In my last blog on the ODDs I talked a little bit about how David Murphy, my main character, is not the same person as David Cowpar. I wanted to go into that a little bit further today.
When I first began to write the ODDs I wrote it as if it was me in that situation, facing those things. At that time though the ODDs was not the name of the book, it was called 'David, the Demon Slayer' and had a very Buffy spin-off feel to it, which, at the time, was what I wanted it to have.
David, the third Demon Slayer is David Cowpar. He is pretty much me in outrageous situations, having to be brave, take charge and be in command and be responsible for the lives of those around him.
In a large sense DtDS was a way for me to cope with my life. It provided some escapism from the things my teenage self was putting me through. In the ODDs world I could be whoever I wanted, I could be the hero I could not be in real life; where I am not very outgoing, rather shy and the like. David Cowpar, in the original stories of DtDS is what I wanted to be, the person who did what was right no matter the cost, the person who made mistakes and learned from them, the person who paid for their mistakes and took responsibility. All something I was not between the ages of 12 and 16.
It is interesting that at 16 I rewrote the second draft of the first ODDs to change the concept from David the Demon Slayer to David the Demon Eliminator. This moved it away from my Buffy comfort zone and towards what it is now. At the same time in my life I had become a little bit more comfortable with myself (though this did not last) and so in the first version of the fourth ODDs we see movement away from Limerick, away from my life, away from my needing to be the hero of the story. Editors note Also third and fourth ODDs book spoiler alert. Skip past the italics if you don't want those books ruined: In the fourth book David isn't the hero. It is in this period that I think my brain started dealing with my own failures as a person and so David went through that as well. His failures are a lot more visible though. The end of the third book sees a victory but the destruction of Limerick and the death of a lot of people close to him. This has an effect on him that pushes him towards alcohol and eventually he loses the ODDs to someone else who is sub sequentially murdered by one of David's supporters. This is a spiral if ever there was one.
It wasn't until I lived in my own house (Number 2) and knew exactly who I am that I could go back and properly re-write the ODDs. This time I wanted it to not focus on the one character as it is hard to tell a story from one perspective. I have elements of that in the ODDs still; the characters can think and if I include their thoughts, which I often do, I italicize them. So it might look like this.
"You will meet your doom if you go that way," the guardian said to David.
Many things have tried to introduce me to my doom before, David thought, but none have been successful as of yet. You'd think doom was avoiding me or something, he decided to decline offering this thought to the guardian and opted for:
"I'll bear that in mind; but either way, I have to keep going."
but it is less about the one character and other characters can have thoughts as well. So in college David Cowpar got scrapped from the ODDs storyline and was replaced with David Murphy, who is largely based on Jason Kelly, a guy called David Murphy and a sprinkling of me... I would put them in that order. But he is living a wacked up version of my life from when I was 12 until when I was 16.
Another big change is the age. I wrote what was going on in my life at 12 so David was 12. Now he is 16 in book one, making him a lot older in the situations he is in (besides school, which has been updated appropriately). This also gives distance between me and David Murphy.
The second book will be a large departure from who I am and who David Murphy is. He goes other places, he becomes a rebel, he causes trouble for the Guiders, he takes over some stuff, he becomes more powerful and is more recognizable as the boss. This change, though not out of character for David Murphy, is what prompts me to feel closer to some of the Possibles like Robert, Tom, Anton and Romeo, who are now the underdogs that David was in book 1.
Finally when I put myself in the ODDs world I often still think of myself as David the Demon Slayer. It's like I'm a concept of the eventuality of the story line. Which is a fascinating thought; in my own head I'm only a scrapped concept because David Murphy isn't me. He is better. David Cowpar, in his world, could not compare.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Writing the ODDs
Earlier in my blog (I think in the first post) I said I would do some pieces on writing, not just the stuff I write (of which there are two pieces here: 'Bedtime Little Fly' and 'Romeo Promotes the ODDs'), but on the process of writing. I don't feel fully qualified to do this, it's not like I'm published by anyone other than myself in partnership with Amazon but still, why not tell you about the origins of my writing-need.
May, 2002, Loutraki, Greece (somewhere near Corinth).
Me and my family had been visiting my aunt and uncle in Greece, my cousin, their son, was getting married in Athens. The wedding ceremony was over, meaning it was the second week of our holiday.
After all the excitement of the previous Saturday we were having a relaxing day, with no plans to visit anything anywhere.
I had brought with me some Star Wars figures. There was Obi-Wan Kenobi with a magnetic hand that attached to that scouting droid he breaks through Senator Amidala's window to catch the bounty hunter, there was Anakin with two lightsabers and an arm that magnetically attached so you could chop it off, as seen in the fight with Count Dooku near the end of the movie and there was a Padme with a pillar and a chain from where she and Anakin go to Geonosis to rescue Obi Wan but get captured themselves. This is right before all available Jedi burst in and end up getting killed before Yoda comes with the clone troopers.
I had bought these figures prior to the release of Star Wars episode 2 as that was released the 16th of May* and I left for Greece on the 5th,* the figures were bought in Ireland.
Anyway, there are only so many games you can play with three good guy figures (in Loutraki toy store I had found a little Jedi Anakin from episode 1 as well, so four good guys) before you get bored of it.
I decided it was time to go to town, so mum, I and Jamie went down and I bought a refill pad, a pencil and a sharpener. The sharpener I still have and if I hand write anything, or draw anything for the ODDs using a pencil I still sharpen them with that same sharpener. There is nothing special about it, it is a normal, plain, blue, cracked, ten cent sharpener. It doesn't even have a place for the pairings. But it is the ODDs sharpener and I have always used it and will continue to do so. :)
I bought that refill pad to sketch on, but have never been one for sketching. I have a scanner now so I might upload some ODDs concept art and such to a site that allows for that kind of thing. I quickly gave up on the sketching and instead started writing a story about my holiday, but with a twist. In the story I was the hero, well Jamie wasn't powerless he helped lots, and we had to protect our families and others from monsters. This is the foundation stone of the ODDs.
The entire first book, which I have plans to upload here (the present available version of the ODDs Beginnings on amazon.com is the sixth version of the first book. The first version, that I wrote as the events happened, is missing. I do, however, have the second version of the first ODDs in Limerick.) So I plan to upload a chapter or two to here with the actual Amazon version so you can see the difference :). I think that would be fun.
The ODDs then has characters that are real people in my real life. The fifth and sixth versions of the ODDs Beginnings started to move away from them being those people and towards them being characters in and of themselves. The first book, because it is very grass roots-y has a lot of the same elements of my life in it, though I don't think of David Murphy as being me. As the story goes on he becomes less and less like me. He is braver than I, stronger than I, smarter than I, more commanding than I, stricter than I and a few other things. I identify a lot more with the little guy in the ODDs; in book one that is David but he becomes in charge and powerful and the boss and people faff about him and so I, in the second book, relate more to other characters, especially the Possibles.
That's why in the second book the Possibles take a much more prominent role in the story than they did in the first book. In the first book they are merely cannon fodder. In the second they do research, help on missions and Romeo does his own mission, will have his own book and has his own stroyline. My point is David Cowpar is not David Murphy.
*I remember the dates because the ODDs is written as if it was a diary. So all the dates are accurate to the actual events of my life at the time.
May, 2002, Loutraki, Greece (somewhere near Corinth).
Me and my family had been visiting my aunt and uncle in Greece, my cousin, their son, was getting married in Athens. The wedding ceremony was over, meaning it was the second week of our holiday.
After all the excitement of the previous Saturday we were having a relaxing day, with no plans to visit anything anywhere.
I had brought with me some Star Wars figures. There was Obi-Wan Kenobi with a magnetic hand that attached to that scouting droid he breaks through Senator Amidala's window to catch the bounty hunter, there was Anakin with two lightsabers and an arm that magnetically attached so you could chop it off, as seen in the fight with Count Dooku near the end of the movie and there was a Padme with a pillar and a chain from where she and Anakin go to Geonosis to rescue Obi Wan but get captured themselves. This is right before all available Jedi burst in and end up getting killed before Yoda comes with the clone troopers.
I had bought these figures prior to the release of Star Wars episode 2 as that was released the 16th of May* and I left for Greece on the 5th,* the figures were bought in Ireland.
Anyway, there are only so many games you can play with three good guy figures (in Loutraki toy store I had found a little Jedi Anakin from episode 1 as well, so four good guys) before you get bored of it.
I decided it was time to go to town, so mum, I and Jamie went down and I bought a refill pad, a pencil and a sharpener. The sharpener I still have and if I hand write anything, or draw anything for the ODDs using a pencil I still sharpen them with that same sharpener. There is nothing special about it, it is a normal, plain, blue, cracked, ten cent sharpener. It doesn't even have a place for the pairings. But it is the ODDs sharpener and I have always used it and will continue to do so. :)
I bought that refill pad to sketch on, but have never been one for sketching. I have a scanner now so I might upload some ODDs concept art and such to a site that allows for that kind of thing. I quickly gave up on the sketching and instead started writing a story about my holiday, but with a twist. In the story I was the hero, well Jamie wasn't powerless he helped lots, and we had to protect our families and others from monsters. This is the foundation stone of the ODDs.
The entire first book, which I have plans to upload here (the present available version of the ODDs Beginnings on amazon.com is the sixth version of the first book. The first version, that I wrote as the events happened, is missing. I do, however, have the second version of the first ODDs in Limerick.) So I plan to upload a chapter or two to here with the actual Amazon version so you can see the difference :). I think that would be fun.
The ODDs then has characters that are real people in my real life. The fifth and sixth versions of the ODDs Beginnings started to move away from them being those people and towards them being characters in and of themselves. The first book, because it is very grass roots-y has a lot of the same elements of my life in it, though I don't think of David Murphy as being me. As the story goes on he becomes less and less like me. He is braver than I, stronger than I, smarter than I, more commanding than I, stricter than I and a few other things. I identify a lot more with the little guy in the ODDs; in book one that is David but he becomes in charge and powerful and the boss and people faff about him and so I, in the second book, relate more to other characters, especially the Possibles.
That's why in the second book the Possibles take a much more prominent role in the story than they did in the first book. In the first book they are merely cannon fodder. In the second they do research, help on missions and Romeo does his own mission, will have his own book and has his own stroyline. My point is David Cowpar is not David Murphy.
*I remember the dates because the ODDs is written as if it was a diary. So all the dates are accurate to the actual events of my life at the time.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
TotD: Taps of the Day
So this TotD is a little different, because it's a Sunday and, although I read some of Samuel I have little to say today. So, you will notice in the title that 'Thought' has changed to 'Taps'
For those of you who might be needing some context here I am talking about the way my housemate, Colman, shows his appreciation of something he finds funny. The person who makes him laugh, gets a number of what he calls 'taps'. These taps are where Colman comes and wallops you on the back repeatedly; the number of taps being proportionate to how much you have made him laugh.
The majority of people, perhaps besides Conor and Dan, would rather that he did not engage in this practice, as Colman doesn't know his own strength. He does realise that they are hard but it is likely he doesn't realise how hard. Each 'tap' is slightly bone jarring, it sends a shock through your shoulders and down the arm he has tapped at. Here are three things I got tapped for today.
1. Stories of CEF in Limerick that he found funny. He particularly enjoyed a contrast between my and Shane's worst story and JJ's. JJs worst memory of CEF in Limerick was when some lower socio-economic background children came and threw stones at us and I came and blocked them from hitting her, getting hit myself instead. (This one is actually so normal to me that I don't remember it specifically). Mine, is what we affectionately know as the war. Hearing it called the war had Colman laughing before he heard the story.
For security reasons, specifically the security of Shane and I, I cannot divulge the full information of what we know as (at least from tonight) the war. Let us say it involved some rioting and a pregnant lady getting hurt, all over two children's squabbles.
2. This weekend Dominic paid a little visit to the gangland (other people call the place they are from the homeland, I thought this specific word was more apt to describe the warm fuzzy feelings I get when I think of Limerick city; I wish my parents would move!). He was gone for the whole weekend (hiking in Kerry, not in Limerick at all) and so, when it was getting a little late on Sunday and the housemates and I were wondering where he was, we came up with Limerick, for we knew he was certainly there on Thursday.
A mix of I and Shane said something to the effect of, "If Dominic isn't back from Limerick soon we will have to call the Guards." The thought of Shane and I saying that we would have to call the guards because someone was in our home city for a little bit longer than expected was hilarious to Colman (I apologise that the end of this sentence has been missing up until the day after. I must have deleted by accident)
3-4. Later on I made some tea for a newly returned Dominic, Colman, Shane and I. Shane made some comment, which escapes me right now and I handed him his tea with a 'whatever Shane' like comment.
Shane took his tea, but also had the milk in his hand and so he shouted out in pain as the mug began to burn him.
I simply turned around and said,
"Don't cross me."
This ^ gained me my third set of taps for the evening, and my fourth, when we were trying to remember the things I got taps for to put them in this blog.
There is a reason I wrote about taps tonight. That's because, for the first time ever, Colman got taps today.
C. 1. His first was when Dominic said he was talking to God on the bus on the way back from Kerry and Colman, not fully catching the word God, asked "Who?... God? Oh Him."
So Dominic and I had a laugh about Colman saying, 'Oh, Him' about God and gave Colman taps.
C. 2. He got a further tap when talking about his future missus possibly being foreign. There were two funny instances in this short conversation. The first was when Colman said his children would be freaks (because if he married someone from another country (he was clearly counting the UK and Ireland as the same country in this statement) then his children would know English, Irish and her language; making them freaks and getting them beaten up in school.
C. 3. The other funny thing that Colman got taps for was when Dominic said "just because your children speak three languages is no reason for them to be beaten up" (or something to that effect).
Colman's reaction was priceless, "I wouldn't beat them up."
He got taps for that.
Okay, so that's me done on taps.
Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit :)
For those of you who might be needing some context here I am talking about the way my housemate, Colman, shows his appreciation of something he finds funny. The person who makes him laugh, gets a number of what he calls 'taps'. These taps are where Colman comes and wallops you on the back repeatedly; the number of taps being proportionate to how much you have made him laugh.
The majority of people, perhaps besides Conor and Dan, would rather that he did not engage in this practice, as Colman doesn't know his own strength. He does realise that they are hard but it is likely he doesn't realise how hard. Each 'tap' is slightly bone jarring, it sends a shock through your shoulders and down the arm he has tapped at. Here are three things I got tapped for today.
1. Stories of CEF in Limerick that he found funny. He particularly enjoyed a contrast between my and Shane's worst story and JJ's. JJs worst memory of CEF in Limerick was when some lower socio-economic background children came and threw stones at us and I came and blocked them from hitting her, getting hit myself instead. (This one is actually so normal to me that I don't remember it specifically). Mine, is what we affectionately know as the war. Hearing it called the war had Colman laughing before he heard the story.
For security reasons, specifically the security of Shane and I, I cannot divulge the full information of what we know as (at least from tonight) the war. Let us say it involved some rioting and a pregnant lady getting hurt, all over two children's squabbles.
2. This weekend Dominic paid a little visit to the gangland (other people call the place they are from the homeland, I thought this specific word was more apt to describe the warm fuzzy feelings I get when I think of Limerick city; I wish my parents would move!). He was gone for the whole weekend (hiking in Kerry, not in Limerick at all) and so, when it was getting a little late on Sunday and the housemates and I were wondering where he was, we came up with Limerick, for we knew he was certainly there on Thursday.
A mix of I and Shane said something to the effect of, "If Dominic isn't back from Limerick soon we will have to call the Guards." The thought of Shane and I saying that we would have to call the guards because someone was in our home city for a little bit longer than expected was hilarious to Colman (I apologise that the end of this sentence has been missing up until the day after. I must have deleted by accident)
3-4. Later on I made some tea for a newly returned Dominic, Colman, Shane and I. Shane made some comment, which escapes me right now and I handed him his tea with a 'whatever Shane' like comment.
Shane took his tea, but also had the milk in his hand and so he shouted out in pain as the mug began to burn him.
I simply turned around and said,
"Don't cross me."
This ^ gained me my third set of taps for the evening, and my fourth, when we were trying to remember the things I got taps for to put them in this blog.
There is a reason I wrote about taps tonight. That's because, for the first time ever, Colman got taps today.
C. 1. His first was when Dominic said he was talking to God on the bus on the way back from Kerry and Colman, not fully catching the word God, asked "Who?... God? Oh Him."
So Dominic and I had a laugh about Colman saying, 'Oh, Him' about God and gave Colman taps.
C. 2. He got a further tap when talking about his future missus possibly being foreign. There were two funny instances in this short conversation. The first was when Colman said his children would be freaks (because if he married someone from another country (he was clearly counting the UK and Ireland as the same country in this statement) then his children would know English, Irish and her language; making them freaks and getting them beaten up in school.
C. 3. The other funny thing that Colman got taps for was when Dominic said "just because your children speak three languages is no reason for them to be beaten up" (or something to that effect).
Colman's reaction was priceless, "I wouldn't beat them up."
He got taps for that.
Okay, so that's me done on taps.
Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit :)
Saturday, 3 November 2012
TotD Grace, part 2
This blog on grace stems from the fact that the last blog on grace I made was really about definitions of grace, which although not very interesting, was not very interesting. So this one is a little more about actual grace.
In Paul's writings we are told a bit about grace and how important it is to the Christian and their walk with God.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." Ephesians 2:8. Not only is it by grace we have been justified but it is also by grace that we are being sanctified. All to often as Christians we get into this rut where we realise we are saved by grace but then we think that we are changed to be like Jesus by works.
This is, of course, incorrect. For if we are saved by grace through faith then we must be transformed by grace through faith as well.
Romans 5:1-2 gives an indication of this grace that is not just for the moment of salvation: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Through Jesus we have entered INTO the grace in which we NOW stand. Not only have we entered into it but it is also where we, as people of God, now stand. It is God's grace that sanctifies us.
We have to here acknowledge the verse from Corinthians that goes:
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
This verse tells us two important things; 1. That we will have weaknesses and we should expect them to come, and expect times When everything goes wrong, and 2. That God shows His power in our weaknesses, of which I know I certainly have many. Yet God says that His grace is sufficient for us, when we face troubles and hardships, His grace is sufficient. When things seem too big to handle, His grace is sufficient. When Satan has the gate surrounded, His grace is sufficient. When it seems like the world is falling apart around you and you don't know where to turn, His grace is sufficient.
“Do you find life too difficult for you? So did we, but not now, with the amplitudes of grace there are for us in Jesus Christ, it grows satisfying and successful and exciting beyond measure, becomes another and a richer thing.”- A. J. Gossip.
“Grace, then, is grace,–that is to say, it is sovereign, it is free, it is sure, it is unconditional, and it is everlasting.”- Alexander Whyte.
“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”- Abraham Lincoln.
Thank you Lord for you all sufficient grace. I just pray that each of us will grasp what it means for us, stop living on our own strength and rely on you, the God who saved us, to also be the God who keeps us. Lord I pray we would grasp how deep, how high, how wide and how long is the the love of God that surpasses all understanding. Amen
In Paul's writings we are told a bit about grace and how important it is to the Christian and their walk with God.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." Ephesians 2:8. Not only is it by grace we have been justified but it is also by grace that we are being sanctified. All to often as Christians we get into this rut where we realise we are saved by grace but then we think that we are changed to be like Jesus by works.
This is, of course, incorrect. For if we are saved by grace through faith then we must be transformed by grace through faith as well.
Romans 5:1-2 gives an indication of this grace that is not just for the moment of salvation: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Through Jesus we have entered INTO the grace in which we NOW stand. Not only have we entered into it but it is also where we, as people of God, now stand. It is God's grace that sanctifies us.
We have to here acknowledge the verse from Corinthians that goes:
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
This verse tells us two important things; 1. That we will have weaknesses and we should expect them to come, and expect times When everything goes wrong, and 2. That God shows His power in our weaknesses, of which I know I certainly have many. Yet God says that His grace is sufficient for us, when we face troubles and hardships, His grace is sufficient. When things seem too big to handle, His grace is sufficient. When Satan has the gate surrounded, His grace is sufficient. When it seems like the world is falling apart around you and you don't know where to turn, His grace is sufficient.
“Do you find life too difficult for you? So did we, but not now, with the amplitudes of grace there are for us in Jesus Christ, it grows satisfying and successful and exciting beyond measure, becomes another and a richer thing.”- A. J. Gossip.
“Grace, then, is grace,–that is to say, it is sovereign, it is free, it is sure, it is unconditional, and it is everlasting.”- Alexander Whyte.
“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”- Abraham Lincoln.
Thank you Lord for you all sufficient grace. I just pray that each of us will grasp what it means for us, stop living on our own strength and rely on you, the God who saved us, to also be the God who keeps us. Lord I pray we would grasp how deep, how high, how wide and how long is the the love of God that surpasses all understanding. Amen
Thursday, 1 November 2012
TotD: King David?
This is just one I have thought about before, did King David have a right to the throne other than the anointing of Samuel seventeen to twenty years before Saul's death.
In general monarchies are not very good at letting go of their power, so I think we have to take a look at the family of Saul.
Saul had four sons and two daughters. His oldest son was Jonathan, followed by Abinadab, Malchishua and Ish-Bosheth. His two daughters were Michal and Mereb.
Jonathan and David, as we know, were best friends though it is likely that David was a good bit younger than Jonathan, he was probably in his twenties when he met David (early twenties, while David was about 16). This meant that the second son, Abinadab, was probably around David's age. Michal was older than David, because Saul offers Mereb to David after he defeats Goliath, meaning she was maybe 14 when David fought Goliath.
David marries Michal, the second daughter of Saul, and maybe fourth child after Jonathan, Mereb and Abinadab, though I think it is more likely that Michal was older than Abinadab.
So David marries Michal, making him Saul's son-in-law and Jonathan's brother-in-law. Later on Saul, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua are killed on the battlefield. This leaves Ish-Bosheth, who is younger than his sisters, and the two sisters as well as Jonathan's crippled son Mephibosheth who is but a weaning child (under 5) at the time.
As far as I know we don't hear of Mereb again but we know Michal was remarried after Saul banished David and Ish-Bosheth was declared King of Israel by Abner, the leader of Saul's army who survives the battle that took the other four.
From what I understand of scripture Mephibosheth disappears when his wet nurse learns of Saul and Jonathan's death.
The other contender to the throne, and one that is likely older in age than Ish-Bosheth, is David. He has a claim through his wife Michal, who is also older (though admittedly less male) than her younger brother.
This is David's claim to the throne and this is what, as well as his anointing by God (which he probably doesn't necessarily hold onto).
David takes the Kingdom of Judah and then fights against Israel until Ish-bosheth gives up on staying king as well.
I just wonder if David had never married Michal would he have, even with the anointing of God, had a chance at getting the throne of all Israel (whatever about Judah). It's interesting to see how God works things out for our good, even though there was so much pain from that relationship it probably did help David to make his claim on the throne. Yay God.
Go Mbeannaí Dia dhuit.
In general monarchies are not very good at letting go of their power, so I think we have to take a look at the family of Saul.
Saul had four sons and two daughters. His oldest son was Jonathan, followed by Abinadab, Malchishua and Ish-Bosheth. His two daughters were Michal and Mereb.
Jonathan and David, as we know, were best friends though it is likely that David was a good bit younger than Jonathan, he was probably in his twenties when he met David (early twenties, while David was about 16). This meant that the second son, Abinadab, was probably around David's age. Michal was older than David, because Saul offers Mereb to David after he defeats Goliath, meaning she was maybe 14 when David fought Goliath.
David marries Michal, the second daughter of Saul, and maybe fourth child after Jonathan, Mereb and Abinadab, though I think it is more likely that Michal was older than Abinadab.
So David marries Michal, making him Saul's son-in-law and Jonathan's brother-in-law. Later on Saul, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua are killed on the battlefield. This leaves Ish-Bosheth, who is younger than his sisters, and the two sisters as well as Jonathan's crippled son Mephibosheth who is but a weaning child (under 5) at the time.
As far as I know we don't hear of Mereb again but we know Michal was remarried after Saul banished David and Ish-Bosheth was declared King of Israel by Abner, the leader of Saul's army who survives the battle that took the other four.
From what I understand of scripture Mephibosheth disappears when his wet nurse learns of Saul and Jonathan's death.
The other contender to the throne, and one that is likely older in age than Ish-Bosheth, is David. He has a claim through his wife Michal, who is also older (though admittedly less male) than her younger brother.
This is David's claim to the throne and this is what, as well as his anointing by God (which he probably doesn't necessarily hold onto).
David takes the Kingdom of Judah and then fights against Israel until Ish-bosheth gives up on staying king as well.
I just wonder if David had never married Michal would he have, even with the anointing of God, had a chance at getting the throne of all Israel (whatever about Judah). It's interesting to see how God works things out for our good, even though there was so much pain from that relationship it probably did help David to make his claim on the throne. Yay God.
Go Mbeannaí Dia dhuit.
TotD: King David's Patience
In case you are only tuning in today I have been recently reading Samuel, yesterday was a break from the norm with a post on the grace of God, with one or two more of those, but today we go back to the book of Samuel.
There once was a King, a very bad King, a king that offered a sacrifice himself, not allowing the priest (Samuel) to do it, a king who did not offer up all the Amalekites to destruction when commanded by God to do so.
God rejected this king, who was called Saul by the way, and chose a new King for His people Israel.
This new King, whom I am named after in my name's original form, was called David.
The story takes place in 1 Samuel 16 when God tells Samuel to stop moping (this is not mopping, but hanging around the place being sad) about the place because He has moved on from Saul. So he sends Samuel to appoint the new King. He is sent to Bethlehem where he is to find Jesse, as one of his sons is to be the next King.
Samuel meets each son in turn and God rejects them all saying that though they might look like a king God sees their heart and does not judge on the outward appearance.
Samuel then has to ask if there are any other sons and David, a rugged, well-built, beautiful eyed boy who minds sheep, comes before Samuel and God tells Samuel to anoint him King; which he does.
Now the point (besides that this guy is actually appointed melek not nagid) is that David was anointed king but Saul was still king. It is estimated that David was between 10 and 13 when he was anointed and thusly between 12 and 15 when he defeated Goliath. So imagine he was anointed at 13, he did not become King until he was 30 (not sure if that's biblical or extra-biblical, not that far yet.)
My point is he had to wait; he had to wait for 17 years, or maybe 20. I'm 22 so that's pretty much my whole life. Now, I wonder what David did with this calling. Did he laze around and act as the king he was not yet? No he did not. He was found out in the field minding the sheep. Then he is hired to come play his harp for King Saul, both of which he does without complaint and to the best of his ability in the Lord.
After this (in 1 Samuel 17) he comes and beats Goliath in the name of the Lord and the army of Israel, again without complaining.
This guy is king anointed, sometimes called 'the young pretender'. Yet he lives his life serving Saul and his father and the nation of Israel, but not as king, merely as shepherd, armour bearer, musician, servant.
We can all learn a lesson for this. You may feel like you have a calling in your life, be it a pastor, minister, youth worker, teacher, electrical engineer or whatever else it may be; and, you may not be there yet. If that is the case don't look so far ahead in your life that you miss the here and now. Don't miss the opportunity to serve in your Christian Union (or start a Christian Union) in college, don't miss the small opportunities in Church and don't miss the opportunities to become part of the place, even a small part of the place, God wants you to be. As God says in His word, if you are faithful in a little you can be trusted with more.
Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit.
There once was a King, a very bad King, a king that offered a sacrifice himself, not allowing the priest (Samuel) to do it, a king who did not offer up all the Amalekites to destruction when commanded by God to do so.
God rejected this king, who was called Saul by the way, and chose a new King for His people Israel.
This new King, whom I am named after in my name's original form, was called David.
The story takes place in 1 Samuel 16 when God tells Samuel to stop moping (this is not mopping, but hanging around the place being sad) about the place because He has moved on from Saul. So he sends Samuel to appoint the new King. He is sent to Bethlehem where he is to find Jesse, as one of his sons is to be the next King.
Samuel meets each son in turn and God rejects them all saying that though they might look like a king God sees their heart and does not judge on the outward appearance.
Samuel then has to ask if there are any other sons and David, a rugged, well-built, beautiful eyed boy who minds sheep, comes before Samuel and God tells Samuel to anoint him King; which he does.
Now the point (besides that this guy is actually appointed melek not nagid) is that David was anointed king but Saul was still king. It is estimated that David was between 10 and 13 when he was anointed and thusly between 12 and 15 when he defeated Goliath. So imagine he was anointed at 13, he did not become King until he was 30 (not sure if that's biblical or extra-biblical, not that far yet.)
My point is he had to wait; he had to wait for 17 years, or maybe 20. I'm 22 so that's pretty much my whole life. Now, I wonder what David did with this calling. Did he laze around and act as the king he was not yet? No he did not. He was found out in the field minding the sheep. Then he is hired to come play his harp for King Saul, both of which he does without complaint and to the best of his ability in the Lord.
After this (in 1 Samuel 17) he comes and beats Goliath in the name of the Lord and the army of Israel, again without complaining.
This guy is king anointed, sometimes called 'the young pretender'. Yet he lives his life serving Saul and his father and the nation of Israel, but not as king, merely as shepherd, armour bearer, musician, servant.
We can all learn a lesson for this. You may feel like you have a calling in your life, be it a pastor, minister, youth worker, teacher, electrical engineer or whatever else it may be; and, you may not be there yet. If that is the case don't look so far ahead in your life that you miss the here and now. Don't miss the opportunity to serve in your Christian Union (or start a Christian Union) in college, don't miss the small opportunities in Church and don't miss the opportunities to become part of the place, even a small part of the place, God wants you to be. As God says in His word, if you are faithful in a little you can be trusted with more.
Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit.
Ice on the Bridge
Last night, the eve of Hallow's, Shane's girlfriend was working as a dancer in a nightclub. She finished at three am and so he was going to pick her up. I went too as ya, loud scary night.
So we are walking along Pope's Quay and about to cross the footbridge outside Apartment 87 when I find it is a little hard to walk on it. The bridge had a tiny layer of ice.
How annoying is that? Ice, in October-November first.
I am not a big fan of ice.
Shane once wrote a song with the lyrics:
"Angels cried out to me in a deep, red, sunrise shepherd's warning; not to step out of line.
But I am too good for advice, I'd rather slip on the frozen ice with you love, with you, my love."
In absolutely no circumstances ever would I rather slip on frozen ice yet the stuff gets me once a year every year (in December).
2009- I was back in Limerick it is the 30th of December and I went to stay in Shane's house. We went to see Avatar in the cinema but, unbeknownst to myself there was a pothole that was now a skating rink.
I slipped on it and managed to regain my balance, after much flailing about and slipping and a lot of help from Shane I regained my balance on pothole ice pool. Then, as soon as Shane let go and I moved a foot, I actually fell and landed on my backside. Ice 1, Wavey 0.
2010 in a walk to Izzy's house to watch 'The Late Late Toy Show' I did what has come to be known as my 'interpretive dance on the economy'. This was when, outside the Lough Church, I slipped and fell in another largely flailing about the place way but got up pretty quickly (as was our hopes after economic depression set in). Ice 2, Wavey 0.
Also at Christmas (later in Decmember) it snowed and Dan, Colman and I went to play in the Quad in the snow and went on for 1.50 pizzas in Four Star. It was a horrible walk but the playing in the snow, despite the ice, was fun and although it took 3 times as long (we ate in 4*) I did not slip and fall, though came close many times. Ice 2, Wavey 1.
Last year, 2011, while a teacher in Deerpark CBS, it got icy during exam week and I had to walk to school in it, meaning that a trip that generally takes me 20 minutes took me 35 (so I was a little late, not much the exam hadn't started). As I came into Deerpark someone slipped and fell and slid down the hill towards the school. I slipped and slide-d towards the grass and used the grass to walk down the hill to avoid the fall.
Ice 2, Wavey 2. I fell in the Lough Church on the red marked out path that I so legalistically walk along even when it is treacherous, on my way home that day though. Ice 3, Wavey 2.
Lastly, on my way to the Deerpark staff dinner, the little bridge that is very hilly on both sides, that leads to the River Lee Hotel had a sheet of ice up and down it (when we were leaving). I managed, holding onto the rail for dear life, to get across it without falling. Ice 3, Wavey 3.
Well Mr. Ice, as you begin to make your come back it seems we are at a tie... It will be interesting to battle you again this year.
PLEASE DON'T FREEZE CORK AND LIMERICK. LEAVE ME ALONE.
That is all, thank you!
So we are walking along Pope's Quay and about to cross the footbridge outside Apartment 87 when I find it is a little hard to walk on it. The bridge had a tiny layer of ice.
How annoying is that? Ice, in October-November first.
I am not a big fan of ice.
Shane once wrote a song with the lyrics:
"Angels cried out to me in a deep, red, sunrise shepherd's warning; not to step out of line.
But I am too good for advice, I'd rather slip on the frozen ice with you love, with you, my love."
In absolutely no circumstances ever would I rather slip on frozen ice yet the stuff gets me once a year every year (in December).
2009- I was back in Limerick it is the 30th of December and I went to stay in Shane's house. We went to see Avatar in the cinema but, unbeknownst to myself there was a pothole that was now a skating rink.
I slipped on it and managed to regain my balance, after much flailing about and slipping and a lot of help from Shane I regained my balance on pothole ice pool. Then, as soon as Shane let go and I moved a foot, I actually fell and landed on my backside. Ice 1, Wavey 0.
2010 in a walk to Izzy's house to watch 'The Late Late Toy Show' I did what has come to be known as my 'interpretive dance on the economy'. This was when, outside the Lough Church, I slipped and fell in another largely flailing about the place way but got up pretty quickly (as was our hopes after economic depression set in). Ice 2, Wavey 0.
Also at Christmas (later in Decmember) it snowed and Dan, Colman and I went to play in the Quad in the snow and went on for 1.50 pizzas in Four Star. It was a horrible walk but the playing in the snow, despite the ice, was fun and although it took 3 times as long (we ate in 4*) I did not slip and fall, though came close many times. Ice 2, Wavey 1.
Last year, 2011, while a teacher in Deerpark CBS, it got icy during exam week and I had to walk to school in it, meaning that a trip that generally takes me 20 minutes took me 35 (so I was a little late, not much the exam hadn't started). As I came into Deerpark someone slipped and fell and slid down the hill towards the school. I slipped and slide-d towards the grass and used the grass to walk down the hill to avoid the fall.
Ice 2, Wavey 2. I fell in the Lough Church on the red marked out path that I so legalistically walk along even when it is treacherous, on my way home that day though. Ice 3, Wavey 2.
Lastly, on my way to the Deerpark staff dinner, the little bridge that is very hilly on both sides, that leads to the River Lee Hotel had a sheet of ice up and down it (when we were leaving). I managed, holding onto the rail for dear life, to get across it without falling. Ice 3, Wavey 3.
Well Mr. Ice, as you begin to make your come back it seems we are at a tie... It will be interesting to battle you again this year.
PLEASE DON'T FREEZE CORK AND LIMERICK. LEAVE ME ALONE.
That is all, thank you!
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