A Walk With The Clouds

I went on an afternoon stroll about an hour ago. I was a little unsure because it looked like it was going to rain but as I walked it actually seemed to get brighter and the sun came out behind the clouds. I was actually most intrigued by the sky. The gray clouds were so dark yet so beautiful. It reminded me of my life in a way. There are times, especially during school when stress becomes too much and the amount of homework is overbearing. My life becomes a giant black cloud reading to burst with tears as it seems like I can’t possibly go on. But then…a ray of sunshine breaks through and there is a spark of hope. God seems to pull away my troubles and shine his light and warmth in on me. Gradually, as I take hold of his warmth and his love my clouds and stress begin to part and blue sky appears. The funny thing about my walk is the sky did just that. As I walked on, the sun came out and blue sky appeared. It was so beautiful as the trees became a silhouette in the sun’s shadow.

I then listened to the wind as it whispered through the trees and shook the branches. It was a peaceful kind of sound…and then …a song filled the air. You could hear the notes as they fluttered through the sky and I wondered; what is it like to be a bird? What is it like to be able to have the most beautiful view in the world? What is it like to be able to go up high and look down to see just how small we truly are?


I walked on wondering until I came to a sign that told me if I were to go straight it would be a DEAD END. That of course got me thinking all over about life. Life is a journey; it is a road we must walk. Sometimes, there are dead ends which we choose to ignore and it is not until we reach the very end and we are stuck that we realize we were wrong and must turn around and start again. Other times, we are walking and when we look straight ahead it looks like there is no end. It is just a long road full of twists and turns and we never know what we will see behind the next corner.

As I walked over the hills and around the turns I could start to feel my feet and legs getting tired but I knew that I was almost home so I kept on chuggin. Maybe that’s all the hope we need. Whether it is God shining through our darkness or knowing that every day brings us one step closer to our home in eternity. We can always count on Him being right here with us every step of the way, and without that comfort, without that hope, all there is is never ending roads and dead ends that are clouded over with gray.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

In this poem, the prose meaning is about a man who is on a “little horse” (5) going through the woods that are covered in snow. He is on a journey, to and where we do not know but he does stop to ask himself if he is lost, “to ask if there is some mistake” (10). He knows he cannot stop but most make it to his destination so he continues by giving “his harness bells a shake” (11). He finds the woods “lovely, dark and deep” (13) as he continues his journey so we know he is encouraged to move on and must make it to his destination because he tells himself he has “miles to go before [he] sleep[s]” revealing that he will not give up on his long journey (15, 16).

The total meaning of this poem is all about the journey of life. When the woods are called “lovely, dark and deep” they not only are referring to the beauty of nature but it is also describing life itself (13). Furthermore, when the man “stop[s] without a farmhouse near” it can reflect how he may feel alone in life and surrounded by “frozen lake[s]” and “the darkest evening[s]” (6,7-8). The cold icy lakes and darkness can be the obstacles and challenges of life that the man must pass. He may be asking himself why he is facing these hardships or “if there is some mistake” (10). However, the man tells himself, “I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep” (14-15). He recognizes the responsibilities and other obligations in life he must fulfill so he cannot just give up. He can also be viewed as being torn between the beauty of nature (being in the woods and snow) and the duties and tasks of life. Either way, he must go on through the “miles” of life and continue its long journey before he gives up and “sleeps”.

To me, this poem is symbolic of my life. As the years pass there are many times I must get through the lonely snow covered woods in order to get to where I want to be. When I’m hurting or frustrated I ask myself why this happening is, there must be some mistake. The stress and business of high school and college prep are the “frozen lakes” and empty farmhouses that I must pass. In the chaos I can sometimes forget the road that I’m on and it is the beauty in nature such as the snow covered trees or breathtaking sunrise that bring me back to the peace and love in Christ and his creation. I am then reminded of the miles before me filled with promise and hope. I realize that I can get through the dark woods and resist the “sleep” of giving up and quitting. There is so much God had planned for me and I know he has a special purpose for me so I will pick up the reins again and give the “harness bells a shake” and allow Him to guide me through life to me destination (9).

Analysis of Miracle Ice Cream

Miracle's truck comes down the little avenue,
Scott Joplin ragtime strewn behind it like pearls,
and, yes, you can feel happy
with one piece of your heart.

Take what's still given: in a room's rich shadow
a woman's breasts swinging lightly as she bends.
Early now the pearl of dusk dissolves.
Late, you sit weighing the evening news,
fast-food miracles, ghostly revolutions,
the rest of your heart.

The idea of music as it "strewn[s]" behind a truck contributes to the last line where there is only "one piece of the heart". Just like the heart is not yet complete neither is the music as it is scattered like pearls. Pearls are symbols of beauty and purity and are usually strung together with several. However, even if a pearl is alone it is still beautiful; and if the heart is only half a heart it can still "feel happy". Ultimately, the reader sees that although the author only uses parts of objects there is still a positive and uplifting meaning.
Moreover, the poem uses contradicting words to produce a mellow and light hearted tone. For instance, "rich shadow" and "pearl of dusk" are not usually described within each other. Rich is associated with prosperity and abundance where as shadow can be associated with darkness and gloom. In addition, a pearl is bright and gorgeous where as dusk is fading in light and dull. When rich and pearl are therefore used before the darker, less joyous words the meaning is not as negative.
Furthermore, a "woman's breasts" are usually associated with comfort and security for a young child and the fact that they are described as "swinging lightly" conveys a gentle a soft motion. The miracles of ice cream are also compared to "fast food". This portrays how some of the simplest things in life can bring someone joy and peace. "Ghostly revolutions" also shows how eerie and unpleasant things can be changed and fixed with the simple pleasures of ice cream. In the end, after the ice cream has been found, you find "the rest of your heart", the pieces are put back together and the problems washed away. In conclusion, through the uplifting and positive connotations and imagery the poem displays a soft and light hearted tone.

Who I am

According to the Myers-Briggs Test I am... a ISFJ
11% Introverted
1% Sensing
75% Felling
78% Judging


An ISFJ is a person who likes to serve others. They like to feel needed and loved but do not like "give-and-take" relationships.The older the friendship, the more SIFJ's value it. In the work place and friendships you can count on them to be loyal and hardworking. They know that the work that they do is good but they do not like to praise themselves and they won't turn a person down if they ask for help or assistance. As a result, they are often taken advantage of. Although they are loyal to their job and it is very important to them to get it done and do it right, their family is first and the center of their life.
Some careers for ISFJ's are: teaching, social work, nursing, medicine, clerical and secretarial work.
I agree with almost everything Myers-Briggs said I was!! I love to help and serve others and it is so hard for me to turn someone away or say no. I love to work hard and do the job right. My closest and longest friends are the ones' I want to be in my life forever and the ones' I would do anything for. I treasure our relationships and know i can count on them for anything. I am also a person who likes to feel needed and loved. However, I will not get into a relationship with someone if I know their whole heart isn't in it or they don't treat me the way I know i should be. When i let someone into my heart it's genuine and it's important to me. I don't want a relationship that's only going to last a few months. I'm slow and careful to open my heart to someone because I don't want to be hurt. I fall for the person who i know could be there for me forever. However, the test said that i was the type of person that you couldn't count on to jump in after a friend if they were in a fight. For me, I would. I would be right in there defending my friend and trying to break up the fight if it were physical; and if it was verbal, i would be there to back them up (but not egging it on). Lastly, I have always had a passion to be a nurse. So to see that ISFJ's would do well in nursing really makes me happy :)

Crime and Punishment Thought Piece #1

In the novel, Crime and Punishment, the author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, uses Raskolnikov’s erratic behavior and careless attitude towards others to demonstrate his isolation from society. For example, in part three, chapter two, when Razumikin goes to visit Dunya and her mother Pulcheria, he describes Raskolnikov as “a morose sort of chap- gloomy, stand-offish and proud; recently (and for all I know not so recently, as well) he’s been over-anxious, with a tendency to hypochondria. But sometimes it’s not hypochondria at all that he’s suffering from, he’s simply cold and unfeeling to the point of inhumanity, it’s really just as though there were two opposing characters alternating within him…He doesn’t listen to what people say to him. He’s never interested in what everyone else is interested in at any given moment.” (256-257). Raskolnikov, even before his crime had been a man of pride and arrogance. He saw himself as superior over others and it was this haughtiness which led him to commit murder.

After Raskolnikov thoughtless murdering of the old woman and her sister he only alienates himself more from society as he becomes delirious with guilt and the decision to turn himself in. Moreover, it is his guilty conscience and inability to relate with others which causes Raskolnikov to push away his friends and family. He is fighting a battle within himself, causing there to be a sense of two characters. There is the side that tells him he needs to confess his felony and accept his punishment and then there is the side that tells him that no one will find out, no one saw him and there is no evidence to prove him guilty. Raskolnikov’s incapability to choose which side is the right one causes him to become crazy and bipolar towards the other characters.

Through Raskolnikov’s confusion and illness, the author portrays what goes through the mind of a guilty conscience. The torment and the pain seem to be more of a punishment than the consequence of omitting the act. It is our prideful behavior and sinful actions which can cause us to pull ourselves away from society and to be alone. People must choose what is right and wrong everyday and it is our decision alone which will affect the rest of our lives. Sometimes the hardest things in life are the right things but we don’t want to face or except it and in the end we see the overall picture and how things could have been better if we had just chosen to take what looked like the hard road. Trials and tribulations are what make a man stronger. Once he gets past the bump he knows he can do it again and face the next challenge. However, if we don’t admit our pride and continue to feed sinful thoughts we will inevitably do something harmful and face the guilt with uncertainty which pulls ourselves away from the ones we love and the world itself.

Test Blog

Lunch with the girls after the 1st football game :)