Friday 27 September 2013

Courage

In "Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom" available at createspace and Amazon.com there is the situation where Edwin is faced with a critical decision. He has warned villagers about the impending raid from Tissus, but they are not willing to attack so as to save other nearby villagers. They are indifferent to the plight of others and are hoping the Tissus won't come to their village. Edwin decides he must do something. This is a classic case of a person demonstrating courage even when the odds are overwhelmingly against him. Since its only himself against a marauding force he needs to use his wits to strike a meaningful blow. His courageous determination to make a difference gives him that added capacity to recognize an opportunity. From a hidden vantage point he identifies the reason why the Tissus seem so confident. It is Alwyn, a notable Druid priest known to practice powerful Druid magic. Edwin's courage empowers him to take the priest out and thus expose himself to the wrath of the Tissus.

Per Wikipedia there is a tradition moving back to Ancient Greek philosophy for counting courage or fortitude as one of the four cardinal virtues, along with prudence, justice, and temperance. ("Cardinal" in this sense means "pivotal"; it is one of the four cardinal virtues because to possess any virtue, a person must be able to sustain it in the face of difficulty).

Friday 20 September 2013

The Unique Qualities of the Irish Celts

I recently came across my notes from my viewing a DVD series on the Celts. I noticed another more recent DVD series on the Celts. You may want to check them out. I know the first one was fascinating and chances are the second one is as well. The Irish Celts had a remarkable bent towards beauty. Even everyday domestic items were created to be brilliantly beautiful.

The Irish Celts had a philosophy of freedom and determination to be real people. This contrasted with the Romans who were very orderly. The Irish Celts understood and loved their land. They had a sense of freedom and adventure that says all the world is not all black and white. The world is full of possibility. Unique is how the Irish Celts thought. Opposing facts can be equally right and a conclusion can be arrived at by any number of directions. I remember seeing this typified even in signs to an Irish village. The signs pointed in opposite directions to the same village. When you change the way you look at things you change your life.

The Irish warriors had the attitudes of champions. They approached trials and their path of life with humor, style and panache. It determined their success. Edwin, the hero of "Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom" demonstrated these qualities in the trials and battles that he encountered.

Friday 13 September 2013

Establishment of Monastic Ireland

As per the book  "Ireland's Treasures: 5000 Years of Artistic Expression," the Pope Celestine in 431 sent a man named Palladius to serve as bishop to the Irish believing in Christ. It was probably the first time in history that the papacy had agreed to send a bishop to people outside the bounds of the Roman Empire. This act would suggest there must have been a sufficient number of Christians in Ireland to warrant the sending of a bishop to provide them with pastoral care, and that gradual Christianization must surely have been happening already in the fourth century.

One of the principal characters in the Evansing novel is a warrior turned monk by the name of Percival. He has been chiseled by life to become a humble man who plays a very important mentoring role in the life of Edwin, the central hero in the book. The two men are separated by many years in age but their hearts are joined in the common purpose of pursuing The Quest of bringing unity to the fractious feuding kingdoms of Ireland. Percival plays a protective fatherly role for Edwin and is a great source of wisdom and knowledge to the young man.

Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom is available at createspace.com and Amazon.com.

Thursday 5 September 2013

The Yearning for a Father and a Healed Heart

This is the second posting of sharing the traits of the characters in the novel "Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom." The book is available at createspace.com and Amazon.com.

At the time Edwin recognized he needed to try to find a new life, he also experienced his deep desire for a father. He thought of this as he considered going to a local monastery and recalled how the priests were called Father. He desperately wanted to be loved and even celebrated just for being alive. He hungered to have the little boy in him nurtured and nourished.

Fathers have great responsibility for the present and future well-being of their children. The effects of poor fathering can leave serious scars on a child's heart. It behooves every father to recognize the importance of their daily interaction with their children for better or for worse.

Persons hurt by bad fathering have responsibility to get past the pain and disappointment. It all starts with forgiveness, no matter how atrocious the behavior they've experienced. As long as there is pain and unhealed wounds it is important to seek healing. One very powerful way is to simply ask God to heal your heart. It is out of one's heart that all the issues of life flow. In other words every part of your life will be tainted by whatever lies and hurts dwell in your heart. As James Richards of Impact Ministries has shared, if for example you have a poverty heart you will never feel worthy to have prosperity. There will always be something that will get in the way. Likewise if you struggle in relationships or health or whatever there is a root heart issue that needs healing. Consider visiting impactministries.com to check out their resources for healing the heart.