Richard Mansel's Blog, page 8
July 28, 2014
Review of K.M. Weiland’s Annotated Jane Eyre
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” (Stephen King).
We cannot be effective writers unless we are fueled by powerful words. It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of filling our minds with quality writing. Learning from the best accelerates our own growth as a writer.
When we read the best, we accomplish several things.
We’re edified by reading.
We’re elevated intellectually by the story.
We’re enriched by the writer’s craft.
When we can accomplish all those at once and be assisted in that task by a qualified teacher, it rises to another level. Basically, we’re gaining credit hours toward our education as an author for the price of a book.
K.M. Weiland is a talented writer who shares her knowledge and love of teaching through her website Facebook and Twitter
Her previous books on writing are reviewed on this site.
Outlining Your Novel
Structuring Your Novel
At her website, you can also peruse her list of novels, as well.
Her current writing book is an Annotated Jane Eyre.
“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë (1847) is one of the most beloved novels ever written. “Jane” is a fascinating study in empowerment, courage and resilience. Her difficult childhood is compounded as she finds continual hardship as an adult. Yet, she perseveres to ultimately rise to the top.
Weiland’s previous writing books were good studies. This work rises above them in its maturity. Her growth from one book to the next is decisive. Here, she dissects the plot, characters and pacing with consummate skill.
This was my first time to read “Jane Eyre” so I read the novel first before going back through the advance copy of the annotations. The story was fresh in my mind as Weiland took the story apart.
Readers who are not writers will also enjoy the notes because they can see how skilled Bronte was as a writer.
Weiland is maturing in her craft and we are blessed as a result. The future is bright as she continues to grow and teach along the way.
July 12, 2014
The Walk
[Editor's Note: My friend, David, showed me this article and I knew I had to share it with my readers. Not only does it provide a good Biblical message, but it's a heartwarming story of a time long forgotten. It's easy to idealize the past and forget about the hard times. Meanwhile, others abhor the past on principle, which is a miserable way to be. Instead, we should examine the times for what they are, as a historian. In the olden days, things weren't perfect by any means. There were societal injustices that cannot be denied. Yet, there were also people of goodness and kindness with a vigorous sense of community, which is desperately needed in our cold, modern world.]
by David Ferguson
I was just three years old when we began living in the tiny country town of Bruce, Illinois back in 1964. We lived there for almost three years and in many ways it was very much like the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina [from the Andy Griffith television series].
Mayberry had a party line phone system with Sarah, the eavesdropping operator, and Bruce had its party line phone system with an operator named Nellie. When anyone received a phone call in Bruce, it rang in everyone else’s house, too. So you had to listen carefully to make sure you picked up on your “ring tone,” and not your neighbor’s.
Our phone number was 9 on 5, and our “ring tone” was two long and one short rings. And just as there was a strong sense of community and caring for your neighbors in Mayberry, the same was found in Bruce.
This was long before emails, instant messaging and texting, but people had relationships and interaction with one another with literal “face time.” To me as a very young child, it really was a magical place.
Looking back, I think I know why Bruce seemed so magical.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:15-16a, ESV).
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10, ESV).
These passages were not just found within the pages of the Bible, they were lived by many of those who dwelt in Bruce. It was the neighborly love and caring and sense of community that brought out the ‘magic’ that was palpably felt. As a result, when a family moved there was a real sense of loss.
We were never a wealthy family, but it was not until years later I found out how difficult things were. My Dad was not working and he had no money to buy groceries for our family. Back then, being on welfare was not an acceptable option.
Yet, things had gotten so bad that my Dad pushed aside his pride and walked that half mile to the general store to beg the proprietor, Mr. Young, to let him buy some food on credit.
I know that had to be a very difficult walk for my Dad, but he did it anyway. When he arrived, something magical occurred: He found a $10 bill lying on the floor of the store.
I would be happy finding $10 today, but at that time that was a windfall. Now my Dad could have pocketed the money for himself, but that was not in his nature. He picked it up, walked to the counter, and told Mr. Young he just found $10 on the floor of his store. Instead of accepting the money, Mr. Young told my Dad, “It looks like that money is yours since you found it.”
And this is the true story of how my Dad was able to buy groceries for his family that week. Shortly afterwards, he also found full-time work as well.
I would not be surprised to learn that someone in that community had put the word out that our family was in dire straits and in need of food. Maybe someone had seen my Dad making that walk to Young’s General Store and knew what he was planning, alerting Mr. Young that he was on the way.
Maybe Mr. Young dropped that money on the floor. I do know that there truly can be ‘magic’ in the world if we all just simply choose to lead our lives as God and His Son desire, and love one another (John 13:34-35).
Store: Photo Credit
July 11, 2014
Three Keys for Deeper Bible Study
by Richard Mansel
Without Scripture we wouldn’t know anything about God. The Bible is greater than our minds can conceive. “Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path” (NKJV). Without it, we cannot be saved (Romans 10:17).
No one who aspires to heaven can give an acceptable answer to why they aren’t avid Bible students. We should be voracious in our appetite for truth. The following three keys will accelerate our journey.
First, be a devoted reader. All spiritual blessings are available to Christians (Ephesians 1:3). The more we read, the clearer God’s plan becomes (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The deeper we go, the more passionate we are about our Savior. When read with love and gratitude, it becomes a blessing instead of a chore.
Second, be respectful and reverent. If we presuppose inspiration, extraordinary blessings will open before our eyes (Psalm 119:89). See God on every page. Notice the flow and rhythms of his teaching. Slow down and examine every word. The more meticulous our search, the greater our harvest will be in the end.
Third, focus on the threads of teaching. Scripture is not a random assemblage of books. It’s a coherent whole filled with threads and patterns. The New Testament is a continuation of the Old because that’s where the threads begin. The entire foundation of Scripture stands on seemingly small moments in the first few books of the Bible.
A study of baptism is incomplete without an examination of blood and water in Exodus and Leviticus (Exodus 24:6-8; 29:10-12; 40:12-16; Leviticus 4:1-7; 17:11). The thread of the Church requires a study of the Ark (Genesis 6-9). A deeper study of the cross begins in Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 22:1-14.
In the New Testament, we dig deep into the concepts of light and darkness (John 8:12; 1 John 1:5), being in Christ (Ephesians 1; Galatians 3:27) and the spiritual versus the fleshly (Galatians 5:16-17).
When we follow these threads and dive into the endless well of theological implications, we should develop a love for heaven like we never imagined possible.
July 10, 2014
Sermon on John 21
In 2012, I delivered this lesson at the Southeast Georgia Lectureship in Richmond Hill, Georgia. I was honored to speak on John 21 and the amazing story of Jesus appearing to the apostles on the seashore. This is a great passage full of so much deep meaning.
As a disclaimer, the stationary camera and my pacing are bad combinations. But it doesn’t affect the audio.
Online Resources for the Apostle Paul [Updated]
by Richard Mansel
I want to offer the diligent Bible student tools to use in their study of the Apostle Paul. We need to use discretion when doing research. Just because a scholar says it, doesn’t make it right.
Novelty can be appealing but Biblical authority is of much greater importance (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must stay in the Word but never be afraid to study history to supplement what we learn from Scripture.
I may be adding to this list as I find more books. Coneybeare and Howson are generally considered to be the best.
“The Life and Epistles of St. Paul” by Coneybeare and Howson, Volume 1
“The Life and Epistles of St. Paul” by Conybeare and Howson, Volume 2
“St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen” by Sir William Mitchell Ramsay
“Pauline and Other Studies in Early Christian Studies” by Sir William Mitchell Ramsay
“Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul” by Albert Barnes
“The Origin of Paul’s Religion” by John Gresham Machen
“Paul the Roman Citizen” by Sean Adams
“The Meaning of Paul Today” by C.H. Dodd
“The Genius of Paul” by Samuel Sandmel
“The Life and Travels of the Apostle Paul” by Wait Lilly
“Life in the Roman World of Nero and St. Paul” by Thomas George Tucker
“The Life of St. Paul by James Stalker
“Paul and the Intellectuals” by A.T. Robertson
“The Life and Work of St. Paul” by F.W. Farrar
Online Resources for the Apostle Paul
by Richard Mansel
I want to offer the diligent Bible student tools to use in their study of the Apostle Paul. We need to use discretion when doing research. Just because a scholar says it, doesn’t make it right.
Novelty can be appealing but Biblical authority is of much greater importance (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must stay in the Word but never be afraid to study history to supplement what we learn from Scripture.
I may be adding to this list as I find more books. Coneybeare and Howson are generally considered to be the best.
“The Life and Epistles of St. Paul” by Coneybeare and Howson, Volume 1
“The Life and Epistles of St. Paul” by Conybeare and Howson, Volume 2
“Scenes and Incidents in the Life of the Apostle Paul” by Albert Barnes
“The Origin of Paul’s Religion” by John Gresham Machen
“Paul the Roman Citizen” by Sean Adams
“The Meaning of Paul Today” by C.H. Dodd
“The Genius of Paul” by Samuel Sandmel
“The Life and Travels of the Apostle Paul” by Wait Lilly
“Life in the Roman World of Nero and St. Paul” by Thomas George Tucker
“The Life of St. Paul by James Stalker
“Paul and the Intellectuals” by A.T. Robertson
June 25, 2014
Bible Research Tip
I know most preachers are busy people and time is at a premium. However, we cannot allow that to endanger our work.
When we’re called upon to speak or write about a false doctrine, we must examine the bigger picture. The easy choice is to read all the people we can access that agree with us, collate the material, paraphrase it and call it done.
Friends, we must resist this urge with all of our being!
If we take the lazy road, we’ll do our audience a great disservice. Intellectual honesty requires that we spend far more time engaging those in error before coming back to the comfortable confines of truth. Of course, we must be very careful that we do not step in the traps of Satan (Galatians 1:6-9).
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.” [Friedrich Nietzsche].
We must adhere to Scriptural truth at all costs (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 3:17). We can neither add to or take away from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).
Truth was settled before time began (Psalm 119:89), so it’s a waste of time to try to change it now. We can glorify God by standing for truth or we can support Satan by upholding error (John 8:44).
With that being said, we must do all we can to understand the subject we are studying. Anyone who has taken the right path and studied the error first has come back and found ludicrous arguments by writers who obviously didn’t lay the proper groundwork.
Imagine if we rushed through the assignment and read five authors that took the same lazy path. Accordingly, we become yet another “authority” who stands up and looks foolish by arguing against something that doesn’t exist.
How does that do God or His people any good?
June 15, 2014
Remembering D-Day
On the 70th anniversary of D-Day, a variety of news and history sites posted retrospectives on the attack at Normandy. I wanted to share some of those stories and links.
The courage exhibited during the D-Day invasion was one of the most stirring moments in modern warfare. Incredibly brave soldiers stormed the beach knowing they would most likely die. Yet, they did their duty and changed the world. We are all free because of their resolve and iron will. Let us always remember their sacrifice.
Hope you find these links helpful.
Why D-Day was so important to Allied victory
Archival Footage of D-Day [Loud Video starts automatically].
National Geographic, Walking the Beaches of Normandy
War Artist Watercolor rendition of the Day
Visiting Normandy, an Infographic
Operation Overlord: The Great Gamble
Daily Mirror Coverage of Actual Invasion
The Most Important Weather Forecast
D-Day at 70 – Victor David Hanson
Operation Tiger, a D-Day Disaster
Remembering the Military Secrecy
In the words of BBC journalists
The Magnetic Sands of Omaha Beach
May 26, 2014
Why our Good Ideas Don’t Matter to God
by Richard Mansel
Good ideas are ones that are interesting or beneficial to us in some way. They can even serve an altruistic purpose. However, there are boundaries for the most noble of plans.
When we become a Christian, we must reorient our minds to service and submission.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
We walk by Christ and his plan, instead of our own (Ephesians 4:1).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Darkness doesn’t exist in God, so we can trust him completely to guide us safely by the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Every situation in life can be found in one form or another in the Bible. We must listen and learn.
David provides an example when he decides to number his army (1 Chronicles 21). It seemed a good idea to David and there isn’t anything inherently wrong with a census. However, it was not authorized and God’s silence was sufficient as a command.
God sends word to David that he had sinned and the king instantly regretted his behavior. Yet, sin has consequences that repentance cannot always remove. God gives David three options and he places his people in the hands of God.
“So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell” (1 Chronicles 21:14).
Moses’ good idea was to strike the rock to bring out the water but he was prevented from entering the Promised Land as a result (Numbers 20). Uzzah also had a seemingly good idea but when he reached out to steady the sacred Ark of the Covenant, he was struck dead (2 Samuel 6:1-7).
God doesn’t think like we do (Isaiah 55:8). He has his Word to preserve for future generations. His plan has always been contingent on his faithfulness and foresight. Allowing disobedience or disregard for his will would destroy all that God had established.
Our good ideas are only good if they agree with God’s. The Lord cannot allow us to work against him, no matter how good our ideas appear to be. There’s just too much at stake.
Learning How to Think like a Christian
by Richard Mansel
In the transformation process, we use what God has given us to develop a spiritual mindset (Romans 12:1-2). A large part of this is learning how to think properly.
All we once knew must be filtered through a new perspective. A heavenly view of the world comes only through a humble and diligent study of Scripture. The flesh is a liar and all its fruit must be thrown away.
Human thought fails when we act instinctually instead of spiritually and intellectually. God gave humans an advanced intellect for a reason.
The weak-minded lump half-baked ideas and biases together and leap into action. The strong hesitate and analyze. We take what God taught us and treat ideas as God recommends.
The humble, spiritual person will take the time to learn and listen (Luke 8:18). We must slow down and take a measured approach because words and ideas have eternal consequences (Romans 10:17).
John Stott describes the process of breaking down a passage for a sermon as cracking it open with a golden hammer and examining the individual pieces before putting it back together again. His exemplary point is also true of ideas.
Each idea comes with a match, some smaller and some larger. In the proper brush, they can start a fire very easily. As Christians, we should want to be positive influences. That means we must be careful how we handle information and ideas.
First, this process requires that we gain control over our emotions because anger sabotages higher thought (James 3:1-6). Our spiritual minds must take precedence over the emotional.
Second, this process requires that we learn as much as we can about human nature so we can know how to help them find Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 3:15).
Third, this process requires that we realize that higher thought comes from nuance. The lazy mind allows insecurities and emotion to outdistance wisdom and logic. We lump everyone and everything together and create a mass of faulty conclusions and hurt feelings.
In John 15, Jesus tells the Apostles that the world hates them but they shouldn’t take that personally. He asks them to move past their fleshly instincts and realize that the world hates them because they hated Jesus before the Apostles came along (John 15:18-24).
Our emotions cry out, “People hate the Bible!” or “People hate Jesus!” and we dismiss everyone with a wave of the hand.
Taking that idea apart, we realize that people do not hate Jesus or the Bible. That’s too simplistic. If God, Jesus and the Bible didn’t demand that we live by a moral standard or make eternal decisions, people would find the Bible and God harmless.
They hate being told that their thinking and lifestyles need to be changed.
The flesh and the spiritual are diametrically opposed so we should never be surprised that their thinking differs as well. When we learn to think properly, we surge ahead of our peers and begin to think like God desires.
Faulty thinking means that we always see the world in an overly simplistic way. When we learn to think properly, we break things down and realize that problems are often easier to fix than we previously realized. In fact, it was our thinking that was broken all along.
