by Roseanna White | Mar 19, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I’ve always known there was a distinction between wisdom and knowledge. There is, after all, a reason they’re listed as two separate spiritual gifts. A reason they have two different words. And while I’ve long had a basic idea of that difference, I hadn’t fully thought it through until this past weekend.
It started when a list I belong to invited everyone to take a look at this blog, which claims that the church is largely anti-intellectual. The part I found most interesting was more than America as a whole can be anti-intellectual. By which I mean, we put great stock in experts, in facts, in hard knowledge…but not so much, anymore, in those who pursue knowledge for its own sake. That we love experts put pooh-pooh scholars.
I consider myself a scholar–I love learning, and I don’t love learning just a particular field for a particular purpose. I just love learning. I love the discovery process, I love the way knew information makes me pause and think and reflect and reexamine all I once thought I knew. But that certainly isn’t the way most schools teach kids to think these days, and so it’s not where society’s focus has turned. We as a whole aren’t interested anymore in the what ifs, we’re only interested in the Cold, Hard Facts.
But that’s what led me to this distinction–there’s no such thing as Cold, Hard Facts. Facts can change as knowledge grows. (Hello, eggs. Are you good for me this year or not?? And Pluto, I do so miss counting you as a planet…) As definitions change. As new information comes to light.
Knowledge is supposed to change as it grows. That’s the beauty of it. That because we can stand on the shoulders of those who came and discovered before, we can reach new heights. New understanding. We can challenge old “facts” and find new ones. In my sophomore year of college, we read a lot of Aristotle, and one of the translations of the Metaphysics that most stuck with me was by one of our tutors [professors], Joe Sachs. He translated a certain line as “All men by nature stretch themselves out toward knowing.”
That really hits the truth of the human condition, and it really captures what Aristotle was trying to say. It’s not that we all know. It’s not that we all reach toward knowledge. But we do all, naturally, stretch ourselves toward the process of figuring things out. But when society starts pooh-poohing the process and instead only emphasizes the “facts”…
It ain’t good, folks. Discovery grinds to a halt, and you end up with a generation of parrots, capable only of telling us what other people thought and unable to think for themselves.
So that’s knowledge. But wisdom…wisdom is something altogether different. Wisdom does not change with time. You can’t shed new light on moral Truths and have them change. Right is still right. Wrong is still wrong, even after millennia of changing facts.
Wisdom is what God most often supernaturally reveals to people. Oh, we see in Daniel where He gave him the gift of knowledge, and it’s listed in the New Testament among the gifts too. I think that’s really, incredibly awesome. But when we pray, it’s rare that God plops a new fact into our laps. What He does give us, regularly, is understanding of the human condition. Of moral truths. Of spiritual precepts.
This is wisdom. And this is deserving of all sorts of capital letters. Truth. Justice. Right. Wrong. Ideals. Principles.
But there’s a very real difference between biblical wisdom and worldly wisdom, which is addressed many times in the Bible. Worldly wisdom says, “Might equals right. If you suffer, you’re being punished. If you prosper, you must be just and good.” Godly wisdom says, “Even when my enemies have me hemmed in all about, even when my world crumbles around me, I’ll trust in my Salvation. I will follow His will, even when the world calls me a fool.”
Worldly wisdom says, “There is no Right and Wrong. There’s right for me, right for you…live and let live.” Godly wisdom says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
The Bible, beautifully, isn’t a treatise. It’s not filled with knowledge alone–if it was, it would expire. It would go out of date. It could be termed wrong. But it can’t, and it isn’t, because it deals with the unchanging and unchagable.
Oh, the world tries to change that too. They try to claim that wisdom is like knowledge–mutable and shifting. And when the world tries to do that…
It really ain’t good folks.
But understanding the distinction is our first step toward preserving each in its rightful place. And hey, when we do that…we’ve all got a bit of the scholar going on. 😉
by Roseanna White | Mar 18, 2015 | Remember When Wednesdays
I mentioned this briefly last week, when I was sharing the bling for my Ladies of the Manor Series. 😉 But I’d like to find a new adjective to describe my last heroine for the series.
In book 1, we have The Lost Heiress. “Lost” describes what Brook has been for too long…and what she fears being known as by the populace at large. At one point there’s an exchange that goes something like this (I’m paraphrasing myself, LOL).
Justin – “You are an heiress, Brook. You can’t expect them not to notice.”
Brook – “But for too long I was just…lost.”
Love being able to work my titles in. 😉
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This photo of Emma Watson is what I sent to Bethany House
as my inspiration for Rowena. Can’t wait to see the model they choose for her! |
In book 2, Rowena is most assuredly
The Reluctant Duchess. She doesn’t want to marry the hero but has little choice. To her own mind, she doesn’t know how to be a duchess–or at least, not
his duchess. She has been brought up to inherit a Highland earldom (women could inherit titles in Scotland), but Brice, the Duke of Nottingham, belongs to a fashionable set that have always entertained themselves by poking fun at Rowena with her “backwards, backwater ways.” Reluctant…aye, to say the least.
So you see, both adjectives for the first 2 books appeal to the characters’ fears. Their insecurities. The thing they have to overcome.
At the moment, the adjective I gave Bethany House for my third heroine, Ella, is waiting…but it’s not quite right, and my editor invited me to come up with some alternatives as I’m writing it. I’d love some suggestions!
Because waiting is one of her strengths, not her fear. Not that I have to do a fear exactly, but I’d like a stronger, more compelling word. Of course, first you have to know a bit about Ella and her circumstances.
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This shot from the fabulous PeriodImages.com is such a great Ella
(used with permission – click on photo for link) |
Ella is an optimist. Not just your run-of-the-mill optimist, but an Olympic-medal-worthy optimist. It’s her sport, her event, her defining characteristic. When shadows come in her life–and trust me, they have–she clings all the tighter to faith and to the deep-set belief that God will work out even this. Then she goes and falls in love with who everyone in her life deems the wrong man.
He’s got a past–a selfish one. His first marriage was for money, pure and simple, and everyone is convinced his chose his heiress-wife because she was sickly and would soon die, leaving him free to pursue someone else. The worst part? Everyone’s right. In part. But he’s changed through his marriage, through his wife’s death, and now through raising a child on his own. He’s changed…but he’s still learning. And from his eyes, the world’s a pretty hopeless place, especially when old, ill-chosen friends show up at his door and threaten his daughter if he doesn’t help them commit a crime…against Ella.
He warns her away–she doesn’t listen. He claims he doesn’t care about her–she knows well he means the opposite. The more he pushes, the tighter she holds to what she knows in her heart is true. He needs her, and she needs him.
What one word can convey that? The “lady” part of the title will likely stay put, as it’s the only suitable word to describe her. As the daughter of a duke (now the sister of one, since her brother has inherited), Ella has no title of her own, just the courtesy “Lady Ella.” She is, quite simply, a lady. So let’s focus on the adjective. Something that might speak to her fears, but which harkens to the challenge she faces–and in this case, most likely to the quality that helps her overcome it.
I’ve toyed with:
Hopeful
Relentless
Persistent
Unshakeable
Steadfast
Tenacious
Unyielding
Constant
Do you like any of those? Or do you have other suggestions???
by Roseanna White | Mar 16, 2015 | Word of the Week
Yesterday, my parents were describing a relative, and they said she was “feisty.” Naturally, I had to pipe in with where that word came from (click here for that Word of the Week), and how I just haven’t been able to use it ever since discovering its origins.
So my mom asked, “Well then, what about spunky? What are its origins?” I didn’t know. So of course, I had to look it up. 😉
Spunky is a word from 1786 meaning “courageous, spirited,” coming directly from spunk, which dates from 1773 with the meaning of “courage, pluck, mettle.” But the word itself is from the 1500s, its original meaning being that of “a spark.” It’s a Scottish word that has its roots in tinder, and I rather like that origin–that courage comes from a word used for what starts a fire. Muuuuuuch better than feisty. 😉
by Roseanna White | Mar 12, 2015 | Remember When Wednesdays, Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Last week we wrapped up the Bible study we’d been doing on Sacred Parenting–and the last session was on how parenting is all about sacrificial love, which teaches us what it is. A crucial step in the Christian faith, which is built on sacrifice. It was a great study, and in our discussion afterward, we touched on a lot of great aspects of the subject.
But what really struck me the most is the idea that our idea of sacrifices change over time. The author of the book used the example of a tired dad walking through the mall with his small daughter, who said, “Will you carry me, Daddy? My legs are tired.” He could tell the dad was tired too, but sighed and picked up his little girl. Gary (the author) found himself longing for those days–his youngest was 12. That time of his life was over, and though it was exhausting at the time, he missed it.
How true is that, so often?
It made me think of when my babies were still babies. Rowyn especially would wake up every night. I’m talking, for four years. Every night, at some point or another, he would cry. Every night, I would have to tromp, exhausted, down those stairs to his room. I’d scoop him up. I’d ease down into the old, creaking rocking chair. He’d cuddle in. I’d close my eyes.
There were nights I was so tired that I fell asleep sitting up in that old wooden rocker (not the soft, plush kind with cushions, mind you–the wooden kind). There were nights when I cried along with him because I just needed sleep, and he wouldn’t grant me that. There were nights when I seriously wondered if this kid would ever sleep through the night.
But now I think back on how many times God met me there in the hushed bedroom of my little boy, in the soft shadows of night. I remember how many times I crawled up into the lap of God, just as Rowyn crawled up into mine. I remember how many times I held him, praying him back to sleep…and then, after I saw his eyelids were firmly closed, I held him just a little longer–because I wasn’t ready yet to put him back down, even though that was what my goal had been.
And I realize that those things that were a sacrifice–of our time, our energy, our very sanity–became a blessing. It wasn’t that a blessing came from them, though certainly that happens sometimes. But it’s the thing itself, that action, that act of sacrificing, that we miss when the season has passed by. We miss the time spent giving to another. We miss the act of giving of ourselves.
It doesn’t stop the next sacrifice from hurting. It’s supposed to hurt, to cost us something. That’s why it’s a sacrifice. It grows us, it stretches us, it makes us ache with it. But it’s necessary. Because without sacrifice, what is our faith? If we don’t give to others, why did Jesus give up everything for us?
There are times when I really, really don’t feel up to fulfilling that obligation I agreed to. There are times when I really, really don’t want to pause my work to make another cheese sandwich. There are times when I really, really don’t think I have the strength to give up one more thing.
There are times when I don’t want to sing to the Lord. When I don’t want to worship. When I don’t want to praise. Because it hurts.
That’s when we bring the sacrifice of praise. Of money. Of time. Of energy.
And God meets us there. He takes our sacrifices, and He returns them to us filled up with love. So that, looking back, we realize that that obligation became the thing we looked forward to. That we love cooking for our families. That we had just as much without that money as we would have had with it. That through praising God, the empty places inside were filled up.
The sacrifices didn’t just yield blessings. They are blessings.
What are you sacrificing today? For me, it’s time. And I’m going to stop right now and praise Him for asking it of me. Knowing that the sacrifice is sweet.
by Roseanna White | Mar 11, 2015 | 20th Century, Remember When Wednesdays
In my upcoming Ladies of the Manor Series with Bethany House, my main characters are largely comprised of the British nobility. And because of certain reasons, jewelry comes up rather often. For book covers and whatnot I’ve had to search out photos, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my visual aids here. =)
In book 1, The Lost Heiress, Brook has a necklace she wears all the time. It’s Victorian in its styling, with a gold filigree connecting two strands of pearls, with two dangling pearls from the filigree. Something sorta-kinda like this, though this image isn’t awesome.
But she inherits quite a bit more jewelry from her mother too. Like a ruby and diamond bracelet.
And an emerald and diamond necklace.
In book 2, The Reluctant Duchess, Rowena brings only one substantial piece of jewelry with her–a brooch with her family plaid.
She soon receives, however, the legendary Sussex ruby set. Which primarily features a ruby necklace that I envision to look something like this.
There’s a matching bracelet, but rather than those small earrings featured with this set (which is actually red crystals and not rubies, but you know–we’re just going for style here, LOL), I instead describe a dangling set…which Rowena can’t wear, not having pierced ears.
The earrings will, however, be borrowed by my heroine for book 3, Ella. (The book is tentatively titled The Waiting Lady, though that will likely change. Still noodling stronger, more provocative words than “Waiting”–ideas???) Anyhoo. I describe the earrings as having 3 rubies on each one, dangling in tiers. Kinda like these, though with an extra level.
Having not actually, ahem, written any of book 3 yet, I don’t know what other bling Lady Ella might end up with. 😉 But I have a definite love for the pretty baubles, so you can be sure something will come up. =)
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.