michaelamwrites

[michaelamwrites]

nutrishunning… if u eat the lite, u get ALL the vitamen d at once, an it make ur face a jackolante as added bonus

[michaelamwrites]

Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You

Book Description:

Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, and spiritual giftedness, it's no wonder women were so important to God's plan revealed in the Old and New Testaments. It wasn't their natural qualities that made these women extraordinary but the power of the one true God whom they worshipped and served. In "Twelve Extraordinary Women," you'll learn more than fascinating information about these women, you'll discover-perhaps for the first time-the unmistakable chronology of God's redemptive work in history through their lives. These women were not ancillary to His plan, they were at the very heart of it.

I was excited to find this book second-hand, because I’ve listened to and read a lot of material by John MacArthur and enjoyed it. Many people think that the Bible is derogatory toward women, but this isn’t the case, as MacArthur lays out. However, whenever a woman does something extraordinary in this book, it’s always followed by a “...but,” especially if that something extraordinary doesn’t fit into traditional gender roles. Honestly, it seems that he picked twelve women and just did everything he could to make their stories support his opinions on what women should and shouldn’t do. More on that later. This got long, so it’s under the cut.

The twelve women covered in this book are: Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, Anna, the Samaritan woman, Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia.

In the first chapter, focusing on Eve, MacArthur very heavily emphasizes Eve’s subordinance to Adam. She has no identity other than serving Adam, according to this book. Apparently, it is also sinful to subvert traditional gender roles. This book got off to a great start, let me tell you.

Chapter 2, “Hoping Against Hope,” is about Sarah, also known as Sarai, Abraham’s wife. This chapter is mostly good, with some interesting historical tidbits, but while it condemns Abraham for lying to the Egyptians and telling them that Sarah was his sister, it praises Sarah for submitting to her husband and going along with the lie. MacArthur also praises her for casting out her servant, Hagar, along with her son, fathered by Abraham (on Sarah’s “orders”).

Chapters 3-5, on Rahab, Ruth, and Hannah, are pretty good and interesting, though the constant justifying of things they did gets annoying. And by “justifying” I don’t mean that MacArthur is justifying sinful things that the women did, but that instead of just discussing their stories and actions, he often comes across as defensive and condescending--for example, when he talks about Ruth sleeping at the feet of Boaz, he says “nothing immoral occurred, of course, and Scripture is clear about that.” Maybe I’m just being too picky, but it annoys me.

In chapter 6, which focuses on Mary, instead of just addressing the fact that various religions and superstitions glorify Mary and worship her, which is not Biblically sound theology, and then moving on, MacArthur takes up half the chapter reiterating this.

Chapter 7 is about Anna the prophetess--but MacArthur spends a lot of time undercutting her title and denying that she had any special relationship with God. "Anna may have been a teacher of the Old Testament to other women. Or she may have simply had a private ministry there in the temple offering words of encouragement and instruction from the Hebrew Scriptures to other women who came to worship. Nothing suggests that she was a source of revelation, or that any special revelation ever came to her directly.” In case that’s not enough convincing, let’s dissect the 5 women referred to in the Old Testament as prophetesses.

The first one is Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Moses’ sister. A one-stanza psalm was her only recorded prophecy, but the fact that God had spoken through her became a point of pride, so apparently she doesn’t really count. The second woman was Deborah (Judges 4:4), the only woman amongst the judges who led the Jewish people before they insisted on a king. But lest we womenfolk get any ideas about being leaders, MacArthur explains that she wasn’t a usurper of men, but she functioned in a “maternal capacity” to raise up men to step into their proper leadership roles. He goes on to talk about the other 3 prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament, at least 3 of whom had express revelation from God, but he still draws the conclusion that there’s no way Anna could have been a real prophetess. Chapter 7 irritated me the most out of the whole book, because of how far MacArthur bends over backwards to avoid condoning women being in any sort of authority position, save over other women. It’s the 21st century, man, catch up.

Chapter 8 is about the Samaritan woman, and there’s nothing noteworthy about it, good or bad. Chapter 9, on Martha and Mary, contains this line: “My strong suspicion is that many women would be inclined to sympathize with Martha, not Mary.” “A strong suspicion,” really? This just goes to show that maybe a man shouldn’t be the one to write a book for and about women. Another strange line is “Of course, such a thought [that what we do is more important than what we believe] would never consciously enter Martha’s mind.” Really? How can you possibly know that? MacArthur fills out his overviews on these women with theories or ideas that are nowhere biblically supported, but that support his view of how women should be.

Chapters 10-11, about Mary Magdalene and Lydia, don’t have anything particularly offensive or sexist, but Lydia’s chapter is much more about other people than about Lydia, because there’s so little about Lydia in the Bible.

And at last we’ve reached the end of our book. In case you couldn’t tell, I really disliked this book. MacArthur views these women through a weird lens of both putting them--and women in general--on a pedestal, but also thinking they’re inferior to men. He clearly thinks it’s important that women be quiet and submissive and meek, as those are qualities he glorifies in these women--even when there’s no biblical evidence that they were quiet, as in Anna’s case. There are a few interesting tidbits here and there, but it’s not worth slogging through whilst gritting your teeth. If you want to study women in the Bible, I’d definitely recommend Ann Spangler’s work instead. She has a book called Wicked Women of the Bible, as well as a 52-week devotional study called Women of the Bible.

[michaelamwrites]

When God Doesn’t Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can’t Live Without

Description:

Worship leader and recording artist Laura Story’s life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their lives would never be the same. Yes, with God all things are possible. But the devastating news was that no cure existed to restore Martin’s short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. The fairy-tale life Laura had dreamed of was no longer possible. And yet in struggling with God about how to live with broken dreams, Laura has found joy and a deeper intimacy with Jesus. Laura helps us understand we aren’t the only ones whose lives have taken unexpected turns. She examines the brokenness of some of the heroes of our faith, and shows how despite their flaws and flawed stories, God was able to use them in extraordinary ways. And it was not because of their faith, but because of the faithfulness of their God. God may not fix everything. In fact, although your situation might not ever change or get better, with Jesus you can.

I’ve been a fan of Laura Story’s for some time; her song Blessings has been a great encouragement to me through a lot of rough nights. So I was eager to snatch this book off my mom’s shelf when she finished reading it. I was assuming it would be one of the one-topic-per-chapter sorts of studies, that aren’t quite full-on devotionals, but are more devotional than memoir, but this is mostly a memoir. It does, however, talk a lot about what God taught her through her trials in life. Most of the chapters end with a myth and a truth, for example:

Myth: The strength of my faith is based on how strongly I believe.

Truth: The strength of my faith is based on the strength of my God.

Laura’s story was especially relatable to me, as I have had many health issues for several years, but you’ll be able to get something out of it no matter where you are in life. Everyone has trials they have to live with, and will appreciate the encouragement and lessons Laura has learned and shared in this book.

[michaelamwrites]

Dreaming Anastasia--A Novel of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams by Joy Preble

Book Description:

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college--until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…

While this book wasn’t bad, necessarily, it wasn’t that good, either. It focuses on Anne, a teenager who keeps bumping into a hot guy who turns out to be immortal. He’s been searching the world for the girl who can rescue Anastasia from  Baba Yaga’s hut, where she’s been essentially frozen in time. Anne, of course, is the chosen one, who has to work with the hot guy, Ethan, who was chosen back in the time of Anastasia to rescue her. The two must work together thwart people who used to be on Ethan’s side, then realized that they’d lose their immortality if Anastasia were freed. Or something. I dunno. It was just so boring I could hardly focus on it. And then there’s the romantic side plot between Anne, a 16-year-old, and Ethan, who is over 100, which was just kinda icky.

This book should have been captivating--Russian mythology, action, traveling through dimensions to save a lost princess--but it was, as I said before, incredibly boring. I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of the characters at all. And the description really doesn’t tell you what the story is about, other than that Anne has dreams that feature her as Anastasia. Nothing about the description calls me to the book, but I guess I at least wasn’t disappointed because I wasn’t expecting well-written action and intrigue. Also, let’s talk about that creepy cover. Is the girl lying down meant to be Anne or Anastasia? Is the creepy blue-eyed werewolf-looking person supposed to be Anastasia, looming over Anne as she sleeps? Or is it Ethan? Isn’t he supposed to be hot? There are also letters written by Anastasia to her siblings and father interspersed throughout, and the font they used to make it look handwritten was incredibly difficult to read. So I was constantly switching back and forth between using 2 brain cells to read, and squinting at the page trying to decipher Anastasia’s letters. 

(Why did you even read this, you ask? It was a selection in a book club of sorts, chosen by a friend of mine. Anyway, this book somehow has 4 1/2 stars on Goodreads, so I guess it must be enjoyable to some, just not me.)

[michaelamwrites]

This is especially true when you're chronically ill, because you have to say no to a lot of invites and then people just stop trying to spend time with you! I'd much rather have to say no to an invitation out because of low spoons/a flare-up than have people just stop inviting me

stop! making! plans! in! front! of! people! then! not! inviting! them!

[michaelamwrites]

You’re Going to Be Okay--Encouraging Truth Your Heart Needs to Hear, Especially on the Hard Days by Holley Gerth

Book Description:

If your life isn’t perfect; if you’ve ever been disappointed; if you feel stressed or tired; this is for you. You really are going to be okay. And it truly is possible to live with joy, resilience, and strength no matter what life brings. Yes, there will be hurt and hard times. But God wants to help you find ways to survive, grow stronger, and even thrive--no matter what happens.

With her trademark positive encouragement and probing questions for self-reflection, bestselling author Holley Gerth encourages you to spend less of your life stressing or regretting and more of your life truly living.

In the introduction of You’re Going to Be Okay, Holley says,

“Research shows that almost half of your happiness can be attributed to one factor: you. How you react to life turns out to be far more important than what life throws at you. When you decide to take charge of your heart, everything changes because you change.

This book isn’t for victims. It’s not for whiners. It’s not for pessimists or perfectionists (And yes, we’ve all been those, and we can learn to be different. It’s for people. Women like you. Women like me. You are stronger than you know. You are loved more than you realize. You are part of a greater plan, and nothing can stop God’s purposes for you. You’re going to be okay. I promise. And what’s even more important: God promises too. Take heart, friend. Good things are ahead.”

In the following chapters, Holley encourages us and reminds us of truths, such as “Who You Are is Still the Same,” “You’re Made for a Promised Land,” and “Your Future is Full of Hope.” She spaces questions and introspective writing prompts throughout each chapter. Rather than going deep into the theology of why God allows bad things to happen, like some such books about hard times, she instead focuses on comfort, truths, and peace. When you’re in the grip of a hard time, deep, theological exposition is rarely what your soul craves. You’re Going to Be Okay debunks myths that hold us back, shows us again and again who we are in Christ, and helps lay to rest anxieties and fears about the future.

If you’re facing suffering of any sort, whether large or small, this book will be a healing balm to your anxious heart.

[michaelamwrites]

Unity Days 2017: Eliza Taylor on Clarke’s Journey

(A little background-- I wrote this post for the website I write for, but the editor doesn’t like it and his notes consisted essentially of “make it better,” so I a) sent an application to Talk Nerdy With Us because I’ve had enough of his over-controlling self and b) am posting this here, because I’m really happy with it, and the editor doesn’t pay me, so I’m not gonna kiss up and make my writing lower-quality.

So, with that out of the way, here we go!)

"I think there comes a certain time in anyone’s life when something really, really tragic or awful happens, and you can kind of choose to let it define you, or you can rise above it and put it to good use," says Eliza Taylor of Clarke's mourning of Lexa. "And I think that's what she's doing."

Eliza, who plays Clarke Griffin in the CW's hit post-apocalyptic series The 100, attended Unity Events Canada's very first convention, Unity Days 2017 on Saturday, January 14th, and shared a little (spoiler-free, of course) info on Clarke's journey in season 4, which premieres on Wednesday, February 1st at 9/8c on the CW.

I was able to attend Unity Days, and had such a fun time connecting with the cast, fans, and other press members! We'll be posting loads of articles about our time there (edit: I’m not sure how much I’ll post on this tumblr--it depends on when I hear back from TNWU), split up by character and actor—so without further ado, here's what Eliza Taylor had to say about season 4 of  The 100! Panels were moderated by Jo Garfein, the creator of the charity Cancer Gets LOST, who did a spectacular job making sure everything went smoothly, and that everyone was listened to.

(x)

First up, let's talk relationships!

An audience member asked Eliza how she and Alycia Debnam-Carey prepared for the scene in the City of Light where Clarke and Lexa reunite, and asked if they improvised anything. Eliza answered that she and Alycia are very close friends, and it was a wonderful surprise to have her back. "We didn’t really prepare anything, we just did what we always do, which is work well together," she continued. They improvised some, but Eliza isn't certain if any of it made it into the final cut, as the producers like to stick with the script. "We've got a chemistry, and she's a delight to work with," she finished.

Clarke is notorious for not grieving very long, and just swallowing down her pain (see: Wells and Finn), so Jo asked if we'll see Clarke grieving Lexa at all in season 4. "Yeah. That's always a shade of her now," Eliza said. "She'll always be grieving. It was the love of her life."

[At this point Jess Harmon, who plays Niylah (who Clarke hooked up with in the season 3 premiere) walked onto the stage (wearing a Jarod Joseph shirt) and yelled, “The love of your LIFE?!?!?” to much laughter. Eliza asked if they could talk about it later, babe, but no, "Niylah" was too upset to have this discussion in private.]

(x)

Now, Lexa isn't the only one Clarke has lost. She's also lost Jake, Wells, and Finn, to name a few. An audience member asked if we would see Clarke grieving her other losses. "Yes," Eliza confirmed. "She feels grief and guilt."

Another member of the audience said, “So, obviously there’s been a lot of focus on Clarke’s relationships throughout the seasons. In season 4, do we get to see more of Clarke growing individually, outside of any relationship?” Eliza confirmed that we definitely will, adding, "Which I like, you know, she’s an independent woman!"

An audience member mentioned that "Clarke’s kind of got a bad track record with keeping her romantic partners alive" and asked if, if there's a new romance for her in season 4— “Will they live?” Eliza interjected. "That’s yet to be seen. I can’t answer! But yeah, I’ve really gotta stop killing the people I love. Not that I’M killing them, it’s like I’m cursed or something.”

Jessica Harmon wasn't the only person to crash Eliza's panel. The panel was supposed to be the "Princess Mechanic" panel, but Lindsey got called in to film more stuff for episode 4x11, so it became the Princess panel, or the Wanheda panel, or just the Eliza Taylor panel. Eliza told her castmates to crash her panel, so it wouldn't just be her up there all the time, so Ty Olsson (Nyko) dropped by for a visit. Ty had initially been booked as a guest for Unity Days, but had to cancel. He showed up after all, and got to visit with the fans.

(x)

Jo asked Eliza and Ty if they ever had any scenes together, and Eliza reminded us of a scene in episode 2x07, Long Into An Abyss. Lincoln was dying from withdrawal from the reaper drug (Eliza mimed his seizures) and Ty tried to end his suffering. "I was like, 'Babe. Whoa. I think I know what to do,'" Eliza finished.

“What’s your favorite phrase in Grounder?” Jo asked, bringing on some complaints from Eliza about the difficulty of learning lines in the language. The question really never got answered, but Ty told us that despite playing a grounder, he hasn't had to speak much of the Grounder language.

Jo brought up Clarke's age, so Eliza broke down the timeline to try and figure out just how old our hero is: "So, in the pilot, I won’t turn 18 for another month. And I think we’re about 8 months in at this point. Lookin’ good, youngster!" (Eliza Taylor, for comparison, is 27.)

(x)

Eliza concurred with Jo's summary of the theme for season 4: "Can we survive today, let alone survive the next crisis?" She told us that the season is "about…finding hope, I suppose, in a hopeless place." (Yes, she did start singing.) The major enemy in season 4 isn't the grounders, or the Mountain Men, or ALIE—it's going to be a war against nature. "People are basically either giving up, or fighting till the very end. It’s going to be interesting to see which characters fall into the ‘I’m sick of surviving’ category, and who fall into the ‘I’m gonna make something happen and save the human race’ category." You can probably guess which one Clarke chooses.

We learned that Eliza disliked being separated from the "adventure squad" or "Scooby gang" (or whatever you like to call the delinquents) in season 3, and enjoyed having the gang back together for season 4. We'll also see a return to the co-leadership of Bellamy and Clarke. Clarke's relationship with Bellamy isn't the only relationship we'll be seeing more of—Eliza and Paige (Abby Griffin) worked together more this season, and Clarke and Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) will have some adventures in figuring out their leadership roles. Speaking of Kane and Abby, we'll also get to see how Clarke reacts to her mother's new relationship with Kane. And there will be more of a mutual respect between the adults and the youngsters this season.

(x)

Jo asked about the physicality of season 4 as compared to season 3, and Eliza shared that she had been training a bunch, then learned that Clarke's role this season is more political. "I do have a lot of crazy stunts, but they’re very sporadic. In this season, she’s almost like a politician; she’s just trying to delegate and keep everyone together. So I love that there’s a lot less fighting for me and a lot more trying to use my words."

According to Eliza, “Clarke is influenced by her parents in the best way possible.” She gets her more emotional, compassionate side from her dad, and her stronger, more diplomatic side from her mom.

A particularly good—and well-thought-out—question from the audience was this: "Monty shared some of the blame with Clarke for Mount Weather—do you think Raven will share the blame for her role in destroying the City of Light in a similar way, and do you think Clarke and Raven will bond over that?"

We could tell that this won't happen, by Eliza's sheepish laughter when she said "That's a really good story point." Guess the writers missed that one. "I think there’s a lot of collateral damage after the City of Light is destroyed, for both of us," Eliza continued. "You do see us kind of connect, but maybe in more of a surprising way than you would imagine."

(x)

It seems that Clarke and Luna have a lot of scenes together this season, and Eliza loves that. “She’s like my soul sister, honestly," she says of Nadia Hilker, who portrays Luna. "Like, the second we met, we were like, ‘Oh, you’re my people.’ We are gonna be friends forever. I adore her, and working with her is a treat."

@ElizasBabyBlues on Twitter sent Jo a question for Eliza: “What do you think Clarke’s greatest strength is and what is her greatest weakness? And what are yours?” Eliza's response was, “Clarke’s greatest strength and weakness are her empathy and compassion. My greatest strength is not letting criticism get me down. I love acting. My greatest weakness is chocolate or champagne.That’s my perfect Friday night.”

A woman dressed in a season 1 Clarke cosplay asked Eliza what her favorite outfit of Clarke's is. Eliza excitedly told her that her favorite outfit is Clarke's season 1 outfit, the same one the woman was wearing, saying, "It felt most like Clarke."

(x)

The trait of Clarke's that resonates most with Eliza is her resilience. Her favorite line of Clarke's is, "Life should be about more than just surviving."

“When you play a character, it’s 80% you, and 20% what’s on the page,” she shared.

The cast and crew of The 100 was just finishing filming the season 4 finale when Eliza was at Unity Days (in fact, we heard that the reason she and Bob Morley were only there for one day was that they had to finish filming the finale the next day). Eliza tried to give us some teasers without spoiling anything, saying, "It’s been hell! The things they put us through in our season finales! It’s crazy; you’re gonna love it. A lot of crazy sh*t goes on."

(x)

“It’s like last year on crack," she continued. "We’re doing so much. I can’t really say much about it because it would ruin leading up to it for you, so I’m not gonna go on about what happens. But it’s really different, for us--it takes a real turn. There’s a huge twist, and I can’t wait for you to see it!”

Don't miss the season 4 premiere, entitled, "Echoes," Wednesday, February 1st at 9/8c on the CW, and stay tuned for more Unity Days coverage*!

*Possibly, depending on how this is received!

@unityeventscanada

[michaelamwrites]

The 100 + The Bible: On False Gospels, Running From Pain, and Surviving Together

It’s no secret that the writers of The 100 are fans using of biblical allegory in the show. This season, the big allegory I’ve seen is gospel vs false gospel and false prophets:

(x)

The “gospel” (I’m using this term lightly, to highlight the parallels between the false prophets mentioned in the Bible and ALIE) according to ALIE is this: come with me, and you’ll beeeee in a world of pure imagination… Just kidding; I couldn’t resist. But it’s pretty close to that— she promises to take away all pain, which sounds pretty appealing, considering all the Sky People have been through. Is it any surprise they flocked to the idea of a pain-free life? But like the false gospels and false prophets talked about in the Bible (specifically the New Testament), the shiny package hides something less desirable.

It’s seemingly innocuous; nothing about it screams Run! at you immediately. And that’s how all the best villains do it— take something ostensibly good, mix it with a little dash of lies and deceit, and watch the masses gobble it up. There’s a reason the two part finale of season 3 is entitled “Perverse Instantiation.”

(x)

In 3x16, Becca commands ALIE to define perverse instantiation. ALIE replies,

“The implementation of a benign final goal through deleterious methods unforseen by a human programmer.”

ALIE message is, “Take this chip, and you will have no more pain,” which is a good thing, right? But the methods- erasing people’s memories and altering their free will- are perverse and unseen by Becca, the human programmer.

Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin. False prophets and gospels guarantee fame, fortune, and happiness, but don’t address the big underlying problem— that people are trapped in slavery to sin. No amount of fancy technology or red dresses will change that. Submitting to sin is the easy thing to do. It comes naturally, as does the desire to avoid pain. It’s comfortable and feels good while it lasts. But neither brings about true, lasting happiness.

(x)

I read a post in which the author discussed how ALIE’s control over a person works—unlike in Raven’s case, ALIE does not have actual, physical control over most chipped peoples’ bodies. Instead, she bends their wills to match hers, making them forget all that is important to them. Being in bondage to sin works similarly. You are not physically being controlled by sin, but it tries to distort your vision and convince you that it has the right path—the path that will lead to your happiness and prosperity.

I don’t know that there’s a Christ figure in this metaphor. I mean, there was some pretty heavy Christ symbolism with Marcus Kane in 3x13, but he’s not the one to reveal to everyone the “true gospel,” so to speak, which is that all those things that ALIE takes away— pain, fear, hate, love— those are what make us human. Our heroes (as the writers call them) have to learn and discover that for themselves.

(x)

Season 3a deals with many of our characters running from those very things: Clarke is dealing with the guilt she bears for her actions at Mount Weather by hiding from her people, repressing all emotion. Jasper is dealing with his pain over losing Maya by drinking himself into a stupor every night (and most days), and by lashing out and driving his friends away. Raven is dealing with her physical pain, and the mental anguish it causes, but staunchly denying it exists or that she needs help. Bellamy deals with the guilt he feels for Mount Weather blowing up, and his pain over Gina’s death, by retreating into himself and becoming a follower once more, because he no longer trusts his own judgment. Abby deals with her pain over Clarke’s leaving by throwing herself into her work.

(x)

Abby realizes her error the soonest—she admits to Raven (and herself) that she is stretched too thin at the end of 3x01, and tries to hand the Chancellorship over to Kane in 3x03.

(x)

Raven admits that she needs help in 3x03, but that is (literally) thrown back in her face when Mount Weather explodes. She sinks further into depression, and doesn’t really turn around (as herself) until the end of 3x11, after having experienced what ALIE had to offer.

(x)

Jasper starts to pull out of his despair when Raven asks for his help finding the chip maker in 3x08, and pulls out more when he gets her out of Arkadia to keep her from ALIE in 3x10. But he’s still harboring bitterness in his heart, and ultimately that is what leads to him taking the chip. Like he said, he wasn’t tortured into taking it. He lost hope and fell back into despair when ALIE infiltrated the one good, safe, peaceful place on the planet, ripping open a wound that had just started to close. So he turned to the chip to relieve his pain. Once the City of Light falls and Jasper awakens, his initial reaction is despair, because he “was finally happy.” But Monty assures Jasper that they can get through it, together, and promises that he will be happy again. In the last glimpse of Jasper we get in the finale, he is finally starting to smile again.

(x)

Clarke has been faced with the repercussions of her leaving at the end of season 2, but just kept running and deflecting until 3x13. 3x05 was the first time she was faced with what she’d done by leaving, but she wasn’t ready to hear it, and instead tried to manipulate Bellamy into doing what she wanted. Then, when she returned in 3x11 (she technically returned at the end of 3x10, but she was barely there), Jasper confronted her about her role in the Mount Weather deaths. But in 3x13, she’s finally ready to listen and not shift blame or deny everything. She listens to Bellamy’s pain, and shows him that she understands his anger.

(x)

Bellamy realizes that he hasn’t been dealing with things right either in 3x13. He stands up to Octavia’s abuse, pointing out that he was not the one who killed Lincoln. He confesses his fear—that Octavia will never forgive him—to Clarke, and admits his anger at her for leaving. He finally starts coming back into his own role as a leader. He still looks to Clarke for advice, but is no longer a blind sheep following the rest of the herd off a cliff. He confesses to Octavia in the season finale that he was wrong for “let[ting] [his] need for revenge put [him] on the wrong side.” In 3x16, Pike claims that

“it wasn’t the wrong side. If the grounder army was still there when Lexa died, they would have attacked, and you know it.”

But Bellamy responds,

“I wanted to see things like you. I needed that. To believe that they were bad and we were good. But I don’t know what to believe anymore. I just know I have to live with what I’ve done.”

Now we’ve seen Octavia falling into the trap that the others were in in 3a, finding it’s easier to hate and blame and kill than to grieve, as she’s found out since Lincoln’s death.

(x)

“A warrior doesn’t mourn the dead until the war is won,”

she tells Jasper. She’s being consumed by hatred—for Pike, for Bellamy, for anyone and everyone. She thinks that if she keeps fighting and hating, she won’t feel the raw anguish over losing Lincoln, but clearly that’s not the case. She’s still in the beginning of the path that many of our characters have come close to finishing. But I think what Luna said to Octavia in 3x13 is still rattling around in Octavia’s mind:

(x)

“Look at you. Fighting is all you know. Death is all you know.”

In despair, Octavia tells Indra that Lincoln was her home, and Indra replies,

“Your home is here [your heart].”

In 3x16, Bellamy says to Octavia,

“O. O, listen to me. I know how you feel. I let my need for revenge put me on the wrong side. I don’t want that for you.”

(x)

But Octavia can’t let go of her need for revenge, and puts her sword through Pike’s chest at the very end of the season finale, surrendering to the darkness that has been steadily consuming her since the moment Pike executed Lincoln. She is the Anakin Skywalker of this story: young, bright-eyed, and naïve at first, but now cold, revenge-driven, and angry. Season 4 will likely be a redemption arc for her—something she’s never gone through before.

(x)

Oddly enough, the one who’s on the right track from the beginning is none other than John Murphy. Jaha offers him ALIE’s chip, telling him it would take away pain, hate, and envy. But Murphy instantly refuses, saying

“Pain, hate, envy... those are the ABCs of me. You take those away and there’s nothing left.”

Murphy is one of, if not the healthiest emotionally this season. Sure, he starts the season starving to death and suicidal in a bunker, but overall, he’s miles ahead of anyone else.

“He's been abused, but he knows his value and mind, and, even though his only autonomous decisions are reactive, he understands why he's making those choices and weighing them in context.” -@loft-meeting​

(x)

Emotions, as most of us know, can be incredibly painful, which is why the characters do all sorts of things to avoid acknowledging they exist; whether by overworking, or drinking, or running away. In that regard, ALIE’s roots were already there all along. All she had to do was sweep in and harvest the flock of people who would do anything to stop the pain.

What can stop the advance of the false “gospel”? Only the true “gospel,” which is summed up in two quotes: “You don’t ease pain. You overcome it. And we will,” and the oft-repeated “Together.”

Monty says to Octavia in 3x11,

“I heard you tell Bellamy you’re leaving. Is that true? After everything we’ve been through?” “Yeah.” “Octavia, we’re your people. We were sent down together. We survive together.” “Lincoln was my people. I’m not Trikru, I’m not Skaikru. I’m nothing.” “You’re one of the hundred.” “Not anymore.”

Surviving together and overcoming pain are tied closely together—in trying to hide from their pain, the delinquents become fractured. “Easing” or hiding from pain is unhealthy, however you try to do it. If you run from pain to ALIE, you end up a soulless automaton in bondage to her. ALIE is programmed to recognize negative emotions as “bad,” and immediately block them. What she doesn’t realize is that all of those negative emotions are crucial to human life and social development. You’ve heard the old phrase, “you can’t have a rainbow without rain.” Similarly, you can’t have love and joy without pain.

When Clarke is inside the City of Light in 3x16, ALIE reveals to her that nuclear reactors around the world are melting down, and that most of the earth will be unsurvivable in 6 months, which is why ALIE wants everyone to be in the City of Light. Their minds will live on, even when their bodies die. Clarke is having a hard time deciding whether to pull the lever that will kill ALIE, but almost certainly condemn the human race to die, when ALIE says,

(x)

“Let me ease their pain, Clarke. We can save the human race—together.”

Together. When Clarke hears that word, she snaps out of it. Life in the City of Light is not really life at all. There is no “together” there, just existence devoid of anything meaningful.

(x)

In 3x16, after Jasper wakes up, he says to Monty,

“I was finally happy.” “Jasper, I know this world can suck, but at least it’s real. We can get through this together.” “Do you really believe that?” “We will be happy again. I promise.” … “I’m so sorry, Monty.”

Clarke tells ALIE,

“You don’t ease pain. You overcome it. And we will.”

Which brings this metaphor to a close. The main characters have wholeheartedly rejected ALIE’s false gospel, instead realizing that no matter how much this world may suck, at least it’s real. And they need to stick together and face their pain instead of running from it to get through whatever may come next.

(x)

[michaelamwrites]

Let’s talk soundtrack!! I’m a huge music nerd, and I’ve been listening to the season 3 soundtrack over and over and over. I’ll probably post a lot of analyses, but for now, I’m gonna talk about where each bit of the songs on the soundtrack are found in the show (the ones I could find, anyhow).

Under the break, because this is really long. I divided it in half; this is part 1, and part 2 will come hopefully soon!

1) The Riot’s A Distraction: begins in 3x08 when Lincoln throws Sinclair to the ground in lockup; ends when the guards are arresting Kane for treason.

2) Clexa Theme:

0:00-1:24 in 3x04 starting when Clarke walks to her door to find Lexa there (the Nightgown Scene). 0:18 when Clarke says “Come in.” 1:06 when Lexa says “Thank you for backing me.” 1:24 when Lexa says “They believed they were doing what was right for their people, too.” 1:24-1:49 with a violin theme added on top in 3x03 when Lexa kneels to Clarke. 1:42 when Clarke takes Lexa’s hand.

1:52-2:39 in 3x07 starting when Titus begs Lexa for forgiveness. Skaikru Heroic Theme at 2:00 when Lexa makes Titus swear to never try to hurt Clarke. 2:39 when Lexa says “My spirit will live on.”

2:40-4:00 in 3x07 starting when Lexa says “You have to go back; they’re your people.” Piano at 2:44 right after Lexa almost says “I love you.” Violins crescendo at 3:12 when Lexa says “May we meet again.” Piano at 3:18 when Clarke kisses Lexa. 4:00 when the camera pans up to the sunbeam.

4:00-4:28 in 3x07 starting when Clarke finds Murphy in her room. 4:22 when Titus fires the gun the first time. 4:28 when he shoots Lexa.

4:30-6:23 in 3x07 starting when Lexa says “You were right, Clarke. Life is about more than just surviving.” 4:55 after Clarke says “In peace may you leave this shore.” 5:15 after Clarke says “May we meet again.” 5:26 when Clarke kisses Lexa. 5:31 when Lexa dies. 5:55 when Titus says “We must complete the ritual.” 6:23 when Clarke moves to watch Titus perform the ritual.

6:24-7:04 in 3x04 starting after Lexa says “they believed they were doing what was right for their people too.” (Nightgown Scene) 6:33 when Clarke says “Reshop, heda.” 6:41 when Lexa says “Good night, ambassador.” 7:00 at the end of the scene.

3) The Flame Will Protect: I haven’t found this one yet. Not sure if it’s in something that’s aired already or not.

4) Bellarke Theme:

0:00-0:15 in 3x11 starting when Bellamy says “Will I [survive]?” at the end of the episode.

0:00-0:30 in 3x05 starting when Clarke says “I’m sorry” to Bellamy, to when Bellamy kneels in front of Clarke.

0:15-0:36 in 3x15 starting when Bellamy says “Come on, Clarke, you’re really willing to trust that guy with your life?”

0:48-1:30 in 3x11 starting when Clarke says “I never wanted to hurt Maya.”

1:34-2:30 in 3x13 in the beach scene. 1:34 when Bellamy says “Clarke, I’ve lost [Octavia]. 1:48 after Clarke says “Give her time.” 1:55 when Clarke says “Will you forgive yourself?” 2:14 when Clarke says “The only way we’re gonna pull this off is together.” 2:21 when Clarke hugs Bellamy. 2:30 when camera pans to ocean.

2:48-3:06 in 3x05 starting when Bellamy says “People who trusted me!” and Clarke begins to cry. 3x06 when Clarke says “I’m sorry.”

2:53-3:06 in 3x11 when Clarke checks Bellamy’s wounded hand at the end of the episode.

3:06-3:50 in 3x05 starting when Bellamy kneels in front of Clarke, ending when the scene ends, with Clarke cuffed.

5) Perverse Instantiation: Another one I haven’t found yet, since I’ve been to busy to rewatch entire episodes.

6) The Hunt For Lincoln: I feel like the scene this went with might have ended up on the cutting room floor because of J’s dislike of Ricky, because I don’t recall any scene that would fit this title.

7) Clarke is the Flamekeeper:

0:00-0:41 in 3x09 starting when Clarke breaks into Titus’ lair to when Clarke says “You made Lexa a promise.”

0:47-2:42 in 3x09 when Clarke says “She told me there were 8 novitiates in her class.” 1:13 when Ontari is yelling in the background. 2:26 when Clarke says “Did you just say Luna?” 2:42 when Titus says “Luna would never allow me near.”

2:40-2:50 in 3x09 when Titus gives Clarke the Flame

3:04-3:20 in 3x09 starting when Titus opens the closet. 3:09 when Titus says “I’ll get [Murphy] out.”

8) Satellite Migration Complete: begins in 3x14 when Monty is yelling at Raven and shoving the chip in her face, continuing through the next scene (Indra, Pike, and Murphy in Polis). Ends at the end of the shot of ALIE in the space station.

9) Polis: begins in 3x03 when Kane looks up at the Polis tower. Ends when Indra enters.

10) Wanheda: 0:00-1:04 in 3x01 when Clarke stalks and fights the panther. I haven’t found the rest yet, but the Wanheda cello theme is repeated throughout the season.

11) Take a Life With Me: in 3x03 during the conclave- sung by the spray-tan fairy.

12) Murphy and Emori Grifter Love Theme:

0:00-0:25 in 3x02 when Murphy and Emori are preparing to run after Emori killed Gideon. Ends just before Emori kisses Murphy’s cheek.

0:47-0:58 in 3x12 when Chipped!Emori enters the throne room.

1:06-1:25 in 3x12 when Murphy reunites with Emori at the fried rat stand.

1:25-3:18 in 3x12 when Emori meets Murphy outside Titus’ lair. 1:44 when Emori is looking at Becca’s stuff. 1:55 when she’s looking at the painting of Becca. 2:44 when the camera pans across the “Seek Higher Things” flag. 2:53 when Murphy starts kissing Emori.

13: Skaikru Heroic Theme:

0:46-1:10 in 3x01 when Lincoln receives the guard jacket.

1:10-1:44 when Octavia and Raven bring Jasper into camp after the Ice Nation encounter.

2:29-2:45 in 3x02, starting from when Clarke spits on Lexa to when Clarke is dragged around the corner and Lexa turns around.

3:19-3:32 in 3x02, starting from when Lexa turns to walk to the balcony. Ends at the end of the scene.

2:22-3:49 used in extended season 3 trailer.

14) A Crucifixion: begins in 3x13 when Kane is being dragged into the courtyard. Ends at the end of the scene, when the cross is upright.

15) I Will Always Be With You: This is almost certainly in the finale. Clarke will have to say goodbye to Lexa, as I believe that the Flame will be destroyed in taking ALIE down. Lexa will try to reassure and comfort Clarke with these words.

[michaelamwrites]

Alright, I’ve seen one too many posts comparing Jasper and Clarke--two very different characters--and the way they deal with grief, as well as just flat-out demonizing Jasper for being mentally ill. So here are my thoughts on the matter.

Clarke doesn’t “need” to suck it up after Lexa’s death, but based on what we’ve seen of her character in the past, that’s exactly what she’s going to do. She’s going to push it all down and internalize it, because she doesn’t seem to know how to grieve healthily.

Think about the grief she felt after Mount Weather. She didn’t mourn and let her friends help her. Instead, she locked everything inside and ran away so she wouldn’t have to think about it. I’m guessing that when she confronted Lexa and put a knife to her throat, that was the first time she cried over it. Clarke has made herself the definition of “conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know.”

Even after killing Finn, whom she “loved,” she cried for a few minutes in the tent, and then as soon as Lexa walked in, she stuffed all her heartbreak and grief back down inside her. She internalizes a lot of things, and processes internally (like me, actually). She has a mask in place a lot of the time, and people around her don’t know that she’s hurting until the mask slips. Abby was trying to help her grieve Finn in a healthy way when she collected his ashes to give Clarke, but Clarke’s mask was firmly in place, and she was determined not to show a shred of weakness.

Lexa, of course, was different from Finn. They had known each other for longer, and were in a very different situation from Clarke and Finn. Clarke is obviously extremely distraught, and is having a harder time keeping the mask in place. She puts it on when she goes to talk to the nightbloods, but it slips a little when Aden asks her if she’d like a moment alone with Lexa’s body. But again, circumstances will force her to have to push past it somewhat (note: “push past” =/= “forget and not grieve”). Things are going to be dangerous for her and Murphy, as Ontari made it clear that she planned to wipe out the Sky People, so she can’t afford to be crying and emotional and off her guard.

Hopefully when she gets back to the relative safety of Arkadia, she’ll be able to process her feelings and grieve more healthily, but I kind of doubt that she’ll be able to, what with the imminence of the war with the grounders, and ALIE’s nonsense. What I feel will happen is that Clarke will be doing “fine” as always, more (seemingly) emotionless than before, but then someone (besides Murphy, who knows about Clarke’s relationship with Lexa) will bring up Lexa’s death, and Clarke will just break down.

It’s what has happened in the past— in “Contents Under Pressure,” when Clarke was working with her mom to save Finn’s life, she was able to compartmentalize, focus on the task at hand, and keep her anger at her mother for turning her father in separate. But as soon as Abby mentions Jake, cracking open that compartment, Clarke’s anger and pain came flooding out.

In Polis, in “Ye Who Enter Here,” Clarke was cold toward Lexa, but very calm. Later, she let her anger out and held the knife to Lexa’s throat, but still kept the pain locked inside. But when Lexa apologized for what she made Clarke do, all the anger left and the pain finally came flooding out instead.

Whereas Clarke has always been pragmatic, good at compartmentalizing, and has a “survival first, fun/happiness/anything else later” attitude (“There’s a radiation-soaked forest between us and our next meal. Sure is pretty though.”), Jasper has always been fun-loving, hopeful, and feels deeply. Maya was likely the first person Jasper “loved” romantically. Sure, he had a crush on Octavia for a bit, but that was short-lived. She was also (if my memory serves) the first character he was close to who died. Clarke has seen lots of people die by now. And to make matters worse, his friends— people he trusted to do the right thing—were the ones who killed her. He always had hope that they would be able to get out of Mount Weather with her alive, and come up with a way to keep her safe from radiation. And he feels that if Clarke (and Monty and Bellamy) had held off on irradiating the mountain, he would have been able to kill Cage, and that would have solved everything, so in his mind, Maya’s death was for nothing.

Just as he wore his heart on his sleeve before, he shows his emotions now. But now, he’s lost his fun-loving spirit, and his hope. He is massively depressed, and at least a little suicidal. One of my biggest complaints with this fandom is that everyone claims to want representation for everything— race, sexuality, disability— but as soon as a character becomes depressed, and not in a way people on this website can romanticize, everyone starts hating on him, calling him a whining baby, talking about “manpain,” and saying that he needs to die. Pretty much every person on this show has mental illnesses, whether it be depression, anxiety, PTSD, or whatever else. But Jasper is the one who gets ugly because of his depression. He treats his friends poorly, he drinks constantly, and just wants to escape the pain he’s in.

To sum up: Clarke is just as damaged as Jasper is; the difference is that Clarke has always been the one to prioritize survival over all else, and is good at stuffing her emotions down, whereas Jasper, who has always shown and expressed his feelings, and is in the relative safety of Arkadia, where he doesn’t have to fight for his life, is visibly struggling and suffering.

[michaelamwrites]

“I see now that dismissing YA books because you’re not a young adult is a little bit like refusing to watch thrillers on the grounds that you’re not a policeman or a dangerous criminal, and as a consequence, I’ve discovered a previously ignored room at the back of the bookstore that’s filled with masterpieces I’ve never heard of.”

Nick Hornby, quoted in this excellent article Young Adult Literature Is Better Than You Think (via hapfairy)

[michaelamwrites]

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about how anyone Clarke loves after Lexa will be second-rate, and how Lexa was Clarke’s soulmate, and she’ll never find true love again after Lexa. But there is so much wrong with that statement. It assumes that people can only truly love one person in their lives. I raise you Abby Griffin. She was most certainly in love with Jake, but has now found love just as true and strong with Marcus Kane. Loving Marcus does not cheapen her past relationship with Jake, nor is Marcus lesser than Jake because he came after him. She loves and loved both of them fiercely.

Clarke is 18 years old. She knew Finn for 41 days before he died, and she knew Lexa for 118, but about 88 of those days she spent in her self-imposed exile, leaving about 30 days actually with Lexa.

Clarke loved Finn. Clarke loved Lexa. Clarke will love again. She won’t love anyone the way she loved Lexa, and she won’t love anyone the way she loved Finn. Lexa is not second-best because she came after Finn, and whoever Clarke loves next- be it Bellamy, Raven, Roan, Luna, or anyone else- will not be second-best either. So many people seem to think of love as a finite concept, like sand in a jar. You pour some out every time you love someone, and each consecutive person gets less and less. But it’s not like that. It’s like a flame on a candle (Lexa would love this metaphor). Lighting another person’s candle with your own does not diminish the flame on yours; instead, it spreads and grows and multiplies.

Neither Finn nor Lexa would want Clarke to stay stuck, grieving them forever and never moving on, which is what some people seem to want. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not wanting Clarke to forget about them right now and get together with someone. She needs time to grieve and process things. But she will eventually be able to move on. The pain of losing both of them will still be there, but it won’t keep her stuck in one place, crying over their memories for the next 50 years. Clarke is 18. She will love again. And it will be just as authentic and true as her love for Finn and Lexa.

[michaelamwrites]

People have been claiming that Clarke Griffin is poor bi representation because she suffers a lot, and that showing her suffering is implying that bisexual girls (or blonde girls, or whatever) can’t be happy. Well, I’m not sure what show you’ve been watching, but every character in The 100 has suffered.

I’m not bi, so I can’t speak to that representation, but I am disabled, and Raven is the best representation of myself I’ve ever seen in media. She’s one of the very few disabled people I’ve seen who hasn’t been either magically healed or killed. And of those few, she’s the only one I’ve seen who became disabled as a teenager, like me; who lives in chronic pain, like me; who is still able to be useful and smart and loved, and that is so important to me. Has Raven lost a lot? Yes. So has everyone in this show. I don’t take that to mean that if I date, my boyfriend will be stabbed in the heart by one of my closest friends. I don’t take it to mean that my father figure will be brutally murdered, trying to protect me.

Does Raven’s chronic pain cause her to be in pain always (except for her vacation to the COL)? Yes. Just like me. Chronic means forever. That’s something she’s learning to accept, just like me. I will be so upset if she is killed or “fixed.”

As to your statement that the only way Clarke (and by extension, Lincoln, Octavia, and Raven) will get any relief is through death, that is such an awful thing to say. Clarke has been through a lot, and has lost a lot of people she loves. But her life is still worth living. Raven lives in chronic pain, and cannot do the things she used to, but her life is still worth living. Just as mine is, just as yours is.

You claim that by showing Clarke in pain often, they are portraying that bi people can’t be happy. But when was the last time any of our main characters were truly happy? It’s been a long time. Clarke might actually have been happy the most recently, in 3x07 (which, I know, was followed by a soul-crushing loss). But from day 1, this show has been about loss, about survival at all costs, against all odds, about being too young to have hands this bloodstained, about moral grey areas, about hope.

They lost that thread of hope in a lot of s3a, but it’s coming back. There is hope for Luna to take down the City of Light, hope for Raven and Monty to hack their way in, hope for Murphy and Pike and Indra to band together and save the day. Yes, some, if not all, of this hope will be ripped away, but these characters are strong. They rarely give up, and when they do, the others pick them back up again.

I believe this season will end on a note of hope, though it be colored by sadness. Listen to “The Awakening” by Tree Adams, if you haven’t already. 29th song in the season 3 soundtrack. My guess is that it will be toward the end of the finale. As you can extrapolate from the title, it will probably be when Clarke is awakening after destroying the City of Light (I’m pretty sure she’s gonna end up with the Flame being put inside her). It’s sad, with the shaky violins at the beginning, but it doesn’t convey gut-wrenching despair. I think it will likely be a montage of shots of the whole surviving cast picking themselves up, knowing that they will survive, and facing the new day with resolve. Clarke will hopefully stay with her people and process her emotions and pain healthily, instead of running away from it all. Based on the last 2 season finales, they will likely introduce the next villain, but I still believe there will be hope- in season 1, they ended with the Ark reaching the ground, and Kane and Abby gazing around in wonder, and then a scene of Clarke in the white quarantine room at Mount Weather. In season 2, we saw the survivors of Mount Weather making their way home, and then Jaha reaching ALIE’s mansion. So there will be hope as well as an ominous new antagonist, for suspense.

All this to say: this show will continue to be dark and sad and full of loss and pain, though hopefully Jason and co got the message that this season had too much gratuitous violence, death, and despair. If you’re looking for a happy show, this is not it. It hasn’t been since Jasper got speared at the end of the pilot. But it does have good representation, for a lot of people. Good representation does not equal everyone being happy always. If, say, this were a show where everyone was happy the majority of the time, and only Clarke were hit with loss after loss, and pain upon pain, then your point about her being poor representation because she suffers a lot. But literally everyone has suffered in this show. Killing the characters off- or worse, cancelling the show- just prevents the characters to ever get a chance at happiness again, and takes away everyone else’s representation. 

[michaelamwrites]

On The 100 3x07, Becca, and the End of the World

I gotta say, I loved the flashbacks in The 100 3x07, “Thirteen”! But they raised a lot of questions in my mind, hopefully some of which will be answered this season. (cut for length and spoilers)

In 2052 when the nukes were launched, society and technology must have been vastly advanced compared to today, based on the rate things are advancing now. If you were a person, even today, who had survived the nukes, and saw a dropship from a space station fall from the sky, and a woman wearing a spacesuit with the word “Commander” on it, would your first reaction be, “Oh, she is an angel sent from the heavens to guide us in this time of terror! And her suit says “Commander” on it, so she must be called the Commander!“? No, you’d be thinking, "Oh look, a dropship from the Polaris station! This woman must be the commander of the Polaris station, because her suit says "Commander.” But we probably shouldn’t just accept everything she says— she just left a space station where she would have been safe (assuming we don’t know about the Polaris being blown up) to come down to earth immediately after it’s been irradiated! And look, she’s taking her helmet off. She might be a little nutty.“

Assuming Titus is around the same age as the actor portraying him, Neil Sandilands (41), Becca would have had fewer than 60 years to completely erase the society and knowledge of technology of the survivors. Titus adheres to the "old ways,” which implies that their society has been pretty much the same for all of his life, and likely years before that, until Lexa started changing things.

In developed nations, the average familial generation length is in the high 20s, sometimes 30s. This may have shortened after the bombs, if survivors tried to repopulate the earth. So, let’s say that the survivors of child-bearing age waited 5 years to have children, to let the radiation dissipate, and that the average age of the survivors when they have their first child is 25. Now, adults of all ages probably survived the bombs, so it’s a little difficult to say how many generations have passed by the time the 100 land on the ground, but if, as I suggested, the survivors waited five years, until 2057, to start having children, and if the average generation is 20 years, about 3 ½ generations would have passed by the time the 100 landed, and only about 2 would have passed when Titus was born. That’s not much time to completely change the culture, beliefs, and worldview of a group of people. There’s almost no trace of our society in theirs.

Unless Becca had some sort of mind control tool, or a way to erase memories, I can’t see the survivors agreeing to let her lead them very easily. If she said something like, “I am a celestial being, sent down by your ancestors to guide you,” they’d dismiss her out of hand and never take her seriously. But if she told the truth, that she had escaped the Polaris space station and had stuck an AI chip in her neck, they’d be even more distrustful— and, of course, the grounders “today” (where we are currently at in the season) have no concept of an AI. Even Titus, who arguably knows the most about the chip and how the commanders are chosen, with the possible exception of the commanders, is completely clueless when it comes to AI.

Did Becca get the survivors to agree to a “City of Ember"—esque change in culture? (In that book, years and years before the "present day,” people had volunteered to form the underground City of Ember, to ensure the survival of the human race. Only middle-aged, single adults and infants were accepted, and the adults were paired off, assigned a baby, and instructed never to speak of life above the ground again.) It wouldn’t be the first time the show has copied elements of other things (that scene with the AI crawling out of Lexa’s neck was straight out of The Host).

So, basically, my two theories on how the culture changed so quickly are: 1) that Becca managed to convince all of the survivors in the area of Washington DC to forget about life before the bombs, and intentionally change their culture, or 2) (and more likely, I think) Becca had a way to erase memories, or something to control or influence their minds. Maybe a similar chip to what Jaha and ALIE are peddling in Arkadia— Becca was probably involved in creating those chips, or at least designing them, because ALIE can’t interact with the physical world, and Jaha doesn’t seem dexterous enough to make them, even with ALIE’s instruction.

[michaelamwrites]

Rest Assured: A Recovery Plan for Weary Souls by Vicki Courtney

I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program. This in no way affected my review.

Book Description:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

Women are overcommitted, overconnected, overburdened, and overwhelmed. Their lives are full, but oddly, their souls are empty. They are aching for a bold challenge—one that will bring rest to their longing souls. Rest Assured is for the daring women who truly want to disrupt their current patterns and see lasting change.

Review:

This book is divided into two parts; part 1, The Intervention, “highlights four common enemies of rest.” Part 2, The Recovery, introduces a recovery plan, complete with four “One-Week Dares.” At the end of the book are a “Thirty-Day Restoration Guide” and a list of “100 Ways to Give It a Rest.”

I, personally, am not in a particularly busy time in my life, so I didn’t get as much as others likely will out of the first half of the book, but I really enjoyed the second half, especially the One-Week Dares. There are a lot of points that are applicable no matter where you are in life. I would recommend this book to most Christians, especially those who are in a busy place in their lives.

[michaelamwrites]

Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler

I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook Blogger program. This in no way affected my review.

Book Description:

What can Jezebel, the Bible’s wickedest queen, reveal about God’s holiness and power and even about his sense of humor? What about the Woman at the Well—the one with five husbands and a live-in lover? And what of the prostitute whose tears bathe the feet of Jesus in front of people who despise her?

There are also “wicked good” women like Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Abigail, Esther, Mary, and more. What do their lives tell us about God’s invincible love and his determined plan to save us?

In Wicked Women of the Bible Ann Spangler tells the stories of twenty wicked and “wicked good” women in greater detail. At the end of each story, Ann provides a brief section including additional historical and cultural background as well as a brief Bible study in order to enhance the book’s appeal to both individuals and groups.

The stories of these women of the Bible reveal a God who is not above it all but who stoops down to meet us where we are in order to extend his love and mercy.

Review:

This is a fun collection of the tales of 20 women in the Bible, with titles such as “Wicked Lies” (Eve), “Wicked Smart” (Abigail), and “Wickedness Personified” (Jezebel). They’re told in a conversational tone, reminiscent of how these stories must have been handed down in Biblical times. Each chapter starts with a story, then has a section about the times and culture in which the story takes place, and ends with several questions to help the woman seem more relatable.

This book isn’t super in-depth and doesn’t have any life-changing new information, but it was an enjoyable read, and helps to make the women more relatable. I appreciated the sections that gave more cultural background, and explained why the people said and did things that seem strange to us in our culture today. I definitely recommend this, and look forward to reading more by this author!

[michaelamwrites]

Five Minutes with Jesus by Sheila Walsh

I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program. This in no way affected my review.

Book Description:

Spending time with Jesus will make all the difference in your busy day. We balance so many things day after day; sometimes it feels like there is no time left for the most important thing: spending time with Jesus. But Sheila Walsh will help us do just that through these concise but substantial daily readings. Even after just a few minutes of reading, you will have spent time with God's truth in a meaningful way, and be inspired to think on that truth and live in response to it the rest of the day. Sheila is a master of short but profound thoughts. Readers will be reminded of how powerful it is to be in the presence of Jesus, and how much He wants us to stay close to Him every minute of the day.

Review:

I enjoyed this devotional. As the summary states, the entries are short, but substantial. I personally would have liked them to be a little longer, but the length they are is perfect for 5-minute readings. Sheila Walsh is 40 years older than me, but her writing is relatable and understandable.

There are 50 daily “chapters” in this book. Most start with a short story from the life of the author, which she then relates to a Biblical concept. The entries then end with 4-6 verses or passages on the topic. I really liked this format—I often find devotional books that only print the references to the verses, leaving you to look them up yourself. In those cases, I often skip some, because I’m in a hurry, or don’t have a Bible handy. This format makes it much more convenient and easier to take with you.

The book is also physically very pretty. It has a dark blue floral design (the same one as is on the cover) down the side of the first page in each chapter, with blue accents throughout. The font, too, is aesthetically pleasing to me.

I’d recommend this book to any Christian, old or young, whether you’re a new believer or have been a Christian your entire life.