Have Joy My Friends

Love this!

Be blessed.



Jack Quinn's for Joy

Pain without Grace

Lately, I've noticed a concerning trend on my news feed. See if you can pick up on it:

"This light is freakin' long! #firstworldproblems"

"I wish people would be more considerate! Sheesh."

"Feeling lonely today. #foreveralone"

"This song speaks to me. [posts "Human"]"

If you're like me, you probably caught a deep lack of grace. Unfortunately, though, these posts aren't coming from unbelievers. They're coming from Jesus' followers.

Before I start sounding like I'm complaining about complaints, let's get some facts straight.

Pain is real.

Friends, if you ever find yourself in a painful, confusing, or frustrating situation, the last thing I want you to do is minimize it, or even worse, pretend you are full of grace, when in reality you just want to yell at the world. I know that pain exists, and it hurts. So please, don't fake it. Of course, I appreciate it when you choose not to rant to hundreds of people on a public network, but if you do it, I'm not going to judge you.

God's grace is more real.

Yes, I'll admit, I do believe some things are "more" real than others, in the sense that they can be experienced at a deeper level than other things. That's exactly what I hold to in terms of pain and grace. As I said earlier, I believe that pain can be so incredibly deep. However, I also believe that God is sovereign and omnipotent at the same time as he is loving and full of  grace. Because of this, I can know that his grace is perfect, and filled with his power. And he has all power. That means that his grace is perfect in power. It is mighty. It is unbeatable. It is beautiful.

And I believe that no matter how deep your pain is, whether you want to express that by venting over a stoplight, or feeling something much darker, God's grace has more than enough power to transcend that. God is a god of miracles, a god of compassion, a god of power, a god of justice, a god of love, a god of grace.

So, that's my problem with statuses and attitudes like I so often see. Let me be clear that I am so often guilty of this exact problem, probably more frequently than any of you. And yet, when I see this incredible reality, that God is so full of grace he sent his only son to die for ME, you can bet I realize I have a problem. I fail to see the whole picture.

I've been stuck at lights when I'm running late. And God's got me there for a reason.

Both my parents have been terminally ill. And I've come out stronger by God's grace.

I've had huge disappointments. And God has given me bigger visions than ever before.

Try to get this picture: An infinite, almighty, powerful, perfect being is so creative and loving and joyful he creates a universe, with innumerable stars, planets, and galaxies. In one of those galaxies, in a certain solar system, centered around a single one of those innumerable stars, he creates a planet. And he fills it with plants, water, animals, mountains, valleys, insects, and lots of beautiful, unique minutia, each with their own DNA. Then, he creates humans. Because he's perfectly loving, he gives them a choice to follow him or not. When they choose not to, he's so full of grace and compassion that he gives his son up to the worst kind of humiliation and death, in order that both his justice and grace may be fulfilled in bringing people back to communion with him. And then he fills them with his own spirit, so that they can live in ultimate joy and peace with him. Meanwhile, he's preparing an incredible new world for all of them to live in for all eternity. And through all this, he's managing every little detail of the universe, and loving you like you're the only person alive.

That love is so deep, so rich, and so perfect, that nothing -- not hell, not demons, not death itself -- can separate you from it. It transcends everything.

My friends, you are only human. You do experience incredible disappointment. But you have the opportunity to be a part of the one story that is older than time, the one love that will never fail, the one relationship that will always satisfy, the one dream that will truly be greater than your wildest imaginations: the one, pure, holy, undeniable grace of God.

Rest in him.

~Meridian

By God's Grace

A remarkable story of some remarkable friends of mine. God is good.

Please share with your friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzTcMkiiWKU 

DC, my love ;)

Wellll it took me a long time to get these up, but I had 1,000 pics and a lot of work to do when I got home. So, here are my pics, even if they are two weeks late. :)

We were just a *little* excited to be in DC again! :)

 

Pretty ballroom. :)

My sister in front of the Washington Monument!

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

Gorgeous trees. Aaaah!!!

Selfie at the WW2 Memorial.

I got to see Esther and her family!!

Aaaand I visited PHC. 'Nuff said. XD

  

I think I have a very handsome brother.

Oh, and I happen to love my family too. :)

Coolness.

We didn't actually go in (gov shutdown), but we went there!



  

And we visited my mom's alma mater.

And played giant chess.

Then we went to the beach late at night.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy should in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

And then again in the morning. :)

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

 

My daddy and me. <3

BOARDWALK!!!!

Then we visited Yorktown.



And stopped in front of Jamestown for Mandy. :)

Aaaaaaah!!!!

I felt really epic as a debater walking up the Supreme Court steps.

Then came Gettysburg. This is on Little Roundtop.

20th Maine memorial.

Rural Pennsylvania. So gorgeous.

Mandy, right in the center of DC.

Heritage Foundation!!!

Yes, Stoa-ers, be jealous.



Someday...

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

And then we went home. :)

Mingling Bloods

My favorite class has got to be, without a shadow of a doubt for one teeny instant, omnibus class. It's filled with elaborate tales of daring heroes, malicious villains, hopeless paupers, and abundantly wealthy monarchs. In omni class, we talk about philosophy, life, history, literature, theology,and  politics; and amidst all that we answer some interesting questions. For instance, "Should we seek out bad friends in order to influence them?"

It is this question that I wish to address. First off, a clarification: When I say "bad," I mean someone with a lack of good character, and when I say "friend," I am using the term casually,but that term will be expounded on throughout the course of this article. Hopefully you will find this both useful and interesting. So now, allow me the honor of taking you on a journey through a very unique creation, one that has existed for all time, and yet, which no one, outside of the grace of God, can understand.

The Origins of Friendship
While I already clarified my meaning of friendship, I think it is helpful to realize that this was only a launching pad I was willing to employ for the purposes of introduction. In actuality, the word "Friend" has a complex etymological background that forces us to realize some interesting things about true friendship. According to mw.com, the etymology of the word is as follows:

"Middle English frend, from Old English frēond; akin to Old High German friunt friend, Old English frēon to love, frēo free."

So, in other words, as Noah Webster put it in 1828,

"We see the radical sense is to free; hence, to be ready, willing, or cheerful, joyous, and allied perhaps to frolick."

What does this tell us as wise, modern Americans who think so much more brilliantly than prior generations? ;) Well, it should inform us that we have a problem with our definition of friendship. In other words, what I defined friendship as in the first place is just downright wrong. That's really acquaintance. The next level of knowing another person is generally referred to as "friendship," but I'll call it familiarity: the point in time where you are become more deeply knowledgeable about the habits, tastes, and interests of the other party. The next stage, often called a close friendship, is what I might call a friendship: a level of vulnerability and openness with one another. Finally, though, we reach what I call true friendship: being completely open with other person, and having no need whatsoever to be concerned with what they will think, having them know you forward and backward, and not caring that they do. That's what a true friendship is, in my opinion. So, I will be using these terms a bit to describe what I am trying to get at with my evaluation of the friendship process, and my eventual answering of the original question placed forward, "Should we seek out bad friends in order to reach out to them?"

Why Does Friendship Exist, and Where Does it Start?
Now that I've given a lengthy introduction, hopefully that underlayment will be firm enough that these top layers, if you will, can go much faster than the previous two. :)

Friendship exists because God has created mankind in his own image. God is a relational God, and we inherited that quality. As a result, friendship is actually essential the well being of a person, and at the very least a good idea for survival. Throughout history, many other purposes of friendship have arisen: protection, confidence, comfort, and even understanding. Yet, they all come from the root cause of God's bestowment upon us of friendship.

So where does friendship begin? Well, everyone knows this (or should), but it has to begin with a meeting of some sort. In today's technological world, this may not necessarily be a physical meeting, but there must be a form of introduction. Secondly, there must be a connection of some sort. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll hit off right away, but there needs to be some connection (i.e. interests, common activities, faith, background, etc.).

"I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you -- Nobody -- Too?

Then there's a pair of us?

Don't tell! They'd advertise -- you know!"

-Emily Dickinson

 Finally, there needs to be opportunity for this relationship to grow. A friendship is nothing more than a mere acquaintance if the persons involved have no opportunity through which to develop their relationship. The one possible exception is that of believers in Christ being friends with one another. However, even in this case, this is just a step deeper than acquaintance in the knowledge department, but is marked (or should be marked) by brotherly love.

How a Friendship Blossoms (and Why it Must)

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit."

-Aristotle

And so it is. We all know from experience that even in "bosom friend" cases such as that of Anne and Diana, having a deep, true friendship takes time. The true friendship is a lifelong process.

"New-made friendships, like new wine,

Age will mellow and refine.

Friendships that have stood the test --

Time and change -- are surely best;

Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray;

Friendship never knows decay."

-Joseph Parry

This is the general rule, and such a friendship must be consistently developed, or it will never reach that level of depth. However, there are a few cases in which exceptions are made, such as that of Jonathan and David.

"As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."

-1 Samuel 18:1

It's interesting the situations God will put us in for such a friendship. At any rate, it is typically a good idea to nurture a friendship, especially one just budding. At this stage, anything could happen. Go with the flow, but keep in mind some cautions: Do not share personal information too quickly at this stage, but do not act secretive either. Both can end up in a disaster. But don't let that hold you back, and enjoy this friendship for goodness' sake! =D Also, make sure that you find the good qualities in this person. That shouldn't be hard if you are making wise friend choices (and yes, I know, that contradicts what I suggested at the beginning of this post, but hold on, you'll see later where I am going). By making wise friend choices, admiration should be natural.

One Small Step for Individual, One Giant Leap for Friendship-kind
Well, I hope this isn't terribly boring you as we go through the stages of a friendship, but even if this is the body of my writing, you will see why later. I promise. For now, stick with me. After all, that's what a friend does, right?

Hopefully. If a relationship of any sort is going to grow. The order of these two things is not crucial, just that they both happen: a) one individual must impact the other to the point of change, and b) confidence must arise. Typically, those two will happen in that order, but different friendships work in different ways. Not surprisingly, most relationships, even bad ones, follow this order of events. For instance, look at wars. Most often what happens is the two nations get to be familiar with each other. One might store up weapons or invade a little on the other nation. The difference between a friendship and war, though, is that war is a result of the fact that mankind is fallen. Thus, the second step is anger, rather than confidence. Moving back after that little aside, though, we must acknowledge that these two things must take place. Period. Hopefully, I've made my point, but just to drill it in a little further, here are some quotes for my personal affirmation.

"I love you,

Not only for what

You have made of yourself,

But for what

You are making of me."

-Roy Croft

Before I give the second one, allow me to point out that we are assuming here that, as this quote suggests, before we can even get to the being influenced part of friendship, there must be admiration (see previous section.) Moving right along now...

"Perhaps he too make have walked the same road

With a much troubled heart and burdensome load,

To find peace and comfort somewhere near the end,

When he stopped long enough to confide in a friend."

-Anonymous

Isn't that a glorious feeling, when you have a friend like that? Just being able to confide, knowing that your friend has something in common, maybe even being a "Nobody," as Emily Dickinson put it; being desperate; and then realizing that you had no reason to be desperate all along? That is a sure sign that real friendship is either embodied, or just about to be.

"We just click, I guess!"
Well let's hope it's a lot more than that. "Clicking" is great, but true friendship is going to be deep, and you will discover yourself more at a loss for words to describe your friend, or otherwise, eager to spew out everything about them, because you want the world to know just how amazing they are! That's love, and that's a deep kind of friendship. Not surprisingly, there are many quotes on this that speak so much more eloquently than my words ever could, so allow me to set them before you in the most logical manner I can arrange.

"True friends stab you in the front."

-Oscar Wilde

Oh my, yes they do. My very best friends do it, and as much as it hurts, I appreciate it so very much. The only way to truly become a better person is to rest in the grace of the Lord, spend time with him, and have good friends. Possibly counting books, by the way. ;) Be willing to change. Without this you cannot have a successful friendship. If you do have room for growth, though, not only will you grow, but your friendship will, too, to the point where,

"To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods."

-Shakespeare

Logically, if you are both stabbing each other in the front every once in a while, your bloods ought to mingle. And what will result? Most definitely mingling bloods. So what happens when bloods mingle?

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."

-Aristotle

Definitely not always an easy thing, because you might become so much alike that you will have a hard time balancing one another out! But still, it is remarkable, and each new day as friends should only enrich this beautiful symbiosis.

"For what is your friend that you should seek him with

hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live."

-Kahlil Gibran

Symbiotic relationships are essential to life for some creatures. So they become in true friendship, as this quote so elegantly remarks. Don't get together just to kill time: be friends to live in time. Sooner or later, you will find yourself saying,

"I would not wish any companion in the world but you."

     -Shakespeare

Now, let me point something else out: if your friendship is at this point, you are either really super-best friends, or more likely, you are married to your best friend. This, by the way, in case you haven't noticed is always the way it should be, in every marriage, though sadly many people have fallen from it. Still, though, whether or not we are talking about marriage or super-best friendships, Shakespeare got it dead-on right, and right in line with Scripture.

 "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."                                                                    -Proverbs 18:24

What on earth did this have to do with my intro?
It's a good thing that introductions and conclusions are always supposed to line up, or you might have thought I'd never get around to anwering my original question. Or perhaps that thought already crossed your mind. At any rate, here is my answer.

Just to refresh yor mind, my question was that of whether we should seek out "bad" friendships in order to reach out to these people? Well, now that I've taken you through the steps of a friendship, this should be pretty easy to answer. Number one, realize that you won't necessarily have to seek out such friendships, because God might bring them into your life anyway. In that case, embrace it. But in both situations, start very cautiously (though openly and in a friendly manner) with an acquaintance. It's important to determine who is going to be the influencing party here. If you feel you might be more influenced, be extra careful to keep your relationship at the lower levels, the ones preceding influence and confidence. If, however, you feel you might be the influencing party, go ahead and allow yourself to move forward very slowly. As I have shown you in this essay, the further along a friendship gets, the easier it is to be influenced. Watch it, but don't be afraid to befriend people like this. It's the great commission. Go for it!

The Ultimate Friendship
I want to make one final point before I leave you. The best friendship you ever can have, or ever will have, is with Jesus Christ. If you haven't accepted him as your personal Lord and Savior, do so right now! You may sufffer for it, but it will be the greatest choice you ever made. TRUST ME. I did it.

"The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant."

                         -Psalm 25:14

It is so true, and it is demonstrated through God fulfilling his covenant by Jesus. Jesus LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU!! Be friends with him. Live with him in paradise for eternity. Serve him and worship him here on earth and forever.

 "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."

-John 15:13-14

Thank you, Father! And thank you all for taking a while to read through this post. I hope it blessed you as much as I was blessed to write it.

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Meridian

Relativism

A fantastic essay by Syeva Breus =D

   Relativism has gained major acceptance in our culture. It has become a common part of our current society’s worldview. Many individuals today don’t even stop to consider th eimplications of holding such a position on ethics, morality, and life ingeneral; they adopt it due to its popularity and prevalence. However, when comparing the traditional belief of ethical absolutism with ethical relativism,the immediate philosophical position and consequential logical conclusions of ethical relativism present serious problems. In fact, because of the problems inherent in the nature of relativism, many relativists hold to principles of ethical absolutism without acknowledging it or even realizing it. This paper will show that though one may declare himself a relativist, this is an impossibility due to the principles found in absolutism.
         
  First, it would be beneficial to understand what is meant by the terms relativism and absolutism. Relativism can have many variations and theses associated with it. In this case, relativism refers to ethical relativism as the opposing view of ethical absolutism. When one refers to himself as a ethical relativist, he/she is claiming to adhere to one of four basic theses associated with ethical relativism. Ethical absolutism holds the position that morality exists apart from the opinions of cultures, is knowable by human beings, and prescribes humans to act upon these moral principles and laws. The remainder of this paper describes each of the four basic theses associated with ethical relativism and contrasts each with ethical absolutism.
           
The first thesis of relativism is cultural or descriptive relativism. As a factual, descriptive thesis, this position asserts that cultures have different views ofmorality in general. This thesis holds that there is a basic ethical disagreement between cultures: a disagreement about moral and ethical values. However, this position does not provide a coherent, irrefutable view of morality and ethics. Neither does it disprove the absolutist position thatwhile culture A could have objective right moral values, culture B could have objectivewrong moral values. In other words, if there is a disagreement about whether somethingis right or not, it does not follow that the thing in question cannot be right. Furthermore, cultural or descriptive relativism denies the existence of natural moral law: “the notion that there are true, universally binding moralprinciples knowable by all people and rooted in creation…” History shows thatthe majority of cultures have similar values: do not steal, do not murder, respect your neighbor, and so forth. Thus, it is impossible to hold the cultural relativist position due to the absolutist principle of natural moral law.
           
The second thesis of ethical relativism is normative or ethical relativism. In contrast with the previous thesis, normative relativism is an evaluative, prescriptive thesis that asserts that an individual must act in accordance with his/her society’s code. When one believes in normative relativism, he believes that the truth of moral propositions is relative. What is true to one individual or one culture is not necessarily true to another individual or culture. Normative relativism has two forms: subjectivism (moral values are relative to an individual) and conventionalism (moral values are relative to an entire culture or group of people). As with all forms of ethical relativism, normative relativism has many problems and objections raised against it,especially in light of absolutist principles. Normative relativism doesn’t specify what a “relevant society” is, nor does it offer an explanation of what one must do if he is part of several “societies” that disagree over moral principles,such as family, friends, co-workers, etc. In response to normative relativism,ethical absolutism offers natural moral law and the principle that there areabsolute moral values. Furthermore, normative relativism allows no room for social reform; there is no distinction between virtue and vice. This is clearly not the case in the real world, since there have been many reformers who brought reformations and revivals in history. Thus, this clearly points to the existence of an objective morality, advocated by ethical absolutism. Finally, normative relativism rejects the universal principle that “some acts are wrong regardless of social convention” and that any given society can “morally blame”another society. Under normative relativism, it would be wrong for the world to blame Hitler for the Holocaust. Clearly, it is impossible to be a normative relativist because of the existence of objective truth and morality.
          
 The third thesis is metaethical relativism, also known as conceptual relativism. This thesis is very similar to normative relativism. According to metaethical relativism, the very meanings of moral terms are themselves relative to individuals or societies. In other words, what is considered stealing to society A is wrong to society A, while what is considered stealing to society Bis wrong to society B. The problems encountered with metaethical relativism arethe same as those encountered with normative relativism: “problems of defininga society and determining the relevant society…, the reformer’s dilemma, andthe fact that some acts are intuitively wrong regardless of what societies meanby right and wrong.” However metaethical relativism raises another problem, namely that according to metaethical relativism it is “impossible for two societies to even have a moral difference.” In contrast with normative relativism which saysthat it would be wrong for the world to blame Hitler for the Holocaust, metaethical relativism asserts that there wasn’t even a moral difference. Again, this is clearly a misconception of reality. Ethical absolutism absolutely crushes metaethical relativism with the principles of natural moral law and the existence of objective moral laws that are not defined by societies or individuals. Epistemologically, while metaethical relativism denies the existence “the properties of goodness or righteousness”, ethical absolutism asserts that such properties exist and can be known by humans in the universe.
           
The fourth thesis is ethical skepticism. This thesis has two versions: epistemological skepticism and ontological skepticism. Epistemological skepticism asserts thatthough moral values can exist they cannot be known. Ontological skepticism altogether denies the existence of such moral values. Like the previous theses of ethical relativism, ethical skepticism has many problems with its coherence.As a skeptic, one cannot know anything, due to the empirical nature of knowing if a moral statement can be known or not. Thus, in the very least, ethical skepticism is self-refuting. However, ethical skepticism “cannot recommend any moral behavior whatever, including toleration of different moral opinions.” Clearly,people do not hold this view on morality. Ethical absolutism shows that ethical skepticism is incoherent and has no bearing in reality. Thus, due to the principles of ethical absolutism, it is impossible for one to hold to ethical skepticism and maintain a coherent worldview based on reality.
            These are the main theses associated with ethical relativism. There are several others that possibly fall into the category of relativism but due to their resemblance to and agreement with ethical relativism; they are debatable and difficult to disprove. This category includes views such as combinatorial relativism and the principle of tolerance.
          
 In conclusion, the principles of ethical absolutism “refute” the possibility for someone to hold to ethical relativism. This is mainly due to the fact that individuals who claim to adhere to the principles of ethical relativism live under the principles that are laid out in ethical absolutism. Ethical relativism is really appealing because it makes man lord over his choices and views on morality or the absence thereof. However, there are objectively moral values that apply to every individual. These moral values are prescribed byAlmighty God and are knowable by all.

Everything I Know about Life I Learned from Mr. Baker

Well, not really. Actually, there have been so many amazing people in my life who have taught me a lot about God, love, and life. And certainly not everything Mr. Baker said was his own idea. In fact, most of it probably was just anonymous quoting. But I still think it is high time I pay Mr. Baker the tribute he is due by posting some of the amazing things I've learned from him in the past year-and-a-half.

---
To be a pilgrim you must:
Receive grace
Perceive that the earth is not going to last
Accept that fact and
Embrace it by acting upon it

The Christian's mission is to move forward as pilgrims, going so fast, "Move forward be swift, never let the dust of the earth touch you."

---
Our sins are a sign of a lack of love, and they will only be reduced by the sovereign sanctification of God.

---
This one's from Augustine, but Mr. B still introduced me to it:
"What parent would be so stupidly curious as to send their child to school to find out what the teacher thinks?" -St. Augustine

---
Greek/Latin words Mr. B has taught me:
Cred- to believe
Heuresis- discovery, or "I have found it!"
Theorein- to gaze intently upon
Imago Dei- image of God
Kanon- the essential duties, functions, and offices of an art
Inventio/Heuresis- system or method for finding arguments
Dispositio/Taxis- effective or orderly arrangement of the parts and points
Elocutio/Lexis/Hermeneia/Phrasis- choice of words in phrases or clauses
-noia- mind
Metanoia- hindsight
Pronoia- foresight
Kairos- right time, opportunity, occasion, or season


---
Salvation is grace invading our otherwise godless world.

---
Ability bribes and absolute ability bribes absolutely.

---
It's one thing to have resolve. It's another to have faith. It's another thing to have faith that God will honor your resolve, inspired by him.

---
Love your neighbor as yourself loving God.

---
God is in operation 24/7, and so is his peace- why not be a vessel of that?

---
These next three are from Aristotle (but still taught by Mr. Baker):
"Rhetoric is or may be defined as, the faculty for discovering the available means of persuasion in reference to any subject whatever."

"An art brings into being that which is capable of being other than it is."

"The prerequisite to style is clarity."

---
In rhetoric, we are discovering what is already available: the means of persuasion.

---
Ethics can be thought of in two dimensions: horizontal (man to man), and vertical (man to God). I must love myself as God loves me. But wherever this love is spilled over, those two lines must come together. And together they form...a cross.

---
You have to ask the right questions in order to keep your feet on.

---
Humans are complex. To address a human is to address hearts that feel emotion, minds capable of reason, and wills choosing desires and acting on them. Those three cannot be separated.

---
Any debate on earth is happening not just in the presence of other men, but also in the presence of heaven.

---
Do you want to be one of those Americans who sits back and says, "America's broken. Oh well."? Or do you want to be an American who sees that America is broken and sick, and who wants to heal it?

---
Earth is the human barnyard.

---
No solution without cooperation, and no cooperation without assent.

---
God's truth can never be reduced to over-simplification.

---
I'm waiting for the presidential candidate who comes along and says, 'Our country is in a mess, and I'm not going to fix it in two years. If you think I am going to, don't vote for me!'

Well, Mr. Baker, here's to you. Thanks for all you've taught me so far, and I am eagerly awaiting more!

Meridian

On Valuing those Around Us

Gladly I walked out of the room. I felt good about this one- I just knew I was going to get the part. Auditions were always nerve-wracking for me, even though I loved them, but not this one. My only concern would be that pirouette I did- it was far from perfect. And besides, I kept turning inside instead of outside. But, oh, inside pirouettes were so much easier to pull off, especially doubles. Miss Jenny was probably not too pleased to see those, especially after all the time she's spent working on those with me. I knew Mrs. Faulkner would be in support of me, though, and that's what counted- it was more of a dramatic role than a dancing one, anyway. Not like that part Lora tried out for- I sure hoped she got it. She danced so beautifully.

~


"No, she could not spin properly."

"She could learn to."

"Do you know how many hours I've spent trying to get her to do those right? She is not getting it."

The two women sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Mrs. Faulkner spoke up again.

"I know Meridian, Jennifer! She doesn't always seem like she's getting it, but she does. She grasps what you are saying. It's simply a matter of practice. Besides, she can memorize and act like she never knew otherwise."

"Meridian is a very sweet girl, and I love teaching her, but if she can't spin, she'll take the drama out of the moment."

"So what? It's one pirouette, and even if she never got it, her face would tell all and would by far make up for the 'drama' of the moment."

"Fine. I'll give her the part. But you had better be right about this."

~
Arriving at the auditorium for the first rehearsal was, to me, like arriving in heaven. Moreover, I was thrilled when I saw those whom I was to be acting with: world-class actors and musicians, directed by my favorite- Mrs. Faulkner. Best of all, my dear friends all had major roles in the play. Lora got the dancing part, Miranda, Grace, and Kameryn got other dancing roles. Logan was the main character. Jonathan and John had parts as well.

Rehearsals were great. Somehow I managed to achieve the perfect inside double pirouette, and Miss Jenny thoroughly approved. Something, though, about the play was morbid, depressing, uncomfortable. I could not figure out what- was it just my character? The story line? At any rate, it seemed to be a good play with some kind of sad theme that I apparently was only acting very well, not feeling too much at all.

~
Actors are always taught to get into the character they are portraying: to really be them. This helps you to really look angry when your character is, etc.- in other words, to be real, not just an actor. Somehow it seemed that I was doing a good job at looking like I was getting into my character- whoever she was- but I was pathetic at truly, deep down inside of me, feeling hurt when my character was hurt, or angry when my character was.

The performances came up, and I was still like this, but no one knew. It was not until this point that what the play was about began to reveal itself to me as the dreamer: it was something about war. Even so, it was all quite vague. Vague, that is, until the final performance. My facial expressions were perfected, my pirouette was ideal, even my tone of voice sounded so genuine. Then, suddenly, something clicked deep down. At that moment I began to do what every actor should aspire to do: to become the character. Somehow, though, I got a lot further than taking the emotions seriously- I began to get so immersed in the story, I was the character in every respect- mentally, in appearance, and emotionally.

~
The play was over. Bows had just finished. The curtain closed. Then something strange, out-of-the-ordinary, wild occurred. First, it must be understood that my final costume was actually a peach dress, designed for dancing in, like a worship dance dress. In a moment, this turned into a lovely colonial dress of the same color, trimmed with authentic lace. A bonnet was upon my head. I was standing no longer backstage, but by a tall French window, in a room so finely furnished I cannot begin to describe its richness. I was gazing out at a field, where many men stood. Among them, I immediately recognized so many faces: those of John, Jonathan, Logan, Matthew, Andrew, and so many other friends. These were hardly to be considered men: why, the average age of those who stood there could not have been older than twenty-one. Yet, the way they held themselves, the soberness of their faces, the depth of their eyes- these defied their age. There was something so serious in their mannerisms, fear stricken across the faces of some. Why I knew not, but it seemed that my face, too, was pale as a ghost, my eyes wide with shock, my lips quivering with fear. Looking across the field, I saw Lora and Miranda each in their in own fine homes, similarly dressed and just as horrified. Puzzled, I, the onlooker at the dream, began to try to figure what could have caused such a panic among such a large number of people.

It was then that I heard Logan speaking. He apparently was the commander of these men. His words were the kind of words that could inspire even the most fearful of men. Sitting tall upon his stallion, he began his speech:

"Men, we shall not fear this day. We shall give our all: we shall fight, and die if need be. The Lord forbid that we should do otherwise. It is our duty, our right, our honor to bleed here today and to defend all that we have so long called our own..."
His words faded out as he made his way down the line of brave young men, but what I heard echoed through my mind. Bravery seemed to take hold in the hearts and minds of these warriors, in mine as well. Jonathan began to quote Scripture to anyone who would hear him, encouraging many.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield."

"I will not be afraid."

"Do not fear evil men."

John just as quickly began to share the Gospel with those near him, beginninng with "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

~
BarUM, brum, brum. BarUM, brum, brum. Slowly the sound of the drums grew nearer and nearer, till its source was on the plain: enemy soldiers had arrived on the spot. Now I understood. It was war. One soldier raised his gun, fired it into the air, and the battle began. Fiercely did the enemy fight, but more heroically did their outnumbered opponents. Canons fired, bayonets were attached, and gun shots abounded. Each moment fresh blood was shed on that field. Sadly I watched as these heroes- my young friends- layed down their lives. One young man's arm was blown to pieces, another boy stabbed in the heart. Bodies lay everywhere, blood and filth on the faces and simple citizen's clothing of those alive and dead. The noise was deafening, the gruesomeness of the scene sickening, but yet they kept on fighting. For their families. For freedom. For Christ.

Watching, watching, watching I stood there, waiting in agony for it to be over. Each time a young man was stabbed, I felt as though I had been stabbed a hundred times. Oh, the horrors of war- yet what a necessary evil it is! Time passed, no man was left untouched by the stain and stench of blood. Still, they kept going! Sickened, I saw Logan thrown off his horse, and stabbed by an enemy bayonet, then run over by the many now unowned horses. Grief-stricken I witnessed the impact of a sword thrust into the side of John. Compassionately I watched as Jonathan screamed, and ran to his comrade's side, placing him on his own shoulders. Then, running for help at a nearby house, he was overcome with fatigue. As he fell to the ground, an explosion occurred right beside him. He, along with John and Logan, was gone. This was a great shock to me: Logan, Jonathan, and John all gone in a single hour? How could this be? Life without them? 
~
If Lora and Miranda had come out of their homes they would have been quickly demolished. Yet somehow they appeared in my home at this moment, bringing Kameryn with them. Stunned, we all looked out the window, and simply began to cry, to hold each other. Bullets continued to fly out, blood kept being shed, now we prayed only that it would soon be over. And it was. Within short hours, our heroes had won, though it cost them their lives. Few remained, but alas! It was done. Our lives would never be the same, but oh, we would cling to God and to each other.

~
"Meridian? Hello? Are you okay?"
It was Grace speaking.

"Yes, I'm fine. You were really great!"

"Thanks! I just came over to compliment you on the pirouette: it was terrific!"

"Thanks Grace! You're the best!"

Lora, Miranda, and Kameryn walked over. I smiled, and we chatted for a while, but I felt as though I knew something they didn't.  Finally, before the cast party ended, after the girls had moved on, the young men began to make their way over. I stared, then my eyes filled with tears. Quickly I began to tell them how important their friendships were to me, how much I admired them, etc. When they asked why I was seemed so emotional, I told them about what I had seen in my vision. Quietly they all smiled in a sober manner. Jonathan began to speak in a humbled, tender way, and I jolted up. It had all been a dream.

Do we ever stop to reflect on the value of the people in our lives? We are all human beings, one just as much as the other. Oftentimes we take our friendships and acquaintances for granted, forgetting to look at each one individually as a gift from God. On other occasions, we love our friends to death, but don't pause to treasure each moment. Time is not on our side here on this earth. Of course, in eternity, it will be on the side of those who put their faith in Christ, but that doesn't excuse us from taking advantage of every moment given us.

Each day is a gift. Every true friend is priceless. "A friend sticks closer than a brother." May we be those kind of friends, and may we make every moment a moment worth remembering

Meridian

P.S. If you are wondering, this was a real dream I had in the Spring of 2010. It was such a shocking dream to me that I didn't bother to think about breakfast, and wrote it all out the moment I got out of bed. The above is completely unedited from the original, aside from the name changes of the directors.