Flame of Resistance

     

      I love historical fiction and was so excited when Tyndale House Publishers allowed me to review Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot. The book is set during World War II in Nazi-occupied France. I have always had an interest in World War II and was surprised by the amount of content I absorbed by reading this book.

      Flame of Resistance takes a unique approach as it focuses on two very opposite main characters: Tom Jaeger and Brigitte Durand. Tom is an American fighter pilot. His life is the perfect example of kindness and chivalry. Tom's plane crashed, but he was rescued by members of the French Resistance. Brigitte is a prostitute. Tracy Groot, describes her book as an "impressionistic retelling" of Rahab from the Bible. Here's a bit of background on Rahab:

Joshua 6:17 (NIV)  

The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

      Brigitte's story was similar to Rahab's in many ways. In an effort of survival after her fiance and family die, Brigitte turns her home into a brothel for Germans. Groot did not praise or moralize Brigitte's work through her writing, but she did allow her to be in a position of leadership in the Flame. Groot exposed some of the rough experiences Brigitte had been through - threats from townspeople, hunger, etc. This helped me get a more better view of Brigitte as a person. I saw how she grew in confidence through the kindness and expectations of members of the Flame, especially Tom.
      Brigitte helped relay information to the Flame and hide soldiers. She snuck food to Allies, despite the dangerous position this put her in. If found out, she would be in extreme danger.

      Pros: The writing in this book is fantastic. Tracy Groot has obviously done her research. I learned so much more about the French resistance than I ever learned in my high school history class. If I ever write a book, I'd be honored to be compared with Tracy Groot.
      Also, each of the characters were beautifully portrayed. I connected with each one through reading their thoughts, speech, and actions. Some of the characters were based a real life people.

      Cons: The book has age limitations for readers. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 16 due to sections of violence (especially Nazi torture methods) and the fact that the main character works for and owns a brothel. That said, the violence depicted was based on true events. If you want to be exposed to the tragic events that took place during WWII, this is a very eye opening book.
      Many of the characters had one or two code names. I got a bit confused trying to follow who was who. Sometimes the information came too fast and I felt like the characters' personalities wavered.

      Overall, this is a thrilling historical fiction. I stayed up late at night, trying to find out what would happen in the end. I promise if you give Flame of Resistance a chance, you won't be disappointed. Check it out!

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pancake Line Art Tutorial

Today, I'm going to show you how to make a pancake line art drawing. This has been one of my funnest summer pieces. It was so simple to make! This would be a great craft to try with kids, but it does require patience.

1.) Draw a wavy line (in pencil!) across a white sheet of paper.

2.) Use your line as a reference for the bottom edge of a "pancake". Use a fine point Sharpie to create a heaping column of pancakes. Keep the edges rounded and allow a flow in the lines. Make some pancakes really wide and others thin.

3.) Fill in the spaces between the pancake columns with black. I used a larger Sharpie to save time.

4.) Grab some colored pencils and start coloring. Choose colors that look good together - no matter what pattern they're in. Rainbow colors are always an easy group to start with. I recommend using 3-5 colors in your drawing.
Here are a few other grouping ideas:

Red, yellow, and brown.
Blue, green, and purple.
Orange, yellow, and red.
Red, pink, and brown.
Pick colors that are meaningful to you. Shade heavily at the edge of the pancake and softly toward the center. You want to make it look like light is reflecting off the side.

Beautiful! Keep coloring. Don't give up! The end result will be totally worth the work.

Voila!

Thanks for stopping by Project Paperie! I hope you're having a great summer.

Feel free to "pin" any of the images from this tutorial to Pinterest, but please link up. Thank you!

Envelope Art Tutorial

           I love receiving and sending mail. Although any message from a friend is awesome, I'm talking about the tangible, papery packages with glossy stamps in the corner...not a text message or e-mail. :)

 

           Today, I’m going to show you a few fun and simple ways to decorate envelopes. All they require are a Sharpie marker, a glue stick, envelope, and magazine. The envelopes shown below were used to package thank you notes after a recent birthday. I was bored and decided to spice up some otherwise dull-looking envelopes.

 

           The envelope above was obviously designed for my grandma. I found the flower picture in an ad in a fashion magazine. Our local library has a recycling center where people drop off their old magazines and newspapers for other people to take, so I usually grab a few for the summer.

          If you get gardening catalogues, this would be a great way to recycle them! There are tons of beautiful pictures of roses that would look gorgeous on an envelope.

         I used a black Sharpie to write "If Grandmas were flowers, I'd pick you!". Then, I made a dotted line along the triangular edge of the envelope. I wanted it to look like the seam on a quilt.

         The second envelope is a bit more "me". I am addicted to cutting random letters out of magazines and gluing them on bookmarks, cards, notebooks, and anything paperie. For the "Thanks" I made sure to use a variety of colors and vary the typography. Typography includes the style and appearance of letters. The "S" was my favorite letter because of the swirl and turquoise background. I also liked the "H" because it was much larger than the other letters, yet was lowercase.

        It's important to pay attention to little details such as font size, coloring, and background when you're cutting out letters from a magazine or newspaper. Also, remember that the paper texture and ink will affect how well the letters stick to the background and whether or not the ink will smear.

   

          This envelope combines both the recycled-paper-flower-technique and typography. I was slightly disappointed about the "YOU R D BEST" card. I wanted it to read "YOU R Z BEST", but I couldn't find any Zs. Bummer! Anyway, I made due with the letters I had and the result was pretty cute.

         So, I challenge you to take the time to write a letter to at least one friend this week. Decorate your envelope and add some personal touches. If you do take me up on the challenge, please comment and let me know how it turned out! I love to hear from you.

        I hope you are all having a fantastic summer!

        Here are some links to my card making tutorials, if you're interested:

• Friendship Cards
• Black and Yellow Card
• Homemade Paper Card
• Thank You Card with Recycled Paper

Redemption

          Have you ever felt a compelling urge to knock over a Lego tower because a book ended too soon? Well, I haven’t either, but I was extremely disappointed when I finished Bryan Clay’s “Redemption”.  It ended with only the first segment of the story’s resolution because Bryan Clay’s Olympic career hasn’t stopped. It’s still being written. In fact, Clay is likely to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics and (hopefully) become the first 3-time decathlon medalist!

          I picked “Redemption” because I noticed that it was a Christian book written by a guy who is an athlete. I was hoping to find a book that might appeal to the men in my life. Many Christian books tend to be written for women – romantic fiction, dating books, devotionals, housekeeping guides, etc. It can be hard to find a Christian book that will be of any interest to men or less “prissy” girls. When books that spotlight strong, godly men are found, they are a valuable resource. The stories of men who use their success as a platform to glorify God can make an undeniable impact on our culture. Bryan Clay has done just that and tells about it in his autobiography “Redemption”.

          Clay is a two-time Olympic medalist in the decathlon. The decathlon is a track and field event that involves a 400 m race, 1500 m race, high jump, long jump, shot put, discus, and javelin throw. The decathlon requires competitors not just to be good in a specific event such as running, but to excel in every area of track and field.  It is one of the most physically demanding events in the Olympics. Each athlete has to go through years of rigorous training and dieting in order to be able to compete in the decathlon. Their dedication to this demanding sport was extremely inspiring to me.

          I was even more inspired by Bryan Clay’s background. Considering his success in the decathlon, I was shocked to learn about the odds that were against Clay. His small stature and childhood in a violent home atmosphere did not make him a likely candidate for an Olympic champion. Clay’s parents divorced when he was young, and he witnessed a lot of physical and verbal fighting between them. Eventually, Clay began struggling with anger issues and lashing out at others around him. He became physically abusive and threatened to beat up anyone that he viewed as opposition – even teachers.

          By junior high, Clay was heading toward a life of failure. His grades were terrible and he regularly drank with his friends. Eventually, as a last-ditch effort, a counselor told Clay’s mom to “get him in sports”. So, Clay’s mom gave him a choice between swimming and track. He chose track. Through the mentoring of teachers, coaches, and his parents, Clay became a fairly good athlete, but nothing spectacular. Nevertheless, his mom kept encouraging him, saying that God had told her that her son would one day compete in the Olympics. Clay, who at the time didn’t want much to do with God, wrote his mom’s dreams off.

          Clay didn’t have many aspirations for a career after high school, but he did want to move as far away as possible from Hawaii. So, after a bit of persuading and a visit to the Christian college, Clay decided to go to Azusa Pacific University on a track scholarship. His main goal was to have fun, party hard, and avoid going to chapel. And he did. Late night drinking sprees almost ruined his track career, but Clay’s coaches gave him lots of grace because they believed that he had talent. Despite their encouragement and gentle warnings, it took a painful breakup with a serious girlfriend to turn Clay toward God again. Clay wanted to get back together with Sarah so badly that he was willing to do anything. He joined a group of guys who mentored each other, began waking up early to read his Bible, and stopped partying. As a result, he made some new friends, lost his old friends, and won Sarah’s heart. And yes, they did eventually get married!  

          Through a series of crazy events, Clay became more than a good athlete – he became an Olympic champion. The key to Clay’s story is obvious. It wasn’t any of the odds against, but the one odd that was for him: God. By the end of the book, I was rooting for Clay as God helped him overcome each obstacle. It was an incredible journey and so fun to “be a part of”.

          Whether you’re a writer, dancer, football player, or parent, I think “Redemption” will apply to you. It’s a story of transformation from a bad past to mediocre to amazing future. Bryan Clay’s story is one of hope and seemingly impossible prayers being answered. Very cool!  I’d specifically recommend this to men and athletes. I felt like they were the target audience of the book, but I, a nonathletic girl with no interest in sports, absolutely loved the book. That said, “Redemption” is a very inspiring story that almost everyone will hate to put down. I hope you read it and watch for Bryan Clay in the 2012 London Olympics this summer!

BookSneeze gave me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Olympic Champ... Shines for God

     I've been reading Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay's autobiography Redemption. It has been absolutely amazing. Clay's story is incredible. He has gone from being an angry child in a broken home to an Olympic champion. The key? A praying mom, caring coaches and teachers, and, most importantly, God. I plan on writing a book review soon, but I couldn't resist sharing a few of the great resources I've discovered.
     I believe Clay's story can impact our culture, especially young men. Check out these YouTube videos and links. Feel free to share them with others and spread the news!
     And.... watch for Bryan Clay in the 2012 Olympics this summer! :)

Links:
Bryan Clay's website: HERE
Bryan Clay's Twitter: HERE

"No Regrets"

At the ripe, old age of seventeen, I’ve decided that “no regrets” is one of my generation’s favorite and dumbest sayings. My friends proudly proclaim these words after they’ve done something crazy – not necessarily anything bad, but something crazy nonetheless. Facebook statuses and Twitter updates run rampant with the confident two-word statement. To most teens, even me at one time, this phrase sounds cool. It rings of bravery, adventure, riskiness, and the comforting idea that one shouldn’t feel guilt over their past.

I used to love that statement, but now I hear it and think, Yeah, right! No regrets. Ha! Get real.

Now, I realize that the saying carries a much more serious message than the lighthearted attitude that most people have when they say it. The idea of a society living with “no regrets” is dangerous.

 Let me start by fessing up and saying that I have millions of regrets. My life has been filled with way too many mistakes. I’ve said words that I wish I could take back. I’ve lied, gossiped, judged people wrongly, and done many things that I’m extremely ashamed of. There are days when I’d love to forget about the messiness of my past and live with “no regrets”. I’d love to ignore the fact that I’ve hurt others and disobeyed God, but I can’t. I’d love to pretend that I’ve got my act together, but I can’t because it would be a big, fat lie.

Let me explain. I believe that, other than Jesus, no perfect human has ever existed. No matter how hard we may work to be good enough to get into heaven, we don’t meet the mark. We mess up over and over again.

Check out Isaiah 64: 6-8: (I italicized a few words for emphasis.)
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

You may be reading those words and thinking, Okay. So basically God’s saying that my hard work is nothing more than a filthy, stained cloth and I’m a rotten person. No matter how hard I try, I’ll never be good enough for God.

Maybe your church teaches that and maybe you’ve grown up hearing that you are never good enough. Let me tell you something shocking. Part of that is true. We will never be “good enough” to earn our way into heaven. The only perfect human to step on Earth was named Jesus. He was, in every sense of the word, perfect. He never lied, gossiped, stole, or sinned in any way.

Now, before you get depressed by the negative aspects of this concept, take a second look at the last part of Isaiah 64: 8: “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” That’s right. We are God’s creations, beautiful masterpieces sculpted by His hands.  He loves us. Yet, He knows we are imperfect and choose sin over holiness every day. Still, He LOVES us unconditionally. That’s huge. Think about it. He doesn’t require anything for His love. He doesn’t require perfection.

He wants to use us to make a difference in the lives of others, despite and because of our past regrets and flaws. If you don’t believe me, flip through a Bible and study the people God chose to lead. They were far from “perfect”. For example, Rahab was a prostitute, Peter denied Christ, Paul murdered Christians, Moses had a stuttering problem, Abraham was really old, and Lazarus was dead.

Have you ever wondered why God chose them to make a difference for Him? I do. It blows me away. It’s incredibly amazing. I honestly don’t fully “get it”, but I’m trying to accept it.

I think that Christians/ the Church should openly acknowledge the fact that nobody is perfect and everyone has some regrets in life.  No matter how good a person is, he or she still has some regrets. Speaking from experience, finding a balance between living with too much guilt and living with too little is extremely difficult.

Can there be harmony between the two? Yeah, I think so. Grace links them together.

The purest example of grace can be read in the story of Jesus dying on the cross to forgive the sins of us, regret-filled, broken humans. He wanted to redeem us and offer us something better… eternal life with Him in heaven. All we have to do is confess our sins (which we all have) and ask him to come into our lives. That’s it. It’s shockingly simple and yet one of the hardest ideas for me to wrap my little brain around.

Grace. It’s crazy and rare on this justice-seeking planet. Regrets. They’re a bit more common, despite our superficial efforts to live life with “no regrets”.

Linking them together? Here’s how I see it unfolding: First, we fess’ up to our regrets. Not necessarily to the church (although it does feel good to “come clean” sometime with others who are kind and truly want to help you), but to ourselves and God. Get honest and get real. Accept God’s grace and forgive yourself. Don’t live with an overwhelming sense of guilt, but do be aware of the fact that you are not perfect. Remember that your testimony of imperfection might lead another imperfect soul to the God who loves imperfect people.

Secondly, learn from your mistakes. Although painful, they can teach you some great lessons. Share your story with others.

Thirdly, give grace. This is probably one of the hardest ones to do, but it is so worthwhile. Love people like Jesus did. Love the beggar. Love the prostitute. Love the murderer. Love unconditionally. Forgive those who hurt you.

Okay, I’m done talking. Shut off the internet and go live out grace in the real world! Make a difference!  

Desert Song

Are any of you walking through a spiritual desert?
Are you knee deep in fine grains of sand that suck you deeper and deeper into the ground and further and further from God's wellspring?
If so, I can relate. Right now, I'm spiritually "dry". I'm having trouble seeing that wellspring of God in the distance. My fellow travelers- brothers and sisters in Christ- keeping telling me that joy in Him is out there, but my eyes feel so blind.
And I've set down my map - God's word. I'm lost.
I'm thirsty for more. I'm empty and my soul is weary of this never-ending trek through the desert.
I'm so, so tempted to give up. But, I cling to this small fragment of hope. I pray that I can find my way out of the desert.
Today, my eyes search the horizon once more. I beg God to show me the ocean that I've heard stories of. An ocean of hope, forgiveness, and purpose. I want to feel a cool splash of that ocean water so badly.
If you're walking through a spiritual desert, knee-deep in sand, listen to this song. Join with me as I pick up my map and try to find my way out of the desert.