Tuesday, July 21, 2015

HOW ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR PILGRIMAGE? READ DAVIS BUNN'S LATEST NOVEL TO DISCOVER THE MEANING OF PILGRIMAGE!


WITH THAT IN MIND . . . HOW ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR  PILGRIMAGE?  THE IDEA OF PILGRIMAGE HAS BEEN DRIVEN HOME TO ME THESE LAST FEW DAYS.  FIRST DAVIS BUNN'S BOOK, THEN THE LATEST NETFLIX MOVIE THAT ARRIVED IN OUR HOUSEHOLD, THE WAY.  FINALLY, THE MESSAGE I PREACHED ON SUNDAY MORNING LOOKED AT SEVERAL PILGRIMS.  HEBREWS CHAPTER 11 RECORDS THE HEROES OF "THE HALL OF FAITH."  HALF OF THEM SEEMED TO "MAKE IT THROUGH" IN WHAT THE WORLD WOULD CALL "SUCCESSFUL FASHION."  OTHERS EXPERIENCED PERSECUTION AND PAIN IN VARIOUS DEGREES THAT ARE NOT PLEASANT TO CONTEMPLATE.  I'LL LEAVE YOU TO READ THAT CHAPTER FOR THE DETAILS.

BUT HEBREWS 11 CLOSES WITH THIS FINAL THOUGHT:  THE "WINNERS," AND THE "LOSERS" ARE STILL WAITING TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE.  THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE OTHERS WHO ARE STILL RUNNING THE RACE.  IN GOD'S ECONOMY - WE ALL CROSS THE FINISH LINE AT THE SAME TIME.  WE ALL  WIN!

BETWEEN THE STARTING GUN (BIRTH) TO THE END OF OUR LEG OF THE RACE (DEATH), WE ARE ON A PILGRIMAGE.  ALONG THE WAY, WE MAKE ACQUAINTANCES.  THOSE ACQUAINTANCES SOMETIMES JOIN US AS COMPANIONS.  CIRCUMSTANCES FORCE COMPANIONS TO BECOME COMRADES . .  .AND OVERCOMING THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES TOGETHER FORGES FRIENDSHIPS.

UNLIKE THE WORLD'S VIEW OF "FRIENDSHIP," A TRUE PILGRIMAGE PRODUCES FRIENDS OF A DIFFERENT CHARACTER.  THOSE FRIENDS MADE ON PILGRIMAGE REMAIN FRIENDS FOR LIFE.  ALL IT TAKES IS AN E-MAIL, A NOTE, A POST-CARD, OR A PHONE CALL . . . AND THEY WILL MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO BE AT YOUR SIDE BEFORE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR NEXT BREATH.

      Author Davis Bunn

SAMPLE THE PILGRIM: THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS ARE FREE!









THE WORLD KNOWS LITTLE OF PILGRIMS.  MAYBE, IF THEY GOT TO KNOW THEM BETTER, THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE.


HOW ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR PILGRIMAGE?






   

Saturday, July 18, 2015

THE PILGRIM . . . HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT DAVIS BUNN'S LATEST NOVEL?


THE PILGRIM by author Davis Bunn

Helena – the consort of Emperor Constantinus, from which union came Constantine The Great – is on a pilgrimage.  Abandoned by her husband, in danger because of her faith, Helena nonetheless presses forward.  In so doing, she impacts history as no other woman has done.  Miracles seem to follow her as she wins many over to the faith.  Lives are changed forever, including her own.

Her faith provides the necessary courage, strength, and zeal necessary to begin the journey. . .

Will it be enough to see her through?

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?  HERE'S THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS!!!

THE PILGRIM Chapters 1 - 3

Friday, July 17, 2015

In Memory of Dr. W. Wilbert Welch, Christian leader, statesman, and author

Welch
 
Cornerstone University Announces Loss of Fifth President and Chancellor, Dr. Welch
 
With deep sadness, Cornerstone University announces the death of its fifth president and chancellor, Dr. W. Wilbert Welch, 97, on the morning of July 16, 2015.
 
Dr. Welch led the university from 148 enrolled students meeting in a church basement on Wealthy Street in 1959 to 130 acres in a strategic area of Grand Rapids on East Beltline Avenue five years later. He grew the small Bible Institute into an accredited Christian liberal arts college that now educates close to 3,000 in its undergraduate program, two seminaries, online classes and adult learning program.
 
The beloved former president served at the helm of the university until 1983 and later as interim president in 1991 until Dr. Rex Rogers was hired.
 
In 2006, Dr. and Mrs. Welch were honored with the naming of the centrally located campus clock tower.
 
He continued to be a presence on campus, stopping to pray for faculty and staff members in their offices, attending chapel and eating in the dining commons on a regular basis until 2012.
 
Born in 1918 in Greenville, Mich., Dr. Welch received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from Bob Jones University where he sat under the leadership of Dr. Bob Jones. He served multiple congregations in Georgia and Michigan before accepting the presidency of Cornerstone University.
 
"His leadership through the years has been outstanding,” said Dr. Joe Stowell, current president of Cornerstone University. “We wouldn’t be here today without his great work.”
 
Dr. Welch was married to his wife, Meryl, for 71 years before she passed away last year.
 
Please join the broader Cornerstone University community in remembering and celebrating the life and work of Dr. Welch at a memorial service on August 31 at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel on the campus of Cornerstone University. 

THRIVING IN BABYLON by Dr. Larry Osborne . . . EVEN IN BABYLON, GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Dr. Larry Osborne has served as a senior pastor and teaching pastor at North Coast Church – one of the ten most influential churches in the country – since 1980.  Dr. Larry Osborne is a pastor who recognizes truth . . . and has no compunctions in administering it.

How refreshing! 

In his work, THRIVING IN BABYLON, Dr. Osborne takes a fresh look at the book of Daniel.  Discarding the “typical” interpretation of Daniel as a book of mystery, disregarding the “popular” interpretation of Daniel as a book of encouragement, Dr. Osborne engages the text with scholarship and wisdom, and opens up the eyes of those who will see.   Along the way, the author explores:
  • Why panic and despair are never from God
  • What true optimism really looks like
  • How humility disarms even the greatest of enemies
  • Why respect causes those who would otherwise have nothing to do with God, to listen
  • How wisdom can snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat


But be warned . . . as an old proverb counsels us, “Truth can sometimes wear a wry face.”  Are you prepared to handle the truth?

Author Dr. Larry Osborne can deliver it.


5 stars for a refreshing, reflective understanding of the life of Daniel

THRIVING IN BABYLON
Larry Osborne
ISBN 978-1-4347-0421-4
Religion / Christian Life / General
David C. Cook
199 pages
$15.99 U.S.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

TRIAL RUN by Thomas Locke . . . A New Interactive Puzzle for your Puzzling Pleasure!


                   Trailer for techno-thriller TRIAL RUN by Thomas Locke

INTERACTIVE PUZZLE #1 at Thomas Locke's blog

INTERACTIVE PUZZLE #2 at JigSaw Planet

THE PILGRIM by Davis Bunn Is Officially Released Tomorrow!



     http://www.davisbunn.com/book/the-pilgrim-by-davis-bunn.htm

IT'S OFFICIAL!  THE PILGRIM by author Davis Bunn is officially released tomorrow.  Here's a sneak preview (the first three chapters) as well as advanced notice of a FACEBOOK One-Day-Only Book Giveaway!  The link is below, but will not be active until tomorrow.  Also, if you have problems with reading, or prefer audiobooks, I've included links to the audiobook version of THE PILGRIM.  This is a short novel (165 pages) that packs a huge punch!  Happy Reading!

FACEBOOK One-Day-Only Book Give Away

A preview of THE PILGRIM by Davis Bunn

Audiobook Links:    
              Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MdGhGD
                 B&N: http://bit.ly/1LdpCCW

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

THE PILGRIM . . . Q & A With Author Davis Bunn

 
Q: There are many legends about Constantine and his mother, Helena. How did you decide which legend to incorporate into the story?
Davis Bunn: The period when Constantine became the first Christian emperor is one about which so much has been written, and yet so little detail is known. No one knows for certain where his mother, Helena – the main character in The Pilgrim – was born. There are three main legends, and I used the one that has the greatest sense of historical resonance, that she was British, and her father ruled one of the provinces taken over by the Romans. Her husband was a general who met Helena in the local market and fell in love at first sight.

Q: What is the appeal of writing about a historical figure? What was one special challenge you faced in doing so?
First and foremost, Helena is a saint in the eyes of the Catholic church. Her son, Emperor Constantine, was the first Roman leader to convert to Christianity. His death marked the moment when Christians were freed from persecution. Constantine was led to faith by his mother. The Pilgrim is her story.
While I am a fervent evangelical Protestant, my wife is Catholic. My mother is a Catholic convert. As is my sister, who has raised her two daughters as Catholic. So part of what I wanted to do here was to grow closer to the heritage that these dear people treasure. Their faith has had such an impact on my own life.  It was important that I use this story and this opportunity to create something that would honor their perspective on faith. I also wanted to share with readers the enormous life lessons we can learn from the lives of the saints.
So many, many different issues came up as a result of this quest. It proved to be a beautiful and intense growing experience. Although this book is not particularly long, the actual writing took as long as some of my much bigger books. Part of this was honing the story so their faith, and their history, was honored, but done from a foundation that reflected my own personal walk in faith.
My hope, my fervent prayer, is that the story will resonate with readers from both faith communities.

Q: The end of The Pilgrim leaves the reader wanting more. Will you revisit this story down the road?

I am working on a second book, The Fragment, which is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2016. The Fragment carries some of the concepts from The Pilgrim into the early twentieth century, when the U.S. came to possess a reliquary with a supposed component of Jesus’s cross. It ends in a vignette that happens today, when a couple travels to Rome.  


THE PILGRIM by Davis Bunn . . . Sometimes, re-visiting the past can change your future forever!

THE PILGRIM
Davis Bunn
ISBN 978-1-61636-865-4
Fiction/Christian/Historical
Franciscan Media
165 pages
$14.99 U.S.

“Helena stood on the ship’s deck and surveyed the army sent to kill her.”

In my opinion, author Davis Bunn is the reigning champion of “opening sentences.”  In fourteen words, he has managed to capture my curiosity, my attention, and my heart.  And it just gets better, from that point on!

Helena – the consort of Emperor Constantinus, from which union came Constantine The Great – is on a pilgrimage.  Abandoned by her husband, in danger because of her faith, Helena nonetheless presses forward.  In so doing, she impacts history as no other woman has done.  Miracles seem to follow her as she wins many over to the faith.  Lives are changed forever, including her own.

Her faith provides the necessary courage, strength, and zeal necessary to begin the journey. . .

Will it be enough to see her through?

The greatest compliment that I can offer to author Davis Bunn is simply this; he cares.

He genuinely desires to “get it right,” to be true to the authentic details of the time of which he is writing.  This latest novel, THE PILGRIM, is no exception.  And the necessary work that Davis Bunn had to have done in order to attain this authenticity, this faithfulness to the facts of a time so far removed from our own, is a testimony not only to his desire – but to his abilities as a researcher, a scholar, a quintessential student of history.


His ability to take the gleanings of his study, and weave them together into the rich fabric of a novel that will gently lay hold of the reader’s attention, and never let it go, is just the frosting on a beautifully baked cake.

For more on this wonderful novel, I've provided some links below!  You can read the first three chapters, visit THE PILGRIM page for more info on the background of this book, and get to know the author a little better!

                       The-Pilgrim-Sampler-Chapters-1-3.pdf

                                                                                                       Davis Bunn, Author














                                                 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Franciscan Media in exchange for my honest review.