The Spiritual Gift of Wisdom and the Dilemma of Writing

Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden. 

Isaiah 29:14, ESV 

Best Books of 2018

After graduating with my bachelor's of English in May of this year, my reading life took on a whole other meaning.

Book Review: Native by Sayed Kashua

"The Catcher in the Rye was the first . . . novel I ever read . . . when I finished I understood two things that changed my life . . . the second was the deep understanding that I loved books." (284-285)

One of the primary things I learned from my semester abroad in London over a year ago is the great enrichment that can come from reading a book while in the place that it was set. I acted out this piece of wisdom during my January trip to Israel and picked up Palestinian journalist Sayed Kashua's Native, a collection of his articles and essays published as one collective whole.

I personally think that part of the role of an author, or in this case, a journalist, is to provide the truth in a beautiful way that is unique to the written word. In this, Kashua definitely succeeds. His vignettes of life in modern-day Israel provide a startlingly honest and often humorous take on what is one of the most tense conflicts in our world today. The short chapters and interesting titles made each section something new and engaging to read. Rather than just providing a black and white view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kashua clearly shows a gray in-between. He shows some Jews that were kind and welcoming and some Palestinians who contribute to the growing divide, but he also shows how the prejudice of some Jews against any Palestinian interaction can hurt a family that is simply trying to live in peace.

I think my one hesitation about this book comes in the fact that the disturbing references to infidelity and drunken revelry come frequently and without purpose, most of the time. These story elements often blur the lines between reality and fiction. While potentially an artistic move and cause for consideration at times, I think that this is where Kashua fails. It erases some of the earnestness that I love so much from the stories that likely happened. It makes me dislike the character of Kashua to a point where his interactions with his daughter, his wife, and even his neighbors are less meaningful. Kashua's character goes back and forth between not caring for the opinions of others and being stuck in the insecurity of his own identity. Instead of being an honest look at a man's character, this inconsistency made me doubtful.

Still, the stories are short and poignant enough to provide my wary reading with some feeling of satisfaction. This is a work recommended not for the easily offended. It is not for those that believe that one side of a story is always better than another. However, Kashua's point of view on the very real Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it manifests itself on an everyday level is both informative, heart-breaking, and downright enthralling. My advice? Be willing to look over the details that are shocking... they're most likely fiction anyway.

Why I've Been MIA

I firmly believe that there needs to be a word for the phenomenon that happens when you move back to your native land after an extended period of time abroad. While "life-lag" sounds rather unappealing, after a while of playing around with etymology, it seems that it's the best word I can create to capture that particular feeling.

To the Girl Who Didn't Pledge the Sorority She Wanted

photo creds to my friend and sister in Phi Mu, Courtney Bobo.

Let's be honest here, real quick. You are reading this for a number of reasons, but I would believe that most of you reading this are here because you are concerned about the house you have just pledged or are going through recruitment soon and are worried about the outcome.

This year was my second of being disaffiliated from my sorority during the recruitment season. This basically means that I acted as a recruitment counselor, or like we say at my university, a "Rho Gamma," and helped PNMs (potential new members) discern which house is the best for them.

Walking through the recruitment process on different sides now for four years has given me a lot of wisdom about the process, and if there's anything that I want freshmen ladies who are going through recruitment to know, it's this:

You ARE a Missionary

If you’re living as a Christian in your native country, you might be deceived about something. It doesn’t matter that you’re not living cross-culturally or with people who don’t speak your language. It doesn’t matter that you don’t consider yourself the most “Christian” of all people. There’s a common strategy used by Satan in order to confuse Christ’s church away from action.

Don’t be deceived. If you’re a Christian, you’re a missionary.

American English vs. Ugandan English

English is without a doubt my favorite language. Like a typical overly-patriotic American, I think it is a privilege growing up a native English speaker. English is so literal and so complex, so moldable and yet so consistent age after age. I love proper English, English slang, misspoken English that is still understandable, poorly spelled English that is still readable, and accented English all over America, England, and the world… I love these things because it shows how powerful English is as a language. It has so many forms and possibilities. It frames the way its speakers think and guides what it is used to describe from within the language itself.

My Average Day in Uganda

One of the hardest things for me when I am in transition is finding out a daily routine.

For my entire four months in London, I found it impossible to solidify a daily schedule. In fact, in reflection, I don’t think I ever did have a schedule that I could follow. Every day was different, which is exciting but not very sustainable.

Thankfully, that’s not the case in Uganda.

What No One Tells You about Studying Abroad

I have always been wary of unsolicited advice.

I am very much a pioneer in my own right. I like to blaze my own trails and figure things out for myself. As you might have guessed, acts of service is not my love language.

Unfortunately for myself and people like me, when others heard that I was moving to London for four months to study abroad, it seemed everyone had some sort of advice that they wanted to share about London, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

Prayer Needs from Uganda

I’m learning a lot very quickly.

Part of my current journey of understanding my gift of discernment is perceiving the spiritual state of places I go and people I meet . . . which obviously is one of my goals and primary motivations for spending my summer in Africa.

The items listed below are ways that you can pray for me, pray for the long-term missionaries stationed at Good Shepherd’s Fold and in Uganda, and pray for Uganda as a culture and a people. I ask all brothers and sisters to fight in prayer for the things listed in this post. It is most obvious here how powerful prayer is.