Reflections...

This may sound odd coming from a woman who's about to head to grad school, but...is it possible that school makes us over-think things?

I understand analysis when it comes to Theatre. You really do have to break everything down there. But in English it can seem overdone. Today in my English Theory and Criticism class (which, believe me, is even worse than it sounds) we psychoanalyzed a dream written by James Joyce. I understand that psychoanalysis has its uses. I use it on myself quite a lot, actually. But, as a writer, I would hate to have someone a hundred years from now dissect my writing and say I had some sort of problem or opinion that I don't. Isn't it possible that Joyce simply had a weird dream? And no matter what it was, does it really have any bearing on life in 2010? No matter how you look at it, there aren't huge ramifications that could come from it. Joyce died long ago, and so did everyone else of his generation. Society has changed quite a bit. To psychoanalyze his dream would only serve a few, limited areas. That's not really fair to a writer, is it? I, for one, enjoy a good story. That's it. Period. Yes, psychoanalyzing it can be interesting and even insightful, but it's not conclusive, and it can easily do a disservice to the author.

But that's what schools train us to do: over-think things. They intellectualize everything, so they make it sound like they are so advanced mentally that they can never just accept things. Like the Gospel, for example. There's no room for the supernatural in their narrow little minds that they consider so open. They don't really do their research to find out how shallow their arguments are and how the facts really do prove Christianity. Instead, they just "think" and"reason." Taking things as they are is never an option for them. Can Christianity hold up to intellectual arguments? Absolutely. But they don't even take it that far. They are "wise in their own eyes," I suppose. Which is a shame.

But enough of that!

I'm grateful for the truth. I have a heavenly Father who is more real than anything. He created everything and everyone, and He holds it all together.

"For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is God!), who formed the earth and made it (He established it; He did not create it empty, He formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'" Isaiah 45:18-23

Thank you, Lord, for being a sovereign God who saves!!! Who is the very source of truth, and therefore swears by Himself! He is always right, He is always good, and He is always kind. We serve a loving King.

It's helpful to remember that I'm only in this world, not of it. Someday, I'll be home.