and we're back......

Welcome back! I know that you have all been missing your weekly blogging, and I have definitely missed reading your "musings".

Here's the inspiration for today.

I want you to pick one memory you have of a Christmas past and describe it in as much detail as is possible. This doesn't have to be a happy memory - it can be any memory. Tell me as much as you can - what was happening, what you saw, what you smelled, how you felt, etc. Try to use a memory that will give you a lot to talk about.

Have fun!

catching up...

Here's your inspiration for this week - catch up! Obviously, because it is Tuesday night and I am just now posting this, I need to catch up too.

If you click on your comments under whatever your last post was, you will find a reminder from me about what you need to catch up on.

By the end of this week, you need to have all of the muses up to date. On Monday morning, I will enter zeros for missing muses.

I love you guys!

muse #5

I'm sorry this is a bit late. Please forgive me.

Pick one of these questions:

#1. Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Notice that I said athlete - not basketball player or football player - athlete. Support what you say.

#2. What is the best movie of all time? Why?

btw

That's short for 'by the way', just in case you didn't know.

By the way, I would love for you to comment on my blog or on others' blogs. Take a few minutes and see what everyone else has written.

happiness is ... my response to muse #4

I am happy right now. Yes, right now I am very happy.

I just made roast chicken for the first time. Cooking something new always makes me happy. I love following recipes and trying really hard to make it look just like the picture. Although we haven't eaten the chicken yet, it looks exactly like the picture!

My house is clean; okay, it is almost clean. I love feeling like everything in my space is in order. I think this is how God created us - to have order and sanity around us. It tells me something about Him as the Creator. I think we were made to live in order and peace.

The thing that makes me the happiest is that Mike and I are having dinner with two friends in a little while. People make me the happiest. I love great conversations with people, whether they are about theology and culture with adults or about music, sports, and shopping with you guys.

That's the last thing. You guys all make me happy. Friday was a really happy day for me. I saw you learning and thinking, asking questions, making comments, laughing, and making me laugh - really hard. Thanks.

Muse #4

What makes you happy?

if I get this one wrong I should quit my job - my response to Muse #3

(Reminder: Read the post below, Muse #3, before you read this.)

I'm sitting in Panera right now, and there are two old men having a conversation across from me. I wonder if they faced the same problems when they were 17 as you face now.

I doubt it, but I do know that they faced problems. They were probably concerned about getting drafted to fight. That's a pretty serious issue. If they are anywhere near my grandma's age they were also probably trying to put food on the table and keep their families together.

The Depression was rough, or so I've heard.

Honestly, I didn't have much to complain about when I was a teenager, certainly not compared to the two old guys or to any of you. I was worried about college and financial aid, and I was starting to wonder if I would ever have a boyfriend. Obviously, it all worked out. God's plan was and still is perfect.

I give all of you a lot of credit. I believe that most of you have faced stuff that I may never deal with, and I know that it hasn't always been easy. I think there are a few main issues that most teenagers faced today, and I definitely think they're different for guys and girls. I honestly don't know how to pinpoint the "top" issue, so I am only writing about two that I think are important.

I believe the root of so many problems that young men face can be traced to a lack of effective and godly role models in their lives. I think guys, probably more than girls, need men to look up to and emulate (Look it up on the dictionary link that is on the side of this blog!). When these role models are gone, teenage guys start looking to each other, media, etc. to figure out what to do and how to act.

The thing I fear most for young women is the exploitation of the intimacy that should be reserved for their husband. In other words, I think that everything in the world is telling teenage girls that the path to love, security, and identity is found in giving their bodies to guys. I think this issue is HUGE. A lot of girls know this is the issue and deep down still fight to not give in.

The bottom line is - it's tough, and it continues to get tougher.

The other bottom line is that I was wrong in what I said earlier. I do know the biggest problem. Without Jesus at the core of my life or a teenager's life, the issues and problems of life will overtake us. Jesus is the bottom line. He's the only answer to our biggest problem.

Muse #3

You are a teenager. It's that middle age that no one really knows what to do with. You're not an adult, but everyone keeps telling you to act like one. You're not a child anymore, but you can't drive, vote, smoke (and shouldn't ever!!), be in the army, drink, sign your own permission slip, or any of that other fun stuff. (Most of the above does not apply to Frank Beamon or Lloyd Hamilton, and I hereby publicly acknowledge that fact.)

A lot of people, including yours truly, spend time trying to solve the mysteries of teenagers. What do they need, what do they want, what's good about them, what's wrong with them? As has always been the case, teenagers today face a whole different set of issues than teenagers of the past. You deal with different problems than I did, and that was only 10 years ago!

Here's my question. In your opinion, what is the biggest issue facing teenagers today? Describe what the issue is, why you think it is such a problem, and relate any personal experience (involving you or others you know) that has convinced you that it is serious.

I want you to respond in two paragraphs - one about guys and one about girls. You may think that both genders have the same problem, so explain how the problem affects each gender differently. Be clear, and make sure to avoid the writing issues I commented on in your last post.

Comments and Revisions

Great job on all of your posts! Make sure to check your comments and revise the things I have pointed out. You won't get the points for your post until you've done so. When you revise each post, rename your title "revised muse #2" or something so that I know that you've done it.

from corn fields to corn rows - my response to muse #2

(Note: Read the previous post, Muse #2, before reading this.)

I remember the first time I visited Chicago to see if I wanted to move here. We stopped at the McDonalds on Cermak and Western across from the Blockbuster. It was the first time I have ever seen a McDonalds menu in Spanish.

I knew I wasn't in Iowa any more.

I have lived here for three years, and I love it. I love Chicago for its lake, its culture, and its people. I wouldn't trade my family or childhood in Iowa for anything, but I really enjoy living in a diverse setting. Somehow, I think it is closer to what God intended for our lives to be. Even though I am still new to the city, this really feels like home, and I can't imagine really wanting to live anywhere else - at least for now.

Of course, sometimes I can't wait to escape city life for a few days. This weekend in Wisconsin I drank in the clean air, clean water, clean ditches, clean... everything! The garbage here makes me want to scream. But I don't scream. I just go camping in Wisconsin, and then I am okay.

I love Chicago. It's my kind of town.

Muse #2

Good job on your first post everyone! I named my blog 'harvest musings' because I see my blog as a muse for you. Remember the muses? They were the goddesses of thinking and inspiration. Authors and writers are always looking for their muse, something to inspire them. I want to inspire you to enjoy writing.

Here is your second muse. Take a few minutes and think about this picture. Hopefully you recognize your hometown. Chi-town.

What do you think about Chicago? How do you feel about your home city? What has it been like to grow up here? What do you appreciate the most about Chicago? What do you hate about the Windy City?

Try to write a few paragraphs this week. I really want you to craft your own response to the muse above; don't just answer my questions in order. Those questions are just to help you start thinking. If you want to check back later, I will post my response to this muse. Have fun!

Welcome, Journal #1

Welcome to our "musings" blog. I sincerely hope that this is a place where you begin or continue to enjoy writing. I have a prompt for your first post:

Why did I name this blog "Harvest Musings"? Think back to literature we studied in World Lit, and try to respond without using any outside sources.