Happy Birthday Jack!

Paradise has up and flown away for now

But hope still breathes and truth is always true

And just when we think it's almost over

Love has the final move

~Chris Rice~

Third Time's a Charm!

WINNER!!

Writing challenge #3:

Write a letter to a friend about a book that cannot stop laughing.

This might be a tough one so I'm going to give you guys one WHOLE week to work on it! Voting starts next Saturday at noon! Get your creativity on!

More than flying elephants...

I decided to post a response to the last assignment in a new post all its own rather than a super long comment. Amazingly, this silly assignment got me thinking. I sat down to type a response and wound up thinking about it for like an hour. What would I ACTUALLY wish for if I met a car (or anything) that could grant me wishes? I immediately thought of money - pay for school, my parents' morgage, help my siblings out, donate to charity, the works. Then I thought that I really couldn't live with that. I mean who could be satisfied with a nice house and no debt knowing that they could have gotten rid of cancer or aids or world hunger? So I thought I'd wish for that...but then my mind went to God. He has the power to do all those things, but He doesn't. I know that for a lot of people that's what turns them off from God: they just don't understand how He lets that happen, or think He really doesn't have the power to change it. I understand that. But if there is one thing I believe about God it is this:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

(Ex. 34:6, Neh. 9:17, Ps. 86:15, 103:8, 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2)

I believe with all my heart that God is in control and that despite all the evil and suffering He is good and loves people more then we could ever begin to imagine. God loves the people in this world far more then I ever could ... and He allows suffering. It's not to say that He causes suffering, or that it does not break His heart, but He does not magically wish it away.

How then could I then wish away what God has allowed? I don't know why it happens, but I believe that everything that happens is in His control and ultimately serves a purpose. So, unless God told me that it was His will for me to wish away suffering from the world, I don't think I could do it. I would REALLY hope He would tell me that, but...even I can see how good comes from pain.

What would I the wish for?

Ultimately, I had this picture of me sitting in this car, having all this run through my head, hands on the steering wheel, debating what I would do. And my hour of pondering came to an end as I pictured myself getting out of the car and walking away.

All that to say I wound up writing a poem about it (I'm in an American Lit class, what can I say? it's in my brain) because I felt that I couldn't accurately describe what I felt just through writing. So, if what I just wrote made no sense, maybe this will help. Or maybe it'll just be confusing, I don't know. But I like it so I thought I'd share it :)

A stroll through a deserted wood

led me to a peculiar stump

I sat to ponder

sat and thought of what I would

If there were such a thing as luck

a leprechaun

or magic lamp

A cure for all, the end of pain

eternal hope, some greater gain

something only if I could

Yet what would I obtain?

What would I attain?

Struggle, purpose, triumph lost

Love - sacrifice and choice

Absence only, knowing

wishing nothing.