The End Of All Things Wonderful.

Well, another Christmas has past. After seventeen Christmas's you think I'd be used to that feeling. The one I get when all the presents have been open, ripped wrapping paper is sprawled across the living room floor, half the relatives have left, and dusk is approaching. The only food left are the cookies and fudge on the table and everyone sits in sort of a daze talking of random nothings.

In this moment there is always a strange feeling I get, it feels like pain, but it also makes me feel warm inside. It's the feeling of unsatisfaction and yet the feeling of a full belly. It's pleasantly bothersome, and every year I feel the same way. Like I've just missed something wonderful. Like I've fallen asleep at my favorite part of the movie. Like the song ended before I took my earplugs out. Like reading a supper intense book only to get to the end and find the last two chapters missing. Like the director has just screamed, "That's a wrap!".


Perhaps I will never understand this feeling. Mayhaps you've never felt it before. And maybe, just maybe, you deal with this issue every year, same as me. I wish I could tell you a secret. The answer and cure for this feeling. I wish I could at least tell you where it comes from or what it is. But I can't. I just don't know. All I have to share is this, (And I believe this is a vital clue to the answer!) "All things wonderful . . . Must come to an end."

Thank you Christmas. You've been a wonderful blessing. Hope to see you again next year.

And to you, reader fair, Happy Christmas!

A Man Named Allen and The Magical Shoebox

"People are always telling me that change is a good thing, but what they are really trying to say is that something that I didn't want to happen... has happened."-Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail.

"I wish I had a million dollars... Hot dog!"-George Baily, Its a Wonderful Life.

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"-The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland

"A man sees things differently at different times in his life"-Jenny, Big fish

"Tomorrow night my face is going to be as big as a house and everyone will find me out!" Pauline Fossil, Ballet Shoes.

"Gabriel is a good name for a farmer."-Jean Villeneuve, The Patrioit.

"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."-Robin Longstride, Robin Hood.

"If I could love a mam, who would take me for a mere fifty pounds a year, I shall be very well pleased... But such a man can hardly be sensible and you know I could never marry a man who was out of his wits."-Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice.

"Beware of fainting fits, beware of swoons, run mad as often as you choose but do not faint."-Fanny Price, Mansfield Park.

"I knew a young lady very like your sister - the same impulsive sweetness of temper - who was forced into, as you put it, a better acquaintence with the world. The result was only ruination and despair. Do not desire it miss Dashwood.

"Things do not always happen the same way twice dear one."-Aslan, Prince Caspian.

"He's in love... with a girl."- Jack Sparrow, Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Mans Chest.

"You know something? Vermont should be beautiful this time of year all that snow."-Phil Davis, White Christmas.

"Missed it by that much."-Max Smart, Get Smart.

"Well darn this stuff!"-Pegg Boggs, Edward Scissor Hands

"That's-whad.... Iii'M   talking BOUT!"-Gru, Despicable Me.

"I'm afraid I'm not learned at all aunt, but I do know a thing or two about pirates."-Wendy Darling, Peter Pan.

"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I Caught one."-The Joker, the dark knight.

"I was led a little further down the rabbit hole that i cared to go, and though I have dirtied my fluffy white tale... I have emerged... Enlightened."-Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes

The Girl and The Lion.

Well since I've written a post about Harry Potter, I think it only fair that I write one about Narnia.

The other night I accompanied a few siblings and few friends to the cinema to see 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' the latest movie about Narnia.

A mon avis, it was a wonderful movie full of adventure, dragons, sailing ships, handsome kings, a lovely queen, and many lessons well learned. At the end of the movie there is a scene where Eustace Clarence Scrub turns around and asks, "Will I ever get back?" At which time the Lion replies with a smile in his voice, "Narnia may have use of you yet." At that part my smile could not get any bigger . . . or so I thought. After the Pevensie children and Scrub returned to our world, Eustace’s mother hollered up the stairs, "Eustace! What’s going on up there? Come down, Jill Pole dropped in for a visit." Needless to say my smile grew.

Why? You ask. Why, because Jill Pole is truly one of the best written little girls in the history of children’s literature. At least . . . I think very highly of her.

Jill Pole is everything a girl ought to be, she is proud, strong, bold, dramatic, adventurous, selfish, emotional, hardworking, joyful, and caring. It is very obvious that not everything on this list is admirable. However they are the characteristics that make a girl.

Another character in Narnia that is most admirable is Aslan. Aslan, the name makes you feel warm inside doesn't it? I think one reason I love Aslan, is because he is the fiction model of our perfect God. One thing that will always amaze me about C.S. Lewis is that he combined theology and children’s stories.

One time my dear cousin Hannah and I were sitting on her front porch, starring out over the large field that stretched before us leading to the pond that had a forest behind it. With a searching look in her eyes she said quietly, "Sometimes I think reading about Aslan makes it easier to love Jesus"

Don't you suppose that was Jack's aim while writing the books, to reveal the attributes of God that we may read about them and glorify Him, or turn our lives over to Him if we hadn't already?

Jack always portrays the relationships between the characters and the lion so well. We see it with Lucy the child, Eustace the ass, and Jill the girl.

Another reason I love the story of Jill is because of her relationship with Aslan, how he was constantly checking her, challenging her, rebuking her, and ever loving her. All he did for Jill, he did for her ultimate good. However, Jill doesn't see this at first, she becomes disobedient and rebellious and try’s her hardest to do the opposite of the Lions will. In the end we see Jill humbled and contrite toward the Lion.

I am like Jill Pole in many ways. With sweet little Lucy we see the caring, gentle, yet majestic side of Aslan. With Jill we see the stern, disciplinary, yet loving side of Aslan.

In my walk with the Lord I am a Jill Pole. No matter how hard I try to obey, things always get in the way (Have I made a rhyme?) distracting my gaze from the Lion, and distracting my mind from the task he has given me. But Christ is always there, rebuking me out of love, and disciplining me by his grace.

 God Be Praised!

The Bestest Idea- Ethan James

Children are wonderful.

There is hardly a blessing more sweet.

The characteristics and habits of a child are countless... I'll do my best.

1. innocence, 2. orneriness, 3. close to unconditional love, 4. faith, 5. quick to forgive, 6. quick to forget, 7. messy, 8. humorous, 9. honest, 10. full of fun, 11. ambitious, 12. eager to learn, 13. constantly asking questions, 14. dreaming, 15. singing, 16. dancing, 17. laughing, 18. racing, 19. hating, 20. crying, 21. jumping, 22. refusing, 23. accepting, 24. eating, 25. eating, 26. eating, 27. sleeping, 28. watching, 29. giggling, 30. snickering, 31. being mean, 32. being nice, 33. yelling, 34. bossing around, 35. hitting, 36. imagining, 37. journeying, 38. whooping and hollering, 39. creating, 40. learning, 41. being, 42. rolling around 43. pretending, 44. playing, 45. worshipping, 46. sinning 47. looking, 48. sitting still, 49, wiggling, 50. just being a kid.

Well I made it to 50.... 

That Does Put a Damper On Our Relationship!

There are several different levels of relationships, to name a few there's acquaintance, friends, best friends, just friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, engaged, married ect. Today I'm going to be writing about the level "just friends" Have you ever heard someone say "We're just friends." I'm nearly positive that you have heard it... In fact you may have said it once before! 

'Just, what a terrible candle-snuffing word' as Johnny Depp (whom I love) says in the movie Finding Neverland whilst playing J.M. Barrie. C'est Vrai, it is true, we hear it often to belittle or dismiss something, "Oh it's just you." or "That's not a wolf its just a coyote!" We also hear it used as an adj. of things hidden. When one says 'just' often times they are trying to hide something!

Par example-
Barny: What is that?
Blake: What's what?
Barny: That? (points to blanket)
Blake: Nothing! it's just a blanket. See, just a blanket.
Barny: Why's it all wrinkled up? (lifts up blanket) Gasp! There is a box of cookies under here!

Therefore to hear the word 'just' in the phrase "We're just friends" seems terrible. For a long time I thought it was a horrible thing to say, "That's like saying he can't climb that mountain he's just a man, or that's not a diamond it's just a rock" says Johnny Depp (whom I love) in the movie Finding Neverland whilst playing J.M. Barrie. As if being friends, is insignificant, not a big deal, or of little importance. C'est Faux it is false... "We're just friends"... Just.

Then I began to look it as an adj. of things hidden and the phrase turns around completely. It turns into a perfect definition of that awful in between stage... You know that stage where a boy and a girl who were previously friends, start liking each other but their too shy to talk about a relationship. So gradually they start hanging out more, then people- as people do- start speculating, then asking question, and that horrible phrase rolls of the tongues of the guilty "We're just friends..." All innocence is lost. 

This level of friendship is most common among those who, "don't date." Because they "don't date" they are more likely to be shy in discussing and or considering a relationship with the person they are 'just friends' with. Therefore they become "just friends" so that they can date... without calling it dating. Heavy stuff, huh?

They have most likely, made a pact, an oath, or a promise to themselves not to date and therefore by staying "just friends" with the friend whom they like and likes them, they can hide their relationship, which is in fact more than friendship, as everyone, who isn't an idiot, knows.

I believe it is a stage for cowards. To be 'just friends' is to be below and above real friendly love, therefore it is not a good place to be in. If you are caught in this awful stage my advice to you would be to decide and make your choice. The longer you tack the word 'just' on your friendship the heavier the damper gets. Know truth and honesty and fess up to it.

Just.

...What I Know Now

Have you ever heard the phrase "If I had known then what I know now."? Oh, that taunting phrase that governs the social section of a person’s mind. It can be found in every area of life. It affects the way toddlers think about babies, how children think about toddlers, how 8th graders think about 7th graders, how teenagers think about children, how young adults think about teenagers, how adults think about young adults, how old people think about adults, and how senile people think about old people.

Recently this issue has revealed itself to me more and more, especially after spending a weekend with my best friend Rachel, at the college she attends.

"It makes me laugh to think about when I used to come here for 'Visit Days'. It's so different than I thought it was going to be," she said as we walked past some high school senior deeply contemplating coming to SBU college next year.

It also reminded me of a conversation I had with some kids a while ago-

 "Oh my gosh! I hate "sevies"! they are uh... Oh my goodness, I hate sevies."- Anonymous boy

 ''What are sevies?''- Me

"Seventh graders. They are so annoying. I hate sevies too."-Anonymous girl

"You guys were seventh graders last year!"

I wish so much that I could remember their reply... Alas, I hold no memory of it. However, that awful conversation haunts me to this day; the high haughty attitude of both the boy and the girl. From this conversation we can extract at least one thing: pride.

Often times people are sorted into classes: A rich man is first class; a poor man is low class. These classes aren't only defined by riches and rags, of course, but by attitudes, mannerisms, and shell. An average man with wit, kindness, and a good looking exterior, will usually always be invited to the lovely garden parties of the rich. However, an average man who is awkward, quiet and -shall we say- a little out of style, will often be disregarded as one of 'those people', and will most likely never receive an invitation. The definition of this is prejudice; an opinion made without adequate biases. A mon avis, No.

Though it is wrong, prejudices are often double sided. An average man of low class, my feel just as weirded out and uncomfortable around the rich people, as they feel around him. Therefore, rather than be invited to one of those lovely garden parties, he would infinitely prefer getting together with his average buddies and play a game of Nerts.

You will almost never find a child who does not look up to a teenager. Nor- though it is often unapparent- a teenager who does not secretly want to be a young adult. There won't be a young adult who doesn't respect an adult, (If there were, I would urge them to check themselves!). When it comes to age, the grass always looks greener in the future.

With the exception of Peter Pan of course, his grass is always green.

Yet we belittle and ridicule the ones who are just a year younger. We look down on them and say, "you little baby, why can’t you be more mature?" We have forgotten that we were them just last year. We have a strange absurd idea that we cannot be friends with them. That it would be considered lowering ourselves to enter into such a relationship. We are blinded and deceived by our pride. And unless we pray to God that He rips this mindset away from us, our happiness will be limited.

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young..."-Timothy 4:12

"I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."- mark 10:15

"Like newborn babies crave pure milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" 1 Peter 2:2,3

Love Wins Give Away!

My brother and his wife are adopting a beautiful baby girl from Ethiopia!

If you'd like to learn more or help out, go to her blog for her Love Wins Give Away!

Many thanks.

Just a Humble Harry Potter Nerd

To answer your question... yes, I have read every one of the Harry Potter books. So what if I know that to scare away a dementor you have to use the ‘Expecto Patronum’ charm, which can only be conjured by a really happy wizard. So what if I know all the rules to the game Quidditch. So what if I can name almost everyone who’s a part of The Order of Phoenix. So what if I am listening to the Harry Potter soundtrack right this very moment! So what if I'm nearly the biggest Harry Potter nerd -Save for my dear friend Emily A, or perhaps my sister Boo- in the entirety of Cass County!

The question I am asking is this, what's the big deal?

When the first Harry Potter movie came out I was 8 years old. The night we bought it my family was on vacation with a bunch of people from our church, I remember my mom telling me not to tell everyone we had bought it. Confused, I asked "Why mom?" "Because," answered she, "some children aren't allowed to watch that movie". The answer must have sufficed for an 8 year old cause I don't remember asking any more questions.

I love the movies... not as much as I love the books. -Understand that when I say love, I don’t mean real unconditional love like Christ's. I mean maximum like for materialistic things- I know that there are people out there who think it is those books are full of witchcraft and evil or they are no good because they are about witches and wizards. An ill-informed people.

Here is my argument; I believe there is a difference between witchcraft and magic. The difference being this- witchcraft is real, evil, and scary and practiced in many societies in the world. Magic is just pretend, a street magician once told my brother "There is a trick behind every act." So whether fiction or real, magic is only pretend.

"But then!" they argue "why is it called school of witchcraft and wizardry?" to this I would reply- undoubtedly in my most sarcastic tone, "you really think there’s a Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry out there?"

If I was in an argumentative mood I may say, "Fine what's the difference between the Narnia books or say the Lord of The Rings books?" "Well" answers them, “those where written by a Christian author." . . . That's invalid. You’re saying that because a Christian wrote a piece of fiction about witches and wizards, you’re going to let your child read it... But because a non-Christian wrote a piece of fiction about witches and wizards you not going to let them read it? hmmm. What's the difference?!

Honestly, the book isn't even about witches and wizards... It's about good vs. evil! the battle you can find in every fiction book you read, the battle that wars in nonfiction as well, The battle of good and evil that wars within our very souls. It's a story of the ever prevailing all villain called evil, of the small underdog resistance called good. Let it ever be, that good fights and wages war and in the end triumphs over evil!  We read fiction, because it is fiction. Because it is a window looking in on a world so very like yet so very different from our own. By looking through it, we can be encouraged, challenged, and taught.

My concluding remark is this, read such books with a cautious heart and discerning head by all means. Just don't banish a book, just because it's about witches and wizards.

Some Melodious Sonnet

Have you ever answered the question: "What's your favorite music?" In my opinion that is one of the most difficult questions to answer. If it were to happen to me, that someone ask me that question, the scene would go a little something like this:

   "What's your favorite music?"-Random Character

    "Well... I like James Newton Howard, Bing Crosby, Sovereign Grace Music, Regina Spector, Enya, Hans Zimmer, Idina Menzel, Danny Elfman, Kate Rusby, Lecrae, Trip Lee, Jai, Rich Mullins, Michael Card, Yo-Yo Ma, One Republic, Alan Menken, Anonymous 4, Dion, Hillsong United, Wavorly, Patrick Doyle, Run Kid Run, Quidam, Damien Rice, Phil Wickham, Harry Nilson, Shane & Shane, Rufus Wainwright, Kendall Payne,-"-Abigial


     "Truly you have a dizzying fondness for music."-Random Character

     "Wait till I get going! where was I?"- Abigial

It is true...  YOU CAUGHT ME! I'll admit it. Just stop accusing me, you can get that long bone-y finger out of my face. I'll admit it... I am obsessed with music.

I'm not a musician. While I truly love to sing, I've never been able to play an instrument. I don't have the patience, discipline, endurance, and devotion it takes to learn one. Oh that patience, discipline, endurance, and devotion I so admire in musicians. Music is a life long occupation; once a musician, always a musician.

As I've written once before "Music opens the little treasure box we all carry, called emotions. It searches deep within the box to pull out the most shiny object there and runs wild with it.". To express,- what words cannot express- man uses music. Music makes us feel what we've never felt before. It inspires us, perhaps in ways we will never know; by music we fly, live, savor, dream, and imagine without even leaving our comfy arm-chairs.

Music is such an amazing thing. Ponder this for a moment: one of the longest and best known books of the Bible is made up of songs and poems! God gave man music to reflect His glory. God gave man Music to praise and worship Him. God gave man music to unite us.

Music is a way of fellowship and unity. A room of a thousand men can be filled with five hundred and one different conversations, but as soon as the music starts, one thousand voices joined together in song become one together in praise and worship for The One True God.

What a wonderful gift God has given us! Like a man whose family buys him a lawn mower for his birthday  and when he gets it, he mows every lawn of his family members. Let us, like said man, use the gift God has given us to bless him in return. "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, bless the Lord!"

            "I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music."-Psalm 101:1

What We Have Seen

Pink, purple, baby blue, red, and orange, were the colors of the sunset tonight. like an invisible volcano which erupted, sending up a river of purple and pink water that rolled violently over giant smooth boulders in the sky, until it faded up into the great blue void . It was all mixed together perfectly in a brilliant burst of intelligent design. It was too beautiful to be real, yet too perfect to be fake! The sky was all clear save for the purple river of clouds that sprang up from the volcano, as if  the clouds had been aligned just right to display the majesty of God.

 I sat in awe of the amazing creation that lay vast before me. Beauty. wonder, mystery. I thought of heaven. I sat in awe of God, who was revealing himself to me through a sunset, I thought how much more awe I will be in when I reach the end of this life, and go on into eternity.

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. -John 17:3

I wait eagerly for the day when I may know God. God, the creator of every sunset. God, who brings the stars. God, who sent his Son to bear my sin, take the wrath I deserve, and credit his righteousness to me.

In all this, rests my hope.

Instant Cherry Pie and Gold Dollar Coin Society

              Recently, I have been reading a spectacularly fantastic book by C.S. Lewis called THE WEIGHT OF GLORY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and what I mean by recently is I bought the book two years ago and have been reading it ever since. Sometimes it just sits on my shelf for months other times it lays in my hands as I flip slowly through the pages. Well the other day -somehow- it ended up in my book bag. 

              So as I sat at my desk, trying hard to not listen in on other peoples conversations, I decided to read. The next chapter in the book just so happened to be 'The Inner Ring'.

           As I sat there at my desk surrounded by classmates, I got lost in the words of this great theologian. Whether we are in them or admiring them from the outside, Inner Rings are all around us. No matter how pointless or troublesome an Inner Ring may be, we strive and consider it a privilege to be in them.

              In one part Lewis writes " 'Charles and I saw at once that you've got to be on this committee.' A terrible bore... ah, but how much more terrible if you were left out! It is tiring and unhealthy to lose your Saturday afternoons but to have them free because you don't matter, that is much worse."

              We see so often the affects of the Inner Ring. My father and brothers often talk of their work place and for the longest time I never understood why! It seemed so boring and pointless to talk about work at the dinner table. Alas, now I understand. It isn't really pointless chatter at all! Every small piece of information which passes between these men has deep significant meaning to it. Perhaps it does not matter to them that no one else cares, why should they? It is not they that are so intimately Involved with this Inner Ring, known as Lake City.

                 To be involved in an Inner Ring means some form of importance. You know the feeling. Let's say you're on the decorating committee at church, and on one Saturday afternoon no one can find the green ribbon that wraps around the banister. How fickle this seems to the custodian whose cleaning the loo, or the secretary who came to unlock the door, but to all on the committee it is a great matter of importance... Indeed, indeed it is so important.

                  You can sign up to be on the decorating committee, you can get a job at Lake City, or you can sit by some one in class and still be excluded from an Inner Ring. It takes hard work, effort, and commitment, to get in any Inner Ring. Even after you've acheived all that, you may find yourself stretched, shrunk, wiggled, and pushed till you've finally conformed to the empty space within the Inner Ring. Once there I challenge you to ask this question 'Am I content here?' 

                   Yet, Lewis points out another matter of much importance. "The difference is that its secrecy is accidental, and its exclusiveness a by-product, and no one was led thither by the lure of the esoteric, for it is only four or five people who like one another meeting to do things they like. This is friendship. Aristotle placed it among the virtues. It causes perhaps half of all the happiness in the world, and no Inner Ring can ever have it."

                    There is a difference between friendship and Inner Rings. No one will ever stretch, shrink, wiggle, or conform to fit in a friendship. One shouldn't have to! I challenge you to notice these Inner Rings that surround us, flee from them, and strive for friendships instead. 

What Come's First, Ought be Remembered

Today was a day of firsts for me.

Today I got my first Mid-Term Exam back. Twas the first time I talked to a guy named Sebastien. Twas the first time I nearly fell asleep in French class. It was the first time I left my math test confident My score would be high. the first time I turned in a job application. And it was the first time I drove across the large  Blue Parkway bridge.

I felt perfectly silly! I was the only one on the whole bridge- the speed limit was 35- there I was, slowly ascending up the awkward lonely bridge, in my little Malibu, feeling very alone, yet very independent!

It was the first time I had ever crossed this bridge, as I wrote earlier, and I was alone. (Note: alone above) it felt weird not having seen one of my many siblings do it before me, I had no one there to instruct me, no model to follow. (Note: independent above.) In that moment I realized that the only person I could rely on now, was Christ! My family won't always be there to do things for me or show me how they ought to be done. No matter what! Christ will always be there- guiding my steps.

God be praised!

A Picture Of Art

Well I've done it, I started a blog. Something I told myself I wouldn't do untill I had a world of exciting things to write about. Alas here we are: me writing, you reading.

I've always loved reading different blogs. I enjoy reading random ideas of life from someone else's perspective- that's what to blog means I think .When someone tells you "I blog." really what they mean is, "I post random views, opinions, and happenings about my life on the internet, check it out!" This is not a bad things by any means, on the conturary, I believe to be an art.

The idea of art, is to make a picture of some sort. Pictures are made up of ideas, views, lies, promises, lines, curves and histories. They are most often inspired by a vision, a truth, a feeling, or the sheer genius we call imagination. When inspired humans will find anyway they can to exress the picture that is in them. I wish ot write about three ways of doing so.

First, there are those whom we call artists, they make pictures through drawing, molding, or painting, they create wild, vibrant pictures for all to see. These pictures stick in our heads, sometimes they grow into stories, sometimes they even inspire us.

Second, there are ones we call, musicians. Musicians make pictures through music, by throwing a number of notes together, and clashing several different types of instruments, and creating a pleasant little tune for all to hear and wonder at. Music has the devine ability to stick in our hearts, Indeed, this is art.

And then third there is a group of people who are called writers. With words, a writer can create the most powerful form of art. When a writer has a picture in his head, he will use words to form phrases sentences, paragraphs and pages, placing each word right where it belongs to make the picture in his head, look the same in yours.

These are just a few ways of expressing pictures. And while paintings and sculptures are very lovely and wonderful in their own way, they will never amount to the art of music. Music opens the little treasure box we all carry, called emotions. It searches deep within the box to pull out the most shiney object there is and runs wild with it. and while this is a powerful form of art, you will hardly ever hear one say "That song changed my life". No indeed, the art that changes lives the most is writing. We read; beliefs and views of the author either affect us or become our own. Reading can shape our thoughts, it can change our hearts, and mold our minds.

At least, that's my opinion.