First Entry December 15, 2011
Part 1:1. Reflect - It is really difficult for people, specifically for teens, to make a decision right away when something so upsetting happened to them. In the book, Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan were being left behind after the Rapture. I felt their loneliness having to stay on earth in the following 7 years of tribulation without their families. But, it was good that at least, they found each other in a church with Pastor Bruce Barnes who was reaching them out.
However, as they left the church, there I found the characters to be more interesting when they are with another character rather than when they are with themselves. I was very excited to find out that Judd and Vicki were together in Judd's house after they have left New Hope Village Church. I expected that the author will be pairing up the two in the later part of the book, but I was wrong because Judd and Vicki had already considered their team-up as brothers and sisters in Christ. But that was okay, it was just so cute that Judd was being so concerned and protective to Vicki.
Meanwhile, as I was reading the part where Lionel and Ryan were arguing about helping Lionel defend their house against the men who was trying to win it, I saw Ryan's cowardice and his unfairness towards Lionel. Although I understand him because he was not as matured as Lionel, but it was just so unfair when he said that he was not his "best friend" who's going to be with him through everything, though Lionel had helped him many times in their journey like a "best friend". When Lionel replied to him saying that he ride on home to stay with his tent over the night, Ryan answered "it's unfair!". Haha! Ryan was just so funny. Funny because he's stupid. He was the first to be unfair before Lionel.
2. Connect - I felt my connection to Ryan when he was afraid to fight against the men in Lionel's house. Everybody knows I am small and is not capable of fighting. I know that fighting just like what Lionel wants to do in that situation is to defend what should be defended. But, I am convinced in my little capability of fighting to defend myself so I prefer not to do it (besides, I hate bruises). I mean 'fighting' here as a physical act against BIGGER people. And also, I am not used to fighting just like Ryan, so I understand him for that.
On the other hand, I am not like him who never owes something to a friend who had helped me when i needed helped, and forgetting the friendship itself if put into trouble. Also, I am not like him who decides against the majority especially when the majority has the better choice. It is because he is still blaming God for what he has done to him. I never blame God for something bad. I never blame him for my height, my hair for the day, my misfortunes in life. It's because blaming him does not help me. And that "blaming" did not help Ryan in deciding to accept God as his Savior to be saved after being left behind.
3. Question - First thing I have wondered is that why was Pastor Bruce Barnes also left behind with the non-believers? Is it God's purpose to let him stay to give hope to other people and tell them that they have still a second chance or has he just not received Christ whole-heartedly? Another question I have in my mind is that why did Lionel's Uncle Andre called him to say goodbye? It is being thought by Lionel that his Uncle might have been murdered after that message. Or is it that Uncle Andre have committed suicide? If it is suicide, is it because of his enemies whom he owes money for or is it because of his lost hope of being saved after the Rapture? At the end of the book, when Lionel had checked the body of his Uncle in the morgue, he said that the body he saw is not his Uncle. So was it really a murder? Did his enemies hide his body somewhere so that they can win his house? Or was it just a false alarm after all?
4. Predict - I think that Uncle Andre was not murdered nor committed suicide. It gave me the idea that since he has some enemies waiting for him to pay for his debts, he might have escaped from them to avoid paying. Also, I guess that in the next book, or in any other books in the Left Behind Series, Judd and Vicki will begin to fall in love with each other. I just loved their partnership that it kept me reading the book just to find out whether they will end up together or not. I hope they will! And I know, that Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Pastor Bruce will finally convince Ryan to accept Jesus in his heart and that all of them will be saved.
Part 2:
New Cover
#28. Redesign the front and back cover of your novel. Include the pertinent information as well as a synopsis on the back. Do all in ink and color.
Whole COVER:
[click to enlarge]
Front:
Back:
