October 2021 Front Page

NEWS

News From Southern Africa (Kay West)

Ground Conditions

Perhaps you heard fleeting news about the rioting, looting, and burning rocking the country of South Africa last month. Less likely, but still possible, you might have heard about the violent political protests and the ensuing brutal governmental response in the smaller country of Swatini. These events were much more than a blip on our personal radars; we got daily frantic reports from our ministry partners and many friends in these two nations.

How would you respond to loved ones sending countless terrified messages such as these? “I can hear the bullets so we are just staying inside our home and praying,” “They are burning outside our home; I am afraid,” and “We can no longer get food because our food supply chain has been cut off; I do not know how I am going to feed my children.” [Read More]

Death, Violence, Chaos at Kabul Airport (Cheryl & Hal Sacks, BridgeBuilders)
August 26,2001

[Editor’s Note: although this is an older report, the information is still important]

Twin suicide bombers (possibly ISIS-K terrorists) detonated bombs in the midst of crowds near the airport in Kabul Thursday morning (August 26), transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror.

Early reports were that 22 were killed and 60 were wounded. At least 12 U.S. service members were among the dead, including 11 Marines and one Navy medic, according to two officials.

A subsequent gunfight erupted, and all airport gates processing evacuees were closed, leaving thousands waiting to be evacuated on their own.

Even as the Pentagon was describing the first bombing as a “complex attack,” the second explosion [Read More]

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INFORMATION

Finance

The Expanded Child Tax Credit (Jeremy Sharp)

Many taxpayers have begun receiving monthly payments as a result of the expanded child tax credit for 2021. What many people don’t know is that those payments are NOT just extra stimulus money.  I want to answer a few important questions about the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and what you should do about it.

Why Does It Matter?

First of all, if you have dependent children – this affects you, and the CTC payments are NOT just extra stimulus money. That means, if you don’t take the appropriate action, you could end up owing more tax! [Read More]

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REVIEWS

Gaming

Valorant (Believer Bunny)

A game that I personal enjoy playing is Valorant. It is a shooting game involving two teams with 5 players in each team.

As far as story and in-game mechanics, this game is relatively simple. It feels like capture the flag, but much more artistic. You can hop on after work, or during some down time, and spend time engaging with friends from far away, or down the street. Or, you can enjoy the game while speaking to people you have never met before, and be a kind voice in a harsh world.

It can be easier sometimes for people to congregate online than in person, especially when [Read More]

Books

A River Runs Through It (Norman Maclean, 1976) (CJ Austin)

This is one of my all-time favorite books (and movie). I first came across it in one of my family therapy classes & have read the book and watched the movie several times.

The story revolves around two brothers, their parents, and the choices they make, leading them down very different paths, all woven through the art of fly fishing.

In addition to the beautiful scenery, for me, there is much to ponder, such as: [Read More]

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PROFILES

The Prince of Paradox (CJ Austin)

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.“

During this time of enforced self-isolation, searching my bookshelves to find one of my books, bought and as yet unread, relegated to dusty shelves, I ran across a book subtitled, “Four Who Wrote in Blood.” The back cover further elaborating, “Four Unexpected Prophets Who Shine Light Into the Darkness.” What could be better? With anxiety, depression and suicide rates shooting skyward, maybe I could find answers.

Speak What We Feel: Not What We Ought to Say, shares Buechner’s (2001) reflections on literature and faith. The inclusion of Gilbert Keith Chesterton piqued my curiosity. I vaguely associated Chesterton with Christian apologetics, but I did not know much about him, nor had I read his original works. [Read More]

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HISTORY

The Real Beowulf (J. Credence)

Beowulf, required reading for many of us in high school, is an Anglo Saxon epic tale touted as purely pagan work, hailing from England. The primary reference for this article is, Beowulf: a Prose Translation Introduction (Penguin Classic, David Wright). I find it not only the easiest to understand, but also the most thorough and comprehensive of the several Beowulf translations.

Facts
Beowulf is the oldest known Anglo Saxon epic, author unknown, from approximately the sixth century. While founded in England, the epic is primarily the story of a Thane named Beowulf, prince and eventually king from what we now call Southwestern Sweden.

Archaeological Discovery
A ship, Sutton Hoo, remarkably similar to the one described in detail in Beowulf, has been unearthed. [Read More]

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ARCANE

The First Earth Age (Zen Garcia)

I released two books last year based on the biblical concept of there having existed a prior earth age. Called “the first world age,” it is spoken about as having been a golden age, when the angels having first been cast down to this time space dimensionality, ruled here upon the earth. In mythology this is referred to as the prior times or Zep Tepi, the first times. It is also known as the age of Atlantis.

Atlantis

Many of you are familiar with the story of how the Atlanteans, abusing their power and authority, [Read More]

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THE LIVES WE LIVE

The Perfect Fit (Sharon Gamble)

It’s not like I didn’t want to have a daily time of Bible reading. I did. It’s not like I thought praying on the run when I remembered it in emergencies was the best way to develop a rich prayer life. I didn’t. But how in the world was a busy mother of two children under the age of two supposed to find any time for quiet time? Some days I didn’t even find time to shower. My husband—in the midst of intense PhD classwork—sympathized with my busy schedule as he drowned in his own. Neither one of us was much help to the other, I’m afraid. We were each too busy trying to keep our own noses above the ever-rising flood of responsibility facing us. It was not the best of times.

I was a most unlikely candidate for the daily quiet time method I was about to learn. [Read More]

When Deep Grief and Deep Peace Embrace (LoriJo Schepers)

Hospital room a few days after Thanksgiving, my sister and I on either side of a bed, watching the frail, failing body of our mother.

Darkness broken only by the glow of machines designed to monitor the presence, or absence, of life. Mom has been unresponsive for a few days now.

Faint echoes of hospital staff in the hallway, hushed by the lateness of the hour.

Music playing softly in the room – a playlist of mom’s favorite hymns and faith-filled songs. It’s been playing on repeat for many hours as we prepared [Read More]

Both Shoes Dropped (J .Credence)

Backstory: I have learned that sometimes you just have to buy a nice pair of shoes for your kiddo because they simply last longer…

I bought my eight year old a very nice, very expensive pair of Nike, all leather basketball shoes about a year ago. Since then, I’ve replaced the shoelaces 5x, hand washed the insole, vacuumed them out of sand and wood chips innumerable times. I have three to four hours into these shoes minimum, plus the exorbitant amount of money I spent on them.

Yesterday, we were prepping for a rafting trip down the salt river and [Read More]

A Word About Anxiety (CJ Austin)

Living in globally unprecedented times has wrought worldwide disastrous statistics regarding anxiety, depression and suicide, bringing heavy hearts to those of us in the “helping professions.”

Definition

Anxiety is generally described as feeling worried, nervous, unease; usually because of an upcoming event or uncertain outcome. This is a normal emotion, it is your brain’s way of reacting to stress and alerting you of potential danger ahead.

3-3-3 rule for Anxiety [Read More]

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CREATIVE

It’s You (Liz Santiago)

Uneasy and doubting everything 
Just waiting for the sway
of the sweet sound to arrive
That was me
missing Your sight over me

Which came and shouted quietly 
that everything’s going to be okay

And one day 
I realized it hasn’t melody anymore
Either joy or life
that I used to feel before
[Read More]

The Circle (CJ Austin)

(a haiku)

Trees out my window
Connecting me to above
Also to beneath [Read More]

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HUMOR

Pirates in the House [from Falcon Tales] (J. Credence)

My three year old is very sick; he’s got a nasty sinus infection and is on a Z Pack for it. He is definitely getting better and frankly would be better if he WOULD.JUST.SLEEP.

This morning I found him singing loudly with his 6 year old brother in his bed. He had moved all his blankets and stuffies to the bed with his big brother. They were singing… I crap you not–pirate shanties. I don’t even know how they learned pirate shanties??? [Read More]

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INSPIRATIONAL

Ignore the Crows (LoriJo Schepers)

Anyone moving forward in life has them.

All who seek to grow spiritually will see them.

Anyone desiring to become more and more like Jesus, to step into the fullness of God’s call on their life will hear them.

The voices of the crows.

The dissenters, detractors, accusers and condemners.

The more you step forward, the louder they scream. The higher you choose to fly, the more vehement their accusations. The bolder your stand in faith, the more violent their condemnation. [Read More]

Dear Heavenly Father (Michael Carr)

We pray that we would not be left alone like broken vines but that we would be knitted together in love.

Help us to cast away bitterness and anger that separate us from you and from each other.

Bind us together as a family so that we can show the greatness and beauty of the Lord.

Give us tender hearts. Melt our hearts of stone toward the weak. [Read More]

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TESTIMONIES

Boo-Boos and Band-aids (Kay West)

The cut was small, but we all know that even small cuts can hurt! I was mostly frustrated at the interruption in my schedule and quickly wrapped a Band-Aid around my still stinging finger. I was no longer a whimpering and fearful child needing the reassurance of a parent that it would get better, but a grown woman who had miraculously been healed many times over the years from such minor mishaps. I knew from many, many similar incidents, as well as from basic biology learned in high school, [Read More]

Unfinished Story (CJ Austin)

If you are expecting a nice story about obstacles overcome, complete with a sugar-coated ending, you will be sorely disappointed. This is a story about real life, the life that I suspect many of you are living, the happy ending still elusive.

“The life unexamined is the life not worth living,” somebody famous once said. So, join me as we take a bird’s eye view of my life. [Read More]

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TALK TO US

Share a Thanksgiving or November memory. Selected ones will be published in our November 18 edition.

Include your first initial and last name and email to: Editor@mavenite.media

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EDITORIAL

View From Behind

Lead Editor for Christian News Compilation: Life Thoughts Today, I am CJ Austin, retired professor, presenter, published, graded too many papers, chaired doctoral dissertations, published newsletter for small organizations, helped start a publishing company, help people get published, etc. You will learn more about me as I share in “Testimonies.”

Formatting, editing and publishing a news collection of this magnitude is a much anticipated challenge. [Read More]

Looking Forward

Multiple thanks for joining us on our launch edition.

To connect to future editions, join our mailing list. This will get you a short email with a brief review of the contents and linkage to that month’s publication.

We will connect again November 18.