The Librarian

Oh... fyi... I'm not here anymore...

2009-07-06T16:37:00.001-07:00

I'm now here: http://nsagraduate.wordpress.com/

Come see what's happnin'...

Resurfacing...

2009-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

I'm going to pretend like I actually use this blog and keep up with it, and inform the world out there (that's you) that I have my thesis defense tomorrow night. Once that is over, I might actually return to the blogging world. We'll just have to see.

An experiment...

2008-11-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Just an fyi...

I'm doing a little experiment, one which involves me actually posting some of the stuff that I read these days (as I'm keeping up with politics and the market). So I created *gasp* a new blog. And you can find it here:

http://financialpostmil.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to give me any suggestions, concerns, thoughts...

-Daniel

Election time is here

2008-11-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

All,

The time to vote is now. And I'm betting against the media. I think McCain has a real shot, although I think it's likely that we wake up on Wednesday to future President Obama. I'm praying that won't be the case.

In event of an Obomacracy, as my Dad says, I guess that means we must trust in God even more, and the plan that he has for our country. I think it's easier to be lax in our faith with a Republican president due to the fact that conservative policies are not nearly as openly pagan. Oh well.

There's an update.

-DA

Against Green?

2008-09-06T12:26:00.001-07:00

Check out this article! Quite impressive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7599810.stm

Pastor Wilson continues...

2008-09-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

http://dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=5845

Amen.

Thoughts on Politics...

2008-09-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

I think I’m finally ready to make a statement (of sorts) about this presidential election. I have several different thoughts, so without being too random, I’ll just do a scatter-shot and see what happens.

Before anything else, I will admit to being blown out of the water by McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential candidate. I was surprised and impressed.

With that said, I want to address various “republican and Christian” voters out there who have a wide range of views about Sarah Palin and her legitimacy as a candidate. I have a big problem with the way many Christians deal with elections and how they think they should vote. So…

1) To Liberal Republicans/Conservatives: John McCain is still your man. He’s not as conservative as Palin, I promise. He also doesn’t have the guts to pull some of the stuff that she has already pulled and will pull. So don’t worry… McCain hasn’t changed.

2) To Conservative Republicans: Sarah Palin is your candidate. She’s everything you’ve dreamed of since the days of Ronald Reagan. She’s got the charisma, the drive, and the I-don’t-give-a-darn attitude that will allow her to look past the pressure of the media and accomplish what she feels is right. She can deliver a speech just as well as Obama and be funny on the side, something we’ve missed out on for 20 years. Even President Reagan’s son, Michael, admitted that when he saw Palin on the RNC stage Wednesday night, he saw his father standing there. “Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention on television and there, before my very eyes, I saw my Dad reborn; only this time he's a she.” – Michael Reagan (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/welcome_back_dad.html)

3) To Christians:

a. (For those of you who don’t think you should vote for the Republican party, but should vote for someone like Baldwin)… you’re terribly inconsistent. As Christians, we believe that our hope and our country’s salvation will come through the work of the church, so if we’re going to make a statement, then we shouldn’t vote at all. Voting for someone we know won’t get elected doesn’t make a statement – it merely makes you feel good about yourself and makes you feel like you did something. So just don’t vote.

b. (For those of you who don’t know if you should vote for McCain)… I agree that our government is corrupt and is full of problems that won’t get fixed by electing John McCain and Sarah Palin, but that doesn’t mean that I should stand by and watch it get worse. We are supposed to be responsible citizens, and that means that if we can keep our country from being led by even more corrupt men, then we should do so. So we’re basically stuck in the position of being defensive voters. We should vote for McCain/Palin because the situation will become much worse if Obama gets elected. Of course, if things improve while McCain/Palin are in office, then we should give thanks to God for sparing us and blessing us with good leaders.

c. (For Christians on a general level)… We often fail to remember, as Christians, that God is in control. We didn’t determine who the candidates were in this election. God did. God put it in the heart of McCain to select Palin as his Vice-Presidential candidate. Our job is to thank God for what He does in our lives and in our country, even if we can’t understand why. God never fails to bless His people, even if the blessings are a little while in coming. Sarah Palin is a Christian, a wife and a mother, pro-life, and not afraid to give God thanks for what He has done in her life. Now, the fact that God has placed a woman in a position to rule over us can be seen as a judgment, and should be seen in that way, but he’s been doing that for a long time. Most of us have had more local officials who are women lead us, and they have a much greater impact on our lives than the VP will. So this shouldn’t be a big surprise. What we should do, as Christians, is do our best to prevent someone from taking the office of President who will continue to tax us more and will continue to support abortion (as well as a plethora of other things…) This is the Democratic candidate, and if keeping him out of office means voting for the Republican party, then we should do so. It’s our Christian responsibility.

So there’s a few things I’ve been thinking about. Maybe I’m off my rocker, and maybe I’m not. I’d like to think not, but … we’ll see. :-)

Sir Walter Scott...

2008-08-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

... yes, I'm still writing a thesis on him. I've just... neglected this bit of web-space for a while. I think I've averaged a post a month this year, or something terrible like that. In any case, here's a few more quotes on Scott. I've gotten about a 1/4 of my thesis finished (or something near that). We'll see how it continues. I officially leave for Moscow on Friday, but I'm leaving Nac on Thursday to hang out in DFW and see a Rangers game. :-)

From “Scott and the Corners of Time” by Edgar Johnson, City University of New York.

“Romanticism is a state of feeling, not a body of subject matter. Intrinsically there is nothing more romantic about portcullises than about plumbing, about wimples than about atomic warheads. Those who cannot see the difference between the past in Scott and the past in Dumas cannot tell a hawk from a handsaw, and I intend to waste no time on them. Certainly Scott, like almost all of us, had a romantic strain, but the fundamental nature of his mind and feeling was realistic, rationalistic, and stoic. What Francis Russell Hart calls the ‘arid debate over whether Scott was Romantic or anti-Romantic’ may well be transcended in the realization that for Scott the existence and power of romantic feeling was incorporated in his realistic vision of the totality of human experience.
Within that vision the past was not a refuge from the present, but the matrix in which the present had been formed. Its struggles were in fact the paradigms of the problems that still confront us; its fascination for Scott was not that it was remote but that it was relevant. History is the great public world in which we are all embroiled, and if we refuse to draw light from its past victories and defeats we condemn ourselves to repeat its disasters.
This, as I have pointed out elsewhere, is the dominant theme that runs through the entire body of Scott’s work… … That theme is the clash of loyalties battling on the stage of time, of men struggling in the torrent of history. More profoundly still, it is the collisions of history itself, the contention between different degrees of civilization and different stages of society, between a predatory tribalism and the establishment of an ordered society, between the endeavor to hold back – sometimes even to turn back – the clock of history and the forward movement of its hand, between the desire to hold on to ways of life rooted in the past and the forces making for progress, between the powers of stability and change.
The exploration was lifelong. The great struggle extends through all Scott’s work—Highlander and Lowlander, pastoral Scotland and commercial England, Catholicism and Protestantism, Established Church and Covenanter, freedom of conscience and orthodoxy, law and rebellion, tyranny and constitutional government, feudalism and nationalism, barbarism and culture, Europe and Byzantium, Christianity and Islam. These fell encounters of mighty opposites dominate Scott’s greatest work and provide his most exciting theme.
The corners of history—as men turn them, or half turn them, or fail to turn them—both through the contentious early nineteenth century in which Scott himself lived, with its tremendous political, social, and economic problems, and throughout the past from which it had descended—all these multiple corners of time were the cruces of Scott’s theme. And past and present are not discrete, but interconnected. Scott’s history, as Morse Peckham has pointed out, is an analogue for his vision of the present, which was a product of that history.” – pp. 26-28
----------------------
“The aspects of that past that Scott chooses for representation are those great watershed moments in history, those corners of time, that are pregnant for men’s lives. He does not sentimentalize his rendering of them; he shows the past as, like the present, full of ferocity, ignorance, prejudice, and suffering, but shot through, too, again like the present—his present and our present—by gleams of heroism and nobility. His work, therefore, in its meaning for the present, is not only still relevant—it is superbly luminous. ‘To be steeped in his books’, wrote one of my teachers, John Erskine, ‘is to be on familiar terms with the noble men and women who dwell in them, to share their courage, their zest in life, their self-reliance, their intellectual sincerity, until their outlook becomes our own—this would be a good protection against most of the romances which today it is our frailty rather than our fate to read…’
Scott’s great theme was always the struggle between the dying and the emerging, between spiritual stultification and spiritual fruition, between the life-denying and the life-fulfilling. That great theme he explored and developed with unexampled fertility. The courage with which he confronted the problems of his own time was clarified by his realization that the present is the child of the past. No novelist in his century saw life more sanely or portrayed it more lucidly. That is his heritage to us. Under his gaze the corners of time are not quaint and obscure crannies; they are light-filled openings into meaning and enlargements of understanding and the spirit.” – p. 37

The wisdom of Narnia

2008-07-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

I told you Lewis knew what he was saying. :-)

Taken from Chapter 15 of The Magician's Nephew.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"When you were last here," said Aslan, "that hollow was a pool, and when you jumped into it you came to the world where a dying sun shone over the ruins of Charn. There is no pool now. That world is ended, as if had never been. Let the race of Adam and Eve take warning."

"Yes, Aslan," said both the children. But Polly added, "But we're not quite as bad as that world, are we, Aslan?"

"Not yet, Daughter of Eve," he said. "Not yet. But you are growing more like it. It is not certain that some wicked one of your race will nto find out a secret as evil as the Deplorable Word and use it to destroy all living things. And soon, very soon, before you are an old man and old woman, great nations in your world will be be ruled by tyrants who care no more for joy and justice and mercy than the Empress Jadis. Let your world beware. That is the warning. Now for the command. ...."

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

N.T. Wright on the Colbert Report

2008-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is definitely worth watching.

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=174352

Stranger than Fiction

2008-05-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies over the past few years is Stranger than Fiction, starring Will Ferrel and Emma Thompson. It really was an amazing film, and definitely worth watching. Probably my favorite part, though, is the end and the final quote is definitely worth reading. Here it is:

"As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick. "

Sorry I've been gone...

2008-04-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

But I've been busy. You know... school and that sort of thing. Oh, and a couple of organizations that I've been roped into working on. One of them you can learn about here:

http://www.scforlatahcounty.org

Also, check out our blog, which is here: http://www.scforlatahcounty.org/blog/

In other news, here's a really interesting article by Peggy Noonan on the pope: http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

The weather here is finally beginning to act like it's April, i.e. Springtime. This weekend is the first time it's really remembered that the temperature can rise above 45. So it's gorgeous.

This week I have a Greek midterm, a presentation on Dante's Paradiso as well as a paper on Paradiso. So maybe after this week is over I can get around to updating this. :-)

An Update

2008-03-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

My apologies for being lax the past few weeks. I've been fairly busy (read: really busy) finishing up end of term papers and preparing for finals and such. Now I'm back in Texas for Spring Break and enjoying a more relaxing schedule. I finished up the term with a Shakespeare paper on Much Ado About Nothing and the use of humor throughout the play. I also finished up my paper on the parallels between Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy and Job and Ecclesiastes. That's how last term ended, anyway. Next term is looking quite exciting. I'll be taking my final term of Greek... translating the book of Galations. Then there's 4th term of Traditio, focusing primarily on Aquinas and Dante (more on that later). My third class is on Mark Twain, which should be very interesting, and helpful for my thesis, as the 2nd part of my thesis is on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The only other project I have for next term is getting a good bit of work done on my thesis.

So there's an update. More later as I finish reading Ivanhoe today. :-)

Ethiopian Adoption

2008-02-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

Some of my friends up here, the Qualls, (my adopted family... or one of them) adopted 3 kids from Ethiopia last year. Their (formerly) youngest son, Isaiah, made this slideshow video of the adoption process and some of the wonderful moments as a result. Watch it... it's really great.

Barack Obama

2008-02-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I'm intrigued by the Obama campaign, and I'm sort of impressed by the man. I want to know what you have to think of this speech that he gave after the wins yesterday.

Tidbits of a paper

2008-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is some work that I'm currently doing for a Traditio Paper on the parallels between Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy and the Books of Job and Ecclesiastes. Let me know what you think... these are some of the parallels that I think are there between Boethius and Ecclesiastes.

------------------------------
Boethius and Ecclesiastes

Now that we have dealt with some of the parallels between Boethius and the Book of Job, I’d like to present the possibility of parallels between Boethius and the book of wisdom – Ecclesiastes. If we combine the parallels that we see in Boethius with both Job and Ecclesiastes, Boethius’ way style of writing becomes even clearer. With this in mind, here are some of the parallels we should note:

The preacher and Boethius
- In Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, but which they may be exercised.” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-13)
o Solomon’s reasons for writing are different than Boethius’, but he is still seeking some of the same answers, and was also in a position of authority

Lady Wisdom and Lady Philosophy
- Wisdom is described as a woman all throughout Scripture, particularly in Proverbs, which Solomon also wrote. Even though there is no particular mention of wisdom as feminine in Ecclesiastes, I think it is safe to say that wisdom can still be referred to as a woman.
o “Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words:” (Proverbs 1:20-21)
o Lady philosophy is “perfect human wisdom, the highest achievement of human reason, and as such she appears as a static character.”[9] – 17 of above.

The use of Poetry and Prose in both
- “Boethius’ prose carries forward the argument of the work; his verse passages, as Rand observes, “have something of the effect of the choruses in a Greek tragedy or the meditative passages in Lucretius. They give the reader an outlook, and a downwards look from the height to which he has climbed by the steep path of the argument.”[10]
- I think Ecclesiastes does the same thing.

The conclusions of both

- “From this point to the end of the Consolation, Philosophy’s discourse elevates Boethius’ mind to the contemplation of the divine mind, insofar as such contemplation can be achieved through the exercise of human reason unaided by suprarational revelation.”[11]
- In the end, the conclusions of the two authors are quite different. Solomon says that the answer is that all is vanity and striving after wind. But we are to obey the commands of God and not worry about everything else, because such is the way of life. This is the Fortune that Boethius refers to, and that we see as the outworking of the Divine Will. From our perspective, Fortune is what happens to us day in and day out, and sometimes good things happen and sometimes great calamities beset us. We are to understand these occurrences in light of God, though, and when we do that, we understand that it is also in accordance with His Divine Will. Boethius doesn’t look at his calamity in the light of God, but goes about in a Greek philosophical way, and therefore misses the boat.

--------------------
[9] Michael D. Cherniss, Boethian Apocalypse, (Norman, OK: Pilgrim Books, 1987), 17.

[10] Ibid, 19.

[11] Ibid, 26.

Super Days...

2008-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday was the Superbowl. Giants win 17-14. Huzzah. Yay for Eli Manning. End of story.

Today is "Super Tuesday", which I'm sure will get much more airtime and maybe as many viewers as the Superbowl did, and be much less exciting and fun to watch. Granted, it will be somewhat exciting to watch the close 1 on 1 battles in both the Democratic and Replublican primaries. Needless to say, I'd rather see Obama win the donkey and Romney win the elephant.

Just a couple of notes:

"Our salvation is not in politics, but in the church." I hear this argument all the time around here. Of course, this doesn't mean that we are not called to be responsible citizens and vote for those best prepared to lead us, but people like assuming that all government sucks and it's rigged and there's no hope for politics at all. I disagree with this. Ron Paul maniacs need to get a grip. If you're going to "revolutionalize" Washington, you have to have a better plan than what you've been describing. We can't all be idealists, some of us have to see the real picture.

McCain is bad news. He's all about war, and he's pro-gay marriage. Two bad things. Romney impresses me with his stress on the family and the fact that his entire family backs him up and supports him. If he's got the little things right (Mormon or no, that's the Christian way to live...), then I'd rather see him making bigger decisions than McCain.

That's all from me on politics. Maybe more later, if I survive Super Tuesday.

Big News...

2008-01-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

I found this post on Pastor Wilson’s blog today, and I have to say that it struck me as both exciting and saddening at the same time, as Pastor Wilson states.

http://dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=5073&Data=3003#posts

I only have a couple of things to note about this. First, I’m sorry for what this means for the PCA, and what they’re losing in Pastor Wilkins, and I’m sorry that they are in a state that merits this type of reaction from Auburn Avenue. One thing that I think is important to note in this is Pastor Wilson’s comment on the post.

"Tim, my understanding is that LAP still has to appear before the SJC for the one "not guilty" plea. But that's it. No charges had ever been filed against Steve, so he left as a minister in good standing." -- Douglas Wilson - 1/28/2008 2:00:07 PM

So this is good news, to know that Pastor Wilkins is leaving as a minister in “good standing”, though I have no idea what that means considering what the PCA GA has told him and the Louisiana Presbytery over the past couple of years. Lord Willing they’ll accept this and leave him in the “good standing” in which he has left.

This is also exciting, as it is my church from back home which has adopted them as a mission church. This is both a great challenge and a great blessing, as the elders and the men in leadership at Auburn are Godly men and I have a lot of respect for them. On the other hand, I know that it will also be a lot of work and a great challenge for our church.

So I ask that you pray for this news and for the events which will no doubt fall out in reaction. I’m sure there will be some “moving and shaking” within the PCA with Pastor Wilkins leaving, and I pray that the PCA will awake to the sleep that it has fallen into and revive itself with a new and vigorous desire to preach and expound the Gospel like they did in ages past. Pray for my church back home, that they will use wisdom and patience and long-suffering in bringing Auburn Avenue into the CREC, which I know will be blessed with the addition.

A Thesis Update

2008-01-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

I had a meeting with my Thesis Advisor this week, and I have now narrowed my thesis a great deal in preparation for research and writing over the next several months. As many of you know, I was interested in doing a sort of sociological analysis which would involve looking at the before and after of English and Scottish society during Scott’s life. However, that idea is a bit broad for 80 pages, so we narrowed things down a bit… waay down.

So this is the working thesis idea:

The first third of my thesis will involve an analysis of Scott’s Ivanhoe, discussing the various themes which Scott injects into the story, dealing with the ideas of romanticism and heritage and legacy which Scott is so famous for.

The second third of my thesis will focus on the reaction to what Scott wrote, particularly reactions to Ivanhoe, dealing primarily with Mark Twain’s despise for Scott and his hierarchies and courtly ideas. This means that I will deal with Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court a good bit.

The final third of my thesis will contain my opinions of what Scott and Twain were both championing, coming in the end to a conclusion of whose philosophy was right. I’m not sure what all that will entail, or who will be right in the end. I like Scott, but there’s something to say for Twain’s issues with him.

So there you have it. I’ll more to say on this over the weeks to come, I’m sure.

An Overview of the Term

2008-01-16T08:01:00.001-08:00

It's "0" degrees outside right now, but I'll try to make it somehow. Here's an overview of my classes:

CHALCEDON TERM

Traditio III (CUL 313)

This course is, as the syllabus states, introduces us to some of the seminal works in the literature, philosophy, political theory, and art of the early medieval period. So we’ll consider Neoplatonic philosophy and theology through Plotinus and Pseudo-Dionysius. We’ll study St. Augustine, Boethius and St. Anselm. Later in the term we’ll study medieval hagiography and illuminated manuscripts and then consider medieval literature. So we’ll be reading:

Anselm
Augustine
Beowulf
Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
Christopher de Hamil on A History of Illuminated Manuscripts (it looks really cool)
Plotinus
Pseudo-Dionysius
Soldiers of Christ
Song of Roland

On a side note, I’ll be giving a presentation this term on Illuminated Manuscripts. So we’ll see how that goes.

Intermediate Greek: Gospel of Mark (GRE 312)

We’ll be translating the Gospel of Mark in this class, as well as doing some study of the Gospel in depth, actually working with the text and examining some of Mark’s style and his particular message. We’ll also continue memorization of vocabulary and paradigms…

Shakespearean Comedy

This is looking to be an awesome class with Dr. Leithart. We have to prepare a performance of part of one of the plays we’ll be studying for our final, as well as “one paper of less than 25 pages on some topic in Shakespearean Comedy.” Sheesh… I’ll be lucky if I get 10-15 pages. :-) I’m thinking of doing a paper on the language (as in the style of comedy… particularly puns) of either Taming of the Shrew or Much Ado About Nothing.

We’ll be reading:

Comedy of Errors
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Love’s Labor’s Lost
Troilus and Cressida
Merchant of Venice
All’s Well
Cymbeline
Twelfth Night
Winter’s Tale
Measure for Measure

Thesis

There’s not a syllabus or guidelines for this really. I’ll be meeting with my advisor on a fairly regular basis, and will continue to narrow down exactly what my thesis statement is. I’ll continue doing more research and kind of outlining how my thesis will take shape over the next few weeks, I imagine. But that’s what this blog is particularly for, so I’ll keep you updated on that front.

Declamation

This is just an hour segment every week where we as a class are required to do various short presentations (2-3 minutes each) every week or so to continue to work on speaking in front of people and give us the opportunity to do something on a little less formal stage. Usually these are a lot of fun.

NSA Choir

This spring we’re going to be working on some American musical pieces, and I’m not really sure what that means. However, we’ve also been told that we’ll be working on something by Copland, which sounds exciting. More on that as I discover more. I’m one of 6 basses. Hahah.

So there you have it. I think that’s a fairly good summary of what I’ve got on my plate this term, and I’ll probably have more to say on each class as interesting lectures or discussions or readings come along.

Sir Walter Scott Quotes...

2008-01-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

“Breathes there the man with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land!”

“Teach you children poetry; it opens the mind, lends grace to wisdom and makes the heroic virtues hereditary.”

“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honor or observation.”

“There never will exist anything permanently noble and excellent in the character which is a stranger to resolute self-denial.”

“Tis plain that there is not in nature a point of stability to be found: everything either ascends or declines. When wars are ended abroad, sedition begins at home, and when men are freed from fighting for necessity, they quarrel through ambition.”

“What is a diary as a rule? A document useful to the person who keeps it. Dull to the contemporary who reads it and invaluable to the student, centuries afterwards, who treasures it.”

“Real valor consists not in being insensible to danger; but in being prompt to confront and disarm it.”

“The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt.”

A Return to the Scholastics

2008-01-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm back in Idaho now and have made it through the first day of classes. The line-up for this term is:

Traditio III
Intermediate Greek -- Mark
Shakespeare's Comedies
Thesis
NSA Choir

Look for a post shortly on the basic overview of each course/activity and a look at what exactly we'll be reading in these classes, given that I call this place my "library." :-)

For now, I'll leave you with a quote from Pseudo-Dionysius, in reference to the "Source":

"To sum up. It is the Life of the living, the being of beings, it is the Source and the Cause of all life and of all being, for out of its goodness it commands all things to be and it keeps them going."

Kudos to Dr. Grant

2008-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

This was found on his blog, which you can go to if you make your way over to the left of this page where the "links" are. Take a stroll and see what happens.

-------------------------------------
If, Yet Again

In 1909, Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem If, inspired by the story of Leander Starr Jameson. It was Dr. Jameson who led about five-hundred English and South African militiamen in a courageous but disastrous raid against Boer insurgents, along the Transvaal frontier. Inevitably however, Kipling found that the verse came to represent events in his own life as much as Jameson’s.Every year, I read the poem to my students--knowing that they are certain to face difficulties and disappointments along the way. As with Kipling though, inevitably, I find it as applicable to my own life during the course of the year, as to theirs. May we both have the courage to demonstrate such character and restraint.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you,
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

The Introduction to a paper...

2008-01-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

... that I wrote for Pastor Wilson for my Rene Girard class. If you'd like to read the rest of it, comment or email me or something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once upon a time, there lived a young boy who asked his father for a bedtime story. His father had never done this before, but was not unwilling to comply with his demand. He told his son to wait one day, and by the next evening he would have an excellent story for him. That night the father thought about the books which his mother had read to him as a child and the stories and novels which he had read over the years. He knew his son wouldn’t enjoy a Beatrix Potter story or understand a Shakespearean play or a Russian novel, but he knew that there were certain elements from both types of stories that he could incorporate into an impressive bedtime story. The next day after work he gave the story some more thought, and considered the various things which he could include. His son would want to know if anything exciting happens in the story, and so he would include all of the essentials, which, as the grandfather in The Princess Bride says, would include the following: “Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”[1] With these elements, the father felt sure he could tell the greatest bedtime story ever. Evening came and the son asked his father to fulfill his request. Granting him his wish, his father launched into a story which didn’t end for two hours, with the boy wide alert and tense upon his bed. After the “happily ever after” and a kiss and prayers, the son slipped underneath his covers and contentedly fell asleep, knowing all was well with the world. His father smiled and knew he’d have to repeat his performance, as every good story merits a re-telling and a copy of sorts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being finite human beings with a love of story, we know what we like and we like what we know. However, we often fail to recognize what it is that we enjoy so much about our favorite stories. What makes them enjoyable? How do they capture our attention? Why are some authors more famous and popular than others, and why have some stories lasted for thousands of years? These are all questions that bear answering, and Rene Girard’s philosophy of mimesis, or imitation, provides the key which opens the door to the answers. His theory explains relationships on both an individual and communal level. Relationships function because a certain amount of imitative desire exists between two people which either brings them together or eventually pulls them apart. Great novels and plots contain relationships of this nature and also contain some form of violence or conflict which, in the end, must find resolution. It is this resolution, or conversion, which allows us as the audience to really appreciate the story and relate to it in some way or another. In fact, conversion is the key ingredient.

These elements of story are the reasons why we find ourselves fascinated by authors like Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, and Chesterton. They have been keen observes of life and human nature and recognize these patterns and characters in life, and realize that the best stories they write will be the ones which we can relate to because we know them. We know the characters and we know their problems. Shakespeare understood this, and became a master at the art. He understood how relationships functioned, and infused his plays with quirky and odd relationships which, when truly considered, were not really very different from what happened in real life.

My hope is that by understanding what Shakespeare accomplished in his plays and also briefly looking at other literature throughout history, we might come to a better understanding of why it is that the story of Christianity is so great and so glorious. The story of the Gospel does not really differ from any of the great novels, and yet so many of us reject the story of Christianity while singing praises of Shakespeare and other great secular authors. This is a great inconsistency, and one which should not exist. In reality, we are all like the son in the beginning story. We like our stories, and we like them to be a certain way, with certain elements and certain plotlines.

[1] William Goldman, The Princess Bride, (New York City, NY: Random House, 1973), 8.

History is...

2008-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

"History is philosophy teaching by example and also by warning." -- Lord Bolingbroke

"The past is always a rebuke to the present." -- Robert Penn Warren

"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development." -- Aristotle

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results." -- Machiavelli

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." -- Voltaire

"A man rising in the world is not concerned with history; he is too busy making it. But a citizen with a fixed place in the community wants to acquire a glorious past just as he acquires antique furniture. By that past he is reassured of his present importance; in it he finds strength to face the dangers that lie in front of him." -- Malcolm Cowley

"History, by appraising. ..[the students] of the past, will enable them to judge of the future." --Thomas Jefferson

"We can be almost certain of being wrong about the future, if we are wrong about the past." -- G. K. Chesterton

"Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backward." -- Søren Kierkegaard

Changes...

2008-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm doing it. I'm going to make this more of my home... which means I'll actually be uploading things on here on a more regular basis, Lord Willing. Writings, thoughts, things written by smarter people, and the like. As I am what you might call an avid lover of all things historical and literary, I'll more than likely include mostly things along those lines, though you can probably expect some "current events" posts, particularly since this is presidential candidate "hunting season".

So enjoy what you can, or will, and let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, or problems.

Cheers,
The Management

Thesis Presentation

2007-10-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

I gave this presentation yesterday for my Thesis Research class... basically it outlines what I want to do with this thesis... or what I think I want to do with this thesis. Sort of. :-)

The Life and Legacy of Sir Walter Scott
An Apology of Story and Tradition in Literature

Well, I don’t want to bore all of you with minor details about Scott and his literature. So without spending too much time on things which I have already touched upon, I’ll try to give you an overview of what I’m looking to research and prove in this thesis (should it be chosen).

Introduction

I’ve entitled this thesis topic “The Life and Legacy of Sir Walter Scott” and subtitled it “An Apology of Story and Tradition in Literature.” Now I did this because I would like to study the life of Sir Walter Scott and learn more about the man whom Dr. George Grant states “almost single-handedly saved England.” Secondly, I believe that this “salvation of England and Scotland” occurred through the literature of Scott. During a time of societal unrest and when many changes were occurring on the face of the society of Great Britain, Sir Walter Scott redirected the attention of the commoner back to the heritage and traditions which might have been forgotten.

The novels and poems of Sir Walter Scott influenced the societies of both countries, and in fact, all of Europe with the ideas of chivalry, nobility, tradition and history which he instilled in them. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said,

“Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, ''Lighthouses'' as the poet said ''erected in the sea of time.'' They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print.”

In the late 18th Century, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and spreading throughout Europe and Great Britain. Attention changed from history and the “fine arts” and turned towards efficiency and commodities, inventions and economic growth. Great Britain was losing the culture and heritage for which it was famous. The land of Britons and Saxons, and the infamous feuds which occurred between the Britons and the Scottish… the history between England and Normandy, the tales of the Crusades… all these great stories were quickly fading away.

Who was Sir Walter Scott?

Enter upon the scene Sir Walter Scott. Born on August 15, 1771 and raised in the border territory between Scotland and England, Scott fought sickness and disease as a child. He was educated at home, and then enrolled at the College of Edinburgh at the age of 12, where he studied law and the classics. After being compelled by his father to apprentice as an attorney in his father’s office at the age of 15, he was later called to the Scottish Bar as an advocate with an annual salary of 250 pounds. However, it was around this time that he began to pour all of his energy into a study of Scottish verse and began writing his own poetry and literature. Between the year 1802 and when he died thirty years later, Scott churned out 28 novels which capture the history, heritage, tradition, and stories of England and Scotland. Most of them revolve around some important period in Great Britain’s history, such as Ivanhoe and the time of the Crusades, Rob Roy and Waverly, which are set during the Jacobite Rebellion and the tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

According to John Buchan, who wrote an incredible biography of Sir Walter Scott, his mission was like that of Hosea the prophet:

“Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth.”

Scott strove to recapture these treasures of the past and bring them back to the forefront of the minds of his people. And his desire for this love and interest on the part of his countrymen inspired a rise in historical and romantic novels. Scott is said to have written the first historical and romantic novels, and I aim to discover why.

Why Scott?

But what do I want out of this? What do I wish to accomplish and show to be extremely important to us as NSA students who live in a world of economic instability, where efficiency is king and the past is… just that… a thing of the past?

The fact is that literature not only reflects a culture, it is a heavily influence upon it.

I hope to show that through the stories of Sir Walter Scott (and I plan to just pick 2 or 3 which summarize fairly clearly what and how Scott accomplished this “salvation of England and Scotland.”) how all of Great Britain and perhaps even greater Europe was brought back to a sense of reality. His novels, and specifically his Tales of a Scottish Grandfather, which provide the majority of Scottish history we have, reminded his contemporaries that they should cherish the tales and stories which are passed down. As Christians it is important for us to remember our legacy, our heritage, our past and if we get caught up in the entertainment of the moment and fail to study these things, our culture and society will crumble (as it is doing now) and fall along the wayside. Because of the wealth and prosperity which we enjoy, we forget where we come from. As responsible Christians and as we think postmillennialy, we must recognize the importance of “story” and recapture the stories of our past and pass them along. Otherwise we have failed our grandchildren and further descendents.

These are the lessons which we should get from Scott’s novels and the impact which they had on his own society. This is “Why Scott” and this is why I believe that we need people like Scott to rise up from the mosh pit of the American culture and give us something to be proud of.

Thesis Researching...

2007-09-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

As I move closer to having my thesis chosen by the Faculty here at NSA, I'll try to keep this blog updated with the research that I'm currently doing. This week we had to write a paper regarding the three topics which we would like pursue. Here are mine:

Main Topic: The Legacy of Sir Walter Scott

“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honor or observation.”
– Sir Walter Scott

I’m a literature nerd. I enjoy reading good books with sophisticated plots and interesting characters. I like novels with people I admire and desire to emulate, as well as relate to. Finding authors who compose good books with such characteristics is a difficult task these days. However, thanks to a series of lectures I listened to by Dr. George Grant during my junior year in high school, I found out about Sir Walter Scott, author of The Waverly Novels. Because of a lecture that was completely devoted to describing the effect of Scott on the society of England and the literature that closely followed on the heels of the Waverly Novels, my interest has steadily grown over the past couple of years. It has been said that Scott was the first author of the “romantic novel” and that the only reason we have any knowledge of Scottish history is mostly because of his History of Scotland. Additionally, Scott’s novels were so well-written and contained such an overwhelming theme of chivalry and nobility that he, in the words of Dr. Grant, “nearly single-handedly saved England” through his impact on the society.

In John Buchan’s biography of Sir Walter Scott, he writes:

Scott completed what the eighteenth-century philosophers had begun and gave her her own Renaissance. He is, with Burns, her great liberator and reconciler. He saved his land from the narrow rootless gentility and the barren utilitarianism of the illuminates; he gave her confidence by reopening to her the past; and he blended into one living tradition many things which the shallow had despised and the dull had forgotten. Gently he led her back to nature and the old simplicities. His mission was that of Hosea the prophet: -- “Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth.

What was it about Scott that made John Buchan respect him so? Why does George Grant consider him to be so influential to Scottish and English society? How did a man who was plagued for a large portion of his life by sickness and poverty still write novels and poetry that preached such Christian virtues as nobility and chivalry? Why did the talented and humorous Mark Twain, a nihilist, abhor Scott’s ideals and writings with such passion? These are all questions which I hope someday to answer through my study of Sir Walter Scott’s life and work.
My research for this topic would involve a lot of reading through Scott’s main works (whichever ones I consider most important) and then dealing with criticism, both good and bad, of which there is plenty to be found even in our own library. I would also want a fair amount of knowledge on the history of England at the time, that way I can show the “before and after” affect that Scott had. There are several great biographies of Scott, including one by his son-in-law, but the best is by John Buchan. I would probably end up purchasing Buchan’s biography, and add it to my Scott collection, which already includes all of his history, poetry and novels, and a couple of secondary books. Finally, if I were able to do this topic for my thesis, I would love to schedule a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, over the course of next summer for some studying at the library there and to just see where Scott’s old stomping grounds were.

In this thesis, I would study a few select novels by Sir Walter Scott, noting the main themes that he puts forth and explain the impact that those ideals and themes had on the culture and society. If Scott affected his country, it was through his novels. By showing how Scott impacted his nation, I can show how we can resurrect the culture and society of the United States through proper story-telling and the worldviews which we instill in our stories.

Secondary Topic: President Ronald Reagan – An American Hero

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”
-- President Ronald Reagan

My second choice for a thesis topic would be regarding a man who I consider to be the greatest President our country has had, and a man I would call the quintessential “American Hero.” Many of my peers have laughed at me for my infatuation with President Ronald Reagan, for even though I haven’t read many books about him, I’ve always harbored a deep respect for the man who I believed saved our country from communism, and together with Margaret Thatcher ended the Cold War without firing a shot. However, I believe this is because my generation has forgotten what it means to be a hero and what the qualifications include. Our heroes consist of actors in movies, or pop stars – cultural icons – never the real-life leaders, those who actually hold positions of authority, such as our political leaders. Our government has deteriorated greatly over the last 20 years, especially since President Reagan left the Oval office. President Reagan had principles, he had a charisma that won the heart of our nation, and he was not afraid to stand up for what he believed. With confidence and faith in God and the values upon which our country was founded, he succeeded in putting a halt to communism, as well as ending the Cold War without a shot being fired.

Of course, President Reagan did have his faults, and he certainly was not perfect, but I still hold that President Ronald Reagan was an American Hero. He was the man of the hour… and he led this country as he promised he would, holding to one of the charges that he made early in his presidency: “Let us be sure that those who come after, will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done; we finished the race, we kept them free, we kept the faith.”

My thesis would first define what I mean by “hero”, taking other examples from history and pointing out the qualities that make them real leaders and “heroes”. I believe we have plenty of resources in our own library and at the University of Idaho to be able do this. I would then focus on Reagan’s life and point out the highlights of his years as an American leader, stressing the ways in which he fit the status of a “hero.” This information could be found quite easily between the books that I or my Dad have on Reagan or contemporary leaders. Finally, I would show why he is more worthy of such a title than other American leaders, such as Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, or Davy Crockett. All of these men have a place in our history, and possibly on our mantle, but who deserves the centerpiece? Who is the true “American hero”? I believe that man is our 40th President: Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Tertiary Topic: The Knights of St. John

Since the time of Abraham and Ishmael, the Turks have strained against the Jews – God’s people – calling themselves God’s Chosen. My third and final thesis idea discusses the importance of the Knights of St. John. During the Middle Ages, Islam spread like a wildfire and wrought havoc on Christendom. In defense, the pope appointed one group of knights to defend Europe against the infidels – the Knights of St. John. He gave them the island of Rhodes, from which they based their galleys and plagued the Muslims. But they were finally attacked by the Turks, and made to split up for a time. However, they banded together once again, and took a stand against the Turks at Malta. On this “island of rock” in the middle of the Mediterranean, they prepared for the forces of Soleyman the Magnificent to invade, knowing that he desired to rid the sea of these “Christian pirates.” The invasion came, and 40,000 Muslims came to wipe out some 10,000 knights and slaves. For 3 months the Knights held out, and in the end, the Turks had to fall back and return to Constantinople.

Today, as Islam once again makes its voice heard around the world, we must realize that this is our fight. This is the challenge which is facing our generation. Just as the Knights of St. John stood up to the tremendous force which was raised against them, so must we stand up to the enemies of Christ and His Kingdom today. We must unabashedly raise the banner of the Cross, which marked the defeat of Satan and his henchmen, and proclaim the Gospel to the heathen, praying that God would save those whom He will, and crush those who defy Him. Our God and King has triumphed over His enemies, and is continuing to do so. And as His people and disciples we, like Paul, should put on the armor of God and prepare for battle.

This thesis would look back to the time of the Knights and specifically at the battles of Malta and Lepanto as a defense of why we must be prepared to take a militant stand against the Muslim nations, fighting with both the sword and the Gospel. Are we as Christians supposed to be passive regarding unbelievers, or are we called to physically defend the Gospel? God calls upon us to lead quiet and peaceable lives, but that does not mean that we need to lay low when the descendants of Ishmael are quickly spreading around the world, proclaiming the truth of “Allah” and promising punishment for all of those who oppose them. So are we in the same situation as the Knights of St. John? What do we do? How should we change our methods of fighting Muslims? Which way is the right way? God gave us backbones, and it is time for us as Christians to rediscover them and make use of them. We must stem the tide and ride boldly out to face the enemy, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the Muslims, and overthrowing Mohammed, the Koran, and its followers. Christ is on His throne, and His enemies will become His footstool.

Naturally, this thesis would be the hardest to research, as there are not many books written on the Knights of Malta or St. John. Ernle Bradford has written an excellent book on the subject, which I own, and I also own about 3 other works on the Knights and their activities around Malta, Rhodes, and Lepanto. However, in order to thoroughly research the topic, I think a trip to Italy and Malta might be necessary, to do some research on site, which would surely be more revealing than anything around here.

A repost...

2007-09-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Knights of St. John

Since the time of Abraham and Ishmael, the Turks have strained against the Jews – God’s people – calling themselves God’s Chosen. During the Middle Ages, Islam spread like a wildfire and brought havoc on Christendom. The pope appointed one group of knights to defend Europe against the infidels – the Knights of St. John. He gave them the island of Rhodes, from which they based their galleys and plagued the Muslims. But they were attacked finally by the Turks, and were split up for a time. But they banded once again, and took a stand against the Turks at Malta. On this “island of rock” in the middle of the Mediterranean, they prepared for the forces of Soleyman the Magnificent to invade, knowing that he desired to rid the sea of these “Christian pirates.” The invasion came, and 40,000 Muslims came to wipe out some 10,000 knights and slaves. For 3 months the Knights held out, and in the end, the Turks had to fall back and return to Constantinople. Christendom had been bravely defended by the Knights.

Today, as Islam once again makes its voice heard around the world, the “Knights of St. John” need to rise up and take their stand for Christendom and for the Lord Jesus Christ. We must stem the tide and ride boldly out to face the enemy, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the Muslims, and overthrowing Mohammed, the Koran, and its followers. Christ is on His throne, and His enemies will become His footstool.

This is our fight. This is the challenge which is facing our generation. Just as the Knights of St. John stood up to the tremendous force which was raised against them, so must we stand up to the enemies of Christ and His Kingdom today. We must unabashedly raise the banner of the Cross, which marked the defeat of Satan and his henchmen, and proclaim the Gospel to the heathen, praying that God would save those whom He will, and crush those who defy Him. Our God and King has triumphed over His enemies, and is continuing to do so. And as His people and disciples we, like Paul, should put on the armor of God and prepare for battle. This thesis would look back to the time of the Knights and specifically at the battles of Malta and Lepanto as a defense of why we must be prepared to take a militant stand against the Muslim nations, fighting with both the sword and the Gospel.

Some thoughts...

2007-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

One of the requirements to graduate from NSA is to write a thesis of quite some length. For this reason, I’ve begun to toss certain ideas around, such as…

Sports
Modern politics
The Life of Ronald Reagan
Cathedrals… the Hagia Sophia
Eschatology of Lewis and Tolkien
The Siege of Malta – the Knights of the White Cross and Islam
The Church Past and Present – a study of the saints

Each of these topics/ideas has their own advantages, but the one I’ve probably considered the most, and am most interested in is the one regarding the Knights of the White Cross and their battle against the Turks at Malta. Since Abraham and Ishmael, the Turks have strained against the Jews – God’s people – calling themselves God’s Chosen. During the Middle Ages, Islam spread like a wildfire and brought havoc on Christendom. The pope appointed one group of knights to defend Europe against the infidels – the Knights of the White Cross. He gave them the island of Rhodes, from which they based their galleys and plagued the Muslims. But they were attacked finally by the Turks, and were split up for a time. But they banded once again, and formed once again against the Turks at Malta. On this “island of rock” in the middle of the Mediterranean, they prepared for the forces of Soleyman the Magnificent to invade, knowing that he desired to rid the sea of these “Christian pirates.” The invasion came, and 40,000 Muslims came to wipe out some 10,000 knights and slaves. For 3 months the Knights held out, and in the end, the Turks had to fall back and return to Constantinople. Christendom had been bravely defended by the Knights of the White Cross.

Today, as Islam once again makes its voice heard around the world, the “Knights of the White Cross” need to rise up and take their stand for Christendom and for the Lord Jesus Christ. We must stem the tide and ride boldly out to face the enemy, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the Muslims, and overthrowing Mohammed, the Koran, and its followers. Christ is on His throne, and His enemies will become His footstool.

This is our fight. This is the challenge which is facing our generation. Just as the Knights of the White Cross stood up to the tremendous force which was raised against them, so must we stand up to the enemies of Christ and His Kingdom today. We must unabashedly raise the banner of the Cross, which marked the defeat of Satan and his henchmen, and proclaim the Gospel to the heathen, praying that God would save those whom He will, and crush those who defy Him. Our God and King has triumphed over His enemies, and is continuing to do so. And as His people and disciples we, like Paul, should put on the armor of God and prepare for battle.

Not to burst anyone's bubble...

2006-11-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

But I'm somewhat peeved.

Take a look here: http://phc.edu/news/docs/11032006Media.asp

One of the other Christian colleges in the country, Patrick Henry College, over in Purcellville, VA, just had a Consecration Ceremony. Now, I don't have any problem with those, and I don't have any huge issues with Patrick Henry. But this is disappointing:
"Identifying PHC's mission to equip Christian leaders to help change the nation, Dr. Walker noted: "Our strategy involves equipping (students)… to be honed instruments in the arsenal of the Lord, soldiers in His army… sharp arrows in God's quiver...." and then later... "The hour-long ceremony closed with a Scripture reading by Dean Bouchoc, a consecration prayer by Mr. Smith, a responsive reading by the audience and a closing hymn, I'd Rather Have Jesus. "

Nothing wrong there, I suppose. But I looked up the lyrics to the hymn, because it sounded suspicious. Unfortunately, I found what I was afraid of. Lyrics to a hymn that doesn't necessarily follow what Dr. Walker notes.

I'd Rather Have Jesus

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Refrain:Than to be the king of a vast domain,
Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this song, at least, that I know of, but it fails to be consistent with the mindset stated by Dr. Walker. If the mindset is to make your students "instruments in the arsenal of the Lord, soldiers in His army… sharp arrows in God's quiver..." then why not sing like it?

This makes me thankful for our very own Cantus Christi and the songs that we sing, such as The Son of God Goes Forth to War. Here are the words in comparison:

The Son of God goes forth to war,
A kingly crown to gain;
His blood red banner streams afar:
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink his cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below,
He follows in His train.

That martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave;
Who saw his Master in the sky,
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue,
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong:
Who follows in His train?

A glorious band, the chosen few
On whom the Spirit came;
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their heads the death to feel:
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of Heav’n,
Through peril, toil and pain;
O God, to us may grace be given,
To follow in their train.

Now *that* sounds like a song worthy to be sung by an army of students... the army of God... the army of Jesus.

I'm glad I'm where I am... where at least, we make a great attempt to be consistent.

Our Father is not normal...

2006-11-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

That is, He doesn't operate in normal ways.

We have a Father who likes weather patterns to change every 3 months. And that is normal, supposedly. Then He changes the weather in places like Texas, where you have 8 months of summer, 2 months of winter, and 2 months of something in between. Our Father makes the leaves of the trees to fall in the Autumn and then has them grow new ones (a symbol of the resurrection!) in the spring, with blossoms to boot. But then He has also made the Pine Trees, the trees of East Texas, which (unless they're dead) do not change colors or lose their "leaves." They just stay green all of the time.

We have a Father who decided that in order to save His people, He would have His Son -- God -- become a MAN and come down and live among us, and die. And then, He would be resurrected. Who ever thought of that? Dying, and then living again? I don't think we can call that normal.

We have a Father who exists in a 3-way relationship. The Trinity. He is 3, but He's also One. Huh?

We have a Father who calls us to Himself every Lord's Day to sing His praises in the heavens, who brings us to His Table for fellowship, where we partake of the body and blood of His Son. Is that normal? Oh, and while we're there, we're communing with the saints who have come before us. Wow.

We have a Father who accepts us as His people because the blood of His Son and our Savior covers our sins. We would say that no one in their right mind would accept such a wicked people as friends. No normal person would let thieves, liars, cheaters, and sinners in general sit at a table with him/her. Right?

No normal person.

Thank goodness our Father isn't normal.

a little verse...

2006-10-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Temp'ratures dropping,
leaves are turning,
Autumn comes.

The wind is blowing,
My room shivers.
Coffee's warm.

River's done it again...

2006-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

either that, or Toby has...

So once again, I link to the Sumpter:

http://havingtwolegs.blogspot.com/2006/10/3-rivers-and-catechism-my-son-is.html

This one's great... again.

2006-09-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

Faith just posted about picking apples and making apple cider. Check it out.

Her post reminded me of one of my all-time favorite poems, written by... Robert Frost! (one of my favorite poets)

So here 'tis:

After Apple Picking by Robert Frost

MY long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

God is the God of story...

2006-09-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

... His story.

And we, as His creatures, and His people, are part of that story. God has written the beginning, the middle, and the end. We have been created, and we have fallen, and we have been saved. God has done this for us, and He knows exactly what lies in our paths, for He is the author of this story.

For this reason, we are called to have faith in Him, no matter what. We shouldn't be scared or discouraged if and when something unfortunate crosses our path, because that is how God has planned our lives. And when we have rough times, we should look to God as our strength and fount of healing, because external entities, like the state, can do nothing about our ills. But never fear, God will heal and save us, because He is the one who wrote the story, and part of the story is being taken to the brink of death, and when it matters most, being saved and taken into glory.

Hollywood didn't invent the "hero/savior storyline." God did. His Son was the first Savior, the first Aslan, the first Man to lay down His life to save others. Hollywood has taken this theme and used it, but God is the Master of it. We often find ourselves stuck in a situation which we think we're incapable of getting out of, but God gives us the strength to do so just as we have lost all courage.

This is the God we serve. One whom we can believe will save us when we think all is lost. The God of story. He knows our frame, and He alone knows our end. So let's take comfort in that.

Welcome to Sophomore Year!!

2006-08-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sophomore year at New St. Andrews College has begun. And it's a killer. Not that I don't enjoy, of course, but Freshman year was amateur. :-) Here's a run-down of what I'm up to this term.

History Class: We read Herodotus as our main text, but we're all over the map of the Mediterranean. And lest I dishonor Herodotus by not mentioning him enough in this post, allow me to say that HERODOTUS is amazing. I love his style, his details, his rabbit trails, the stories, and everything that comes with the above. I have a presentation next week that I have to do on the The Golden Treasures of Troy, a little book that talks about what all Heinrich Schliemann discovered at Troy, which, curiously, I visited this year on my trip to Turkey and Greece. And it rocked. Oh, and to top it off, we have a 2000-2500 word paper that we have to start working on. Mammoth.

Theology Class: We're reading Herman Bavinck's Reformed Theology as our big Systematic Theology text for this term. We're also reading Augustine's De Trinitate and other stuff. I have a presentation for that class (discussing Galileo and Astronomy and Theology) in a couple of weeks that I need to start working on.

Music Class: Mr. Mark Reagan is the man. And he makes music theory just a little cool. This class is pretty cool, though I'm not as gun-ho over it as Theology and History. But we have pretty sweet recitations at the end of the week, where we get to sight-sing and discuss important bits about Music History and all.

Intermediate Latin: Ok, I've now had 5 years of Latin. This is my 6th (naturally). This term we are translating the Gospel of Mark from the Vulgate, and it's really a lot of fun. Last year it was nice to go through Wheelock's, but it's soo much cooler to get hands-on with Latin and actually translate chunks of the Bible. Next term: Virgil's Aeneid.

NSA Choir: We're working on Handel's Messiah. 'nuff said.

Library Work: I'm one of the totally awesome, cool, school librarians again this year. And it's a lot of fun, but much more challenging than last year. For one, I'm facing the daunting task of cataloging and organizing all 100 or so of our periodicals (and calling the subscription people and updating them all and getting all of the contact and necessary info down)... and that's not necessarily easy. Also, we're bringing a few hundred books up from the basement. Also a lot of fun...

Boarding at the Schlect House: So I pretty much live at the awesomest place ever. Mr. Schlect is the dean of NSA, and is my History teacher, and he's chock full of cool facts, especially in the sports vein. It makes for some awesome table conversations. Mrs. Schlect is an awesome cook, and Bennett Schlect (8) is a handy fella with an airsoft gun. The rest of the kids are also terrific. I also have the coolest roommates in the world: Brad Covington (senior and Firefighter ONE!), Ellis Eifert (smack-talkin', point-blank shootin', bad-mouthin' junior), Davey Henreckson (the courting roommate and junior), Brian Schlect (the good-lookin', hair-cuttin' junior), and Jason Helsel (awesome fellow Sophomore and Class Whip). So yes... life here is the bomb.

That's what my life is like right now. Hope you enjoyed that update. Cuz you probably won't get one for a niiiice long time...

This is a post about life...

2006-08-12T01:10:00.000-07:00

My life, to be exact.

Trinity Festival is now over. It was wonderful, and a terrific time to come back to Moscow and be welcomed back by the saints here. I'm almost all moved into the Schlects' house, so my life is almost ready to be like normal. School kicks off with our Convocation Tuesday night of next week. Then I'm sure I'll have all sorts of un-enlightening tidbits to place on here from classes and thoughts after classes. So that will be fun.

Other than that, I'm still alive, and I'm glad to be back in Moscow.

And now, to leave you all, I give you a portion from Job 41:

"Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
Will your companions make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing sears?
Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle--
never do it again!
Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
No one is fierce that he would dare stare him u.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine."

Amen.

The Messiah

2006-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.

--Psalm 24:7-10

We're planning on singing Handel's Messiah for a spring concert at NSA. And these verses just send chills down my spine. How about you?

Humor... for a change...

2006-07-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the purpose of this blog, I am posting a satire I wrote a couple years back of Shakespeare's Hamlet. With a stellar twist (heheh), I might add. :-) Enjoy and comment... :-)

The Empire Strikes Back
(A Satire of the Shakespearean Work, Hamlet)

Word Count: 4,124

Setting: On the planet of Europai in the city of Duunmahk
Main Characters:
Prince Hamlet: Young Jedi, son of Jedi Master Hamlet
Jedi Master Hamlet (Ghost): former Jedi Master of Duunmahk, killed by brother Clade
Jedi Master Clade: brother of former Jedi Master Hamlet, also his aggressor and current Jedi Master
Gatorade: former wife of Hamlet, now wife of Clade
Horatio: friend to Prince Hamlet
Rosenguild: former school-friends of Hamlet
Polock: King Clade’s counselor
Laertes: Polock’s son
Opium: Polock’s daughter
The Sith: leader of the Dark Side
Franz, Mark, Barnad: guards outside the Jedi Headquarters

Narrator:
Life for the Jedi of the Republic had changed dramatically over the past few weeks. Lord Hamlet, the Jedi Master, had gotten shot by some stray dart and died, much to the chagrin of the Republic. For the past few weeks, the Jedi Counsel had deliberated who would take over the position of Jedi Master. When no decision was quickly reached, one of the older Jedis, Polock, had suggested that Lord Hamlet’s brother Clade, take the position. For lack of a better suggestion, Clade was given the position. Meanwhile, Hamlet Jr., son of the late Jedi Master, had gotten together some of his young apprentices in order to make the suggestion that he take the place of his father. By the time this was accomplished, though, the former steps had taken place and Clade was announced Jedi Master. Though Hamlet regretted not receiving the position automatically, he kept quiet about it, and determined to take revenge on them later.
But alas, something was rotten in Duunmahk, capital city of the Republic. Only one night ago, a phantom of the late Lord Hamlet was seen by three of the guards outside the Jedi Headquarters. Those guards, namely Franz, Barnad, and Mark, had kept the revelation to themselves, hoping it had been just a figment of their imagination. Tonight, as we look upon the entrance to the Headquarters, we observe Barnad quickly approaching Franz, who stands on duty for the first four hours of the evening…….

Franz spun quickly around. Someone… or something, was approaching quickly from the bridge.

“Who goes there?!” he shouted, trying to project his voice over the howling wind.
“It is I, Barnad,” the person answered. “Have you seen anything?”
Franz sighed in relief. This guard business was hard enough in the freezing cold without having to keep an eye out for some phantom Jedi Master.
“Nothing doing tonight, Barnad. But you can’t see a thing in this snow. I didn’t notice you coming until you were ten feet away.”
“Drat,” said Barnad. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be that bad. I could see you from a good distance, but I suppose you standing by the light would explain that.”
“More than likely,” Franz replied, pulling out his watch.

“When on earth are Mark and Horatio supposed to get here?” asked Franz, obviously agitated.

“I haven’t a clue,” Barnad replied. “Sometime before long. Horatio wanted to come and see for himself this phenomenon, if it chooses to present itself. At the moment, Horatio thinks we all just passed out and had ourselves nice little dreams, somehow conjuring up the image.”
“BAH! If he thinks that, I’ll have his hide. There’s no possible way that that … that… thing(!) was fake. It came within 5 feet of me! I could even see the lines on his face! Horatio will have a fine tune to dance to if and when it comes back!”
“He certainly will, if he ever gets here.”

“Yea. Well he better get here soon, or I’ll just up and leave. My shift is over. And we that big celebration tomorrow requiring double duty of us. I wonder…”
Franz stopped mid-sentence, listening carefully at the sounds carried through the wind. Quickly he pulled out his blaster, aiming it in the direction of the bridge. Suddenly…

“Hullo, chaps! Blistery cold night, isn’t it?”
Franz grunted, obviously not amused.
“Well, hello Mark, and Horatio. I was beginning to wonder when you two would arrive. I was about to hike it back to my quarters without giving you the lowdown on the past four hours.”

“Oh! Has anything happened?”

“YES, you bird brain! That phantom came back, grabbed my by jacket, and lifted me up way over his head. I nearly fainted. I kept shooting at him, but it was like he had no body. And then….”

All of a sudden Franz fell over, laughter exploding from his lips. Mark and Horatio let out a deep sigh of relief. “Boy, you had me scared for a moment there,” Horatio chuckled. “I thought you might have actually met up with the phantom.”
“Heheh. Not quite. Though Barnad did half scare me out of my skin when he walked up. Now if it’s fine with the rest of you, I’m headed inside. This weather is enough to give a guy nightmares itself!”
Horatio chuckled. “Go on to bed, Franz. More than likely this is all a big farce anyway. I’m probably wasting my time and sleep standing out here with you three lunatics…”

Suddenly he gasped. Out of the midst stepped the phantom. Draped in a black cloak and holding a lightsaber in his hand, he walked steadily toward them.
“Shshshshould we do something, Horatio? Tell it something. Pull out your blaster and fire at it… ppppplease don’t let it come any closer!” cried Barnad and Mark.

“H-h-h-h-who comes before the Jedi Headquarters, esp. disguised as the late Jedi Master, Lord Hamlet? State your name and reason, p-p-please,” Horatio stuttered. Before he could say anymore though, the phantom stopped. To the surprise of the three guards, the ghost turned and walked away, as though it feared something. As soon as it had left, they took a deep breath and looked at each other.
“Well Horatio, what do you think of our dream now?” Barnad asked.
“Shut up, Barnad. If you ask me, our own living Hamlet should be informed of this ghost immediately.”
With that the three abandoned their position and hurried inside the headquarters, straight to Hamlet Jr.’s room.

The day before had been a difficult one for our dear hero. Newly appointed Jedi Master Clade had given a speech to the Jedi Counsel regarding his future hopes to come to terms with the Dark Side, and form a treaty. Hamlet had sat there in disgust, knowing that such a plan would never have occurred during his father’s leadership.
“It’s wrong,” he later told reporters. “I can’t think of anything more degrading than stooping to make a treaty with those that have rebelled against us. It’s disappointing.”

Over the course of the day, Hamlet discovered a new enemy in Clade’s trusted counselor: Polock. Determined to help Clade along in his endeavors for peace (or humiliation, as Hamlet would call it), Polock pressed him to make the treaty speedily and requested that he send his son, Laertes, off to the nearby city of Parisia to speak with the diplomats there. Clade eagerly agreed to this proposition, and before long, Laertes was packing his bags and two other messengers, Cornmeal and Valvoline were on their way. To make matters even worse, Clade decided to marry the deceased Hamlet’s wife, Gatorade. So besides having to follow the lead of a maniac Jedi Master, Hamlet Jr. suddenly got a new cookooed father to boot! So finally, at the end of the speeches and assignments, Hamlet made an early exit to bed, hoping to get rid of some of the stress.

Barnad, Horatio, and Mark found Hamlet walking around in the Headquarters saber-practice room, talking to himself.
“Well good morning, my friends, and what are you three doing at such hours in the morning. You look as if you’d seen a ghost!” Hamlet exclaimed.
“Haha! You couldn’t have hit that nail straighter on the head, pal, ‘cause that’s EXACTLY what we’ve seen!” answered Barnad.
Hamlet gaped at them. “You’ll have to explain yourselves.”
Horatio and Barnad then proceeded to tell Hamlet of the events that occurred that morning and were sure to include a minute description of the ghost.
“I say… you say he looked just like my father?!”
“Indeed, sir.”
“Well lads. You can be sure of this: I will take the watch with you tonight. If he happens to come upon you this time, he’ll have me to deal with.”
The group walked out, eager to see what would happen the following night.

After the Jedi Counsel had met yesterday, Polock had gone to give Laertes a few tips before departure. He found him talking to his sister, Opium.
“Now Ope, you must stay away from the young Jedi, Hamlet. He’s dangerous, and does not agree with Dad and Clade’s way of doing things. Moreover, I’m sure he doesn’t really love you, even though he acts like it.”
“Now, now Laertes. I’ll be fine. I know to beware of him, but I really don’t think he’s as dangerous as you say he is. Anyway, he’s the son of the late Jedi Master, the force is strong in him, no doubt.”
“No doubt you’re right, but remember, he’s treacherous.”
Opium sighed (what does Opium look like when it sighs?). “Very well, I will do as you say. Goodbye Laertes.”
“Goodbye, Ope.”

With that the two siblings departed, and Laertes turned to his father. Polock straightened his back and tried to sound fatherly.

“Now Laertes, my boy, I want to give you a few tips on this mission. First, beware of spies. No doubt there will be people following you around, just to make sure you don’t double-cross the Dark Side. Droids tend to be quite nosy and a bit uncomfortable, but just ignore them. Above all things, don’t get mad at them or get drunk. You will then make yourself look like an utter fool and will lessen their trust in us.”

Laertes sighed. He had heard this speech a thousand times before going on his missions.
“Very well father, I won’t forget. I haven’t failed you once… well… except for that one time when you asked me to bring back the magenta radishes, but that was mission impossible in the first place.”
“Bah! You could have done the job if they had been for Opium! Don’t give me that nonsense. Now look, you’d better run on and catch that transport, or you’ll be hiking it to Parisia.”
“Roger.”
“Laertes.” He paused. “May the force be with you.”
Laertes smiled. “And may the force be with you, father.”
Polock watched with a grim face as the transport took off. “He’d better pull this one off, or our hopes are dashed…”

*CRASH*

Mark slammed through the gates outside the headquarters. He was pale. “It’s coming! The phantom. He’s right behind me!”
Hamlet raised his eyes from the ground. He gasped as he looked upon the phantom of his father.

“Look! It’s calling for you to follow it! Don’t do it, Hamlet!” Horatio cried, fearing for his friend’s life.
Hamlet took out his lightsaber and shouted back. “I’m sorry Horatio. I must see what he needs. Stay here. I will be back!” He ran into the mist, following close behind the phantom.
“We’ll have to chase him! We can’t let him go alone!” yelled Barnad. The trio hurried after the Hamlets, hoping they weren’t too late.

“Hamlet, I am your father.”
Hamlet Jr. gasped. “Father! Oh, my dear father.”
“This is not a time for crying, son. There is work to be done. The Republic is falling to pieces. Your uncle is planning its ruin.”
“But what can I do about it?! I long to do something, but I don’t know what. If only you could help me! Why did that dart have to chance upon you?!”
“My son, that dart did not chance upon me. It was designed to hit me.”
“Well of course, we all know there is no luck. But …”
“No Hamlet, it was planned. Someone wanted it there. And that someone, was your uncle. The current Jedi Master.”
Hamlet gasped. “My UNCLE?!”
“Yes Hamlet, you must revenge my death. You must slay him.”
“But father, he *is* the Jedi Master, and the Force is strong in him.”
“Hamlet, you are my son. The blood of the first Jedi runs in our family, the Force is strong in you as well. But to finalize this meeting, you must take this from me. This lightsaber has been handed down in our family for generations. Use it well, and use it wisely. The blade will turn back any lightning used against you. Use it well. Use it well. Use it well….”
The phantom disappeared into the mist, and Hamlet rubbed his head in slight confusion. He felt dizzy.

At that moment, much to his delight, and yet also to his chagrin, his friends came up behind him.
He must make them swear never reveal a thing regarding the ghost. They must never let a word out…

Opium burst into her father’s office in a flurry. “Father! You should have seen Hamlet this morning! He was shaking like a leaf and was as pale as the snow outside! I’ve never seen him so disarrayed.”

Polock groaned… why was his daughter *always* so dramatic? He hated it. He had just been trying to arrange for a young paladin to trace his son’s footsteps in Parisia.

“My *dear* Opey, why on earth would you come crying about that? More than likely he’s just overcome with grief over his dear father’s death and is considering committing suicide! I can find very few things more encouraging to me than that bit of new, Ope. Now, I must finish my business here.”

“Father! I told you to stop talking like that! When will you ever learn?”

“Goodbye, my dear!” Polock broke in, eager to end the conversation. “Why don’t you go find some of the other girls and practice some saber moves or something?” He shut the door behind her, glad for some peace.

Not far down the hall, Clade and Gatorade themselves were thinking of different ways to get rid of Hamlet. They had finally found an old friend of his who needed to make some fast and easy money.

“Now Rosenguild, this *is* an important assignment. You must not fail us, otherwise the money remains in my purse. Do you get that?”

Rosenguild nodded eagerly. “Mesah glad to help, mastah! Mesah need the money too much to ruin Mastah Jedi’s mission. Mesah be glad to find out about old friend Hamlet.”

“Very good, Rosenguild. But be careful, he is witty, and treacherous.”

Rosenguild saluted and hurried off. He knew exactly what to do….

At that very moment, just as Rosenguild hurried down the hall, Valvoline and Cornmeal burst into the Headquarters.
“Well, well! My good friends, what news do we have from the Dark Side?”

The two messengers flashed a wink at one another. “Good news, sir! The sith sends his greetings and would love to make peace with us. He thinks it would help his, I mean, our economies in many ways,” Valvoline replied.

“Good, good! Capital, indeed! We will draw out the necessary papers as soon as possible. Very good, then. I believe that’s all, men. Thank you greatly for your services.”
Glade quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of notes.
“Take these to my banker in town and he’ll pay you accordingly.”
“Thank you sir!” they replied, eager to receive more drinking money. Tonight, they were going
to party!

Not much happened over the course of the next couple days at the Jedi Headquarters. Thing seemed to be going as planned for the Jedi Master and his fellow conspirators. Then one day, as a group of them were sitting around doing nothing, they decided to go the movies.

“I hear there’s this great new movie out: The Terminator. We ought to watch it!” Hamlet suggested.

Clade, who was first taken back by the title, became amused by the idea. “Why not? After all, (chucklechuckle), that seems to be the motto around here lately anyway!”
With that, they made their way to the closest theatre, used the force to snatch a few bags of popcorn and soft drinks, and got comfortable. All was going well. The movie was cool, exciting, and full of killing. *splat, ugh, aaaagh!!! Boom splat come from screen*

Then suddenly, the movie changed scenes from one of great killing to one of an older man walking around in his garden. All of a sudden a dart flashes across the screen and gets imbedded in his neck, eventually killing him. The camera catches a glimpse of a fleeing individual running down the street.

This scene, though uninteresting to most, caught Clade’s surprise. Immediately he felt a twinge of shock and pain jolt through him. He left the cinema immediately. Now it was Hamlet’s turn to be amused. He had been told of the scene, and hoped to see the Jedi Master’s reaction. His response fulfilled all suspicions he had. Now he knew what he had to do.

After settling down for a cup of coffee and quick look at the Finances section of the Droid Street Journal, Hamlet moseyed over to one of the practice rooms for you Jedi who were learning the use for their weapons. He took out his lightsaber and did a couple of flips, checking to make sure he was in practice. He wasn’t sure exactly what step of his vengeance he should meet out next.

“To be or not to be… that is the question,” he said. For almost an hour, our young hero considered life and death in that practice room, when all of a sudden, Opium walked into the room.

“Why hello Opium, how are you?”
“I’m doing well Hamlet, and how are you?”
“Quite flustered, strangely, I know not what to do with myself.”
“Perhaps take a break from writing these little letters…?” Opium asked in her sweet, enticing way.
“Bah. I haven’t written a letter in two years…. what letters?”
“Why, these love letters, of course, Hamlet. Don’t you remember?”
“I never wrote you a letter. It must have been my other schizophrenic self, not me.”
Opium raised her eyebrows. Hamlet was crazy… “Oh really…?”
“Yes… most naturally,” trying to sound decisive. He didn’t like standing here talking to his enemy’s daughter, even if she looked and smelled so… beautiful…
“Now!” Hamlet exclaimed suddenly, as if awaking from a dream. “I must excuse myself. It’s getting rather late, and I must run to chat with my dear mother for a quick mother-son conversation. Goodbye!”
“But wait! I must warn you! My father’s in…” The door slammed. It was too late.

Polock was deep in conversation when Hamlet knocked on Lady Gatorade’s door. At the sound if it he jumped, looked around, and dove behind her basket of dirty laundry which her droid forgot to take out. Hamlet walked in a second later, feeling a hidden force in the room, but unable to locate it. He forgot about it momentarily in his frustration and anger and immediately engaged his mother.

“My dear mother, would you mind if I tell you a story?”
“I’d love to hear a story, my dear, but couldn’t you wait until bedtime?”
“No mother, this isn’t a bedtime story, this isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s a horror story I’m writing, one of these days I’ll publish it.”
“Oh! Well… proceed.” She glanced over at Polock, hoping he wouldn’t move.

“I won’t take up too much of your precious time,” Hamlet said sarcastically. “I’ll give you the… Reader’s Digest Version. You see, there were two brothers. One was a great Sith. His brother wanted his position. However, he could not have it until after the brother died. So, after much planning and deliberating, the brother secretly killed the Sith, committing fratricide and yet becoming the next Sith. Then, (to make matters worse) he married his brother’s wife, all of the time hiding his secret and also trying to destroy the empire.”

“Why,” Lady Gatorade broke in, “this is horrible, what on earth would give you such an idea for a story?”

“YOUR story, mother. My Uncle, Clade, is this Sith. My father, your husband, was murdered. Murdered in cold blood by my uncle, the current reigning Jedi Master. But I will avenge his death. For look what my father’s ghost gave me!” *pulls out lightsaber*

*Gatorade shrieks*
*Polock is scared to death, jumps up*
*Hamlet, feeling the intruder before he moved, swung quickly around stabbing Polock in the chest*
*Gatorade shrieks again*
“Did I get him? Did I get my unc… aww rats… it’s Polock. Why you blundering, nosy….”
*sounds of Hamlet exiting while dragging Polonius*
“Remember what I said mother. I will avenge his death. Watch for it.”

Hamlet quickly disposed of his Polonius’ body in one of the nearby empty deep freezers and went back to his room to rest. He guessed that the next few hours would be quite strenuous for him.

*psst*

Hamlet awoke with a start to Rosenguild standing ten feet away.

“Mesah sorry to wake you, sir. But the Jedi Master Clade would like to know where usah have puts the body of Meester Polock.”

Hamlet groaned.

“In the paper shredder.”

“Bah… mesah know that bodies don’t go in paper shredders.”

“Fine, I don’t have time for you… go look in the deep freeze.”

“Thank you, meestah. The Master Jedi will be most obliged. And now, if you will excuse me, the Jedi Counsel wishes that you would meet them in Practice Room A.”

*sigh* “Very well Rosenguild. Tell them I’m coming.”

Hamlet strode in Practice Room A from the back door, to prevent any possible assassination attempts. “After all,” he figured, “more than likely this is the end of it. They will order be to leave the city forever or just go ahead and kill me now.” He fingered the lightsaber his father gave him…

The group that met in Practice Room A was actually quite large. The entire Jedi counsel had gathered there, along with Laertes and Opium. Laertes was obviously furious over his father’s death, and wanted Hamlet’s head on a golden platter.

“Hamlet, my son,” Clade began. “As you know, we have discovered the grievous the deed that you performed earlier this afternoon. It is a great sin to needlessly kill one of the Jedi Counsel, and even worse that you did it in hatred. For this reason, Laertes has come to us asking for the ability to duel you in a fight to the death. Do you accept it? It is either this, or your head anyway.”

“I will accept,” Hamlet answered, much to the delight of the crowd. This would be a duel for the ages.

Both Jedi were young and still had much to learn. And yet both were powerful, quick, and dangerous. As they stood in the middle of the room, exchanging courtesies, Lady Gatorade suddenly wished that Hamlet had not made this decision, but tried to escape. Laertes was treacherous.

At first the saber-play was simple. A slice to the right, a block, a slice to the left, another block, and so on so forth. Neither could get at the other for the longest time. “I’ll kill you, I will avenge my father’s death!” cried Laertes.

“Funny,” Hamlet responded calmly, doing a flip in the air to escape a swinging lightsaber. “I’m out to do the same thing.”

The duel continued for nearly an hour. Both were tired, when suddenly, as the fight neared the crowd, a *ping* sounded from near Clade. Hamlet paused, suddenly holding his neck in pain. He had been shot, with the same kind of dart that killed his father. He looked at Clade, then at Laertes. Then with a sudden last burst of energy, he threw his lightsaber at Laertes, piercing him in the chest. Then with a quick flip, he pulled out his father’s lightsaber, landed behind Clade and blocked his lightsaber, which somehow he lost hold of, slaying Gatorade. Hamlet paused for a moment in shock. Then, with a sweeping cut, he sliced his murdering uncle in two, just as he breathed his last breath. His father’s death was avenged.

Narrator:
This duel ended the bloodshed within the Jedi Counsel for the next few centuries. Never before and never again would such treachery arise from the Republic. After the duel, the Counsel questioned Franz, Barnad, Mark, and Horatio and received a full explanation for Hamlet’s actions, along with the confession of Rosenguild, who spent too much time with a bottle to get much important information from Hamlet. Opium died two days later of a broken heart, and the lines of Polock and Clade were eliminated.

Contentment...

2006-07-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

We had our weekly Wednesday night Bible Study tonight. Our Deacon, Mr. Lee Hill taught on contentment using the Ten Commandments. Here's my thoughts which were provoked...

1) "You shall have no other gods before Me." Our God is a jealous God. He demands that we worship only Him. If we are not content with this command and with our God who is merciful *and* just, then we create other gods. Money, cars, land, fame... the list continues...
2) "You shall not make for yourself an idol or anything..." This commandment is similar to the first. If we are discontent with what God has given us, and the means by which we are commanded to worship Him, then we will turn to idols. God commands us to be content. Discontentment with His perameters regarding worship is disobedience.
3)"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." When we allows ourselves to be discontent, we become emotional, and lose control of our thoughts and desires. We often allow our prayers to become just "Please give me, please help me, please, please, please..." We take the Lord's name in vain when we do this. We disregard the thanks and praise He deserves, and fill our prayers with petitions, petitions, petitions.
4)"Remember the Sabbath Day. " We typically, as humans with 40-hour work weeks, look forward to the weekend. But when we get to the Lord's Day, we often fail to remember to take complete delight in the day that God has given us to rest and enjoy Him. We often think about what we have to do on Monday, what we should have gotten finished on Saturday, and what we *should* be doing instead of resting. This is discontentment, and it is forgetting to remember the Sabbath.
5)"Honor your father and your mother." This commandment also applies to the rest of our authorities: state and local authorities, pastors, elders, uncles, *and* parents. When we rebel against them, or murmur against them, we are being discontent, and being disobedient.
6)"You shall not murder." God is the one who takes vengeance. We are not to do so. Being discontent in this case means that we don't want God to take vengeance for us, and are not satisfied with having to show mercy. So we murder, and are discontent.
7)"You shall not commit adultery." If we are discontent, we allow ourselves to want what is not ours. So we covet. Some people commit adultery. This is sin.
8)"You shall not steal." If we steal, we are discontent with what we have, and we want what someone else has. Blatant discontent.
9)"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." If you are not satisfied with letting the truth stand as the only evidence for a wrong/disagreement between you and your neighbor, then you allow yourself to become discontent, and spread lies as evidence.
10)"You shall not covet." Uh, covetousness is a direct result of discontent. End of story.

So, this is what I gleaned and thought about during/after the lesson tonight. And I think Mr. Hill is right. The Ten Commandments command us to be content. Whatever the circumstances, as Paul states in Philippians.

A Confession...

2006-07-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

I like this blog. I like what I post on it.

I like blogs in general. I read many blogs. I have three of my own. I read Pastor Wilson's, Pastor House's, Dr. Grant's, Dr. Leithart's, and Mr. Callihan's. What these men write makes me think. I like to blog about my thoughts. But I'm not trying to compare my thoughts to theirs. I am severely unqualified to impose my thoughts upon others, or make suggestions for others, but I do like to throw ideas out for other people to critique and chew on, for good or bad.

My point? Many blogs I've read or do read occasionally are just places for people to blow off steam. Places for the author to attack someone else, friend or foe. Many blogs are carelessly kept.

So chew on anything I post here. Be critical of it. Tell me when I've crossed a line regarding something. Tell me when I've offended a brother or sister. Help me keep the plank out of my eye before I try to hack away at another's splinter.

Not that I've done that, or will. But I'd like to throw caution to the wind, and let it blow by ya'll so you'll make sure I keep a good track record.

I've seen blogs do many great things, and I've seen them cause harm because of things said. So let's keep this one out of the latter's way.

That said, let's have some fun and some good discussion... :-)

On Wright on Cathedrals...

2006-07-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

About two years ago we read Bishop N. T. Wright’s book For All God’s Worth in our daily Bible Study, and I must admit that I was and am still in complete awe of his writing abilities. The following is a rather lengthy excerpt from his book:

"From time to time in the UK certain journalists enjoy mocking the Church of England for having lost its nerve. We are hopelessly divided, they say, heading for ruin, going round in circles like a rudder-less ship, with our leaders in disarray and our people in confusion. The evidence they cit consists, often enough, of quotations from each other, and from a suspiciously short list of would-be spokesmen (they’re usually men) from the church.

"I wonder which world these people live in? Where is it written in Scripture that we can expect the church to be free from financial problems, from doctrinal controversy, from difficulties about leadership, from deep personal and corporate anxieties? Where is it written in history that there ever was such a church? Where is it written in theology that God demands such perfection? Go back in Paul’s second letter to Corinth and you will find that it concerns exactly these issues. And Paul addresses his readers in Corinth, not with carping criticism, but with the power of love; not with sneering put-downs about what a shabby lot they were in Corinth, but with the gospel of Jesus; not with cynicism, but with the cross.

"And the cross - as the very shape of the cathedral, like so many churches, reminds us - the cross is the be-all and end-all of the gospel. It is the cross that generates celebration and offers healing. It is all God’s work: the cross speaks of the God who didn’t send someone else to do the dirty work but came and did it Himself; of the God who lived in our midst and died our death; of the God who entrusts us with that same vocation. Because of the cross, being a Christian, or being a church, does not mean claiming that we’ve got it all together. It means claiming that God’s got it all together; and that we are merely, as Paul says, those who are overwhelmed by his love. A cathedral is not the triumphalistic sign of a careless power and prestige; it is the covenant sign of a suffering love, the symphony in stone in honor of the Servant King."

It was the last paragraph that caught my attention. Besides the fact that Wright is a brilliant writer, his point hits the spot just perfectly and brings to the forefront of our minds just what salvation is all about. Wright eloquently puts into words what the mercy and grace of the cross should mean to us. Wright affirms what we believe about salvation: that it is 100% God and no work of man... that any man should boast. Wright points out that the title "Christian" does not mean that we should be able to answer any unbeliever’s questions, or that we should perfectly understand the world in which we live. However, as he points out, it does mean that God has it all figured out, and therefore we are in no position to worry about tomorrow, or anything for that matter.

What it appears Wright is trying to point out is that God, in His providence, knows the end from the beginning. He knows what tomorrow holds, and we don't need to worry. One of the pictures that is often painted of salvation is one of man, fallen and lying dead in a pit; only God can raise man and pull him from that pit, man has no say in the matter. When God reaches down and brings us from that "state of death," salvation has occurred. And guess what? It's 100% God's work. 0% man. Now, why is that so hard to understand? The fact is, in our pride and selfishness, we can't stand the idea that we have no control, that we have no influence--no say in the matter. If we are truly an humble and God-fearing people, we can grasp that concept, but in no other way is it possible.

What this means is that we should endeavor for Christ to continue to do a work in us--sanctification. Through our sanctification we are being made more and more like unto Christ, and less like the old man, which we are commanded to cast away.

Therefore, as we look with disgust upon the society of America today and wonder, "How can God be pleased with this shameful representation of a ‘Christian’ nation?", let us remember to fall at the feet of our King and Creator. Let us remember to call upon Him to do a work in our nation through us, that His name might be glorified and resound throughout the ages. Our God is a God of mercy, a God who came down and shed His blood for us, but He also requires that we give Him the praise and honor He is due. After all, God is a jealous God.

Learning from a Two Year-Old...

2006-07-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, now that I have you hooked... take a look at this: http://havingtwolegs.blogspot.com/2006/06/another-world-my-son-is-boy.html

It's not too long, and if you want to know who we're talking about, it's Toby and Jenny Sumpter's kiddo. And it's very well written.

But notice the kid. That's what I want my 2 y-o boy to be like. I don't want him to be perfect, because he will never be. But I want him to know who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. I want him to fight the bad guys and dragons and monsters. I want him to sing the Doxology when he's victorious. I want him to be tough, to take a knock or two without more than a whimper. I want to see him grit his teeth and get back up for more when a fellow soldier bops him on the head with his sword. I want him to have a hair's breadth of an understanding of the Lord's Supper and to sing The Lord's Prayer with a loud, off-key voice. I want him to love books, and most of all, to love the Bible and its stories. To love the story of David and Goliath, the fall of Jericho, Gideon, and the Gospels.

This is what I want for my son. But he's not here yet. As a matter of fact, he's way off. But I still want it. In fact, I want it for myself. But I guess I haven't gotten to that maturity level yet.

Back to Genesis and Adam and Eve, I say... back to the Beginning... and the reason for the Gospel.

You asked for it...

2006-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Liz, you made the suggestions... ;-)

How to catch and kill a chicken...

You grab it either with your hands or a net that you carry around. Then you grab it by the legs, swing its head into something hard, or you just stomp on its head. :-)

How to dance like a gentleman and take the lead...

Now this is a good suggestion. And here's what I think. It's a guy's job/duty/responsibility at a dance (whether he likes dancing or not) to make sure that the ladies have a good time and enjoy the evening. For this reason, he is *required* to courteously ask a lady to dance every dance with him. "May I have this dance?" does suffice.

But what if you don't know how to dance? Then learn. And learn ahead of time. Don't try learning at a Ball, ask a girl to dance, and not know the dance. It's a pain for the girl to have to lead or try to follow someone who doesn't know what he's doing. So learn ahead of time.

What if you can't dance well at all, no matter how hard you've tried? No need to make a big deal of the fact you have two left feet... just don't come to a Ball. People come to Balls to dance, not to be wallflowers. Girls don't want to just visit on the side, and guys definitely don't. So if you can't dance, don't come. But having two left feet isn't a sin.

What if you're dead tired? Unless you've got asthma, you don't have an excuse. Get up and dance anyway. (typically... :-) )

So those are my opinions on dancing...

Meditations on Latin Translations...

Translating from the Vulgate is way cool. Like. Totally.

So... what are the next suggestions? (I'm serious here... give me some good ones... I don't want my brain to rot... )

New Ideer...

2006-06-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm changing the point of this blog a bit. I'd like a place to say serious things. Like my thoughts on politics, books I'm reading or want to read or have read, movies I've seen or heard about, and in general the arts of life. Not that I have many thoughts about these things, or any that matter at all; but assuming I do at some point, this is where they'll be.

So sit back, grab your cup of coffee (or tea) and muse with me. What should I take up first? Suggestions are suggested and welcomed... :)

Maybe I should make this a think-blog...

2006-06-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

You know, where you use your brain...?

.... nah... I don't do that... :-)

But I am going to review a movie I just saw last night. The Notebook, starring James Garner, Ryan Gosling (from Remember the Titans and the show Young Hercules), and Rachel McAdams, is quite an interesting love story. Well-told, and with some decent acting, the movie is spotted with kissing, kissing, love-making, and more kissing. Frankly, I've never seen a movie with so many kisses between two people, and I've seen my fair share of romance films. But the story goes on... With a sort of dual storyline, the movie begins with the main characters Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton later in their life. But throughout the film, Noah reads this story from a "notebook" (hence the movie title), describing this love story between 2 people named Noah and Allie (ironically, the same two... duh...). They have the most LOVE-ly summer ever, then break up at the end. Allie then goes on to meet a new guy, but then runs back into Noah, and comes back to him, even though she was engaged to the other fella. And then there's a scene which should make the movie rated "R", so we and you should skip that one. :-)

Overall, the movie just has too much not going for it to make it worth the watch. It's a cute story of how love keeps you together to the end, but the build-up really isn't worth it. The sexuality is too great and in your face.

The two glaring problems I had with it other than that, but related are: this movie was set in the South during the 50s. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Allie's girlfriend would have worn the clothes she's wearing at the fair that first night... AND, I know the language wouldn't have been at all what they portrayed it to be. Southern men and women did not swear and cuss (at least people like the Hamiltons) and take God's name in vain like they do in the movie. So that ticked me off a bit.

All in all, though I came away with an appreciation of parts of the movie, I didn't like it and wouldn't recommend. Definitely not for a younger audience, and not in mixed company.

That's your review of the week... tune in tomorrow or the next day for Daniel's thoughts on relationships... (no really... I might have something... straight out of Proverbs... ;-) )

Post-NBA Finals thoughts...

2006-06-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Finals are over. The Miami Heat have defeated the Mavericks by winning 4 games in a row. Very impressive, despite the fact that there was some bad officiating. My point remains: the Mavs lost that series on their own. They missed free throws, they couldn't hit an open jumper, and they LOST game 3 on their OWN. So yea.

BUT, for all of you NBA fans and NON-NBA fans. This is for you:

You coulda/woulda/shoulda appreciated the performance of one man. Dwayne Wade was sensational. Amazing. I have seen loads of basketball over the years. I've seen Michael Jordan play, I've seen Kobe Bryant, I've seen Amare Staudemire. I've even watched Dirk Nowitski play. And my opinion of Dwayne Wade (and this is other people's opinion, too) is that he's at least equal in talent to Jordan, and has the potential to be better. Jordan could fly... he could glide... but Wade... Wade is unstoppable. He carried the Heat to victory. In Miami's 4 wins, he scored 43, 36, 42, and 36 points. Those are monster numbers.

And one more thing... I have a lot of respect for a guy who puts up those numbers, just gets crowned MVP, and then says he wants to thank God for giving his team the courage and tenacity and strength. And give all the praise to God. That's incredible for a superstar in his position to think of God first. And it impressed me. Greatly.

So enjoy watching Dwayne Wade next year and the next few years. He's gunna be great.

A new blog...

2006-06-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you out there who read this, there's a new blog that I would direct your attention to... and that can be found here. Mrs. Qualls has gone and created a blog, specifically regarding the Ethiopian children that they are planning on adopting. Pray for them and that the process goes smoothly and quickly.

Thanks be to God who places a will in His people to extend the covenant blessings He pours upon us to the world.

Ok folks...

2006-06-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know that this exists? And if you do, would you read it if I actually kept it updated?

(If you don't let me know, this is going to be yet another blog I drop off the face of the earth... so comment and tell me what you think...)

Go Spurs Go!

2006-05-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Not bad, eh?

2006-05-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Check this out...

2006-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Augustine says on page 368 of the City of God,
“The Platonists may prefer to call those good angels 'gods' rather than 'demons', and to include them among those whom Plato, their founder and master, writes of as having been created by the supreme god. They may do as they like; there is no need for us to engage in a tiresome dispute about words. If they mean that they are immortal, but, at the same time, created by the supreme God and that they are blessed, not by themselves, but through adhering to Him who made them, then their meaning is the same as ours, whatever title they use.”

2006-05-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going insane. I have a ton of work to do. Get this:

My Rhetoric paper is due on Friday. I have to, somehow, get 3000 words on paper regarding the Greek gods and goddesses and proving that the Bible says that they might have existed. Yea. Remind me *why* I chose this topic...

2006-04-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

I'm here. Sorta. Check me out here: www.xanga.com/scholaaggie until I get this going... :)