The Emerald

Apparently the version of "Hunchback" that I bought calls La Esmeralda just plain Esmeralda. It's fine, as that's what I had always heard before reading the book, but at the same time it's odd, because that's not how I read it when I read it the other times. Also, it's wrong, because the people refer to her as The Emerald; Emerald is not her proper name. And so I keep putting the La in there anyway, even though at the same time, it sounds funny, because one wants to read a proper name. So complicated.

And side note, I like these versions of her. They do a better job at capturing who she is than those other representations.

 Also, I so wish I could art.

one more fotr right now

[Frodo had put on the Ring to escape Boromir, at which point he became visible to Sauron.]

He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then as a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!
The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again. Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose, and with one remaining instant in which to do so. He took the Ring off his finger. He was kneeling in clear sunlight before the high seat. A black shadow seemed to pass like an arm above him; it missed Amon Hen and groped out west, and faded. Then all the sky was clean and blue and birds sang in every tree.
Frodo rose to his feet. A great weariness was on him, but his will was firm and his heart lighter. He spoke aloud to himself. "I will now do what I must," he said.

could samwise gamgee have been lying?

Never thought this before, but now I wonder...

In "The Fellowship of the Ring," the Fellowship had just met Galadriel and were asking each other what they thought/felt when she held each one of them in her gaze:

"What did you blush for, Sam?" said Pippin....
...answered Sam, in no mood for jest. "If you want to know, I felt as if I hadn't got nothing on, and I didn't like it. She seemed to be looking inside me and asking me what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home to the Shire to a nice little hole with --- with a bit of garden of my own."

With a bit of garden? Or was it really Rosie Cotton? :)

so mean

i don't know why my dad likes to hurt my feelings and say things like, 'do you know how old he'd be?' when i say things like, 'i'm in love with curly.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5APc0z49wg

Christmas just isn't my thing

i'm exhausted and it hasn't even started yet. there needs to be a way for introverts to survive the holidays.

chelley, i didn't remember we did this!

i remember the event, but i don't remember us blogging it this way! so fun!

http://i-am-a-hobbit.blogspot.com/search?q=chelle+and+mel%27s

flee temptation

someone at small group was talking about that temptation of, 'just once. it'll be fine.' someone commented that we can't open that door even a little, because it is very, VERY hard to close again.
i pictured this (through 5:55):
https://youtu.be/BgmmRJLH7IA?t=3m52s
oh, and it's 'jurassic world' but i don't think it's a spoiler, as jurassic movies are pretty much predictable. :)

Daily Devotional from "The Word Among Us"

Meditation: Luke 1:46-56

4th Week of Advent

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. (Luke 1:46)
Yes, Father, my soul proclaims your greatness, and my spirit rejoices in you! You are good and kind, loving and compassionate, toward me. You know who I am, and you understand my weakness. You delight in how you created me, and you never cease to teach me how to live the life you have created me for. Daily you come to meet me with mercy and strength. Daily you supply what I lack and help me when my own ideas and ability are not enough.
Father, you count me among those in every generation on whom you have mercy! You forgive me when I cave in (again) to temptation—every time! You meet my repentance with your pardon, and you surround me anew with your love, compassion, and tender mercy. I rejoice today because you are slow to anger, and you never hold a grudge. You always show me mercy, even when I don’t deserve it. I am amazed because you delight in me and show me the kind and gentle sympathy of a father for his child.
You are great, Father, and you continually draw me up into your greatness! When fear stops me, you meet me with peace, wisdom, and direction. The strength of your arm holds me, lifts me up, and gently moves me forward at a pace that allows me to breathe again. When I am feeling tired and weary, you support me and fill me with your strength. You show me where to find rest in the midst of all my busyness. You protect me from discouragement, disappointment, and defeat.
Thank you, Father, for being ready to fill me with your presence every day! Your promises give me hope, even when the circumstances of my life speak the worst. You give me the reassurance that I am loved and precious in your sight, even when I feel frustrated by my weaknesses and overwhelmed by temptation. You convince me that I can know joy and peace if I but come to you in prayer every day.
Father, how good you are! I try to be faithful to you, and you increase my faithfulness. I come to you hungry for your grace, and you fill me. I pour out my heart to you, and you pour out your love on me.
“My soul proclaims your greatness, Father, and my spirit rejoices in you!”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
(Psalm) 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8

proud of me

my twitter rabbi, david wolpe just tweeted:

"When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him." Only those who notice are called. 

i like when i figure things out before anyone tells me. :)

http://i-am-a-hobbit.blogspot.com/search?q=horeb

friend's fb status

Today:
Kelsey [age 8], singing, "All I want for Christmas is my two front 
teeth. . ."
Brendan [age 9]: "But she HAS her front teeth!"
Kelsey: "It's just a song!"
Brendan, singing: "All I want for Christmas is for my sister to stop bugging me!"
Me: "All I want for Christmas is silence. That is all."
Brendan: "Well, that's not happening because you have us for Christmas!"

Sigh. . . .

purpose of my fb status

last night i told chelleybutton that God doesn't usually give me obvious opportunities for service. today, though, one hit me clear as day.
at church on wednesday one of the women, who's a new Christian and new to sobriety, was talking about being discouraged and said that she tries to read the Bible but doesn't know what to read or how to do it. the other women, in addressing her issues told her to keep reading. i hurt for her. you can say that all you want, but she doesn't know where to start. i didn't have my Bible with me like i usually do, and was sad that i couldn't then sit down with her briefly after group and point her to something to read. i decided that sometime before this coming wednesday i would write out some fighter verses for her and give her a suggestion of where to start reading.
today, though, i got to thinking. she doesn't know how to read the Bible. she needs someone to walk alongside her and teach her and be open to any questions and give pointers. she lives at the sober house, so she's around Christians, but what if no one is actually teaching her how to read it? i'm not great at it, but surely i could help a newbie. 
and so i've decided to offer. i've never mentored or discipled anyone, nor have i ever been mentored or discipled, but i'm not going to learn by not doing it, and she's not going to learn without someone helping her. i'm thinking that if she and i could get together once a week, we could go over four or fewer chapters (depending on what she'd like to do), and she could ask anything she wanted. i'd encourage her to write down any questions or thoughts she had and we could discuss them, and i'd do the same. we'd just commit to one Gospel at first; depending on the book, it would be a 4-7 week commitment. if she wanted to do more after that, or if she wanted to go to every other week, or whatever, we could adjust it or even quit it.
this is completely uncharted territory for me, and i don't know if she'd even be interested. i know that the house she lives at has a lot of requirements for religious activity, so i don't know if she'd even have time or want to spend time at more religious stuff, but i'm going to throw it out there. i'd love it if you ladies would pray with me. thank you!

can't blame her

note that in this version, lady gaga is the one trying to leave:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK2x_bnzwZU

in this one, she's trying to get the man to stay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtoW4aV-CIc

huh. go figure.