The Collapse Of Time

( 8 )

Overview

Every so often, we experience a moment of incredible clarity; a moment so powerful and so real that time itself stands still. The outside world silently collapses around us, and the only thing that is real is what is right before our eyes. Whether gazing at the beauty of God’s creation, looking deep into the eyes of a lover, or praying in desperation when all seems lost, we all know these moments. We have all felt their power.

In The Collapse of Time, Mark Odland exposes his ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Every so often, we experience a moment of incredible clarity; a moment so powerful and so real that time itself stands still. The outside world silently collapses around us, and the only thing that is real is what is right before our eyes. Whether gazing at the beauty of God’s creation, looking deep into the eyes of a lover, or praying in desperation when all seems lost, we all know these moments. We have all felt their power.

In The Collapse of Time, Mark Odland exposes his soul for all to see. His poems are honest, beautiful, and above all, they are real. For when time collapses, all we are left with is the truth of the moment. And through these momentary truths, we are beckoned toward the great mystery, The Truth that will set us free. From the desert sands of Morocco to the Canals of Venice, from the misty shores of Lake Superior to his wife’s loving embrace, Mark invites you to partake in his journey of body, mind, and soul. You are invited into The Collapse of Time.

 

About the Author:

Mark Odland received his Bachelor of Arts degree in art and religion from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Today Mark lives with his wife, Rachel, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is currently studying to receive his Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary.
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Editorial Reviews

Echo Press
In just 25 years, Mark Odland has experienced a life filled with excitement, romance, distant travels, and most importantly, a growing faith in God. Odland...has taken a journey on the road to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This journey has culminated in the publication of a book of spiritual poetry entitled, The Collapse of Time...The book contains 40 inspiring works of poetry, with each one preceded by a simple question. The question is an invitation to readers not just to read the poetry, but to delve deeper into their faith and examine the messages the poems express...Odland's hope and prayer for The Collapse of Time is that it will challenge people to think about what is most important in life. "I believe that God's love is unconditional and available to all people," he added. "With God's help I hope [the book] helps people think about their relationships - within themselves, with other people and with God. Realize the incredible love with Jesus Christ that comes freely."
—Oct. 22, 2004 Excerpts from "Unconditional Love," By Jo Colvin - Staff Reporter
Writer's Digest
Four Stars! Structure and Organization - Four Stars!
My favorite poems were My Ivory Rose; Rising Smoke; Coffee Cup Marriages; and Mauled by A Rose. I like how the author poses a question on one page, and then answers it on the next. This created a sense of unity for the book.
—Judge (Inspirational Division) 12th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781594675843
  • Publisher: Xulon Press
  • Publication date: 7/10/2004
  • Pages: 100
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 0.24 (d)

Read an Excerpt

                                                                                My Hand Retreats

 

 

 

Tonight as I drive I probably pass

Hundreds and hundreds of speeding cars crying

Concealed within the mists of deepening ebony

Sheltered by foggy pairs of piercing lights

And driving in darkness with bleeding scars

My eyes are opened and soon I see their 

Beating hearts that glow within waiting

For healing from sickness and sorrow and sin

Contemplating when they will reach the comfort of home

And Jesus raises my hand to bless each lonely car that

Longs to pass from death to life and

Into the peace that human thoughts cannot surpass

My faith burns bright in the shadow’s light and I

Reach out to touch their glowing hearts to

Try and heal their inmost pain

But the cars come too quickly and I can’t pray

Fast enough to touch them all and
As each heart beats my hand retreats for

My eyes now see what Jesus sees and my

Soul now feels their aching lives and my

Heart now breaks as Jesus cries

If they only knew that God’s grace still burns

A flowering love that will always wait

For a willing heart to come back home

For the darkness of death cannot defeat the love of God in Jesus Christ

Death will not sit it will not find a seat

Next to the power of the cross and the Resurrection’s radiant light

That forever defeated the power of night

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 8 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2005

    Heart poured into ink

    Poet/Artist Mark Odland beautifully molds language to capture moments experienced from high school to Morocco to his honeymoon in Italy, France and Switzerland. He covers the multitude of human emotion unfolding moments of quiet contemplation, passionate love with his wife, touching the divine, feelings of betrayal and more. Simply put, Mark Odland puts his heart into ink. The book uniquely invites the reader to not only step into his experiences, but also to contemplate their own experiences with each poem being preceded by a question. What is true freedom? Is your soul at peace? Is love a feeling or an action? What does it mean to love your neighbor? Have you ever been paralyzed with joy? Why do we need God? My bias should be noted as the title poem ¿The Collapse of Time¿ is a poem describing an experience I had. I note this to share how well Mark captured this moment in my life and to show his ability to put human experience into words. I described the experience to him as one friend to another and he then wrote the poem. When I read it, I was deeply moved. His insight was so great I feel that he captured the moment far better than I could have. It was a turning point in my life, a moment I have cherished and give thanks for ever since it happened. Thank you, Mark Odland, for sharing your gift and experiences and inviting us to a deeper life.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 16, 2004

    Promising Author off to a Good Start

    Odland is in over his head at times, but four standout poems make the book a worthwhile investment. 1. Desert Rose 2.Visions of Nothing 3. Into Each Others Arms 4. Let¿s take a guilt trip There is one poem, however, which belongs with such contemporary poets as B.H. Fairchild, Philip Levine, and Mary Oliver. ¿Ripe Mangos¿ is elegantly written, refreshingly adult, and over-the-moon erotic. Ripe Mangos marks the author's return to form in a very, very big way and, to put it simply, I loved it. I loved the pleasingly authentic tone of the author's poetry and his wonderful touch with dialogue between the senses; the pragmatic independence. I loved the author¿s frankly adult perspective on the world; and the direct, straight-forward approach he takes to tackling some undeniably daunting problems. And, not to put too fine a point on it, I loved virtually everything about Ripe Mangos. A real knack for verbal foreplay? I think something deeper is at stake.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 30, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    I¿ve never read anything like this! The Collapse of Time ¿ Spiritual Poems is one of the most unique books I¿ve read in a long time. I thought it was just going to be some cool poetry, but it turned out to be a lot deeper than that. The poems themselves were awesome, but the cool thing is that before each poem is a question dealing with spirituality. I loved these questions because they made me ask myself some really important things, things I¿ve never thought about before! It helped me think about what it truly means to be spiritual, and I feel like it¿s helped me grow in my faith. The Collapse of Time is an amazing book to experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who is truly searching.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 27, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    I highly recommend this book for many reasons. First of all, the poetry in The Collapse of Time is very well written. Its high quality stuff, but easy to understand. It doesn¿t try to be too fancy. Second, the poems are realistic. Although most of the poems deal with spirituality, it¿s not all warm fuzzies. The poems are like real life. Faith, doubt, joy, sadness, fear. It¿s all in there. I appreciate the honesty in these poems. They make sense to me. They affirmed my belief that the spiritual isn¿t just found in church, but in every aspect of life. We just have to open our eyes to see it! The Collapse of Time has encouraged me on my walk of faith, and I¿m just thankful that I decided to buy it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 27, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    Mark Odland¿s book The Collapse of Time is definitely a must read. As I read this book I was surprised because it read almost like a devotional. It inspired me, but it also challenged me. It made me ask questions about why I believe what I believe. Honestly, it made me uncomfortable at times because I usually am not the type to get too philosophical. But I believe these were questions I needed to ask. I needed to ask myself what it meant to have faith, and what it meant to doubt. It made me realize that I¿ve been too willing to just watch life go by. This book reminded me that I need to pursue my relationship with God with the same energy I put into my family and career. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to read it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 17, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    I was pleasantly surprised by Mark Odland¿s book The Collapse of Time. His poems cover the full range of human emotion, and some of them hit pretty close to home when I read them. Mr. Odland has put into words feelings that I¿ve always had but was never able to fully express. He has a way of getting at the core of his feelings without using too many words. His poems about faith, travel, nature, and love are beautiful to read. His poems about his wife are so full of love and passion, and his authentic spirituality shines throughout all his poems. Mark Odland certainly seems to have experienced God in amazing ways, but at the same time, he isn¿t afraid to show the times when he had his doubts. His honesty made the poems come alive. I loved this book!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 18, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    This book was packed full of refreshing poetry. As a fellow poet, it's fun to see an artist taking some risks and breaking out of the box. The poems alone in this book make it well worth purchasing. However, the questions before each poem seemed disconnected, and I didn't find them particularly helpful. But all in all, a great book. If you're looking for poetry that's raw and fresh, The Collapse of Time is hard to beat. Well worth the money!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 20, 2004

    Collapse Of Time

    The overarching goal of this book seems to be to draw the reader into a deeper relationship with God. The poems help us understand that God is not content with leaving us as we are. We are meant to change. We are meant to grow spiritually as we live this journey called life. I¿m not particularly fond of organized religion, but this book triggered memories deep within me from my childhood. Memories from a time of innocence, when it was okay to ask questions and be completely honest. A time when I felt the warmth of God¿s love around me, no strings attached. This book is back to the basics. It¿s not about religion; it¿s about a personal relationship with our Creator.

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