by Jason Joyner | Jan 18, 2012 | bioethics, Blog, books, je t'adore, reviews, Writing Wednesday, young adult
Jenna Fox can’t lace her fingers together.
Her fingers look perfectly fine. They just don’t go together well. A classmate tells her she has an odd walk. But she used to do ballet. At least that’s what she’s been told by her parents.
She can’t remember it though.
Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up in California, a stranger in her body. She had an accident that put her in a coma, and now she can’t remember most of her previous life.
She was an only child, so her doting parents have numerous videos of her life. She’s encouraged to watch them as she tries to regain what she’s lost.
Jenna feels like she’s not being told everything. Her grandmother who lives with them is distant and cold, unlike the loving Grandma in the videos. And when she visits her neighbor and he offers her a chance to feed the birds, they won’t eat from her handful of birdseed. They only choose the neighbor.
So just who is Jenna Fox?
—
We all received books for Christmas in my family.
The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson was my request. It may seem weird for a middle aged guy to want a young adult novel, but this book intrigued me with its premise of mystery in the midst of bioethics. Oh, and the cover rocks.
It didn’t disappoint.
The book is written in present tense from Jenna’s point of view, which is a perfect way to tell her story – as she discovers her new life and old one, we experience it with her.
The structure is a little disjointed early on. Chapters seem random and are set apart in varying ways, not with the typical stop, blank page, and clear title and beginning into the next part. It made getting into the book a little challenging. However, it makes sense when considering Jenna’s fragmented memory. Once I got into it, I wanted to discover what Jenna’s secret was and how it was going to affect her. (I knew more about the plot going into it than I am giving here – I don’t want it spoiled for new readers).
The book is set in a near future where there are some amazing medical advances, but with any progress comes questions and unintended consequences. Adoration does a very good job of introducing issues to think about in the framework of the story. I don’t know how much it would make a teen think of bioethical issues, but as a medical professional I thought it was well done and should provoke thought. One of my favorite philosophers is Ian Malcolm from Jurrasic Park when he says, “Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.”
Adoration has humorous moments, stakes that become higher than just Jenna finding herself, and a lot of suspense. The ending may be too tidy, but it is satisfying, and it looks like Pearson managed to work a sequel into it still, The Fox Inheritance, which I haven’t read yet.
I recommend this book for teens, those interested in bioethics or medical fiction, and those who like near future “what ifs”. It is a good read that can provoke thinking – a crazy thing, right?
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 18, 2012 | Blog, internet
by Jason Joyner | Jan 18, 2012 | Blog, internet
by Jason Joyner | Jan 16, 2012 | Blog, Coptic Christians, Egypt, Mission Monday, persecuted church, prayer
Today on Mission Monday, I wanted to highlight a group of people that trace back to the originial apostles, but are in jeopardy today of seeing their life in their homeland disappear.
|
| Egyptian Coptic Christian |
Egypt has a population of over 60 million people, the majority being Muslims. However, at least 10% of the population are Coptic Christians. Copts, as they are known, trace their faith to the generation of people who walked with Jesus. Their church split with the main Roman Catholic Church in the 5th century, but they were the main religion in Egypt until the Muslim advances in the 600’s. Even living under Muslim rule, this body of believers have persevered for almost two thousand years.
Life has gotten worse for the Copts in the last several years. There have been several attacks on Christians by the Muslim majority. There is freedom of religion in the constitution, but there are many limitations in real llife. It is hard to convert and difficult to get paperwork for jobs and other things. Until recently all approvals for new church construction and even minor repairs had to be approved by the President! This has been changed, but it is still a very cumbersome process. When Christians were attacked, the police are slow to respond, and they are usually asked to simply “reconcile” with their attackers, without any other accountability.
Under the dictator Hosni Mubarak there was a measure of control, despite the attacks I mentioned. Now there is fear that things could get worse if strict Islamists are voted into office. There is an exodus of Copts now, depleting the oldest continual Christian community in the Middle East.
We don’t hear a lot about their plight in the West, and the needs of fellow believers far away can be hard to remember in our busy world. That’s why I want to share stories like this on Mission Mondays here. We are so blessed in the Western world. We should be able to support our brothers and sisters in Egypt in our prayers.
Thankfully, there are some positive signs as well. We know the Lord can move in mighty ways to protect His people. Here are some specific prayer requests (taken from the YWAM Personal Prayer Diary):
- Pray that Christians will have a voice in the formation of the new Egyptian government.
- Pray that the governments of other nations will press those in power to grant equal rights for all in Egypt.
- Pray that Coptic priests and lay leaders would have courage and wisdom to encourage and guide their parishioners.
- Pray that Muslims will come to know Christ through the example and love of their Christian neighbors.
Sources: YWAM Personal Prayer Diary, Wikipedia, WSJ, BBC
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 16, 2012 | Blog, Coptic Christians, Egypt, Mission Monday, persecuted church, prayer
Today on Mission Monday, I wanted to highlight a group of people that trace back to the originial apostles, but are in jeopardy today of seeing their life in their homeland disappear.
|
| Egyptian Coptic Christian |
Egypt has a population of over 60 million people, the majority being Muslims. However, at least 10% of the population are Coptic Christians. Copts, as they are known, trace their faith to the generation of people who walked with Jesus. Their church split with the main Roman Catholic Church in the 5th century, but they were the main religion in Egypt until the Muslim advances in the 600’s. Even living under Muslim rule, this body of believers have persevered for almost two thousand years.
Life has gotten worse for the Copts in the last several years. There have been several attacks on Christians by the Muslim majority. There is freedom of religion in the constitution, but there are many limitations in real llife. It is hard to convert and difficult to get paperwork for jobs and other things. Until recently all approvals for new church construction and even minor repairs had to be approved by the President! This has been changed, but it is still a very cumbersome process. When Christians were attacked, the police are slow to respond, and they are usually asked to simply “reconcile” with their attackers, without any other accountability.
Under the dictator Hosni Mubarak there was a measure of control, despite the attacks I mentioned. Now there is fear that things could get worse if strict Islamists are voted into office. There is an exodus of Copts now, depleting the oldest continual Christian community in the Middle East.
We don’t hear a lot about their plight in the West, and the needs of fellow believers far away can be hard to remember in our busy world. That’s why I want to share stories like this on Mission Mondays here. We are so blessed in the Western world. We should be able to support our brothers and sisters in Egypt in our prayers.
Thankfully, there are some positive signs as well. We know the Lord can move in mighty ways to protect His people. Here are some specific prayer requests (taken from the YWAM Personal Prayer Diary):
- Pray that Christians will have a voice in the formation of the new Egyptian government.
- Pray that the governments of other nations will press those in power to grant equal rights for all in Egypt.
- Pray that Coptic priests and lay leaders would have courage and wisdom to encourage and guide their parishioners.
- Pray that Muslims will come to know Christ through the example and love of their Christian neighbors.
Sources: YWAM Personal Prayer Diary, Wikipedia, WSJ, BBC
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog, medical, unforseen delays, writing, Writing Wednesday
Our regularly scheduled programming was delayed due to the family stomach flu making its presence known. After a day of being wiped out and generally useless, I figured it was time to talk about medical issues in writing.
If it hasn’t come out before, I work as a physician assistant. No, I’m not still working on finishing medical school as some people ask. Being a PA is its own profession. We just were saddled with an unfortunate title when we started. Some people want us to be physician associates(?), but I digress.
Obviously it is easy for me to write medically in my fiction, and it is a great way to introduce conflict, tension, or roadblocks to my characters. For those who aren’t in the medical field and want to make a medical condition a part of their book, it takes good research to make it believable. That’s true for everything, but there’s plenty that can go wrong in medical research. I read a novel with an astronaut who was hiding multiple sclerosis. No way would she have been able to hide such a thing, and it always bugged me when it came into play in the plot.
There’s plenty to be found on the internet these days, but you do have to be careful of your sources. Someone came to me today asking about “liver stones.” Google can be an enemy as much as a friend here!
I would suggest reading from reputable sources first of all. WebMD, CDC, your professional organizations like the American Heart Association – all of these would be good primary sources. If you want to address a controversial issue, look for those as well, but make sure you understand the foundation of the issue and both sides if you can.
Don’t just rely on the web. Most health care providers I know would be happy to give you some advice. I would be fine answering questions, and I have asked specialists at conferences about issues that were out of my field of practice. Be respectful of their busy schedules, and I am sure you can find someone who can help you out.
One person who has a specific blog for this is Jordyn Redwood’s
“Redwood’s Medical Edge.” She is a nurse with lots of emergency and pediatric experience, and she provides regular content on medical issues, from historical medicine to current issues. Want to know how fast someone would bleed to death?
She’s got the info for you!If I have one pet peeve, it is characters’ getting hurt in some way, and the author forgets about it. Mary Sue just leaped from her second story window to escape the Big Bad Guy, and hurt her ankle – but she still runs away a few pages later with nary a limp. Keep it real, people!
This is a quick discussion of medical issues in fiction. There are so many avenues to explore here. If there are specific topics anyone would like me to discuss, leave them in the comments and we can have fun with those.
Just remember to wash your hands people!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog, medical, unforseen delays, writing, Writing Wednesday
Our regularly scheduled programming was delayed due to the family stomach flu making its presence known. After a day of being wiped out and generally useless, I figured it was time to talk about medical issues in writing.
If it hasn’t come out before, I work as a physician assistant. No, I’m not still working on finishing medical school as some people ask. Being a PA is its own profession. We just were saddled with an unfortunate title when we started. Some people want us to be physician associates(?), but I digress.
Obviously it is easy for me to write medically in my fiction, and it is a great way to introduce conflict, tension, or roadblocks to my characters. For those who aren’t in the medical field and want to make a medical condition a part of their book, it takes good research to make it believable. That’s true for everything, but there’s plenty that can go wrong in medical research. I read a novel with an astronaut who was hiding multiple sclerosis. No way would she have been able to hide such a thing, and it always bugged me when it came into play in the plot.
There’s plenty to be found on the internet these days, but you do have to be careful of your sources. Someone came to me today asking about “liver stones.” Google can be an enemy as much as a friend here!
I would suggest reading from reputable sources first of all. WebMD, CDC, your professional organizations like the American Heart Association – all of these would be good primary sources. If you want to address a controversial issue, look for those as well, but make sure you understand the foundation of the issue and both sides if you can.
Don’t just rely on the web. Most health care providers I know would be happy to give you some advice. I would be fine answering questions, and I have asked specialists at conferences about issues that were out of my field of practice. Be respectful of their busy schedules, and I am sure you can find someone who can help you out.
One person who has a specific blog for this is Jordyn Redwood’s
“Redwood’s Medical Edge.” She is a nurse with lots of emergency and pediatric experience, and she provides regular content on medical issues, from historical medicine to current issues. Want to know how fast someone would bleed to death?
She’s got the info for you!If I have one pet peeve, it is characters’ getting hurt in some way, and the author forgets about it. Mary Sue just leaped from her second story window to escape the Big Bad Guy, and hurt her ankle – but she still runs away a few pages later with nary a limp. Keep it real, people!
This is a quick discussion of medical issues in fiction. There are so many avenues to explore here. If there are specific topics anyone would like me to discuss, leave them in the comments and we can have fun with those.
Just remember to wash your hands people!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 9, 2012 | Blog, Mission Monday, missions, prayer, YWAM
Many people would like to pray for missions, other countries, and different prayer needs. Where can you find such information?
One tool I know about provides this and a whole lot more.
Youth With A Mission produces a Personal Prayer Diary each year. It comes in a nice day planner with areas for notes, calendars, articles about Kingdom issues, as well as information about every country and specific prayer highlights each month. The diary also has a Bible reading plan that takes one through the Old and New Testaments once and Psalms and Proverbs several times.
The diary also includes an encouragement to pray for the Seven Spheres of Influence that I’ve talked about before. Each day of the week is reserved to lift up concerns regarding Church and Religion, Family, Government and Law, Education, Science/Health/Environment, Business, and Media and the Arts.
I’ve used this for years, although often sporadically. This year I am committed to diligence in praying for the daily topics. I know many people are tied to their electronic devices, but this slim and durable book is a more than a planner – it has the potential to impact the world if people use it to pray for the nations.
Right now they’re only $11.89 at the World Christian store, and I’ve seen it listed on Amazon as well. Check it out if you’d like a simple way to make a difference!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 9, 2012 | Blog, Mission Monday, missions, prayer, YWAM
Many people would like to pray for missions, other countries, and different prayer needs. Where can you find such information?
One tool I know about provides this and a whole lot more.
Youth With A Mission produces a Personal Prayer Diary each year. It comes in a nice day planner with areas for notes, calendars, articles about Kingdom issues, as well as information about every country and specific prayer highlights each month. The diary also has a Bible reading plan that takes one through the Old and New Testaments once and Psalms and Proverbs several times.
The diary also includes an encouragement to pray for the Seven Spheres of Influence that I’ve talked about before. Each day of the week is reserved to lift up concerns regarding Church and Religion, Family, Government and Law, Education, Science/Health/Environment, Business, and Media and the Arts.
I’ve used this for years, although often sporadically. This year I am committed to diligence in praying for the daily topics. I know many people are tied to their electronic devices, but this slim and durable book is a more than a planner – it has the potential to impact the world if people use it to pray for the nations.
Right now they’re only $11.89 at the World Christian store, and I’ve seen it listed on Amazon as well. Check it out if you’d like a simple way to make a difference!
—
by Jason Joyner | Jan 6, 2012 | Blog, Free Friday, Gem, Girls Like Us, human trafficking, Rachel Lloyd
In my last post I listed my favorite fiction books of 2011. There was one other book that impacted me in such a way that, even though I focus on fiction, I have to highlight it for people.
Girls Like Us – by Rachel Lloyd.
It is the memoir of a young woman who had a rough upbringing, ended up being trapped in the world of sexual exploitation by a boyfriend who was also her john, and managed not only to escape the life but start a non-profit organization called GEMS that helps girls in similar situations.
It is a raw book because it is a raw topic. Rachel’s story, and the examples of the girls from her charity, are real and ugly. They are stories that need telling.
I was interested in supporting the fight against human trafficking before – this book sealed it. It is a powerful read, sometimes unsettling, but never boring. There is much in our culture that lends to the commercial sexual exploitation of women and girls. Pornography, the idolization of pimp culture in popular music, the ways that families and social services break down and leave children vulnerable.
I talked about the book in detail here. If you didn’t read it before, I hope you check out the post, but most of all the book. It is a wake-up call, and it is a significant marker in the battle against modern-day slavery.
—
