I'm a WHAT?

How frightening. Apparently I'm a minion throng. I've never been one of those before. I always thought it took more than one person to be a throng. But a reliable source told me otherwise. Or at least they have insinuated that I was someone's minion throng.

Does this mean I get group rates and museums and stuff?

Sacrifice

My sister's favorite sport is military style marching band. After seeing this you may understand. I'm trying to resign myself to a fate I have brought upon myself. I don't mean to sound like a martyr, but it's one tough descision to make to keep oneself from participating in something that has intrigued you for a while, and you have watched from the sidelines for several years. I'm learning to appreciate the joys of others. This is my siblings' sport. I have other things to do with my life. But you can be sure, that for the next couple of years I will be cheering for the Marching Dutch with all my might.

Bittersweet. Yeah. I'm making faces. This is tough to think about. I think I will have a couple sobbing fits this summer while I berate myself for not staying in band. But it's for the best, I think.

So what should my favorite sport be? Is contra-dancing a sport?

How far is heaven?

I generally object to people saying such and such a thing as "heaven on earth," but I have found something that I would describe as "a little slice of heaven." Ah, yes. Dancing.

I haven't been dancing recently. Not really. Not unless you count dancing with my sister (I in the part of a gentleman), as we teach ourselves dances or write them. But maybe that does count, we've been drawn a lot closer since we've discovered dancing.

Christian community is marvelous. What more could one say?

But dancing isn't everything. I know some people who, strange to say, prefer card games to dancing. I also know some people who prefer to just sit and talk (but they are mostly *coughcough*), that's cool, too.

For me, dancing is the fusing of music and movement and something rather mathematical, too. Nevermind, contra dancing specifically is marvelous because it's not "just me and my guy", it's me and my partner and this other couple, or, in the case of the Virginia Reel, me and my partner and this whole roomful of people. You spend your time meeting new people. I always make some comment or greeting. Generally it's the same for every couple, but if they're also talkative I might say something different. Back to music, everyone loves moving in rhythm, right (I'm not actually sure this is true, I'm a musician if a poor one, and love music and rhythm)?

But why dance? One answer is the will is the slave of the body, alright, you may deny on some grounds, we're all free in Christ, right? But admit it; when you're hungry, you eat. Starving yourself to death is one tough pill to swallow. I have this on good faith from my father, a convert to the love of dancing (I have always loved it, I think), that since actually trying it, he has found that it's not as silly as it seems. Not to say it's not silly, if it wasn't it would hardly be an activity that I would love so much. It is actually possible to make yourself have fun. Choose not to believe it, if you will, but I am fairly certain. So why not make yourself have fun? Good, clean, old-fashioned-type fun (not to say that that which is old is automatically good, but this is time-tested enjoyment).

Morning Walk

On clouds, rain, sunshine, and resurrection.

Golden hues from wealthy clouds
Are lodged up in the sky.
Gentle rumbles threaten rain
As I go walking by.

The sun is shining up above
There's a smile on my face
I'm as happy as a lark
The world is filled with grace.

I look up, upon the clouds
A sweet celestial view
Then I chuckle at the use
Of childish pinks and blues

God Almighty, God the King
Does not scorn to show His light
In means to us seem foolishness
He makes display of might.

His love has caused this turn-about
This foolish death and life
Ultimately it is this joke
That is the end of strife.

Wow. I've never had the pre-destination argument in person. I've only ever argued it online. Until now. Dr. Kleven is a bit too clever for me, but Robert was going for the Open Theism argument. That one's *old*. Fortunately, I had good Reformed friends to help me argue my case.

We may have gotten off the topic, which was, orginally, Mere Christianity, but it was a good experience and it's delightful to see some young apologists honing their skills, as I try to do.

C.S. Lewis was marvelous. If he was RC they would have sainted him by now, or started to. (er..is that 'canonized'? I'm pretty sure the RCs don't use 'sainted')

We ate cookies, too. And I know who the smartest people in that class are: Chris and Josh; they know when to quit talking, and don't have to join every little argument, when we start going off on bunny trails.

Blogging: A venial sin?

People always talk about the internet as being sort of "anti-social" and "childish" and "uncommunicative". This makes no sense to me, several of my fairly good friends, and Christian encouragers were met at the Classical Christian online school that I took Latin from (for a brief time, and hope to take more again). For a while, they were pretty much my only friends, as at that point I had no one to associate with at church, was homeschooled (still am, but being at the public school three days a week for band allows you to meet some people), and even in the homeschool group, there weren't very many people I shared any interests with, etc.

I particularly like blogging, which is looked on by some as being almost down-right wicked, and certainly selfish. I suppose it is self-centered of me to post my thoughts on the World-Wide-Web, and expect them to be read and commented on, but in general I expect nothing of the kind. I'm humble as they come (eh, what?).

Blogging allows one to organize one's thoughts, to record the events of the day, and to instruct oneself, by reading what you wrote (seriously, sometimes, it's like my subconscious takes over, and I don't know what I'm writing 'til I'm done). Some would say that a private journal would serve just as well, and be less assuming, but a personal journal does not allow you to keep up with you less-than-personal friends (the sort of people whose lives interest you, and you love to interact with, but who you do not know particularly closely), and to practice your prose. I would say that my writing, grammar, and spelling have improved greatly since I began blogging on my xanga. Which, by the way, brings me to the point of why I have this blog. The fact is, I cannot remain serious on my xanga, and besides that, each post on my xanga is a work of art, a carefully crafted one, designed to make people laugh or smile or whatever. A blog where fewer (not less) people read could be an excellent thing, as I may feel less pressure to keep the jokes coming. Not, of course, that that is a facade. Quite the reverse! However, I do enjoy being serious once and a while, but I worry that no one can take you seriously if you make it your serious buisness to make people laugh. Anyway, blogging is a method of communication that can be both effective and enjoyable.

Home again, home again, jiggity jog

Back home from an adventure in Carbondale. What fun we had!

A poem I wrote a few weeks ago, about the Song of Roland, and the battle cry of Charlemagne's men.

"Mountjoy!" they cry, and away they ride,
Heedless of death or turning tide.

"Mountjoy!" they say, and away they go
Off to die at the hand of the foe.

"Mountjoy!" they shout, "For Charlemagne!
For God and country!" they heed no pain.

"Mountjoy!" cries Roland, though death is near,
"For Christ!" he says; he has no fear.

"Mountjoy!" each whispers as he goes to his Lord
All are ready to meet the sword.

"Mountjoy!" shouts Roland, but once more;
As he dies, his soul doth soar.

"Mountjoy!" each says as he met his death
They have fled from fallen earth.

"Mountjoy" echo the hills in mournful tones
At the death of these e'en nature groans.

"Mountjoy!" 'tis true, they will shout no more
All have passed through heaven's door.