Elise > Recent Status Updates

“Am I disgraced or dishonored? Is my good name taken away? Why, Jesus Christ had dishonor put upon him; he was called Beelzebub, and a Samaritan, and they said he had a devil in him. All the foul aspersions that could be, were cast upon Jesus Christ, and this was for me, that I might have the disgrace that is cast upon me sanctified to me.”

It is just the same with the men of the world: Oh such circumstances are bitter, and if I could have such and such a mercy added to this mercy, then it would be sweet; but even if God should put a spoonful or two of sugar in, it would still be bitter. The way to contentment is to purge out your lusts and bitter humors. James 4:1

“A Christian, who, in the constant tenor and temper of his heart, can carry himself quietly with constancy has learned this lesson of contentment. Otherwise his Christianity is worth nothing, for no one, however furious in his discontent, will not be quiet when he is in a good mood.”

The ocean is mirrored in the syntax of The Odyssey

Bartleby is me

“Paul stated that he possessed all things because he had a right to the covenant and promise, which virtually contains everything, and an interest in Christ, the fountain and good of all”

We get it, life is depressing and meaningless. Big whoop!

I’m low key offended that Fitzgerald had a heart attack in the middle of chapter 6. Very inconsiderate.

“Like many brilliant men, he had a grown-up, dead cold. Beginning at about twelve, probably, with the total rejection comment to those of extraordinary mental powers, ‘See here: this is all wrong – a mess – all a lie – and a sham—,’ he swept it all away, everything, as men of his type do…”

“ she didn’t read books so she didn’t know that she was the world and the heavens boiled down to a drop. Man attempting to climb to painless heights from his dung hill.”

Losing stamina. SOS

“Janie stood where he left her for unmeasured time and thought. She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her. Then she went inside there to see what it was. It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered.”

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer. Janie had no chance to know things, so she had to ask.”

“Have some sympathy for me. Put me down easy, Janie, I’m a cracked plate.” 🥲

Zora takes my breath away. “They, the men were saving with the mind what they lost with the eye.”

Now studying Philemon

Father Zosima narrates the time he was almost murdered. The story of God’s servant Mikhail was giving Raskolnikov.

Ivan has unloaded his thoughts on God and why He allows children to suffer. Big OOF!

The brothers are similar to their father - sensualists. At least that is what Misha insists. A hostile monk apprentice verbally attacks the youngest Karamazov.

We meet elder Zosima who pours out genuine truth of God before he tacks on legalism. Repent enough and this will save you is a paraphrased quote. Yikes!

Paul opposes the asceticism and hedonism that arose from “Gnostic Judaism”

Modernism spotted in the author’s intro. Should my prog notes be superfluous too? Eventually. I feel that I’m beginning the descent into stripping off the postmod American apathy to reveal my Russian grandmother’s yearning has been there all along.

Convicting in such an encouraging way

Angel came back, idiotic Angel who abandoned Tess. And he was too. late. I wanted to cry. Then Tess decided to take things into her own hands…Alec is no more! I wanted to open my door and scream at my neighbors “SUBLIME!” But alas, it is ill-used female rage that can only end in further tragedy.