Pursuing the Mystery

2008-04-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

Veronika Walker

ENG161

Professor LaBelle

4 April 2008

An Explication and Discussion on Wildred Owen’s Masterpiece:

Dulce et Decorum Est

There are rules that every poet keeps in mind: the use of alliteration, cacophony, assonance and consonance, rhythm, the list continues. Fiction writers, though they have more leeway, also have rules they must structure their work around, like point of view, setting, diction, and tone. Though “rules” often seem constrictive, the greatest poets and authors know how to bend these rules to their greatest advantage, seamlessly drawing their readers into their narrative without actually pointing to the rules followed. Anyone who can do so as beautifully as Wilfred Owen is a literary genius.

Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est is more than a simple poem. It is an entire story, filled with conflict, drama, emotion, and theme. By blending the worlds of poetry and story writing, Owen has created a timeless piece that demonstrates how rules – though perhaps a bit daunting – can be used quite seamlessly to present beautiful, powerful works of art. Owen even “breaks” a few rules himself; for instance, poetry, unlike fiction, is simply meant “to be.” Rarely does it leave us with a message or moral to take home; it is often written for pure enjoyment of the language and how the words flow together, making a pleasing audio experience. Also, poetry often does not have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, as is necessary for most fiction (though there are some exceptions). Yet Owen provides a solid structure to the poem, breaking it down into a very easy-to-follow narrative. And finally, Owen also provides the core elements of a basic story: setting, character, and conflict. Rarely do these elements exist in such vivid form in poetry. There are exceptions, of course, but they are quite few. (Those who do are considered amongst the greatest poets themselves.) Owen, however, doesn’t let these key elements of fiction stop him from inserting them into his poem. In fact, he blends these elements and those of good poetry together, allowing his powerful message come to life: War is neither glorious, nor an honor.

His first task is to establish a setting. This is brilliantly done in the very opening lines of the poem: “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, / Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge…” (1-2). Already, the reader has a setting to fall back on, a place, time, and situation. Though the speaker is not yet identified, it is obvious that he is in a difficult situation. The environment around him and his comrades is dreary, muddy, and damp, as evidenced by their physical distress. This, as Owen knows, is enough to “hook” the readers, to provide enough intrigue to keep the readers’ interest piqued. Having now hooked the reader, he is able to develop the setting even more as he continues: “Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots / But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue…” (5-7). This is where the main character (an element usually identified only with fiction, and thus unique in poetry) is wholly identified: it is now evident that he and his companions are soldiers of war, marching towards some unknown destination. By using elements connotative with storytelling, not poetry, Owen has successfully begun his poem with setting, situation, and intrigue. He sets up a scene, identifies characters, and, presumably, is about to give a dynamic conflict for these characters to go through.

And he wastes no time in doing so. Owen’s narrator – with a brilliant use of alliteration on the author’s part – suddenly shifts from merely relating his tale to being in the moment, narrating events as they happen. The story shifts from potential danger to immediate urgency in one simple, powerful command: “Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!” (9). Immediately the soldiers are in danger, and the readers suddenly see characters active and emotional as they would in a work of fiction. Conflict is essential to any story, whether poetical or not, and Owen introduces it quickly, urgently, and graphically. The cacophony (a strong poetical element) of the hard g, q, and c in the second stanza points to the physical noise of men “fitting the clumsy helmets just in time” and the emotional desperation of the soldiers as they see their unfortunate comrade choking to death: “As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. / In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, / He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning” (13-16). Solid poetical language tells the story of these soldiers. Owen has been able to combine the best of both worlds into something horribly graphic and visual.

A final, but key, element of a typical short story that Owen inserts into his poem is that of theme, a “moral of the story.” Most poems don’t do this; they are simply meant to be works of lingual art, not offering criticism or a moral that readers are left analyzing. Owen, however, decides to bend this “rule,” and give his readers something to chew on. His soldier narrator, remembering the horrors of seeing “the white eyes writhing in his face, / His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin…” (19-20), almost angrily gives his readers a “lesson” to take away from the narrative. He offers them the simple truth of his profession: soldiers are paid killers who are themselves murdered in horrendous and brutal ways. He diffuses the lie that war is glorious, and begs the reader to not fill their children’s heads with the idea that war is honorable, when in reality it is the exact opposite. “If in some smothering dreams you too could pace…/ my friend,” he says, “you would not tell with such high zest / To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori [it is sweet and right to die for your country]” (17, 25-28).

With such dynamic characters, experienced handling of poetical elements, and perhaps a passionate desire to offer the world a different kind of poetry, Wilfred Owen wrote a powerful, dynamic poem that questions the “rules” of story and poetry writing, and offers instead a powerful poem created with storytelling nuances. There may, indeed, be rules in the writing world, but the best part of it is that rules can be broken, and when done so with as professional and talented a mind as Owen’s, it can be done beautifully.

Know God?

2008-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

This message, which I heard last Sunday, is an amazing challenge, convicting, inspiring, heart-searching. We claim to know God...but what does that really mean? Even the demons know about Him...are we no better than they?

Please listen to this message, and earnestly pray over your relationship with our Lord. We all have so much to learn....

Calling all Writers, Editors, Proofreaders, and Graphic Designers!

2007-12-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Regenerate Our Culture is coming back! Or at least, that's the plan.

Currently, several of the members of ROC are trying to revive the magazine, and gathering ideas for other projects too, but we need people. Editors and writers, especially.

Regenerate Our Culture has been all about change, and we're taking this theme seriously in our newly renovated work. Our writing process now includes one-on-one contact with content editors, who will help writers polish their articles to a high gloss before sending them off to our proofreaders. Our proofreaders - people who love grammar so much it hurts when others use it incorrectly - take the articles to the highest level by making sure the article is as close to perfection as it can be. When publishing date comes, voila! We have many different articles and many different points of interest that invigorate, encourage, and stimulate our readers and, Lord willing, bring honor to God Himself.

If you want to help us in any way, either by working with the editors, designing the website, proofreading, or writing articles, Veronika Walker (me) at editor@regenerateourculture.com .

More to follow, so keep an eye out for the new RegeneratedMag!

Weakness

2007-12-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

[Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." ~~Matthew 26:40, 41]

I've felt like Peter so many times in this part of His life, willing to serve, but so fragile and weak when it comes down to forcing my will to go through with it. The physical body has so much more power over us than we like to admit; the Word says we must "conquer the body," yet we continue to let it hold sway over us. Even in little things, like flipping on the television instead of going for a walk around the block, eating one more piece of turkey over Thanksgiving dinner instead of listening to our bulging stomachs...sleeping in just a few minutes longer instead of getting up to read God's Word.

I've been there so many times, and it discourages me.

But, thank the Lord that He gives us a way out. "Watch and pray." It still requires discipline however. Therein lies the problem. We can't push past our apathy without Divine Intervention, and we can't have Divine Intervention without prayer. It's a viscious cycle, in some ways, but we get the easy end of it; all we have to do is cry. Cry out to the God who saves us and Who has promised that "no temptation shall be greater than you can bear." If prayer and discipline was something we couldn't handle, we wouldn't have to. But we have that struggle, so obviously, we can handle it, and we can overcome it. We just have to remember that we can only do so with the help of God, not of our own strength, for our flesh is weak. Thank God that He is strong.

Pride in My Heart

2007-10-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

I've leaned so much about pride the past few weeks.
I am really such a prideful person; it really is quite disgusting. I want everything to be perfect, even in my drabblings and musings here...I can't have a single mispelling, even in the word "mispelling". It seems as if everything I do has to reflect tons about who I am. I know that subconsciously and consiously, all that I do is to make sure that I look good. I claim that it is so God will get the glory, but in thinking over it, I don't really think that's the case.

I am a proud person.

There. I said it. It's frustrating to even admit that. :{ I don't want to be. I hate even looking at it.

But, I think it's the truth. I'm stuck on myself. I think my desire to write stems from a source of pride. I want people to read my stuff; I want peope to be influenced by what I think and say. The desire, the motivation, is wrong, or tends to be, at least. I want God to use me in great ways, but that's just it: I want Him to use me. I think way too much of myself. I should instead be saying, "LORD, how can You use me? I'm wretched and I don't deserve Your mercy!"

Please, LORD God, help me to be the humble Christian You call us all to be. Make me to see how weak and frail and undeserving I am, and how little I of myself have to offer. Even my writing needs to be seen as a gift from You, not something of my own making or working. Please, LORD, help me to understand what it is You desire of me, no matter what I have to sacrifice to please You. Please, God, make me as Your humble Son. Show me more of You and more of what it means to be Your servant. Help me to deny myself, take up my cross [daily] and follow You, in loving obedience and humility. Amen, LORD God. May it be.

On Email

2007-08-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

“Never check your email before you start reading…There is something in the format of e-mail (its terseness? the sheer volume of messages? its tendency to reward skimming over deep reading?) that pulls the mind away from the contemplative, relaxed frame so important for good reading. If you get good news, you’re distracted by it; if someone writes you a nasty note, you’ll spend the next forty-five minutes mentally formulating blistering replies rather than concentrating on your book. If no one writes at all, you’ll be depressed because you’ve suddenly become invisible in cyperspace.“–Susan Wise Bauer, The Well Educated Mind

This made me laugh! Blistering replies? Overjoyed exuberance? Sudden depression (used mildly) at your own invisibility? :D Okay, I admit it; I have an affinity to this quote. Susan makes her point well (and in an amusing manner at that) about the mental distraction email can be .

In context, Susan is referring ‘reading’ as the intensive study of the classic literature –literature like Plato and his fellow sophists. I find it even more applicable to reading something far more important: God’s Word. We should not just be careful to a set aside time to read and study God’s Word; we should also be vigilant to preserve mental focus for our time alone with our Creator and his Word. After all, His law is perfect, converting the soul, his testimony is sure, making wise the simple, his statues are right, rejoicing the heart, and his commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes…they are more to be desired than gold, yeah, than much fine gold, and they are sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb!* Wow. Think about that!

So, If you’re having trouble concentrating on your Plato after breakfast because you just checked your email, maybe you should think about implementing the mantra Susan presents. Never check your email before reading. But far more importantly, if you’re struggling to focus on the precious, holy Word of God, just because you’re still mentally reeling from your visit to your inbox, then I challenge you. Never check your morning email before your time alone with your Redeemer and His Words of life! In my experience, any efforts to reduce brain traffic before my quiet time in the morning with God and His Word has always been worth it. He is worth it!

*Psalm 19:7,8,10, slightly condensed.

When Leadership Calls You...

2007-08-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

I learned something hard today: It isn't always easy to be a leader.

In fact, it's usually rather difficult. You are required to do many things that you may not otherwise be called upon to do. For instance, most leaders must have the ability to guide, or even rebuke, the people under them.

I learned that today, and it's not nearly as easy as it might sound. Especially when you're a Christian, and must deal with all men with love and kindness, and as Christ would.

But Christ did chide His disciples when they needed it. In fact, He even became very harsh with them at certain times, like when they argued over who the greatest of them would be, or when Peter, James, and John slept at the Mount of Olives instead of watching over Him as He asked. It's a difficult and often uncomfortable task, but it is a position that you can learn much from. I have.

When I am afraid...

2007-07-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you've just gotten punched in the gut?

I have. On more than one occassion. Trials swirl around like hurrican-force winds, temptations to defy God and mankind and friends and family all screaming through your mind.... Sometimes, I can just get fed up with it all ... with life.

But I remember the words of Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

The power of God is a thing not understood, sometimes feared, sometimes beheld by those who trust in Him.... In these times when I fear and doubt, my Father gently chides me to remember Who He is. To remember that He is the God Who, "...has measureed the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales..."

My Father reminds me to "Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power... those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not grow faint, They will walk and not become weary.".....

May I find the strength to continue to run this race, O LORD, even when I cannot see Your face, for I know You are there behind the clouds, smiling upon me, and holding me in Your arms.
Amen.

The Snare: A Meditation on Gideon

2007-06-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Then Gideon [took the gold and] made it into an ephod and set it up in his city Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.... Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son... (Judges 8: 27, 30-31a)

How easily we can fall! Here, the man God used to bring Israel to victory and bring honor to Him, suddenly falls prey to "selfish ambition and vain conceit," not to mention idolatry of sorts. To make matters worse, he became guilty of polygamy, a thing strictly forbidden in God's Law.

What happened to the stalwart captain and judge of Israel? How is it that a man such as Gideon - even mentioned in the "Chapter of Faith" (Hebrews 11) - could still become ensnared by such gross sins?

As young Christians, we must take care: The enemy preys upon the young and the old. No one is safe from the Devil's temptations and attacks. A Christian's "golden years" should be the most glorious of his life; he has learned, fought, conquered, and now can pass on his wisdom to the following generations. But perhaps this is one of the most dangerous times of life. For here, the temptation to stop fighting, to forget your God is great. There are so many examples of older men and women of the Bible who have fallen in their last days. Solomon, David, Gideon, Aaron, the list goes on.

Oh, young Christian, beware the pitfall of thinking you are safe when you reach "maturity"! The Christian life is always a fight, no matter what the age or experiences. We cannot truly rest until we reach the Land of Rest, but take heart: [the Lord will aid us in the fight,] if we remain true to Him, all the days of our life.

[Remember the Creator of your youth.]

Where God calls us, there is a way.

2007-05-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I vacuuming rows and rows of carpet between church pews, I realized something that many of my dreams have in common: people. The age old question that seems to baffles high schoolers as they look toward post graduation of 'what am I going to do?' has certainly perched on my mind too. However, tonight, I realized that I really, really desire to work with people--extensively. Face to face, hand to hand, touching lives as I share with them the hope of Christ. But there's a problem: I don't know that I'm very good at that type of thing. I don't have a lot of experience working with people outside the sphere of my upbringing. I thought of all this tonight as I vacuumed. But I also thought of Moses.

God called Moses to go bring forth the Israelites from captivity to the Egyptians. However, Moses didn't think he had the ability to answer the call of the Lord. He told God: "I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." And how did God answer him? He said, "Who had made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?" Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

I was greatly encouraged by remembering these verses from Exodus, chapter 4 . My weakness is no excuse not to go where God leads. He is our Strength, and He is with us. Certainly, I will pursue where God calls. Where God calls us, there is a way.

Remember that, my friend. Where God calls us, there is a way.

How Can We Call This Living?

2007-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is an adaption from a journal entry written on Monday, April 16th, 2007--the day of the Virginia Tech shooting.

----

4.16.06
Leaning back against the van seat, I put my arm behind my head and rested it. Miles of scenery passed by me outside the vehicle window. This was comfortable.

To enjoy such relaxation is often the envy and desire of this world. "Oh, if only we could just relax and live." We have a notion in the back of our minds that we really are living when we are free from concern--free from physical and mental burden. Yet, as I leaned back in my amiable seat, the thought crossed my mind: how can we call this living? I think of the biographies I've been reading. Men such as brother Andrew, whose life mission was to carry the gospel of Christ into Communist countries. I doubt his life was free from concern. I doubt that his life was easy. But as I read his biography, I know he lived. Men such as Hudson Taylor--he too risked all comfort to carry the gospel to those who didn't know Christ. Hudson was often sick, but he carried on. These men really lived. I don't doubt that these men's lives were hard, both mentally or physically. Yet, they lived to show Christ; they lived to rescue lives, comfort hearts, and save souls. These men are my heroes.

This morning, 32 people were killed. A gunman released an odor of death across the campus of Virginia Tech College. I am stunned. I watch the news, and then in my awkwardness I tell my TeenPact host family, "I think I'm going to lay down and rest a bit." Lay down and rest? How can we call this living? How can we be content to lay back while the world around is being torn --hearts across America are being shattered with grief as they learn of the massacre of their loved ones. People were killed today, and I am resting. How can I call this living?

---
Edit: After a few questions from a friend, I should clarify this post. My intentions and heart of the above thoughts were not to promote restlessness about the condition of the world around us. If read wrongly, this post may have come across as advocating 'worry'. That's not what I meant to imply in any way. As Christians, we should rest in hope of God and have an incredible peace in Him.

What I was trying to communicate was that we should be concerned about those around us--we shouldn't be content to just sit back and 'relax' while we still have time to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

New blog!

2007-04-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've just begun a new personal blog, just for those times when meditation is key. At Meeting Place, I'm seeking to capture the feeling of "alone time" with God, where we can meet with Him and meditate upon His Word and His salvation.

So please, stop by and spend some meditation on God's Word along with me. I'm sure that the Lord will bless both of our efforts, for He has promised that He will!

P.S. I am also still blogging here at PtM. Meeting Place is simply another place to journal. So don't worry; I'm still here! :-)

You're almost there...

2007-04-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

[The end of school is in sight...

you're now facing your greatest challenge.]

"My greatest challenge?" you might ask. "I thought that keeping up was the hardest part.... What's this about finishing school?"

My own teacher once compared it to an Olympic marathon runner. The athlete has pushed every single muscle in his body to do its absolute best. He has run 25.5 grueling miles around and around and around the track, numbing both his body and his mind. He has endured countless hours of pain and sweat and tension to make it to this once-in-a-lifetime event.... Now the finish line is just ahead of him. He can see it within a few more yards; victory is almost his.

[What does he do?]

Does he suddenly slow up, answering his body's pleading for rest, before his feet cross the line? Absolutely not. Even though he can't imagine that he has any left, he gathers every last ounce of strength he has and dashes forward once more. The greatest challenge comes when he is 10 feet away from victory, his entire body screaming at him to slow down and take the victory easily. But where is the glory in walking across the finish line? How does "just making it" over enhance his career?

[Are you satisfied with just "making it" through?]

Are you content to just ease over the finish line at the end of the school year? "I'll just make sure that I get a passing grade.... I won't study as hard for those last few tests. I mean, there's only one or two more months left anyway...."

I know this is the hard part of the year. You are burned. out. with schoolwork. Procrastination and rest are your friends. The temptation is so hard to resist...and many of us don't. Just get through it; don't strive for excellence ... don't finish with a great victory. Be content with just finishing.

Its a hard thing. But God calls us to do it. So do it in obedience to God. Do it for His glory. Do it for your "good testimony" before men. Don't be content to "survive" the last weeks of school. The end is just in sight, your victory is just around the bend. So take hold of it; seize it; do it with "all your might."

Do Hard Things.

Distraction and My Frustration

2007-03-05T07:47:00.001-08:00

A million distractions can keep us from what we want to do. This morning, I hurried toward the computer with a bright idea for a blog post here. Oops. Little brother occupied the computer chair, clicking busily away at a computerized puzzle. "Oh, Jake," I said, "I need the computer." He whined back at me. "Oh, Kate!" So I consented to let him finish his game, hoping that it wouldn't take too long. At that point, Emily, my sister who is approaching the 2 year old mark and still not potty trained, bounced up. My nose followed a unlovely scent to her diaper, and I knew for sure that I wasn't going to be at the computer in the next 5 minutes. Sighing, I set my Bible aside, and marched her into to her bedroom for immediate attention. It was an ordeal--a very stinky one at that.

Finally, after many thoughts, a thorough hand washing, and a frazzled mind, I sat down at the computer. Writing a blog post, right? Home>>click>>RegenerateOurCulture>>click>>Network>>click>>Agent Tim's. Okay, today is Tim's birthday. I mused over this and commented, all the while trying to remember what exactly I was going to blog about in the first place. Jacob walks up again, chewing what smells like a strawberry starburst, right next to my right ear. Emily runs into my Bible, which was protruding off the edge of my chair and she starts crying. I throw into her bed--gently that is.

Now, here I sit. Jacob is quietly drawing, Emily is cooing over her books in bed, and the house is silent (for a very short while I'm sure). I can even hear the computer buzzing! As I meditate here, I realize that I can never blame all my distractions on those around me. Here I am, being distracted from my original purpose by this little frustration post. What in the world am I doing writing this instead of that!?

But that's beside the point. I realized that what I wanted to do isn't so important anymore. God wanted me to serve my family this morning.

I'm not so (notice the so) frustrated anymore. I know I didn't get that post up on Scripture memory that I had so much motivation for only 1 hour ago. But I also know that what I want to do isn't always important in the long run. I'm reminded of Philippians 2: 3-8.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

I'm going to close with this passage. Christ is the greatest example of servant-hood. Next time feel frustrated by the distractions of the needs of those around me, I should remember this passage. Next time you want to write a blog post and get distracted by other's wants and needs, you should too. Face your distractions and frustrations with the mind of Christ--esteem the needs of those causing distractions (unless, it's yourself) better than your own needs. Aren't you glad Christ did?

--
(Kaitlin Atmore's advice to me when I started blogging-"Keep it short, no one likes to read long posts." I'm trying to do better. This post is about 25 words shorter than my last post--at least it was at one point.

Also, be sure to tell Tim and Matthew happy birthday too!
)

No, this blog is not dead!

2007-02-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,
I thought it might be beneficial to share with you my thoughts on blogging. Obviously, you may have guessed by now that my purpose in blogging here is not to hang a new post up every other day. In fact, some of you have wondered if I really have intentions of blogging at all. :P (No, this blog is not dead, nor have I gone elsewhere!)

When I first came on the idea of an inspirational blog a few years ago, I was enthralled with the idea. I imagined it would be extremely 'cool' and fascinating to actually keep up such a project. I admit, I'm sure I had visions of posting everyday, having over 60 hits a day, and being linked to all over the 'net.

Yes. My ideas in blogging have changed since then.

Always having frequent posts here at Pursuing the Mystery is not my goal. Shocking, isn't it?

I hope you know the purpose of Pursuing the Mystery-- that those who read it and we who author it, may be drawn closer to our Christ by it. Personally, I really don't think this mission will be accomplished if all we do is add another blog for you to constantly keep up with. (And all I do is worry about trying to post something for you to keep up with!) The last month in my life I have really been convicted about some things (often considered 'good things' even so!) that I was doing which not only took away time, energy and focus from my life on Christ, but was also taking away the likewise from my fellow Christians. As I work on eradicating such things, I don't want blogging to become just another such thing. May we (you and me both!) never --ever-- let this blog or any another blog come between us and our personal time alone with God and his Word. (And yes, this is the paragraph for parenthesis!)

You must know I want to use Pursuing the Mystery as a tool to share from my heart. I decided a while ago that I'm not going to just scramble up something to write, just for the sake of posting. Here, I desire to be real--even if I only post once a month. There you have it. It is my desire to be a blessing to my readers with posts, but I do not want to share words with you that are meaningless. That would be a waste of words and a tragedy at that!

The 'problem' with this is that I often find it isn't easy for me to transfer my heart full of real thoughts into real coherent words. Sometimes it takes me hours of typing at the keyboard before I am satisfied with the result of a single paragraph! I realize this means I'm probably lacking some skills in 'Writing 101' which will only be improved with practice. Truthfully though, I don't have time for me to daily spend hours pounding at the keyboard, arranging the words of my heart to make sense to you all. For one thing, my family gets irritated at me. For another thing, I get irritated at myself for ignoring my family for vast blocks of time. (This my friend, is not the servant hood I called to live toward them at this time of my life!)

Let me close before this gets atrociously long. My philosophy on blogging, if I may call it that, can be simply stated. I blog when:

1. I have something to say.
2. I can say it without neglecting my relationships with my family and my God.

To wrap up, I do intend to blog here. Sometimes it may be often; sometimes you may count many moons in between posts. Above all, to Christ be all glory!

Sincerely yours,
Katie Marie

Different Angle

2007-01-18T16:59:00.001-08:00

Originally posted on Veronika's personal blog, this post has been slightly redone and reworded for clarity and readability. We hope you enjoy and are inspired! ~~Veronika and Katie Marie

Have you ever noticed how things look different when seen from a new perspective, a different angle? Situations you thought you knew all the details of are quickly changed, and you can’t make heads or tails of it.

I’m referring to close-up pictures. Remember those snapshots in childrens’ books that ask you to guess what the object is in real life? Erasers, a cup, wood shavings, items like that? Once, some friends and I took a digital camera and started taking random shots of objects in my house: lamps, baskets, suitcases, all sorts of things. Sadly, although we were familiar with all of the objects, figuring out what they were wasn’t very easy. We were very embarassed when – in our haste – we’d discover how the porcelain sink somehow looked exactly like that curtain from downstairs!

Too often, we do the same thing with the people crossing our path. How many times have you come to a conclusion, and then discovered – too late – that you were entirely wrong, and that the people involved were hurt? Admit it, it’s happened more often than you’d like to say, right?

There was once a very wise, knowledgeable man way back when who adressed this same issue. He left us some godly advice: “He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him…” (Prov. 18:13). Paraphrasing it, we could say: “He that makes assumptions before he knows all the details is a fool….” Solomon was warning us of the simple foolishness and danger in letting assumptions get in the way of our relationships; too many have been ripped apart because of such assumptions. Sometimes, scars are never healed and friends are lost forever, all because those involved never took the time to look at the “picture” from the other person’s perspective.

Like the snapshots, it sometimes doesn’t make sense when a person reacts completely different from the way we expect, We can’t understand their motivations and decisions… that is, until we turn the picture around and look at it from a different angle. In doing so, we give them the benefit of the doubt, which often saves the relationship as well. Don’t “answer a matter before you hear (or see) it”!

So next time you’re ready to get angry at someone, stop and think! Put yourself in their shoes, and look from their perspective. Doing so will remind you that they’re human too. The way their life has been shaped makes them think and say things different, even contrary, to how you may think. Remember how our Lord would have treated them: with patience, love and courtesy. We are all formed from the dust, thus, we are all capable of making errors in judgement. Be understanding and forgiving in your response, and you will save yourself and your friends much pain.

Emmanuel

2006-12-23T22:37:00.000-08:00

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

The beautiful haunting melody of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel has always captivated me. This year however, I have not only listened to the melody of this beloved carol; I have begun to listen more closely to the text of this song. In particular, the single word of ‘Emmanuel’ has captured my interest and drawn my intrigue. Opening God’s Word to Matthew, I’ve rediscovered the meaning of the name ‘Emmanuel.' Let me share it with you:

Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Emmanuel—God with us.

Here, in the meaning of Emmanuel, we find the truth that’s the very basis of our Christmas celebration. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, is God with us. Jesus, the baby born 2000 years ago, wasn’t born merely as a great prophet or a radical teacher. Jesus came as God in flesh. Jesus came as God, to reconcile us to Himself.

Looking back a few verses in Matthew we find verse 21:

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins.

He shall save his people from their sins.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave.

Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. Emmanuel has come! The Son of God has appeared. He came to deliver us from bondage—and because of Him, we have victory. Let us rejoice!

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Merry Christmas! May your days be blessed as you rejoice in the coming of Emmanuel!

*The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. This carol was a Latin text from the 12th Century.

A Personal Psalm

2006-12-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

To every child of God who feels that Life is sometimes too great a challenge: May you find God's peace to be all that you need.

Even when I feel too drained and mentally exhausted to tackle one more thing, my Father is still there beside me, holding my hand and showing His mercy. I can't feel Him, I can't see Him, but I know He is there, helping me get through another day.

I feel so bewildered, not wanting or caring about anything in the world right now. I don't want anything to happen today; I don't even want to do anything today, except find comfort for my downtrodden soul. Where can I find that comfort, that peace that my heart so desperately needs?

Turning to the Word of God, I find my Heavenly Father. He knows my frame...He remembers I am but dust. He knows my sorrows and fears, my discomforts and my unfulfilled dreams; He knows how I can best please Him, and how to reveal His ways to me. He knows every hair on my head, every beat of my heart; He can and will lead me to the Farther Shore. How can I find anything but comfort in His presence?

Oh Lord, help me to place my hope and trust in You; be my confidence and my steadfast aid, my shield, and the one in whom I delight. Show me Your unquencheable love; grant me Your peace which does surpass all understanding. Bestow it to all of Your children who need Your comfort this day. Show us Your loving kindness, and renew our hearts in love to You. Be our precious Shepherd, and lead us by Your grace to Your kingdom. Amen

Christ is My Extraordinary!

2006-12-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

Lord, do not let my eyes fall to the earth! Keep my gaze lifted up, past the men who taunt and intimidate me, past the fleeting moments of this earth, straight ahead to You in all Your glory and majesty. -Jennifer's Musings

Jennifer's post, over at Jennifer's Musings, blessed me in an incredible way this week. I encourage you to read the post in its entirety.

I find within myself a desire and quest to lay claim to my own bit of brilliance or talent. I am intimidated and wearied when I find such a lack of any such greatness in myself. However, Jennifer's post helped me step back and lift my eyes away from self. In view of Christ and His majesty, my own extraordinary, or lack of, becomes as dust. The miracle of Christ cleansing my heart, dwelling inside of me, and being my God, is more extraordinary than anything I could every perform or be. Christ is my extraordinary!

Thank you, Jennifer, the encouraging post. Thank you, God, for Christ.

The Battle Against Apathy

2006-12-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

Isn’t it funny how one of the biggest battles we find within our hearts is the war against apathy? I mean, why do we let apathy remain so persistent in the battle? Why do we fight so hard to prevent apathy from dying? Rather ironic, isn’t it?

Apathy is definitely not apathetic in its nature. In truth, my own heart finds it quite the opposite. The roots of apathy dig down deep and will not let go. Spreading like a loathsome disease, this persistent weed winds its tough strands of poison around every facet of my heart and life. I am almost persuaded to give up the fight. Or just switch sides—I could just fight for apathy to win instead. Surely life would be easier then. A short battle would ensue, apathy would triumph, and the struggle would be over. Life would be in a lull. How tempting it would be to shout to Apathy, “You win!” so that I could sit back and dismiss the battle.

But, no. That would not be right. These thoughts are ridiculous. A Christian’s calling is to pursue righteousness with passion and perseverance. Letting apathy reign in our hearts is a sin. In this battle of my heart, it will not do to let apathy have the upper hand.

But where is the encouragement to continue the fight? I am weak, and my strength to fight for passion is failing. Where shall I look for help? May I never forget the exhortation found in Hebrews 12.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (vs. 1-3)

Though the battle against apathy rages in a complex manner that I don’t understand, I will not give up. Christ fought the battle even more intensely than I am fighting, and yet He overcame. By His strength only, will I do the same. The sin of apathy, so easily besetting me, must be laid aside, no matter the cost. Apathy is not option!

A Meditation for this Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

A Day in the Life of...

Imagine that you're a Protestant pilgrim. You live in a one- roomed log house with your rather large family of eight, plus all of your aunts, uncles and ornery little cousins. The nights are freezing; even with all that body heat, it's still difficult to fall asleep. By the time you do manage to drift off, the baby is awake, crying frantically for Mother's touch. Then it's dawn. You're up again before the sun is over the tree line, chopping wood, feeding chickens, washing dozens of bundles of clothing.... Life is busy, and hard. There's also that constant tension over the "natives" living in the forest, the ones that worship nature. They've been watching your town from the surrounding hills. Are they going to attack?

Let's change the scenario a little. It's 1945. You haven't heard from your father in over 4 months. Your older brother is getting antsy himself; he and Mother are awake long into the night, arguing over his volunteering for the military. School is hard to concentrate on, because it seems that everyone is talking about the long list of casualties from the recent combat. Your father could be one of them; surely he's all right, isn't he? You can't do anything to comfort your family; you're always in the way, Mother worries over your falling grades, the younger ones are moody and irritable.... Will life never be the same?

Let's try one more. It's 2006. Society is changing. Untrustworthy leaders rule the land. Peer pressure in school and the workplace increases. Families are becoming more estranged than ever before. Christians are the minority. You fight your way through the thick fog of a sex- and smut-filled society each day, filthy language from those around you plays in your head, you feel so small and disconnected from God.... What is there to be thankful for?

A Common Misconception

"I have it the worst. No one else knows what I'm going through ... it's never been this hard for anyone, ever." Ever felt that way before? We all have at some point. Life just seems so overwhelming, and it is, of our own strength. But the fact is, history is brimming with examples of people who have had it far worse than we have. Where one person's story seems desperate and beyond hope, the next person's is even worse. Even the Bible is full of testaments to the harsh realities of life's trials and difficulties. Everyone suffers; it's a fact of life.

"Wonderful. Now the entire world is a just a suffering mass of people struggling to get through life. How comforting." Well, frankly, you're right. There's not much comfort there. Sure, it helps to know that there are people who can encourage and sympathize with you because they've been there, but it brings little remedy. But ... we have been promised "a peace that surpasses all understanding." That peace comes from the Maker and Sustainer of all who inhabit this earth.

Perhaps this Thanksgiving, instead of focusing on your trials, and what you don't have, look instead to what you do: You have God's steadfast promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you! He will grant you that comforting peace that only His children know! You have His everlasting love to call your own!

A Glorious Truth

In this turbulent and hectic world, we can hardly rely on our own selves to fulfill our promises to each other. But this promise of peace has the credibility of the One who cannot lie, and who cherishes us as much as He does His Son! This is a comfort to dwell upon, is it not? Knowing that these trials and difficulties are but for a time, let us "press on" toward the crown of victory, to the One who has promised us eternal, joy-filled life with Him!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and give honor to God!

Living the Mystery

2006-11-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it…. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." 1 Corinthians 9:25

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory…" 1st Timothy 3:16

The Common Bond:
Picture an athlete and a private detective. From most perspectives, they have very, very little to do with one another. One spends his time working out in a gym, sweating and straining his muscles to achieve success, while the other puzzles over the bizarre to shed light on things that have been enveloped in darkness for long whiles. But both have one thing in common: passion. Each will do whatever is necessary to fulfill their goals. They each have a prize, a reward for completing their tasks; the athlete, the knowledge that he conquered his body and subdued his weakness; the sleuth, an awarding self-satisfaction for bringing criminals to justice and bringing comfort to families that have been torn apart.

The Riches Bestowed:
We each have a prize. As the apostle Paul surmises, we have an even better prize awaiting us at the finish line. As athletes, we must pursue it, ever running towards it. As searchers, we have a great mystery to solve, a Divine puzzle to study and analyze. Bringing the two together, we have a great and wondrous God to search for and ponder, to run toward and love, to pursue and take hold on. How blessed are we?!

The mysteries of Him and His Truth stretch so far beyond our human understanding. Yet, even with our finite minds, the rays of light we do glean shine so brightly! How can we help but continue to study, seek out and pursue the amazing riches that lay beneath the great mystery of Christ and His Godliness?

Our Goal:
We do not claim to be experts. Even as we sit at the feet of our Master, we are taking in the vastness of the richess of Christ. Our vision is to share the thoughts and lessons we learn – that we may in any small way help you also see the beauty of God and His mystery of Godliness.
By sharing what is on our hearts, we hope that you will see practical and applicable ways to take what you read here and become an active pursuer and searcher through the Scriptures. It is our prayer that by reading this blog, you too will be challenged to take up the call, that you too will become more fervent in your pursuit of heavenly things, that you, with God’s help, will live the mystery of Godliness. Onward, Christian soldiers!

Your Fellow Seekers:
Pursuing the Mystery is blogged by Veronika and Katie Marie. We are desiring to serve Christ with our lives, but also to encourage others in the Way.

God willing, we will post at least once a week. Though our focus is primarily on spiritually-minded writing, we may occasionally have more “spur of the moment” posts on something that strikes us in the news, politics, etc. If so, our regular updates will still be posted on schedule [Lord willing!].

Please contact us if you have any ideas or ways that we can improve the site! We’d love to hear from you! Email us at: withoutcontroversy@gmail.com.

Enjoy, and to God be the glory!

Your sisters in Christ,
Veronika and Katie Marie