Hey there

So it's been a while.  A shockingly long while, actually.

I've been good- keeping busy with college and work and trying to draw every day (see the recent example above).  In the process, it seems that my blog has been neglected more than usual.

Hopefully, I'll be posting soon, but it seemed rather abrupt to just jump in with my random thoughts without giving some sort of transition post to let everyone know that I am alive and have not forgotten how to use blogger.

The blog herself is much...  brighter than I'd remembered.  I think she might be getting a little color update soon.  We'll see.  I probably shouldn't promise too much.  :)

See you soon!  :)

Julianne

Some quotes...

~Abigail Adams

God's love and tautologies

     I've recently been working my way through a book by C.S. Lewis, and it has been simultaneously entertaining and enlightening.  In other words, it's exactly what I would expect from him.  That's why he's one of my favorite authors.
     Let's switch topics for a minute, shall we?  I have a lovely little definition to share with you.  You may have already heard it, but I want to make sure.

     Tautology:
   Repetition that does not contribute to clarifying the meaning.  

     I have actually heard this word used in conversation.  Last year, a quizmaster in Bible quizzing happily pointed out to us that Peter was a master of tautology with his statement of, "In the last days, scoffers will come, scoffing..."  (2 Peter 3:2, excerpt)
      
     If that helps you remember the definition, great.  When I came across it in my book, I had to look it up again.  The statement I read was this:

"'God is love' may be a tautology to the seraphim; not to men."  

-C.S. Lewis, Miracles

     Those words have been rolling around in my head for the past few days, sinking in.  I've been wondering what it would be like to have your definitions of God and love so meshed together that they become needless repetition.  It's a staggering thought.
     On Sunday, a missionary visited our church.  He spoke about how we let our own self-loathing cheat us out of intimacy with God.  It struck me, because it's something I'm familiar with.  I cannot tell you how many times, as I've marveled over God's love to me, I've simultaneously been asking, "Why?"  
            The missionary pointed out that we've done nothing to deserve God's grace, but God chose to love us anyway.  He loves us the way we are, not the way we think that we should be.  Then He begins the work of making us like himself.
     He didn't say anything that I'd never heard before, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.
     "I AM love."  God seemed to be telling me.  "It's a tautology.  Don't you get it?"
     I've been acting in a (shamefully) typical manner, trying to make this all about me.  Now that that's out of the way, I'm hoping to experience God's love in entirely new ways.  I'm so excited.

   

Sherlock Holmes quote #1

"For strange effects and extraordinary combinations we mus go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of imagination."

Thoughts for endless thanksgiving

I'll be the first to admit, the internet is full of unnecessary thoughts.  Nevertheless, there are some good ones out there, too.  You merely have to look in the right places.

Pinterest is my place.

Oh, how thankful I am for pinterest.  :) 

Before this post becomes an unnecessary thought, I wanted to share with you some perspective-changing quotes, courtesy of pinterest, that have rocked my world. Hopefully they will help you to celebrate Thanksgiving all year long.