The Making of James the Just, brother of Jesus, author of the Epistle of James in the Bible

Posted: 10-May-2026

Would you like to know more about James, Jesus’s brother by birth (a.k.a. James the Just, not to be confused with James the Apostle, who was among Jesus’s closest disciples, along with Peter and John), who became a historical figure by authoring the Epistle of James in the Bible? He was the least likely disciple to rise to the position he did in the early Church.

Like most of the disciples, he had denied Jesus at the crucifixion and run away. Although he had worked alongside Jesus in their father’s carpentry shop, he never believed what Jesus said about himself: that he was the Messiah and the savior of humankind. Rather, he believed Jesus had a deluded mind. While honest, he needed evidence before he could believe, earning him the moniker “the one who measured everything twice before acting” from Jesus.

Yet he rose to the position of head of the ancient Church in Jerusalem, created a family for the persecuted early Christians, and shielded and shepherded them. How?

It turns out that James the Just didn’t do anything special by himself: although he “measured everything twice,” he made himself available to God. He stayed put in Jerusalem and consistently did the small things he could every day for around 31 years. The rest of his accomplishments were the work of God through his hands.

Read this book to discover the making of James the Just and the author of the Epistle of James in the Bible: a consistent commitment that shaped his personality and also nurtured a fledgling church of frightened and troubled Christians in Jerusalem (30 – 62 CE).

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Do you have a guardian angel? How does yours protect you (if there’s one)?

Posted: 07-Apr-2026

Although there is no proof of their existence and diehard rationalists will deny the claim, many of us lean toward the possibility of the existence of Angels, maybe because Christianity upholds that claim.

Regardless, when we face insurmountable situations in life beyond human control, we’ll hope they exist and wish one would suddenly appear and solve whatever threatens us using their supernatural powers.

This lighthearted fantasy tale opens a window onto a fictitious world of guardian angels that combines Christianity, Greek Mythology and religions that teach reincarnation, such as Hinduism.

Read it to discover how guardian angels might be protecting you, if they indeed exist.

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Reimagine America under a strong, ideal Republican president instead of Joe Biden, 2020-24.

Posted: 18-Apr-2025

Counterfactuals are fun questions that seek to find alternative paths around historical events that changed the course of life. Sure, there’s no changing whatever already happened, however good or bad. Yet, when we think of a disastrous past event, those hurt or affected most by it find it a healing balm when they relive those old moments asking questions like, “How did it happen?", "If it was possible, what should have been done, in time, to prevent it from happening?”, etc.

It’s also a useful means of learning from history to prevent, or at least to be prepared to face a repeat occurrence better.

We know, according to popular opinion, Joe Biden was incompetent in his presidential role, 2020-24. Besides, he harmed the nation on some fronts, leaving behind a legacy of mass, stuck illegal immigrants, border crisis, mismanaged taxpayer funds, instability on the global stage, etc.

This book is an interesting counterfactual that addresses the question, “How would America have fared had a conservative Republican won the 2020 presidential elections (instead of Joe Biden)?”

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Remember, it's tough to live by your moral code. 'Open Wounds Tell A Story: Anecdotes' by Antonio Rosario Ortiz makes that clear!

Posted: 22-Oct-2021   Reposted: 03-Jun-2022

According to the well-known adage, “He who stands for nothing falls for anything.” It's about values and whether values are important to you in life, because if you choose to live by your values, you'll have to fight a tough battle against those who don't.

This book seeks to arm you with wisdom if soldiering on with values is what you prefer, unheeding of the pain and wounds.

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