Siege of Dome

I have just completed the finale of the two-part Empryion series by author Stephen Lawhead, entitled The Siege of Dome. While I enjoyed the first part of the story (see The Search for Fierra), I had a few criticisms with its basic development and its foundations. But this part of the story was crafted with much more crispness and attention to detail. I really enjoyed this one and was pleased that I picked these books up.

At the end of The Search for Fierra, our intrepid lost crew of fugitives from Earth led by historian Orion Treet, had found the fabled city of Fierra. In contrast to Dome, Fierra is an absolute paradise and its people lovely, vibrant, cultured, and giving. Unlike the paranoia and power struggles rampant in Dome, Fierra is a completely open society that has known peace for more than a millenium. However, only Orion Treet truly understands the history of the Fierra people and why their civilization grew on the far side of a vast, uninhabitable desert, leagues from the original Dome colony. It is this dark and deadly history that is threatening to repeat itself that he is desperately trying to avert. It is also the reason why he feels so compelled to return to Dome to do what he can, a return trip that he ultimately makes without Fieri assistance.

The story then flashes back and forth between the worlds of Dome and Fierra. Dome is quickly crumbling from within even as it moves to destroy the Fieri. Treet is working with the resistance to help topple the meglomaniacs leading the government and to stem the tide of hostilities. Back in Fierra, the people are taking their ease and living their lives as they have for centuries. The comparison of the two realities could not be more opposed. Will the resistance survive to
stop the threat? Will the Fieri leaders, now that they have understood the danger that their people and their world are in, commit to end the evil in the land? Good story-telling, a unique perspective, and well-played message make this one worthwhile.

Observations 6

My occasional blog series "Observations" was created to be an outlet to share a variety of topics that pop into my field of view as a result of a condition that many bloggers are afflicted with known as "blogger's eyes". In this state we view the world on the constant look-out for topics on which to write about. Thus we see everything from a different perspective and with different purpose than normal folks.

Today's blog came about from random odds 'n ends of things that I have noticed over the past few weeks.

• A bearded dude who I shall refer to as Stephen, told me about a real book entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The book description contains the awesome line, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read." Classic.
  
• I have collected the fluff from my dryer's lint trap from the past 4 years in a bag in my laundry area.
  
• I have found it is so much easier to get motivated to cook a nice dinner for someone else than for myself. The same dishes also taste much better when I share them with others.
  
• Working in my office on a Saturday or Sunday has a noticeably different feel to it, not because there is nobody around, but because I struggle to maintain concentration. It's like my body and mind are rebelling because they think that I am cheating them out of their rest.
  
• My office walls are covered in artwork that my daughter made for me when she was very young. Nobody that I know from work who has kids has anything on display in their office. I wonder when I am supposed to take it all down.
  

Lockdown

Because I work at a facility managed by the U.S. government, they have a number of basic security protocols in place. One of which is a contingent of guards that can regularly be seen cruising about the site. However, the other day when I came to work, the security detail had noticeably increased in size and presence. There were guards stationed at every roadway entrance and city police cruisers were parked in front of our main office complex. The normal building entrances were all locked and we were made to enter only through a single door. It was a bit of a surreal scene.

I soon found out that the increased security force and police presence was caused by a fired worker who had apparently made convincing threats about killing the people who were responsible for his plight. It seems that they have not yet caught up with this person as the site lockdown has been going on for more than a week now.

Yet even though I realize that the increased attention to monitoring the personnel on site is for my own good, I cannot help but remain in a heightened sense of alert. Not because I fear for my safety, but because I have the sense that if I make one little slip up, I will be arrested. I have been particularly careful to come to a full and complete stop at all stop signs and to be especially mindful of the speed limit postings. If I have to walk or drive past one of the sentries, I make sure that I do not make eye contact and I try not to draw suspicion to myself. It feels a lot like the mindset of a motorist driving past a parked police car. Regardless of how fast they are going, folks always seem to subconsciously slow their car even further for fear of the man.

Mr. Nightingale

I have historically been a pretty bad patient. Grumpy, sullen, needy, theatrical. Recently, however, I had to learn an important lesson regarding the role of a caregiver. My education took place during a weekend when I was charged with caring for my daughter who was afflicted with some combination of strep throat and/or a bad cold.

Certainly I started out with the best of intentions and a servant-minded attitude. On the Friday evening before I picked my daughter up, I went to the grocery store and bought some treats that she would like and planned some dinners that would taste good to her. After we got home on Saturday morning, I set my daughter up on the couch and covered her with a soft blanket. I placed a glass of her favorite juice, some throat lozenges, and a new box of tissues on the table next to her. We then watched a few T.V. programs before I made our lunch. As the afternoon went on, it was clear that my daughter was more than content just to lay on the couch and rest in front of the T.V.. I found myself starting to get bored and I kind of dozed off. This is something that I don't like to do when I am with my daughter because I would much rather be doing something active and engaging in our time together. By the late afternoon, I was not only starting to climb the walls, but the sicker my daughter got, the more I started worrying about catching whatever she had. After I put my daughter to bed on Saturday, I kind of moped and stewed about for a few hours feeling like I got cheated out of a perfectly good day.

On Sunday, we basically replayed the day before. At 5:30 p.m. when we normally leave for church, I asked my daughter if she felt up to going. She didn't say no but looked at me with her puffy face, red nose, and glassy eyes. Even though I knew that she was quite sick and felt like crap, I felt frustration and anger beginning to bubble up inside me. I walked into the kitchen and took about 10 seconds to regroup and remember who the patient was and to put away my selfish attitude. Tenderness, compassion, and a spirit infused with TLC then washed over me. Once I re-focused my mind, I think that I did much better for the rest of evening.

Biscuit Lesson

When my daughter was very young, she loved for me to read to her. There were several books that we came back to time and again because she so cherished the pictures and the story. One of her favorites was about a cute yellow puppy named Biscuit. In no time she had fully memorized the book and what each page contained. She would then pretend to read to me, by saying the words and turning each page after she had recited the words present there. To a casual observer, it really did seem that she was actually reading the book.

My life as a Christian sometimes feels to me very similar. I go to church each Sunday and sing the songs, listen to the sermon, and give an offering. To the casual observer, it might seem that I am a sure-footed, put together follower of Jesus Christ. Yet all too often I feel completely powerless when it comes to sharing my faith with others. It seems like I just never have an opportunity, or more likely, I am so absorbed with my own issues that I miss the few opportunities that come my way.

Yet just when I feel like an inert and impotent believer, keeping to myself and living my faith in solitude, something happens to me that helps awaken me and energize my spirit a bit. The other day at work I spoke to a new colleague about my faith and it brought him noticeably out of his shell. Later in that same afternoon, I gave counsel to a young colleague of mine who is struggling badly in his new marriage. It felt good to finally be able to make even a small difference in people's lives, not to just look like a Christian going through the expected motions on Sundays at my church.

Search for Fierra

I have just finished reading The Search for Fierra, the first book of the two-part Empryion series, by author Stephen Lawhead. My biggest issue with this science fiction yarn was the lack of sufficient development of the main characters. Lawhead typically has a deft touch when crafting backstories and personalities, a part of the author's craft that is essential so that the inter-relationships of the characters and their actions are fully motivated and, ultimately, appreciated. It is this development that leads to "real" people that fully engage you into the narrative and the setting. I think that Lawhead fell noticeably short of the high standard that he typically achieves in this regard. But with this stated, I still very much enjoyed this tale.

The story involves a historian named Orion Treet who is recruited by the chairman of the Cynetics corporation to travel to a distant outpost that has been established on a planet called Empryion. The reasons why Orion is so sought after for this trip and why a colony on a planet some 10 light years from Earth would make any fiscal sense for a private corporation is never fully made clear. Ultimately, we learn that contact with the outpost was lost very shortly after the settlers landed and that the discovery of an apparently unstable wormhole by the Cynetics folks is what makes the trip possible in a finite time period.

Upon passage through the wormhole, the small ship with its captain and three passengers lands on the planet. To their great surprise, they find a vast domed city that could not have been erected by the settlers in the short period of time that they had allegedly been on Empryion. However, the people that they encounter are clearly humans, yet their history extends back over three thousand years. Furthermore, the travelers are treated as dangerous spies from a land called Fierra that most folks believe to be the stuff of legends. The appearance of the outsiders and their clearly advanced spaceship, causes the leadership of Dome to believe that the Fieri have developed new technology that will lead to their destruction. In the frenzied environment of paranoia, the travelers flee Dome and cross a vast desert in search of the fabled city of Fierra. Their mission is not just to seek sanctuary, but to seek help to save all of Empryion. Now, onto the finale, The Siege of Dome.

iTunes Latest - 6

Back in December of 2011, I finally discovered iTunes on my Mac. This service has really helped me to reconnect with my love of music. One of the things that I really like about music is that so often a given song has a strong association with a time or with a moment in my life. So, I thought that I would share my latest five downloads and a bit about my history with each song.

• God's Not Dead - Newsboys (2011) - I learned about this song when Stephen Haggerty sung it at my church. While his version is better than the original, which relies far too much on post-production layering and chicanery, I still enjoy its message and spirit of strength.
  
• Lay Me Down - Passion (2012) - Another song introduced to me by Stephen Haggerty. The version released by Passion sounds like the singer is using a tin can for a microphone. But this is still a good, positive song that gets my feet a tappin'.
  
• Thy Word - Amy Grant (1993) - I first heard this song based on Psalm 119:105 a few years ago at my old church. It is a beautiful piece that really is a wonderful piece of worship.
  
• Faith - Celine Dion (2003) - I think that the size of her hair-do on most of her albums is well past the comical stage and I would love to introduce her to a real drum kit instead of the soul-less synthesizer pap. However, this song is a gem from her 2003 One Heart album. Soaring and beautiful.
  
• Top of the World - Mitchel Musso (2010) - I almost did not post this one because I know you will all point and laugh. Well point and laugh away, cause this auto-tuned theme song from Disney's Pair of Kings T.V. show is infectious and I really pick up the pace on my elliptical when it comes on.