BlogSpot52.com

Dec

2015

A New Way to Learn States and Capitals

Enjoying History and Geography

My son, Matthew, comes up with some interesting things he sources on the Internet. Below are some notes he wrote (I asked him to introduce a clip he shared with me) and a short video that introduces the capital city of each of the states in the USA. Notice Wakko’s quasi-Yorkshire accent… we find that amusing, too!

Matthew Writes. . .

Animaniacs was a show that aired between 1993-1998 that was produced by Steven Spielberg (E.T., Indiana Jones films,etc.) and his company Amblin Entertainment’s television division. It was structured like a variety show, with different characters appearing in different segments. The main characters, however, were the Warner Brothers’ (Yakko, Wakko) and their sister Dot (unidentified as species, but they look like cats to me.)

The show was generally intended as a parody of Warner Bros’ Looney Tunes shorts (1930-1969) mixed with comic educational segments to soften the violence. This is one of the education segments listing all the states and their capitals. For those reading this article and watching this clip who do not understand the beginning, it is intended as a parody of Jeopardy, a popular game show here in the U.S. where the contestants have to answer the questions in the form of a question (e.g., Who is Road Runner?, What is the Bible?, etc.) I hope you enjoy this clip.

Sep

2015

Friend Focus: John Blanchard

Why Focus on a Friend?

I’ve previously mentioned how my work in books introduces me to some delightful people. In serving them, it is my privilege to have made new friends over the years, so I thought it would be good from time to time to point the camera, as it were, on some of them, and the excellent ministries that they themselves conduct.

Right with God

I first heard the name of John Blanchard in 1979. His book, Right with God, was known as a popular and standard explanation of the gospel. But it was not for another several years that I was to meet him in person. At the time, recently married, I was living in South Africa and Martin Holdt, pastor of a church in the Johannesburg area, had invited him to speak at key meetings throughout South Africa.

Somehow, I managed to get his phone number in about 1987 and (it was a big deal back then in the 1980s) I put through a person-to-person phone call to him in his home near London. “You’d like me to take a special meeting in Pietermaritzburg…?” asked the voice with a melodious sounding Guernsey accent. “Well, that should be no great problem. Yes, I’d be glad to do that!”

A few years earlier, Sue and I had seen his excellent color illustrated booklet, Ultimate Questions, and immediately purchased 100 copies to be used as giveaway items. We cleaned out the suppliers almost all in one go! We knew that, if we could get him to come and speak in our church (we met in a school hall), we could pack the place out… and we did, with a few people coming to faith in Christ the evening he spoke. Some years later, we were involved in preparing a Zulu edition of Ultimate Questions and having it distributed in Southern Africa.

But back to some details about John Blanchard: South Africa became one of his favorite ministry countries. People there loved his clear gospel presentation, and so it was that he came to make many repeat visits there, speaking to large crowds at key locations in cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

In 1999, Sue and I relocated to the UK, and I served Evangelical Press (now EP Books) for a while as international sales manager. That connected us more closely, a link that did not weaken in subsequent work and projects I undertook in literature, both in the UK and the USA. It was a special delight to work with John in promoting his major work, Does God Believe in Atheists?, a labor of love that has helped persuade many of the folly and impossibility of consistent atheism. I sometimes would joke with him about his PCA program. PCA is what John referred to as his Popular Christian Apologetics; I rephrased it to Program to Combat Atheism!

“As much as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can”

John cannot sit still! I met with him about a year ago when he was visiting South Carolina, and we enjoyed a morning of happy fellowship in the country some way away from Greenville. “Well, I’ll be preaching tomorrow in town, and then the next day in Savannah, and after that I am flying to Arkansas and…” (he rattled off several places where he was scheduled to be speaking). Well does he describe himself and his ministry in these terms: “As much as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can!”

Origins and Ministry

John’s life story is engagingly and fascinatingly told in a DVD and a biographical travel guide. Born in Guernsey before World War 2, he was evacuated before the German occupation of his island, and resided for much of the war in Scotland. Later converted, he found himself part of a team of itinerant evangelists in the UK, and with an expanding ministry.

Joyce, the wife of his youth, died in February 2010, but I was delighted to learn that God has brought another special woman into his life, so now he and Pam together serve the Lord! You can connect with John and read his updates by visiting his site here, and also subscribe to his regularly ministry updates, Newsline.

Do You Use Literature?

When I think of John, I cannot but think of him as a speaker and writer. Books and booklets are a must when it comes to establishing others in the truth. I cannot recommend his books too highly! In one of my web initiatives, I am endeavoring to make all of his titles available, and, with the kind assistance of EP Books and their distributors, these are available at generously discounted prices. To find out more, visit here or click or tap on the image of John’s books near the head of this page!

Sep

2015

Fitness Is Fun!

Holistic and Holy

I think physical fitness is a great idea! Being holy and taking a holistic view on life are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Ever since Sue began a keep-fit program several years ago, it has inspired me to do the best I can with my own health. A workplace injury sustained in my former employment prevents me from doing anything too strenuous for the time being, but I do the best I can. Sue does better, exercising usually each week.

A few years ago, I first made the acquaintance of John Lehman. John is family and counseling pastor at a local church, Hampton Park Baptist Church, and he has written three books, two of which I have helped him publish, and the third is on the point of going to press.

The third book, titled Fit for the Master–Glorifying God in a Healthy Body, captured my imagination the moment John first told me about it. “This could be the book that people most pay attention to,” I told him. “I really believe you are on to something with this particular writing project.”

John has defined the purpose of the book in these words: “This book is intended to encourage everyone to be fit for the Master’s use. God created us, and therefore we should be as functional as possible, so bringing Him glory while being able to lead more efficient and effective lives.”

The editing and production process has been both interesting and enjoyable, not to mention stimulating! We’ve worked hard to sharpen it, and it covers a lot of really important points. Consider, for example, the chapter divisions below:

Glorious Creator; Wonderful Creation
(Thinking about your place in God’s universe)

Health, and a Healthy Self-Image
(Enjoying being the “you” that God intends you to be)

You Don’t Have to Over-Strain!
(Understanding the place of exercise)

Exercise Guidelines
(Developing a practical strategy that suits you)

Food for Thought
(Getting your nutrition the way it should be)

Digest This!
(Considering what happens to your food after you have swallowed it)

Rest, Relaxation and Sleep
(Improving your efficiencies through wise sleep strategies)

Blessed Are the Balanced
(Maintaining body-soul equilibrium)

Go On . . . Just Do it!
(Putting the principles into practice)

Extensively illustrated with numerous well-drawn diagrams (see some samples at the head of this page), the book packs a lot of information very concisely into 144 pages, and is being produced as a handy-sized hardback. You can read much more about it by clicking or tapping so get to John’s site HERE, and also view a one-minute video below. And you can also read some typeset pages on this site HERE.

Sep

2015

Back to School: Bob Jones Academy–Middle School

A New Term Begins . . .

Matthew: first day at BJU Middle School

After a lengthy summer’s break, Matthew, our son, returned to school, this time embarking on his experience of middle school. Seventh grade is a whole new ballgame, for parents and students alike. Greater maturity is expected. Students are now beginning to attain a new altitude in terms of more demanding work (the pre-algebra is an interesting case in point for me!) and in the requirements of assuming greater levels of independent responsibility when it comes to taking ownership of projects, such as in life science.

What’s Bugging You?

Matthew’s bug collection (a BJU life science project) has kept us all engaged, with a butterfly net kept to hand in case of a sudden find (he has to present 35 pinned and identified bugs, each specimen to be mounted on a board). As we were driving somewhere the other day, an unfortunate ladybug made her belly visible through the windshield when we were about halfway to where we are going. “Dad, why are you stopping here?” Matthew’s voice asked from the back seat. With hazard lights blinking, and the car parked as much off the road as possible, I responded shortly before jumping out, “Look at what’s on our windshield,” and, with that, I managed to capture the insect in one of the containers we were keeping near to hand for this kind of eventuality. An hour in the freezer is usually enough to end the life of a bug like this, and, presto, another one is ready for the collection!

Worldview

It’s interesting to see how worldview comes through in such a practical way in the teaching of a subject like science. Consider a few excerpts from a science worksheet Matthew recently brought home:

Worldviews shape the way we think… help us make sense of what we are doing…help us to answer other questions regarding our purposes in life.

We believe our worldview is based on the truth of God’s Word; a non-biblical worldview would be based on something else that a person considers more reliable than the Bible–…church traditions, scientific theories, philosophies, or other ideas that have originated from human beings.

We can bring God glory through our work of dominion… relieving human suffering and proclaiming the gospel we become instruments for God’s redemption of the world, reclaiming life science for God’s glory, valuing a life created in the image of God as opposed to just another animal*

I could wish that I had received such a robust worldview when I was twelve years old!

Vision and Values

The university (of which the school is a part) defines its mission in these words: “Bob Jones University exists to grow Christlike character that is scripturally disciplined, others-serving, God-loving, Christ-proclaiming and focused above.” You can read more about Bob Jones University and schools here.

(Excerpt from Seventh Grade Worksheet, Life Science: What is Science?)

Aug

2015

How to Write Good

I enjoyed reading this lighthearted entry I found on Facebook; it originates from Tutor2u.

1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. They’re old hat.
4. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
5. Be more or less specific.
6. Writers should never generalize.
Seven: Be consistent.
8. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
9. Who needs rhetorical questions?
10. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

Featured image derived from a graphic on http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

Aug

2015

Serving Others Joyfully

For the Joy of Ministry

A friend loves to end his emails with this strap line: “For the joy of ministry.” This resonates well with me. Jesus Himself took on the role of a servant. He came not to be ministered to, but to minister–to serve–and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Reflecting on this, I am drawn to some key thoughts in my editing and book production operation, Great Writing, and how I distilled an operational service ethos. These are the key points I wished to define:

Serving Authors: We Appreciate the Challenges

Being an author today certainly means having to navigate some heavy seas. There may be more ships on the water, but the oceans themselves have violent ebbs and flows. Writers’ block comes even to experienced authors; distractions, fatigue, and staleness are ever-present dangers to be guarded against; and the risk of just being, well, plain boring is there! Sympathy and understanding on the part of an editor can do wonders to help a writer!

Serving Editors: We Support the Process

My wife once put it quite bluntly: “To be an editor,” she said, “you have to be pedantic.” I hadn’t thought of it quite that way, but, yes, she could not have expressed it any more accurately. Is this according to the Chicago standards? Is there an exception to how this inflection should be rendered? Will the splitting of the infinitive actually offend our non-US readers? Should I adopt the purist approach and insist on absolute concord, or will the text read more evenly (and not over colloquially) with the grammatically less preferable rendering? These and a multitude of questions hustle around me anxiously and impertinently as I endeavor to polish paragraphs for other publishers.

Serving You: We Value Your Uniqueness

I deliberately chose a fingerprint motif to express this point. There really is no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to bringing the best out of an author. I once met an editor–a true pedant (and that in the worst sense of the word)–whose in-depth knowledge of linguistics equipped her well for the production of textbooks*. However, when it came to feeling the pulse of an author and helping him or her to express even better those things so passionately felt and articulated, this editor might just as well have been using a clothes iron set on “maximum” instead of an editor’s pencil.

Serving Your Audience: We Keep Your Book in Print

What is a book without an audience? It’s probably about as good as being an author without a publisher. That’s why I have come up with a completely new publishing and distribution model. It is totally low-risk, guarantees a professional outcome, offers a secure production and distribution model, and facilitates getting your book to where it needs to be–visible and available for ordering online.

Excellence in the Written Word

Find out more about my services by visiting my work site here. I endeavor to live up to the strap-line I have chosen: “Excellence in the written word.”

* From Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, consider this definition of a horse: "Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs, too. Hoofs hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth."

Aug

2015

Longing for Home

New from Shepherd Press

(This post is extracted directly from Shepherd Press and is the Preface to the newly released book by J. Stephen Yuille.)

Life-long Nostalgia, the Psalms of Ascent, and the Journey Home

Some feelings are difficult to put into words. Occasionally, I experience a sudden sense of familiarity, which creates a deep longing that I can neither express nor fulfill. It happens in front of a roaring fire around Christmas time, or on a cool autumn evening as the sun nears the end of its descent. It occurs when I see gray skies and barren hills, or I hear certain strains of music, or I smell freshly cut grass on a warm summer evening. It begins to stir as I drive past my childhood home or recall childhood friends. In each of these instances, I sense something familiar yet missing.

On a far greater level, all of us experience what C. S. Lewis calls “life-long nostalgia.” It stems from our inexpressible longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel isolated—something familiar yet missing. This something is God, of course. He created us in his image, so that we might find our rest and center in him. But we broke away from him, and we have lived with the isolation ever since.

In 2012, an elderly woman in the city of Borja, Spain, realized that a familiar fresco painted on one of the church walls was looking a little faded. The fresco, Ecce Homo, was a rendition of Christ standing trial before Pontius Pilate. The woman took it upon herself to attempt a restoration of the nearly century-old piece of art. The result was disastrous. According to one report, she turned the painting into something resembling a “bloated hedgehog.” Sadly, that’s us. Sin has marred us beyond recognition. As a result of this defacing, we’ve lost the life of God and the enjoyment of God, and this isolation has led to our “life-long nostalgia.”

But the story doesn’t end here. Mercifully, the Son of God has drawn near to us in the incarnation. He who made all things was carried in the womb of a woman, and he who upholds all things was held in the arms of a woman. He clothed himself with our humanity—body and soul. He came so close as to experience life in a fallen world, bear our sin and shame, and taste death for us. He was bruised, that we might be healed; condemned, that we might be justified. At that moment of utter darkness and forsakenness upon the cross, he purchased the enjoyment of God for us—restoration and reconciliation. His forgiveness now supersedes our sinfulness, his merit eclipses our guilt, and his righteousness hides our vileness. His “abundant mercy” blots out our multitude of “transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).

By virtue of our union with Christ, we draw near to God and find in him all we could ever want: an eternal and spiritual good, suitable to our every need. Our knowledge of this God diffuses into our soul a satisfying peace in this life and a tantalizing taste of what awaits us in glory. Having returned to our center, we live in anticipation of the beatific vision—the day we will see God (Matthew 5:8). In one sense, we see him right now through the eyes of faith, but that’s nothing in comparison to what’s coming. At present, we see God’s perfections in their effects, namely his works of creation, providence, and redemption; but in the future, we will see him perfectly.

We will be like Christ and therefore able to commune with God to the fullest capacities of our souls. There will be nothing to obscure, confound, or hinder our enjoyment of him. Our knowledge of God will be full and perfect, constant and complete, resulting in hitherto unknown delight as we rest fully and finally in him. Until then, we’re on a journey fraught with joys and sorrows, pleasant valleys and perilous mountains, encouraging gains and crippling losses—a journey marked by rejoicing, grieving, searching, wondering, and longing.

And that brings us to this book, Longing for Home: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent. We are not exactly sure why these fifteen psalms—chapters 120-134—are called the Psalms of Ascent. One of the more plausible explanations for the description ascent (or degree) is that the Israelites sang this collection of psalms as they traveled (ascended) to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate one of their annual festivals, which we read about in Deuteronomy 16:16.

A unique feature of the psalms in general is that they express the whole range of human emotions. John Calvin refers to them as “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul, for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.” What is true of the Book of Psalms in general is true of the Psalms of Ascent in particular. In short, they’re a catalogue of human experience. They take us on a journey through life’s many ups and downs. In so doing, they shape our perspectives, regulate our feelings, and inform our judgments. They guide us into the path of God-glorifying desires, God-magnifying emotions, and God-honoring thoughts. They equip us to pray in faith, as they beckon us to fix our eyes heavenward.

Whenever we feel besieged on our journey, we tend to turn to whatever we think can help us—another program, another seminar, another counselor. Far too often, however, we neglect the help God has given us—the Book of Psalms, and the Psalms of Ascent, in particular. In them, we connect with people who’ve traveled the very road we’re traveling. If we listen carefully, they teach us how to look to God in every circumstance of life, and they demonstrate how this shift in perspective strengthens our faith and enlarges our hope.

I trust this pastoral emphasis will become apparent as you make your way through this book, and I pray God will bless it to your spiritual comfort and his eternal glory.

Deus pro nobis

Longing for Home: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent is currently available from Shepherd Press.

“Stephen Yuille guides us on a journey through this collection of psalms and shows how these ancient texts express the sighs of believers in Christ who are longing for their heavenly home.”
—Donald S. Whitney, SBTS

Longing for Home is a useful expositional study of Psalms 120-134… Useful for sermon preparation, various Bible Study formats or devotionally for the feeding of one’s own soul. I am delighted to give it my enthusiastic commendation.
—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

A timeless resource for developing deeper spiritual convictions in our relationship to God. Stephen Yuille continues this heritage with a exposition of the eternal truths of the Psalms of Ascent for the twenty-first century.
—Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, College Church in Wheaton

Aug

2015

Shepherd Press Catalog Online

Resources for the Heart

It’s always an exciting matter to take what a publisher has on offer and to present the range in a systematized and visually appealing way.

The challenge any designer faces in a project such as this is to render a large number of items within the constraints of a relatively small space. So, the emphasis has to be on key descriptions, enough of a visual display to give a sense of what the items are like, and the power of written endorsements to encourage the pull of the “Buy Now” trigger. It was well said by Erasmus that he purchased books, and, if he had any spare money, he would buy less important items such as clothes and food!*

Shepherd Press Publications Are Excellent!

Shepherd Press offers a unique range of resources, all carefully designed and well branded. Included in its range of publications are the Lifeline mini-books (more details here). Here is the online version of a mini-catalog my editing and publishing operation, Great Writing, designed for hard-copy printing and circulation. You may view the PDF itself here if you wish.

*Erasmus quote: "When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes."

Aug

2015

When Everything Seems To Be Going against You

I Enjoy this Quote:

Aug

2015

The LORD Shall Preserve You from All evil

“. . . Nor the Moon by Night.”

Unseen Providence Marks and Directs Our Ways

Psalm 121 distills several thoughts in the compass of just eight verses. I do not make it a habit to frequently post details about myself, but I thought it would be helpful to some readers if I were to share some thoughts on God’s overruling providence in recent days. But first, consider the words of Psalm 121:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Ever since I was a boy, the phrase “Nor the moon by night” has held some fascination for me. As the psalmist writes of the preserving power of God, he notes this very point–that nothing under God is unforeseen or out of His direct care and providence.

Old Volvo

Driving an elderly car–a 1996 Volvo which has traveled more than a quarter of a million miles–can lead to some interesting experiences.

Last week, unsuspectingly driving along, I heard the squeal of a fan-belt. The traffic was modestly heavy. “I wonder whose car has a squealing fan-belt,” I thought out loud to Sue and Matthew who were with me in the car. And with that, there was a vast burst of vapor from under the hood of the Volvo, along with the sizzling and smell of coolant on the engine cowling. Thankfully I was able to coast over the ridge of the hill and down the other side to a parking lot where I could inspect the damage. It was a relief that, when I went to a nearby shop, coolant was available for sale, so I trekked back to the car, filled it, and, notwithstanding whatever catastrophic event had taken place, I was glad to find that the system was able to hold enough fluid to enable me to drive home and get my car towed to the garage the next day. No harm, no damage, no danger to life, and a modest enough repair bill from the mechanic who faithfully nurses my vehicle–the replacing of the expansion tank that holds the coolant and that had suddenly cracked and sprung a leak.

Atlanta and the Braves!

“Do you think that the car is good to drive to Atlanta?” I asked.

“Sure, no problem,” was the encouraging response of the mechanic. I had promised my son we’d watch a ballgame as a special end-of-summer treat, and we had booked the tickets. The ride to Atlanta was uneventful, the temperature gauge for the engine reading just what it should, and we were excited at the thought of seeing the game after enjoying one or two treats downtown.

“What’s that smell?” Sue asked. Almost there, we were navigating heavy downtown Atlanta traffic, just a half mile from where we planned to park.

My heart sank. “Uh oh!” I exclaimed. “We’re about to blow up our engine.” Quickly navigating lanes, I turned as soon as I could into an empty parking space on a corner parking lot. The temperature gauge needle had literally jumped from normal to just under the red. Reaching for the ignition key, I was on the point of turning off the engine, but, alas, it was too late. A muffled explosion caused a blast of vapor to emerge from under the hood and a torrent of coolant cascaded from under the engine, ominously forming a large puddle and then running away to the sidewalk in an ugly green stream.

Matthew’s disappointment was intense. And the heat and brightness of the afternoon had a negative effect on Sue, who, having crossed the road was asking a traffic policeman some directions. The intense heat began to overcome her, and I had to steer her into a restaurant where she could revive.

Atlanta is 150 miles from where we live. Garages are not usually open on Saturday evenings, and I dreaded the thought of having to stay downtown in an hotel, especially on a nil-budget; and it turned out that the only person I knew in Atlanta whose phone number I had to hand was away out of town.

“I’ve Found a Tow Company to Take You Home”

Jim waiting in Atlanta (Picture by Matthew)

We easily panic in these circumstances. To cut a long story short, notwithstanding a lengthy waiting time, my insurance company was able to secure a tow truck with a manageable out-of-pocket extra payment, whose driver was prepared to piggyback the Volvo to our garage in Greenville SC, and also to give us a ride home to our house after that. He showed up after a wait of over six hours, to our great relief. It was after 2 am when we finally bade him farewell, thankful for a trouble-free ride back to our home. Notwithstanding expense and inconvenience, at no point were we in any of the danger that might so easily otherwise have been the case. Anyone who has ever driven in or near Atlanta will know what it would be like to break down in the middle of a seven-lane freeway!

And the Braves? Well, that will have to wait for another time. A lesson in how we have to let our priorities be determined from on high. In the meantime, we learn to live in greater dependence on Him whose ways are past finding out, and yet whose love and care never fails to take into consideration the detail of our circumstances.

Featured images from www.publicdomainpictures.net.

Enjoying History and Geography

Matthew Writes. . .

Why Focus on a Friend?

Right with God

“As much as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can”

Origins and Ministry

Do You Use Literature?

Holistic and Holy

A New Term Begins . . .

What’s Bugging You?

Worldview

Vision and Values

For the Joy of Ministry

Serving Authors: We Appreciate the Challenges

Serving Editors: We Support the Process

Serving You: We Value Your Uniqueness

Serving Your Audience: We Keep Your Book in Print

Excellence in the Written Word

New from Shepherd Press

Life-long Nostalgia, the Psalms of Ascent, and the Journey Home

Resources for the Heart

Shepherd Press Publications Are Excellent!

I Enjoy this Quote:

“. . . Nor the Moon by Night.”

Unseen Providence Marks and Directs Our Ways

Old Volvo

Atlanta and the Braves!

“I’ve Found a Tow Company to Take You Home”

Windows on My World

Jim’s Recent Posts

Jim’s Recent Twitter Feed

Visit Jim’s Social Media Sites.

Receive Jim’s Occasional Updates

Recent Comments

Categories