Oh, My God

I felt the need to write a blog post today and I was wondering what I should write about. That was before I came across a song that I think everyone needs to hear. It's six minutes and two seconds long, but I promise you it is worth your time. Just take a moment alone and don't try to take the time to do anything but listen to the song and watch the lyrics:

Click Here: Oh my God

The Science of Faith and Hope.

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom 5:5

I’m a dreamer and I like nothing more than to dream –to hope—about what the future holds. But a few weeks ago, a lot of small events kept compiling one, after the other, and I began to think that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to have such faith in the future. I had no thoughts of being depressed and losing hope of happiness, yet I just wondered if maybe it was time to grow up. Time to leave behind childish dreams. It was about this time when I came across this wonderful story –rather on accident—that changed the way I perceived hope and faith. So, instead of me trying to spend time explaining the phenomena, I’ll just send you a link and you can see exactly what I saw. I suggest watching it before reading any farther:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQpEI0Rz41M&feature=related

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrysti/galleries/72157622418669655/

You affect reality it says. Wow. This is the way how I see it works…and similar how it was first explained to me: If my research is correct, the human body has a near incalculable number of electrons in the brain alone. The electrons are what stores our data…rather like our floppy disk or CD. By thinking, we fire up ever-so-many of those electrons (I’m far from being science smart, so I can’t tell you how many and the exact process) and, like setting up a bunch of dominos and the pushing the first one, the electron interacts with another and that one with another and so on. Somewhere, it reaches the end of the chain reaction, and somewhere, it affects something. Rather like telekinesis/telepathies/telaesthesia all in one. Pretty exciting, huh!?  The problem is, the human brain doesn’t have the capacity, mind-power, force, --however you wish to say it—to set up the correct pattern of dominos, therefore we lack the ability to use it properly. Note that I say properly, because I believe that we do use it. To me, this is so big that it is very exciting. I know I’m not the first to put all this together, but it’s like a have the very faint gleam of understanding and it’s awesome. 

You’re might be asking, what does this have to do with faith and hope? My answer is: EVERYTHING!! Not only are faith and hope thoughts, but they are some of the most passionate feelings a human being can posses. So, put all that together and what do you get? A lot of cool thoughts is what. I’m not saying that if I sit here and think and hope and have faith that I want all the weeds in my garden gone that they are just going to disappear. I don’t think it works like that. But, if we have faith and hope in something, somewhere along the line the chain of events in the electrons is going to hit that very last domino and the end result will be something beautiful. It may not be something that you personally credit from, but someone or something somewhere will. I could go on for a while, but I actually have literally hours  of college homework to do before I can sleep tonight and I think by this time you probably get the idea. There are so many things (pardon me for using the extremely eclectic term) that this effects, I could indeed continue for quite some time. Instead of droning on and on though, I’ll just leave you with one thought:

Learn from the past, live for the present, and hope for the future. Oh, and go back to the beginning and read the Bible quote again. Does it have any more meaning to you now?

For a voice like thunder!

So...my latest little work of art here. It didn't turn out like I had anticipated and I'm not sure if I'm happy with it, but that's how it goes with almost everything I write. I had planned on writing a longer blog yesterday (there are two things I really want to share) and didn't get to it...I don't have time now for one either, sadly, but if you're reading this, more will be coming soon, I promise! Also, if you are reading this, also know that this is a copyrighted poem and is illegal to use without my permission.

For a voice like thunder

Oh for a voice like thunder!

To carry over the hills

To put all other sounds asunder

To awe, to frighten, to thrill

A voice to send the earth trembling

And make the very heavens cower

~

Oh for a strength like the wind!

To reach out to the mightiest foes

To know the right moment to bend

To cause ancient trees to bow and every cheek to glow

A force to humble the mighty and proud

And make the very mountains shudder

~

Oh for a passion like fire!

To burn in the darkest of nights

To blaze though all the world conspires

To put to death every fragment of light

A flame to melt the coldest hearts

And make the very shadows dance

~~

If I had a voice like thunder, I should make my thoughts be heard

And with a strength like the wind and passion such as fire

From my path I could never be deterred

http://www.coolestpicture.com/lightning-bolt-pictures.htm

Winter Song

     "They say that things just cannot grow beneath the Winter snow...Or, so I have been told." Sara Bareilles sings a beautiful song that I couldn't help but hum as my shoes crunched through some three inches or better of solid ice that carpeted the ground. The world is so beautiful this morning with priceless frozen jewels adorning each branch. I would have given almost anything to have a camera to capture some of what I saw this morning. The winter-wonderland had many thoughts going through my mind this morning. It all started when I decided that my hair was over-due for a washing and I needed a shower. I gathered the necessary ingredients and went through my usual ritual: two clean towels, turning on the radio station to either 93.7 or 97.7, and turning on the shower head to "steam" and the water as hot as it will go. I almost made it into the shower. As I stood there with one foot poised in mid-air in nothing but my birthday suit (TMI, I know), everything goes completely black. So now I faced the task of trying to turn off the water faucet and find at least one of the towels that I had thrown haphazardly into the bathroom whilst trying not to trip over my PJ's and the dirty clothes I had left there last night. Not an easy task when your name is Leslie Peterson and you can trip when your standing still. Yet, somehow, I managed to make it out without adding any more injuries to my already growing pile (I have accumulated enough in the past few days to write a whole blog post about --including putting a security tag all the way through the corner of one finger).

     So...yes. What does this interesting story have to do with anything? I'm coming to the point, I promise.  It only takes a little bit of cold weather, a little bit of ice, and a little bit of power outage and most people lose the ability to function. You wouldn't believe how busy the past two days have been at my place of work due to the weather. It was like Black Friday without the sales. It is really and truly embarrassing and scary how 99% of people posses not a single ounce of self-sufficiency. Without electricity, they have nothing at all to survive. No food. No heat. No water. No social contact. Nothing that the human body and mind requires to live a healthy existence. I fervently thank God that, while I am somewhat reliant on modern technology, I have the means and the ability to survive without it. I have the future plans to live solely off of what my own land can give me (except internet, of course ;-) That, alas, is something mother nature cannot provide). But no more on that now. That is worth a whole blog post and this one is already long enough.

   Winter, I think, is my favorite season. A lot of people are reminded of a cold and dead world, but I am reminded of a new beginning. A white world of purity, renewing the world. And very little truly dies beneath the winter snow; there is still life there, waiting, holding it's breath, hoping and knowing that the Sun will return to provide warmth and kiss the leaves like the Prince kisses Sleeping Beauty. It's mushy stuff and a bit corny, I know, but it's the way it makes me feel. I believe it's sort of symbolistic in a way.

Take the helleborus, also known as the Christmas Rose. It blooms even in the winter months when the snow seems to hold it captive. There is a lovely story that goes along with it...

(http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/harmalov.php)

There was a very young girl, named Madelon, who heard the story of the Christ-Child and wanted to worship him. She was so eager to meet The Child that she arrived with no gifts to bring Him. She could have scarcely afforded anything anyway, as her family very poor indeed.

(http://www.thefullwiki.org/Biblical_Magi)

       When she arrived and saw the splendor of the gifts that surrounded the baby Jesus, she grew ashamed that she had nothing to give. How could she approach the Son of God with nothing to give? She had nothing to give. Even the clothes on her back were tattered rags

(http://www.stylisheve.com/the-curse-of-the-crying-boy)

The only thing she could give was a flower, surely she could just find a flower. But the Winter was cold and harsh and she wandered in the snow with not a single beautiful petal to reward her efforts. Half-frozen through, never had a child's heart been so disappointed. She was so close to Jesus, yet she had nothing to give. She collapsed into the snow, unable to continue with tears of despair falling on her cold cheeks.

(http://morgenthruston.blogspot.com/2009/07/painting-angels.html)

An Angel passing overhead, heard the child's despair, and the Angel blessed the ground whereupon the girls tears fell. Born up from the frozen grown and bitter tears a beautiful bush grew and bloomed in white flowers. "Nor myrrh, nor frankincense, nor gold" the angel told her "is a better offering for the Christ Child and none is more pure than these Christmas roses because they have grown from the love in your own heart."

A beautiful story indeed. According to one webpage (click here to see), the story has a foundation in a 15th century poem:

A Rose has sprung from a tender root,
From Jesus, as those of old have sung,
And it bore a flower,
In the middle of a cold winter,

When half spent was the night.
Isaiah foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
Is Mary the pure, the little flower has brought us.
From God's eternal wisdom, she bore a child,
And remained pure.

The Flower, so small, whose sweet fragrance fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man and truer God, helps us out of all sorrows,
Saves from sin and death.

Oh Jesus, until we leave this misery,
Let your help guide us into joy,
In Your Father's Kingdom, where we eternally praise You.
Oh God, allow us this.

 

  

Sorry about the length. I should be very flattered if someone takes the time out of their day to read all of this. To tie all of everything together... I think that we should all be "Harvester's of Light" like in Sara's song and always have a hope for life, like the Christmas Rose. God is in his heaven, and all will always be well as long as we have faith, hope, and love.

My First

Sooo…  Blogging. It isn’t something I’ve done before, even though I’ve seriously considered it on several occasions. I could never bring myself to do it because #1: It takes up time, and I have very little of that lying around to use and #2: I’m not sure if anyone will actually read what I so diligently would work to tell them. Yet here I am and, hopefully, here I will stay.

What does one talk about in blogs anyway? I suppose it is just like any  sort of writing… the ramblings of a writer trying to piece together those dusty corners of his/her (in my case, her) mind with the sharp edges of reality. If you try to force those pieces together…they’ll break, so you have to tread carefully. When I write it is like putting on a temporary coat against the wuthering heights in my being, yet (in the words of Anna Nalick, I believe) it is also like standing naked in front of a crowd –although, unlike her song, these words are not my diary they areme. Writing is full of contradictions. I’m full of contradictions. We go together like dirt and weeds.

Sooo… here we go. Welcome to me. And I hope you find me, at the very least, entertaining.