This is the note I posted on Facebook concerning The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Just posting it here for posterity. ;)
Today I went to see the latest movie of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Voyage is the 3rd movie in the series, based on the 3rd book in the series, 5th chronologically. I have been following the progress of this film since Prince Caspian came out and I realized that unless a miracle occurred, these films were going to get progressively worse. To start my review, let me just say that the changes to Prince Caspian were understandable and the changes to LWW were incredibly minor compared to the changes that have been made to Voyage. Let me also say, I have heard every argument as to why the changes "had" to be made in order to make the book into a decent movie. I've even heard Douglas Gresham tell fans that when they see it 120 times it will make perfect sense. I love Narnia. Voyage is one of my very favorite books. I have no intention of seeing this movie 120 times in my lifetime.
Some of the reasons for the changes:
No flesh-and-blood villain. So they added this green mist and made Dark Island more sinister. Result? Still no flesh-and-blood villiian, the White Witch seems more powerful after death than she is in reality (dead and not powerful at all), most people will have no idea what the green mist signifies anyway unless they are told, and everyone thinks that this is some kind of forshadowing for the Lady of the Green Kirtle, especially those out there who think she and the WW are one and the same. They're not. They're just both evil witches who use their looks to snare little princes. End of connection.
No danger, hence no clear reason for Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace to be there. Result: this additional back-story of the 7 swords given by Aslan to protect Narnia. What?! This supposedly happened in the Golden Age, but E and L seem to have no memory of it. And why would Caspian's father entrust the swords to his 7 lords when Telmarines didn't believe in Aslan to begin with? Yeah. Writers, your backstory needs help. Lewis says in the book that Caspian would never have left Narnia if it was in any way in danger. And there's some kind of green evil mist trying to take over the world? Right.
Traveling from island to island is boring and it won't make a good movie. Hmm. Let's compare.
Book: Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace end up in Narnia on board the Dawn Treader.
Movie: This part was just about right. I'd have to be very particular, which I'm really not, to find fault with it. As soon as you meet Eustace you know he's the most perfect Eustace you could have asked for. As Jeremy put it at the beginning "I already hate him". I truly have no issue with the movie until they reach the first island.
Book: They reach the Lone Islands where they are abducted by pirates. Caspian is sold to this rich guy and the rest go to thr auction block. The rich guy ends up being one of the lords and helps Caspian free his friends and re-take the Lone Islands in a fabulous display of might and glory. Gov. Gumpas provides the humor.
Movie: The Lone IslandS, Plural. In the movie I only see one. An incredibly run-down and creepy place where slavers tryrannize the townsfolk and send boatloads of them to the green mist as a sacrifice and sell the others to Calormen. No glorious display of Caspian's rule. No tricking Governor Gumpas into thinking he had tons more ships and was here to forcibly re-take the islands. Lord Bern is a decrepit old man in the dungeons, not a rich lord who lives there because he fell in love with a local girl and decided to sail no more. Drinian and the crew had to come on land and rescue Caspian and everyone else because Bern was more helpless than they were. And no Gov. Gumpas. I sincerely missed his Sufficiency. He amused me.
Oh and I'll deal with the addition of Gael and her father later.
Book: On returning to ship they get in a really bad storm and end up on an island where Eustace gets turned into a dragon, they find their second lord, and Eustace meets Aslan.
Movie: The next island is the Island of Voices which gets the gist of it right, but in a completely weird way. If you're going to tell the same story, why change it? Just making more work for yourselves re-writing the book. My main issue with this part--besides the ridiculous scenery--is Coriakin. He seems to know everything with that crazy map of his. In the book he creates maps for them based on what they've seen SO FAR. Here he pretty much just tells us what all is going to happen next. This is the problem, this is the solution, here's your destination, go for it. So why hasn't someone else done it long ago if it's so simple? I prefer the book Coriakin mending their ship (the tail of the dragon), laughing at the Dufflepuds, and saying bon voyage but I have no idea where you're going or what you'll find. Have a good trip. Much more scope for the imagination that way.
Book: Next is the sea serpent where Eustace tries to show valour and helps defeat the serpent. Then they reach the island where the water turns things to gold. Edmund and Caspian get in a fight. Lucy sees Aslan. Next island (whiich does NOT look like something from Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka), Lucy reads the Book of Spells, deals with the temptation of looking like Susan, meets the Dufflepuds, etc.
Movie: They combined Dragon Island and Goldwater Island, which does make sense since they both have gold and it does speed things up a little. So my only problem here is Eustace staying a dragon. And the whole bit about the Blue Star. And Eustace the dragon being able to fly the whole way to the island, which Lewis says in the book wasn't an option because even dragons have to rest somewhere sometimes.
But let me tell you what I DID like so far:
Reepicheep. Sheer perfection. His interactions with Eustace bring the book to life. Love it. And what he tells Eustace the dragon that night...A great nod to the book readers to know what a hero Eustace will become in SC and TLB. I loved his line about his tail. "Aslan gave me this tail. No one touches the tail. No one." (paraphrased)
Eustace. Everything from his diary, to his lines, to his facial expressions. Perfect casting there.
Edmund and Lucy. Always my favorites.
Caspian. I like him much more in this one than in PC. I didn't want to smack him at all in this one. No stupid crushes. No silly lines. Definitely not a childish. Much improved.
Eustace the dragon. Good job movie people. You can make a good dragon.
The Dawn Treader herself. PERFECTION. It's like the book on screen. Beautiful.
Dufflepuds. They sounded right, they acted right, they looked right. They were just on a weird island with a guy impersonating Coriakin. ;)
OK, back to the review. From here till almost the end I was simply lost, watching a movie that reminded me of Voyage because I knew it was supposed to be Voyage, but it wasn't.
Let's review. Three of the seven lords are accounted for: Bern, Octesian, and Restimar. They have 3 of the 7 swords. Eustace is still a dragon. Coriakin told them to sail to Ramandu's Island to lay the 7 swords on Aslan's Table to stop the green mist and free the people trapped at Dark Island. Here's a good place to mention the addition of Rhince and Gael. Now book readers will recognize the name Rhince since he's actually a character in the book. Though in the book he's Narnian and part of the ship's crew from the start. In the movie he's a citizen of the Lone Islands whose wife is taken as part of the "sacrifice" to the green mist. So she's ended up on Dark Island, so we assume, and he's joined the ship's company. Their daughter Gael stowed away on board, so she's there too hoping to find her mother. This gives an additional reason to finish the quest and also gives Lucy a chance to be all motherly/big sistery. Lucy has ripped out a page of the Magician's Book and apparently hasn't resolved her need to look like Susan until a talk with Aslan finally puts her to rights. Yes, the morals of the book are all there in the movie in plain sight, but my thought here is that Lewis didn't write like that. His books all had a moral or several, but they were woven through a good story without the need to spell it out in specific lines. I felt this movie had too many of those specific lines as if we had to be told that there was a lesson to be learned and we're going to make sure you learn it.
So some how Eustace, still a dragon, is able to fly alongside and later PULL the Dawn Treader to Ramandu's Island. Pretty strong dragon. When they get there they find 3 more lords at Aslan's Table. I won't go into this part because it's book-accurate mostly. I only have ONE problem. Two if you count this ridiculous green mist and the fact you can see Dark Island from Ramandu's. My one problem is this: there's no Ramandu on Ramandu's Island. Instead there's a girl who we book readers know is Ramandu's daughter, but in the movie she's a blue star who welcomes them and says "I've been your guide" and then proceeds to tell them what to do next. She's NOT a star. She's NOT supposed to glow like Claire Danes in Stardust. They're not SUPPOSED to have a guide, except maybe Aslan. And there's only talk of swords and dark magic islands, nothing about the lords grabbing up the knife which was not to be touched (just that conflict is not allowed at the table), fairy tale princesses who can be kissed to break the spell (in this story the spell needs to be broken so the princess can be kissed), or that the table is replenished each dawn after being eaten by the birds from the sun. As I mentioned, there's no Ramandu at all! :(
So then they go off to Dark Island and everything that hasn't happened yet happens (the Sea Serpent and the rescue of lord Rhoop, not to mention Eustace's chance at valour and his transformation back into being a boy), it just seems to take a lot longer.
I DO like that Caspian and Edmund aren't squabbling, that Caspian gives Edmund Peter's sword, the acting of lord Rhoop (perfect), and the albatross.
I didn't like that it didn't show the albatross to be Aslan with the words "Courage, dear heart". Lucy using Susan's bow and arrows was an interesting touch. I'm tired of the WW. Edmund was right. She's dead. At least in this one she was only in Edmund's imagination, but her presence frustrates me because it makes her seem more powerful than she is or should be.
Which is also a problem I have with the destruction of Dark Island. In the movie, they destroy it by putting all 7 swords on the Table. In the book, ASLAN destroys it because they (mainly Lucy) cry out to him for help.
Alrighty, time for the ending. I won't go into detail, but I liked the ending so I'm just going to say what was done right.
--Reepicheep going to Aslan's Country.
--The wave. Just like I pictured it.
--They DIRECTLY QUOTE the BOOK!!!!! (""There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.")
--The lilies! :)
--Eustace's little blurb at the end about how his relationship with his cousins improved.
Parts that weren't quite right, but whatever:
--While Caspian did have a moment where he considered going to Aslan's Country, he never stood on ship and told them he wasn't going back. Also, no mention of Ramandu's daughter was made, which I found to be interesting considering she's supposed to marry Caspian.
--The children leave by traveling through a tunnel in the wall of water.. In the book, it's a hole in the sky.
Neither of these are that big of a deal compared to the rest of the movie's plot.
So there's my review. I give it 3 out of 5 stars because of the plot changes. While I'm excited about The Silver Chair being made into a movie, I am terrified of the changes that will be made to THAT. If a ship voyage to the Eastern Edge of the World isn't dramatic enough, what will they do with a walk on foot through the Western Wilds with 2 kids and a marshwiggle?
At least it can't end up like Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. They made changes to the time period of Anne of GG and Anne of A, so by the time they made TCS there was nothing to be salvaged from the remaining 3 books and they had to start over with a completely new plot.
Finally, here's my prediction on the order the remaining books will be "adapted" into films:
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew (which technically can be made at the same time as HAHB since the only character in both is Aslan)
The Last Battle
They just need to make the next 3 quickly so Eustace and Jill aren't too grown up by the time TLB happens. Or they could FILM TLB but not RELEASE it until after the other 3. Wouldn't that be wild?
And that's my review. Feel free to leave comments. :)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Writing Assignment #4!
VICTORIA, QUEEN OF THE WORLD
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a princess? Some girls think that princesses sit around all day playing with a golden ball or singing and dancing. Other girls think that princesses are always beautiful and live happily ever after. Little “Princess Drina” was not like that at all.
Her Royal Highness Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24, 1819. Her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and her mother was Princess Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess of Kent. Her grandfather, George the Third, was the king. Her mother called her “Drina” because she was small and Alexandrina is a very long name! Princess Drina’s life was not happy very long. Her father died when she was eight months old and her grandfather, King George, died before her first birthday. Her uncle, King George the Fourth, was now the king.
Drina lived in London in a castle called Kensington Palace with her mother and her governess Louise Lehzen. (A governess is a lady who lives with and teaches children who do not go to school.) Sir John Conroy, her mother’s advisor—someone who gives advice and manages the money—also lived in the palace with his family. Drina’s mother was very protective. She and Sir Conroy set up the “Kensington System”, a strict set of rules that Drina had to obey. She was never allowed to be in a room by herself, she had to hold someone’s hand to go up or down the steps, and she had to share a room with her mother. Also, she could not invite friends over to play, visit a friend’s house, or go to school! Princess Drina did not like the “Kensington System” so sometimes she would be disobedient on purpose. She would refuse to do her schoolwork, not listen to Sir Conroy, and be rude to her mother.
Even though Drina did not go to school, she still had lessons every day. Her mother and her governess, Lehzen, chose what she would study. Her uncle Leopold, her mother’s brother, also helped decide what she needed to learn. Drina studied history, geography, and arithmetic as well as drawing, music, and the Bible. Girls did not study science when she was growing up. By the time she was eighteen, Drina could speak and write in German, English, and French. She enjoyed reading books, playing the piano, and going to theater. The princess loved to draw and write, so she began to keep a journal about her life when she was thirteen. Sometimes she would illustrate her entries, meaning she would add her own drawings to show what she had written. She continued to keep a journal, or diary, for the rest of her life!
Though she was a princess, her family did not have a lot of money. Her father was dead and her mother could not work, so they had to depend on her uncle, the king, for money. When Drina was eleven, her uncle—King George the Fourth—died. Her other uncle, William, became the new king because George and his wife had no children. King William and Queen Adelaide did not have children either, so little Princess Drina became “heir apparent”, meaning she would be the next ruler. Now her life was not so quiet and boring. As “heir apparent” she was suddenly very important! Her uncles, Leopold and William, wanted her to study more about history and government so she would know how to be a good queen.
Sir Conroy, though, did not want her to study because he thought she was too young to rule a country. He wanted her mother and him to make the decisions, not Drina. The princess did not like Sir Conroy and did not want him telling her what to do when she was queen. She knew she could rule on her own. Governess Lehzen knew that Drina would be a good queen as well, so she helped her study and taught her how to behave as a queen should. The young princess also decided that she did not want to be called Drina anymore. She thought it was childish and preferred her middle name, Victoria. Now she was called Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria.
Victoria turned eighteen on May 24, 1837. She could now legally rule on her own without the help of Sir Conroy or her mother. Weeks later, her uncle William died. Princess Victoria was now Her Majesty, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland! June 28, 1838 was Victoria’s coronation where she was formally crowned queen. She ruled Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean for 64 years. She is the longest reigning British monarch. She and her husband, Albert, had nine children, 40 grandchildren, and 37 great-grandchildren. Her great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth, is the Queen of the United Kingdom today. Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901 when she was 81 years old. Little Princess Drina had grown up to be the most powerful woman in the world.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a princess? Some girls think that princesses sit around all day playing with a golden ball or singing and dancing. Other girls think that princesses are always beautiful and live happily ever after. Little “Princess Drina” was not like that at all.
Her Royal Highness Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24, 1819. Her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and her mother was Princess Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess of Kent. Her grandfather, George the Third, was the king. Her mother called her “Drina” because she was small and Alexandrina is a very long name! Princess Drina’s life was not happy very long. Her father died when she was eight months old and her grandfather, King George, died before her first birthday. Her uncle, King George the Fourth, was now the king.
Drina lived in London in a castle called Kensington Palace with her mother and her governess Louise Lehzen. (A governess is a lady who lives with and teaches children who do not go to school.) Sir John Conroy, her mother’s advisor—someone who gives advice and manages the money—also lived in the palace with his family. Drina’s mother was very protective. She and Sir Conroy set up the “Kensington System”, a strict set of rules that Drina had to obey. She was never allowed to be in a room by herself, she had to hold someone’s hand to go up or down the steps, and she had to share a room with her mother. Also, she could not invite friends over to play, visit a friend’s house, or go to school! Princess Drina did not like the “Kensington System” so sometimes she would be disobedient on purpose. She would refuse to do her schoolwork, not listen to Sir Conroy, and be rude to her mother.
Even though Drina did not go to school, she still had lessons every day. Her mother and her governess, Lehzen, chose what she would study. Her uncle Leopold, her mother’s brother, also helped decide what she needed to learn. Drina studied history, geography, and arithmetic as well as drawing, music, and the Bible. Girls did not study science when she was growing up. By the time she was eighteen, Drina could speak and write in German, English, and French. She enjoyed reading books, playing the piano, and going to theater. The princess loved to draw and write, so she began to keep a journal about her life when she was thirteen. Sometimes she would illustrate her entries, meaning she would add her own drawings to show what she had written. She continued to keep a journal, or diary, for the rest of her life!
Though she was a princess, her family did not have a lot of money. Her father was dead and her mother could not work, so they had to depend on her uncle, the king, for money. When Drina was eleven, her uncle—King George the Fourth—died. Her other uncle, William, became the new king because George and his wife had no children. King William and Queen Adelaide did not have children either, so little Princess Drina became “heir apparent”, meaning she would be the next ruler. Now her life was not so quiet and boring. As “heir apparent” she was suddenly very important! Her uncles, Leopold and William, wanted her to study more about history and government so she would know how to be a good queen.
Sir Conroy, though, did not want her to study because he thought she was too young to rule a country. He wanted her mother and him to make the decisions, not Drina. The princess did not like Sir Conroy and did not want him telling her what to do when she was queen. She knew she could rule on her own. Governess Lehzen knew that Drina would be a good queen as well, so she helped her study and taught her how to behave as a queen should. The young princess also decided that she did not want to be called Drina anymore. She thought it was childish and preferred her middle name, Victoria. Now she was called Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria.
Victoria turned eighteen on May 24, 1837. She could now legally rule on her own without the help of Sir Conroy or her mother. Weeks later, her uncle William died. Princess Victoria was now Her Majesty, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland! June 28, 1838 was Victoria’s coronation where she was formally crowned queen. She ruled Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean for 64 years. She is the longest reigning British monarch. She and her husband, Albert, had nine children, 40 grandchildren, and 37 great-grandchildren. Her great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth, is the Queen of the United Kingdom today. Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901 when she was 81 years old. Little Princess Drina had grown up to be the most powerful woman in the world.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Be Thou My Vision
Whenever I find myself getting bogged down with "life" and begin to worry about the future that 1. I cannot control and 2. is constantly in motion, God brings this song to mind and it has become my prayer. "Jesus, be my Vision, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light...my Sword, my dignity, my delight...my Treasure, my Victory...And my Peace...WHATEVER BEFALL, RULER OF ALL!"
Be Thou My Vision
Ancient Irish hymn, possibly from the 8th Century, tr. by Mary E. Byrne
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Here's a link to a good video version of the song. It's actually Robin Mark singing it from the CD "The Mandate", not Stuart Townsend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstKjGb6uAE&feature=related
Be Thou My Vision
Ancient Irish hymn, possibly from the 8th Century, tr. by Mary E. Byrne
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Here's a link to a good video version of the song. It's actually Robin Mark singing it from the CD "The Mandate", not Stuart Townsend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstKjGb6uAE&feature=related
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Aedan
It's starting to get more real. We have a crib in pieces in what is now officially the nursery. Non-maternity clothes, with the exception of a few shirts, are just too darn uncomfortable. He has an identity--a name. [Aedan: Fiery, strong spirit. Lee: Shelter from the storm.] He's moving and I'm beginning to feel him more and more. It used to be just in the evening, but now its spread out through the day.
I was thinking about his personality today and I won't lie--When I imagine my son I imagine a mini-Jeremy. He may have my nose, my hair, or my eyes--but he's going to be ALL BOY, just like his papa. Jeremy is--and was growing up--a fascinating combination of archeologist (aka Indiana Jones), Ranger (Aragorn--LOTR), gun-slinger (Han Solo meets Wild West), and Jedi Master rolled into one with a dash of Oxford don (Tolkien/Lewis) thrown in for good measure. The dinosaurs, Legos, guns, cars, football, outside adventure, dirt-doesn't-hurt, fantasy/sci-fi, good guys/bad guys, going hunting with Daddy at age 3 type.
He will, however, also learn from his papa (and mama) things that Jeremy learned from his mom growing up--respect, obedience, how to cook, and that shopping CAN be fun.
As for me, I'll love him, cuddle him, sing to him, kiss his boo-boos, help him learn that mama and papa are a single entity that cannot be manipulated, introduce him to the world of Narnia, read lots of books, give him his Robitussen in chocolate milk, and teach him how to build Lego masterpieces (along with some old fashioned math and color lessons thrown in).
And maybe, just maybe, he'll grow up to be just like his daddy. <3
I was thinking about his personality today and I won't lie--When I imagine my son I imagine a mini-Jeremy. He may have my nose, my hair, or my eyes--but he's going to be ALL BOY, just like his papa. Jeremy is--and was growing up--a fascinating combination of archeologist (aka Indiana Jones), Ranger (Aragorn--LOTR), gun-slinger (Han Solo meets Wild West), and Jedi Master rolled into one with a dash of Oxford don (Tolkien/Lewis) thrown in for good measure. The dinosaurs, Legos, guns, cars, football, outside adventure, dirt-doesn't-hurt, fantasy/sci-fi, good guys/bad guys, going hunting with Daddy at age 3 type.
He will, however, also learn from his papa (and mama) things that Jeremy learned from his mom growing up--respect, obedience, how to cook, and that shopping CAN be fun.
As for me, I'll love him, cuddle him, sing to him, kiss his boo-boos, help him learn that mama and papa are a single entity that cannot be manipulated, introduce him to the world of Narnia, read lots of books, give him his Robitussen in chocolate milk, and teach him how to build Lego masterpieces (along with some old fashioned math and color lessons thrown in).
And maybe, just maybe, he'll grow up to be just like his daddy. <3
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Music Appreciation Crash-Course
I've had a very enlightening day. It started this morning when I had "Shiloh" by Neil Diamond in my head all morning following the creation of a new Pandora station based on Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walkin'". So as I was brushing my hair and complained about having it stuck in my head and Jeremy said "Who?"
"Neil Diamond. You know, "Sweet Caroline"?
"How does it go?"
::look of shock::
:hums tune & sings chorus of Sweet Caroline: met with blank stare
"Oh dear."
So then at 9 tonight I get home from my PC meeting and turn on Pandora. After a little bit a song comes on that I happen to know all the words to...Ok, I know the majority of the words to a majority of the songs on this station thanks to my oldies-loving dad. (At this present moment John Lennon (for you young people, he was a Beatle) is singing "Imagine".) Anyway, so I think "hmm, this is a perfect opportunity to impart some knowledge"...As background for non-Lord of the Rings Online gamers, there is a part of the game that Jeremy and Josh like called "PvP" (player vs player) where you can go on and play a "bad guy" like a spider or an orc or a warg. There is one particular character that Josh plays with and Jeremy plays against whose name is Mama Cass.
So I tell Jeremy, "Hey you know in LOTRO in the Moors that one character that Josh plays with? This is the real one."
His looks at me blankly--and before I go on I will say it was his idea I write a blog about this, so I'm not being REALLY mean--and he shakes his head. I sigh and say
"Mama Cass."
His eyebrows SHOOT up and he says "Mama Cass is a REAL PERSON? I thought it was a made up name."
Now its MY turn to be in shock. Oh dear. "No hon, Mama Cass is one of the Mamas and the Papas. You know, California Dreamin?"
"The Mamas and the Papas? Who?"
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHH
And for some of you who don't think that's a big deal...What about Nat King Cole? Even if you don't like the "harder" stuff, NKC has such a distinct voice!
So I am taking my husband on a crash course of the "classic" singers and groups of the 50s, 60s, and 70s...with a little help on Sunday/Monday from my expert father, so hopefully by Tuesday--or at least the end of summer--He can identify more than just Creedance Clearwater Revival. Any suggestions on music he should know can be left as a comment on as a Facebook message in my inbox. :)
As a final note, he knows the 80s & 90s better than I do, but in my defense, the only music I heard in those 2 decades was Maranatha Worship cassettes and classical radio. And kids worship songs like "Zacheus was a wee little man" and that one about being sons of Abraham. :P
Music. Part of a well-balanced educational diet. Next seminar will be identifying the works of Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. After I brush up on it. :)
"Neil Diamond. You know, "Sweet Caroline"?
"How does it go?"
::look of shock::
:hums tune & sings chorus of Sweet Caroline: met with blank stare
"Oh dear."
So then at 9 tonight I get home from my PC meeting and turn on Pandora. After a little bit a song comes on that I happen to know all the words to...Ok, I know the majority of the words to a majority of the songs on this station thanks to my oldies-loving dad. (At this present moment John Lennon (for you young people, he was a Beatle) is singing "Imagine".) Anyway, so I think "hmm, this is a perfect opportunity to impart some knowledge"...As background for non-Lord of the Rings Online gamers, there is a part of the game that Jeremy and Josh like called "PvP" (player vs player) where you can go on and play a "bad guy" like a spider or an orc or a warg. There is one particular character that Josh plays with and Jeremy plays against whose name is Mama Cass.
So I tell Jeremy, "Hey you know in LOTRO in the Moors that one character that Josh plays with? This is the real one."
His looks at me blankly--and before I go on I will say it was his idea I write a blog about this, so I'm not being REALLY mean--and he shakes his head. I sigh and say
"Mama Cass."
His eyebrows SHOOT up and he says "Mama Cass is a REAL PERSON? I thought it was a made up name."
Now its MY turn to be in shock. Oh dear. "No hon, Mama Cass is one of the Mamas and the Papas. You know, California Dreamin?"
"The Mamas and the Papas? Who?"
SIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHH
And for some of you who don't think that's a big deal...What about Nat King Cole? Even if you don't like the "harder" stuff, NKC has such a distinct voice!
So I am taking my husband on a crash course of the "classic" singers and groups of the 50s, 60s, and 70s...with a little help on Sunday/Monday from my expert father, so hopefully by Tuesday--or at least the end of summer--He can identify more than just Creedance Clearwater Revival. Any suggestions on music he should know can be left as a comment on as a Facebook message in my inbox. :)
As a final note, he knows the 80s & 90s better than I do, but in my defense, the only music I heard in those 2 decades was Maranatha Worship cassettes and classical radio. And kids worship songs like "Zacheus was a wee little man" and that one about being sons of Abraham. :P
Music. Part of a well-balanced educational diet. Next seminar will be identifying the works of Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. After I brush up on it. :)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Writing Assignment 3...A Favorite Childhood Memory
THE COUNTRY STORE
The dusty steps creaked under my tennis shoes as I scampered up to the worn wooden porch. Hands sticky with sweat from gripping the chains on the swings, and the back of my legs the color of a ripe tomato from going down the scorching metal slide, I had one last stop before going home. The screen door slammed, its hinges screeching like an angry cat when her tail is pulled. A breath of cool air brushed my face, welcoming me inside out of the bright sun. A musty smell of cinnamon, dried apples, and wood smoke filled the room.
Straight ahead was a wood stove, cold to the touch in the summer, surrounded by old crates, quilts with colorful shapes and patterns, and heavy iron tools hanging on the wall and scattered on the floor. The ancient checkerboard, with its faded red and black painted squares and round, smooth pieces, lay waiting for a rematch on a barrel in the corner. But the object of my attention was the long glass counter with the old-fashioned black cash register. Behind the glass, rows of small boxes held candy of every shape and color. Gummy worms in neon shades of green, pink, and blue, long strands of cherry red licorice next to tight braids of the black kind, and small squares of thick chocolate fudge: white, brown, and almost black. A rainbow of gummy bears sat next to shiny red disks called “penny candy” and chocolate-covered pretzels. The man behind the counter filled a little brown paper bag with a scoop of the vivid red gummy fish for the two shiny quarters my mom gave to spend on a treat.
The paper bag crackled as I rolled it closed. I followed the plinking sound of ivory keys to the back of the store for a last look at my favorite piece in the store. Standing upright in a corner against the wooden plank walls, the ancient piano played a lively tune for a quarter a song, begging its listeners to skip merrily around the toy displays. I loved to sit on the wobbly stool and pretend to play, placing my fingers on the creamy white keys as they danced up and down with the music, waiting for the part where all ten fingers crashed down at once in a rousing chord. Dum!
With a final brush of the keys with my fingers, I grasped the paper bag tightly in my other hand and scampered out to the porch. Stopping on the steps, I unrolled the bag and dug inside for a piece of candy fish. Popping the treat on my tongue, I savored the sugary sweet flavor before starting to chew. I handed the bag to my mom, grinning up at her with red candy still stuck to my teeth, and skipped down the steps to the dusty road and the car waiting to take us back home.
The dusty steps creaked under my tennis shoes as I scampered up to the worn wooden porch. Hands sticky with sweat from gripping the chains on the swings, and the back of my legs the color of a ripe tomato from going down the scorching metal slide, I had one last stop before going home. The screen door slammed, its hinges screeching like an angry cat when her tail is pulled. A breath of cool air brushed my face, welcoming me inside out of the bright sun. A musty smell of cinnamon, dried apples, and wood smoke filled the room.
Straight ahead was a wood stove, cold to the touch in the summer, surrounded by old crates, quilts with colorful shapes and patterns, and heavy iron tools hanging on the wall and scattered on the floor. The ancient checkerboard, with its faded red and black painted squares and round, smooth pieces, lay waiting for a rematch on a barrel in the corner. But the object of my attention was the long glass counter with the old-fashioned black cash register. Behind the glass, rows of small boxes held candy of every shape and color. Gummy worms in neon shades of green, pink, and blue, long strands of cherry red licorice next to tight braids of the black kind, and small squares of thick chocolate fudge: white, brown, and almost black. A rainbow of gummy bears sat next to shiny red disks called “penny candy” and chocolate-covered pretzels. The man behind the counter filled a little brown paper bag with a scoop of the vivid red gummy fish for the two shiny quarters my mom gave to spend on a treat.
The paper bag crackled as I rolled it closed. I followed the plinking sound of ivory keys to the back of the store for a last look at my favorite piece in the store. Standing upright in a corner against the wooden plank walls, the ancient piano played a lively tune for a quarter a song, begging its listeners to skip merrily around the toy displays. I loved to sit on the wobbly stool and pretend to play, placing my fingers on the creamy white keys as they danced up and down with the music, waiting for the part where all ten fingers crashed down at once in a rousing chord. Dum!
With a final brush of the keys with my fingers, I grasped the paper bag tightly in my other hand and scampered out to the porch. Stopping on the steps, I unrolled the bag and dug inside for a piece of candy fish. Popping the treat on my tongue, I savored the sugary sweet flavor before starting to chew. I handed the bag to my mom, grinning up at her with red candy still stuck to my teeth, and skipped down the steps to the dusty road and the car waiting to take us back home.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Musings
Not sure why I like that word so much. "Musings" just sounds so much more interesting than "thoughts" and far more like what I do. I don't THINK about things so much as I PONDER them...and I believe a "musing" is similar to a "pondering".
Whatever I'm doing, I promised a post weeks ago and let time run away...So while I'm in a musing mood I thought I'd take advantage. So this may be a bit of...what's the term? Stream of consciousness? Something like that. Who knows where I'll end up.
Obviously, the main focus of my musings has been this little munchkin I'm carrying. I'm 17 weeks and 3 days along...which means I have 23 days til my next appointment...Which happens to be my next ultrasound when we get a chance to see this little person again. So much growth happens between 12 and 20 weeks...I'm excited to see how this baby has developed and hopefully catch a few glimpses of personality. :) Though of course, the BIGGEST thing we're hoping to learn is whether this baby is a he or a she. While my changing shape is definitely a daily reminder that this is REAL, being able to say "he" or "she" and talk to the munchkin by name is something I'm definitely looking forward to. It's been most fascinating how my belly has developed a sort of magnet between it and my hands...I find my hand there in unconscious gestures often: cradling, rubbing, patting...It makes me laugh sometimes because I feel like i'm acting like a "very pregnant" mother when I'm barely 4 months along and--to those who don't know--barely look different!
But don't you tell ME I don't look different! By all means make a big deal out of my little baby bump! I've never weighed this much in my LIFE thank you very much, and I haven't gained all that much yet. :P
I'm not going to lie by saying "I can't wait to meet this little person"...I'm definitely not there yet and quite content to wait til September, but I AM looking forward to getting to KNOW this little person. Feeling her(him) move and kick, responding to my voice, watching Jeremy when the baby kicks HIM for the first time. :)
Right now I know just a few things about my baby and they'll never change. Our baby is very much wanted, very much loved, and very very special, whether her initials are MJB or his are ALB.* And that is where I'll call it a night. Mama and baby need some sleep! :)
*Subject to change without notice until Sept. 2010. :P
Whatever I'm doing, I promised a post weeks ago and let time run away...So while I'm in a musing mood I thought I'd take advantage. So this may be a bit of...what's the term? Stream of consciousness? Something like that. Who knows where I'll end up.
Obviously, the main focus of my musings has been this little munchkin I'm carrying. I'm 17 weeks and 3 days along...which means I have 23 days til my next appointment...Which happens to be my next ultrasound when we get a chance to see this little person again. So much growth happens between 12 and 20 weeks...I'm excited to see how this baby has developed and hopefully catch a few glimpses of personality. :) Though of course, the BIGGEST thing we're hoping to learn is whether this baby is a he or a she. While my changing shape is definitely a daily reminder that this is REAL, being able to say "he" or "she" and talk to the munchkin by name is something I'm definitely looking forward to. It's been most fascinating how my belly has developed a sort of magnet between it and my hands...I find my hand there in unconscious gestures often: cradling, rubbing, patting...It makes me laugh sometimes because I feel like i'm acting like a "very pregnant" mother when I'm barely 4 months along and--to those who don't know--barely look different!
But don't you tell ME I don't look different! By all means make a big deal out of my little baby bump! I've never weighed this much in my LIFE thank you very much, and I haven't gained all that much yet. :P
I'm not going to lie by saying "I can't wait to meet this little person"...I'm definitely not there yet and quite content to wait til September, but I AM looking forward to getting to KNOW this little person. Feeling her(him) move and kick, responding to my voice, watching Jeremy when the baby kicks HIM for the first time. :)
Right now I know just a few things about my baby and they'll never change. Our baby is very much wanted, very much loved, and very very special, whether her initials are MJB or his are ALB.* And that is where I'll call it a night. Mama and baby need some sleep! :)
*Subject to change without notice until Sept. 2010. :P
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Promised--Though Quite Late--Post
Goodness. Quite a lot has happened in the last few weeks! I am SO immensely relieved to have my pregnancy known...Though it ended up being quite fun hiding it, at least in retrospect. I am 13 weeks today--which essentially means that Monday, the 22nd, will be THREE MONTHS and I'll be in my 2nd trimester! I've been asked a lot "You're HOW far? WHY did you not tell?!" Oh it was hard, especially after the 8 week appointment in February, but I have a very wise almost-RN sister and since SOME people knew I was able to let my guard down once in awhile. :)
God has blessed me with a relatively smooth, sick-less pregnancy so far and I haven't had any bizarre cravings...Though in February there was a week or 2 where all I wanted to eat was pizza. The hardest thing has probably been giving up my black teas, but I still enjoy a cup every now and then.
Not many people know this, but this baby is a child of prayer and prophecy, and definitely God's timing, not ours! I am often guilty of planning far in advance things I ultimately have little or no control over, of which having a baby is probably in the Top 3 of those things. :P Since we're both teachers, I thought all of our children should be born between May and July so I wouldn't miss much if any school. I know right? "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." But with finances the way they always seem to be, it seemed to be What I Want VS. Being Realistic, Round 1,547. I kept on repeating the phrase I'd heard countless times--"If you wait to have a baby until you can afford one you'll never have one." And besides, God had never dropped the ball in providing for us and if He wanted us to have a child then He'd provide for 3 just as well as for 2. So the months went by...No May baby, no June baby, no July baby, no August baby. Hmm.
Did I write a blog about letting go of being in control? Yeah, fun times. Once again, as I had done countless times before in other areas, I lifted up my hands and said "OK, ok, I remember! Your will, not mine. I will wait for your perfect timing".
After Christmas Jeremy and I took our youth to an Encounter Retreat. It was a refreshing time for us and a wonderful time for the youth. Two of the leaders from the other churches asked us if they could pray for us, being a young couple and newly in charge of the youth. I wish I could remember their exact words, but the part that stuck out in my mind was when Pastor Nate prayed (prophesied)that Jeremy and I would be blessed not only with spiritual children (our youth), but also children of our own. Less than a month later, I knew I was pregnant with our September blessing.
I'll try and post again soon. I want to post something about Jeremy's message he gave for our youth rally last Sunday. I also want to share some things we are learning about faith and God's grace. Right now though, I need to go pick up Jeremy from school!
Blessings to you all and enjoy the delicious sunshine!
God has blessed me with a relatively smooth, sick-less pregnancy so far and I haven't had any bizarre cravings...Though in February there was a week or 2 where all I wanted to eat was pizza. The hardest thing has probably been giving up my black teas, but I still enjoy a cup every now and then.
Not many people know this, but this baby is a child of prayer and prophecy, and definitely God's timing, not ours! I am often guilty of planning far in advance things I ultimately have little or no control over, of which having a baby is probably in the Top 3 of those things. :P Since we're both teachers, I thought all of our children should be born between May and July so I wouldn't miss much if any school. I know right? "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." But with finances the way they always seem to be, it seemed to be What I Want VS. Being Realistic, Round 1,547. I kept on repeating the phrase I'd heard countless times--"If you wait to have a baby until you can afford one you'll never have one." And besides, God had never dropped the ball in providing for us and if He wanted us to have a child then He'd provide for 3 just as well as for 2. So the months went by...No May baby, no June baby, no July baby, no August baby. Hmm.
Did I write a blog about letting go of being in control? Yeah, fun times. Once again, as I had done countless times before in other areas, I lifted up my hands and said "OK, ok, I remember! Your will, not mine. I will wait for your perfect timing".
After Christmas Jeremy and I took our youth to an Encounter Retreat. It was a refreshing time for us and a wonderful time for the youth. Two of the leaders from the other churches asked us if they could pray for us, being a young couple and newly in charge of the youth. I wish I could remember their exact words, but the part that stuck out in my mind was when Pastor Nate prayed (prophesied)that Jeremy and I would be blessed not only with spiritual children (our youth), but also children of our own. Less than a month later, I knew I was pregnant with our September blessing.
I'll try and post again soon. I want to post something about Jeremy's message he gave for our youth rally last Sunday. I also want to share some things we are learning about faith and God's grace. Right now though, I need to go pick up Jeremy from school!
Blessings to you all and enjoy the delicious sunshine!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I Actually Have No Idea...More Movie Quotes?!
So I was going to write a blog this evening about Anne of Green Gables (again), after talking with Heidi Morgan @ NRG. I was looking at quotes on IMDB for inspiration and was reminded of the insane resemblance some of the quotes have to ones in Little Women. So I decided to share some of those ridiculous similarities, ending with a funny video of perhaps the best and most surprising similarity. :)
On Relationships:
Anne Shirley: Ruby Gillis says when she grows up, she wants to have a line of beaus on a string and make them crazy for her. I'd rather have ONE in his rightful mind.
Amy March: You don't need scores of suitors. You need only one... if he's the right one.
Anne Shirley: Why do people have to grow up and marry, change?
Jo: Why must we marry at all? Why can't things just stay as they are?
On Life:
Anne Shirley: I feel as though someone's handed me the moon... and I don't exactly know what to do with it.
Beth: I'm so full of happiness, that if Father was only here, I couldn't hold one drop more.
Men Telling the Love of their Life how to Write:
Gilbert Blythe: Maybe if you just let your character speak everyday English, instead of all that highfaluting mumbo jumbo. "Wilt thou give up thy garter, oh fairest of the fair"? Anne, nobody speaks that way. And look at that sap Percival who sits around mooning the entire time. He never lets a girl get a word in edgewise. In real life she'd have pitched him.
Friedrich Bhaer: You must write from life, from the depths of your soul!
On Marriage Proposals:
Anne Shirley: You just think that you love me.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.
Laurie: I have loved you since the moment I clapped eyes on you. What could be more reasonable than to marry you?
Jo March: We'd kill each other.
And more on marriage proposals...Also known as Marriage Proposals Gone Wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6_KQdBBbKk
Next, my favorite Amy March quotes, because she had some of the best lines in the whole movie, until she grew up and got boring. :)
Amy: He put snow on your ankle? With his own hands?
Marmee: I won't have my girls being silly about boys. To bed! Jo dear.
Amy: Everything lovely happens to Meg.
Amy: We bare our souls and tell the most appalling secrets.
Amy: We'll all grow up one day, Meg. We might as well know what we want.
Amy: I don't wanna die. I've never even been kissed. I've waited my whole to be kissed, and what if I miss it?
Laurie: I tell you what. I promise to kiss you before you die.
Amy March: We've been expectorating you for hours!
Amy March: Well, it's not like being stuck with the dreadful nose you get. One does have a choice to whom one loves.
Amy March: One periwinkle sash...Advertisements. One periwinkle sash belonging to Mr. N. Winkle has been abscondated from the wash line... which gentlemen desires any reports leading to its recovery.
And my favorite...
Amy March: Butter! Oh isn't butter divinity? Oh God thank you for this breakfast.
I'll be taking requests on which March sister or Montgomery heroine to spotlight next. :)
On Relationships:
Anne Shirley: Ruby Gillis says when she grows up, she wants to have a line of beaus on a string and make them crazy for her. I'd rather have ONE in his rightful mind.
Amy March: You don't need scores of suitors. You need only one... if he's the right one.
Anne Shirley: Why do people have to grow up and marry, change?
Jo: Why must we marry at all? Why can't things just stay as they are?
On Life:
Anne Shirley: I feel as though someone's handed me the moon... and I don't exactly know what to do with it.
Beth: I'm so full of happiness, that if Father was only here, I couldn't hold one drop more.
Men Telling the Love of their Life how to Write:
Gilbert Blythe: Maybe if you just let your character speak everyday English, instead of all that highfaluting mumbo jumbo. "Wilt thou give up thy garter, oh fairest of the fair"? Anne, nobody speaks that way. And look at that sap Percival who sits around mooning the entire time. He never lets a girl get a word in edgewise. In real life she'd have pitched him.
Friedrich Bhaer: You must write from life, from the depths of your soul!
On Marriage Proposals:
Anne Shirley: You just think that you love me.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.
Laurie: I have loved you since the moment I clapped eyes on you. What could be more reasonable than to marry you?
Jo March: We'd kill each other.
And more on marriage proposals...Also known as Marriage Proposals Gone Wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6_KQdBBbKk
Next, my favorite Amy March quotes, because she had some of the best lines in the whole movie, until she grew up and got boring. :)
Amy: He put snow on your ankle? With his own hands?
Marmee: I won't have my girls being silly about boys. To bed! Jo dear.
Amy: Everything lovely happens to Meg.
Amy: We bare our souls and tell the most appalling secrets.
Amy: We'll all grow up one day, Meg. We might as well know what we want.
Amy: I don't wanna die. I've never even been kissed. I've waited my whole to be kissed, and what if I miss it?
Laurie: I tell you what. I promise to kiss you before you die.
Amy March: We've been expectorating you for hours!
Amy March: Well, it's not like being stuck with the dreadful nose you get. One does have a choice to whom one loves.
Amy March: One periwinkle sash...Advertisements. One periwinkle sash belonging to Mr. N. Winkle has been abscondated from the wash line... which gentlemen desires any reports leading to its recovery.
And my favorite...
Amy March: Butter! Oh isn't butter divinity? Oh God thank you for this breakfast.
I'll be taking requests on which March sister or Montgomery heroine to spotlight next. :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Through the Attic Window: Intro to Story #2
Mara lived in the attic of an old Victorian on Divinity Road, just west of Oxford. She had three sisters: Elena, Sofia, and Olivia. Since they come into this story a little, I should tell you that Elena, age eleven, had her own room above the kitchen and Sofia and Olivia, who were nine and eight, shared a room next to the steps, and these four girls did everything together. Now when you live in an old house you can never really know all its secrets, and this old house was no exception. No matter how many times Mara and her sisters tried to explore they always seemed to find something new they hadn’t noticed the last time. Mara loved her attic bedroom as long as she didn’t have to look out the window. Now you may wonder why her parents put her there when she wouldn’t look out the window, because when you have three sisters like Mara did it would have been easy to put one of them in the attic room. But you see, Mara never told her parents she didn’t like looking out the window, because she never told her parents she was afraid of heights. So we can forgive them for putting her in the attic room because they honestly didn’t know about her fear and because Mara really wanted to be in the attic, even though it was at the top of the house. One reason was that the attic was bigger than Elena’s room, which had been Mara’s room before, and the other reason was because she didn’t have to share it unless she absolutely wanted to. This was definitely a perk of being almost thirteen, and the oldest, and Mara knew it. So she covered her window with pretty curtains that let the light in and kept the view out and she went about her life.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
My Identity: Righteous, Sanctified, & Redeemed
At the Youth Encounter we had last month, I was reminded/encouraged to get back into reading the Word on a more daily basis. I definitely could relate to some of the "church kids/pastor's kids" who shared that they felt lackadaisical about reading the Bible since they had read through it so many times and I realized I was approaching it with a wrong attitude. I remember being so excited about getting my new Bible after I got married--so it had my RIGHT name on the cover--because it was FRESH and NOT UNDERLINED so I could read it (and re-underline) the verses that touched me NOW and not the ones that touched me in high school. (Not that there's THAT much of a change, but when certain Psalms are underlined in 3 different colors, it can be hard to read it without going "Oh yeah, I love that verse" and move on. Anyone else do that besides me???
So anyway, as I've been hearing ever since the Encounter, the IDENTITY/NEW NAME segment of the week was probably the MOST meaningful for several of our youth, guys and girls, with the possible exception of the Holy Spirit segment. Or I guess I should say the combination of the 2. :) And, especially considering some of what is happening in the youth ministry the last couple of months, I decided to start my revitalized appetite for the Word on a study of Acts and the Epistles, mainly in search for verses and information on the workings and operation of the HOLY SPIRIT.
So Acts was quite good...probably the best part concerning the HOLY SPIRIT was the repeated fact that with the Early Church the Spirit moved among them WHEN THEY WERE IN ONE ACCORD. Unity = POWER. So last night--which is actually the PURPOSE of this blog...Don't ya'll just LOVE my LOOOONG introductions??? :)--Anyway, last night I started reading I Corinthians. I don't remember right now why I skipped Romans, but it must have just been an urging to read Corinthians. :) And I decided to write down the verses that jumped out at me, instead of simply underlining them.
So for the sake of time and to get to the point, I'm going to share some of the verses and what they made me think of--which relates to IDENTITY and the HOLY SPIRIT. :) I'll just be using chapter & verse #s, so its up to you to remember that they are all in 1 Corinthians. :)
1.2 "To the church of God...to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints"...
I used to have an identity issue. I hesitate to say "used to" when I say that, cause I think it is a weak spot in my armour that I have to continue to be vigilant about...but I can say without a doubt that I have experienced victory in this area since high school and college. A huge part of that was in discovering that God sees His Church as SANCTIFIED. We stand before His throne not in tatters, but clothed in WHITE. No longer are we "just sinners saved by grace"...but we are SAINTS. Not slaves, but CHILDREN. Acting as less-than is not humility, instead I think real humility is knowing we are pure princesses and treating others as though they are as well, not as if we are somehow better-than. This is echoed in I Corinthians in a couple places:
1.30-31 "...of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption...He who glories, let him glory in the Lord (Jer. 9:24)".
3.21-23 "Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours...the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you are Christ's and Christ is God's."
4.7-8 "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us--and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!"
6.11 "You were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
Look back at 4.7-8 for a minute. THAT'S humility. Knowing that GOD is who makes us different. Unique. And GOD has given us ALL that we possess. Our job, our family, our money, our other possessions...ALL is from GOD. NOTHING have we gained through our own power, unless it be our stubbornness to realize it. But I also got something else out of 4.7...It reminded me why princesses rarely seem to have an identity complex. Sure, there are exceptions--I have a Max Lucado book about a princess who can't stay in the castle and has to experience to lows "for herself" until she can appreciate what her Father has given to and for her. Even though I don't have children of my own, I can sympathize with the parent-heart here...The desire that the children accept the blessing and safety of the parents' boundaries and not fight against them in the warped mindset that "I need to experience life for myself and make my own choices and my own mistakes." Honestly, looking back, I'd rather stay in the castle and be obliviously naive, thank you. :)
But going back to the princess-mentality. Knowing who she is. I wrote about this before. What I love about Princess Sara and Princess Irene is that they KNOW WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE OF WHO THEIR FATHER IS. Sara Crewe is not British royalty, but she probably had a clearer identity than most titled princesses. *For the record, I prefer not to use the word "real" or "actual" in reference to princesses-as-recognized-by-the-popular-press. I shall from now on call them "titled princesses". These include, but are not limited to, the modern titled princesses: Diana of Wales, Beatrice of York, Eugenie of York, Alexandra, formerly of Kent, and Anne (the Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II), just to name a few.*
If you prefer a non-book princess who knew who she was, I have a perfect example. Princess Alexandrina Victoria, daughter of Prince Edward of Kent. Yes, Queen Victoria. Poor thing, she only got to be Princess for less than a full 18 years, but she had the transition thing down. She didn't let her mother or her advisor Sir Conroy, to bully her into making her mother regent, but instead ruled in her own right beginning soon after her 18th birthday. Since Victoria never really knew her father, and most accounts don't make him sound all that wonderful, I will instead say that Victoria knew who she was--even after a childhood of alienation from the majority of her family--because of who her father's FAMILY was. She knew she was a royal, she knew she was a princess, and she knew--from age 11 I believe--that she was Heir to the British Throne. So she ACTED like it and she didn't let anyone tell her she was less-than. She had many flaws, some of which were only corrected after her marriage to Prince Albert, but I think the basic example is appropriate.
Now there's some verses in I Corinthians about the Holy Spirit.
Starting in 2.9, a quote from Isaiah, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him". In the same way...
2.11 "...no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" --BUT vs 12--
"Now we have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God"... (vs 16)..."we have the mind of Christ".
We have the MIND OF CHRIST and we can KNOW the mind of God, because the Spirit that is in HIM is in US! The Spirit of God--the Holy Spirit--is not just a spirit through which we worship God in an amazing way. He is not just a translator between us and God. He knows the very MIND of GOD. He is our HELPER when we are confused. When we feel lost and aren't sure what step to take. The Spirit is there to help us communicate with our Father. Because we have the Spirit in us, and we are sanctified because the blood of Jesus, we can approach the Father's throne, crawl up on our Daddy's lap, and pour out our hearts with no question of whether or not He hears us. He does! We have the same Spirit! Just the thought of this puts my heart in awe. I HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT AS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. I CAN APPROACH THE THRONE OF MY ADA*/ABBA/FATHER AND HE HEARS ME! I CAN KNOW THE MIND OF GOD! This does not mean I will always UNDERSTAND it...Nor does it necessarily mean He will always REVEAL more than I can handle, regardless of whether or not I think I can...but think on it. GOD, the CREATOR, the KING OF KINGS, LOVES YOU SO MUCH that He PLACES HIS VERY OWN SPIRIT inside of YOU so that YOU CAN HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
From the Inside Out: Hillsongs UNITED. c. 2006
So anyway, as I've been hearing ever since the Encounter, the IDENTITY/NEW NAME segment of the week was probably the MOST meaningful for several of our youth, guys and girls, with the possible exception of the Holy Spirit segment. Or I guess I should say the combination of the 2. :) And, especially considering some of what is happening in the youth ministry the last couple of months, I decided to start my revitalized appetite for the Word on a study of Acts and the Epistles, mainly in search for verses and information on the workings and operation of the HOLY SPIRIT.
So Acts was quite good...probably the best part concerning the HOLY SPIRIT was the repeated fact that with the Early Church the Spirit moved among them WHEN THEY WERE IN ONE ACCORD. Unity = POWER. So last night--which is actually the PURPOSE of this blog...Don't ya'll just LOVE my LOOOONG introductions??? :)--Anyway, last night I started reading I Corinthians. I don't remember right now why I skipped Romans, but it must have just been an urging to read Corinthians. :) And I decided to write down the verses that jumped out at me, instead of simply underlining them.
So for the sake of time and to get to the point, I'm going to share some of the verses and what they made me think of--which relates to IDENTITY and the HOLY SPIRIT. :) I'll just be using chapter & verse #s, so its up to you to remember that they are all in 1 Corinthians. :)
1.2 "To the church of God...to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints"...
I used to have an identity issue. I hesitate to say "used to" when I say that, cause I think it is a weak spot in my armour that I have to continue to be vigilant about...but I can say without a doubt that I have experienced victory in this area since high school and college. A huge part of that was in discovering that God sees His Church as SANCTIFIED. We stand before His throne not in tatters, but clothed in WHITE. No longer are we "just sinners saved by grace"...but we are SAINTS. Not slaves, but CHILDREN. Acting as less-than is not humility, instead I think real humility is knowing we are pure princesses and treating others as though they are as well, not as if we are somehow better-than. This is echoed in I Corinthians in a couple places:
1.30-31 "...of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption...He who glories, let him glory in the Lord (Jer. 9:24)".
3.21-23 "Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours...the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you are Christ's and Christ is God's."
4.7-8 "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us--and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!"
6.11 "You were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
Look back at 4.7-8 for a minute. THAT'S humility. Knowing that GOD is who makes us different. Unique. And GOD has given us ALL that we possess. Our job, our family, our money, our other possessions...ALL is from GOD. NOTHING have we gained through our own power, unless it be our stubbornness to realize it. But I also got something else out of 4.7...It reminded me why princesses rarely seem to have an identity complex. Sure, there are exceptions--I have a Max Lucado book about a princess who can't stay in the castle and has to experience to lows "for herself" until she can appreciate what her Father has given to and for her. Even though I don't have children of my own, I can sympathize with the parent-heart here...The desire that the children accept the blessing and safety of the parents' boundaries and not fight against them in the warped mindset that "I need to experience life for myself and make my own choices and my own mistakes." Honestly, looking back, I'd rather stay in the castle and be obliviously naive, thank you. :)
But going back to the princess-mentality. Knowing who she is. I wrote about this before. What I love about Princess Sara and Princess Irene is that they KNOW WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE OF WHO THEIR FATHER IS. Sara Crewe is not British royalty, but she probably had a clearer identity than most titled princesses. *For the record, I prefer not to use the word "real" or "actual" in reference to princesses-as-recognized-by-the-popular-press. I shall from now on call them "titled princesses". These include, but are not limited to, the modern titled princesses: Diana of Wales, Beatrice of York, Eugenie of York, Alexandra, formerly of Kent, and Anne (the Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II), just to name a few.*
If you prefer a non-book princess who knew who she was, I have a perfect example. Princess Alexandrina Victoria, daughter of Prince Edward of Kent. Yes, Queen Victoria. Poor thing, she only got to be Princess for less than a full 18 years, but she had the transition thing down. She didn't let her mother or her advisor Sir Conroy, to bully her into making her mother regent, but instead ruled in her own right beginning soon after her 18th birthday. Since Victoria never really knew her father, and most accounts don't make him sound all that wonderful, I will instead say that Victoria knew who she was--even after a childhood of alienation from the majority of her family--because of who her father's FAMILY was. She knew she was a royal, she knew she was a princess, and she knew--from age 11 I believe--that she was Heir to the British Throne. So she ACTED like it and she didn't let anyone tell her she was less-than. She had many flaws, some of which were only corrected after her marriage to Prince Albert, but I think the basic example is appropriate.
Now there's some verses in I Corinthians about the Holy Spirit.
Starting in 2.9, a quote from Isaiah, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him". In the same way...
2.11 "...no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" --BUT vs 12--
"Now we have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God"... (vs 16)..."we have the mind of Christ".
We have the MIND OF CHRIST and we can KNOW the mind of God, because the Spirit that is in HIM is in US! The Spirit of God--the Holy Spirit--is not just a spirit through which we worship God in an amazing way. He is not just a translator between us and God. He knows the very MIND of GOD. He is our HELPER when we are confused. When we feel lost and aren't sure what step to take. The Spirit is there to help us communicate with our Father. Because we have the Spirit in us, and we are sanctified because the blood of Jesus, we can approach the Father's throne, crawl up on our Daddy's lap, and pour out our hearts with no question of whether or not He hears us. He does! We have the same Spirit! Just the thought of this puts my heart in awe. I HAVE THE SAME SPIRIT AS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. I CAN APPROACH THE THRONE OF MY ADA*/ABBA/FATHER AND HE HEARS ME! I CAN KNOW THE MIND OF GOD! This does not mean I will always UNDERSTAND it...Nor does it necessarily mean He will always REVEAL more than I can handle, regardless of whether or not I think I can...but think on it. GOD, the CREATOR, the KING OF KINGS, LOVES YOU SO MUCH that He PLACES HIS VERY OWN SPIRIT inside of YOU so that YOU CAN HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
From the Inside Out: Hillsongs UNITED. c. 2006
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