Graduation

Mom and I decided that a good goal for me to strive towards before I officially graduate is to make a handwritten copy of the New Testament.
Anyone who heard Jonathan Lindvall speak a few weeks ago will not wonder where this idea came from. His children will do the entire Bible though (wow!).
I thought about trying to do the whole Bible, but discarded the thought after 5 seconds of meditation. I can hardly read through the Bible in a year, much less write it all out.
With that said, I hope that I will one day write the Old Testament as well.

We decided that I should do this for numerous reasons, a few of which I will list here:
1) It would be a wonderful and educational discipline
2) I would like to be able to pass it down in my family (how cool would that be?!)
3) I like having a goal to strive towards. When people say, "When do you graduate?" I can say "As soon as I finish the rest of my work" and state how much time it will take to finish from where I am at that point.

Well, I miss James and Christian in blog-world. I will forgive James though because I understand that he is very busy and has much on his plate.
Christian, however...well...I'll assume that he is using his time more efficiently than posting on a blog and forgive him as well :)

Saluti!
~Robin <><

Homeschooled and I'm glad!

Well, dear friends, earlier this week I returned from our annual CHEF of Louisiana Homeschool Convention. I heard some wonderful teaching and have been inspired and challenged in a lot of my ways of thinking.
You know, just when I say "Okay, I'm pretty comfortable with where I am in life" WHAM! People come along and challenge my thinking. I start to ask earth shattering questions such as "why?".

"Why?" is one of my favorite questions to ask myself. Strange, it may very well be. I mainly ask "Why am I doing this?". If my answer is not "because God wants me to" I must rethink my action. Why do I read what I read, listen to what I listen to, say what I say, meditate on what I meditate on, write what I write and watch what I watch? If my answer is anything other than "To bring me closer to God", "To bring someone else closer to God", or something frighteningly similar, I wonder if I should pursue it. For me "to broaden my mind", "to entertain me" and "because I have nothing better to do" (along with many others) are unacceptable answers.

I saw a car commercial once that really made me think (yes, you heard me correctly: I did say that a commercial had a big impact on my life). This guy was driving down the road and at every turn, every stop light and along the road side were people holding up signs that said "Seize the Moment!" Now, their point was to hurry up because the sale on this wonderful car would be ending soon, but it made me think. I had heard the phrase "Seize the Moment" before, but had never really considered it. It made me think of the scripture that says that whatever we do, we are to work at it with all of our might and that all that we do is to be done to the glory of God. I purposed at that point that God would be the focus of everything I did, from what I read, to what I watched, to what I think about, and the list goes on.
I have failed miserably at this, but am determined to press forward, forgetting what is behind and striving towards to goal. That goal, of course, is Holiness and Perfection. The "Be perfect as I, your God am perfect" mandate seems like it could take a bit of surrendering.

Edification in every word I speak is part of that mandate of perfection. Now, I don't usually make a habit of being harsh and cruel in my speech, but I wouldn't say that I only edify either. After the conference, we had the privilege of spending a good bit of time with one of the main speakers. I was very impressed on how he used his tongue. Before he would answer a question, or even say anything at all, he would pause. Now, at first, I thought it was just aggravating "Can't this guy answer any faster?! He's leaving me hanging!" But then I realized what he was doing. He was deciding what to say before he said it. Novel idea...I try to remember to implement it.

Cinderella

After getting on for the past several days and checking all of my favorite blogs and seeing nothing much new, I decided that I shall be the first to put up a new post, and hopefully, everyone will follow my wonderful example.

Anyway, from the title, I'm sure you are expecting me to talk about something besides people posting on blogs, and I shall not disappoint you.
I have now seen 4 performances of the play Cinderella in the past few days, and will see two more before it's all said and done. I have been going around bursting into song "THE PRINCE IS GIVING A BALL!!!" and "Do I love you because you're wonderful, or are you wonderful because I love you?" for obvious reasons. Needless to say, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Musical, Cinderella, has - against my will - been perminately engraved on my mind.
Doubtlessly, you shall all be interested to note that my mom has made a complete turn in her view of the story. She very much disliked Cinderella, but now absolutely loves her. She has even figured out a way to make the romance between Cinderella and Prince Charming biblical. At first I though she had lost her mind, but after considering it, they really are some interesting observations.
For one thing, the Prince expressed discomfort with the idea of dancing with "all of those candidates, all of which think that they would be a perfect princess for me". He said that whoever he married, it definitely would not be one of those girls. He refused to dance with anyone at the ball, and was completely uninterested in anyone in the room...until Cinderella came in. When he saw her, he knew that she was "the one" and wasted no time marrying her. Though I think that 10 minute courtship is a tad short, it was interesting that he didn't want to get to know her for 2 years before he married her.
Of course, since their relationship was based on "love at first sight", I had to quickly object. After discussing it for a little while, I discovered that I do, in fact, believe in love at first sight...though I hasten to add that I in no way think that it always works out that way. I think that you can know very quickly (dare I say instantly?), rather or not this is a person that God would have you marry. So maybe that isn't exactly considered "love" at first sight, but it sounds better than "knowledge at first sight".
Anyway, I also think that, often, we do not know for quite some time rather or not we are suited for someone.
Though this is only a fairy tale and had no religious agenda, it was interesting to note some key points. Cinderella was different from the other girls because she gentle, kind, yet hardworking as opposed to the flirtacious and aggressive other girls.
So, even though a dear friend told me on Sunday that she didn't think that people are "meant" for each other, being a good Calvinist (and not to mention, a hopeless romantic), I think I believe otherwise. I think that just as Adam and Eve were meant for each other, Joseph and Mary were meant for each other. Just as Christ and the Church (which human marriage represents) are meant for each other, each of us have someone that God has designed us to marry.

Of course, I know that many, if not all of my readers totally disagree with me, but I figured "oh well, it's my blog...it wouldn't be mine if it weren't at least a little bit controversial"

Saluti!
~Robin
<><

Home at last!

Well, my dear readers, I have returned home-sweet-home this evening.

I had an absolutely splendid time. There are not many things I enjoy more than visiting with my cousins. They have a unique way of impressing me and uplifting me even though we see things very differently. I still get along surprisingly well with all of them.

I am occasionally annoyed and disheartened by some of their choices but there is something about the fact that we're family that makes me extend more grace to them and not want to judge them, just help them.

What made it most wonderful is the one-on-one time I had with each of them. Usually, we see each other only at Thanksgiving. There are TONS of people and you only get around to small talk and surface conversations (which I can't stand). Only at around midnight, if me and one of them can stay up until everyone else in the room is asleep, can we get any deep conversation in.

This trip, I could sleep, and still get awesome conversation time in! It was very exciting to see how the schedules worked out to where I had at least a couple of hours, if not more, with each of them individually to have some time to get to know them better. I prayed for opportunities to be blessings to my cousins and to get to deepen our relationships, and I felt like I had some of that going on, at least with a couple of them.

So, anyway, it was a very exciting trip and I didn't want to come home (at all), though it was good to see my mom and sister again.

Well, I hope that I shall see all of you again very soon. It shall be nice to see everyone again...even James, which I thought I should mention because Merisha just told me that both James and Leah told her on Sunday that they didn't think I liked him. All I could do was sigh and lift my eyes towards heaven and think "what can I do to be a better friend?" I decided that the more I make it a point to be nice, the more people think I can't stand him (though I insist that there was never any insincerity in my niceness), but since that seems ineffective, I shall try being very mean to him for a while and see if that remedies the situation. Haha, never know...it could work! Just kidding (this has reached exasperating-to-the-point-of-humorous to me), I shall just keep trying to prove my sincerity. I keep telling myself that eventually everyone will understand me, though it's looking like it'll most likely be heaven before that time. Ahhhhh, the woes of being misunderstood!

My cousins understand me though...yet another reason to adore them! :D

Ciao everybody!

~Robin <><

My Sister

As Robin is not here, and cannot prevent me from saying what I will on her blog, I am taking the opportunity (that her modesty would prevent) of telling all the wonderful things about her that she will never tell you about herself.

I am of the opinion that my sister is the single most fascinating person in the world.
Most obvious is her ability to relate to anyone, anywhere. Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration. Let us say that those that she does not easily relate to are the exception. In any case, she can always find common ground, from the 2 year-old, to the cousin with Palsy, to the cool relative or friend that I can find close to nothing to say to, to the sad-eyed old man in the nursing home. People that most would shrink away from, she embraces and loves.

She had the ability from a young age to relate to children, (a much envied gift by yours truly). She is going to be a wonderful mother, for one because (obviously) she loves children, and thinks them a great blessing. When everyone else is saying “go away and leave us alone” she wants to see what fascinates them, and has the ability to share the wonder that they find. At the same time she posses a will of iron that no 2-year-old will ever over ride, yet for some maddening reason the just love her all the more.

Something else about that will. You may as well forget compromise, she stands for what she believes in. Yet somehow (don’t ask me how) she doesn’t come across as self-righteous.

I think that I may have pin-pointed my love of Jane Austin. Her books are like a commentary on life by Robin. Witty, discerning and fun. Though I must say that Robin has a little more compassion than Miss Austen seems to have possessed. Robin is all that is charming in Elisabeth Bennet. (but she won’t fall for Mr. Wickem)

All in all, let it suffice to say that she is practically faultless, unless she happens to do something that annoys me, in which case it is all her fault. In honesty, she does so well with the faults that are native to her personality (as Mr. Darcy says, every disposition has a tendency to some particular evil) that they rarely plague even those to whom she has the most opportunity to show them. (translation: me) She even is a good enough sport to reenact and listen my long-winded theories on why the South was right.

She is my dearest confidant, my truest friend, and my favorite companion. She is a jewel of great price, and I am more than thankful that I have the privilege to be the person who hitherto knows her best. (or so I flatter myself)

Merisha <><

The Guest Blogger

Hello everyone. Robin is in Alabama and has graciously given me permission to post on her blog while she is gone.

Every once in a while I will think "if I had a blog I would post on (fill in the blank) but I'm not doing a great job remembering any of it so.... hum. I am debating whether to be profound or to be frivolous.

I have decided. I shall take the middle road (you know, the one that tries to please everyone and in the end pleases no one).

Mom and I are watching Pride and Prejudice this week while Robin is gone, because Robin is heartily sick of it, and I'm not. I was struck anew with the quality of conversation that Jane Austin gives her characters. (I am always delighted by deep conversation) The utter civility expressed on every occasion (even the occasion of having a proposal refused) also impresses me. I shall insert here for your enjoyment one of my favorite classic Jane Austin conversations:

Alas, it is too long to copy and paste, so I shall post the link: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Chapter 10

If anyone cares they can go read it, and if not, it will be no loss.

Perhaps I should say more on the subject, but I shan't, because I have other things to do, and time, cruel time, flies on, headless of my attempts at blogging. Besides, I have no more to say

Fare thee well, good friends,

Merisha <><

And I'm off....again!!

Leaving tomorrow to go out of town again. This time I'm going to Alabama for a week. I leave you with this wonderful scripture to encourage you while I'm away:

Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Blessings!

~Robin <><

Terri Schiavo

I have rarely (if ever) had a bad word to say about my country.

When it comes to the USA, my optimistic nature comes forth more than in normal circumstances. I'm always ready to put in the most excellent of words for our "land of the free, home of the brave." As far as I was concerned, America was just a little taste of heaven on earth....okay, so maybe not quite heaven, but everyone's got their problems, right?

But after twelve long days cruel and brutal treatment, worse than most prisoner of war treatment, when the soul of Terri Schiavo left this world, I felt as if I was the only sane person in an insane world.

She is not the first person to die by forced starvation and dehydration, nor is she the last. She is not the only one to die because she is an inconvenience, untold millions of babies can attest to that.

The holocaust of the unborn has been going on for some time, but now, it has come to the handicapped, elderly, and anyone else who is in the way.

How far we have come in 200 years...and seeing our history in extreemly fast decline of morality, I are forced to conclude that this is only the beginning

I pray for God's mercy on this country.

Easter, Simplicity, and Building Relationships

I will start by saying that I hope everyone had an Easter that was at least half as wonderful as mine was. My family spent Easter in Texas with some very dear friends who were kind enough to open their home to us. We had some wonderful visiting time with them, along with some great conversation.

For the week prior to Easter, we were with some distant cousins whom we have grown rather close to. It was not a vacation or anything (they are in the midst of moving), but we had a good time nonetheless. Since they had only a very short time to be out of their house and as they are expecting their eighth child, we decided to go spend a week helping out. It was a very enlightening in many ways. For one thing, they live very simple, frugal lives and are none the worse for it. Upon asking most of the 9 people in their household if they wanted to move back to the city, I got a surprising response...a resounding "NO WAY!" Intrigued by this answer, I set forth to find out why that was. How could it be that they could actually prefer living the "hard life"? They milk cows, gather eggs, slaughter pigs, will soon be living with little or no electricity, have no Internet (gasp!), didn't even have a land line phone for a year, have no central air or heat, have 7 children sharing everything, including beds, have to feed a million animals (well, not a million, but it sure seems like it when you're trying to feed them all)....and yet, they wouldn't trade it for anything!

My cousin (actually, she's my 2nd cousin's daughter, but who's counting?) who is 13 stated that one of the reasons that she didn't want to move back to the city was because of the peer influences there. Since they are homeschooled, I was a little surprised by this answer. She said that her neighbors and other friends in the city were mostly horrid, and that the youth at her church were not at all better. This was a sad statement, that the "Christian" youth at church were no different from the world, even a worse influence in many cases than the non-Christians. An interesting note: my friend Matt (with who's family we spent Easter) made a statement in passing that I thought interesting. When my mom mentioned something about not being involved in youth group, Matt said "That's a good thing." "Why?" asked his younger brother. "Because! It's horrible!" And that was the end of the conversation on youth groups. Coming from a 17 year old, that wasn't the response I would have expected. But then again, considering some other conversation we've had with him on the subject of youth in general, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised...we have had the "all the reasons we hate teenagers" (though we are all considered such) discussion on more than one occasion.

Anyway, back to simplicity: Since I have never lived a simple life, it was nice to be involved in one for a week. Actually, I think I could get used to it. It's a lot of work, granted, but we worked together, therefore building relationships. I have observed that it is a true statement that striving together brings people closer. When you go through hardships with people, you get to see who people really are and learn to love them anyway. I got to know my cousin more while out milking the cows than I ever got to know people at church by being on the music team with them every week. I became close the other family we saw by going through very hard times emotionally and spiritually with them at the time of my parents divorce than I have with most people on the planet. Even though we don't see either family very often, we still have a connection and closeness that enables us to, more or less, pick up right where we left off on our previous visit. Interesting.

Well, we've been at home for almost 15 hours now (though most of them were spent sleeping) so we must be going again! We're off to Mississippi to visit more family.

Pax Christi,

~Robin <><

Sing to the Lord, All the Earth!!

"Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright." Ps 33:1.

Here are some interesting Biblical statistics:
The word "Sing" is used 102 times in the Bible.
"Song" and "sang" combined equals out to 54 times.
We are admonished 19 times to "Sing to the Lord" , ("Love thy Neighbor" was, at most, admonished only 7 times)
specific forms of music mentioned are, Hymns (2), Psalms (6), and Shouts of Joy (7).
Horn, harp, strings, tambourine and dancing, along with others are mentioned repeatedly.
The word "Praise" is used 214 times.
(I happened to be watching a 13 yr old at the time of doing the research for this post. He got quite interested in seeing what other words were in the bible. In case you ever wondered, the word "God" is mentioned 3,892 times, "dog" is mentioned 25 times, the word "His" is said 12,233 times, and last but not least, the name "Linus", from the comic strip Peanuts, is indeed mentioned once).

Anyway, back to music. While reading through the Bible, and looking up the scriptures from the above scriptures, you and I will be forced to come to the same conclusions on the subject of music. Music unto the Lord is not only smiled upon, but according to the Psalms, it is a command.

I began teaching piano lessons yesterday. My main desire is to see these children learn to love music and to use it to glorify God. I'm not big on drills and boring, ridiculous pieces. If I do nothing else as a teacher, I want to teach my students to see music as God sees music. I'm not sure exactly as He see's it, of course, but the Bible gives me a pretty good clue.

Now, the question has arisen many times in my own mind, "What kind of music pleases God?" Before I attempt to answer the above question (put forth by myself), I shall quote my friend, J.S. Bach:
"Music should be none other than for the Glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
I think that pretty much sums it up. The word "Jesus" doesn't have to be every other word for God to be glorified by it. Some classical music is very soothing and, I believe, glorifying to God. He created music, for crying out loud! He must absolutely love it. On the other hand, many "Christian" songs are purely worldly, even lyrically.
I am very fond of other types of music, to many people's dismay. I like the feel of Country music, some classical vocal pieces, even (dare I say it?) some soft rock and pop songs. No doubt, in all of these fields of music, there is some complete trash, but much of it takes me feel refreshed and reminds me of our Father. My rule for myself (which I sometimes have a hard time enforcing) is to objectively listen to a song or piece of music and say "Lord, does this please you? Would this be playing on your radio?" If not, sadly, I must bid the song farewell.

While thinking about musical standards, I was thinking that I have heard many of the same rationalizations for music as I have for art (though it's much easier for me to rationalize music than art because I like it so much more). "Music is neutral, neither good nor bad." And to a point, this is true. But one way to think of it is this: Snakes, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad. A rattlesnake or anaconda are no "worse" than a small garden snake. They have no will to sin, therefore they are neutral. But it would be totally foolish to curl up and cuddle with a poisonous snake. Just because the rattlesnake, in and of itself is not bad, having no sin nature, it can still be dangerous.
Music, in and of itself is not bad, having no sin nature, but it can still be dangerous. Granted, there are some very big differences between snakes and music, but an analogy worth considering.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about on the subject of music lately.

Saluti!
~Robin

Josh Groban Live in New Orleans!

Last night I went with some friends to see the Josh Groban concert. It was wonderful!
The guy plays piano exquisitely, sings like an absolute angel and plays drums like he was born sitting at them.

I must admit though, that as I sit there amongst the screams of "I love you Josh" and things of the sort, I began to question the wisdom in the apparent idolizing of him. It hardly seems wise, and I began to feel quite a bit of compassion for this 24 year old singer. Josh Groban is a fad in the teenage girl realm right now, there is no doubt about that. But as all fads go out of style, in a couple of years, so will he. The fame that he now sees (and obviously enjoys) will soon be only a memory. I find myself wondering "What will this fame do to him between now and then?" Between the time he was "discovered" and the time someone else bigger and better (dare I say "better looking"?) comes along, how will he change as a person, as a Jew, as a son, as a brother and as a friend? I can't imagine that walking into a huge arena with literally thousands of girls screaming at the top of their lungs how much they love you, how cute you are, etc. could be good for ones self. Fame is a strange thing like that, I suppose.

Anyway, I hope that from this post you have not been led to think that it was not wonderful or that I did not have a good time. I can only say how much about how great it was before I would begin to sound like (heaven forbid!) a teenage girl.
Allow me to reiterate though, his voice sounded as if it had come straight out of heaven. Hearing someone on a recording is one thing, but hearing them live makes all of the difference. It is my prayer that amidst the fame, he will somehow discover that his voice did come from heaven, and that it is a gift to be used for the Giver.

~Robin

Some of my thougths on death

Okay, a disclaimer seems in order here.

I realize that I am taking a risk here in posting two posts about death so close together, but I shall take the risk. Constant thoughts of death is not the usual case for me...

However, today I spent 3 hours playing flute for a wake, 1 hour sitting thorough the funeral mass and burial, then 3 hours at the reception at the home of the family. Needless to say, after 7 hours, I was a bit out of sorts.

After we dropped my sister off at church to practice music for Sunday, my frustrations and strange thoughts all came flowing forth. I was feeling a strange sense of questioning.

The thought that kept coming to my mind was "Why?" Mind you, it was not, "why did such a good man have to die?", I had never even met him (we knew his son). My questions were more in a general sense "Why are we here?" "What is the point? You are born, you live, you die, then you are in eternity. Why this earth?" Not to question God and his sovereign plan, not at all...but I want to understand our real purpose on this earth.

I kept thinking, "God put us on this earth for a reason, and people in general are missing the point of life by a longshot."

I really think that most people, including myself, have a very distorted perspective on life. Why are we here? The only reason I could come up with was "To glorify God."

The posts about simplicity on my friend's blog, along with my own personal Bible reading and thinking, and knowing several people recently who have died or come close to it, has really started to change my perspective on life.

I have had a rather eventful life, and am thankful to God for every season, every fiery trial, and every mountain top. Thorough them all, I have learned many lessons.

For the first 6 years of my life, life on this planet was nothing special, whatever it is that little kids did, I did. No purpose, no mission, just living because I was here (I mean, how much mission do most 5 year olds have, but the point still stands...)

From my 6th through 12th years, my life was merely on survival mode, the "miry waters" years, as the Psalmist would say. Get up, read bible, eat, sleep, keep breathing, keep breathing, keep breathing. Just take it one day at a time, one day at a time... Some purpose, some mission, but mostly just getting through life and trying to rely on God.

Since then, my life has been a mixture of mountain tops and valleys. Relatively "normal" I would say. But I am finding that I am longer satisfied with being an average Joe-Blo Christian. For the last several years, but mostly within the past 2 or so, I have thought "There must be more to life than this. God didn't put me on this planet to be just like everybody else. But what do I do from here? Move to a village in Africa? Something big, I want to impact people!" Then I thought of my grandmother, who passed away less than a year ago. She was very likely the most wonderful, godly woman I have ever known. I found myself asking "What did she do, what was the key to her successful, inspiring life?" The answer came to my mind quickly. She loved her neighbor as herself. She radiated God's love, grace, and hope. She never passed out tracts, she never knocked on peoples doors and said "let me tell you about Jesus", she never told me, in verbal words, the gospel message. But it was told in her life. By her behavior, she shared Christ's love with everyone she met. Not that I should never witness with words, that is not my point, but for to witness with my life...that is much harder!

There is a wonderful quote by St. Francis of Assisi that I absolutely love: "Preach Christ. Use words if necessary." That is my ambition, to, by every word I say (or perhaps more aptly, by every word I refrain from saying), by every action, every response, every....everything!, I would proclaim Christ. That is where the rubber meets the road for me. It's easy to tell someone "You need Jesus, let me tell you the plan of salvation". What is hard is to live my life in such a way that, without even a word, I am witness for Christ. It's so much easier for me to be hypocritical and say "You need Christ in your life", then go home and get irritated at my sister over something minor, slam my cousin because I think she's doing something wrong, gossip about this person or that person, waste time being idle and skip Bible reading. Being a living witness is not easy. I fail more often than I succeed, but I am determined that before my life is over, I will have made a difference. Not (necessarily) because I have gone oversees and converted thousands, not because I have translated the Bible into a language that no one has ever even heard of, but because "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives within me."

My goal is to - every day of my life - die to myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus.

The Lord the Keeper of Isreal

This is one of my very favorite Psalms ( though I must admit to having about 50 "favorites"). At church, we sang a rendition of this in the choir and it really came alive to me.

I WILL lift up my eyes to the mountains
From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Isreal
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 121

Encouraging Poem

This is a favorite poem of mine. I memorized it when I was younger, and it has served me well over the years...
It Couldn't Be Done
Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;"
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)

A Different Perspective on Death

BECAUSE I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me;

The carriage held but just ourselves

And Immortality.


We slowly drove, he knew no haste,

And I had put away

My labor, and my leisure too,

For his civility.


We passed the school where children played

At wrestling in a ring;

We passed the fields of gazing grain,

We passed the setting sun.


We paused before a house that seemed

A swelling of the ground;

The roof was scarcely visible,

The cornice but a mound.


Since then ’t is centuries; but each

Feels shorter than the day

I first surmised the horses’ heads

Were toward eternity.

~Emily Dickinson (1830–86)

The Christian Marriage

This is a pretty long writing by Charles Spurgeon, but is worth reading more than once.

Sometimes we have seen a model marriage, founded on pure love, and cemented in mutual esteem. Therein, the husband acts as a tender head; and the wife, as a true spouse, realizes the model marriage-relation, and sets forth what our oneness with the Lord ought to be. She delights in her husband, in his person, his character, his affection; to her he is not only the chief and foremost of mankind, but in her eyes he is all-in-all; her heart's love belongs to him, and him only. She finds sweetest content and solace in his company, his fellowship, his fondness; he is her little world, her Paradise, her choice treasure. At any time, she would gladly lay aside her own pleasure to find it doubled in gratifying him. She is glad to sink her individuality in his. She seeks no renown for herself; his honor is reflected upon her, and she rejoices in it. She would defend his name with her dying breath; safe enough is he where she can speak for him. The domestic circle is her kingdom; that she may there create happiness and comfort is her lifework; and his smiling gratitude is all the reward she seeks. Even in her dress, she thinks of him; without constraint she consults his taste and considers nothing beautiful which is distasteful to him.

A tear from his eye because of any unkindness on her part, would grievously torment her. She seeks not how her behavior may please a stranger, or how another's judgment may approve her conduct; let her beloved be content, and she is glad. He has many objects in life, some of which she does not quite understand; but she be believes in them all, and anything she can do to promote them, she delights to perform. He lavishes love on her, and, in return, she lavishes love on him. Their object in life is common. There are points where their affections so intimately united that none could tell which is first and which is second. To watch their children growing up in health and strength, to see them holding posts of usefulness and honor, is their mutual concern; in this and other matters, they are fully one. Their wishes blend, their hearts are indivisible. By degrees, they come to think very much the same thoughts. Intimate association creates conformity; I have known this to become so complete that, at the same moment, the same utterance has leapt to both their lips.

Happy woman and happy man! If Heaven be found on earth, they have it! At last, the two are so blended, so engrafted on one stem, that their old age presents a lovely attachment, a common sympathy, by which its infirmities are greatly alleviated, and its burdens are transformed into fresh bonds of love. So happy a union of will, sentiment, thought, and heart exists between them, that the two streams of their life have washed away the dividing band, and run on as one broad current of united existence till their common joy falls into the ocean of eternal felicity.

By Charles H. Spurgeon
An excerpt from Poems for Patriarchs, Compiled and Edited by Douglas W. Phillips

Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Conduct

We would all do well to apply these four principles (though there are many others I can think of to add!)...

1) It is necessary for me to be extremely frugal for some time, until I have paid what I owe.

2) To endeavor to speak truth in every instance; to give nobody expectations that are not likely to be answered, but aim at sincerity in every word and action -- the most amiable excellence in a rational being.

3) To apply myself industriously to whatever business I take in hand, and not divert my mind from my business by any foolish project of growing suddenly rich; for industry and patience are the surest means of plenty.

4) I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and proper occasions speak the good I know of everybody.

This is also a great quote to keep in mind:

"Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden
But it is forbidden because it's hurtful.
Nor is a duty beneficial because it is commanded,
But it is commanded, because it's beneficial."

-Benjamin Franklin

A Living Chalice

Below is a short, yet profound quote about the gift of motherhood. It is an excerpt from an article that one of my guy friends wrote on the different roles of ladies and gentlemen. It portrays a concept which I have always embraced, yet I have never heard stated in this precise way. I had to read it slowly a few times before it really sunk in.


"Ladies, understand that you are a living chalice created to someday bear souls for which Christ died. There is no greater calling and gift than that."

-Joshua Zurengue, Knights and Princesses
Written on St. Valentine's Day, 2002

Valentines Day

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited;
does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs;
finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.
For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.
Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Need of the Hour

What does our country need? Not armies standing
With sabers gleaming ready for the fight;
Not increased navies, skillful and commanding,
To bound the waters with an iron might;
Not haughty men with glutted purses trying
To purchase souls, and keep the power of place;
Not jeweled dolls with one another vying
For palms of beauty, elegance, and grace.

But we want women, strong of soul, yet lowly
With that rare meekness, born of gentleness;
Women whose lives are pure and clean and holy,
The women whom all little children bless;
Brace, earnest women, helpful to each other,
With finest scorn for all things low and mean;
Women who hold the names of wife and mother
Far nobler than the title of a queen

Oh! These are they who mould the men of story,
These mothers, oft time shorn of grace and youth,
Who, worn and weary, ask no greater glory
Than making some young soul the home of truth;
Who sow in hearts all fallow for the sowing
The seeds of virtue and of scorn for sin,
And, patient, watch the beauteous harvest growing
And weed out tares which crafty hands cast in.

Women who do not hold the gift of beauty
As some rare treasure to be bought and sold,
But guard it as a precious aid to duty-
The outer framing of the inner gold;
Women who, low above their cradles bending,
Let flattery's voice go by, and give no heed,
While their pure prayers like incense are ascending
These are our country's pride, our country's need.

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox
From: Verses of Virtue Compiled and Edited by Elizabeth Beall Phillips