They Knew Not the Creator

        One book I borrowed from the library but forgot to mention in my last post is The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader. Well, I'm a Tolkien fan for sure, and as I love Old English literature and such, I knew I would enjoy this book. A lot of it isn't in verse, which was a bit disappointing, but I am still liking it immensely. I was reading Beowulf today, and before I got a more than a few pages in, I came across the following:

They knew  not the Creator, Judge of deeds; they knew no the Lord God, nor verily had they learned to worship the Protector of the heavens, the glorious Ruler.

Woe is his who is destined in dire distressful wise to thrust his soul into the fire's embrace, to hope for no comfort, in no way to change.

Weal is his, who may after his death-day stand before the Lord, and claim a refuge in the Father's arms!

        Other than this just being wonderfully written, it especially touched me because we had discussed a similar topic in my Discipleship Group last night. We were studying James 4:11-17, and spent more than an hour and a half just poring over the Word and talking about it. You know those passages that seem so straightforward and simple to follow, yet when you hold it up to your life and imagine what you do in those types of situations you realize how much you don't follow the command? Well, I had one of those "I fail at life" moments when I recognized how I don't even attempt to stop myself from slandering a rude customer to my friends at work after they leave. Well, they were rude or deceptive and I feel sorry for myself, so it's okay to play the victim and gossip, right? NO!!! Someone else's sin is no excuse for me to disobey God's command and sin as well! When I think about it, I realize how stupid and sinful it sounds, but in the moment, it's the first thing I think of doing. I've been praying about it and asking the Lord to help me in those moments realize my anger before I spit it out, and take my frustration to him instead of to my co-workers. 

        But what didn't really get me until I thought more deeply about it as I was falling asleep last night is the second part - verses 13 through 17. 

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”, yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

        These verses helped me a lot about a year ago, when I was really struggling with plans I had for myself and where God was so obviously trying to lead me. It was in the exact opposite direction of where I wanted to go, and I was not pleased. In fact, I was a mess there for a couple months. I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't until I realized what was missing and started spending more time with my loving and merciful God that He gave me peace. I had nothing but trouble on my own, but as soon as I asked, He, after I had pretty much let our relationship slack, granted just what I needed and drew me back to Him. Now, I still have plans - lots of plans, to be honest. I mean, we all do! Personally, I'd like to get married, have lots of kids, and live on a self-sufficient homestead in the country. That's my dream. But as much as I love that idea, I remind myself that those are my own plans, not necessarily God's. It really seems like He is preparing me for something of the sort, and I am so thankful for that, but the specifics? I have NO clue what He has in store for me. The only thing I am sure of is that whatever His plan is, it's good. For the furthering of His kingdom and glory, and for me personally.

        I have to remind myself, as I'm sure we all do, of the truth of God's Word. For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Think of steam rising from a kettle. It's there for a second or so, and then completely gone. In my life, do I even remember a shadow on the ground, a cloud in the sky, the steam over a pot of soup? No. But you know, God does. He remembers us. However sinful and little we are, He has given us, by His grace, a chance to do great things for Him. So even though I'm just a fragile wisp of steam, I know His plan is perfect.

        Now coming back to the Beowulf, we also talked about what it must be like for unbelievers who don't know the Lord and His grace. They, in the back of their minds, also know that they are a mist; that they are only here for a fraction of time. But what differs between us and them is that they have no hope for the future. They have no idea what's going to happen, whether it will be good or bad, or whether their lives will be worth while. Those without God have no comfort from the hope of a better place, a body free of sin, and an eternity with their Creator. It makes my heart ache for them, because as bad as this world is, this is as good as they are ever going to get. Isn't that sad? I can't thank my Lord enough for reaching down and picking me up, taking the blindfold off my eyes so I see the truth. The truth is, that this world is as bad as it's going to get for me. He will triumph over evil and reign forever and all the world will know His name! So whatever He has planned for me, I'm game. Because it's good.

I'm reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there's so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
It's good.

Blessings,

Reyna

A Stack of Books

        Have you ever read a certain part of a book that was so well written that you have to stop, read it again, and then sight contentedly and revel in the wonder of it all.? Of course you have! Most of my followers, I know, are avid readers. Many of you are even writers! I was at the library today, and although they didn't have what I went for, I did come home with several other things. For one, the first set of Foyle's War, a show I have heard many good things about. My mom's going to preview it and see if there are any parts we might want to skip, and I'm looking forward to watching it! As well as renewing a book I had checked out for History, I looked through the small used book shop they have and found three to buy for very cheap. One was What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, a handy book with everything you need to know about 1800-1900 England. I borrowed it from the library a year or so ago, and found it extremely diverting, so I was happy to find it for $1. :)

        The next was The Making of Pride and Prejudice. Seriously, why didn't someone tell me this existed before now?!?! It has all sorts of stuff about locations, costumes, cast, etc., as all books of that nature do, and it is amazing!

        Last but not least, a gorgeous copy of Gone With the Wind. We watched this movie a few years back and I didn't care for it at all, but I decided I'd give the book a try. My mom said she thought it was better than the movie, so I have high hopes. I read the first couple pages, but then I had to go do something else. I hate getting interrupted while reading, don't you? Anyway, this is what I was talking about in the beginning of my post - with regard to a paragraph being just so well written that I can't deal with reality any more. It is written so very well, and I am sure I will enjoy it at least for that. I might give the movie another try after too. I don't know that I would have gotten it anyway, but it is such a nicely bound copy that I couldn't resist. I even found a picture of the same one I have online:

         Today (the library trip was yesterday), I was at a thrift store, and I found some books there as well. The softcovers are only 25 cents, and I found two Dickens books I didn't have yet - A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. I've read the former and love it, but not the latter; in fact I know close to nothing about it. Pretty much all I've heard is that it was the author's favorite out of all his books. So I hope it will be good!
        I can't wait to read these books, some of them for the first time! Have you heard of/read many of these books? What did you think of them?

Blessings,

Reyna

I do have several posts in drafts that I need to finish, although I haven't had much time. When I get a moment I'll try to make some progress and post them.

Rumors And Truths

        Hi all! Sorry for the lack of posts here recently - life has gotten in the way of what was once a schedule. Anyway, I had this grand idea for a post and I would like y'all to give your input. So the idea is that I would confirm or dispel rumors about California. In general. Or the SF Bay Area in particular. Or Even the U.S. for those of my lovely readers who don't live here. I've heard a lot and that's how I got the idea in the first place, but I wanted to leave the comment box open for things you might be curious about. 

        Have you heard stuff about California? Leave me a comment and I'll put it and a response in my post! Even if you think 'Oh, I know this is true', or 'This could never be what actually goes on!' please ask me anyway! You never know, reality could be quite different than what you've heard in, I dunno, Delaware. Or Brazil.

Is is true, or to the contrary?

Blessings,

Reyna 

Chocolate Book Tag

        I was tagged by Evie at A Period Drama Fangirl with the Chocolate Book Tag! So fun! I love tags, and it being about books increases the awesomeness about one hundredfold. So, lets get started! There weren't any rules, so I'm going to guess that we simply have to link back to the person who tagged us, fill out the tag, and then tag people ourselves.

Dark Chocolate (a book that covers a dark topic): Quo Vadis. I think I've mentioned this in every book-related post I've done on this blog, but I don't plan to stop. This book follows the persecution of the early church (hence the dark topic), and has everything that constitutes good novel. It's really thick, too, which is a plus.

White Chocolate (a light and humorous read): The Scarlet Pimpernel. Now I wouldn't say this is altogether a light read, but definitely humorous and recommendable.

Milk Chocolate (a book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read): Only A Novel by Miss Amy Dashwood of Yet Another Period Drama Blog. I hope to get this and read this before the year is out!

Caramel-filled Chocolate (a book that makes you feel all gooey inside): This one was hard - it for some reason is much easier to think of movies that make me feel this way than books. I'm going with Anne of Avonlea because it's my favorite book in the series and the one where Anne and Gil realize their feelings for each other *happy sigh*.

Wafer-less Kit-Kat (a book that surprised you): The Chosen. It's about two Jewish boys from different sects who form an unlikely friendship after hating each other passionately. It's very well written - and makes you feel happy and sad and frustrated and every other emotion at the same time.

Snickers (a book you're going nuts about): Sherlock Holmes! I'm reading the Hound of the Baskervilles again for the read-along, and loving it even for than the previous times I've read it!

Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows (a book you turn to for comfort): I always turn to the Bible when I'm in a tough situation, but since that's a given and I wouldn't really classify it as 'hot chocolate with mini marshmallows', I'm going to pick another one. In other words, I'm cheating. Soary. ;) A Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich. I LOVE this book. It's perfect.

A Box of Chocolates (a series you feel has something for everyone): The Lord of the Rings! Duh! But it's not actually a series, just a really long book that was split up and published at three different times. I'm not going to say anything more about this because otherwise we'll be here all day.

     
        That was so fun! Thanks Evie! Here are the questions for my nominees to paste into their blog post:

Dark Chocolate (a book that covers a dark topic):

White Chocolate (a light and humorous read):

Milk Chocolate (a book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read):

Caramel-filled Chocolate (a book that makes you feel all gooey inside):

Wafer-less Kit-Kat (a book that surprised you):

Snickers (a book you're going nuts about):

Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows (a book you turn to for comfort):

A Box of Chocolates (a series you feel has something for everyone): 

        And I nominate:

Aspen

Hamlette

Heidi 

Joanna 

        Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Reyna

I've Been Interviewed!

        Miss Emma Jane of A Lantern In Her Hand has interviewed me on her blog! It's part of a new series she's doing for her Society of Literary Ladies, and I am honored to be a part of it! 

        Anyway, I had lots of fun answering bookish questions and rambling about my favorite things! Definitely go check it out and have fun looking through Emma's archives (if you don't follow her blog already). She is a kindred spirit for sure!

Blessings,

Reyna

Style

        Now, you might not know this about me, but I have a few very distinct styles of clothing. They're all very different too. I see a lot of people who wear the same style of clothing all the time (the latest fashions, of course), but that's not me. However, I don't usually branch out much from my set choices, which is interesting. To me, that is. I find my weirdness amusing and intriguing. ;) So anyway, my styles are as follows. I even got pictures off of my Pinterest page!

        Firstly, skirts and dresses - I wear a lot of these! Primarily because they're just so comfy, but also because I like wearing feminine clothing. As you can see, I like the vintage style, and also long full skirts that I actually can do some work in. Ya know, climb fences, shovel wood chips... I usually wear leggings underneath if it's not too hot, so I don't have to worry about kicking my legs up too high.

        Nextly (do you like my new word?), Elvish style. I don't do this one very often, since it takes a bit more effort and I don't usually wear my hair down (it's really long and a pain to keep out of the way). I put on a long, flowy, medieval style skirt, and then most of the time what I actually call my 'elvish shirt'. It's forest green, loosely fitted,  and has some gorgeous braid and ruching all of the way down. I tried to find a picture online but couldn't. My mom got it at a thrift store. :) Sometimes I'll do a few small braids in my hair to complete the look. Oh, and I've decided I want one of these:

       Now, last but not least, my Western style. I love Western style - for several reasons. It's comfy. Loose, yet not getting in the way. It lasts. Buy a good pair of jeans or a flannel shirt and it'll last forever. Seriously. It looks good. There may be some people out there who don't like it, but I love the look of a nice western shirt. You can't go wrong with button-downs and belts, blue jeans and boots. And yes, I am aware that all of those started with 'b'. Unintentionally. Personally, I wear flannel shirts almost every day in cold weather. Not all day long, but mainly just in the mornings when our house is 50 degrees. I can pretty much only wear riding jeans, which I suppose classifies as western wear. All of the other jeans are way too tight for my liking, and western riding jeans are the only ones that fit me well. Otherwise, if I want the waist to fit, they're plastered on to my legs, and if I want the legs to be semi-loose, the waist gapes six inches. No joke. Six inches minimum. The only downside is that Western wear is on the pricy side if you buy it new. Oh well.

        Are these not beautiful? I have a thing for muddy boots. :)

        Anyway, that's my style(s). I hope you enjoyed this post!

Blessings,

Reyna

Silk/Cashmere Shawl

        A month or so ago I was commissioned to knit a sample for my LYS. Now, this isn't anything out of the ordinary, but I'm posting about it here because of what the sample was. It wasn't just a hand-me-the-yarn-and-I'll-figure-out-what-to-make deal, they gave me a pre-made kit with yarn and a pattern, all in a nice little box. That's not even the best part. Guess what kind of yarn it was? Raw silk (beaded) and cashmere. For my readers who are uneducated on the subject of fiber costs, that stuff is pricy. Very pricy. I mean, look at that - it even sounds expensive! There is probably over $80 worth of yarn in this lovely shawl.

         I must admit, it is a beautiful pattern, and equally pretty yarn. The thing I like about doing samples is that I get to play with scrumptious yarn that I would otherwise never be able to afford, I get to further my knitting skills by trying new patterns, and I get to pick out some free yarn when I'm done! There are no downsides to this, I'm tellin' you. This particular sample took my longer to finish than usual for a couple of reasons. One, the pattern wasn't written very well and I spent many long hours in the yarn shop with the ladies trying to decode it, and two, I've just been very busy. Since the pattern was so complicated, I wasn't able to do it while watching baseball with my family (which I make a point of doing regularly), so I had to come up with other space in my days. It feels so nice to have it finished - it was so fun to knit but now that it's off the needles and I see just how pretty it is I want to look at it all day long!

         It has 30 rows of the lace pattern worked in a beige/gray beaded silk, 4 rows in delicate pink cashmere, 2 rows in the beige/gray again, 6 rows in cream/sand beaded silk, 2 rows in cashmere, and 4 rows in cream/sand. Then, for the edging, there are 8 rows in cashmere and then 2 rows (including the bind-off) in cream/sand silk. Loveliness itself.

         There are two cable panels - you can kind of see them in the other pictures - but here they are.

        What do you think of this shawl? I'm enjoying looking at it for another day before I take it to the yarn store. ;)

Blessings,

Reyna

#100%donewithsmallbitingbugs

        I am so ready to be done with them. They are irritating and persistent in attempting to make my life miserable. Well, after a couple of weeks, they've succeeded. I'm tired of breathing the diatomaceous earth that's scattered all over my floor, and for some reason isn't working this time. I'm tired of rubbing it all over my goat. And my neighbors' goat. I'm tired of flea bites and I'm tired of goat lice. 

        I think I mentioned in my last post that my neighbor bought some hay from a feed store that has goats in the back and some lice came home with the bale. Since our goats go out together, Eponine now has lice as well, and we are trying to get rid of them sooner than later as she is due in just over a month. Needless to say, our neighbor got rid of all that hay, so now we are just trying to get the lice off of the goats. Blah. Not fun. 

        Even worse, though, are the fleas. Our cats got fleas somehow, and they have taken up residence in my bedroom. I guess I'm tasty, because my legs are COVERED in bites. I've been wearing my boots even more than usual because my legs are just so ugly right now - and may be forever after this. My cat has flea treatment on and I've been locking her in my room (so the fleas will hopefully jump on her and die), but I don't know how well it's working. I'm pretty sure most of the fleas are in my carpet, not on my bed where she like to sleep. There are certain spots where if I sit down on the floor, fleas will jump right on to me. I've caught a bunch that way, by picking them up and squishing them, but I don't have long fingernails so a lot of the time they get away when I try to kill them. Blah.

        I am done with these insects, or I wish I was. I'm actually not; they're still all over. I'm just sick of the small biting bugs and wish they would leave. 

Blessings,

Reyna