Lake Bonny Park

Creation Cries

the birds soar,
flowers bloom, and bugs explore;
the lizard crawls where the rocks lie
but still creation cries

a most beautiful green, displays the grass;
the trees, from when many years passed
lived through harsh weather yet didn't die
but still creation cries

creation cries from the deepest oceans
to the tallest tree in the woods
they cry despite their splendor,
since the world doesn't see their good

the lion weeps, the bat can't sleep
has mankind fallen too steep?
will they stop to listen, see, smell
the wonders the Maker wants to tell?

For this, creation cries

"I went to Lake Bonny Park and stayed for at least 40 minutes."

When will we stop and listen to creation? It is so beautiful and filled with the fingerprints of God. The Bible says that God reveales His existence through His creaiton. Just stop and think about that for a minute...He reveals Himself through the leaves and grasses. Through the lions and bears. Through the lizards and bugs. Everything reveals the Creator that made it. Have you ever been in a science class, and one day it talked about how precise the elements must be in the water for certain fish to survive. Or about the intricate details of an orchid that fit perfectly with the body of a bee to allow it to pollinate and reproduce. Or what about the irreducible complexity of the miscroscopic engine of a flagella that has over 40 parts, and without one of those parts it would cease to work and therefore there would be no bacteria that is vital for life?

Maybe I'm just thinking too far into this, but sitting around for that long in the silence just got me to thinking about all of the wonders of creation. It was overwhelming really. I am a science major, so I hear about the beauty and complexity of creation often. But what amazes me is that we still don't know so much about it! They aren't even 100% sure how a 70ft tree manages to pull water from its roots to the the high tips of its branches without an engine system to propel the water.

I really enjoyed this field trip. This class has a lot of interesting activities, but they bring a lot of life into my work. I hope we can do more stuff like this in the future!

Mary Oliver

These poems by Mary oliver are probably my favorite piece from this class. Each one of them had a way of speaking to me in a different way. I love the first line of The Messenger: My work is loving the world. That immediately captured my attention. I could tell by this line that Oliver was most likely a Christian, and so I wanted to read on. "Am I no longer your, and still not half-perfect? Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished." Isn't it ironic that the work Oliver talks about is being still? I would love to go to work today and just be still! I think he is talking about a different work. The work of our lives; the work that matters most. The work of appreciation.

Another piece that I liked from Oliver was the Six Recognitions of our Lord. As I read these six, I realized they were different ways that people find that place with God. Number one and three were closely related to my ways of recognizing God. Number one simply says, "I know a lot of fancy words. I tear them from my heart and my tongue. Then I pray." Something I think we all can be really good at is buttering up a good prayer to the Lord. "Be with us, Oh God....Be upon us, Oh Lord..." Sometimes I feel like we say things to Him without even really thinking about the words we are saying. This poem talks about thinking of our words before we say them, so they are meaningful. I am always challenged by this, but it is well worth it to think about what we are saying to God. I think we learn a lot about ourselves when we do this.

The Uses of Sorrow was another favorite of mine, although I liked them all. I think I liked it just because I can relate to it so well. I can think of two major incidences in my life where I was given a box of darkness. It took a very long time to see that the darkness was in fact a gift. To me, it was a gift because it made me who I am today, which is very different than who I used to be.

State of the Planet

I was shocked to read that this was a poem! Other than it breaking up into different stanzas, I would not have recognized the poetry in this piece. I'm not trying to take away from it's quality, I actually really enjoyed reading it. There just didn't seem to be any patterns or flow to the structure of the lines. Than again, I'm not an expert in poetry myself ;)

I did notice that Robert Hass kept the same idea of the girl and her backpack. Although he went on tangents about the contents of her book, he didn't forget what he was talking about. And can I just say, that I was really interested in what he was writing! Maybe that's because I'm a biology major, but my biased preferences helped me to remain interested in the contents of this poem. I love science and the wonders of nature. But I also like poetry, so it was a good mix. I'm not quite sure why he decided to use this school girl in his poem; either it has a significant point, or he was just using her a doorway to talk about what he really wanted to talk about.

I also like this poem because I believe it is somewhat unique to other poems. This man is obviously very intelligent in the biological realm. But he also wanted to write poetry. As I sat here trying to figure out why this information would be put into a poem, I came up with a simple answer. He is simply doing what he loves. Does not God promise to give us the desires of our heart? How many of us have so many things that we love to do, but can't quite figure out what we want to do, or what God wants us to do? I love science and want to teach it one day. But I also want to be a missionary. I want to be a wife and a mother. I also love the elderly! I want to care for them one day. I want to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the helpless, and give hope to the hopeless. How can one accomplish all of this in one lifetime?! Why would God put so many desires in our hearts if not all of them can be fulfilled? I believe they can be fulfilled.

Let's get creative. Robert Hass loves science and poetry, and he made them work together. What things in our life can we join together and make work in harmony to be more effective? I don't know, just a thought I had as I was thinking about this poem. Think about the desires God has given you (not the desires you have because of being in this world, but the God-given desires) and how He wants you to use them. After all, they may be your desires, but its still all about Him!

Short Story..."Pride, Deception, Grief, and Mercy"

Black as night are the locks of her hair, and her shape more perfect than diamonds. I simply went for a walk on the roof; who would imagine my eyes would fall upon such beauty below. I wonder if she is given to another man? A woman with her splendor must be. But I am the king of Israel; I can have what I want, can I not? I am not just any king either, but the same king who is the slayer of the giant Goliath, the one who stood courageously before this beast when the other soldiers held back, shaking in their armor. Surely I am not boasting, but simply stating the truth just the way it is! I, King David, have been placed in the authority of kingship by God himself. I was called long before I was crowned; I deserve a little pride in myself by now. And I deserve that beautiful woman that I see below bathing in the sunlight.
“Messenger, go and send for that woman down there. I wish to speak with her. Does she belong to someone?”
“Yes my Lord. She is the wife of Uriah, your faithful soldier.”
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Well that complicates things a bit, but nothing I can’t handle. I just wanted to see her, it’s not like I am going to take her as my wife. And now that she is here in front of me, her beauty is even more radiant than I remember. Her countenance is innocent, and her eyes show the purity of her soul. Although her dress is beautiful, I am sure it doesn’t do justice for what is underneath. Is she as prude as she is quiet? How can I have her? Her dear husband is fighting my war, but he won’t even have to know; that is, if she can keep a secret. She’s quiet enough here in my presence, I’m sure she has to be a confidential person. There is only one way to find out. Besides, I am the king of Israel; if something goes wrong, it won’t be too hard to cover up a tiny problem.
~~~~~~~~~~
Uriah is a good man. From the day he started working for me, I have yet to find a flaw in his service, his character, his integrity. He is strong and fights hard in battle. He has been a faithful friend to me, more loyal than anyone I know. It will be hard to find a replacement, but it must happen. What’s done is done with Bathsheba. She is with child and it is not Uriah’s. But I am the king of Israel; I’m not going to let one person destroy my God-given kingship over one night with his wife.
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I thought Uriah might enjoy a night with Bathsheba, after being gone for so long in battle. But since he has refused to eat the food I offer and sleep in the guest quarters because he is restless and worried for the others who are unprotected, then I will put him where he can’t be protected. Tomorrow when he returns to battle, I will order that he be placed on the front line of battle. Because he is faithful he will do what is asked of him, even if it takes his life (the very thing I pray will happen).
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Oh Lord what have I done?! I tear my clothes in mourning over this act of murder. Why didn’t I see this before? Was I too arrogant to see the terrible sin and deceit that was in my heart? Is it too late to erase the events of these past days? I have gone from a great and mighty king to the lowest pagan that begs for mercy. Thank You for sending Nathan to me, your servant who came with a message through parable. He said the very thing I fear the most: I will lose the son that my new wife, Bathsheba, is carrying. All of Israel will know what I have done with her; they will realize the plot against Uriah, my good friend and faithful soldier. What kind of king will they think I am? Surely they will doubt my authority from this point on; my kingship will be ineffective. I’m going to fail as a king, a husband, a father, and as Your son, oh God. Will my heart ever be whole again? Will I be able to serve my land and care for my wife when my own strength is broken? My wife, my sweet and beautiful wife. She has lost her first husband to death, and now she will lose her second husband to death. For this is no way to live; although I eat and breath, I have no life in me. I have nothing to offer her; who will comfort her when her son is dead, and who will provide for her another son? Surely not I, oh Lord. I have nothing left to give. What I have is filthy and ragged. She deserves better than that; Israel deserves better than that. “Have mercy on me, Oh God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin….Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me- now let me rejoice….You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit….”
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As surely as I am alive today, the God of Israel lives and reigns! He is merciful and shows kindness to his undeserving servants. I, King David, cannot compare to the real King of Israel. It wasn’t long ago that I felt in ruins, but God has restored my strength. Israel still has their king, but I am a changed king. I don’t know that there is any pride left in me, for I know who I am without the Lord. He is so good; my beautiful wife has conceived again. She is due to give birth to a son soon, and he will be loved by God. Because of God’s mercy, I can still be the king, the husband, and the father I have desired to be all along. But it comes with a price, and that price is my life. A debt I am willing to pay, for it doesn’t come close to what I owe to the Lord. “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.”

Spring Break and a Little Exodus

I don't know about you, but my Spring Break passed entirely too quickly and left behind an urgency to wrap up this semester. But we can look at it two ways; the glass is half empty or half full! This semester I have really felt God tugging at me, but couldn't figure out what and why exactly. It's funny to me that He revealed that answer in literature during the break, because now I can write about i for my post :) Of course, that literature is the Bible and the story is found in the book of Exodus.

The church I have been going to has been doing a series on Moses and his walk through the desert. While it has been a great series, this week's message just really smacked me in the face as if to say, "This is what I have been trying to tell you!" The message was all about how much alone time we spend with God. The focus was on chapter 3 in Exodus, the encounter Moses had with God through the burning bush. Up to this point, Moses had been in the desert for 40 years tending to a flock of sheep. After 40 years of nothing but desert and sheep, God showed up; it just happened out of the blue. Moses wasn't expecting it. And even more importantly, he left his flock to go to the burning bush. Shepherds don't leave their flock; sheep are vulnerable and easy prey for predators. But because Moses left the flock and was alone with God, He showed up. How often do we leave out every day obligations to give our time/thoughts/meditations/energy to God? And when it does finally happen, how much time is given to Him? 5 minutes? 10? Yes it's true, we are pathetic. Our minds are so wrapped in this present day that we have lost our fear and reverence of an Almighty God. We are addicted to a chaotic lifestyle and expect God to move when we pray these microwave popcorn prayers.

In verse 6 it says that Moses hid his face from the Lord. He understood the divinity of God and gave Him the reverence that is due to Him. When did we lose this mindset? Was it when we started referring to God as the "man upstairs?" Once I saw this, I was disgusted with my feeble mind. I can't wait to see God in all of His glory and fully understand what it means to be in His presence.

This message just really put things back into perspective and helped me to see where my priorities lie. The things we give the most time to are the things we care about the most. I am really evaluating what that means in my life. I encourage anyone reading this to do the same. What are you addicted to that you can't kick? What's holding you back from giving in to God and making youself vulnerable to Him? These aren't always easy questions to ask ourselves. But if I can convince you to do one thing, it would be to...

get alone with God, before you have to get alone with God.

Sonny's Blues

This is definately my favorite piece read in this class so far. There were so many parts that I loved in James Baldwin's work, that I can't share them all with you. So I will just share a couple.

I think what I admired so much about this story was the honesty from the narrator in his real life situation. It was said how it was, with no sugar coating. We often get so well acquainted with lying to other people that we don't even know who we truly are anymore. An example of the honesty Sonny has with himself is in the following line:
"I've been something I didn't recognize, didn't know I could be. Didn't know anybody could be."
Is this something we can relate to? I know it is in my life, but I'm not about to sit down with someone and talk about it. And Sonny didn't either. He went on to say that he couldn't talk about it, "not to [his brother], not to anybody."

I would have loved to read this story from Sonny's perspective as well. I liked reading it from his brother's point of view, but I feel like Sonny has so many mysterious sides to him that I wish I could understand. Sonny seemed to have this wisdom that only a few possess. He knew his potential and what he wanted to accomplish. He knew what would make him and others happy. Or at least thats what it seemed like. Even though he was the younger brother, he seemed to be the one who fit into the right niche. Then again, the narrator doesn't talk much about his own life. I know that he is a teacher, has a wife, and lost his daughter. Does he not talk about it because he isn't happy with it? Or is it simply because this story is about Sonny and not him?

I would have liked the story to end a different way. I didn't totally understand the ending, but I did like how Sonny got to show his brother that he was living out his dream. Sonny brought his brother into his world, which is all he wanted all along. He just wanted people to respect him for who he was and the dreams he had. He wanted people to listen ...

"All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it."