Interestingness

Have any of you ever had the same things come up over and over again in the course of a week? 

Because that's what happened to me.

Last Friday, at my youth group, we were talking about how you know you're going to heaven. It was all about how many people in the world think that they go to heaven based on their works, but in the Christian faith, it's the opposite--you get to heaven based on salvation and faith, and your works determine the rewards you will receive once you get to heaven.

And, come Monday, I was thinking about my boyfriend (reixedyri for all of you that don't know him) and a conversation we had a few weeks ago. It was all about my post on... evangelism, I believe. He brought up a good point, about how he wished that we could get to heaven based on our works instead of believing in a certain god. I decided to write this down in a notebook, and the resulting explanation ended up being twelve pages. My friend, M, read it, and thought that it explained my point of view fairly well.

And guess what Pastor Charles Stanley was talking about In Touch, his TV show?

That's right--faith.

It wasn't exactly about why good people can't go to heaven and why only those who believe in the Christian god can go to heaven, but it was all about bearing the greatest burden--which was, of course, sin. It was about Jesus's role as a sin-bearer, and how to truly be free of the bondage of sin we must trust in the Lord to get  us through it. Why people can only get to heaven through faith was only a small part in his sermon, but it really struck a cord with me, just because I had just been talking and writing about it.

I find it interesting that on three different occasions, the same exact thing came up and really impacted me in a way it wouldn't have had it only come up once.

It just goes to show that God brings things into our lives for a reason, doesn't it?

Book Review #5 and #6

I know, I know, two posts in a day spams the friend-lists, but I just finished the second book of the Planet Pirates trilogy, and I had to do a book review on it.

Book: Sassinak, Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Science fiction
Length: 280 pp., according to my version
Grade: B

Barnes and Noble Summary: Sassinak was 12 when the raiders came. That made her just the right age: old enough to be used, young enough to be broken. Or so the slavers thought. But Sassy turned out to be a little different . . . and bided her time to become the fleet captain of a pirate-chasing ship of her own. 

My Thoughts: I'm not sure what my opinion of this book is, frankly. It was written well enough, it had enough action, some suspense, some character development... but something was missing. I'm not sure what it was, but the book just didn't grab my attention the way it should. 

Sassinak was the only character that was really developed and, honestly, her character didn't appeal to me. She seemed a bit like a Mary-Sue, and her character development wasn't all that intriguing. The description in the book says that she was "different," but I didn't get that... different-ness in the book itself, if that makes sense. It was said, but it just didn't seem believable to me.

However, through all that, I enjoyed reading the book. I only had one favorite part that really made me want to read on, so I probably wouldn't reread this anytime soon. I'm still going to read Generation Warriors, but only because I don't want to leave the series when I've already read two of the three.

So, all in all, it was a fairly good book, and I might pick it up again sometime.

ETA: Finished Generation Warriors, but didn't think I should do another post just for that particular book.

Book: Generation Warriors, Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Science fiction
Length: 207 pp., in my version
Grade: C

Barnes and Noble Summary: Lunzie, fresh from her adventures in The Death of Sleep, has discovered that the one good heavyworlder she ever met isn't so good after all...

Fordeliton, sent off to investigate the connection between the super-rich and the planet pirates, is now dying of a mysterious slow poision. His aunt's spiritual advisor wants to give him her "special cure."

Dupaynil, having made the mistake of pushing Sassinak too far, has been exiled to Seti space aboard a tiny escort vessel--where he's discovered that the crew are in the pay of planet pirates...

Aygar, the idealistic young Iretan, is out to prove he has brains as well as heavyworlder brawn... but there are plenty who'd like to blow them out before he can learn to use them.

Then there's Sassinak, ordered to report to FedCentral for the trial of the mutineer Tanegli. She'd been told to disarm her ship when it enters restricted space; she'd been told her crew can't have liberty or leave; and she'd been told to follow all the rules. You remember Sassinak...the only person who might be able to stop the disaster ahead has never been one to follow the rules...

My Thoughts: I think my reaction of "FINALLY!" once I reached the last page says it all, really.

Don't get me wrong, the book was well-written, but it wasn't just for me. I found myself skimming past the last one hundred pages or so just to get done with it, and ended up yelling at the book because I wanted it to be over already. My favorite parts were with Fordeliton and Dupaynil, as well as some scenes with Lunzie. Sassinak gets on my nerves, even though I have no clue why, and I just... really didn't like the book.

However, that's a matter of personal taste--it's written well enough, but it definitely wasn't for me.

Next Up: Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Goldberg