Bethany Bible College: Chapel Survises

Today I want to take a minuet to talk about my college experience. I went as far away for school as I could without jumping over an ocean. Bethany Bible College in New Brunswick Canada.

Here I found a faculty of loving professors, and people who actually were just as weird as I was. College is a wonderful time you get exposed to all kinds of knew and different ideas and life styles. I am very glad that my college atmosphere was one that was very nurturing. the faculty and staff really cared about me and I left a healthier person then I went in.

So how did going to Bethany Bible College direct my path towards being more and more "high church"? I am sue there were lots of little things. Our chapel director David Klob was interested in trying different things in chapel. he brought in different people of to speak from all kinds of back grounds, chose topics for the chapel year that would challenge and help the student body to grow. one particular chapel always sticks out in my mind. I don't know if anyone else found this chapel service as anything major but for me one line will always stick out. it was during our Christmas series, The Rev. Dr. Mrs. Janet Stark (She and her husband are both ordained and worked on campus I always had fun trying saying their titles, though Janet wasn't a Dr. yet when I was a student there.) preached on Mary. some where in the Introduction she said, "If the Catholics make a mistake in over emphasize Mary then the Protestants make a mistake in ignoring her completely."

that line has stayed with me. Mary was important, no she is not some kind of demi goddess, no she is not the substitute for the Celtic goddess (mother maiden crown), but she was the first disciple and the first evangelist. She is the Theotokos-the God barer. and it seems that one thing we have forgotten is that our understanding of Mary is crucial for our understanding of Jesus. If we believe in the trinity then she is most defiantly the God Barer. if not then she is the women who gave birth to Jesus.

But this spreads out to the other saints who are remembered by high liturgical church. they are not worshiped, (okay in some places Veneration of the saints does get confused in the mind of the parishioner) but remembered and honored for their example. they help us to know what a holy life can and will look like.

One thing that is interesting the cult of the saints is actually tied to the early years of martyrdom in the christian church when people would pray that they would be given the same courage that the saint(who was a martyr) had to continue through to death for the sake of Christ and Christ crucified.

I am going talk more about my experiences at Bethany, at least next week maybe then next couple of weeks.

Randomness

Today, well this is the last Tuesday of the month. and this month had five Tuesdays. I only planed topics for three of those Tuesdays forgetting that there would be more So today there is no plan no purpose guiding this post.

There are a couple of random thoughts that have been digesting in my head. Just random hey I want to explore that but I don't know if I have the time. or if I want to talk about it on a blog because well sometimes I must admit it seems like blogs are a place where everyone is talking but saying very little. But any way.

First I am making some changes to the Coffee Table Book Discussions. I decided to give The Canterbury Tales another look over and decided to take a more academic approach to the tales. I will be looking at each tale individually and look at what is Chaucer saying, and what does this tell us about humanity in general, and just my thoughts on the tale. I have a different idea of things that are going to change here, but I am not sure how they will be implemented.

Second I have been thinking a lot lately about Harry Potter. probably because of the resent release of the last movie. my wonder is does Harry Potter worthy of academic inquiry? it is definitively a popular, but will it be one of those books that continues past the life of its popular audience and its author? Should it be placed on the Shelf next to Tolkien, Lovecraft, MacDonald, The Grim Brothers, The wife of Bath,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or Beowulf? Does it insight our thoughts about the great tree (as Tolkien would say) and on to theworld beyond? or is it a popular piece of literature which seems phenomenal but given time it will go the same way as the Tarzan books. I ask these question because Corey Olsen The Tolkien Professor commented resently that Harry potter was not worthy of such inquirer and told those who disagree with him to prove him wrong. I don't want to prove him wrong per say, but i am curious about what the answers really are. Thoughts?

Third I miss school, I miss having a reason and a guide to study, Particularly Church history. Right now I am very curious about some of the ancient legends of the church. Such as the story about how St. Mary the Magdalene was telling the Caesar about Christ and he said Christ could not have risen any more then an egg could turn red. and Mary held up an egg and said Christ is risen and it turned red. legends like that about the first hundred years. look at how far back we can trace them and what is the likely hood of them being true.

 So if I were to add a new Series on this blog which would you like to see? Inquiry into Harry Potter, or searching the ancient legends of Christianity?

Simple women's Day Book

For Today: July 19, 2011 For more day books

Outside my window... You know I love the weather of fall but I hate that the days get shorter. It makes me sad that the sun is just now rising at twenty after seven. 

I am thankful... That Lisa's Bridal shower went off without a hitch.

In the kitchen...a mess, I haven't done dishes sense Friday before the shower. but i did get a new table, well new to this house. it is the table that Lisa and I bought for our apartment and panted. I am very happy to have it here.

I am wearing... a slinky night dress.

I am creating...Talon's Christmas present, Act 2 of Snowflakes and Ashes, Act one of The Rescue. Random sketches.

I am going... Well I don't know if I am going to work today. haven't been able to get a hold of work yet. And there has been sickness over at the Jones' so I don't know I we will be having game night or not tonight. but I will be going grocery shopping. 

I am wondering...What will I do if i don't go to work? will I get to go to work? Do I want to go to work?

I am reading... the Simarilian by Tolkien, and the Starter by Scott Sigler. (Still) Ihave descided to listen to The Canterbury Tales again. and Emma by Jane Austen. I also started Mansfield Park by Jane Austen this week. 

I am hoping... to get started on thank-you cards. 

I am looking forward to... hmmmm.... I don't know what to look forward to this week. it is kind of a sad looking week. 

I am hearing... The Daily Audio bible.

One of my favorite things...My Church Family

A few plans for the rest of the week: let see, Bible study, Ballet, that's about it. it is a blah week. 

Simple Woman's Daybook 12

For Today: July 19, 2011 For more day books

Outside my window... Sun light shining though the rain splattered windows.

I am thankful... that I can go to wok today, my job has been drying up lately so there have not been enough hours to go around. hopefully i will have something stable this week.

In the kitchen...Oh, Greg mad an amazing rice and spinach dish last night.

I am wearing... Pajamas but not the same ones as usual. green and teal striped pants, with the green winking witch shirt and my house coat.

I am creating...I finish Elephante, and talon's hat has hit a problem, but I am almost done writing act 2 of Ashes and snowflakes, and rescue is moving along well. I did a crazy amount of world building this weekend.

I am going... Grocery Shopping, then off to the Jones's for games and pizza.  

I am wondering...working on plans for Lisa's bridal shower. I've never hosted something like this before. I hope I can do it. 

I am reading... the Simarilian by Tolkien, and the Starter by Scott Sigler. (Still) Ihave descided to listen to The Canterbury Tales again. and Emma by Jane Austen. 

I am hoping... to get started on thank-you cards. 

I am looking forward to... Going to the eye doctor so I can get contacts again.  

I am hearing... The Daily Audio bible.

One of my favorite things...My Husband.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Playing games with friends, Bible study, and Ballet, Lisa's bridal shower. 

The Rookie: Why sports are importaint

This book was amazing. The book is about Foot Ball in the distant future. it's not just the NFL but the GFL the Galactic Football League.here is the description given on Scott Sigler's website:

Set in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, this galaxy-spanning story combines the intense gridiron action of "any given Sunday" with the space-opera style of "Star wars" and the criminal underworld of the "the Godfather." 

Aliens and humans alike play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that literally want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assassinated. 


Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old Quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or he'll wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field." 


So why is Gridiron so important in the Scott Sigler universe? well up to the near past the different races were at war with each other till a bat like creature called the Creterakians took over all the races and sub-races of the world, except the Quyth Concordia. All the races still hate each other having been involved in wars for the last century and at least two of the races were known to eat the others. So how do they intend to keep the peace through the galaxy? Foot ball.

Just as sports in the real world have broken the race barrier with great success before other areas of life. Sports give an out let for aggressive tendancies and can give a mock war environment. there is a winner and a looser and it is based on physical ability, something that can not be deigned. Sports give an opportunity to get out pent up aggression. it is a place where the out come is depended on the people involved. the rules are clear and when it comes down to it it is pure muscle power against muscle power.

there is something pure about the combat on the field whether it is baseball, football, or basket ball or any other game. the rest of the world doesn't matter. Football in the purity of sport can break down barriers  between people and let out aggression in a 'safe' environment.

Creterakian Concordia

Plot I Character vs Character.

I have been thinking about plot lately.  Most people who know me know that I like to think of myself as an aspiring novelist.  (so far no one has said this belief is delusional) so it should come to no surprise that the wondering spiral maze that is my mind has been dancing around and teasing out this concept called plot.  first there are only nine types of plots.  Only nine in all the thousand's of years that there have been stories told around the campfire, only nine.  Interestingly enough not one of them is the all encompassing Good verse Evil.  I remember hearing this about the Harry Potter books and other random books, heck I've even used it, "well it is about good verses evil, so that is good right?"  well aren't all books in some way shape or form about Good vs. Evil?  Something is defined as Good and another thing is defined as Evil and they fight in some fashion.  If you are reading a Ted Dekker book you have a guarantee that the good will win, if you are reading a Steven King Novel, chances are that evil will probably win.(this is obviously an exaggeration, I haven't read an single Steven King novel only see a few of his movies so I am going off what I have heard, hopefully that is more then just hear-say of the conservative religious rhetoric on books GLC's shouldn't read).  how many books have you read that were Good vs. Good?  or Evil vs. Evil?  (maybe we could say that watchman is E vs E, and a um.... a really boring book as G Vs. G.)

Any way so what are the nine plots?  I am glad you asked. basically they are all according to the Protagonist or the main character and what that character is fighting.

Cloud vs Squall

1) Character vs Character. I though about just saying Protagonist verses antagonist but then I realized that the term antagonist can really be used on various different characters and that can be confusing.  For example The Harry Potter books is Harry Potter VS Voldimort, even thought Malfoy and Snape are both antagonists.  also there can be many Protagonists, for example Hermione, Ron, and Nevil would all be considered protagonists.   The Dark Knight is another example of this kind of plot, it is Batman fighting the Joker and one of them is going to win and one is going to lose.

Watch for a follow up on the other 8 basic plots in days, weeks, or months to come.

2) Character vs Society
3) character vs Fate
4) Character vs the Unknown
5) character vs God, (or the gods)
6) Character vs Self
7) Character vs Nature
8) character vs Machine
9) Character vs Circumstances

Thankful Thursday 8-18

Today I am thankful:

1. that I get to go to work today. work has slowed down which means that there is not enough for everyone to do. but i got the word yesterday that there was going to be enough to do today. So yeah!
2. I am thankful for a husband who supports me. During the lack of job to go to I found myself surfing around on freelance sites, so i might be going become a freelance writer.

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name

1 Chronicles 29:13

My Journey: Some Definitions

I realized today while I was writing my post that I should probably take the time to explain some of the terms I am going to be using and maybe list some abbreviations. I know that this should have been done at the beginning but oops.

catholic: the church universal. and unless specified this means all those who are Christians wither they are past present or future.


The Church: The body of saints who stretch both back into the past and on into the future, strong and mighty as an army.

orthodox: the correct teaching preserved for us to the present day by the work and blood of the saints and martyrs.

Roman Catholic Church (RCC): the part of The Church which looks to Rome and the pope for leadership.

Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC): The part of The Church which follows a form of liturgy from the 4th century.

The Protestant Church (PC): The part of The Church which was created through the multiple reformations.

High Liturgy: those liturgies which include set parts for the congregation and the officiant (priest) to say and do. generally has as its focus the communion or mass rather then a sermon. generally found in (but not exclusive to) the Eastern Orthodox Church, The Roman Catholic Church, The Anglican Church. the big difference between high and low liturgy is the age of the liturgy, and the importance of the sermon.

Low Liturgy: Those liturgies which have less for the congregation to participate in and have at the center of the service the sermon. Baptists, Wesleyan, Methodists, Congregationalist, Megachurches, ect.

Next week I will continue my thoughts on my journey to a high liturgical church.

Out of the Notebook 1

What am I writing. well I have a couple of projects going on right now.

1. Ashes and Snowflakes.
I have been working on this project for over a year. Actually I think it was a year July when I started to work on this one. it is the first of my vampire monster books. I am almost done mapping out Act 2 So life is good there it should be done soon which is great. at least the writing should be done soon. I had a really cool thought about this book, to actually make the research materials available in the e-book form. I mean why not, especially sense one of my long term goals is to write a more classical type of vampire book where what you have is the evidence collected by a vampire hunter that tells the story of his hunting. you know journals, newspaper clippings,  interview notes, evidence type stuff. I don't know how interesting it will be to read but I think it would be very much fun to write. Of course now that means that I need to create those documents. So that makes the book instead of being about 43.75% Done it might be only 25% done which is a little sad. Oh well. It still promises to be very exciting.

2.The Rescue.
This needs a new name. but it is working with a world I started to create when I was in college. So it is nice to get back into a world that I had a lot of fun in and created some fun characters. So the good news is that i am typing up act 1 and will start working thought act 2 soon. (well that is the hope). The bad news is that i found out that I need to do some reworking of the world. Some tweaking and figuring out so I can actually know what it is that I am talking about. but hey if this works out maybe I will get to play in this world more. Oh I should mention that this one is Supposed to be  science fiction but because I really don't care about the science behind the book it is probably more of a fantasy that takes place in space. (but technically that is all science fiction is right?)

3. The King of Sisilia.
This is my write five minuets before bed. Any more I am becoming more and more of a planer then a pantser in my writing. this book is all just by the seat of my pants. I took a concept (or rather stole a concept for someone else) and began writing it my way. however the City of Sisilia is under siege and I am not sure how to write it. This story is very traditional Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. A Goblin horde led by a Necromancer and his un-dead minions of different kinds attacking a country and a people. trying to take over the world. you know the simplest of stories, but it is fun to write. because it is a story I am writing by the seat of my pants for kicks and giggles it is hard to say how close I am to getting done. I'm on chapter five of book 2 (understand book as deviation with in a book not as a separate book if that makes any sense.) The first book had eleven chapters (each chapter is little more then two pages hand written) So that would seem to say that this one is half way done. we will see how long it takes to write the siege and for the king to show up.

4 Gearing up for NaNoWriMo!!!!
I know it is only August, November is still 2 and 1/2 months away. But I thin that if I am actually going to have a chance to win this year I need to start thinking about it and planing out what I am going to write. I have decided that I am going to use Nanowrimo to rewrite a book I wrote two years ago that is only ~3,700 words. I really like this story and I want to expand it to a full fledged 50,000 word novel. to do that will take time and effort. and I think Nano is the perfect time to do that.

Here is how I am going to do it: 1. like I said I am becoming more and more of a planer all the time, so I will begin planning this novel soon, probably in September. 2. The 3,700 words that have already been written will not go towards my final count. translation I will need to have 53,700 words by the end of November. yes I am that crazy.

5 Secret project:
This is something I am working on that is a complete secrit. I am not even sure what it is going to end up being. what I do know is that it is going to take a lot of work, and that it will be Epic Fantasy.

Simple Women's day book 11

For Today: July 19, 2011 For more day books

Outside my window... The morning sun defeats the night.

I am thinking...Where my head phones are.

I am thankful... For a husband who listens to me when i go a little crazy and speaks truth into my life.

In the kitchen...Not much I'm afraid, the last week has been kind of lacking in the food department.

I am wearing...Same as always, my favorite Pajamas.

I am creating...I still have to put the eyes on Elephante.  And I am working my way through the Christmas gift list. I am going to need to go to a knitting store. hopefully this weekend. I haven't been able to work at my art desk this week. I have been keeping up on my writing and there are some fun and exciting things happening there but i will talk about that tomorrow. 

I am going... Grocery Shopping! and out to eat with some friends from out of town. . 

I am wondering...what I should get for decorations for a bridal shower, and what to make for dinner. 

I am reading... the Simarilian by Tolkien, and the Starter by Scott Sigler. (Still) Ihave descided to listen to The Canterbury Tales again. and then I am going to find one other thing to listen to, I'm not sure what that will be yet. 

I am hoping... to get started on thank-you cards, and clean my house. 

I am looking forward to...Seeing friends that I don't see very often. 

I am hearing... The Daily Audio bible.

One of my favorite things...My House coat

A few plans for the rest of the week: Playing games with friends, Bible study, and Ballet starts this week!

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for

1. a church family that prays and cares for each other
2. A husband who encourages and challenges my faith
3. The wonderful world of Podcasting.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as a members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful

Colossians 3:14-16

History: a love and obsession

I love love love history. it fascinates me and has for a long time. my first history obsession was the pioneers, hours of playing the organ trail, 4th grade social studies was dedicated to the Native Americans and the push west, and of course the first series I ever read the little house books. this was followed by an obsession about slavery and the civil war, which was followed by reading every book written by a survivor of the Holocaust and other things that happened in world war II.


The thing about history is that there were people who lived before us. people who were part of the faith. one of my favorite series that i read in high school was a series of books which followed a family from the puritan settlement of Boston to the Vietnam war. it was fascinating and written about a christian family. but then i discovered other pieces of church history Amy Carmichael, Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, and hear about the Martyrs of ancient times.

and then of course this mysterious age called the middle ages which in protestant circles and most modern circles is deemed unimportant. a time of barbarism, the church completely corrupted, every one dying of plague, and of course no scientific exploration. a Dark Age in which man was ignorant and stupid blindly believing everything the church said.

But then I started to learn about how the dark ages weren't so dark, in fact the term dark ages came from the enlightenment period when the past was what was holding us back. but things happen, in fact this was a high time for theology and philosophy. and well of course my current love of medieval literature. People lived and the church was actually doing what it could to preserve culture.

So as I studied and continue to study these and earlier fathers of the church I find more value in them then Martin Luther or John Wesley- I don't think they would mind that too much sense they were both students of the early church fathers. My first church history professor said at the Beginning of his first lecture: "we can not for get that we are dwarves standing on the shoulders of gaints"

I can not stand the general understanding of the modern protestant church which seems to continue the propagate that the history of the church is Paul and the apostles then complete and total tyrannical control by the Roman Catholic Church then Luther. I'm much happier in a church that remembers its place in history.

From The Art Desk 1

This month i have not been doing so well on keeping up with my art. Partualy because well the room my art desk is in is a bit of a mess: 

My art desk....

But because this is the first time I am talking about my art work I do have quite a few sketches to share, all are works in progress. 

The San Damiano Cross: I have been talking about this project for a while now. it had been very difficult and I am not very far. some times I wonder if it will ever get done. It is a project I was asked to do for my Church St. Aidian's Anglican Church. when it is done it will be the cross that gets processed in during service. but it is a long way from getting done: 

These are some sketches I did during lent: 

Left Hand

Feet

Right Hand

And this is the sketch I am currently working with. I decided that instead of trying to do each individual figure I would go back to my art lessons and start with stick figures to figuring out where each figure would go, once that is done I will start to flesh everything out. it worked really well the last time I was working on it and I now feel like I might be getting something done!

San Damiano's Cross

The San Damiano Cross is a very special project, not just because it is for my church. There are a couple of reasons that I am some times hesitant to approach it. first the cross has over 30 figures on it, that is a bit over whelming but I am happy for the challenge. Second this is an Icon, which means by painting it i am joining a tradition that goes back hundreds of years of monks carefully painting images which would turn people's attention worship. the Orthodox church believe that the act of looking at and pondering an Icon is an act of worship. Third this is a resurrection cross. if you will notice (though I know it is hard to see because of the poor quality of pictures) the hands and feet are not nailed to the cross, also blood is flowing from the wounds. this is because Jesus has been resurrected and his blood flows forth because he is alive. it is really cool. I hope to do something neat with these sketches of his hands. 

Fantasy drawing: 

I have really been wanting to do more figure drawing... as if the 30 some figures in the San Damiano cross isn't enough figures and faces... and the figures that I want to draw are fantasy creatures, you know dwarves, elves, minotaurs, you know fun stuff like that. right now this is the sketch I have going:

Water Soul Genasi

 This sketch is of an elemental creature called a genasi. Particularly what is called a water soul meaning that they have abilities tied to water. Maybe by next month I will have it colored.

that is all that is on my art desk this month till next time.

Simple women's Day book 10

For Today: July 19, 2011 For more day books

Outside my window... Dawn Shining through rain spotted windows

I am thinking...how nice it is that the rain cools everything down.

I am thankful... A husband who knows when to make me stop to rest.

In the kitchen...Air popped Popcorn!

I am wearing...My favorite PINK sweats. ironically now that I am blogging in the morning I seem to always be wearing my favorite PJ which my sister megs gave me. 

I am creating...I have almost finished The Elephante toy just need to put on the eyes. and I'm still working on my Christmas gift list. and I have finished the back ground work that needs to be done for writing act one, now i just need to flesh out the outline that I have already done of the the Act. 

I am going... Grocery Shopping! Fund times. 

I am wondering...If what I will eat today for lunch. 

I am reading... the Simarilian by Tolkien, and the Starter by Scott Sigler. (wow that is a lot of s's) I finished the Anead, and haven't thought of what i want to start looking at next. 

I am hoping... to get started on thank-you cards, 

I am looking forward to...a good might's sleep

I am hearing... The Daily Audio bible.

One of my favorite things...Cuddly blankets. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: we are going to a wedding this weekend in AL!

A picture I feel like sharing...

I love Fires!

Leviathan Chronicles-Do your homework

Today I am breaking with my traditional way of posting. I came across this podcast earlier this week. I had heard it promoted on different podcast I listen to so I thought i would give it a try. I will not be finishing this one. My friend Darcy (who is the page traveler) asked me if I prefered books that were predictable or books that surprised me. I said if I can predict how the big revel of a story then i feel like the author is insulting my intelligence. Well this Audio Drama did just that.

This story is a Science fiction set in modern time. there is a secret society that is immortal and the premiere scientists of all time. I thought the story good, characters were fine well developed, and hey who doesn't love a thriller about secret societies? well then we got to the point where they were explaining everything. How Leviathan got its start, who they became immortal. it all happened in the 11th century.

and that was where they made their secondary creation fail.

the story goes back and begins to tell what happened in the 11th century and proceed to prove that they have no idea what the 11th century was like.

The author claims that England was a power house. It had a navy and was exploring the world in hopes of Setting up colonies.
England wasn't even fully the England that we know to day. Edward the confessor was on the throne and while he had money it was tied up in the southern earldoms. The earls actually had quite a bit of power, and the Danes were still a real threat to the small kingdom. it wasn't at peace and it was in no place to be giving aid to any country or tribe or anything. in fact the very year in question 1043 he had to deal with his mother and the power she thought she was entitled to. The small navy they had was made up of foreign ships. he never built a power house nor did he inherit one. by the end of his reign the state of the english crown was streingthend but England would not become significant on the large scale till the reign of Elizabeth the First.

This section of the story takes place in Norway. it pants Norway as pre christian and a network of tribes.Problem is that King Olaf (the Patron Saint of Norway) had already made Norway Christian.

Then there is the misunderstanding of the Roman Church always having been what it was in the 16th century.

But then the writer desides to have his pre-modern charectors you modern phrases like  "jolly old England" or Egalitarian.

and lastly he forgets that history calls this time a "time of Faith." people didn't just nod to the gods they really believed that God was their only hope of a future. the time was dark, people died horribly all the time. Yet the author gives the Problem of Evil as a flippant reason why his pre-modern Character is an Atheist? the problem of evil wasn't a problem for the Medieval people, because they new that life was about suffering. they didn't think that about why an all loving God would let bad things happened. they understood that bad things happened because the world was fallen and corrupted. maybe they also understood that Satan and the demons who had been worshiped by the pagans were more then just goofy pictures, they were understood as real forces. So to have these to characters in an era when the world view answered everything by faith be so anti-faith is ridiculous.

Sorry for the Rant but i just really hate it when people don't do their research.

Thankful Thursday 8-4

This Week I am thankful for:

1. Early morning walks-Crazy I know but I have been walking in the mornings trying to get some kind of work out schedule  and I like this walking in the morning.

2. My friends the soon to be Sutters' we were over at their house last night watching Lost Skeleton of Cadavra Returns again. at their new house.

3. And I am thankful for new ideas, even if they sometimes get distracting.

Mormonism: Understanding the Map

I promise to tread lightly here, but if I am going to about my spiritual journey with any honesty I can not leave it out.

My father is a former Mormon. he never was very active and never been opposed to the religion. His family is very Mormon. almost all of his brothers and sisters went on their mission, and almost all of my cousins who have come to that age have gone on missions. all who are of age (with the exception of one sister's family) have their temple recommend and have been married in the temple.

This causes every once in a while some fun things to happen at family gatherings. (not incredible often my dad's family is made up of some of the most loving people I have ever known.) but the truth of the matter is that because my mom had done lots of reseach on this religion and shared it with my dad they did not want me to become mormon. So from a very early age I started to learn the orthodox teachings and understandings of the Church. I learned that sometimes people are lead away from the true teachings of the church and what beliefs of the Church are not negotiable. it is probably one of the reasons I have gotten two degrees in religion. (BA in Religion, and MA in Theological Studies.) and without this desire to study and learn what is the orthodox and catholic faith I probably would not have come into contact with events that have fathered my path to a high liturgical church.

On the Needles

I have been very productive in the knitting world. i final got a big project out of the way and have done several small projects including even some Christmas presents done. I know crazy. the last couple of years i waited till after thanksgiving to get on Christmas presents. 
So here is what I have gotten done in the the last month or so:




These adorable baby hats. there actually was one more of the blue one but I was able to give that one to the parents already. One is for My Cousin Tiffany's baby (the rainbow one). and the Blue one in the picture is for my best Friend's little boy. the Blue one not pictured was for my Cousin Matt's Little boy.





This is a Fire Ball. the pattern was because someone wanted their own magical flame that Hermione makes. This is for a budding wizard I know.






This Hat and Scarf duo is specially made for My cousin for Christmas. Hopefully she will not be looking around on my blog but i think i know which family members come snooping around here. ;)




Last but not least here is something I finally got done for me. This of course was originally suposed to get done before the wedding back in January. The I had hopes to get it done before the reception in Wyo. But alas the best laid plans of mice and men. any way it is done now and I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can wear it. and I know it is a crappy picture but I wanted to have a picture of me wearing it so you could see what it looks like better.


Also here are some works in progress, or what I have on the needles right now:

Elefante just need to make the ears and tail

Another Christmas present

Simple Women Day Book 9

For Today: July 19, 2011 For more day books

Outside my window... Hazy rosy dawn.

I am thinking...That it is early, and there is a day of work to do, and that i wish i didn't have a day job. 

I am thankful... For a productive weekend. it was very busy but we got a lot done in helping our friends. 

In the kitchen...Clutter, books abut writing, my Latin text book, dishes. I was typing about writing to a cousin but then got interrupted by work, and sleep.  

I am wearing...My favorite PINK sweats. 

I am creating...The Icon for church-just got motivated to work on this again, I'll talk about my knitting projects tomorrow. 

I am going... To game night at the Jones'

I am wondering...If the Harry Potter Books can be studied Academically. you know like when people write papers about Austen's work or Tolkien books. I wonder if Harry Potter can be considered worthy of literary inquiry. 

I am reading... the Simarilian by Tolkien, and the Starter by Scott Sigler. (wow that is a lot of s's) and The Aeneid by Virgil

I am hoping... That I Continue to get 37.5 hours at work this week and next. 

I am looking forward to... be able to find a way to get my house clean

I am hearing... The Daily Audio bible, we are some where in Chronicles some where.  

One of my favorite things...Cheerio's ;) 

A few plans for the rest of the week: The big plan this week is to hang out with the Jones' on Saturday. 

I sadly don't have a picture for today. :(