The Shack

I loved class today! It was interesting to talk about literature that we picked out and see what the others in my group picked out. It was easier to go on and on about what we each brought. So in this blog I'm pretty much going to sum up what I talked about today.

I brought The Shack by William Young. I picked this book because, #1 I thought people in my group may have read it and we would all be able to discuss it, and #2 because I still do not know how I feel about the book. I read it about a little over a year ago and loved it, even thought it is a sad book at times. Young took my view of the Trinity, that I didn't really understand, and put them into characters I could understand. After reading this book I felt like I had a much better understanding of the Trinity and I felt closer to God. The reason I'm not sure how I feel now is because many churches are doing studies on this book and find things that do not agree with the Bible. I have yet to do any of my own research, but I am anxious to so that I can see where they are coming from.

There are so many great quotes in this book, but as I skim back through it I found one that caught my attention. " All of my best treasures are now hidden in you anyway. I want you to be my life." The main character, Mack, says this to Jesus. This is my prayer everyday. I want Him to be my entire life and to understand that He holds everything that I am. I would be nothing if I did not have Jesus in my life.

Do "Happy Endings" really exist?

WOW. "Happy Endings" was quite an interesting story. I liked the organization of how each 'ending' was separate, but I did get a bit confused. Throughout the story I just assumed that the John and Mary in each 'ending' were the same John and Mary at the beginning, but when we broke into groups, Sarah and Lauren thought differently which really got me to thinking. It is also so confusing how peoples minds work. I remember when I was younger always wanting to be able to read peoples minds. I wanted to know what my friends really thought of me or what a boy was thinking.

I don't remember exactly how the question was stated, but we were supposed to discuss the characters without judging them. When reading each 'ending' I think of different friends, or even myself who have experienced situation like them. B. was very sad, but in reality, that's how many women are treated in hopes that the man will eventually fall in love with them. Well each 'ending' is kinda sad. I like the way they twist and turn and then end up the same. It makes me think of our journeys through life. God has this ultimate goal, but we do not always get there the easiest/shortest way. We may make a few turns here and there, but hopefully, eventually end up where He want us, and has planned for us.

I do not agree that every relationship or marriage turns out to be a 'happy ending.' I believe that we choose to make relationships work and it is up to us to have a 'happy ending.' Having God in the center of that relationship is the only way to have a fulfilling happy ending. Not saying that non-Christians cannot be happy, but they could have so much more. I also think that people all have a different view of their 'happy ending', not everyone wants to end up like how A. describes. Again it all comes down to how people all have such a wide view of what love is and how it works.

"Love...is a Beautiful Thing"

"Frankie and Johnny" is a funny, sad, and crazy song. I always hate it when you hear a song on the radio or something, and cannot understand what some of the words are, therefore you miss the meaning of the song. This happens to me quite a bit, so I enjoyed listening to the song, and then listening to it again while reading the lyrics. Being able to read the words also helped me to really look deep into the song, and try to understand it.
Some questions I had about the song were, #1 What was the relationship between Frankie and Johnny? Were they married, dating, and just lovers? #2 Why did Frankie kill Johnny if she loved him so much? She could have left him instead. #3 If they were so in love, why was Johnny with another woman? #4 Why did Frankie think there "ain't no good in man"? Not all men are like Johnny.
I was reading today for my intro to Bible class about the creation, and how God intended for relationships to be. It explains how Adam and Eve each had their own strengths, and that those strengths complimented each other. They fit perfectly together, and were not jealous of one another. This is the kind of relationship we should strive for. To treat other the way God intended us to. The world we live in today has taught us the opposite of this. In relationships now we try to out do the other one, or try to do everything on our own. God made us to be in relationship with one another and to work together. I know it can be hard, trust me, but I am working on it everyday to make my relationship with my husband the way God intended it to be, and to honor Him with my words and actions.

Well, growing up my mom would read many stories to my brother and I, but two different ones seem to stand out. " I'll Love you Forever" and " Too Many Animals Sleep in my Bed" were my all time favorite books when I was little. My mom would read the first sentences on each page, and then my brother and I would say the end of the pages, because they were always the same. Actually, when I was home over Christmas break, I noticed my mom had those two books sitting up on a shelf in her room, so I took them down and read them again. My mom mentioned that when I was younger I explained to her that I especially liked " Too Many Animals Sleep in my Bed" because it had a pattern...a rhyme. It's so funny because now I am such a organized person and I like things that have a "pattern."

Some more recent memories involving literature would include "Redeeming Love." When my husband and I first started dating he left for a missions trip to Africa, leaving me with a lot of extra time I needed to fill. I was never much of a reader, but I needed to pass the time, and someone recommended it to me. At the time I had recently given my life back to Christ and this book really opened my eyes to what God's love is all about. I never wanted to stop reading. "Redeeming Love" touched my life and gave me a stronger passion for literature.

I believe the most important role of literature is to provide knowledge and information. You can learn so much from reading. The best part about it though is that literature is not just about learning. You can also read stories for your pleasure.

I would say the one downfall about literature, is that you cannot always learn everything from it. Such as in textbooks I have for Education, not everything is true for every student. A lot is learned by getting out there and learning from experience.