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(Mollie Comer)

What. Do. You. Want?

The discussion of needs commenced during the mission trip I attended over spring break. During one of our nightly spiritual thoughts, our group leader asked us to think about what our needs were. I had not ever truly thought about a list of necessities in my life, but this devotion called me to answer that question. Though we were miles from home in a third world country, I felt I had all that I needed. I had clothes for the climate, shoes for my feet, water to drink, and food to eat. I was at peace with the little I had knowing God was with me, and His presence made up for some of the uncomfortable experiences that were not accustomed to me. For example, there was no water heater, so we had to take cold showers all week. Bug nets graced our beds to make sure that we were safe from the critters creeping in the night, but I still had a roof over my head. Others on the trip did not express this peace of mind and thankfulness in the present. I found myself becoming so full of anger at the attitudes and hearts of these people. Comments of complaint and disgust rolled off the tongues of my friends. The tone of voices I heard around me swelled with selfishness and greed. Nothing we own is our; everything belongs to God so everything we have is a gift from God. Some individuals required constant connection and verification from the motherland through the use of technology. I just could not understand why it was so hard to unplug for one week and just be. It was the Dominican’s home, and they seemed to be doing well without a Chick-fil-A around the corner. The Dominicans were not flashy or high class people; they lived simple lives emphasizing the act of being relational and communal. It irks me to no end how some individuals can so effortlessly lack a a genuine attitude of gratitude when blessings are so abundant.

Why did I choose this--

choose to be an English Major.

I am not sure of the purpose just yet--

I believe it is a decision I will not regret.

Sometimes seasons of life cause you to forget--

the beauty abounding around you so simple so set.

Set in the ground the roosts run deep,to hold the tree down

while the petals, still doomed to weep.

I see life in the spring, but I see death too

It is the dying to the self that makes one re-new.

Mollosophy of Literature

There is an inevitable outcome of literature. The Oxbow, pictured above, represents two different worlds colliding. We see to the left an untamed wilderness and to the right a peaceful land. Thomas Cole painted this to show that man would destroy the natural occurrence of nature. Humans fight nature because they fear it. Literature has been written to try to make sense of nature but nature tends to present the element of surprise.

I find literature ascetically pleasing. It has a complex and all-powerful nature, yet it allures individuals from all walks of life. Interpretation is heard in the voice of an empowered individual trying to create a space in society, but it is also heard in the voice of an individual who sees the world in black and white. Literature is a canvas with endless possibilities of outcomes, yet it holds absolute truths at the same time. It has the ability to convict the lowliest of low and the highest of high. Spoken language and written language is the way of life. We learn to read and read to learn. Literature is the way we interpret the world around us; it allows us to dream a little bigger and dig a little deeper. Through my philosophy of literature, I am composed of a balanced idea of the world because I allow myself to take a walk in the untamed wilderness and the peaceful land. It takes a respectful collision of both.

#SoundCloud #music #Mollie Comer

A Warm Glow Inspires the Sow

Recently, I came across this word called hygge. Derived from the Danes of the Scandinavian countries, this little word holds many different channels of meaning, but the main definition I draw from it is the act of enjoying simple pleasures in life. I consider myself quite an active person; taking time to enjoy experiences, relationships, and adventures inspire me however big or small the activity may be. When I live to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, the bigger picture of life stands more obtainable. Hygge entails lighting candles, enjoying low-lit lamps, or sharing a cup of tea with a friend. Therefore, I discover my querencia in cozy spaces where safety and comfort can be found—a place where I feel whole. Similar to the word hygge is a word called querencia; querencia is described as a space where one feels safe, comfortable, and strengthened. Spaces of hygge and querencia is where I feel whole and adequate. So, it is not always just a space that comforts me but what I do in a space or maybe what I do before I enter a space. Sometimes querencia is described as just one place, but for me it is wherever I complete simple pleasures. For me to be completely inspired, it might take listening to one of my favorite records or experiencing a sunset. Life cannot be all work and no play.

#querencia

Behind me lies a structure of Gothic architecture -- Notre Dame. Notre Dame and many other buildings in Paris seemed to gleam with a light that I have never before been exposed to. Every time I strolled outside, the lightness and daintiness of the atmosphere and buildings washed over my face as to purify me. Gothic architecture had a similar goal in mind though many people of the Renaissance turned their noses up at this new style. This new form of Gothic architecture used flying buttresses and pointed arches which helped to support more weight. It allowed these buildings to uphold stained glass windows where light could flood into the building. Gothic architecture was like a breeze of fresh ideas from God who knew that light needed to be shed on the people of Europe after going through such catastrophic times as the Dark Ages. I think God shed some light on me as well during my travels of Paris in the Spring because the weather was relatively perfect each day.

#Paris

Hohensalzburg Castle located in Salzburg, Austria is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe that began construction in 1077 A.D. Castles were built the same time that the concept of feudalism developed. Like feudalism, the purpose of a Castle was to demonstrate political power and authority over a large group of people: nobles, knights, freeman, and then the serfs who made up the majority of the land. This particular fortress never faced a real siege because it was built high upon a hill with the motte and bailey system. So, basically the castle was surrounded by gatehouses, a mote, a wall, and a bailey. The multiple rings that made up a castle allowed a King to be able to retreat for a long time with the central building called the keep being the last resort. This castle in particular started off as a simple bailey and obviously grew to be this magnificent fortress. During my day in Salzburg, it was hard to imagine how it would feel to live beneath this intimidating structure. However, while I was standing beneath this stronghold I thought about God and how he is described as our stronghold in the bible. I have read over these verses in the 27th Psalm before but having this visual of a real castle truly touched me. Though I feel like God has the power to take on many different forms, I left Salzburg with the visual of God as a castle.

#Austria

As you can see, I am standing in front of a ____________?

A. Cathedral

B. Church

C. Basilica

D. A & B

The beautiful structure behind me is a Roman Catholic Church located in Aachen, Germany. It is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. However, during the middle ages cathedrals had nothing to do with religion. Cathedrals were built to house idols, elected priests, or relics. These places were not built for assemblies unlike basilicas. Basilicas were a place for assembles, and they were known for being law buildings where you came if you were coming for court. Basilicas actually became the floor plan when Christians started to build churches. So, if you answered D, you answered correctly. The real question is what genius decided to build this work of chef-d'oeuvre.

Charles the Great, otherwise known as Charlemagne, ordered the construction of this architectural masterpiece in 805 A.D. Charlemagne wanted to be a cultural leader by influencing the development of art, technology, and education; his goal was to reestablish the Roman culture. As I was writing this blog and thinking about Charlemagne’s idea about trying to recreate the Roman culture, I wondered why anyone in the current time period hasn’t thought about focusing in on those issues more instead of focusing in on what everyone might be doing wrong. Why not try implementing ideas from our western heritage into our everyday lives? It couldn’t hurt.

#wildcard

Santorini was without a doubt one of the most adventurous places I have ever been. I was also in my purest and most adventurous form during this first week of free travel. Santorini was a great place to discover my true self and soul search. It was beautiful. I got to have a Greek pizza while watching the sunset after exerting way to much energy lying out in the sun in a place called the Red Beach. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, but the next time I visit it could possible look completely different because it was just a crumbling cliff. I probably could have been apart of one of those tragic mass tourist deaths, but not because of the crumbling beach. I could have died while being transported from Fira to Oui in a giant tour bus on the narrow winding roads that are mostly on cliff sides. Then on the second day in Santorini I went on a volcano excursion that could have also been fatal. It was completely insane of me to walk on an active volcano especially that specific volcano. It was completely insane of me to take an old wooden boat out into the choppy waters of the Aegean Sea. I moseyed around on this active volcano that had hot steam coming out of it, and then I jumped into the choppy waters of the Aegean Sea right below that volcano to get to some “hot springs” that were actually only lukewarm. However, here I am living to tell those extreme experiences that I was able to fully immerse myself in not knowing how dangerous the Island of Santorini had been long ago. As soon as I returned to Verviers I did a little research and discovered some interesting facts that made me question my decision-making skills.

Santorini is the southern most Greek island of the Cyclades located in the Aegean Sea. There are certainly no accurate records of this eruption, but it is said that the great Minoan eruption of Santorini in the 17th century BC may have inspired the legend of Atlantis; Santorini is mostly made of submerged caldera, a sinkhole, with two volcanic islands in the center made up of piles of lava rocks. So, the lost Atlantis Theory kind of makes sense if you like to believe in myths. The Minoan eruption was said to have been the single-most powerful explosion ever witnessed. The ancient Minoan civilization that was thriving during that time period had no chance of surviving as a result of this eruption. The eruption supposedly happened anywhere between 1642-1540 BC, and the Minoan’s peaked in about 1600 BC which was just before the eruption. Scientist say that the explosion killed up to 40,000 people in a short amount of time, produced colossal tsunamis 40 feet tall --possibly affecting Crete--, and caused a drop in global temperatures and created strange colored sunsets for three years. The Minoans of Santorini may have predicted the volcano’s eruption because of the absence of human remains and valuables such as metal not found on the island, but it also could have all been destroyed by the eruption of the volcano. Though it was pretty scary to learn about the Minoan eruption, I am super happy to say I have been to the site of one of the most destructive volcano’s in the world that created one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It was an experience I will never forget.

#wildcard

The Appian Way is known as one of the earliest roads. Appius Claudius Caecus, whom the road is named after, for military purposes, constructed it in 312 B.C. It connected Rome to southeast Italy, and it was used mainly for military purposes during the Samnite Wars: transportation of supplies and troops. The production of roads became so well completed and organized by the Romans that the phrase, “All roads lead to Rome” was coined. The need for roads came about because troops or supplies needed to be transported to places quickly without hindrance from either enemy or terrain; therefore, the Appian Way was put into place, literally, stones and mortar were laid upon leveled dirt – how ingenious. The famous historian, Procopius that we discussed in class said that the stones fit together so well that it looked like they had grown together.

Today, the road has started to decay, and it has become not so flat and grown together, for this reason people are cautioned to tread the ancient road lightly; however, some fearless travelers accepted the challenge of biking down the road. The road is slightly difficult by foot if you do not pay attention but taking the road by bike seemed like an experience only captured by experts.

We were told that we had to seek out this road, and it was true. What an adventure we embarked on this fine Sunday. We had to take a bus, walk through The Appian Way Regional Park, scurry past some eerie catacombs, and walk half way down a random street. We were not even sure the road we were on was the right way because it seemed as if we had been walking forever. We actually were so flustered as to where this road was that we stopped and sat down to take a break not realizing we were super close to “the road” at that point. After resting for a bit, we resumed the quest of seeking out The Appian Way. Not too far from the place we stopped to rest, a street sign with the name “via appia antica” appeared. At last, a sign we could read that had our destination on it. I started to feel like a real Roman roaming or better yet, the age old missionary Paul on a mission. The funny part about this story is that we basically walked straight the whole time. That was the sole purpose of these roads.

#italy

On our walk to the park yesterday, I met this furry friend. I tried to talk to him, but it completely slipped my mind that he might speak a different language. Realizing that he did not speak English, I simply said, “Bonjour!” It made all the difference in the conversation. As a foreigner here in Europe, the slightest effort to communicate with the people in their language creates a connection like no other. Take notes my friends.

--Verviers, Belgium

#catsofeurope

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