The Star Spangled Banner

I am not a very patriotic person. Love of country does not move me to passion the way it does some people.

However, I love The Star Spangled Banner. I love the story behind it, and I love the words. Especially the fourth verse. In honor of Memorial Day, I thought I’d talk about it today.

This is one patriotic thing I am passionate about. I think all Americans should know the Star Spangled Banner, and I think they should all at least be aware that there are four verses. The first alone barely begins to tell the story. It’s not until the second verse that the author answers his own question: “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave/O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” The third verse praises those who defended that flag, and the fourth, well, it deserves to be written out, although it can’t really be properly understood without having heard the rest:

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust;”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Give it a listen and pay attention. It’s really a beautiful song.

O Canada…

I am currently on vacation at Niagara Falls with my family. We rented a condo on the Canadian side, and it’s quite a nice little place for a vacation. Although my bed is on the floor because we discovered that it has an unfortunate tendency to collapse when you put weight on the edge.

When we got here Sunday evening, we walked down to the Falls and watched the fireworks they have every night in the summer. The fireworks were great, and I fell in love with the watching the different colored lights on the Falls and the mist.

On Monday, we went back to America. First we went on the Cave of the Winds tour. You go on a boardwalk right next to the Falls (we’re not really sure why cave is in the name). It gets you quite close, and it gets very windy and misty. Even with the provided ponchos, we all got wet. Especially me, since I didn’t put my hood up.

After that, we went on the Maid of the Mist. It’s one of those things you just have to do for tradition’s sake when you go somewhere, but it really was very cool (and I don’t just mean the chilly water). We got wet again after just drying off, but getting so close to Niagara Falls was amazing. Really, it’s as close as you’re going to get unless you go over them. (Actually, someone did that Monday. On purpose. Not wanting to survive. He’s still alive, though; he’s only the fourth person to go over without protection and survive.)

As a side note, doing this stuff in New York makes 14 states I’ve visited. Only 36 to go…

This morning we went to the Botanical Gardens. They’re not at their peak this time of year, but they were still quite pretty. A lot of work goes into all those plants. My favorite part was the herb section, since a lot of it was already blooming.

Mom and I went to the Queen Charlotte Tea Room, which Mom spotted while we were coming back from the Botanical Gardens, this afternoon. It was a neat little place. Not pretentious, but nicely decorated, and the tea and pastry we had were delicious. Then we went to an IMAX movie about Niagara Falls daredevils, went to dinner, and went to the Falls again.

I’m really enjoying Niagara Falls. I’d certainly like to come again.

(By the way, the title I picked made the Canadian national anthem go through my head. Except all I know is, “O Canada,” but I don’t even really know that because I always get the tune mixed up with the Genovia anthem from Princess Diaries. I really need to learn the song properly, because I always like it when I hear it. )

In the Witch’s House

I wrote this poem for a poetry contest on my Narnia forum. The theme was Visions of Narnia. I wrote about the White Witch’s castle when Edmund first saw it in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Spires tower to the sky,
Black against the chilly night.
The iron gates both hang awry
Into a courtyard; though not bright,
It’s dipped in eerie, silver light.

Sporting satyrs, lions, bears,
The courtyard plays the battleground,
Yet the light that on each glares
Reveals a still, snow-shrouded mound
And from the walls echoes no sound.

The soldiers are but statues; life
Now hangs suspended in each breast.
With unease the air is rife,
For this courtyard holds no rest
For its one still-breathing guest.

New Carpet

Oh, they trampled the carpet! That’s a little redundant. So this isn’t a bad day for you, is it? – Genie in Aladdin and the King of Thieves

We got new carpet upstairs and painted the hallway while I was away. (And by we, I mean the rest of my family.) This meant I came home from packing up my dorm room to unpack my whole room. It’s a rather daunting project. I just emptied six boxes of books, ended up hardly able to breathe from the dust, as well as quite worn out, and there are still more books, not to mention all the stuff that goes in my closet.

Still, though, I’d say it’s worth it. The floor hardly creeks any more, which is a lovely change. And the carpet is quite nice. It’s much softer than our old, trampled carpet, and it’s a nicer color. It’s a speckled brown instead of dingy tan.

Plus, going through my books once in awhile is fun. Every time I do, I remember how many I need to reread – or, in some cases, read for the first time. I think I should work on that this summer. It’s really a shame to have so many neglected books around.

So now I’m recovering from book-organizing with corn chips and Doctor Who. It’s a very effective cure, and I’d say I’ll be about as good as new by the time this episode is over.

Finals

This week is finals week.
I’m almost done, in fact!
I seem to be thinking in rhyme,
for I’ve been reading Prelutsky, Jack’s
The New Kid on the Block.
I found it while shelving books.
I should finish writing my speech,
but I couldn’t resist taking a look.
That speech is my final final.
I’ll be done in about 14 hours!
Though then I will need to pack,
which will take some serious willpower.
I’m heading home Friday, you see -
off for summer adventures,
which might include a job
among other interesting ventures.
I now must go re-shelve this book
and finish my homeschooling speech
so I have the time to take a shower
and get a decent amount of sleep!

I wrote this off the top of my head without even planning to do it. It’s probably not very good, but it was quite fun!

Proverbs

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I’ve read through Proverbs several times already this year. Since I didn’t know what to write about this week, I thought I’d share a few of the most interesting Proverbs I’ve discovered. (These are all from the English Standard Version unless otherwise marked.)

The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
- Proverbs 10:7
I certainly want my memory to be a blessing.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.
- Proverbs 12:25
Don’t you love it when you’re having a bad day and someone says something in passing that makes everything so much better? :)

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
- Proverbs 17:17

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
- Proverbs 22:1

Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
- Proverbs 24:19, 20
I find this one very comforting. (Unless you’re the evildoer.)

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
- Proverbs 25:2 (NIV)
I think this one relates best to science. Think of all the amazing discoveries that have been made in recent years. I wonder how many more are out there that God is smiling about and saying, “Wait until you see this one!”

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
- Proverbs 27:2

Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
- Proverbs 27:14
This one makes me laugh.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
- Proverbs 31:30, 31
We all know the first part, but I think we tend to forget about the second.

Breaking News – Finalscomeitis

This report is just in from the newsroom.

Scientists are investigating an epidemic of a previously unrecognized disease, which they are calling Finalscomeitis. The cause of the disease has not yet been positively determined, but students nearing the end of a semester seem particularly susceptible. There have been rumors that it could be deadly, but we have not received confirmation of this. One unfortunate young lady, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her heartbreaking story with us:

“Everything had been going just fine. Then, I woke up one morning and hit the snooze button on my alarm clock, and it suddenly hit me that it was almost the end of the semester and I have a million projects to complete and finals to study for and summer job applications to fill out. I started to feel woozy and nauseated, and ever since, I’ve… *sniffle* been unable to… *sob* concentrate…”

The poor soul was sobbing too hard to finish her testimony.

The symptoms of this debilitating disease include:
Lack of motivation
Claiming “homework” (or something similar) as an excuse to not socialize, but not following through on the given excuse
A sudden devotion to a mindless activity such as FreeCell
Frequent complaints of fatigue
The writing of blog posts such as this one
Bouts of sudden terror concerning grades or work performance

If you believe one of your loved ones has contracted Finalscomeitis, do not despair. The symptoms respond well to TLC, and the disease often disappears altogether with a timely reduction of stressful circumstances.

Bus Jumping

Would you be willing to jump in front of a bus for God? (Extremely hypothetical question, I know, since God isn’t the sort of being who would be threatened by a bus, but bear with me here.)

There are a few people in this world I would be willing to jump in front of a bus for. However, that willingness didn’t just happen. It wasn’t like the first time I met them I dashed up to them and hugged them and exclaimed that I loved them so much I’d be willing to do anything for them. If I was inclined to do such things, I would have probably been dragged to a psychologist or two by now. Nope. It took time. Lots of time.

And really, being willing to jump in front of a bus for somebody isn’t what makes the relationship. It’s the little things that make a relationship. It’s laughing together. It’s sharing experiences of all sorts. It’s staying up late talking about nothing. It’s posting funny things on their Facebook wall. Then, eventually, as you begin to love and trust them, it’s turning to them when you’re hurt and accepting their help. Then comes the willingness to jump in front of a bus.

Now, back to the original question. We often condemn ourselves and others for not being willing to do big things for God, but I think sometimes we expect too much, especially from new Christians. Certainly we need to have the kind of relationship with God that will make us willing to do such things, but do we go about developing that relationship the proper way? Are we willing to do little things? Do we take time to look at a sunset and simply think, “Wow, God, how beautiful!”? Do we invite Him to share our pleasure when we accomplish something? Do we think about the things He has told us? Because it’s only after those things happen that we will be able to trust Him with our struggles, however big or small they be. And it’s only when we have seen that He deserves that trust that we will be willing to do big things, like jumping in front of a bus.

Classes and Such

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. – Mark Twain

Speech
I’m surviving speech. I don’t love it – and I don’t expect I ever will – but I have gotten a little better, I think. I got a 69/70 on my last speech, which made me quite happy. That being said, I’ll be very glad when this class is over.

Psychology
Psychology is my second favorite class; I really like it. I like the teacher, and I actually enjoy reading the textbook (even though it tends to take forever). I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve decided that psychology is as interesting as I expected it to be.

21st Century Science
When I say that the second half of the semester has been much easier than the first (and it has), what I really mean is that this class has not been nearly as stressful. There hasn’t been as much homework, and some of the labs have been quite fun. We’ve made soap, aspirin (well, we tried…), and extracted DNA from a strawberry (which is probably the coolest lab I’ve ever done). My lab group has our project for Research Day finished – except for the poster – and that’s what the class is doing during lab on Thursday, so we’re hoping to convince the teacher to say we don’t have to go.

Information Processing
This class is as easy as I expected it to be. If you’re breathing and can read, there is really no reason to not do well in it. It helps balance out speech and science.

Acts Through Revelation
This is my favorite class. The teacher is fantastic, and most of my friends are in it. We have a lot of fun (did you know that the Ethiopian eunuch and Phillip stopped at Wendy’s?), and it’s not difficult, but I’ve learned a lot. Even though I’ve known most of it all my life, there are so many interesting details the teacher has been able to fill in; it’s been very helpful.

Proverbs Read Through
At the beginning of the semester, the man in charge of organizing chapel challenged everyone to read about one chapter of Proverbs a day February through April, resulting in reading the book three times this semester. I almost did not do it, but I’m glad I did, and I would certainly recommend it. We’re also reading Proverbs in chapel, and my personal reading has me reading the book twice this year, so I’ll have read Proverbs six times by the end of the summer. It’s been very helpful; I’ve already noticed that I now know passages I had not realized existed.

Forgotten Precious Books

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them.
- Arnold Lobel

Ahh... So many wonderful books.

When I was cleaning out my closet over spring break, I discovered a poem I had copied into a notebook called The List by Naomi Shihab Nye (the title of this post is a line from the poem). It talks about a man who had made a list of all the books he was going to read in his life, and about the author’s sadness for the books he might find later and neglect.

Poor Rapunzel. She only had three books.

I pity people who don’t like to read. In books, you can do so many things you can’t do in real life. You can listen to Sherlock Holmes rattle off your history the first time he meets you. You can walk into a wardrobe – and in, and in, and in. You can meet pretty much any historical figure. You can talk to kings and peasants, Jesus and Robin Hood, Anne of Green Gables and Samwise Gamgee. Books can take you anywhere; cliché, I know, but true.

Yes. I do this.

I pretty much always have at least one book with me. I read at meals. I read while walking down the hall. I read at work. I read before class. Sometimes I read during computer class while waiting for other people to catch up (which the teacher is fine with, in case you’re wondering). I have way too many books on my t0-read list. I work in the library and want to be a librarian.

I wish everyone realized how wonderful reading can be.