A Winter's Day

The air is silent save where stirs
A bugling breeze among the firs;
The virgin world in white array
Waits for the bridegroom kiss of day;
All heaven blooms rarely in the east
Where skies are silvery and fleeced,
And o'er the orient hills made glad
The morning comes in wonder clad;

Oh, 'tis a time most fit to see

How beautiful the dawn can be!

Wide, sparkling fields snow-vestured lie

Beneath a blue, unshadowed sky;

A glistening splendor crowns the woods

And bosky, whistling solitudes;
In hemlock glen and reedy mere
The tang of frost is sharp and clear;
Life hath a jollity and zest,

A poignancy made manifest;
Laughter and courage have their way
At noontide of a winter's day.

Faint music rings in wold and dell,

The tinkling of a distant bell,

Where homestead lights with friendly glow

Glimmer across the drifted snow;

Beyond a valley dim and far
Lit by an occidental star,
Tall pines the marge of day beset
Like many a slender minaret,
Whence priest-like winds on crystal air
Summon the reverent world to prayer.


~Lucy Maud Montgomery

10 Books that Have Changed My Life

1. A Man Called Peter (Catherine Marshall)
Having seen the amazing movie A Man Called Peter several times before (and literally sobbing each time), I decided to read the book for a school report last year. It is the true story of a devout Chistian who became the Chaplain of the U. S. Senate. He was poor. He was humble. He was nervous to leave his beloved Scotland for America. But he possessed unfathomable faith in Christ. The book was written by Catherine, his beloved wife, and is the most moving story I have ever read. I will never forget the night I finished the book. I sat in my bedroom floor crying for more than two hours. I cried out to God that he would instill in me such faith, such devotion, such love...I prayed that I would become as strong and wise a woman as Catherine Marshall, and that I would someday be worthy to marry a man such as Peter Marshall. If you never read another book, read God's Holy Word and A Man Called Peter. For more on A Man Called Peter, read my previous post: Peter Marshall: A True Hero

2. Christy (Catherine Marshall)
Another amazing story by Catherine Marshall, Christy is based on the true events Catherine's mother experienced as a teacher in the early 1900s in the tiny, Smoky Mountain town called Cutter Gap. This is a story of redemption, of healing, of love, of God's grace and divine providence...It is filled with unique, delightful characters and touching incidents. Also, don't miss the wonderful television series Christy, starring Kellie Martin, based on this book.

3. The Scottish Chiefs (Jane Porter)
Another story that prompted tears, The Scottish Chiefs is the awe-inspiring story of William Wallace. He was truly an amazing man, and a man of strong faith in God, as well. He was courageous, strong, wise, daring, and devoted. And on top of all of this, he was a Scotsman, a definite plus in my book. For more on The Scottish Chiefs, read my earlier post: The Scottish Chiefs

4. Emily of New Moon trilogy (L. M. Montgomery)
I will never forget the first time I was introduced to Emily Byrd Starr, heroine of the Emily of New Moon trilogy, written in the 1920s. I immediately recognized in her a kindred spirit. She was so much like me, it was shocking. My wonderful mother had told me that she thought I would like the books, so I decided to begin reading them one late, sleepless night in my seventh grade year. It was during Thanksgiving break. I stayed up most of the night on the living room couch, curled up in a blanket and completely engulfed in Emily's world. I cannot explain the magical way the story lures me in and causes me to want never to leave. I have since reread the trilogy three times, and it has never lost one fragment of the wonder it initially struck within me.

5. Set-Apart Femininity (Leslie Ludy)
It was this book which opened my eyes to the dangerous world of feminism, and renewed within me my love of being feminine, modest, and virtuous in every area of my life. It showed me how important it is that I please my Heavenly Father by embracing the special role he has given me as a Christian young woman. Other wonderful books on the subject, also by Leslie Ludy, are Authentic Beauty and The Lost Art of True Beauty.

6. So Much More (Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin)
So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God covers a variety of topics, all dealing with becoming the virtuous, visionary daughter that pleases God. It contains scriptural advice and instruction on father/daughter relationships, college vs. stay-at-home daughters, joyfully serving others, courtship, and...so much more. 

7. The Bravehearted Gospel (Eric Ludy)
Fearlessly proclaiming the true gospel message, this eye-opening book discusses the lack of "manly grit and growl" in the average modern church. It exclaims that our churches are sadly missing true men and women of God--men and women who will proudly share the gospel message, who will "man up" and live lives poured-out for Christ and who will disciple others to do the same. My dad and I recommend it to people every chance we get.

8. When Dreams Come True (Eric and Leslie Ludy)

The true love story of Eric and Leslie, this is a touching tale of genuine, God-written romance. It established even more firmly my decision to wait for courtship and for that one perfect man God has chosen for me. Yes, I cried several times in the midst of this story. No romance can compare with the true love stories that only God could orchestrate.

9. Do Hard Things (Alex and Brett Harris)
Awakening me to the dangerous consequences of accepting the expectations our culture has for young people my age, Do Hard Things (as well as its sequel Start Here) challenged me and gave me a new perspective. I now view the teenage years as marvelous gifts from God that can and should be used for His glory, to accomplish "big things." Alex and Brett Harris, the authors, were only teens themselves when they wrote these books, and they have been an inspiration in my life.
www.therebelution.com

10. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy...the delightful March sisters of this beloved novel, possess varied personalities, and I love them all. Meg, the eldest, is motherly and longs to be a proper young lady. Jo, the tomboyish writer of the family, inspires me in my literary goals. Beth, like me, loves music and playing her pianoforte. She is timid and sweet-natured. Amy, though she can be quite spoiled and selfish at times, is the humorous youngest sister who often mispronounces words and commits social travesties while trying to be elegant and refined. And the story would certainly not be complete without the dear German Professor Bhaer or the fun-loving neighbor Laurie. Many lessons can be gleaned from this story, as the four little ladies and their mother ("Marmee") attempt to become the best they can be in God's eyes. (Just a side note: My favorite movie version is the 1949 one starring Elizabeth Taylor. It is splendid, and my mom and I watch it so often, we could almost quote it word for word.)

Echo Dell

In a lone valley fair and far,
Where many sweet beguilements are,
I know a spot to lag and dream
Through damask morns and noons agleam;
For feet fall lightly on the fern
And twilight is a wondrous thing,

When the winds blow from some far bourne

Beyond the hill rims westering;

There echoes ring as if a throng

Of fairies hid from mortal eyes

Sent laughter back in spirit guise

And song as the pure soul of song;

Oh, 'tis a spot to love right well,

This lonely, witching Echo Dell!

Even the winds an echo know,

Elusive, faint, such as might blow

From wandering elf-land bugles far,

Beneath an occidental star;

And I have thought the blue bells lent
A subtle music to my ear,
And that the pale wild roses bent
To harken sounds I might not hear.
The tasselled fir trees softly croon
The fabled lore of elder days.
And through the shimmering eastern haze
Floats slowly up the mellow moon;
Come, heart o' mine, for love must dwell
In whispering, witching Echo Dell.


~Lucy Maud Montgomery

My Longshore Lass

Far in the mellow western sky,
Above the restless harbor bar,
A beacon on the coast of night,
Shines out a calm, white evening star;
But your deep eyes, my 'longshore lass,
Are brighter, clearer far.


The glory of the sunset past
Still gleams upon the water there,
But all its splendor cannot match
The wind-blown brightness of your hair;
Not any sea-maid's floating locks
Of gold are half so fair.


The waves are whispering to the sands
With murmurs as of elfin glee;
But your low laughter, 'longshore lass,
Is like a sea-harp's melody,
And the vibrant tones of your tender voice
Are sweeter far to me.


~Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Scottish Chiefs

Sir William Wallace has died. Yes, I know that this tragedy occurred 707 years ago, but the knowledge has just dealt me a heart-shattering blow. You see, today I finished reading Jane Porter's awe-inspring The Scottish Chiefs. The book was written in 1809, and it recounts the amazing life story of Sir William Wallace, chief of Ellerslie.

I was first introduced to the hero thus: "But while the courts of Edward, or of his representatives, were crowded by the humbled Scots, the spirit of one brave man remained unsubdued."
This remarkable sentence appeared on page one of The Scottish Chiefs, and that was the page that "had me hooked," so to speak. To state that the novel was stirring would be a masterpiece of an understatement. After reading the first few pages (on Christmas Day, shortly after having received it), I liked William Wallace. But as I read further and soon found myself enthralled with the story, I grew to love him.


He was a devoted husband.


"...Within the shades of Ellerslie he found a retreat and a home, whose sweets made him sometimes forget the wrongs of his country in the tranquil enjoyments of wedded love."


"...Scotland and its wrongs he now forgot in the idea of her whose happiness was dearer than life. He could not achieve the deliverance of the one, but it was his bliss to preserve the peace of the other; and putting spurs to his horse, he hastened through the town."


He was courageous.


"'Fly! Fly!' cried she, looking wildly at her husband.
'Whither?' answered he, supporting her in his arms. 'Would this be a moment to leave you and our wounded guest? I must meet them.'"


"Helen looked on the chief as she used to look on her cousin when expressions of virtuous enthusiasm burst from his lips. 'You would teach confidence to Despair herself,' returned she."

He was a devout man of God.


"'I am Sir William Wallace's wife,' returned the gentle Marion, in a firm tone: 'and by what authority you seek him thus, and presume to call him guilty, I cannot understand.'
'By the authority of the laws, madam, which he has violated.'
'What laws?' rejoined she, 'Sir William Wallace acknowledges none but those of God and his country. Neither of these has he transgressed.'"


"...'Blessed God,' cried he, stretching his clasped hands towards heaven, 'endow me with Thine own spirit, and I shall yet lead my countrymen to liberty and happiness.'"


(praying in the chapel) "'Here, gracious God, may I, unseen by any other eye, pour out my heart to Thee. And here, before Thy footstool, will I with my tears wash from my soul the blood which I have been compelled to shed.'"


"'I should not regard the curses of a world,' replied Wallace, 'when my conscience as loudly proclaims that God is on my side. Did the clouds rain fire, and the earth open beneath me, I would not stir; for I know Who planted me here; and as long as He wills me to stand, neither men nor devils can move me hence.'"


Wallace draws the king's sword

 He was patriotic.


"'Nothing is perilous to me,' replied he, 'that is to serve my country. I have no joy but in her.'"


"'To usurp any man's rights, and least of all my king's,' replied Wallace, 'never came within the range of my thoughts. I saw my country made a garrison of Edward's; I beheld its people outraged in every relation that is dear to man. Who heard their cry?...Where [were] the nobles of Scotland, that none arose to extinguish her burning villages, to shelter the mother and child, to rescue purity from violation, to defend the bleeding father and his son? The hand of violence fell on my own house--the wife of my bosom was stabbed to the heart by a magistrate of the usurper. I then drew the sword--I took pity on those who suffered, as I had suffered. I espoused their cause, and never will I forsake it till life forsake me.'"


He was wise beyond his years.


"'They only are invincible who are as ready to die as to live.'"


"...'Remember, my brave companion, if we would be blessed in the contest, we must be merciful.'"


"'Regret not that he goes before you, for what is death but entrance into life?'"


"'No,' replied Kirkpatrick, '... Sir William Wallace, of Ellerslie, is our chief; and with the power of his virtues he subdues not only friends but enemies to his command.'"


Wallace rescues Lady Helen

 He was noble.


"'Fear not, lady,' exclaimed a gentle voice, 'you are under the protection of a Scottish knight.' There was a kindness in the sound that seemed to proclaim the speaker to be of her own kindred; she felt as if suddenly rescued by a brother, and dropping her head on his bosom, a shower of grateful tears relieved her heart.'"


When Wallace's beloved wife Marion was ruthlessly murdered, I grieved with him. I could almost hear his heart-broken sobs. I rejoiced when he took his revenge. I felt his anger when his beautiful estate was burned to the ground.


"He had now mounted the craig which overlooked Ellerslie. His once happy home had disappeared, and beneath lay a heap of smoking ashes. He hastened from the sight, and directing the point of his sword towards Lanark, reechoed with supernatural strength, 'Forward!'"


I felt a pang of anguish when Wallace's faithful friend, a brave, noble lad of only fifteen, was killed while defending Wallace, whom he admired more than anyone else on earth.


"'Oh, my best brother that ever I had!' cried Wallace, in a sudden transport, and kissing his pale forehead; 'my sincerest friend in my greatest need. In thee was truth, manhood, and nobleness; in thee was all man's fidelity, with woman's tenderness. My friend, my brother, oh, would to God that I had died for thee!"


Scotland

 When Wallace was arrested and locked in the prison, I feared that he would soon meet his terrible end. I dreaded it. When his dear Helen, distraught with fear for his life and overcome with love for him, agreed to the exchanging of marriage vows in the prison, though Wallace's execution was planned to be held the very next day, I felt all the sorrow the two must have held in their hearts. And I felt how romantic this agreement was. 
When Wallace died, my heart broke. I cried. And I wondered how many tears throughout the years must have fallen onto those same worn, yellowed pages. I wondered how many tears have ever been shed for the noble Sir William Wallace. I wondered if the immortal words of the author, Jane Porter, caused her to cry as she wrote them.


"'Helen,' faintly articulated Bruce, 'I come to share your sorrows, and to avenge them.'
'Avenge them!' repeated she, after a pause, 'is there aught in vengeance that can awaken life in these cold veins again? Let the murderers live in the world they have made a desert, by the destruction of its brightest glory!' Again she bent her head upon Wallace's cold breast, and seemed to forget that Bruce was present."


Though the story of the great William Wallace has caused me grief, I am overwhelmingly grateful to have gotten to know him and to have loved him through the amazing story The Scottish Chiefs. The story is one that has been passed from generation to generation, and I fully intend to continue the cycle. Lord willing, my children will hear of the noble Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie.
Needless to say, the book has further incensed my longing to visit Scotland--that longing which was first ignited after reading of the Rev. Peter Marshall in A Man Called Peter. I must visit that land, which De Warenne described in The Scottish Chiefs as, "...a land...where all the women are fair, and the men all brave!"

The Land of Nod

From breakfast on through all the day
At home among my friends I stay,
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the Land of Nod.

All by myself I have to go,
With none to tell me what to do--
All alone beside the streams
And up the mountain-sides of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,
Both things to eat and things to see,
And many frightening sights abroad
Till morning in the Land of Nod.

Try as I like to find the way,
I never can get back by day,
Nor can remember plain and clear
The curious music that I hear.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Supposing He Had Found Us?

It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. 'Look out!' we cry, 'it's alive!' And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back--I would have done so myself if I could--and proceed no further with Christianity. An 'impersonal God'--well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth, and goodness, inside our own heads--better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap--best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband--that is quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing at burglars hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall? There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion ('Man's search for God!') suddenly draw back. Supposing we really found Him? We never meant it to come to that! Worse still, supposing He had found us?

~ from Miracles, C. S. Lewis

Resolutions for the New Year

1. Never spend more time in front of the mirror than I spend talking to God each day.

2. Praise Him on my bad days, as well as my good ones.

3. Compose an original work each month, be it a poem, a short story, a character sketch, etc.

4. Write every day, even if it is only one word.


5. Imagine one impossible thing every day. (inspired by Alice in Wonderland, in which Alice's father claims that he sometimes thinks of six impossible things before breakfast)

6. Never let a day go by, even if I am deathly ill or house-bound, that I do not take a breath of fresh air outdoors.

7. Practice the piano for at least two hours each week.

8. Learn at least one new piano piece each month.

9. Speak only of uplifting, edifying things on the Lord's day, not worrying about any troubles for that sacred day of the week.

10. Refrain from gossip; refrain from idle chatter that could be harmful.

11. Eat healthful foods.

12. Go to bed at a decent hour on week-nights! (I've tried this many times before and failed miserably each year, but I hope this year will be different. I enjoy going to bed late and sleeping in late; unfortunately, this schedule does not comply with school and will not be a healthy habit later in life, either.)

13. Read one classic book a month, in addition to the many miscellaneous books I enjoy.

14. Thank God for my blessings every day.

15. Write in my journal and prayer journal faithfully. Blog faithfully. Write in my journal of letters to my future husband frequently.

16. Learn and practice new skills that will be beneficial to me in the years to come.

17. When I am inspired by an idea for a story or poem, write it down as soon as possible, so that I will not forget it.

18. Laugh every day. ("The most wasted of all days is a day without laughter." ~E. E. Cummings)

19. Take time to relax or do something I enjoy each day. (Reading by the light of a candle, listening to soft music or to a favorite song, taking a walk in the rain, playing the piano, taking a nap, eating a favorite snack, watching a favorite movie or vintage show, etc.)

20. Remember every day that my Savior is with me. Sometimes that comforts me, and sometimes it challenges me. 

21. Keep my priorities straight.

22. Dream about and plan for the future, but strive also to be always content in the present.

I may eventually add more to this list, and I may not. Who knows? But there is one thing I do know with certainty, and am deeply grateful for it: My Redeemer is strong, constant, merciful, loving, and always in control. He will be with me throughout this year. He can work great things in me, if I will only allow Him. He already knows what 2011 holds for me and for you. My fervent prayer is this: In this year, Father, and in my life, be glorified!