Looking out the window
Skies are cloudy grey
Through the trees, winds blow
Many months till May.
Looking for a blog post
My brain befuddled is
Of this I cannot boast
My mind is full of fizz.
This I'll leave to readers
Find the rhyme and meter
There's no chance of cheaters
Who shall be the leader?
(note: if you take the challenge, no peeking at the comments until you have your answer!)
Friday, February 23, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
A Narration on "The Voyage of the Armada"
This is a narration I did this year on the book we read entitled, "The Voyage of the Armada", by David Howarth.
The question:
Explain why it was impossible for the English ships and the Spanish ships to truly fight with each other in the way they had been preparing to fight.
The answer:
When King Philip II sent the Spanish Armada to attack England, they went prepared to board the English ships and fight with soldiers, as had been the custom for warfare at sea for years. Their ships were bulky and slow, and on board were more soldiers than sailors.
The English, on the other hand, had prepared using a different type of warfare. Instead of doing battle with soldiers, as if on land, they designed their ships and guns for a battle for sailors. Their ships were race-built, a much lighter and sleeker (is this even a word?) ship than the Spanish Galleons. Thus, they could quickly move out of range of the Spaniards, and escape their fire easily.
Because the two countries prepared for two different kinds of warfare, neither was suited to fight the other. The Spanish couldn't, because they couldn't get close enough to board the English ships, and the English couldn't because they couldn't get close enough to effectively fire at the Armada. Thus, neither army really gained the victory over the other by their own might. Though the English were successful in expelling the Armada, they were disappointed that they had not been able to do as well as they thought they could have.
The question:
Explain why it was impossible for the English ships and the Spanish ships to truly fight with each other in the way they had been preparing to fight.
The answer:
When King Philip II sent the Spanish Armada to attack England, they went prepared to board the English ships and fight with soldiers, as had been the custom for warfare at sea for years. Their ships were bulky and slow, and on board were more soldiers than sailors.
The English, on the other hand, had prepared using a different type of warfare. Instead of doing battle with soldiers, as if on land, they designed their ships and guns for a battle for sailors. Their ships were race-built, a much lighter and sleeker (is this even a word?) ship than the Spanish Galleons. Thus, they could quickly move out of range of the Spaniards, and escape their fire easily.
Because the two countries prepared for two different kinds of warfare, neither was suited to fight the other. The Spanish couldn't, because they couldn't get close enough to board the English ships, and the English couldn't because they couldn't get close enough to effectively fire at the Armada. Thus, neither army really gained the victory over the other by their own might. Though the English were successful in expelling the Armada, they were disappointed that they had not been able to do as well as they thought they could have.
blog post on profanity
In my blog surfing yesterday, I came across a blog called "This Godly Fight", and on there the author has a really good post on the subject of profanity, and just how ungodly it is. By reading it, I found out that some words that I hear quite often, even among God's people, are euphemisms for using God's name in vain! This is really an eye opener. Check it out here.
Oh, and be sure you read the comments!
Oh, and be sure you read the comments!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Virtual candy hearts, anyone?
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
This is a cool candy heart thing that my Mom sent me. To make your own, click here.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Soldier's Grave
These are the lyrics to one of the songs on my new CD, "Homespun Songs of the C.S.A Volume 3." This is one of my few favorite songs ever.
O stranger, tread lightly, 'tis holy ground here.
In death's cold embrace the soldier sleepeth here;
On the red field of battle my brave comrade died,
And his last smile I caught as I knelt by his side.
Yes, his lips wore a smile, and he feared not to die,
And his ear caught the shout as it rose to the sky:
"The vict'ry is ours!" his comrades cried,
"Thank God," said the soldier, as smiling, he died.
With hearts full of grief we stood 'round his bier,
And each soldier's eye was moist with a tear;
And with sad solemn steps we marched to his grave
And o'er our brave brother our flag we did wave.
Yes slowly and sadly we waved a farewell,
Though his spirit already in heavenly realms did dwell;
But his body we tearfully lowered 'neath there,
And the heart of the soldier did send for a prayer.
May God help his mother the sad blow to bear,
May God help the widow of him who lies 'neath here;
May he guard the orphans whose little hearts grieve,
That thus no more a father's fond kiss shall recieve.
Then stranger, tread lightly, 'tis holy ground here,
In death's cold embrace the soldier sleepeth there;
Tis the grave of the hero 'neath the grass covered sod.
His spirit's in Heaven, at home with his God.
O stranger, tread lightly, 'tis holy ground here.
In death's cold embrace the soldier sleepeth here;
On the red field of battle my brave comrade died,
And his last smile I caught as I knelt by his side.
Yes, his lips wore a smile, and he feared not to die,
And his ear caught the shout as it rose to the sky:
"The vict'ry is ours!" his comrades cried,
"Thank God," said the soldier, as smiling, he died.
With hearts full of grief we stood 'round his bier,
And each soldier's eye was moist with a tear;
And with sad solemn steps we marched to his grave
And o'er our brave brother our flag we did wave.
Yes slowly and sadly we waved a farewell,
Though his spirit already in heavenly realms did dwell;
But his body we tearfully lowered 'neath there,
And the heart of the soldier did send for a prayer.
May God help his mother the sad blow to bear,
May God help the widow of him who lies 'neath here;
May he guard the orphans whose little hearts grieve,
That thus no more a father's fond kiss shall recieve.
Then stranger, tread lightly, 'tis holy ground here,
In death's cold embrace the soldier sleepeth there;
Tis the grave of the hero 'neath the grass covered sod.
His spirit's in Heaven, at home with his God.
Killed at the Ford
This is a poem by Henry W. Longfellow that I did for copy work a while back. I liked it, so I thought I'd put it on here for my readers to enjoy. (Note: blithe means merry, light-hearted.)
He is dead, the beautiful youth,
The heart of honour, the tongue of truth,
He, the life and light of us all,
Whose voice was blithe as a bugle call,
Whom all eyes followed with one consent,
The cheer of whose laugh, and whose pleasant word,
Hushed all murmurs of discontent.
Only last night, as we rode along,
Down the dark of the mountain gap,
To visit the picket guard at the ford,
Little dreaming of any mishap,
He was humming the words of some old song:
"Two red roses he had on his cap
And another he bore at the point of his sword."
Sudden and swift a whistling ball
Came out of a wood, and the voice was still;
Something I heard in the darkness fall,
And for a moment my blood grew chill;
I spake in a whisper, as he who speaks
In a room where someone is lying dead;
But he made no answer to what I said.
We lifted him up to his saddle again,
And through the mire and the mist and the rain
Carried him back to the silent camp,
And laid him as if asleep on his bed;
And I saw by the light of the surgeon's lamp
Two white roses upon his cheeks,
And one; just over his heart, blood-red!
And I saw in a vision how far and fleet
That fatal bullet went speeding forth,
Till it reached a town in the distant North,
Till it reached a house in a sunny street,
Till it reached a heart that ceased to beat
Without a murmur, without a cry;
And a bell was tolled, in that for-off town,
For one who had passed from cross to crown,
And the neighbors wondered that she should die.
He is dead, the beautiful youth,
The heart of honour, the tongue of truth,
He, the life and light of us all,
Whose voice was blithe as a bugle call,
Whom all eyes followed with one consent,
The cheer of whose laugh, and whose pleasant word,
Hushed all murmurs of discontent.
Only last night, as we rode along,
Down the dark of the mountain gap,
To visit the picket guard at the ford,
Little dreaming of any mishap,
He was humming the words of some old song:
"Two red roses he had on his cap
And another he bore at the point of his sword."
Sudden and swift a whistling ball
Came out of a wood, and the voice was still;
Something I heard in the darkness fall,
And for a moment my blood grew chill;
I spake in a whisper, as he who speaks
In a room where someone is lying dead;
But he made no answer to what I said.
We lifted him up to his saddle again,
And through the mire and the mist and the rain
Carried him back to the silent camp,
And laid him as if asleep on his bed;
And I saw by the light of the surgeon's lamp
Two white roses upon his cheeks,
And one; just over his heart, blood-red!
And I saw in a vision how far and fleet
That fatal bullet went speeding forth,
Till it reached a town in the distant North,
Till it reached a house in a sunny street,
Till it reached a heart that ceased to beat
Without a murmur, without a cry;
And a bell was tolled, in that for-off town,
For one who had passed from cross to crown,
And the neighbors wondered that she should die.
Friday, February 02, 2007
A Narration on a Portion of Utopia
The Question:
Comment on the following portion of the "Religions of the Utopians" chapter. Do you believe truth in religion will by its own power come to light eventually? Or is the second description below the more likely one?
"Furthermore though there be one religion which alone is true, and all other vain and superstitious, yet did he well foresee (so that the matter were handled with reason, and sober modesty) that the truth of its own power would at the last issue out and come to light. But if contention and debate in that behalf should continually be used, as the worst men be most obstinate and stubborn, and in their evil opinion most constant; he perceived that then the best and holiest religion would be trodden underfoot and destroyed by most vain superstitions, even as good corn is by thorns and weeds overgrown and choked. Therefore all this matter he left undiscussed, and gave to every man free liberty and choice to believe what he would."
The Answer:
I believe that truth, left alone, will not come to light by itself. Although if christians are really following the truth, they will be going about teaching other people, as in the latter description. So, truth cannot be left alone, and still be truth. Now, you may say that if there are no christians left in all the world, then by what I have just said truth is no longer truth, and there is no more truth left. I believe that the Word of God is a seed, and that anyone that does exactly what that Word tells them to do will be christians. And, I believe that there always has and always will be children of God. (See Daniel 2:44 and Mark 9:1. The kingdom spoken of in Daniel is the Church! This Church shall never be destroyed!)
In the second description, it mentions "contentions and debate." In reality, we ought to be the exact opposite. Instead of beating people over the head for being wrong in their religion, God commands us to "speak the Truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).
At the end of this selection, it says, "(he) gave to every man free liberty and choice to believe what he would." This is the right thing to do, because God has made each of us free moral agents, which means we can make our own choices. (Like Balaam in Numbers 22:12. God had told him not to go with those men, but later on in verse 34, we read that he had gone with them. God told him not to go, but He did not make him a puppet to do just what He said. Balaam went, whether God wanted him to or not.) God cannot make us believe the truth, and man can't either. Thus, there will be those who do not believe the truth for what it is. However, we as christians must try to convince, with love, those that are astray.
Comment on the following portion of the "Religions of the Utopians" chapter. Do you believe truth in religion will by its own power come to light eventually? Or is the second description below the more likely one?
"Furthermore though there be one religion which alone is true, and all other vain and superstitious, yet did he well foresee (so that the matter were handled with reason, and sober modesty) that the truth of its own power would at the last issue out and come to light. But if contention and debate in that behalf should continually be used, as the worst men be most obstinate and stubborn, and in their evil opinion most constant; he perceived that then the best and holiest religion would be trodden underfoot and destroyed by most vain superstitions, even as good corn is by thorns and weeds overgrown and choked. Therefore all this matter he left undiscussed, and gave to every man free liberty and choice to believe what he would."
The Answer:
I believe that truth, left alone, will not come to light by itself. Although if christians are really following the truth, they will be going about teaching other people, as in the latter description. So, truth cannot be left alone, and still be truth. Now, you may say that if there are no christians left in all the world, then by what I have just said truth is no longer truth, and there is no more truth left. I believe that the Word of God is a seed, and that anyone that does exactly what that Word tells them to do will be christians. And, I believe that there always has and always will be children of God. (See Daniel 2:44 and Mark 9:1. The kingdom spoken of in Daniel is the Church! This Church shall never be destroyed!)
In the second description, it mentions "contentions and debate." In reality, we ought to be the exact opposite. Instead of beating people over the head for being wrong in their religion, God commands us to "speak the Truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).
At the end of this selection, it says, "(he) gave to every man free liberty and choice to believe what he would." This is the right thing to do, because God has made each of us free moral agents, which means we can make our own choices. (Like Balaam in Numbers 22:12. God had told him not to go with those men, but later on in verse 34, we read that he had gone with them. God told him not to go, but He did not make him a puppet to do just what He said. Balaam went, whether God wanted him to or not.) God cannot make us believe the truth, and man can't either. Thus, there will be those who do not believe the truth for what it is. However, we as christians must try to convince, with love, those that are astray.
A Perfect Description
The other day when I was doing poetry for school, I came across a sentence (maybe from a poem, I'm not sure) that perfectly describes the Lantor. I don't know who wrote it, otherwise I would give them credit. Here's what it says:
My teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my winds a hurricane, and my breath death!
OK, everything but the tail being a thunderbolt. I don't think the Lantor's tail was that impressive. I just thought that was a good description for my beast.
My teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my winds a hurricane, and my breath death!
OK, everything but the tail being a thunderbolt. I don't think the Lantor's tail was that impressive. I just thought that was a good description for my beast.
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