Declarable Glory

by Catherine Gruben

I was unprepared for the voyage Jollity Tobthomton drew my family and I into that fall. The ewes were lambing, and I expected to be their constant companion in assisting their work of revitalizing the sheep population of Manchester. But our good God is a master at overwriting plans and creating an entire scenario that we would never imagine, for ourselves or our worst enemies. We little thought exploring a new land, merely on the fringes of our galaxy, would prove such a consistently dangerous undertaking. The things we faced during that voyage! As a naturalist I was often in the unsettling position of feeling absolute delight at the discovery of entirely new species while simultaneously feeling horror course through me as I realized my new species desired to consume us. We found more than ever we started out to find, as is the way with life, and I am certain I ought not to keep our findings to myself. Here you will find the adventure and discoveries laid out as it happened, as I experienced it, that you may have no doubt of the veracity of my statements. My findings were immense, due to the extreme out of the way position of where we found ourselves. The pictures are extremely inadequate, due to a camera difficulty, but at least a semblance of the new flora and fauna we discovered can be found within this cover. The colossal Pirani Praefortis, the vicious Pilosus bruta (both of which, but for the providence of God, would have destroyed us) were two of the strangest of our finds. I hope the perusal will entice you to search out your own discoveries. And perhaps serve as a catalyst to remind readers the only real reason for living is to sing the glory of Jesus Christ.

184 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2013

About the author

I have always been entranced by a 'good read' and can be found curled up reading or creating a book whenever I have a spare moment. What draws me to a book is usually simple interest in a fun tale. But what makes me love a book is the design of its content, where the ideas presented are trying to lead their readers. I have always been fascinated by the written word, philosophical reasoning, and good stories of bravery and honor. I found it all and more in the Bible, and strive to let its influence deluge all my writing.

If you are reading this, it means you are a fellow bookworm. Welcome! I know you could be reading a good story instead of a long explanation of myself, so let me keep this brief. I live in the middle of Texas, and grew up mostly in a dusty town in the southern New Mexican desert. (Yes, New Mexico is a part of the United States, and no, I am not a missionary, and yes, you can drink the water.) It is my delight and privilege to be a housewife to a wonderful man, mother to our little boy, an editor at Seasoned Words Editing, and an Earl Gray connoisseur. Another of my constant activities is trying to keep our dogs, Beatrice, Lynette, Buddy, and Biscuit, from terrorizing the house and neighborhood with their determination to be always underfoot and hungry. (The work of a dog lover is never done.) When not writing, reading, chasing children or dogs, I can be found baking, hiking, or possibly broad sword fighting with my older brother. If you want a fuller explanation of me, go and read Psalm 30. The heart and purpose of my life can be found there, especially in the last two verses.

Enjoy my profile (I hope), and be sure to check out my books. I love to hear feedback, good and bad, so don't be shy to tell me what you think of my work. And keep watching! You never know when the writing itch will hit and another book will fly from my laptop into your hands.