Merry Christmas

In the hustle and bustle of the season, my hope is that you consider the reason for giving. The babe in the stable, God born to live on this earth, to give himself a ransom for all that we might live again, is the purpose for the joy, the anthems, the love we have for one another and God.

Consider sharing a bit of yourself with others this season. Allow the gifts, the parties, and the rush to slip into the background as you worship the Savior of the World, even Jesus Christ.

My regular blog posts, with interviews of characters in my books, will return in the new year.

Merry Christmas.

0Shares

A Conversation with Adam

We have another character from my books who stopped by for a short interview. Welcome to Adam, husband of Eve, our guest last week. As the first man on earth, and the first prophet of Jehovah, you must wonder about what has happened to the world you first settled.

ADAM: I am saddened by all the hatred and violence that pervades the earth. Father showed me what would happen to the earth and its peoples early in my life. I know how the world will end. Because of that, I can accept the challenges of today’s world. Jehovah will win the final battle against the Destroyer. Man will learn to trust and depend on God.

ME: We would love to hear your answers to the same questions we asked Eve last week. Are you ready?

ADAM: I have only a short time. I will do what I can. What is your first question?

ME: A reader asked what it was like to anger God.

ADAM: I thought I had angered him in the beginning. That is why we hid from Him in the garden. God was not angry with Eve and Me. He expected us to eat the fruit. However, not yet. The time was not right. The person who gave it to us was had no right to offer it to us. Father’s anger was for the Destroyer. For us, he felt sorrow and grief. We had to suffer, as do all of our children.
Even though Father knew this would happen, he had to allow us to make the choice on our own. He could not force it on us. It had to come from Eve and me.

ME: A connecting question, for you. What was it like to receive God’s forgiveness?

ADAM: We had to live a time in this world and prove we our obedience before Father forgave us. The day I knew I had received forgiveness came when the Spirit took me to our pond and baptized me. That was a special and sacred day. I still cannot share what happened, except to say that I received Father’s forgiveness on that day.

ME: A reader wants to know: Is God to be loved or feared?

ADAM: In the years since the words “fear God” were written, the meaning has changed. You think of fear as something painful, fearing punishment for sin. I think of fear as an awesome love. I am constantly awed by the love I receive from Father. For that reason, my answer is yes. God, my Father, is to be loved and feared as you would love and respect and hold in awe your earthly father.

ME: I know you must leave us soon. One last question before you go. Do you still like apples?

ADAM: Eve warned me that you would be asking this question. Yes. I still like apples. However, the fruit of good and evil was not an apple. Sometime in the future, when you are ready, you will know what that fruit was. Until then, enjoy your apples.

ME: Thank you for your time, Adam.

ADAM: You are welcome. Remember to obey Jehovah’s commands. I look forward to seeing you at the judgment bar. Farewell for now.

0Shares

Does Eve Still Like Apples? A Conversation with Eve, Our First Mother

A visit with Eve:

ME: Eve is our first mother, the mother of all living. Through the ages, men have found reasons to say things about her that may or may not be true. In my book, Eve, First Matriarch, I try to set the record straight about this beautiful woman who is mother to all of us.

We have had some questions submitted for you, Eve. Are you ready to answer them?

EVE: I will be happy to answer your questions. I would like all my daughters and sons to know me better.

ME: Okay. First question for you. What was it like to anger God?

EVE: Let’s start with the hard question and get it out of the way!
We were afraid of God’s anger when we partook of that fruit. God had told us we would die if we ate it. I didn’t want to die. Adam didn’t want to die. But we both wanted to be together and have children. We couldn’t know happiness without sorrow. We couldn’t have children without breaking this one commandment.
I was frightened when I heard Father and Jehovah returning to Eden after we ate the fruit. We hid. We feared seeing or speaking to Him.
But, God wasn’t angry with us. He was filled with overwhelming sorrow because there was a better way for us to have moved forward in our progression. Lucifer stepped forward and interrupted it. I was glad not to be in Lucifer’s place that day. Father’s anger came through, though he used a quiet voice to send him from Father’s presence and from Eden. We were all sorrowful that day.

ME: I’m glad I wasn’t there that day. It would be frightening to upset God.
Another question, that goes along with the first:
What was it like to receive God’s forgiveness?

EVE: Father’s forgiveness didn’t come easily. I spent many days on my knees, praying and asking for His forgiveness. I kept remembering the days we spent in Eden. Those were carefree days, no pain, no sickness, and no hunger. But there wasn’t really joy, either.
After the birth of our first child, who Angelique named _, I better understood the forgiveness of a parent for a child. It wasn’t until many years later that I knew for certain that Father had forgiven me. In those years, I remembered my transgression and grieved that I had been so weak as to allow myself to be tricked.
When Adam convinced me that Father had forgiven me, the weight of my guilt lifted. I felt like the weight of many heavy rocks had been lifted from my shoulders. My soul felt as if it could join the clouds floating high in the sky.

ME: I’m glad you were able to feel Father’s forgiveness. It gives me hope that I, too, can be forgiven.
Next question: Is God to be loved or feared? Why or why not?

EVE: That is an easy question. I love Father. He is kind and generous. He is all we can hope for as an example for papas on this earth. He loves His children. He wants what is best for us — all of the time.
We hear Father tell us He is a jealous God. He jealously seeks for us, His children, to find the joy that can only be found in obedience to His commandments. Sadly, people aren’t always willing to obey Him. Father allows those who choose to be disobedient to pay all the consequences of their choices.
Father allows the Destroyer to tempt women and men. When they follow the Destroyer, they are no longer protected by Father. The Destroyer will not support them forever. When they lose the purpose, he allows them to fall into despair.
Those women and men fear Father, for they know they must meet Him in the end and pay the consequences of their actions.

ME: So, God is a loving Father?

EVE: He is. He loves us.

ME: Our time is nearly up. I know you have things to do. A reader wants to know if you still like apples.

EVE: Apples? I have always loved apples. Why would your reader want to know about apples?

ME: Men have taught that the forbidden fruit was an apple. Was it?

EVE: (laughing) No. But I am forbidden to tell you which fruit it was. I have to go. I’ll see you again sometime. Maybe I can answer more of your reader’s questions.

ME: Thank you, Eve.

Next week we will have a chat with Adam, our ancient father.

0Shares