The Imaginary Invalid

I would first like to say that I paid 7 dollars and sat through the whole entire play of The Imaginary Invalid in Bush Chapel on Friday night.

With that out of the way, I just wanted to say that this play blew my mind. It was insane and incredible; a perfect duo like yin and yang. I was thinking that who ever wrote this must have been under the influence of drugs at some point.

The actors were casted well. The directing was extremely wonderful. The set really made my mouth drop to the floor when it opened up. I also enjoyed the dancers in the beginning.

Each and every part of this play was purposely directed/written/acted/staged and I was on the edge of my seat just trying to keep up with the witty one lines and fast past monologues.

However, my favorite part of the play was the rock opera in the middle. I cried because I was laughing so hard. They did such a wonderful job singing and dancing and I've never seen anything like it.

I went with three people: myself and two guy friends. One guy loved it and the other said it was okay. I think the difference in the reaction depended on the appreciation.

The loved one felt the same way I felt and valued the play for everything it was.

The liked one felt like the play was okay but not worth the seven dollars. It kept him from appreciating the play.

I guess we all have something that keeps us from truly appreciating the lives we were given. Whether it is money or time, we often get distracted from enjoying things to the fullest. I think these issues also keep us from enjoying literature.

So it is my goal to read as much as I can and ENJOY it. I always read because I have to. And sometimes, I read the Bible because I feel like I have to, not because I want to. And when you are forced to do things, you often do not appreciate them as much.

In order to live life to the fullest, I believe it's nessecary to appreciate and value each thing that is put in front of us to the fullest!

Wikipedia is Spiritual

In class on Monday, we were raising all sorts of questions and classroom bedlam if you will. My confusion and concern for my grade in this class was thankfully shared with others because who likes to be confused and concerned alone? I took down notes on how to effectively blog and perhaps raise my blog posts grade with some quality points.

How to be risky...
-quote others
-quote professors
-puppet shows
-other creative outlets

I want to strive and not live a life that is the same every day. Whether it's trying questionable food at the Restaurant or if it's just trying to get a better grade by studying differently, it's still my goal to try new things in life. So, I hope to become risky with my blogging.

Today I choose to (drum roll)...QUOTE THE PROFESSOR.

Now, putting aside everything I just said, I would like to take a drastic and risky turn towards the comment "Wikipedia is spiritual".

Wikipedia was highly frowned upon by my classes in high school and in community college my English professor was a hippie from the 70's who only talked about conspiracy theories.

So needless to say, I try to stay away from the murky, vague waters of wikipedia.

I remember once I saw on the Colbert Report a Word about Wikipediality and basically told his viewers to change Wikipedia's page on elephants saying that they were extinct. This did happen because viewers were faithful, and wikipedia was revamped.

Now that it's harder to change it is more credible, but spiritual?

I try to understand how "everything is spiritual", but sometimes fail. How can looking up things(non-Jesus related) be spiritual?

After thinking, I don't think I have a correct answer to this quote that stuck out to me. However, I do understand that Wikipedia is such a cornerstone in accessible information on the Internet. Maybe one day I will look back in my rocker and say in an old voice "Thank God for Wikipedia". Or maybe not. Who knows...

Blogging

Blogging to me is a way to hash out thoughts, ideas, and opinions on certain aspects of life. I think a beautiful thing about blogging is that you are not bound to one certain area. As far as your mind can think and your fingers can type is the only limitations you have to blogging.
I think having to write two blogs a week has really expanded my mind to think more and more as the days go on. I'll hear a quote and think "Wow, I'd really like to write about this" and then put it in my phone as a note. Or I will just be walking around even just blogging in my head almost to write down later. Sometimes though I do enjoy sitting down and typing on and on(like now) about subjects. This proves that blogging is pretty limitless.
Blogging is good for a literature class too. How do we partake in literature if we just read it? Do we really engage the text by just skimming a few lines or finding a favorite quote that we could easily pick out like that? When we blog not only do we write down our ideas on a subject, but we also think fresh new ideas from just blogging. Things we never thought about before could come up in the process of just typing out words on a screen.

Poetry

While walking in a graveyard, I think it's easier to understand Walt Whitman's poem. It is the same gloominess and melancholy that fills your heart that Whitman has as well.

If we actually walk as the writer walks and think as the writer thinks, I believe the more connected we are to his works.

This experience almost moved me to tears. I am a highly emotional person, but I usually am not so easily moved by texts. Due to other events though, I really could feel the pain that Whitman had for Lincoln's funeral.

I don't usually go on walks in graveyards, but I might have to rethink this. Just kidding, but honestly, I now appreciate more than I ever would before because of one simple walk.

And I will pour out My Spirit...

I painted a picture of what I thought it meant to pour out God's Spirit upon believers. I wish I had more time to finish my painting, but I still think it gets the point across.

Prophet

In class we read Joel outloud letting the Spirit lead us to stop and go. Such a simple task like reading something out loud seemed easy enough, but after a while when each person read a certain passage, my heart felt as if it wasn't as simple nor easy to read it out loud.

If we take a look at the life of a prophet we know for certain that they are dedicated to the Lord. We know that they are bold and sold out for God. However, do we realize the pain and anguish they went through? Some prophets had families. And living in a community that only wanted to hear the good could leave to the prophet and their family in danger.

I think what is worse is the fact that the prophets feel legitmate burdens from God. We might today romanticize what a burden really is or at least a burden from God. I can imagine that the pain is intolerable to the heart. When a prophet spoke out to the crowd, they we're crying out for people to hear God! And in all reality God was speaking through the prophets right then and there.

Joel gave everything to the Lord and was mightily used. However it was not fame he recieved or even wanted. His heart was after God alone. Reading that book aloud had allowed me to get a small idea of such a hard job it was to be a prophet.

Joel

In the book of Joel there is suffering and redemption. Verse twelve states "'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.'"

Even after all the suffering, the LORD is telling His children to return to him! To rend their hearts and humble themselves through fasting and weeping and in mourning. What a powerful verse that applies to this very second of my life.

In previous posts, I've talked about a wonderful man that is dying of lung cancer. And even now I am weeping and mourning because the days are few and it's a sickening feeling just to wait for a phone call of confirmation. This past week, I've lost my student I.D. card, and my debit card. I've felt as if I've fallen apart, only caring about the one phone call so much that I am absent minded towards life itself. And it feels as if with everyday comes another thing that is lost whether it is something that is tangible or if it's hope or happiness.

I'm in awe that reading Joel was so much of an encouragement to me. I feel better just for taking the time to read it. I believe that every time you open the Word, you will see words that will benefit your life in that moment. For the book of Joel, not only is there judgement but there is a day of hope as well.

Often we only stage ourselves on the weeping/mourning aspect of life. Sometimes our problems are the only thing we see. We become consumed by the depression and our heads are never lifted; they only continually stare at the floor. However, what if we fasted and prayed when the times of famine came in our lives? When the locusts come to devour our happiness and content lifestyles, what actions do we take?

If only we took the "Even now" step. Even now in the midst of death and destruction, would we only lift our heads up towards Heaven, I'm sure our suffering would not last as long, and even if we still suffered, at least we would have hope in something more than what our earthly abilities are.

Even now, I will try and recoup. Even now, I will try to lift my hands and praise Him. Even now will I return to Him, weeping and mourning and just trying to get closer in His arms. Even now, I will just try to look up.

Because trying is the only way we get the results we need. God has not called me - or you - to a life of perfection. He has called us to a relationship with Him. One that is full of tryings. We might fall, but we will fall right back into His hands. I take comfort and try to delight in Him who has created me.