The List:There comes a time in every young girl’s life where she sits down and makes a list of all of the characteristics and traits her knight in shining armor will have; a whole sheet of paper will be filled with her dreams. She’ll say what color eyes she wants to look into, describe the hair that she wants to see blowing in the wind, and may even dive into describing the smile he’ll wear as he sweeps her off her feet. After she has penned down how tall she wants him to be she’ll shift gears and start praying for all the things she’ll want in his heart and mind. Maybe she’ll want him to be competitive and determined, or maybe she’ll want him to be calm and poetic. The variable traits will be supplemented with how she wants him to be trustworthy, kind, honorable, sweet, outgoing, and most importantly loving. That’s about the point where the pen slips out of her small hands to catch her face in her palms as she sits and daydreams. She will daydream for hours on end about just how he will love her. How will this mysterious unknown man show her that he loves her? To what extent will he go to show her she’s the only one for him, and that she is the most important person in his life?
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Why Your News Feed is Full of Anti-Heros and PoliticiansNo one is new to the borage of updates and memes about politicians and the latest antihero movie release, but why do these topics have us hooked so deep?
A Short Political Comment:Lately, despite my annoyance of political arguments and long lasting debates, the clamor of competing voices has spured my thoughts further than a mundane attention to a lengthy internal debate.
This was my response to a Facebook post that prompted readers to question how to make drastic changes to our existing government. How Can God Allow for Evil to Exist?I always say that I hate watching the news, there is always more negativity being spewed than positivity. You can’t really avoid seeing everything if you want to stay informed of world events, so you stomach the stories of bombings and mass shootings, and while you’re sitting there trying to digest all of the havoc, you wonder how on Earth could humanity have spiraled so far down and how people could be so out of control.The evils of the world can shake your faith to the core. In my freshman year theology class our teacher presented us with the ultimate question surrounding whether or not God existed: how can an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God allow for such evils to take root and manifest in the world? I looked around and could see some of the other students’ gears grinding as their minds raced to formulate a strong argument and prove their case. Two years after being asked that question, I finally think I’ve found an appropriate answer. Both God and Evil exist. God is our moral authority, and is ever present in our lives, yet immorality exists. Horrible injury, death, brutality, loss, greed, anger, torture, malice, pain, agony, lies, deceit, and betrayal all exist in a world with a perfectly good God. How can that paradox exist? How can a perfectly good God allow for such awful things to exist? How can all things come from God and there be evil? Evil is only evil when we allow it to be. Everything happens for a reason, even when that reason is unclear to us. The things that cause us pain are meant to spur us into something greater, and we are not always meant to know the why or the end result at that point in time. Our lack of understanding, and our discontent with it, is where a majority of our suffering stems from. When hardships and trials present themselves, let’s not rebuke God for their existence, but understand that there is a greater purpose we are not yet, and may never quite be, aware of. The loss of a parent, child, or loved one can be devastating, especially when it seems so random and senseless; we must see any good that can come from our pain, even if that good is not for us or not for the present time. Our loved one may be gone, but they are not in pain and hopefully that fact can one day soften the pain in our hearts. I wish there was a way that we could all see that from the second a hardship presents itself, but that’s never the case. We can’t come to terms with pain the moment after it happens. We need our time to grieve and question. This period of grief is where we see the situation as evil, and I pray for every person in that position that they find their way through it on their own time and at their own pace. Pain seems worse when we are hit with such quick successive bursts that it feels like we can hardly breathe, and it is up to the individual with those they allow to support them to make it through that hardship. Notice it’s only those we allow to help us that truly can. Many will try to ease the weight of the cross that you carry, but you are in charge of softening your own heart and allowing their words to inspire you. So many wonderfully healing words fall on deaf ears. God does not allow evil in the world so that we suffer; he allows us to face trials while walking right beside us, so that we can grow in faith and reason. Your suffering may lead to someone else’s salvation if you can take positivity from your pain and show them that they can also. Don’t allow evil to be evil, turn evil into a past experience that has bred the person you are now. Use your tribulations to create a new and wondrous self. Notice it’s only those we allow to help us that truly can." Is Doing What You Want Exactly What You Need?I’ve always been told what a difference there is between needing something and wanting it, especially as of late. You need air to keep you alive and you want the cookie because it tastes good; at least when needs and wants are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of priorities, it’s easy to distinguish the two. What happens when the things that you want end up being needed? They aren’t necessarily a need in the sense that they keep you alive, but they make you feel alive. These wants add a greater quality to your life for a finite duration of time.
After we have a taste of what it’s like to have that sense of desire satisfied, we want to experience it again. Then you have a choice, do you want to keep satisfying the desire, or do you hold off and wait so that the pay-off of the action is greater? Is either choice less self-serving? This goes for any want; it covers everything from cravings to addiction, and from innocent wants to selfish actions. There was a time that I used to dream about this wonderful place in which I would feel perfect. There would be more happiness than sadness and more gain than loss; there would be understanding instead of condemnation and everyone would come together for what was right. I was truly fed up with the world in which we live. I looked around and saw a world infested with greed, hatred, and self-loathing. People drove by others in need without thinking twice and we didn't give up our spare change in fear that they would only ask for more. We didn't trust, because the person alongside the road with the beat-up looking jacket might have a gun. We hear stories on the news not only of terrible accidents, but of human caused catastrophes. It would be so easy to just try to forget that world exists and dive into your own life, whether that be work, the digital world, or something else entirely. However, that's not exactly a real option. I know plenty of people choose this tactic, but does it really accomplish anything? So if you are feeling just as crumby about the world as I was awhile ago, then let me tell you about what I found. I didn't discover magic, or a hidden riddle. There is no button that will make the world good. There is however, a mentality that can change everything. One thing I've learned in my short number of years is that everyone leads a unique and different life. No matter how similar our choices, demographics, or families are- we always seem to find a way to break free of tradition and create something new. It's human. Bringing something new to the table is a benchmark most people want to surpass in order to feel that they've lived satisfied lives.
For me, my benchmark was being an author and artist. Did I bring something entirely new and everlasting into the world that will be used in textbooks and classrooms until the end of time? Most likely not... However I did bring something new to those in my life, and for that I am greatful. My book (and landmark) certainly caused stir, it deals with alcoholism and how life is with an alcoholic father, but it has given people far and wide the hope for recovery and reconnection with family members. Maybe my pottery is lopsided, but it brought a smile to my mother's face whenever I gave it to her. Perhaps my watercolor isn't as realistic as I intended, but my grandparents spent hours marveling over it. I guess my poetry isn't as fluent as I would like it to be, but the anonymous poems I used to leave in the back of the classroom certainly caused commotion. The Birdsong Chronicles are a collection of short stories and articles by the author. Feel free to browse and share your favorites. Maybe you'll find a story that speaks to you, or echoes what you've been feeling all along, and I truly hope you do. The birdsong is merely something that everyone goes their whole life hearing, but may never stop to enjoy the sound of or find out the meaning of the tune. So the chronicles is simply a list of stories aimed at echoing those thoughts and feelings that you may have never had the time to reflect on. The stories and articles listed are meant to touch the reader, primarily for times of need, offer support and guidance, give direction, or offer support. If you have a question or comment about a story or article, or just have one for the author feel free to leave it. Enjoy |