Details and Drinking Glasses

Sometimes we as Christians have a feeling that God is not interested in the mundane details of our lives. Sure, He cares for the big things...like buying a house or marrying a spouse...but not the little things that make up our days. But God does care for all aspects of our lives. The apostle James tells us in his epistle that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) I was reminded of this aspect of God's character in a recent interaction.

A number of years ago, my family won a pair of drinking glasses as part of a restaurant's promotion. For some reason, I took quite a shine to these particular glasses and used them as much as I could. One broke not too long ago and it always remained in the back of my mind to hunt down some more of this particular type of glass...sometime.

A friend of ours was holding an estate sale for her elderly mother. All sorts of items (mostly crafts and quilting) were to be sold. We took a trip out there and began to poke around. Suddenly I noticed a glass that was almost identical to my favorite. The size and color were slightly different, but the style was exactly the same. In the box there rested another one. This was wonderful news, especially when I noticed that the box was labeled "Free Stuff!"

The two glasses were added to our collection and I was very happy. But this showed me how God loves to give good gifts to His creatures. He lavishes gifts on me--even something considered as mundane as a drinking glass.

"They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." (Psalm 36:8)

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2016

As 2016 draws to a close and we prepare to enter 2017, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite blog posts of this year. 


In position #5 is Unmerited: Movie Review, available at:
http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/09/unmerited-movie-review_26.html

The recreated Edinburgh City Guard
From facebook.com/edinburghcityguard

Unmerited is a little gem of a movie, chronicling the story of two estranged brothers who meet after the American Revolution.  Since it is free to watch on Youtube or Vimeo, I would recommend taking ten or fifteen minutes to watch it.  Its message of forgiveness and love is a powerful reminder as we enter the new year.

Next is Uniforms of Catriona from Contemporary Pictures.  This is an illustrated study of the uniforms worn by the characters, major and minor, of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel.  Did you know that the Edinburgh City Guard carried Lochaber axes and appears in the book?  Read this post at: http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/10/uniforms-of-catriona-from-contemporary.html

Historical studies is my favorite subject matter to tackle, and The Flag of Banastre Tarleton's British Legion is one of the best I have written.  Analyzing that cryptic background flag in Sir Joshua Reynolds' famous painting, the case is made that this was based on an actual flag carried in the American Revolution.  Was this controversial?  You bet!  Check it out for yourself at: http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/04/flag-of-british-legion.html


While Defending the Legacy usually focusses on history, I do interject some modern anecdotes from time to time.  In A Tale of Two Authors, I  recount an experience which happened to me at a homeschool convention.  A businessman manning a table (like I do with Through All Ages LLC, www.ThroughAllAges.com) gets to see other business owners in a different way than the customers do.  Two authors were observed--and contrasted.  Read it at: http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-tale-of-two-authors-reflection.html

I enjoyed writing all four of the above blog posts and interacting with my readers through them.  But my favorite is one that deals with a lesson I was taught at a conference.  No lecturers or acquaintances showed it to me: instead three complete strangers were brought by God to help me learn a lesson I had been resisting.  What was it (and why is it important)?  Read it at: http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/09/lessons-learned-from-noah-conference.html

This post has covered my top five blog posts, but there is another one which I wrote for a friend's blog.  Why Modern Readers Should Care About History is my look at why history is important, and building a case why all people, and especially Christians, should study it.  Read it at: http://ladybibliophile.blogspot.com/2016/07/why-modern-readers-should-care-about.html

I hope that you all had a good 2016!  Did you have any favorite posts, either on here or on your own blogs?  Let me know.  As always, reader interaction is crucial for bloggers. 

 

Lessons Learned From the Noah Conference

My booth with Through All Ages LLC

[Author’s note: This is an extremely different piece from any I have ever written. This is a true account of events that happened to me. I put it here in the hope that it will bless or encourage someone. JCJ]

When first hearing of Generations’ Noah Conference in the late spring/early summer, I was not interested. We had been to two of their previous “Family Economics” conferences and I saw no reason to be interested in a third. But then an irresistible bait was presented before me: an opportunity to sell my paper soldiers at the conference. (For more information about my paper soldiers, please visit my business site at www.ThroughAllAges.com) A chance to sell my wares in a part of the country that was not previously aware of Through All Ages LLC! Leaving nothing to chance, I even prepared a new book of ACW Confederates since I was headed south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The first day, I set up my booth and did a somewhat brisk trade in paper soldiers, posters, and postcards. When business slowed in the late morning, a lady came to my table. She was interested in my historical products and explained that she was here, helping some friends run their table. What did they sell? They were an informational booth for a WWII event in south-central Tennessee called Remembering WWII (www.rememberingwwii.com).

Even though I am an American Revolution buff, I had heard of this event before through several Facebook friends. They had attended in various capacities and their photos looked impressive. After all, how many towns in the USA turn themselves into a provincial village in 1940s France? But, despite an interest in WWII, I had little desire to find out more about this event—not just because south-central Tennessee is far, far away. The truth is, I avoided this event as a means of protecting myself from hurt.

Remembering WWII Promotional Postcard

At one point in my life, I had been hurt by a few members of a group of people I thought I belonged to. Even though only a few had actually hurt me, I bitterly regarded the entire group for what I considered their betrayal of me. And now this friendly WWII lady was a part of the same group (though she had never hurt me, or even previously known of my existence). Could I regard her bitterly, or at least put on a coldly formal mask to protect myself?

In the Bible, the prophet Ezekiel (under God’s direction) addressed this very issue: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20) This was exactly what I was failing to do: I was blaming the righteous for the wickedness of the wicked. This was the lesson God was going to teach me at this conference, and this friendly reenactor had given me the first piece of it.

Before leaving my table, she invited me to check out her table down the hall. It would have been easy to coldly dismiss her invitation, but she had been very friendly to me—and also had begun to dismantle the misconceptions I had sheltered behind. I wanted to learn a little more about this reenactment (and see the photographs), and God had the second piece of His lesson for me waiting at their table.

My love of history (and lack of customers) drew me through the vendor hall and to Remembering WWII’s table, where I leafed through a scrapbook of pictures. Veterans and reenactors, tanks and motorcycles, singers and civilians were all displayed in photographs. But one page made a deep impression on me. When asked what important lesson he wanted to leave with the attendees, one of the WWII veterans stated: “Forgive everyone.” The text informed me that this man had survived a concentration camp and was left for dead in the Bavarian Alps. Yet with all he had suffered, he advised his listeners to forgive everyone.

Ouch. Here was a man who had been treated brutally, yet knew the power of forgiveness. I had never been treated like this, yet I was refusing to forgive. I needed to forgive and this lesson was becoming more apparent to me as the day had gone on. God had given me two pieces of the lesson and the third piece was on its way.

In the afternoon, customers were elsewhere, and I was left with little to do. Wandering up and down the vendor hall proved uneventful and I drifted back to my booth, only to notice a young lady studying my products. A customer! I hurried over and we got to talking. Our talk quickly diverged from paper soldiers and postcards into Christianity and ethics—specifically how Christianity should impact the actions we perform and the positions we hold to.

This is not unfamiliar territory for me, as I strongly believe that my faith should influence my actions. But I had been scarred because of the use of this concept as a club against myself. In one way, this was ultimately beneficial to me, as I saw that I had done the same thing to others (see my short story “With Truth and Grace” at http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/12/short-story-with-truth-and-grace.html) Unfortunately, I had also shied away from the concept—yet another wall to protect myself.

The conversation tailed off and she went on her way. I am certain that she did not realize the impact this one conversation would have on her listener. After she had walked away, God opened my eyes to a truth that I had been avoiding for too long: I had been building walls to keep others out and protect myself from hurt again. But I could not do this. I had to begin to break down these walls and reach out to others.

I could never have guessed that at this conference, I would learn the importance of forgiveness from three who were not advertised on my conference program. But God knew, and He had planned all this out. I am grateful to those three people for their lessons, and more than that, for the politeness and friendliness of the two whom I met. They could not have known that their friendliness would be used by God to show me the error of my ways and allow me to forgive others. But most of all, I am grateful to God, who kindly—gently—taught me what I needed to learn.

As Paul put it in his Epistle to the Philippians: “Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:20)

Yorktown Speech Update

A little while ago, I mentioned that I would be giving a speech on the Battle of Yorktown at the Information Network for Christian Homes convention. (To read it, go to http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2016/03/an-announcement.html)

While at INCH, before I was to speak, I was very nervous when I thought about it.  When it came time for me to give my speech, God took away all my fears.  My dominant thought was that I was talking to friends about a subject I love and am passionate about.

My brother counted the audience and stated that there were about 50 people in attendance.  This, again, was God's blessing, for I had only expected 6-12 people.  Afterwards, a few people said they learned something new about Yorktown.

This speech was recorded and is now available for purchase at: http://www.dovecds.com/shop/inch/069-jachim-jordan-a-providential-view-of-the-battle-of-yorktown-funshop/.  In the interest of full disclosure, I make no money if you order this MP3.

This is a description of my workshop, taken from INCH's website. (https://www.inch.org/conference/inch-speakers/workshop-by-speaker/)

A Providential View of the Battle of Yorktown The 1781 Battle of Yorktown ultimately decided American independence from Great Britain.  In this lecture, homeschool graduate and history lover Jordan Jachim will show how God was working to bring all the pieces together at a little-known port named Yorktown.  See how the plans of Benedict Arnold, Lord Charles Cornwallis, General Rochambeau and George Washington worked to bring about this battle.  Discover heroes in the American, British, and French armies.  And learn how God directed even the wind and tides to bring about His purpose.

An Announcement

Hi everyone!  I have been accepted as a speaker for INCH's annual homeschool conference!  INCH stands for Information Network of Christian Homes.  Their conference runs from May 19-21 this year.  My topic is "A Providential View of the Battle of Yorktown."


"The 1781 Battle of Yorktown ultimately decided American independence from Great Britain.  In this lecture, homeschool graduate and history lover Jordan Jachim will show how God was working to bring all the pieces together at a little-known port named Yorktown.  See how the plans of Benedict Arnold, Lord Charles Cornwallis, General Rochambeau and George Washington worked to bring about this battle.  Discover heroes in the American, British, and French armies.  And learn how God directed even the wind and tides to bring about His purpose." (description from https://www.inch.org/conference/inch-speakers/workshop-by-speaker/)


If you will be at INCH, I would love to see you!

Introducing Red Coats and Ruffles!

Hello everyone!  I recently started a new blog called Red Coats and Ruffles.  Red Coats and Ruffles is dedicated to my painted toy soldier collection.  Each soldier will be tagged with their historical era, manufacturer, and army.  There will be historical figures as well as some from movies and books (like Will Reynolds, left).  The primary era Red Coats and Ruffles will cover is the 1700s and most soldiers are in 54mm scale.  Visit it at www.redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com!

Lay Down Your Life-A Short Story

Because today is Valentine's Day, here is a short story that I wrote for my family's newsletter.  This story was written 6 years ago (February of 2010) and my writing style has improved.  But because of its clear message and humor, I regard this story as one of my finest.  Enjoy!

Lay Down Your Life

A Short Story by Jordan Jachim

Sir Christopher watched with dread as the crossbow was deliberately pointed at his wife, whom he had loved and cherished for so many years.

“Kill me, but spare her!” he shouted desperately to his captors. None honored him with a response. At last, he came up with a plan to preserve her life—at least for the moment. As the crossbow bolt was discharged, Sir Christopher leapt in front of it, taking the arrow in the region of the chest. The enemy was stunned as the gallant knight collapsed to the floor.

“Christopher, why?” his wife managed to gasp out through a deluge of tears.

“Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He struggled for breath, and when he had finished this speech, every word of which was an unspeakable burden to utter, he died. The dark knights stood stupefied. This was so contrary to their idea of “survival of the fittest.”

Wow, I thought as I closed the book momentarily. I imagined myself doing that for my wife, who was in the distant future. What a spectacular example of love, and it would really twist the nose of the bad guys.

“You need to wash the dishes now!” my mom called.

“Coming,” I said reluctantly as I slammed the book shut.

Why do I have to do something as useless as washing dishes? They’ll just get dirty again anyway. Why can’t I do important stuff, you know, like the author of that book? That’s something BIG for God, not like dishes.

I sulked as I slowly wound my way out to the kitchen. While I ran hot water in the sink, I fumed over this disturbance to my reading all the while.

That night, I regaled my dad with a short, imperfect, and choppy synopsis of the book.

“Wasn’t that neat how the guy just died for his wife? I mean, now that’s sacrificial love!”

My father smiled. “Yes,” he agreed, “that is a good example of laying down one’s life for his friends.” Then he changed the topic. “Your mother tells me that you were reluctant to do the dishes. And delayed obedience is the same as disobedience.”

I was caught red-handed.

“But, Dad,” I began, then couldn’t think of anything else to say in my defense.

“Do you realize,” my father continued, “that washing the dishes for your mother is laying down your life just as much as that fictitious knight did?” He reached for his Bible and flipped through the thin gilded pages. They made a pleasant rustle, but at last he stopped. “Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:31,‘I die daily.’ This is not literal, but instead refers to the crucifixion of the selfish desires, which is a battle we must fight every day.”

“So, I just have to give up everything I want to do?” I retorted.

“Not exactly,” my father countered swiftly. “But it does mean that you should help others before thinking of what you want.”

My father ended the conversation, challenging me by saying, “Why don’t you try laying down your life tomorrow? Then, you’ll be doing the same thing as that knight.”

Well, I decided to follow my father’s advice. That morning before starting, I prayed that God would help me as I tried to lay down my life. I washed the dishes cheerfully, without being asked. When I had finished, I sat down and opened my book. “Where was I?” I muttered. It was then that my little sister had a problem with pressing flowers. The stack of books fell down and made a horrific noise, scattering books and flowers all over the place.

“Would you help her?” my mom called, with her hands deep in breading chicken. So, I shut my book and stuffed her flowers back into the dictionary, under the monumental pile of other books. Then I helped her cut some more flowers and press those, too. When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, I plopped on the couch and opened the book. But, my little brother decided that he wanted me to play Monopoly, or, more precisely, he wanted someone different to hammer with his real estate smarts. I complied, and he pummeled me, winning with over $20,000. “That was fun!” he said. I had a slight difference of opinion, but did not bother to voice it.

Well, it would bore you if I was to tell everything I did that day, but I could put it into a single sentence which gives you the point. Every time I sat down to read, I needed to help someone with something. I was tempted many times to feel sorry for myself, but I rejected that idea with God’s help.

That night, I had a hard time sleeping, so I went over the day in review.

I didn’t get a lot of time to read, but I did lay down my life, just like my dad challenged me. And, I thought, maybe this is harder than taking a crossbow arrow, or a bullet, for someone you love. After all, you can only die once, but you have to deny your own selfishness multiple times in a day, every day. So possibly, I did something harder than that knight in the story. I yawned and rolled over. Maybe I should write a story about laying down your life every day. Yes, that’s it…zzz.

The End

Originally published on A Legacy of Faithfulness at http://faithful-legacy.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-day-newsletter-part-3.html

New "About Me" Page

Me at Fort Michilmackinac 2012

Defending the Legacy is fast approaching its sixth birthday (May of 2016), but in all that time I have never put up an "About Me" page.  At last, that is remedied (better late than never)!  I hope that this helps you my readers get to know me and this blog a little bit better. This page includes:

1. A brief overview of my love of history

2. Why I chose the name Defending the Legacy

3. The blog's journey over these 6 years

To read more, please click below:

http://www.defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/p/about-me-hello-andwelcome-to-defending.html

Behind the Scenes of With Truth and Grace

This is an interview that I did with Amara of Castles in Clouds (castlesinclouds.wordpress.com). It shows some of the "behind-the-scenes" behind my short story With Truth and Grace.

Amara, of Castles in Clouds: Hi Jordan, it’s great to have you here.

Jordan, of Defending the Legacy:  Hi Amara.  I’m glad to be here on your new blog!

Amara: You entered a story for a contest.  How did you hear about the contest?

Jordan: A book-loving friend of mine named Schuyler M. announced it on her blog at www.ladybibliophile.blogspot.com/2015/11/announcing-sea-scribblers-2015-short.html.  At that time, I had not written a short story for five years, but this gave me a push to get started.

Amara: What gave you the idea for your story?

Jordan: The story was supposed have a Christmas/winter theme and needed to include at least one of the picture prompts that were provided.  The first picture I saw showed a mask, and I debated if I should write a story of the 1775 American invasion of Quebec.  Then I saw the picture of a figure falling from the sunset to a city below.  This picture gave me a challenge because of its surreal nature (because I write mostly historical nonfiction), but I eventually fashioned the concept of a messenger sent to change the main character’s wrong ideas, much like A Christmas Carol or It’s a Wonderful Life.

As for the main character’s journey, that was written from first-hand experience [laughs].  Once, I believed that with enough power, I could remake the world into a better place.  But just like the character in the story, I came face-to-face with the disaster this type of power could have.  To write this story, all that I needed to do was to take these real-life lessons and turn them into an enjoyable story.

One of the most important plot points in my story is Isaac Watts’s Christmas carol Joy to the World.  I was four years old when I first heard the carol’s 4^th verse, which states that Christ rules the world with truth and grace.  That verse has always been a favorite of mine and I was able to use it to set up both the story’s conflict and its resolution.  Because of the story’s theme and that verse, it seemed appropriate to call it With Truth and Grace.

Amara: How long did it take you to write?

Jordan: I began writing the first draft on November 9 (as soon as I had determined the outline for my story) and finished it a week or two later.  Then it was proofread several times, polished for clarity and finally submitted on December 5.

Amara: Have you written any other short stories previously?

Jordan: I have written quite a number of them.  One of my earliest self-directed writing endeavors (as opposed to writing assignments for homeschool) was a story about space exploration.  This was written in 2002-2003.  In 2007, I entered a short story verbosely named The Great Adventure of a Mouse and Toy Soldiers for our library’s contest.  Next year I entered the contest again with Sir Christopher and the Dragon.  A few more stories intervened before 2010, when I wrote one that I still consider a gem: Lay Down Your Life (which can be read at www.faithful-legacy.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-day-newsletter-part-3.html).  This was my last short story until 2015, when I wrote With Truth and Grace.

Amara: That’s great.  Do you have plans for any other stories?

Jordan: I certainly do.  One that I hope to write soon is called The Homeschool Spaceship.  This is (very loosely) based off my original 2003 story of space exploration.  I am looking forward to sharing it with you all in the near future.

Amara: Thank you for taking time for this interview, and I look forward to more stories from you!

2015: My Top 5 Blog Posts

2015 has been a good year for Defending the Legacy.  34 blog posts have been written this year (well, this makes post #35).  They have covered a wide variety of subjects including but not limited to the American Revolution, the East India Company, Books, and Short Stories.  The Christian movie Beyond the Mask was released this year, and because I had followed it for many years, many blog posts were naturally written about it (see them at http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/search/label/Beyond%20the%20Mask).

Here are my top 5 blog posts of 2015.  They were chosen for a variety of reasons, including most-viewed and best-researched.

#5: "Lord Clive Receiving From the Nawab of the Carnatic a Grant of Money For Disabled Soldiers and Officers" 
http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/09/lord-clive-receiving-from-nawab-of.html.  This one I chose because of its unusual subject matter.  British East India Company uniforms of the Seven Years War are not often focused on, but the 18th Century painter Edward Penny gave us many details  of the uniforms in the painting that is analyzed in this post.

#4: "Providence and a Book" http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/02/providence-and-book.html.  This is one of my more personal blog posts as I trace my journey to acquire a copy of Augustine's Confessions.

#3: "Analyzing Benjamin West's Painting 'Sir William Johnson Saving a French Officer'"
http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/11/analyzing-benjamin-wests-painting-sir.html.  This post I consider one of my best-researched and most interesting of 2015.  It is also, according to Blogger's count, my #3 most viewed post that was published in 2015.

#2: "Beyond the Mask--Charles Kemp's India Jacket" http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/04/beyond-mask-charles-kemps-india-jacket.html.  Without question, this was my most-viewed post of 2015 according to Blogger's statistics.  In it, I explore one costume from the movie Beyond the Mask that may seem unusual; however it is solidly based in historical fact.

#1: "With Truth and Grace" 
http://defendingthelegacy.blogspot.com/2015/12/short-story-with-truth-and-grace.html.
I am very pleased with how this short story turned out, especially considering that I had been on a long hiatus from writing fiction.  But this is more than just a story; it is based on a real journey that I went through.  I wrote this in an effort to distill the lessons that I learned and share them with others.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who read and comment on my blog.  Blogging can be a very solitary activity, and I love hearing your thoughts and reactions to what you have read.  I hope that you all had a good year in 2015!

~Jordan

John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor

My first glimpse of this book was on the library's shelf of children's history books.  Shortly after, a friend gave a short book report on it at our homeschool group.  I checked it out for myself and was enthralled by Armstrong Sperry's vivid prose and delightful illustrations.  

Then we moved away from that library and our new library did not possess a copy.  But with the help of the inter-library loan system, I could still check it out.  

Several years passed and I learned that Sterling Publishing was reissuing the Landmark series, and one of their titles was Armstrong Sperry's John Paul Jones.  I quickly bought a copy, only to discover that while the story was the same, the illustrations were not included.  Now I could read it, but I could not see John's uncle telling him of Culloden, or Jones's interview with the Countess of Selkirk.  I placed Sperry's original book on my list of books to acquire "someday".

Several more years passed and I attended the 2015 INCH convention as a vendor.  While there, I walked through the vendor hall and came to one of my favorite kinds of vendor: one who sells used books.  Looking through their overflowing bookshelves, I came across a Landmark book.  This immediately triggered memories of John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor.  I asked one volunteer, and she pointed me to the booth's owner.   No, they did not have it on their shelves, she told me, but they did have other books in storage.  She quickly dispatched someone to look around in quest of the book, and I waited.  Several minutes later, he returned with an excellently-preserved copy of Armstrong Sperry's original John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor.  Now it is proudly displayed on my bookshelf alongside my other American Revolution books.  I would highly recommend that you read it.

Vacation at Michilimackinac, or An Incident which Spark'd my Interest in the French & Indian War

In the summer of 2003, our family took a vacation to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We stopped at a restaurant near Fort Michilimackinac. While waiting for our order, three men entered and sat in a nearby table. They wore blue waistcoats, white shirts and breeches, and one man even wore a gorget (a metal half-moon on his chest). I was captivated, and watched them while waiting for, and later eating, my meal. Even while eating, I kept studying them--especially the one man's gorget. I never said a word to them, but they remain deeply fixed in my memory. They fanned my love for the 1700s and were one of the earliest things that piqued my interest in the French & Indian War. Now I want to repeat that cycle and fuel some one else's interest in history. And I now own a gorget as well ;).

Providence and a Book

A few years ago, our family went to a large used book sale held in a mall.  While there, I acquired one book: American Historical Documents.  This was a compilation of treaties and other important documents of our nation's history.  I also debated about picking up a copy of Augustine's Confessions, but ultimately decided against it.


Not long after, I read Augustine's classic The City of God and enjoyed his writing style and excellent points (if you have not read The City of God, I would highly recommend it).  Only then did I realize that I should have acquired Augustine's Confessions when I saw it at the book sale.


Two or three years passed, and our family went to our local library's book sale.  On one of the tables was a copy of the same book I had passed up--Augustine's Confessions.


God had indeed blessed me with a copy of a book written by one of the finest Christian authors of his time, perhaps of all time--as well as a story of his providence and goodness even in little things.

Through All Ages's Facebook Page

I have started a business selling historical posters, postcards, and paper soldiers.  You can see it at www.ThroughAllAges.com.  As part of promoting my business, I also created a Facebook page for my business.  There, I cover many of the same things that I do here, like historical paintings and quotes.  I also spotlight a different product every week, with behind-the-scenes tidbits or historical background on it.  And sometimes, I even post a sneak preview of an upcoming product!  Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Through-All-Ages-LLC/922590424422622

Liebster Blog Award!

My blog has been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Pearl of Tyburn at www.silverscreenspiritual.blogspot.com!  I am very grateful!  Thank you very much!

The rules for this award are: 1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.  2. Answer their 11 questions. 3. Post 11 random things about yourself.  4. Nominate 11 other blogs with under 200 followers for this award. 5. Ask them 11 questions.

So here are Pearl of Tyburn’s 11 questions.

1. What do you consider the greatest movie of all time and why?

I believe that the greatest movie of all time is the Jesus film by Campus Crusade for Christ.  A well-made adaptation of the Gospel of Luke, it has travelled the world with its important message.

2. What do you consider the worst movie of all time and why?

I’m afraid I am not able to answer this question.  I have enjoyed most movies I have watched (except for Sybil Ludington and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel).  However, picking the worst of film history is beyond me.

3. Who is your favorite actor/actress?

Difficult to answer.  One actress’s performance that I was impressed by was Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities (1936).

4. Who is your least favorite actor/actress?

I don’t know, but I have seen some rather poor performances.

5. What scene from a movie do you find the most inspirational?

The most inspirational scene for me is from The Longest Day, when the British paratrooper commander remembers his orders to “hold until relieved”, with only a handful of men.  Honorable mention to Brotus (from Pendragon) ordering his line to be extended and meeting the criticism of “it’s certain death” with the retort “Then we die here!”

6. What movies have made you laugh the most?

Bugs Bunny, hands down, even though it is not a movie.

7. What movies have made you cry the most?

I’m not usually one to cry though movies, but probably Mrs. Miniver.

8. What movie do you find the most hoaky?

Definitely Sybil Ludington, but honorable (dishonorable?) mention to the end song of The Longest Day.

9. If you could only watch one more movie forever, what would it be?

The Longest Day.

10. What are some movies you’ve wanted to watch but never gotten the chance?

Beyond the Mask (I’m an extra in it!)

Waterloo

Zulu

11. What are your top 5 movies you would like me to watch and review?

Beyond the Mask

Alone Yet not Alone

Zulu

The Lego Movie

Waterloo

11 Random Things about myself

1.      I love the Lord Jesus Christ, and am glad to be part of a church that loves Him too.

2.      I run my own business at www.ThroughAllAges.com

3.      I love root beer, especially in a root beer float.

4.      Building with Lego bricks is a hobby of mine.

5.      I am the oldest of four siblings.

6.      I was a construction worker and extra for the Christian movie Beyond the Mask.

7.      I think that John Williams is the greatest modern composer.

8.      Most of the books I own are about history

9.      I paint my own 54mm plastic American Revolution soldiers and am expanding into Seven Years War in India

10.   I love old paintings.

11.   I am a contributor for the Young Patriot Magazine.

And now for my blog nominations:

1.      www.MountainsWereMoved.blogspot.com

2.      www.SonsOfTheRemnant.blogspot.com

3.      www.Tidders-KingdomOfWittenberg.blogspot.com

4.      www.GolcondaRising.blogspot.com

5.      www.flintlockandtomahawk.blogspot.com

6.      www.consecratedsword.blogspot.com

7.      www.forchristsglory.blogspot.com

8.      www.castlesoftin.blogspot.com

9.      www.civilwar150th.blogspot.com

10.   www.adventure-in-the-indies.blogspot.com

11.   www.warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com

And here are my 11 questions:

1.      What is your favorite movie?

2.      In the Seven Years’ War, would you side with the French or the British?

3.      Do you play chess?

4.      John Williams or Hans Zimmer?

5.      What is your favorite historical era?

6.      Do you like root beer?

7.      How far back can you trace your family’s history?

8.      What is the most interesting job that you have worked at?

9.      What is the most important thing you have learned while blogging?

10.   What is your least favorite movie?

11.   Would you be interested in hosting a giveaway of Through All Ages’s products?  (Check them out at ThroughAllAges.com and please contact me if so!)

Announcing my New Business!

I have an announcement for you, my faithful blog readers.  Earlier this year I started my own business.  Called "Through All Ages LLC", I sell historical posters and postcards.  Check out my website at www.ThroughAllAges.com!