Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno calls on scientests to "come out" and share their faith.

“God is not something we arrive at the end of our science, it’s what we assume at the beginning,” he said, adding emphatically: “I am afraid of a God who can be proved by science, because I know my science well enough to not trust it!”

I've had the privilege of discussing books with Brother Guy (Episode 100, A Good Story is Hard to Find). Both that conversation and the book he co-authored, Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial, made me admire his good sense and faith.

Read the whole "coming out" story here.

Worth a Thousand Words: Descending

Descending by Remo Savisaar

Farewell, My Lovely - SFFaudio Discussion

Jesse, Maissa, Paul and I discuss Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler on the SFFaudio podcast. We discuss missing dames, stolen jade necklaces, who sapped Philip Marlowe, and much more. Join us!

Worth a Thousand Words: Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873–76, Winslow Homer

Stop what you're reading. Get this book: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I just finished rereading this for the third time, for an upcoming book club. I enjoyed it so much, even the third time around, that I thought I'd rerun the review in case you've missed this delightful book.

For those who'd like to hear more in-depth discussion, Scott Danielson and I discussed this on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast (episode 84).

THE ROSIE PROJECT
by Graeme Simsion

You know it's an unusual book when your mother forces you to read it by threatening you with guilt at her deathbed if you don't try it. (Ahem. Not that I've left any of my mother's book suggestions lingering too long on my "to read" list. No. Of course, I'd never do that.)

Guilt and mothers being what they are, plus the "after the 'goodbye'" reminder from her as I was hanging up the phone ... I looked around.

Heck, do people love this book or what? 21 copies at the library. All checked out. With 60 holds waiting for it to come in. Ok, Kindle make me love you. And I do love you, Kindle, I do! $1.99 and one click to download.

Where I literally laughed out loud by the beginning of the second chapter.

I guess Mom really does know best.

And it's a good thing because the description, while accurate, would never make me particularly want to pick it up. Hey, that's Don's problem. So accurate and we can't see what's really inside. Here's the blurb.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner.

Don tells us the story himself and that is a great part of the charm.

It is funny, it gives us insight into a completely different way of thinking, and it charms us while it does so.

I guess the test of a book one really enjoyed is that you don't want to start another book. You want to let the one you just read rattle around in your head and heart for a while. This, surprisingly, is such a book for me, thus forcing me to turn to nonfiction exclusively for a little while. Most unexpected.

NOTE: For quick explanation of what this book is, use Hannah's fast summing up to a pal: "It's an Abed situation." (Something for Community fans out there.)

Worth a Thousand Words: Sunflower and Scissors

Sunflower and Scissors, Duane Keiser

Through Darkest Zymurgia! A Ripping Yarn by by William H. Duquette

Through Darkest Zymurgia! is what you'd get if you crossed P.G. Wodehouse with H. Rider Haggard and sprinkled a generous dose of Douglas Adams over the whole.

Professors Thintwhistle and Carbuncle go on a ripping yarn of exploration and adventure in a world almost — but not quite — entirely unlike our own. When a determined University donor wields his influence, the professors are forced to abandon their planned summer tour of taverns of exotic cities in the Known World. Instead they must go where no adventurers have gone before. Not, though, without a certain predictability to their new goal as we find when an admiral falls into conversation with Professor Thintwhistle about their destination of Zymurgia.

The admiral sat back in his chair. “What do you expect to find?” he asked.

“Beer,” I said.

“Beer?” asked Wyburn, in surprise.

“Beer,” I said. “That’s what Zymurgia means, you know…the land of brewing. They’ve been selling beer to the Serosans for thousands of years. The trade is only carried on in a small way these days; just with the folk at the base of the plateau.”

“It seems a long way to go to get a drink,” said Wyburn.

Most of the humor tends to build upon long setups and so, as in many Victorian books, takes a while to hit home. Suffice it to say that this Victorian-style tale of exploration retains genuine mystery and adventure while being infused with humorous whimsy.

Full disclosure: I enjoyed it so much that I volunteered to do the layout. That's because I'll be rereading it in the years to come. This is a thoroughly enjoyable tale and I hope author William Duquette will favor us with many more featuring the famed Professors Thintwhistle and Carbuncle in the future.

Well Said: The Real Force

He felt helpless in the grip of this alien ritual, out of joint with his time. The confessional might have been a direct pipeline to the days when werewolves and incubi and witches were an accepted part of the outer darkness and the church the only beacon of light. For the first time in his life he felt the slow, terrible beat and swell of the ages and saw his life as a dim and glimmering spark in an edifice which, if seen clearly, might drive all men mad. Matt had not told them of Father Callahan’s conception of his church as a Force, but Ben would have understood that now. He could feel the Force in this fetid little box, beating in on him, leaving him naked and contemptible. He felt it as no Catholic, raised to confession since earliest childhood, could have.

Stephen King, 'Salem’s Lot

I don't know about "naked and contemptible." But I do know that I was struck by these words: "an edifice which, if seen clearly, might drive all men mad."

It almost sounds Lovecraftian but if one considers how unprepared humans seem to be to see an angel (they always have to say "do not fear") and the angels are simply messengers ... well, then there is something to needing to go through Earthly boot camp and then the purification of Purgatory in order to even to be able to take in the Heavenly reality.

Not what you expect from a horror novel but this is one of King's best.

Genesis Notes: Abraham's Resume

As always, I love these resumes which give such a good overview of a person's life, often with unexpected insights. Believe it or not, I often look to his example, especially when I am struggling with obedience to God.

Aert de Gelder, Abraham and the Angels

Abraham could hardly have been expected to visualize how much of the future was resting on his decision of whether to go [follow God's direction] or stay, but his obedience affected the history of the world. His decision to follow God set into motion the development of the nation that God would eventually use as his own when he visited earth himself. When Jesus Christ came to earth, God's promise was fulfilled; through Abraham the entire world was blessed.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• His faith pleased God
• Became the founder of the Jewish nation
• Was respected by others and was courageous in defending his family at any cost
• Was not only a caring father to his own family, but practiced hospitality to others
• Was a successful and wealthy rancher
• Usually avoided conflicts, but when they were unavoidable, he allowed his opponent to set the rules for settling the dispute

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Under direct pressure, he distorted the truth

Lessons from his life:

• God desires dependence, trust, and faith in him -- not faith in our ability to please him
• God's plan from the beginning has been to make himself known to all people

Vital statistics:

• Where: Born in Ur of the Chaldeans; spent most of his life in the land of Cannan
• Occupation: Wealthy livestock owner
• Relatives: Brothers - Nahor and Haran. Father - Terah. Wife - Sarah. Nephew - Lot. Sons - Ishmael and Isaac
• Contemporaries: Abimelech, Melchizedek

Key verse:
"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6)

Abraham's story is told in Genesis 11-25. He also is mentioned in Exodus 2:24; Acts 7:2-8; Romans 4; Galatians 3; Hebrews 2, 6, 7, 11.

All material quoted is from the Life Application Study Bible. This series first ran in 2004 and 2005. I'm refreshing it as I go. For links to the whole study, go to the Genesis Index. For more about the resources used, go here.

Seeking and Finding Jesus … Via Dracula?

Will Duquette interviewed me about Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life for Aleteia's Book Nook.  It brought surprising things to light!

Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a book I’ve read many times since my high school days. I’ve come to see what a master work it is in examining the difficulty modern man has in accepting the supernatural as real, in examining unselfish love and service to others as opposed to absolute selfishness, and in examining evil as a perversion of all that is good. Dracula isn’t the anti-Christ in the standard understanding of the term but he is definitely the anti-God. And, as in The Lord of the Rings, these messages are subtly communicated within the larger story. ... I reread Dracula when I was close to finishing Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life and never has it spoken more to my soul in terms of who Jesus is and why I am so grateful for his love and friendship.

That's not nearly all I have to say on the topic ... and others. Read Seeking and Finding Jesus ... Via Dracula at Aleteia.

Thank you, Will, it was fun!

I've Been Blogging for 13 Years? How Did That Happen?

The sentiments below (from 2014) are still ones I feel when I think about the blog. Much has changed in my life due to this blog. For one thing I've written some books. That never would've happened.

For another, social media is now king and blogs seem old and passé. Yet, a fair number of people still come by every day. So rumors of our passing have been greatly exaggerated.

With that in mind, let's celebrate!

I remember so clearly that Sunday afternoon when I sat down, filled with nervous excitement, and figured out Blogger well enough to write my first post.

Fittingly enough it was a quote about St. Joseph and work as a spiritual act. I say fittingly enough because over the years I have leaned heavily on sharing quotes about living our faith in everyday life. St. Joseph, who guided Jesus through his first years of everyday life, is a perfect saint to have helped me launch such an endeavor.

I don't have any grand thoughts on this anniversary, perhaps because it just struck me a little while ago that I should see when it was in May that I began blogging. And it was 10 years ago today! What're the odds?

I can say that I have enjoyed it a lot. Blogging continues to bring me new friends, new insights, open doors for God to be present in my life. And what can be better than that? Not much, really!

Many thanks to those who take the time to drop by, and even more thanks to those who comment. I love you all! Now, let's all get some cake!

CraftLit is giving away a copy of Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life!

A raffle for Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life ... done by Heather Ordover at the CraftLit podcast.

(She is the best - if you haven't listened to CraftLit then you are missing a real treat in literary enjoyment).

Giveaway ends May 5 so sign up!

Seeking Jesus review: Fall in love with Jesus all over again

This book is exactly what I needed at this point in my life! Each devotional tackles an area of Christian Living and surrounds the topic with Scripture, quotes from Saints and Scholars, and wisdom and reflection from the author's own experiences. It's a beautiful read that will make you fall in love with Jesus all over again. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Katherine Lyle, Amazon reviewer

Don't you want to see what the fuss is about? Get a copy ... and maybe one for a friend!

Worth a Thousand Words: Peach branches, Squirrel map

Peach branches, Squirrel map; Qian Xuan

Well Said: Perfect forms and lovely patterns

This is the age of science, of steel — of speed and the cement road. The age of hard faces and hard highways. Science and steel demand the medium of prose. Speed requires only the look — the gesture. What need then, for poetry?

Great need!

There are souls, in these noise-tired times, that turn aside into unfrequented lanes, where the deep woods have harbored the fragrances of many a blossoming season. Here the light, filtering through perfect forms, arranges itself in lovely patterns for those who perceive beauty.

Roy J. Cook, Editor, Preface to 101 Famous Poems

This was written in 1958. How much greater the need is now when we haven't stopped the speed, the noise, the barely-there communications. I'm beginning to reread this fine collection and this bit from the preface is as poetically beautiful as anything that follows.

Well Said: Learning from Children

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.

Franklin P. Jones

Just one more way families help us be better people!

Worth a Thousand Words: Le Morte d'Arthur

Le Morte d'Arthur Cover Illustration, Himmapaan

Through Darkest Zymurgia!

Will Duquette has a new book out.

My latest book, Through Darkest Zymurgia!, is now available in print or as an e-book. It’s a Ripping Yarn of Exploration and Adventure in a faux-Victorian world with some surprising features and a good deal of understated humor. You’ll like it, I promise.

It’s cheaper as an e-book, but buy the print edition—it’s gorgeous.

How much do I love this humorous take on a Victorian tale of exploration and adventure? So much so that I volunteered to do the layout.

I'll do a proper review soon but wanted to give y'all a heads up on this one. Check the link for a longer description. It's highly enjoyable.

Worth a Thousand Words: A Day Full of Rain

A Day Full of Rain, Edward B. Gordon

Pope Francis's TED Talk: "The future does have a name, and its name is Hope."

As I meet, or lend an ear to those who are sick, to the migrants who face terrible hardships in search of a brighter future, to prison inmates who carry a hell of pain inside their hearts, and to those, many of them young, who cannot find a job, I often find myself wondering: "Why them and not me?" I, myself, was born in a family of migrants; my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians, left for Argentina and met the fate of those who are left with nothing. I could have very well ended up among today's "discarded" people. And that's why I always ask myself, deep in my heart: "Why them and not me?"

If you'd rather not watch the video, you can read the transcript of Pope Francis's TED Talk.