-Monica
Friday, February 6, 2015
My New Blog
As of February 1, 2015, I have a new blog which replaces this one. I am now recording my thoughts about the books I read at my Reading Log Blog. Feel free to check it out - just click on the link above and it will take you there. Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
First Impressions of George MacDonald's ANNALS OF A QUIET NEIGHBOURHOOD; A Ray of Hope
(After reading chapter 1 of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, by George MacDonald)
I am looking forward to reading this book. My copy is from the library, and part of me wishes I had my own so I could "mark it up," underlining, highlighting, making notes in the margins. There are pearls all over the place. I guess in the absence of having my own copy, I can enjoy using my copybook and journal for copying down quotes and for making notes. After all, truly owning a book has nothing to do with having your own paper copy. Truly owning a book is when you have taken it in, and you have learned from it those things God would have you learn from it; the parts that God wants to apply to your life have been applied. If I want to read it again someday, I can get it from the library again or I can get a copy of my own.
I think this book will be edifying concerning living a quiet life for God. Even if my life expands and doesn't stay quiet, the blessings of understanding how to enjoy the "little things" will greatly enhance my life and the lives of those my life touches. All big things are made up of many little things anyway, so I might as well learn how to enjoy and appreciate all those little things.
In chapter 1 of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, after a few pleasantly thought-provoking remarks, the narrator starts out telling his story from a standpoint of feeling depressed. He goes for a walk in the gloomy, rainy, muddy, boggy weather to take a look at the area outside his new residence, for he has just moved there. The weather mirrors and only seems to deepen the depression and lethargy.
The narrator meets a man on his walk, and feels so low that he doesn't even want to acknowledge the man, but the man interrupts his low thoughts because the man wants to meet him, wants to see his face in person before seeing it behind the pulpit; the narrator is going to be the minister of the church for the people in the area.This elderly man the narrator meets gives the narrator the gift of seeing needs he may be able to fill, and also opens his eyes to something he knows God wants him to keep in mind as he starts his new position--to be the same person behind the pulpit as he is the rest of the time.
As he parts from the old man, he realizes everything looks a little prettier, the depression begins to lift. The sun comes out as if to confirm this newness of life and perspective. And just then, he overhears a little boy saying something to his "Auntie," something that inspires the narrator. The words of the little boy are like the sunshine giving a ray of hope, and the narrator suddenly realizes that in such a small way, a big difference was made. That ray of sunshine, that ray of hope that came out of the boy's mouth, made all the difference in the world to him.
He saw that to make the smallest difference, even to give one person a single ray of hope, is more important and satisfying than all the exciting riches the world might have to offer.
I am looking forward to reading this book. My copy is from the library, and part of me wishes I had my own so I could "mark it up," underlining, highlighting, making notes in the margins. There are pearls all over the place. I guess in the absence of having my own copy, I can enjoy using my copybook and journal for copying down quotes and for making notes. After all, truly owning a book has nothing to do with having your own paper copy. Truly owning a book is when you have taken it in, and you have learned from it those things God would have you learn from it; the parts that God wants to apply to your life have been applied. If I want to read it again someday, I can get it from the library again or I can get a copy of my own.
I think this book will be edifying concerning living a quiet life for God. Even if my life expands and doesn't stay quiet, the blessings of understanding how to enjoy the "little things" will greatly enhance my life and the lives of those my life touches. All big things are made up of many little things anyway, so I might as well learn how to enjoy and appreciate all those little things.
In chapter 1 of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, after a few pleasantly thought-provoking remarks, the narrator starts out telling his story from a standpoint of feeling depressed. He goes for a walk in the gloomy, rainy, muddy, boggy weather to take a look at the area outside his new residence, for he has just moved there. The weather mirrors and only seems to deepen the depression and lethargy.
The narrator meets a man on his walk, and feels so low that he doesn't even want to acknowledge the man, but the man interrupts his low thoughts because the man wants to meet him, wants to see his face in person before seeing it behind the pulpit; the narrator is going to be the minister of the church for the people in the area.This elderly man the narrator meets gives the narrator the gift of seeing needs he may be able to fill, and also opens his eyes to something he knows God wants him to keep in mind as he starts his new position--to be the same person behind the pulpit as he is the rest of the time.
As he parts from the old man, he realizes everything looks a little prettier, the depression begins to lift. The sun comes out as if to confirm this newness of life and perspective. And just then, he overhears a little boy saying something to his "Auntie," something that inspires the narrator. The words of the little boy are like the sunshine giving a ray of hope, and the narrator suddenly realizes that in such a small way, a big difference was made. That ray of sunshine, that ray of hope that came out of the boy's mouth, made all the difference in the world to him.
He saw that to make the smallest difference, even to give one person a single ray of hope, is more important and satisfying than all the exciting riches the world might have to offer.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Does trusting someone to be honorable help them to be honorable?
(After reading The History, by Herodotus [c.484-c.425 B.C.], Book 4, chapter 196)
Herodotus tells us that the Carthaginians told of a country they made trade with in northern Africa beyond the promontories of the Strait of Gibraltar. The custom with this country was that the Carthaginians would take the wares out of their ships and put them on the land along the beach and then return to their ships and raise a great smoke. The natives, seeing the smoke, would come to see what wares were laid out for them and would put an amount of gold out and then retreat. The Carthaginians would come ashore to see how much gold was laid out; if the amount was sufficient in exchange for the wares, they would take the gold and depart in their ships. If the amount was not enough, the Carthaginians would leave the gold on shore and go back to their ships and wait. The natives would bring more gold and lay it out and again retreat. The Carthaginians would again come and see how much gold was laid out, and if sufficient, they would take the gold and leave. If not, the Carthaginians would leave the gold there and go back to their ships and wait while the natives brought out more gold. This process would continue until the amount of gold came up to the value of the wares. After the Carthaginians departed with their gold and their ships, the natives would take the goods.
Apparently, the Carthaginians never touched the gold until enough was there to pay for the wares, and the natives never took any of the wares until the Carthaginians had taken away the gold.
This story may or may not be true; Herodotus simply tells us what he was told. This story, whether it is true or not, is a testimony to believing in the good will of people and of trusting one another. If nothing else, it testifies that someone was willing to believe this story long enough to tell it, and that Herodotus considered it at least possibly true, since he included it in his histories. I want the story to be true, because it sings good tidings. It says that if we trust someone to be honorable, he will be honorable. It speaks of the honor system, something many of us have forgotten about with all the bad news we hear on television and internet.
Do you think this story is true?
Do you think that if we trust someone to be honorable, it will help them to be honorable?
I would love to hear your comments. I encourage you to reply to this post with some thoughts of your own.
* * *
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Herodotus tells us that the Carthaginians told of a country they made trade with in northern Africa beyond the promontories of the Strait of Gibraltar. The custom with this country was that the Carthaginians would take the wares out of their ships and put them on the land along the beach and then return to their ships and raise a great smoke. The natives, seeing the smoke, would come to see what wares were laid out for them and would put an amount of gold out and then retreat. The Carthaginians would come ashore to see how much gold was laid out; if the amount was sufficient in exchange for the wares, they would take the gold and depart in their ships. If the amount was not enough, the Carthaginians would leave the gold on shore and go back to their ships and wait. The natives would bring more gold and lay it out and again retreat. The Carthaginians would again come and see how much gold was laid out, and if sufficient, they would take the gold and leave. If not, the Carthaginians would leave the gold there and go back to their ships and wait while the natives brought out more gold. This process would continue until the amount of gold came up to the value of the wares. After the Carthaginians departed with their gold and their ships, the natives would take the goods.
Apparently, the Carthaginians never touched the gold until enough was there to pay for the wares, and the natives never took any of the wares until the Carthaginians had taken away the gold.
This story may or may not be true; Herodotus simply tells us what he was told. This story, whether it is true or not, is a testimony to believing in the good will of people and of trusting one another. If nothing else, it testifies that someone was willing to believe this story long enough to tell it, and that Herodotus considered it at least possibly true, since he included it in his histories. I want the story to be true, because it sings good tidings. It says that if we trust someone to be honorable, he will be honorable. It speaks of the honor system, something many of us have forgotten about with all the bad news we hear on television and internet.
Do you think this story is true?
Do you think that if we trust someone to be honorable, it will help them to be honorable?
I would love to hear your comments. I encourage you to reply to this post with some thoughts of your own.
* * *
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Monday, November 26, 2012
One Way You Won't Gain Fulfillment
(After reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, Chapters 12-20)
Dorian Gray lived his life doing whatever he wanted with no negative effects on his body. The negative effects were transferred to a certain painting of him instead.
Dorian was a beautiful man. His body did not age beyond the youthful beauty of his early adulthood. When he committed evil deeds, the cruel look that a man's mouth and eyes might begin to acquire through such deeds did not come upon him. Worry lines and the mocking look that he deserved to carry did not touch him. The burden of all those effects was placed on the painting. Dorian would look at the painting of himself turned ugly by his thoughts and deeds, with a twisted sense of pleasure, seeing what he deserved but did not have to account for. His own face retained a peaceful look of youthful innocence and uprightness.
As a result, Dorian did whatever he wanted to do. He had no fear of consequences. He fed all his appetites freely and was cruel to people if it did not suit him to be kind. He lived a life of extravagance and worldly pleasure. He took what he wanted and escaped from reality whenever he wanted and however he wanted. And yet...
He was not happy. Those temporary pleasures ceased to please him. He got bored with them. He became bored with life. His self-indulgence grew worse in an attempt to find satisfaction, but that emptiness could not be satisfied with worldly things. He committed wicked acts, because the only person he ever thought about was himself. His wickedness grew until it was perverse and dangerous. He committed murder, even, and felt justified in it because the other person made him angry by telling him the truth.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a study on what it would be like to live for worldly pleasures. The results of such an experience, lived through Dorian Gray, were completely unsatisfactory, an utter failure. Dorian Gray shows us that living for pleasure cannot bring happiness. Having everything we want cannot bring happiness.
Earthly things and pleasures will not give us fulfillment. For fulfillment, we must look beyond instant gratification, beyond earthly pleasures, beyond what we think we want, beyond living only for ourselves.
Related articles:
A Portrait Of Dorian Gray … in each one of us
That Which Truly Satisfies
There are more important things…
If you’re still breathing, it’s not too late.
That which satisfies
Distractions
Dorian Gray lived his life doing whatever he wanted with no negative effects on his body. The negative effects were transferred to a certain painting of him instead.
Dorian was a beautiful man. His body did not age beyond the youthful beauty of his early adulthood. When he committed evil deeds, the cruel look that a man's mouth and eyes might begin to acquire through such deeds did not come upon him. Worry lines and the mocking look that he deserved to carry did not touch him. The burden of all those effects was placed on the painting. Dorian would look at the painting of himself turned ugly by his thoughts and deeds, with a twisted sense of pleasure, seeing what he deserved but did not have to account for. His own face retained a peaceful look of youthful innocence and uprightness.
As a result, Dorian did whatever he wanted to do. He had no fear of consequences. He fed all his appetites freely and was cruel to people if it did not suit him to be kind. He lived a life of extravagance and worldly pleasure. He took what he wanted and escaped from reality whenever he wanted and however he wanted. And yet...
He was not happy. Those temporary pleasures ceased to please him. He got bored with them. He became bored with life. His self-indulgence grew worse in an attempt to find satisfaction, but that emptiness could not be satisfied with worldly things. He committed wicked acts, because the only person he ever thought about was himself. His wickedness grew until it was perverse and dangerous. He committed murder, even, and felt justified in it because the other person made him angry by telling him the truth.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a study on what it would be like to live for worldly pleasures. The results of such an experience, lived through Dorian Gray, were completely unsatisfactory, an utter failure. Dorian Gray shows us that living for pleasure cannot bring happiness. Having everything we want cannot bring happiness.
Earthly things and pleasures will not give us fulfillment. For fulfillment, we must look beyond instant gratification, beyond earthly pleasures, beyond what we think we want, beyond living only for ourselves.
Related articles:
A Portrait Of Dorian Gray … in each one of us
That Which Truly Satisfies
There are more important things…
If you’re still breathing, it’s not too late.
That which satisfies
Distractions
Friday, November 23, 2012
Staying Aware That We Don't Know Everything
(After reading Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water, pp. 129-169, Chapters 7 and 8)
As soon as we think we know it all, we have made ourselves entirely ignorant. It is ignorant to think that we know everything. It is ignorant to think that we've got it all figured out. It is ignorant to think there is nothing more to learn.
There is so much more about life, about ourselves, about creation, about God, about the world we can see, and about the world we can't see, that we don't know. There is always more that we don't know than that which we know. We are always functioning on just knowing a tiny bit of the whole picture, with the whole picture being millions of times, infinitely as many times, as big as what we know. What we know is just the tip of the iceberg, the single cell compared to the entire body, a freckle compared to the universe.
When we know that we don't know much, then we also know that there is so much more to find out. Life is exciting! It can never grow old, for there is always so much new! There are questions we can ask, and we may or may not ever discover the answer, but just asking the question is an adventure.
As we observe the world and life, as long as we stay aware that we don't know much at all compared to what we don't know, we are ready to learn more, we are ready to gain wisdom. But if that wisdom causes us to feel pride, our pride makes us become ignorant again. It is well to remain aware that there is more that we don't know than what we do know.
Since we realize we know so little, we certainly cannot judge someone else and consider them ignorant compared to us. It would be ridiculous to think that we have it all right and they have it all wrong, since we certainly don't own the big picture, either. We can give other people full respect, knowing they are in the same boat with us, going for the same exciting ride on this planet as we are. If their opinions differ from ours, that's great, and it doesn't have to come between us. We can love them no matter what they think. We are all still learning.
As soon as we think we know it all, we have made ourselves entirely ignorant. It is ignorant to think that we know everything. It is ignorant to think that we've got it all figured out. It is ignorant to think there is nothing more to learn.
There is so much more about life, about ourselves, about creation, about God, about the world we can see, and about the world we can't see, that we don't know. There is always more that we don't know than that which we know. We are always functioning on just knowing a tiny bit of the whole picture, with the whole picture being millions of times, infinitely as many times, as big as what we know. What we know is just the tip of the iceberg, the single cell compared to the entire body, a freckle compared to the universe.
When we know that we don't know much, then we also know that there is so much more to find out. Life is exciting! It can never grow old, for there is always so much new! There are questions we can ask, and we may or may not ever discover the answer, but just asking the question is an adventure.
As we observe the world and life, as long as we stay aware that we don't know much at all compared to what we don't know, we are ready to learn more, we are ready to gain wisdom. But if that wisdom causes us to feel pride, our pride makes us become ignorant again. It is well to remain aware that there is more that we don't know than what we do know.
Since we realize we know so little, we certainly cannot judge someone else and consider them ignorant compared to us. It would be ridiculous to think that we have it all right and they have it all wrong, since we certainly don't own the big picture, either. We can give other people full respect, knowing they are in the same boat with us, going for the same exciting ride on this planet as we are. If their opinions differ from ours, that's great, and it doesn't have to come between us. We can love them no matter what they think. We are all still learning.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Consequences Make Us Wiser
(After reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, Chapter 11)
It is a good thing there are consequences for what we do. Consequences are a second chance to learn something. Our first chance to learn something is to listen to our conscience. When we ignore or push aside the warning of the conscience and do something our conscience urges us not to do, negative consequences, usually painful in some way, teach us the same lesson again. Hopefully, the consequences will prevent us from going down that same path or a similar path later. The consequences can also teach us to pay more attention to our conscience and obey it in the future to avoid similar consequences.
Painful consequences include being marred physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Sometimes consequences are experienced as loss--loss of friendship, loss of money, loss of health, loss of time, loss of integrity, loss of trust, loss of a clear conscience. All these things are meant to bring us to admit that it was wrong to do that, and not to go that route again--for our own good and for the good of others.
If there were no consequences, then it would far too easy for someone who begins down a wrong path to continue going down that path, onto worse and worse things, things that hurt other people or even take lives, because the person never learns to tame their passions or question their urges. If this pattern continues, devastation, desolation, and death will eventually be the result--and then there are eternal consequences to consider. It it better to be corrected, albeit painfully, but sooner, to keep from going too far down that treacherous path.
* * *
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It is a good thing there are consequences for what we do. Consequences are a second chance to learn something. Our first chance to learn something is to listen to our conscience. When we ignore or push aside the warning of the conscience and do something our conscience urges us not to do, negative consequences, usually painful in some way, teach us the same lesson again. Hopefully, the consequences will prevent us from going down that same path or a similar path later. The consequences can also teach us to pay more attention to our conscience and obey it in the future to avoid similar consequences.
Painful consequences include being marred physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Sometimes consequences are experienced as loss--loss of friendship, loss of money, loss of health, loss of time, loss of integrity, loss of trust, loss of a clear conscience. All these things are meant to bring us to admit that it was wrong to do that, and not to go that route again--for our own good and for the good of others.
If there were no consequences, then it would far too easy for someone who begins down a wrong path to continue going down that path, onto worse and worse things, things that hurt other people or even take lives, because the person never learns to tame their passions or question their urges. If this pattern continues, devastation, desolation, and death will eventually be the result--and then there are eternal consequences to consider. It it better to be corrected, albeit painfully, but sooner, to keep from going too far down that treacherous path.
* * *
If you know someone you'd like to share this blog post with, please use a share button below or towards the top right hand side of the page.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Do the circumstances of life determine who a person is?
(After reading Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot, Book 3, chapters 21-27)
George Eliot looks deeply into the thought life of her characters. She looks at motives, those that are obvious and those that run deeper. To test the motives of a character, she has the character experience hardship. Will the character stand on his former convictions even when it is painful to do so? Will the character maintain her integrity when life seems hopeless? Will this character change his mind when the outlook changes from what he first thought it would be? Will the character sacrifice her morals to ease the burdens of life? And can she be blamed if she does so? Will the cheerful character stay cheerful when there's not much to be cheerful about?
And, really, was that the real motive, or was it just the most attractive one to allow himself to be aware of? One way to find out true motive is to test him. Does that motive stand even when it causes him hardship and when other motives come into play? What about when one's motives conflict? Which motive is strongest?
The trials of life test the personalities and character, integrity and morals of the characters in Daniel Deronda. George Eliot's book is a character study, and the characters are studied through the looking glass of various life events and circumstances. A deeply ringing theme seems to be, "How much do the circumstances of life determine who a person is? Or do those circumstances only reveal who the person is?"
Hardship seems to bring out the good in some people and the bad in other people. Temptation brings out strength in some and weakness in others. Success brings out gratitude in some people and pride in other people. Prosperity brings out generosity in some and selfishness in others. In many people, a mix of responses is aroused. There are inconsistencies.
People are complex. We cannot put Jack or Susie in a box and predict how they will respond in this or that situation. Jack and Susie are still developing. None of us is finished yet.
However, since all situations have the potential for helping us change for the better, let's go down that better path. There are always choices to make. Let's choose what is true, honest, and just. Let us choose that which is loving and honorable, faithful and good.
Let us choose that which will improve us and bless others.
George Eliot looks deeply into the thought life of her characters. She looks at motives, those that are obvious and those that run deeper. To test the motives of a character, she has the character experience hardship. Will the character stand on his former convictions even when it is painful to do so? Will the character maintain her integrity when life seems hopeless? Will this character change his mind when the outlook changes from what he first thought it would be? Will the character sacrifice her morals to ease the burdens of life? And can she be blamed if she does so? Will the cheerful character stay cheerful when there's not much to be cheerful about?
And, really, was that the real motive, or was it just the most attractive one to allow himself to be aware of? One way to find out true motive is to test him. Does that motive stand even when it causes him hardship and when other motives come into play? What about when one's motives conflict? Which motive is strongest?
The trials of life test the personalities and character, integrity and morals of the characters in Daniel Deronda. George Eliot's book is a character study, and the characters are studied through the looking glass of various life events and circumstances. A deeply ringing theme seems to be, "How much do the circumstances of life determine who a person is? Or do those circumstances only reveal who the person is?"
Hardship seems to bring out the good in some people and the bad in other people. Temptation brings out strength in some and weakness in others. Success brings out gratitude in some people and pride in other people. Prosperity brings out generosity in some and selfishness in others. In many people, a mix of responses is aroused. There are inconsistencies.
People are complex. We cannot put Jack or Susie in a box and predict how they will respond in this or that situation. Jack and Susie are still developing. None of us is finished yet.
However, since all situations have the potential for helping us change for the better, let's go down that better path. There are always choices to make. Let's choose what is true, honest, and just. Let us choose that which is loving and honorable, faithful and good.
Let us choose that which will improve us and bless others.
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