I knew I liked her

Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself. - Madeleine L'Engle

Worth Fighting For

My mom has been telling me that I need to change my blog's name for quite a while now. Not that I thought "Thoughts on Things" was the best possible name, but it was adequate and I had nothing else. I didn't want to change it to some quote from an indie song or classic poet without really thinking it through. A blog's name should be a key to the content, an indicator at least. My new name did not come from a song, psalm, prayer, or verse. Rather, I borrowed the idea from Samwise Gamgee.

I'm an Orthodox Christian. I am a lover of Truth and Beauty, and I'm a heart-clutcher. I work, I'm a student, I'm a volunteer. But there is no one thing that I think can sum up my life. Being an Orthodox Christian is my most definitive characteristic (I hope) but, lets face it, not every Orthodox Christian lives the same way.

There are blogs about crafting, about mothering, about Christianity, faith, art, music, business, technology, and so on, and on, and on. But how could I possibly choose just one thing to focus on? Impossible. So I'm just gonna sum up for you right here--life as I see it, and everything hereafter will fall into it somehow.

Our life here on earth was meant to be beautiful--a paradise shared with God. But, silly humans that we are, we've been influenced by Satan, and this world is no longer paradise. However, Christ is still in each and every person, and paradise is still in this world, underneath much sin and ruin. I try desperately to hold tight onto that beauty, love, and truth that is still evident in the people and world around us. This is why I love people, creation, and all arts. I'm sure this same idea can inspire others to love math and science, but I'll leave that to them and just appreciate that it's there. At times, though, the sorrow, pain, and ugliness that is present in this world can really bring us down. We are challenged spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Creation is fallen, and this life is a battle. But we mustn't give up or despair. As Samwise Gamgee tells Frodo when he wants to give up, "there is still some good in this world...and it's worth fighting for."

Though the world can seem a lost cause every once in a while, every good and perfect gift comes from above. And that's what I try to remember when I stop to smell the roses.