Reflection

Make Your Own Garden

 A home garden - no matter the size - can improve the environment while providing food and comfort to the gardener.

 

I invite you to explore The Vitruvian Man's Book of Hours.  I produced this small book to encourage more people to pray.  It is simple to use.  Each day of the week contains 'collections' of spiritual thoughts to be read and contemplated three times each day... at sunrise, midday, and sunset or whenever the spirit moves you.  I hope you find it useful.

 Clarence runs like a bullet!

Nick Returns

Oldest son Nick returned yesterday from another six-month tour in harm's way, this time in Afghanistan.  It was Nick's sixth tour in a hostile environment during his 20-year Air Force career.

The Sixth Day

The reviews and comments continue to mount on my new publication, The Sixth Day: A 17,175-Word Novella About Creation and Prizefighting.  I was pleased -- but not necessarily surprised -- by the reception of my first four novels.  I suppose the one comment that set me back pleasantly on my heals is the comment that DWI: Dying While Intoxicated was "the perfect Greek Tragedy."  Whether or not it is, I appreciated the comment.  Frankly, I had no idea what to expect with my most recent work, The Sixth Day.  I've been delighted:

• "Parables have teaching or transformative intention that can work on hearers, and the resistant ones, covertly.  I believe The Sixth Day can act on its readers in that same, covert way."

• "Wow! What a beautiful book!  The writing was clean and simple."

• "Kraay can tackle any genre that involves character development, authentic dialogue and revolves around a story."

• "... a fascinating story that reminded me of The Green Mile.  Yes, we're all Jesus!  As dramatist and author William Saroyan wrote, 'If what is said about Jesus is not also true of us, what good is what he did?'"

• "Wonderful... by the 3rd day, I was able to 'speak' the words and found the language to be very important to the telling of the lovely story.  The old man's lingo and wisdom will light up your day."

• "Along with creative storytelling and wonderful dialog that kept a smile on my face for the 90 minutes it took to read the tale is a story about prizefighting that works wonderfully with what I viewed as the main story about Jesus.  At the conclusion, both story lines come together after brother Sam's big bout with 'the Polish Dropper' ends in stunning fashion, creating a sense of shock, and leaving the opportunity for the old man to prove if he is or is not in fact Jesus Christ."

• "... finished with an out loud chuckle, then just lay there with a smile on my face.  A very good story.  then my thoughts turned to it being a fine Parable.  What stays with me so much are the hidden 'quotes from Scripture' and explanations for the unexpected presence of Jesus Christ!  This short book is packed with 'to-the-point' themes of generosity of the really poor, sharing of food, friendship, and the right knit family of boys, the sacrifice of self by the oldest brother, Sam, and the good 'choices' of some humans making it all worth while to God for not 'quitting' midway through that sixth day!"

• "On a side note, the final line of the novella will go down as one of my all-time favorite lines from any book.  You'll have to read the book for yourself to learn what that eight-word sentence is.  Quick and wonderful read, masterfully done."

• "Hilarious!"

Spread the word.... The Sixth Day.... the day God almost quit!

Jupiter and Its Moons

With the NCAA Basketball Tournament a part of history, your Mom and I don't watch TV anymore.  Instead, we wait for the first star.  Last night, it wasn't a star, but a planet, Jupiter.  You can see it if you look West.  We don't have a telescope, but I was excited when we could see several moons -- all of the Galileans for sure -- with the binoculars.  By the time it got very dark, we could see seven moons of Jupiter.  You don't need a telescope.  Binoculars will do.  I was not able to see them with the naked eye.  Hope you take advantage of this.