| Author | Message | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5488 Registered: 9-2006  |
I have just finished the story titled ‘Preparation day’ and I woke up at 1:30 this morning and was sitting here thinking about about getting up other stories for a third book and I got an idea for a story based on a business man who has a hide and tallow business in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. He has a pregnant wife and one small son. Tentatively I am titling it ‘The Miracle’. He has heard about Jesus crucifixion and death and the claims that he is alive, but he has seen none of this, his hide and tallow business is next door to the building where the Holy Spirit is delivered to the 120, but his life is just a humdrum one of making a living to feed his small, but growing family. Later he travels to a nearby town to meet with some goat farmers to barter for the hides and he listens to Philip preach on a street corner. He accepts Philips message and…Well, that would be telling wouldn’t it? But, put yourself back 2000 years in the streets of Jerusalem with the pressure of eking out a living. River Sneak peak? The Miracle Agubus Anonitis arose with a fever that morning in ??AD, he stumbled out of bed with a headache and a cough that did not bid well for his work in the hide and tallow business. He had goat skins to prepare and his son was still too small to help him. The other fellow he had hired was lazy and he had to force him to get any work done at all. Jerusalem was abuzz these days of a group of people who sat around praying all day and right next door to his hide business. (italics)Well…I have a family too feed and I don’t not have time for such business, I have hides to wash and scrape and those people are also lazy. They keep the people upset by all this praying business, and to a dead man no less, a man who was crucified a while back and they claim he has come back to life. Such foolishness! And I have hides to prepare or we will not eat! I wish God would not put such a heavy load on me! I attend synagogue every Sabbath and I put into the money coffers and yet I struggle to make a farthing boiling hides. “Lisitus Anonitis! Get up and get the boy up, day is breaking on the land! Hurry now!” His young and beautiful wife groaned and rolled over on the sleeping mat, she knew her morning sickness would come on when she prepared the first meal of the day. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5489 Registered: 9-2006 |
A sneak peak at 'Preparation Day' Sixteen year old Lori Bingamton leaned her head against her locker as the morning sickness washed over her in waves. It was time for her one PM math class and she hadn’t been able to down the gray mass of vegetation they had served in the cafeteria at lunch. She knew she was pregnant and she knew her father would have the baby aborted to save face, but oh how she dreaded telling him. She knew her Mom would go along with what her father decided as she always had done. Her father treated her rougher than her two siblings, her sister Melanie was thirteen and Bill was six. Today was Friday, preparation day and she dreaded this also as she walked down the hall to her class room, her head down, clutching her books to her chest. “You’re late for class Lori.” The teacher said. ‘So what? I’m dead anyway.’ She thought as she walked to her desk at the back of the room. She sat there staring through the teacher. She was struck through with shame as she remembered that Thursday night when Jim McGowen had begged her, his hands everywhere and she had given in and let him do it in the back of his Dad’s Cadillac. Jim’s father was Dr. James McGowen who sat near the front row in church, he was a member of the church board and the McGowens along with Judy, their daughter and Jim would march in and take their seat, no one would dare sit where they sat except a total stranger who might visit the church, and then Dr. McGowen would let them know right quickly that it was his seat and tell them they would have to move. Lori thought Jim was a good catch, the girls were green with envy when Jim had began asking her out. ‘If they only knew.’ She thought as the classed came to a finish and the bell rang, she looked down at her empty note book and got up to leave. She rushed to the bathroom, slammed the door on the stall and hung her head over the toilet and what she hadn’t had for lunch came up as bile, and she stood shaking in an attempt to recover. She wiped her mouth on the handkerchief she carried in her purse, then opened the stall door. There stood Julie Crandal, an unpopular girl in her class, she had buck teeth and zits. She was never asked to go out, she was shy and withdrawn. “A..are you alright Lori?” She asked hesitantly. Lori could sense the kindness in her voice, so she did not resent the question. “I’m Ok, it was that awful mess we had for lunch.” She lied. “I know what you mean.” Julie giggled, her lips pulled back from her teeth. This girl was so uninhibitedly honest and she loved all those around her even though some of them treated her cruelly, and secretly Lori liked her. Still…She had to maintain her image, because she herself was among the beautiful and popular girls, so she said nothing as she brushed past her on the way to her last one hour class. She managed to get through English class and as she walked the six blocks home she kept her head down, pretending she was in deep thought so she didn’t have to encounter the neighbors. She watched out of the corner of her eye at old Mrs. Mcgruder who tended her roses. Mrs. McGruder was 70 years old, but still in good health. She sometimes gave Lori bunches of roses for their living room, but she was a Sunday keeper, and she had been told they would try to kill her when the Sunday laws came. Lori could not imagine her harming a fly, much less kill anybody, but that is what she had been taught so she avoided her as much as she could and so did the rest of the family. Mrs. McGruder didn’t seem to mind and was always polite to them all. They would see her walk to her car on Sunday dressed primly and return at twelve thirty, she knew she belonged to the Baptist church a mile away. Lori walked around to the back door and opened the door to the smell of her Mom’s cooking and a wave of sickness washed over her again. “Lori, your late, you know this is preparation day!” her Mom scolded, but the scolding didn’t have any bite to it. She walked into her bedroom and dumped her books on the bed, then walked into the living room where her brother and sister were vacuuming the carpet that didn’t need vacuuming. Her Dad looked up from his newspaper and frowned at her. “Lori, wash the car and there better not be a spot of dirt on it, be sure and brush around the hub caps, you know today is preparation day, you only have an hour and a half, so get it done.” ‘What would have kept you from washing the car?’ she thought fiercely as she headed back out the back door and around to the driveway where the older Oldsmobile sat with its immaculate paint just beginning to fade. She poured some soap into the wash bucket and began to wash the thing, and with a final rinse she lay down on the ground to squirt the hose at the undersides of the car. She saw a bug crawling feverishly to get away from the cascade of water, she squirted the bug and he went tumbling to the other side of the car. A wave of sickness washed over her, and she lay with her face on the cool ground. She felt something crawl up her sleeve and felt the sharp sting of a wasp, thought she had disturbed a nest and went running through the Jesus door, running smack dab into her father. She stood terrified, wet and muddy, when the wasp had stung her she had turned the hose on herself in a frantic attempt to get it out of her blouse. Now she stood dripping over the clean carpet, a smear of mud on the Jesus door. The Jesus door was the front door of the house, and they weren’t allowed to use it on Sabbath, the door had to be wiped clean of all dirt or finger prints, because their father said it was the one Jesus entered their home on Sabbath. “Lori, come here with me!” He pulled his wide leather belt from the loops on his pants. “Turn around!” She turned her back to him, cringing. He brought the belt down hard on her tender backside again and again. “That will teach you not to mess with me when I tell you to do something.” He calmly began looping the belt around his waist. “Go to your room young lady!” Lori went. She stood in her bedroom, wet, dirty and bedraggled as she heard the vacuum crank up again. ‘God, I hate you!’ she whispered to herself, ‘Why did you let this happen?’ She felt the welts starting to rise on her fanny and she bit her lip till the blood ran. She knew this was nothing to the trouble she was really in and she hated Jimmy McGowen for what he had done to her. She remained in her room that night, she laid some red Ellen White books out on the bed in case anyone came into her room. She cursed Ellen White under her breathe even as a wave of fear washed over her, she laid there in deathly fear of her own words to God and sister White and her fear of hell. She was convinced that God might strike her dead any minute. | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 818 Registered: 10-2008 |
My, oh, my ... River, your stories just keep getting better. If that is possible. Looking forward to Miracle, too. Blessings, Keri | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5492 Registered: 9-2006 |
Could anyone tell me why Ellen White books are red? It sort of amused me to put in the line about the red Ellen White books.  River | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 530 Registered: 3-2009 |
Would that be to stand out in the library? I can't wait to read the whole story! It's almost like I'm reading one of the many stories that happened in SDA churches and schools. Hec | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 304 Registered: 12-2007 |
I have heard of e "red books" also, but the Testimonies set I have are black covers. Maybe it is a different set of books that were red..? | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 537 Registered: 3-2009 |
The Testimonies come in different colors. The set I have is deep brown, almost wine. I had a black set too. The Great Controversy series, Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, The Desire of Ages, Acts of the Apostles, and The Great Controversy also come in different colors and size. There is a set of almost all the other books from EGW, and some which are from other authors, that is called The Christian Home Library. This set is red and all books are the same size (length X wide)This is the set that appears to be in most SDA homes. Very few will have the entire set since it is big and expensive. Hec | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10377 Registered: 12-2003  |
River, you have me hooked. I can't wait to read the rest! And I'm also looking forward to "Miracle". I agree...your stories and your writing are getting better and better. You've always had a way with a story line, but I can tell you're getting more and more at home with your own gift. More! I think that, years ago, Ellen's books were usually published in a dark red binding. Not sure why—but it's an "in house" phrase: "the Red Books"...Adventists always knows that refers to EGW. Colleen | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 538 Registered: 3-2009 |
Since we are talking about EGW here, I have a question. I've been listening to Pastor Mark Martin tapes and in one of them he states that research is showing that EGW copied profusely from the Book of Mormon. That statement was made a couple years ago. Does any one here knows if that research is finished or in any shape to show that she did copy from BOM? Do you have that information? If so could it be posted here or sent to me via e-mail? That would be a really efficient way to show who she really is. When one tells SDA that she copied from ancient books that are hard to get a hold of, they tend not to believe us, but if we can show that she copied from the BOM, a book which is readily available, then that's something to talk about. Thanks, Hec | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 821 Registered: 10-2008 |
River, I had a professor that would read from the "red books" before class time. And he referred to them as the "little red books." Sorry, not sure where the phrase came from. Kinda like "The conflict of the ages". There are many, many, phrases in Adventism ... we have our own lingo Keri | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 540 Registered: 3-2009 |
I received a PDF file from Pastor Martin where it's shown the similarities between Joseph Smith and EGW. I had sent them a request, but I thought that it would take weeks for them to reply. That's why I asked here too. But, unbelievably, they replied in a couple of hours. I couldn't believe it. Thanks anyways. Hec | ||
| Believer247 Registered user Username: Believer247 Post Number: 37 Registered: 3-2009 |
River, I can't wait to read the rest of this story, "Preparation Day." Keep the stories coming! | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 312 Registered: 12-2007 |
River, I really like what you have so far on Preparation Day. :-) SDA's I am sure have a lot of true stories similar to that one... Sadly I know of a few myself. But I suppose thats all part of humanitys fallen nature and I am sure there are lots of those stories in churches other than SDA too. | ||
| Sparrow Registered user Username: Sparrow Post Number: 81 Registered: 10-2008  |
I like Preparation Day...the book. River, please help me get one when the books are published. Or add my name to the pre-published buyers list. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5517 Registered: 9-2006 |
Sparrow, I will certainly do that. River |
