Why I Read

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

-Dr. Suess

One of my favorite things about being at New College Franklin is our reading list. Honestly, I didn't know it was even possible to read through as many books as we're assigned in any given term. And I thought I was a fast reader! Yeah, right. :)

So... currently on the reading list:

• The Prince by Machiavelli -- God's idea of government and authority is radically different from man's! Without acknowledging that God is Lord of government as much as every other sphere of life, civil government is basically hopeless.
• Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry -- Ever read Wendell Berry? It's a must, just sayin'. So sweet and simple. And my perfectly absent-minded professor loves his writing. I can't blame him. :)
• An Imaginary Tale: The Story of the Square Root of Negative One -- Yikes. This one is so tough, and I can't follow all the equations!

And... one of my favorite things about being on spring break is that I don't have assigned reading. So, instead I'm reading a book by Robert Murray McCheyne, a minister in the church of Scotland in the mid 19th century. Fabulous thus far. Hopefully I'll even pick up a novel if it comes in at the library soon!

Carrots!

You've probably seen various versions of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" idea. Some say "Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate" or "Keep Calm and Find Yourself a Mr. Darcy" (that's one of my favorites). Anyway, they've been all over recently. Being a redhead myself, when I found this one just the other day I thought it was by far the best. Anne of Green Gables is certainly a classic character full of cheerful life, loveable sweetness... and a bit of a temper at times. ;)

In one especially funny scene, Gilbert Blythe is sitting right behind Anne Shirley's desk at school. He is desperate for Anne's attention but nothing seems to work. So, as a final resort, he pulls on one of her bright orange-red braids and whispers, "Hey, Carrots!" Anne lost her composure in less than a heartbeat and became so angry that her face turned as red as her hair. Picking up her slate, she slammed it on top of his head as hard as she possibly could, screaming, "How dare you!" Of course, the slate shattered.

I LOVE that scene!

So, in honor of Anne's heroic act to universally uphold the good name of redheads (which, by the way, does not include "Carrots"), here's one piece of advice in true Anne Shirley fashion: "Don't keep calm... he just called you carrots!"

Delightful Purpose

A paper I recently wrote for Arts and Letters class. :) We've been reading Supper of the Lamb (Capon), On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs (Schall), and Jayber Crow (Wendell Berry).

In a practical world influenced by Francis Bacon's scientific method and consumed with college education for technical skills only, everything that does not function in a need-based role is nearly discarded as purposeless. The age-old question of “why am I here?” is answered with advice for finding a fulfilling career or setting a quantifiable goal without ever actually pausing to wonder why we are here. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is not the extraordinary talent of the man who runs a mile in less than four minutes, but that he is made to run. G. K. Chesterton said, “We should always endeavor to wonder at the permanent thing, not at the mere exception. We should be startled by the sun, and not by the eclipse. We should wonder less at the earthquake, and wonder more at the earth.” Something about the mundane, everyday is the most curious. The question of “why am I here?” is found in a more glorious answer than the one usually given. Our purpose is found in the beauty of being unnecessary.

Forgetting My Name

So, went to Starbucks the other day and ordered 3 white mocha things. The guy totaled my order. I was concentrating on getting the exact amount of change when he asked me my name. "Uhh... Lisa." (Now let's be clear that I didn't forget my name, I just wasn't thinking about it right when he asked. Can YOU count up 64 cents and answer a tough question at the same time? Yep, that's what I thought.) 

Anyway, my order came. The name written on all 3 coffee cups: Alisa. :)

It's Complicated...

Yep, this title says it all: life is complicated. Sometimes it's so much easier to make everything more complicated than more simple. For me at least, I tend to overanalyze instead of assuming the best, and assuming something crazy and dramatic is going on instead of not worrying. For some reason, it just comes naturally. (Why is that?) Anyway, the Botkin sisters wrote a book called It's (Not That) Complicated. Basically, just from what I've seen, it looks fabulous. Here's a little excerpt from Chapter 7:

We torture ourselves over quandaries like, “At exactly what point in my thought process did my favorable thoughts towards a young man turn into sin? Did I cross the line when I started naming our imaginary future children? …or was it back when I was wondering what color the bridesmaids’ shoes should be? How about when I first admired what a servant’s heart he has?”We ask the wrong question when we ask, “Is having a crush a sin?” The Bible doesn’t actually say, and the reason is because “emotional purity” is a made-up moral category. And it’s giving a lot of us feelings of (unbiblical) guilt for committing some dreadful nebulous crime that there is no definition for, when the answer would actually be very clear if we phrased the question using biblical terms. There are plenty of real moral categories for real sins – like lust, covetousness, idolatry, fear of man, vain imaginations, and presumptuous sins. How much clearer would things be if we would just go ahead and say, “I’ve made an idol out of a young man; is that wrong?” or, “I’m having lustful thoughts for this guy – is that a sin?”The Bible gives plenty of clear commands, both positive and negative: Guard your heart. Love the brethren from a pure heart. Think on what is pure and what is true. Don’t covet. Don’t lust. Have self-control. Take every thought captive.

No worries, this book is on my wishlist of books to read in the near future. I'm excited! :)
It's (Not That) Complicated by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin