Anyone who is even remotely serious about being a writer knows that one of the most important things that a person can do is read. As an educator I appreciate the great help a book gives in helping a person understand a time or culture that is not his/her own.
Sometimes I have a lot of time for reading and others I'm lucky to have time to read a few news articles here and there. Luckily I've been able to read quite a bit thus far.
Intrigued by the trial and interested in perhaps seeing the movie I read American Sniper by Chris Kyle. This book will most likely never be considered literature. Kyle's style is simple and straightforward, but its that brutal honesty that makes it such a great read. Kyle was an American hero and our world is a better place because of his service and the service of men like him. Did I see eye to eye with him, no, I did not. My worldview is a lot more complex than his was, but I have nothing but respect for him and what he did. I hope that many of his quotes and explanations will make it into the history books of the future as a primary source.
The second book I read this year was also recently made into a film and it is also a movie I have yet to see. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the biography of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian who served in the Pacific during WWII. The book chronicles his ordeal in trying to survive after his plane crashed and the nightmare of the Japanese POW camps. More important than that was his efforts after the war to make a difference in the lives of wayward young men and in his forgiveness to his tormentors. Zamperini's story was truly inspiring.
This book was splendidly written with an incredible amount of research to back up the author's claims. Well worth looking into.
Since I have been reading so much lately I decided to pick up a book I have been setting aside. It was loaned to me a few years ago and I felt like it was about time for me to finally read it. California Gold by John Jakes has been a good read thus far. John Jakes novel centers on a poor man from the East struggling to get rich in California. Having spent a lot of time in both Northern and Southern California it has been fun reading about places that are familiar and yet very different from what they are today.
A good reading year is one in which you can read an average of a book a month. So far 2015 looks like a good year for me. These authors have all been very good in different ways. I had never read a book from any of them before and now I am interested to read other works. Chris Kyle only wrote one other book, American Gun, which sounds fascinating. Laura Hillenbrand likewise has only published one other book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, and John Jakes has published many best sellers including the North and South series.
As of now I am not sure when my next project will be published. Between being a Daddy and husband, teaching many different classes, taking time for reading and physical fitness, and many other obligations I am lucky to have time to write at all. Be on the lookout though I am developing a promising story.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
"Older than the Bible"
I love history. Writing doesn't really pay the bills for me, I'm not a best selling author, so I make my living by teaching history. An essential part of studying history is to look at both primary and secondary texts. A primary text was written during the time period that is being studied verses a secondary text is written more recently about events that happened during the time period.
When reading and researching about certain primary texts, especially if they have spiritual themes, a common boast is that they are "Older than the Bible." In fact, some reviewers go on so much about how old the text is that they fail to even mention what is even in the text in the first place.
Are there texts that are older than the Bible? Certainly there are, in fact saying that something is older than the Bible isn't very impressive. What people forget about the Holy Bible is that it isn't technically a book. The word Bible means library, which is a collection of books. These books were written by several different authors living in several different time periods. The Holy Bible was not complied into it's present form until after AD 325 making the Bible itself less than 1700 years old. 1700 years ago is ancient by it's not very ancient. Many books from the Sumerians, Chinese, Indians (People from India, not Native Americans) Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mayans, and other civilizations were written before that time.
(Other important questions to consider, how and why was the Bible complied the way that it is and what took so long?)
The age of the Bible is not as significant as the ages of the individual books in it. The five books of Moses or the Torah is the oldest part of the Bible. These books are the first five in the Old Testament. Are there books that are older than the Torah? Yes there are. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest surviving literature in the world; it is a little less than 5000 years old. Moses was not even born for almost another 2000 years. Even so, the Torah being about 3400 years old is older than the vast majority of literature ever written.
So, why is age of spiritual texts important in the first place? To be first is an important concept with us humans. The ancient world was far more connected than most people realize. Being able to say that something was written first gives the document a sense of legitimacy. "Our religion thought of it first and you were influenced by us," is what many people are trying to claim when they say that something is older than the Bible. For some Christians this idea is deeply troubling and for others it is not.
Why does it bother some Jews and Christians that other cultures' teachings may have influenced the Bible? For many people who have been taught that the Bible was written by God, finding out that it was written by men is hard to take. Then finding out that other men wrote almost the same thing makes some people question their faith.
Why doesn't it bother many Jews and Christians that the Epic of Gilgamesh has a flood story that is similar to the account of Moses? Simply put, they have faith that Moses was a prophet. Moses wrote about the flood long after it happened, at the time the Epic of Gilgamesh was written it was practically a recent event. In fact most cultures have a story about the major flood, some of which are even more similar to Moses' account than the Epic of Gilgamesh. Did the flood actually happen? That is a matter of faith. Floods happen all over the world every year. It would truly be strange if there weren't flood disaster stories from all over the globe.
Even though there are many sources of literature that can claim that they are older than many of the books in the Bible, please do not forget to do your own research. (Yes, even double check me. You'll see that I've done a lot of rounding) Just because someone says a book is a certain age doesn't mean that the person isn't mistaken or lying. There is currently a movement within the dying sects of Zoroastrianism to prove that Zoroaster invented Monotheism, since being the first would give their religion more legitimacy and possibly save it. It has long been the tradition however that Zoroaster did not live until around 600 BC, making him about 600 - 700 years younger than Moses. In my opinion, trying to make Zoroaster more ancient instead of letting what he wrote speak for itself belittles what he had to say about God.
Another example is a text that I am currently reading, the Bhagavad - Gita is believed by many to be 5000 years old. I can say with absolute certainty that this book could not possibly be 5000 years old, there are too many references to cultural concepts that did not exist until much later. The book may have existed in some form, a radically different oral form perhaps, but it could not have been anything like it is now. Most historians tend to think that it is only 1500 years old, making it younger than the Bible. I am willing to estimate that it could be 2000 years old.
At the end of the day how much does the age of something matter? It is interesting to me to look at the age of something and marvel at its impact on the world and the fact that it has survived for us to read today. However, the age of spiritual text does not influence my spiritual beliefs. There are much more important things. The most important question would be, what does the text say about God?
When reading and researching about certain primary texts, especially if they have spiritual themes, a common boast is that they are "Older than the Bible." In fact, some reviewers go on so much about how old the text is that they fail to even mention what is even in the text in the first place.
Are there texts that are older than the Bible? Certainly there are, in fact saying that something is older than the Bible isn't very impressive. What people forget about the Holy Bible is that it isn't technically a book. The word Bible means library, which is a collection of books. These books were written by several different authors living in several different time periods. The Holy Bible was not complied into it's present form until after AD 325 making the Bible itself less than 1700 years old. 1700 years ago is ancient by it's not very ancient. Many books from the Sumerians, Chinese, Indians (People from India, not Native Americans) Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mayans, and other civilizations were written before that time.
(Other important questions to consider, how and why was the Bible complied the way that it is and what took so long?)
The age of the Bible is not as significant as the ages of the individual books in it. The five books of Moses or the Torah is the oldest part of the Bible. These books are the first five in the Old Testament. Are there books that are older than the Torah? Yes there are. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest surviving literature in the world; it is a little less than 5000 years old. Moses was not even born for almost another 2000 years. Even so, the Torah being about 3400 years old is older than the vast majority of literature ever written.
So, why is age of spiritual texts important in the first place? To be first is an important concept with us humans. The ancient world was far more connected than most people realize. Being able to say that something was written first gives the document a sense of legitimacy. "Our religion thought of it first and you were influenced by us," is what many people are trying to claim when they say that something is older than the Bible. For some Christians this idea is deeply troubling and for others it is not.
Why does it bother some Jews and Christians that other cultures' teachings may have influenced the Bible? For many people who have been taught that the Bible was written by God, finding out that it was written by men is hard to take. Then finding out that other men wrote almost the same thing makes some people question their faith.
Why doesn't it bother many Jews and Christians that the Epic of Gilgamesh has a flood story that is similar to the account of Moses? Simply put, they have faith that Moses was a prophet. Moses wrote about the flood long after it happened, at the time the Epic of Gilgamesh was written it was practically a recent event. In fact most cultures have a story about the major flood, some of which are even more similar to Moses' account than the Epic of Gilgamesh. Did the flood actually happen? That is a matter of faith. Floods happen all over the world every year. It would truly be strange if there weren't flood disaster stories from all over the globe.
Even though there are many sources of literature that can claim that they are older than many of the books in the Bible, please do not forget to do your own research. (Yes, even double check me. You'll see that I've done a lot of rounding) Just because someone says a book is a certain age doesn't mean that the person isn't mistaken or lying. There is currently a movement within the dying sects of Zoroastrianism to prove that Zoroaster invented Monotheism, since being the first would give their religion more legitimacy and possibly save it. It has long been the tradition however that Zoroaster did not live until around 600 BC, making him about 600 - 700 years younger than Moses. In my opinion, trying to make Zoroaster more ancient instead of letting what he wrote speak for itself belittles what he had to say about God.
Another example is a text that I am currently reading, the Bhagavad - Gita is believed by many to be 5000 years old. I can say with absolute certainty that this book could not possibly be 5000 years old, there are too many references to cultural concepts that did not exist until much later. The book may have existed in some form, a radically different oral form perhaps, but it could not have been anything like it is now. Most historians tend to think that it is only 1500 years old, making it younger than the Bible. I am willing to estimate that it could be 2000 years old.
At the end of the day how much does the age of something matter? It is interesting to me to look at the age of something and marvel at its impact on the world and the fact that it has survived for us to read today. However, the age of spiritual text does not influence my spiritual beliefs. There are much more important things. The most important question would be, what does the text say about God?
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Why "Magic" gets Censored and why People can Lighten up
It is curious to many that one of the most banned books in contemporary literature is also one of the most innocent. While there are certainly a lot of dark things in Harry Potter, is it really worth all the effort many groups have put forth to ensure Christian youth do not read the book?
So to look more closely at the issue why do fantasy books get banned in the first place? The Bible clearly states that sorcery and witchcraft are sins. Therefore books that deal with sorcery and witchcraft, or even just mention magic, often find themselves on lists of banned books.
But why is the Bible against magic? One crucial thing that you have to remember about the Bible is that it is a historical text that was written little by little by several different authors in several different time periods of the ancient world. Magic had a very different meaning to the ancient Hebrews than it does to modern popular culture.
The Hebrews encountered magic while they were enslaved in Egypt. The magicians of Pharaoh's court were trained priests of various gods and goddesses who used trickery and deception to make it look as though they had powers granted to them by the gods. The Hebrews also encountered magic when they returned to the Promised Land, those using magic did so by calling on ghosts and spirits, gods and goddesses, and even demons and devils including Satan.
To use magic meant a person had to seriously violate the Hebrew law which forbade worshipping other gods, having images of those gods, and bearing false witness, since magic doesn't really exist. Soothsaying also made Hebrews nervous since it was the act of prophesying with power other than that granted by their God, which to them meant that it had to be coming from other gods or the devil.
It was not so much magic itself that the Hebrews were against but the sources of magic. The Hebrews had prophets and priests who fulfilled the same roles that sorcerers did in other societies, yet when the prophet healed someone it was not through magic, it was by the power of God. What's the difference? The difference is the legitimacy of the source of power. The prophets, getting their power from the god of the people could be trusted and holy, while the witches, getting their power from other strange gods could not be trusted and were therefore evil.
So, how does this apply to modern and contemporary fantasy literature and movies? For the most part, it doesn't. Going back to the example of Harry Potter, the professors of Hogwarts never mention any Pagan gods or rituals, in fact they celebrate Christmas every year. The power source for magic is the blood of the wizard, religion is simply ignored throughout the series.
Other books that get looked down upon for having magic are actually written by some of the great Christian thinkers of the 20th Century and teach Christian principals! The primary example of this is the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis. His main character, Aslan, is basically Jesus Himself but described as a lion. CS Lewis used his story about magic and fantasy to teach important Christan doctrines.
Lord of the Rings also has a lot of parallels with Christian doctrine and was written by a Catholic. It is a controversy to this day how much Tolkien did on purpose and how much people are over thinking it. Here are a few examples. Gandalf sacrificed himself for the quest but returns to life more powerful than ever. Frodo carries a burden of evil that only he can rid the world of. Aragon, after winning the final battle, leads the people in a peaceful era for 1000 years. The themes of overcoming evil and temptation, of Christ's sacrifice, and the millennium, and others are present.
The popular cultural concept of magic that we have is very different from what magic was considered in Biblical times and is much more Disney than devil and in many cases it is even pro-Christian. Ironically authors don't mind being banned as it increases their sales by bringing more attention to their work. Kind of defeats the purpose of banning books in the first place.
So to look more closely at the issue why do fantasy books get banned in the first place? The Bible clearly states that sorcery and witchcraft are sins. Therefore books that deal with sorcery and witchcraft, or even just mention magic, often find themselves on lists of banned books.
But why is the Bible against magic? One crucial thing that you have to remember about the Bible is that it is a historical text that was written little by little by several different authors in several different time periods of the ancient world. Magic had a very different meaning to the ancient Hebrews than it does to modern popular culture.
The Hebrews encountered magic while they were enslaved in Egypt. The magicians of Pharaoh's court were trained priests of various gods and goddesses who used trickery and deception to make it look as though they had powers granted to them by the gods. The Hebrews also encountered magic when they returned to the Promised Land, those using magic did so by calling on ghosts and spirits, gods and goddesses, and even demons and devils including Satan.
To use magic meant a person had to seriously violate the Hebrew law which forbade worshipping other gods, having images of those gods, and bearing false witness, since magic doesn't really exist. Soothsaying also made Hebrews nervous since it was the act of prophesying with power other than that granted by their God, which to them meant that it had to be coming from other gods or the devil.
It was not so much magic itself that the Hebrews were against but the sources of magic. The Hebrews had prophets and priests who fulfilled the same roles that sorcerers did in other societies, yet when the prophet healed someone it was not through magic, it was by the power of God. What's the difference? The difference is the legitimacy of the source of power. The prophets, getting their power from the god of the people could be trusted and holy, while the witches, getting their power from other strange gods could not be trusted and were therefore evil.
So, how does this apply to modern and contemporary fantasy literature and movies? For the most part, it doesn't. Going back to the example of Harry Potter, the professors of Hogwarts never mention any Pagan gods or rituals, in fact they celebrate Christmas every year. The power source for magic is the blood of the wizard, religion is simply ignored throughout the series.
Other books that get looked down upon for having magic are actually written by some of the great Christian thinkers of the 20th Century and teach Christian principals! The primary example of this is the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis. His main character, Aslan, is basically Jesus Himself but described as a lion. CS Lewis used his story about magic and fantasy to teach important Christan doctrines.
Lord of the Rings also has a lot of parallels with Christian doctrine and was written by a Catholic. It is a controversy to this day how much Tolkien did on purpose and how much people are over thinking it. Here are a few examples. Gandalf sacrificed himself for the quest but returns to life more powerful than ever. Frodo carries a burden of evil that only he can rid the world of. Aragon, after winning the final battle, leads the people in a peaceful era for 1000 years. The themes of overcoming evil and temptation, of Christ's sacrifice, and the millennium, and others are present.
The popular cultural concept of magic that we have is very different from what magic was considered in Biblical times and is much more Disney than devil and in many cases it is even pro-Christian. Ironically authors don't mind being banned as it increases their sales by bringing more attention to their work. Kind of defeats the purpose of banning books in the first place.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Pinon Unified School District, A Great Place to Work
Every author has the dream of making a living by writing, the thing we love most in the world and then doing whatever else just for fun. So far my teaching job is what pays the bills, but I'm okay with that.
If you're a teacher and you're looking for a Job, Pinon should be a place where you submit an application, here are some reasons why...
Student population
We have a very different population of students here in the Navajo Nation. I have taught students who are Sac and Fox, Hopi, Apache, Filipino, White, and of course Navajos make up the majority. Here you have the opportunity not only to teach but to be taught. Where else are you going to have a population like this? These students want to be motivated they want someone who is willing to come here and stay here for the long haul.
Professional Community
Pinon Unified School District has many great staff members from many backgrounds who are dedicated to student success. New teachers will find that there are many people here who will welcome them into the schools and offer cultural advice, help with the classroom, and friendship. Collaboration and professional development are very important to the district.
Beautiful Area
Pinon's greatest natural treasure is the night sky. Being so remote gives us a great view of the Milky Way that most areas just can't compete with. Also since we are in Northern Arizona, we have a higher elevation. This means we get snow every winter. The gorgeous ski resort in Flagstaff is only two to three hours away, depending on the route you take. I will admit, there aren't many trees, but come out here and see the sunrises and sunsets for yourself and you'll agree that Pinon is a beautiful place.
Quiet Area
Pinon is a safe place to live. Let me repeat that, Pinon is a safe place to live. I have lived here for four years, it is a quiet community where I take my son out on walks almost daily and I feel safe doing it. Does Pinon have problems? Of course it does but so does every location.
Crime in Pinon
Pinon has been described by some people to be a rural area with urban issues in a third world country. It's actually a pretty accurate picture. The closest Wal-Mart is over two hours away, along with movie theaters, nice restaurants, and many other businesses. Being so remote and having a lack of economic opportunities means that the area has a higher poverty level and high poverty tends to mean high crime. Crime happens here, however, Pinon is much safer than many other small towns I have been in.
Monetary and Job Security
Pinon Unified School District is offering a 13 percent raise next year to all teachers who stay here. Pinon is also giving a 10% raise to new hires. That's right, to people who are brand new at the district! Our district offers some of the highest salaries in the state of Arizona and is in great fiscal shape, unlike many public schools in the state.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Stone Valley Zoo
Monday, June 10, 2013
Godsword Dynasty Books One and Two
Fun Fact: As I was planning book one in the series, aka, Bring the Rain, Roan was originally envisioned as only a minor character in the story of Skyfyre. The more the story developed however the more it became obvious that it was really Roan's story and Skyfyre became the minor character.
Hope you'll check out this one, it's well worth the read.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Removed from the Kindle Store
ABC's of Mayan Culture had to be removed from the Kindle Store due to technical problems with the book. This is most unfortunate since I put in a lot of work to solve these problems. Everything worked perfectly when it was posted for sell. I checked the book and all the issues that it had been having were back.
Most of the problem has been caused by the fact that I used a lot of photos in the book from my trip to the Yucatan back in 2011. The file is just too big unfortunately. I need to work on a way to make the book work without sacrificing its quality.
It is my hope that it can be reposted to the Kindle Store in August or September. I apologize to my readers about the problems with this book. Thank you for your patience and for reading.
Most of the problem has been caused by the fact that I used a lot of photos in the book from my trip to the Yucatan back in 2011. The file is just too big unfortunately. I need to work on a way to make the book work without sacrificing its quality.
It is my hope that it can be reposted to the Kindle Store in August or September. I apologize to my readers about the problems with this book. Thank you for your patience and for reading.
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