Monday, November 06, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Tombstone in Dickensons yard....coo.
Now, death is posing a bit of a puzzle for the caretakers of her homestead.While making improvements to the grounds of the Emily Dickinson Museum on Halloween, workers unearthed the gravestone of one of the poet's relatives.But exactly what Gen. Thomas Gilbert's headstone was doing under 18 inches of dirt in Dickinson's front yard has some experts stumped — especially knowing that his remains are buried in a nearby cemetery with a more ornate grave marker.
"What do you do with a used gravestone?" asked Jane Wald, the museum's executive director. "It might have been used as a step or used to cover a hole in the ground. We don't know exactly why it was placed there."To be sure, more is known about Gilbert than the simple marble slab that bears his name and date of death. An innkeeper, merchant, lawmaker and member of the Massachusetts militia who lived in Greenfield, Gilbert had seven children and outlived his wife. But when he died a pauper in 1841, his youngest daughter, Susan, moved to Amherst to live with an older sister.
That's where she met Dickinson, when both girls were 14. Their lifelong friendship deepened in 1856, when Emily's brother, Austin, married Susan. To entice the newlyweds into staying in Amherst, Austin and Emily's father built them a house next to the Dickinson homestead.
Susan, who long endured taunts and barbs from Amherst residents who considered her father to be a drunk because he owned a tavern, may have wanted to put her detractors in place by moving her father's grave from Greenfield to Amherst.
When Gilbert and his wife were reburied close to the Dickinson homestead in West Cemetery, their plot was adorned with a new marker. The gravestone dug up earlier this week was likely the original stone from Gilbert's Greenfield grave, Wald suspects.
"In that regard, it makes sense for this grave marker to be found around here," she said.
The marker was found by workers digging a trench to improve water drainage. When their excavation equipment hit slabs of stone, they started digging by hand.
Chunks of marble — some with letters or numbers carved in them — started surfacing. By the time they were done, 15 pieces were unearthed and arranged like an oversized jigsaw puzzle. A few gaps in the slab remain, but the marker clearly reads "Gen. Tho. Gilbert. Died Dec. 23, 1841." The number 48, his age when he died, rests at the bottom.
Wald guesses the gravestone went underground as one piece, but shattered under pressure of time and landscaping equipment that's been rolling over the homestead grounds during the past few years.
Emily Dickinson, who wrote most of her hundreds of poems about nature, love, life and death in her second-floor bedroom, died in 1886. The last surviving member of the Dickinson family was Austin and Susan's daughter, Martha, who sold the homestead in 1916.
It was purchased in 1965 by Amherst College and opened by the school as a museum in 2003.
Other maintenance and repair work has unearthed pieces of ceramics, a mouth harp, coins and a brick gutter.
"There's always a great deal of potential for archaeological finds at a site like this," Wald said.
Friday, November 03, 2006
History class from (you know where).
Monday, October 30, 2006
Blow My Mind
Lately I've not been in the Word or feeling very Christian. I don't know, maybe I'm just in one of those slumps and satan is trying to pull me down. I don't know but it's not a pleasant feeling. I haven't read my Bible and I haven't been praying. I feel stuck. I don't feel like I'm growing in the Lord. Obviously I can't grow in him if I'm not praying or reading His word but I just feel like something is preventing me from having that desire. Is it selfishness or is it just lazyness? It's not hard to pick up my Bible and read it, but when I pick it up I feel really lost with everything that is there. It's a lot of informatrion to digest.
UPDATE: Muahhaha, my website blog is in the works! Blog!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
In northern Uganda, more than 25,000 children have been kidnapped and forced to serve as soldiers in a nightmarish civil war that the world has largely ignored. These innocent children are brutalized and mutilated, forced to commit atrocities, and given as sex slaves to military commanders. This targeted abuse of children is unacceptable.
As parents, people of faith, students and youth, we urge all parties involved in this conflict to find a peaceful resolution. We implore the United States government, the United Nations, and the international community to work diligently to bring peace and protection to the children of northern Uganda. All children deserve to have a childhood free from torture and a future free from cruelty.
Please sign it! It's very important to prevent this from happening or at least increase awareness about it. Most people I talk to have no idea what the LRA in Africa is! Which is sad because it is very real. Also for the following :
There is no spam or tricks guys, it's from WorldVision, where I sponsor a child. :)
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Sneezing!
Good news on Wisdom Teeth though. I went to the dentist, Dr. Gift who does oral surgery. He's a nice guy and funny, but not cheesey funny. He said it'd take 45 minutes (wow I said, that quick) and then gave me the basics. Then I asked about my absessed tooth ( root canal) and he said well...I can honestly say that you won't miss it. Do you really want to spend 1,000 for it to be repiared, 500 for the crown, 500 for the visit, etc. I said, no way, let's just yank it. So that's the plan on that end but I'm waiting for my discount to take effect in December.
I've got to take something for my sneezing!
Update: I walked the dogs one at a time because it's easier and as I'm coming back with Ringo I see the evil HOA president walking towards our house and I thought oh no. So I go inside and he walks over to our neighbors ( the old Italians) and I bring Bonnie out and I hear the old man saying : I don't want to be a neighbor but a friend, and I thought to myself " ha, that ship has sailed a LONG time ago." So he's complaining about our tree that's not nearly over his house or in his yard, but it has leaves that come into his 'no-leaf' yard policy. Great news is that, they can't make us cut the tree which makes me feel better (there was a HOA meeting last night, I was going to attend but I knew I'd get upset and it'd just be a mess) but HOA nazi is speaking with Ryan on Saturday. Found out that the board has elections every 2 years and we'd be able to change stuff in January and then the election is I think this January but I could be wrong.
I'm going to a fondu party tonight with my sister-in-law Tara. I hope it's fun. I'm not feeling great today, don't know why either.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Useless and random updates.
I'm sleepy. I'm tired and the dogs need to go out. Phew.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Providence of God...continues.
Matthew 10:29-30 - "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
I'm not sure of what this stands for besides that God knows even the smallest detail about us - that our hair is numbered and for some of us that's a lot of hair.
Acts 14:14-17
"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out in the the crowd shouting: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you; We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and heart, and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony. He has shown his kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
Acts 14:14 "tore their clothes - a Jewish way of expressing great anguish.
I don't think this accurately expresses the Providence of God as well as Psalm 104. But we can always praise God for his providence, no matter what.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Visiting Friends and a slight bit of sickness. Oh yeah terrible neighbors too.
This has never happened before. When we first arrived here, they said please don't let him go in our yard. No problem. It's not like I'm encouraging him to go in their yard and pee. I'm chasing him and Bonnie down because I didn't expect her to run away from me and then Ringo to run into their yard. UGH. If this was something that happened often then I could understand frustration but it's happend this once and they give me grief. The old man is always telling Ryan how to do something and that he has the tools to do it right, he says it pisses him off. Lol, I just laugh. So that's doggie drama.
For the last 2 days I've been visiting our married friends D & A, with Ryan. So we spent the night in a hotel for those days and I woke up freezing but covered in sweat because the blimey a/c wasn't working. So on our way home today I slept the entire way. I'm still not feeling 100% myself and naturally I cannot sleep now that it's 1:30 am.
I don't know what to do about my crazy neighbors. I don't mean to do anything to upset them, but they seem to think otherwise and I bet if I apologized to them ( although I didn't do anything wrong) they'd still be pissed. What do I do? I feel like I should do something, but maybe I should just let it go. It's upsetting, but I'll make sure to walk right in front of their house with Ringo on his leash and stand up tall.
My study on the Providence of God has been haulted these 2 days but I will be back on track this evening. Also I start my substitue training in about 2 weeks so I've got that time to finish up all my studies. Hopefully.
Oh I've got pictures up on my MySpace account, if you'd like to see.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Part 2 of Psalm 104
104:2 - light - refers to the first day of creation, Genesis 1.
104:3 - upper chambers. Vivid imagery for the heavly abode of God. In the singular, the Hebrew for this place refers to the upper-level od a house as in 2 Kings 1:2. Their waters - The waters above the tent from which, in the imagery of the OT, God gives the rain
104:4 - winds...flames of fire. The winds and lightening bolts of the thunderstomr are personified as the agents of God's purposes.
104:5-9 - The earth realm made secure.
104:5 earth. - Land in distinction from sky and seas, not the earth as a planet. Foundatoins - can never be moved, it will not give way.
104:10-18 - The earth a flourishing garden of lie - the center of the psalm and the focal point of the autghoer's contemplation of the creation.
104: 10-12 - The gift of water from below - watering the vines of Negev, the south of Israel's heartland.
104: 13-15 The gift of water from above.
104:13 - upper chambers
104: 16-18 - Well-watered Lebanon, with its great trees and its hordes of birds and alpine animals, the very epitome of God's earthly parkland.
104: 19-23 - The orderly cycles od life on earth, governed vy the moon and sun ( the fourt day of creaton).
104: 21, 23 lions...man. - The one (representing the animal world) lord of the night; the other, lord of the day.
104:24-26 - The nauticl realm below ( fifth day of creation). The reaklm of the sea is structually balanced with the celestal realm, as the other boundry to the realm of earth.
104: 26 - leviathan - fearsome mythological creatre of the deep is here portrayed as nothing more than God's harmles pet playing in the ocean. ( Ah the Lord has a great sense of humor!)
104:32- He is so muh greation than his creation that with a look or touch he could un-do it.
---
Wow again a lot of information to take in. I'm moving on to the next part tomorrow. I think it is best to take time to really learn from what it is in the Word as we don't really know what God want to do with it until we reflect and meditate on it. ( Medtation - just thinking about something without distraction from other things.)
xoxo
Jess
Monday, October 09, 2006
Providence of God
1. | (often initial capital letter |
2. | (initial capital letter |
3. | a manifestation of divine care or direction. |
4. | provident or prudent management of resources; prudence. |
5. | foresight; provident care. |
So with that being said I think it is safe to describe Providence as divine direction. I think that simplifies it to be able to understand it much better. Thank you Lord for the study bible! :) I is a big help to those of us who can't always comprehend, but you know that already.
Psalm 104 Basics:
- There is a one verse introduction.
- The first stanza speaks about the celestial realm above (v. 2-4) and the fifth of the nautical realm below (v. 24-26) - the two realms that bracket the "earth."
- The second sings of the eareth's solid foundations and secure boundaries (v. 5-9) and the fourth of the orderly cycles of life on earth governeed by sun and moon (v.19-23)
- At the center a nine verse stanza celebrates the luxuriation of life in the earth (v.10-18)
- To the pem's main body he added a fourverse stanza that recites how God maintains life on earth (v. 27-30), a two verse conclusion (v. 31-32), and a three-verse epilogue(v. 33-35).
Wow, if that is just the basics then it's just going to be a huge study for me! Hurrah, learning something.
---
I took Bonnie to the vet today and she had to be left all day for her shots and I was just driving around running errands and I got a phone call at 3:15 asking if I had planned on going to my doctor's appointment today! I freaked, I can't believe I forgot it. I thought it was tomorrow but I went. The doctor seems nice, I can't make a judgement on the first visit because I think she was annoyed that I was late, 30 minutes but it didn't appear they had a bunch of patients.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Back to Blogger...again.
Onto something else now...
I've still got no idea what it is that I am supposed to do with my life. No clue whatsoever. I am sure that library science is not the way I want to go, although I am greatful for the time I've been able to volunteer there. I must confess that I have not been faithful in prayer and my bible reading. What is it that causes me to become so distracted that I can't give the Lord that time!? I am ashamed of it and hate to admit that. The Lord doesn't ask much of us, the rest I find not to be difficult. I don't want to say easy because sometimes it's not but it seems like compared to quite time it is easier.
I don't know if anyone knows but I struggle with anxiety and I am on medication for it and have been for years. I would love to be off of it and stop dealing with this. Perhaps it is the Lord's will but it may not be and I have to accept that but I need to be healed from this disease. I've had it almost all my life, at least since I was in 6th grade. That's 10+ years but only on medication for about 4 years. I am praying to be healed from this disease if it is the Lord's will for my life. I am also seeking direction about my career. I know that I am to be a wife (6 months and counting) and a mother ( lol, 6 months and about 2 years :P ) but other than that....*sigh* lost.