“And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.’“
—Mark 12:42-44, King James Version.
Who am I?
I am a rising senior at Hillsdale College, a liberal arts college in south-central, rural, small-town Michigan. I herald from Wisconsin, where I was homeschooled for my first eighteen years of life before receiving the gracious opportunity to attend Hillsdale College! I am studying English as my major with Biology as a minor, while also taking several additional classical education and philosophy classes. I will potentially teach after graduation, particularly at a classical Christian school, although I consider myself flexible in my plans. I will follow God’s plan for me first of all, as best as I can discern and am able.
This is my first-ever blog, and I am excited about it! I finally decided that I ought to convert the musings that I tend to place into social media posts or discuss with my friends into a more accessible, more structured format. I imagine that this blog and website will be works-in-progress that will grow as I grow over time.
Website Overview
My website is straightforward, with my blog comprising the majority of it. I expect to update the blog about every week, perhaps more often as I have the time and inspiration, and less often once I return to school in the fall. The entries will be analyses or reflections on literature, education, and life, examined from my liberal arts, “Hillsdalian” background and frequently woven from multiple areas of knowledge and experience. If you have thoughts, questions, or suggestions for blog entries, I will welcome your input on the “Contact Me” page.
Another area or “gimmick” that I will point out is my “Penny For Your Thoughts” blurb on the sidebar of the “Blog Home” page of this website. I intend that to be a location for inspirational quotes arising from sources like my class reading, personal study and thought, or conversations with those around me. I offer these snippets for your own reflection and enjoyment. You can expect a new “Penny For Your Thoughts” to appear every couple days or even more frequently.
The Quote and the Story
With that ordinary information out of the way, we arrive at the most visible and important part of this “About Me” section that I have as of yet neglected to explain: the quote at the top of this page!
That quote comes from a parable, or story, in the Gospel of Mark in the Christian Bible. In it, a poor widow, conceivably bereft of children, family, and lovers, still finds the time to visit the Temple. Though destitute herself, she gives as much as she has: two mites, or two copper pennies, as some translations put it. All of the temple-goers around her were rich, giving only portions of what they had and yet bragging about it, probably looking at her in a derogatory manner. She owned almost nothing, but she gave it all up to God and His work. Around Christian circles, we often hear that “nothing plus nothing plus God…equals everything,” and that statement is surely true here. After all, Jesus, the only Person whose judgment and praise matters, took note of her and explained her actions to His disciples.
The King James Version of this Scripture especially caught my eye because of the last line that “she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Here, “want” means “lack.” Her despondency and emptiness lead her to give even what little she had up to God; she must be an example of faith and trust in His provision. But, it is the “even all her living” phrase that strikes me the most, because it captures the Christian life—my Christian life—entirely, even if partially unintentionally. We are called—I am called—to offer to God all of my “living,” or all of my life. There is not one part of life to keep back from God, nor any part of life or past that God cannot shape into beauty through Providence. “Living” here may literally refer to the worth of the coins and their power to purchase the basics of survival, but it points me to the very act of dying to self, of casting aside our lives—our “living”—and giving all of it wholly to God.
I seek to do that at a fundamental level in this blog. I may be only a small, ordinary person as errant in words as Moses feared he would be, but I recognize and will stand on the fact that God has gifted me with some talent to write, reflect, and teach. I seek to bring delight and knowledge of God to others in the same manner that my studies and experiences have here at Hillsdale. I will write here as service to God, lifting up to Him everything that I have and intending it all for His glory above all.
May this blog be my own copper pennies.