Video Literacy Narrative

The video literacy narrative assignment was definately out of the ordinary for me. It forced me out of my normal thinking process into a new avenue of creative expression. I chose the topics to discuss by simply thinking about the memories surrounding the development of literacy that were dearest to me; making reading more than just an academic practice and allowing me to explode into the world of imagination. My reflection topic was much more geared towards how I communicate within the written word and the challenges I sometimes face generalizing lofty ideas to both the young and old. This is a consant pursuit of my own, keeping me reading more to learn more about effectively presenting an idea on the page. I am ever so greatful for the opportunity to share why I have such a passion for reading, and where I am challenged in the area of the written word.


My Personal Video Narrative Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j74y8o6QtpU


My Reflection Video Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0WHNH4ENFQ

A Few Narrative Questions

When is the first time you can remember writing something or reading something, anything? What do you remember about this experience, and why do you think that this experience has stuck with you?

            One of the most precious memories I have within my realm of experience is spending time with both my mother and father reading in the big blue chair in the living room. I would wake up early in the morning, hair all messy, dawning my pajamas, and go up into the living room where my mom always sat in her blue recliner chair. She would say good morning to me and ask me about how I slept. Then, she would pull out the large stack of recently rented library books and we would start the morning out by reading a good book. My bedtime routine was similar, except it included a father who would read in different voices and make the experience like a movie. It was a smorgasbord of imaginative options. This would leave me with my head resting on my pillow at night surrendering my active imagination to my dreams.  Reading has always stood as an opportunity to explore the world around myself, and has always had roots within wonderful times with my family. This grew into an all around affection for the written literature. This fascination and imaginative exploration expands far beyond sheer entertainment alone. It ventures into the reality that the ingestion of written word defines and challenges even my basic presuppositions about life and ideas I have yet to explore.  It makes me desire to go beyond who I am now, and guides me into a greater sense of purpose for tomorrow. Reading has always stood as an avenue to connect with both people and myself and understand the workings of both.

What outside elements affected your life as a writer--important people, places, or events? How and why did these affect you as a writer?

            My faith has a massive impact on my writing. What I believe and my basic worldview define and describe how I feel and perceive the world. This basic admiration for discovery all things ‘why’ in life keeps me constantly searching and seeking out new answers and responses within the realm of written literature. The greatest event that impacts all that flows out of me is a constant, ever changing understanding of my humanity and the grace that abounds from the faith that I have. The event of Jesus saving me daily is the constant source of inspiration for my writing in life and beyond. The effect these take is mostly on a content level. I speak and write on things that are eternally significant according to the God who saves. It’s through Him that I daily die and live in bliss and freedom within my heart. This is the greatest factor that affects all words that flow from my mouth and onto the page.

What did you read and write when you weren't in school? Why? When? Where?

            I read so many books. I absolutely love books, and always have. I read many apologetically themed books in high school when I wasn’t in class (something about textbooks drives me mildly insane). However, I am absolutely enraptured by a good story! So many various classic novels, fictional shorts, and essays flooded my mind as I spent time in the ‘tough stuff’ after school. I was reading complex literature at a very young age (for example, the first time I read Watership Down was in fourth grade), expanded to biblical commentaries, and Greek and Hebrew parallel translations of the bible. After time went by, the sole book to which I got my ultimate source and became the most read book in my grasp was my bible. I trust this to only expand as I continue to grow in my knowledge and development of my faith.

Secure as Mount Zion Beyond Circumstance-a Short Note.

“Those who Trust in the Lord are as Secure as Mount Zion;

they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds His people, both now and forever.”

Psalm 125:1-2

            Security in all forms of the word is a concept coveted by many in the current American culture, yet remains void within the echo’s of the empty hearts in our world. What does it mean to have security within a world that defines it as such a monetary or materialistic means? If you have enough ‘stuff’, or ‘money’, or a good enough ‘reputation’ you can achieve real ‘security’. We have so ill-defined the word secure that the truth of God’s reality is far from the every expression or understanding of the word ‘secure’.

            As I was grappling with the intensity of a new school year full of new students, a new room mate, new classes, a new exam called the GRE, and a new set of social pressures and emotions, I found myself lost for words and feeling greatly outnumbered by the evils of this world. My heart was saddened and perplexed within the small corner I occupied at a coffee shop here on campus.  To make matters all the greater, I had just received some news of a situation needing all of my focus and emotional attention (both of which I had none at this point). I had finally come to the point where I was so overwhelmed my soul and all that was within me cried out to Jesus in the midst of a soy latte and an English paper. Then the words slowly poured in, “ Trust in me, and you will be as secure as Mount Zion.” I searched my word with fervor until I came across Psalm 125.  My heart began to melt within the presence of the Almighty, here in my corner in the coffee shop. Those who Trust in the Lord are as Secure as Mount Zion, they will not be defeated. We know authentic security when we become fully engulfed in the nature of the Almighty God. (How big He is!) We are to trust in the Lord in order that security may be gained, and the promise of enduring forever comes into full fruition. I love when the Lord shares with us in 1John 4:4, “ For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve victory through our faith.” The irony surrounding the paradoxical reality of our faith is astounding. In order for us to gain security, we must give everything up and release control of ourselves. Trusting the Lord means giving Him EVERYTHING WE HAVE, both physically and spiritually. It’s a constant surrender of all that we think and know we are, and all we have. It’s understanding that we do not walk through this world blind, rather in dramatic understanding of what really is going on in life. It means that regardless of occupation or time-consuming activity, we understand that our purpose is always eternal. 

            Trusting the Lord is neither convenient nor easy. It requires constant and consistent surrender of all of us. It means retaining a teachable and humble heart, in order that we may hear His voice when there is an area we are failing to trust Him in. A false sense of security is such a trap in this life. Jesus expressed this beautifully in the Parable of the three servants in Matthew 25. He illustrates the hoarding and concern within the final of the three servants, who rather than invest or work with the money given to them, hid it in the ground out of fear of losing what he had. Jesus says, “ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given unto them, and they will have an abundance.  But from those who do nothing, even with what little they have will be taken away. “ (Matthew 25:29) I am reminded of the verse in John 10 when Christ says, “ For the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you may live life and live it with ABUNDANCE.”  Christ’s heart for his people is for abundance, but not a materialistic abundance, rather an overwhelming abundance of His presence in our lives. While the third servant may have not lost anything, he also didn’t risk anything. We cannot risk our lives for Christ unless we are fully-trusting the one from whom they come, and we are PROMISED security like a mountain from the God who can not lie, nor breaks a promise. We are also promised a surrounding of His presence when we trust in Him for all security. He says He will surround us just as the Mountains surround Jerusalem. How my heart desires and delights in this reality. When we are obedient and trust within the God who loves us so dearly, we are rewarded with security in Him because He is everything to us.  Therefore it’s not even about a monetary or physical issue anymore, your soul leaps with the truth of God’s presence and the true stability that comes from standing on the foundation of the Living God. How beautiful!

            After hearing this expression of His love once again, I put down my word and take a sip of my latte. Though it may appear as though I am merely a student at a university, I feel as though my heart is taking an adventure of a lifetime. He is aligning my desires once again with His, constantly reminding me of His nature and love for me. This is His heart for humanity today, that we would gain a security that is not dependent upon circumstance, rather upon Him. Oh, How He Loves Us.

Soli deo Gloria,

A Historical Appreciation for the Written Arts

What is it about books? Old books, new books, colorful books, thick books, large books, small books, story-telling books, and science books amongst others; we live in a world that is by no means lacking in the written, physical books. Embedded within the article entitled, "Book Use and Book Theory" by Brandin Cormack adn Carla Mazzio, I recieved quite a bit of meat to chew on in the discussion of the value of the written word. They state,

" To use a book is to engage with it as a set of forms and as a condition of thought; in this sense, the history of book use and the history of theoretical speculation are entwined."

What I appreciate about this article is that it focuses not on popular opinion, rather historical evidence and context for the discussion of the importance of the tangible word. This statement in particular, however, stood as a focus and quality summary of what I gleaned from the article (granted I recognize that this post is not merely to summarize points, but offer some type of insight into the issue). Reading a book is not only about the words but the process, and similarly the process effects the content of the words. Seeing that reading is an engaging activing involiving physical process and something as abstract as the presence of a thought or idea shows that when we read we are involving our entire self. Some of this, in part, is lost when it comes to words on the internet (such as this blog). While I was reading this assessment of the tangible word, my thoughts are always brought back to the one book I am never without, and that is my Bible. The physical presence of my bible alone drives me to open it's worn leather front and look upon the gold-embossed pages to search for the unfathomable truths and treasures hidden deep within its pages. Brandin and Cormack discuss the marking of margins and underlining as the testiment of the readers active process in ingesting the books content. I absolutely agree with this. My bible becomes the literal map of my testimony as readers can see the dates through which I was brought from concept to concept, truth to truth, conviction to conviction, it all remains open and available. It is quite literally my own Ebenezer to the Lord within His great book. I am comparing my analysis of this article to my experience with my Bible because it is the most intimate and influential book I have ever read and continue to read in my life. When I snuggle up to some wonderful music in my comfy pants, down blanket, and warm fire just to get lost in the written reality of my Jesus I am completely and totally free, yet rendered subject to the revelation of His heart for me in His word.

It is indeed a set of forms and a condition of thought, but more specifically, reading this particular book to me is a revelation of a set of His forms and a transformation of my thoughts in accordance to those thoughts. Expediated technology, while convinient and fast, takes some quality away from the experience and development process of having a real book. A really great example is the difference between the popular preacher in skinny jeans drinking startbucks with his iphone application called ,'The Bible', and the everyday looking preacher wearing whatever came to mind that morning with his torn up, marked up leather bible that has not only rips and bumps, but tear drop stains and wear marks. We then begin to see the difference between the physical ethos of that man bearning the physical bible and the one not. The viewer can tell that the man carrying his physical Bible has gone to war with himself with that book, and that is of infinate value.

You may be reading this from my English course and be asking yourself, 'why in the world is she talking about this?' The realiy is simple: this is the greatest practical reflection I have of the historical concepts invovled in the process of writing, printing, and reading tangible books as opposed to literature online. One of the concepts being discussed in this article is the author's including of the reader in the active process of investigating thinking, shifting of personal identity, and teaching the reader personally. It is as though when you are turning the physical pages of the book you are communing with the author himself. That is why I am so passionate about the physical presence of my Bible. I am communing with the Author Himself as He guides me through His plan for my life; a transformation of identity and developmental process to become more like Him.

Soli deo Gloria