The Promise - Chaim Potok

The Promise by Chaim Potok

A Fawcett Columbine Book published by Ballatine Books

Rating: 9

Readability: I rarely get impeded in a book where I can not function... I am perfectly capable of walking away from mainstream suspense, but not Potok.

Impact: High! An 8 or 9.

Read it Again: Yes.

Recommend It: Yes.

What to Expect:

The second book to The Chosen, but one that could also stand alone.

Danny and Reuven are both going through college and graduate school. The book focuses on controversies within their community and the life of a mentally ill young man they both get involved with. It also ties in the lives of Jews who traveled to America after being liberated after World War II.
Find out the rest for yourself... :-)

Compared to The Chosen, I think Potok's writing style was greatly improved and much more polished...however some books just have a soul to them in a way an author can not fully repeat.

I feel like this about Robert Peck, Potok, Sigmund Brouwer, and a few others. Not that their other works weren't amazing, but one certain book was the book they had to write.

Having said all that, The Promise is a wonderful book! It can stand alone beautifully and attests to the skill and wisdom of it's author.

My Squib:

After finishing The Chosen I was determined to write an intelligent and favorable review. If you recall...it didn't happen. I wrote about three or four unintelligible rambles.

There's just something I can't explain here. When I finish one of Potok's books I just don't feel like analyzing it...and that's weird for me.

He truly is a master story teller and he wraps things up so nicely and so beautifully it's almost like I don't dare open the book back up.

I have never read more satisfying endings, even to great epics. It's so strange.

I seriously think Potok was writing strait at my soul.

(Not soul as in my Soul. Don't worry, I'm not about to become Jewish. But soul as in... like "my gut". Maybe "gut" would be a better word but it sounds extremely unladylike... Yeah...anyways...)

Ok...Am I making any sense here?

The Facts are these-

I love Potok.

His style, his characters, his plots, his questions, his oddities.

And I love Daniel Saunders.

To bad he wouldn't spend sometime reading the New Testament instead of Freud. It's probably the only book he's never read...

Oh yeah...besides the fact that he's fictitious.

I will force myself to analyze and write an intelligent post about Potok's style and world soon. I actually have a lot of things I'd love to talk about, especially to anyone who's already read some Potok and has their own opinions.

And if you haven't...go do so.

From the Book:

"You understand what it is to make a choice...? A choice tells the world what is most important to a human being. When a man has a choice to make he chooses what is most important to him, and that choice tells the world what kind of man he is." -Rav Kalman

"That is the way the world is, Reuven. Each generation thinks it fights new battles. But the battles are the same. Only the people are different." ~David Malter

Have a good New Years Eve!

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickina

Tennessee Waltz - Colm Wilkinson

I finally used my ITunes gift card and bought Colm Wilkinson's Broadway and Beyond the Concert Songs.

Unfortunately I'm still a noob (in a big way) with my MP3 player and can't figure out how to get new music on it...but I have been able to listen to the album on my computer.

It is an extremely interesting variety and one of the songs included is this one....

I'm afraid he doesn't realize all we require him to do is to hold still and sing... Too many awesome musicals performances I guess. :-)

Even if his animation and stage presence annoys you stay until the end of the video. It's the best. ;-)

If you think this is a weird song for Colm Wilkinson track down his Whiskey in the Jar. LOL. :-)

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

P.S. Unless you get the wrong impression... I am not in general a musical fan...but I do love Colm Wilkinson's voice and I am a Les Miserables fan. In a big way. :-)

Answer - Me

Answer

They gave it all
Forsook sweet death
Swallowed gall to give them breath

All to answer
“Follow Me”

They knew the cost
Denied themselves
Bowed necks to receive the cross

All to answer
“Follow Me”

They stood alone
A thousand strong
Faith we hear in priceless song

All to answer
“Follow Me”

They smiled at fear
Fought unto blood
Made redemption courage flood

All to answer
“Follow Me”

Beauty and praise
Their battle cry
Steadfast love their alibi

All to answer
“Follow Me”

Lions yet sheep
They multiply
Lay down life, for others die

All to answer
“Follow Me”
They heard music
“Follow Me”
“Follow Me”

© Miss Pickwickian

This still needs some rhythm work, but I enjoyed writing it.

I always appreciate helpful criticism...

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Only Where God is Praised

Exalting is a part of existence.

It is so much a part of it, that when one has ceased to exalt God, something else must be exalted. Then God can be displaced by a man, an institution, an idea. Exalting remains a function of existence. World history demonstrates this.

Man must exalt something, and without such exalting there can apparently be no existence...If the praise of God, as the Psalms express it, belongs to existence, then the directing of this praise to a man, an idea, or an institution must disturb and finally destroy life itself.

The psalms say that only where God is praised is there life.

~Westermann

Sydney Carton - Polka Dot and Mama :-)

The spare hand does not tremble as he releases it; nothing worse than a sweet, bright constancy is in the patient face. She goes next before him--is gone; the knitting women count Twenty-Two.

"I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
The murmuring of many voices, the upturning of many faces, the pressing on of many footsteps in the outskirts of the crowd, so that it swells forward in a mass, like one great heave of water, all flashes away.
Twenty three.

They said of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest man's face ever beheld there. Many added that he looked sublime and prophetic....

"...It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

~ From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Yes! My sister drew this and my mother water colored it! And it was for me! For Christmas!!!!! I love it so much.

I had a wonderful Christmas (and not just because I got this amazing picture:-). I hope you did too!

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

This Little Babe - Robert Southwell.

"Adoration of the Shepherds"

Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779

This little Babe so few days old,

Is come to rifle Satan's fold;

All hell doth at his presence quake,

Though he himself for cold do shake;

For in this weak unarmed wise

The gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears he fights and wins the field,

His naked breast stands for a shield;

His battering shot are babish cries,

His arrows made of weeping eyes,

His martial ensigns cold and need,

And feeble flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitched in a stall,

His bulwark but a broken wall;

The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes,

Of shepherds he his muster makes;

And thus as sure his foe to wound,

The Angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul with Christ join thou in fight,

Stick to the tents that he hath pight;

Within his crib is surest ward,

This little Babe will be thy guard;

If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,

Then flit not from this heavenly boy.

-Robert Southwell

"If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy"... Love that.

I really like a lot of Christmas songs, but this is my favorite. :-)

Hope you are all are having an amazing Christmas. I am. :-)

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickian

Christmas was God declaring war on the World

"Adoration of the Shepherds"

by Rembrandt

I've been very blessed to hear some amazing Christmas sermons this year.

The Reversal of Barrenness by Pastor Tuuri

Luke 1:26-33

"Fruitfulness comes by walking in the light and pursuing righteousness in the dark."

This one came at just the right time.

I don't really know why, but I've had a harder time getting excited about Christmas this year.

I was feeling pretty irritated (feeling irritated is not a way to fix it...just so you know) about the feeling when Mama and I went Christmas shopping over a week ago. I couldn't even find anything I wanted to buy (this is normally not a problem:-).

Several hours after we got home I realized part of the reason why...I'd caught the great church plague. :-P

After that was over (nearly a week latter) things were improved, but I've still been in a Christmas blah.

I don't know why exactly, but this pretty much fixed my problem. I think I was basically just being a jerk and than over analyzing it.
It's okay that every Christmas is different and just because it's Christmas doesn't mean our problems will disappear.

Plus, Pastor Tuuri read some Bob Dylan lyrics in the sermon. I love it when he does that. Score!

The Messiah in Isaiah (Part 4) by Greg Strawbridge

Isaiah 7

This sermon detailed more of what is going on during the famous Immanuel prophesy.

Besides the fact that I've been in love with Isaiah all year, this was also a convicting sermon for me.

Where do I turn to in trouble?

Joy to the World by Doug Wilson

1 Peter 1:6-9

Recently I've been studying and memorizing 1-2 Peter. I didn't even know the text when I turned this sermon on, but it made me really excited when I found out. :-)

This sermon really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the way we try to celebrate Christmas and how dumb it often is. I was trying to fold laundry while I was listening to it. I didn't get much done because I had to keep taking notes. This is one I really want to listen to again.

He really redirects back to the real essence of Christ's birth and what it has changed.

Here are a few notes I scribbled that really made an impression on me-

"The peace f God is our armor. It's not something we have to protect. Is the things that protects us."

"Peace is not the Gospel itself it is the result of the Gospel."

"Christmas is God's D-Day...the thunder of Heaven's guns."

"Sentimentalism is a pacifist...trying to celebrate the effect of Christmas without the story."

"True joy is fundementally realistic."

"The Magnificat is a declaration of war."

I found the whole sermon intoxicatingly joyful.

I'm very thankful God put this in my way!

General Christmasness

On Wednesday one of my brothers took me to downtown Portland, which was amazing. Even with all it's problems, I just love Portland so much! And even though we didn't go to Powell's it's near presence refreshed my spirit. ;-)

I also love my brother. He's pretty awesome. ;-)

Last night Mama and I were able to go to a beautiful Messiah performance. It was wonderful...of course. :-)

I also finally allowed myself to start another Chaim Potok novel. Happiness!!!!

Other recent Christmas activities include seeing Tangled, going out to eat, watching movies while wrapping presents, being ill, squeezing reading time in, receiving truck loads of Amazon packages, working on Christmas presents (mwhahaha), wonderful mail and Christmas cards, seeing lots family and friends, eating very unhealthily, listening to lots of music, and....very little writing. :-P There will be a schedule again though...Right? :-)

I have had the most amazing year. I am so grateful!!!!!

Christmas has been a flurry this last week and now I'm looking forward to the actual celebration of it all...which should include some relaxing time with good friends and family, good conversation, good food, good presents :-) and all beautiful Christmasified house!

But most of all, a celebration of victory. Christ came to save his people from their sins. To wage war (and to win!) against death. What more do we need to be joyful? What more do we need for such a clear mission?

There is so much to do and to learn!

Sometimes I feel quite hopeless...but only because there is such an wonderful, perfect, un-understandable, complex yet beautifully simple hope!

Have a very blessed and amazing Christmas. :-)

Many of you are in my prayers. I know I'll being seeing some of you soon.

Christmas!!!!! Yippee!

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

(Sorry this was a long rambling post. If you got to the end know that I am extremely grateful. :-)