iCarli

Reflecting back on my trip abroad, one of the most impactful places we visited was Mars Hill. There were many sites on our trip that were historically significant, and I purposefully made sure that I soaked in the moment and cherished it. So when I stood on Mars Hill, I was able to stand there and realize how significant that moment was. I was able to gaze at the beautiful view that surrounded me on that mountain top and still look at where my feet stood. However, listening to Dr. Edwards give a lesson on Paul made everything seem surreal. I was in a beautiful and historic site, but also, in a place significant to my faith. Studying the life of Paul and being able to see his faith in action, made my faith grow as well. Faith is not what you see, but the sight of Mars Hill gave me encouragement in my faith.

The idea of Heaven is a comforting thing. Humans find comfort in thinking of the “next life” and thinking of a “good place.” A place where they are free from the troubles of this world and they can leave it all behind. However, Hell is seldomly thought about; it’s a scary thought and people choose to ignore the thought of it. The thought of an eternal place of punishment is not something that individuals enjoy to reflect on. People do not like to think of the repercussions of their actions. However, in the play No Exit, three individuals are faced with the consequences of their actions. The question is: what were their actions? Did they receive the just punishment? Someone can try as they might to deceive others, but can someone truly deceive himself?  What is self-deception? It is when an individual allows oneself to believe in something that is false to make them feel better. The characters in this play have all committed sins or wrongdoings that led them to where they ...

One thing constant in our lives is change. Sadly we have had so much change happening in the world during this time. For me, I was on my trip of a lifetime and suddenly, packed my bags to return home sooner than expected. I went from traveling all over Italy to quarantined in and RV in my parent's driveway. During the time we are in, many people have had their plans changed. One thing I have realized during this confusing time is how lucky I really am. Most of the time, we see our blessings as big vacations we get to take, our nice cars, or new phones. However, our blessings are found in the little things: hugging friends, going out to eat dinner, and sitting in a crowded church. My change of scenery is difficult, but I choose to focus on my changing of mindset and focus on counting my blessings. 

The Invisible Man  Standing in a crowded room and feeling all alone is one of the worst feelings. Imagine feeling that all of the time. The anonymous main character, the narrator, lives his life “underground.” He lives his life as an outsider who has no place where he belongs and nothing he can identify himself as. He sees himself as better than others, but is also terrified and intimidated by others. Although he is very contradictory, the one understandable trait he has is that he feels lost and misplaced. The only place he can be is on the outskirts or “underground.” The question is, did society put him underground, or did he put himself there?  Relationships are something that humans naturally crave. Having human interaction is necessary for survival. However, the underground man has no real relationships and has very twisted views of relationships. He has nothing truly real in his life, almost everything is in his head. For instance, there he had a small encounter w...

What do we find as encouraging? For me, I know that it is hearing people singing, or giving me encouraging words, but I also find encouragement in beauty. All the sights we have seen on the duration of this trip has been beautiful and I have been overwhelmed at times at the beautiful sights. However, one of the most beautiful sights was the paintings in the sistine chapel in Rome. I couldn't help but think about all the time and effort that went in to making a beautiful, intricate piece of art for all the world to see. Every painting had great meaning behind it. The paintings of the disciples, the judgement day, and the creation of man, each had a story behind it and a great meaning. I got to hear all the Bible stories while I was growing up, but seeing beautiful paintings of those scenes was indescribable. Yes, it is encouraging to see and hear the Biblical stories, but I was heart stuck to see the beautiful paintings of the famous scenes we've read about all these years. ...

Hulag is vulnerable just like this rest of us, she just handles it differently. For most people, they just want to fit in, and they are ashamed of what makes them stand out. However, Hulga seems to purposely try to stand out. She gets a degree that is uncommon in her hometown, she changed her name to the polar opposite of her real name, Joy, and she has an artificial leg. The artificial leg is not of her own doing, but everything else in her life is. She does not dress herself or take care of herself well, she changed her name to something unpleasant sounding, and she chose a degree that no one else in her life has knowledge of. At first glance, you would view Hulga as someone who does not care at all what others think of her, but deep down, she seeks love just as anyone does. She distances herself from others, but still craves affection, and she seems to be content in her own skin, but she is not. Hulga is far from simple.  Why does Hulga change her name? Her birth-given na...