"The rest of the pretty sitting-room--looking into the orchard, and all covered over with dancing tree shadows--was filled with books. They lay on the ground, they covered the walls, they strewed the table. He was evidently half ashamed and half proud of his extravagance in this respect. 

They were of all kinds, --poetry, and wild weird tales prevailing. He evidently chose books in accordance with his own tastes, not because such and such were classical or established favorites. 'Ah!' he said, 'we farmers ought not to have much time for reading; yet somehow one can't help it.' " ~Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford

"If our identity is in our work, rather than Christ,

 success will go to our heads, and failure will go to our hearts." 

~ Timothy Keller

interesting links

an observant sixth grader and an easy way to save a huge amount of money

ballet dancers, photography, and creating relevant, relate-able art

an article that actually made me laugh out loud (babysitter problems)

I've been to Shakespeare and Company and I didn't know about this at all, it's pretty cool though :)

Novels I have read thus far in my class The English Novel

(i.e. the headings I create for my notes while I'm waiting to hear something important enough to write down because I'm terrible at just sitting still and listening which I am now uploading to my blog because I have lost all ability to focus on studying for my midterm which is clearly solved by taking pictures of the least important part of each page of my notes)

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

~ C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Dear Winter.
Please meet your death. 
In all sincerity, 
Rachel

I am so incredibly thankful to have this guy (gentleman, actually) in my life :) :) :) 

Thank you Lord for his steadfast devotion to You and thank you Lord for how thoughtfully he cares for the people in his life :) 

Sarah Lamb :) :)
and the challenges of lead roles . . .

Then Moses said to God, 

“If I come to the people of Israel and say to them,

 ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ 

and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’

 what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, 

“I am who I am.” 

And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, 

‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel,

 ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 

and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ 

This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered 

throughout all generations.

~Exodus 3:13-15

This made me smile :)
The staged "reading" people are really awkward.
Whoever put together the section that started around 1:52 was probably OCD or at least really likes sorting things by color and shade. Maybe each section is sorted by some category (e.g. author's name, genre, etc.) and it's just that only the color section is distinguishable on the film . . . or maybe not. Okay, I'll stop now.

The opening statements of this video certainly have a bit of an evolutionary worldview with which I would disagree, but the message is powerful.

The end is rather abrupt. And, doesn't reach a conclusion.

So, I'll just supply my own brief (and therefore far from comprehensive) conclusion.

There is beauty in community, but that beauty is much more true when the community is founded in a perfect standard and a perfect love and the desire to know that Love more deeply. It's not about personal promotion. It's about pursing Perfection in all of His glory. Conformity is not community.

"Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever." ~Jonathan Edwards

interesting links

Cinemagraphs are fascinating :) I especially like the taxi cab reflected in the window :)

How do you use your utensils? I particularly like the first one, surprising, I know :P

generation and culture displayed through attire

"Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 'Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you

throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, 

to be God to you and to your offspring after you.' " 

~Genesis 17:3-7

"The power of the gospel comes in two movements. It first says, 

'I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe,' 

but then quickly follows with, 

'I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope.' "

 ~Timothy Keller

interesting links

Olympians, frame by frame

The time it takes to steep a tea bag

Music that I never want to hear again (#techproblems)

truth

another beautiful ballerina

Joanna Schmidt