Being Cabellero

"Strive to be a warrior and a scholar. Be forged in fire and tempered by knowledge. If not you will: Lack the courage to fight for your ideals or lack ideals worth fighting for."

Star Wars VII: Who is Rey?

*Spoilers!* - You have been warned.

So, this last week I have seen Star Wars VII twice. I think it went well, considering I was expecting something terrible. I love Finn and I love Rey and I love Poe... and, well, I love just about everybody

First off, when Poe "died," I leaned over to my sister and whispered, "Never believe it unless they show you a body." I now amend that statement and say, "a body... or them dying." Because I've heard people try to explain that Han may still be alive. I want Han to be alive. I love Han and nearly cried when he died, and if he's alive, great! But we saw the lightsaber go through his stomach and through his back (which alone would kill him), then fall down a great height (which alone would kill him), into the core of something that then exploded (which alone would kill him). Han Solo, I am afraid, is dead.

Now, on to who is Rey. I have not read the extended universe nor am I really up with all the theories - but this is what I have come to think.
At first I supposed Rey to be completely unrelated, but since almost no one is ever unrelated to anyone, options had to be explored.
Is she Han's daughter? I bought this one for maybe a day, but too much doesn't match. One, in the flash back, she is old enough to remember something, like what her parents look like. Two, the way Han acted just didn't match up. Han searched the universe for the Millennium Falcon. I think that he would always keep tabs on his daughter or at least always keep an eye out for her. It's the father in him. He wouldn't be so neutral - neither would Leia, for that matter. Second, Kylo Ren (Ben) would know she was his sister the same way Luke figured out Leia was his sister without even knowing he had a sister or Vader realize Luke was his son without even knowing he had a son. And if she was Kylo's sister, I feel like he would have acted differently around her, less like a stranger and more like an estranged relative.
Is she Luke's daughter? This supposition I completely rejected at first and I am still hesitant to accept it. We don't know if Luke ever married or had children. I find it hard to believe Luke would abandon his daughter alone on a dusty planet like he was, only at least he had an uncle and aunt to care for him. And when the old orange lady talked to Rey, she said, "You know they aren't coming back, the only person who could come back for you is - " and then Rey finished with "Luke." That said, I think Rey and Luke most definitely have a connection and are familiar with each other, but I have a hard time believing she is his daughter - however, she might be.
Also, Kylo says that he sees water, great expansions of water, and an island. Lo and behold, when Rey goes to find Luke, where is he? On an island surrounded by water. Kylo described it as though she had been there before. Maybe she has foresight - or maybe she's been there before! Why, I don't know. But the fact that Leia - who never acted like a stranger towards Rey in the first place (first time they met in the movie, I think, was after Han had died and they hugged) - sent Rey to retrieve Luke also implies that perhaps Rey has some connection to Luke.

What I do think is that Rey may possibly have been a padawan and taken away and hidden when Kylo Ren turned evil. Therefore she would have known Luke and he could have come for her, but they aren't related. Also, when BB8 told her he came from some place secret, she said, "Oh yah, me too." Of course we take this as sarcasm, but what if it was honest sarcasm. What she was from someplace secret and she knew it. I think she knows more than we know she knows. It would also explain why she was so adept with the force so quickly.
The question of why she thought that Luke was merely a legend is a legitmate one, but as she was very young, maybe she was beginning to question what she knew.

Of course, all this is speculation. I honestly am just making educated guesses and am excited to find out how off I actually am in 2017.

Cheers,
Lynsi

Luke 2:1-21

Maybe you've heard the story a thousand times before, maybe you've only heard it once before, or maybe you've never heard it at all.
Jesus came to earth as a baby to grow and die for us. When you've grown up listening to that story, sometimes it loses it's profoundness. I pray that someday, someday soon, the profoundness of the story of Christmas returns as the understanding of just how loving our God is becomes evident to you.
Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-21
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Unknown

"Practice like you've never won, perform like you've never lost."

German Proverb

"Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is."

Unknown

"Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness."

CS Lewis

"Evil comes from the abuse of free will."

Napoleon Bonaparte

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

Olan Rogers

"When someone attacks your kingdom, you do not flee - you show them why it's your kingdom."

Albert Einstein

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."

Aesop

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office."

Mark Twain

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Albert Einstein

"You never fail until you stop trying."

Aesop

"It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."

Isaac Newton

"I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people."

Isaac Newton

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."

Aesop

"The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."

Scenarios and Reality

You know, debate sounds so much easier than it is. There are a few things in life that sounds incredibly smart and makes you feel incredibly stupid. Debate is one of them... education (especially college level maths and sciences) is another. How can these things make me feel so dumb while making me sound so smart?
I seem to always walk away thinking I have so many incredible ideas in my head, but when I try to express them and make use of them, they stumble out like a jumped puzzle... with missing pieces. Yet, once I've determined I am the dumbest person alive, I find myself in a real life situation outside of school, outside debate that require the very subjects that I struggle in, I excel fantastically. When I think that I am a fool and would never win a debate, I manage to convince a person not to throw God or Creationism to the wind so quickly and that it actually has a fighting place in science - using not only debate, but science and mathematical properties. Or when I fumble with my words, I can write. I can write fairly well and put all my thoughts into words.
I guess my point is, school, debate, education. They are all inanimate tools and imperfect scenarios that can only work if you can actually navigate in real life. So if you are struggling in subjects like these, it's okay. Don't feel stupid. Making the Dean's list won't matter if you can't handle a job or working with people.

Another point I wanted to make was one of the most valuable things debate has taught me. It has taught me how to maintain self-respect and listen as I my points are absolutely torn apart and I feel humiliated. I think this is important because we can't run away whenever we mess up and someone points it out. We can't lose self-respect whenever we are torn apart. It needs to make us stronger. And not only that, sometimes the victors are jerks. So, to tie this back to my earlier point, if you are nice and godly, then you win the real life. They may have won the competition, but in real life, they won't win if they can't be nice.

Just some thoughts I wanted to get out.

The Spring Tulip

It was one of those days we all have. I woke up and hit snooze... again... and again... and again. Until I couldn't wait any longer. I looked into the mirror and was disappointed. Once upon a time I'd close my eyes to sleep and wake up what felt like an instant later completely refreshed and excited to meet the day. Once upon a time... a long ago time. Today I just wished I could go back to sleep and never wake up. I'd felt that way yesterday and the day before and the day before that and I was pretty sure I'd feel that way tomorrow and the day after and the day after that. Why was life so hard? Why did I feel so alone? Why would I never be good enough for myself or anyone else?
It was a sunny day with only a few clouds and everything was soaking up the golden rays of the sun. In the middle of the yard near a bush, something caught my eye. A lone, orange tulip stood tall and proud. There were no other flowers around it, just it - but it didn't look lonely. Perhaps I am crazy, but it was the happiest little tulip I had ever seen. It didn't look like it was sad for being alone. It didn't look tired after fighting to get through the hard, dry dirt.
I couldn't help but imagine that that tulip wanted to make me smile. I imagine that it didn't realize how small it was or how soon it would die - it only knew how much it loved the sun, how it loved the air, and how it loved to make the world a prettier place, even for a short time. And I was glad it didn't know. Maybe it didn't need to know, or maybe it did know, and maybe it knew that it didn't matter. It was there to herald spring. It was there to remind us of better days, of innocence gone and yet to come. Maybe it knew and was content with it's humble purpose, because it knew that God Himself made it and smiled.
I am ready to face another day now. I am ready to go forward excited for what's ahead. Perhaps life is hard. Perhaps I am small and I will die and be forgotten.  But God knows who I am. He has a purpose for me and no matter how humble, it is meaningful, just as that little tulip was to me. So what if I am alone? Maybe I am the beginning, maybe I am the end, maybe I am in the middle. Whatever, I am ready to start again.

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 27

Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a]

Jesus Before Pilate

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[b] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[d]
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[f] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 26

The Plot Against Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ⁵ “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you,^[a] but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Last Supper

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’^[c]

³² But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
⁴³ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”^[d]
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[e]
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Patrick Henry

"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains ans slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Darling: Close My Eyes

One day your world will stop spinning, your foundations will crumble, and the earth will swallow you up. One day the lights will go out, the shadows will grow, and your body will melt away. And in that day, when everything becomes nothing, you will remember everything you’ve done. And you will either think, what a worthless life, or you will suddenly realize what a diamond you are. You were a diamond among diamonds, but no less worthy. You struggled under pressure and came out the stronger – but you never knew. When you close your eyes, I hope, I pray, that you will see what a treasure you were to me. I know you felt hidden by shadows. I know that when your dust blew away, you felt like I failed you. But the dust that fell was dirt to be washed, leaving the crystal clear diamond behind. I know that when you shrank and cried and felt like you would rather die, you felt as weak as a brittle twig destined to break off – but what you didn’t know is that as you let go, you became stronger and shone brighter. But the pressure was so great, the trials so hard, you closed your eyes to reason, and trudged on blind. You resolved to do what’s right, you tried to make your heart aright. You changed lives, loved the lost – but never thought to love the lost one inside yourself. But now the time is fading, now your time is coming. You lay down in your bed, alone but not alone. You think that you just flew through life without a single impact. But lives were touched and hopes mended, by the tender words of your mouth. If only you knew how many people care, those who know and those who don’t. But instead you’ll die willfully alone, never to know, the value of your life. But maybe when your life flashes before your eyes, and you realize that you have breathed your last, you will open your eyes as you close them, you’ll open your heart as it ceases to beat, and realize that you were my gem, my preciously cut gem, that I made to bite the hardest metal hearts. You will realize that though just a drop in an ocean of millions, you were mine and I guided your path to be where you needed, when every drop counted. I’m sorry you were so thirsty in life, I am sorry you were so hungry. But you refused to eat at my table, you refused to take my word. I was your God in everything but that and it breaks my heart that you never saw the beauty, the value, the success, the joy wrapped in a precious package called you. But when you come home, I’ll show you what you missed. We’ll make up for it in eternity and loving bliss. Because no words can describe my love for you, and no words can describe the pain I’ve felt at all the lies you believed. But that’s over now, you’re coming home to me, where I can show you the beauty you were always meant to see.

====================

No, not really a quote. But I wanted to share this little piece of writing. I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will speak to you. :) God bless!

- Lynsi Keye

Victor Hugo

"A writer is a world trapped in a person."

Anonymous

"If "Plan A" didn't work, the alphabet has 25 more letters. Stay cool."

(found on Pinterest)

Fyodor Dosteovsky

"The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in a prison."

#OneLastTimeQ&A

The Rules;)

1. You Must be tagged to take the Q&A quiz

2. You must tag(notify)at least three other bloggers(or whatever they are on)for this Q&A

3. You must answer the following questions to the best of your ability

4. You must have seen The Battle of the Five Armies to be tagged/take the quiz

(don't read unless you have seen the movie; there will be *SPOILERS*)

Questions

1. Tell your story of how you came to see the movie(s) or got into Tolkien in the first place.

The Chronicles of Narnia was my favorite series as a child and that led to my knowledge of Lord of the Rings. I don't remember a time I didn't know about it, but I was never allowed to read and watch it and I thought it was a series full of witchcraft and that sort of thing. The year before the first Hobbit came out (2010, I think), my mom, who was a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan as a child, came home with my dad with the first one in hand, declaring, "Let's watch Lord of the Rings!" and so the adventure began. I watched all three (one the first night and the other two the second night) with my younger sister and mom. I loved them so much that when I heard there were extended editions, I immediately set to work to get a hold of them as well as the books. I read the books starting with the Hobbit (which I had been told was boring, but I loved them!) all the way through (it was hard, and I was confused half the time, but everything made sense once I read the ending, including the appendixes) and then watched the extended editions. After that, I learned that the Hobbit was coming out, and I can not describe my elation. That was it, that was the end. I was a Lord of the Rings fan.

2. Who are your three favorite characters in the Hobbit Trilogy?

Really? Really! Only three? Okay, here we go. Bilbo, Thorin, and Bard.

Thorin - I love Thorin, because I see the pain and the trials he goes through, and I see him trying his best to be better than that, against his nature. He's trying to be better than what the world says he is, and I think that is something we can - at least I can - relate to.

Bilbo - Bilbo is like another aspect of us. We live in a rather comfy country and may be satisfied with our small lives, and there is a virtue in that, but there is also a virtue in stepping out as well, and learning new things. I think I can relate to Bilbo in a way that, I love my home, but I also love the road.

Bard - I love Bard because he is almost like a "nobody" who just does the right thing and by doing the right thing, he becomes a hero. Sure he is in line to be king - but that didn't really have a big influence on his character decisions, because for all he knew, Smaug was going to stay there forever. And I love that about him.

3. Did you cry in the Battle of the Five Armies, and if so, which scene(s) and what type(sniffling, sobbing, choke-crying)? 

You know, I don't really cry on demand, even if I feel the feels as much as the sobbing person next to me. It's more of a shock factor then denial. Fili's death moved me and to this day I still say whenever I am dressed mostly in black, "I am still in mourning for Fili." (or some other fictional character, it depends, but mostly Fili) And I feel like crying almost whenever I think about it.  But in a way, by not crying, I feel like it effects me more than it otherwise would.

4. Were the deaths compelling to you, and if so, who's?

I think I answered that question above. Thorin's death moved me when I read the book, so the movie didn't change that. It was hard to get into it, because I was stuck between rage and sorrow during those scenes, because of Kili and Tauriel - but if Kili was going to die for her, I guess they did it right, and I have gotten over it. I still can't feel so much sorrow over it, though.
Fili really killed me when he died because we had so little time to mourn. I mourned and held Kili with Tauriel, I mourned and held Thorin with Bilbo and the company, but there was no one to hold Fili or mourn for him through - if you get what I mean. And so in a way, my heart is still crying over his death.

5. Over all, were you satisfied with the movie itself?

It was, it really was. I loved it. I think Peter Jackson did a great job. I think that he really reflected the attitude and spirit of the book very well and that's the main point. I can't wait to buy and watch the extended scenes.

6. Describe the movie in one word.

Moving

 

Thanks to Sarah for letting me participate and I think all the blogs I follow have already been tagged. If not, count this as your tag! You're it, reader!

 

God bless and have an awesome weekend!

Lynsi Keye

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

 Abbie Boots from Yarns and Tales (http://bootsgirl-philippians-4-13.blogspot.com/) nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.
 Here are her questions... and since she already nominated everyone I know on blogger, I am not going to nominate anyone. 

Questions:
1. If you could read only one book for the rest of your life, what book would you choose?
The Bible, of course. If not the Bible, it would be a tie between The Hobbit or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

2. Who is your favorite author?
Oh, that's awful. I love CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, but I also love Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, Charlotte Bronte, and Elizabeth Gaskell.
On a modern note, I also really like Clive Cussler (depending on what book).

3. What is your favorite genre of book to read?
Well, you can probably tell from my named authors. I like a unique mix of fantasy and realism, with action thrown in. Any genre that allows me to escape the real world to be prepared with philosophy, character, endurance, and ideals that will prepare me to face it again. Books with propaganda and underlying lying messages get me annoyed, because I can see right through them.

4. Who is your favorite actor?

I appreciate the talent of many actors and actresses. But if I had to name one, I couldn't. I can narrow it down to three, though. Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, and Shirley Temple.
I am also increasingly falling in love with the talent of the cast of Arrow.

5. If you could meet anyone in all of history (deceased, living), who would it be?

I know, I know, cliche - but I really want to meet Jesus. I mean, I know I have a relationship with Him and all, but can you imagine meeting Him face to face? I know it will happen eventually, but I am not super patient. :P I should probably work on that.

6. Do you have a favorite music artist or song (musicals and composers count, too)?

I like this composer called Ludovico something. I don't know his last name. I love his piece Nuvole Bianche. Whenever I feel stressed, I listen to it and it calms me down.

7. (Because I liked this question) If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
I would generally say flying or invisibility, but I am going to steal the answer from a guy in my senior class that I thought was absolutely genius. I'd like for my muscles to have the ability and strength to repeat anything I saw.

8. Do/Did you ever play an instrument, and if so, what?
Yes, I dabble in the piano, the violin, the guitar, and soon the Irish tin whistle, the recorder, the drums, and the ocarina.

9. If you could time travel (but only one time, round-trip), what event/time/person would you go see?


This is tough, I'd either go back to the nativity and stay for thirty years to watch Jesus grow up and pretty much stalk Him until He returns to heaven, or just go to see the nativity or crucifixion (the whole three days). Staying 30 years might be tough, however if it meant I could watch Jesus grow up and all that, I might be willing to rough it out no matter what.

10. Finally, what is your favorite dessert, and what kind/flavor/etc is it?
Ooh! I love vanilla ice cream with heath bar as a side to either brownies or a giant cookie cake with milk!

Thanks for reading and I hope you have an excellent day.
And guess what, I am actually going to tag someone. Sarah from Sara'sword! http://sarahssword.blogspot.com/

Loki

"What do they know of darkness? What do they know of the choking blackness of the void? What do they know of isolation? Nothing. Nothing at all. "

=========

I would like to note that Loki really doesn't have much to complain about. Many kids grow up in much worse and darker situations than he (think about child slave labor in Africa or child prostitution or kids raised into the hate of ISIS or Al-Qaeda before they know what's wrong and right.) I think those children have better excuse for this quote than Loki. Loki bought into hate, he wasn't raised in it.
So, I know a lot of people feel sorry for Loki and even love him, but I really can't get myself to (yes, I've tried). His little stunt in the first movie wasn't a biggy for me (though I was peeved over the lost lives, that was inexcusable) nor was even trying to get the throne - I mean, royal siblings are always trying to do that (not excusing it, either, but it wasn't the make or break it deal). Blaming sibling rivalry and favoritism for all the deaths and darkness he caused and that gruesome retrieval of an eye in the Avengers really did it in - for all the hurts in the world he's received, for all the lies he's believed, there is no excuse or understanding for that, except to say he has a victimized mentality, causing him to buy into a hate that he has no right to (not that anybody does, but especially not him.) There isn't an excuse for it, especially when some children who are raised in REAL darkness can come out better people than the most of us (not that they all do).
Anyway, that's my little rant. I really love the quote, though, it just doesn't sound right coming from Loki, it doesn't match. He is a great villain, though, and I do love him for that, but I could never root for him.

God bless and have a fantastic week!
- Lynsi

Mark Twain

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

Mother Teresa

"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home."

Patrick Henry

'The great object is that every man be armed."

Anonymous

"The more you push, the harder we'll push back."