Ryann Watters Double Book Give-Away

Ryann Watters Double Book Give-Away

Check out a new review up at "Fiction Addict!"

I've met a new friend on Facebook... Kaci Hill. She was nice enough to contact me via Donita K. Paul and a few other friends we share in common. Kaci finished reading both of my books over the Christmas Holiday and has put up both reviews at www.fictionaddict.com. Specifically, "Ryann Watters and the King's Sword" here: http://fictionaddict.com/2009/12/28/ryann-waters-and-the-kings-sword-by-eric-reinhold/ and "Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith" here: http://fictionaddict.com/2009/12/29/ryann-watters-and-the-shield-of-faith-by-eric-reinhold/


I was pleased to find out that besides editing and writing reviews, Kaci has co-authored books with author sensation Ted Dekker! I've pictured the two she worked with him on and hope there are more in the future... be sure to check them out. If you've never read Ted, I would suggest starting with



"Blink" and "Three," which can be read independently. If you like those, then you may want to move into the initial Trilogy of "Black," "Red," and "White." I say initial, because Ted then launches into many books which all tie back into these 3. The two that Kaci co-authored with him are part of a sub-series call "The Lost Books." You understand what "the books" are in the trilogy.



If you don't already follow Kaci, you can look her up on Facebook. Things are going well with the series and I have some exciting news to share after New Years, in regards to the movie script and an opportunity with CostCo... so stay tuned.

Blessings to all as we enter 2010!
Eric

Symbols of the Real Christmas

One of the symbols of Christmas is the Evergreen tree. Throughout most of the country, leaves have fallen and the Evergreen is one of the few trees that remain green year-round. Like God's love, the "Ever"green is "ever-lasting. God's love doesn't die away. In Jeremiah 31:3 is says; "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."

"The Meaning of Christmas"

Another tradition at Christmas is exchanging presents. As parents, we give gifts to our kids, not because they deserve them for anything they've done, but because we love them. Symbollically, this is representive of a more perfect love from our Heavenly Father, who sent the gift of his son, Jesus, to pay the penalty of death, for our sin and provide us with everlasting life with Him.

"A wonderful song and video on the relationship between Jesus and his mother, Mary."

A tradition in our family every Christmas is to light a special Christmas candle on Christmas Eve and have our own candlelight service around the tree. We start off singing "Silent Night," and then I have a short message and passage I read from the Bible before we go around and pray, reflecting on the blessings of the year, those gathered with us and family members that are away.

Two thought provoking questions I'd like to ask you are:

(1) How would you describe the purpose of Christmas to a person from another culture? Take a few minutes to ponder this before looking at question two.

(2) How do the ways you celebrate Christmas reflect the purpose you described?

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas,

Eric

Where it all Began!

Now that Kaylyn (left) is 17 and Kara is 14, it's hard to imagine my girls ever being this small, but I wanted to go back to the beginning and let you know the genesis for my book series.

When I wasn't reading to the two of them (children's Bible pictured), I would tell them stories about three girls and their magical adventures. It was actually quite challenging, as they would recall the smallest details and I would have to work out ways to remember them myself as I picked up the story night after night.

"My girls are growing up!"

After a few months, Kaylyn said, "Dad, you should write a book so other kids can enjoy your stories."

That got me thinking... Yeah, I could do that!

And so the journey began...

It was around the same time that the first Harry Potter book had come out and my mind began thinking through the possibities... instead of witches and wizards, what could I use from the Bible that would make a great fantasy story for kids, but also incorporate truths from scripture? Ahhhh... angels, those of the light and those of darkness.

What about the setting? Well... I could make up a quaint town in the South. Then I visited Mount Dora, Florida, which is about 20-25 minutes from my house. It was perfect for my storyline.

There was Lake Dora, which provided the gateway to Aeliana, interesting alleyways, an old railroad track, an awesome bookstore right across the street from a church my heros woudl attend and quaint shoppes. Even the lighthouse to the left ends up being key in book 2.

Now you know some of the "rest of the story." I'll continue with other reflections on how my book came about in a most unusual way over the course of seven years.

Eric

Pray for the Troops and their Families this Christmas

Arlington National

Cemetary
at Christmas

You may be interested to know that the wreaths laid at Arlington National Cemetery (some 5,000) are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

While we're celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus this year, take a few minutes to remember those who have unselfishly given their lives for our freedom and those that are currently away from loved ones serving overseas.

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...

The Mega Pre-Christmas Sale is Underway!

I know this is crazy, but yes! You can get both book 1 and 2 for the low, low price of $20. Consider it my contribution to a tough economy. Unlike Amazon.com that charges $26.13 for both books, at http://www.ryannwatters.com/ you get both of them personally signed by me and two commemorative bookmarkers as well!

THE SUPPLY IS LIMITED!!!

Between now and Christmas, the goal is to sell out of the first run of books so we can go for the second printing. Take a few minutes to think of the following before you order:

1. What parents do you know that would like a safe, engaging story for their kids to read?

2. What kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, do you know that would enjoy both books for Christams?

3. Does your school library or church have copies? What better donation to impact a lot of kids in a positive way.

4. How about donating a set to your local public library?

5. What about using them as a give-a-way for a prize in your youth group or children's Sunday School, homeschool group, or Awana store?

Please forward the sale to as many people as you can on your e-mail list, Facebook, post on blogs, or your website!

Thanks so much for your support and be blessed!

Eric

What are Christians supposed to do on Halloween?

This is a question that gets lots of opinions. Some well-meaning, some under grace, some seem legalistic, others divisive. The bottom line if you have kids is that this issue will come up and you should have a reason for how you react to it. You shouldn't act out of guilt or superiority, but it should be based upon the Bible and the Holy Spirit acting in your life. I liked the following summary that our pastor presented last week in church.

There was a time where I felt like we needed to leave town if we wanted to take our kids trick or treating due to the condemnation from other believers we worshiped with. Now, we take the approach our pastor does and feel it's the right one for us.

Eric

“Pastor’s Point of View: Finding the ‘Hallow’ in Halloween”
By Joel R. Breidenbaugh, PhD

Well, that title alone is enough to cause some of us to begin to get a little “hot under the collar.” Why in the world would I, as your pastor, argue for taking advantage of a pagan holiday like Halloween? Has the world influenced me so much that I no longer argue for a distinction between the Christian and the non-Christian? Not hardly. Please read on.

Historically, Halloween has had something of a mixed message—both as a time to sacrifice to false gods and later as a time to remember special Christians. You may know about the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain built around their commemoration of the New Year on November 1st (the beginning of winter in Ireland and just after harvest season). This winter season symbolized death and the Celts believed that the evening of the New Year saw the boundary between the living and the dead dissolve. They believed spirits were present and that the presence of these spirits enabled the priests (druids) to predict the future, so they built bonfires and offered crop and animal sacrifices. The Celts further celebrated this festival by wearing costumes of animal skins.

"My son (Kyler) checking out all the 'loot.'"

In the early 7th century AD, Pope Boniface IV declared an “All Saints’ Day” in May (something like a spiritual memorial day), a time for Christians to honor saints and martyrs (similar to our political Memorial Day when we remember men and women who have given their lives in service to our country). The festival was transferred to November 1st by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century. This holiday (literally, holy day) was also known as “All Hallows,” for “hallow” and “saint” both refer to that which is set apart or holy. The day before “All Hallows” was naturally “All Hallows Eve,” and eventually it was shortened to “Halloween.”

In addition to this history, Protestants do well to remember October 31st as Reformation day, for on that day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, Germany. Luther’s work challenged Roman Catholicism, primarily over the issue of the sale of indulgences. Years later, historians have recognized that this moment sparked the eventual Protestant Reformation, ushering in such doctrines and practices as justification by faith, Bible translations in the language of the people, religious liberty, and more.

Much of the spiritual connotation for Halloween has been lost in our current observance of spooky themes, trick-or-treats, and the like. Some Christians, seeing little harm once a year, have completely adapted to this form of Halloween. Other more Fundamentalist-minded believers ridicule anyone for associating with this day.

I prefer to take more of the middle-ground by seizing the opportunity and redeeming the time (cf. Ephesians 5:17; Colossians 4:5) to teach others about the Protestant Reformation and the grace of God at work through Christ in turning sinners into saints. Even though Halloween is largely celebrated in a pagan fashion today, I don’t believe Christians should sit back in idleness. We can put a Christian spin (back) into Halloween—we can emphasize the “hallow” in Halloween.

Turning a pagan day into something different is nothing new to Christianity. We’ve set aside a day in December to compete with ancient Mesopotamia’s worship of false gods. The birth of Christ was celebrated annually as early as AD 98, but Julius I of Rome didn’t choose December 25 until AD 350. Today, virtually the whole world has secularized Christmas into gift-giving materialism, but Christians still remember the importance this “holy day,” when God fulfilled His promise in sending His Son into the world to redeem sinners.

"Yes, the one on the left (Kara) is an 'Air Head' and my other daughter on the right (Kaylyn) is a 'Smartie.'

Or consider Easter as another example. Though it celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, it replaced a pagan practice of honoring the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (“Easter” was a common word that then became applied to Christ’s resurrection). Though worship of this goddess was dying out by the time of Christ, we have no evidence that Christians celebrated Christ’s resurrection annually till the end of the 2nd century. The current date, however, wasn’t established until the First Council of Nicea (325), which set Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. Far too many people associate Easter with a bunny and eggs, but that doesn’t stop people from entering churches in greater mass that day than other day of the year in remembrance of Christ’s victory over death.

Even the very days of the week have been handed down to us from a pagan background. Whether you trace the names of each day of the week through Latin, Roman, or German origins, you cannot escape the fact that our days are named after false deities (Sunday, for the day of the Sun god, Monday for the Moon god, Thursday for the day of Thor, the Norse Viking god, Saturday for the Roman god Saturn, etc.). Though we have retained these names, we should use any and every day to honor our Lord.

Just as Christians have turned special pagan times of the year into holidays, like Christmas and Easter, and just as we live out each day of the week for Christ, so we can redeem the time with Halloween by focusing on that which is hallow (holy). We carry a hope-filled message about God’s faithfulness, and I believe Christians can reform Halloween into something positive for our children and our community.

How do we do this? Maybe we can give out candy with a message for people to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). What about jack-o’-lanterns? Perhaps you could carve a “Christian” version with a cross-shaped nose and underscore the candle as the light of Christ shining through His people. What about dressing up in costumes? As long as the costumes don’t promote evil or aren’t gory, I don’t see any harm in these things. Kids (and adults) have fun playing dress-up, so why not let them express themselves for such an occasion You may want to dress-up like a Bible character or wear an innocent costume and teach others that though we may try to change into a different character, God’s character never changes.

Does that mean that everyone will come to see a message of spiritual hope and that which is hallow in Halloween? No, but neither does everyone understand the significance of Christmas and Easter. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be separate from the world, while seizing the opportunities around us. I would rather redeem the time (and the day) for Christ and put hallow back into Halloween.

Redeeming the time,
Pastor Joel Breidenbaugh