Christian chat thread continued

[Dutchoma]

A place to share and chat about our funny (and not so funny experiences) in and out of church.
Did anyone say coffee? That would be good

[Niminy]

I love Father Wendy. Also Freddie May. One of the things I like about Fox is that she too loves her characters, even the baddies.

[EddSimcox]

I'll pm you all I have on FB with my twitter name. Happy to give it to anyone else - just pm me on here. 😁

[Madhairday]

Ooh more Fox fans! She's an amazing writer.

Talking of writing. Bit excited. Just got a reply to my book proposal from a large Christian publisher. 'We'd like to explore this further with you...'

{Wibbles}

[BroomstickOfLove]

How exciting, Madhairday! I really hope it works out.

[Oddsocksforeveryone]

Hello everyone. Sorry to pop in but I was wondering if anyone has experience of choosing an obviously biblical name in an area where there don't appear to be a lot of Christian families in the local school?
We're having our fourth and our favourite name is Zephaniah, partly because he was "hidden" for the first few months so the name has meaning for us. But I am a little worried that the 'iah' will stick out in a school that seems to have a lot of very vocal non believers. I know I'm a few years ahead of myself but wondering whether to compromise and just go with Zephan. We have plenty of time before he comes.

[picklemepopcorn]

No experience, but nothing to stop him being Zephaniah, known as Zephan. Schools are pretty good at that.
Congratulations!

[picklemepopcorn]

No experience, but nothing to stop him being Zephaniah, known as Zephan. Schools are pretty good at that.
Congratulations!

[picklemepopcorn]

No experience, but nothing to stop him being Zephaniah, known as Zephan. Schools are pretty good at that.
Congratulations!

[Lissette]

oddsocks I'd go with the full name. It's lovely. Some people may not even recognise that it's biblical. And so what if they do.

MHD - very exciting indeed!

[BroomstickOfLove]

(A) as likely to be the child of an atheist poetry fan as a Christian

(B) lots of atheists give their children biblical names just because they like them.

(C) children raised in an atheist household almost certainly won't associate the name with religion anyway

(D) my kids go to one of the few schools in the area with a secular ethos and the only trouble the children with unusual biblical names have is with pronunciation - I don't know their religion

(E) his name is far less likely to mark him out as Christian than his behaviour and what he says.

(F) Most boys who aren't called Alexander or Oliver seem to be called Noah, Jacob, Joshua, Isaac, Benjamin, Luke or John.

So go for it without worrying - it's a lovely name with a great deal of meaning for you.

[Madhairday]

I'd go for it too. I know of quire a few Isaiahs, Zachariahs etc so it's not that different. Zeph is a really cute nickname too. I have a Nathaniel which is a bit unusual and biblical too but no one ever makes anything of it except to say they like it so a similar thing. Go with what is in your heart! And congratulations on your pregnancy :)

Thanks all... I am just a little bit excited but trying not to be, it's only the beginning of possibilities.

[Oddsocksforeveryone]

Thank you all ❤

[Lissette]

I have a Daniel, named after an ancestor who was an Archbishop and after a particularly hunky image of the Prophet Daniel in a local Church. Ezekiel i the next window was not so attractive.

[Dutchoma]

Very exciting MHD. Let us know how it goes

[Lissette]

The Daniel window

[Dutchoma]

The Catherine Fox books look quite intriguing. What is the order to ead them in, please?

[EddSimcox]

mhd wow! Cool... 🙌

oddsocks what broomstick said, and everyone else :)

[BlackeyedSusan]

ooo mhd. exciting.

[BroomstickOfLove]

Oma, I'd start with Acts and Omissions (99p on kindle) and Unseen Things Above, which are the two currently available books in the Lindchester trilogy. Then you can go back and read her earlier books which I don't think are quite as good, but which have characters who crop up in the other books.

[Niminy]

MHD that is very exciting! And wonderful to think of your writing reaching a wider audience.

I really like Fox's first three novels but they are quite a bit darker than Acts and Omissions and Realms of Glory. I'd definitely start with those. I also really like her YA fantasy novel, Wolf Tide. I think she's writing a sequel

While I wait for more Catherine Fox I've started the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch. I'm about a third of the way through the first, Glittering Images - which, like Acts and Omissions, stars a fallible bishop. Really enjoying it.

[Madhairday]

Thanks niminy and everyone. It's all a bit scary!! We'll see what happens. I know these things take a looong time. Prayer appreciated!

I really like the Susan Howatch series as well, niminy.

[educatingarti]

Hello everyone (enters nervously). I've been watching your previous thread and thought I'd say hi. I may not post too much but will be reading.

[Dutchoma]

You are very welcome educatingarti. I had been wondering about someone at the back but held off talking to you as sometimes it is much nicer to just be a bit invisible.

[EddSimcox]

Hi arti. Welcome. ☕️ Or ?

[Madhairday]

Welcome arti. Great to see you :)