This time the activity was a lot easier for me. I love being outside and at parks, so it was natural for me, unlike going to the cemetery. I re-read my favorite poem "Six Recognitions of God." I read it a few times, and then sat in silence listening to the wind blow, and the birds chirp. For a minute I was taken back to my old farm house in Illinois. We lived out in the middle of nowhere and I used to love siting on the front porch on a warm day listening to all the different sounds. I miss that.
The activity were we went to the cemetery and this one are similar, but very different. In both, we were to go outside, read a poem of story, and then sit in silence. Both of them caused us to take the time to re-read and then reflect. The day I went to the cemetery it was cloudy and very chilly, but when I went to the park it was warm and the sun was shinning. The weather kinda went with what I was reading. The story we read at the cemetery was sad, and about death, but this poem I read at the park was full of life. To be honest, I felt awkward at the cemetery and my thoughts were all over the place. I kept thinking about who these people were and what they accomplished in their lifetime. I also wondered if I will be able to accomplish everything I want to before I die. At the park I was able to focus on nature and just sit and watch everything that was going on around me. I was happy to be outside and focused on life, and how God created everything I was looking at. Here's the poem I came up while I was there.
As I sit here in I'm reminded of my childhood
Playing outside in my huge front yard was my favorite thing to do
Back then I noticed the little things of nature,
But now I'm forgetting it all to soon
Grass used to be the best bed,
On a warm summers night
Now, I couldn't imagine
Falling asleep with all that light
My biggest worries were,
If it was going to rain
Now I'm full of worry
from things that bring me pain
From tree climbing, fort building,
star gazing, and trampoline jumping
To school work, paying bills,
laundry and house cleaning
I only wish I could go back for a second
to be reminded what it's like to look at life as child
We can't stop life from passing by,
But we can change our thinking and begin our days with a smile.
As you can probably tell I enjoyed this activity much better, although I was able to learn a lot from both.
I went to Lake Bonny Park for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Great class on Friday. I loved being out in the sunshine:) As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy the outdoors and nature. I love to do anything that's outside. Being able to re-read the poems outside with all the animals around, the sun shinning down, and the cool breeze made the poem come to life.
Most of the poems were pretty good, but the one that I felt I could really understand and relate to was the "Six Recognitions of the Lord." I loved the detail and description words that were used. They were words I could understand, but not boring or plain. The poem made me look at things in a different light. I felt connected to this poem, than with any other poem I have ever read.
I am anxious to go to the park tomorrow. I believe as I re-read the poem, I will learn something that I did not realize before. Hopefully it's nice out, so that I can just enjoy sitting, watching, and listening to the animals and trees and all other sounds of nature. It would also be nice to have my quiet time there also. We can use literature, such as these poems as an act of worship. I believe God can speak to us through them. I'm excited to see what God's shows me tomorrow!
Most of the poems were pretty good, but the one that I felt I could really understand and relate to was the "Six Recognitions of the Lord." I loved the detail and description words that were used. They were words I could understand, but not boring or plain. The poem made me look at things in a different light. I felt connected to this poem, than with any other poem I have ever read.
I am anxious to go to the park tomorrow. I believe as I re-read the poem, I will learn something that I did not realize before. Hopefully it's nice out, so that I can just enjoy sitting, watching, and listening to the animals and trees and all other sounds of nature. It would also be nice to have my quiet time there also. We can use literature, such as these poems as an act of worship. I believe God can speak to us through them. I'm excited to see what God's shows me tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
This Blessed House
When I read this story the first time I felt bad for the couple. I just got married this past summer, so I can relate to the changes couples have to go through when they move in together. Even when you are dating someone for a long time, things are very different when you live together. Both people need to make a lot of sacrifices.
This is where the characters for This Blessed House come in. Throughout the story, we read how Twinkle and Sanjeev react to each other and make a few sacrifices. I did not like the way Sanjeev treated Twinkle. It almost made me mad when I read it. At first I got the feeling that Twinkle was full of life, open to change, and excited for this new step in her life. I felt like Sanjeev kept shutting her down and was dull, and boring. As we talked about it as a class, I realized that maybe Twinkle was a little over board. I can see how she would be hard to live with. At the end of the story, I felt better when Sanjeev gave in.
When we discussed this story in our group, Lauren informed us that the author of This Blessed House did not grow up with brothers and was not close to her father, so she wanted to write more about a man's character. This makes the story more clear to me. I felt as though most of Sanjeevs character was revealed, and Twinkel’s was not as much.
I liked this story a lot, mostly because I can totally relate to some of the feelings Twinkel went through, not that it’s all bad.
This is where the characters for This Blessed House come in. Throughout the story, we read how Twinkle and Sanjeev react to each other and make a few sacrifices. I did not like the way Sanjeev treated Twinkle. It almost made me mad when I read it. At first I got the feeling that Twinkle was full of life, open to change, and excited for this new step in her life. I felt like Sanjeev kept shutting her down and was dull, and boring. As we talked about it as a class, I realized that maybe Twinkle was a little over board. I can see how she would be hard to live with. At the end of the story, I felt better when Sanjeev gave in.
When we discussed this story in our group, Lauren informed us that the author of This Blessed House did not grow up with brothers and was not close to her father, so she wanted to write more about a man's character. This makes the story more clear to me. I felt as though most of Sanjeevs character was revealed, and Twinkel’s was not as much.
I liked this story a lot, mostly because I can totally relate to some of the feelings Twinkel went through, not that it’s all bad.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Character Based Story
Okay, so I have to admit I was not too fond of the character based story assignment. First, I did not think we were informed enough about the differences. I was not really sure what makes a story character based story. Second, I did not think we had enough time. We all have crazy busy schedules and honestly I did not have the time to really sit down and put forth my all. So I will try my best to compare the two and maybe this will help me better understand the difference.
From what I understand so far, a plot based story is one that starts out slow, builds up, and then hits the "top of the mountain" and then settles out. Most "popular" movies fall into this category. Character based stories revolve around a specific character. These stories usually are not too exciting. For what I understand, they contain a lot of dialogue. Throughout the story, a reader will continue to figure out all about the characters by what they say, what others say about them, their actions, and so on.
It was interesting to hear what the rest of my group came up with. We all had very different plots. It seemed to be a story about ourselves, or something very close to our hearts. I feel as though it brought out our hearts in some way. I think we should have another assignment such as this, but have more time and a better understanding of what’s going on. I think we would really be able to show others, as well as ourselves, what we can do. It brings another side out, at least for me. It could be interesting to maybe have a group write a story together. One person could start, and the others could build off of it. Each of us could have it for a certain amount of time. Overall, I was able to stretch myself a little more.
From what I understand so far, a plot based story is one that starts out slow, builds up, and then hits the "top of the mountain" and then settles out. Most "popular" movies fall into this category. Character based stories revolve around a specific character. These stories usually are not too exciting. For what I understand, they contain a lot of dialogue. Throughout the story, a reader will continue to figure out all about the characters by what they say, what others say about them, their actions, and so on.
It was interesting to hear what the rest of my group came up with. We all had very different plots. It seemed to be a story about ourselves, or something very close to our hearts. I feel as though it brought out our hearts in some way. I think we should have another assignment such as this, but have more time and a better understanding of what’s going on. I think we would really be able to show others, as well as ourselves, what we can do. It brings another side out, at least for me. It could be interesting to maybe have a group write a story together. One person could start, and the others could build off of it. Each of us could have it for a certain amount of time. Overall, I was able to stretch myself a little more.
Friday, March 19, 2010
It's Time
Maggie woke up to the sound of rain beating down on the roof. “Don’t panic,” she thought, “We have plenty of time for it to stop.” So many thoughts were running through her mind as she showered and got dressed.
“Good morning Maggie, happy wedding day!” Sarah, her cousin, said while fixing breakfast. The rest of the girls woke up and they all ate breakfast, then Maggie was off the get her hair done, while the girls started their own hair and make-up. Maggie had always dreamed of her wedding day, and now it was here. She was so anxious to get things started, but yet so nervous as to how things would turn out.
“Hunny, this day is going to fly by, remember to cherish every moment.”
“Mom, you’ve told me that already.”
“I know, but I just want this day to be everything you have ever dreamed of, and I don’t want you to get too caught up in everything, that you miss out on the most important day of your life.”
“Okay mom, please stop crying, you’re going to make me cry already.”
“Okay Okay I’m done.”
As Maggie and her mom entered the salon, they wiped away all the tears and were ready to get going. Maggie sat in the chair and the hair stylist began working. Within about forty-five minutes the hair was done and they were ready to place the veil in. Maggie looked in awe once her hair was complete. “This day is really here,” she thought, “Wow.”
“Okay, time for make-up.” The stylists said as she started getting set up. Maggie explained what she wanted her make-up to look like and they began.
“Maggie, you look so beautiful!” exclaimed her mom.
“Thanks, but again, no crying yet!”
“Alright, let’s get going.”
The drive back to the wedding venue seemed like forever for Maggie. She just wanted to get back and finish getting ready. It was still raining, and the wedding is supposed to be outside. Maggie was beginning to panic a little. They had come up with a back up plan for if it would rain, but Maggie did not want that. Finally, Maggie and her mom returned. The bridesmaids were had their hair done, the flowers and bouquets had arrived, and for the most part, things were going as planned. Maggie looked through the flowers and bouquets to make sure they were all good. As she looked outside to where the ceremony would be held, she said a short prayer. The rain was slowing down, but the ground was too soft to put any chairs down yet.
“Maggie, you need to eat something,” her mom said.
“Oh yeah, I’m actually really hungry.”
Maggie and her bridesmaids sat down to eat some lunch while they talked about the exciting day. Maggie still couldn’t believe it was here. She can remember when she was about five years old, planning her wedding out. By the time Maggie was in middle school she had all her colors picked out, and the time of year she wanted to have it. Everything seemed to change since then, not because she changed her mind, but because with school, they had to get married in the summer. At that moment Maggie began to think about other child hood memories. She blocked everything else out, all the talking and laughing. Maggie pictured her and her brother playing outside on the farm, ridding four wheelers. She imagined her family playing baseball out in the front yard. She missed those times. In that moment, she wasn’t ready to grow up. Before Maggie knew it, tears were coming down her face. She dabbed her face quickly as to not mess up the make-up.
“Maggie hunny, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing mom, I’m just thinking about memories from when I was little. I just want to go back to those days. It’s funny how when you are little, all you dream about is when you’re in high school, or when you can drive, or when you meet that special someone, or most of all, your wedding day. When you do actually “grow up” you want to go back to when you were little and didn’t have anything to worry about. You were care free and had fun all the time. I’m not ready to grow up.”
“Oh I know how you feel, but you know you are ready.”
“I know. I’m not really being serious, but it is a little sad to see yourself growing up and you can’t stop it.”
“Oh trust me, if I had a way to stop you and your brother from growing up, I would have done it!”
They both began to laugh as the wedding coordinator came in to tell them that everything is all good, and they are going to start setting up the chairs. Maggie and the bridesmaids finished getting ready so they could go get their pictures taken. Everyone came into the room where Maggie began putting on her dress. They were all so excited.
“Mom, now please don’t cry, I don’t want to have to ruin my make-up yet.”
“I won’t, I won’t”
“Mom, stop!”
“Oh my goodness, you look incredible.”
Everyone screamed with excitement and they were off for pictures. Once the pictures were done, Maggie got out of her dress and tried to relax. They all ate some more and sat around to talk.
“Are you nervous?” asked one of the bridesmaids.
“Not yet, I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been so busy, or if it just hasn’t hit me yet.”
Maggie sat at a window watching some guests arrive. Her grandmother came in to give her a ring from her great-great-great-great grandmother, for her something old. Suddenly Maggie began to become pretty nervous. She felt sick to her stomach and multiple emotions began to arise.
“Does anyone have any tumbs, or anything for my stomach?”
Maggie’s mom quickly found something. Maggie and her bridesmaids prayed together and Maggie began to feel calm again.
“Okay, time to get dressed. The wedding starts in fifteen minutes.” exclaimed the coordinator.
They all rushed around to get dressed and ready. Maggie was back in a whirlwind. The happiest day of her life was here and about to start.
“Maggie are you ready?” asked her mom.
“I’ve been ready for this day my whole life.”
“Good morning Maggie, happy wedding day!” Sarah, her cousin, said while fixing breakfast. The rest of the girls woke up and they all ate breakfast, then Maggie was off the get her hair done, while the girls started their own hair and make-up. Maggie had always dreamed of her wedding day, and now it was here. She was so anxious to get things started, but yet so nervous as to how things would turn out.
“Hunny, this day is going to fly by, remember to cherish every moment.”
“Mom, you’ve told me that already.”
“I know, but I just want this day to be everything you have ever dreamed of, and I don’t want you to get too caught up in everything, that you miss out on the most important day of your life.”
“Okay mom, please stop crying, you’re going to make me cry already.”
“Okay Okay I’m done.”
As Maggie and her mom entered the salon, they wiped away all the tears and were ready to get going. Maggie sat in the chair and the hair stylist began working. Within about forty-five minutes the hair was done and they were ready to place the veil in. Maggie looked in awe once her hair was complete. “This day is really here,” she thought, “Wow.”
“Okay, time for make-up.” The stylists said as she started getting set up. Maggie explained what she wanted her make-up to look like and they began.
“Maggie, you look so beautiful!” exclaimed her mom.
“Thanks, but again, no crying yet!”
“Alright, let’s get going.”
The drive back to the wedding venue seemed like forever for Maggie. She just wanted to get back and finish getting ready. It was still raining, and the wedding is supposed to be outside. Maggie was beginning to panic a little. They had come up with a back up plan for if it would rain, but Maggie did not want that. Finally, Maggie and her mom returned. The bridesmaids were had their hair done, the flowers and bouquets had arrived, and for the most part, things were going as planned. Maggie looked through the flowers and bouquets to make sure they were all good. As she looked outside to where the ceremony would be held, she said a short prayer. The rain was slowing down, but the ground was too soft to put any chairs down yet.
“Maggie, you need to eat something,” her mom said.
“Oh yeah, I’m actually really hungry.”
Maggie and her bridesmaids sat down to eat some lunch while they talked about the exciting day. Maggie still couldn’t believe it was here. She can remember when she was about five years old, planning her wedding out. By the time Maggie was in middle school she had all her colors picked out, and the time of year she wanted to have it. Everything seemed to change since then, not because she changed her mind, but because with school, they had to get married in the summer. At that moment Maggie began to think about other child hood memories. She blocked everything else out, all the talking and laughing. Maggie pictured her and her brother playing outside on the farm, ridding four wheelers. She imagined her family playing baseball out in the front yard. She missed those times. In that moment, she wasn’t ready to grow up. Before Maggie knew it, tears were coming down her face. She dabbed her face quickly as to not mess up the make-up.
“Maggie hunny, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing mom, I’m just thinking about memories from when I was little. I just want to go back to those days. It’s funny how when you are little, all you dream about is when you’re in high school, or when you can drive, or when you meet that special someone, or most of all, your wedding day. When you do actually “grow up” you want to go back to when you were little and didn’t have anything to worry about. You were care free and had fun all the time. I’m not ready to grow up.”
“Oh I know how you feel, but you know you are ready.”
“I know. I’m not really being serious, but it is a little sad to see yourself growing up and you can’t stop it.”
“Oh trust me, if I had a way to stop you and your brother from growing up, I would have done it!”
They both began to laugh as the wedding coordinator came in to tell them that everything is all good, and they are going to start setting up the chairs. Maggie and the bridesmaids finished getting ready so they could go get their pictures taken. Everyone came into the room where Maggie began putting on her dress. They were all so excited.
“Mom, now please don’t cry, I don’t want to have to ruin my make-up yet.”
“I won’t, I won’t”
“Mom, stop!”
“Oh my goodness, you look incredible.”
Everyone screamed with excitement and they were off for pictures. Once the pictures were done, Maggie got out of her dress and tried to relax. They all ate some more and sat around to talk.
“Are you nervous?” asked one of the bridesmaids.
“Not yet, I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been so busy, or if it just hasn’t hit me yet.”
Maggie sat at a window watching some guests arrive. Her grandmother came in to give her a ring from her great-great-great-great grandmother, for her something old. Suddenly Maggie began to become pretty nervous. She felt sick to her stomach and multiple emotions began to arise.
“Does anyone have any tumbs, or anything for my stomach?”
Maggie’s mom quickly found something. Maggie and her bridesmaids prayed together and Maggie began to feel calm again.
“Okay, time to get dressed. The wedding starts in fifteen minutes.” exclaimed the coordinator.
They all rushed around to get dressed and ready. Maggie was back in a whirlwind. The happiest day of her life was here and about to start.
“Maggie are you ready?” asked her mom.
“I’ve been ready for this day my whole life.”
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Character
People's character has always amused me. You can never really know for sure who someone is, or what they are thinking. God can reveal someones character to you, but that's as close as we can get. We have all heard the saying "put ourselves in another persons shoes," but that's not really possible. Even when you have gone through a similar situation as someone, you do not truly know how they feel, because we all have different pasts, and we all deal with things our own way.
I enjoyed reading the poem "Picture Bride." A granddaughter asking questions about her grandmother. I don't know why, but it made me think of the question many girls ask about their own weddings. "How will I know if he's the one?", "What if it doesn't last?", "Is it okay to be nervous?" These questions all have something to do with ones character.
This poem, and the poem "Those Winter Sundays" are both about family, but "Those Winter Sundays" makes me sad when I read it. "No one ever thanked him" is a powerful line. I think about all the things my parents have done for me that I haven't thanked them for. Or better yet, all the things I haven't thanked God for. I am so quick to ask Him for His favor, but when He comes through for me a lot of times I do not thank Him right away. It's embarrassing to admit.
God created us, but He gives us a choice to determine who we will become. He has given us the tools, and provided us with people in our lives to help us grow in Him. Ultimately it's our decision, what is you character? Is it pleasing to God? Maybe it's time to ask Him what he thinks of our character.
I enjoyed reading the poem "Picture Bride." A granddaughter asking questions about her grandmother. I don't know why, but it made me think of the question many girls ask about their own weddings. "How will I know if he's the one?", "What if it doesn't last?", "Is it okay to be nervous?" These questions all have something to do with ones character.
This poem, and the poem "Those Winter Sundays" are both about family, but "Those Winter Sundays" makes me sad when I read it. "No one ever thanked him" is a powerful line. I think about all the things my parents have done for me that I haven't thanked them for. Or better yet, all the things I haven't thanked God for. I am so quick to ask Him for His favor, but when He comes through for me a lot of times I do not thank Him right away. It's embarrassing to admit.
God created us, but He gives us a choice to determine who we will become. He has given us the tools, and provided us with people in our lives to help us grow in Him. Ultimately it's our decision, what is you character? Is it pleasing to God? Maybe it's time to ask Him what he thinks of our character.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lectio Divina
I have never heard of Lectio Divina until class on Monday. It’s a very interesting, and somewhat challenging method of reading. In some ways it relates to what we did with the onion story/activity. With both methods we read the stories multiple times, gaining new knowledge and a better understanding. As I have stated before, I am learning how important it is to re read literature. Lectio Divina had more structure to it, than the onion activity did, but I feel as though it helped prepare myself for future activities such as Lectio Divina.
For the first part, lectio, we were to listen to the story, and then write down a word or phrase the jumped out to us. I pick out “…not many people really hear it.” The other two parts that we did both went around this phrase, which will help explain why I picked it. For meditation, while listening to the story again I began to think about the many moments we miss out on in life, because we don’t really ‘hear’ it, or ‘see’ it, ect. A lot of times people tend to let the little moments pass them by. When I look back on my childhood I don’t automatically think about the vacations we took, or the big birthday parties we had, I think back to the times my brother and I would play outside together, or a random conversation/moment I had with my family. So…for the third part, oratio, I prayed that God would open my eyes and ears to things that are ‘hidden.’ That I wouldn’t miss the many pleasures God puts in my life. I know we didn’t do this in class, but I did the last part on my own…contemplation. I just sat there and went over the different thoughts that popped in my head. Some were all about the story, but some were more about remembering some special, simple, ‘moments’ I have been through. It truly made me smile, and gave me hope for the many more great ‘moments’ to come.
For the first part, lectio, we were to listen to the story, and then write down a word or phrase the jumped out to us. I pick out “…not many people really hear it.” The other two parts that we did both went around this phrase, which will help explain why I picked it. For meditation, while listening to the story again I began to think about the many moments we miss out on in life, because we don’t really ‘hear’ it, or ‘see’ it, ect. A lot of times people tend to let the little moments pass them by. When I look back on my childhood I don’t automatically think about the vacations we took, or the big birthday parties we had, I think back to the times my brother and I would play outside together, or a random conversation/moment I had with my family. So…for the third part, oratio, I prayed that God would open my eyes and ears to things that are ‘hidden.’ That I wouldn’t miss the many pleasures God puts in my life. I know we didn’t do this in class, but I did the last part on my own…contemplation. I just sat there and went over the different thoughts that popped in my head. Some were all about the story, but some were more about remembering some special, simple, ‘moments’ I have been through. It truly made me smile, and gave me hope for the many more great ‘moments’ to come.
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