Rest in Labor

I recently came across this quote by Calvin in the O. Palmer Robertson's book I'm reading. It's been mulling about in my head for a couple days...

Sometimes God wants his servants to rest in his authority so as to labor even with no hope of success...Although our labor may be useless, it is enough that it pleases God. When we are ordered to do something, let us learn to leave the outcome in God's hand.

~John Calvin

Thanks for reading,

Miss Pickwickian

Journal Giveaway

Design and Create donated this beautiful journal for a giveaway.

Journal Description:

FAITH
Journal, Diary, or Notebook

Notebook has been painted, on both back and front cover. As well as the insides of each cover. Hand stamp embossed gold. Has a grunge, worn and weathered feel to it. Then sealed to provide durability.

It is 4 inches wide x 6 inches long x less than 1/2 inch thick. Inside sheets are 3.5 x 5.75. 16 lines per sheet. Approx. 100 sheets of paper.

For those of you who like to feel things, this journal is for you. :-)

How to Enter

Comment with at least one of the following. Each entry must be in a unique comment.

-Check out Design and Create shop and come back and comment on what you like best.

-Be a follower of The Erratic Muse

-Post about it on your blog and comment with the link.

This giveaway will end February 12th.

Thanks for entering,

Miss Pickwickian

More on Mexico - A Church in Puerto Vallarta

partly to please Hannah and Bobbi Jo...

I'll attempt a series of snapshots from our cruise to Mexico.

I don't think I can cover the experience in any sort of comprehensive detail and if I could the post would be random and grueling. Instead I'll just catch pieces when the time and urge comes upon me. ;-)

Puerto Vallarta is gorgeous.

One of my favorite pieces is the promenade along the waterfront and all the people thinking of creative things to do for money and tips--rock balancing, music, complicated sand sculptures, swinging about upside down from poles, lemonade, donuts, and painting oneself in sand to name a few.

The best part is the plaza and the artists. Besides a bracelet in Cabo this is where I spent all of my trip money. Most of the artists paint scenes you can see around Puerto Vallarta and this church is predominate in the town. One man paints only with his mouth! The art is good and cheap and the artists think of it as daily work in a way most "arty" Americans don't.

Last time we were in Puerto Vallarta we didn't get to walk up to the church although you can see it down most streets. This time we did. We marched in with a horde of other tourists clutching "Holland America" bags, snapping photos, and talking loudly.

There were a lot of locals sitting in the pews praying or just staring.

One very old, Mexican woman walked up limping and got down on her knees. She slowly crawled up the whole aisle, stopping every few shuffles to bow very low to the dusty floor and pray.

It is one of the pictures that sticks closest in my mind.

Nearly everyone wearing crosses. Images of saints everywhere. Numerous gold embellished churches. People laughing and friendly, ready to bargain down to the last peso. Street and drug fighting-- so bad that we can not dock at one of our ports. Messes and chaos everywhere...sometimes happy sometimes dangerous.

This is Mexico to me.

What drastic differences there are in a post Christian American culture and Mexico...just in the way we drive.

Thanks for reading.

Miss Pickwickian

Good times...

Yesterday I laughed a lot.

Largely due to Shakespeare and Aisha.

The end.

Your Affectionate Uncle

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight.

(C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letter.1941, p. 3)

I am going to go see Max McLean's Screwtape Letters in Portland on the 12th. I am very excited. I've been wanting to see this for a very, very long time. And before the performance I get to introduce Aisha to Portland's Powell's. They should get along quite nicely. I haven't been there for 12 1/2 months!!! Gasp. :-)

I'm sure you'll hear more about the Screwtape after we see it.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

My Week in Mexico

We just spent an awesome week on a Mexican Riviera Cruise. :-)

This was a "work" cruise, meaning our business paid for it and Mama and I worked for at least 4 hours a day. I managed to get a lot accomplished on my non-fiction book, although it still has some deep issues to work out. And, of course, we had amazing time.

This was my third time aboard my M. S. Oosterdam. I love her... I wonder how much a cruise ship costs? ;-)

Mexico is not my thing--at least not as much as it is my sister's--but we did have a wonderful time. To go from an Oregon January to Mexico is quite the shock. It was hot.

I like Mexico--

-the crazy people.

-the life and noise.

-the margaritas.

-the warm ocean.

-the cute little kids running about.

but I love--

-to walk into a store and buy something for what the price tag says it is.

-to walk down a street and no one tries to sell you anything (including themselves as bodyguards).

-black and white. I love colors too, but Mexico doesn't give you a break.

-cold. Summer is awesome, but I'd rather it be cold and brisk than sweltering.

-waitresses that wash their hands.

-water that is drinkable...and cold.

-moments of solitude.

This was my second trip to Mexico and it confirmed that I was not cut out to live there, but that it is a pretty awesome place. I'd love to go back some day.

As for the cruise ship. I love everything about that. :-) Cruising is the way for me to travel. No stress. All relaxation. A wonderful writing atmosphere. Love it. Seriously.

Holland America is amazing, too. They have the best service imaginable and a wonderful, laid-back feel. I guess if you were going to party you might want to pick a different cruise line, but this is the one for me.

I know I can't do the trip justice and I have several book reviews to catch up on and such, so if you want to here more-- wait for some exuberant posts from my sister here. She took some amazing pictures and I'm sure you'll be amused by her posts.

I am now home and it is perfect outside. Sunny, cold, and windy. And an awesome friend is here from PA. I think we shall go take a walk. (Or a gallop or a session on the trampoline....as the case may be.:-)

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

St. Martin's Griffin 1998

(originally published 1948)

Rating: 7

Readability: 8

Impact: Loved the style and gave me a fresh look at journaling and first person. Awesome.

Read it Again: Parts of it at least.

Recommend it: I think so...but portions of it are just weird.

What to Expect

A funny, quirky style mixed with the interesting story of a strange family and two girls' odd romances.

Has all the makings of something Gothic and than turns it into something absolutely fresh and funny. Doesn't take itself too seriously even though it often slips into something profound. :-)

The story itself is a little strange. The first half is much better than the second, although I loved the last chapter. There's certainly some questionable things going on.

My Squib

The style totally resonated with me. Loved it.

I thought Dodie Smith did an amazing job of portraying the feelings of a teenage girl (sometimes a bit too much...). Cassandra is lovable and believable. She really did an awesome job here.

Some of her other characters were a bit strange or caricatured, but it didn't bother me. It seemed to fit in with the journal style and Topaz was simply hilarious.

There were certainly things she could have left out, but over all it's just a fun romance. It would get a PG13 rating before you put in the fact that their step-mom likes to commune with nature (leaving her clothes behind).

Her outlook on Christianity is a little hard to understand. She kind of builds on it and Cassandra getting together and than abandons it. She kind of leaves you with faith as simply something to ease pain and not fully live (in sorrow or joy). Pretty lame there...

Over all, if your interested in writing, it's certainly worth it for the style.

From the Book

It's hard to take a bit out without giving away anything, but here's a paragraph--

I finish this entry sitting on the stairs. I think it worthy of note that I never felt happier in my life--despite sorrow for father, pity for Rose, embarrassment about Stephen's poetry and no justification for hope as regards our family's general outlook. Perhaps it is because I have satisfied my creative urge; or it may be due to the thought of eggs for tea.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian