Rome. If you study anything about it at the time of Jesus you will find it was a corrupted society and government. Evil leaders, assassinations, immorality praised, rampant bribery, a lawless army, and many perversions of justice. This was the kind of government in place when Paul penned his letter to the Romans. Yet, in spite of all this, we find a section in chapter 13 verses 1-7.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

It sounds so odd doesn’t it? Paul commanding those in Rome to submit and honor a government that was corrupted, spending tax money on a murdering army and its own immoral pleasures. Yet, Paul does. Why? I think that the last verse of chapter 12 might give us a hint

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 NIV

Now there are exceptions (see next week’s post) but not many. Obviously, just because a government is corrupt does not negate these rules, as Rome was about as corrupt as they come. So what does this mean for us in a practical sense? How are we to apply this to how we live today?

• We are to pay our taxes (which I admit I grumbled about when I realized I owed 15% of what I made last year)
• We are to respect (hold them in high regard) those in authority, and treat them with respect. This includes how we talk about them in person and our social media accounts (I am guilty of failing in this.) 
• We are to honor (treat with deference) them. This can be even harder than respecting them, because some of them are not honorable people. But still, God has called us to treat them with honor. If you met with the president that you think has been worse for this country, you still would need to treat them with deference as God commanded.

Yes, this chapter is not an easy one to apply. I know that I have often made up excuses for when I disrespect the president or another elected official. It is so easy to see their faults and so easy to complain. I have failed so many times to obey this part of scripture. However, I refuse to give myself that excuse any longer. I will strive, in God’s strength, to speak with respect about those in authority. I will honor even those who I do not feel are honorable, as God has commanded.

Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: All Ages
Best for Ages: 10-18
Description: An interloper arrives at the CBI, claiming to be a data-collector from headquarters. Christian Holmes, together with Greg Belden, is assigned to help him. As they work with the outsider, their doubts grow. Who is he, and what did he really come for? More than one man will be tested, when inspection comes. Christian Holmes is a detective series, offering humor and moral themes.

I am getting into the habit of listening to books on my Kindle while I work on things. I like shorter books because I can enjoy a whole story in one task. This was one of the books I listened to and enjoyed.

I have never been big into Sherlock Holmes, but I do enjoy his stories that I have read. This is an obvious play on Sherlock Holmes, and it made it so interesting. The story was well structured and the plot was very interesting. It was free from violence and objectionable material that one normally finds in mystery stories.

My favorite part? The story did a good job at teaching a moral lesson without sounding like a sermon; a hard accomplishment for a short story. The message was not just tacked on at the end, it was woven into the story.

I recommend this short story for those who love light mysteries, short stories, and moral stories.

The authorities were after him. He had done nothing either legally or morally wrong. In fact, He was standing for his faith. Now, the government was after him, a corrupted one that perverted justice, and refused to follow even its own laws.
Then one amazing day, this man had a golden opportunity. The leader of this corrupted government fell into his hands. Those around him said that God had given him this day. He could kill this leader, or at least put him in prison. This would be the end of the godless leader and the corrupted government.

But he didn’t do it.

David said; “I cannot lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed one.

I have had a lot of conversations with people over the last year about honoring the governing authorities. What I am hearing has disturbed my heart. Many I have talked to have made fun of our president, joke about assassination, and ignore minor laws like speed limits because they say that the government is corrupt so we don’t have to honor or obey it.

The story above comes from 1 Samuel and you probably recognized it. David twice had the opportunity to kill or capture Saul. However, both time, he refused, even when everyone around him encouraged it. Why? Because Saul was God’s anointed.

Even after his death, when perhaps he should have been rejoicing that he would no longer have to run, he mourned for Saul and grew angry with the man who claimed to have killed him.

David was a man after his own heart and I think that this story is one of the reasons why. David refused to give in to the temptations to take matters into his own hands. He believed that God had raised Saul up and God and only God had the right to depose him.

In reading 1 and 2 Samuel, here is what I was reminded about authority.

• We like David should always speak and act in a honoring manner toward those in authority.
• We should not lift our hand against those in authority
• In God’s time, corrupted rulers will meet their end.

I urge you to open up your Bible and read the story for yourself. Don’t take my word for this, open up your Bible and discover it for yourself.

By J. Grace Pennington

I have a dream...

Or rather, I had a dream.

The Firmament series began about six years ago, not with the first words penned, but with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.  It was my fifth exposure to Star Trek, and I was already a big enough fan to be having dreams based on the series.  In this particular film, Doctor “Bones” McCoy (my favorite character) begins acting strange—almost crazy—because he's [spoilers] carrying Spock's soul around in his head (don't ask).  That night, I had a dream—a dream about a doctor going crazy on a starship in the future.

And his daughter was worried.

What if...?  Is the question that begins every piece of fictional storytelling. For me, the question was, “What if the starship doctor had a daughter, about my age?  What if the story was about a young woman with little authority, rather than the captain or the first officer or the engineer?  What if, rather than focusing on carnality and humanistic ideals, there was a StarTrekesque series that trumpeted family values and a biblical worldview?”

My imagination began spinning.  I went to the computer and wrote the sentence, “He always said that I had the measles when he found me on his doorstep back in 2299, and he also said that I was less than a year old.”  And the tale kept spinning.  Mutiny reared its ugly head, family secrets came to play, and a plot rather too complex was woven.  I later had to make significant rewrites to make the story more logical—but the core idea of a father and daughter navigating the unique challenges of the twenty-fourth century remained.

Planning out the entire series (originally twenty-four books, and now eighteen) helped me to stick to that premise as I wrote, and hopefully that will continue.  While I try to give the tales a distinctly deep, complex, philosophical bent (much like Star Trek), I also try never to lose sight of the two central values of the series—family, and faith.

Family is a thread that runs through every book.  In the first story, it's Andi and her adoptive father against the world, and she likes it that way.  But slowly, as the years go by, she connects with more and more of her family, both biological and adoptive, and the ramifications aren't always to her liking.  She doesn't care for change.  But she does care for those close to her.  And as time goes by, her heart opens to more and more relatives, whether they are connected by blood or not.

Her faith, too, plays a central role.  Andi is far from perfect.  She can have an attitude problem.  She's a people pleaser, and gets confused.  She's often stubborn.  She makes many wrong choices.  But at the end of the day, she puts her faith in her creator, albeit imperfectly, to get her through the trials of the life that she's been dealt.  And she wouldn't have it any other way.

So the purpose behind the Firmament series?  I want to take ideas and stretch them further than gravity will take them here on Earth, and throw them to the stars to play out their course.  Whether it's loving one's family or solving complex ethical dilemmas, I want readers to see Andi constantly reaching beyond the universe for answers.

There's a God who loves her, no matter what happens.

I want my readers to understand the same.


J. Grace Pennington has published four science fiction novels. They each
 have a unique bent to them, but this one is very different. Each book
is a standalone, but as with any series, you get more of the story if
you read them all in order. In Reversal Zone, the main character, Andi Lloyd, becomes the only one who can save the ship and crew. Can she do it in time?

About the Book

Nothing is as it should be.


After weeks of boredom, Andi is excited when the Surveyor is called upon
to rescue a freighter that mysteriously vanished in uncharted space.  Excitement quickly turns to unease when the
ship encounters an unknown phenomenon—a cloud that appears not to exist.  But with the freighter's crew in danger, the Surveyor
has no choice but to venture into unknown territory.


As soon as they enter the cloud, its unstable effects wreak havoc on the
ship.  They're flying blind.  Every piece of equipment is
malfunctioning.  And every member of the
crew is unable to think straight or act like themselves—except Andi.


Now she's expected to guide them through the predicament with no previous
command experience and no one to turn to for support.  And with each passing hour, it becomes clear
that if they don't escape the cloud soon—they won't escape it at all.
Buy it here

About the Author


J. Grace Pennington has been telling stories since she could
talk, and writing them down since age five. 

Now she lives in the great state of Texas, where she writes as much asadult life permits.  When she’s not
writing, she enjoys reading good books, playing movie soundtracks on the piano,
and looking up at the stars.



You can find out more about her writing at www.jgracepennington.com.

Giveaway














Grace is generously offering three prizes. A signed copy of
each of her three previous novels in the series. They are each standalone
stories, but they are also connected. If you would like to read more about
them, you can read about them here: Radialloy, In His Image, Machiavellian.



To enter the giveaway, please fill out this form.
 

Tour Schedule







Friday, October 7

Bookish
Orchestrations
-Tour Introduction

Fathers
and Sons-Sports and Life
-Guest Post

The Destiny of One-Guest
Post

Perpetual
Gardener, Writer, and Mormon
-Excerpt

Rebekah Lyn Books-Author
Interview



Saturday, October
8

Shout outs-Guest
Post

Author Franky A Brown-Excerpt

Shire Reviews-Book
Review



Sunday, October 9

Letters
from Annie Douglass Lima
-Excerpt

Zerina
Blossom's Books
-Excerpt



Monday, October 10

Rachel Rossano's
Words
-Excerpt and Guest Post

In the
Bookcase
-Excerpt and Book Review

Writings,
Ramblings, and Reflections
-Book Review



Tuesday, October
11

The
Abrahamic Adventures
-Book Review

The
Overactive Imagination
-Excerpt and Guest Post

Morgan Elizabeth
Huneke
-Book Review

Lisa Swinton
Queen of Random
-Excerpt



Wednesday, October
12

Bookish
Orchestrations
-Giveaway Winner

*Review written in 2014*
Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild romance, mild peril, and reading level
Best for Ages: 13 and up
Description: In the hubbub of wedding preparations, Christmas celebrations, and a house full of lively children, Aggie is feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated. Add to that two puppies who are growing faster than she can replace chewed shoes and fix dug fences, it seems like things just can’t get any worse. Then, as she should be enjoying the most exciting time of her life, she’s faced with her worst nightmare.

I have now completed the Aggie’s inheritance trilogy, and it has been one of the most satisfying series I have ever read. Havig’s books always feature down-to-earth characters who deal with everyday issues, yet she manages to keep things interesting.

My only complaint in this entire series is that Aggie was getting a bit irritating. I think the author wanted to show that motherhood was a real, full time job. She did this by showing how hard it can be. While I do not dispute the fact motherhood is a full time job, I think the author was a little over dramatic at times with how hard she made it.

I loved this book as Aggie and Luke get ready for their wedding. They were such a sweet couple, and I hope we get to read more of their story in a future book. They have fights, petty arguments, and lots of fun together. They truly care for each other and look out for the other one.

As with the other two books, I was impressed with how well the children were done. It is hard when writing about eight kids to give them different personalities, but Havig did.

I highly recommend this whole series to anyone who loves books about everyday people, stories with high moral standards, or anyone looking for a relaxing read.

It is sad to see you go and the party to end, but I know that we will see each other again. You can always keep up-to-date through my newsletter. Also if you take this survey about the blog party, you will get a free short story of your choosing. Before you leave, I would love to share both my favorite classic books and some books to help you celebrate the upcoming Christmas season.

Little Woman: This is an all-time favorite. Having a lot of sisters of my own, this book felt sometimes like it was about us. I loved how they grew, changed, and still remained a close family.
Little Pilgrim's Progress: While I disagree with some of the thology of this book, it did impact me. It was a powerful reminder of all the things that can distract a Christian.
Emma: This story is very dear to me. I want to marry someone like Mr. Knightly someday and I am too much like Emma sometimes. This book is fun, witty, but also has a great message.
Swiss Family Robinson: Dad read this aloud to us and I have such fond memories. It is better than the movie by far. Rose and I did a whole homeschool project based on the things we learned from the book.

The Swaddling Clothes: This is one of my favorite Christmas stories ever. It is a story that ties many biblical stories together in a neat what-if story.
The Christmas Bride: Grace Livingstone Hill being a favorite, I had to include one of her very sweet Christmas stories as part of this book. I have reread this a couple of times around Christmas.
The Father Christmas Confession: I read this last year and loved it! It felt like a Hallmark movie with a Christian twist. It was awesome!
A Victorian Christmas: I loved this collection. These stories were sweet, historical, and just fun.
Some Christmas Camouflage: This is a beautiful and powerful short story that touched my heart.),
Thanks for coming! Remember to check out and see who won the big prize.