I don’t know about you, but I love me some totally random facts! And even more so, I love me a totally random battle that not many people have heard about! So today, we are going to look at what many say is the actual first battle of the War Between the States!

1| Where and When. This battle took place on June 10th, 1861, 160 years ago! The battle took place in Big Bethel Virginia and is one of the lesser-known battles of the war.

2| It All Happened Here. Many people refer to either Ft. Sumter or First Manassas when talking of the first battle of the War Between the States. But Big Bethel is actually the first.

3| Looking at the Numbers… As with most battles of the war, the Confederate Soldiers were outnumbered. They had under 1,500 men while the Union invaders had around 3,500. But you know us, that makes the odds about even! *halo*

4| The Men Behind the Moment. Two lesser-known Generals were in command of the opposing armies. For the federals, Brigadier General Ebenezer W. Peirce led them into battle. For the Confederacy, it was Colonel John B. Magruder.

5| Confederate Gold Star Family. This battle saw the death of the very first Confederate soldier in the field. Private Henry Wyatt was the sole Confederate soldier killed in the battle, the only fatality of 8 Southern soldiers injured.

6| How did he Die? Being the first enlisted casualty of battle, it’s no wonder we know how it happened. Colonel D. H. Hill requested 4 volunteers to set fire to a house federal troops had commandeered and were using to pin down the Southern troops with their firepower. Henry was one of them. They never made it to the house, and Henry died in the line of fire.

7| The Fate of the House. After Henry’s death, the volunteers were recalled and the house was taken out by artillery fire.

8| Why Here? Confederate Forces hoped to dislodge troops from Ft. Monroe, reclaiming it for the Confederacy. Unfortunately, the same fort where Custis Lee (Robert E. Lee’s son) was born at remained the only Southern Fort in Virginia to remain in federal control through the entire war.

9| Tar Heel Legacy. North Carolina has often been known as the state that was “First at Big Bethel and Last at Palmito Ranch.” We lost more soldiers than any other state and sent the most men to the Confederate Army. As usual, we had a big hand in the events at the battle of Big Bethel.

10| The Victorious Victors *Halo* The Confederacy of course. They couldn’t let the first battle at home be won by the opposing army!


Have you heard of this battle before today? Is this the first time? I encourage you to do some research and share some of your findings in the comments below!

Have a Blessed Day and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! I’m sorta nervous about today’s post, not gonna lie. I want to make clear from the beginning that this post is not aimed at anyone. I just noticed some things in Christian fiction in general that bothered me and I decided to write a post about it. This has been weighing on my mind for quite some time and I felt it needed to be shared.

Please don’t take offense if you happen to disagree. That’s totally fine! I just couldn’t get away from this post and felt God wanted me to share it with y’all. Think of this as one of Ryana Lynn’s Ramblings *halo* So! Without further ado, let’s begin, shall we?

*Ducks as a million books are thrown at me*

*Drags myself out from under the mountain and dusts myself off as I sit on top*

*Smiles nervously*

 
Please keep an open mind here. I don’t mind a story that includes a couple falling in love and getting married, though I tend to get bored if that is the main plot of the story. I’m just not a huge romance fan. But every once in a while, one stands out to me as amazingly good and I so enjoy it.

But.

I’m tired of recommending the book and having to say, “This book is so good, but there’s a lot of kissing in it,” or “I marked out the bad parts, but the message is so good!”

People. I know everyone has their own beliefs about touching and kissing before marriage, biblical or not. And I’m not here to fight that battle with you right now. I have a Bible reason that I didn’t hold hands, hug, or kiss my husband until my wedding day, but that’s for another time.

As a married woman, I look back over books that I adore and cringe. Couples are hugging, patting a shoulder, touching their hair, kissing (though not necessarily detailed), and getting electrocuted…

Okay, so that last one is me making fun of a cliché romance writing technique. *halo* if you know, you know 😊

I’m gonna keep this as G-rated as possible, but writers, words are powerful. Words paint pictures and evoke emotions. That’s not a bad thing! But when used wrongly, they can lead minds astray. Talking with my husband about things I never even thought were issues in writing has opened my eyes to just how bad a seemingly innocent touch can be.

Can we control our readers’ minds? No. Can we be sure that even something written innocently won’t lead someone down the wrong path? Absolutely not. We have no control over that. But we do have control over what we write. My rule of thumb is as follows when having couples (even married ones!) interact. I ask myself, would I behave this way in front of someone? Would I be embarrassed if my internal thoughts about this moment were played over a loudspeaker? Is this something lovely, holy, honest, pure (Philippians 4:8)? If the answer is no…

I won’t write it.

Keep things pure and holy in your writing; you represent the King.

This is not to say I’m perfect. I may have written something in innocence that in hindsight, I would like to change. And I’m not judging you if this is you. We all make mistakes! We need to show grace to each other and be understanding. Give each other the benefit of the doubt! But ultimately, remember Who you are writing for. God is our ultimate audience.

*takes a deep breath and screams as another hailstorm of books come reigning from the sky*

*Climbs back out of the pile and pants for air*

Seriously, where are y’all finding all these books?

 
This some is more of a matter of opinion. I get SUPER annoyed when reading a Christian non-magical fantasy and God doesn’t have His rightful Name. *suppresses a scream*

Okay, I get it, it sounds neat, especially if you are writing a world with less than common names. And I have read and LOVED some books where God was given a different name.

You are probably thinking of some right now.

I am NOT shaming any of the books you might have thought of. NOT IN THE LEAST.

THIS IS MY OWN OPINION *halo*

But here is what comes to my mind when this happens. I’m afraid we are trying to trick people into reading our books.

Again, hear me out.

I’m not saying that is the intent. And again, I’m not judging anyone because I honestly don’t think this is the goal of most. But by not calling God by His Name, I almost feel like it’s a way to trick non-believers into reading a Christian book. Are we ashamed of Who our God is? Are we afraid of offending someone? Are we more worried about getting the lost world to read our books that we will hide our intentions under a pseudo-diety?

There are so many Names for God, there’s no need to invent new ones! Pilgrim’s Progress refers to Him as God and the Lord of That Place and the King of the Celestial City (another name for Heaven, which was common in its time). The Holy War refers to God as King Shaddai (El-Shaddai, a well-known Name for God), and Jesus as Prince Emmanuel. I would love to read a book that used more names of God! There’s El-Roi (the God Who Hears) for example! Or Elohim (Creator), Jehovah-Jireh (God Provides), or I AM??? There are so many others and I’m just scratching the surface with some basic ones!

I’m not against fantasy (as long as it’s a non-magical, totally different subject, please don’t hurt me 😉), and I will still read books that include different names for God as long as the book is Biblically sound. But if I ever write a fantasy, well, let’s just say that I am gonna have fun picking just the right name from God’s long list of Majestic and Awesome Names!

*Ducks*

*Lowers my hands when nothing happens*

*Gets hit in the head by a few books*

Well, at least it wasn’t a mountain this time!

 
I love clean books. Don’t get me wrong. I love my middle-grade Scholastic books about soldiers and marines or animals or whatever the topic was. I love them!

But I just want to give a friendly little warning.

We are Christian writers, right? We don’t just write for pleasure or profit, though those tend to come with the territory. We write with a higher purpose. We write for Someone.

And that Someone is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Master Author.

The Creator of the Universe.

The God Who literally is giving you the ability to breathe, read this post, or have it read to you.

*Clears throat*

Um, the One Who blessed you with the ability and desire to write.

The One Who gave you readers in the first place.

Need I continue?

We don’t write for ourselves. We write for Him. And as such, it’s a shame when we waste our talents writing “good books.” There’s so much more to writing than that! Yes, we need clean, but we need Light! A lantern is useless without the flame! Salt is no good left in the shaker! The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12)! And He said to us in Matthew 5:14 &16, “Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Wow.

There is so much to unpack here.

Notice first that word light. It’s not saying that we are Jesus or a god. It is referring to us being a reflection of Christ, like the moon is to the sun. He is the Son, we are the moon (yes, that spelling is intentional 😉). We are to reflect Christ so they can see our…

It says it right there.

What do we call our books?

Our WORKS in progress.

Our good works. God didn’t give you the ability to write so people could read it and pat us on the back. He gave us the ability so we can show people our talent and GIVE. GOD. GLORY! That is the whole point of writing! That is why we suffer through the agony of writing, revising, beta reader comments, and editor feedback. And we can’t forget those reviewers either.

It's all for God’s Glory! Not our own! What a high calling and privilege! What an honor and responsibility!

See why writing clean fiction just doesn’t cut it?

Write with purpose. Write the Light into your story and don’t disguise it with a bushel basket! LET IT SHINE AND BURN THAT BASKET OF SATAN!

*0.0 clears throat again as I step off my soapbox*

That’s all I have for you today. I sincerely hope this has been a blessing or an encouragement to someone. I don’t know why God wanted me to write this. I honestly don’t. But please think over what has been said and see how God can use it in your life!

Did I miss anything? What are your thoughts on the matter? What are some things you think Christian Authors need to improve in? Comment below (keep it Christ-honoring please and no calling anyone out by book or name)!
 
Have a Blessed Day and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hey, Y’all! Welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! Okay, so when I was taking Spanish in school, this was one country I had so much fun saying! I could rattle all the South American countries off in order (lost that along the way, lol!) and several in other continents too! But that one has stuck with me! So, grab your sunscreen, and let’s head to Paraguay!

Country: Republic of Paraguay

Continent: South America

Population: 7,292672 (2020)

Capital: Asunción

Largest City: Asunción

Motto: Peace and Justice

National Anthem: Paraguayan National Anthem

Current Leader: Mario Abdo Benítez

Language: Spanish and Guarani

Bordering Countries: Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia

Religions: Roman Catholic (88.3%); Protestant (6.8%); Morman/JW (0.9%); None (2.6%); No Answer (0.8%); Other (0.5%). Approx. 91% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Jaguars, Tapirs (a pig looking creature with a small “trunk”), Ocelots (wild cat), Toucans, Giant Anteaters, Chacoan Peccary (boar), Giant Armadillos, Pampas Fox, Maned Wolf, Bush Dogs, Giant Otters, Guanaco (Llama family), Azara’s Night Monkeys, and Bothrops Jararaca (snake) just to name a few!  

Famous Foods: Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Soup, it’s actually cake-like and contains cornmeal, eggs, cheese, chopped onion, and milk or whey); Chipa Cuasu (Savory Corn Cake), Mbeju (Starch and cheese flatbread); Mascada (Cassava root Hamburger patties); Butifarra (white sausage with garlic, bacon, and lemon).

Fun Facts: The largest feline of the Americas, the Jaguar, lives in Paraguay! Paraguay also has the largest Water Reserve in the world! Of all landlocked countries, Paraguay has the largest Navy! They used to be a larger country but lost 54,000 square miles to Bolivia in a war with Bolivia in 1865-1870.

Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation. FBN has been heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Paraguayan people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Paraguay! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

PS. Comment below with any fun facts or Missionaries connected with Paraguay you know about!

Happy June 1st everyone! Amazing that Summer is right around the corner, right? School is out and people are planning trips and vacations! But what I think of during the summer months is resting. I know, I know, my summers are usually pretty busy, but in general, there's a little more time for special projects and just taking a minute to relax. Today, we’re gonna take a few minutes to rejoice in resting!

Anyone else have trouble just quieting your mind to rest? Does your schedule just overflow with unfinished tasks? Anxiety threatening to swallow you up? I am one of those people that panics if my list isn’t completely marked off. It’s stressful and I just end up getting nowhere. Not very restful.

So, today, we’re gonna look at a few things that will help de-stress, rest our minds and remember Who to turn to when life just gets to be too much; even on a busy day! Maybe not a normal devotional format, but it’s one I think is needed. Because God wants us to bring our cares to Him and rejoice in resting in His loving embrace! Here’ some ways to help you rejoice in the gift of rest!

1| Pray. I tend to speed pray. I’m afraid I’ll forget something, even if I have a list! So I have to consciously remind myself not to run the words together in a frantic race. God has time and we do too. Even if it’s while washing dishes, just rest the rat race in your head and slowly, bear your heart to the Lord. Tell Him about your day. Tell Him you are stressed and need help. Just tell Him! You’d be surprised at how much this helps calm your mind.

2| Read Your Bible. You saw this coming 😉 Seriously though, even if it’s one verse that you ponder all day, read something from the Bible daily, preferably first thing in the morning. This instantly makes me more at ease and reminds me that God is still in control! He knows what I am going through and has a verse for whatever I am facing!

3| Make a Realistic To-Do List. No more than three main household tasks to start with. Don’t even look at the other things. Get those three things done. Then take a short, but reasonable break. Read a chapter of a book or play a game with the littles in your life if that’s an option. Or take a 15-minute walk outside, weather permitting. Something, but at least 15 minutes. Then tackle three more things. And keep that process doing and look back at the end of the day to see how much you have accomplished.

4| Take time to rest. This goes back to those 15-minute breaks. I recommend taking time to pray during these breaks as well, listen to relaxing music as you work, or pick a verse of scripture to memorize, occupying your mind with things worthwhile. Calming things. Don’t empty your mind; the devil will gladly clutter it for you. Fill it with the things of God. Let Him fill your mind and rest will follow.

I understand there are days that even 15 minutes might not be plausible. But by making a habit of filling your mind and home with the Word of God and keeping yourself ever in His presence, even those crazy days can be less stressful. Just give it to the Lord!

How do you rejoice in resting? When you get off track, what do you do? Share your thoughts and tips below!

God Bless and God Bless America!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22