Beware of MSG!

My sister-in-law sent this information to me a couple of weeks ago and I thought I'd pass it onto you. I wasn't aware of the dangers of MSG and how many food items it is found in.

The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison. MSG Hides behind 25 or more names, such as Natural Flavoring.' MSG is even inYour favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and Starbucks coffee shops! I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a researchAssistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada , and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The SlowPoisoning of America. In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating Obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born.The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. They even have a name for theFat rodents they create: 'MSG-Treated Rats.'

When I heard this, I was shocked. I went into my kitchen and checked The cupboards and the refrigerator. MSG was in everything -- the Campbell 's Soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen Prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low-fat' ones. The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had Something called 'Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein,' which is just another Name for Monosodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our Children everyday are filled with this stuff. MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don't catch on.

(Other names for MSG are 'Accent, 'Aginomoto,' 'Natural Meat Tenderizer,' etc.)

But it didn't stop there. When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants What menu items contained MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough, MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere. Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant -- even The sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's, and Denny's -- use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing. and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin -- their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative, Or a vitamin? Not according to my friend John Erb. In his book The Slow Poisoning Of America, he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby Group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more. A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating more is a benefit to the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us? 'Betcha can't eat [just] one,' takes on a whole new meaning where MSG Is concerned! And we wonder why the nation is overweight!

MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added. Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive Substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, Soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it's safe When there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these:

'The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of Exercise in obesity.' Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. ResCommun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002.

'Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin Release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats.' GuimaraesRB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro. Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug.

'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in Spontaneously hypertensive rats: An animal model of multiple risk factors.'Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima. Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar.

'Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in Suckling period and subsequent development of obesity.' Tanaka K,Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki. Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct. No, the date of that last study was not a typo; it was published in 1978.

Both the 'medical research community' and 'food manufacturers' have known about the side effects of MSG for decades. Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to Diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's. So what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping this fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see? Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of The highest government health officials in Canada While he was sitting in the government office, the official told him, 'Sure, I know how bad MSG is. I wouldn't touch the stuff.' But this Top-level government official refuses to tell the public what he knows. The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing issues with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying The price for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused By an addictive food additive.

If you want to see for yourself. Go To the National Library of Medicine at http://www.pubmed.com/ Type in theWords 'MSG Obese' and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear.

I don't know about you, but I'm checking my labels from now on!

Show off your creative skill!

A dear author friend of mine is hosting contests on her Web site to name the heroine of her upcoming Love Inspired Historical AND to name the book.

Two contests! Please make haste over to http://www.louisemgouge.com/ and enter your creative ideas. The judge for both contests is Melissa Endlich of Steeple Hill.

How savvy are ye--answers and winner!

"I'll watch ye dance the Tyburn hornpipe" = "I'll watch you hang!"


Tyburn was London's traditional place of public execution where immates of NewGate prison were hanged. The dance refers to the involuntary jerks of someone being hanged. (sorry for those weak at heart)


Sarah said "hanging"
Angie said "walk the plank"
Remnant said "a pirates' death"



All great answers! But Sarah got it.



"Yet ye're aggrieved, being a poor-spirited, crossgrained cur." crossgrained means perverse or troublesome.


Sarah said "Stubborn"
Angie said "Dumb"
Remnant said "easily argued with; hard to manage:



Great answers too, but Remnant was the closest.



"Had yer tongue pruned?" = "Cat got your tongue?"

Sarah said "Cat's got your tongue?"
Angie said "Why so quiet?"
Remnant said "At a loss for words?"



All three of you got it correct in my book!

"Here's paltry invention" = "That's a lie!"

Sarah said "dumb idea"
Angie said "little"
Remnant said "Despicable; have ye ever heard such a thing?"

I'll have ye talkin' like pirates soon enough. Good job!

"Passion is an ill word to steer by." = "Don't let your temper get the best of you."


Sarah said "Don't act by your emotions."
Angie said "Don't let your passions lead you."
Remnant said "Don't let emotions gee the best of you"

I told ye, ye were pirates! All 3 correct!



So, ho now, ye hear him, Cap'n, this paltry skipjack?" slipjack = fool.

A slipjack was a fish known to jump out of the water repeatedly and vigorously and to the pirates it looked like a crazy foolish fish.

Sarah said "conceited person"
Angie said "New crew member"
Remnant said "a fish"


You all did great!

Congratulations to Remnant! Send me a note and let me know which of my 3 pirate books you'd like me to send you.


Thanks to all of you for playing. That was fun, wasn't it??

What is heaven like? - part 3

The more I find out about heaven, the more excited I get. I don't think we have any idea how wonderful it's going to be! Here's the answers to last week's questions:

What is the difference between heaven and the new earth?

The present heaven that the Bible refers to is the current place where God dwells. Paul refers to it as the third heaven when he indicated that he was caught up to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12. We get glimpses of it in scripture. In Daniel and Isaiah we see visions of the great throne room of heaven where God sits on his throne. These pictures are awesome and glorious! But the scripture indicates heaven is not where we'll live forever. When Jesus returns to defeat Satan and set up his kingdom on earth, we will be with Him. 1 Thess 3:13 We will reign with Him for a thousand years on earth and then the scriptures indicate that God will create a new heaven and a new earth even more fabulous than this one. Isaiah 65 Mankind was created to live on earth and I truly believe earth will be our eternal home.

Will we remember our lives on earth?

There is every indication from scripture that we will remember in detail our lives while on earth. The martyrs standing before God in Revelation clearly remember the torment they suffered on earth. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16, the rich man remembers not only his life but all of his family still on earth and begs Lazarus to return and warn his family. When we stand before the Beta judgement seat, we must give account of our acts of faithfulness while here on earth so we can receive our reward. 1 Corinthians 3:14. How can we do that if we have no memory of our lives? There are many other examples, but I fully believe our memory will be intact and probably be more clear than ever.

Will we be able to pray for our loved ones on earth and be aware of what's happening on earth?

Several times in the book of Revelation, we see saints in heaven either rejoicing or praying for things that are happening on earth, so I fully believe that we will be aware of what's going on back on earth, perhaps not with specific people, but certainly with major events. In the Transfiguration in Luke 9, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and spoke to him about his ministry and the things that must come. Obviously they were totally aware of who Jesus was and what he came to earth to accomplish. Since we will have access to the throne room in heaven, I have no doubt that we will be able to come to God with our requests. In Revelation 6, the saints are asking God to do something specific on earth, so that would definitely indicate to me that can offer our prayers to God right to His Face. How awesome is that?

Next week's questions:

1. What sort of rewards will we receive?

2. Will the new earth be like Eden?

3. What will we do in the New Earth?

How savvy are ye?

As a tribute to my Legacy of the King's pirates series, I thought I'd have some fun and put forth some pirate phrases for you to decipher. Pirates really did have their own sort of language. I'm sure if we ran across a real one now, we'd have a hard time understanding what he was saying. (unless he poked his cutlass our way and forced us onto the plank--I think I would understand his meaning there) Here's some common pirate phrases. Try and figure out what they mean and leave me a comment with your best effort. At the end of the week, the person with the most correct answers can choose from any one of my pirate books (The Redemption, The Reliance, or The Restitution) and I'll send you a free autographed copy. If you already have one, they make great gifts too!

"I'll watch ye dance the Tyburn hornpipe"

"Yet ye're aggrieved, being a poor-spirited, crossgrained cur."

"Had yer tongue pruned?"

"Here's paltry invention"

"Passion is an ill word to steer by."

"So, ho now, ye hear him, Cap'n, this paltry skipjack?"

So don't be shy and give it yer best shot, and we'll be seein' which way the winds be blowin' by the end o' the week.

Another Chapter a week!

Washington's Lady
by Nancy Moser

The Martha you never knew…

Who is this woman who captured the heart of our country's founder? While still a young woman, Martha Custis is a widow with two children. As the richest widow in Virginia she has many suitors. But one man, a striking French and Indian War hero, steps into her life and makes her realize she is ready to love again.
Yet will this man, George Washington, who is accustomed to courageous military exploits, settle down to a simple life of farming and being a father to her children? Even as Martha longs for domestic bliss, she realizes she will have to risk everything to find the courage to get behind a dream much larger than her own. United in their Glorious Cause, the love of the Washingtons deepens until he calls her "My other self."

It is said that without George Washington there would be no United States.
But without Martha there would be no George Washington.

BEYOND THE NIGHT
By Marlo Schalesky

They say love is blind.
This time, they're right . . .

A poignant love story . . .
A shocking twist . . .
Come, experience a love that will not die.

A Nicolas Sparks (The Notebook) type love story meets a M. Night Shymalan (The Sixth Sense) twist in this moving story of two people trying to find love in the dark. A woman going blind, a man who loves her but can't tell her so, a car crash, a hospital room, and an ending that has to be experienced to be believed.

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week and to join our deeper discussion of these and other titles go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together.
If you enjoy Chapter-a-Week take the time to tell a friend how to sign up. It's easy and free and a great way to find books that fit each person's particular taste.v

What is heaven like - part 2

Last week, I began a series on heaven by asking three questions which I'll attempt to answer today. Believe me, I'm no expert on the topic. I'm getting my information directly from the Bible with a little help from Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven. What I hope to do for myself as well as anyone out there reading this is to dispel Satan's myths that heaven is this boring place where all these snooty religious people float around on clouds and play harps. Give me a break. Who wants to go there if that's what Heaven is truly like? Instead, I want to give us all something to look forward to, to strive for, and to fix our eyes upon.

Last week's questions.

1. Will we have physical bodies in Heaven?

The first thing to know is that Heaven is only a temporary dwelling place. Our eternal home will be when Heaven and the New Earth combine after the second coming of Jesus and the 1000 year reign. But that's another story. We don't know much about what our bodies will be like in Heaven, but we do know from scripture that we will be recognizable. When Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they appeared in bodies that were recognizable. (Luke 9:28-36)

But after the ressurection of the dead when the saints are taken into heaven (commonly called The Rapture) we will all be given new eternal bodies. (I Corinthians 15:35-54) We can also look to the example of Jesus's glorified body after He was raised from the dead.

Our new bodies will

be Spiritual in nature, but physical, touchable.

be able to walk, run, laugh, communicate, and work

be powerful and eternal (never grow old)

have all our 5 senses and maybe even more we don't know about

never grow tired or get sick or need to sleep

I don't know about you, but that's pretty exciting to me.

2. Will we be able to eat and drink?

I don't know about you, but if we couldn't eat in Heaven, I might be a bit dissapointed. But I believe we will be able to eat and drink. For one thing, Jesus shared a meal of fish with the disciples after He was resurrected. And what about the Marriage feast depicted in Revelation. A feast to me means lots of good food! (and we probably won't get fat either!) I can't wait.

3. Will we have relationships? Families? Friends?

Our God is a relational God. He's the ultimate Father of the biggest family in the universe. He created families begining with Adam and Eve. God himself is a triune entity. Three beings in one. He loves relationships. The Bible speaks about us being "adopted" into His family and Jesus calls His disciples His brothers, sisters, mothers and children. So, yes, I believe that we will have the best relationships in Heaven than we could have ever had on earth and we will all be a part of one big family.

Next week's questions:

1. What is the difference between Heaven and the New Earth?

2. Will we remember our lives on Earth?

3. Will we still be able to pray for our loved ones and will we know what's happening on Earth?

Shaped on the Potter's wheel

If you belong to God and you're still alive, then He has something He wants you to do (perhaps many things) Otherwise, He'd bring you home to heaven to be with Him. For years after I fully commited my life to Jesus, I wondered what He wanted me to do. How could he possibly use little ole me. If you knew my life and my condition when I got saved, you would definitely agree.

I was born into a broken home. Actually, it was more than broken. It was fractered in so many places, it was more like a pile of rubble. With my mother often gone and no father in the home, I was pretty much left to my own devices. I had no adult mentor to teach and guide me. I was shy, insecure, short, and chubby. When I became a teenager, my face blossomed with the ravages of acne. I was the kid in school who everybody made fun of. The girl who never got invited to sit at the popular girl's table at lunch or go to their parties. So, I pretty much withdrew inside myself and lived in a fantasy world, making up stories inside my head where I was always the beautiful heroine being rescued by the handsome hero.

Things got worse in my 20's. I went away to college still as insecure and misguided as I was as a kid, but now I had total freedom. I was desperate to be loved, valued, and to be someone. So I lived my life in wreckless abandon. For 15 years, I tried to find love and the meaning of life through all the things the world told me would bring me fulfillment. They didn't and I ended up divorced, ruining my life and my children's life for years to come. I struggled with money, with jobs, with relationships still seeking some way to end the pain in my heart.

Then at the right time, Jesus found me deep in a dark, slimy pit and He lifted me out and washed me off and showed me the narrow path to life and love and peace and unspeakable joy. That was 15 years ago and I can now say, I am complete in Him. Jesus was and is and always will be the answer for all my pain, heartache and for the emptiness inside me.

I used to look back on my earlier life and be mad at God for allowing me to take the course that I did--to cause myself and my family and many others so much pain. The Bible says I was called, chosen by God from before the world began. He knew me and shaped me in my Mother's womb. Then, why couldn't He have just given me a good home, a strong, Christian father to raise me? Why couldn't He have sent people into my life at an early age to tell me about God and lead me to Him? I could have avoided all that struggling, all that pain.

But something in a sermon I heard today made it all make sense. Every single second of my life was planned by God for a purpose. He was shaping me for a task or tasks He wants me to complete for Him, for His Kingdom. Nothing was wasted. Not even the horrible sins I commited. No, I don't believe God was pleased with those, but He allowed me to go my own way, knowing what I would do, and even before I did them, He was planning how He would use them in my life to shape and mold me and form me into who I am today for His purpose.

Everything, from my sad childhood to my unpopular teen years to my wayward 20's. All of it has enabled me to write novels today that reflect His power, His Glory, His might, His incredible Love. If I hadn't gone through what I did, I wouldn't be able to write what I write today. That thought just blew me away! And it should you too. Whenever you look back at the tragedies in your life or even something you're going through now, God has a plan! If you are His, He can turn the most horrific circumstances into something good. Listen to this quote from Spurgeon:

"Faith's way of walking is to cast all care upon the Lord and then to anticipate good results from the worst calamities."

Awesome.

Another Chapter a week!

From a Distance
by Tamera Alexander

What happens when dreams aren't what you imagined,
And secrets you've spent a lifetime guarding are finally laid bare?
Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.
Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt will bring secrets from his past to light.
Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.

WAGERED HEART
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Zondervan, June 2008

Bethany Silverton can't resist the challenge of charming a rough cowboy. But when she makes an innocent wager, unexpected results could turn a little flirtation into a lifetime of love. A sheltered preacher's daughter stakes her heart on love in this action-filled romance in the wild west of 1880s Montana.

"Hawk and Bethany's journey is fraught with misunderstandings, personal tragedy and the schemes of a treacherous man adding excitement to a tale that overflows with simmering attraction and blossoming love. Interspersed with humour and electrifying dialogue, Wagered Heart is a summer treat not to be missed."-- Relz Reviews

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week and to join our deeper discussion of these and other titles go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together.
If you enjoy Chapter-a-Week take the time to tell a friend how to sign up. It's easy and free and a great way to find books that fit each person's particular taste.

What is heaven like?

I may have mentioned that I'm reading a book called Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, which I highly recommend. It fascinates me when I discover how many well-meaning commited Christians have no idea what heaven will be like when the scriptures give us so many clues. I mean, this is the place where we will spend eternity. One would think that we would be consumed with finding out as much as we can about it. God tell us to focus our eyes on the unseen, the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) and not on what we see which is temporary. Why do you suppose He asks us to do that? Could it be that most of us can get so caught up with the things of this world, that we spend our days worrying and fretting and complaining and striving over a life that is but a second in the clock of eternity. And in doing so, we take our eyes off of God, which is right where the Devil wants us. Ineffective for God. So, each week, I'm going to post some questions about heaven and see how much we really do know. I recently asked a girlfriend of mine--a godly Christian woman--what she thought heaven was like. She told me that we'd be standing before the throne of God, worshiping Him day and night. Now, don't get me wrong. I love the Lord and I'm looking forward to seeing Him and worshipping Him, but please. all day and night long? No wonder some people are trying to scramble for everything they can in this world if that's all we have to look forward to in heaven. Here's this week's questions which I will answer next week.

Will we have physical bodies?

Will we be able to eat and drink?

Will we have relationships? Families? Friends?

And the winners are.....

Sarah Bottomley wins A Sounding Brass! and
Lisa (Remnant Reminscences) wins All the Tea in China!


And thanks to everyone who entered. I'll try and do this more often as I read books that I really enjoy. Also, check back next month when I'm having a big giveaway of my new release, The Falcon and ths Sparrow.!!!

Chapter a week!

Be sure to sign up for the Summer Reading Book Giveaway—all the details are on Chapter-a-Week! Today, June 6th, is the final day to sign up…

The Guardians
Jack Cavanaugh
David C. Cook, 2008


"Jack Cavanaugh, the acknowledged master of historical fiction, welcome to the present! The Guardians is a seat-belt-mandatory page-turning conclusion to the Morgan family series."
—John Culea, Emmy-award winning news anchor

A cop on the wrong side of a crime scene, Ethan Morgan is left with nothing but his brother's widow, a missing family heirloom, and a heart filled with rage. The search for his brother's killer uncovers an evil that threatens the spiritual foundations of America.

Fatal Deduction
by Gayle Roper

Libby Keating is forced to share a Colonial era row house in Philadelphia with her estranged twin Tori. Instead of the renewed relationship she hopes for, she finds a body on the doorstep with a cryptic warning embedded in a crossword puzzle.

"Roper's dialogue and character development are spot-on…this novel is a pleasure from start to finish." -Publisher's Weekly

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week and to join our deeper discussion go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together.

Are Christians narrow-minded and arrogant?

More than 90% of the people in the USA claim they are Christians. Yet, if you ask the majority of them what they truly believe, they'll tell you they believe there is a God and there are many pathways that lead to Him, and that you must live a good life in order to get to heaven. I cannot tell you the countless times I have heard people spout off variations of this dogma. And dogma it is. They may say they are not religious, but these statements are doctrinal statements about their faith and what they believe about God, so they are just as religious as evangelicals are. Yet, in order for them to make such claims about the universe and God, they are essentially claiming that they know all truth. You cannot say there are many pathways to God unless you have received some divine revelation from Him in which He told you so. Or unless you have somehow risen above all of mankind's human intelligence and have studied universal truths from outside your own human limitations.

On the other hand, we fundamental Christians make the same claim. We believe there is only one pathway to God through the sacrifice of Jesus, His Son. By proclaiming this, we also are saying that we have received divine revelation and are privileged to know absolute truth.

Then why are we called narrow-minded and arrogant when essentially they are making the same claim to know and understand all universal truth just like we are, even though the specifics are different. It baffles me.

What about the people who say there is no truth and you can't know God. (Relativism) This philosophy falls apart by it's simple claim that there is no universal truth. Just by saying that, you are stating what you believe to be a universal truth.

Anyway, sorry for the side trip into philosophy. This is one of those things I like to toss around in my head now and then. And maybe it will give you some clue how to respond to those who call you narrow-minded for believing in Jesus.

I have two books to giveaway!

The first one is A Sounding Brass by Shelley Bates. Shelley is a good friend of mine and an awesome writer! Here's what the back cover says:

Claire Montoya's life doesn't fit her anyore. Brought up in a strict church in the small town of Hamilton Falls, Claire has seen disgrace fall on the leaders she trusted and watched her friends reject their faith.
When Luke Fisher is invited to preach at one of their gatherings, Claire finds herself drawn to the handsome radio evangelist. She joins his radio station staff as a bookkeeper and, although she initially enjoys taking part in Luke's vision for the community, she begins to realize that certain things about this powerful personality don't add up. Complicating matters, investigaor Ray Harper is hanging around the studio asking disturbing questions--and making an impression of his own on young Claire.

All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt

Though well-bred, fashionable, and educated, Isabella Goodrich feels useless as a spinster in a world of matchmaking and social gatherings. She'd rather be practicing her skills at the sword and discussing philosophy than making painful small talk at ridiculous parties.
Then Isabella meets the mysterious Phineas Snowe, and she becomes convinced she is meant to follow him to the mission fields of the Orient. As a woman with an independent nature, she sneaks away and boards a ship to China. What she discovers about her companion and the world beyond Britain's shores draws her into a greater quest, and deeper love, than she could have imagined.

I've read both these books and they are excellent. If you'd like to be entered to win one of them, please leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you!) and tell me which one you'd prefer! I'll draw 2 names next Monday.

Picture a beautiful created world filled with living beings of all kinds, breathing, laughing, living--even the trees sing and laugh and clap. Then picture an evil force in the form of a man persuading other men to join him and then together they conquer this world. The living beings go into hiding. The trees cease to speak. Even the animals turn violent and carniverous under this wicked man's rule. A curse falls on all the land. But one man comes from among them, a young prince, destined to be king. In jealous rage, the evil king tries to kill the prince before he is old enough to rule. The prince runs away to the forest, having heard "fairy" tales of another world long lost. He is pursued by the wicked King's army, but he blows on a magical horn, summoning the promised kings and queens of the land--the sons and daughters of adam, who were given the right to rule the land, but who had since abandoned it. The young prince meets the kings of queens and they join forces and slowly he comes to see that all the stories he was told as a youth were true. There is a land, a glorious land, ruled by a mighty Lion, where joy and peace and happiness exist, where animal and man live together in harmony and trees speak.

Does any of this sound familiar? It should.

I thoroughly enjoyed Prince Capsian. But then how can you go wrong with princes, and kings and queens, honor and integrity, purpose, the love of a mighty leader, and the battle between good and evil? I suppose part of the enjoyment for me is knowing the real meaning behind all the symbolism. And knowing it is the truth.

There are some awesome scenes in this movie that make it worth the $9 to see it. (Plust the $7 for buttered popcorn. Yum) But, I'll leave you with this phrase from 2 Thess 2:8

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.