Have you watched your little sister or brother show fear of falling when they have never actually fallen? Well, as Professor Goodman of Montana State University states -

“We are afraid of falling even though we’ve never fallen. The child who has been cradled his whole life still has a fear of falling because that was a dangerous time when we lived in trees.”

Just think, because you’re afraid to fall, you are demonstrating your ancestors instinctive fear of falling from the trees, where we swung around for a few thousand years.

I can’t help but notice that professors who lecture on the human body can’t help using words like crafted and constructed and shall we dare say designed ? To think that they know and recognize the amazing structure of our bodies and still override their obvious observations to say that such beautiful, well working, and superior organs are the result of a mistake, mutation, and random act.

For the last year, as most know, the Twilight series rose in popularity, gathering a cluster of women from all ages in their growing fan club. I sat back and watched, metaphorically speaking, as the hordes kept sweeping the nation, obsessed with a forbidden romance, though for centuries we’ve seen the grip forbidden love has had on people, yet for some reason an average story has the hearts of countless women. The grip however ranges from those who just watch the movie once a day to those wearing the insignia on their underwear.

I, personally, have never had any interest in the Twilight fad. At first because everyone liked it, which immediately puts me off. I like to be different and hold my head up high when girls almost hyperventilate when they realize I’ve never done something and now…not having watched the Twilight movies. So, my first inclination was to not like it, even though I’d never seen it.

But then I read very useful articles such as : Eclipse : An Ideal Romance, Abstaining from the Madness, and How Twilight is Revamping Romance.

Then, after considering the entirety of the subject, I decided to watch the first movie, so I would be able to finalize my objections. And while I’m on the subject of objections…I read on her Wikipedia page that Stephenie Meyer likened her book with having been inspired by Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, among other classics of literature! For what it’s worth, I didn’t see any supernatural men falling in love with Anne, who is the opposite of Bella; charming, talkative, and completely fascinated with life.

After having Mom verbalize her trust that I wouldn’t turn into a “fanpire” I viewed the movie on You Tube. I have seen the plot before, though, minus the undertone that the leading man has a thing for the heroine’s blood.

As a movie, it was, at times, corny. There are a few moments where I thought Bella was surprisingly refreshing as a heroine, mostly due to the fact that she trips and acts like the average girl, which is probably what captures most girls’ attention. Lined up against the wall with other movies, it isn’t out of the ordinary in the fact that the romance is selfish - on Bella’s part, and that a real eternity exists yet they choose to live their life on their terms.

And for the record, as for ‘promoting abstinence’, I felt that during that particular scene, when Edward throws himself across the room after kissing her, that he is not removing himself from the act of premarital sex, but trying not to kill her. If he was sure he wouldn’t kill her, I feel like they would’ve went ahead and… *ahem* you know, since he did end up spending the night in her bed anyway he obviously didn’t think about it being too sensual.

But in the light that Twilight is receiving globally, I feel that it can be dangerous for young girls and as it seems - their mothers. Yet all movies, with the exception of a few truly clean films, can become distractions when they become more than a two hour plot line. When anything takes our eyes off of Christ we are vulnerable and when we place something ahead of Him Satan takes his best shots. Twilight is not the only movie that has stirred hearts in the wrong direction. When we have an obsession towards something, whether is be Edward Cullen or our own personal glory, it becomes dangerous. We are all sinners, easily swayed by the smallest thing, but the thing that defines us from the world is that we have a Saviour, one who is more powerful than our sinful nature, and can save us from it.

After having seen it, these are my conclusions…it is an ordinary movie with a plot line that straddles others before it, with the exception of vampires and werewolves. I do not feel the need to watch this movie again, and I am a romantic, so that tells you something.

But what is more, I do not believe Twilight is at the very heart of the problem, but our own hearts. We choose to let it control us or not. Sure the movies have helped in that area, but we take what is in them and decide to let them run rampant for a while.

Our generation has been somewhat spoilt on freedom. We live in a society, which for now, limits only a few things from it’s citizens. When they wake up in the morning, nothing in their mind leads them to think about their freedoms…for they have been here for so long, that they feel they can’t be taken away.

At our local elections a few months ago, only 20 % of the people even bothered to show up! Most are comfortable in their liberties, not thinking a second thought that the wrong choices could take them away.  Mom and I listened to an Iwo Jima survivor give a talk, and he recalled that recently, when he and his wife rode in a parade proudly carrying the flag, only two or three people lifted their hands in a salute, or held a hand across their heart.

We live in a society that no longer remembers the cost of what is free, to them, now. Men still die protecting our rights, which, in turn, are taken away by the present government officials. Young children continue to grow in a culture that has forgotten its past. Where there is no vision, the people perish.  Where they forget their past, their future is vulnerable.

Patriotism isn’t dead, but many people are forgetting to take it along when they leave their homes during the day. Our conflicted generation has little respect for the honorable things in life. Sadly, our country’s great freedoms and liberties are one of them.

I pray that though our country is falling, the Christians, who have the only hope of a great kingdom, will stay strong, not forgetting God’s promises.

After reading Why Am I Not Married? over at Visionary Daughters,  I was convicted in one of their paragraphs on what I really thought a husband would want in a wife and if I was preparing to be those things. I sat down and honestly contemplated the virtues I would want to be, whether I have them or not, and these are what I came up with.

1. She must be a maturing Christian, showing the fruit of the Spirit.
2. She should be committed to family; present and future.
3. Her character should be real and not falsely implied.
4. She should be able to run a house without too much difficulty.
5. A follower of the Scriptures, not only reading but acting out their commands.
6. Modesty. Not only of the body but of the mind.
7. Willingness to change lifestyles for the plan God has for her life.
8. Ability to be hospitable. A warm and welcoming personality as well as home.
9. She must have a gentle spirit.
10. A willing and sacrificial heart.

#4 is still in the process but I am pushing through my dislike for cooking in order to serve my family more.

#7 and # 10 are in the same boat of being willing to follow the Lord and doing what He commands without any other element thrown into the picture. I am a little hesitant to change my life, but I believe that if I was called by the Lord to leave the life I know, that I would do so without grumbling. I may be a little unsure at first, but I don’t want to grumble.

#8…oh boy! I don’t like to talk a whole bunch in public conversations. However, I don’t go out of my way to be silent. I may pipe in every now and then or talk with someone who needs talking with, but I try not to be unpleasant under any circumstance.

There’s my convictions and confessions about how I fail at them (for all to see *gasp*), but I have the best aid on my side; God’s grace and prayer.

I was reading this post on this dear lady’s blog, and I thought I could share it with those who hadn’t read it. Number 4 struck the most in my character and desire for marriage.

4) Cultivate a schedule (along with a daily quiet time) before you have to schedule life around children. If you can function on a schedule as a single young lady, then you will flourish as a wife and mother.

Schedule. That words brings either relief or fear. To me, having a schedule is refreshing, yet I sometimes fall into a schedule of no schedule at all, if that is possible. Like the aspect of my personality, where I enjoy waking up early in the morning feeling refreshed, yet it is hard, since I enjoy my sleep. The question is, which will I choose? The long term beneficial, or the “right now” desire for a few more minutes of rest?

Anyway, back to the topic. At any age, we should learn to handle schedules with maturity and sense. Either married, single, or young, we should be able to exercise self control and follow a daily pattern. Learning to rise when we need to, restraining when we should go to bed at a reasonable hour, eating healthy to maintain the temple of the Lord, taking in fresh air and sunshine, keeping a routine of either schooling, work, or house work. If we are preparing to run our own homes, and nourish a growing family, we need to be able to handle the daily hours with preparedness. Sometimes schedules are different due to ways of life, but nevertheless, there are schedules intact.

Keeping a schedule, when we are engrossed in it, is easy. But following a routine when we perhaps are not all enthused about it, is hard. My  growing in this area of life will mostly be in following a schedule where I am not the immediate beneficiary, or my hobbies are put on hold.

With the somewhat heavy dusting of snow received by our section of the country, people are canceling basketball games (which tells of desperate measures around here), closing schools, and staying indoors.  I have worn the same outfit now for about five or six days, because I don’t have to worry about going anywhere. Our schools days start late, due to no events later on in the day, and we drag the subjects throughout spurted breaks until late afternoon. Unlike some, we are enjoying our snow days. Wrapped up at home, not worrying about going into town, and completely relaxed throughout the entire day, what could be better?

Some people are out shoveling, while others let it lie. Some are still speeding through on the snowy roads, while others poke along. I’ve realized, snow affects people different ways. I know people who hate the idea of cold, harsh winters, and moan all winter about being cold, while others go with the flow, and know how to wear boots, gloves, and scarves with a smile. People either freak out and rush to the stores when the idea of snow comes along, or look out the window and dismiss the idea. (Some even make snow pies due to the weather)  Yet, life carries on. The difference is how we handle what comes our way.

Tragedies, happiness, trials, and blessings are all to be met with sooner or later. And God does not leave us through any of them, though sometimes we remove our hearts from God. Through the thick times we sometimes arrange our priorities on our emotions, which cannot be trusted. We should put our priorities in the order of what God says. He is the only one who can see past the pain of the present, and be glorified when the light shines through the seemingly endless darkness in the future.

I have read and heard about many young ladies who are not in a society of like minded young ladies. I myself have few “in person” friendships with such friends, and sometimes I become discouraged. It is not often that I am blue over the fact of not having colleagues who fit every criteria that I desire in a friend. Yet I understand many young girls or perhaps even young men who are in a circle of people who are not home schooled or even Christian, and who wish to be able to be in company with people who believe like they do.

Yet, while we wonder why the Lord has placed us in such a position, maybe we should look at it another way. Perhaps our roles don’t seem desirable, but we may be the special few who are the ones to grow and nurture such a society. If we share our convictions with others, and they begin to see why we believe the way we do, a relationship unlike that of a like minded friend becomes present. Many times God molds our characters in such circumstances where we are not in a comforting position amidst friends who agree with what we have to say, or even appreciate what we announce. Sometimes He gives us relationships where we are taught to defend our convictions, or learn to be compassionate but not compromising in our bonds with those who may or may not be Christians. For some, to have a friend that keeps them constant instead of cushioned, it is better.

I am around people, whom I love dearly, some who agree with my convictions, while others do not. I used to wish for ONE friend who was home schooled, old fashioned, and completely complacent with the soundtrack to Braveheart and long walks in the woods, yet apart from my cousins, I do not have a group of friends who are just like me. And that may be a good thing!

There will be times when we are thrown into a community where no one shares our worldviews, and what shall we do then? We are to be Christian witnesses, not just in our words, but in our actions. If we shy away from people just because they are different or believe differently from us, how are we to appear?

I like to be alone, or in the company of those I love. I do not like to be around those who are different from me, I admit it. I would rather be off doing something I enjoy, but I have been working on (with the constant reminder of my mom) what I refer to as “Loving God’s people, not just my people”. I mean, the Lord died upon the cross for them too!

So when I become saddened by my lack of like minded friends, I just have to remind myself, that I need to be just as kind to those I come in contact with, than with those I would rather be in company with. Our Sovereign Lord knows our limits, our desires, and most importantly…our heart. He knows when we have our heart set on something and the manner in which we set it.  We may need to realize that we are placed in such places because the Lord has put us here…not in mistake or forgetfulness, but in the righteous and loving way that we come to know when He is our father. And we need to apply this mindset to every area of our life, and especially in the areas where we are weak of heart and spirit; places, in which,  we personally do not want to be.

I am a young lady, whose everyday friends, and church members are older than I am. They are all much more wise and have a few more years to their name. I am with them at church and during the weekdays. I can count on one hand the number of friends I have that are “around” my age. I am not in a youth group, I attend a small country church where the majority of attendees are above 35, and I am an only child. Many would call me very unsocialized because I really do not have many homeschooling friends that I am close to. Yet I have so many dear friends that I cherish and we have friendships just like any other two people excepting the mere fact of our ages.

In an age, where young adults are forced and taught to “be with people their own age” it is even more necessary for us to be with people older and wiser. We, as growing men and women (mentally and physically), need to have those who are more experienced and aware than we are around us and teaching us. *Of course those teaching us need to be godly role models* They may not know the latest trends but in an age where generational communication is dying, trends fall out of the picture.

What if we split up a pride of lions. We placed the young ones with no experience in one area, and the older more grown lions in another area. Neither would come together at all. Those young lions would not know how to do most of the things they should be doing because no one who knew how was there to teach them. They would sit and play along the ground, when in a pride they would be learning to hunt and kill, and be learning how to feed their family. But instead, because of hanging around with all of the other lions who weren’t old enough to know how and weren’t aware of their natural duties, most or maybe all of the young lions never really grew up or learned how to live on their own wisely. No one was there to teach them not to take on an elephant by themselves, no one was there to teach them successful hiding, and no one was there to show them how to stay alive.

In a sense (that was a primitive example) that is what we are doing today. The younger people don’t associate with the older people, but stay in their own age groups and never really grow up.

The post Christian culture of today is really due to lack of generational communication. Those Christian men and women had a duty to raise families for the Lord, and to see that their children walked in the truth. Some did, others did not. Those that did not, their children and grandchildren taught their children what they were taught, and it did not include church, fellowship, or Christian principles.

“It takes generations to go from barbarianism to civilization, but it takes only a generation to go from civilization to barbarianism” -Ken Ham

In the end, the quantity of our friends is hardly important as to the quality of friends.

Day Three of Reading: Upon reaching more describable places in England, Miss Smith regains the feeling of Jane Austen and the writing focuses more on what I expected of it. Travels in Kent which are somewhat torture for our traveler due to the inexperience of the art of hitch-hiking. Winchester, Lyme, and Bath are also regions that she visits. Sharing her views, she cannot grow to love Lyme for all of the fresh air, and instead strengthens her love for Bath. Traveling also to Exeter where Marianne wanted to gallop over the Downs, but our traveler had grown to not recognize any features of land different from rolling hills in England and was not impressed. *I would absolutely love to travel across England and become tired of seeing the rolling hills, however since there is only one hill in our town, I don’t think I could ever be tired of seeing them.*

A few bits and pieces are inserted about her longing for this Jack character, but not nearly as much as before, thank goodness. I must say my favourite part was when Jack left the scene.

Then, she goes into how fast the relationships were in those days. Mr. Collins’s speedy declaration, Willoughby’s expected proposal after only a few months, and so on. She then wrote about the long years of dating and realized that the men were never able to commit to a “long term relationship” such as marriage, and yet she continues to date. But she did sort of sum up that she wants a man that is masculine, has respect for marriage, and is commitment material. However, while reading the passage, It seemed a little awkward at how she described the dating process in her own life. Something was a little off in my view.

Then, she spoke of how she wanted to remain pure and such, and her thoughts would go back to this Jack guy, and that’s where I read a little quicker to pass the part that had absolutely nothing to do with Jane Austen’s travels. In a way it could be a good witness for a unbelieving Jane Austen fan who is not sure about purity before marriage, but for me, I would rather get back to the travels. Miss Smith also travels to Lyme Park where Pemberely was situated, oh to be in the land of Darcy.

I must say that I found it humorous when she explained how many hours she was watching British television and REAL BBC broadcasts that the voice in her head had a British accent. I would love to have a British accent in my head…for I am extremely giddy around people in real life, not just in the television, who have REAL, ERROR-LESS British accents!

Day Four or Five of Reading: After a good couple of chapters on Austen nostalgia as she wraps up her journey, Miss Smith throws in the mentioning of Jack after receiving an e-mail from him, which she finds disappointingly formal. Then she converses with her friend about how Christian men are weird, and she is  beginning to believe that they would have to go outside the church to find normal, committed men.   May I bring to mind the verse 2 Corinthians 6:14?

Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

I must also add that she entered a minuscule thought about finishing her Harry Potter book. I am sorry, but I probably don’t want to be reading a book of someone’s who enjoys Harry Potter.

She continues throughout the last pages with her life a year afterward with her illness and romantic attachment with Jack (which never amounted to anything for they never were together due to his new girlfriend, leaving Miss Smith to “try again” at finding a husband). Bringing into her own life the fact that however large and big Jane Austen’s name became, she was a simple woman, pleased with her family and the life she lived. Miss Smith desired what Jane Austen had found in life; peace and happiness.

Overall Review: I did not excessively enjoy this book, partly because I am an old fashioned girl. This book had a modern feel to it…not my forte. She included some good thoughts on her struggles in her Christian walk which was honest of her, but then again some thoughts were not my beliefs, such as “dating” guys on her travels, her reasons for liking Jack, and her reading material-H.P. I am strongly convicted on those subjects.

I would  probably not recommend the entire book to any die hard Jane Austen fans…original, old fashioned, Jane Austen fans that are interested in her, her life, family, and books only. Miss Smith has more of her own thoughts and life incorporated into the book which is alright considering the fact that it is “Her walk with Jane Austen”, however I still was expecting perhaps a more descriptive landscape and travel views for those J.A. fans who couldn’t travel to England. Anyway these are entirely my opinions, if you feel like you want to read the book, carry on. There are still some good paragraphs about Jane Austen’s life. You can find this book in some Christian bookstores.

You can read part 1 here.

Day One of Reading: My first impression is eagerness, for I have seen this book on a few Jane Austen fan blogs, however, after a few chapters, it seems I am a little disappointed. I thought it would be a sensible tour of the countryside that Jane Austen described in her novels, and yet it is more personal in regards to the author. It is her views, her experiences that actually involve meeting a guy but things do not get out of hand, and only makes small references to the countryside and compares her situation with Jane Austen’s. The most comparison is in the fact that she is on the wrong side of thirty and still single, and therefore compares her life to the great authoress’s.

She also makes references to her faith in God, confesses her “conflicted semi feminist” worldview,  how she has been through countless relationships, been in a Christian college, and what I find somewhat silly- references to her clothing on certain days like her “pink capris, flowery top that wasn’t too unconventional for the outing” etc. (my example,  similar to her’s but in less detail)

And one particular aspect that is somewhat tiresome. A few times, more than necessary, she bursts into 3 or 4 pages of just her own thoughts going on in her head about her attachments, her little dates with a guy named Jack who “is not the fundamental Christian guy”, and her inability to sleep due to a previous mono like virus that she had in her throat. I really wish that she would stick to the roads that she is traveling, give more information about Jane Austen in those particular regions, and discuss her romantic attachment less…even better…not at all. But for the sake of this review, I will continue reading, to see if this book will redeem itself.

Miss Lori Smith

Day Two of Reading: It seems Miss Smith knew what was coming in her review and quickly added more Jane Austen references and traveling descriptions, mostly because “Jack” went his separate way and we had to hear a few more lonesome lines of hope.

In her travels, she reaches Jane’s home town, where she lived with her family, received great inspirations, and also lived to see herself never find the happiness that her heroines possessed. But we then go into, very abruptly, on how she struggles with trusting God’s ability for beautiful and harsh events. She compares her lack of understanding in the “harshness of God” to Cassandra after she lost her fiance in the West Indies.

And surprisingly, half of chapter eight is about the Austen family and where they were situated in the countryside. And through chapters nine and ten she bounces between the friends she is meeting and a connection into Jane Austen’s life. Until my favourite part comes into play. She visits the British Library! Here she can not put too much of her own details into  it for it is fact and she must go along with it.

Miss Smith also discusses beauty, and how it is said that Jane Austen would’ve looked…not sure what this has to do with traveling, but there were a few good quotes that I will put in, just to get off the subject also.

“I don’t believe in plastic surgery. For one thing, it is far easier to learn to be content with your body than to have someone knock you out, cut you open, and suck things out, or stuff foreign objects inside you. Maybe I’ve got this wrong. Maybe surgery is easier than contentment. But I think contentment is healthier and more admirable and in some ways more attractive.” (I like that quote)

Then we pop back into travels and Jane Austen by visiting Kent. I will have Part 2 up shortly.

You can read some other reviews here and here.

My review, part two, is here.