Sunday Words of Encouragement October 23, 2022 - Imitate God

I had some car troubles - my Prius needs a new auxiliary battery. I thought it was the key fob battery which also needed to be replaced, but it was more. My daughter left her car but it was running rough and hot. So I could have taken hubby's jeep this morning but it triggered grief so I stayed home and did church online. I am so grateful it is available online!

Pastor's message was based on Ephesians 4 and 5 - Imitate God.
We are created beings who are to reflect and be imitators of God’s nature. But the sinful nature causes us to fall short. It is not always good to imitate our earthly parents, siblings, or heroes. But when we love our parent, siblings, or heroes, we may imitate them. If we love God, we should want to imitate Him.

God hasn’t “asked” us to do things. We need to recognize that He directs or commands us to do things!
Do we look different than others in this world? We must not imitate the world, but imitate God. Ephesians 4:17-23.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

The world knows that what we behold, or focus on, is what we become. So be careful what you dwell on.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8.

Put off falsehoods, anger, stealing, unwholesome speech. Ephesians 4:25-28.
We need to be in the Word and prayer everyday so God can continually clean our hearts.
Be an honest contributor rather than only a consumer. V 28
Build up others with encouragement. V 29
Do not grieve the Spirit. V 30
Get rid of bitterness and every form of malice. V 31
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” V 32.

Spiritual gifts and position are not God’s stamp on character! Don’t imitate the man of God. Imitate Christ so others can see Christ in you.

The way we live ought to be worship to the Lord. Christ sacrificed Himself for us. Ephesians 5:2.
We should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice as proper worship to God. Romans 12:1-2.

I went to my 38 pages of lists of songs… Then I found this one online and just went “wow!”
So Will I and Do it Again.

Verses for Today:
Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Holy Spirit, I pray that you help me to imitate Christ in my life.

Audible Book Review: One-Eyed Jax by R.A. Savatore

I enjoyed this short story with drows, dwarves, and elves facing the mystery of a 'sea monster'.

One-Eyed Jax: A Forgotten Realms Adventure
(Legend of Drizzt Series)
by R.A. Salvatore
Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Series: Legend of Drizzt
Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 06-03-21
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Conflicts will be decided with fisticuffs, card games will be played for the highest of stakes, and swords will be flashed in this rollicking Dungeons & Dragons adventure from New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore.
Maintaining stability in a city full of pirates is a delicate balancing act, particularly when one is motivated by making sure the common folk are taken care of instead of simple personal greed. Jarlaxle and his band of rogues known as Bregan D'aerthe are doing their best, stabilizing the city after warding off a terrible attack by demonic and gnoll forces.
But now three merchant ships have been destroyed and sent to the ocean floor - obliterated in such a quick and brutal manner that it makes little sense it’s pirates seeking plunder. Something is out there on or under the cold dark waters of the Sword Coast, and it threatens the trade Jarlaxle will need to bring prosperity to Luskan.
Fortunately, Jarlaxle has powerful and clever allies he can call upon to help him solve the riddle. But will they do it in time? And even if it's solved, can the perpetrator be defeated?

Review:
Jarlzxle is a drow mercenary leading a band of rogues. When three merchant ships are destroyed and disappear in the ocean there is concern regarding more than pirates. And the only witness had described a creature that no one believes exist.

Jarlaxle, or One-Eyed Jax, pulls together a group of warriors to take on the pirates … or dragon as the case may be. They each have interesting talents and usually need the right incentive, bribe or threat, to join the team. I really love the creativity of this author.

This is a short listen that includes characters from the other works of Salvatore. I have only read one or two others, but this was still a masterful short story that didn’t require knowing all the characters. Readers who like stories of drows, dwarfs and elves should enjoy this story.

Audio Notes: Victor Bevine does a fine job with the narration. He gives the characters distinct voices and brogues that add to the entertainment value of the story.

Source: 6/10/2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Audio Book Review: Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

This is a sweet, light, friends to lovers romance.
Lovelight Farms
By: B.K. Borison
Narrated by: Pippa Jayne

Series: Lovelight, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
Release date: 09-20-22
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
A pasture of dead trees, a hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons, and shipments that have mysteriously gone missing—Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only there is no boyfriend.
Enter her best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.
Lovelight Farms is a romantic comedy featuring a handsome freckled data analyst, a messy, optimistic Christmas-tree-farm owner, and a small town with the best hazelnut lattes on the east coast.
This sweet and steamy romance is a holiday happily ever after and the first book in a series of interconnected standalones following the three Lovelight owners.
©2021 B.K. Borison (P)2022 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Review:
Stella’s left the normal work world to pursue her dream of creating a magical winter wonderland at her Christmas tree farm, Lovelight Farms. She has invested all of her savings and would feel like things would be okay except for a run of bad happenings. Fencing is collapsing, one whole section of trees is dead, a family of raccoons seems to have taken over the barn, and a shipment of fertilizer keeps going astray. As a means to revive the tree farm, she enters a contest with a famous travel spot influencer to promote the farm as a romantic destination for the holiday. The publicity and $100,000.00 prize would be a great boon for her situation. The only issue is that she lied on the application saying the farm was co-owned with her boyfriend. But Stella doesn’t have a boyfriend.

Since the influencer, Evelyn St. James, is showing up soon to check out the farm, Stella has to come up with a serious boyfriend. Fortunately, her best friend, Luka Peters, comes in from out of town and agrees to play the part. Stella immediately begins taking walks with Luka so the townsfolk can see them together and get the picture they are serious.

Luka and Stella have been best friends since being childhood neighbors. It is clear to everyone, including the reader, that they have great affection for each other. But, having had a father walk out on her when she was young and a mother who bounced from relationship to relationship, Stella has always held men at a distance. She has been determined not to mess up her friendship with Luka by having a sexual relationship with him.

Luka has always cared for Stella but has not known how to show her how he truly feels. He doesn’t want to risk their friendship either, but he may not be able to continue without revealing his feelings.

Matters get more complicated as Evelyn arrives and loves the farm but suspects a problem. Then it becomes clear that the incidents of damage have not been accidental but have been sabotage. Luka may find it easier to help the town sheriff stop the harassment than getting Stella to acknowledge the feelings between them.

I did enjoy this sweet romance but got annoyed by Stella’s lack of courage. She seems totally blind to how much Luka, and her friends, love her and want to help. Someone really needed to wake her up! Luka was a great character and Stella had friends who were supportive too, especially once she let them in. I recommend this to reader who enjoy friends to lovers stories. And the Christmas magic is an extra bonus.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Pippa Jayne. Her voice fit the story and the character of Stella perfectly. She didn’t do as well on the male voices but it didn’t hurt the story. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 2022 NetGalley. This qualifies for my 2022NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review: The Science of Sci-Fi by Erin Macdonald

I found this interesting even if I didn't grasp all the true science.
The Science of Sci-Fi
From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel
By: Erin Macdonald, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Erin Macdonald

Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
Release date: 11-19-19
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Nonfiction, Science & Engineering, Science
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25

About This Audible Original
Science fiction allows listeners to go places they can only dream of seeing—other worlds, distant stars, entirely different galaxies. While not every story is concerned with the hard science behind space travel and other futuristic ventures, fiction can give listeners an amazing insight into what people could be capable of and what people dream of doing.
In the 10 lectures of The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel, Professor Erin Macdonald interweaves real science and the achievements of the imagination to reveal the truth that underlies favorite stories and sheds light on what the future may hold. From faster-than-light travel to journeys through time itself, science fiction makes humanity seem limitless. So, what scientific boundaries are people pushing against while seeking to fly among the stars?
Beginning with an overview of the physics of time and space, Professor Macdonald shows how stories extrapolate current knowledge to create visions of the future and how likely—or unlikely—these fictional journeys could be. What would happen if a spaceship flew into a wormhole, as it does in the film Galaxy Quest? Or, what would happen if someone fired a rocket launcher on the Moon like the soldiers of Mass Effect? Could someone ever break the bounds of light speed as they do in Star Wars and move across the universe without spending decades trying to make it to a distant exoplanet? Is the transporter technology of Star Trek really possible?
As listeners look closely at artificial gravity, inertial dampeners, tachyons, red matter, time dilation, and other sci-fi mainstays through the theories of some of science’s greatest thinkers, they will find that their favorite science fiction stories become even more astonishing.
©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC

Review:
It is clear the author not only understands the science, but she enjoys the interplay between real science and science fiction. She explains how some television shows and movies have used realistic and possible technology and sometimes use elements that aren’t so likely in real science. At least not that we know of.

Erin Macdonald delivers this course in 10 lectures/chapters that make it a bit easier to digest. She includes some history of science and great scientists, like Newton, Galileo, Einstein, Tesla and more. I clearly did not grasp all the scientific theory, especially the physics, yet she made it engaging by the examples and uses she shared. I really enjoyed the references to well-known and lesser-known fictional stories. This brought it to a level that the lay person, and sci fi fan, could relate to.

I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this as much as I did. I recommend this to any reader who is interested in what is real and what could be in the technology of fictional sci fi.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the author’s narration. Her energy and love of the subject enhanced my enjoyment of the work.

Source: 3/28/2020 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Ruins of the Galaxy by J.N. Chaney and Christopher Hopper

This is entertaining, fast-paced military sci fi.
Ruins of the Galaxy
Ruins of the Galaxy, Book 1
By: J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
Release date: 04-28-20
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Adventure, Military, Space Opera
4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The mission is simple. Escort an emissary to an intergalactic peace summit. Try not to get in the way.
Lt. Magnus and his 79th Recon Team have certainly handled worse, after all.
But when an explosion rocks the tower and sends everyone into a panic, Magnus and his asset find themselves cut off from the rest of the team.
Worse still, a dying alien chieftain gives them a priceless drive of intel, marking them for death.
The mission has officially changed.
With enemies on all sides, Magnus must do everything in his power to protect the emissary and escape the tower. There is no backup. There is no chance for failure.
The fate of the entire galaxy now lies in the hands of a Republic Marine and a diplomat.
All they have to do is survive.
Experience the beginning of this sprawling galactic tale in this first entry to the Ruins of the Galaxy series. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, Galaxy’s Edge, or Battlestar Galactica, you'll love this military sci-fi epic.
Includes bonus Ruins of the Galaxy stories "The Night of Fire" and "Demons at War".
©2019 J.N. Chaney and Christopher Hopper (P)2020 Podium Publishing

Review:
Lt. Magnus, an enhanced Marine, and his specialized team are on a light mission to escort an emissary to an intergalactic peace summit trying to connect with a canine like race, the Jujari. This should be straightforward and quiet, but the meeting chamber is wrecked with explosions. The Emissary, Awen, receives a capsule from the dying Jujari leader while he whispers to her to keep it secret and trust no one. Magnus and Awen barely escape the chamber and Awen has to use mind ‘magic’ to survive the planetary forces that are looking for foreign threats. They find a shady character who agrees to get them off planet and becomes an odd ally.

Awen is a beautiful humanoid from an order of a reclusive monastery-like group known as the Luma. They are a race known for peace and diplomacy as well as training their minds to reach to a different plane. When Awen returns to her home people, she has concerns for her failure in the mission. She is greeted warmly and kindly by her mentor. However, when she appears before the master, she is disturbed by his not too subtle efforts to break into her mind and force her to open the capsule. Again, Awen barely escapes.

Awen is on the run from several forces who want the secrets of the capsule which she discovers leads to an ancient world with unknow technological advances. Magnus shows up again as she is threatened and with their joint skills, they evade their pursuers. Only then they learn that someone has accessed the dangerous technology.

I will say that this story had a lot in common with Galaxy’s Edge. Even so, I liked the two main characters, as well as their allies. I was entertained by the plot and enjoyed the fast-paced action. I would read more in the series and I recommend this to fans of military sci fi.

Audio Notes: R.C. Bray is a wonderful narrator, and my experience is that his performance always enhances the work. This is no excepton. I am glad I had the audio version.

Source: 12/27/2020 Audible Two for One Credit Sale. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.