlooked this gift from God, mistake for something else, or ignore it altogether. Everyone has this longing even if it disquises itself as a restless heart. U2, a popular band, sings about it in their epic song, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

“Contrary to what you may have heard in church, desire is the key to the Christian life," says John Eldredge. "When we lose desire, we lose passion for God and everything else.” In this amazing book, Eldredge invites us to acknowledge the significance of desire, abandon resignation, and embark on an adventure he calls "our heart's most important journey."

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

After studying Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, I must say I like this author. Twain lived a life filled with adventure, and he filled auditorium seats sharing those escapades. When he wrote for newspapers, he wrote "mostly true" articles to liven things up.

By using exaggerated humor, Twain became a well-known lecturer. He wrote to entertain, yet instruct. His short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is a humorous look at a gambling addict. His target audience was the middle class that disliked politicians. Twain often poked at politicians in his writing and speaking. Twain became one of the most influential voices in America who enjoyed being the center of controversy.

Twain's writing started out controversial and remains so today. His book, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884, was banned the following year by the Concord Public Library. In 1902, the Brooklyn public library followed suit. The Concord Public library cited the book as "trash and suitable only for the slums" because it was written in the natural vernacular.

The Prairie by James Fenimore Cooper

In speaking and writing training workshops I've attended, I've been told that in order to be a better writer or speaker I must read the classics. I like to read, but the classics are not exactly my first choice. Classics often times seem to start off slow, but once the story actually moves, they get more interesting.

I enrolled in an Introduction to American Literature course this semester at the University of Texas-El Paso. I prefer non-fiction reading and writing, but who knows what God is preparing me for in the future. In my class, the first book assignment was The Prairie by James Fenimore Cooper.

In my honest opinion, the book was a very difficult read, but once I navigated through it, I understood a much more about the writing style of the period, the author, and the symbolism used.

This book is the last of a series called "Leatherstocking" tales. The main character is used in each of these books, and probably the most recognized book in the series is The Last of the Mohicans.

A Treasure Called "Pride and Prejudice"

I am one of many Jane Austen fans, and my favorite of her stories is Pride and Prejudice. There are lots of reasons why this classic is worth reading, but I love the way Miss Austen uses character's personality traits intertwined with the plot to captivate her readers.

My interest in personalities (I am a Certified Personality Trainer) adds a new dimension to my enjoyment of this classic based on the engaging love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Whether she realized it or not, Miss Austen had a wonderful understanding of personalities, and used it to draw readers into the pages of her book.

I'd like to share some of the personality-filled characters from the book that caught my attention.

Mrs. Bennet

Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the five Bennet daughters, is a typical example of the bright and lively sanguine personality with a propensity to talk too much. Early in the book Mrs. Bennet is giddy at the marriage prospects of the eldest daughter, Jane. Much to the embarrassment of Elizabeth, the second daughter, Mrs. Bennet's exuberance about the matter overflows at a dinner party.

Why Nonfiction Writers Should Read Fiction

"I don’t have time to read fiction."

Oh, that common statement crossed my lips many times. My attitude was that if I was going to take time out of my busy day to sit down with a book, I wanted to read something that would impact my life. How to improve my marriage, my kids, my walk with God. I wanted answers to life questions. I didn’t want to stop and enjoy a book.

But then God literally placed a book in my hands. While attending a weekly Bible study, my name was drawn to win a prize. I collected my prize and went home. I tore through the gift wrap to reveal a book--a fiction book.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I prepared lunch. Started some laundry. I decided to sit down for a few minutes and investigate this book. I planned to read about ten minutes and then move on with the to-do list. I thought after a few pages of the introduction, I would be finished exploring and could turn my focus back to the important issues of the day.

Dracula: Old-School Vampire, Great Writing

Even though I was hesitant to read Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula, the great writing and compelling story quickly dispelled my concerns. It is now one of my all-time favorite books. Dracula is a fascinating tale built solely on journal entries and hand-written letters between the characters.

Each page is not only captivating because of the content and style, but the language depicts the literary style of the late 19th century. Mr. Stoker had me at the first chapter.

Another unusual aspect of the story is that the villain, Count Dracula, is not present in most of the book, nor does he contribute one word of correspondence as do the  other characters. However, his creepy existence oozes from every page. Only a well-written piece of work could come together under such unusual circumstances. Bram Stoker pulls it off and effectively pierces the imagination of any reader with a pulse.

Notable Books with Sho and Sho

This section spotlights books in different genres. Inspiring and well-written classics, as well as modern titles will be features here. In addition, books with information pertinent to the industry will also be shared.