Spirituality: Heavenly or Earthly?

From the start of the Christian movement to the present day, various segments within the Christian community have given expression to a pallid kind of aesthetic, otherworldly spirituality. In popular religious terminology, to be “spiritual” has usually connoted the idea of otherworldly piety. We have been taught that a “spiritual” person is one whose inner eyes are cast heavenward in prayer and contemplation, focusing on the joys of the life to come. To be “spiritual” implies that one is life-denying; it suggests communing with one’s heavenly Creator by focusing upon the invisible realities and eternal mysteries of God’s holiness. To live “spiritually” is often thought of in terms of passive detachment from this person is really consumed with one agenda: to win souls for the kingdom of heaven. All other activity, such as that which seeks to address the physical, material, and social needs of this world, is inferior and lacking in priority.

The above teaching about spirituality derives largely from the Greek understanding of the psyche, the “soul” or “spirit.” The Greeks taught that the psyche is the nonphysical, immortal part of a person. At death it espcapes the body and makes its way back to the world of eternal reality. Though Paul was a Jew of the Diaspora and hence doubtless familiar with the Greek perspective concerning the psyche, he “never conceives of the salvation of the soul apart from the body. Salvation means the redemption of the body of the whole created order as well (Rom. 8:21-23).”

In Hebrew thought, a person is a body-soul. He is viewed as a unity, a single entity, an indivisible whole. To the Hebrews, a person is not a soul or spirit which now inhabits and will at death desert a body. None of the Hebrew terms translated “soul” or “spirit” refers to the nonphysical part of a human being; this is dualistic Greek thinking, which, unfortunately, has influenced our understanding of these English terms. In Hebraic thought, “soul” or “spirit” refers to the whole person or the individual as a living being. It stands for the person himself. “The Old Testament view of man is that he is an animated body rather than an incarnated soul.” In short, human beings live as souls; they do not “have” souls.

[Here he goes into a brief study of the Hebrew words for soul and spirit. The primary point being “Man’s ‘soul’ is primarily his vitality, his life—never a separate ‘part’ of man.” Spirit carries the idea of animation, that which invigorates and brings to life the total person, body and soul. “[True piety] meant to be fully human, every fiber of one’s being alive, empowered in passionate and inspired service to God and humanity.”]

Westerners often define spirituality as denying oneself, being detached from earthly concerns, and being intent on otherworldly values. By contrast, the Hebrews experienced the world of the spirit as robust, life-affirming, and this-worldly in character. Such was the “spiritual” orientation of the Hebrews. So-called spirituality did not come by negating the richness of life’s experiences or withdrawing from the world. Instead, they affirmed creation by finding a sense of holiness in the here and now. There was no division between the sacred and the secular areas of life. It was all God’s world, and it was to be enjoyed without a sense of shame or guilt. In Paul’s words, “to the pure, all things are pure” (Tit. 1:15). As trustees and stewards of God’s world, human beings were to live within it and use it in accord with divine directives. Again, in Paul’s familiar Hebraic idiom, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Col. 3:23; cf. Eccl. 9:10).

Unfortunately, the history of the Church reveals that when Christians have become fixated upon finding the God of that other world to come, they have often missed finding the God of earth and history, the Creator of this world, in the here and now. Unlike the Hebrews of Bible times, who looked up to heaven but kept both feet squarely on the ground, Christians have not always learned so to balance themselves. It is the age-old problem of how we can keep the invisible from consuming the visible, the spiritual from negating the material, the theoretical from eliminating the practical, and belief from making us blind to behavior.

- Our Father Abraham, Ch. 10 “Where The Church Went Wrong” by Marvin R. Wilson

Was it worth it?

I've had a couple of people ask me if college was what I expected it to be or was it better or worse. Guess I might as well write on it and then anyone can read it if they really want to know. Well, I'm not entirely sure what my expectations were. There's all the stuff you see in movies and on tv about college and the little bit your friends tell you, but I knew that wouldn't be my experience. After all, I was going to a tiny Christian, liberal arts school, not the ivy league giant of my dreams. Not to mention I went in knowing there was something wrong with me and after less than a month there, I knew that there was no way I was going to have the "normal" college experience. I suppose my expectations were that it would be very hard, my grades would drop some, and it would be difficult for me to make close friends. In regard to those, it was hard, my grades have taken a hit but not really dropped overall, and I made some close friends but they aren't always what I expect. I, of course, didn't expect to be so sick and had no idea the way it would change my life. But what I really didn't expect was the incredible amount of grace that has been extended to me. The grace of my family when I have been obnoxious, unreasonable, grumpy, and emotional. The grace of my professors for exams and papers and leaving class. The grace of my friends for trying to understand, listening to me complain, and meeting me where I am at even when it is a long way from where they are. The grace of God as I backed away from him and as I make hesitant and often bumbling steps back. The person who has extended the least amount of grace to me is myself. My perfectionist tendencies and my strict ideals have not allowed much grace for my short-comings. Part of my learning experience at college has been finding that not everything I thought was a fault is one and the ones that are won't be fixed by beating myself up. It is hard to become a graceful young women that extends grace to others when you cannot extend that same grace to yourself. So, to answer the original question. I didn't have enough expectations to have them broken or fulfilled. College, however, was incredible. I haven't regretted going for a single moment.

Once a queen of Narnia...

Warning: This has a few vague spoilers if you haven't seen the movie. I also take the Chronicles of Narnia kind of seriously so if you don't, just stop reading here.

So last night I went to see the premier of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Altogether, I loved it, possibly more than the first film. Yes, they did deviate from the book, but in most places that didn't bother me. The one place it did was with Susan. I loved Susan's character. She is the warrior queen, strong and beautiful. There aren't always enough of those kind of good characters in movies and books. There was also the romance between Caspian and Susan which didn't really bother me all that much either. However, as much as loved Susan's character, what bothered me was it wasn't Susan. Some of the very reasons she was my favorite character were done away with in the film.

It all started with me listening to the Chronicles of Narnia on my iPod this past year. The last time I had read any of them was a good ten years ago and I didn't remember anything. So, when I found out that Susan doesn't go back to Narnia in the end, it made me sad. I know it doesn't say anything about her future and I firmly believe that she makes it eventually, but I found so much of myself to be similar to her that it disappointed me. My impression of Susan from the books is that she is a very practical, mothering person. She is hesitant because she is careful and sensible. Susan is the one who is ready to turn back from Narnia and go home, to wish they never came, and to think it is a bad idea to chase the stag. Adventure is risky so it is better to turn back and be safe. I see that in myself. I want adventure but I am afraid to go forward. She is called Queen Susan the Gentle. That is why it bothers me that she is fighting. Not because I don't think she shouldn't participate in the battle but because that is not what Susan would do. She doesn't fight because she can't stand to harm anything. Perhaps my "gentleness" would arise more from fear, but I can't stand to watch fights and if it came to war I could be hiding inside, thank you very much. Susan is a practical, sensible, logical person and I can't say that I would have been much more likely to have believed Lucy. In The Last Battle we find out that she has become more interested in clothes and being the wrong kind of grown up and is "no longer a friend of Narnia." I don't think there was a time when I haven't been in danger of that myself. So why do I want Susan to remain as she was in the books even though she is "better" in the movie? Because in the book, I can be Susan. Me, who is not brave, who does not like fighting, who will turn back, who is too practical, who doesn't alway believe, who sometimes wants to be too grown-up, who cares too much about the way I look-that person can be a queen in Narnia. And for that same reason, I must believe that she makes it to Narnia in the end.

As for the romance, that's not why we go to Narnia and the movie could have been just as good without it.



What I did absolutely love about the movie that surprised me was Edmund. You could see the story of his redemption continuing. Now we see what Aslan knew all along-the person Edmund could become. He is a courageous and forgiving person who has learned from his mistakes. Edmund was easily my favorite person in the movie.



Though I must say that Lucy would have been a close second. She was absolutely wonderful. I think Georgie Henley captures the character of Lucy magnificently.

Peter, on the other hand, was obnoxiously arrogant. It was his turn to learn a lesson. I didn't like him but I didn't mind that they did it. What I found to be very realistic was his fight in the train station. When Susan reminds him that they are kids, Peter's response is that he wasn't always. I think that's exactly how he would be. Once you have been the high king of a nation, why would you want to bow and scrape before others? For the same reason, I can sympathize with Susan when she says that she has just adjusted to life in England again. She had done the sensible thing and learned to make the best of the life she was left with. I can think of many times when a good thing has been denied and I resign myself to it and then it is thrust on me. It annoys me. Why couldn't I be given it before I had resigned myself? Of course I am happy, but still annoyed.



This was a great movie and I'm sorry that this has been really long. Kudos to you if you made it through the whole thing.

Winter Ball

Here are some pictures of the winter ball that my school held the Friday right after we came back. It was at a yacht club near here. I was too tired to dance very much but everyone else kept it up the whole time. We hit the cheesecake factory afterwards, of course. :)

The crazy dancing ladies (minus Steph who was still dancing)

Ali, need I say more?

This is what we really do on the weekends.

New Fashion trend...I'm all for it

I'm thinking "Where in the world did I find these two?"

(Part of) my lovely floor

Great advertisement for Gordon College right there...yup..

We love Ali!

My date :)

My roommate(s)

Something of a life update

I'm always disappointed when I visit a friend's blog and they haven't updated in a while. So, in case there are some reading my blog who feel the same sometimes, here is an update on my life.

Those of you who know about my recent bout of illness might being wondering how that is going. Weeeell, I wish I could say that the medicine worked instantly and that I am marvelously all better, however, reality has a way of bursting that bubble. In view of some lingering symptoms we are guessing that the medicine either hasn't built up in my system yet or the dosage needs to be upped or both. Also, I am still learning to adjust to this body that is now mine and accept that it will probably never be the one I had just a year and a half ago. It requires me to deal with things I had hoped to put off for a good twenty or thirty years and that is frustrating for someone whose body has always be able to do what she's told it to and sometimes even more than she's asked of it. Don't worry though, it hasn't been a waste. As a teenager I have learned what very few do...that I am not invincible. And now that I have lived, if only for a short time, with a body that felt (and was in many respects) about forty years older than it should have been, I appreciate every step I take that brings me closer to being nineteen again. It is true that you rarely know what a good thing you have until it is gone. If any of you can run, jump, play sports, exercise, breathe, feel your heart beat steadily, have a pillow fight, drive a car, walk in the woods, climb stairs, go a day without taking a pill... then thank God for it. Ok, I've finished my melodramatic sermon. Hey, I'm entitled to one every now and then.

On a completely different topic...I must admit that very pathetically I haven't been able to give anyone a satisfactory answer as to who my candidate is for this election. Honestly I don't have an opinion that I can call my own at this point. I've tried to refrain from discussing it since I haven't done my research yet. I do plan on voting this November, but I don't plan on making a decision before I have carefully looked at all of my options. At this time, I'd only be parroting the opinions of my family and that doesn't allow for intelligent conversation. So, for those who have asked, please be patient with me and I will be happy to share my opinions with you when they actually have some substance behind them.

As to what I have been doing on my break....nothing. Or almost nothing. I didn't really expect it to be productive but I was hoping I might have something to show for it. Sadly enough I really don't think I do. I have gotten to hang out with some great people and had a lot of fun with them. I've even read a book or two and started a load more. People keep telling me I deserve to be lazy for a while (my body has a way of agreeing with them) but laziness just doesn't sit well with me. I'm going to get too used to it and next week the craziness ensues once more. If I can get past my dread of new professors, harder classes, and sleep deprivation, then I am really looking forward to being at Gordon again. The challenges scare me but I know that the grace of God will get me through the next four months just as he got me through the last four. I absolutely loved my last semester and I'm very proud of what I accomplished. Hopefully I can say the same come the end of May.

I'll leave you with this picture of my (mostly) adorable girls. If only they could be this cute all of the time....

This is my paper that I did for my philosophy class, Antiquities. This is the second draft and while it could use another draft still, I was graded on this one and don't really have the time to do it. Hope you enjoy and please, feel free to give me your opinion on it. The assignment was to write an argumentative paper about something from Plato's Five Dialogues.

The Problem With Truth

Lyndsi Marzolf

Lyndsi: Who are you?

Simplicio: My name is Simplicio.

L: What are you doing here?

S: I'm looking for truth and I was hoping you could help me.

L: Why me?

S: You are taking a philosophy class, are you not?

L: Well, yes, I am.

S: So, you'd think that after studying the same texts for a couple thousand years somebody would have gotten to the bottom of it by now.

L: All right, since you put it that way, I'll give it a shot. I suppose I've got as good a chance as the next person. I should warn you though, we have been studying Plato's Five Dialogues, so I will probably talk about it a lot. After all, it was Socrates who said, "There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." But first I'd like to know why you are searching for truth.

S: Well, isn't that what you're supposed to do?

L: Please don't tell me that you are looking for truth only because you think you are supposed to.

S: No! I have another reason.

L: What is it then?

S: I want to know how life works and when you have the truth you know this.

L: Is that so? Why do you want to know how life works?

S: I guess because you need to know how life works in order to live the right way.

L: So, you don't think you are living the right way now?

S: If I was, then I wouldn't be looking for truth.

L: Why do you need to live the right way?

S: Living the right way or knowing truth, can make us prosperous. It gives us insight into the world to help us succeed. Also, knowing truth could help bring about justice and a better world. If we had truth, we could rid the world of deceit and without deceit most of the other vices wouldn't exist.

L: That is an admirable reason but what about truth just for the sake of truth? As soon as truth is used as a means to an end, I would say that it has lost its value because using truth for something is the same as manipulating it or sullying the purity of it which makes it, in a way, no longer truth.

S: I never thought of it that way.

L: Now that you've something to think about, let's move on. To begin with, what you think truth is?

S: I would say that truth is the thing that is reliable and that doesn't ever change.

L: It sounds like you agree with Plato's theory of Forms--that the Beautiful itself, or in your case the Truth itself, the thing that the beautiful, or true, here on earth participates in, cannot be changed in any way. In other words, what you are saying is that truth will always be the same as it is now. What was true at the beginning of time is still true today and will be true forever. It is upon this kind of truth that we may rely. Do you think that there can be more than one kind of truth? Is there any truth which changes from time to time?

S: No, truth cannot change. If it did it would no longer be true; it would be something else.

L: Would it be false or simply a statement that is neither true nor false but just is.

S: If it is not true then it must be false.

L: So you would say that my age, being 18 and some months at the moment, is false because it is always changing. From day to day I am not the same age as I was yesterday nor as I will be tomorrow. Does this make my age false? And what of time itself? From moment to moment it moves relentlessly on, never stopping, always changing. These things embody change, but it does not follow that they are false. By saying that truth never changes you have, in a way, boxed it in by time because things can change over time.

S: All right, my definition obviously didn't work, so now it's your turn.

L: My definition can pretty much be summed up by the word "absolute."

S: What in the world does that mean?

L: What I mean is that if something is absolute it is the ultimate, the foundation, unable to be divided or separated any more.

S: If truth is some kind of foundation, then what is it supporting?

L: Truth supports knowledge while at the same time knowledge reveals truth. Consider that scientists say that the atom, or whatever is the smallest known unit now, is what composes the physical part of our world. It makes up nature, the human body, and all of the other things we find tangible in creation, as well as a few intangible ones like gases and such. This does not hold true when it comes to the sound of music or the beauty of a sunset. Truth must then support things which are conceptual and that exist in the mind. Knowledge is what our minds hold. However, it takes knowledge to get to the truth.

S: I still don't get it.

L: Maybe some explanations and an example will clarify things. We can have knowledge of something that is made up of a number of facts. Facts are pieces of information that are valid. A bunch of these together constitute some knowledge. This knowledge can be misinterpreted or manipulated so that we perceive this knowledge wrongly. This leads to lies or falsehoods. Truth is reality, the way things really are regardless of how they are perceived. This reality cannot be changed in the sense that how we view it will not make it different then what it really is. In the Phaedo, Socrates describes truth as "all that is pure." In other words, it can't be affected by us. No matter how wrongly we perceive, the knowledge of what actually happened does not change and is not affected. Take a murder for instance. The fact that there is a dead body with a bullet hole in it, a gun lying on the floor, and blood all around would lead us to the conclusion or knowledge that the person was killed with a gun. Let's say that there is also the fact that Joe Schmoe will inherit a million dollars because of the murder. It may or may not mean that he committed the murder. For the sake of argument I will say that the truth is that he did not commit the murder and inheriting a million dollars has nothing to do with it. This can still be manipulated by someone to make him look guilty or it can be mistakenly misinterpreted, either one leading to a false belief or lie. However, the truth still is that he didn't do it and the inheritance doesn't matter. If the facts aren't manipulated we can use knowledge to get to the truth, so knowledge reveals truth. Truth supports knowledge in that knowledge itself is true and only through manipulation and misinterpretation is it false.

S: Yes, I suppose that does make more sense. It leaves room for truth to be right in every situation even if the next moment it is different. The problem is that there is one truth and the possibility of many falsehoods. That doesn't make the odds of finding the truth very good. If we are all searching for truth, then why would it be the hardest thing to find?

L: That also brings up the point of knowing truth when we see it. While having a conversation with Meno about the substance of virtue, Socrates describes something, he calls it true opinion, as a sort of knowledge that is unfounded but correct. It is as though it has been discovered by accident. If humanity possesses any kind of truth it is this true opinion which has been happened upon unintentionally. This only helps us when we have "guessed right" for as Meno wisely points out "the man who has knowledge will always succeed, whereas he who has true opinion will only succeed at times." The trouble being that we don't know when we have truth! True Opinion does not become knowledge until it has been justified. Often times we think we know something and then it is proved false. For example, people used to believe that the earth was the center of the solar system. Then along came a man named Galileo who discovered that the sun is the center of the solar system. Unfortunately he was forced to recant and to spend the rest of his life under house arrest, but that is beside the point. Our beliefs about the structure of an atom have changed over time as well. Also our knowledge of the inner workings of the human body have changed. Think of all the organs we used to believe were useless!! All these things we have at one point deemed knowledge that we knew to be true only to discover later that they were wrong. Can we really trust that we know anything for sure at all? Each of these ideas was ardently believed to be true but we now know (or think we know) it to be false. How many things do we hold as truth now that will one day be proved false? Maybe it is true that he is wisest who knows that he knows nothing.

S: Great, now I don't only not know what truth is but I also have to doubt everything!!

L: Wait, it gets better. Have you ever heard of the Liar's Paradox?

S: No. What is that?

L: Well, if you open the Bible to Titus chapter one and read the first part of verse twelve you will see that it says, "One of Crete's own prophets has said it: 'Cretans are always liars.'" Would you believe this statement?

S: Yes, I think he of all people would know what he was talking about.

L: That is just it! He just said that all Cretans are liars and yet he himself is a Cretan.

S: Then that would make him a liar.

L: This is where the paradox comes in. For if he is lying, then the opposite would be true, that all Cretans speak the truth. But, if he is lying, then all Cretans do not speak the truth. Yet, in saying that all Cretans lie he would be telling the truth. It just goes around and around.

S: That is extremely difficult to understand.

L: You should try explaining it sometime. Now, from what I have said, is the Cretan's statement true or false?

S: I have no idea.

L: Well, if the statement is true then he is a liar. If the statement is false then is not a liar. We don't really know which one he is, so is it possible that something is both true and false at the same time?

S: That can't be right!

L: Have you got a better answer? If Socrates was right when he said "the very good and the very wicked are both quite rare, and that most men are between those extremes," then maybe truth can have a little of the false in for we already know that falsehoods can possess a little truth.

S: Fine, if we can't know what truth is then what is the point of there being any? According to what you've said, we can know what it is but never recognize when it is in front of us. Why do we keep searching for it?

L: Now that is a question worth considering. First of all it is a bit presumptuous to think that we could understand what truth is and to recognize it when we have so seemingly little experience with it. That aside, it could be that we are born with the need or desire for it. Or truth could be something that we live off of, a kind of food. Maybe truth is the food that our souls need to survive. When speaking of the immortal soul, Socrates says that when investigating by itself the soul "passes into the realm of what is pure." We've already seen that he calls this purity truth and that he considers the purpose of the soul to be separating itself from the body. So, it may be more likely that the search for truth is something we require. Maybe it does something for us that we are not aware of but that we desperately need. For all we know, it could be the entire purpose of our existence.

S: This is getting just a little bit depressing.

L: Don't say that! Who knows? Perhaps finding out why we need truth is more important than actually getting the truth.

Here are some of the fascinating things that I am learning in my Old Testament class. It's hard to believe I would never have learned these things if I hadn't come to Gordon!

- There are four different interpretations for the creation days. The word for day in Hebrew is Yom and this can be taken as a literal day or as a long or indefinite period of time. The four theories are the literal, Gap Hypothesis, Day-Age theory, and Framework Hypothesis. I had never heard of the Framework Hypothesis before. It believes that the order of creation is a literary framework that arranges things topically. It is from the viewpoint of an observer and so sees itself as the pinnacle of creation. The number seven is one of completion and perfected, hence seven days.

- In Genesis 2:18, the NIV and many other Bibles have translated in the God made a "helper suitable" for man. The Hebrew phrase is ezer kenegdo and the a better translation of it is "a power equal to him." (I wrote an entire paper on this one, so feel free to ask me about it!)

- The creation story is filled with literary puns that you can only catch if you know Hebrew. For instance, the word for ground or dust is adamah and the first man taken from dust is called Adam.

- There are three theories about the flood and how much land it covered. It was either geographically and ethnographically universal, geographically local and ethnographically universal, or geographically and ethnographically local.

- When Abraham is trying to buy the cave of Machpelah to bury his wife Sarah in, Ephron was pressing him to buy the land along with the cave because if the owner only sold part of it according to Hittite law he must continue to pay taxes and take care of military services.

- I now know how the Hebrew Bible is split up. The last book is 2 Chronicles because the last phrase in 2 Chronicles is "Let him go up!" referring to Jerusalem. The last verse in Micah is morbid and they didn't want a morbid verse to end their Bible.

- We've learned the translations of the Old Testament and a LOT about Hebrew culture.

- The Ten Commandments or Decalogue (as well as Deuteronomy) uses the format of a Hittite Suzerain Treaty (that is one of a lord to a vassal nation). There are six parts to this treaty and it follows it very closely.

- I know the laws that make things Kosher and the Holidays of the Jews both periodic and annual.

This may sound like bragging (I suppose in a way it is) but really I just want to share some of the awesome stuff I've learned about my Bible and we're only through Deuteronomy!! I'm not an expert by any means, but if any of this stuff interests you, let me know and I'd be happy to get you some more information. Don't miss out!!

A Love Worth Waiting For.....

A letter from husband Sullivan Ballou to his wife during the Civil War.

July 14, 1861
Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah:
The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days—perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more . . .

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing—perfectly willing—to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt . . .

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness . . .

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again . . .

"Good For You Australia"

This was said by the prime minister of Australia, John Howard. Let me know what you think.

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia : one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia ." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,

'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

I will lift my eyes

Between impossible papers due soon, hard tests coming up fast, health problems with so many complications, very little sleep, restricted activities, and screwy relationships, I'm feeling a good many reasons to scream, swear, and just generally throw a hissy fit. But I have been meditating on a verse in James 1: 4 that advises me otherwise. I spend my free hours digging through the Bible looking for verses to hold on to as my world spins out of control and I sing myself this song.....

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

So, now that every mountain and every hill for that matter, has become something I literally can't climb, I lift my eyes and ask him to hold me.

100 things about me

I saw this on my friends blog and I think it's a cool idea, so I'm going to give it a shot. Here it goes.....

1) I love philosophy
2) I think mornings are the best part of the day
3) I come alive in the autumn
4) I think the White Mountains in the fall is one of the most breathe-taking sights I'll ever find
5) I love to swing
6) In the spring I go around smooshing ant hills
7) I love hugs
8) I like to snuggle things when I watch movies
9) I wish my hair was long and wavy
10) I don't like to take medicine
11) I've wanted to be a writer since about the third grade and I've never changed my mind
12) I live and breathe books
13) I think Calla lilies are elegant
14) I love photographs of my friends and family
15) I want to travel to every country in the world at least once
16) I love thunderstorms
17) I have never broken a bone in my body
18) I have gone indoor skydiving
19) I want to go outdoor skydiving
20) I am afraid of being alone on cold dark, nights
21) I am terrified of fire
22) End times movies and books scare me
23) Sea turtles are my favorite animal
24) I love moose
25) I love seeing tall, white church steeples sticking out from among the trees against a blue sky
26) I have been to North Dakota more times than you have probably said the name
27) I think Leonardo da Vinci is the coolest man of the renaissance
28) I like being alone with my thoughts
29) I love Winnie the Pooh and especially Eeyore
30) I love the wind
31) I hate it when it's hot
32) I have been to Budapest, Hungary
33) I hate it when kids bash education and religion
34) I love the word September but October has better color so it's growing on me
35) I love to write letters and receiving them is twice as good
36) My favorite time in history is the 1800s
37) I love warm apple cider with cider donuts
38) I've always wanted to Irish step dance
39) Little Women is my favorite book and I've read it at least six times
40) I love the Regency time period and everything Jane Austen wrote
41) I keep a journal
42) I'm teaching myself Russian
43) I hate highlighting, bending, underlining, or in anyway harming books
44) I wish I had one amazing black and white photo of myself
45) My nervous habits are twirling my hair and playing with my necklace
46) Breakfast is my favorite meal
47) I love peanut butter
48) I really love fresh bread/muffins
49) I've seen a full double rainbow
50) I like to think
51) I need plenty of sleep
52) I don't like talking to people I don't know very well on the phone
53) I like warm food on a cold day
54) One of my pet peeves is ditsy girls you are boy-crazy and say "like" too much
55) I wish my hair looked nice long but it always seems to be better short
56) I like to snack on nuts
57) However vain this sounds, I like my eyes
58) I used to wish that my parents had named me Amanda
59) Even though I still like the name Amanda, I love my name and how its spelled
60) I put a lot of value on education, probably too much sometimes
61) My favorite clothing styles are classic and some preppy
62) I can be very shy and extremely quiet (too shy and quiet most of the time)
63) I think books can be some of the best comfort
64) I want my own library in my house someday with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a fireplace
65) I love windows
66) I like to make lists
67) I hate coffee and don't really like to drink soda
68) A good deal of my busyness is self-imposed
69) I like making gifts for people
70) I want to dance in the rain
71) I can work really hard when I need to
72) I get headaches a lot
73) I hate disappointing people
74) I love teals, greens, greys, blues, purples, orange, and very much greyish-blue
75) I love Bible verses when the words I read are the ones resonating in my heart
76) I love pictures that spontaneously capture the moment
77) I love the contrast of the blue of the Aegean Sea against the white stone in photos of Greece
78) I love clean movies that give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside or find my adventurous side
79) I love the feeling that comes from knowing the right answer to a difficult question
80) Sometimes I wish I stayed in gymnastics
81) I like the uniqueness of saying that I am a mime
82) I like being thin
83) I can be very selfish
84) I worry about my habits annoying other people
85) I feel free when I dance
86) I like grey spelled g-r-e-y not g-r-a-y whether it's right or not
87) I love Gaelic
88) I wish I treated other people the way Jesus would
89) Once you have my friendship, it's an awfully hard thing to lose
90) I don't like to dream at night
91) I love my dog Holly and am going to cry like a baby when she dies
92) I have always wanted to learn Hebrew and read the Bible in its original language
93) I love having my family around and spending time with them
94) I want to write a good book, a really, really good book
95) I love the elves from LOTR and have wished I could be one :)
96) I think Tolkien and Lewis were literary geniuses and I'd be happy to write half as good
97) I have often wished to be a L. M. Montgomery heroine
98) "hideous conceit and low self-esteem in equal measure" is what I find in myself a lot
99) I have the hardest time finishing stories and I usually delete them anyway
100) I love God and will follow him all the days of my life

It was hard to think of 100 things at first and it took a long time to do but towards the end I could think of more. This is a pretty random assortment so don't be afraid to ask questions. I'd love to hear what you think about yourself or me no matter how many you come up with. Hope you all enjoy getting to know me a little better.

It's been a while...

Wow, I haven't updated this blog in a loooong time. I guess when a series of posts is unfinished it's rather intimidating to come back and face something unresolved. However, I want to start blogging again so I'm back and refuse to let myself feel guilty for not finishing. Just got to keep going forward. So, for those of you who like reading my blog (I hope there are some) you can look here for sporadic updates.

Pictures - Part IV

Mr. Whissel and his cat.

The beautiful Jen Stone.

Historical Houses.

Our group.

A church.

Sanctuary type place.

Little tiny well.

Water wheel.

Eboya and me.

Catey and Lessa.

Downtown Uzhorrod.

The friendly little black dog. Isn't he cute?

Crossing the street.

Inside the cafe.

Cool place, huh?

Ukraine Trip 2007 - Part IV

Day 6: We made a morning excursion to visit a historic village in Uzhorrod. They have houses from all through the centuries to show how the houses in Ukraine have changed. Some of them have been transported from all around the country. We had a guide and it was pretty interesting. The things they could do with hay is quite incredible. Walking around the city itself is always fun. It's exactly how a European town is portrayed in the movies. There are street dogs everywhere and this year I was able to ignore them most of the time. Being a dog lover it was more difficult the first year. I was doing great until Jen and I spotted this little, black pathetic looking thing. He was so mild and submissive. He let us come right up to him and pet him. He just seemed to be soaking up all of the attention. I didn't want to leave him and wondered what Mom and Dad would say if I brought home another dog. However, Mr. Whissel was keeping a close eye on us and he dragged us away before I had a chance to do anything. After freezing for a while we stopped in at a small cafe that was really crowded. It was a lot like Starbucks but smaller so there was no seating only counter space. I had a hot chocolate and I think it just might have been the best I've ever tasted. Back at Nehemiah we had to don our mud gear again. This time we were visiting a gypsy village pronounced something like Zereechivo. Thankfully we were not crammed into a van but were able to take a bus. I sat next to Lessa watching everything. My mind was pretty distracted that day. This village was even more mudding than the first with a few brown spots that were definitely NOT mud. This mud was different. It suction-cupped to your shoes and you had to work for every step. No wonder they have a pump to wash their shoes before they go into the church. This building was even smaller than the last. Pastor Paul had us praying for healings for different people. My mind was far away where it had no business being and so I spent the rest of our short time there beating myself up for it. It can be pretty depressing watching everyone around you have this great spiritual experience and connecting with all the poeple around them and you can't seem to reign your mind in and concentrate. Walking out of the village I was having a full blown pity party. A couple of the girls were walking with some little kids who had had their pictures taken about a million times. This little blond angel came up beside me so I took her hand and we sloshed our way through the mud. Before we got to the road she stopped beside a house. I figured it was hers and she was going to go in but instead she ran behind the house. I kept walking to the other side thinking that she was going to come around but she was gone. I looked around a little but just like that she had disappeared. In the bus the girls behind me we sobbing and going on about how they had to come back some day and they started praying. What they were doing was what they should have been doing but it was not what I wanted to listen to right then. Lessa had patted the seat beside her for me to sit with her again, so I did. She let me lay my head on her shoulder and close my eyes. I was so mad at myself for being distracted and missing out and not being one of the girls crying my eyes out over the whole thing. I just stayed there for about ten minutes, silent tears running down my face, praying to God. When I sat up Lessa took my hand in hers, snuggled right up to me, and rested her head on me. Sitting there holding her for the next half hour I was so blown away by the fact that she had practically nothing and no one in the world and barely any hope of anything better and yet she was comforting me who had friends, family, possessions, and the chance to do anything I want. Talk about being humbled. Those next thirty minutes were the best ones of the entire trip for me. I would have done the whole thing just for that. That night was pretty much like the previous. We did bead work in the prayer room while indoor games of frisbee and ball were going on. It was a little dangerous just sitting there like a target while I worked on a necklace. Within five minutes I was smacked by three frisbees and a ball. I suppose it was slightly more dangerous later when we were up on the second floor putting the girls to bed. It was hot in the room so we opened the window. The windows there don't have any screens so I hung my legs over the ledge and managed to freak everyone out. It scared them more when Tiana pretended to push me out. lol.

Pictures - Part III

Playing "Down by the banks..."

Soccer!!!

Talk about ultimate frisbee...go Tiana!!

Back: Slava Front: Sasha

"There goes another one!"

Watching Cars.

Ukraine Trip 2007 - Part III

Day 5: Monday morning I was reunited with some of our translators from last year. Jen, Tiana, and I were put in one group with Valya as our interpretor. I was surprised that she remembered me from last year. I was surprised when anyone remembered me. Ira's sister, Marianna, was also there again. (They look SO much alike.) The boys had Olya who had been there last year as well. Our guests arrived about ten that morning. Our group had a 16-year-old girl named Eboya. You could tell immediately that she was gypsy and very shy. She was so shy that for most of the time she was there we couldn't tell if we were making any difference or if her time at Nehemiah was affecting her at all. To break the ice Valya had us play some games that let us get to know each other. Then we had a big game of "Down by the banks." We discovered that Eboya LOVES sports. You name and she can do it. Katharine and Catey's girl, Lessa, was less reserved and more open and affectionate. The two boys we had were Slava (13) and Sasha (11). They were really small for their age. Sasha looked about 7 but, boy, did they have energy! We took them outside after lunch. There was a tennis court that worked for an enclosed space to play in. There were several games of soccer and frisbee going on at the same time. It was kind of crazy in there. Slava enjoyed sending frisbees out over the fence into the next yard, so Sam Penkacik and Mr. Kempe took turns climbing it to go retrieve them. Having rock climbers with us sure did come in handy. There is a small playground there as well and we spent some time on that but by then it was getting a bit cold. Before dinner we watched Cars. Well, I didn't. I went to lay down for a while because my head was throbbing but everyone else did. It was supposed to be in Ukrainian (Cars was the first professionally translated movie into Ukrainian) but Valodya couldn't get home in time to get it for us. I think the kids could understand most of it anyway. After dinner there we did bead work and played duck, duck, goose in Russian (accompanied by Steve on the drums). Valya also taught us this crazy but fun game called Eatchquake and Shake. You take three people and form a house with two (like in London bridge) with one person in the middle. There is on person who isn't in a house and they have to say earthquake or shake. If they say shake then just the people in the house have to switch house. If they say earthquake then everyone has to change to a new position. The only person left out is the next to call the shots. It can be really hilarious and we played it for the longest time. Around nine we put the kids to bed. It had been a long day and we were all ready for a break. Catey and I stayed up just a little bit late talking that night. :)