Taking Time to Smell the Roses

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...

• I see sharp, green palm leaves swaying slightly in the gentle breeze foretelling a coming storm.

I am thankful...

• For my family, home, the pro-life cause, friends, movies, and life!

In the kitchen...

• My grandpa, mom and I discuss the colors of the rainbow while preparing to start dinner.

I am wearing...

• A grey "Christendom College" t-shirt, jean capris, worn brown sandals, and a smile!

I am creating...

• A post that will hopefully remind my readers and me to take time to enjoy the simple things in life.

I am going...

• on the road that God lays before me. I only pray that He makes it clear to me which road that is.

I am wondering...

• what the rest of today, tomorrow, and beyond hold for me.

I am reading...

• Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, St. Austin Review magazine, National Catholic Register, and various Catholic blogs.

I am hoping...

• That God will use me as His instrument in this world, to touch people the way He wants me too. And I hope that I will listen!

I am looking forward to...

• in the near future: going shopping for my upcoming birthday with my grandfather, in a year: going back to Christendom, in the long run: meeting and getting to know my future husband.

I am hearing...

• My mom and sister describe Friday's events to my grandfather.

Around the house...

• My brother rumbles up and down his new half-pipe, my dad naps after staying up all night with my pro-life group for our Rock-a-thon, my mom, sister, grandfather, and I hang out in the kitchen talking, the dogs sleep, and my littlest brother plays in the sandbox.

I am pondering...

• what my future will hold.

One of my favorite things...

• is a day spent reading a good book, doing a fun activity with family, attend Mass and Adoration, and avoiding too much strife and anguish.

A few plans for the rest week:

• to read a couple good books, practice violin, and to continue my posts about correct and honorable behavior in men and women.

Here is a picture for the thought I am sharing:

 

I am waiting patiently, falling in love with Christ and preparing for His chosen companion for me.





 God bless you all!


First picture: Daydreaming: Knight
Second picture: My Fair Lady: Leighton



Chivalry

To start my posts on the role of different genders in society, today's post is about chivalrous behavior in men (ladies, I'll be posting about our roles as well!). This is a Code of Chivalry, something the majority of men used to follow in the Medieval Times:

• To fear God and maintain His Church 
• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith 
• To protect the weak and defenceless 
• To give succour to widows and orphans 
• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence 
• To live by honour and for glory 
• To despise pecuniary reward 
• To fight for the welfare of all 
• To obey those placed in authority 
• To guard the honour of fellow knights 
• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit 
• To keep faith 
• At all times to speak the truth 
• To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun 
• To respect the honour of women 
• Never to refuse a challenge from an equal 
• Never to turn the back upon a foe

I posted the whole list because all of the points are valuable, but I've highlighted in bold the three I want to talk about in depth.

1. To fear God and maintain His Church
• This is the first in the list because it is the most important. A knight should always, first and foremost, strive to bring honor and glory to his King, and to seek to serve Him in everything. Being faithful is not, as some would say, a girlish virtue. On the contrary, the most faithful person to ever walk the Earth was Christ, the ultimate role-model for everyone, but especially for men. Second to Christ in the male Saints is Joseph, who was so strong and honorable in the Lord's sight that he was chosen as Christ's foster father! A couple more examples, St. George- a literal knight-who in legend killed the dragon, St. Michael the Archangel- the warrior of Heaven- depicted as a strong, manly soldier with wings; the list is endless! These great role models of the faith were anything but feminine! When did young men develop such a dangerous misconception?
2. To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
• I chose this one because it is a problem I have seen in many teen guys. They think that cursing and the telling of crass jokes is cool, and somehow makes them more of a man. But it doesn't take a strong person to follow the crowd. No, displays of honor have always been greatly admired and helped one advance in society, and more importantly in the eyes of God. A man who speaks justly and acts respectfully is a man to be praised.
3. To respect the honor of women
•  Ah, yes! To be a gentleman! Oh, how this modern culture has ruined their young men! The feminist movement is to be blamed, in my opinion. But, for now I only want to address gentlemanly behavior. First of all, to go along with #2, nasty and disrespectful talk should never be used, but especially when in the presence of women! There used to be a law against it! Common courtesies, such as holding the door, the man taking the first steps in a relationship, the guy going out of his way to make the lady feel special, these are all things that women used to take for granted. Now, I'm overjoyed to receive even a hint of this kind of behavior! I must praise the Christendom gentlemen for this- I've never felt so respected and honored than when around the guy counselors at that college. A foul word did not enter my ears, if in need of help I was soon assisted, and I believe the male campers-as they took up the same behavior- became proud of their ability to flatter us by simply showing us consideration!

Guys, do not underestimate the power of chivalry! It is a cultural art that seems to be on the verge of being lost, but it is up to you to revive it! Take up the challenge, be a man and go against the lower standards of today's culture. Put on the armor of a knight, and learn to embrace the code of chivalry. I can guarantee that the ladies, and more importantly the Lord, will be impressed!

And may God bless all of you!

For "Code of Chivalry," click the blue words.

Picture:Chivalry- Frank Dicksee 1885.

 
 
 



 

 

 

Postponed...

The post I hinted at yesterday has been postponed until tomorrow!

This may sound odd, but I got on the computer to type the article- and just couldn't get the words arranged correctly!

Hopefully tomorrow, my mind will be more cooperative!

God bless all of you!

I've Replied!

Good Afternoon!

I have finally responded to all comments from the last two months!

Have a wonderful day!

Sneak peak: Tomorrow's post is going to be about chivalry, so get ready ladies and gentlemen!

St. Peter Julian Eymard, pray for us!

Why Harry Isn't Worth It

The last Harry Potter movie is out, and thousands are flocking to the theaters to watch the final chapters of The Deathly Hollows enacted on the big screen. And though I know many who can't wait to see the film, I cannot wait until it's gone. As reflected in the poll, which ended today, many people love these books detailing the life of a boy sorcerer, yet almost as many people are willing to admit that they find them to be dangerous on a much deeper level. Why? How could "children's" books cause spiritual harm?

According to Fr. Gabriele Amorth (Rome's head exorcist), "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of darkness, the devil," (O'Brien 16). To clarify, this is not an accusation against J.K. Rowling; I do not mean to say that she herself is possessed, but her characters use magic and incantations that reflect "satanic arts," (O'Brien 16).

Before I continue, I must remind everyone of an important point. Movies will always water down the message behind the stories, especially when evil is involved. It happened with The Golden Compass- the movie misrepresented the books, causing parents to falsely assume that His Dark Materials Trilogy was safe for their children to read. It's happening again with Harry Potter. Does this mean the movies are fine to see, as long as one does not read the books? No, by going to see the movies one would still be exposing himself to some of the evil contained within the stories.

In order to fully understand the harm these books are causing, it would be helpful to pinpoint the biggest problem. To quote an interview with Michael D. O'Brien, regarding the Potter series, "Certainly, the themes were increasingly violent, although to some degree children’s literature has always had an element of violence. More worrisome was the corrupting of Western civilization’s traditional symbols of good and evil, and also the growing presentation of occult powers as the way to defeat evil, as though occult activities were morally neutral," (StudiObrien.com 2). It's the blurring of the line between black and white, right and wrong. Suddenly, the "good" guys aren't so good. They too, use dark magic, cast horrible spells, and do many bad things. But they're nice, and ultimately they end up trying to do right, so without warning young minds are twisted into believing that a little wrongdoing is okay. This can be seen in the Twilight saga as well. The vampires are turned into heroes because they are handsome, their skin is shiny, and they restrain their desire to suck human blood. Yet, even Edward asks, "What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" (Meyer 92).

Now, many who adore these books love to talk of how well written they are. Yet, what aspect of Rowling's writing is earning so much esteem? "...the Potter stories are actually closer in style to television than to literature. They use in print form the visceral stimuli and pace of the electronic media, flooding the imagination with sensory rewards while leaving it malnourished at the core. In a word, thrills have swept aside wonder..." (O'Brien 17).  So, the readers of these books might not care what they're about. They're simply looking for the emotional and mental high that results after reading them. What a clever disguise...

Still not convinced that these dramatic tales are destructive? I will end with one final quote, "But there are hundreds of other incidents where Harry uses immoral means to destroy his enemies. For example, in an earlier scene one of Voldemort’s servants insults a professor at Hogwarts whom Harry is very fond of. Harry curses him with what is called a “cruciatus” curse — a crucifying curse. It is unspeakable torture; there is no pain like it in the world. Harry just simply decides to crucify him. This is the same Harry who throughout the whole series has lied, has committed violence against others — human enemies, fellow students — sometimes in retaliation for their attacks on him, sometimes to further his cause. Lying is a very big thing all the way through, as well as other kinds of deceiving, uttering hundreds of curses and spells, along with contempt and sneering, violence, bloodshed, death — it goes on and on," (StudiOBrien.com 10-11)

My advice, obviously, is not to go see the movies, not to read the books, and definitely not to promote them. But I would suggest that those who remain unconvinced go do some research, look into it, and pray about it. These articles helped me:

Michael O'Brien responds to his critics re: Harry Potter
The Potter Controversy: or Why that boy sorcerer just won't go away.

Any other articles on www.StudiObrien.com are very helpful. Just click, "Writings on Fantasy." Michael D. O'Brien is a Catholic writer and artist whose opinion I highly respect.

St. Michael the Archangel, Pray for Us!


Works Cited:

Meyer, Stephenie. "Blood Type." Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and, 2006. 92. Print.
O'Brien, Michael D. "StudiObrien.com - Interview with Lifesite News
Writings on Fantasy - Michael O'Brien." StudiObrien.com - Home - Michael O'Brien. 26 July 2011. Web. 30 July 2011. http://www.studiobrien.com/writings_on_fantasy/interview-with-lifesite-news.html.

O'Brien, Michael D. "Why That Boy Sorcerer Just Won't Go Away." St. Austin Review July-Aug. 2003: 16-23. Web. 
 
Picture from http://www.zvents.com/z/denver-co/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2--movies--51125.

The Art of Real Dancing

There is a blog called The Catholic Young Woman that I really enjoy reading. The main author, Clare, has written several posts about dancing. And though my experience with dancing has not been very extensive (that is, up until now), I loved reading her analogies as she compared the beauty of a dance to the flow of life (click here for an example).

While at Christendom, I was taught how to dance. Now, I have been to "dances" before- but they were nothing like this. Today's culture sticks a group of teenagers in a room, blares explicit music with a fast beat through large speakers, and tells them to jump up and down while twisting in provocative ways, then calls it "dancing." But, Christendom is all about being counter-cultural, which means they have a much better way of doing everything!

Now, in order to even begin to learn the moves (we were taught a form of Swing Dance), the ladies realized something very quickly. The gentlemen had to lead, or else nothing was going to work. Of course, we had to remember the steps as well, but we were not in control. The man had to ask us to dance, then we had to trust him to guide us through it. Once two people start to dance, as long as the guy knows what he's doing and the girl is allowing him to take control, their movements become very beautiful and glorious to watch.

I'll try to describe the thrill this new form of entertainment gave me. First, to be asked to dance at all immediately made me feel honored and respected. Then, as the guy was leading me out to the dance floor, excitement started building up inside. It's like that feeling one gets when he's just been handed a wrapped present. He can't wait to see what's inside! As the young man starts to move, he moves me with him, gently but firmly guiding me along his intended path. Then, surprise! He lifts up his arm and I respond without thinking. I spin around and face him again, eyes shining with joy because we just executed the steps perfectly. Throughout the rest of the song, it's the same way. He prompts me through his motions to respond in a certain way, and I do so to the best of my ability. When blessed enough to have a skilled partner, the song ends too quickly; everything seems to flow exquisitely. The gentleman then offers me his arm, and reluctantly I allow him to guide me back to my seat. He bows as he thanks me, and I curtsy while returning the thanks, mentally hoping he will come back again. And maybe he will, but another young man soon approaches, and the experience starts anew.

I would love to describe the way I think this compares to life, but I have already written too much! For now, I direct you to the link above, and to this link. They describe what I'm trying to say much more eloquently than I could, though I will attempt to give my take on it at a later time.

I highly encourage all of you to learn how to dance! I am just a beginner, and still have much to learn, yet I've already gained so much enjoyment from this beautiful activity! Please, revolt against the degrading nature of dances today. It will be such a relief, and so much more delightful!

May God bless all of you!

(By the way, the picture is called "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Jack Vettriano. Perfectly romantic!)

True Friendship

St. Thomas Aquinas said that, "There is nothing on this Earth more to be prized than true friendship," Over the past week at Christendom, I realized the truth behind this statement.

In order to fully understand the beauty of true friendship, one must understand what it is. Dr. John Cuddeback (the Philosophy professor at Christendom College) defines true friendship as, "when two people seek true happiness together," Of course, this then requires the definition of true happiness. Being a Catholic, I would define true happiness as seeking holiness- ultimately Heaven- in the best way possible. In other words, becoming more and more united to Christ. To put it all together, true friendship is when two people seek to grow in perfect holiness with each other, helping each other to get as close to Heaven as is possible while on Earth.

If one desires to grow this way through friendship, the two people must agree on some essential things. First, they must both be of the same religion. Now, can two people of different religions have strong friendships? Yes, but there will always be that very important and central difference dividing them from perfect union. While at Christendom, I met an amazing girl. There are some people who, as soon as they meet one another, they click. Their chemistry, personalities, and feelings are a perfect match. That is the way it was with my friend and me. The first thing that I knew we had in common was a strong Catholic faith. Yet, I had no idea what a blessing this was! As the week went on, we started spending more and more of our time together until people began to wonder if we really had only just met each other that week. Several of the other campers even called my friend by my name!

How, in one week, did we manage to become so close? Through our love for God. She had a strong devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and I have a growing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Marian qualities within her drew me to her, and her beautiful practice of her faith inspired me to strive for an even greater holiness. I hope I did the same for her. All I know is that God brought the two of us together for a reason. This world is big, billions of people populate it, yet God hand-picked the two of us to be at the same camp, and to be in need of each other. Through going to Mass together, attending Adoration at the same time, praying the Rosary on our knees, side-by-side, we were able to witness the beauty of Christ glowing and growing withing each other.

This is true friendship, the kind that will help one take steps closer to Heaven. The kind that inspires deeper devotion. The kind that will last forever.

Pray, asking God to bring this kind of friend into your lives. I've been praying for a long time, and God finally answered my prayers. He will answer yours.

May God bless you all!



Picture by Claude Monet: The Promenade (Sketch).