Nature and Philosophy

Emerson's Nature

"Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration. I am glad to the brink of fear. In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, -- no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. . . .

Have mountains, and waves, and skies, no significance but what we consciously give them, when we employ them as emblems of our thoughts? The world is emblematic. Parts of speech are metaphors, because the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind. The laws of moral nature answer to those of matter as face to face in a glass. "The visible world and the relation of its parts, is the dial plate of the invisible." The axioms of physics translate the laws of ethics. 

But the philosopher, not less than the poet, postpones the apparent order and relations of things to the empire of thought. "The problem of philosophy," according to Plato, "is, for all that exists conditionally, to find a ground unconditioned and absolute." It proceeds on the faith that a law determines all phenomena, which being known, the phenomena can be predicted. That law, when in the mind, is an idea. Its beauty is infinite. The true philosopher and the true poet are one, and a beauty, which is truth, and a truth, which is beauty, is the aim of both. . . ."

The Beauty of Law

The concepts of Gravity and Buoyancy are very well known physics concepts. In fact, they are phenomena that affect us every day! The fact that you are not floating in the air as you read this is because there is a gravitational pull drawing you to the earth. It is a negative pull - it pulls downward.

Buoyancy is the near opposite of gravitation. It allows things to defy gravity. It is the substance that allows helium to raise a latex balloon. A deflated balloon, on its own, would not be able to defy gravity - only when it is filled with helium can it do so, because it is under a different scientific law. It is no longer under the law of gravity, it is under the law of buoyancy, and it's reaction to surroundings thus changes.

I know what you are probably thinking. "What does gravitation and buoyancy have to do with anything regarding Impetus?" The answer is, everything!

Think of gravitation as our sinful nature. In our sinful nature, we cannot raise ourselves up. Try as we might, it is impossible for us to attain holiness. Our humanity does not, and cannot, allow us to do so, because sinfulness is inherent of it. Like gravity, then, it pulls us down because we are under the law of sin (The Old Testament law, which was created to show us how needful we are of a Savior). In our gravitational sin, we are under the law of sin and unrighteousness.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit is like the helium in the balloon. Upon our asking of forgiveness and repentance, He raises us up to holiness. Like a helium balloon, when we bounce down, we bounce back up, because we are now under a different law - the law of grace, which allows us to defy the previous law.

Nerdy as it may seem, I find it to be a wonderful and tangible analogy that I have been able to effectively apply to every area of my life! I am no longer in bondage of my sin, because I have found something greater and infinitely powerful - Jesus' salvation, grace, and eternal life!

The Beginning of an Impetus

Impetus: A moving force; impulse; stimulus: the momentum of a moving body.

I started this blog with the intent of becoming exactly what is mentioned above: an impetus to a culture. A steadfast force that knows its place in this world but is also seeking it out diligently. A beautiful balance of femininity, knowing when to acquiesce to authority, while simultaneously remaining steadfast and immovable as a light to the world.

I am a young, ambitious college student. I have always adored writing and especially when my writing is a part of my soul. I have a passion for godliness, even though I do not always follow it. I am constantly driven by pleasure and rewards. My favorite thing in the world is to meet new people and to get to know them! I am, by nature, a very feminine and girly person, but I strive to keep my feet on the ground when I'm not dancing. :) I love green tea ice cream, 19th century novels, high heels, soft blankets, and rain. I am forever smitten with [sometimes insatiable] wanderlust. That's all you need to know about me for now. :)

As aforementioned, however, pieces of me are hidden in every entry I write. Right in between the lines. But greater than that is my desire to be an impetus. And ever greater is my desire to please my Savior by doing so! 

Oh, and one last thing. I tend to be, at times, obnoxiously fiery. My ardor for certain issues sometimes pushes me to be very blunt! But I desire to make a difference while striving for a gentle spirit. :) 

I'm so new to this whole blogging thing, but I did it because I believe that writing, among many other things, is a way to express oneself. But I do not only want to express myself; I pray that, as undeserving as I am to be God's witness, I can show the world my love for Jesus. And even if only one person reads this, I want my words to make a difference, even if it is ever so slight!

If you're reading this, I love you! Thank you for putting up with me. :) Here's to many more nonsensical entries.

Always,

Naomi