The 6th book I read was actually a play - "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare. You may be surprised to learn that I never had to read that particular play in high school. (It was due to our World Literature curriculum). So it has sat on my shelf for a couple of years now, and each time I look at it I think "I really ought to read that..." and then I find something else to read.
It only took me a couple of hours to make it through the entire play and I had very few comprehension issues. It seemed much more straightforward and easy-to-understand in comparison with some of Shakespeare's other works. There really isn't much to say about it, other than the fact that I would recommend it to anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of Shakespeare. And it's great to finally know the context of several of his most famous lines.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
These Are A Few of My Favorite...Books
I realized the other day that I've never actually created a "Top 10" List of my favorite books.
Firth, the nominees (in no particular order)
-A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
-The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
-Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
-Why the Rest Hates the West by Meic Pearse
-Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
-Little Women by Louis May Alcott
-North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
-The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
-The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
-The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
-The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
-The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
-Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
-The Ishbane Conspiracy by Randy Alcorn
-What A Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck
-Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
-Candide by Voltaire
-Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
-Making Sense of It All by Thomas Morris
-The Four Love by CS Lewis
-Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
-The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
-Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
-Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
-Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
-Me, Myself and Bob by Phil Visher
-Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
-The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
-The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
-The Clash of Civilization by Samuel P Huntington
The Criteria for the Top Ten:
-A book that I've completely finished (There are some books that I absolutely love, but haven't finished a chapter or two)
-It has made an impact on my life in some sort of way
-I would recommend it to a friend without hesitation
The Final List (in no particular order)
A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
This is one of my favorite works by CS Lewis. There is so much raw emotion and passion in such few chapters. Getting a glimpse of what grief was like to one of the "giants" of Christianity truly gave me a lot of comfort during my own dark days.
The Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
Easily my favorite book series growing up. I remember wanting to cry the day I realized I had read all of the Nancy Drew books in the library. And it was a series that I could share with my mom and grandmother who had also grown up reading those books. For many years I wanted to be just like Nancy Drew when I grew up.
Eight Cousins by Lousia May Alcott
This was the first book I read when I was venturing into more "adult" books (or what seemed to me at the time to be adult books). I remember loving the story, the writing style and being fascinated by the differing educational/child rehearing philosophies presented in the book. (I was probably around 9 or 10 at the time).
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
I bought this book last year during the Mayterm trip around the Balkans. It was the most emotionally involved I had been in a book since...probably middle school. It wasn't just a romantic story - there were political and philosophical tensions that were described in detail, giving so much food for thought.
Candide by Voltaire
I find this work to be hilarious. And I absolutely love it. I read it a few years ago for fun, then last year for a class, and each time I encounter it, I appreciate the humor more and more.
Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
During the fall semester (2009), I was part of a Book/Bible study that used this particular work. It follows the life of Jesus from His Baptism to the Transfiguration and offers such great insight into everything thing that He did, detailing the differing opinions from the early church fathers to today. Jesus has never really seemed the same since.
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
I originally purchased this book because I had some Border Rewards bucks to use up. It sat on my shelf until I had to do a book review for the InterVarsity group at college. I had three days to read it in, and it was probably the craziest I've ever been when trying to read a book. Every page is packed with so much gold, I ran out of post it notes trying to mark everything. So much of what Chesterton said about Christianity resonated with my own beliefs and has changed the way I view my own life.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
In truth, I love pretty much anything Jane Austen has written. But Mansfield Park has become my favorite, mainly because when I read it this summer, I could sympathize with Fanny's dilemmas, worries, and considerations.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is such a terrific book! I read this a few years after I had watched the Wishbone version, and it was probably the darkest thing I had read at that point in my life. But it is so well-written, it will always be my favorite Sherlock Holmes mystery.
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
I read this novel during the spring semester of my freshman year. If you can get past the gruesome scene in the second chapter, it's really fantastic. It takes snapshots, basically folk stories, that surround a particular bridge in Eastern Europe. The clashing of different cultures, the impact of the tide of history, it really opened my eyes to what people in other parts of the world face. If you can't travel to the Balkans, this is the next best thing.
Feel free to dispute this list!
Firth, the nominees (in no particular order)
-A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
-The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
-Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
-Why the Rest Hates the West by Meic Pearse
-Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
-Little Women by Louis May Alcott
-North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
-The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
-The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
-The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
-The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
-The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
-Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
-The Ishbane Conspiracy by Randy Alcorn
-What A Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck
-Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
-Candide by Voltaire
-Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
-Making Sense of It All by Thomas Morris
-The Four Love by CS Lewis
-Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
-The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
-Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
-Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
-Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
-Me, Myself and Bob by Phil Visher
-Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
-The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
-The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
-The Clash of Civilization by Samuel P Huntington
The Criteria for the Top Ten:
-A book that I've completely finished (There are some books that I absolutely love, but haven't finished a chapter or two)
-It has made an impact on my life in some sort of way
-I would recommend it to a friend without hesitation
The Final List (in no particular order)
A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
This is one of my favorite works by CS Lewis. There is so much raw emotion and passion in such few chapters. Getting a glimpse of what grief was like to one of the "giants" of Christianity truly gave me a lot of comfort during my own dark days.
The Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
Easily my favorite book series growing up. I remember wanting to cry the day I realized I had read all of the Nancy Drew books in the library. And it was a series that I could share with my mom and grandmother who had also grown up reading those books. For many years I wanted to be just like Nancy Drew when I grew up.
Eight Cousins by Lousia May Alcott
This was the first book I read when I was venturing into more "adult" books (or what seemed to me at the time to be adult books). I remember loving the story, the writing style and being fascinated by the differing educational/child rehearing philosophies presented in the book. (I was probably around 9 or 10 at the time).
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
I bought this book last year during the Mayterm trip around the Balkans. It was the most emotionally involved I had been in a book since...probably middle school. It wasn't just a romantic story - there were political and philosophical tensions that were described in detail, giving so much food for thought.
Candide by Voltaire
I find this work to be hilarious. And I absolutely love it. I read it a few years ago for fun, then last year for a class, and each time I encounter it, I appreciate the humor more and more.
Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
During the fall semester (2009), I was part of a Book/Bible study that used this particular work. It follows the life of Jesus from His Baptism to the Transfiguration and offers such great insight into everything thing that He did, detailing the differing opinions from the early church fathers to today. Jesus has never really seemed the same since.
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
I originally purchased this book because I had some Border Rewards bucks to use up. It sat on my shelf until I had to do a book review for the InterVarsity group at college. I had three days to read it in, and it was probably the craziest I've ever been when trying to read a book. Every page is packed with so much gold, I ran out of post it notes trying to mark everything. So much of what Chesterton said about Christianity resonated with my own beliefs and has changed the way I view my own life.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
In truth, I love pretty much anything Jane Austen has written. But Mansfield Park has become my favorite, mainly because when I read it this summer, I could sympathize with Fanny's dilemmas, worries, and considerations.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This is such a terrific book! I read this a few years after I had watched the Wishbone version, and it was probably the darkest thing I had read at that point in my life. But it is so well-written, it will always be my favorite Sherlock Holmes mystery.
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
I read this novel during the spring semester of my freshman year. If you can get past the gruesome scene in the second chapter, it's really fantastic. It takes snapshots, basically folk stories, that surround a particular bridge in Eastern Europe. The clashing of different cultures, the impact of the tide of history, it really opened my eyes to what people in other parts of the world face. If you can't travel to the Balkans, this is the next best thing.
Feel free to dispute this list!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Beauty, Relationships and Worth
I really hate this age.
Maybe hate is a strong word. I extremely dislike this age. For one simple reason: this is the age when it finally becomes acceptable to fall in love and get married. And whenever anything becomes acceptable, that means that everyone has to start doing it right? At least that's what it has felt like recently. I've lost track of how many friends are in relationships, getting engaged or getting married. And for a girl, that can get rather depressing when it seems like you're the only person whose Facebook status is still set at "Single".
That got me thinking. That thinking has, over the course of several weeks, gone off on many different tangents, which have lead me to several different, but related conclusions.
Tangent #1 - Beauty
We've talked for years about the pressure that our culture puts on women to look a certain way. Ever since middle school I remember being told that a person's true beauty is on the inside. And while that is easy to say and easy to believe on one level, when the rubber meets the road, it's not so easy. It's hard to believe that when everything in our culture is telling you that you're too fat, you're wearing the wrong clothes, you need to use more makeup and more hair products, and that the man of your dreams won't ever come along until you diet just a little more, spend just a little more on your clothes, add just a little more makeup, and figure out how to walk in 4 inch heels. Because that's what men really want, they assert.
I think we can all agree that that is just stupid. Proverbs has some great stuff to say about the wife of noble character in chapter 31. When you feel like you're not beautiful, for whatever the reason, sometimes you just have to walk up to a mirror, take a deep breath, tell yourself that you're beautiful no matter what, then go have a long chat with God. Rinse and repeat as necessary.
Tangent #2 - Relationships
There's an immense amount of pressure to be in some sort of a relationship. This isn't helped at all by the fact that I attend a small conservative Christian college where the four main extracurricular activities are falling in love, getting engaged, getting married and having children. But for girls at least there is a sense that there's something wrong with you if you aren't in a relationship with someone. Clearly you aren't pretty enough, funny enough, smart enough...whatever enough, for a guy to love you.
This isn't exactly a new phenomenon. I was going to do the research, but I'm not a Bible or Theology major, but there are multiple accounts of women in the Old Testament feeling ashamed because they didn't have children. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, comes to mind. And all those women who gave birth when they were passed the age where they believed they could have children. Think of the ridicule they endured! But God heard each prayer and provided in time according to His will.
I think it's important to remember, as my friend Angela pointed out the other day, that singleness is not just a phase of life. It's not a punishment. What's important is to focus on God and to serve Him - for some people, they will best serve Him with a partner. For others, like the Apostle Paul, they will best serve Him by being single. If you focus on Him, He'll give you all that you need, no matter where you are or who you are with.
Conclusions about Worth
The problem with these pressures about beauty and relationships is that you can easily define your worth based on them. If I'm beautiful enough, someone will love me, and that will make me worthwhile. I mean something if I'm considered beautiful. I mean something if I'm in a relationship. And if I'm not in a relationship, I'm not beautiful, and that means I'm not worth much.
But that's not where our worth should be based.
Our worth comes from God alone. We have intrinsic value because He created us. And loves us. To the point where He sent His Son to die for us.
But it's so easy to forget that. I know that firsthand.
Ever since I can remember, I would define myself as being smart. I was the smart one in the class, the one who liked to read books all the time and put way too much time into her schoolwork. A few more years went by, and I could add the traits of having musical talent and have a unique sense of humor. As my friendships developed, people called me loyal. By the end of middle school, I was the smart girl, the band geek, who had an excellent work ethic and was loyal to her friends. Then came high school, where I took those traits to the next level. Not only was I a smart girl with an excellent work ethic - I became a workaholic. I wasn't just a band geek - most of my free time was spent with musical groups and I eventually became a mini assistant band director. Then came college, where I've not only been loyal to friends, but I've let them take me for granted and walk all over me without saying a word.
I believed that my worth was based on grades. My worth was based on my musical performances. My worth was based on my friendships. I strove for the applause of my teachers, my music instructors, the audiences, and my friends. Not much else mattered. Yes, that whole time I was a Christian. Yes, I knew that God loved me no matter what. Yes, I wanted to please Him. But on at least one level I believe that these people represented Him - if they were pleased, then He was pleased.
God doesn't like faulty logic any more than philosophers do. He set about fixing that. And whenever He needs to teach me a spiritual lesson, He takes out the 2x4.
Over the years, He's painfully removed those sources of applause. My first clarinet instructor and my Grandma passed away in high school - two of the biggest supporters of my musical endeavors. Band instructors came and left. My grades took a hit when I went to college. Most recently, I've discovered that I don't enjoy being a doormat, which means there are painful changes and losses of friendship.
As I sat thinking about this the other night, I wasn't too happy with God. How could He keep taking away those sources of applause from me? Was it all going to keep disappearing until I never got them anymore? When I finally got smart enough to shut up, He told me something completely different.
"You can't hear my applause until the applause from the crowd dies down".
Which brings me full circle. Our worth does come from God alone. And He will not be satisfied until there is nothing that obstructs our view of Him. He will take it all away until we have trained our ears to just listen for Him. My mom has this written on her desk: "I've learned to hold everything loosely because it hurts when God pried my fingers from it" (Corrie Ten Boom), and it is so true.
Maybe hate is a strong word. I extremely dislike this age. For one simple reason: this is the age when it finally becomes acceptable to fall in love and get married. And whenever anything becomes acceptable, that means that everyone has to start doing it right? At least that's what it has felt like recently. I've lost track of how many friends are in relationships, getting engaged or getting married. And for a girl, that can get rather depressing when it seems like you're the only person whose Facebook status is still set at "Single".
That got me thinking. That thinking has, over the course of several weeks, gone off on many different tangents, which have lead me to several different, but related conclusions.
Tangent #1 - Beauty
We've talked for years about the pressure that our culture puts on women to look a certain way. Ever since middle school I remember being told that a person's true beauty is on the inside. And while that is easy to say and easy to believe on one level, when the rubber meets the road, it's not so easy. It's hard to believe that when everything in our culture is telling you that you're too fat, you're wearing the wrong clothes, you need to use more makeup and more hair products, and that the man of your dreams won't ever come along until you diet just a little more, spend just a little more on your clothes, add just a little more makeup, and figure out how to walk in 4 inch heels. Because that's what men really want, they assert.
I think we can all agree that that is just stupid. Proverbs has some great stuff to say about the wife of noble character in chapter 31. When you feel like you're not beautiful, for whatever the reason, sometimes you just have to walk up to a mirror, take a deep breath, tell yourself that you're beautiful no matter what, then go have a long chat with God. Rinse and repeat as necessary.
Tangent #2 - Relationships
There's an immense amount of pressure to be in some sort of a relationship. This isn't helped at all by the fact that I attend a small conservative Christian college where the four main extracurricular activities are falling in love, getting engaged, getting married and having children. But for girls at least there is a sense that there's something wrong with you if you aren't in a relationship with someone. Clearly you aren't pretty enough, funny enough, smart enough...whatever enough, for a guy to love you.
This isn't exactly a new phenomenon. I was going to do the research, but I'm not a Bible or Theology major, but there are multiple accounts of women in the Old Testament feeling ashamed because they didn't have children. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, comes to mind. And all those women who gave birth when they were passed the age where they believed they could have children. Think of the ridicule they endured! But God heard each prayer and provided in time according to His will.
I think it's important to remember, as my friend Angela pointed out the other day, that singleness is not just a phase of life. It's not a punishment. What's important is to focus on God and to serve Him - for some people, they will best serve Him with a partner. For others, like the Apostle Paul, they will best serve Him by being single. If you focus on Him, He'll give you all that you need, no matter where you are or who you are with.
Conclusions about Worth
The problem with these pressures about beauty and relationships is that you can easily define your worth based on them. If I'm beautiful enough, someone will love me, and that will make me worthwhile. I mean something if I'm considered beautiful. I mean something if I'm in a relationship. And if I'm not in a relationship, I'm not beautiful, and that means I'm not worth much.
But that's not where our worth should be based.
Our worth comes from God alone. We have intrinsic value because He created us. And loves us. To the point where He sent His Son to die for us.
But it's so easy to forget that. I know that firsthand.
Ever since I can remember, I would define myself as being smart. I was the smart one in the class, the one who liked to read books all the time and put way too much time into her schoolwork. A few more years went by, and I could add the traits of having musical talent and have a unique sense of humor. As my friendships developed, people called me loyal. By the end of middle school, I was the smart girl, the band geek, who had an excellent work ethic and was loyal to her friends. Then came high school, where I took those traits to the next level. Not only was I a smart girl with an excellent work ethic - I became a workaholic. I wasn't just a band geek - most of my free time was spent with musical groups and I eventually became a mini assistant band director. Then came college, where I've not only been loyal to friends, but I've let them take me for granted and walk all over me without saying a word.
I believed that my worth was based on grades. My worth was based on my musical performances. My worth was based on my friendships. I strove for the applause of my teachers, my music instructors, the audiences, and my friends. Not much else mattered. Yes, that whole time I was a Christian. Yes, I knew that God loved me no matter what. Yes, I wanted to please Him. But on at least one level I believe that these people represented Him - if they were pleased, then He was pleased.
God doesn't like faulty logic any more than philosophers do. He set about fixing that. And whenever He needs to teach me a spiritual lesson, He takes out the 2x4.
Over the years, He's painfully removed those sources of applause. My first clarinet instructor and my Grandma passed away in high school - two of the biggest supporters of my musical endeavors. Band instructors came and left. My grades took a hit when I went to college. Most recently, I've discovered that I don't enjoy being a doormat, which means there are painful changes and losses of friendship.
As I sat thinking about this the other night, I wasn't too happy with God. How could He keep taking away those sources of applause from me? Was it all going to keep disappearing until I never got them anymore? When I finally got smart enough to shut up, He told me something completely different.
"You can't hear my applause until the applause from the crowd dies down".
Which brings me full circle. Our worth does come from God alone. And He will not be satisfied until there is nothing that obstructs our view of Him. He will take it all away until we have trained our ears to just listen for Him. My mom has this written on her desk: "I've learned to hold everything loosely because it hurts when God pried my fingers from it" (Corrie Ten Boom), and it is so true.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Forgiveness
It seems like there are some lessons that we will never stop learning. Just when you think you finally understand something, God throws a curve ball at you.
I thought that I knew what forgiveness was. After all, I've apologized to people all my life and had them forgive me, and I had done the same for others. Countless times someone would say something or do something, and I would tell them "It's okay. I forgive you." Life would just continue as before.
Isn't that what forgiveness is all about? Apparently not.
A couple weeks ago I realized something. I realized that someone I had always considered to be a friend didn't really act as if we were friends. Sure, we would both say that we were very good friends, but as I took some time to consider our friendship, I could tell that this person didn't really care about it. They didn't treat me with respect and had often used our friendship to serve their own purposes. Half the time they were just self-absorbed. But the worst part was feeling like the person considered me to be a second-class citizen. While I had often felt that before, I would always write it off as that person just having a bad day. Any time the person was insensitive (to the point of being cold), or just treated me like a jerk, I just kept telling myself that I needed to forgive and forget. The person was just having problems. They didn't mean it. Things would turn around. (As I read over this paragraph, it doesn't begin to describe what hurt I felt, so if you think I'm being overly dramatic, you'll just have to trust me).
Obviously since I'm writing about this, things didn't turn around. And one evening I found myself shocked at what I had believed and how I had let someone treat me. The shock quickly melted away into anger. I was furious. People talk about seeing red, and I was as close as I have ever come to that point. Hell may have no fury like a woman scorned, but the second worst thing is a hurt friend. Eventually as I calmed down over the course of a few days, there was a little voice that told me I needed to forgive this person.
Sometimes I really hate that voice.
I decided to explain to God why I couldn't possibly forgive that person. Sure, I'd try hard to not treat them poorly, but I couldn't just forgive them. After all, they didn't realize that they had wronged me. They would probably never know how much they hurt me. So why bother forgiving someone who doesn't know they did anything wrong?
"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."" (Luke 23:34)
Forgiveness is not just forgiving the people who we can forgive. It's forgiving the people who will never know what it took to forgive them.
What my friend did to me is similar to what we all do to God. We enter into a relationship with Him, and things seem to be great. Then we stop caring. We still say that we're in a relationship with Him, but we spend less and less time together. We go off and have fun with others, while we break His heart. And we don't even realize how much pain we're giving Him. But He still forgives us.
"We are most like beasts when we kill. We are most like men when we judge. We are most like God when we forgive."
I thought that I knew what forgiveness was. After all, I've apologized to people all my life and had them forgive me, and I had done the same for others. Countless times someone would say something or do something, and I would tell them "It's okay. I forgive you." Life would just continue as before.
Isn't that what forgiveness is all about? Apparently not.
A couple weeks ago I realized something. I realized that someone I had always considered to be a friend didn't really act as if we were friends. Sure, we would both say that we were very good friends, but as I took some time to consider our friendship, I could tell that this person didn't really care about it. They didn't treat me with respect and had often used our friendship to serve their own purposes. Half the time they were just self-absorbed. But the worst part was feeling like the person considered me to be a second-class citizen. While I had often felt that before, I would always write it off as that person just having a bad day. Any time the person was insensitive (to the point of being cold), or just treated me like a jerk, I just kept telling myself that I needed to forgive and forget. The person was just having problems. They didn't mean it. Things would turn around. (As I read over this paragraph, it doesn't begin to describe what hurt I felt, so if you think I'm being overly dramatic, you'll just have to trust me).
Obviously since I'm writing about this, things didn't turn around. And one evening I found myself shocked at what I had believed and how I had let someone treat me. The shock quickly melted away into anger. I was furious. People talk about seeing red, and I was as close as I have ever come to that point. Hell may have no fury like a woman scorned, but the second worst thing is a hurt friend. Eventually as I calmed down over the course of a few days, there was a little voice that told me I needed to forgive this person.
Sometimes I really hate that voice.
I decided to explain to God why I couldn't possibly forgive that person. Sure, I'd try hard to not treat them poorly, but I couldn't just forgive them. After all, they didn't realize that they had wronged me. They would probably never know how much they hurt me. So why bother forgiving someone who doesn't know they did anything wrong?
"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."" (Luke 23:34)
Forgiveness is not just forgiving the people who we can forgive. It's forgiving the people who will never know what it took to forgive them.
What my friend did to me is similar to what we all do to God. We enter into a relationship with Him, and things seem to be great. Then we stop caring. We still say that we're in a relationship with Him, but we spend less and less time together. We go off and have fun with others, while we break His heart. And we don't even realize how much pain we're giving Him. But He still forgives us.
"We are most like beasts when we kill. We are most like men when we judge. We are most like God when we forgive."
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Book #5 - "Mansfield Park"
This morning I finished "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen. I made it halfway through on Sunday and by this morning I only had 50 pages left. One of the quickest reads I've ever had for a book of this size.
In my opinion, "Mansfield Park" is Jane Austen at her finest. The characters are wonderfully created, and the feelings that she stirs in the reader towards each one of them is so very realistic. You can't truly hate any of them. Yes, there are a few which might offend or upset you, but I still found myself being somewhat understanding as to why they did what they did. And instead of wishing evil upon any of them, you wish that they would see the errors of their ways and improve.
The heroine, Fanny Price is completely lovable. She's not perfect, but her situation garners sympathy. The cast of characters that surround her- Sir Thomas, Aunt Norris, Lady Bertram, Edmund, The Crawfords, William - are not only colorful but realistic. Since it is a Jane Austen novel, there are various romantic developments, but Fanny's affections seem to take a much more natural course than many of Austen's other characters. Furthermore, while it may seem clear at first which way the various marriages will lead, Austen does an excellent job of causing the reader to believe otherwise, then gives a sudden (and hilarious) curve ball, which nicely wraps up the novel as one might expect.
This gives me an updated ranking of my favorite Jane Austen works:
#1 Mansfield Park
#2 Sense and Sensibility
#3 Emma
#4 Pride and Prejudice
#5 Persuasion
I still need to read "Northanger Abbey", but that may not come until close to the end of the summer.
In my opinion, "Mansfield Park" is Jane Austen at her finest. The characters are wonderfully created, and the feelings that she stirs in the reader towards each one of them is so very realistic. You can't truly hate any of them. Yes, there are a few which might offend or upset you, but I still found myself being somewhat understanding as to why they did what they did. And instead of wishing evil upon any of them, you wish that they would see the errors of their ways and improve.
The heroine, Fanny Price is completely lovable. She's not perfect, but her situation garners sympathy. The cast of characters that surround her- Sir Thomas, Aunt Norris, Lady Bertram, Edmund, The Crawfords, William - are not only colorful but realistic. Since it is a Jane Austen novel, there are various romantic developments, but Fanny's affections seem to take a much more natural course than many of Austen's other characters. Furthermore, while it may seem clear at first which way the various marriages will lead, Austen does an excellent job of causing the reader to believe otherwise, then gives a sudden (and hilarious) curve ball, which nicely wraps up the novel as one might expect.
This gives me an updated ranking of my favorite Jane Austen works:
#1 Mansfield Park
#2 Sense and Sensibility
#3 Emma
#4 Pride and Prejudice
#5 Persuasion
I still need to read "Northanger Abbey", but that may not come until close to the end of the summer.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Prayer
I hate asking people to pray for me.
I know that seems bizarre, but I really do. When I was little, I could always come up with something during prayer request time in Sunday School, but back then, we all did because we thought we had to. We spent many Sundays praying for the Yankees. It didn't seem to help.
As I've gotten older, I developed this idea that I shouldn't ask people to pray for me. I have no idea where that idea came from. It became fully ingrained into my way of thinking, to the point where I felt guilty if I asked someone to pray for me. I felt like it was almost a spiritual form of whining. What right do I have to ask people to pray for me? My problems aren't nearly as bad as Person A, B or C, so I'm being utterly selfish by asking someone else to pray for me.
That started to change when I went to college. I learned that it was, in fact, okay for one Christian to ask another to pray for specific needs. I'll admit, I practically became infatuated with the idea of everyone lifting each other up in prayer. It was so great to know that I could go to others with my needs, large or small, and to know that I wouldn't receive judgment for asking for help. Even more than that, I felt like I could actually do something for people by praying for them. It seemed like such a great idea - since everyone is praying for each other, we can all ask each other for prayer, and no one needs to feel guilty that he or she is "hogging" all the prayer time.
But then something happened. Something changed this year, and I'm not quite sure what it was. Perhaps people consider me to be less trustworthy. Perhaps every one's problems were miraculously solved. Whatever the cause, people stopped asking for prayer. Sure, they would complain about everything from A to Z, but after describing some sort of pain, annoyance or difficult situation, very few people would ever say "So yeah, I'd really appreciate some prayer about that". Maybe it's just part of a "Christian culture" that everyone assumes that if they complain about something, others will interpret that as a prayer request. But that seems like a silly assumption to me. And since no one else seemed to be asking for prayer, every time I asked someone to pray for me, I began to feel guilty again. I kept going to my friends, asking if there was anything I could do for them, or pray about for them, and more times than not, they'd smile and say that no, they couldn't think of anything.
And we wonder why folks call the Church fake.
When Jesus wasn't working, He was praying. And He wasn't afraid to ask people to pray with Him - even though the disciples fell asleep, Jesus still kept asking them to pray.
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16, NIV (emphasis added)
I'd like to offer a two-part challenge: go ask someone to pray for you, even if it's simply an "unspoken" request. Then, ask someone how you can pray for them. We can't help each other too much.
I know that seems bizarre, but I really do. When I was little, I could always come up with something during prayer request time in Sunday School, but back then, we all did because we thought we had to. We spent many Sundays praying for the Yankees. It didn't seem to help.
As I've gotten older, I developed this idea that I shouldn't ask people to pray for me. I have no idea where that idea came from. It became fully ingrained into my way of thinking, to the point where I felt guilty if I asked someone to pray for me. I felt like it was almost a spiritual form of whining. What right do I have to ask people to pray for me? My problems aren't nearly as bad as Person A, B or C, so I'm being utterly selfish by asking someone else to pray for me.
That started to change when I went to college. I learned that it was, in fact, okay for one Christian to ask another to pray for specific needs. I'll admit, I practically became infatuated with the idea of everyone lifting each other up in prayer. It was so great to know that I could go to others with my needs, large or small, and to know that I wouldn't receive judgment for asking for help. Even more than that, I felt like I could actually do something for people by praying for them. It seemed like such a great idea - since everyone is praying for each other, we can all ask each other for prayer, and no one needs to feel guilty that he or she is "hogging" all the prayer time.
But then something happened. Something changed this year, and I'm not quite sure what it was. Perhaps people consider me to be less trustworthy. Perhaps every one's problems were miraculously solved. Whatever the cause, people stopped asking for prayer. Sure, they would complain about everything from A to Z, but after describing some sort of pain, annoyance or difficult situation, very few people would ever say "So yeah, I'd really appreciate some prayer about that". Maybe it's just part of a "Christian culture" that everyone assumes that if they complain about something, others will interpret that as a prayer request. But that seems like a silly assumption to me. And since no one else seemed to be asking for prayer, every time I asked someone to pray for me, I began to feel guilty again. I kept going to my friends, asking if there was anything I could do for them, or pray about for them, and more times than not, they'd smile and say that no, they couldn't think of anything.
And we wonder why folks call the Church fake.
When Jesus wasn't working, He was praying. And He wasn't afraid to ask people to pray with Him - even though the disciples fell asleep, Jesus still kept asking them to pray.
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16, NIV (emphasis added)
I'd like to offer a two-part challenge: go ask someone to pray for you, even if it's simply an "unspoken" request. Then, ask someone how you can pray for them. We can't help each other too much.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Book #4 - "Jane Austen Ruined My Life"
Book #4 - "Jane Austen Ruined My Life" by Beth Pattillo
I will admit, I was a little weary when I first picked up the book. There are so many books that try to use Jane Austen as a means of inspiration (and a way to sell copies), so I didn't want to get my hopes up. But this was fantastic! A young Jane Austen scholar's life is ruined when she discovers her husband had an affair, and she blames Jane Austen for teaching her to believe in happy endings. She gets invited to London to meet with a mysterious old lady who claims to have knowledge of the whereabouts of various missing letters by Jane Austen. She decides to meet this woman, and see if she can use these letters to her advantage. She also runs into a former best friend (male, of course), and goes through a series of tasks, learning more about the true Jane Austen, and changing her perspective on romance and happy endings - but not in the way that you'd expect!
The great thing about this book is that it does take time to teach you about Jane Austen - using actual facts. And the other clearly lets you know exactly what was made up at the end of the book. The characters are very believable. And the ending is pleasant, but unexpected. Best of all, the author didn't try to recreate Jane Austen's style (which always seems so forced) and can really get you thinking about what you actually want out of life. I couldn't put it down!
I will admit, I was a little weary when I first picked up the book. There are so many books that try to use Jane Austen as a means of inspiration (and a way to sell copies), so I didn't want to get my hopes up. But this was fantastic! A young Jane Austen scholar's life is ruined when she discovers her husband had an affair, and she blames Jane Austen for teaching her to believe in happy endings. She gets invited to London to meet with a mysterious old lady who claims to have knowledge of the whereabouts of various missing letters by Jane Austen. She decides to meet this woman, and see if she can use these letters to her advantage. She also runs into a former best friend (male, of course), and goes through a series of tasks, learning more about the true Jane Austen, and changing her perspective on romance and happy endings - but not in the way that you'd expect!
The great thing about this book is that it does take time to teach you about Jane Austen - using actual facts. And the other clearly lets you know exactly what was made up at the end of the book. The characters are very believable. And the ending is pleasant, but unexpected. Best of all, the author didn't try to recreate Jane Austen's style (which always seems so forced) and can really get you thinking about what you actually want out of life. I couldn't put it down!
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