The Eagle

Symbolism is everywhere. It’s represented through literature, movies, TV, public places, relationship, scripture and so much more. Sometimes I forget just how often it is used because I’ve grown so accustomed to it. The eagle is a strong representation of symbolism in the Bible and in our country. The Bible talks about how we have to “rise up on wings like Eagles.” Why Eagles? Why not hawks or sparrows? It is the eagle who symbolizes freedom and strength. The eagle is the national bird for the United States of America. This bird is everywhere such as on our monetary currency and the symbol that stands tall on the very top of the flag. I think that symbolism is so accustomed to me that I don’t really even think about it anymore. When I look at the eagle as the national figure for our country, I don’t always think wow this is the representation for freedom, instead I just see a bird. This is unfortunate because it’s important to remember how blessed we are to live in this country and it is the eagle that helps us remember that. We can get so busy in what we call life and while it is important that we live it to its full potential, I still think it’s important to remember the reason we are here. That we have the freedom of speech, religion, the opportunity of any kind of work for both men and women, and we have the freedom to be who we want to be. This is a blessing that we often tend to forget in our everyday lifestyle. I know next time I take out a dollar and come across the beautiful eagle on the back of the dollar bill, I need to stop and appreciate what this bird represents. He is the representation of freedom and Christ’s blessings on this country.

Pass

I'm going to pass tonight.

Dr. Horrible and his nonsense movie

Dr. Horrible’s sing along blog is probably one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen. It was about a mad scientist and I mean he was a MAD scientist. He was a wannabe mad villain who broke out in random songs. For instance, when he reads a blog post about the girl he keeps hinting towards he ends up breaking out into another song about his girl Penny. It transforms into another scene of him at the Laundromat admiring Penny from afar. His change of heart makes you think he’s a good guy but yet he turns around and goes on his rampage about his hate for Captain Hammer. At times I couldn’t really keep up with this storyline especially the random songs with cowboys popping out of nowhere. While some of it was comical, I felt like I was watching Bill Nye the science guy except he happened to have an arch rival and love interest. I wouldn’t watch this again because I didn’t really connect with the scenes but I did see the connection with all the other stories I have read. The connection is this; every story is always based around love and death. This movie wasn’t any different. At the end because of Dr. Horrible’s mistake, Penny ended up getting murdered. The hate Dr. Horrible had for Captain
Hammer ended up coinciding with his love Penny which resulted in her death. This was very tragic but at the same time the way they portrayed it seemed kind of comical. A lot of people may like this kind of thing but for me I have a hard time watching this because I just see at as a jumble of music and emotions that don’t even fit each other. This movie may have been appreciated by others but I didn’t find it to be worthwhile.

Through my eyes

This weekend I was able to experience the scenery and wonder of the lake in a whole different perspective. I arrived there Saturday morning around 11, the temperature was not too hot and there was still a hint of a morning breeze as I walked toward the lake. It’s different seeing the lake on a Saturday morning rather than a weekday. I think it’s different because I’m not worn down with the thought of classes lurking ahead or thinking about the five page paper that’s due the next day. No, my Saturday morning was my relaxation time, a time where I can just take in the sights around me and really find a true appreciation for the landscape I’ve been placed in. I saw kids running around with huge smiles on their faces, couples hand in hand as they walked around, a group of friends sharing their adventures of the week over a picnic, these different kinds of scenes in front of me really made me rethink of the way people take to nature. A seven year old boy maybe doesn’t see it as a park, but rather he looks at it like an adventure. The trees hold his home and the water represents the barrier between him and the “lost land.” Maybe a new college graduate sees this place as something that will change his life forever. For this will be the place that he goes down on one knee and asks the question to his love that will forever change his life. A grandmother can look at this and go back 50 years and reminisce of the time she fell in love. Nature can be transformed in all kinds of ways through different kinds of people. When I looked at the lake I didn’t just see trees and plants around me, instead I saw blessings that were given to me by God in the form of nature.

God's Wonder

Throughout the past couple of class periods we have read all kinds of poems regarding nature. To be honest I was not really looking forward to wasting an hour of my time talking about the trees. I guess this kind of mindest has come from our worlds"go green" campaign. Lately, I've been feeling as if people are treating nature as if it's the most important thing happening in our world right now. It's frustrating to watch people throw down their bodies right in front of a tree and risk their own life in order to save the dear tree's life. What I really would like to say is why our people putting all of this energy into saving nature while there are thousands of babies being murdered from abortion everyday or what about the homeless on the street who have no food or clothing? This is what we need to concentrate on... REAL people. Trees do not have a soul but people do and yet so many people are getting too wrapped up on saving the planet from global warming. This is the mindset I have had for a long time and I still somewhat do but from reading these poems and looking at photos of nature I feel as if some of my mindset has shifted a little bit. I have not taken the time to appreciate God's beautiful and majestic creation. From the mountains to the oceans, there is such a beautiful work of art that is entailed in this world. In every state and country there seems to be a different scene that is beautiful in its own way. I have seen pictures of nature that has absolutely taken my breath away and I can't help but thank God for placing me in His beautiful masterpiece. I believe He wants me to see His creation of nature and see that no one else can create this but God. How can people not believe in a God after seeing all that He has created? While I still stand firm to the matter that we need to concentrate more on the people that are hurting rather than our planet, I feel that it's time I stop and take in my surroundings. God gave me an amazing gift of His creation and it's up to me to choose how I want to appreciate it.

Six Recognitions of the Lord

When I read” Six Recognitions of the Lord,” I kept on trying to see how it could relate to my life. While the poem was very beautiful and deep, I still couldn’t relate it to myself. That all changed when I read a section that took me back to the beach on Saturday. “Of course I have always known you are present in the clouds, and the black oak I especially adore, and the wings of birds.” This immediately jumped out to me because I encountered this on Saturday. Lately I have been having a hard time trusting God and knowing that he has my best interest at heart. I remember lying and basking in the hot Florida sun just thinking how blessed I was to be here for nine months out of the year. It was then that I looked up to the sky and saw something that was marvelous. I saw three birds flying in the air that looked to be a face in the sky. However, it wasn’t the birds in the sky that I was looking at but I felt as if I was looking at the face of God. He was in the sky looking down on His marvelous wonder and creation. He saw every individual and wave that crashed onto the shores of the ocean. It was then that I closed my eyes and just whispered a prayer thanking Him for His majestic creation and for picking me to love. After that prayer I felt a still small voice that whispered back, “Christine, I see everything. While you see just a clip, I see the whole picture.” Looking up at the sky and seeing the face really gave me a better depiction that it’s true. We need to trust God and know that He sees everything in our life. While we question why a certain situation is happening to us or why God would let this happen, we need to know that he sees the final result. It’s beautiful and amazing and all we need to do is put our full trust in Him.