Ring Giveaway

Hand Crafted Hammered Copper Ring

This ring was very graciously donated for this giveaway by Khalima on Etsy. Please check out her shop! :-)

To Enter

Answer as many of these questions as you choose. Each one counts as an entry if it is posted in it's own comment. :-)

-What would you like to see more of on The Erratic Muse?

-Do you have any other ideas for ways to improve The Erratic Muse?

-How often do you read blogs per week?

-How many posts do you like to read every week?

Giveaway ends May 7th.

Thanks for entering,

Miss Pickwickian

The Cross Centered Life - C. J. Mahaney

The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by C. J. Mahaney with Kevin Meath

Multnomah 2002

Rating: 7

What is the center of your life? Does this show in how you live? In everything you do, think, and act?

C. J. Mahaney brings Christianity straight back to the cross.

We often ignore the wonder and finished work of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection with its power and implications.
The Cross Centered Life is dedicated to shifting our focus back on that most important truth. The book starts by restating the obvious and then moves through chapters on the sin of legalism, the sin of holding onto our guilt and shame, our feelings vs. reality, and then offers practical ways to keep our thoughts and actions centered on Christ crucified and now risen!

The book is well organized and easy to read in very short moments or in one sitting. The style is clear and engaging, although I felt like he was a little overly imaginative and creative for the book he was trying to write.
I think he’s trying to reach a very broad audience, and I can see this being an excellent book for new as well as experienced Christians of a wide age range.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Various things that have been occupying my brain and time...

Life is busy...

Here's a list of items I want to get to on this poor blog but I'm not. Sometime... When life slows down. ;-)

Book Reviews

-Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

-The Cross Centered Life by C. J. Maheney
-Prayerbook of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

-Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

-Reformed is Not Enough by Douglas Wilson

-Her Hand in Marriage by Douglas Wilson

-Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

Movie Reviews

-Red Cliff 2008

-Agent of Grace 2000

-Megamind 2010

-Numerous others, but that's all I've watched recently.

Art

-My sister is seriously getting good on portraits and other artwork. For my birthday she pen and inked and watercolored a beautiful picture from Howl's Moving Castle and Les Miz. She's now in the middle of a portrait of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. :-)

-Mumsie drew me an awesome portrait of Claus von Stauffenberg (not Tom Cruise...the real guy).

-My art is still in the cartoon stage. ;-) But I do want to work on another "picture book".

Music

-An unhealthy addiction to the Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack.

-Some awesome hymns and Psalms we've been singing recently. Most notably, Mark Regan's arrangement of Rock of Ages. Love.

-My current interest in music from India.

-Ten minutes when I can write something songish in the midst of unquenchable inspiration.

Various other things.

-I have listened to some seriously good sermons recently. I would love to think through some of my notes!

-I am leaving for Poland in two months for a two week long missions trip! I can't believe it is this close.

-I am traveling a lot this year. Happy, sad, and excited. Get back to you on that...

-I have a looming and insane deadline on my nonfiction book that is totally stressing me out.

-I am a bad nonfiction writer.

-Romeo and Juliet meets Hamlet needs some work... And I'd love to ramble on about it.

-I have not opened Where Loyalties Lie in all of 2011.

-Les Miserables week seriously needs some planning! At least a blog button.

-I have four giveaways ready and planned... Now for posting and pictures.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

The Charlatan's Boy - Jonathan Rogers

The Charlatan's Boy: A Novel by Jonathan Rogers

Waterbrook Press

Rating: 6

Jonathan Rogers has no qualms with creating his own intriguing words and grammar. The Charlatan's Boy is a lively, amusing, and somewhat rambling read from the first person perspective of an unusual orphan boy.

Grady has no idea where he comes from or belongs. The only man he knows is a the showman and scoundrel, Floyd. The two travel through country towns putting on a variety of absurd shows where Grady performs as a wild Feechie, an ugly boy, or a head bump translator. All the while, he tries to come to terms with his trade, lack of identity, and the unreliableness of the most prominent person in his life, Floyd.

The book's humor helps balance the lack of a constant driving force and rising action. Many of the chapters dealing with new people and places, the book never mentions again, which give it a short store or memoir type of feel. The ending seems a bit tidy and out of the blue, but is fairly satisfactory. At least Floyd shows his true colors very clearly and Grady is happy, even if it's all highly unlikely.

Jonathan Rogers is a creative and spicy author. I look forward to watching what he publishes in the future and hope for a little better structure and conclusion.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Necessary Note: I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Press for this review.

My weakness for "Balle Balle"

Okay...Bride and Prejudice has more than it's share of faults. I know a lot of people who were just weirded out...

For me, the movie makes me happy but the characters are poorly drawn, some of the content is unnecessary, the romances is pretty lame, and the general flow of the movie is kind of a fail.

However, I love the music... Which is a big deal for me since I don't like most musicals at all.

This sort of music makes me happy (the pieces I like best are sometimes reminiscent of Slumdog Millionaire but happier).

The movie had an interesting premise and could have been great, but it wasn't. That doesn't mean the music can't be enjoyed. :-)

This is my official cleaning (and dancing) in the kitchen music.

The video has several moments of silence at the end. I couldn't find a better one unless you actually want to watch the movie scene. The movie scene is a beautiful wedding hubbub celebration. If you can't laugh and smile about it you need to lighten up. :-)

But unfortunately some of the dancing isn't all that chaste so I'm posting this instead...

Perhaps this post wasn't all that terribly edifying, but it might help you understand my psyche and how I cope with stress.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

The Seven Words on the Cross - A Hymn

Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes

1. Jesus, in Thy dying woes Even while Thy life-blood flows, Craving pardon for Thy foes: Hear us, holy Jesus. 2. Saviour, for our pardon sue When our sins Thy pangs renew, For we know not what we do: Hear us, holy Jesus. 3. Oh, may we who mercy need Be like Thee in heart and deed When with wrong our spirits bleed: Hear us, holy Jesus. 4. Jesus, pitying the sighs Of the thief who near Thee dies, Promising him Paradise: Hear us, holy Jesus. 5. May we in our guilt and shame Still Thy love and mercy claim, Calling humbly on Thy name: Hear us, holy Jesus. 6. May our hearts to Thee incline, Looking from our cross to Thine, Cheer our souls with hope divine: Hear us, holy Jesus. 7. Jesus, loving to the end Her whose heart Thy sorrows rend, And Thy dearest human friend: Hear us, holy Jesus. 8. May we in Thy sorrows share, For Thy sake all peril dare, And enjoy Thy tender care: Hear us, holy Jesus. 9. May we all Thy loved ones be, All one holy family, Loving for the love of Thee: Hear us, holy Jesus. 10. Jesus, whelmed in fears unknown, With our evil left alone, While no light from heaven is shown: Hear us, holy Jesus. 11. When we vainly seem to pray And our hope seems far away, In the darkness be our Stay: Hear us, holy Jesus.

12. Though no Father seem to hear, Though no light our spirits cheer, May we know that God is near: Hear us, holy Jesus. 13. Jesus, in Thy thirst and pain, While Thy wounds Thy life-blood drain, Thirsting more our love to gain: Hear us, holy Jesus. 14. Thirst for us in mercy still, Satisfy Thy loving will: All Thy holy work fulfil. Hear us, holy Jesus. 15. May we thirst Thy love to know; Lead us in our sin and woe Where the healing waters flow: Hear us, holy Jesus. 16. Jesus, all our ransom paid, All Thy Father's will obeyed, By Thy sufferings perfect made: Hear us, holy Jesus. 17. Save us in our soul's distress, Be our Help to cheer and bless While we grow in holiness: Hear us, holy Jesus. 18. Brighten all our heavenward way With an ever holier ray Till we pass to perfect day: Hear us, holy Jesus. 19. Jesus, all Thy labour vast, All Thy woe and conflict past, Yielding up Thy soul at last: Hear us, holy Jesus. 20. When the death shades round us lower, Guard us from the Tempter's power, Keep us in that trial hour: Hear us, holy Jesus. 21. May Thy life and death supply Grace to live and grace to die, Grace to reach the home on high: Hear us, holy Jesus. By Thomas B. Pollock, 1870

Every age and hour

No. 26 (52) Chorale

In Meines Herzens Grunde,

In the bottom of my heart,

Dein Nam und Kreuz allein

your name and cross alone

funkelt all Zeit und Stunde,

shines forth every age and hour,

drauf kann ich frohlich sein.

for which I can be joyful.

Erschein mir in dem Bilde

Appear before me in the image,

zu Trost in meiner Not,

as comfort in my distress:

wie du, Herr Christ, so milde

how you, Lord Christ, so abundantly

Dich hast geblut'zu Tod!

did bleed to death!

~From Bach's St. John's Passion