The Mystery Blogger Award

I want to thank Emily who nominated me for this award. It is my first award and it was really nice to receive this kind of recognition. I’ve really enjoyed her work over at her blog. She is studying English at university and is soon to finish. Some of my favorite posts are her analysis and reviews on books, they have been helpful to me. I also enjoy her poetry, her recent A-Z list of poetic devices, and her short story series. If you enjoy literature, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy her blog.

Rules:

1. Thank whoever nominated you and include a link to their blog.

2. Tell your readers three things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions given by the person who nominated you.

4. Nominate 10-20 bloggers who you feel deserve the award.

5. Ask your nominees five questions of your choice (with one weird or funny one).

6. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.

What is the Mystery Blogger Award?

“This is an award for amazing bloggers with indigenous posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging and they do it with so much love and passion.” – Okoto Enigma.

Three things about me:

1. I was studying to become an English and Math teacher but decided to discontinue to dedicate myself to caring for my home and raising my children.

2. I have never read a Jane Austen book! I hope to.

3. I’ve translated one published children’s book to Spanish. 😊

Questions Given by Emily:

1. I’m going to start with a weird one. So, if you had to choose a favourite word, what would it be? You don’t even need to explain why you like it if you don’t feel the need to – simply, what is your favourite word?

I’m sure I have others but this is the first one that comes to my mind: gilded

2. Are there any ethical issues that you feel particularly strongly about?

This one was a tough one to answer because each opposing view on ethical issues (such as: sexual morality or abortion) doesn’t seem to fully represent where I stand on an issue and I also still have much questions to ask (through discussion) on these issues so I can fully understand. But I think I will go with what Jesus taught: loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And loving your neighbor as yourself. I believe this to be the ultimate form of morality and justice.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now (completely free of charge), where would you choose?

Colombia! I’ve traveled there several times to visit family and lived there for a very brief time. I absolutely love it. I love the food, the music, the language, the vibrant people, the landscapes, the rivers, the homes, etc etc. I would love to visit the coast.

4. Do you have a favourite modern author? By “modern”, let’s say from the 1950s onwards (I’m an English student, so anything after this time is modern in my mind).

Sylvia Plath! My favorite poem by her is “Morning Song”. She’s the one that caused me to fall in love with words and what you are able to do with them.

I don’t know many other modern authors, so if you know of any others please let me know. 😊

5. Is anything bothering you? (I know, it’s vague, but it’s a question). This can be personal, political, or whatever you like – what’s on your mind?

This one is also tough because it is something I’m still trying to understand. My answer would be the state of Christianity in America.

Questions for my Nominees:

1. What do you know or believe about Jesus Christ?

2. What was the motivating factor for starting your blog? Or where did the passion that inspired your blog begin?

3. What is your favorite comfort food? (This one might be the weird question lol)

4. What is one thing that brings you joy?

5. What is one thing that irritates you? 😬

My Nominees

I nominate Brontë Babe Blog. As someone who has been really into reading Charlotte Brontë recently, this blog has been such a gem. My hope in mentioning this blog here is that others may enjoy the work that she has in her blog. She brings to light earlier works by the Brontë’s, particularly those written in their childhood.

I also nominate my good friend, Shelly. I’ve known her since junior high school and recently reconnected with her. She started up a blog recently and is now back on a fitness journey. For anyone who is interested in following her journey, I would highly recommend her blog. She also takes the time to research and write about the things she is learning.

To my nominees, please feel free to answer all, some, or none of the questions. My hope is that others can enjoy your blog too. 😊

(P.S. I could not think of 10-20 bloggers to nominate. I don’t consider myself an experienced blogger but I am glad for the few blogs that I have found)

My Apologies

In one of my posts, last week, I said I was hoping to post regularly and I set out a schedule for my blog. I was hoping to commit to this schedule.

I haven’t stuck to my word on this, so for that reason I’d like to apologize for anyone who might have been following.

It doesn’t seem like at this season in my life I will be able to commit to anything else (at the moment) other than raising my two little girls and caring for our home.

Again, my apologies for giving my word on something and not following through.

Book Thoughts: Villette by Charlotte Bronte (3)

(In this post I will be discussing my thoughts on this book up until Chapter 7)

I’m glad I have stuck out Villette. Things have become more interesting. I’m enjoying following Lucy’s journey as she seeks employment. Although, there are some unfortunate things that are occurring to her such as losing her luggage and finding herself in a place where she doesn’t know the language. It has kept my interest to see how she will manage.

She seems to be managing fairly well out on her own. Right now, she is inquiring about a position to a school, it seems.

I find it interesting how different the pace has become. As I mentioned before, the beginning was boring to me and she was really detailed about the people around her. But now, we are more involved in her thoughts, emotions, and events that are occurring to her which creates such tension.

Overall, I’m really glad I have stuck with her.

Matthew

I’m really inspired by Matthew. Ever since his recovery from Fibromyalgia, he’s been home less and less. Mainly, he’s been out looking for a job, along with several trips to the grocery store, walking around our neighborhood in the cold weather. He also was able to go to a place where they helped him write his resume. It’s been a long time since he has worked and I can tell he’s so excited to get back into it. This whole experience with his recovery has caused me to reflect a lot on who he is.

One thing he said to me recently was that I didn’t have a concept of responsibility. & it was true. I shrink away at the thought of a task that looks or feels too difficult, for whatever reason. He said that I needed to see my responsibilities and recognize that: IT MUST BE DONE. These few words have really helped shift my perspective and attitude towards things that I would normally neglect because I was too overwhelmed by the task. Somehow, I would reason that since I didn’t feel right about it at the moment then it meant that perhaps I wasn’t supposed to attend to that just yet. So, you can imagine just how many things I would neglect because I didn’t feel all warm and cozy about it. Another thing he says is that, anything that is worth it, is going to probably be hard.

I have often tried to reason against him about something I was probably stressed out about by saying, “You think that it’s easy?!” And he often reminds me that that is not what he is saying. He’ll say, “just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

& it’s true.

I’m very thankful for who he is. He gently leads this little family of ours by setting such a great example. & also challenging me as a person. He’s taught me so many things. Shamefully, down to basic manners like saying you’re welcome all the way up to glorifying Christ. None of which he does for his own benefit but simply because he wishes to see me happy. There are many things I thought I’d never be able to do but because of his persistence, guidance, love, & support I’ve been able to surpass my own expectations of myself as a wife, mother, friend, keeper of my home etc.

He’s also taught me how to relate to other people for their sake. I remember when I first met him, I was under the notion that going to church was just a time for me and God. But I was so wrong. He taught me that going to church was a place where you could fellowship with other people and be there for one another. He’s taught me to reach out to people every now and then (or often) so that if they ever need anything, they know you are there.

One of the most important things that he has taught me is that through faith in Christ we can walk in righteousness. It reminds me about what I quote him on earlier, “Just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean it is impossible.” Amen! It must be done, & God is able. 😊

It’s a joy to be his wife. I hope I can mature in Christ to be the kind a wife that is a crown to his head.

Will We Always Sin?

Will we always sin until Christ returns? 

No.

My husband and I have put our faith in Christ that one day we will walk as He walked, in perfect obedience, here on this earth before His return. Our hope is that we may be found blameless before Him. 

I believe this can only happen by faith in Christ, believing that He will do this. 

Of course there is a period of growth. As my husband says, just like a baby, who is learning to walk, stumbles unsurprisingly. However, eventually that baby will mature into a child and then into an adult. It will be second nature for him/her to walk without even thinking about it. 

Likewise, I believe, eventually as we mature in Christ, it will be in our nature to walk in obedience and free from sin. It is something that is accomplished in us by the spirit of God when we have faith in Him. 

The one thing, I believe, that we will face until He returns is temptation. Even Christ was tempted but remained without sin. 

Have I achieved this perfection yet? 

Mm, I don’t think so. There’s still much in me that I need to grow in so that I can partake in His holiness. But He is dealing with me, just as a father who loves his child. 🙂 

This is a message that has brought me much hope because when I have sinned, it greatly grieves me and hurts others. I know I can ask for forgiveness but I know it doesn’t stop there. And I wouldn’t want it to. Not only does He offer forgiveness but He promises to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Praise God. 

However, this doctrine of “we will always sin until Christ returns” or “we will never be perfect on this side of eternity” is widely accepted and taught amongst professing Christians. I don’t understand why. 

I understand that it may seem that way if we look at ourselves. But when when we look at Christ and His power, isn’t He more than capable of giving us the power to walk in obedience and without sin? 

I believe He is. 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/gal.5.16.nasb

*Although there are several passages that would support this, I find that the entire book of 1 John would be a good place to read to understand what it means to walk in righteousness by abiding in Christ. 

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:28-29‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/1jn.2.28-29.nasb

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/1jn.3.2.nasb

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:4-6‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/1jn.3.4-6.nasb

“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/1jn.3.23-24.nasb

Mount Vernon Fog

This morning it was so foggy outside. It was beautiful. 

So far, I’ve loved every sky out here in Mount Vernon. It always captivates me. 

We are entering into Autumn now. & the leaves are coloring so beautifully. They are mostly forest green but you can see the bright yellow, orange, and red patches adorning the trees. 

This is all so captivating to me especially coming from the city where you don’t get to see many trees bunched up together as you do over here. Even though this is considered city, it is not comparable to New York City. I tell my husband that this is like the best of both worlds: the convenience of the city with the beauty of nature. 

One of my favorite things is when I am walking back home from Walmart, which is on a higher plain from where I live, you can see the tree line far off underneath the vast blue sky. As opposed to the Manhattan skyline which is just as dear to my heart since it is the place I grew up in. But for now, I am enjoying the change.

 

What is faith? (2)

I asked my husband what faith was and if it was something that someone could have even if they don’t feel anything. His answer was that it is something mental. In other words, it is something that you come to understand mentally not emotionally. 

This is a verse that came to my mind as I try to understand faith in light of my fluctuating emotions. 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.11.1.kjv

From what I understand, this is something that is grasped with the understanding, what you put your faith in regardless of how you feel towards it at the moment. 

I expressed to my husband that for a long time I had tied my faith so closely to my emotions. By that, I mean that if I felt good about something that I had understood in the bible, my behavior would follow through. But when I felt angry, impatient, bitter, scared or hopeless that behavior would get thrown out the window and I’d treat those around me poorly (which breaks my spirit). 

Therefore, I concluded that I do not have to feel a certain way in order to be obedient specifically to love God or my neighbor. It doesn’t matter.

If the feelings are good, then great. I’ll enjoy them. But my faith or obedience is not hinged to that. 

If the feelings are bad, then, as I said to myself: “You need to get over it.” Eventually I do get over it and I’m truly happy that I didn’t act on those emotions but acted on faith, obedience, and love. 

I need to guard my heart with all diligence. 

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/pro.4.23.kjv

What is faith?

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:20‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/gal.2.20.nasb

What is faith? Is it a feeling? Or is it a reality? A truth? 

I’m having trouble understanding my faith in Christ. Can I still have faith even if I do not feel anything? 

Perhaps I will post more on this as I search to understand this more. 

Verses On My Mind

These are two verses that have been ringing in my mind. The first is:

“just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/1pe.3.6.nasb

This one reminds me to not focus so much on how I feel but to do what is right. Doing what is right makes me a daughter of Sarah. I often feel very strongly (i.e. irritated, impatient) and I begin to feel down for even feeling that way. But this verse encourages me, because in spite of how I feel, I can still do what is right. My husband often reminds me not to focus so much on how I feel. 

The second one: 

“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:15‬ ‭NASB‬‬

http://bible.com/100/heb.12.15.nasb

I asked my husband: “How does one come short of the grace of God?” 

The answer is in the second part of the verse; by allowing bitterness to take root in your heart. This is something I must see to it, diligently. 

Additional Thoughts

Today, I felt like I felt short of the grace of God. I felt down. Interestingly the surrounding verses in Hebrews 12 says: 

“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.12.12-13.kjv

Instead of feeling down, God wants me to lift up my hands which hang down, and make straight my paths. I asked myself: “How do you make straight your path?” 

According to the following verse, I concluded that you make your path straight by: 

• Pursuing peace with all men
• Pursuing holiness 
• Guarding your heart from bitterness 

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:14-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.12.14-15.kjv

Lastly, I found encouragement in the final verses about coming to a living God and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. He speaks of better things than that of the blood of Abel. I imagine that could mean that there is mercy under the blood of Christ as opposed to the blood of Abel. His blood also offers us restored fellowship to our Father so that we may be His children. 

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:22-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.12.22-24.kjv

The application that I received from Hebrews 12, is to not refuse what is spoken through Jesus and to serve God with reverence and godly fear. 

“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.12.25.kjv

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

http://bible.com/1/heb.12.28.kjv

Conclusion:

• Do what is right
• Guard my heart from bitterness 
• Remember the God I have come to 

Creepy Story Cravings

*Possible spoilers to Jane Eyre 

For a few days now, I was craving to read a story that would spook me out. & yesterday I got that craving fulfilled. (Yes!)

I knew it would come from this story: Jane Eyre, which I was already reading. I was hoping to find those eerie parts where she would hear someone roaming around the halls. I tried skipping ahead to find it, since I feel like I’m still in the very beginning, but I couldn’t. 

Until last night, when I sat down in bed and got to continue reading from where I left off. And coincindentally, I came across this part: 

“I tried again to sleep; but my heart beat anxiously: my inward tranquility was broken. The clock, far down in the hall, struck two. Just then it seemed my chamber-door was touched; as if fingers had swept the panels in groping a way along the dark gallery outside. I said ,’Who is there?’ Nothing answered. I was chilled with fear.”

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Chapter XV) 

The few surrounding paragraphs were enough to fulfill my spooky craving. That, and the fact that the black clouds outside were hovering over the blue sunset sky. It was very windy, making the leaves brush against each other and causing the branches on the tree outside to bend. & the wailing wind, was the cherry on top. 

I truly enjoy that this book is able to evoke all kinds of emotions and thoughts.