For my friend Rae

Every once in a while one comes around…

I’ve been thinking about stories, in general, and allegories, in particular, a lot lately. I’ve been working on some posts that defend them in a Christian world that has come to frown upon them. I’ve been struggling to find a title for the series but that struggle ended today. I got Andrew Peterson’s e-newsletter about the release of his new book North! Or Be Eaten, which is book two of Andrew’s Wingfeather Saga (a series I highly recommend)*.

In the e-newsletter, writer/musician Michael Card had this to say in praise of the work:

“Sometimes, in order to find out who we were supposed to be, we need to get lost in other worlds: Oz, Camelot, Narnia. In On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Andrew Peterson provides new and needed places like Aerwiar, Skree, and Glipwood-places where we need to get lost and found.” (emphasis mine)

Mr. Card summed up what was on the tip of my tongue for so very long. There are times we need to get lost. When we get lost in a story we can step back and view ourselves in an objective way. How many of us have found ourselves in stories. Who has felt the shame of Edmund? Who has felt the despair of Harry Potter. Who has felt the camaraderie of Tom Sawyer? Sometimes we “need to get lost” in order to find ourselves. I hope my posts on the matter will further your love for story, not just for the sake of story, but because of the fact that we are part of The Great Story. May we all get lost in that story!

* You can get signed copies in the Rabbit Room store, as well as discount bundles of autographed books one and two for only $20! The book is also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble,Random House and retailers nationwide.

A lot of my friends (namely Rae) have been tweeting about cynicism lately. In light of this I though this quote to be very relevant.

“Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying “yes” begins things.”

-Steven Colbert

(From his Commencement Address to graduating seniors at Knox College in 2006)

Well I know it’s been a while since I updated this thing. But I have a new theme and a new outlook.

I often get burdened with posting something profound and cool. But because I am neither, I ended upneverposting. Now, however, I have decided to just get in the habit of posting SOMETHING. A song lyric, a YouTube video, even a scripture passage or theology quote. I need to be better at this discipline so quantity will have to be the focus and then, prayerfully, quality will soon follow.

Bear with me!

I would, but cannot, sing,
I would, but cannot, pray;
For Satan meets me when I try,
And frights my soul away.

Read more

(Thomas Watson, “The Christian Soldier” 1669)

If the mountains were gold; if every sand in the sea
were a diamond; if the whole globe were a shining
gem—it would all still be infinitely beneath the glory
of heaven!

1. In heaven, there shall be freedom from sin. Here
on earth, sin keeps house with us; it is as natural for us
to sin—as to breathe. The soul that is most purified, and
cleansed by grace, is not without some dregs of corruption.
But a sinful thought shall not creep into heaven! There is 
beauty—which is not stained with lust; and honor—which
is not swelled with pride. “Nothing impure will ever enter
it!” Revelation 21:27

2. In heaven, there shall be freedom from the assaults
of the red dragon. It is sad to have Satan daily soliciting
us by his temptations—and laboring to trick us into sin. But
the old serpent is forever cast out of the heavenly Paradise!

3. In heaven, there shall be freedom from all afflictions.
Our lives now are intertwined with troubles. “My life is consumed
by anguish, and my years by groaning; my strength fails because
of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.” Psalm 31:10. There
are many things to occasion trouble—sometimes poverty afflicts;
sometimes sickness tortures; sometimes the unkindness of friends
breaks the heart. Our lives, like the seas, are full of tempests.
But in the kingdom of Heaven, there is nothing to give grief.
There, all is serene and calm; there is nothing within to trouble
us—or without to molest us.

4. The delights of the heavenly kingdom are unmixed. The
comforts here below, are checkered. Honor may be stained
with disgrace; joy interwoven with sorrow. Our suns are mixed
with clouds. But the delicacies of heaven are pure as well as
pleasant. There is honey—which has not one drop of gall. The
crystal spring of joy, has no settlings of sorrow at the bottom.
The rose in that paradise—is without prickles; the sun in that
horizon—is without eclipse.

This glorious kingdom, will make amends for all our labor and pains!

“Heaviest Element Known to Man Discovered

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it anatomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.”

(HT: My F-I-L)