Millennium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold

A Christian Science Fiction Book Review

Obadiah 1:4-- "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD." This verse was used as the spark of inspiration for Voyle Glover to begin writing his first Christian sci-fi thriller: "Millennium Soldier: Wearer of the Gold".  The thought of God pulling people down from their home in the stars is only the tip of the iceberg as far as mind boggling concepts go in this book.

Cubal, a seasoned warrior trained in the ways and teachings of D'vru, lives during and directly after the Millennium, when the Messiah had ruled Earth for a thousand years. Because Jesus is the perfect King, during His reign all of humanity experienced a time of peace and prosperity that allowed them to make great advances in the scientific and technological fields. This means that space travel and many other amazing concepts were cultivated and mastered. The beginning of the book finds Cubal visiting the planet Na'ha and learning what he can from the people there.

However, this book is not just a chronicle about exploring new worlds and technologies. In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of it is how the story is tied in to the Bible and what the end times could possibly be like. Cubal is recruited by the Ancient Ones and Lucien (a.k.a. Lucifer or Satan) to fight for them in a war for control of Earth and the universe, but God is also working to recruit this talented warrior's services. Cubal asserts that he bows to no one, whether god or devil, but events are quickly happening that will force him to reevaluate this decision.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing a creative science fiction novel with a biblical spin on it. Of course, almost all of the futuristic aspects are speculation and pure fiction, but the basic backdrop of the battle of good against evil and God against Satan is definitely true. This will happen someday, with or without the details included in the book. :p The only main criticism I have is that with all of the action and plot twists, this book could have been much longer and focused more on some of the strange details. Although this is only the first book in a series, so I suppose that keeping people hanging on for more details is probably a good tactic to draw us in and make us desire to read Book Two. It definitley had this effect on me.

The portals transporting people to different planets almost instantaneously, the laser guns that bend toward their targets even if not aimed directly at them, the ability to read minds and the garments that cause invisibility are just a few of the futuristic details that I have alluded to and that are included in this book. These things seem almost impossible to achieve in our day and age, but definitely seem much more possible and maybe even probable when you consider how many technological and scientific advances can be made during a thousand years of peace.

Read The Book And See For Yourself

If I have piqued your interest in this story of a Millennium Warrior, check out this book for yourself and find out what I mean about all of the cool details in "Millennium Soldier Wearer of the Gold" by Voyle Glover. I believe that you will not be disappointed by the quality of this story. There is a very good chance that, like me, it will leave you pleasantly entertained and wanting to know more of Cubal, the wearer of the gold. It is a good thing that this desire can be satisfied by reading Book Two. :)

30 Hour Famine

Making a Difference

There are many different things I could be doing with my weekend. I could hang out with friends, watch some movies, read a book or two, or just be lazy and waste time doing nothing but daydreaming. This is how I have spent some time in the past, but this weekend is different. This weekend, I will be making a difference in childrens' lives and helping to keep them nourished and happy. :)

How am I going to accomplish this? I and some other kids from my youth group will be fasting for 30 hours in order to support the children around the world who are starving. We have been raising donations to give to World Vision, the organization who came up with this idea in the first place. They will take the money we helped raise and will use it to deliver food to impoverished children in countries around the world, such as Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myammar.

I'll be honest; I'm a little nervous to be fasting for 30 hours straight. We're allowed to bring water and juice if we want, but that will definitely not silence the inevitable growling of my stomach. However, when I think of how those poor children go every day with that hunger gnawing at them, I know that any miniscule discomfort I may experience is nothing compared to that. I will be fasting by choice, but many of them skip meals for days because they're unable to get any food.

Of course, the money is not the only thing we can do to contribute to helping these kids. We also will be helping through the power of prayer. Fasting and praying go hand in hand. By fasting, we are able to focus more on God and show Him how serious we are about requesting for this need to be met. He will undoubtedly hear our prayers and can make sure that our efforts will have the desired effect.

How You Can Help

Almost 8,000 children under 5 years old die each day from hunger-related causes. With the help of World Vision, we can drastically change this statistic. If you want to learn how you personally can help support this cause, you can learn more about World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. You can also pray about this issue and, if you want, you can pray that everyone participating in this event will be able to make a significant difference. I'm excited to find out just how much good we can do!

How Sugar Affects Our Health

How Is Sugar Bad For You?

Sugar has become an extremely prevalent part of our diets. Whether found in chocolate chip cookies or apples, I think it's safe to say that we each have developed a taste for sugar and consume it on a regular basis. We sometimes need some sugar in order to help give us energy and  regulate our blood sugar level, but too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing very easily.

When we consume sugar, the glucose level in our blood increases. This glucose is transported by the blood to various cells in the body so it can be used for energy. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is necessary to help blood cells carry the glucose to wherever it needs to go. This process works well as long as there is not too much glucose to regulate and as long as the insulin is released in the right amount, but this is not always the case. When our bodies can no longer produce or release insulin in the proper way, we can become diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the body stops making insulin altogether, makes it in extremely low amounts, or stops releasing it correctly. When the insulin stops functioning in the way it's supposed to, the glucose can't be moved to the cells that need it and as a result, the blood sugar level remains high. If it stays high for a long period of time, it can cause dehydration, weakness, fatigue, numbness in the hands and feet, and other serious problems. Some people develop diabetes through genetics and other factors they can't control, but you can significantly decrease your chance of getting diabetes by monitoring your sugar intake.

Besides being harmful to our health, sugar can also bring some negative effects on the way our bodies age. When we eat a lot of sugar, those molecules will often attach themselves to proteins and other cells in our bodies, especially to some of our skin cells. This can give us bags under our eyes, wrinkles, and skin blemishes that will make us look older. This is a result of a process called Advanced Glycation End, and doctors have been doing many studies on it in the past few years to find the full extent of its effect on our bodies.

I believe the most disgusting and frightening effects that sugar can have on our bodies is the deterioration of our teeth and gums. The sugary sodas we drink in particular will wear on the surface of our teeth and cause tooth decay. This obviously is terrible for us because our teeth will lose their ability to chew food, and they will look horrible. Tooth decay also is a major contributor to bad breath. Brushing your teeth and using mouthwash will help prevent tooth decay, but the way to completely get rid of the slightest chance of decay is to take fermentable sugar out of our diets.

How To Avoid The Bad Effects of Sugar

These terrible effects from sugar could be completely obliterated if we stopped consuming any sugar whatsoever in our diets, but let's face it: most of us don't have the self control or the time and effort needed to make this happen. However, it is more conceivable to try to keep our sugar intake at a healthy amount.

The average adult eats 22 teaspoons of sugar a day and teenagers on average have 34 teaspoons a day. If we can decrease these amounts to the American Heart Association's recommended amounts of 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men, we will be in much better shape. I believe this is a plausible suggestion to follow and could definitely be applied to our diets without too much inconvenience. This video gives an even better idea of just how much sugar we consume regularly and gives examples of some sugary foods and drinks that we would do well to stay away from.



As you can see, there are many negative effects that sugar can have on your body and only one good effect it can possibly have: energy. The bad effects far outweigh this single good one, but by drastically lessening the amount of sugar we consume, we can decrease the chances of these bad effects happening to us. Hopefully by heeding these warnings and being wary of sugar, we can all change our health for the better. :)

Writing A Successful Blog

I honestly don't feel like I am fully qualified to tell anyone how to write a successful blog from my own opinion because I don't consider my blog to be one of the more successful ones on the internet. However, through research, I believe I am able to provide a few tips on how to make a blog successful. Most people's definition of a successful blog is one that is viewed frequently and by a lot of people, basically one that is popular. This is the definition I will adhere to when offering ways to make a blog successful.

How To Have A Successful Blog

One way to draw people to your blog is to write educational blog posts. If people find your information useful, they will be motivated to read more of your posts. Gathering information and studying about certain topics can often be extremely time consuming, but if you do all the work for them, they will be glad to visit your site and get all of the facts they need on their chosen subject. Whether learning how to knit or finding out more about the Civil War, being educational about your topics will definitely appeal to the reader. You won't necessarily want to end up publishing a bunch of reports, but learning how to gather information like you do for a research paper can come in handy when writing a blog.

Another thing that can make your blog more appealing is to make it personal. Nobody wants to read something that sounds like it was dictated by a robot. By adding your own personal touches to your writing, people will be able to notice your unique style of writing and will come to know a little bit about who you are through your posts. You don't have to share everything with the online world; I'm just suggesting that you try to put your own personal flair to your blog. Writing in the first person will definitely help to achieve this goal.

One useful thing to do in order to draw people's interest to have a good web design and layout. Try to make your blog look eye catching, but not too flashy. It would be beneficial to somehow relate your design to your blog's name or purpose in some way as well. A good design will make readers pause to admire it and the next step will be for them to start reading your posts. There are many good examples of creative blog designs that you can use for inspiration.

Perhaps the most important thing to do in order to have a successful blog is to write creatively. If you can write unique and interesting blog posts, people will begin to take notice. Make your blog stand out from the rest with your creative writing skills, and your site will become popular in no time. Find a way to channel your inspiration and write it in a creative way. This can truly make your blog successful.

This video offers some more advice on how to make your blog successful.

Following The Tips

There are countless other things that can be taken into consideration when attempting to write a successful blog, but hopefully these tips will help to give you a good start. Maintaining a blog and making it successful is a lot of work, but for most people it is worth the effort. By following the advice in this post, you may be able to write a successful blog. Good luck!

The Best Job For You

Everybody wants to be able to make a living to support themselves. . some people make it a bigger priority to do this in a successful way, but everyone in some degree wants to have a solid job that brings in a satisfying income. There are many different aspects that should be considered when trying to find the right job for you, but I will attempt to make some good suggestions of some jobs that could meet all of your needs and some of your wants, too. :) I have found 10 of the best jobs (in my opinion).

The Best Jobs To Pursue Now

1. Actuary  My dad had seriously considered becoming an actuary several years ago and actually passed 3 of the ten tests that are needed to beome one, but he decided he was content with the job he already held. Actuaries use statistics to figure out the probabilities of certain risks happening in people's lives, mostly for insurance companies. This job requires an extensive knowledge of mathematics. Here is a link that can give much more information on being an actuary. If you are willing to go through all of the training to become one, the benefits are well worth it. Actuaries tend to have very secure jobs, with little stress involved. The average salary is about $85,000.

2. Historian  A historian does just what you would expect; he or she gathers and studies information on certain aspects of the past. Sometimes historians write and publish reports on what they have learned about a distinct part of history. Others put the information they have gathered into an archive and organize it all in an orderly way. If you love to study history and analyze things that happened in the past, this is the job for you. Its laid-back work environment and the average salary of about $62,000 make it seem like a desirable job to obtain. There are many other reasons for pursuing a job of becoming a historian that are worth looking into.

3. Astronaut  This sounds like the type of job that we dreamed about when we were little, but it actually is a very good job to have. Besides the amazing perk of being able to travel in space, astronauts are able to make great scientific discoveries which can then be used to all of our benefits. You can earn up to $100,000 a year doing this fulfilling work. NASA is able to give more information on the journey to becoming an astronaut.

4.  Pilot  It would be helpful not to have a fear of heights with this job. :p Once they become captains, pilots can choose their own hours and fly when they want to. This gives them much more freedom with their personal lives and ensures that work will never get in the way of their plans. Pilots have extremely imortant jobs and their necessity won't be diminished any time soon. With an average salary of $81,000, it's hard to find many downsides to this career. There are many resources that can help you learn how to become a pilot

5. Video Game Designer  I think this career would be a lot of fun! It would involve coming up with great ideas for video games that appeal to a lot of people and turning those ideas into something concrete. A knowledge of computers and graphic design are essential to this job. It can pay between $46,000 and $70,000 a year, so it's well worth looking into. The industry has grown rapidly and will most likely continue to be in high demand.

6. Singer  It may be difficult for them to please every crowd and it might seem near to impossible to make it in this business but believe it or not, singers have one of the highest job satisfaction rates. According to one study, the satisfaction rate is 91.7. I believe it is extremely important to be content with the job you have, so this is why I consider this to be one of the best jobs to have. The road to becoming a professional singer is long and hard, but if you stick with it and believe in your talent then it's possible to make big money doing something you love. If this is your goal, you must master some skills to help you realize your full potential and be a professional singer.

8. Firefighter  This job should earn you some respect from most people because firefighters are a vital part of our community. The odd hours can be annoying and you would have to be willing to risk your life in order to save civillians if needed, but if these obstacles don't seem insurmountable to you, then you should go for it. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself to become a firefighter.

9. Surgeon  Besides being one of the highest paying jobs in the world, surgeons hold the power to save lives. This career requires a lot of time and effort, but the rewards are apparent. I personally think that a cardiologist would be the best kind of surgeon, but you can specialize in whichever area you prefer.

10. College Professor  This one may be surprising to you, but college professors actually have an extemely high satisfaction rate, at 79.2. They can make up to $550,000, but it takes a lot of hard work and time to get to that point. A good professor should enjoy being able to teach the next generations of young people some important subjects, but a lot of people like the career better for its security and its ability to get you published and noticed in the academic world. It is helpful to look a examples of how to become a very successful college professor.

Which Is Best For You?

These seem to me to be some of the best jobs to pursue, but truly every person must decide for himself (or herself) when trying to determine which career path to follow. This is often an extremely difficult decision to make because of the number of possibilities out there, but by finding one that appeals the most to you, your decision can be an educated one.







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Indiana Fun Facts

I have lived in Indiana all of my life, but I never really knew many unique facts about my home state... until this week. After doing a bit of research, I have found that there are quite a few interesting facts that make the state of Indiana special. Without further ado, here are 10 of those facts:

Interesting Facts About Indiana

1. Out of all of the states in the U.S., Indiana contains the most miles of Interstate Highway per square mile. This truly fulfills the meaning of one of Indiana's mottos, "The Crossroads of America". Indiana first received this name in the 1800's, when river traffic was a popular means of transportation. Later, stagecoach travelling became prevalent in Indiana. Finally, our transportation has evolved into automobiles on Interstate Highways. No matter how they chose to get here, many people have been travelling through Indiana and will continue to do so for years to come.

2. Of all the popcorn in the world, 90% of it is grown in Indiana. This probably has a lot to do with Orville Redinbacher, the famous man with his own brand of popcorn products. Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana and spent his high school and college years in this state. His enormous success inspired Valparaiso, Indiana to start a Popcorn Festival in 1979 that is still celebrated anually today. I personally love to eat popcorn, so I'm glad to know that it's one snack that the stores in Indiana will most likely never run out of. :D

3. On October 6th, 1866, the first train robbery in America occurred in Jackson County, Indiana. The Ohio and Mississippi train was stopped by a gang named the Reno Brothers. These thieves got away with $13,000, which was worth considerably more in those days than it is today with our inflation. Speaking of criminals in Indiana getting away, this leads me to the next fact.

4. John Dillinger escaped from a jail in Crown Point, Indiana that had been thought by police to be "escape-proof". Dillinger allegedly escaped the supposedly unescapable by using a wooden gun that had been carved by hand and blackened with shoe polish. Adding insult to injury, he stole the Sherriff's new car to use as his getaway vehicle. Sherriff Lillian Holley took full credit for being outwitted. She lived with that regret until she died in 1994 at the age of 102. This whole story, plus more true stories of John Dillinger's life, were recently portrayed in the movie "Public Enemies".

5. Another fun fact about Crown Point, Indiana is that it is often called the "Marriage Mill". The town got this nickname because of its reputation for issuing marriage licenses without delay. Rudolph Valentino, Joseph Jackson (the father of the Jackson 5), and other celebrities were married here, probably because they preferred not to wait.

6. Indianapolis, Indiana is the second most populous state capital, with Phoenix, Arizona being the only one that's larger. Indianapolis is also called Indy, Circle City, and Nap Town. Circle City became a nickname because of Monument Circle, which is found in the heart of the city. Nap Town was most likely taken from Indianapolis and later was known as the style of music that became popular in that city.

7. In Indiana, it is illegal to pass a horse on the street. It is also illegal to use spiteful gossip, talk behind a person's back, take a bath between October and March, and wear a mustache if you make it a habit of kissing other humans. I think the oddest of all the wacky laws I found was the one issued in Gary, Indiana: it is illegal for a person to go to a movie theater or basically any public place within four hours of eating garlic. I must have broken this law once or twice because our family cooks with a lot of garlic. :p

8. In Indiana, the average temperature in January is 28 degrees and the average snowfall is 20 inches. We definitely exceeded the average for snowfall this year! In a few days we received a little less than 2 feet in our area, in some places more than 2 feet. It's safe to say that we Hoosiers are used to cold weather. In comparison, the average temperature in July is 75 degrees. This seems surprisingly low to me, but the humidity makes it feel much hotter than it already is so I guess that makes sense.

Indiana's Most Popular Song

9. Although the official state song is "On The Banks of The Wabash", I believe the most well-known Hoosier song is "Back Home Again In Indiana". My dad sings the chorus of this song upon seeing the sign welcoming us to Indiana after we have taken a long road trip. He is a bit tone deaf, so it always makes me laugh, but it also reminds me that I am getting to come home to my own room and bed after a while away from them. I will spare you all from hearing my dad singing this song, but here is Louis Armstrong's version:




10. Last but not least, Indiana is home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Indy 500 is held. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest spectator facility in the world, with 253 acres of area. This is big enough to fit the Yankees Stadium, the Roman Colosseum, Vatican City and the Rose Bowl inside of it. It contains more the 250,000 permanent seats and if the boards from the grandstands were laid end to end, they would reach 99.5 miles. This place is huge! It brings in a lot of people (and their money) every year, especially for the Indy 500 race.
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The Good Effects of Homeschooling

How Children Can Benefit from Being Homeschooled

I have been homeschooled since kindergarten, so it's safe to say that I know a bit about the subject of home education. There are some people who don't understand why anyone would want to be homeschooled. Some people even have a negative attitude toward the idea of homeschooling. I would like to dispel some of the doubts that I have heard about it and show some benefits of homeschooling.

Research Shows Some Interesting Facts About Homeschooling

There has been quite a bit of research done on the reasons that parents decide to homeschool their children. All of the research I have seen on the subject show that the most common reason parents make this decision is because of their religious beliefs. Ever since the separation of church and state was put into effect, the public schools have done their best to keep God out of their system. In order to keep Christian values instilled in their children's education, some parents turn to homeschooling.

Curricula for the Home Schooler

It is fairly easy to find Christian curricula for each subject and therefore help establish a Christian worldview and education. This, in my opinion, is especially important for science courses. The public schools teach as if the theory of Evolution is a scientific fact and could easily confuse children who don't know any better. I am extremely grateful that I have had Christian science courses and that because of this I am familiar with the theories of evolution and catastrophism.

One facet of homeschooling that I find interesting is its climb in popularity. Of course, homeschooled kids will probably always remain the minority when seen and compared with the kids in public and private schools, but we are quickly becoming a substantial minority. As this video shows, more and more parents are understanding the benefits of homeschooling.

Dispelling A Doubt About Homeschooling

The doubt about homeschooling that I have heard the most often is that the children won't be able to socialize as much as they should or would if they were in a public school. This may be the case for some homeschooled families who choose to isolate themselves from the rest of civilization as much as possible, but for the majority of us this simply is not true. We have plenty of opportunities to make friends, whether at church, homeschool co-ops, or other extracurricular activities. A lot of times, the people at these places are much better friends and influences than some of the kids who go to public school.

Hopefully I have been able to show you some of the good effects of homeschooling. Of course there are also some benefits that public and private schools offer benefits of their own, but homeschooling can still be seen as a considerable option for children's educations. Homeschooling is a personal choice and should be taken seriously by every parent who is trying to decide the best choice of education for their children. In many cases, I believe they will end up finding the good effects convincing them to give it a try.