Blast from the Past

I realized today that having the highlights of my poetry and short stories on Facebook isn't the best idea . . . so I'm going to slowly transfer them here. ^_^ Enjoy! (If anyone actually reads this . . . )


(because Fur likes to write incredibly stupid children's stories when she's tired...)

>>>>>Once upon a time there was a slug. This slug was anything but average.It was much slower than normal, much slimier than normal, and much MUCH more stupid than normal. Every day it would slither outside of its little hole and slide over the same rocks and grass it did every day. One day, something happened to it that changed it completely. It was sliding over a rock with its friend slug when a shadow suddenly covered the all of the land within its sight. It was a lion! A lion had actually stopped to observe her! This was scary! This had never happened before! What was going to happen?

>>>>>The slug and the lion began talking. They had heard the story of the lion and the mouse, and realized that they would be great friends, even better than that lion and mouse. The slug and the lion then met every day at the same rock and talked and goofed off...well...as much as was possible for a lion and slug to goof off. Every day the slug would slither to that rock and wait. She never really expected the lion to show up. She kept expecting him to forget her, but almost every day they met and talked. They talked so much that, eventually, the slug forgot completely that she was so minute and took the lion's company for granted.

>>>>>On the other hand, the lion's thinking was very different. He spent his days doing what he liked. He liked running with his friends and helping them when they were hurt. He enjoyed watching the lionesses because he loved how hyper and playful they always were. He really enjoyed spending time with the slug because it was different, and he actually could understand her even though they were so different. Nothing was really a burden to him. Every day was the same, but he was happy to go through each one.

>>>>>Soon they were inseparable. Not a day went by where their friends couldn't find them talking like two crazy creatures. The animal world was unbalanced. Soon, the slug began to imagine herself as a lioness and found herself completely lost in that new giant world. She was completely elated until, one day, the lion brought his favorite lioness friend to talk. The slug had never met another lion, and she had also never shown anyone else the "special rock" that was now stained with slime. Fear began to pry its icy fingers into her new, big world. She was terrified that it would all go away.

>>>>>How was she to know that she was absolutely right? It grew colder and colder outside as the season was changing to winter. The lions could walk around freely as they had done before, but the slugs had to alter their living arrangements. The scrawny little slug had to confine herself to her hole, but that was not what bothered her. She knew she had to leave her big world. She had to leave her lion friend. She had to leave him with his friends...and the lionesses that he liked to watch so much. She had to put all thoughts of the wonderful summer out of her mind. She knew it wouldn't be there when the long winter ended.

>>>>>For days the little slug slithered a little more slowly than usual and it seemed that the lion was more reluctant to come and talk. One day, about a week before she was to go into her hole, the lion told her something that set her mind straight about their sizes. He told her about his plans for the winter. He was to spend it with the guest he brought to the rock. He started talking slowly, but then sped up as he thought about it more, and his face twisted into the most amazing pleasant expression the slug had ever seen. She loved to see him excited. It was like slithering over a new rock, or finding a new shiny patch of grass to play in. She knew that he would be happy through winter and that she would never see him again. The thought branded itself on her tiny little brain and was accentuated when she was by herself.

>>>>>The day before she descended into her winter abode, golden king and insignificant pest met for the last time. The lion appeared with an apprehensive expression. He didn't know how to act. He was excited, but he didn't want to hurt his friend by feeling happy. The slug, not wanting to hurt HER friend, put on the biggest "smile" she could, and talked as little as possible. They parted after only a few minutes of talking---the one with a heavy heart, and the other with an air of nonchalance. The slug crawled into her familiar little hole and ceased moving. She knew that her friends would come visit her and she would have a good time. She would get hyper and play with them when the occasion called for it. Nothing, however, would replace her desire for that immense world, or that feeling of being equal with the most amazing creature in creation.

>>>>>A slug emerged from a hole on the first sunny day of spring. This slug was anything but average.It was much slower than normal, much slimier than normal, and much MUCH more stupid than normal. Every day it would slither outside of its little hole and slide over the same rocks and grass it did every day. Then one day, a shadow covered everything in its view. A pain ripped through its tiny little body as memories came flooding back, but then an unexpected thing happened. A flash of white, and all was quiet.

"Robby? ROBBY!! What are you doing!? Leave that slimy thing alone! What did it ever do to you? That's nasty! wipe it off before you come into this house, young man!"

X-D Have a nice week, y'all!

Ode to a Lione

The slug has transformed now into a great bear.
She feeds and protects all who trust in her care.
The lion is weakened - his mane long and rough.
Of his wav'ring ways, she's had more than enough.

There are many more lions, though she did not see,
At the time, how a true friendship really could be.
She wandered away from the rock cold and hard,
But she never quite learned how to put down her guard.
 
The round soot-black bear slowly searched for a place
Where the creatures she spoke to would not fear her face.
She encountered an ape with a deep, piercing gaze,
With such strength she had not seen in all of her days.


This primal new force quickly captured her trust,
Which had almost gone out with the gold lion's dust.
But no more than a friendship this ever would be
For a bear's no companion for ape-kind, you see.

Now alas, this she-bear knew her purpose was not
To be here with the strong one and his wand'ring lot.
No, she must move on, as the seasons and days,
But she misses him still...and his wise soothing ways.

A new forest realm she beholds now ahead
And a strange speaking creature with brown crowned head.
It speaks, and she stops. What a marvelous sound!
Such a voice...such a creature she had not yet found

Who could hold still her mind with such relative ease
As the calm after storms on the turbulent seas.
A voice that speaks truth in a kind, humble way
Is now able to effect a change in her day.

This she-slug-turned-bear is still paralyzed there
By this golden-voiced creature with darkened brown hair.
Oh to run away free! She would move if she could,
But for now she is stuck in this thrice-cursed wood.

Stages

So life consists of many stages for each actor. Different actors have different training, and each proves his own worth during that stage. A child, for instance, is either in training, or has been forced to begin performing without sufficient instruction. Training is generally applied by a parent or guardian, but sometimes the child draws training from those well-seasoned veteran performers that seem to be sprinkled evenly throughout the world's population. Regardless of the method of instruction, a child's background will bring a uniquely colorful interpretation to the overall act.

Obviously this analogy has holes, but I challenge you to examine your own life in these terms and evaluate your personal contributions to this play.

I will now endeavor to share my humble view of the Family Stage as obtained while visiting a town that sits a great way beyond my own.
Those in the Family Stage know that:
-the word "no" makes up the greater part of the household vocabulary.
-"blue" is a legitimate flavour.
-privacy is something read about in books.
-necessity is indeed the mother of invention.
-frequent showers/baths/loads of laundry/etc. are an inseparable part of life.
-man was born with a sin nature.
-true love requires what only God can give.

This observation may be flawed and is most definitely incomplete. What would you add?
You cannot always choose your circumstances, but you can change your efforts. You cannot choose where your life will end, but you can choose what leads it. You cannot make people love you, or stay with you, or even trust you, but you can love, and stay close, and trust. These are things I know but have not perfected.

There is a fine line between being outgoing and being obnoxious. "As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, . . . so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart." " . . . a brother is born for adversity."

That is probably a sufficient amount of random rambling for today. Please have a wonderful weekend.

*~FUR~*
Proverbs 31:30
Psalm 19:14

Hello Seattle ♥

Hola mis amigos!

Today has been full of new and exciting activities just as every day before here at the Henson house in Port Orchard, Washington. God has blessed this house. I pray He will continue to. Every morning I wake up to the sound of my little kiddy cousins running around. Almost every day is filled with some sort of project or goal - anything from cleaning the house to taking a trip to someone's house for a play date. Somehow this full yet flexible schedule makes me very happy.

The Legislative Building from the church's field trip to the capitol.

I have ceased to be a novelty here, however. My friends at church are starting to be just that - friends - instead of fans. ;-) There have been so many opportunities to get to know them better during this trip. A friend named Benjy had a birthday party and a workday for his Eagle Scout project. Both of those were unexpectedly gratifying. The birthday party included grilling out and singing around a campfire followed by an opportunity to sing with my friend while he played his guitar. The workday consisted of many many tangled roots, thorns, and tree trunks which were pulled, hacked, yanked, and hauled away to make a beautiful path through a bit of forest to make room for a nice picnic area. Being covered in dirt at the end of the day felt awesome! I was even able to help haul logs from a tree they had felled! Of course, watching the men devour the cookies we had made was enjoyable too. ^_^

Becky has enabled me to experience a multitude of "firsts" during my first month here. Transporting Sarah and Benjamin in a minivan on the highway to their piano lesson while Garth and Becky and Ruth took Rachel to the doctor to have tubes put in her ears was definitely a "first." Becky had me go through a drive-thru, which I had never done before. She taught me how to mow a lawn, iron a fancy shirt, and cook a bunch of different dishes. I am learning so much! I changed a diaper for the first time, and now I have a job watching two little boys (ages 4 and 18 months). Their mother has asked me to help with some computer jobs as well. I was even more pleased when she told me that I could do the computer work from college.

I really believe that this is where God would have me for the summer. I have no idea if I am truly as much of a help to my cousins as I hope to be, but God has some lessons here for me. Having a constant church again has impacted my relationship with God in a positive way. I had been struggling a little with that. Also, since this area is made up of so many families, there is almost always help needed, even if it is something small. It is nice to be needed. He has been teaching me a lot about families as well, but that is a subject for another post. ;-) It really feels like home up here. I have seen a wedding, a funeral, a baby shower, a graduation, a recital, and many birthdays. God is SO GOOD! Every day the cloudy sky boasts of his beauty. The snow-capped mountains point up to Him. The very flowers and inlets and bays scream of his wisdom, intelligence, and lordship. There are many more lessons for me to learn, and I am more excited now than I was before I came. He has a plan for me. I will trust Him.

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

Psalm 19:14

Learning is a...Learning...Experience...?

There are many things one expects to learn at college - math, English, music, art, science, etc., and some would even include things like how to do laundry, how to make an efficient schedule, the most profitable way to study, etc. At Bob Jones, one also (hopefully) expects to learn more about the Bible and its Author. All of these things I am learning here at BJU, but there is so much more here than that. God has placed me here for a reason. Every day there is another instance where I see this, and it still surprises me! It is SUCH an encouragement to see how God uses the events in your past to help illustrate the lessons you are learning today. He is truly all-wise.

Today, I was able to experience another such instance. In my counseling class this morning, someone asked what the teacher thought of a family's prayer to heal one of its members, then having to bury that member soon after. The student pointed out a passage we had been looking at (James 5:13-18) and was somewhat confused. The teacher responded by asking what his initial prayer request for the cancer person was. The student replied "for healing". The teacher paused for a moment, then asked the class if they thought this was a good prayer request. Most people were silent. Another brave student raised his hand. This other student stated that nothing was wrong with it, and that he was wondering about verse fourteen as well. Something was not making sense here...then one young lady seated toward the front raised her hand and quietly answered, "We never know how God may use something such as cancer. It may have been that He was using that situation in someone else's life. It was not in His perfect plan to heal that one on earth, though they are eternally healed now. When we pray, if our goal in life is God's glory, we should pray that His will be done, not that our will be done, and praise Him whatever the outcome." Again, there was silence in the room as each mind contemplated this idea that had been introduced. The teacher agreed, and continued to expound on this idea. 

After discussion about HOW we should pray, he then addressed the confusion about verse fourteen. He suggested a better way to read the word "sick" in that particular instance as "weak", "discouraged", or "afflicted". Here is the passage in question:

¹³Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

 ¹⁴Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

 ¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

 ¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 ¹⁷Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

 ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 

The teacher explained that this passage was addressed to a people who were being "afflicted" for their beliefs. According to him, this passage was intended for people who are severely discouraged or afflicted - people who were weak and needed help. He added that it made no sense for people to come straight to the elders for a physical ailment, when the elders were not trained as physicians. When you view the passage "as it was intended", it makes perfect sense for a weak, discouraged, and afflicted person to come before his fathers and ask for help. "Healing" that affliction with "anointing of oil" begins to make much more sense, and naturally fits.

As he was talking, I understood what he was talking about. There is no doubt in my mind that someone can be so discouraged, so weak, so afflicted, that they need the support of their "elders". Someone can become so discouraged that it makes them literally weak and even "sick". It is not a very pretty sight. I am firmly convinced that being constantly spiritually discouraged can be even more addicting than worry. From personal experience, I KNOW that when you come to a point where you yourself have lost hope and feel like you cannot pray, you need to go to those who are there to help specifically with your spiritual life (or lack thereof). They come around and pray for you, and also "anoint you with oil" or as the teacher put it, they help you "wash up". When someone becomes discouraged and loses hope, they tend to become slightly disheveled and unorganized. These people come around to help "put you back on your feet". 

This passage made sense to me. I agreed with what he was saying, and yet some in the class begged to differ. Though ashamed of my sin that messed me up and put me in most of my "hard times", I am so thankful that God walked me through them. He is working here. He is most definitely working here...

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

Psalm 19:14

p.s. Please let me hear stories from you! I want to hear how God's working in your area. ^_^

Sugar-Induced Speech

Happy Un-birthday, my friends. At least, to my friends on the east coast. ^_^ Being 19 will not feel very different from turning 16, in my opinion. Birthdays are still a great cause for celebration, however! May you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with family time, good food, and praise to God for "His unspeakable gift." 

I'm spending Christmas break in Washington state. It's amazing what time with family will do for you. It provides refreshment for a slightly withered heart. It provides sharpening for a slightly dulled mind. What miracles God provides for us! Even the smallest details of a family point to Him. Watching a child learn to obey reminds me of God. How our whining voices must grate on His nerves, yet He is never impatient. He is always just, and always loving. He is so perfect. Why me? Why did He choose to save me??

This Christmas, while being insanely awesome, has been somewhat hard as well. I wish that I could honestly say to someone that I loved them without it being taken wrong. Has the word lost its meaning? How does one repair a friendship when words have been taken the wrong way? When one mistake crumbles five years of iron-hard credibility, how does one correct the mistake, or else rebuild? Would that I had the answer. God's working here. I do know that. Jesus, a man whose words were truly understood by no one on a daily basis has my utmost respect. There is a lesson to be learned there.

Life can be cruel. Men pick women based on a list of qualities similar to those of a good race horse. Something tells me that method will miss some important attributes. Why is this issue such a thorn in so many of my girl friends' sides? Good women longing to have a family of their own...willing to sacrifice of their lives to raise children for God...willing to sacrifice of themselves to serve a husband...willing to put in the time and effort to resolve problems with him and remain loyal regardless of feelings...good women like these, if godly men seek those qualities, should have no problems, right? Granted, it shouldn't be a cause for them to worry, for God IS all-sufficient, but I wish that for them. I wish them the joy that that particular life-situation brings, and the grace to get through all of the trials it entails. And what trials they are! 

God can heal the broken family. God can melt the most stubborn heart. God gives grace (and even JOY) to those struggling with grievous burdens. PRAISE GOD! May all praise be given to Him, for He is worthy of it, and no one else. Praise Him.

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

UPDATE!! ^_^

So, college has swallowed up all of my time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, right? There are so many things going on here. Here's a brief rundown!

Living in the dorms has allowed me to see even more clearly how different I am from most people. Some things I just don't quite have together yet, and other things (which most have problems with) I understand. It's thrilling to be able to learn from other people, though. God certainly has placed me in the middle of a GREAT group of young men and women, and I would not be any other place right now. Every day proves again that this is god's will for my life at this exact moment, and that makes getting through each day much easier.

As far as petty drama goes, there is little to none of that. There have been a few flare ups (one involving the Lion), but it has been pretty quiet on that front. Of course there always has to be a little drama when you "like" someone. **sigh** Such is life.  Patience was never my strong point...at least when it came to myself.

It seems like so many people have become ill or even died this semester. So many people are sad and searching for something desperately. I wonder if I am just seeing these things more, because I am older, or if it is because people my age that I know personally are beginning to fall into the usual paths of man. Would that men would see how life could be in the will of the all-powerful, all-loving God!!

That's basically all. Jamie Yow is an amazing roommate, and I shall miss her next year. I miss my best friend Ben and all of my other friends in Anderson, but it can be fun to make new ones. There is another guy up here who is candidate for best-friendship whose name is also Ben, and that makes me laugh. We'll see how long it takes him before he cracks and cannot stand me any more. ;-p I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! God is SO GOOD! It's said many times, but it really is true! A whole life of praise is still not enough. good thing He's given us eternity to try and make it up!

*~FUR~*
Proverbs 31:30
Psalm 19:14
I Corinthians 13

Give me You eyes for just one second.

Give me Your eyes so I can see

Everything that i keep missing.

Give me Your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted,

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes so i can see.