Hey Y’all, and welcome to this month’s History post! It’s so exciting to be getting back to this series finally! Per usual, I will give my disclaimer. I am by no means a history/military expert. The posts are a sampling of information on a select topic, gathering information in one place that I wish I hadn’t had to hunt and peck for…or that I wish I’d known before writing on the subject! These posts are currently focusing on the ranks of soldiers from the War Between the states. You can view the previous Episode here, and the first episode here. You may access all of them by going to my Archives Page and scrolling down to History>The War Between the States. These posts are non-biased and apply to both armies.  There, with that out of the way, let’s get cracking!

According to the North Carolina Museum of History, “A major was third in command of an infantry, cavalry, or artillery regiment and assisted the colonel in administrative and combat duties. In battle, an infantry major led the regimental attack, positioning himself at the front with the color guard. If the colonel and the lieutenant colonel were killed or wounded, the major took command of the regiment.”
(Source:https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/civil-war-army-organization-and-rank)
 
The duties required of a Major are not as numerous as those above or below him, so to some, this may seem like he gets a smooth ride. We can be sure that was not the case, however. The Major was to the Colonel, what the Second Lieutenant is to the Captain, so he not only needed to be familiar with his duties but that of the Colonel as well in the event the Colonel was incapacitated. And as with the Lieutenant, the Major is the right hand to the Colonel.

Majors were generally entrusted with a command of more than one company, but less than a regiment. It could vary, but usually, two companies made up his command. The Major rarely gave commands of his own on the field, unless the Colonel was injured or killed. His job was to convey orders from the colonel and to assist in troop alignments on the field.
 
…And aside from some lengthy descriptions on how he is to take over for the colonel and how he could be court-martialed, I couldn’t find very much information on Majors 😊 While it doesn’t look like much, being an assistant to a Colonel is a full-time job. Once I get together the information about the Colonel’s duties, I’m sure we will see even more clearly just how much the Major did.

That’s all I have for you today! Sorry this post is so short, but hopefully, we will make up for it next time! Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello again! This week should hopefully make up for me not posting all month ? Today I have a few new things to share about A Song of Home!

So what do I mean by a few new things? Well, these are things I have never done in published work before. There are three new things total for us to discuss, so let’s dive in!

When writing A Song of Home, I realized that part of my story needed to dip back into 1863. I had no idea how to pull this off until I remembered a lovely little technique called a Prologue. For those who don’t know, this is a “chapter before chapter 1”, which generally shares information that is important, but that takes place before your actual story starts. For me, I used it to transport the reader into the end of December 1863 and the very beginning of January 1864. The information is important, so don’t skip reading it before you jump into Chapter 1!

I’ve mentioned here before that I have many Confederate ancestors. One of them makes an appearance in A Song of Home! His name is Joshua Bowman. He served in the 37th, N.C. Regiment under Gen. A.P. Hill and had quite the exhausting career in the military in his three years of service. But you’ll have to read the book to learn about that!

It’s no secret that in general I do not like people tampering with history to accommodate their stories. You should never sacrifice historical fact for a good plot twist. You make your story fit history, or you’ve deceived your readers. (You can read more about this here.) My opinion has not changed. However, I got an amazing and unique opportunity to tweak my story to accommodate a sad, but little known bit of history by inserting one of my characters into the shoes of a real person. The catch? No one knows the rank or identity of this historical hero. His name is lost to history. All we know is that he was a Confederate officer. Nothing more. I consulted others who shared my view to make sure I wasn’t taking too much liberty in having one of my characters represent him and they all encouraged me to go for it. A note about this is included in the back of the book.
 
Today’s Blog Stops
Laura Guenot@ beautifulthingsbylaura.com
Natalie Claire@ kenmorepines.wordpress.com
 
And don’t forget to enter for a chance to win 4 eBooks!

And feel free to pre-order your copy of A Song of Home today! $14.00 + $3.00 S/H. Upon receiving your payment, a copy will be reserved for you! And if you would like to begin reading as soon as your payment is processed, I will gladly send you an eCopy of the story for you to enjoy until I receive my print copies!

That’s all for now! See you tomorrow!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner. I hope each of you is having a blessed Memorial Day. It’s definitely gonna be different, not going to the parade, but my family is amazing, making sure I have an awesome Memorial Day Birthday!

And as you can see from the title…A SONG OF HOME IS HERE!!!

*cough*

Well, not exactly.

Let me explain.

So, the original plan was to release A Song of Home on Memorial Day. My timeline was perfect. Everything was falling into place. Then I got sick for three days with allergies. Three days that would have ensured that this book was already at the press by now. So, yeah, my timetable was upset.

I also got the opportunity to visit with my sister’s family over the past week. I was able to get progress done on my final polishing edits while there, thank God, but who wants to stay on a laptop all day when you have adorable little people asking you to play with them, hold them and randomly telling you they love you? Not me! I had a blast, loving on my littles and helping my sister and just getting an overall change of pace. It’s actually helped my editing.

So, one of the things I got finished while there was the cover for A Song of Home. The little tweaks to the back cover and all. Would you like to see it?

While I know a lot of authors have more glamorous covers, I have to admit, I really like the look of this cover. My sister was a huge help and my mom helped me settle on the right plantation house picture. Thanks, y’all!

Above, I mentioned something about a blog tour…

Yes, I decided to do one. And yes, I realize this is in the middle of a series…actually past the middle, but who’s counting? Anyway, some lovely friends of mine talked me into going ahead with it, so over the next five days, I will be posting their links here along with some something about A Song of Home here on the blog. Oh and did I mention there is a giveaway? One recipient will be gifted a set of all four of the books in The Battle for Heritage Series in eBook format! International friends are welcome! You can enter here!

So that wraps it up for the day!
Have a lovely day in the Lord!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

PS. In Honor of this Most Blessed Holiday (that came about because of Southern Ladies following the War Between the States) I have linked my previous Memorial Day post below! Don’t forget to thank a Veteran!

Happy Memorial Day! (2018)

Today’s devotion is a little different than normal. Its more of a verse and a list of thoughts on the subject…I hope you enjoy!

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
John 15:13
(King James Bible)

We all have Heroes…two of them in fact. The first I plan to talk about it more of a group than an individual…a group of individuals.

He started out wearing his usual clothes, that of a farmer or a blacksmith, a miner or a clergyman. Perhaps he went into the field of battle in that same attire. Eventually, perhaps some kindly woman took the time to make a uniform of Continental Blue to show which army he belonged to.

As the years passed, his uniform changed in style and shade. Some wore blue, some wore gray. Some fought to keep America united, some fought for the Rights that united America. Both fought and died for what they believed was right. Our country has never been the same since. It never will be.

Today, his uniform is much different. It is camo, of various colors, shades, and patterns. His hat has been traded in for a helmet, his musket for an M16. Instead of a horse, he takes a HUMVEE or a BRADLEY.

His battlefield is no longer on American soil but in the deserts of the Middle East.

But one thing has not changed.

He is willing to die for you to be free. Some of his brothers in arms have paid the price for you. And he is ready if it’s his turn this time.
 
Our second Hero also was willing to die for you. In fact, He did.

He is the mighty Creator.

The Prince of Peace.

The Alpha and the Omega.

The First and the Last.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The All-Knowing One.

The One Who listens when we cry out to Him and calms our fears in the midst of the storm.

And the beautiful thing is, He never changes. His motives, thoughts toward us, His Gift of Salvation, none of it has ever changed.

Jesus Christ gave up His throne in Heaven, His Glory and the very presence of God, to come to a sin sick world and live a life as 100% man and 100% God. He lived under the authority of His earthly parents and submitted to their care…when He was the One Who kept them breathing. He preached for 3 years, sharing the Gospel as only He could. He suffered through an unjust mock trial, severe scourging, and the unthinkable agonies of the cross, laying down His Life for our miserable souls. He was buried in a borrowed tomb and of His own power raised Himself to Life on the third day. He did all that for you, so that if you would admit that you are a sinner and repent of your sins, you could spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Two Heroes. One died for freedom. The Other died for your soul. We didn’t ask either of them to do it. But they voluntarily gave their lives for us. What are you gonna do with the gifts they are offering to you?

Thank God for the American Serviceman and the Blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
 
Have a Blessed Memorial Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Welcome to our third missions spotlight! Bolivia is May’s focus country and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation!

Country: Republic of Bolivia

Continent: South America

Population: 11,673,021

Capital: La Paz and Sucre (yep, two Capitals!)

Largest City: Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Motto: La Unión es la Fuerza (Unity is Strength)

National Anthem: “Bolivianos, el Hado Propicio” (Bolivians, a most Favorable Destiny)

Current Leader: Juan Evo Morales Ayma

Language: Spanish is the main one, but they have multiple native languages recognized as well!

Bordering Countries: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Religions: Catholic (70.0%); Protestant (includes Baptist, because for some reason Wikipedia is confused on that, lol! We’ll forgive them I guess 😉) (17.2%); None (9.3%); Mormon/JW (1.7%); Other Religion (1.2%). Approximately  83% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Spectacled Bear, Giant Otters, Capybara, Guanaco (a llama type animal), Viscacha (rabbit), Andean Condor, Chinchilla Rat, and Giant Armadillo, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Sopa de Mondongo (veggie and tripe soup), Sajta de pollo (Chicken with onions, tomatoes, peas, and yellow chili peppers and, with an array of seasonings, including cumin!), Arroz con queso (Rice and Cheese), Anticucho (beef heart, usually, kabobbed),  Silpancho (white rice, boiled or steamed potatoes, beef or chicken, and fried eggs), and Majadito (rice, dried meat, chopped onions, and tomatoes).

Fun Facts: Bolivia was named after Revolutionary Simon Bolivar, the first president of the country! Bolivia was home to the ancient Incan civilization! Bolivia has 37 official languages! Bolivia is one of two land-locked countries in South America!

Missionaries: (coming soon!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Bolivian 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 Bolivia! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!