Nature

In class on Tuesday, we discussed nature and I distinctly remember this discussion last semester in Comp 2. I think that it is a very interesting idea to say that when you see nature, you can actually see God, and to an extent you really can. When I see a beautiful landscape I think, "who can create such a beautiful thing?" The only answer i can come up with is God. A human cannot make the earth look so naturally beautiful. Yes,. a person can plant something in the ground, but it's not the same as the Grand Canyon. I mean who in the world can make such a beautiful place? Only God can! And to think about how He made all of this is just such an amazing thing because nature is so complex and to know that He made all of this in a week is just so hard to grasp. God has to truly be Almighty and Powerful if He can do all this in a week. I can't even make the most glamorous wedding in a week (and that's such a small thing!)

 This is the picture of the Grand Canyon, which is one of  God's master pieces! It's really unfathomable to know that God created all the trees, the grass, the mountains, seas, rivers, lakes, streams, etc. in just one day! God is just so Amazing! I wish there were another way to describe just how beautiful of a creation He has made!

It can relate...

I was thinking about the activity that we did in class last week and I have to say that I disagree with some of my classmates. I believe that someone can very well use lectio divinia on a regular book and the bible. Of course the bible is more sacred than just any other ordinary book, but we can relate and think about "regular" books with a "Christian" standpoint.
Honestly I had no clue what this exercise was called, but I have heard of the term in first teams. When I read my bible I repeat everything I read, which is basically lectio divinia. Most students usually go over the text and then think about to receive a better understanding and knowledge about a particular text. Again, I am not saying that the Bible and ordinary books are the same, I am just merely trying to prove that you can use the same techniques in different areas to gain a better revelation. I have a question, Can a person read a A Grief Observed once without having to look back and reflect on it? I know that I surely cannot, only because that book is easy yet difficult to grasp all he has to say.
When we read Sonny's Blues and did the exercise I was a little shaky about this, but after a while I started looking at it in a Christian viewpoint. One of the last steps of the activity says to meditate and reflect. When I started to think about how broken Sonny's family was, I began to think about how there are many more families out there today that are suffering with what Sonny had to endure. When I started meditating about this i began to pray for all of the families in the world that come from broken homes because this just touched my heart. Just knowing that you are not loved by anyone is a feeling that I know and I understand, and it feels horrible.
In all, whatever you read and whatever you do you can always relate it back to Christ. If you still don't see where I'm coming from check this verse out Colossians 3:17

The Blues

When I first saw that Sonny's Blues was a million words long I did not want to read it at all, so I started with the first page and it was very interesting. It's hard to know that there are people in the world that have dysfunctional families. If I had a dysfunctional family like in this story I don't think I would be able to handle it. Sonny wasn't the best kid around the block, but he wasn't to blame for all the madness and insanity that occurred in his life.
Not having a mother or fathers love can really put a damper in someones life whether that person wants to believe it or not. Sonny had a really hard life because he did not feel that love from a parent, or even a sibling because he and his brother really did not get along. Sonny found two outlets to let his emotions out. He began with the piano and then started using drugs, I don't think that this is extremely bad for someone who has been through all that he has had to endure. I mean I'm not condoning drugs, but there are many other things that Sonny could have gotten caught up in.
I can relate to Sonny in a lot of areas. My mother died when I was young, I moved in with some family, and at times didn't feel like I was a part of the family or even loved for that matter. I found plenty of outlets. It started with guys, and lead to a little bit of "peer pressure", then guys again. What we fail to realize is that all we need is God because He can provide our every need.
I think that the exercise in class was really good. When the professor was first explaining what we were doing I was a little confused. I did not know how it was going to work in this sort of text, but by the end I was really getting into it. Some people in the class did not like the fact that we were using a text that was not the bible, but I do not think you have to read your bible to hear God's voice. I was moved when I heard how Sonny's life was the last time around and I found myself praying for broken families like this. I prayed that they could find God as an outlet instead of other things that will not make anything better, but just make things worse.

blogging, commenting, midterm

So, yesterday in class everyone turned in their blogging portfolio and then we discussed how we felt about the whole blogging experience in our groups. I failed to realize that the whole portfolio was due, so I just wrote an essay on the questions and I was like smh! Everyone seemed to be doing good or getting better on their blogging, I know I am definitely asking a lot of improvements. I understand what I need to work on more and I would like to spend more time while blogging my posts. I think that I just might start doing them right after class, if I have time. Actually, I just thought about it and I cant, but I will try and do it at night if it does not conflict with anything else.

Our group discussion on Tuesday concluded that the commenting for this class is just so hard to remember! It is such a minute part in this whole project and I know many people that just forget to do them, including me. It's not that I don't want to because I really do like commenting on others pieces, but we just forget. I have just decided to comment more than 3 per week, or I can just do them on Sunday night and get them over with for the entire week.

When we were discussing the midterm in class I was becoming a bit nervous because I don't really remember everything we have read, but I know that our great professor wouldn't give us a super hard test (hopefully). I was not there for one of the classes, so I did not receive one particular handout so I am praying that all the questions aren't on that one. I think in all we were giving professor Corrigan ideas to put on the test by asking him questions, but this is good (in a way) because we know the material that will be covered, which was ALL of it. In all, I hope everyone does very well on this midterm!

Cinderella

“All alone, in my own, little chair”, as I finish singing and proclaiming her favorite Cinderella song. Now why would a small fragile little six year old be singing this song? Especially around Thanksgiving time when she gets a break from her exciting coloring books from school and her recess days. Hi, I’m Abby and I’m pretty much more on the unique side of the family.I am tall and skinny, and everyone says I have cute little red freckles on her face with red hair. While the rest of her family was blonde hair, blue eyes.I have one brother and two gorgeous bigger sisters, which makes Abby the baby child. Therefore Abby was already feeling left out because of the circumstances she was born in, but who knew that six-year-old could feel depressed? When Abby thought things couldn’t get any worse her mother said that she had some great news for her and the rest of the family. So, they all met in the living room with the warm fireplace and the pumpkin scent filling the air, and their mother sat them all down so giddy and overjoyed with excitement. As soon as Theresa (Abby’s mom) was about to jump up and leap for joy again Abby’s sister Janet said “Mom what the heck? Would you just sit down and tell us already? Geez!” Everyone was already pretty excited about Thanksgiving being around the corner because the family always made a trip to Tennessee to visit all of their relatives. As soon as Theresa sat down she told the family that they should be expecting a baby anytime soon. Everyone gasped as if they had just seen someone die right in front of them. Jansen (Abby’s oldest sister) asked her mother when she was planning on telling everyone and their mother just stood there silently because no one was excited except her and Hitler (aka Abby’s father, but we’ll talk about him later).

A couple weeks before Thanksgiving my mother had the baby. I thought all was going to be fine and dandy until no one wanted to play with me anymore. I mean I am the baby. Why don’t I get treated like one anymore? What do I have to do to show people that I am cooler then this 6 pound 12 ounce little baby brat that’s stealing all the attention.Oh the things I would do to get all the attention back on me. I mean the little brat looks like an over sized rat. What’s the big deal about a baby anyways? Besides all of this new drama that is ruining my six year old life I have some exciting news. We’re leaving for Tennessee tomorrow and I’m super excited about seeing people that actually do love me or even care about me, but little did I know I was extremely wrong.
As soon as we arrived in Tennessee I leaped out of the car and greeted all of my favorite relatives, and I smelled the aroma of a fresh baked turkey in the oven calling my name. Besides the wonderful smell I finally felt like I was loved again and it felt great! I haven’t really felt like this since “he” came into the picture. “Where’s the baby,” everyone keeps shouting. I’m right here! They all laughed and pushed me aside and went to greet the 6 pound brat rat. Out of all the places in this world I thought I would be loved more around this time of the year because I am around a lot of family, but I guess when you’re not the baby anymore people don’t care for you or love you as much.So, the trip I was looking forward to with the horseback riding, hay climbing, good cooking, family fun, and people just loving me, but all of this came to a halt, all because of the brat. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I am only 6 years old for crying out loud! I am not supposed to be having feelings like this! “In my own little corner in my own little chair I can be whatever I want to be, I began to sing again.” This song just gives me a comfort that when no one else sees me I can act like a princess, a sailor, or even a “silkworm in Japan.”

As a maturing young adult I got used to not being the center of attention all the time, but now the problem was that I wasn’t even an idea in my house anymore. Between my younger toddler fart running around crying and my sister moving out entering her first year in college I wasn’t even on the list of things to do, so I sought out to seek the attention from others. As I grew up more my body started to mature and I looked like a better version (and cleaner) model of Lindsey Lohan. That’s when my dad began to put his foot down on everything. He had to know where I was going, who I was going to be with, what time I’m getting back, just stuff that shouldn’t even matter. Hitler bothered me so much that I started to rebel. He wouldn’t let me go anywhere or do anything, so I was basically locked in the house. When I got to high school I immediately started to get attention from guys and that’s when it all went downhill. My very first boyfriend Todd abused me and I gave him my precious gift and then he took it and stepped all over it like it was nothing special. That broke my heart, but I still wanted the attention no matter what it took. Theresa wasn’t giving it to me and neither was Hitler and I wanted it! So, I went to go seek another guy. Comes to find out I got sought out by one of my dad’s preacher friends, who molested me telling me that all of my pain was going to go away if I just did this one thing with him. To this day I will never step into his church again and my father “Hitler” didn’t even believe me. I was wounded by this situation and I told a friend about it, she invited me to her church and I began to hear the word of God and I just broke down into tears. I didn’t know that anyone could love me this much even when I was sinning and even if I turned my back on Him.

So, for all who is reading this just know that the only person, comfort, and love that you need comes from Jesus Christ. If you’re feeling down and unloved look for Him and He will always be there no matter what. Friends, family, and girlfriends/ boyfriends fade away but God will always and forever stay the same.

I love this class!

So, even though I did not attend class like i should have on Thursday I still love literature. I promise! I can't help but think of all the things that I have learned so far in just one class. It just really amazes me how much a person can learn if they are really engaged into a certain text or a particular novel. This class has taught me so much about myself and what I can do. If a person really wants to learn first they have to put all of their feelings aside because you're not always going to do learn something that you like or want to do. For instance the book of Joel, I thought that this was a weird idea. I mean come on, I know this is a Christian university, but why are we reading the book of Joel in literature class. Don't get me wrong I love the bible, but Joel? I have to say that I skimmed over it a couple times before coming to class. When we the professor asked us to read it in our heads I enjoyed it, I mean it's God's word, but when he asked us to go outside and read it aloud I really started to grasp the understanding of it. Now, I read almost everything out loud because I can understand what i am reading a lot more. The book of Joel also showed me that even the smaller books of the bible that everyone seems to look over is still important. Why you ask? Because it is God's word and everything that He says should have importance in our lives. I always wanted to read the New Testament because it was more "exciting", but now I have learned that the Old Testament can be just as exciting as the New Testament.