Hope Was Born This Night - Sidewalk Prophets

 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:10-14

My life in a nutshell

"80% of the final exam will be based on the one lecture you missed and the one book you didn’t read."

"College professor–someone who talks in other people’s sleep." ~ W. H. Auden

"Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth." ~ Will Rogers

"Of course there's a lot of knowledge in universities: the freshmen bring a little in; the seniors don't take much away, so knowledge sort of accumulates." 

~ A. Lawrence Lowell

"The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense." 

~ Tom Clancy

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together." ~ Erma Bombeck

"Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

"I'm not asleep... but that doesn't mean I'm awake."

"A day without a nap is like a cupcake without frosting." ~ Terri Guillemets

"Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake."

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” ~ Joshua 24:15

A 'holy' day?

One of the most spiritually dark days of the year is tomorrow. My parents decided from the very beginning that our family would not participate in Halloween activities and I was aware of the basic reasons why, but as I was not able to give my wondering friends an explanation that satisfied both them and myself, I chose to write my final research paper in high school on the history and mystery surrounding Halloween to be able to more fully explain my parents' (and what would soon become my own) convictions. I was deeply disturbed by what I found - some of the things I encountered gave me nightmares, and I found the time I spent in research mentally and spiritually depressing. Since that time it has been an issue that is close to my heart, and I could - and did - write pages upon pages on it. But I'm going to try to keep this brief and clear, and let readers take away from it what they will...

First off, don't think I'm hating on those people - even Christians - who choose to participate in Halloween activities. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~ Ephesians 6:12 We're not called to criticize others for what they do, but pray continually that we can be a shining example for Christ and a prayer warrior that the Devil fears to go up against. However we choose to deal with Halloween, it should be done in a way that brings glory to the One that  redeemed us from the wickedness of our hearts, and our words and actions on that and any other day of the year should be salt and light to a lost and dying world. (Matthew 5:13-14)We can't change a heart, but God can. Let us do our part and leave the rest up to him.

That doesn't mean I don't have any pet peeves with regards to Christians and Halloween. Indulge me with this one: harvest parties. Am I against dressing up and getting together with friends for some food and fun? Hardly! But giving people a "safe alternative" to Halloween celebrations makes it look like there's a hole to fill - that they're somehow missing out on something if they don't have anything to do on Halloween. If anything, this is the time of year when we should be making an extra effort to set ourselves apart as "a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:14) Halloween is not a time for compromise, and 'harvest parties' are just that.
Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?  ~ 1 Cor. 10 : 19-22

Set Halloween aside as a time for prayer, and battle for those that are seeing (or even celebrating) the darkness. Instead of giving out candy, take the kiddos aside and explain to them why you choose not to take part in any celebrations on October 31st. Get out the popcorn and ice cream and make a movie night out of it, and watch something fun, uplifting and/or educating. There are so many things you can do to show the world that this is a day where you're not going to sit on the fence - or lean against it and watch. Take a stand. Make a statement.

If you're interested in reading further, here are some good links:
Should Christians participate in Halloween?
Christians and Halloween

What's the difference?

A boy makes his girl jealous of other women. 

A gentleman makes other women jealous of his girl.

My kinda guy.

the Founder of our faith...

... is Paul. whoahhwhatwaitwho? my religion teacher thinks an awfully good case could be made for it. I mean, he did write some pretty awesome literature - all his letters to those churches are fairly compelling. And don't even get me started on Romans, one of the most-read religious documents of all time. I mean, come on here. Who else but the eloquent, educated and convincing apostle Paul could have given such a foundation for a religion such as Christianity?

Oh, I don't know.

maybe Jesus?

"...the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." ~ Hebrews 12:2-3

It really couldn't be much clearer. As much as I like you, Paul - sorry man. You're not winning this one =)

The Generous Mr. Lovewell - MercyMe

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~ James 1:27

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:2

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

~ Romans 12:10

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:7

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

~ Galatians 5:13

September

Lo! a ripe sheaf of many golden days
Gleaned by the year in autumn's harvest ways,
With here and there, blood-tinted as an ember,
Some crimson poppy of a late delight
Atoning in its splendor for the flight
Of summer blooms and joys­
This is September. 

~L. M. Montgomery

More About Me

 I can't for the life of me find the time to come up with a decent blog post of my own, so I'm tagging along with Simply SA and her all-about-me ABC blog post ~ enjoy!

Age? twenty-one and lovin it!
Bed Size? twin, mostly because I've never lived anywhere that's big enough for anything else =P
Chore that you hate? cleaning the bathroom ::shudder::
Dogs? my dog's an idiot, but at least he's cute. my dogs gotta be cute =)
Essential way to start the day? enough time to wake up slowwwly and look out the window and relish a few moments all to mine-selfs.
Favorite Color? there's at least one shade of each color that I like... but I've yet to find an ugly shade of blue
Gold or Silver? silver goes better with my 'look,' so I'll go with that
Height? 5 '4" ::sigh:: now THIRD tallest of the sibs {some perspective: I'm the oldest}... and even that's not going to last long - the next two are catching up fast.
Instruments you play? kindabutnotreally violin. I suck at it.
Job title? crew member. Im'a NOT telling you where.
Kids? generally cute & crazy, mostly loveable.. and faaar in the future.
Live...? in a house more than twice as big as our old one on three acres with lots of trees and elbow room! and I never want to leave =)
Mother's name? Carrie
Nickname? one lady at work calls me  'ladybug,' but even she doesn't know why. nothing else has ever stuck.
Overnight hospital stays? last year with DKA.
Pet peeves? professors that assign homework like theirs is the only class you're taking that semester, and grossly mispronounced/misspelled words
Quote from a movie? Mal: "This is the captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then - explode."  ~ Serenity, one of the awesomest and most unappreciated movies out there.
Right or left handed? Right
Siblings? ten {yes, siblings}
Underwear? no comment.
Typed or handwritten? the way I hold a pen/pencil is just horrible and I usually end up cramping it up really bad if I do it for any length of time, so typed if I can. But I still always write my letters by hand.
Vegetables you hate? cooked spinach. most cooked leafy greens, actually.
What makes you late? generally other people. I hate it when someone's late, so I rarely am myself.
Yummy food you make? quiche! my daddy likes my quiche better than even a chef's that he had once =)
Zoo animals? the red panda (which isn't actually a panda) and the penguins.

Apologies for my absence

I'm lost [in the land of academia]... 

 I've gone to look for myself [and poptarts].

so if I get back before I return [and I probably will] - 

please ask me to wait [right here]. 

~ Me

[all pictures compliments of Google]

Constant - Francesca Battistelli

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:9

I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
   Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
   and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.

Deuteronomy 32:3-4

In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.

Nehemiah 9:33

Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Psalm 89:8

LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Isaiah 25:1

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

We Remember

Lacrymosa dies illa

qua resurget ex favilla

judicandus homo reus;

huic ergo parce Deus.

Pie Jesu, Domine,

dona eis requiem.

Amen.

 Oh, this day full of tears

when from the ashes arises

guilty man, to be judged:

Oh Lord, have mercy upon him.

Gentle Lord Jesus,

grant them rest.

Amen.

Hostias et preces tibi, Domine,

laudius offerimus,

tu suscipe pro animabus illis,

quarum hodie memorarium facimus:

quam olim Abrahae promisisti

et semini ejus.

Lord, in praise we offer to Thee

sacrifices and prayers,

receive them for the souls of those 

whom we remember this day:

as Thou didst promise Abraham

and his seed.

{from Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor, K. 626}

the creation of Eve

We will be looking at Genesis in my religion class today - most likely with a certain emphasis on the Creation story (though there might be a small discussion on human sacrifice in the Bible... *le sigh*). While I was reading through our assigned chapters for today, I remembered a quote I had seen some time ago, and was able to find it fairly quickly using Google. It's a favorite of mine:

"Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved." 
~ Marguerite De Valois

There is no finish line...

... or so proclaimed a Nike slogan that I glimpsed on a t-shirt recently. While I would like to believe that whoever came up with that phrase wanted me to have that invincible, "I can run forever!" feeling by looking at that shirt, I couldn't help but feel a little depressed when I saw it. While we are exhorted to run ("Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"- Hebrews 12:1), and by the grace of God we can hope to run faster and farther than we ever thought we could ("I can do all things through him who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13), we are still human, and mortal, and one day the race will end for us. [and I'm just a little uncomfortable at even the mere thought of running forever - I mean, forever IS forever, people!] But will we just run into a black hole, a nothingness where we can't even see what we were running towards?

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable."
- 1 Corinthians 9:24

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'" 
- Matthew 25:21

There is a finish line. And there is a prize. May we run, ever aware not just that we run, but of why we run. May we never take our eyes off our crowns of righteousness. May God find us faithful.

Death of Me - Royal Tailor

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:5-11

O Sifuni Mungu - First Call

 Psalm 148

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens;
   praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
   praise him, all his hosts!

 Praise him, sun and moon,
   praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you highest heavens,
   and you waters above the heavens!

 Let them praise the name of the LORD!
   For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
   he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

 Praise the LORD from the earth,
   you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
   stormy wind fulfilling his word!

  Mountains and all hills,
   fruit trees and all cedars!
  Beasts and all livestock,
   creeping things and flying birds!

 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
   princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
   old men and children!

 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
   for his name alone is exalted;
   his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his saints,
   for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD!

God's Own Fool - Michael Card

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1: 18-21

Of thee I sing

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

~ Mark Twain

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

~James A. Baldwin

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

~ James Bryce

"Gentlemen have talked a great deal of patriotism. A venerable word, when duly practised."

~ Robert Walpole 

"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."

~ Adlai E. Stevenson 

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness."

~Erma Bombeck

"The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy, but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher plain."

~George McGovern

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

~ John F. Kennedy

"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"

~ Deteronomy 4:5-7

When he rolls up his sleeves...

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
 They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 

Psalm 19:1-5

My bubble

{pic credit}

Still in your bubble today?

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Romans 2:8

Everyone else vacations... we Christians retreat

Just had to throw that in there, but this weekend was less of a retreat than a charge and less of getting a cool drink from a water fountain than getting a cold blast from a fire hose. The last few days my seven sisters and I were on a father/daughter retreat at a little place called Cherokee Cove with a bunch of the dads and gals from our church. It was a fun, refreshing and challenging time for me as we were called to reflect on our relationships not only as dads and daughters, but as sons and daughters of the Savior. Many messages, challenges and powerful testimonies were shared over the course of the weekend, but it was this passage I found in my personal reflection time that stood out to me the most and that I felt I should share with someone... since I couldn't get up the courage to stand up and share it with the group during the last discussion of the retreat. [call it what you will - stage fright, plain old being shy... can't do it.]

I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God

and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:16b-18 

The God of all the universe, who with a word spoke the sun, moon, and stars into being, desires us for us to be his sons and daughters. The most eternal, holy being, the One who was, and is, and is to come, came to earth just to show how much he loves us and wants to call us his own. What a precious thing! But this perfect, awesome Being also calls us in our journeys as his sons and daughters to become more and more like him, to long to follow after his example and precepts, to strive to show his likeness in everything we do and say. And therein lies my greatest struggle. I am a very content person, which is a good thing when it comes to things like my singleness, my job, and just where God has me in life right now. But it's a huge stumbling block to me when it comes to my relationship with Christ ~ I get comfortable so easily, so quickly, and comfortable is never the place I should be when it should be my desire to be be "conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). There's always something in there if I just beg God to show me where I have fallen short, and he "is faithful and just to forgive" (1 John 1:9) and bring me back into a place of safety and peace in his will. Lord, show me today where I can become more like you!

When I climb down the mountain//And get back to my life//I won't settle for ordinary things//Gonna follow you forever//For all of my days//I won't rest//'Til I see you again...

May this be my prayer ~ that as I come down off this physical and spiritual mountaintop I will continue to walk in the paths God has seen fit to show me, not willing to settle for comfortable and ordinary things but striving daily to show the world even a glimpse of the glory that he has shown me.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 10:14

Shine - Newsboys

Dull as dirt
You can't assert the kind of light
That might persuade
A strict dictator to retire
Fire the army
Teach the poor origami
The truth is in
The proof is when
You hear your heart start asking,
"What's my motivation?"

And try as you may, there isn't a way
To explain the kind of change
That would make an Eskimo renounce fur
That would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster
Unless you can trace this about-face
To a certain sign...

[Chorus]
Shine
Make 'em wonder what you've got
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored
Shine
Let it shine before all men
Let 'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord

Out of the shaker and onto the plate
It isn't Karma
It sure ain't fate
That would make a Deadhead sell his van
That would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons
Oprah freaks
And science seeks a rationale
That shall excuse
This strange behavior

When you let it shine
You will inspire
The kind of entire turnaround
That would make a bouncer take ballet
(even bouncers who aren't happy)
But out of the glare
With nowhere to turn
You ain't gonna learn it on "What's My Line?"
[chorus]

Sorry, I couldn't find a decent version of this on Youtube. But you should go find it somewhere and listen to it. Why? 'Cause it's just as awesome as the lyrics are funny. And it's just awesome. Just sayin'.

Tomorrow will worry about itself

"The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase; if you pursue happiness you'll never find it."
~ C.P. Snow

"What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile." ~ George Asaf

"We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things [but] there are times when we stop. We sit still. We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper."
~ James Carroll

"To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment."
~ Jane Austen

"Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important."
~ Natalie Goldberg

"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits." ~ Satchel Paige

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."  ~ Eddie Cantor  

"Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." ~ Ovid

"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles." ~ Charlie Chaplin

A Summer Night - George William Russell {a poem}

HER mist of primroses within her breast
Twilight hath folded up, and o’er the west,
Seeking remoter valleys long hath gone,
Not yet hath come her sister of the dawn.
Silence and coolness now the earth enfold,
Jewels of glittering green, long mists of gold,
Hazes of nebulous silver veil the height,
And shake in tremors through the shadowy night.
Heard through the stillness, as in whispered words,
The wandering God-guided wings of birds
Ruffle the dark. The little lives that lie
Deep hid in grass join in a long-drawn sigh
More softly still; and unheard through the blue
The falling of innumerable dew,
Lifts with grey fingers all the leaves that lay
Burned in the heat of the consuming day.
The lawns and lakes lie in this night of love,
Admitted to the majesty above.
Earth with the starry company hath part;
The waters hold all heaven within their heart,
And glimmer o’er with wave-lips everywhere
Lifted to meet the angel lips of air.
The many homes of men shine near and far,
Peace-laden as the tender evening star,
The late home-coming folk anticipate
Their rest beyond the passing of the gate,
And tread with sleep-filled hearts and drowsy feet.
Oh, far away and wonderful and sweet
All this, all this. But far too many things
Obscuring, as a cloud of seraph wings
Blinding the seeker for the Lord behind,
I fall away in weariness of mind.
And think how far apart are I and you,
Beloved, from those spirit children who
Felt but one single Being long ago,
Whispering in gentleness and leaning low
Out of its majesty, as child to child.
I think upon it all with heart grown wild.
Hearing no voice, howe’er my spirit broods,
No whisper from the dense infinitudes,
This world of myriad things whose distance awes.
Ah me; how innocent our childhood was!

Rest

"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." 

Exodus 33:14

Party Time!

What's the point of a rhetorical writing blog if you know absolutely nothing about the rhetor? {and I'm in the mood for some fun and maybe some sweet prizes, too *wink*} SO, without further ado. . . . .

What are two songs that describe you? Michael W. Smith's "Missing Person" and Francesca Battistelli's "It's Your Life"

What do you most fear? that I'll never get my diabetes under control and have serious complications when I get older.

{picture  credit}

How do you normally do you hair? almost always a ponytail, except on Sundays when I get a little more creative. but I do little girl hair more than my own, and that's yielded some awesome hairdos :)

What color(s) dominate(s) your wardrobe? blue. and blue. and a touch of blue. and maybe a little green. . . . oh, and there's some blue in there too :D

 {photo credit}

Do you prefer milkshakes or smoothies? smoothies, hands down. I love fruity concoctions, and if I want ice cream, I'll go *eat* it, thank you very much.

Do you like the color pink? not the biggest fan, but apparently I look good in it so I'm willing to tolerate some of the more neutral shades.
What is your favorite flower? I have yet to meet a flower I didn't like, but I've always loved morning glories :)

{photo credit}

 

How many states have you been to? Hm. I've lived in three, and visited several others... I'd say about eight.
What is your favorite thing about June? it's the first full month of summer, with nothing but more summer to look forward to! sleeping in when I want to, reading books that I feel like reading, and finishing up all those projects I never got around to during the school months :)
Describe your "dream" wedding location. ohhh, right here. yes pleeeez :)))

{photo credit}

Yay! wasn't that fun? yes. you had fun. just admit it :D

And again! {this is fun}

{Taken when we visited the JC Raulston Arboretum - such a pretty place!}

{older photo - but still one of my faves. Sweet lil' Piper!}

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Genesis 1:31a

I like doggies. Hence, you must suffer doggie commercials.

 

So what's rhetoric to do with these? They're funny, and doggone {pun intended} cute. As long as you remember the commercial, you'll remember what it's for, and that is exactly what the people who made them wanted to happen. Coincidence much? Not really.

A first time for everything...

Now I've gone and done it ~ I've officially dipped my toe into the waters of the big ol' blogging world. Now to await the results!

  But I am like a green olive tree

   in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love of God

   forever and ever.

Psalm 52:8

Umm... yeah.

{picture credit}
Remember how the world was supposed to end yesterday?

Well, I'm still here. And you must be, too, since you're taking the time to read this. So much for that.

 {picture credit}
ahahaha. ever thought about that?
Or maybe this is the explanation. Whatever the case may be, I personally find all the doomsday talk a little ridiculous. Even if you did know when it was going to happen (and I guarantee you never will), what effect would that have on anything? The day of the Lord will come "like a thief in the night" (2 Peter 3:10), and when it does, are you prepared to step into eternity?
That should be the question on your mind.

Hello Summer

{Hello summer}

{hello gloriously empty calendar}

{hello cracking the window at night for a cool breeze}

{hello coloring with crayons just 'cause I can}

{hello sleeping in 'til ten}

{hello subduing the urge to burn my philosophy textbook and selling it to Amazon instead}

{hello capris and flip flops}

{hello reading the the books *I* want to read}

{hello finally having the time to organize my room}

{hello pushing my baby brother in the swing}

{hello (hopefully) twice as many hours at work}

{hello sleepovers and chick flicks}

{hello staying up t'il 2 AM because I want to, not because I have a major paper due tomorrow}

{helloooo, summah!}

[inspiration cred goes to Simply SA and her 'Hello Monday' posts]

One Heartbeat at a Time - Steven Curtis Chapman

 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:30-31

Love ya, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!

To the Spring 2011 semester

You've got your short sad life left
That's what I'm counting on
I'll let you get right to it
Now I only want you gone...

Go make some new disaster
That's what I'm counting on
You're someone else's problem
Now I only want you gone

Now I only want you gone

Now I only want

you

GONE.

Love, Me.

{lyrics credits}

Secret Ambition - Michael W Smith

Nobody knew his secret ambition
Nobody knew his claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the holy veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called his name
But nobody knew his secret ambition
Was to give his life away...

Now ~ what's your secret ambition? No pressure ;-)

Whip My Hair - Willow Smith

I hate this song. It bugs me to no end, and every time it comes on the radio at work, I have to fight the urge to run screaming. I detest it to the very core of my being.

So why post a song that you can't stand, you say?
Because it still gets stuck in my head. And why is that? Presentation. It's catchy. If anyone else told me to whip my hair,  they'd be on the floor and I'd be re-loading before you could snap your fingers. And as much as I hate to say it, if Willow Smith told me to do it, it just might happen. Rhetoric is so much more than just words. It's everything. Say anything in the right way, to the right people and at the right time, and you can say whatever you want. It's that simple.

And just so you didn't have to go count it yourself (because I know you want to know), she says it seventy times. S.E.V.E.N.T.Y. T.I.M.E.S. (yeah. that's the part that bugs me.)

Audience Awareness: Stephen vs. Paul

A recent lecture in my 'Biblical Backgrounds of English Literature' class brought up an interesting topic in the form of two speeches given, both in the book of Acts, one by Stephen (who ended up being stoned to death for it) and one by the apostle Paul (here - verses 22-34). Please stop here and read those now, 'cause if you do, what I'm about to say will make a lot more sense.

In essence, both their speeches are very much alike. Both are cutting to the quick with their audiences and telling them what they needed to hear. But that's where the 'alike-ness' ends.

   Stephen's speech is rather little long-winded, but he knew what held the attention of his listeners and boy howdy, did they listen. Like I said before, he got killed for what he said. But before that happened, he held the captive the attentions of his audience - the Jews - as he gave them a rundown of their long and storied history, drawing on knowledge they had probably had since childhood, and used that assumed knowledge to drive home his point.

   Paul, on the other hand, is addressing a crowd of people who couldn't be more different from the pious Jewish elders: Gentiles, Greeks more specifically. He couldn't assume any prior knowledge of his chosen topic - salvation through Christ - with a bunch of people who had never heard of the guy. However, he took the fact that they had an altar dedicated 'to the unknown god' and used that fact as a jumping off point for introducing them to the unknown god they were so curious about.

Neither of these men were specially trained to say what they did, but both had a passion for their topic and an acute awareness of the audience they were addressing. And that's what got people to listen. What you say to whom really does matter.

Still Alive - Portal 1 Credits

To be played after playing the game...

...or, after a long and stressful week. Enjoy ~ it always cheers me up :-)

(Just listen and don't try to read it, which I guarantee will damage your sight. Sorry these videos are so tiny.)

If you think your birthday has no significance....

... Google it. I guarantee you'll get giggles, food for thought, and maybe a little sentimental (yes, I know that last part isn't grammatically corect. but hey, work with me here). I also guarantee your ego will inflate just a tiny bit. And yes, I know you're about to open that new tab and go do it. But read this post first .... please?

April 12th is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 263 days remaining until the end of the year.

Today in history: 

467: Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

1204: The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.

1606: The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of Great Britain.

1861: The Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
1934: The strongest surface wind gust in the world at 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

1945: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia, at age 63. Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes president.  

1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to fly in space, orbiting the Earth once before he makes a safe landing.

1975: The U.S. admits defeat in Cambodia and removes its remaining embassy personnel from the capital, Phnom Penh.

1981: The space shuttle Columbia blasts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its first test flight.

1983: Harold Washington is elected Chicago's first African-American mayor. 

1990: Jim Gary's "Twentieth Century Dinosaurs" exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

1997: Police in Sarajevo discover mines under a bridge just hours before the arrival of the Pope.

2009: American cargo ship captain Richard Phillips is rescued from Somali pirates by U.S. Navy snipers who shoot and kill three of the hostage-takers. 

This day is also celebrated as:

Halifax Day (North Carolina)

Cosmonautics Day (Russia)

Birthdays:

1777: Henry Clay, American politician; U.S. congressman and senator.

1903: Jan Tinbergen, Dutch Nobel Prize-winning economist.

1916: Beverly Clearly, author

1947: David Letterman, talk show host

          Tom Clancy, author

1956: Andy Garcia, actor

1990: Kirsten Irish, English student

Ha! so that was the ulterior motive here. And now everything becomes clear ;-)

Class Assignment: Imitation Exercise

I think the title is pretty self-explanatory. I'm imitating things. This assignment was a little difficult for me ~ probably because my creative juices are still curled up fast asleep in their warm bed in the morning kinda like the rest of me wants to be. These are some simpler sentences that I was able to imitate/complete to my satisfaction.

Sentence: London was hideous, vicious, cruel, and above all overwhelming. ~ Henry James
Me: The wizard was malicious, vengeful, evil, and above all power hungry.

Sentence: He remembered much of his stay in the womb. While there, he began to be aware of sounds and tastes... Yet he was not afraid. The changes were right. It was time for them. His body was ready. ~ Octavia Butler
Me: He remembered what it was like to live in fear. It was what had shaped him into the man he was, wary and alert and always at the ready... yet he knew there was something more. Rebellion was in the air. The city was ripe for it. His time had come.

Sentence: Writing, reading, thinking, imagining, speculating. These are luxury activities, so I am reminded, permitted to a privileged few, whose idle hours of the day can be viewed otherwise than as a bowl of rice or a loaf of bread less to share with the family. ~ Trinh T. Ninh-ha
Me: Laughing, eating, cooing, sleeping, wriggling. What kind of life is there like that of a baby, who spends two-thirds of his day sleeping and the rest in seemingly deep contemplation of his tiny universe, completely oblivious to common concerns like where the next rent payment is coming from or wondering how many boxes of ramen noodles it would take to mummify your insides.

[Textbook] Ancient Rhetorics chapter on "Style, Memory and Delivery" - Notes Pt. 1

Yes, this is only the first part. I haven't had the courage to type out several more pages of notes quite yet.

Style - persuasive or extraordinary use of language, and the 3rd canon of rhetoric
Sentence composition - use of balanced phrases
      Antithesis - contrary or contradictory ideas expressed in phrases that are grammatically alike.
     Stylistic ornaments: Simile
                                  Metaphor
                                  Personification
      Schemes/figures {Greek "schemata"; Latin "figura"}
      Manifested in a good style are: correctness
                                                     clearness
                                                     appropriateness
                                                     ornament

Correctness - {Greek "hellenismos"; Latin "latinitas"; also translated 'purity'}
                     - use of words that are current and adhere to grammatical rules
Clarity - {Greek "sapheneia"; Latin "lucere" (to shine) and "perspicere" (to see through)}
            - circumlocution ~ avoiding clarity, in most cases to be polite {Greek "periphrasis" (speaking around)}
            - clarity can also be obscured by the use of obsolete, technical, new, or colloquial words
Appropriateness - {Greek "to prepon" (to say or do whatever is fitting in a given situation)}
                             - when a rhetor supplements an awareness of the audience with "a knowledge of the times for speaking and for keeping silence, and has also distinguished the favorable occasions for brief speech or pitiful speech or intensity and all the classes of speech which he has learned, then, and not till then, will his art be fully and completely finished." ~ Plato
                             - hyperbole - exaggeration of a case
                             - 3 general levels of style: grand
                                                                    middle
                                                                    plain
                             - rhetorical questions
                             - antistrophe - "turning about"; repetition of the same or similar words in successive clauses
                            - isocolon - balanced clauses
                            - apostrophe - "turning away"
                            - loose vs. periodic sentences = straightforward narrative vs. roundabout
Ornament - 3 categories:
                figures of speech {Latin "figurae verborum"}
               figures of thought {Latin "figurae sententiarum"}
               tropes {Greek "tropi" (turn)}
                 - figure - any form of expression in which "we give our language a conformation other than the obvious and ordinary"
               - trope - substitution of one word or phrase for another

Sentence Composition
period {Greek "periodos" (a way around)}
colon {Latin "membrum" (part; limb)} - any expression rhythmically complete but meaningless if detached from the rest of the sentence
comma {Latin "articulus" (part joined on)} - any set of words set apart by pauses
Four types of sentences: Period (simplest)
                                     Compound
                                     Complex
                                     Compound-complex

Paratactic and Periodic Styles
Paratactic {Greek "parataxis" (placed alongside)}
                  - "running" / "strung on" / "continuous"
                  - having "no natural stopping places"
                  - "comes to a stop only because there is no more to say of that subject"
Periodic - "a portion of speech that has in itself a beginning and end, being at the same time not too big to be taken in at a glance."

Figurative Language
 - Figures that interrupt natural word order -
{Latin "interposito"; Greek "parenthesis" (a statement alongside another)}
hyperbaton - "a sudden turn"
apposito - "putting off from" = apposition
metabasis - a summarizing transition
asyndeton -  no connectors (between colons)
polysendeton - many connectors (between colons)
- Figures of repetition - 
synonymy - "the same name"
puns - "attract the ear of the audience and excite their attention by some resemblance, equality, or contrast of words"
antanaclasis - "bending back" - using a word in two different senses
homoioteleuton - "same ending" - repetition of words with similar endings
anaphora/epanaphora - repetition of words at the beginning of phrases
epiphora - repetition of the last word in successive phrases
chiasmus - "arranged crosswise" - "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
antimetabole - "thrown over against" - "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"