The Hunger Games Trilogy

I know this post will probably be controversial and so if absolutely nobody has any comments on it, I will know that nobody read it all the way through...:)

The Hunger Games Trilogy

This series has been talked about a great deal recently, as The Hunger Games is coming out in theaters in March.  Hearing the main character, Katniss Everdeen, praised, and the trilogy generally acclaimed, I thought I’d get the series from the library and see what I thought of it.

  I have to say, Suzanne Collins is a talented writer.  The books held my attention from beginning to end, were fast paced, and well-written.  They are written so well that they make you want to like them.  The fact that I wanted to like them shows a lot of talent on the part of the author, as I never want to like a book I disagree with.

  I don’t usually write book reviews, but in this case I thought I ought to, as The Hunger Games Trilogy has been very widely praised, even in Christian circles.

  The Hunger Games, set in a futuristic society, under the dictatorship of President Snow, presents a world where there is no God, no higher power than that of the government.  “May the odds be ever in your favor.”  The books leave no room for doubt the way The Lord of the Ring Trilogy does, allowing for a case to be made on either side.  There is no God, no higher power, and there is no question about it.  We all make our own destiny—if fate allows us the chance.  Keep in mind that a writer can make things however they want them to be.  In the real world, because there truly is a God, an atheistic society can pretend there is no God as much as they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that He exists.  However, in Panem, there is no God, and it is not a pretense, because it is an imaginary world, operating under the author’s directives.

  In this world in which there can be no hope, we meet Katniss Everdeen, a girl who we connect with emotionally over the tragedies which have already occurred in her life, and who seems to display some strength of character, despite some minor flaws.  Her love for her sister is made evident, and we see the grandest display of her sacrificial love in volunteering to be a tribute in place of her sister Primrose.  The tributes are sent into an arena, which is basically a survival of the fittest contest.  Kill your friends before they kill you.  The tribute with the least mercy and compassion has a better chance of winning.

  At the end, with only Katniss and her friend Peeta left alive, after a great deal too much kissing, which is made light of, the two of them resolve to commit suicide by eating poisonous berries rather than have to kill each other.  At this they are hastily extracted and sent home victorious.  Thus ends book one, which also had a strange, and almost toddlerish, slight obsession with nakedness.

  In book two, Catching Fire, the rebellious action of pulling out the berries has ignited a revolution against President Snow and his government, and when the Quarter Quell comes around, a more grand version of the Hunger Games which comes around every 25 years, tributes are selected from among former victors.  Upon receiving the news, Katniss gets drunk, one of several times in the series in which she quenches her pain with drugs or alcohol.  She and Peeta are once again sent into the arena, and they team up with some other tributes, who are in on a plot to protect her and break them out of the game.  They are able to accomplish this, although Peeta is captured by the capitol.

  Book three, Mockingjay, begins with Katniss’ reluctance to become “The Mockingjay”, or the poster child for the rebellion against the capitol.  The rebellion is commanded by President Coin, a slightly less depraved and female version of President Snow.   Peeta, held captive by the capitol, is being brainwashed by President Snow into believing what the capitol wants him to believe.  Katniss eventually agrees to be the Mockingjay on several conditions, including immunity for Peeta.  After the deaths of many people, including Katniss’ sister Prim, the rebels win the war.  Katniss is personally responsible for the deaths of both President Snow and President Coin, as well as several others.  By the end of the third book,  Katniss has become brutal and cruel, and her vote helps ensure a final Hunger Game, orchestrated specifically for and played by the children of Capitol officials, including President Snow’s granddaughter.  By the end of the series, Katniss has become the epitome of what the Hunger Games was created to produce: an unfeeling, uncompassionate person who feels no compunction at murdering her enemies, or taking her own life, if the going gets too tough.  This demise of her character is a good illustration of how, without God, all our righteousness is as filthy rags.

  The Hunger Games Trilogy, though well written, is morbid and hopeless.  Without a God, orchestrating the events for the good of His people, despair is the only option possible.  A few too many of the main characters are killed off for good, without having actually been alive and reappearing at the end, but this fits in perfectly with the worldview of the book.  Without a God, the odds are never in your favor, the world is a morbid place, life is hopeless, and all that is left to do is despair, while numbing the pain with whatever is in your reach.

  Good books usually have two key elements: redemption, or one person sacrificing them self for another, and the intervention of a higher power when all seems lost.  The Hunger Games Trilogy did well on the first in many instances.  Katniss volunteers as a tribute in her sister’s place and repeatedly risks her life for Peeta, while Peeta and many others risk their lives to protect her.  However as Panem is a godless world, there is never any miraculous intervention.

  Without God, there is no faith in God, and without faith in God and obedience to Him, there can be no successful government.  This is well illustrated in the rigid rebel government of District 13, which is hardly better than the dictatorship of the capitol.  Because there is no God to take vengeance, revenge falls to the people of Panem, resulting in heavy bloodshed and anarchy throughout the trilogy.

  Prim’s death is really the climax of the worldview being perpetrated in the books.  Despite all Katniss has done to protect her, Prim still dies anyway.  It was all to no avail.  At the end of the last book, the author tries to pull together a happy ending, which cannot help but be unconvincing in a godless world.  Without God, there are no happy endings.

  The Hunger Games trilogy is built on a worldview of despair, and perpetrates a message of hopelessness.  The world around us may be fascinated by this, but how can we, who have hope, allow ourselves to do the same?

True Beauty

True Beauty

“Seriously, you could be a model!”

Meant as a compliment, this phrase or one similar is often used to express that the one to whom it is addressed is beautiful.  However there are some underlying problems with this statement.

1.       Models are the epitome of beauty.

To the contrary.  To be a model is a difficult process, involving the value of beauty over character; of the end over the means. One must be willing to do anything under the sun if they wish to be a model.  A model can only get the job by removing all moral compunctions from their mind and hardening their heart. 
   After one has secured the job,  further demoralization is required—not just their own, but of the world in general.  Now not only in their own mind is “beauty” the highest endeavor, but now that message is perpetrated to the world.  With even only provocative eyes or smile, they are able to spread their worldview to the world.  Computer adjustments are made to achieve a kind of “super-beauty” not achievable by humans.  And since beauty is all that matters, women will do anything to achieve it, from makeup and exercize to starving themselves and surgical alterations.  Cosmetic surgeons can do anything from replacing or expanding parts to sucking out excess fat to lengthening legs.  But you will probably be in debt to them for the rest of your life, made miserable by the fact that you have seriously damaged your body in pursuit of an unachievable and worthless goal.
   “Being a model” and making it for a Christian girl would require the sacrifice of one’s faith upon the altar of pride and pagan ideas of beauty.  

2.       Every girl wants to look like a model.

I would sincerely hope, that as Christian girls we strive to forsake the pagan ideas of beauty and hold to the direction God’s word gives us on true beauty.

   “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful…”  1 Peter 3:3-5a

  “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  Proverbs 31:30-31

Character is to be valued high above outward beauty.  A model only has a job while she is young and pretty.  But a girl who fears God and trusts in Jesus for her salvation will have eternal life.

3.      Outward Beauty is a thing to be praised.

When the Proverbs 31 woman’s husband praises her, note what it is he is praising:

  “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  Proverbs 31:30-31

  He is not praising her beauty.  He is praising her fear of the Lord and her character and encouraging others to do the same.  Character is to be praised, not outward appearance.  And so rather than telling them they could be a model, praise their diligence in dressing in a God-honoring way.  Praise their modesty of dress which brings glory to God rather than themselves.  Praise their vigilance in not allowing the lies of the world to affect their dress.  Praise their commitment to dressing and acting as a child of God.

By Right of Conquest, or, With Cortez in Mexico

I've been thinking about my life and how many unplanned turns I've been taking in the last few years, and G. A. Henty's book By Right of Conquest, or, With Cortez in Mexico came to mind.  Roger was living in England and had his life planned out. He was taking a short trip to the New World, at which point he would return and settle down in England with the girl he had picked out.  However when he got to the New World he ended up in a lot of unexpected adventures that tossed him about and spun him around until he could hardly remember the life he had planned out.  And he began to wonder if maybe he had made his plans, but God was directing his ways.  While in the New World for much longer than he had planned, Roger met another girl in Mexico whom he admired.  And after a great many years longer than was his original intent, Roger and his wife returned to England, where the English girl as well had married someone else, causing everything to work out in the end.  And of course it is a Henty book, so they end up with a nice piece of land, Roger's wife get some jewels, and they have lots of children and grandchildren to whom Roger likes to relate his adventures.

I've been feeling a bit like Roger.

Those of you who know me well know that I have always had my entire life planned out to the smallest details twenty years in advance, although I'm not that good at planning the immediate future.  In the past few years, with none of my plans working out the way I'd planned, I have been asking God what He would have me do while feeling strangely lost without my 20 year plans. 

Sometimes the things that are meant to be temorary, God chooses to make not so temporary.

I recently took a very temporary, as I thought, break from my plans, which I have continued to modify to my situation regardless of how difficult or ridiculous that may be.  However it seems like God is really leading me in a complete opposite direction right now, which is incredibly confusing to me, because it is not at all where I thought God wanted me.

I don't know how coherent that last paragraph was, but it results from my personal confusion over the turn of events.  I don't understand how this fits into my plans, or how it fits into God's plans.  I think maybe I was mistaken about God's plans.  I just really hope that He makes it clear soon, because I would like to have a plan.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll end up with a nice piece of land, some jewels, and lots of children and grandchildren to relate my adventures and God's providence to someday soon. :)

Lights have always been my favorite kind of decoration!

On Life

John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 6: 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Many times throughout the gospels, Jesus preached that He is life.  He is life, in Him is life, and He alone can give life.  Life as evidenced here on earth, in no matter what form, is a symbol of Him and a manifestation of His glory.  Only God can create life.  Only God can give life, and only by believing in Jesus can we receive eternal life.

This is why life is so precious.

Life is not something that you and the next guy can create.  Not even scientists can just up and breathe life into an inanimate object. Life is something that only God can produce.

God has given each and every one of us life to some degree.  We are all breathing and our hearts are beating.  Plants also are alive, and animals, and yet we have souls, which differentiate us from them.  It is because of the immortal soul that God has given to man that a human being in a coma, is very, very different than a vegetable.  It is insulting to God and the human race to make such a base comparison.  And yet although we as humans have souls that will exist forever, not all humans have received the gift of eternal life, which again, God alone can bestow.

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

God alone can give us life--here on earth as well as eternal.  Life, therefore, is an attribute peculiar to God alone.  This is why Satan hates life.  It reminds him of God, the only one who can create life.  When we see the Mona Lisa, we think of Leonardo da Vinci.  When we hear the Messiah, we think of Handel.  And when we see life, we should think of God, the creator of it. 

Satan does all in his power to destroy life--as much life as he can--and especially human life, because it is the most precious, for it contains an immortal soul.  In this way he attacks God, by destroying His best creation. 

John 10:10 The thief comes only to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

And many have died over the years of history as a result of Satan and his servants.  Take for example abortion, or the many holocausts.  Death is Satan's trademark, and his way of twisting and distorting the beautiful thing God created called life.  However Satan can kill the body, but he cannot kill the soul.  The martyrs are a beautiful example of this.   Men who did not fear God (and any who do not fear God serve Satan) rose up with a mind of hatred towards the children of God.  They sought to murder and destroy all they could.   They killed many, many innocent people.  And yet the blood of the martyrs is seed for the cause of Jesus Christ.  The martyrs gave their earthly lives for Christ, and went to live with him forever.  In doing such they were a thundering witness to the world around them.  Many more came to know Christ, and to accept the gift of eternal life because of them.

It is because Jesus is life that life is the most precious thing on earth.  And it is because life is the most precious gift, that the giving of one's life for others, which is called redemption, is the most noble, beautiful, amazing thing there is.

Mathew 20:28 Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus set the example for us in nobility.  He gave His life that all those who believe in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16) rather than an eternal death in hell.  Life is the most anyone can give, and the most precious.  This is why we honor and respect our soldiers and veterans--because they were willing to give their lives.  This is why we honor those who died for our freedoms.  This is why most every great book has an element of redemption in it, even if it be only so little.  This is the case in books such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Tale of Two Cities, Pilgrim's Progress, The Celestial Railroad, and of course, the greatest redemption story ever, and a true one at that, the Bible.  Giving your life to save others is to follow the highest call of nobility, the greatest example ever set, that of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

And it is because Jesus is life, and God alone can create life, that life is the most beautiful, majestic, holy, sacred, precious evidence that there is a God ever created.  And it is because life is so incredible that any form of life is not to be thrown away or taken carelessly.  And human life--life to whom God has granted the gift of a soul that will last forever, through all eternity--that human life must be preserved and protected at all costs.  But this alone is not enough.  We must share the good news--the gospel of Jesus Christ--with all, that God might use us and cause the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts, that their ever-existing soul may not go to die an eternal death, but to live an eternal life, in communion with God.

The Shadowlands

The closer a subject is to my heart, the harder time I seem to have writing coherently.

I have always read that a good author will draw from their own experiences.  I have started several stories in which things happen to the characters that have happened to me, but they never run smoothly and are difficult to write.

Even now I am having trouble.

I can always seem to make my point in a fictional story.  I may go to the extreme of making my points too well.  But when I write from my own experiences, with the thought of allowing someone else to read it someday, I can never seem to get the point across.

Perhaps it is a subconcious guard against vulnerability.

Anyway, this is a short sketch I wrote last October, early in the morning, watching the sun rise outside my hotel room window, in preparation for the funeral of someone who I loved very much.  It was dark in the room, but outside the sun shone in all its glory.  I could see the brilliant rays reflecting off the roofs of the buildings across the street.

Please comment and let me know what you think of it.  Is it coherent?  What did you understand from what was written?  I am not sure I quite understand the full meaning of what I was writing.  I had a vague idea of what I was trying to get at, but was having difficulty putting it in words.  However I seem to have managed to put several concepts down in trying to get at the vague one. 

Oh, and as I tend to do when something has affected me deeply, towards the end I rambled off into poetry.:)  Blank poetry, which is unusual, but there is certainly a difference between that and the previous prose.

The Shadowland

“What a bright day it is today,” Muriel said happily.  Two candles were lit in the dark rooms. 
“Yes, it is rather bright,” said her twin, Judy. 
   “It was kind of the landlord to send us two candles,” their mother commented.
The family and all their friends lived in a castle with no windows, where it was always dark.  The landlord sent them a candle every day, and occasionally two candles, to light the dark rooms. 
   Every few years, the landlord would come during the night and take one of them as they were sleeping out of the castle to the world outside.  He would leave a note to inform the others.  The loss of these was always mourned by those remaining within, but the landlord’s plan was to one day bring them all outside of the castle. 
   One morning Muriel rushed out of her room.  “Mother, Mother, come quickly,” she said.  “I can’t find Judy!”
   The mother followed Muriel back into her room.  Glancing at Judy’s empty bed, she asked, “Muriel…what is that on the bed?”
   Muriel went to it and picked it up.  “Oh, no Mother, it is a note!” She cried.
   “Then the Landlord has taken her away,” the Mother replied.
   Muriel and her Mother and the rest of the family wept for Judy for a long time.  But they could only see what went on in the Shadowlands.  They did not have the whole picture.  They wept for Judy having been borne away in the darkness.   BUT,

   Outside, in the sunshine, Judy stood with the Landlord gazing at the castle.  The tears were running down her cheeks.  “We never knew it was so bright outside,” she said.  “I wish we had known.  I wish everyone inside knew now.”
   “They do know, but it is hard for them to understand what the world really looks like. All they can understand is the great brightness of two candles in a dark room.  They cannot envision anything brighter.”
   “But they have the candles themselves!  Cannot they envision it being as bright as the candle itself?” Judy asked sadly.
   “They could…but they do not.”
   “We used to mourn for those who were borne away in the darkness.  How little did we know that we were the ones who walked in darkness!”  Judy mused.  Another tear slid down her cheek.  “Rather I should mourn for those who are still in darkness.”

Catching a vision of something so much brighter
The sun is bright yet there IS something brighter
We mourn for those who have gone on before
But perhaps they mourn for us who are still behind
And yet in and through it all the landlord…Our Landlord…has a purpose
brighter and better than anything we can here see.   We are confined by our dimension.
We can picture things less than what we have here but nothing more
Yet in glory we will see things as they really are
In catching a vision of something brighter…better…more…we catch a vision of heaven…and yet
 the vision will be far surpassed by the reality.



A passionate dedication...

This dedication is found in the front of the book entitled, "Inez, or, A Tale of The Alamo" by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson.   This was her first book.

To

The Texan Patriots

who triumphantly unfurled and waved aloft the

"Banner of the Lone Star!" Who wrenched asunder

the iron bands of despotic Mexico! And

wreathed the brow of the "Queen State!"

with the glorious chaplet of "Civil

and Religious Liberty!"

This Work is respectfully Dedicated

by the author.

It isn't often I find a dedication as stirring as this.

Pictures from Savannah

So here are the pictures from my trip!  These are pictures from the drive down.  The sky was really pretty, and along the side of the road there were wildflowers in big patches.  You can see the red in the picture above.

I had my class all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It was in a huge vacation home!

Here is the huge bridge I had to drive over to get to the house!  The class was on Hutchinson Island and this bridge is the only way on or off!

It doesn't look bad in the picture because it is so far away and you can only see about a tenth of it.  But when you are on the middle of it, you can see tiny specks of houses in South Carolina!

When I got home at 9:00 p.m, having been there since 8:30 on Friday, I had homework to do! Besides that, we were taking "midnight" walks...

And then we would come home and eat ice cream!!!

The neighborhood I was staying in took about half an hour to drive through, it was so huge.  And take a look at some of these houses!

This last one is my favorite.  Keep in mind that this is half of the house.  The other half is connected to the right and also contains a three car garage!

My friend who drove down with me and I got to ride around in the golf cart belonging to the family we were staying with.  Yeah, this was in all my free time.  The last day of class, I got to leave at 6:00 p.m instead of 9:00, so this picture is probably from that day since it is still pretty light out.

We stayed an extra day to rest up for the ride back and explore a little.  We took a quick walk around historic Savannah, and then went to our friend's relative's house and jumped off the railing of the high dock you see in the background.  I only did it once, as I was shorter than the other girls and couldn't get up on the railing on my own. :(

And the ride back!  I had so much fun there I really didn't want to come home.  But I got my certificate from the class and so now I am a DONA trained doula! I just have a few little things to do, besides documenting some births, to become a DONA certified doula!

The trip was very profitable!

Hero Showdown!

ANNOUNCING...

The Hero Showdown!

Captain Wesley Elliot

versus:




King Aramoth!

How it works:
Leave a comment asking any questions you like pertaining to either of these characters, regardless of whether or not you have read the books. (If you haven't, be sure to order one by e-mailing us at khprovidence.1@verizon.net !)

When a sufficient number of questions have been submitted via comments, I will add some of my own and write a post comparing the hero of The Teacher and the hero of The Tiphereth Trilogy. There will then be a poll so that you can vote for your favorite!

If the "Hero Showdown" idea is at all popular, I may have other Hero showdowns comparing other characters in the books, possibly including Aramiel vs. Maria Dalton, Eleutheria vs. Faith Elliot, Gwynarae vs. Mrs. Elliot, Hiram Grady vs. The Enemy, and so on!

Be sure to comment with good questions!

Imagine you are interviewing the two heroes for a panel discussion...:)

Giveaway!

Miss Kate from Come Dance With Me is having a giveaway! 

http://mountainmilkmaid.blogspot.com/2011/04/giveaway-little-delights.html

 Click on the link above to enter!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ the Lord is risen today,

Sons of men and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high,

Sings ye heavens and earth reply,

Sing ye heavens and earth reply.

Love's redeeming work is done,

fought the fight, the battle won.

Death in vain forbids him rise,

Christ has opened paradise,

Christ has opened paradise!

He lives!  He lives! Our Glorious King,

Where, O Death, is now thy Sting?

Dying once he all doth save,

Where thy victory, O grave? 

Where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ has led,

following our exalted head.

Made like Him, like Him we rise,

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies,

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven!

Praise to thee by both be given;

Thee we greet triumphant now;

Hail, the Resurrection Thou,

Hail, the Resurrection Thou!



Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say "Alleluia!"

In vain the stone, the watch, the seal,

Christ has burst the gates of hell,

Christ has burst the gates of hell!



Jesus Christ is risen today,

Our triumphant holy day,

Who did once upon the cross,

Suffer to redeem our loss.

Hymns of praise then let us sing,

Unto Christ our heavenly King,

Who endured the cross and grave,

Sinners to redeem and save.

But the pains which he endured,

Our salvation hath procured.

Now above the skies he's King,

Where the angels ever sing.

Sing we to our God above,

Praise eternal as his love.

Praise him, all ye heavenly host,

Father, Son and holy Ghost.

St. Elmo Murray's Ordination

   It was a beautiful Sabbath morning, just one year after Edna's departure from the parsonage, and the church was crowded to its utmost capacity, for people had come for many miles around, to witness a ceremony the announcement of which, had given rise to universal comment.  As the hour approached for the ordination of St. Elmo Murray to the ministry of Jesus Christ even the doors were filled with curious spectators; and when Mr. Hammond and St. Elmo walked down the aisle, and the old man seated himself in a chair within the altar, there was a general stir in the congregation.
   The officiating minster had come from a distant city to perform a ceremony of more than usual interest; and when he stood up in the pulpit, and the organ thundered through the arches, St. Elmo bowed his head on his hand, and sat thus during the hour that ensued.
  The ordination sermon was solemn and eloquent, and preached from the text in Romans:
   "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."
   Then the minister, having finished his discourse, came down into the altar and commenced the services; but Mr. Murray sat motionless, with his countenance concealed by his hand.  Mr. Hammond approached and touched him, and, as he rose, led him to the altar, and presented him a a candidate for ordination.
   There, before the shining marble pulpit which he had planned and built in the early years of his life, for the idol of his youth, stood St. Elmo; and the congregation, especially those of his native village, looked with involuntary admiration and pride at the erect, powerful form, clad in its suit of black--at the nobly-proportioned head, where gray locks were visible.
   "But if there be any of you who knoweth any impediment or crime, for the which he ought not to be received into this holy ministry, let him come forth, in the name of God, and show what the crime or impediment is."
   The preacher paused, the echo of his words died away, and perfect silence reigned.  Suddenly St. Elmo raised his eyes from the railing of the altar, and turning his face slightly, looked through the eastern window at the ivy-draped vault where slept Murray and Annie.  The world was silent, but conscience and the dead accused him.  An expression of intolerable anguish crossed his handsome features, then his hands folded themselves tightly together on the top of the marble balustrade, and he looked appealingly up to the pale Jesus staggering under his cross.
   At that instant a spotless white pigeon from the belfry, found its way into the church through the open doors, circled once around the building, fluttered against the windows,  hiding momentarily the crown of thorns, and, frightened and confused, fell upon the fluted pillar of the pulpit.
   An electric thrill ran through the congregation; and as the minister resumed the services, he saw on St. Elmo's face a light, a great joy, such as human countenances rarely wear this side the grave.
   When Mr. Murray knelt and the ordaining hands were laid upon his head, a sob was heard from the pew where his mother sat, and the voice of the preacher faltered as he delivered the Bible to the kneeling man, saying:
   "Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to administer the holy sacraments in the congregation."
    There were no dry eyes in the entire assembly, save two that looked out, coldly blue, from the pew where Mrs. Powell sat like a statue, between her daughter and Gordon Leigh. 
   Mr. Hammond tottered across the altar, and knelt down close to Mr. Murray; and many who knew the history of the pastor's family, wept as the gray head fell on the broad shoulder of St. Elmo, whose arm was thrown around the old man's form, and the ordaining minister, with tears rolling over his face, extended his hands in benediction above them.
   "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you alway."
   And all hearts and lips present whispered "Amen!" and the organ and the choir broke forth in a grand "Gloria in excelsis."
   Standing there at the chancel, purified, consecrated henceforth unreservedly to Christ, Mr. Murray looked so happy, so noble, so worthy of his high calling, that his proud, fond mother thought his face was fit for an archangel's wings.
   Many persons who had known him in his boyhood, came up with tears in their eyes, and wrung his hand silently.  At last Huldah pointed to the white pigeon, that was now beating its wings against the gilded pipes of the organ, and said, in that singularly sweet, solemn, hesitating tone, with which children approach sacred things:
   "Oh Mr. Murray! when it fell on the pulpit, it nearly took my breath away, for I almost thought it was the Holy Ghost."
   Tears, which till then he had kept bravely back, dripped over his face, as he stooped and whispered to the little orphan:
   "Huldah the Holy Spirit the Comforter, came indeed; but it was not visible, it is here in my heart."
   The congregation dispersed.  Mrs. Murray and the preacher and Huldah went to the carriage; and, leaning on Mr. Murray's arm, Mr. Hammond turned to follow, but observing that the church was empty, the former said:
  "After a little, I will come."
   The old man walked on, and Mr. Murray went back and knelt, resting his head against the beautiful glittering balustrade, within which he hoped to officiate through the remaining years of his earthly career.
   Once the sexton, who was waiting to lock up the church, looked in, saw the man praying alone there at the altar, and softly stole away.

...from St. Elmo, by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson

I think that this is one of the most moving scenes in the entire book.  Everyone should read St. Elmo and any other books by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson that they can get their hands on.  Some day, I would like to witness an ordination.  Not as eventful, nor as dramatic a redemption story as the one portrayed here probably, but I think it must be a beautiful and solemn thing.

Disclaimer:  I do not neccesarily condone the appearance of, decoration choices, and so on of the church herein described.  The authoress is describing an Episcopal church and while I certainly believe that one could be a true Christian and attend a church such as is described, but I would certainly suggest some changes.  

A Song in the Making...

Oftentimes when a certain concept has been really striking me or lying heavy on my mind for a while, I come to a point where I need to overflow and it's often onto paper.  I enjoy writing so this is a familiar way for me to free my mind.  If I'm in the middle of a story and I can work it in, I'll do so, perhaps causing some indignant words to flow from the mouths of my characters that seem incongruent with the story.  If, like now, I am trying to take a break from writing books to catch up on the myriad of other things that make up my life, these thoughts remain pent up in my mind a little longer...which almost always causes them to end up on paper with a rhyme, a rythym, and a bit of tune...
Could be called the lyrics to a song...

After a bit of perfecting I take my laptop to the piano and try and put my tune on the keys, which usually results in my recording to my laptop a new little bit of piano playing.
Which said recording has definite tune to it, but would be rather lame as an actual song if it were just piano and singing.
I personally am partial to the sound of electric guitar (especially bass) and drum sets.  Sadly (to me anyway)we don't own those instruments despite the fact that we have a whole collection of instruments including some (very) unusual ones. 
With a bit of drum added to the piano, perhaps a violin, and an acoustic or electric guitar, these songs wouldn't be all that bad.  But for now I am leaving them at the piano stage.

I thought I would post some of the lyrics to one of my more recent songs, called:

The world around us


feeds us worldviews

different than God’s word

And oftentimes we suck it in



They say “Someday your Prince will come”

But that’s not always true

They say no harm will be done

Make last first kiss sound so sweet



They call good bad and evil good

They make good look dark and scary

They put the bad in a field of flowers

With a sunset, water and sparkly lights



But it’s all

Fairytales




It doesn’t look as popular

nor as beautiful to you

Because you’ve been deceived

And accepted their worldview



They make the story however they want

Stealing gets applause and truthfulness a grunt

Rebellion is applauded while obedience decried,

In real life it doesn’t work that way it’s an outright lie


...
But they make the lies seem beautiful

and wickedness so cool

That we easily get drawn away

and allow the lies to rule
...

And their lies lead to destruction

their path leads down to death

so guard your heart, mind, soul, and eyes

with every waking breath



Cause it’s all fairytales
...


They capture your heart

and excite your poor mind

They capture your fancy and

make wiser eyes blind

They draw you away and

They poison your mind

They make you start looking

For things you can’t find

When you should seek God and

to live by His law for their

attractive lies are fairytales

and aren’t true at all


...
God’s word alone contains the truth

though the path is narrow and the way is hard

that path alone will lead to life

so follow it with all you are

Cause the world cannot give you truth

the best that they can give you is a dressed up lie

And it’s all Fairytales



This isn't the entire song but these are the best lines and will give you the general idea.  What do you think?

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Dripping...

I've been going through my poetry notebook and found all sorts of "scribblings" some terrible and so copied and others not half bad.  I've decided to post some of these over the next few weeks.  Even though the quality of the poetry can sometimes barely be considered poetry still the concepts are rather uplifting, I think.  Actually I'm just looking forward to putting pictures that go with the theme!

Dripping
Dripping, dripping, dripping,
though it is not raining,

Everything is wet,
although it has not rained,
the sun is brightly shining,
yet it is quite cold,

With every little drip
happiness gushes up in our hearts.  Why?



Because the snow is melting,
Because Winter is over,

And every drip of melting snow
Brings the happiness of Spring!

The next poem will be about Roses.:)  By the way, these were all written over the years and some are much older than others, the ones with more sophisticated language are more recent.

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