Moving to a new location

I've decided to consolidate this blog and my "Things of Note in History" blog into one new blog due to my lack of posting on this blog. I hope that those you reading this will make the switch. I will be posting things along both lines of thought. This new blog will allow me to concentrate on school more and post more frequently so please check out and subscribe to the new location!

Mevakel

The Cataclysm: Introduction

The following is an opening that is still in the works for my newest project/book that I am working on. Expect changes and more of this story as it unfolds.

How could HE even consider it. They were disgusting mutants, a half breed. Spirit mixed with flesh to create a creature so vile. It repulsed him. The brilliance of the white marble walls that made up the hallway around Heylel seemed to lessen now reflecting his dark mood. 

Heylel stood three meters tall, average hight for an angel. Clothed in a white undergarment and on his chest was plate mail of silver. The wings protruded from his back were neatly folded and an unadorned sword hung at his waist. A Dark blue cape with gold edging specifically split into three sections to flow around his wings whipped at his feet. His walking was causing his curly red hair to bounce lightly on his head. 

Heylel just did not understand it; HE had created the angels in all their perfection to be his servants and now HE said that these foul creatures would be object of his love and affection. It made no sense. The creatures made of flesh had no sense of who they were or what purpose they served until they were told. The angels were created with a single purpose and Heylel thought they were doing a good job. HE never complained. Heylel realized he had been pacing the same stretch of floor for ten minutes and stopped where he stood. To his left was one of the countless stain glass windows. This particular one contained the image of a new creature placed on earth, it was a called a cerva. Two antlers protruded from its head and its tuft of a tail was a little white flame. In it's long muzzled snout hung some grass. One of HIS creations in it's natural habitat. This realm was not enough for HIM thus a new one was created and with it new laws and beings of course all coming from HIS hand. Heylel walked up to the window and slammed his fist down on the sill. What was the purpose? Why did HE need this new realm. It must have been created for some reason. HE didn't just create; everything has a purpose. What if... Heylel glanced back up at the cerva and the grass hanging from it's month. A thin smile crossed his face as the final dots shifted into place. It was a food chain. HE needed something that he was not getting from the angels. Humans could provide it and that's why their world was created. That still did not explain why HE chose to love the humans more then angels. Maybe He had grown tired of the angels. With this in mind Heylel turned and began to move at a speed only possible for angels; running aided by flapping his wings at just the right moments. 

Below are sketches for Characters.

An Acacia Tree or a Redwood

The Bible comes from a land of deserts that differs very much from the culture in which American Christians like myself live in today. This causes us to distort our image of the Bible and not take into account the region and the geography of the book. I've made it a personal and academic hobby of mine to study the Bible in it's context and the results are astounding for both my knowledge of the book and the reshaping of my beliefs that I draw from it. 

In this short clip the wonderful teacher Ray Vander laan talks about how the acacia tree is most likely the tree discussed in Jeremiah 17. This image of a tree out in the middle of the desert surviving on very little water contradicts what most people would like to picture. This is the key to interpreting the verse. Instead of the verse sounding like a cheap way for God to say that  people who do not practice evil will be rewarded we are given an image of a person that will once in a while receive from God. The gifts that are received are then meant to be used to help others. 

There are two things that are very uncommon to find out in Israel; water and trees. Water is a very rare natural resource that can be found in two different ways standing and moving. Standing water or water collected in cisterns or pools is not often safe to drink. The very hot environment makes it very difficult to keep water like this for long. Water that flows from springs is called living water. Water is not the point of this entry. ( More on it later; on to trees) The region is so dry that there are no large trees that grow there. Wood has to be shipped in for large projects just like how Solomon received wood for the temple. The trees that do grow there are short, wide, bush like and very good at managing their water supply. This image is something more when we apply it to ourselves. 

G-d calls us to be like this tree because we can give back to the community like it does with all it's parts but the shape and nature of the tree is also something for us to replicate. The trees of Israel are short and wide because they do not waste the energy it would take to grow tall and mighty. They are wide so that they can catch as much of G-d's sun as possible. They manage the small gifts of water that are given to them so that they can continue on being what they were meant to be. The roots of acacia's do not run deep to support themselves but spread out near the surface to collect as much nutrients as possible. Acacias gather to store up not to anchor themselves in this world so that they can stretch to the heavens.  The shape is a scraggly mess of branches much like most of our lives and like us they were made like that by our creator. He did not design us to be straight tall trees. Jesus wants people who will be dependent on him not individuals who are caught up in their own image and believe they can do everything themselves. So what will you be for G-d; a Redwood or an Acacia tree? 

Dust

I spent the last three hours laying awake in bed. Instead of continuing to do so I decided to be productive and post something.

Lately I have been very busy with classes and all the homework that comes with college. Somewhere amidst everything I managed to find the time to play some of the indie games I bought a while back, one of which is called Dust. When I started playing I really did not know what to expect; most indie games are ok at best. What I got was an experience unlike anything I had before from a video game. If you would like to experience the game for yourself please skip the next paragraph, in which I will give a quick summary of the game.

You awake in a forest with no recollection of who you are. You are told that your name is Dust and you set out with a talking sword and a little flying cat companion. For the most part you follow the classic RPG game style of completing side quests to level up along with advancing you closer to the end of the story. In the end comes the plot twist; you are not who you think you are, you where the right hand man for the villain. There's the identity crisis but in the end the good in you allows you to do what is right and destroy the evil that is conquering the world.

Dust: An Elysian Tail  contains an ideas that is similar to Christianity. Dust, the main character is created by the combining of two souls. One of a fighter, and one from a young boy with a strong sense of justice. Individually they could not accomplish the tasks set before them throughout the game, but together it is possible. In the Christian faith the same idea applies to the Holy Spirit. By ourselves we are not capable of doing what is necessary to bring G-d's kingdom to this world, but with it inside us we are armed with a force more powerful then anything we will face in this world. The extra soul that Dust contains is not the only gift he has received. A sword called Ahrah along with a companion called Fidget. Ahrah contains a spirit with vast amounts of knowledge and it applies it to the situation Dust finds himself in much like how the Bible is used to guide Christian in our walk. Fidget counters Ahrah, she is light hearted and funny. Fidget brings out the best in Dust and also presses him to make the right decision when things become tough for him. She is his conscious.

There are so many more little things that I'm noticing now about the game. The only reason why I started thinking this way about the game is because in the credits was the phrase; "Made for the glory of G-d". I researched the creator and discovered that he is a Christian. I was surprised that I had played a game made by a christian and heavily coated with christian views that I had not even noticed playing through the first time.