My Nature Journal

Hello everyone! I think it is finally time that I give you a post about my nature notebook. I have been writing a series of posts about my journals (both for school and private use) and this notebook is highly deserving to be mentioned. 

My nature journal is probably one of the most difficult (and yet most rewarding!) journals that I have ever attempted. Why? Because it is a mixture of art and poetry, journaling and sketching, observing and copying, personalization and exact duplication. My nature journal is really quite unique from all other journals. 

Though this book is scheduled on my school checklist, I can do it whenever I want, and it is not restricted to school hours. This means that I can take this journal camping, to the woods, hiking, or wherever else I might be inspired to use it. That factor really makes my nature journal unique and diverse. 

So, what is a nature journal? Well, I think the best way to explain that to you is to tell you about a nature walk that I might take. During my nature walk, I keep on the lookout for a bird, animal, plant, insect, or any other living thing that is beautiful and that I want to remember. When I find it, I sketch the specimen in my journal and take the journal and specimen (if possible! If it is something like a bird or tree that I can't take home, I take a picture of it) back up to the house and finish drawing it with watercolors, colored pencils, and other art tools. While at the house, I look up (either in a field guide or on wikipedia) information about the specimen and write it down in my notebook. Sometimes I put a note about the day's weather the nature walk that I took. 

As you can imagine, between observing, sketching, drawing, learning, writing, and journaling, the information really sticks with you. Not only this, but you have a beautiful and special journal that holds memories and information that is interesting and helpful. A nature notebook really helps you appreciate the awesomeness of God's creation, and how vast his works are. Job 12:7-12 says:

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." How true this is! As we learn more about God's creation, we learn more about Him. That is the purpose of a nature journal.

So, how do you start your own nature journal? Well, all you need is a notebook, a pencil, and some inspiration. However, as you become better at journaling, and you spend more and more time doing it, chances are you will want to step up your game. I use this travelogue journal and these  Koi Watercolor brushes when journaling. Once you have your supplies, you are all set, and all you have to do is begin!

Though a little daunting at first, a nature notebook is very rewarding, and, once started, hard to put down. They truly bring satisfaction to the author, and are a useful tool that can be shown to others to help them in identification and inspiring them to make their own nature journal!

Resources that may help you:

https://bryanajohnson.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/june21journal.jpg

This is a picture of one of my good friend's nature journal page. Check out her blog for other beautiful drawings!

http://www.wildlifenorthamerica.com/index.html

This is a handy website that has an extensive list of animals in North America. Good for identification.

http://www.wildflowerinformation.org/

This website has tons of information about wildflowers in North America. Very helpful and detailed. 

https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species

On this website, you can find a very concise list of the birds (listed by species) that live in North America. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnMuirLaws

This man has some very helpful videos on nature journaling. Take a look at his website for more!

J.R.R. Tolkien and Fairy Stories

Hey everyone! Recently, I was flipping through a home-school magazine that we had received in the mail, when I came upon an article titled "How J.R.R. Tolkien Used Middle Earth to Reveal Who we Are". I was intrigued by the title, (hey, if that doesn't pique a Tolkien lover's curiosity, I don't know what does!) so I read through it. It was very insightful! One of my favorite sections (and the one that really sums up the article best) was probably this one:

"In his famous essay on fairy stories, J. R. R. Tolkien asserted that one of the most important facets of fairytales is that they hold up a “Mirror of scorn and pity towards Man”. The fairy story, Tolkien wrote, “may be used as a Mirour de l’Omme” (mirror of man), as something that shows us ourselves. If this is so, and it is, it means that the greatest fairy stories are not mere fantasies that serve as a flight from reality but are a powerful means by which we can see ourselves and others more clearly. In this sense, and paradoxically, the greatest fairy stories are also works of realism. They show us reality."

You can read the full article here

(Yup, that one made it to the commonplace book!)

What an amazing observation! I am in total agreement with it. I think that, many times, fairy tales are "set aside" for little kids who need to be entertained, instead of appreciated for what they are- stories that reflect us and our mistakes and this world.

After reading the article, I looked up the essay mentioned (which you can read here) and read it through. In it, Tolkien attempts to explain fairy stories and what they mean to us. He explains what a fairy story is not in this quote:

"Stories that are actually concerned primarily with “fairies,” that is with creatures that might also in modern English be called “elves,” are relatively rare, and as a rule not very interesting. Most good “fairy-stories” are about the adventures of men in the Perilous Realm or upon its shadowy marches. Naturally so; for if elves are true, and really exist independently of our tales about them, then this also is certainly true: elves are not primarily concerned with us, nor we with them. Our fates are sundered, and our paths seldom meet. Even upon the borders of Faërie we encounter them only at some chance crossing of the ways."

Then what is fantasy? What is it about?

"To make a Secondary World inside which the green sun will be credible, commanding Secondary Belief, will probably require labour and thought, and will certainly demand a special skill, a kind of elvish craft. Few attempt such difficult tasks. But when they are attempted and in any degree accomplished then we have a rare achievement of Art: indeed narrative art, storymaking in its primary and most potent mode."

And why do we read fairy stories?

Well, Tokien gives a few reasons. I will focus on two. One of them, he says, is an escape from reality, a place where we can go to forget our troubles. But the second reason is that it holds a mirror up to our lives (as Joseph Pearce says) and shows us the end. 

"Fairy tale does not deny the existence of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance. It denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat...giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy; Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief."

If this is true, than fairy stories reflect our fight, the Good Fight. More than this, they show us that we will win, and that despite our grief on this earth, there is joy, and one day, we will be united with Him. That is true joy. That is the real purpose of fairy stories. 

I really enjoyed this essay, and its insights into Christianity, fairy stories, and how they correlate, and I think that I will definitely be reading it again soon (it was a lot to take in :).



My favorite quotes from the essay:

Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker.

It is the mark of a good fairy-story, of the higher or more complete kind, that however wild its events, however fantastic or terrible the adventures, it can give to child or man that hears it, when the “turn” comes, a catch of the breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears, as keen as that given by any form of literary art, and having a peculiar quality. 

Pompeii, or, How to Live in a Fallen World

Pompeii, by Bastille. It's a song that most of us know. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It has sold over 3.4 million digital copies. Streamed on the radio for over 50 weeks, the song was aired to all kinds of people in all kinds of places. The tune and lyrics to this song have been loved by audiences all over the U.S.A and the U.K. But why?

The song begins by explaining that the world we live in has been tainted, blemished, by sin and hate:

We were caught up and lost in all of our vices.

In your pose as the dust settled around us.

And the walls kept tumbling down

On the city that we loved 

Great clouds roll over the hills

Bringing darkness from above.

It goes on to ask the question, "Can you still remember innocence and goodness?" 

But if you close your eyes, 

Does it almost seem like 

Nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes,

Does it almost feel like

You've been here before?

And finally, "What are we going to do?"

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

I was struck the first time that I heard this song about how closely is resembles the story of Genesis. In the first book of the Bible, we hear of man's fall from the garden of Eden. Why? Adam and Eve ate of the Tree. It seems like such a small thing, but it made all the difference. As a result, we live in a fallen world, with fallen people. This is where Pompeii comes in. The song asks, "We are in such a mess. What are we going to do?" 

What are we going to do? 

This question strikes me as crucial in today's world. We are surrounded by the wreckage of our sin, and yet, we are called to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48). How does that work? Well, I think that God has instructed us on our path to holiness with this verse:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

-Ephesians 6:10-12

I think that this verse is a perfect "call to action"! It tells us exactly how to battle the forces of evil on earth. Listening to this song while thinking about this verse is almost like reading the Old Testament with New Testament eyes! We see the misery and darkness of our sin, and the aid and relief that God brings us when we fight for Him. Jesus has been crucified, and through his death, we received life. We are "able to do all things through him", including the destruction of Satan. He has not only called us to this job, He has equipped us for it. 

I love the parallels to the Christian life that this song draws (even if they are unintentional!) and I think that it is a really inspiring song, when we add the battle-cry of Ephesians 6 to it. Living on this earth is a battle, and to win it, we need to constantly remind ourselves of how Satan is trying to win us over. In this way, one day, we will triumph over the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places", and we will be reunited with the author of all light.

         

For more interesting blog posts posts about a fallen world, and how it affects us, please visit my friend StrongJoy's blog here.

A Short Ramble on Soda and Political Power

       Did you know that the average american drinks 45 gallons of soda per year? Don't believe me? Here's the math: three large cups of soda equal approx. one gallon of soda. That means it only takes 135 cups of soda to make 45 gallons. How many cups of soda do you drink each week? Two, maybe three? Well, two to three cups of soda a week actually adds up to 45 gallons of soda per year! It sounds ridiculous, but it's only too true. There are approx. 39 grams of sugar in one cup of soda. The FDA suggests only consuming 25 grams of sugar per day, but by consuming a soda, that limit is easily exceeded. Doesn't this seem a little bit ridiculous? Did you know, that in other countries, selling a food item with that much sugar in it is illegal?  

       Recently, me and some of my friends were discussing this matter. It seems so wrong that people should just be able to buy drinks with so much sugar in them! After all, most people don't realize that two to three cups of soda a week equals diabetes, obesity, and a host of other health problems that America is flooded with. The big mega-corporations have weaseled their way around correct labeling, and today it is hard to know what is inside your drink, even with the 'ingredients' listed. 

       What is the solution to this major issue in our society? One of my friends suggested regulations. She said that the government should simply not allow people to contaminate our food that way, and that the government should put regulations on it. I thought about this, and at first it seemed like it made sense, but then I thought about how many regulations we already have. It seems like once the government gets control of one thing, they want to have control of everything, and political power gets out of control. 

       My mom suggested that the government should not have anything to do with it. She agreed that political power gets out of control way too easily, and she thought that no regulations should be put down. I also considered this, but found that it really seems like some sort of rule should be put down at least for awareness!

       I came to the conclusion that the government should put rules on how companies label their ingredients so that people know what is in their drink, and how much of it is in there. I understand that there are still problems with this, but it seemed like the best idea to me. 

       If you have any solutions or ideas about how the government could solve this problem (or whether they should even try to solve it) I would really enjoy hearing what you guys have to say. I think that when we are talking about these kind of issues, it is important to have ideas from all viewpoints and backgrounds. For example: someone who has struggled with diabetes due to a lifetime of drinking soda might feel differently about the matter than someone who has not gone through the same experiences. In lieu of these facts, I heartily hope you enjoy your next cup of soda!

My Century Book

       Hey all! A few blog posts ago, I mentioned that I was starting a series of posts about the journals that I keep for school, and personal use. My first post was on my Commonplace Book. In this post, I will explain my Century Book.

       My century book is simply a journal that I keep to remember important events and people in history. When I read about people or events in history that really stick out to me, I put them in my Century Book so that I will remember them years later. By the time most people are adults, they cannot remember some of the most amazing parts of history, and why they are important to the shaping of the world. That is why I keep a century book. As you can see from the picture on the right, I have a page in my century

book for each century. When I want to put something or someone into my century book (George Washington, for example) I simply look up the year of his birth and death, write his name on the line that has the year he was born in, and put in the dates. On the right page, I will sometimes draw a picture of the person that I put into my century book, or something that relates to them (in the above picture, I have a drawing of a stamp with George Washington's face on it, and the Washington family coat of arms). I also have a spot on my page that is designated to facts about all the people and events from that century. I can put whatever people, events, and drawings into my century book that I want. I cannot express how helpful this part of my century book is. Just by flipping through this book, I can remember some of my favorite people from history, and any facts or drawings that I have about them in by book. Pretty awesome!
       There's more, though. Also in this book, I have a section in the back for maps. Every week, I have one day when I draw a map (copied from Winston Churchill's series, History of the English Speaking Peoples) in this section. First, I copy the map in pencil, tracing the path of the rivers, country boundaries, roads, lakes, and cities. Once I am happy with how the map looks, I go over the whole thing in pen. Pop in a guide to the different markings, label the map, and you're ready to go! I love this part of my century book almost more than the first part. Let me say that drawing maps is not easy. It's actually really complicated. Getting all of the lines and places to match up with the other lines and places on the map is difficult. It took me several months to really figure out how to draw maps, and I am still learning, but every map gets better, and it is really rewarding to see the map go from an confused jumble of words and lines to a useful and functioning tool! It is definitely worth the try, no matter how poor of an artist you are.
       So, in sum, the century book is a fantastic journal that allows us to keep track of history and it's most amazing events and people. As Martin Luther King Junior said: "We are not makers of history; we are made by history." This is so true! History really does impact the future and everyone in it. We are impacted by the actions of our ancestors. In history, we find patterns that repeat themselves. We can predict the outcomes of wars, treaties, and current events by using patterns from history. Everything is impacted by history. In my last post of this series I remarked that a commonplace book helps us remember. Well, it turns out that that is what a century book is all about- remembering. When we remember, we learn, and when we learn, we become better people- and isn't that the whole purpose of this thing we call life?

More Poems From My Commonplace Book - The Story of My Life, by Helen Keller

Hey everyone! A couple of months ago, I finished the autobiography of Helen Keller's life, The Story of my Life. The book is actually pretty short, as it only covers the first twenty or so years of her life, and I was able to finish it in about a month. While I was reading it, I highlighted some of my favorite passages and put them into my commonplace book (which you can read about here). I really enjoyed this book, and I would highly recommend it as not only an interesting story, but a really inspiring story of how deafness and blindness can't stop God from reaching out to people. His love is unstoppable! I hope you enjoy these quotes!

"There is nothing more beautiful, I think, than the evanescent fleeting images and sentiments presented by a language one is just becoming familiar with--ideas that flit across the mental sky, shaped and tinted by capricious fancy."

"Such knowledge floods the soul unseen with a soundless tidal wave of deepening thought. 'Knowledge is power.' Rather, knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge--broad, deep knowledge--is to know true ends from false, and lofty things from low. To know the thoughts and deeds that have marked man's progress is to feel the great heart-throbs of humanity through the centuries; and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life."

"The one I felt and still feel most is lack of time. I used to have time to think, to reflect, my mind and I. We would sit together of an evening and listen to the inner melodies of the spirit, which one hears only in leisure moments when the words of some loved poet touch a deep, sweet chord in the soul that until then had been silent."

"The story of Ruth, too--how Oriental it is! Yet how different is the life of these simple country folks from that of the Persian capital! Ruth is so loyal and gentle-hearted, we cannot help loving her, as she stands with the reapers amid the waving corn. Her beautiful, unselfish spirit shines out like a bright star in the night of a dark and cruel age. Love like Ruth's, love which can rise above conflicting creeds and deep-seated racial prejudices, is hard to find in all the world.

The Bible gives me a deep, comforting sense that 'things seen are temporal, and things unseen are eternal.' "

The Undying Lands

          Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what Tolkien had to say about the elves in his novels (which is not surprising, as I am a avid, die-hard fan of LOTR, and don't think about too much else :), specifically in the Lord of the Rings series. In case you have not read the Lord of the Rings, there are a couple main people groups in the series. First, of course, are the men. Men are just like us, human beings. They are quite average people that populate different parts of Middle-Earth. Next are the dwarves. Dwarves are an interesting folk that are known for their small stature and rather voluminous beards (usually tucked into their belts). The dwarves are respected in Middle-Earth as fantastic miners and forgers. They are loud, proud, and faithful to their kin. But enough about dwarves, next come hobbits. Hobbits, or halflings, are little people (about half our size) that live in the Shire. They are quiet, unobtrusive people, who do not like adventures and find great pleasure in food, a good book, and a warm fire.

To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,

The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.

West, west away, the round sun is falling.

Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,

The voices of my people that have gone before me?

I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;

For our days are ending and our years failing.

I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.

          The last people group in Middle-Earth are the elves. The elves are a rather mysterious people. They are tall, slender, beautiful people, who do not die, and who remain a bit of a mystery the whole series long. The elves (as we learn in the Silmarillion, the sequel) were created to live in Tolkien's heaven, Valinor, the land, over the sea. Though the trip to Valinor was not extremely difficult to take, some never went. The rest of their life, though, the elves continued to have a longing for Valinor. The many, many removed children of these elves continued to have that same longing. They simply could not forget it, even after thousands of years. They continued to be drawn to the sea and to what lie beyond it. 

           Anyone who has read the Lord of the Rings knows that the series has many parallels to the Christian walk with God. even though the books were not written as an allegory (unlike pilgrim's progress) it does have a few Christian parallels, like how sin is handed down to us from generations of sinful people, how we are on a journey to destroy it, and how sin takes dominion over us. However, perhaps there are more parallels than just these. Perhaps the elves, who are captivated by the longing for the undying lands, hold some parallel. I may be making a stretch, but maybe when Tolkien wrote about the elves' longing for Valinor, he wanted to mirror our longing for heaven, for our real home. We, like the elves were created for something else, for someone else. Maybe Tolkien mirrored our longing for heaven in the elves' longing for Valinor.

          I guess I just want to make two points: one, that there is always more to a book than meets the eye, and two, do we long enough for God? Do we long for the next world? Sometimes, I think, we get so wrapped up in this world that we don't think about the next one. Are we building up our castles in heaven, and not here on earth? It's so easy to get caught up in the typical lifestyle of just living for our own pleasure on this earth, but when we stop, and remember who we are living for, that can all change. Our whole outlook at heaven can be different. We truly long for heaven. 



There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven, but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have desired anything else.”
                                                                                                                       - C.S. Lewis