It is my intention to publicly profess and publish my beliefs. It may be extremely difficult for some to have to sit down and evaluate what it is that they truly believe. It may take long hours of introspection to put into words the beliefs of their soul. I do not struggle with these same issues. I have the beliefs I do because I know they are true. God speaks to us through his holy spirit and by and through it we can know the truth of all things. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I believe in God the Eternal Father, in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. They are three individual and distinct beings. We are created in the image of God and as His children we possess all the Godly potential to become like Him someday.
I believe men will be punished for their own sins and not Adam’s transgression. We are responsible for our choices and for every choice there is a consequence. Besides the gift of His Only Begotten Son, the gift of free agency is one of the most precious gifts God gave us. We are free to choose good from evil and are judged based upon our works here on earth.
I believe the first four foundational and building principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin; fourth laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I believe that a man must be called of God, by prophesy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances there of. The priesthood is the authority and power of God here on earth. Only those who have been properly ordained can act with His power and in His name.
I believe the same organization existed in the primitive church, when Jesus himself was here on the earth and first established His church. Namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and so forth.
I believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues and so forth. God still communicates and continues to give revelation to us on earth today. We have a living prophet on the earth today as well, Thomas S. Monson.
I believe the Bible to be the word of God as long as it is translated correctly. I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
I believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal and I believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to His kingdom.
I believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
I believe in worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our my conscious, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
I believe in being subject to presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying honoring and sustaining the laws of the land.
I believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men. Indeed, I say, I follow the admonition of Paul. I believe all things, I hope all things, I have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, those are the things which I seek after.
These are my core beliefs but there is so much more. I know God loves me. I am His daughter and He wants me to find peace and happiness here on earth. I can do this by keeping His commandments and being true to my purpose here. That purpose is to be tested and tried to exercise faith and to learn to be like Him. I know that Jesus Christ id the Savior of this world. He came to earth to show me how I should live. He suffered for my sins and all the sins of the world so that I can be forgiven and perfected through His atonement. Most important I know He lives. He was resurrected on the third day and I will be too. I will have the opportunity to have eternal life with God and Jesus someday. I know that we have a living prophet here on the earth. Thomas S. Monson leads and directs The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints through direct revelation. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is a companion to the Bible. We can find joy and peace by reading it, studying it and by living its principles. I testify of the truthfulness of these things in the name of Jesus Christ.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
H A P P Y F A K E S- G I V I N G
We had our Thanksgiving last Saturday because my sister Mary is a nurse and has to work. It's not about the day it's about family... and family it was ALL about!!
My family, the *CrAzY* Hill clan.
It takes patience to acquire patience.
Cultivating my virtue is going well. I have had many opportunities in the last week to practice being patient and not letting my anger get the best of me. I know better than to pray for patience because then your life will become like Job. God would have the green light to give you all sorts of opportunities to learn patience. Like I have said before, my lack of patience manifests itself in the form of my anger management issues.
Two Saturdays ago I made a twenty four hour commitment to act calm. This is from the anger control workbook I am using in conjunction with therapy. It was a high stress day where I would be around lots of people at an all day church charity service project and then in the evening I was driving up to D.C. for a church dance. (Road rage and traffic jams are great opportunities to practice and cultivate patience!!) I was really proud of myself, hey I didn't chose humility as my virtue, lmao. Because of my conscious choice to act calm for twenty four hours I was more aware of my wods and actions. There was only one time where I pretty much lost it but it was more restrained than it would have been.
Then last Friday I went to see New Moon with my best friend and my son. It wasn't a good plan. He didn't even make it ten minutes into the movie. I was really upset and angry at the whole situation. In the car on the way home I was talking to my best friend and I shared with her how angry I had been but how proud of myself I was because I was able to be calm and to work through my anger without her even knowing how angry I was. My best friend in the un iverse, the woman who knows me better than I know myself sometimes had NO CLUE how angry I had been because I was able to recoingnize my anger and label it. I then accepted that I was angry, because it's ok to be angry. Then I simply let it go. Kids are kids and there was nothing I could do to change the situation so I didn't dwell on it and moved on.
There are some techniques that help me when I start to get angry. I have to recognize tension in my body. Everyone starts to build tension in different parts of their body when they get angry. Mine is my jaw and my shoulders. So I deliberately relax those areas when I feel them getting tense. I have also started to dig deeper intio my emotions. Instead of just being mad about something I am finding what emotions trigger the anger as a defence mechanism. Deep soothing breaths really work. It helps to slow the heart rate and to relax the body.
I am proud of my progress, so is my best friend and also my therapist. I know I am making small changes that will have a great impact on my future and the person I am becoming.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Extra Credit: The capitol building
The Richmond Capitol Building
The first session of the Virginai state legislature took place in Jamestown in 1619. For over 160 years it met in churches, homes, colleges and taverns until the capitol was moved to Richmond. The assembly met in Shockhoe Bottom in two warehouses until 1780 when funds were appropriated to build a permanent home for the seat government, now Capitol Square.
Thomas Jefferson was asked to design Virginia's capitol. He was inspired by classical Roman temple design. The capitol building is made of brink and covered with stucco. The Corner stone was laid in 1785 when Patirck Henry was Virginia's seventh governor. The six columns on the South portico contain the original pine tree center posts.
The Rotunda in the center of the capitol is crowned by a dome and skylights that illuminate a marble statue of George Washington. When the South fell and the capitol of the Confederacy was in flames, refugees fleeing the fires along the James assembled in the Square to protect the building.
The building doesn't look anything like any other capitol building I have ever seen. It is beautiful and does look just like a Roman temple. I have driven past it before and never knew it was the capitol! It was a lot smaller than I expected but the history is SO rich and alive there I feel like it had much more to offer than other more modern capitol buildings.
I took a picture of the state seal. I have only lived here in VA for two years and I has never seen the seal before. The four designers of the seal didn't want to show allegiance to Britian and they found inspiration in classic Roman ideals once again. Traditionally, a seal resembeled a coat of arms, pleding loyalty to the royal family. The designers chose The Roman goddess, Virtus, who represented freedom. Also, they chose the Latin phrase, Sic Semper Tyrannis. It means Thus Always to Tyrants.
As you can see in the first picture I tried my hand at passing some laws but for some reason I was unsuccessful. Maybe it was because I was in the old senate room or because perhaps me and my best friend were the only ones there! Oh well, I guess I will stick with being a scholar for now.
I definately recommend this field trip to the class. It was like stepping back into the past.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Reflection Week 12: Claims and artifacts
1. My favorite quote was, Men are like plants; the goodness and flavour of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment (56). What I have learned is that although we have changed drastically, which is destined to happen with time, our roots are planted deep in the soil of ideals from our forefathers. We are not so far removed from where we came from. We are a new race of men, we are Americans (55).
2. I learned we will not know until we try. “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried” (Emerson). For a long time I was afraid to try. I was afraid to even attempt for fear of failure. I doomed myself to failure because I would not try. I lacked the confidence I needed to succeed because I was not true to myself. I was not true to my beliefs, ideals and the very foundation of my being. Now as I align my conduct with my belief I know anything is possible. I know that if I set my mind to it, I can accomplish anything I desire.
3. I learned it is important to live after my own opinion and stay true to myself when I am out in the world. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). Why in public do I conform to the opinion of the world? Why do I become some treasonous imitation of myself? When I step out into the world I will live after my own opinion and with the same independence of solitude. I will embrace the divinity God has planted in my soul and nurture it until it takes root and grows.
4. I learned that I should compare myself to no one and accept me for who I am. “These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence” (Emerson). I will compare myself to no one. I will be what I am, what I was created to be and I will exist with God.
5. This week a disturbing truth was revealed to me, “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). I have been a parrot of other men’s thinking. I considered myself a student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness.
6. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) Last week I was reminded of what really matters and what is essential to living the fullest life. To me this quote by Thoreau summarizes how I was living my life and how I feel now. I have completely changed the direction of my life in the last two and a half years. I wasn’t doing anything with my life. I didn’t have any goals. I wasn’t headed anywhere but to a future of misery and loneliness. Like Thoreau, I realized I was going to die and look back and see I had never really lived my life the way God intended me to.
7. Dr. Brandon is always having us look at situations in a different light and with a new perspective. He said, “It is more difficult for us to see the evils in our own time which are incompatible with the things we hold to be true as Americans.” I used to be very selfish and territorial of “my country.” I used to feel like this was my country and everyone else didn’t belong here. Somewhere I went terribly wrong and somehow I felt like this was more my country then an individual who immigrated here.
“America culture and the literature we're reading is built on the shared belief that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." -Dr. Brandon. Everyone has that right. Now I realize how evil I was being. My son’s father is here in this country illegally so I feel different now than I did back then. This country is for ALL people seeking opportunity and liberty. If owning slaves was considered the norm back then, maybe I would have owned slaves. I am not as ignorant now and I can honestly say there is a possibility I might have. This is a big step for me to see the issue from an entirely different perspective and be able to even entertain the idea.
2. I learned we will not know until we try. “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried” (Emerson). For a long time I was afraid to try. I was afraid to even attempt for fear of failure. I doomed myself to failure because I would not try. I lacked the confidence I needed to succeed because I was not true to myself. I was not true to my beliefs, ideals and the very foundation of my being. Now as I align my conduct with my belief I know anything is possible. I know that if I set my mind to it, I can accomplish anything I desire.
3. I learned it is important to live after my own opinion and stay true to myself when I am out in the world. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). Why in public do I conform to the opinion of the world? Why do I become some treasonous imitation of myself? When I step out into the world I will live after my own opinion and with the same independence of solitude. I will embrace the divinity God has planted in my soul and nurture it until it takes root and grows.
4. I learned that I should compare myself to no one and accept me for who I am. “These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence” (Emerson). I will compare myself to no one. I will be what I am, what I was created to be and I will exist with God.
5. This week a disturbing truth was revealed to me, “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). I have been a parrot of other men’s thinking. I considered myself a student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness.
6. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) Last week I was reminded of what really matters and what is essential to living the fullest life. To me this quote by Thoreau summarizes how I was living my life and how I feel now. I have completely changed the direction of my life in the last two and a half years. I wasn’t doing anything with my life. I didn’t have any goals. I wasn’t headed anywhere but to a future of misery and loneliness. Like Thoreau, I realized I was going to die and look back and see I had never really lived my life the way God intended me to.
7. Dr. Brandon is always having us look at situations in a different light and with a new perspective. He said, “It is more difficult for us to see the evils in our own time which are incompatible with the things we hold to be true as Americans.” I used to be very selfish and territorial of “my country.” I used to feel like this was my country and everyone else didn’t belong here. Somewhere I went terribly wrong and somehow I felt like this was more my country then an individual who immigrated here.
“America culture and the literature we're reading is built on the shared belief that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." -Dr. Brandon. Everyone has that right. Now I realize how evil I was being. My son’s father is here in this country illegally so I feel different now than I did back then. This country is for ALL people seeking opportunity and liberty. If owning slaves was considered the norm back then, maybe I would have owned slaves. I am not as ignorant now and I can honestly say there is a possibility I might have. This is a big step for me to see the issue from an entirely different perspective and be able to even entertain the idea.
Virtue
Faith- To have faith and believe that God is real and that He loves me. Also, to have faith that Jesus Christ died for my sins and I can be saved and redeemed through Him.
Hope- Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises. Hope is also optimism and enthusiasm in working through hard times.
Charity – Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the kind of love He had for everyone.
Virtue- Virtue begins with our inner thoughts and desires. Those thoughts and desires become our behaviors, which become our habits, which mold and shape our character.
Knowledge- There is the saying, “you can’t take it with you.” This is true but we do get to take our knowledge with us. It is important to gain all the secular and spiritual knowledge we can.
Patience- Patience is the capacity to endure trouble and opposition without anger or frustration. It is also accepting God will for me in my life.
Humility- Being wiling to submit to the will of God and honor Him in all things. Humility is not weakness it is a sign of strength.
Diligence- To be diligent one needs to be consistent earnest and energetic in living your life the way God wants you to.
Obedience- Follow all of Gods’ commandments and obey the laws of the land as well.
Patience is a Virtue
I choose the virtue patience. Patience is the capacity to endure trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated or anxious. It is the ability to accept God’s will and accept His timing. When one is patient they are able to hold up under inner pressure and face adversity calmly and with hope. It is necessary to have patience in everyday experiences and relationships. It is important to be patient with all people, including self, while working to overcome faults and weaknesses.
I have anger management problems. These issues stem from feeling unloved and ignored when I was growing up. I acted out to get attention from my parents and it worked. Somewhere along the way subconsciously I decided that I never wanted to be weak and anger was powerful so my anger served two purposes. One purpose it served was that I got attention from others and the other purpose was that my anger made me feel powerful instead of vulnerable and weak. In my life, anger is the opposite of patience. My anger is closely related to my impatience toward others and myself.
As I work on my anger problems I see my patience growing. My father is a wonderful example of a patient person. I have always wondered how I could be raised by him and not pick up any of it from him. I want to be a better person and I want to be the best mom possible. In order to achieve this I hope by working through my anger I will find more patience. I chose this virtue because it is the one I need the most work on. It is the one I struggle with the most But I know that through God all things are possible and I can change myself from the inside out with His help.
I can cultivate this virtue by doing several different things. I have to recognize a need to change and admit that a change needs to happen in my life. I need to ask for help. We can only do so much on our own. I have asked for God’s help and I have asked for professional help from my therapist. Now I have been making a conscious effort each day to be aware of my actions and words. I take a few minutes each morning to review what I am working on and throughout the day as situations arise I use relaxation techniques to relieve stress and tension. Change is possible. Just like Pavlov classically conditioned his dog I can retrain myself be react differently to certain stimuli, such as irritating or anger provoking situations.
I am in control of me. My thoughts, actions and words are choices I make. God has given me the ability to choose the person I want to be. I am thankful for opportunities to learn, grow and to lean on Him for help and guidance.
“Patience is a virtue possess it if you can. It’s seldom found in women but never in a man!” – My best friend Lisa’s favorite saying
Hope- Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises. Hope is also optimism and enthusiasm in working through hard times.
Charity – Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the kind of love He had for everyone.
Virtue- Virtue begins with our inner thoughts and desires. Those thoughts and desires become our behaviors, which become our habits, which mold and shape our character.
Knowledge- There is the saying, “you can’t take it with you.” This is true but we do get to take our knowledge with us. It is important to gain all the secular and spiritual knowledge we can.
Patience- Patience is the capacity to endure trouble and opposition without anger or frustration. It is also accepting God will for me in my life.
Humility- Being wiling to submit to the will of God and honor Him in all things. Humility is not weakness it is a sign of strength.
Diligence- To be diligent one needs to be consistent earnest and energetic in living your life the way God wants you to.
Obedience- Follow all of Gods’ commandments and obey the laws of the land as well.
Patience is a Virtue
I choose the virtue patience. Patience is the capacity to endure trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated or anxious. It is the ability to accept God’s will and accept His timing. When one is patient they are able to hold up under inner pressure and face adversity calmly and with hope. It is necessary to have patience in everyday experiences and relationships. It is important to be patient with all people, including self, while working to overcome faults and weaknesses.
I have anger management problems. These issues stem from feeling unloved and ignored when I was growing up. I acted out to get attention from my parents and it worked. Somewhere along the way subconsciously I decided that I never wanted to be weak and anger was powerful so my anger served two purposes. One purpose it served was that I got attention from others and the other purpose was that my anger made me feel powerful instead of vulnerable and weak. In my life, anger is the opposite of patience. My anger is closely related to my impatience toward others and myself.
As I work on my anger problems I see my patience growing. My father is a wonderful example of a patient person. I have always wondered how I could be raised by him and not pick up any of it from him. I want to be a better person and I want to be the best mom possible. In order to achieve this I hope by working through my anger I will find more patience. I chose this virtue because it is the one I need the most work on. It is the one I struggle with the most But I know that through God all things are possible and I can change myself from the inside out with His help.
I can cultivate this virtue by doing several different things. I have to recognize a need to change and admit that a change needs to happen in my life. I need to ask for help. We can only do so much on our own. I have asked for God’s help and I have asked for professional help from my therapist. Now I have been making a conscious effort each day to be aware of my actions and words. I take a few minutes each morning to review what I am working on and throughout the day as situations arise I use relaxation techniques to relieve stress and tension. Change is possible. Just like Pavlov classically conditioned his dog I can retrain myself be react differently to certain stimuli, such as irritating or anger provoking situations.
I am in control of me. My thoughts, actions and words are choices I make. God has given me the ability to choose the person I want to be. I am thankful for opportunities to learn, grow and to lean on Him for help and guidance.
“Patience is a virtue possess it if you can. It’s seldom found in women but never in a man!” – My best friend Lisa’s favorite saying
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Extra Credit:James River Park Slave Trail
James River Park Slave TrailI wanted extra so I decided to walk the slave trail. I never knew how much it would impact me.
The area of the Manchester docks and slave trail shaped the history and culture of Richmond. The docks, five railroads, and several dirt highways all came together in this location and made the transport, trade and commerce of these humans possible. According to one of the historical markers Richmond was the largest exporter of human beings in the nation for over 40 years.
*Note to the class the first part of the trail is really bumpy and all covered over with leaves and such. To say the least, it was difficult to push the stroller through!
I started off walking down the path. The weather has been really beautiful lately and this day was no exception. I was enjoying being outside and I was enjoying the sunshine. The path winds along the river side and the view is breathtaking. Then my thoughts turned to the reason why I was walking this path. I tried to picture myself as one of the slaves just recently let off the slave ship tired, sick, starving and probably terrified. To have been ripped from my home and family and then endured the journey across the ocean is a miracle in itself. But now to be walking into the unknown, to have no idea what was next and not realizing the nightmare had only just begun.
Another marker said that the slaves were chained at the neck and legs and marched at night to avoid offending citizens with their oozing sores, filth and stench from the ships. I imagined the pain and agony they must have been in. The walk turned somber for me. It seemed like I could feel the horror of the thousands of souls that traveled that path. I swear I could almost hear the whisper of their cries in the wind. It was a sublime moment for me to travel that same path and try to empathize with this atrocity of the past. I am so glad I decided to do this. I would recommend it to all of the class. It was kind of similar to my experience going to the holocaust museum. It was really sad and hard to do but I feel like I connected with the past and I have a better understanding of what the slaves went through.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Week 11: Revision... really rough draft
Incorporation of learning objectives and grading rubric.
1.Enrolling in Early American Literature was exciting because I love to read. However, when I brought the books home and started skimming through them, I was really disappointed. I was sure this class would be dreadful, long, boring and tedious. I am so glad I was wrong. The set up of Dr. Brandon’s class is very conducive to reading, understanding and applying the literature in a fun and creative way. If the class was not set up in small committees and if we did not read and then write about the literature this class would have been agonizing and over whelming. Early American Literature has assisted in developing my communication skills.
I never knew reading literature could be SO different from novels. Developing the ability to read and comprehend the literature in this class has been my greatest accomplishment this semester. It has been vital to slow down when I am reading and take more time to analyze and understand. I realize I have to allow time to read and think and reread. The technique that works best for me is when I read the writing prompt first so I have some idea of what I should be looking for in the reading. While I am reading I take quotes that will fit in with what I want to write about and my essays start to form and take shape.
The last part of understanding the information I have read is writing about it. I have found when I address my classmates my writing is more informal and when I am writing an essay my voice is much more formal but still inviting for everyone to read. Although I do love to read, I have never had much exposure to transcendentalists and romantics. I had heard of Emerson, Thoreau and Poe but never laid eyes on their work. “Men are like plants; the goodness and flavour of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment” (de Crevecoeur, 56). I would add we are nothing but what we derive from the knowledge we acquire and apply in our lives. This process has allowed me to take what I read and change myself and my life because of it.
2.I have developed my critical thinking skills.
3.Literature has a profound impact on our culture and on our society. There are two levels to this impact. The first is on the individual. Once I have read these works I am changed because of it. I can’t continue on as the same person as I was before. As Dr. Brandon has told us, “Romanticism as a movement placed a tremendous value on the worth of the individual person and their ability to feel greatly, to imagine, and to sympathize. Romanticism was pivotal in providing Americans with an intellectual and artistic tradition.”
The second is on our culture. Whether intended or not these authors helped to shape the United States and to mold our culture into what we enjoy today. When reading de Crevecoeur for the first time I was shocked that one essay could be so lengthy. The authors that produced these literary works were from a different society, a whole different world, then we live in now. It was pointed out to me that this was before television; this was before all of the modern technological distractions we have today. The world was more unstable and uncertain in an entirely different way. There were more unknowns, there was more that was changing and they had more time to ponder on these issues. There is a strong interdependence of social, economic and cultural systems across the world.
4. If I didn’t know where to find the information I was seeking then the learning process would be stopped. Over this semester I have developed my information literacy. Even though specific page numbers and hyperlinks are provided to the weekly material, there are more skills needed to complete the assignments. The essays and speeches are quite lengthy. *Based on the information given to me by Dr. Brandon I have been able to analyze the texts and decide what is applicable for me and pertinent to my life. That could be whether it’s something I relate to or something I know I can improve on. *I have been able to use this information effectively to communicate on a personal level and also as a member of a group.
5. I have learned how to apply the readings in my life. Before the class started I thought I would be a passive participant and a lot of parroting would take place. “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). This was my biggest moment in this class. Emerson hit me like a ton of bricks and opened my eyes. I thought of myself as a great student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness. *I have developed personally throughout this course. Physically and emotionally I have matured and changed. These works have had a tremendous impact on me. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) I knew exactly that Thoreau was saying when he wrote that. It echoed the path I have been on for the last few years of my life. I enjoy learning and although, at times, the words of these great authors are very difficult to understand, they excite me. They inspire me to higher thinking and more fulfilled living. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). If each individual lived true to the independence of solitude it would completely change society as a whole. I believe that no one person can change the world but if each individual changes then those changes can affect the whole world. Sometimes when I am out in the world I feel like a treasonous imitation of myself. I don’t know why I find it so hard to maintain that independence. I have enhance the knowledge, skills, and understanding to make informed academic, social, personal, career, and interpersonal decisions.
Wikipedia says that the term sublime especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation. Poe focused on terror and horror when feeling the sublime. Dr. Brandon also shared that the sublime can be elation or joy. The reason behind the search for these moments is that at no other time do we feel more alive. Sometimes life can feel like dream. The day to day monotony can drag and feel hauntingly repetitive. These moments snap us awake from our sleep walking. They are so intense and raw with extreme emotion there is no doubt that we are alive.
I will argue for an A. At this point it would be an A-. I enjoy writing very much and I think I am quite exceptional at it. I love words and because of my love for theatre I have quite a dramatic flair. I know that I can improve on the promptness of my writing assignments. My sublime moment I wrote about temporarily blinded me to my real life responsibilities. I have refocused and prioritized so I am back on track. The quality of my writing is well above average and the quantity is always exact to the specification of the weekly assignments page. The only other thing I need to do is continue to incorporate my readings into my writings like I did at the beginning of the semester.
*I still need to include the items from the grading rubric
1.Enrolling in Early American Literature was exciting because I love to read. However, when I brought the books home and started skimming through them, I was really disappointed. I was sure this class would be dreadful, long, boring and tedious. I am so glad I was wrong. The set up of Dr. Brandon’s class is very conducive to reading, understanding and applying the literature in a fun and creative way. If the class was not set up in small committees and if we did not read and then write about the literature this class would have been agonizing and over whelming. Early American Literature has assisted in developing my communication skills.
I never knew reading literature could be SO different from novels. Developing the ability to read and comprehend the literature in this class has been my greatest accomplishment this semester. It has been vital to slow down when I am reading and take more time to analyze and understand. I realize I have to allow time to read and think and reread. The technique that works best for me is when I read the writing prompt first so I have some idea of what I should be looking for in the reading. While I am reading I take quotes that will fit in with what I want to write about and my essays start to form and take shape.
The last part of understanding the information I have read is writing about it. I have found when I address my classmates my writing is more informal and when I am writing an essay my voice is much more formal but still inviting for everyone to read. Although I do love to read, I have never had much exposure to transcendentalists and romantics. I had heard of Emerson, Thoreau and Poe but never laid eyes on their work. “Men are like plants; the goodness and flavour of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment” (de Crevecoeur, 56). I would add we are nothing but what we derive from the knowledge we acquire and apply in our lives. This process has allowed me to take what I read and change myself and my life because of it.
2.I have developed my critical thinking skills.
3.Literature has a profound impact on our culture and on our society. There are two levels to this impact. The first is on the individual. Once I have read these works I am changed because of it. I can’t continue on as the same person as I was before. As Dr. Brandon has told us, “Romanticism as a movement placed a tremendous value on the worth of the individual person and their ability to feel greatly, to imagine, and to sympathize. Romanticism was pivotal in providing Americans with an intellectual and artistic tradition.”
The second is on our culture. Whether intended or not these authors helped to shape the United States and to mold our culture into what we enjoy today. When reading de Crevecoeur for the first time I was shocked that one essay could be so lengthy. The authors that produced these literary works were from a different society, a whole different world, then we live in now. It was pointed out to me that this was before television; this was before all of the modern technological distractions we have today. The world was more unstable and uncertain in an entirely different way. There were more unknowns, there was more that was changing and they had more time to ponder on these issues. There is a strong interdependence of social, economic and cultural systems across the world.
4. If I didn’t know where to find the information I was seeking then the learning process would be stopped. Over this semester I have developed my information literacy. Even though specific page numbers and hyperlinks are provided to the weekly material, there are more skills needed to complete the assignments. The essays and speeches are quite lengthy. *Based on the information given to me by Dr. Brandon I have been able to analyze the texts and decide what is applicable for me and pertinent to my life. That could be whether it’s something I relate to or something I know I can improve on. *I have been able to use this information effectively to communicate on a personal level and also as a member of a group.
5. I have learned how to apply the readings in my life. Before the class started I thought I would be a passive participant and a lot of parroting would take place. “In the right state, he is, Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker, or, still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking” (Emerson). This was my biggest moment in this class. Emerson hit me like a ton of bricks and opened my eyes. I thought of myself as a great student. I never thought of myself as a scholar. Now, I don’t know if I could even be called that. I have been parroting back information to try and earn high grades but I haven’t really been learning anything. I definitely haven’t been using the things I learn to spark unique and individual thought. I am ashamed of myself. I know I am capable of more than I have been doing. I was proud of my accomplishments so far but now the bar has been set higher. I want more out of my education and Emerson has opened that door to my personal greatness. *I have developed personally throughout this course. Physically and emotionally I have matured and changed. These works have had a tremendous impact on me. “To be awake is to be alive. I came to die only to discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep; to suck all the marrow out of life.” (Thoreau) I knew exactly that Thoreau was saying when he wrote that. It echoed the path I have been on for the last few years of my life. I enjoy learning and although, at times, the words of these great authors are very difficult to understand, they excite me. They inspire me to higher thinking and more fulfilled living. “It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson). If each individual lived true to the independence of solitude it would completely change society as a whole. I believe that no one person can change the world but if each individual changes then those changes can affect the whole world. Sometimes when I am out in the world I feel like a treasonous imitation of myself. I don’t know why I find it so hard to maintain that independence. I have enhance the knowledge, skills, and understanding to make informed academic, social, personal, career, and interpersonal decisions.
Wikipedia says that the term sublime especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation. Poe focused on terror and horror when feeling the sublime. Dr. Brandon also shared that the sublime can be elation or joy. The reason behind the search for these moments is that at no other time do we feel more alive. Sometimes life can feel like dream. The day to day monotony can drag and feel hauntingly repetitive. These moments snap us awake from our sleep walking. They are so intense and raw with extreme emotion there is no doubt that we are alive.
I will argue for an A. At this point it would be an A-. I enjoy writing very much and I think I am quite exceptional at it. I love words and because of my love for theatre I have quite a dramatic flair. I know that I can improve on the promptness of my writing assignments. My sublime moment I wrote about temporarily blinded me to my real life responsibilities. I have refocused and prioritized so I am back on track. The quality of my writing is well above average and the quantity is always exact to the specification of the weekly assignments page. The only other thing I need to do is continue to incorporate my readings into my writings like I did at the beginning of the semester.
*I still need to include the items from the grading rubric
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