Sola Christus

New Pencils

For some reason, I think God has made a certain part of the population to love school. This group finds their Wal-mart buggy drawn to the "pen and paper" aisle. They love buying post-it notes. And about half-way through the month of August, they detect a certain smell in the air, the smell of anticipation, of excitement, and sharpened pencils. I am a part of that population--the group with school in the blood. I am very excited that I will become a student again this fall as a PhD student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Hopefully, I will be adding lots of new stories and pictures to the blog as I make this exciting new move. Now, do they have number 2's in Scotland?

If you're already tired of "Decision 08" and its only July . . .

Here's a video for you:

Always Revise

I am in Kentucky for a week with 1200 other English professors and high school teachers from across the country. We are grading almost a million English AP exams. We work from 8:15-5 for 8 days. Today was the middle mark. Some essays are insightful, others are  . . . well . . . make me worry about the future of America.

Here is a phrase I found today: "Mrs. Patton exhumes with joy."

A thought profound.

"This Too Shall Be Made Right"

One of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite musicians.

Anne Rice

Here is a really interesting interview with Anne Rice. I can't wait to read this book!

When the day seems long

Or maybe when the day is long, it helps me to think of things I am thankful for. Things I love. In no particular order.

1. New life, in my godson.
2. A boss who cares about me and doesn't just see me as a form or a new paycheck.
3. Friends that will let me ride in a car, sing at the top of my lungs, and be me.
4. Language. Words. I am thankful for poetry and stories.
5. Starbucks. Because my wonderful brother works there and knows just the right time to bring me a free drink.
6. Flowers. I really love flowers. It is one of the things that remind me of my Father's love. Variety and color, a sign of His love.
7. White Chocolate Mochas. Absolute delight.

Does that work Mandols ?

For the love of the game

For the beginning of baseball and National Poetry Month:

Assignment #1: Write a poem about Baseball and God

by: Philip E. Burnham, Jr.

And on the ninth day, God
In His infinite playfulness
Grass green grass, sky blue sky,
Separated the infield from the outfield,
Formed a skin of clay,
Assigned bases of safety
On cardinal points of the compass
Circling the mountain of deliverance,
Fashioned a wandering moon
From a horse, a string and a gum tree,
Tempered weapons of ash,
Made gloves from the golden skin of sacrificial bulls,
Set stars alight in the Milky Way,
Divided the descendants of Cain and Abel into contenders,
Declared time out, time in,        stepped back,
And thundered over all of creation:
                                       "Play ball!"

Good Queen Bess

A few weeks ago, I watched HBO's Elizabeth I . I am a Tudor fanatic. I read probably one or two books a year connected to the time period. And I never miss an issue of Renaissance Magazine . As I don't have expensive cable I am not watching The Tudors , but I am also boycotting it in my own little way. There are MANY errors in The Tudors. Shall we start with a dark headed gent playing a redheaded king?

Helen Mirren does a fabulous job as Queen Elizabeth. She portrays Elizabeth's sense of control and yet shows the emotional ups and downs that are trials of all humans. Her portrayal of the Mary, Queen of Scots crisis is excellent. She is also a good pick for realism. When Elizabeth met the Duke of Anjou she was 48. Mirren's own maturity fits the role quite well.

  Mirren, or I should say the hair people on the set, does a fabulous job of looking very similar to what we think the real Elizabeth looked like. Down to the wig she wore in her later years.

The costuming and sets are sumptuous, a veritable feast for the eyes. The attention to detail, including the special shift made for bathing and the sensors in front of the windows (Renaissance era wallflowers), is satisfying to those of us who notice these wonderful details.

One interpretation I disagreed with, was the implication that Elizabeth could not make decisions with out Robert Dudley's direction. I am not sure if the writers thought they were making Elizabeth more human, but they in fact make her appear weak. I do think there was probably an intense relationship between the two; however, I do not think that Elizabeth would have lasted long without ruling on her own. And, I believe history bears that view out.

I also do not think that her sexual abstinence is a problem. Many modern historians try to read sexual acts into her actions and relationships. Sadly, I think this comes from their own view and place in history. The large majority of Americans (and British) are promiscuous and do not enter marriage (if they ever marry) as virgins; I think this often causes historians to look back with skepticism on those who protested and championed this virtue.

The violence in the series does keep me from recommending it completely. There are extreme scenes of violence  that occur without warning, including a disembowelment and a flaying.
As you can tell, I do like mimetic art; these scenes were absolutely unnecessary and quite disturbing. I will probably not watch this series again because of these scenes. If you think you can stomach these, you may enjoy this series.

National Poetry Month 1.0

Here is a little clipping for National Poetry Month.

Holy is the familiar room
The quiet moments in the afternoon
And folding sheets like folding hands
To pray as only laundry can

from "Holy as a day is spent"

by Carrie Newcomer

I found it very inspiring. Christians should seek to collapse the false divide between the secular and the sacred, just like this clip encourages.

An answer to Joel Osteen