I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining
I believe in love, even when feeling it not
I believe in God, even when God is silent
[An unbelievably awesome song, inspired by words scrawled on a cellar wall where Jews had hidden in Nazi Germany]
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
"My Utmost for His Highest," March 6 entry:
"When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the gospel.
Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lose interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with its trivial tasks.
The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you.
Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ in John 13:1-17 ."
Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lose interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with its trivial tasks.
The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you.
Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ in John 13:1-17 ."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
this is what happens when i feel guilty about neglecting my blog
My thoughts are far too scattered for an intelligent or even coherent blog. So here are some self-observations that will have to hold me over until I can be a responsible, introspective blogger:
§ Pretzels make me sick. I get this from my mom. But I eat them in large quantities anyway. I get that from Mom too.
§ My secret ambition is to become fluent in a fictional language (such as elvish) and devote my entire life and career to the mastery of that language. Then, when an epic movie trilogy is made that uses that language, I can be the person that gets invited to interviews that will be aired in the 6+ hours of special DVD features … not that I have ever watched 6+ hours of special DVD features and seen interviews with a fictional language expert in them … [hangs head now that secret ambition is not-so-secret anymore]
§ I really like the number 5 and multiples of it. Unless it’s 14 or 19 or 28—I really like those three numbers (3 is a great number, too). But I do not like 2. Or 4, 8, or 11 either. Especially 4. It is a smug number. (I like 9 as well … you can make a perfect square when you have 9 objects … I really respect that about the number 9) ...
§ I am an interrupter, and I use brackets, dashes, and parentheses to do so. Dashes are for straight-up interruptions—I have a horrible memory and I forget stuff if I have to wait to say what I am thinking. Parentheses are used for clarification purposes (just in case I don’t think I’m clear enough). And brackets are used to narrate for myself … I may or may not hold up hands around my face to make brackets while I talk, just so I can be super-animated [rolls eyes at ridiculosity of the idea of narrating for herself]
§ My favorite animals include but are not limited to the following: pigs, primates, squirrels, platypi, and penguinos (flamingos, koalas, and giraffes also make that list).
§ One day I will own a golden retriever. He will wear a plaid collar and I will call him Patrick O’Flannigan.
§ I have never felt more irresponsible than I am feeling right now ... The fact that I have 30pg paper and a history test this week are probably contributing to that guilt
[gives up on thinking of witty conclusion to blog so she can go to sleep and avoid thinking about her irresponsible time-management habits]
§ Pretzels make me sick. I get this from my mom. But I eat them in large quantities anyway. I get that from Mom too.
§ My secret ambition is to become fluent in a fictional language (such as elvish) and devote my entire life and career to the mastery of that language. Then, when an epic movie trilogy is made that uses that language, I can be the person that gets invited to interviews that will be aired in the 6+ hours of special DVD features … not that I have ever watched 6+ hours of special DVD features and seen interviews with a fictional language expert in them … [hangs head now that secret ambition is not-so-secret anymore]
§ I really like the number 5 and multiples of it. Unless it’s 14 or 19 or 28—I really like those three numbers (3 is a great number, too). But I do not like 2. Or 4, 8, or 11 either. Especially 4. It is a smug number. (I like 9 as well … you can make a perfect square when you have 9 objects … I really respect that about the number 9) ...
§ I am an interrupter, and I use brackets, dashes, and parentheses to do so. Dashes are for straight-up interruptions—I have a horrible memory and I forget stuff if I have to wait to say what I am thinking. Parentheses are used for clarification purposes (just in case I don’t think I’m clear enough). And brackets are used to narrate for myself … I may or may not hold up hands around my face to make brackets while I talk, just so I can be super-animated [rolls eyes at ridiculosity of the idea of narrating for herself]
§ My favorite animals include but are not limited to the following: pigs, primates, squirrels, platypi, and penguinos (flamingos, koalas, and giraffes also make that list).
§ One day I will own a golden retriever. He will wear a plaid collar and I will call him Patrick O’Flannigan.
§ I have never felt more irresponsible than I am feeling right now ... The fact that I have 30pg paper and a history test this week are probably contributing to that guilt
[gives up on thinking of witty conclusion to blog so she can go to sleep and avoid thinking about her irresponsible time-management habits]
Friday, February 13, 2009
faith, deeds, and a giant two-by-four: act i, scene ii...
CARRIE: “My greatest desire is to return to Africa. My greatest fear is that I never will.” [mopes]
GOD: [slaps her across with the two-by-four of Opportunity-If-You’re-Willing-To-Take-The-Initiative-Fueled-By-Faith]
END SCENE, TO BE CONTINUED IN HIS TIME BY HER INITIAIVE
GOD: [slaps her across with the two-by-four of Opportunity-If-You’re-Willing-To-Take-The-Initiative-Fueled-By-Faith]
END SCENE, TO BE CONTINUED IN HIS TIME BY HER INITIAIVE
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
dear february 4th (today's pertinent definitions)
awkward (adj): socially uncomfortable, unsure and constrained in manner
meeting (n): a casual or unexpected convergence
hindsight (n): an understanding of the nature of an event after it has happened
funny (adj): amusing, arousing or provoking laughter
meeting (n): a casual or unexpected convergence
hindsight (n): an understanding of the nature of an event after it has happened
funny (adj): amusing, arousing or provoking laughter
Thursday, January 1, 2009
because i'm an english lit. major who can quote one who says it best...
"In Memoriam A.H.H."
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
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