Life Is a Song...

New Blog!

makenziryanne — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:16:17 +0000

I’ve switched over to Blogspot. Sorry dear WordPress. My new blog is http://makenziryanne.blogspot.com and my photography blog is http://makenzihargrovephotography.blogspot.com. See you there!

The Tyger

makenziryanne — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:21:03 +0000

Today our discussion of Blake continued. As usual, my analysis did not agree with my teacher. I love William Blake but see him completely different from my teacher who also loves William Blake. It makes for interesting and diverse discussions. BUT today I was very intrigued by something. You see, we studied Blake last year with Mr. Hough but for some reasons never studied his illustrations which are a key part of his poetry. Today in class we discussed “The Tyger” which I wrote an in class paper on last year. As Joanna talked about her interpretation and the illustration, a detail really caught my attention. Apparently a widespread discussion about this illustration is why Blake made the tiger so gentle looking. Blake could have made him look vicious but instead he is rather docile. Intense research and debate has taken place over this, yet according to Joanna, no one seems to know (or at least no one that holds her interpretation of the poem). The illustration coordinated perfectly with Mr. Hough’s interpretation! It brought whole new life to the poem for me. I’m not going to explain the full analysis of the poem in this post but in short, Mr. Hough said that the tiger represented evil which was created by Satan. Satan was the “immortal hand.” I could go more into it but that’s the shortest description I can give. I LOVE how that correlates with the illustration because the tiger IS docile. We think of a tiger as so vicious when it’s all a mask. Likewise, we fear Satan and his weapon of evil when in the end, it is so docile in comparison to the strength of God. The battle is already won! “The enemy has been defeated. Death couldn’t hold You down. We lift our voice in victory. We’re gonna make our praises loud!” What a comforting thought. No weapon can be formed against us… Food for thought… Hope you enjoy!

Treasure Hunt

makenziryanne — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:00:49 +0000

WOW. What a seriously crazy awesome night. I’m so pumped about God and all He does. He pours a spirit of courage on us when we ask Him, and it is AWESOME. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. He’ll take you there. Step out and ask a stranger how there day is going and how you can be praying for them. He’ll use it… Be open to where He leads! God is GOOD!

Man’s Search for Meaning

makenziryanne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:08:59 +0000

Ok so today I finished Viktor E. Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy.” Actually a very interesting read! Here’s a little background since most of you have never heard of, much less read, this book (shout out to Daddy who has– It’s ok, it didn’t tell me how to become a prima ballerina either… Stupid book). Viktor Frankl was a Jewish, Austiran psychiatrist and neurologist who survived four concentration camps during World War II. Before entering the camps, his concentrations were depression and suicide. As a survival method, he observed life in a concentration camp from an academic standpoint looking for the meaning of life. In the first half of the book, he describes life in a concentration camp. The second half of the book describes his theories of “logotherapy” and “tragic optimism.” While I have no intention of explaining all of his theories to you, I thought I’d give you a few quotes from the book to chew on. I found them very interesting.

“There are things which must cause you to lose your reason or you have none to lose.” (taken from G.E. Lessing)

“The salvation of man is through love and in love.”

“Humor is another of the soul’s weapons in the fight for self-preservation.”

“Suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore, the ‘size’ of human suffering is absolutely relative.”

“That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.” (taken from Nietzche)

“What you have experienced, no power on earth can take from you.” (taken from German poet)

“Man’s search for meaning may arouse inner tension rather than inner equilibrium. However, precisely such tension is an indispensable prerequisite of mental health.”

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” (taken from Nietzche)

“Our current mental-hygiene philosophy stresses the idea that people ought to be happy, that unhappiness is a symptom of maladjustment. Such a value system might be responsible for the fact that the burden of unavoidable unhappiness is increased by unhappiness about being unhappy.” (Edith Weisskopf-Joelson speaking of Americans)

“The fear is the mother of the event.”

“There is no reason to pity old people. Instead, young people should envy them. It is true that the old have no opportunities, no possibilities in the future. But they have more than that. Instead of possibilities in the future, they have realities in the past–the potentialities they have actualized, the meanings they have fulfilled, the values they have realized–and nothing and nobody can ever remove these assets from the past.”

“But everything great is just as difficult to realize as it is rare to find.” (taken from Ethics of Spinoza)

Ok so I know that that is a lot of quotes but there were SO many good ones, and I prefer quoting him than just droning on about his philosophy (which is really very interesting). Not to sound like I’m writing a review, but I encourage you to read this book as it is a thinker but also an easy read (it’s only about 150 pages long–100 of which is a narrative about the concentration camp). That’s all for now. May you all be blessed as He pours good and perfect gifts upon you!

Power of Imagination

makenziryanne — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:07:23 +0000

Alas we have reached one of my favorite English poets, William Blake. Honestly, it isn’t his poetry that I’m so attracted to… In fact, I prefer Wordsworth’s to Blake’s! It’s his philosophy that I’m so fond of. He LOVED the imagination. He believed the human life included three stages. The first was the innocence of childhood. He believed children had an innate understanding of truth. However, one could not stay in this stage. They must go through the trials of life (experience) in which innocence is destroyed and imagination is lost. All is not lost though. Blake said that restoration came through the revival of the human imagination through the power of God through Jesus Christ. He is quoted to have said, “The imagination in it’s highest form is the divine body of the Lord Jesus Christ.” AH I love that. I love imagination. I love creativity. I love that I am an art-piece of God. I’m His handiwork! I live within His imagination. Such a beautiful concept. I was saddened when my friend in English seemed so befuddled at the concept of imagination. He simply couldn’t wrap his mind around it! What a sad way to live… It’s much better to live realizing you’re living in and apart of the most extravagant imagination possible! I’m watching Finding Neverland right now which only further encourages my love of imagination. I can’t help but smile when I read the quote from Peter Pan… The famous words of J.M. Barrie… “When the first baby laughed for the very first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” = ) I believe I would have liked J.M. Barrie very much. Another quote of his that I love is “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” In the midst of the coldest day, a memory can bring back a sweeter day. Warmth can flood the heart, mind and body causing a smile to grace my face. Even now I’m smiling remembering happier days. Okay I’ve rattled on about imagination and Neverland and memories long enough… But take some time if you read this to become a child. Laugh like a child (children on average laugh 400 times a day). Jump into an imaginative world. You won’t regret it = )

World Mandate

makenziryanne — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:42:49 +0000

Oh man. What a weekend. I was blessed, rocked, challenged, and spoken over. It was really such an overwhelming experience all around. I don’t even know how to explain it. The ice storm tried to keep us away, but we went anyway haha. I owe the Noles family BIG TIME for all of their help. They are SUCH a precious family. They let me come and stay at their house Thursday night and then ride to and from Waco with them. I am so blessed to have them in my life. These past few months have been great learning times for me. For the past five years I haven’t been satisfied with my faith. I’ve been sure that there had to be more… Something that I was missing out on! Since coming to Norman I’ve learned so much. I know what I’ve been missing. Abba WANTS for me to live in the power of the Spirit. The Spirit wants to connect me deeper to Christ, comfort me, and give me joy. He wants to empower me! But this weekend God really made it clear to me that He WANTS to give that to me but I have to trust Him first. I have to want Him above EVERYTHING. He wants reckless abandon. He wants me to be a fool for Him. I’ve been listening to “Inheritance” by Jonathan David Helser a lot lately. I’ve listened to it a million times the past year or two but it’s been totally rocking me in a new way this week. I suggest for you to look it up. God wants me to open my heart to Him. I LOVE one thing that is said in Inheritance… “When I look at you I see someone that I can love outrageously. And I have so much to bestow upon you, so much to give you, so many places to take you in my heart, but you can’t go there unless you allow me to love you. My love for you will bring every barrier crashing down. My love damages fear. It hates fear. It will fight fear. My perfect love casts out fear. There is no fear where I am present. Beloved, you are My beloved. You are MY BELOVED.” God has so much that He wants to give me. He wants to love me in a way I could never understand. I have to learn to accept this love though. If you’re reading this, I would so greatly appreciate you praying for me as I try to accept His love wholeheartedly. I want to join Him on the exciting journey He has planned for me!! That’s all for now. If you’re looking for a great song or two you should look up “So Good to Me” by Cory Asbury and “Jireh” by Antioch Community Church. They’ve been the score to my life the past few days. = )

Heroic Couplets

makenziryanne — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:11:15 +0000

My English Literature teacher assigned for us to write two Heroic Couplets in the style of Pope. Tonight when I was at Gray Owl (SUCH a lovely idea Koby), I was reading Jeremiah 17 in the message and I loved the way this was worded…

” The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

I LOVE that last part… Why do we convince ourselves that we aren’t dark and deceitful. Only in Christ do we live in the light. Oh my God shine You light on us!! Such a thought… That passage along with my current journey inspired my couplets. I hope you enjoy. Feel free to criticize and give me suggestions… Or not since I’m about to turn them in and then will get insecure = )… I’ve decided that while I don’t dislike iambic pentameter, I don’t specifically like heroic couplets. Rhyming poems tend to irk me. Especially when I write them. I like Shakespeare’s pentameter a hundred times more than that of Pope. That’s why Pope is second to Shakespeare in most quoted English poets, I suppose. Ok I’ll quit blabbering on now. Sing a joyful song! Oh and here are the couplets…

“You say that You search the heart and the mind,

But will You take thine and in Your love bind?

Holding onto this hope to fight despair,

I know all Your works are for my welfare.”

Wildflowers

makenziryanne — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:56:04 +0000

“I will sing for joy in God,

explode in praise from deep in my soul!

For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,

and as a garden cascades with blossoms,

So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom

and puts praise on display before the nations.”

Isaiah 61:10 & 11

(Credits for this photo go to Gabrielle Fox Photography.)

English Literature

makenziryanne — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:26:00 +0000

Day 1 of Spring Semester is complete! I’m only taking 10 hours this semester, which is definitely a light load, especially since one is about 50% material covered in Hough’s English course, but sometimes we just need a light semester! I’m planning on enrolling at OCCC tomorrow and knocking out some easy OCCC gen-eds. We’ll see… Today I only had English Literature 1700-Present. I already know I’m going to love it. It’s so discussion based which I LOVE. My professor is Joanna Rapf, and she requests to be called Joanna. She’s an older woman (I’m guessing mid-60s), who looks like she’s stepped out of Paris. She has a grey bob, wore and oversized cream sweater with a modern design on it, and a black scarf… SO COOL. We discussed influential thoughts and events of the 18th century. Oh man it’s going to be great. I don’t know anyone in the class, but she periodically breaks everyone into groups to discuss so I expect I’ll get to know some people in there. I have friends in my other two classes so I won’t have to worry about that in there. I have Astronomy at 9:30, and Lindy and I are hitting the sack early tonight. More to come tomorrow! Prayers always appreciated!

Random graphic I love…

New Years Resolutions…

makenziryanne — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:05:47 +0000

Ok so I know this is a bit late in coming BUT… I’ve decided it’s time for some New Years Resolutions. Everyone needs goals in life, right?? So here we go…

1. Go to Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park in Pennsylvania… Because I want to see the Milky Way (see below).

2. See the great redwood trees of California…

3. Officially start up the photoblog of Makenzi Ryanne Photography (Logo soon to come thanks to the lovely Lindsay Rae Robinson)

4. Raise my GPA

5. See the Grand Canyon

6. Take a ballet class

7. Ride a horse and feel free

8. Go to see Reagan in Alaska and see the northern lights while there

9. Find somewhere to sing and come alive.

10. Know God in a more intimate way, talking to Him as a constant companion and best friend

Ten is a good number… Not too few, not too much. All doable. Here’s to a better 2010…