The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Time for another confession: Mythology fascinates me. I have pretty early memories of reading the sections on Greek gods in my illustrated encyclopedia. (Yes, I spent many happy hours reading that encyclopedia. I doubt this surprises anyone) The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters sparked my interest in Egyptian archaeology and mythology. So naturally when I discovered that the author of the delightful Percy Jackson series, which moves Greek gods and goddesses into modern America, had started a series involving the Egyptian pantheon, I just had to read it. I was not disappointed.

The Red Pyramid is written as a transcription of a recording by Carter and Sadie Kane, a brother/sister duo raised separately following their mother's tragic death when Sadie was six. While Carter followed his globe-trotting American archaeologist father on various research expeditions, Sadie lived in England with their mother's parents. Six years later, during their Christmas visitation time, their worlds are blown apart again - literally. During a visit to the British Museum, their father Julius performs some strange ancient magic and releases five imprisoned gods including the evil and powerful Set, Lord of Chaos. Set imprisons Julius in a magical sarcophagus, and it is up to Carter and Sadie to find and free him. There is quite a bit more to the story, of course, including a long-lost uncle, a mysterious guardian cat, and a host of enemies like ancient magicians and minor gods. Add some great unfolding destiny, off-beat humor, and the possibility of mass annihilation to the mix, and you have a really fun, action-packed thrill ride that spans the globe, stopping at several well-known landmarks across the way.

I really enjoy Riordan's style. He writes with fast-paced, slightly-sarcastic humor that I appreciate. I also like the way he describes places. Whether it's Central Park, the Cairo airport, or White Sands National Monument, you get the feeling that he's actually been there. Without wasting words on flowery language, he paints pictures of people and places in such a way that reading his books is almost like watching a movie. It's fun.

So if you think ancient mythological gods and goddesses make for good entertainment, check out The Kane Chronicles. I'm looking forward to reading The Throne of Fire, the next installment in the series.

Green Bay Packers: World Champions!

I love football. I didn't grow up watching it, but I learned to love it during my freshman year of college and have loved it ever since. And for as long as I have been a football fan, I have been a Green Bay Packers fan. People sometimes ask me why, and I can't really give a reasonable answer. But then, what part of being a fanatic is reasonable? It defies reason or logic. At the time, the Packers were popular in the town where I lived because their colors were the same as the local high school team. Plus, the Packers had the best quarterback in the league. I love good quarterbacks, and Brett Favre was fun to watch. So the Packers became my team. I've never been to Green Bay or even to Wisconsin, but I do own a cheesehead.

I have always watched Packers games with passion and enthusiasm. Greg used to laugh at me because I would get angry and yell at the television when the opposing team made positive yardage. Now I only yell when the opposing team gets a first down. I think Greg still laughs, but I try to ignore him. I admit I'm a fairly recent convert to Packer fandom, having only been into football for about ten years. Still, I've had memorable moments. I watched the Monday night game when Antonio Freeman made that ridiculous catch and Al Michaels exclaimed, "He did what?!" I watched another Monday night game, right after Brett Favre's father died, when the team rallied around him and they all played truly inspired football. I endured all the Brett Favre drama of the last few years. And tonight, I watched through moments of delight, anxiety, and finally triumph as the Packers beat the Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV, their first Super Bowl win since I have been a fan. Congratulations, Packers! I am so excited!

Why I love Jesus more than Harry Potter

I admit it: I am a Harry Potter fan. I am often skeptical of mega-hits, so it took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon. After recommendations from several different people, I hesitantly decided to give the books a try. So, in the spring of 2005, I purchased beat up old copies of the first four books on eBay, and immediately fell in love. I am now a die-hard fan - although not the type that dresses up and stands in line for midnight book or movie releases. However, I did participate eagerly in online reading groups and passionate debates on how the series would ultimately end. I remember reading the last half of the Deathly Hallows on a church van on the way to a mission trip, heart racing and oblivious to anything else around me as those final chapters unfolded. I have a Harry Potter wall calendar and a Harry Potter ringtone. So yes, I freely admit that I love Harry Potter.

If you have read the books, you are familiar with all the reasons to love Harry. If you have seen the movies, you probably have a pretty good idea. The Boy Who Lived is sweet, loyal, determined, a little stubborn, a little flawed, but ultimately one of those characters who leaps off the page and comes to life. Actually, all of the characters in the series are that way. That is part of the genius of J.K. Rowling. There are some you just can't help but love, and others you can't help but hate. Some of the good characters are hard to like, and some of the bad ones are just as hard to hate. And they all live in this rich, imaginative world where magic is a part of life and events are unfolding that will leave the world changed. It is one of those epic fantasy series that will be loved, hated, and debated for years to come.

But back to Harry. He is the ultimate hero. We meet him as a neglected eleven-year-old with no idea who he really is or what his destiny may be. Throughout the series, he grows into a young man who fully embraces that destiny and confidently leads his friends into battle. He has his rough moments. I actually didn't like him much in The Order of the Phoenix, when it seemed like he spent half the book yelling at people and the other half pouting about his life and relationships and being treated like the annoying teenager he is...but it was at the end of the book when my heart really broke over him as he began to accept who he was and what he needed to do.

So, what does Harry Potter have to do with Jesus? Very little. Rowling wisely leaves religion alone, focusing instead on weaving a brilliant tale that touches on many of the truths of life under the overarching theme of good vs. evil. I believe, like C.S. Lewis, that every good story touches on something deep within us, reminding us that we do live for a greater purpose than the pleasure of today; that we are, in fact, destined for an eternity we cannot fully imagine but that we catch glimpses of on occasion. I do not believe that Harry Potter is "evil" because he is a wizard who is learning magic at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As much as I love fiction (and I do), I know how to distinguish fiction from reality. The world Harry Potter lives in is no more real than Narnia, Middle-Earth, or "a long time ago in a galaxy far away." Witchcraft in that world and witchcraft in this world are completely different and almost totally unrelated things.

A few months ago, I started seeing previews for Part One of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and like all the other fans out there, I was practically jumping up and down in anticipation. And that got me thinking: wouldn't it be great if people got as excited about church as they do about the next Harry Potter movie? The story of Jesus is every bit as exciting as the story of Harry Potter, and even better: it's true. Yet you don't see lines of people waiting outside the church building at midnight on Saturday, buzzing with anticipation about the upcoming morning worship service. That's a little sad, but it's just reality.

So, I'm a Harry Potter fan. I am not a Jesus fan. I don't "like" Him on Facebook. I love Jesus with all my heart, soul, and strength. Harry Potter is fiction. Jesus is my reality. I'm excited about seeing Harry Potter this weekend. I look forward to spending eternity with Jesus with every fiber of my being. It isn't just that I love Jesus more than Harry Potter. Nothing else compares with Him.