The Old Farm

I rode my horse Chess over to the old farm by the airport. Earth moving equipment was there last week. I was afraid they were going to demolish everything before I got a chance to explore. Great news! The tractors are gone. There was some clearing of brush and stuff but all the buildings are still there. The barn has a lot of rooms, with various floor heights. I'm not sure if there is a reason for this (poop?). There was alot of exploring to do. I found an old cellar, too.

Dusk

The sun was slowly sinking into the sulking night,

The full moon and stars starting to show their light.

In the wild woods I watched with wonder,

Searching for that stealthy shadow I thought I’d seen.

Frothing and fretting my horse felt the ever-growing tension and froze,

Now I saw the shady silhouette against the smoldering Southern sky,

Another horse and rider, resting for a moment from the running.

My mount moved warily toward the mysterious mien,

Then the world was in a whirl,

As his thundering hooves tore from the woods to the turf.

The other rider spurred his steed, kicking up clouds,

The dizzy dust choking my already dim sense,

And the chase was on.

With the veil of darkness' breath bearing down upon us, we flew, flying faster and faster,

Then the flashing hooves flew away into the dust and darkness.

For it was in vain to pursue the dusk.

This is a poem I wrote for school while reading "Sir Gwain and the Green Knight". I like to ride at sunset. It seems I am constantly racing dusk. He wins every time, and I can count on him to be there every night to rub it in.

IS PERSISTENCE A VIRTUE?

Written for school.
To persist means to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of difficulties. Persistence is considered a virtue if exercised for righteous reasons and not selfish, evil reasons such as gaining excessive power or money. Persistence must have a righteous motive to be considered a good virtue.

For example, in the “Two Towers”, Frodo’s persistence was absolutely crucial in getting the ring to Mordor. His persistence is considered a virtue because he did so with a good heart, desiring to destroy evil. If Frodo hadn’t exercised this virtue, then the quest for the ring would have ended long before they reached Mordor. Sam’s persistence is also a good thing because he ever was trying to protect Frodo and his noble cause.

Gollum, on the other hand, shows us an example of evil persistence. His drive was purely self-oriented, greedy, and deceitful. Gollum’s extremely non-virtuous behavior nearly costs Sam and Frodo their lives. Gollum values his own selfish desires more than others’ lives. Boromier’s persistence to possess the ring ultimately cost him his life.

Our culture is constantly telling us to “follow our dreams”, and to do whatever it takes to accomplish them. To “just do it”. Often, it is not the persistence required to accomplish the dreams that is bad, but the dreams themselves. For instance, our culture is constantly pressing us that we need new phones, cars, or homes, and by doing this encourages discontentment. Being discontent and unhappy is certainly not virtuous. Rather, the things that we should persist for are to love God, be responsible for our family, help others, and things of that nature.

The Bible gives us some good, as well as bad examples of persistence. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit, and to keep alert with all perseverance. When God promises us something, we should persist in believing that promise with our whole being. Abraham however, became a little anxious. Instead of believing God’s promise that he would have a son, he tried to speed up the process by taking Hagar as his wife.

Persistence is considered a virtue if and only if it follows honest principles measured by God's Word. This ambition based merely on material things, power, or reputation is in no way helpful to a person; it will only lead to their downfall. When we are persistent, we should try to be so in a God-glorifying way, not a self-glorifying way.

WE'RE OPEN!

Valentine's Day didn't bring chocolate, cards, or flowers, but it did bring me friends and food. Yesterday was our "official" first day open. Several families came to celebrate with us. After 7 months of getting things ready, my parents and I are relieved, thankful, and not to mention tired. I hope to see you there soon!