Goodness is in the New

Wherever you are, be all there. -Jim Elliot

My mind is clearing, Lord. Like this weather here, where the air is first heavy with humidity and then the rain comes, swift and strong. At last, the air cools almost as quickly as the rains came, and it becomes light and dry.

Refreshing.

Like new words on a page. The ink still damp. Goodness is in the new.

Lord, I am Yours.

I have always been Yours, but I am not always willing to be, due to my selfish nature. Please use me, Lord, with all the talents You have given me to bring You glory.

Will You hold me in Your arms everyday, and help me find the way?
Yes.

Help me keep my focus on You, all the time, and remember that all the trials of this time, and all the people/situations that cause me to distress do not matter in the long run and it will not last. Eternally, that stuff does not matter, and You bring the new.
Presently, for the wisp of time that is now, help me be in the day and enjoy every moment.

Latest Books

I haven't shared books I have been reading in a while. Don't worry- just because it was quiet here on the blog in regards to my book posts, doesn't mean I haven't been reading!
My bookshelf has looked like this lately:

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The most well-known of Charlotte's novels. We studied this for a few weeks in my Oxford class online. Click here and here more on the class and what we are studying. I have never looked so deep into a book before and read so many well-researched opinions about it in my class. It's really enjoyable.

2. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
This is the novel by Anne that my Oxford class has been studying this past week. I must say, I have had this book for years and never read it because I thought it would be dull and just about women being suppressed in the 1800s. But I couldn't put it down. Anne as a writer has really grown on me and I admire her very much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and want to read it again when class is over.

3. The Book of Images by Rainer Rilke
More poems by my favourite German poet. I am not usually a huge fan of free verse, but with his poetry, I don't even notice it doesn't rhyme and follow a set pattern. There is something so deep and beautiful in his words, even though it is a translation from the original German text. His writing is perfect for when I need a few minutes to refocus my thoughts and get into a thought-provoking mood. His words do that.

4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Currently reading this for my Oxford class. This book is from a young man's point of view, which I find interesting. Usually the Brontë sisters wrote from a young woman's perspective (except in this book and Wuthering Heights by Emily). This is a heavier novel than Agnes Grey, dealing with 19th century rules concerning marriage and divorce, and how even in abusive marriages the woman is bound to the husband. My class will be diving into the discussions about this book, this week, and pondering why Anne was the least popular of the Brontës when she wrote such beautiful and powerful prose.

5. Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess
This is a book about trying the practices of Christianity (like fasting and contemplative prayer) for a month each, and failing at them. But more so, it is about discovering through those failures what the purpose of those rituals are. She is quite frank in her writing. A lot of people will enjoy her straightforward (and even risible) way of expanding on things. I do like the points that she makes about the practices she is trying.

6. And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle
I love her young adult stories. I have read quite a few, and even though they deal with young teenagers, there are deeper issues that she addresses with the gentleness of a very wise lady. This is one of her first (if not the first) young adult novel she wrote. It takes place in Switzerland, high in the mountains, which of course strikes my travel-love fancy. She writes from her own experiences, because Madeleine attended an all girls school in Switzerland  like the main character in this lovely novel.

7. The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Click on my post here for the scoop on this really good book.

Carnation

How can a single, solitary carnation bring such a lovely vibe to my cozy space? It's not a rare flower. It's not bright. It is delicate and small. A single flower placed in a thin glass vase all by itself with shades of sunset red and an ombré mixing from dark to light red. The tips of the petals display the light pinkish hue that extends out of the darker portions. Carnations are the January flower, my birthday month, so I am fond of them.

It reminds me of gardens and the beauty of nature. I enjoy that so much if I am inside; to have a piece of the outdoors inside my place of solitude. Wouldn't it be nice if a guy gave me this flower? It would make for a good story. Alas, I cannot say that, but do not dismay! God has good plans ahead and no matter what, His plans are perfect because He knows how to use me best in this world. To make my talents tools He uses for His glory. It's because of Him that I have any talents at all! Plans are already unfolding and I can see how God is working.

So shall my word be that goes
out of my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which
I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing
for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55.11

Oh, the love of God stirs in my heart all the time, and something small and lovely reminds me it is always there. He is always there. That is what I was thinking about as I gazed at my little carnation the other day.

A Beautiful Week

 The beginning of the week was lovely outside. It was absolutely necessary to take a walk to my favourite coffee house, and breath deep of the rare dry, chilly air that was ever-so comfortable. I could hear Rainer Rilke's (my favourite German poet) line in my head:
I would like to step out of my heart's door
and be under the great sky.

 French Press coffee is by far my favourite. I grind my coffee beans a night or two before, and my coffee has never tasted better. This carnation was my Valentine flower (given to my by my apartment complex. That's right. My apartment loves me). I have forgotten how lovely it is to have a little flower inside my apartment, and I think I need to always have a flower or two. I am going to try to keep up with that simple pleasure.

I have a small stack of old photographs of my Dad, and I love that I have a little piece of history. These visual pieces of history are a treasure to me. I love his nerdy reindeer sweater and the old car. And how beautiful the snow it (this is in Yakima, WA).

 Working on my Brontë writing assignment at my friend Emily's apartment, enjoying a freshly made biscuit that was melt-in-your-mouth good.

I love the idea of popping my own popcorn, so I bought a bag of kernels when I was at Trader Joe's with my Mum. The first time I tried to make it, it was a failure, but this time it was a delicious success! I think I will be doing this more often.

Vintage

My friend Emily has inspired me with her simple living style with the cutest vintage charm. Here are a few photos from her new little home. She is a sous chef and she makes these amazing dishes and invites me over to eat them! I am really getting spoiled by her delicious dinners and the most tasty Mexican shortbread cookies and lavender butter cookies I've ever had!

Where most people enjoy picking out new furniture, Emily and I agree that a used piece with some history (and a few nicks) have the most character and will created a cozy home. Thrift stores are the perfect place to find little treasures like golden glass goblets and white owls to adorn the table. Hand-me-downs and pieces from the family are perfect additions to add memories and even stories to your everyday meals, like the gold silverware. It makes every meal a little more special.

Then of course the entertainment pieces. A stack of records and an old camera from the 1970's are useful objects, but full of history and an old-fashioned goodness. Put a Louis Armstrong record on the record player and enjoy a cup of tea with a homemade dessert.

Are we old ladies at heart? Just old-fashioned. Old things are made better, last longer, and have more character.
Thanks, Emily, for letting me share your cool vintage style!

Travel Spot: Providence

I have had the privilege and opportunity to go on some amazing travel adventures over the last several years, and I thought I would share a few things from some of my favourite cities. I will spotlight each city in a post and the challenge is to share my favourites as follows:
1. The Eatery 2. The Touristy 3. The Non-touristy

Here we are at Providence, RI!

The Eatery- Blue State Coffee and Tazza

Coffee break was at the Brown University bookstore, and the coffee shop, Blue State Coffee. Delicious coffee surrounded by young Brown students with their laptops and books for studying. Lunch was at Tazza, a hip restaurant downtown. I had my first beignet with lemon sauces, and they were delicious. Downtown was certainly a young area with so many colleges there and many cultural opportunities.

The Touristy- Brown University tourists
This could be classified as touristy or not. Depending on what you do. I was with a family friend, Kathy, who is a retired professor, and she tends to walk into places like she knows exactly what she is doing, so we walked into a few college classrooms to check out the buildings and set up of the classes. We went into the archaeological museum and she knew so much about all the history of that area and chatted it up with the museum curator. So I felt touristy because I wandered around taking photographs and inquiring about buildings. I felt like a prospective student. 

The Non-touristy- Downtown and used bookstore

This is where we were easily locals just out for a stroll and making a stop at a used bookstore. Nothing too odd or strange about that, except that I come out with an armful of books as if I had never seen a book before. The walk along the river is very cool. City sights on both sides. Financial district on one side. Cultural, artsy, university area on the other side.

To visit San Francisco, click here.
To visit London, click here.
To visit Oxford, click here.

Prodigal God

My church is going through a sermon and small group series based on this book by Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God.
Interestingly, I just attended one of Timothy Keller's church campuses in New York City and I enjoyed the service and the pastor who spoke that night very much.
I watched the whole sermon on the Prodigal God (about 38 minutes long) by Timothy Keller. It is amazing. It threw everything I thought about this parable upside down. And the way Timothy Keller explains it is clear & concise, and deep. He points out that this story is not meant to raise sentimental feelings about the younger son returning home. It is not only about one brother. It's about two brothers, and they are both lost, and we can all relate to them no matter where we are in life.

So many thought-provoking concepts are introduced in a way you never thought about. Everything hits you personally, as it should. That is the point. You are in the story. You just have to see the sermon.
Click here to watch the full sermon. It is definitely worth the 38 minutes.

The point of this well-know parable that Jesus tells is to show that everything we think we know about God is wrong. It's not about keeping the rules like the Pharisees focused on. It's not about buying our way to God with goodness. It's not about what we think we deserve because we have been good all along. That is what the older brother thinks and what most of us think. And we are wrong. I was shocked to look into myself and see so much of the older brother in me. So much of that attitude of: I followed the rules and did this or did that, so I should get this or that.

It's about accepting the invitation. Jesus seeks us out, one by one. Remember the parable of the lost coin? Or the lost sheep? We are the lost sons. We are the lost objects in this parable, and Jesus is the one out there to find us.

Ladurée

French style macarons? Fancy little shop in NYC? Sounds fun!
Ladurée is out of Paris, and they make little cookies (among other things) that are like delicate sandwich cookies with a cream filling. Except they are special in that they have cool flavours and bright colours. Some of the flavours I purchased in my boxes were coconut, kaffee, rose, violet, green apple, raspberry, strawberry.

The tiny shop was so fancy; it was just a fun thing for a couple of girls to do. I had heard so much about this particular macaron place from blogs that I read, I thought it would be fun to try it! Zoë and I bought a couple boxes, then walked through Central Park where it was quiet, snowy, and peaceful. We found a bench right by a frozen pond and indulged in a couple macarons. The sun was shining, the sky was perfectly blue, and it was freezing cold! It was lovely.

Snapshots from Yale

 Ina and I in downtown New Haven, CT. Pretty much the center of the Yale University campus. We were freezing right here. It was probably about 18 degrees!

 The Sterling Memorial Library. We spent a lot of time in here, to warm up and read our books for class.

We took a student-led tour of campus and learned lots of facts about Yale. We also gained entry to Branford College, here, which the public does not have access to. This was so much like Oxford, I dreamed of being a student living here. So beautiful!

Ina suggested this nice spot by the windows in Bass Library. We could drink our coffee here, but not in the Sterling Library. Big cozy chairs + windows + coffee + books = a lovely morning!

We snuck into a Philosophy class here. I wanted to get a taste of being a Yale student, and Ina didn't have any classes that day, so we showed up and followed a guy into class, ending up in the very front of the class! But the professor was so passionate and so enjoyable to listen to, it was such a pleasant class! Granted, the professor asked us after class if we had wandered into the wrong classroom, but he wasn't mad at all when we said I was a prospective student visiting from Florida. He was welcoming and asked me how I liked Yale so far. 

 Lunch in the Commons Dining Hall (yes, it looks like Hogwarts from Harry Potter). We ran into some of Ina's friends from the divinity grad school and ended up having a fun lunch with them! The food was really good and the company was so enjoyable in an atmosphere that made me feel like a student all over again. I really liked that.

 Shake Shack! For high-quality eco-friendly fast food, it's got to be Shake Shack. It started in NYC and it is super popular, so much so that Ina and I had to wait in a line that was backed up to the door! It moved fast though, and was so worth it. Delicious!

 Free concert by the Yale Orchestra? Yes please! The orchestra was spectacular. They played three different composers: one modern, one from the 19th century, and Tchaikovsky, which was the best one. This gorgeous hall looks like something out of Germany (I can say that because I sat with three Germans who all said this place reminded them of a concert hall somewhere over in their neck of the woods). 

As if my time at Yale couldn't get any better, it snowed during dinner at Shake Shack and the orchestra concert, so we walked home in a light snow, with a nice layer of fresh snow under our feet. It was so beautiful. Then, I woke up the next morning to this beautiful sight, with a light dusting of snow.

Snapshots from NYC

Zoë and I at the top of the Empire State Building. We picked the perfect morning where it wasn't busy and it was clear. There was haze and clouds in the distance, and a few hours later the clouds moved in and we wouldn't have seen much. Oh my goodness the perspective up there! It's incredible. I love to view a city from above. There is so much to look at it is overwhelming. NYC is truly remarkable.
I love how the Empire State Building's shadow is on the other NYC buildings. I could have stayed up there for hours, just staring down onto the buildings and streets. Tiny yellow taxis look like ants.

The Chrysler Building is my favourite. Art deco, circa 1930. I saw it from the street everyday. 

Street level. Walking from Empire State Building to Rockefeller Center along Fifth Avenue.

The New York Public Library, guarded by the lions. What a gorgeous building inside and out. We spent time resting in the reading room until they kicked us out of the library for a special wine tasting event they were setting up for in the lobby.

The NY Public Library reading room. This is one of the most beautiful places in the city, for sure. The perfect place to rest tired feet and read a little from a new book purchased at The Strand Bookstore a few hours earlier.

Blue Bottle Coffee in Rockefeller Plaza. One of the best lattes I have had. Plus a very friendly barista who helped me select a bag of coffee beans to brew at home in my french press (I am down to my last few days of coffee from here. So sad!)

 I think what I love most about Central Park is the simplicity amidst the complexities of the city. It's the city's breath of fresh air. Grass. Trees. Benches. And today, snow.

Laudurée is famous for macarons from Paris. We had to try them. They are so fancy and come in flavours like kaffee, green apple, rose, violet, and citron. So we bought a few boxes and ate some macarons out in Central Park nearby. My favourite was the rose.

Valentines

These are my versions of Valentines. Tiny crocheted hearts.
Happy Valentine's Day.

I don't think much about Valentine's Day to be honest. It's the kind of day that usually means flowers, candy, and crowded restaurants. I think I will forgo all that. Instead, I was inspired to crochet some little crochet hearts, and I followed a pattern from someone's blog. They are so easy to make, and pretty cute.
That is the extent of my Valentine's celebration. Am I am dud or what?

I won't be a dud, I promise. But I will ponder on God's love for me, and be thankful for this undeserved love. I certainly didn't do anything to deserve it. And I will take comfort in the verse below. I am glad God is greater than my heart, because my heart isn't always reliable. And maybe I will eat a few conversation hearts. They are pretty yummy and remind me of being in Elementary School.

God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
- 1 John 3.20

Lent: Ash Wednesday

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. -1 John 1.5

Ash Wednesday doesn't invoke a cheerful connotation. When you think of it, I bet it doesn't ignite happy thoughts inside, does it? It is not there to make us feel happy and full of joy, and yet when you experience it, it kind of does that.

It reminds us of the frailty of our lives and how we are made from dust to to dust we shall return, but all the while the in-between times matter. We have this place to live in. This place where God gives us time to enjoy His creativity. But we are to recognize Him as the author. To ignore that is to ignore the core of our existence to risk missing our purpose.

God created us for His pleasure. You know when you create something (a story, a picture, an idea, a business) it becomes precious to you? That is what we are to God. His precious creation.

So this day, Ash Wednesday is a reminder that we are God's creation, made from dust, and that we were not made for this world alone. God gives us this amazing gift of eternal life to anyone who accepts this gift with his whole heart. The joy felt on Ash Wednesday is extracted from this promise of God, and we can surrender everything to Him.

Today I go to church and sit in the service where my pastors remind us of our beginnings from dust. I will be marked with a cross of ash on my forehead. And I remember. And I am thankful. And I feel washed clean and forgiven. And I remember God's promises.

And the joy enters in as I let go of those things which hold me back....

Studying...

Oh don't mind me.
I am taking my studying to the coffee house. My favourite coffee house, Mitchell's.
Here to study the Brontës and reading my big Oxford companion book about them, or reading my copy of Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey. All while thinking of responses to my classmates' posts who live across the globe and creating my own thoughts to post on the forum. As I read my classmates' thoughts it comes to mind how little I know. They seem so knowledgeable  they do research, and they are well-written. It is really a great challenge for me because there is some deep thinking and analyzing of text going on here!

I love this. This back to studying thing I am jumping into. This reading I am doing with challenges and questions set by my tutor. Questions to ponder and write about. It is stretching me in so many good ways as a reader and writer.

I must say, though, how busy my life feels right now. It is full of good things for which I am so thankful. And I love being a student again. This past week we were largely discussing Charlotte Brontë and her classic Jane Eyre. Some of the discussions were about the suffering she endures through the book and how she had to make choices whether to act morally or to go against her beliefs. The book is sort of her spiritual journey, written as an autobiography. Indeed, the title originally was Jane Eyre: an autobiography. It is very interesting to learn more about Charlotte and how certain events and travels influenced her imagination and the stories she wrote. I love to learn about what inspires a writer, and how certain things get their imaginations running.

Renewed

Transparent morning, no clouds hovering
in the sky to cover the sun.
So cheerful, with joy reflecting
in my heart, thankful to One.

The best day is a day like this,
no hidden agenda to undo.
It is best when my focus
is so centered on You.

Fully recovered from days past
with the darkness they ensued,
And with Your love dwelling in me
I am feeling constantly renewed.

This weekend is just what I needed. Some family time. Some friend time. Some solitary time. I have been feeling a little bit frantic these past weeks. So much is going on each day, and most of it is very good, but sometimes it overwhelms me, and I need to step back and take a time-out. This weekend provided that for me, and I am just so thankful. I can face this week with a calmness about me and a deeper appreciation for God's grace that envelopes me. 

Oxford English Dictionary

My imagination can run for miles with a new word. I love the companionship of a dictionary because there are so many interesting words that I do not know, and I can use them!
Over the years in all my wisdom, I have realized that it is not very practical to carry around a dictionary. I imagine the bulky book would become a hindrance, even to someone like me, who is a self-confessed bibliophile. So this is a problem. I can pull out my handy smartphone and get onto the internet easily enough, but I am old fashioned. I want to use books like everyone else before my lifetime.

So, when I saw this little version of the Oxford English Dictionary, I was ecstatic.
I know. I realize how nerdy this entire post is.

Let me back up. For several years I have wanted a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, but the volume is as big as my car and weighs as much (okay, I might be exaggerating a little). They are also expensive, even used. So, I have waited, knowing that someday by OED will come.

Flash forward to last week. I am in NYC, in the New York Public Library gift shop, and sitting there on the table display is the perfect little mini OED! It fits in the palm of my hand and can be my travel companion, which I am sure is what everyone else wants too. Now, I know you all are going to rush out to purchase your own OED, because you have been without one for so long. You can thank me later.

Perhaps this demonstrates to you how easily pleased I am. NYC + mini OED = one boisterous red-headed nerd. So much so that I dedicated an entire post to my mini  OED.

Yale Libraries

You know I love a good library. I value libraries for the obvious reason of a place of learning, reading, and a place where anyone can go. But I also value the building itself because many times it is worth a tour and paying attention to its interesting details.

Yale has many libraries on campus, of course, like any grand university. I spent time in the Sterling Memorial Library which is the central historic library built to look like a cathedral, the Beinecke Rare Book Library which is world-renown for it's huge collection of rare books and it is held in a building that looks like a cube, and the Bass Library, which is an underground library accessed through a tunnel from the Sterling Library.

The grand, cathedral-like library of Sterling Library is just beautiful. I was visiting my friend, Ina, who is a graduate student at the Divinity School, and she had a lot of reading to do for a class. I also had a lot of reading to do for my Oxford class, so we spent several hours here over a few visits, reading. It was quiet and bright from the big windows. I would love to read in there more often.

What can I say about these libraries except that they are amazing? Or that I could have spent all my time in these places and been happy as a clam? (Why are clams happy?)
Granted, the classic, grand libraries are usually the ones that capture my heart. At first, I thought this modern cube library that is the Beinecke Rare Book Library was not going to impress me. But when I stepped inside, that all changed. The glass tower displays 180,000 books, with 320,000 more below ground. The square panels that make up the building's exterior are made of a very thin marble that allows light to seep through, but not UV rays. So, the library is filled with a beautiful light, and the books can be on display as you can see here, without any damage being done to the books by UV rays. This is brilliant! I get to see these books without harming them.  Another interesting feature is that the glass chamber in which all these marvelous books are resting is an air-tight room and at a moment's notice, all the air can be sucked out of the room to cease the spread of a fire.
Oh, and an original Gutenberg Bible was also on display here (the first book in the west printed by movable type) , except we were asked not to take a photograph of it.

 
The Bass Library is largely underground, and links to the Sterling Library through a tunnel. I mentioned that Ina and I read in the Sterling Library, but we also read here several times. But before I could read, I needed to find the books I needed, which Ina helped me do. We looked up the call numbers online before heading to the library, and we found them downstairs in the basement. (In case you were wondering, I needed to read the introductions and beginnings of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights the Oxford World Classics version). Ina checked out the books for me and I had them the rest of the days I was there. So we visited the library several times through our days, and on this occasion (above) we stopped at Ina's favourite tiny coffee shop near her home to get lattes (she has good taste in coffee), and we could enjoy our coffee while we read that morning.

You know how bookish I am. I was like a wide-eyed little kid in these places. Smile on my face, breathing in the books and letting my senses memorize the surroundings. I loved learning about these libraries and spending time in them. 

Waldorf-Astoria

Before I begin, allow me to say that the only reason my friend and I were able to stay at this famous and classy hotel in New York City was that we traveled off season (who wants to visit NYC in the coldest week in January? Other than me, I mean?) and we found a super deal on Priceline.com. And I mean, a super deal.

I think Zoë and I would place our stamp of approval on the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan. It is perfectly located (just a few blocks from Grand Central Terminal), classy, expensively decorated, and comfortable. It may seem that a richly decorated hotel cannot be comfortable, and yet, even though Zoë and I usually felt under-dressed every time we walked through the lobby, we sat down in the lobby one evening to people-watch and read, and it was very interesting. We also shared an elevator with one of the Jonas Brothers. Not sure which one, as I don't know their names, but I definitely recognized him. Sadly, he did not invite us to the $98 Sunday brunch in the lobby that he was on his way to. Maybe next time he will.

The attention to detail at the Waldorf is much appreciated. Attentive people work there. Luxurious soaps and linens. Zoë was giddy with excitement to be staying there, and we kept our eyes open for any other well-known person who might have been staying there. Photos framed the hallways of all the famous people who have stayed there, including Presidents and well-known singers. Reminders that the hotel has a long history and has been a place of rest for many years. Late one evening before we got ready to crash in the comfortable beds, we wandered around the hotel, discovering stairways and halls so grand, it felt like we'd entered a palace. Ballrooms that were completely decorated for a wedding or meeting, and shining glass chandeliers around every corner. And it was completely empty. Not a soul was around, so we just wandered by ourselves. The gold clock tower in the lobby attracts many admirers. This is from London, and was created for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The Waldorf purchased it and it has been a focal point ever since.