Here I Stand

"Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."

Happy Reformation Day.

Research paper

So I have this 5-7 page research paper due in a couple weeks, and naturally I'm blogging about it instead of working on it.

Yes, it's an Instagram. Behold my hip-ness.

A few thoughts:

1. I'm rather excited about this paper, because it's the first one I've written this semester whose topic I got to pick and am therefore genuinely interested in. Of course you're now wondering what in fact the topic is. So here's the hot insider info, aka my thesis statement: The Renaissance wasn't so much a rediscovery of classical culture as it was a new attitude toward it. You know you're fascinated.
2. The sad thing about the above picture is that I own all the books I'm using for research.
3. Even more sad is that I sort of read half of them in highschool. Two possible conclusions could be drawn from this:

• I was a nerd in high school.

•  I'm too lazy to find new sources of information in college.

On an almost completely unrelated note, it's been interesting to observe what college-level classes are like. Granted, mine are for freshmen, but it's still not highschool. I'm probably jinxing myself saying this only halfway into the semester, but so far they've been easier than I had expected. The one exception to this, of course, is Calculus. I somehow managed to get a 58 on my most recent exam. I'm rather disappointed with myself, because if I'm going to fail, I should at least make it interesting and get every answer wrong. None of this 2-points-away-from-a-pass stuff. But hey, if I can pull at least a D in this class, I'm 26 school days away from never having to take a math course again in my life! Howbout that?

Back to the research paper. I'm really excited about this, because the topic is one that's been on my mind since sophomore year. Remember that huge list of books I made for myself? As I started reading them, I discovered that I had a lot of misconceptions about Medieval culture. After all, when people nickname a time period the Dark Ages, there can't be too much to hope for in the literary department. As it turns out, though, almost every book I read either made multiple references to classical culture or was clearly influenced by it. So what was so different about the Renaissance? That, my dear reader, is what the paper is all about. Yippee.

Keeping this one bookmarked

That moment when only a Puritan can explain how you feel dead-on. My latest has lasted all weekend. Love this.

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter
thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.

(The Valley of Vision - prayer by the same name)

"The deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine"

"The valley is the place of vision"

"Let me find thy light in my darkness"

So true. Trials become blessings.