Because I chaptered this based on days and time, some chapters are very long, and others are very short. I clumped them in what seemed the best ways. Here you!
Prequels
Audiobook Prequel: Chapter 4 Parts A and B ready! “Walls in the Middle of Idumea”
Another big chapter chopped into two. More than two hours recorded here for you!
Audiobook PREQUEL: Chapter 3 parts A & B, “The Walls in the Middle of Idumea”
Because some of the chapters in this book are long, I’m breaking them up into hour-long chunks: Part A and Part B, both about an hour long.
In this chapter Pere is startled to realize that a lot has been going on that he’s not been aware of, but now that he is aware, he’s trying to fix them. He’s frustrated that he never questioned, never noticed. I’ve had that experience in my own life, surprised by what I realize should have been obvious. Makes me wonder what else I’m not noticing that I should, and I hope I notice with enough time to still do something about it.
Audiobook PREQUEL Chapters 1 and 2 of “The Walls in the Middle of Idumea”
What’s the best order for listening to the prequel in relation to the series? I didn’t really plan it, but after Book 2, “Soldier at the Door,” is a great place to start, because Perrin and Mahrree had been discussing Grandfather Pere Shin near the end.
After Book 4, “Falcon in the Barn,” is also a great spot since at the end of that book are some fun revelations about some characters we meet here.
But if you want to START the series with this prequel, you certainly may. I’ll never tell you what to do. However, you’ll probably be a little confused and maybe lost, since I wrote this assuming people would have context from reading at least a couple of books. (I wrote this after the entire series.)
But seeing as how this is my shortest work, I completely understand why you may want to start with the least intimidating book. (Some of my books are kinda long so, yeah, I get that. Start easy. I once read a whole book not realizing there were two in the series before it, and I managed through it ok. I was quite disoriented sometimes, but that can be a fun way of reading: not realizing that the main character is actually a princess whose parents died a book before and left her a kingdom she can’t reach, and wondering why they keep referencing this weird place where the entirety of book one actually took place, but I figured it out, eventually . . .)
So go ahead—jump right in here first. See if you like this pool. If so, I have a small ocean for you to dive into next.
He can fix everything; do your part, and He’ll make up all the rest (.01% vs. 99.9%)
Recently I had an incident that left me feeling misunderstood, chastised, and utterly stupid. For days it’s been hanging over me, leaving me with zero motivation.
Yesterday morning I feebly prayed, “Dear Lord, sorry I’m so stupid. Please help me function through this day. Amen.”
Then I spent the morning and afternoon doing what I felt least like doing: conferencing online with my high school students on their last major paper. But I acted as their encouraging cheerleader, and halfway through the day I was feeling a little lighter.
That evening I went with my teenage daughter to see “some Christmas lights,” (I didn’t know exactly what we’d be seeing) and was overwhelmed by millions of lights on a one-mile path that meandered through a statue garden about the life of Jesus Christ.
And I felt lighter still.
That night I reluctantly joined a brief online meeting with women in our church, and left it later than expected after laughing about babies and books and having made a new friend.
And I felt lighter still.
Before going to sleep I was skimming one of my books to find forgotten details (I’m finally drafting the prequel series about the Great War and Lek and Lorixania–woot!) when I ran across these words from Perrin in Book 4: “Only the Creator knew him well enough to fix him. It was the Creator who gave him the strength he needed . . . It was the Creator who won that battle and turned the momentum of the war—not him.”
I remembered my pathetic prayer that morning, and realized that God was fixing me.
He had set before me exactly what I needed: reminders of how much I love teaching; time with my daughter in a beautiful place; connections with a new friend.
The incident from earlier which has weighed me down hasn’t been erased, and I still feel stupid (because that’s a common theme in my head, and yes, I know I need to work on it—I have been for fifty years and I feel stupid about that . . . can you see a pattern?).
But I am also a Daughter of the Creator, who loves me and guides me, and if I do my part—especially when I don’t want to—He lifts me beyond my stupidity and lets me continue onward, once again, with hope.
If He’ll do that for a slow-learning goober like me, He’ll surely do that for you, too.
(And no, I don’t have a date for when the first prequel book will come out, it’s all in the drafting stage right now. But so far I’ve got Terryp just about to enter the ruins in the east, General Lek Shin having to trek north with his sergeant Barnos Zenos to quell violence, and Guide Pax arguing with King Querul about who really is the cause of that violence.
The characters are coming alive more each day, and gloriously are starting to tell me their stories, just as Perrin and Mahrree and Shem told me theirs. Only 20,000 words in, and I think it’ll be at least two new books in the future–we’ll see. So fun to be back in their world again, and I can’t wait to get all of their stories right to share with you! Have an amazing Christmas, in spite of everything!)
Because we all deserve to live
A person’s value has nothing to do with what they can provide for others. Each of us begin life already with immense value, brought from the spirit world where we first resided.
A newborn baby arrives with the potential to become an unstoppable force for good. An embryo still in utero is a unique genetic pattern, never before seen, never again to occur: precious beyond anything else on earth just because of that uniqueness.
And even if someone never achieves “greatness,” or “wealth,” or “success” in the eyes of the world, that soul is still of infinite worth to the Father of us all.
Get the prequel, The Walls in the Middle of Idumea here.
Really, a fat man IN a chimney? Silly . . .
May your favorite fat man not get stuck in, around, or behind your chimney tonight.
Merry Christmas and may you feel the warmth and love of our Savior Jesus Christ today, tomorrow, and always!
Get the prequel, The Walls in the Middle of Idumea here.
What do you do with the truth when it confronts you?
It’s fascinating to watch people suddenly clam up when they’re hit with the truth. What they do next is very telling. They’ll either dance in a frantic way to jig around what was said, or they’ll outright deny it with avoidance or accusations, or they’ll ponder in silence then thoughtfully say, “You may be on to something . . .”
I know I’ve done all three when hit with a truth I wasn’t expecting. Surprise makes us stumble. But I’ve always felt the most at peace when I consider that maybe I was wrong, and that maybe the other person is on to something.
Remember to get the newly-released short story, excerpted from Book 7: “Teeria Rigoff; Age, over 50.”
There’s even an audio component, too, if you want to listen to my dulcet tones put you to sleep for 40 minutes. Apparently my 10th graders love it when I read to them. They say it’s the best nap they get all day in school.
Short story pdf: CLICK HERE Teeria Rigoff–age, over 50
Audio book: CLICK HERE
Is it the truth, or a poor assumption we’re desperate to cling to?
I’ve discovered that learning a “new truth,” which means that my “old truth” was actually a “poorly constructed assumption,” can be very unsettling.
However, when I ponder the “new truth” and realize the wisdom and growth that comes from it, I’m able to let go of the “poor assumptions” which I was so enamored with, and move on to a far more “stable, honest reality.”
Granted, judging what’s “assumption” and what’s “truth” is a struggle, but it’s the ultimate struggle of life. It’s the whole reason we’re here: will we accept the truth when we discover it?
Get the prequel The Walls in the Middle of Idumea here!
Don’t stoop to take the insults; quietly prove them wrong
I always love this quote from Winston Churchill: “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”
There will always be people who try to tear you down, especially if you’re doing something good. They can’t abide it. How dare you show that something more can be accomplished? You make them look bad–stop it!
Perhaps you can take it as a good sign that someone’s trying to drag you down. It’s because they see you soaring.
Keep flying out of their reach, and don’t bother to address the barking dogs. You’ll be out of earshot soon enough.
Get the prequel The Walls in the Middle of Idumea here!
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