Waiting for His coming.

  You'll have to check for me, but I think that I have usually had a post in December to bring to mind the Holy Day of Christmas. As I have contained my thoughts to once a month or so, in order that I don't overwhelm you with more posts than you can take, (many people have a daily blog, which I guess is great if that many people think you are adorable) I'm going to do a repeat of my December practice.

  Christmas. These days, often dreaded by adults, greatly anticipated by children, and loved by retailers. Christmas. In days of old, greatly anticipated by adults, dreaded by kings, and loved by prophets. Christmas. For me, the exercise of patience of the second coming, which today, I suspect, is more than ever in the prayers of the elect.

  Why do I say this? Because like men of old, we who know the promises of God to those that love Him, we are no different than them. We wait. And wait. And wait- some more- in a time that is full of signs in the heavens of the coming of the Son of God. We, the elect, all know the Word says that signs in the heavens will be one of the great signs of His coming, just as it said to the Wise Men from the East. In that respect, we are no different, for astronomers say we are in for some very distinct things coming in the heavens. (Such as four blood moons that fall on the coming Jewish festivals.) Not to mention some of the things that have been happening lately. Like comet Ison; the increase in the Geminids; other blood moons; the asteroid in Russia and the list could go on. And that is the biggest reason I write this- there is SO MUCH.

  And its not only the signs in the heavens that are to be a sign. It is also the signs on the earth. The seeming unraveling of our society. The unraveling of governments, small and great. The civil unrest all over the world. The greater number of poor, rampant greed on all levels of society, (including amongst the poor, and I have to say all men commit that sin) earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, wars and rumors of wars- the list is not a partial one- it is a complete one. However there is one thing missing- the anti-christ.

  For many, the absence of and revealing of, and presence of one man is what has kept Jesus from coming back. According to some theologians, the anti-christ must be revealed in the Temple before the great and horrible day of the Lord. But what if that went by so quickly no one noticed? And, of course, it all depends on if there will be a thing called the rapture. That throws all of it out of whack. For me, it doesn't matter, because for me also, the signs leading up to this last item are all complete, like I said. It is only a matter of time.

  The Palmers in Curse of the Eraser, believed the same and waited; just like all of us. I guess, that is, if you are waiting, and hoping, just like men of old... and what if something were to happen on His so-called birthday? What if He came when men did not expect? Like on- His birthday? What if something appeared on the horizon that precipitated a return so unexpected, that it took us all by surprise? What if?

   Are you waiting and hoping this Christmas? If that is the case for you- Merry Christmas.

The FBI on my doorstep

  When I first moved to Tennessee and began my own business back in the early 90's, I had to rent, not only because I had no money, but because no one trusted my new tract record as a small business owner. Consequently, I rented an old, old house on Franklin road, next to what the locals call Spencer Creek.

  Franklin Road is very busy and traffic is present day and night. After a while a man gets used to the noise. One night this time of year, someone knocked on the door. It was odd, because there are no sidewalks on that portion of roadway, nor do people walk there because it is so busy. As it was after dark, I opened the door slowly after turning on the porch light, which was bright enough to see anyone through the single pane in the door. It was a man in a sports jacket, about the age of my father.

  After having lived in the South for a couple of years already, I knew this person was out of place, and it was not Bill Peach, who always dresses neatly. So, trusting someone that looked like this, I opened the door and asked, "Can I help you, Sir?" (I had already learned to add the "sir" to all my questions and greetings.)
   He replied, "You sure can! Do you have any gas?"
   Smiling, because I knew what had happened, I said, "Follow me," and we proceeded down the stairs and over to the garage.

  I opened the rickety door, revealing my 1963 Lincoln Continental. As he stood in my way to get the gas, he allowed me to go past him, but I noticed he was not paying attention to me at all, but his eyes were transfixed on the car. Slowly he walked towards it and placed his hand on the lid of the trunk. After picking up the gallon can of gas and going back over to him I asked, "Like it?"
  He said, "LBJ had one just like it."
  I asked, "LBJ?"
  Although it was dark it seemed as though he had a tear in his eye, almost hesitantly he said, "Yes, I rode with him in Dallas. I'm retired FBI."

  His statement through me for a loop. No wonder he had gone up to it and placed his hand there. He most certainly had ridden on the back of one of the grand Lincolns reserved and specially made for JFK and others. Then grabbing the can from me, he said, "Be right back."

  He walked in towards town into the dark, not giving me the chance to ask him if he wanted a ride, so I assumed he was not far from the house. I was right, because he was back in less than five minutes with his car. I had waited in the garage and was putting things I had left strewn about on shelves and into corners.

  When he came back to me he was smiling again, and he handed me the can. He started to pull his wallet out of his trousers, but I said, "No. Don't worry about it."
  He said, "Thanks. Can I look at it better?" He pointed at the Lincoln.
  "Sure," I replied, but I added, "So, you were there?"
  "Yes," he said as he walked away from me towards the front of the car. He asked, "Did you have it painted?"
  I said, "Yes, a couple of years ago. Its not the original color, but close."
  "I noticed. Lady Bird had a convertible that was like robin egg blue. It was a nice car, too. LBJ had one just like this." He placed his hand back on the fender again.
 
  I let him look for the remainder of the time without saying anything, but finally as he walked back out to the car I just had to ask. I said, "Was the Warren Report correct?"
  He stopped at the door of his car, and opened it. Bending in he picked up a hat, much like some of the young men wear to parties today, and placed it on his head. No one was with him as the light was bright enough to see inside the 80's model Ford. He turned to me after this and said, "No. Thanks for the gas."

  He got in and drove away. I never did get his name.

The Reformation and- Me

  It is rare that I deviate from speaking of my Curse of the Eraser series on my blog. But as it is as much a part of the protagonist and his kin in the books as it is with me, I will do so today, so that you get to know me and they a little bit better.

 



 



  The first time I walked into the church at Wittenberg to hear Martin Luther proclaim the Good News, I was taken aback as to the simplicity of the words. Now that I have your attention, because you know I am not that old, I would like to make a bold statement- the Reformation is still at the doorsteps.

  Today at all Lutheran Churches in the states, congregations celebrated the beginning of the Reformation, where dug from the Word of God once more the words of Paul were proclaimed, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." This verse is the signature verse of the Reformation, of the church and of me.
    
  The first time I walked into the church at Lovell, Wyoming to hear Pastor Floyd Schwieger proclaim the Good News, I was taken aback as to the simplicity of the words. I know it was not Reformation Sunday, but for me, it was the beginning of my reformation. I say that, because the first time I heard the Good News, the real Good News that Jesus Christ's death and resurrection was all sufficient for me to be saved, was a revelation and the beginning of the reformation of my life. In that same signature text Paul had said I was under the law. I was a slave to sin and the law. Jesus said that same thing to me in the Gospel text for today when He said, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin."

  As a young man, I was told I was still not good enough to enter heaven, that in some way, I had to help Jesus through my meritorious works to be allowed my eternal rest in heaven. It was me and Jesus. Yet, I knew what kind of person I was deep down in my soul. I was a slave to sin and Jesus, well, He was not. I knew He could do it, but as for me, I couldn't and that was a problem. I knew that if I had to help Him, I was in for a very large disappointment. And in fact, I was so disappointed in this condition that I fell away from the Roman church.

  That was when I began to search. I read the Word of God. I did comparative studies of all the denominations. I even played with the philosophies and heresies out there, only to find that there was really nothing better out there, because they all relied on man. Man to be self-made men. Man to pull himself out of the pit, even the pit of hell to finally achieve that place he so sought after- heaven. They all seemed to rely on those mysterious meritorious works. Those works that I knew I could not accomplish. So, after that long exercise, I still despaired.

  When you hear something simple and yet so freeing, do you believe it at first? When I listened to Pastor Schwieger that first time back in 1975, I almost didn't believe. It was, like I said, tooooo simple. To free. I said to myself, "You mean I don't have to do anything? I am saved by grace through - faith?" ( He may have been in Eph. 2) Then the light bulb went off in my head, (and, yes, I have used that cliche' for so many years when it comes to this story that I can't stop now) and now I finally felt freed. Freed from that sin that bound me. Freed like Jesus said, "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

  Pastor Schwieger went on to confirm me and then marry me to the woman that brought me to the doors of St. John's. But it was there I began my Reformation and still to this day, as I continue to read and learn, I and millions across this earth are reformed day by day when the Good News is preached. And for this I am eternally grateful.

 

     

"What's Luck got to do, got to do with it?"

  You're probably thinking I made a mistake with the title of this blog. At first glance the Tina Turner song probably came to mind- right? "What's love got to do with it?" Actually, both the title of the blog and the title of the song are correct.

  I don't believe in luck. Nor- karma. Nor- "what goes around comes around". Of course, when it comes to actions and the results thereof, we get what we deserve. When I decide that I want to eat candy all of the time instead of salads, I know I'm gonna put on a few pounds instead of lose a few. But there is no karma or luck involved in that at all. And I believe that to be true with everything else involved in life, too, because of my Christian faith and who really sustains me and us all.

  Luck implies that forces other than ourselves are in charge of our situation. I can't believe that anyone other than God has influence on a cosmic level on things of the earth. The only other entity that could have that kind of influence would be Satan, but he is merely being held in check by God the creator of all. He has no ultimate power over any of us, just is able to play with us if God allows. However, add into that mix a God who loves all mankind and especially those that follow His Son, then there is no such thing as luck at all, because He gives all of mankind equally those things that sustains us. We receive from Him as He wills and as we ask and believe. Sometimes we receive all we ask for, sometimes what we need, and sometimes not at all, not based on Gods' whim, but on His will for us in His divine plan.

  Sometimes, when we do not receive, it is only the evil desires of men that would rob us of those things that are good and thus bring evil upon us. Therefore, we would be victims of evil, and there would be no luck involved in that at all. And not the will of God either, especially if it is a member of the Bride of Christ, whom He loves as pardoned sinners. And when we receive things that are terrible in our sight, it is hard to accept, but ultimately it is His will, because it was part of the overall plan and the evil in other men. But there is no luck involved in that at all either.

  There have been some people who have wished me "good luck" with my book and the book project. While I know that to be a wish for success for me, and I do appreciate it, there is no luck involved in the process at all. As a Christian, I know it is God's will that the book was to be written, because it exists. Now whether it does well or not, that is something else, but not what matters. What matters is if I have done what God has purposed for my life. I believe I have, as the book, "The Baker and Malachi" exists and the people that have read it have enjoyed it. Whether I get personal satisfaction or success from that matters not either, for I have only done what God has purposed and there is no luck involved in that.  

  Then there comes the "love" part. The Tina Turner part that says, "What's love got to do with it?" I believe- everything. If the book is to be successful in the eyes of others, (you may surmise from what you've read I think it already is successful) then it is all do to just that- love. If people love the message, love the work, love whatever they want to about it, but especially love- me, then it will be successful in the eyes of men. There is no luck involve in that at all. It's all about love.

  Hopefully, you'll all prove me right about this, too. :)

My First Book

  Up until today, I had tried to keep from posting anything but COTE (Curse of the Eraser) related blogs here on Eraser Blogger. But, this event is just too big, too exciting, too mind-blowing for me to not share with you. Today, I received a proof copy of my soon to be released book, The Baker and Malachi.

  Only other authors know how this feels. To have in your hands a fresh copy, printed on actual paper, with a cover that you helped design and imagine. Ah- the smell of ink on paper and the smooth shiny glimmer of your name on the bottom corner of the cover. Actually, I never thought it would happen.

  Years ago, I read a book by Paul Maccabee called, "John Dillinger slept here". A wonderful compilation of little known actual historical events, he certainly did his homework and impressed me so much, I felt inspired to pick up the keyboard and put something down on paper myself. It was just a story. A funny little tale of the things I like myself- donuts, history and St. Paul. So, I went with it.

  I gave The Baker and Malachi to a friend of mine with a degree in journalism. I think I must have bugged her enough to read it, but when she finally did finish, she liked it. She said I should keep writing. At first, I didn't take her seriously, but then I thought, 'Why not?' After a couple of years, I hammered out COTE.

   But, let me digress. I never thought I'd ever publish anything, especially in the current publishing environment. Everyone I showed COTE gave me a thumbs-down. (I will publish it. I'm determined to get out the whole of the four book series!) So I said to myself, 'Self, you need to back track and publish that cute little story you started with.' Thanks to the two Susans that have encouraged me, that is what I hold in my hands. Susan Anderson and Susan Catalano- I thank you.

Two reasons for Writing?

 

  I was asked to make a presentation to the local Author's Circle here in Williamson County by Bill Peach our resident philosopher extraordinary. Therefore, I wanted to share with you one of topics I'll be telling these highly qualified writers and authors.
And this is it: Two of the reasons I decided to begin a career in writing- Professors Arnold and Benson.

  As an incoming freshman in 1983, in my naivete' I leapt forward and took some of the basics my first quarter (yes, it was by quarters way back then) in order to get some of those core requirements out of the way. I had not learned that you wait and ask around to see who the ball-buster professors were. One of those professors was Anne Arnold.

  I took English 101 from Professor Arnold. She made the class unbearable. I never wrote and rewrote so many papers in my life. All, of course, on my Brother typewriter. Thank goodness it had a correction ribbon. She tried to impress upon us all of the proper usages and imprinted in my mind forever, the improper use of superfluous commas, and the overuse and incorrect use of semi-colons and everything else. I still fail miserably with these after all of these years. I get as much help as I can from my computer and people I trust that know more than I. She was a ball-buster and I received a "C" from her. I saw her obituary in the Billings Gazette years later and wondered if anyone showed up at the funeral.

  Then there was Professor Benson. A big guy with an infectious smile, he too impressed upon us something quite different and that was: It's all about style, creativity, being unique, profundity and the like. It is all about being the creative- you. The very first day in advanced writing, (I took it straight out of Eng. 101- go figure) he asked us to write a one page essay before we left on the topic of "dress". I was stunned. I knew not of style or that kind of thing, yet I got through it and wondered how badly I had failed and how much red ink would be on the page when I received it back. The next class period, he handed all of my classmates their papers back to them. But I received none. I thought maybe he had lost it. I was wrong. He announced that he'd like to read a pupil's paper and that he found it quite good, considering the circumstances we were faced with, and that was the kind of writing he wanted to see the rest of the quarter. Then, he began to read my paper. He blew me away and gave me the confidence I needed to go on to receive an "A" in his class. He also gave me the confidence to begin my first book after all of those years out of college.

  Although I received what I needed from both of these professors in order to graduate from college, I received much more from one of them and to him I am thankful. Thank you Professor Benson- wherever you are.

 

The Prodigal Son

  I had not seen my son for about five years. When he drove into the driveway a week ago, I was overjoyed! I, like the father in the Gospel account of Jesus', went up to my son, Gary, and gave him a big hug. There is nothing like this, no other circumstance that I can describe to you that has in it such great emotion and gladness in it. And I know that if you are a parent, you know what I mean.

  We have been talking at least once a month on the phone. The range of topics is not entirely large and mostly focus on the trials of the day, the concerns we have for our country, and our children. He is a good father.

  But the one topic that seems to re-occur is the one of my web page. My non-existent web page. The problem is that we are never together long enough for him to develop it. We need to be together in order for it to form, and now I can now tell you- it is in the works! When it is done you will be able to find it at : cafiebiger.com.

  Yes, I am now "C.A. Fiebiger". No more just the average, plain-old,  "Craig" Fiebiger, but the mysterious, unique and cultured, C.A. Fiebiger. I didn't think of it- it was my son who said I need to be C.A. I must confess that I think it has a certain ring to it. I think...

  But that isn't the best part of his coming here. No- oh no. The best part, (except for him being here of course) is that he has put together a cover for my first book: "The Baker And Malachi". It is seriously cool. I knew he was creative, but this only confirmed that which I already knew about my wonderful son, that I am most proud of the man he has become.

  I'm not going to put it on my facebook page nor on the Curse of the Eraser group page until he has more of the website finalized. You'll just have to wait- until my cool, talented, wonderful son is done with it. Thank you God for allowing me to see him again, even if it may be for just a short while.

The Hall of Fame

  When this author visited the Palmer Homestead back in 1994, I did so with a hidden agenda. Little did I know that I would spend so much time there, no, not in person, not physically, but in the heart and soul of Larkin Palmer the protagonist of the first two books of my series. To tell the truth then, my agenda was not really to visit the Homestead with Shirreen's Uncle Walter, but, to visit the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown!

  The trip from Walter's home to the Homestead was about an hour, but the side excursion to Cooperstown would take just about as long and Walter figured that we may as well kill two birds with one stone. Little did he know...

  I had gone to New York to pick up some materials and tools Walter had no use for after he retired. I gladly accepted his invitation to go up there to retrieve them as I had just begun in my plumbing business earlier that year. Walter had been retired for a few months and had poured his heart and soul into completing the renovations of the Homestead farm house. Naturally, he wanted to show me the place and introduce me to the last Palmer to permanently live there, Harry Palmer. I went along only because of my personal agenda. Old selfish me!

  For you see, just like Larkin Palmer in Curse of the Eraser, I wanted to play professional ball just like millions of other boys with dreams. It had also been my dream to visit Cooperstown, but life had gotten in the way and I just had never made it. As it turns out, that has been my one and only chance, which thanks to Walter became reality.

  Ironically, also through Walter, even though Curse has not yet been published, it has taken me and the 50 or so people that have read it on a greater journey than I could ever have imagined. And for that, the tools, and an excursion through four books, Walter Clark, I am grateful for the trip- not to Cooperstown, but to Brookfield, NY.