a beautiful weekend away

Hey everyone!

I'm currently in Iowa typing this out on Jared's computer. We are here for the weekend to attend Jared's wedding tomorrow. We spent all day in the car: left the house at about 8 am and made *several* stops throughout the day for gas/bathroom/food stops. We arrived here at Jared's apartment at about 7 (our time). Jon and I sat in the back watching movies nearly the whole way here and I'm sad to see that there won't be many movies left for the trip back. I guess that makes time for me to get semi-caught up on my very behind Algebra and do some grammar too. Library books got brought and weren't even touched today as well. The countryside here is beautiful but very flat and there are numerous fields along the highway. There are less trees here too. Tomorrow we will drive over to Nebraska for the wedding in the afternoon, come back to Iowa for the night, and then leave on Sunday to return home. That's all for now! See ya when I get back, peeps!

Need I say more?

I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness which He has bestowed...according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His loving kindnesses.

Isaiah 63:7

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Excerpt from "Answering the Guy Questions" by Leslie Ludy

"So what exactly is a warrior-poet?

A warrior-poet has made a sacred covenant with his holy King. He has chosen to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ. He no longer lives to please his own selfish desires. He lives to please his Lord. He is not seeking to draw attention to himself but to draw all eyes to Jesus. As John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30). That's the motto of the warrior-poet's life.

When I was first getting to know Eric, I saw a marked difference between the way he treated me and the way almost every other guy on the planet did. For one thing, he wasn't pursuing the opposite sex. He was pursuing Christ. The majority of his time was spent in prayer, in biblical study, and in serving God's kingdom on the mission field. In spite of his dynamic personality, he never sought to gain applause or be the center of attention. He didn't seek out attractive young women. Rather, he sought out the loners and the outcasts; those whom no one paid attention to. At a party or church get-together, he would often spend his entire evening in a corner, encouraging someone that everyone else had overlooked. Money had no hold on him. While other young men his age pursued success and wealth, Eric gave his money away and depended upon God alone for provision. I vividly remember one time when a money-hungry, multilevel marketer cornered Eric and asked him what kind of car he dreamed about driving. Eric shrugged and said, "I just need a car that runs." The salesman was stunned that Eric wasn't pining after a BMW like every other college-age guy he knew.

Eric didn't flirt - with me or any other girl. He'd made a commitment to honor and respect his future wife. Even in his friendships with girls, though he was friendly, he was careful not to draw their hearts toward them. He was set apart - first for Christ and then for his future wife.

Not long before I met him, God had taken Eric through a process of laying down every "idol" in his life. In college he'd been in a premed program, at the top of his class. In the midst of all his forward momentum, God asked him to lay down his money and career pursuits and give his life to the mission field. Eric's obedience caused many raised eyebrows among his peers - but his spiritual life went from mediocre to vibrant in a matter of weeks. He was extremely athletic - a soccer player and weightlifter. He was an impeccable dresser - always wearing the absolute latest styles. He was popular without even trying to be - elected homecoming king in both high school and college. God asked him to lay those things at the cross of Christ and even be willing to appear a fool to the world for the sake of the One who gave everything for him. Instead of leaning upon his own strength, prestige, style, appearance, or personality, he learned to lean on Christ alone.

It was Eric’s willingness to lay down everything for Christ that shaped him into a warrior-poet. As he laid down all worldly allurements and learned to love his Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, he became a mighty, valiant, loving, compassionate man of God. No longer was he just a church-going, self-focused male with a Christian label. He was radically abandoned to the King of the universe – and every area of his life exuded the glory of Christ.

Every time I was around Eric, I found that afterward I was not thinking about Eric Ludy. I was thinking about Jesus Christ. Often after spending an hour or two listening to him passionately talk about the Word of God, I ended up in my room with my Bible, eagerly pouring over the Scriptures and seeking to know Christ more. Unlike anyone I had ever known, Eric Ludy drew me closer to Jesus. In fact, his example was a key factor in my own decision to live a radically surrendered life for Christ.

There are lots of guys that demonstrate Christian qualities at first glance, but in reality they fall far short of the warrior-poet standard. Before Eric’s radical surrender to Christ, he would have come across as a wonderful, passionate, godly young man. He was committed to saving sex until marriage. He was committed to living an upright life of hard work and integrity. He was polite and well-mannered. He didn’t drink or do drugs. His language was clean.

But self still ruled his existence. He wasn’t consumed with Jesus Christ. He was consumed with selfish desires. Though he was governed by Christian morals, his life was built around the pursuit of worldly attractions and allurements – pursuing money, success, and the applause of men. He was the typical Christian male. Most Christian girls would have seen him as an amazing catch. But God had so much more in mind regarding his masculinity. And I thank God ever day that Eric was willing to stand up and answer the call of Christ.”

Wow…as I read this for the first time I can truly tell that she was in love with this man she called her husband. She is not afraid to say that once he was nothing but a selfish male, seeking his own ambitious future. It is only through the grace and love of Christ that we can look to God instead of ourselves…to look outside instead of inside. I especially love how she spoke about how Eric turned her to think more and more about Christ, to leave her pouring over Scripture in her room. She didn’t spend hours in her room dreaming of how he said this or did this...that would have insinuated that he spent a lot of his time with her showing off and trying to impress her. It would have also assumed that she was a simple being, dreaming of things that are not yet; wasting time that God gave her in order to spend it day dreaming about a guy.

These two people, now drawn together and married, have drastically inspired me not to spend time dreaming about the latest cute guy I met, what he said, what he did, what could be between us. But rather, it has inspired me to seek after the heart of God more. How more honoring of my future husband is it to use productive hours of the day simply dreaming about that guy that I bumped into and he showed a little bit of interest in me. I want to save my heart, protect it. God alone is trustworthy enough to handle my heart until the day I say, “I do”. I thank God that I have two parents who help me towards this end. I am also so very thankful for Leslie Ludy and her husband for not only glorifying God through their relationship both before and after their marriage, but to share it freely and openly with their readers. God is a truly a gracious God to share such beautiful Christian love stories such as these. How can spending my days dreaming away the hours before God brings a warrior-poet into my life lead me closer to my Heavenly Father?

another poem I wrote during church (I'm such a heathen!) and a few random thoughts/verses

Does he know how I watch him?

Carefully, secretly observing his life.

Would he be frightened under my scrutiny?

Would he guess at my motives?

Will he every truly know

How passionately my thoughts lie?

My feelings running deeply now

And every growing strong.

How can a mortal appear so perfect

Yet I understand that flaws do live.

They've still to surface, still to appear

But I've yet to observe them.

Some still say that I should have hope

He may see my love in time.

But I both know and half-way accept

His heart belongs elsewhere.

*God does everything in His own way and in His own time. He will not be rushed, even death cannot hurry Him. Death holds no sway because God rules over death.*

Habakkuk 3:19

The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

My amazing weekend :)

Alright...well it all began on Friday when Mr. Jagt, Philip, Toria, and Leah came and picked me up from Faith Bible. We drove home...mostly in silence but with some talking. We got there, had some dinner (rice and such) and then we watched Get Smart. Ahhh that movie has some really good laughs in there! We all sort of headed off to bed then. I woke up late (due to a stubborn alarm clock that refused to work) and got ready for the day. We had a good breakfast of pancakes and buckled down on school (I know...it's a Saturday and I'm crazy). I got a good headstart for next week and at this point don't even need to do Algebra till Wednesday (not like I can wait that long!). After that we all sort of hung out at the computer until I was asked to give back/neck massages. Lunch time followed with delicious tomato soup!! Salvation Army called to us and I left very pleased with a new pair of jeans and some quality couch sitting time. Mrs. Jagt was driving us around (us being Philip, Toria, and I). We all arrived home starving and ate some rice and chili type thing. It was so good! Dishes followed...and then skyping with Miranda and Izzy until late. Late nights, early mornings, good food, a relaxing time, great conversations, tons of laughs, amazing people...it was such a great weekend!

Ok who am I?

I am a young lady growing into a woman. A woman's prerogative is to change her mind! I've been praying a lot and thinking about how to fit everything in my schedule. Last night...He provided a solution. I will be doing HPA this year and will be joining HSMA the second semester. I really believe this is where God is leading me and am so thankful to everyone for their prayers! This week has been extremely stressful and I've been completely overwhelmed. If you talked to me at all this past week you probably understand! Thanks for the prayers!

Update on HPA

I have thought and prayed through the option of doing HPA or not. Yesterday I decided not to do it this year...which would have been my last year. I would appreciate any and all prayers for acceptance for this decision. Thanks, y'all.

Whom shall I trust but Thee?

I have been told on several accounts that I trust far too many people and far too often. Whether this is true or not, I know I can trust a specific Someone without fail. The HPA cast list came out early this morning and I woke up the very moment the email was sent to my inbox...I know this was God's plan and will. I was extremely disappointed when I didn't get any of the roles I had wanted to. Now, before the cast list came out, I had made a choice to not do HPA if I didn't get in or get on the devotions committee. This is because since this is my senior year I will already be very busy and need to prioritize my time better. As of right now it's very probable I won't do HPA, but there is a slight chance. The Lord's Will is ultimate however, and I must rely upon that for comfort. I must trust wholly upon my Savior to know what's best for me. To round off this post I'd like to add some "trusting" Bible verses. They will guard me and my heart for the upcoming weeks as I prepare to submit entirely to my God and King.

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ”

Psalm 118:8

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 31:14-15

“But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand;”

Psalm 20: 7-8

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”

Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 22:4

“Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.”

Isaiah 50:10 “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

Psalm 46:1

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 59:16

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

Isaiah 40:28-29
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Nehemiah 8:10
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

Yes, I stole this...

I found this beautiful poem...written by one of my friends. I stole it without him knowing but it was so absolutely stunning that it brought tears to my eyes. Enjoy!

They shot him down and he fell to his knees
Crying to the world, "somebody help me please!"

He begged for mercy and they tore him apart
He took a bullet straight through the heart

Before they killed him he did one thing
He made a promise to a girl by giving her ring


She watched him die as he fell to the ground
Not a tear was shed and there wasn't a sound

She walked up to the killers and and she gave them a look
She said she forgave them for the life they took

She told them about the man who paid their price
And on that day they met Christ

the early bird?

So today I'm up much earlier then I usually am and decided today will be a big day for me. I'm up early so I am a little more tired then usual with a headache thrown in the mix, but after some water and some food, I'm sure it'll be all fixed. I want to get a lot accomplished today. My mum needs more help around the house and I spend too much time lazing about just reading books and playing on my iPod so today will be a big day of doing stuff for her and just cleaning up in general. I found this beautiful psalm this morning that speaks of dominion being given to men and how we are to take it and use it to the best of God's glory. I want to post that here for y'all to enjoy! :)

Psalm 8:4-9

⁴What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

⁵For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

⁶Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

⁷All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

⁸The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

David was blessed

One of my favorite books of the Bible is definitely Psalms. The book just breathes the words of peace into your heart as you read them. Both repentance and peace. They can easily convict you of your sin and your wickedness but turn around and just as easily sooth you as a Father would a hurt and sorry child. This is the one book I can turn to when I'm troubled or stressed or anything and I leave feeling 100%. God is such a great Father and He does know exactly what is right for any child that needs guidance or peace and calming. One of my first Psalms I memorized was Psalm 103...it's so beautiful and it covers many grounds. It has really come across in these years to me and made me remember my blessings. Ah, the things you learn in Sunday School really do come back and assist you in the years to come!

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Future...is future

So lately I've really been thinking more and more about getting a degree in the library field and going to work more full time somewhere...but that requires a degree (duh) and go away to college. There are only two colleges in MI that offer that kind of degree. U of M and Wayne State. I would never submit myself to U of M...for obvious reasons that I'm a firm and devout State fan, but I would really enjoy attending Wayne State. Last night I researched Wayne State a little...I'd be gone from home a distance of a little under 2 hours. So I'd have to board down there. I'm still praying about this...it's all in the works, but I ran some numbers last night and am really at a loss of how to get all the money for it. Today I spent some quality devotional time and came across this Psalm...reading it slowly helped me out a lot and I found that God spoke this especially to me today. I want to post it here. Not all the verses directly applied, but some did and those were the ones that really struck me.

Psalm 37

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
²⁰ But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.

²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
²⁸ For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.

³² The wicked watches the righteous,
And seeks to slay him.
³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴ Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
³⁶ Yet he passed away,^[a] and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.

School? Busy?

I am contemplating whether to begin school or not this week...I'm a little bored...but whenever I'm bored it seems like I'm not bored. And whenever I'm not bored it seems like I am. I'm always doing something? But at the same time I'm not doing something vitally important. Hmm...decisions!

Beautiful books!

So just lately because of my job at the library, I have been getting much more books then I would have usually gotten. I saw this one author that looked like she wrote good books and they also appeared to be Christian fiction. Now...most Christian fiction I have read in the past is mushy nonsense that mixes Christianity with conformity so it ends up not coming across as Christianity in the least. But I got this book, hopeful that it might be different. Lord be praised, it was! The first book I read was the retelling of Rebecca, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Leah, and Rachel. It was such a beautiful story and I found my eyes filled with tears at the end. I didn't have the second book in the sequel, but I did have the third so I began that yesterday. I can honestly say that I couldn't put it down. This one was the story of Dinah, Shechem, Levi, and Simeon (with Leah and Jacob added in too). This book was even better then the first one...I was absolutely sobbing by the end. There have been plenty of sad movies and books that I've read in the past, but I've never ever cried as hard as I did last night. It was just so moving and also so sad that you can't help but cry! The author is Liz Curtis Higgs and the first book was Thorn in my Heart, the second book is Grace in Thine eyes. Beautiful books and I fully recommend them to you!

oh and...

I feel the need to let you all know that I did get the job I had been praying for! I now work at the Charlotte Community Library and am so blessed by it. Getting to know all the ladies there and also growing in my work experience has been so amazing! The steady income with the combined advantage of free movies and new books I'd never seen before is something I really appreciate. God is so bounteous and merciful. I truly can't imagine a better job and God granted me this all! Praise God from whom *all* blessings flow!

The Beauty of Baptism and other adventures

Last week was full…full of surprises and fun times! My 16^th birthday was last Sunday (a week and a day ago) and I spent it with my church family in the morning and my biological family (grandparents) in the evening. I had such a great time celebrating not only my birthday but my grandma’s, which is the day after mine.

Monday, I woke up early and was told I had a “doctor’s appointment”. My mum drove me up to the Mason area but dropped me off at the Ingham County Fair to spend the day with Madison. We both had so much fun. She had several horse shows throughout the day and it was nice to finally be able to see her show. We didn’t have a ton of time to hang out or do much, but what time we did have was so much fun. Then I had my real doctor’s appointment before coming home and simply crashing.

Tuesday was a bit more relaxed. I woke up late and kind of lazed around until 11 or so when Rachel took me up to Lansing for some sisterly “shopping” which consisted of dropping me off at Emily’s house. We spent the next few hours just talking and talking. It was nice to finally be able to catch up with her and get to take pictures of her! Also, I got to go to work (I love my job).

Wednesday, phew, I still say that with a smile…I was kidnapped for the first time in my whole life. Not only that, but it was done with me blindfolded. At 9 am on the dot, I was promptly blindfolded by my gleeful siblings and grabbed and stuffed into our van. Just as we pulled out of the driveway the blindfold was pulled off to reveal Libby! She had me for the majority of the day. We headed straight up to the Eastwood Town Center and watched the newest Winnie the Pooh (you all better be really jealous at this point). Oh. My. Word. It was so amazing! I had totally forgotten just how fantastic Pooh is! Well, not just Pooh, but Winnie the Pooh in general! After that we went over and hung out at Schuler’s for a bit just browsing. Lunch was spent at Johnny Rocket’s (a sort of retro place with coke signs on the wall and booths and stools at the counter where you can eat and all that amazing cool old stuff) and boy, that was so different and FUN. I want to go back! We then went over to American Eagle and just browsed there too before heading home. It was a very exciting day.

Thursday was much more relaxed…no super big surprises. I just had fun cleaning and reading books and such. I also began to prepare for HPA auditions. That evening, however, my mum took me out to get ice cream with my da at Dairy Queen.

Friday, I got to be home alone for the morning and most of the afternoon because other people were out and about at auditions and work and such. I had my HPA auditions from 4-7 with a call back from 7:30-10. Honestly, I don’t want to think or talk about how I did or how I think I went or anything related to that until the cast list comes out. I don’t want to form any kind of opinion on how I did until that point. But it was so nice to be able to see all my friends again! I got home late to be surprised with Toria spending the weekend! We stayed up a little late (or early, take your pick) just talking and getting all caught up.

Saturday was a busy day. The morning involved a tiny bit of work. My da had a couple guys over to help get our old sliding back door out and put a nice shiny new one in. I left for work with Toria and was away for a while. Work was so much fun because...well, it was “Fun Day” at the library. I had to wear these little kids plastic star sunglasses most of the time and little stretchy bracelet. We left from there with Rakie and Jon to get some Subway and go shopping! We went to Goodwill and I was so happy with the clothes I got there. Next stop: Biggbys. After that we headed home and just did chores and work for the rest of the day before watching Letters to Juliet and Night and Day. Another night was before us so we did spend most of it up talking again. I love that girl; I’m just going to put that out there!

Sunday was well spent also. Church was so beautiful…I still can’t get over it. We had two people become members of the church and their five children baptized along with communion and the regular service. Never the less, I don’t know what it was but during the baptisms I had tears spring to my eyes…I don’t normally get that emotional during church, but it was so touching to me to be reminded of how great our baptisms are. They form us and shape us to become the individual we turn out to be. Watching those children as they stood, unknowing of the grandness that was behind it all, I was touched by just how great, forgiving, and merciful our God is to us. Those moments are the ones I treasure always and I have a feeling that this feeling of awe and speechlessness at God’s grandeur is not something likely to pass quickly. Even tonight as I sat in evening church I was once again taken back by the situation of God’s love towards us. It was so great and magnificent that I know I will be on fire for Him and ready to jump out of bed every single Sunday for a long time eager to go and just grow in Christ. The “on fire” moments are so amazing and I thank God for my church and my church family. I left thinking to myself, “It was good to be in the house of the Lord!” May God grant you such “on fire” moments. Last night, I also began to organize our bookshelf since I've begun this new library job and am all about the organizing of books. That took a very long time and is still not completely finished, but I do feel as if it were much more organized then before.

a response to a recent Facebook status that I wasn't allowed to post

I find it humorous how debaters against Stephen are all attacking Stephen rather violently while turning around to speak about how we must love and accept homosexuals and/or gays. Isn’t that a tad contradictory? Aren’t you being picky with who you choose to love and speak kindly to?

The government’s main priority right now is to gain complete control of the people which is begun with the mind. They train the mind to think a certain way and they can eventually take over without a fight. They infiltrate their devious ideas into the public schools…into children growing and learning and forming an opinion on the world. This is one reason why public schools should be shut down. The government’s goal at the moment is to get us to all believe that being different is ok. Not being Biblical is ok. Therefore it’s ok if you’re gay…it’s ok if you’re Muslim…we’ll still accept you. The only way to raise children with a full education that glorifies the Lord while training their minds to think in Christian ways and not with a socialistic mindset is to homeschool them.

The Bible does cover the issue of homosexuality very clearly…many times whether you choose to see it or not. When God says “A man shall leave his parents and shall cleave to his wife” shouldn’t he just also include as a P.S. “and he can also cleave to his husband.”? No…so do we just get to slide that in between the paragraphs? NO. God’s word is clear and very complete. It means just what it says and nothing is to be added to that.

God made man…God made woman. He made no feminine men and no masculine women. He mad no half-breeds of women and men. He made no in betweens. He made them man and woman. No person is born a homosexual…it is purely a choice.

Are you going to accept everyone for the person they are? Are you going to accept the person who rapes you because they are just born with that instinct? Are you going to accept the murderer who killed your parents because that’s just who they are? Are you going to accept the person who going against God’s clear law because they just are that way and we are commanded to “love them”?

If you love something you must hate its opposite. If you love sin then you must hate good. Is being a homosexual good? Is it really? Well if God’s word condemns it, it probably isn’t good, right? So let’s get an answer to 1+1. We are called to turn away from sin…rebuke those who dwell in it and wallow around with it like pigs in mud. Homosexuality is a choice…not something you are born with. They choose to live every day of their life in that mud, and we are called to warn them of their sin but if they will not listen then to leave them be to enjoy that muck and mire. It will turn out to be their own hell because no one can truly enjoy sin.

Rape is rape…against men or little boys as opposed to women makes *no* difference. All is evil and should be abhorred.

One way I’ve noticed you love to jab at Stephen is by calling him ignorant, being mean, cruel, unjust or even “not using your brain”, “smart ass” or “on crack”. That’s the general idea I’m getting…am I right?

I wrote up a paper and did a complete study on this next subject so please don’t call me ignorant in this arena. Scripture clearly states that the father is the head of the household…the leader. He is to “train up his children” and to guide them to the paths of righteousness…not as a savior or a salvation, but as a leader and director to God’s will. It’s just his job. So now why should he ship his children off to a class led by a teacher who has different views and teaches them in an unbiblical setting all day every week day? Isn’t that going against God’s direct instruction for a father?

God does not mince words with those dwelling, living, and basking in sin. They go to hell. No big shocker there. I think we know those who sin and do not repent go to hell…if you don’t agree with that…wow. Ok but moving on…when we accept homosexuals for who they are and the choices they’ve made (or if you’d prefer to call it the nature they were born with) we are in essence encouraging them to live in sin because it’s ok…we’ll still love you and accept you. Are you going to tell a murder “Hey, it’s ok…I’ll still accept you if you kill all my friends and family”? NO, you’ll hate him and condemn him for his great sin. Homosexuality is still a sin. Now are you going to go get your “sin scales” out and say that murder is a direct violation of the 10 commandments and as such is worse then homosexuality (if you even agree that’s a sin.)? Ha…that one is just laughable. There are no black, white, and gray sins. They are all as black as you can get. There are no lesser sins…if I commit 2 gray sins and a white sin, am I more righteous then you who may commit 2 black sins and 2 white sins? That’s just absolutely dumb if you agree with that. There are no lesser or greater sins. All are equal. Homosexuality is sin.

Tessa, you said “Haha like I said the words here are actually very ambiguous and probably referring to male prostitutes and pederasty! Search it up.” I’m very happy you included the word “probably” or else something else would be coming your way. I’m also glad you don’t claim to know the Bible that well. The Bible is not code. It’s not in a foreign language…God says what He says for a reason. When he says the word “sodomite” or “homosexual” I’m pretty sure it’s not some code word for “male prostitution”. He would have said that if He meant it. And yes, I have heard of gays with AIDS purposefully giving blood in order to get it spread around. It’s not just some figment of Stephen’s imagination or something he’s making up. I don’t believe it’s very correct for you to jab at Stephen hinting that he may be scared that’s he’s wrong. It’s always best to know your sources and not act like a “know it all” like most of you are doing. He simply wants to point you in the right direction. Be appreciative of help. Or should I say…be accepting of him for who he is? Sound familiar? Also, your sarcasm does you no flattery, I should let you know.

Tessa, women are not leaders. Men are the ultimate leaders and as such should be the leaders not only in their homes but at church. You cannot surely call me a sexist when I say that women have no right to speak out at church, but rather consult their husband or father in their home. Women should never be preachers, pastors, or elders in any circumstance or situation. That is simply not their place. It’s not slavery and it shouldn’t be a task for you (unless you are unbiblical). Women are far more biased then men are and can be very easily deceived. Obviously we are all fallen and as such we all make mistakes. But women do tend to fall easier prey to many things.

God hates…get used to it. There’s no way you can ignore the hundreds of verses speaking of God’s wrath and hatred. Oh or will you just pass them up by saying that God hates the sin but loves the sinner? Wow…dumb. And abhor does mean hate. Look it up…they’re synonyms.

Scripture is the ultimate go to when seeking correction. I advise you to start there if you have questions. If you want to call me a coward by all means go for it.

Devotion

Our culture has set a predictable pattern for beginning relationships today. We are familiar with the routine: We see someone we are attracted to, our eyes meet theirs, we conveniently end up in a conversation with them, we spend a couple of days or weeks flirting until one of us finally admits we’d like to go out, and we start an emotions-led dating relationship in which we always try to present our best side to the other person. Even Christian relationships tend to follow this pattern; the only difference is that we say Jesus Christ is at the center and attempt to prove that fact by praying together, attending church together, and putting a few boundaries around our physical interaction.

But when emotions are leading the way, spiritual oneness cannot be developed. When we are careening along on the unpredictable river of feelings, the current takes control and sweeps us in whatever direction it wants to. We are no longer able to allow Christ to be in total control of the relationship. The other dangerous aspect to consider is that emotional oneness—at its peak—desires to be expressed through physical touch. When emotions are allowed to run rampant, physical temptation becomes all the more intense and harder to control.

The great thing about first having a season of Christ-centered friendship is that a spiritual foundation can begin to develop before those emotions ever get in the way. In a friendship, there is not as much temptation to present only our best side to the other person in hopes that they will like us. We are free to simply be ourselves. We are able to see the other person for who they really are—rather than a smoothed-over, third-date version of their real self. In a friendship, we can tell far more easily if we are on the same page with the other person spiritually, by observing his life in an everyday environment, watching how he treats others, listening to the words he says, and noticing where he puts his time and energy. And if something more is going to happen in the relationship, we can allow our spiritual connection to draw us together, rather than mere physical or emotional attraction. Emotional and physical intimacy can be enjoyed at their fullest when spiritual intimacy comes first.

Immense Love...how can it be??

A couple Sundays ago during church, I had things just jumping out at me from everywhere. It was very amazing and at first I didn't realize the pieces of the puzzle falling into place...how slow can one human be?! The first thing that I specifically remember that really impacted me was when we were singing "And Can It Be"...the chorus made an impression:

Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Just those words ringing in my head caused tears to come to my eyes. How *can* it be? Why, God? His love towards us is so great and incomprehensible that it amazes me! But that wasn't where it stopped! Our sermon focused on a passage from 1 John. I typically can't focus on something if I'm not doing something else. So while listening to the sermon I also browsed around in the book of 1 John. The first verse that I laid eyes on was this:

1 John 3:1a
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

As I continued browsing around 1 John I came across several others:

1 John 2:15
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

1 John 3:16,18, This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:7-12, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 5:2-3 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

I know this last one isn't from 1 John, but it's one of my favorites that demonstrates God's immense love for us.

Song of Songs 8:7a Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.

Those were just some really key points that jumped out at me and caused me to look deeper to the real cause within...God speaking words of love to me through His marvelous Scripture. If we simply take the time to look with a passion and desire to learn and be taught, we can be shown so much more then just simple thoughts like these. May God's love be with you today.

God's blessings

Today is one of those days where your eyes are opened to truth...you can see how clearly how merciful God is! Today I woke up and just the whole of outside seemed to be screaming God's glory...like in the Psalms where it says the heavens declare the handiwork of God! I love those passages that speak about how the rocks cry out to God, the mountains leap like rams at the wrath of God, and the waters flee from His presence. It reminds me that God is in entire control of the weather, of all the nature surrounding us. On a car ride with my mum this morning the clouds just struck me. They were so intriguing and fascinating! I heard today one of my friends has turned to Christ at last and is now a Christian! I was so happy I had to just run around with joy and giddiness at the sheer happiness of it all! God is SO good and I can see how there is rejoicing amongst the angels when one repents and turns to God. That was SUCH a huge blessing and I won't get over that for a long time. Also, I just received word that I may have an interview with a job I've wanted for a while. God...you are GREAT. I cannot get over that. I am so full of joy and life today that it can only be given to God alone. May He work in me to influence people around me and bring nothing but glory to His name alone!

This morning

Ok readers,

I want your opinion. Should I do longer posts about things that suddenly strike me throughout my day i.e. guy girl relationships, the roles of men and women in a culture etc. or should I write up littler posts just skimming the topic or maybe whatever is going on in my life? Which is more inviting to read?

Thank you for reading, and for your opinions. If any of you read this any time soon I would love any and all prayers. I go in for some blood tests in just a few minutes. Thanks!

How serious (a.k.a. foolish) can you be??

I was recently talking to a good friend of mine and we got to talking about relationships. After discussing what relationships should look like and how they should advance, she said to me, "Well, I think you're old enough to date, but not to think about marriage." That is truly a contradiction. Dating in today's culture is defined as various relationships in which you get involved and eventually break up. It is to provide momentary pleasure and you know deep in your heart that it won't last but you hold on for the reason that you want to feel love. This is the dumbest thing I ever heard of...how can someone enter into a relationship with a level head knowing that it won't be anything serious enough to consider marriage, but serious enough so that you give away your heart entirely to this person. How is that logical? If you are truly mature enough (who of us are?) you will enter into a relationship fully prepared to end it in "till death do us part." How can one be old enough to date, but not to think about marriage? Marriage is to go hand in hand with dating (or whatever you want to call it, I prefer courting). Do yourself a favor and don't enter into any relationship (whether you think it's serious or not) without even considering marriage. God doesn't wish us to get hurt, but often it's the best way to learn from our foolish mistakes and grow up. I watch as so many of my young (and older) teenage friends "hook up" cuz they're "in love". A month later, two if they're special, they'll break up and come crying to me telling how they were so "compatible and in love". Now they both hurt because of the one foolish mistake to not look ahead but rather to focus solely upon the selfish desires of the heart. What our culture needs is a whole new mindset about how to deal with our relationships which can only happen after our focus turns from ourselves to God alone. His glory is what must be sought after through our relationships and this will create relationships like none other. People will look at us and earnestly seek after what we have. To God be the glory!

My lover

Lately I have been thinking more and more about the fact that Christ is the true lover of my soul. How amazing is it to wake up every morning thinking about how He soothes my soul, sings to me songs of romance, quickens my hearts with His tenderness, holds me and kisses the pain away when I cannot bear it, and gives me such rich presents that I cannot even think of repaying. Think of the prettiest sunset, the sweetest words of a friend, the most generous act of a person, the smell of rain after a thunderstorm, the loveliest flower, the best meal, the most passionate song, etc. Insert whatever you want, but the meaning is still there. Those, my friend, are the gifts that your Lover gives to you. Your Father, your Savior, your Lover, your very Bestfriend, your Judge, your Provider, your Maker, your Hope, your Healer, your King, your Servant, your Wisdom, your Peace, your Redemption, and your All in All. Whenever I read through the book Song of Songs, I can just imagine God sitting down, pen in hand, to write His beloved (me!) this love letter. I can imagine Him sitting outside my window singing it to me late at night. I can imagine Him thinking up the most romantic and sweetest ideas like a little butterfly landing on my shoulder as I'm watering my garden first thing in the morning. And maybe this all just sounds absolutely insane...the ravings of a lunatic...but I mean all of this. Lately I have fallen head over heals with my Lord and I'll tell you, it is ...haha I totally blanked out because...you know those times when you want to describe something but there are no words in English or any other language to truly convey the feelings that apply to the thing you're describing? ...that's what I feel. It is amazing...awesome...breathtaking...captivating...those come *no* where close to explaining the feelings I have for this new found Lover of my soul. I am listening to a song right now, and I am actually crying...I never thought I'd do this let alone tell anyone, but here I am posting this. I am led to tell you this because crying has been know to happen when one is moved so emotionally that they cannot help but express it in any other way. And I know...I don't know how...but God sent that song to me, today, right now...so I could possibly convey to you just a portion of this great and majestic feeling. Any of you who really know me would know that although I can be dramatic I am rarely super emotional...especially to tears...but God showed me that my role as a young woman is to be emotional...He is there and He will comfort me when it is unnecessary to be emotional, but this...this is a good emotional. I thank God for each of you reading this. May He bless and instruct every move of yours from this moment on. I pray for each of you.

My future?

Hello all...it's been sometime since I've posted something of good use on here. I hope to be posting more during the summer due to "free time". I do have a quick prayer request that I would love for you to stop and think about if only for a moment. I'm debating on my future right now, college or no. I've always really wanted to go, but I feel like God is telling me "no". I'm just at a loss of what to do right now (which is very rare for me) and I would appreciate any and all prayers! God bless you throughout your day in whatever you're doing and may you do all to the glory of God!

Devotion I read today

Many of us struggle with constant thoughts of worthlessness, discontentment, resentment, or fear. Those kinds of thoughts are merely temptation from our enemy - he is tempting us to believe lies about ourselves, others, or our King. Martin Luther once wrote, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” We may not be able to keep the thoughts from entering our mind, but we can keep them from staying in our mind—by kicking them out the moment they arrive! Giving in to those thoughts and allowing them to linger in our head allows them to take root inside our heart and begin to control our life. Remember that protecting our inner sanctuary is not just a defensive action; it is offensive as well. And one of the best offensive moves we can make is to set up a guard station at the entrance of our mind. Instead of passively allowing any and all random thoughts to saunter right on in and hang out for as long as they want, we must actively begin chasing away any thought that is not a reflection of Jesus Christ.

One of the most effective of weapons against wayward thoughts is prayer. I’m not talking about just praying defensively, asking our God to give us strength to flee from temptation. I’m also talking about praying offensively, asking that Jesus Christ, in His amazing heroic strength and power, would wreak havoc on the enemy of our soul. There is nothing Satan hates more than seeing a lost sinner come to know Jesus Christ. When our enemy is attacking us, one of the very best ways to hit him below the belt is to pray specifically for an unsaved person in our life to discover Jesus Christ.

Identify the areas of your life where you are most vulnerable to temptation. Do you struggle with depression? Do you have a weakness in the area of sexual temptation? Whenever Satan tries to pounce on our vulnerable areas, we can use that opportunity to hit him back by praying for the salvation of someone in our life that is in need of Jesus Christ. It is important that we develop this technique as a habit in our life, rather than just a one-time attempt. When our enemy sees the consistency with which we use this tactic, he will back off in a hurry, and we just might get to see another life eternally changed in the process!

last class notes!

Lesson 22: Ottoman Turks: Conquest and Conflict

Janissaries were the elite of the elite of the Ottoman (Muslim) Turks (Turkey was Byzantine). They were the blood taxes capture from Europe at early ages, usually being the firstborns.

There has always been a conflict between Islam and a hope for the future. There was a continued motive and theme throughout the literature; Western Literary Leitmotif from Dante, Milton, Chaucer, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Scott, Bunyan, and Buchan. Those fictions are more true then historical backgrounds of our modern writers. The fiction held through the morals and ethics (including the Chivalric Code). The whole culture becomes one. Examples of fiction then were Chansons de Geste, the Qu'ran, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Song of Roland.

Islamism didn't have to make sense under a microscope as long as you can believe the general idea without digging much deeper. Islamism teaches to not have a care about the present or the future. As such, you can easily strap bombs to yourself and blow other people up too.

Muslim - We are a part of the chain of being. One ontological and continual line of being carried down from Allah. You have a pantheistic type of view there. There is a little bit of "god" in all of us. We must make our way up the chain through revelation to full consciousness.

Christianity - we make the distinction between creature and Creator. We are fallen, dead, hopeless, and without any salvation. There is nothing we can do, no where to advance. God would be the one pushing us up the chain of being through the works of righteousness or Christ's work.

Muslim - God is totally impersonal and aloof. He has no pity, mercy, or affection. You either get what you deserve or you don't. You are judged by how far you get up the chain of being.

Christianity - Love of God is unconditional. Nothing you do will change His love towards you. He can't love you more or less. He loves without condition and not based on our works.

Muslim - Hope is because of meritorious obedience. It fluxuates from one day to the next. It depends on us and our works. The holier you are the better off you are.

Christianity - Hope is by the grace of God. We are gifted it, and we cannot attain it. It is only given through Christ.

Muslim - Works righteousness, good works, and people killed is all what gains you paradise. The better works the better off you are.

Christianity - God gives salvation by grace and you can't keep salvation by works (except works by fear and trembling or gratitude). We do it not to keep salvation, but out of thankfulness.

After Muhammad was exiled, he began to build an army leading to the cleansing: the slaughtering of the Jews.

North Africa (in the whole Middle East) was Christian from the middle of the 2nd century to the 8th century (600 years).

No country ever fell to the Muslims willingly and without a fight.

The Arabs and the Turks (Persian): they were both Muslim, but they were also different ethnicities.

Class notes

Guilds: Calling and Covenant Succession

The purpose of guilds were primarily due to whatever you were called to, and to pass it on to those coming behind you (succession). It was the duty of a father to either teach his son(s) or to apprentice them to someone else to learn a trade well. This was part of their worldview, passing on what you know to the generation after you. It's a very Christian-based idea. It was mainly done within the villages where it was the best place for parish life, trade and commercial centers, and continued traditions. Several important features of a feudal society were agrarianism, practicality, industry, craftsmanship, covenantalism, chivalry, gratitude, rootedness, stability, tradition, legacy and progress. With covenantal calling, we have different jobs and responsibilities. In the family sphere you have the primogenitor (the eldest son inheriting all the money and property when the father dies), the levitate (the practice of marrying the brother's childless widow in order to maintain his line), and courtship (getting to know someone with family interaction more thoroughly before marriage). In the church sphere you have discipleship, community, and gifting. Within the society you have the parish, motherland, and fiefdom; and because of the guilds, you had traditions, rituals, and standards. We can see that due to the guilds we have many important factors that influence us even today.

The guilds weren't about the barrels or the wheels or the candlesticks. They were about covenantal succession. Over time, passing on the passion so that successive generations can surpass past generations, reach higher, do better. That should be the goal for every teacher, every pastor, every businessman, and every mom. It's a part of the reason why this rickety creations, this peculiar notion of medievalism, with all of its faults and all of its flaws and all of its failings, with the corruptions that was rotting from the inside because of the fallenness of man and his institutions - nevertheless became a marvel of culture-building and of enduring impact which we feel to this very day.

A very random and not so great story I wrote during class (I was bored...obviously)

One day, a special day for all bakers of the kingdom of Dumdum, the king arose from his bonny bed eager to taste all the many flavors of rolls to be prepared for him. For nearly 2,167,329 seconds ago, this had been dubbed Make the King a Roll Day. The bakers of the city of Dumdum had created a club called "We Are The Awesome Awesome Bakers" (WATAAB). They were very bright. Their names were Bill Joe, Devin, Tammy, Lexing, and Stan. As they each hurried to prepare each of their unique and distinct rolls, they broke into cheerful chants. Soon, the dogs were howling. Bill Joe's specialty were cinnamon rolls, Devin's were grape rolls, Tammy's chocolate rolls, Lexing's basil rolls, and Stan's were eggplant rolls. Ah, the royal kitchen never smelled so conflicting! A skinny maid named Dedrie skittered through throwing handfuls of peppermints at their faces. This was to happen every seven minutes and thirty-five seconds. It was to be expected. As the peacock clock stuck five, a host of men dressed in black robes began to dance in a solemn manner around the castle while buckets of rice were hurled at their knees. Now, the five baking brothers (born of a man and woman formerly dubbed "the Frog King and Queen) bustled and scurried throughout the stinky kitchen. Stan was lovable, everyone knew it. However, he was the eldest and as so would gain everything once their father kicked the can. Because of this kinda cool fact, the other baker bys despised and abhorred poor, burly, and innocent Stan. His brothers were evil. They were constantly conniving to kick Stan's butt off the WATAAB club. Today would be the day, they chirped! As Devin distracted him with the proper technique of applying powdered lemons, the other wicked schemers placed hot chili peppers and chili powder into his lovely, delicious eggplant rolls. Poor clueless Stan. The king gleefully sucked upon the delicate and delectable munchies...until he came upon lovable Stan's very unique rolls. His face twisted into shapes unknown to anyone. Stan sat and sobbed. "How? How?!" he cried. "Out! Out!!" screamed his brothers. Thus, our dear sad hero was turned away from his frog palace and parents due to his unaccounted shame. He moved on to marry the prettiest and smartest girl in the town of UNoMoreNow and had 15 children. He became extremely famous thanks to his unprecedented eggplant rolls. None were like them within 1,282 kilometers.

The End

My supplemental reading

Classics of Western Thought - Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation:

I read the Canterbury Tales: The Prologue, the prologue of the Pardoner's tale, the Pardoner's tale, and the Reeve's tale. This one wasn't as interesting as others I've read because it was all over the place with a lot of different random characters, and it was also a little difficult to follow.

I also read Everyman: this one was one of my favorites out of the whole book. It told the story of how God gave Death permission to take Everyman. Now, Everyman knew Death was coming after him so he asked Fellowship to come with him, but Fellowship, though seeming trustworthy at first said that he would do no such thing, nor help him save if he wanted to drink, be merry, have women, or kill. Everyman takes leave of him to turn to Kindred. No matter how Everyman begged and pleaded, Kindred wouldn't go with him on his dreaded journey. So Everyman calls out to Goods who lies in his corners, chests, bags, and in packs. But Goods says that his love is not that love, and he will not follow him. Everyman finally turns to Good-deeds, pleading for counsel and salvation, but sadly Good-deeds lies cold in the ground, bound by Everyman's many sins. Desperate, Everyman doesn't know what to do, when he hears Knowledge calling out to be his guide. With Knowledge's help, he is led to Confession where he seeks penance. Through Confession (the priest) he is then lead by Knowledge, Discretion, Strength, Beauty, and Five-Wits to his grave where all leave him but Good-deeds, who reassures Everyman that he will stay with him and vouch for him before God. This was the story of Everyman.

class notes from Wednesday

There must be a checks and balances type of society when the earth is populated with sinful men and women. We must always be responsible to someone who is keeping us in order. We have a nature that wants to be gaining more and more power without thinking of the consequences or of others. As we gain more authority our sin nature takes over and we become tyrannical.

There has and always will be several spheres in the world. The largest and most general ones are family, church and state. We can also add art, music, schools, guilds, and other groups like these. In the ideal Christian culture, God is the leader over all the spheres, with the top three we mentioned being at equal with each other. They have the same amount of authority and different jobs among the society. The state is to administer justice and Godly laws; the church is to make the call of salvation to the ungodly and to train those within God's house; and the family is to train up the children with discipline and to lead them in the right path.

Anarchy can lead to a Mahat system where you have nothing but individualism. You are nothing but a drone doing the same thing day after day.

In a culture running from God, beauty turns to ugliness, truth to lies, and goodness to evil.

You can always tell what a man loves by what he adorns or beautifies. That with which the most time is spent making beautiful is that which controls you.

There is a difference between rights and duties is the fact that rights make it about the self, while duties make it more about others. We are to always be thinking towards how we can benefit and help others rather then ourself.

Truth cannot change even if you attempt to change it or change the meaning. It will always remain the truth even if the majority denies it.

The culture's worldview will set the standard, morals, ethics, and laws. It will be the determiner of justice.

Goodness (sociological), Beauty (art), and Truth (theology) are all wrapped up and connected to each other. You can't have one without the others.

Everything ugly can come to Christ and be beautified.

When you can read a cathedral, you can read medievalism itself. This is a road map, a simplified guide to the whole of the civilization. All the ideas that had come to the Medievals through the gospel were poured into the design of the cathedrals.

Many different areas of life were touched by the influence of the monasteries. Their art, music, architecture, gardens, tools, clothes, and food were all manifestations of their theology. Their churches, monasteries, and guilds showed forth their virtue and chivalry ideals. They centralized the Scripture, philosophy and education while drawing lines for the different spheres and living out conciliarism. There were also practical aspects to their way of thinking. They had creativity and imagination leading to an adorned world with new technology and innovation. They had checks and balances, rights, liberty, justice, mercy, standards and absolutes, rules of law, stability, and reform. This led to a stable and secure culture. They were extremely future minded. They would volunteer to work on a cathedral that wouldn't be finished for another 450 years. Now a days, we don't even bother to do that, and our buildings suffer because of it. We don't get the beauty that was created back then.

Vocabulary:

apt - inclined, disposed, given, prone

embrasure - a splayed enlargement of a door or window toward the inner face of a wall

tympanum - the recessed, usually triangular space enclosed between the horizontal and sloping cornices of a pediment

aperture - an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap etc.

oblique - neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping

facade - the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one

sylvan - of, pertaining to, or inhabiting the woods

pedestrian - a person who goes or travels on foot

tetramorphic - a tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements. The term is derived from the Greek tetra, meaning four, and morph, shape

congruity - merit bestowed as a divine gift rather than earned

hue - a gradation or variety of a color; tint

consonance - accord or agreement

conciliar - of, pertaining to, or issued by a council

constancy - uniformity or regularity, as in qualities or conditions; invariableness

halcyon - calm, peaceful, tranquil

glazier - a person who fits windows or the like with glass or panes of glass

tracery - ornamental work consisting of ramified ribs, bars, or the like, as in the upper part of a Gothic window, in panels, screens, etc.

mullion - a vertical member, as of stone or woods, between the lights of a window, the panels in wainscoting or the like

gargoyle - a grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal

grotesque - any grotesque object, design, person or thing

narthex - an enclosed passage between the main entrance and the nave of a church

transept - any major transverse part of the body of a church, usually crossing the nave, at right angles, at the entrance to the choir

apse - a semicircular or polygonal termination or recess in a building, usually vaulted.

iconostasis - a partition or screen on which icons are placed, separating the sanctuary from the main part of the church.

triforium - the wall at the side of the nave, choir, or transept, corresponding to the space between the vaulting or ceiling and the roof of an aisle

clerestory - a portion of an interior rising above adjacent rooftops and having windows admitting daylight to the interior

tracery - ornamental work consisting of ramified ribs, bars, or the like, as in the upper part of a Gothic window in panels, screens, etc.

lectern - a reading desk in a church on which the Bible rests and from which the lessons are read during the church service.

pulpit - a platform or raised structure in a church from which the sermon is delivered or the sermon is conducted.

My goal this week

One of my primary problems growing up was learning to submit. I hated submitting to anyone especially guys I knew. As I am growing up more and more, reading more books on how to be a godly woman prepared for marriage, and learning more spiritually, it's becoming easier to become the woman God would want me to be. I am learning my place in my life. It is to be a help-meet, always there to lend a willing helpful hand, but also to be the silent and invisible person. I am to submit willingly to my husband's will and desire no matter how much I oppose it, only if it doesn't directly disobey God's law. I have been actually doing much better then I used to be, but as I went through my daily life today, my eyes were opened to see how much that thinking of mine had impacted my younger sister, Rebecca. She was now nearly as unsubmissive as I had been at her age, in fact, she was developing it much quicker then I had. This was most likely due to me being someone she looked up to and saw it as something I felt strongly about and so incorporated it into her lifestyle. Now, as the youngest, she is openly stubborn and unwilling to submit to anyone older then her. So my goal for this week: show her how happier it makes everyone (including yourself) when you listen and obey God through submission. Help her understand how it is the best role as a young girl preparing for marriage, and display it for her by submitting to the men and boys in my life who are mature enough to be given my respect and obedience. Lord, be with me, I pray.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

I really love this beautiful song just because it calls our attention to God's great majesty and omnipotence. He is in complete control of the whole universe...nothing can go wrong. God is in control and He is on the side of His children. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" and "What shall separate us from the love of God?" No one and nothing can possibly come in between us. Nothing is greater, higher, or more powerful then God Himself...the Creator of us all. How is it that the creature is better then the Creator? God is continual and bountiful in all His blessings. I am struck daily by the many instances in my life where it is extraordinarily clear how faithful God is to me. God, my heavenly Father, does not change from who He was before there was time. He continues on as He always have. He was the epitome of faithfulness then, so it would only make sense for Him to remain that. He has always been a Lord who provides that which His people need or want. We can see throughout history the many instances where God's people ask, and are granted their wish. We can also see times when they are not granted their wish because God deemed it better that they were given something different or nothing at all. "But we know that all things work together for the good of them that trust in Him." On this note, we can be sure that whatever happens in our life, it is to benefit us and those we influence around us. Let us never forget the faithfulness of the Faithful One.

notes for my last class

Thou can'st go wither thou wilt: I have dressed thee so well that thou will be understood by those endowed with intelligence: of others thou need'st not be concerned. Therefore, let no one blame me for selecting a cloudy style of writing, or at least, let them reserve their censure until they are capable of sifting the wheat that lies therein from chaff. ~Gabriel Gawaudin

There were many attractions of pilgrimage. It built up your mind and soul. Pilgrims were seen as brave and courageous men and women, however, Christianity was defined as creating solid, set, and rooted communities. We are tied to our callings. When those pilgrims were called away to the Holy Land, they were out of place due to their rootedness. Regardless of this, you must always follow your calling even if it isn't the path you would have chosen. They were tied securely to covenant community in a web of relationships and responsibility to and for one another. With their markets and fairs, they arranged, sold, and set up all their wares in distinct Christian fashions. There was great attention to detail. The friars carried on the rootedness through the communities as they traveled. They believed in penance and holiness; penance is basically repentance. True repentance can be best shown through actions. It's a turning 180 degrees around and cleaning up your mess. You resolve to walk in the grace of God and never go back. We are to spread healing and wholeness to the society that surrounds us. The world is constantly defiled and full of conflict and so it is up to us, the sane Christians, to bring about peace and Christ when the rest of the world goes crazy. Inspiration and Aspiration is the stirring of the Spirit to help us look forward at what God would have us do. We are known as a progressive people; moving towards God's future plan. Also, we are to line progress up with the eschaton of the mind of God. The future is linear and the gospel is the only way forwards. Just as the people did back then, we are called to plan, build, and invest for hundreds of years in the future as we are to be a generationally-minded people. Because of the penance, holiness, healing, wholeness, inspiration, and aspiration that I spoke of, those should instill in us a sense of adventure, curiosity, yearning, dreaming, and a purpose in life. With the troubadours came travelling singers, musicians, dance, art and theater; however, they were seen as the bottom of the rung type people because they had no rootedness or real home.

The troubadours had many different kinds of songs, different genres. There were courtly ballades, mock-popular songs, discordant verse form, lover's apologias, challenges, amorous encounters, laments, satirical poems, songs of debate, and songs of war and heroism. However, the troubadours had a huge impact. They travelers and as such could bring news, along with cultural habits and values. They brought the eagerness and wanderlust for new lands. Different nations began to share the same truths and words. A couple more interesting facts about the troubadours are that they gathered at the castles as entertainment for the people in the community, and they also had musical notation. They didn't rely simply on the oral traditions like had been done for years, but on their actual music.

There were some hazards to being a pilgrim though. Not only were the roads filled with brigands and highwaymen, but there were taxes and little food. It was dangerous to go by yourself on a treacherous road with thieves and robbers.

Traveling and studying give you a real sense of home and rootedness. It makes you appreciate what you have and your groundedness. You should travel as a young person so that you get to see the world for what it is, but also that when you go home you can see how much you really missed your home.

"If you always go to where you've always been and you always do what you've always done you'll always be who you always were."

The troubadours traveled from place to place and sang songs of adventure, love, satire, heroes, and chivalry. This incredibly descriptive and powerful means of communication provided the means by which the people of Christendom could see the wonders of the world though they never left their own village. As they began to imagine the wonders of their civilization, as they began to ponder what it must be like to actually be there and see what the troubadours had seen, it gave them a longing to travel, to set out on pilgrimage. The cathedrals were an obvious destination for pilgrimage in the early days of Christendom. Some of the great cathedrals of the Medieval age are marvels to behold to this day.