Moving!

I have now officially moved from Blogger to Wordpress. Wordpress is amazing. Blogger is good for my Optimism Initiative, but... well... sorry Blogger. You don't get veloquence anymore.

VISIT ME!

Katie

a collection of verses

I have not been posting lately because I am in the process of transitioning this blog to another platform.

In the meantime, I thought I would share the verses that came up in my devotions the other day. This is KJV.

When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do." Luke 17:10

    Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Romans 3:27. What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it? 1 Corinthians 4:7. By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10.

    By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Romans 11:36. All things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. 1 Chronicles 29:14.

    Do not enter into judgement with your servant, for in your sight no one living is righteous. Psalm 143:2.

Katie

Yesterday

Extended
Invitation
Which do I choose?
Stirring
My desires
Will I listen?

The bells rang soft
I did not come.

Pulling
Towards the pity
This gripping sting.
The fear
Of then; of time
When turns to chaos.

The bells rang peace
I did not come.

Inborn
And all will see
Such as this?
Identity
And self, composed
In twisted matrix.

The bells rang deep
I did not come.

Tugging
Tenacity
My back to winds.
And soft
Is gone; no more;
I can't resist the flow.

The bells rang strong
I did not come.

Calling
One small child's voice
Through all the noisy space.
But she holds
And drags me in
Tempestuous time.

The bells rang future
I will come.

And the wrinkled hand of Yesterday
Lies limp, and silent; still.

A Day in the Life of a Guinea Pig

I should like to introduce you all to my school-life. So I should like to post for you an article I have written.

***

Call us test subjects, guinea pigs, or—my personal favorite—lab rats; the first graduating class of a school is no joke. At least, we try not to be. So please don’t laugh at us. We’re not that weird.

My school is a small, SMALL, classical school. Seriously, it is tiny. There are 63 students in the 7th-11th grades. That’s the Logic and Rhetoric stages… we don’t do “middle” and “high” school. They add on a new grade every year (starting with K-1st grades in 1999), and I am at the top!

There are 4.5 people in my class. There is me, the curly-haired eccentric; my other telepathic triplets, a.k.a. Amazingness and Princess; Sir Apathy, who is… apathetic; and the Televenth-Grader, who is in 11th grade but takes all 10th grade classes. Now that you are acquainted with my class, I shall acquaint you with my day.

7:30 a.m. Wake up. Stick hypothetical tongue out at public school students who are already in class. Silently thank Headmaster-who-realized-teenagers-need-more-sleep-than-kids. Hit the snooze button until…

7:48 a.m. Why is the “sleep” on the alarm in increments of nine minutes? That’s so random. The box advertises it as “convenient.” Hah. After thinking about this for several minutes, I jump out of bed and dress in my khakis (skirt or pants) and logo-ed polo. I then attempt to tame the bush on my head. I threaten it with weed clippers. I give up.

8:15 a.m. Do devotions. Eat breakfast. Check Facebook. Brush teeth. Pack backpack.

8:30 a.m. Realize I should leave. Kinda wish I could drive. Remember I still need 55 hours before I can get my license.

8:35 a.m. Stroll into homeroom and catch up with Princess. Both of her parents are teachers, so she is always there early.

8:40 a.m. Homeroom! We have homeroom divided by grade and gender. I have homeroom with the 9th-11th grade girls. We never do anything. Sometimes they take attendance.

8:48 a.m. AP Calculus. We’ll pretend it’s Friday. I have different classes every day, so it takes me about 3 weeks to memorize my schedule every semester.

I take Calc by myself… it’s just the teacher and me. He’s awesome. He is Princess’ dad. We usually spend 25% of the time talking about life and/or throwing sarcastic remarks back and forth with Amazingness, who teaches herself “Advanced Mathematics” in the same room. We spend the rest of the time on previous homework and new material. I love that class, for the most part. I’ve taken one test all year, but I’ve learned a lot.
This is a definite PRO of being a guinea pig.

10:10 a.m. Break. During break, I usually talk with my triplets or we all head downstairs to the dilapidated piano-thing. There I attempt to scratch out songs; Amazingness and I sing somethingorother; and Princess (who is also a ballerina) dances. Then I eat food. I have a doctor’s note.

10:20 a.m. Latin. RUN upstairs, because the teacher is not soft on tardiness. Did I mention that the Latin teacher is also the Calculus teacher is also the World History teacher is also the Greek teacher is also the guys’ Gym teacher? Yeah. Small school.

This is one of my favorite classes. Amazingness, Apathy, and I have already had 3-7 years of Latin, each. The teacher gives us some translation work then pretty much sets us loose, as long as we get it done.

After we’re finished, sometimes we play with our class pet, Oscar the Hamster (who has a Facebook fan page). More often, we all go slap-happy and have rambling conversations that go from a bird flying into the classroom window to Cookie Monster, within 7 steps. Documented.
We couldn’t be this free with a larger class. So, it is a PRO.

11:45 a.m. Lunch. Lunch is awesome. I sit with my triplets and our favorite tenth grader. We discuss things like theology, philosophy, and the love-that-is-Regina-Spektor. We are not normal teenage girls.

12:15 p.m. Junior Thesis. This is the class period in which we are supposed to work on our big 16-20 page paper. We choose the topics, we write the papers, we do the presentations, and some poor people have to grade them. I wrote mine about truth, goodness, and beauty in Russian literature. Our Senior Thesis will be something like 25-35 pages. Yay?

At least, that’s what we’re supposed to do. In reality, we organize our binders and do other homework. It’s really hard to work on a paper like that in school.
This paper is probably a CON, but for the school in general, not for being a guinea pig.

12:58 p.m. Bible (Doctrine). I love this class. The teacher is pretty strict, but he does a mean impression of Vizzini from The Princess Bride. We get awesome discussions, and he doesn’t really expect us to agree with him in everything.
This class is totally a PRO. You don’t get discussions like that with huge classes.

1:45 p.m. Break. Second break! What we do varies. Whatever we do we do together, because we go together like Switzerland, Mongols, and the Black Death. Thank you, AP World.

1:55 p.m. Teacher’s Aide. Princess and I grade papers for her mother or the Headmaster while Amazingness and Apathy take Spanish. Sometimes we laugh at silly spelling mistakes (who knew that “morph” is spelled “murf”?), but we’re not supposed to do that.
Teacher’s Aide is totally a PRO. It gets us out of Gym.

3:18 p.m. Dismissal. I catch a ride with somebody to the Grammar School campus. Grammar School = 2nd-6th grade. The PreK-1st graders also find their abode here.

3:45 p.m. Chorus. There are five of us, including two Grammar School-ers. I play the (very un-dilapidated) piano, and everybody sings some song. We usually have fun.
This is a CON. It is the sum total of all music programs for Upper School-ers, as we call ourselves.

4:30 p.m. Home! This is the best part of Fridays. I return to my house, change out of my uniform, put a hat on over the bush, and relax. Until I get to my homework… yeah. I actually DO homework on Fridays. Dork.

Recap. My day is full of edification and entertainment, writing and rambling, awesomeness and alliteration. I love being part of a small class. I suppose I would like more electives or choice in my class load, but what does that matter, really? I love the community. I love that my teachers are like family. It’s very writing-intensive and we get a lot of homework, but it is worth every bit. My school is 30% discussion, 40% independent work, 23.782% random, 6.218% lecture, and every bit of a family.

***

Katie

"Song Theology"

So I've overheard the TNMT attendees talking about their "film theology" ...things.

And I wanted to open the floor to all, mimes or not, to discuss a song I found.

It's by (who else) Regina Spektor, who says,

"Sometimes I'm really positive about religion, but, you know, sometimes I'm really sarcastic about it, too. Hey, that's God, that's life!"

Listen to it a few times. Tell me what you think.

Lyrics:

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
Last night I saw the owner kiss it
And whisper in its ear
I was walking home from Walgreen's
and he did not hear me see him
And on the
Very very next morning
All the subway cars were hallelu-leluing
Welcome back the baby king, the baby king
All the believers they were smiling
and winking at each other
I could honestly say I was scared for my life

They said, all the non-believers they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves...

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
They've been showing it on the news
It was thirty times its size
With a megaphone and a heart-shaped bruise
It was hovering in the skies
And all the
subway cars were hallelu-lelu-leluing, hallejuah
Welcome back the baby king, the baby king
All the believers they were smiling
and winking at each other
I could honestly say I was scared for my life

They said, all the non-believers they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves...
believe!...

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
When I woke up I ran and bought it
and locked it in my closet
with a little bread and water
and a flashlight and a first aid kit til he grows

By the way, if this song doesn't make you a little bit angry at first, I applaud you.

What think you?

Katie

I give up.

I've been kinda-sorta sick all weekend. But then...

I woke up today with zero voice. Zip. By the time I got to school, I could talk a little, but there was no way I could sing... unfortunately, I am in a group of 6 girls that was supposed to sing tonight at a school event. We were going to sing Come Thou Fount in 4 parts, and then Revelation Song.

Problem: I had considered myself pretty much indispensable in that group.

Solution: I'm not. And it took a case of laryngitis to prove it to me.

I got the flu/laryngitis at the Awards Ceremony last year (in which I was supposed to sing, again, with my other chorus). I got my mini-lesson then. I wasn't indispensable in that chorus either.

Both of these times, I ended up playing piano. Both times, I only was playing piano for the groups in the first place because I was the only one who could sing and play.

Problem #1: I didn't end up singing.

Problem #2: I don't play piano in the first place!!!

Solution: none in sight.

Both times, I missed chords, was not all that interesting, etc. Nobody looked at me. My name was in the program, but all the lights were off and the spotlight was not on me... literally and figuratively.

I've never been one to pretend that I was humble. I struggle with pride, yes. So... I guess God sees it fit to take away what I do think I do well, and put me in a position to do something I know I do badly.

He gives and takes away, but blessed be His name.

Silver Lining: my parents didn't feel it necessary to come!

Just look at the verse that was in my devotional today (irony? yes)~

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

I concede. fold. surrender. whatever. YOU WIN.

Katie

liveblogging the junior thesis!

I am about to begin reading through my junior thesis. I have edited it and edited it. Now, after stepping back and creating the works cited/bibliography, I am actually going to read it all the way through. I want you to understand that I have NEVER done that. Not for any paper, ever. This is a milestone for me, guys... I'm getting choked up! (just kidding)

10:12- I am about to embark on a perilous, ne'er attempted journey. Wish me luck.
I am so lucky to have found that quote last summer. It was so random; I wasn't even thinking about the junior thesis.
10:13- David was right. Value=/=Beauty. Sigh. but it's so nicely alliterative. I couldn't think of that word. I had to google it. Alliterative, I mean. I'm tired.
10:15- I used "beauty" in every single sentence of the 2nd paragraph. sometimes twice.
10:16- taking out "however" in a sentence opener really makes the sentence seem more bold.
10:19- AAH!! I forgot to cite any of my internet sources! AAH!
10:30- I don't want to do this. My dad just offered to do it for me. I'm tempted.
I forgot to cite that poem. I don't feel like doing it now. I'm going to delete that sentence. *BWOOP!* done.
10:33- I ought to take my contacts out.
10:36- the way I look right now does not even deserve "death warmed over." It's a whole lot closer to "death defrosted."
I broke into my secret chocolate stash. David said this paper took him 3 hours to read, and I'll bet he was awake.
10:37- the sentence sounds like the action and motivation had lovely features. I meant to say the women who DROVE the action and motivation had lovely features.
10:39- what's the plural of "behalf"? Is it "behalves"? "behalfs"? "behaves"? lol
10:40- MSWord says that "in every regard" does not agree in number. I disagree.
10:44- that section lacks a concluding paragraph. Oh well. I don't want to write one.
10:48- so THERE, Megan! I only use "in a sense" TWICE in the paper. I don't know what you were talking about...
10:50- I am lying for the sake of understand-ability. Nastasya only goes to marry Rogozhin; she doesn't actually marry him. but it's close enough. she lives in his house, for Pete's sake. who is Pete, anyways?
10:54- wow, that part about Myshkin & Nastasya really is confusing, and unnecessary to boot. *delete*
10:55- I hope Mrs B doesn't remember that I copied and pasted like 4 pages of this from an essay I did for her last year.
10:57- I just realized how creepy the Aglaya situation is. Myshkin almost marries his second cousin once removed. Ew. That's like me marrying my dad's cousin. EW. What's weird is that my dad's cousin's girlfriend does look like me... lol
11:04- :) alliteration! "Karenin values simplicity, straightforwardness, and sensibility ... He is duty-driven and direct ..."
11:07- is the word "clearly" too subjective?
11:09- subheadings are a pain in the butt, but I couldn't live without them... too bad MLA websites do not clearly and unanimously specify how to do them.
11:13- after all these years, I cannot spell "exercising" right the first time.
11:23- Facebook break!
11:27- I am a bad girl. I'm not supposed to be on there today. I'm off now.
11:32- I do not like the beginning of my paper. I am liking the paper the further along I get. That isn't good.
11:38- I do not understand what that sentence means. is it bad, or am I just tired? who knows.
11:43- DONE!!! almost exactly 90 minutes after I began... half the time David took. Guess all those edits really did help :P

THANK YOU (in chronological order) to:

Colin, David, Mrs. Bond, Megan, & Rachel! You guys are amazing!!

I will upload the thing as soon as Google Docs returns to functioning.

Katie