Sonny's Blues

At first glance of reading this story I was really interested, based on how the author kind of sold this mystery of who Sonny was. It was as though the first page was a long hook and kind of teased the reader to who this man was or relation he had with the writer, at the moment the writer stated it was their brother the anxiety died and your interest level of what this story is really about begins to climax. As I read more and more I begin to really find the way the writer wrote and described the emotion that was felt by his abandonment of his brother and the emotions felt about him hearing that he was in jail for heroin. At that moment I begin to really fall in love with the story line because this type of plot is very similar to where I am from and what goes on in my neighborhood. Every other day I would always find out about friends that I grew up with since I was small was doing serious time for either drug usage, credit card scams, and gang related violence. I begin to really feel where the writer was coming from. So I began to really put myself in the story. What I found out to be very interesting is that he hasn’t had any type of communication from his brother for about a year, and the only way he even found out about his brothers situation and where abouts is from a the newspaper. Now I could only imagine how a person would feel about finding out that a close sibling was found arrested for drugs and not finding out from a relative but on the morning paper, is crazy. But the point of the story that I found to be very shocking was when the two brothers begin to dialogue through the letter. I had never thought about writing a letter to even my closest friends that got caught up, I always thought they were to embarrassed and wanted to be left alone.   

The Graveyard experience

During the reading I really found it very interesting to read when C.S Lewis began to talk about biblical suffering and the relation it had to the situation he was facing. Lewis made some very good points that many Christians have not thought about it. Lewis says that Christianity is promised with a life of suffering that we so willingly say yes to. He goes on to say that he hadn’t received anything that he hasn’t bargained for. This made me think about suffering and how zealous we could be about it, and how many sermons we could preach from it, and how many scripture we could recite about it but when it happens to you, an imagination just became a reality that you were not truly looking for or wanted. And I feel that a lot of Christians including myself are in for a rude awakening!! Also the visit to the cemetery was such an eye opening experience. I went with Tiffany and Sianna and what made this experience such an eye opener was the conversation we all engaged on when it came down to the realization that life does come to an end. The visit was great but the conversation we began to engage in about literature and life was so amazing, I learned so much from these girls that I would of never knew in a class that meets up twice a week. We actually didn’t side track to other conversations which I expected but we stayed on topic there and even on our way back to campus, which was cool. I think that this class and these many learning ventures are very beneficial to me and my future in ministry. Professor Corrigan was kind of weird at first but there is a reason behind his madness, if you keep an open mind…lol… I can honestly say I thought my religious professors and classes would speak into me but this one class has impacted me more than any religion course I took this whole semester.  

A Grief Observed

At the beginning of me reading this I was a little confused, at the narration. But as I began to read the story began to unfold. As it unfolded each line I began to read was deeper and deeper. It was as though someone was in my room reading me their experience of losing someone.  As I began to read I could just picture someone sitting down and telling me their experience with losing a loved one love one and how it spiritual affected him/her. As I read the lines of the story and the narrator spoke about how they felt that God is not present in our time of trouble but in prosperity. I really picture myself counseling this person to the hope and love of Christ and how He is our present help in trouble. I guess I really got into the story and really began to put myself in the situation, I engaged each line as though I was talking to a friend about grief and the lost of someone. This article sort of reminded to the story of Joel only because of the mood of depression it really set. But in Joel later there was a sense of hope that was birth through all that grief and pain which was exploited in the beginning of this passage of reading. Another portion of the story I found kind of interesting was the description of “H” it kind of made me interested into to knowing more about that character and little bit more about the authors relationship with her, even though he did describe some a little bit about it I wanted more, because it would have gave me a little more depth about their relationship. But I did enjoy the story because it brought a sense of personable emotions and questions that do come into the minds of people who have grieved over a lost one.

Joel "Image"

During my reading of Joel I couldn’t help but to see continuous vivid images in my head during my reading.  It is as though the whole purpose of this passage of the bible was meant to paint an image in the readers mind. I couldn’t tell you how many times I seen flying locust in my head eating up the land, and leaving crops for dead. While reading this whole passage it sort of played a dark and image of despair during the beginning I couldn’t help but to continue to see darkness and the reading even played with my emotion I begin to really get into the story. One of the many lines that definitely really painted a picture was “ The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness”. When I read this line I just pictured a very cold and dark world. Just imagine the sun and moon and stars lose their shine for just a night. Not only will chaos break out but also anything that depends on the sunlight would perish. But the whole passage is just dark and gloomy it does paint a picture of hope towards the end that I really loved reading. I even posted that same line on the blog before    

And the hills will flow with milk,

And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water;

And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD

To water the valley of Shittim.

This line painted such a picture of glory, provision and hope to me. It was as though God was saying despite all the chaos and darkness there is still hope for me people, and I will give them more and provide for them more then they ever pictured or imagine. This  really spoke to my own life because no matter how dark the situation might be, there is still light in Christ

Joel

Well reading Joel I had to really continue to read to find anything beautiful in this passage of scripture. In the beginning of this scripture you really see the wrath of God being poured out on those who rebelled against His will. Knowing that we were reading one of the books of the prophets I sort of expected this type of revelation, because prophets back then didn’t play at all so it wasn’t that much of a surprise reading some of the wrath that was going to be poured upon the people. But as I continue to read there is something I never noticed in the book of Joel which was some like a poem of promise to the people of God.

“And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim”

This Line is found toward the end of the book in Joel chapter 3. Now reading this and the other lines of promise this sort of showed a poetic side of God I only noticed in the Songs of Solomon never in another passage of reading. Reading these lines aloud sounded too beautiful to me this in something I wouldn’t mind stealing and saying to my future wife. These lines almost sound like a wedding vow to the church, it’s a promise of an unconditional love and blessing that will always follow the children of God if they continue to be faithful to His laws and commands. This showed me that even in the midst of destruction and evil God can still make beauty come from the wicked of things and situations and I’m one of those things God turned to something beauty though I was an instrument of wrath God turned it around and created something beautiful out of dust.

A Story about a Body

I’m going to be honest I never read a short story like that, that impacted in me in such a big way. A Story About the body was about one paragraph give or take but it had so much meaning. People might read this blog and think I’m buggin right now but I would have never thought some men were just the shallow in my opinion, some may disagree with me but I don’t feel like two breasts can change the way a woman could love a man. It’s not like he is going to be telling the two breasts I love you every night, and if he does then he sick. Its funny how in the beginning of this story he was so enthusiastically excited and emotional about being with this woman, even though she might have been older than him, he seemed very much into her, he compared her art work to her body and how she moved so here it shows his deep interest in her. But when the truth was revealed it is as though those feeling just went away faster than a blink in the eye; and I commend the woman’s honesty because many people wouldn’t be that straight forward as she was, and given the man also even though I felt that was a shallow move. It also made me think that when the writer poses the question that “he thinks he is in love with her” right here we could answer that question later in the short story and that is no. It seemed to just be a lust thing and no love at all because love doesn’t leave because of physical handicaps but love, loves despite all of those physical mishaps. This dude got a lot of growing up to do, and he just made the rest of us just look real bad. But in all honest this is my favorite  short story we read in this class.

Special Post

So it was the first time that I was going to hear and meet my most favorite preacher and pastor for my first time, I been anticipating this day for months now. Bishop Jones was finally going to be preaching in my hometown in Miami, I been following his preaching tour for the past months and someone gave me a free ticket to hear him speak and to have free lunch with him. Bishop Jones was known to be one of the best and anointed speakers in America. I looked up to him so much he had so much eloquence and modeled such a godly and holy lifestyle to many people who liked hearing him. The moment and day finally came where I was heading to the church he would be speaking at; I put on my best three piece suit, it had a multi style of brown and black patterns all over it. It had a brown seam along the pants that complemented my brown dress shoes; I also wore a three button black and brown vest that brought out the lines along the jacket. I put on my best cologne on which was the Unforgivable line from P.diddy, figuring that maybe the cologne would spark a mini conversation since he mentioned on an interview that was his favorite cologne. I even washed my car because if I was going to look and smell like a million bucks it’s only appropriate to pull up like one. So as I was pulling up my heart began to race in excitement to finally see Bishop Jones speak live for the first time, and got out to lunch with him. As I was lead to my seat by the usher the worship leaders made their way up to begin worship. After 45 minutes of worship and a couple announcements made by members of the clergy finally Bishop Jones was being introduce while he was being introduce the whole crowd stood up and cheered like a crowd of people at a football stadium the pews rang with people’s applause and shouts of excitement all over the church. After Bishop Jones spoke I was lead to the back to meet him personally, I heard a little yelling from his dressing room but didn’t put too much thought about it, I guess the anxiety sort of ruled out my suspicious of who that might be. As I was let in his dressing room his armor bearers patted me down and allowed me in, I looked and their he stood with a smile on his face. He greeted me by name and asked for me to sit on his couch. I began to sweat in nervousness as he asked me to him little about myself. I began to tell him and he told me a little things about himself and ho he accepted the call to ministry, after 15 minutes his assistant brought in some food from a nearby restaurant so we could eat, and continue to talk, he seemed very nice and everything I imagine him to be, he was humbled and very practical, we spoke as though we knew each other for years. We laughed about different things and life situations all of a sudden I began to ask questions.

Me: Hey Bishop I heard rumors about money being stolen from a lot of the churches you oversee what you say about that

Jones: Ummm I have nothing to say about that you know people will always try to destroy God’s establishments with false accusations.

Me: But I also heard about you getting accused with buying expensive items such as cars, jewelry and electronics from you many ministries account.

Jones: Well the word does say you will get persecuted for the sake of Christ

Me: what do these accusations have to do with being persecuted for Christ?

Jones: well when you get successful in ministry people will always have something to say, it is as though just because you preach the word people and Christians expect you to live dirt poor like  them!

Me: (I notice a little irritation in his voice, but my curiosity got the best of me) So what about rumors of your flirty comments to the women in your congregation.

Jones: (silence)

Me: Or your wife giving you a certificate of divorce because of rumors of adultery being committed.

Jones: Why did you really come here? To accuse me?? Or judge me based on what you heard?

Me: No I came for truth, its hard defending you when media and the church is dismissing you as being a Man of God, sure you still have followers but for how long will they sit under you while all of this is still being circulating?

Jones: (clearing his throat) Listen ministry is full of dumb ignorant Christians that think they know what they are talking about but no one knows squat! What I do is between me and God and no one else.

Me: And Bishop what is it that you do?

Jones: As I said it’s between me and God!

Me: (Noticing his anger I paused) All I ask is one thing Bishop is all the rumors correct

(A silence haunted the room as I waited for his response, wanting to hear a no but believing deep down it was all true)

Me: Well Bishop is it true or not, tell me

(His assistant walked in as though it is right on cue)

Assistant: Jean sorry but Bishop has other engagements and meeting

Me: (At that moment I knew everything I heard was true, I looked over and seen his head hung over and my heart broke to know that my biggest inspiration had fallen and lied too many about his lifestyle)

He stood up and coldly shook my hand and walked out

Months after my encounter with the Bishop I was watching TBN and he was on it, I felt like changing the channel but something sparked me to watch, he took the mic and said

Jones: I have decided to step down from my position as Bishop

My mouth dropped and tears fell down my eyes as my superman hung up his cape.

Sanjeev

I think the character I had the most mix feelings about that I sort of like and didn’t was Sanjeev. I chose Sanjeev because, he sort of reminded me of myself. He seems kind of rigid and strict and sometimes that’s how I can be at times especially when it comes down to ministry. Sanjeev seems to have a very stern and serious personality, it is as though you can even breathe so much around him without you feeling a little subordinate to him, and he seemed very uptight.  Based on the description of the story he seemed as a short little man with a tan complexion. Sanjeev has a very strong educational background and very successful in his profession. Sanjeev was a thirty-three year old engineer, who graduated from MIT, so he was a very intellectual inclined young man, who also worked in an office which he was the supervisor of twelve others under him. This showed that Sanjeev had strong leadership and business mindset which maybe would of influence his uptight personality. Imagine a person graduating from one of the prestigious universities in America, with also a high grade point average, and a very sophisticated job, putting all those elements together you get an uptight, boring man named Sanjeev.LOL!! You really see this when Sanjeev is listening to his classical symphony, and sounding very intellectually sound by describing the many notes of the piece, all of a sudden you hear is his vibrant wife Twinkle shout out how boring that sort of music is. So hear that Twinkle is pretty much the opposite of Sanjeev which I think is a good thing. Great couples usually have good balance you can’t put to egg heads in a relationship or two loud eccentric people together. Opposites always attract but I think in this relationship it isn’t working out for their good. It sort of weird to see that a person like Sanjeev would pick a girl like Twinkle but I guess that type of choice could had only been arranged.