God's Rule?

In the play “The Boys Next Door” by Tom Griffin, it presents the lives of four mentally disabled men who live in an apartment complex called the Stonehenge Villa. There, Jack Palmer supervises five group apartments of the mentally handicapped adding up to seventeen adult men all together. The four men presented in the play who Jack supervises are Arnold Wiggins, Lucien P. Smith, Norman Bulansky, and Barry Klemper. The story presents events in their lives which are funny, sad, serious and all at the same time heart touching. To me the story calls for more respect and understanding to the mentally disabled by showing that they are as everyday people who go through everyday situations and feelings just like those without disabilities. They get happy, excited, they hurt and cry, they love, they care and the thing is that they do it all with more passion than anyone without mental disabilities. Anyway, the second time Jack directly speaks to the audience he gives a statement I believe can be expanded on so much, but at the same time it seems so simple and to the point. The statement is given when he is explaining a conversation he had with his ex-wife “the other day.”

He says, “I ran into my ex-wife the other day. She’s full of ex-whatever venom. She asked me a few polite questions about my job, then she said, ‘What happens when they don’t need you anymore?’ ‘They’ll never not need me anymore,’ I told her. ‘Me or somebody else.’ ‘Who made that rule?’ she asked. ‘God,’ I said.”

When Jack mentions that it is God who made the rule that there will never not be a need for people in his work, I see it as him saying his job is an everlasting ministry that will never not be needed because there will always be those who are mentally disabled and need help. To him it is God who made that rule up simply because He is the one who created them like that and continues to create more like that. So long as there are those who need help, there will be a need for helpers.

Later in the play Jack, after telling the guys he will be leaving them says “But… really… it’ll be fine. Somebody else’ll come and take my place. Somebody’ll always be here for you guys…”

Jack understood that his job was not like others, for example some jobs may only have a certain time in which it is in a need of people and then later the demand for that business type stops because of new findings, economic crises, new technology, etc.. However in Jacks case, there will never be a short of the mentally disabled, therefore there will always be a demand for those who will help them. Even after he leaves, someone will come behind him because the guys will still need someone there for them.

The first time a reader comes across the first statement I noted, it may seem as if Jack is blaming God for making people with mental disabilities… but to me it comes out in a way that says the work he deals with involves Gods plan. His ex-wife to him was “full of ex-whatever venom,” so I feel that when she states “What happens when they don’t need you anymore?” it’s as if she is saying, “so what’s your plan after you lose this job?” in a way that she expects him to lose it. She also seems to ask, “Who made that rule?” with a smirk after he mentions they will always need him, as if she was saying “who says you can’t lose your job... What makes you special?” So when Jack says it is God who made that rule, to me he was basically saying, “Hey I‘m not special or anything, that’s just how God has things running.” Jack understood that his job was a job that would always be around open to anyone who would take it because it was a job that involved God’s plan. God designed life with a never ending line of those that would need help and Jack was just one of those who were helping.

What Jack said was rather simple but I want expand on that same idea with another source because what he said was very true: God did make this “rule,” but what does this mean? In the bible when Jesus is anointed at Bethany, a woman uses a very expensive perfume which she poured on his head (Matthew 26:6-13). The disciples were there and when they saw this the bible says they became indignant because the high priced perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and then given to the poor instead of being wasted. Jesus however said that what the woman had done to him was a beautiful thing. The interesting factor here however is what he said about the poor. He states that the poor would always be with them but they would not always have him. We understand that Jesus would not always be with them because he would be later crucified and then resurrected on the third day after. But when he spoke of the poor we see that as Jack acknowledges that the mentally disabled will always be around needing help, so Jesus also acknowledges the same thing just in different reference. The needy will always be around being in need and those who help the needy will always have the needy to help.

For us today, Jacks statement should not push us away from helping the mentally disabled or anyone else in need of help simply because there will always be those in need of help...basically saying we cant completely stop people from being menatlly handicap so why try to help some of them. Rather this statement should make us realize that because God has set up those who are in need, we also must be set up by God but to be that need. Giving and recieving is just one of the beautiful duels God has put in our world which we must all try to be a part of, if not we will only end of having a life full of taking.

Teresa Estrada

I have a cousin with disabilities about a little older than I am so when we went to Alliance for Independence it gave me a lot of answers to questions that I would ask concerning my cousin. My cousin went to the same high school I went to so when her class passed by me she would say hi to me and I would say hi to her always wondering what her next step in life would be. I call her “Thei-ta” as does most of the family, but my dad calls her “Peta Pie.” Her dad and mom did really bad drugs in the time of her birth which is the reason why she was born with disabilities, her dad now is in jail and her mom I have no idea. Anyways my aunt and uncle who are pastors in Wauchula Fl adopted her and I basically see her more than most of my family because she is at church events. When I see her I always give her a hug and a kiss and ask how she’s doing. Last time I talked to her she was worried about me finding out about her boyfriend, LOL! It was funny because her brother had already told me about a boy with disabilities that liked her and would spend time with her at my aunts house, yet she was trying to stop one of my cousin’s from telling me about him in front of her. The thought of her getting a job and being married one day and living on her own makes me really happy, but only God knows if she will be able to or not; I would love her to, but she still has a lot to learn…
At my school she would have to spend another three years more than I would so that she would be able to know how to get a job, which I believe she should be graduating from next year. At my uncle’s church she plays the electric pad and the drums, which I never pictured her doing before. Knowing there are places like Alliance for Independence she can go to after she graduates from high school to continue learning about the things of life makes me want to praise God but yet at the same time cry. This is because I know we did nothing to deserve the qualities in life which we possess, we did nothing more then they did, and they did nothing less so when I see a person with disabilities I feel as though its not fair.......... but at the same time I thank God there are programs like this that exist.

Polk Museum of Art

"I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes."
The visit to the Museum was ok I guess. I saw some cool stuff that I thought was interesting but for some reason I thought it was going to be better then what I experienced… but hey its Polk County… we try. My favorite of all the “arts” there was a purple vase with different shades. It was really big but I don’t remember what the name of it was. When I saw it I wondered if I would be able to find another one like it somewhere so I could buy it… but who knows how much it would be? It would make a great gift or maybe I could just save it for my house, but anyways that vase was really “pretty,” if I’m allowed to say that, and was my favorite there.
However, the “art” that I looked at the most had to be in the section where the school arts were. It was a green painting with a lot of different shades on it. I think they were flowers but that’s what they looked like to me. I don’t remember the name of it either. It was very nice to me but I think it caught my attention because my favorite color is green. At the very tip of these green figures there were different colored “blobs.” That’s why I think they were flowers but I don’t know. It was a nice painting I would put in my room…I have a green room by the way.
The most interesting section to me had to be upstairs where the pictures of different families from different countries were. I really liked looking at them all and realizing just how blessed we are to be living in America. It also showed me that just like we live here and think nothing of it, those people who live where they live probably live their life really thinking nothng much of it either. When we see them and when they see us we notice a major difference, but everything in our own life has always been the way it is so its not a big deal to us just like to them the way they live is not a big deal.

Lake Bonny Park

"I went to Lake Bonny Park for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes."

I couldn’t help but notice as I sat in the bleachers looking over the nice peaceful pond that the predominant noise was coming from cars and a nearby train. I could still hear the different kinds of birds singing and the wind whispering, but sudden “screeches” from someone slamming on the breaks in their car also played their part. Over the pond was a peaceful current going to the right of which I also felt on my body. It then occurred to me that what I was feeling, the pond as well as the trees and plants were feeling the same thing. I wondered what if everything was like that, if we felt everything the earth felt, would we take care of it more? As I looked closer at the trees I noticed that the skinny long trees didn’t move as much, but the other “fluffier” trees seemed to give a gentle wave to me as the wind moved them. All together though when they all did seem to be moved by the wind at the same time it looked like a dance was going on to the music of joy. I say joy because when they did dance they seemed happy and joyful, not like when in a hurricane they seem to be barely holding on. When I looked at nature I saw nothing but peace. The sky was a perfect baby blue with no clouds in sight. It was a really beautiful sight. The trees under the big blueness seemed to be like its children. It hovered over them as to keep watch over them and they just seemed to be minding their own peaceful business: waving at each other in constant harmony, wishing harm to no one. It was kind of weird because as I was thinking about everything, it came to my heart that, “hey man nature doesn’t do anything to us, so why do we do so much to it.” Though there are times when nature will prove its power to man, from my experience at the park I felt that nature wishes only to dance and sing in peace of its own beauty.


Don’t dance, Don’t sing,
Just sit, Just listen,
Let nature show you how it’s done.
For like it, we dream to be within.

Nature

In class lately we have been talking a lot about nature. To me nature is one of the most beautiful things God has given His children. Whether people are saved or not, or whether they even believe in a God, they will always stand in aw of a beautiful sunset. Nature is so beautiful that sometimes I feel like I’m so blessed by God just to be able to have something so beautiful in my sight. We have lived in and seen this world all our life so when we walk around, sometimes we look past this beauty that we walk on and under. However, when I look to the sky and see the beauty it possesses, I can only imagine the beauty beyond the skies that await us in heaven. If some of the pictures that nature photographers take blow our mind, what’s going to happen when we see the maker of those images.

Physically we don’t see God here on earth, but who He is as a God is so beautiful and I think that beauty has been placed all around us. For some reason when I do notice something beautiful, the first thing I say is, “wooowwww God that is beautiful.” I don’t remember anytime before I was saved saying that when I saw something beautiful, but now it’s just a natural reaction. As Christians I believe if anyone, we should be the ones who can slow down, take time to look around and admire the beauty that God has surrounded us with. We should also be the last ones to not worry about its protection because that is exactly why God put everything under our feet: to watch over everything He has made here on earth (Ps 8:6). As rulers over Gods creations, we are responsible to take care of them as well as ourselves.

Core Self

As so many people in our world care more about what others think about them rather then what they really are, it is harder for one to see God because God can only be seen when we come to see what we really are and that is our core self. In all reality we are all sinners deserving God’s wrath, unable to live a holy life, and in desperate need of a savior. When we are constantly caring about how others see us, we fool ourselves into thinking we are actually what we look like. However, when we care more about what we really are rather then what others think we are, we can see the work which needs to be done in order to fit the outer self that we put out for sale. With this realization God is then able to work with us in our growth with Him in order that we may become mature Christians. Also, when we do not care about our outer self, which is what we seem like to others, gossip and any other judgments made about us tend to just be laughed at. For example if I’m criticized because of the way I have my hair done, it’s funny to me because I know where I stand with God, on the other hand if I’m being criticized for something I know I did wrong, which would be in my core then it would hurt me.

It can be very sad when people focus so much on their outer self. They are always trying to fit in, always trying to impress, have the best clothes, electronics, but even with an outer self so charming and beautiful (Pr 31:30), the core of a person will always be louder then the outer self. For the outer self is only in play when others are around, but when a person is by themselves, their core self still burns on whispering, “this is who you really are.”

Character Creating

Coming up with a character on the top of my head was easier then I thought. Their name, personality and actions seem to just come easier for some reason then their appearance. When I had to come up with what they were wearing, it seemed as if I was being too simple, but then I realized what we usually wear everyday can be simple it didn’t bother me much. It is kind of fun writing stories with characters, because you can make any kind of person up. It could be someone you know, whether with the same personality or their looks, or it could even copied of someone famous you know about like Abraham Lincoln. Making a character up is almost as if you were “God” creating a person. I’m not as creative as I would like to be, but even with the skills I do have creating a character can be pretty fun. When creating a character, you determine whether he or she is a bad person, good person, whether they prosper in life or whether they don’t; it’s a lot more then just creating a character it’s like creating a whole life. However, we usually start from the middle of their life and work to their past then the story takes place with their future, but real life is way more complicated. You can’t start with a nice midlife having a high paying job with wife and kids, you have to start with the day you were born. There’s no way around that one, but in creating characters, we can jump straight to the point in their life that we want to jump to and start from their. Whether we make their past a living hell or paradise on earth, we are able to skip all that time experience in just a few words and get where we want to start the story…if it were only that easy. However the past of the character does play a big role in who they are so more words might be spent on it then just a run through…especially if the whole story is a flashback.

The King of Salt

One day in the land of Salt a problem arose of which was brought to the attention of the king. The King was a mighty warrior of much renown, as well for his heart full of justice and mercy. His crown was pure gold, having a bottom trim which labeled “The Beloved.” Its points were sharper then any sword in the land of Salt, piercing anything to come in contact with them. These twelve points each had a lengthy side which combined the points of the crown with the rest of the crown. It is said that the King’s crown weighed more then all the books of the world put together…if that were ever possible. His beard was like no other, trimmed perfectly forming a triangle on which towards the end was a band that held it together. This band had a glimmering blue that stood out to anyone’s eye in the center surrounded with a trimming of gold. All His hair was pure white like snow but no one ever knew why. From the day of his birth it was so, but the reasoning’s given were as good as a guess. Some say he is chosen for something, others say he is the one to chose, yet others claim it is because he is immortal. His hair is down to his shoulders not too curvy or too straight, just there, lying on his shoulders like a kings robe.

A servant storms in the kings quarters, bows to the ground and announces, “my King! I bring you news from the far side, from the land of Htrae. Your servants have failed tremendously in conquering the land of the dragons. For centuries my Lord you have requested your servants to be sent and to kill these dragons that possess the land of Htrae… but each has only done their part. It seems now impossible for your servants to take the land, for there is one claiming to be the king of Htrae, of which all your servants fail to kill. Dragons have been slain, but this King of Htrae is not like the others. He knows our weaknesses, our desires, even our past. None before him have ever offered peace like him. He promises share in his kingdom if we join him against you, and his tongue whispers from afar. My Lord send a servant that may overtake this beast!”

The King touches his servant’s shoulder for comfort as the servant begins to weep. With his head still bowed, the servant ask, “My Lord who besides you could ever complete such a task?” The King replies, “It is not impossible for them to do so, but only with me is it possible.” “A suggestion,” the servant says, “May you ponder on this before you make any decision to go, here you are well known, but in the land of Htrae, few are your followers. There you will not be treated like here, you will be treated like an outsider and will not be welcomed, you will be very different from the people of the land of Htrae and they will hate you for it. This land is dark and separated and the only way to inter this land of Htrae is to be born again. It is a very odd place, nothing like reality.”

The Kings orange colored eyes, which when on you seem to be like looking at lava, gave a beautiful twinkle as he turned to the left and then to the right. “Who then will go for us?” After hearing such details of the place, only silence broke out. “Very well it is declared,” said the King, “I will put an end to this matter with my own sweat of my brow.” He jumps to his feet from His thrown and begins to walk towards the gates of His kingdom.

Very joyful was the king always, many came from far away places just to hear some of his words of wisdom. Feasts were always going on in His name and the King never once forgot to send an invitation to anyone. All from the land of Salt were always invited. His rule was like the waters of the ocean, calming and beautiful, yet powerful and never to be under estimated. It was not until this day that he was to take the task of killing the king dragon of Htrae that he seemed to be concerned or uncertain of something.

Still walking to the gates, the Kings robe could be noticed from far away, for the colors on it were like nothing seen before, they all stood out, yet faded away behind the dark purple which hovered over them all. It is said that the fur used for his robe is the same fur used to make the first clothing of those living in the land of Htrae. These however are mere words of His men, nothing given for certain of. The kings boots were nothing out of original, all white with soft tips, covering up to half his leg. His pants were purple like his robe, but His shirt was always something that was given question too because it was always torn. It was because, in His words, He was always being called upon. The color of it was usually red but at times it would be white. To his surprise no one tried to stop Him and offer their own lives to the task, but it did not stop one of his footsteps. The sound of the whispers grew to yells and accusations, "Who will rule the land of Salt!" "Why should we care for this land!"

Sonny's Blues (1957)

“the car kept on a-going and it ain’t stopped till this day.” Pg 394

When the mother tells the story of how the authors dad lost his little brother and mentions that the car that ran him over “ain’t stopped till this day,” it shows how when we go through something like this, we see it as never ending. I’m sure the mother did not really believe that the car was still driving on and to that day had not stopped, but many tragic things that happen like that can seem like they never have an end. When we go through tragic times in life, we can just replay them over and over in our life and sometimes people lay in their death bed thinking about something that could of happened a long time ago in their youth, whether they could of changed it or not, or whether they should of done it or not. I know if I was in the situation and my little brother was the one to get ran over, there is no way I would forget it. I would always be sad when I thought about it so I see how it would seem as if the car never stopped, but was still going “to this day.”
Or I guess it can be in relation to the person that was driving, meaning to this day he was never caught. Either way I like how she used what she said to show how much of an impact the situation was to her husbands life. If something tragic happens in ones life, and they never feel like the situation will ever be over with or the feeling, it cannot be a tragic situation. But when the “car” runs over something or someone you love and the car just keeps going, this is when you know your going through a tough time in your life… when what hurt you continues to continue.

"I attended Southeastern's production of The Imaginary Invalid and watched the play.”

At first when I walked in, (a couple minutes late) I didn’t really know what was going on, but mainly because there was so much stuff grabbing my attention on the stage that all I was trying to do was look at everything. I believe the maid and the elder man were having a conversation when I walked in and eventually I figured out what was going on… his daughter wanted to marry someone but he had arranged another man for her to marry. During the play there was a part where the man who she wanted to marry was singing a poem, and in this poem he describes a situation exactly like the situation concerning the girl, him, and the others as well. After the poem, things get heated up between the father and the daughter who is pledged to be married, and she mentions that if the man who she is pledged to be married to was a real man he would not marry someone who is forced to marry him. I don’t remember her exact words but they went something like that.
It caught my attention because I thought there was a lot of truth behind that statement. If a man truly loves a woman, I don’t believe he would be involved in anything that forces that woman to do something that she does not want to do. In this situation it was her marring him, but in our world we can apply it to so many things. Among the greatest, of course, I would think would be sex. Middle school and high school girls are every day told that they are loved, and that all they want in life will be given to them if only he could have what he wants. Of course by telling them that, they are not forced, but it is an implantation that will go to continue as: “well if you love me you will do this” which then can turn into “well if you want my love, you will have to do this.” Not all women would stick around long after the first hint, of course, but at young ages girls can be so vulnerable.
However don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things someone might make you do if they love you like: “eat your green beans!” or “put your seatbelt on!” But if a guy loves a girl he should never force anything or even consider something that would harm her or put her in a situation she knows she should not be in.

“Respect for our sisters goes only the length of our love for them.”

Frankie and Johnny Ending With A Toot

In the song Frankie and Johnny, I find it ironic that Frankie‘s guns went “a rooty-toot-a-toot-a-toot-toot.” It sounds so harmless and playful like but yet when the picture goes through your mind of what is being said, it is a much more serious situation then just a “rooty-toot.” I don’t know if the author wanted it to be funny, but because the gun makes such a awkward “sound” it made me laugh over it. The sound given is of course not what a real gun would sound like, but with that same rhythm, a gun could do some real damage to a body. By the way is sounds, it seems as if Johnny got a good six in his body before he rolled out on the floor which means she just unloaded all her bullets from her “six shooters.” Whether she missed any of them is another matter, but either way, as we can see it doesn’t matter the sound of the gun, but the damage of the bullets.

In my time I have seen different people impersonate different sounds of different things, and guns is probably one of the most repeated. If you can recall anytime’s as such, notice how people have their own way of making the sound of the gun shoots. I have heard from “boom boom,“ “kat kat,” to “shew shew,” but I believe all were referring to the same thing. What this shows me is that no matter what sound we put behind a gun shoot, it still does the same… and that is cause pain on the other end. In fact we even have silencers for our guns today that let our guns make little noise at all when it shoots yet it still does the same damage as one without one. The sound of the gun in this song was not a sound that one would hear in real life, but I think was just a demonstration of its simplicity… a simple “rooty-toot-a-toot-a-toot-toot” and it was all over, no more being lovers.

Numbers and Letters

I went to the Lakeview, Roselawn and Tiger Flowers cemetery complex for this fieldtrip, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes.

The experience at the cementary was way more then what I thought it was going to be. Wandering around in a respectful manner, looking at all the different dates and names and wondering what their stories were like gave me a since of peace that I didnt expect. It was so comfortable looking around and just letting my mind ponder on death for a while. Before I knew it I was already past the time required to be there because I was so caught up in the "field trip." I came across a tombstone that was flat on the ground and was a small square that only had the letter "C" on it. I don't know why it caught so much attention of mine, but I wonder what the story behind that persons life was. Either way, I would never know...which made me also think about the hundreds of people that would pass my tombstone wondering about my life;wondering what my story was. Attention would only being given because of a specific date on my tombstone or because of a similar name, or maybe just because of my cool tombstone. Just what I did to others graves, others would do to mine... take a look, read, think, and move on to the next. So many graves and so many stories that I couldnt even count yet I knew how they all ended. It really showed me that in all reality, my life is nothing and with complete humbleness I can't wait to just take my place in the dirt with my numbers and my letters.

America in our world: The Gettysburg Address

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us… that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

I always wondered about America’s establishment as a Christian nation. Was it really suppose to be established as a Christian nation or as a nation with religious freedom? I know that people came here for religious freedom, but because this nation’s constitution quotes the bible over 100 times, some claim it to be established as a Christian nation. In other words, we can ask, “Does our freedom come from Christianity being in our nation, or does Christianity come from freedom being in our nation?“ I think no matter what one thinks, both of these have a strong relationship and where ever one is the other is not far behind. I have not done enough study in this field to draw my own conclusion but I have a theory about our nation concerning God and his plans here on earth.

I think that like every individual who grows and matures in the Lord, so does a nation; a nation can fall away from the Lord or grow more with Him. When first established as a nation under God, and also to this day, America has not always represented that God of which it is under. As we can see in American history, much growing has happened as well as much falling away. Though I believe and respect those who see America as a nation blessed by God for its dedication to the Lord, I think our nation plays a much bigger part to Gods plans then we think. Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome and so many others in history have been used by God without any dedication to the Lord. I think God has raised this nation so that he may use it to keep order in our world today of ciaos. Without America in our world, there would be so many wars going on because so many nations wish to fight others, but we do not allow them too.

That new birth of freedom that Lincoln talks about has, I believe, already came throughout our American history… we have grown so much. Yet, when he stated, “and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth,” it came to my mind that our nation is here for a reason. Whether our nation was founded as a Christian nation or not, its not hard to argue that our nation is a home base for Christianity. Though it seems as everyday our nation walks away from God more and more, I think either way, our nation plays an important part in God’s plans for our world, and Lincoln was one who saw that.

Joel Out Loud

Reading The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann gave me a good understanding of why Old Testament writers used so much metaphorical talk. I mean not only does it just get the idea across of what is going to happen, but shows the intensity of it and seriousness. Just speaking of a situation is not as powerful as comparing the situation to something that brings out its intensity. When we read the Book of Joel together in class is when it really hit me how beautifully written the book was, how powerful it hit the imagination and just how a text is much more interesting when you read it how it is suppose to be read. The first time I read it I kind of just ran through the words, but in class with different people reading different parts out loud, I could hear Joel’s speaking in a way I didn’t hear the first time. I don’t know it just touched me in a different way and was a really good experience. It showed me how important it was not only to read the text, but to read it in a way that the writer was writing it in their own mind. In fact once we got going in the text, I wouldn’t have minded reading the rest of it because it just caught my attention more then the first time when I read it by myself.

In my Hermeneutics class on Monday, Dr. White was speaking about how the church today seems to think that every promise in the Bible is a promise for us. This caught my attention because so many Christians take the old testament and apply it to our life as if God was directing a promise for the Israelites specifically to us as well. We can apply much of the Old Testament to our life but a lot of it is to be descriptive rather then to be taken as a promise for us. One example she gave was that the promise land is not a promise for us if we are faithful to God but yet we still can relate because our promise land can be considered heaven. I have heard preachers use the Book of Joel in sermons directing these things to us, I have no position yet, but I wonder if the outpouring of the Spirit was relating to a generation that has already passed? Because so many times my pastor has directed those sons and daughters to be those of the congregation.

Joel

Well...I know for sure without the headings I would have no idea what the author is talking about. With the headings however I have some clues... "I think" Joel is refering to the overtaking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians with the locust stuff but in reality this was the first time I ever read the book of Joel so I don't know. Obviously due to the heading, it speaks of God delivering His people and I am guessing from Babylon. In Ch 2 it talks about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which I hear quoted a lot in sermons but I don't exactly think this is refering to what we tend to use it as but then again this is coming from a first time reader. I think this book is more about stuff that has already happened in accordance with our present time. Overall however, I really do not understand a lot of what is going on and being talked about... maybe because I didn't read it slowly enough or maybe because I am a little tired and just want to close my heavy eyelids, or because I just don't have enough insight in what is going on, I don't know, but I think inreality this book has a lot more to say then I think it does. Looks like the Matthew Henry's coming out on this one, but the good thing about these kinds of books of the Bible, when you study them you never forget what you studied because you have to get so deep into it.

The Things They Carried (1990)

In this story, I easily got bored and tired of reading it which was weird because I like war stories but this was more about their thoughts and feelings… and of course what they carried. What I got out of it was that war is tough, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Just reading what they wore and went through concerning natural things got me tired. I would hate to have to feel what they felt, but I just wish we could be told more about Leut. Cross’s relationship with Martha… was she his girlfriend? If so for how long? There are a lot of questions which would allow one to understand why he couldn’t stop thinking about her and especially in war as a leader! In my opinion I don’t think it was a long relationship because if it were he would know whether she loved him or not which he obviously was not sure about. Another thought is that because he constantly though of her sexually and not much about who she was or how she was, I’m not too sure if he really loved her. Maybe he was just a man in war hungry for something and that hunger just drove his mind into another world…. Which involved a certain girl he was “in love” with. Eventually though it seems as if he gets it together and sees that peoples lives are in his hands. As for Martha loving him, it seems as if she is very childish and not caring to much about the war and Leut. Cross’s life being at stake. Considering Cross’s details and his worry’s about her that he has makes me wonder whether they are even a real couple that knows each other because if they did love each other, he would trust her and she would want information on his situation and the war in every letter.

A Grieving Experience

Overall this book was a very good reading experience in which I was glad to see what was on C. S. Lewis’ mind when he was going through this grieving process. I find it interesting that he would make comments about God and faith in God, but yet some of His very works (even in this book) he would contradict it defending God. I had a cousin that died from cancer in 2006 and this is one of the situations God used to bring me to Him…but compared to what Lewis writes, I cannot say I grieved like he did. I maybe felt a little of what he felt. But what we see here is that when someone is hurting, weak, etc. we become so easily tempted to point fingers at God. And this is a famous Christian author were talking about… imagine someone who already is a skeptic… in situations like that is when people easily become atheist. After reading A Grief Observed, it really made me think about all those out there who really don’t believe in God because of something that has happened to them (or a loved one) because if as a Christian C. S. Lewis pointed the finger at God… then how much more someone who is a skeptic. The pain that he went through can not be much different from what many others feel in this world when there spouse dies, but what makes it worst I think is that not that he is not a Christian but that he is. Throughout the journal you can just feel his words of hurt like he has been betrayed by God and this shows that when we are closer to God is when we are most likely to feel this way because we feel that he must take care of everything in our life in a way that we don’t hurt.
When I grieved over my cousin I didn’t hate God but I did however ask why? It was weird because in a way God opened my eyes through her death… during the grieving period I would read (I never did) , but it just felt comfortable and throughout that time I read bible a lot. I didn’t get saved unstill almost a year later, but it still impacted my life greatly. I wish he kept a journal after his grieving… I wonder what that would have said?

Happpy Endings

Hmmm... happy endings? I would think that for something to be a happy ending, that first of all it must be happy... of course. Second it must be an end of something. In this story the end of that something seems to be life, “Eventually they die. This is the end of the story,” as the author put it. The problem with this is that not all the deaths in the story are happy endings, this shows that all endings are not the same “however you slice it,” as the author puts it. Plus the story just kind of moves on until it can rest in a relationship where the couple doesn’t cheat on each other.

As for “authentic ending” the author couldn’t of been more correct, in the end we will all die and we all know that… but no matter what kind of a happy ending anyone has, it is our call to remind everyone that there is a life after this one which has no ending. Then is when things will matter most, because in heaven life will be much better with no happy endings, rather eternal happiness. And if eternal happiness is found in Christ, then that must mean that only true happiness that is worth anything is also found in Christ. I don’t believe anyone can truly reach happiness without Christ because He is the only thing that can really fill our hearts up.

In these stories we see a lot of messed up things and the one that touched me the most was B, where the girl lets the guy use her. It hits me most and gets me mad too, because we see this a lot in our world. Last time I checked, over 1,000,000 teen girls alone in America get pregnant each year. I believe the reason is because a guy will have a girl that loves them and because the girl looks for happiness, or true love in that boy, she will do whatever keeps the boy happy even if it causes her pain in life. She seeks for something to fill her heart with and Prince Charming is the only thing that will ever do that and she is so convinced. But when we seek completeness or “happiness” in things outside of God we will always end up empty handed.

“Happiness without God is but a glimpse of it”

Quotes of Mel the Drunk in What we Talk about When We Talk about Love

"What do any of us really know about love?" Mel said... later he says "Am I wrong? Am I way off base? Because I want you to set me straight if you think I'm wrong. I want to know. I mean, I don't know anything, and I'm the first one to admit it.".... and to finish off my quotes, he said, "it ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we're talking about when we talk about love."(he was relating to the story of the elders in the accident)



Is is not weird to anyone else that it takes getting drunk in this world for grown men to wrap their arms around their sons and daughters to tell them that they love them? Of course getting drunk has different effects on different people but here we see old Mel speaking like a theologian on the topic of LOVE. And though I don't think I could agree with his approach on love in the since of the way he lived it, his questions and statements are not far at all from what I would call the reality of love...



His question, what do any of us really know about love? is a question that will be answered differently through out our world of diversity, but in my opinion, what we know about God is really what we know about love. And that is absolutely nothing... you see because from a Christian point of view, if the Bible states that God is love(1 Jn 14.8,4.16), then how could anyone ever truly, possibly understand love. God gives us revelation in His Word about who He is and what Hes about so that we may understand Him, yet at times in our walk with Him we feel we understand nothing about this God of ours. What does man truly know about God? is the real question. Like Mel I ask, "Am I wrong? Am I way off base? Because I want you to set me straight if you think I'm wrong. I want to know. I mean I don't know anything, and I'm the first one to admit it." As much as I love Gods word and digging deep into it, I would have to say with the most humble heart that I am far from truly knowing anything about God, therefore how can I understand love. God gives us enough revelation to understand what He is not, therefore we can know what love is not and Terri's first situation was certainly not love for "love does no harm to its neighbor."(Ro 13.1o)



Concerning Mel's last statement, we should be ashamed when we talk about love like we know what were talking about, not because of the story he tells, but because of the greatest story ever told... the story of Jesus. How many of us would do what God did for a race like us? and it was not just because God loved us, as if he fell in love with us that He did it, but that he chose to love us. I say that because God in His sovereignty does not have to love us, for he does not need us(Job22.2-3) which goes to show that love is not something you fall into but something you chose to jump into... overall Mel's questions and statements to me, though he was just a drunk talking, show a humbleness that I believe all Christians could use in their search for Gods love. Even this drunk knew what love was not...



"Two things we will never fully understand, God and Love, but ironically we KNOW that God loves us."