Marvelous Happy Things

Tragedy: (n) an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe. Look around. What do you see? Pain, sadness, and tragedy. How do you cope with the loss of a friend? Of someone you knew? In a city you've visited? If you're grieving, how do you heal? Through acts of kindness or charity? Do you get mad, hating the world? Do you hate the shooters? Do you hate the rapist? Do you shake your head and say, "This country's going downhill" or "I can't stand the world today"? What do you do? Some will bring hope and healing to the conversation. Others will bring hate and continue to hurt. How do we heal? As cities and as a country, as atheists, Christians, and Muslims. As politicians and lay people. How do we handle tragedy? Voices of hope Christina Grimmie Memorial Video To Brock Turner's Father, from Another Father

A friend of mine once said that Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment  is like a "dead man walking," and that he sees Sonya as a "dead woman walking," which is why he gravitates towards her. It wasn't until I was watching a fan video for Stiles and Lydia from Teen Wolf  ("Stiles and Lydia: Light" by leukocyte) that I was inspired. In season 3, Stiles is inhabited by a nogitsune, a demon spirit that controls him. He gravitates towards Lydia throughout the season, just like Raskolnikov gravitates towards Sonya. Lydia accepts Stiles once he is free from the nogitsune, just as Sonya accepts Raskolnikov after he has confessed his crime (Teen Wolf Wikipedia and Teen Wolf Wikia). Both couples are also rather unlikely, as Sonya and Raskolnikov do not meet until partway through the novel and Stiles and Lydia do not connect until partway through the series. Both also have much work to do to solidify their relationship once the men are free from their demons. ...

The following post was inspired by this weekend's 10th Lewis and Friends Colloquium at Taylor University. I'm not sure when I began reading The Chronicles of Narnia , but it must have been after I became a believer. I say that because I do not think that anyone explained the symbolism to me. I could tell from the imagery and my knowledge of the crucifixion that Aslan was meant to represent Christ. This was made even more apparent through visuals when the movie for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out in 2005. I don't know how someone could read the Narnia series and not sense the Gospel. I am currently reading Lewis' Mere Christianity right now, and parts of it are difficult for me to grasp. I think the title is ironic. I prefer the theology portrayed in the Narnia series at this point. I recommend these books for helping both kids and adults understand spiritual topics such as heaven. For example, remember the description near the end of The...

This is a continuation of my review of the Billboard Music Awards 2016. Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, "Go Ahead and Break My Heart"- Recent couple Blake and Gwen have been supporting each other at events, but this was the first that I'd heard their new duet. I was not sure how it would sound because their voices have such different tones, but it was fantastic. I enjoyed seeing their relationship play out in a song. DNCE, "Cake by the Ocean"- This song has been everywhere for weeks. One unique part of this performance was that there were large balloons with DNCE written on them onstage. The band kicked these into the crowd and then went into the crowd themselves. Kesha, "It Ain't Me Babe" cover- The hosts addressed rumors that she was not going to perform before announcing this singer. This was Kesha's return to television after her legal dispute with Dr. Luke earlier this year. Dr. Luke's record label approved her performance after she...

These awards took place last night on ABC, and I am only covering the performances. Britney Spears, medley- I honestly fast-forwarded once they removed Spears' outer clothing. I did see her dancing around a pole. What a way to begin the night. Ludacris, one of the hosts, slammed the Oscars as these awards did have black nominees. Shawn Mendes, "Stitches"- Mendes performed in two rooms onstage and switched up both the melody and the rhythm. He played the guitar and the piano during his performance. Fifth Harmony, "Work from Home"- The choreography was in-sync. I hadn't seen 5H perform this song before and didn't know what to expect. I'm still humming that song today. Meghan Trainor, "No"- She was the first artist to go into the crowd and wore a sparkly dress. I've heard this song a lot recently and fast-forwarded because of that. Justin Bieber, "Company", "Sorry"- I hadn't heard "Company" before an...

"What value will there ever be in life, if we are not together?" (IMDB.com) Becoming Jane  had every part of a typical Jane Austen story- a love interest (poor, unlike some), unappealing suitors, patrons getting in the way of young people's happiness, etc. However, I did not expect the ending, and it wasn't until the movie was over that I realized it was partially based on facts. Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen did indeed meet for three balls and a party, which is recorded in letters to her sister during January 1796 (www.jasna.org). In the movie, Tom tells her to read Tom Jones  by Henry Fielding (who wrote a book that I read for class this semester) in order to "inspire her." The point actually is that she needs to learn more of the world to be able to compete with male authors of fiction. The viewer also sees Jane write some of Pride and Prejudice  as her romance with Tom inspires her. Whether you love Jane Austen or not, give this movie a try!

This is a response to a friend's post of a diagram by The Flawless Project that encourages men and women to say nothing about a woman's bikini. Silence is not love. If you love people, you approach them because you care. Sure, you look great in a bikini. Does that mean it's appropriate for you to tell me to shut up if I don't agree with your wearing it? No. Encourage conversation. Yes, modesty feels old and out of place in today's society. It's more popular to ignore it. Do you want to talk about it constantly? No. Do I want to approach you about it? No. Unfortunately, clothing is a part of our lives. Some people care deeply about their everyday appearances. Shutting up is not the answer. Conversation may seem like it's getting us nowhere, but it's better than silence. I could type pages and pages about the workings of a man's brain, but, instead, I'll give you some resources. For Women Only  by Shaunti Feldhahn and For Young Women Only  by Sh...