Ponderings and Large Mammals

Huzzah! I finally finished the great presentation of doom on Wednesday! (quiet cheers as Armand lifts her hands in victory as the "Rocky" theme plays in the background) It is done! YAY!!!!! Anyway, the other night I was reading a section of C.S. Lewis' "The Silver Chair" (procrastination! shocking! gasp! falls over into a heap!) and I was interested by something that Puddleglum the Marshwiggle says. When the evil Witch has captured the four main heroes under her enchantment, and subsequently questioning their knowledge of reality (by asking them to define the sun or a lion [which they are unable to do to the Witch's satisfaction]), Puddleglum's will remains so deeply rooted in the reality he knows and recognizes as truth, that he is able to withstand the stupor that seizes the other characters. Upon breaking the Witch's enchantment Puddleglum says: "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things--trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia." What an awesome testament for the existence of a God who is so much greater and more wonderful than we could possibly imagine He could be. If we imagine Him as anything less, we are just deluding ourselves in a false reality such as the Witch's. We can believe in something and Someone so much more powerful. Just some cool stuff to think about.

And then today I went to Ryman art classes and, for the second week in a row, we walked over to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (not that far away considering that we were only at USC) to do drawings of animals. So lately I've been making the acquaintance of a rather angry looking stuffed grizzly bear. He has been a joy to draw, other than my leg falling asleep :) But it is always interesting to see the groups and families that come to the museum to see all of the exhibits. You also get lots of people either watching over your shoulder or as one group of little girls did, sit down next to you and point out that your drawing looks like the bear. :) it was pretty cute. Some children simply need to be rangled by their parents (at one point I stepped back across the room with my teacher and some children stood uncomfortably close to my drawing and the parents did nothing about it!*sigh* anyway, at another point I stepped away from my drawing to view it again and (I didn't even notice until I was walking back towards it) but a bunch of guys were standing a few feet away from it and taking pictures of my drawing with their cell phones...grrrrr......Well, I have done my venting for the day... :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I rise today:
in power's strength, invoking the Trinity,
believing in threeness,
confessing the oneness,
of Creation's Creator.
I rise today:
in the power of Christ's birth and baptism,
in the power of his crucifixion and burial,
in the power of his rising and ascending,
in the power of his descending and judging.
I rise today:
in the power of the love of Cherubim,
in the obedience of angels,
and service of the archangels,
in hope of rising to receive the award,
in the prayers of Patriarchs,
in the predictions of prophets,
in the preachings of Apostles,
in the faith of confessors,
in the innocence of holy virgins,
in the deeds of the righteous.
I rise today:
in Heavens might,
in Sun's brightness,
in Moon's radiance,
in Fire's glory,
in Lightning's quickness,
in Wind's swiftness,
in Sea's depth,
in Earth's stability,
in Rock's fixity.
I rise today:
with the power of God to pilot me,
God's strength to sustain me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look ahead for me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to protect me,
God's way before me,
God's shield to defend me,
God's host to deliver me:
from snares of devils
from evil temptations,
from nature's failings,
from all who wish to harm me,
far or near,
alone and in a crowd.
Around me I gather today all these powers:
against every cruel and merciless force,
to attack my body and soul,
against the charms of false prophets,
the black laws of paganism,
the false laws of heretics,
the deceptions of idolatry,
against spells cast by women, smiths, and druids,
and all unlawful knowledge
that harms the body and soul.
May Christ protect my today:
against poison and burning,
against drowning and wounding,
so that I may have abundant reward;
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me;
Christ in my lying, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising;
Christ in the heart of all who think of me,
Christ on the tongue of all who speak to me,
Christ in the eye of all who see me,
Christ in the ear of all who hear me.
I rise today:
in the power's strength, invoking the Trinity,
believing the threeness,
confessing the oneness,
of Creation's Creator.
For to the Lord belongs salvation,
and to the Lord belongs salvation,
and to Christ belongs salvations.
May your salvation, Lord, be with us always.

Dracula

You all need to come and see this next weekend! MUST!!!! :)

The Misses Vickers