Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 31, 1940: RAF’s worst day in Battle of Britain: most bases out of action, 34 planes lost. Rationing set up in Vichy France: weekly ration of 4 oz sugar, 6 oz spaghetti, 1.5 oz rice, 3 oz margarine.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 31, 1945: German Field Marshals Walter von Brauchitsch and Erich von Manstein are arrested in Germany.

Lessons from the 1940s - Let Boys Be Boys

My two sons' favorite TV show is "Mythbusters." Why do they like it? The scientific investigation of urban legends? Sure. The quirky characters and offbeat humor? Yep. But the primary reason..."They blow things up!"

I don't get this. I'm a girl. Explosions don't appeal to me, and all I can think about is those poor people on the other boat. This poster does nothing for me. But my boys...oh yeah! It speaks their language.

Look at the messages of this poster: If you join the submarine service, you'll:
1) See action! Now!
2) You can be a hero in perilous situations.
3) You can blow things up!

Nowadays, our culture fears anything like this. It breeds violence. It isn't sensitive. It's too...masculine.

But we can't change the basic nature of men - nor should we. When the masculine interest in action and danger isn't properly directed, men have committed the worst horrors humanity in history. But men directed by morals and virtue perform acts of heroism, bravery, and chivalry. These are the men who entered the Twin Towers and rescued countless people from death. These are the men who defended our country not only in World War II, but in many other wars.

As a mother, my job isn't to quench my sons' interest in action and danger and explosions - as if I could. After all, when my youngest was a toddler, he took a bite out of a slice of American cheese, pointed the L-shaped remnant at his sister, and said, "Bang!" Rather, my job is to teach them the compassion, integrity, and faith to train those masculine energies for honorable purposes.

How can you let your boy be a boy - without blowing up the neighborhood?

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 30, 1940: Romania forced by Germany to give Transylvania to Hungary.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 30, 1945: US Marines and airborne troops land at Atsugi Field, Tokyo, and Yokosuka air and naval bases; MacArthur arrives & makes Yokosuka Supreme Allied Command Headquarters.

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 29, 1945: 24 Nazi leaders indicted as war criminals.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 28, 1940: Luftwaffe makes first night bombing raid over UK—to Liverpool; no damage. RAF bombs Berlin—first time Germans killed by bombing in Berlin; 10 killed.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 28, 1945: First US troops in Japan: 24 C-47 cargo planes land unopposed at Atsugi Field outside Tokyo to establish air base.

Shalom!

Peace has gotten a bad rap lately. When you think of peace, do you think of a drugged-out hippie? A very unpeaceful protester screaming about the evils of war? Children holding hands and singing “Kum-ba-ya”?

That’s not the kind of peace God talks about. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, which has to do with being whole and complete.

When Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, he brought shalom between believers and God—our relationship has been made whole and complete. Through the Holy Spirit, He brings inner shalom, a sense of being calm and at rest when He makes us whole inside. And His power makes it possible to bring shalom between individuals, to make our human relationships whole and complete.

Jesus tells us “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). When we lead people to the only true Source of peace, when we allow His Holy Spirit to fill us with internal peace, and when we work for peaceful relationships around us, God is blessed and so are we.

So how can you give peace a chance today?

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 27, 1940: US Congress authorizes call into service of all military reservists for 12 months.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 27, 1945: In Japan, US Third Fleet anchors in Sagami Bay, and B-29s begin dropping food, medicine, and clothing to POW and internee camps until they can be evacuated.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 26, 1940: Three West Virginia counties close schools due to polio outbreak, 10 die.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 26, 1945: Soviets occupy Kurile Islands.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 25, 1940: RAF begins night-time bombing of Berlin—four raids made in ten nights.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 25, 1945: In China US Capt. John Birch killed in skirmish with Communists, “first casualty of Third World War.”

A Friend in the Storm - Part 1 - and Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of my friend Cheryl Ricker's new gift book, A Friend in the Storm, I'll be posting a three-part series over the next three weeks called "Through the Storm." Leave a comment on any of the posts, and I'll enter your name in a drawing to win a copy of this lovely little book. A Friend in the Storm combines uplifting quotes, Bible verses, tasteful illustrations, and Cheryl's beautiful poetry to comfort someone going through hard times and point them to the best Friend ever.

Through the Storm

It started the day our dog Isaac died.

I could tell a storm was coming in my life. The air weighted with dread, my senses heightened, and then a series of crises blew in, a minor storm, but it still knocked me about.

Storms in life are inevitable. They pound you, wear you down, toss you around, and threaten to drown you. The apostle Paul faced many life storms before facing a literal storm at sea in Acts 27. Paul's experience offers more than a thrilling sea adventure - it offers practical principles for dealing with the storms of life.

1) Go with the storm

"The ship was caught by the storm...so we gave way to it and were driven along" (Acts 27:15). We usually fight the storms in our lives, but giving way to them may be a better option. Acknowledge you are in a storm. While it rages, you will not be yourself, your life will be in turmoil, and yes, it may last a while. Be kind to yourself and set realistic expectations.

2) Accept help

"They passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together" (Acts 27:17). God places us among others - especially within the church - so we can hold each other together. Allow others to pass their ropes around you. Don't hesitate to ask for prayer, seek counseling, or accept offers of meals or help with housekeeping or babysitting. You can return the favor after the storm has passed.

3) Lighten your load.

"They began to throw the cargo overboard" (Acts 27:18). Storms drain time and energy, so toss all excess baggage. Keep only essential duties and activities, delegate what you can, and let the rest slide. Really. Let it slide.

Over the next two weeks, I'll be sharing more thoughts from Paul's storm at sea. What practical advice do you have for someone facing a storm?

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 24, 1940: Luftwaffe begins intense bombing on RAF fields, supplies, and plants (from now through Sept. 6, RAF loses 466 planes, 103 pilots). Luftwaffe mistakenly drops bombs over London.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 24, 1945: British Prime Minister Clement Attlee complains about end of US Lend-Lease program.

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 23, 1945: Britain ratifies UN Charter.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 22, 1940: First cross-Channel artillery duel--Germans bombard Dover and British reply.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 22, 1945: In Manchuria, Japanese surrender to Soviets, and the Soviets seize Port Arthur.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 21, 1940: Leon Trotsky, critic of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, is murdered in Mexico City.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 21, 1945: President Truman ends Lend-Lease program with Britain.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 20, 1940: Churchill praises RAF—“Never…was so much owed by so many to so few.”
65 Years Ago—Aug. 20, 1945: Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling placed on trial for treason in Oslo, Norway.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 19, 1940: Italians occupy Berbera, capital of British Somaliland.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 19, 1945: Japanese delegates arrive in Manila for surrender negotiations with the Allies.

Book Club Beat - Rain Song by Alice Wisler

Today I start a new feature - Book Club Beat, where book clubs share about their discussions. Today's post is from my own book club. Sorry - we don't have a catchy name, but we've been meeting since 2003 (!) and have way too much fun.

Book: Rain Song by Alice Wisler

What's it about?

Nicole Michelin avoids airplanes, motorcycles, and most of all, Japan, where her parents once were missionaries. Something happened in Japan. Something that sent Nicole and her father back to America alone. Something of which Nicole knows only bits and pieces. But she is content with life in little Mount Olive, North Carolina, with her quirky relatives, tank of lively fish, and plenty of homemade pineapple chutney.
Through her online column for the Pretty Fishy website, Nicole meets Harrison Michaels, who, much to her dismay, lives in Japan. She attempts to avoid him, but his e-mails tug at her heart.
Then Harrison reveals that he knew her as a child in Japan. In fact, he knows more about her childhood than she does! Will Nicole face her fears in order to discover her past and take a chance on love?

Discussion questions included? Were they helpful?

In the back of the book. Yes, they were helpful - we used several of them.

What we liked about the book:

We loved Nicole's sense of humor and her quirky relatives. We all liked Wisler's style of writing and enjoyed the story. And we loved how Nicole's relationship with her difficult & "different" niece grew from annoyance to appreciation.

Anything we would change?

We found Harrison an appealing hero, so we were disappointed not to read more scenes with him at the end - and we wanted to "see" more of Japan with Nicole and Harrison. But we did find the ending emotionally fulfilling.

Fun connections (did the story inspire food, decorations, setting, service projects?):

Since Nicole's early years in Japan were crucial to the story, we had yakitori chicken. The hostess decorated with kimonos, fans, and souvenirs from her father's trips to Japan - and her daughter made colorful origami fish for favors. There was a recipe in the book for pineapple chutney, but none of us were brave enough to make it.

Deep connections (this story made us think about...):

This story led to some good discussions - how we treat children who are "different" like Nicole's niece, Monet, what we'd do if we found out a friend's husband was cheating on her, and how we deal with fears. And whether pineapple chutney sounded disgusting or delicious.

Do you recommend this book for other book clubs? Yes.

Thanks for joining me today! If you belong to a book club and would like your group to be featured here, let me know! Pictures of the book club can be included if you'd like. Christian or "clean secular" fiction/nonfiction only please. The questionnaire is short, and I'll obtain the book cover and story blurb.

If you're looking for a book club, check out the Book Club Network at http://www.bookfun.org/ , an on-line meeting place for Christian book club members and authors. Over 500 members and it's only a few months old! Join the fun!

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 18, 1940: After heavy losses, Germans withdraw Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from combat over Britain.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 18, 1945: In US, President Truman restores the free market.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 17, 1940: Germany announces total blockade of Great Britain. Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) sworn in as Governor of Bahamas.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 17, 1945: Japanese post-war parliament established under Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni. Dutch East Indies proclaims independence from the Netherlands, now called the Republic of Indonesia.

New Feature - "Book Club Beat" - and an Invitation!

I'd like to start a new feature on my blog called "Book Club Beat" - and I'd like to invite you to participate. Rather than a traditional book review, it'd be about how a club responded to the book. Clubs would fill out a short questionnaire about what they liked about the book, anything they'd change, discussion topics the story inspired, etc. All answers would be kept free of personal details to protect club members. I could post a picture of your book club if you'd like.

I think this would be a fun way to introduce people to new books and encourage book clubs.

If you belong to a book club that reads Christian or "clean secular" fiction/non-fiction, and you'd be interested in participating, please get the okay from your club members and contact me.

I'd love to hear from you!

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 16, 1945: Emperor Hirohito orders Japanese troops to lay down arms. Japanese parliament resigns.

Today in World War II History - V-J Day Anniversary!

70 Years Ago—Aug. 15, 1940: Luftwaffe’s “Black Thursday:” in the Battle of Britain, Germans lose 76 aircraft, while RAF loses 50.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 15, 1945: V-J Day—US accepts Japanese surrender, and hostilities cease. Hirohito announces surrender to the Japanese people—the first time they have heard his voice.

Happy V-J Day!

Sixty-five years ago today, World War II came to an end when Emperor Hirohito of Japan signed his acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration demanding unconditional surrender to the Allies. The surrender was announced in the United States at 7pm Eastern War Savings Time.

The following day, August 15, was officially proclaimed V-J Day (Victory in Japan), a day of celebration and thanksgiving.

Almost six years had passed since Germany had invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, beginning the most costly war the world had ever seen. Europe and Japan lay in ruins. Tens of millions of people had lost their lives in combat, bombings, and extermination camps. Very few families were unaffected by the war, even in the US, where only a small amount of bombs landed from a handful of shellings by Japanese submarines.

It's hard for us to imagine the extreme jubilation that erupted sixty-five years ago today.

Take a moment today and imagine. Imagine the jubilation, the sense of relief that the horror was over, that you would survive, that those around you would survive, that you could go on with your life and pursue your dreams.

Take a moment today and give thanks. Thank the veterans, and nurses, and home front workers who made that victory possible. Thank the members of our armed forces today who continue to keep us safe. And thank the Lord for strengthening us and watching over us.

Take a moment today and celebrate!

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 14, 1940: As Italians advance, British evacuate Berbera, the capital of British Somaliland.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 14, 1945: Japanese military coup and assassination attempt on Emperor Hirohito fails, and Hirohito signs acceptance of unconditional surrender.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 13, 1940: “Day of the Eagle:” In the Battle of Britain, Luftwaffe attacks switch from shipping to RAF airfields and aircraft plants to prepare for invasion—the first strategic air operation in history.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 13, 1945: Mongolia declares war on Japan.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 12, 1940: Britain declares wasting food to be illegal.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 12, 1945: US announces Japan can keep Hirohito as emperor, but only if he is not proclaimed to be divine.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 11, 1940: German Messerschmitt Me 109s first operate as fighter-bombers, against British ships.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 11, 1945: Gen. Douglas MacArthur declared Allied Supreme Commander, with the authority to accept Japanese surrender.

Lessons from the 1940s - Have Faith

Here's a poster you wouldn't see today: "Strong in the strength of the Lord, we who fight in the people's cause will never stop until that cause is won." While researching my World War II novels, I was surprised at the religious tone in the writings. Top Ten songs like "Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer," "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," and a humble prayer in the middle of the lyrics of "American Patrol." A prayer on the front page of the local newspaper on D-Day. Mainstream movies and books in which people attend church and pray.

Freedom of religion is a good thing. I'm thankful I live in a country where we're free to worship God as we see fit. The founders of the United States remembered too well what happened when religion was mandated by the government rather than by the individual. However, they certainly never imagined an America free from religion.

During World War II, the majority of Americans were people of faith. This gave the nation a bedrock foundation of moral truth on which decisions were made. The human decision-making process comes from a combination of emotion and logic. Emotion, as we all know, is easily swayed. But logic has flaws as well - logical, well-reasoned arguments can be made on polar opposite sides of any issue. Logic and emotion have been used to justify some of the grossest atrocities of modern times, and are being used now to justify what would have been unthinkable in the 1940s.

A civilization can remain civilized only when the balloons of logic and emotion are tethered to the foundation of truth, to the basic knowledge of right and wrong. Cut less from this mooring, logic and emotion blow any which way and can take our society to ruin.

In the 1940s, people of faith spoke up without apology - but without shrill, angry, off-putting voices. They made decisions grounded in God's truth, and tried their best to live lives of morality and integrity. Their strength came from the Lord, and that strength brought them through the horrors and deprivation of war.

I pray that America can return to the source of its strength so we can face whatever challenges come in the future.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 10, 1940: Germany bans speaking French in Luxembourg and listening to BBC in Belgium.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 10, 1945: Emperor Hirohito tells Japanese government to accept Potsdam Declaration demanding unconditional surrender; Japanese send word to US that they will surrender if they can retain Hirohito as emperor.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 9, 1940: First flight of medium bomber North American B-25 Mitchell.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 9, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki by B-29 Bock’s Car, flown by Maj. Charles Sweeney; about 35,000 killed. Soviets invade Japanese-occupied Manchuria.

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 8, 1945: Soviet Union declares war on Japan.

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 7, 1945: Japanese first fly Nakajima Kikka jet fighter, essentially a copy of the German Messerchmitt Me 262.

Hungry?

When was the last time you were truly hungry? I don’t mean, “I could really go for some chocolate right now.” I don't mean Daisy the yellow lab eyeing the treat in my hand. I mean faint-headed, pain-in-your-gut, can’t-think-of-anything-but-food hunger. In modern-day America, true hunger is a rare thing, thank goodness. At Vacation Bible School this summer, a fourth-grade girl told me she was starving. She couldn’t go on. She couldn’t stand. I asked if she’d had breakfast. Oh yes, she said, and she described a big, balanced meal. I glanced at my watch—it was ten o’clock in the morning. Hoo boy. No, she—and I—have no idea what hunger really is.

When Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6), it’s easy to read with modern American eyes. Sure, we hunger for righteousness. We want to spend more time with God. We wish we could be good. We’d like to do God’s will. We hunger—as we would for a mid-morning snack.

That’s not the hunger Jesus talks about. He talks about pining, craving hunger. The type of hunger when all you can think about is sustenance. All you can think about is Jesus. All you can think about is doing God’s will.

That kind of hunger comes with a promise. It will be filled. Satisfied. Satiated. If we hunger for righteousness, we will receive it.

Isn’t that reason enough to cultivate that hunger?

Today in World War II History

65 Years Ago—Aug. 6, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by B-29 Enola Gay, flown by Col. Paul Tibbetts Jr.; about 78,000 killed. Maj. Richard Bong, leading US fighter pilot ace (40 victories), is killed testing jet fighter in California.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 5, 1940: Latvia admitted to USSR.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 4, 1940: Italians invade British Somaliland from Italian Ethiopia.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 4, 1945: Near Pegu Yoma, British destroy remnants of Japanese Twenty-Eighth Army resisting in Burma.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 3, 1940: New song in the Top Ten: “When the Swallows Return to Capistrano.”
65 Years Ago—Aug. 3, 1945: Czechoslovakia expels native Germans and Hungarians from country.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 2, 1940: British Navy bombards Italian naval base on Sardinia.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 2, 1945: US B-29s drop 6000 tons of bombs on Nagasaki and Toyama, Japan.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Aug. 1, 1940: Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) sails from Portugal to Bahamas, foiling German kidnapping attempt.
65 Years Ago—Aug. 1, 1945: Penicillin is made available by prescription to civilians as tablets, ointment, and eyedrops.