Literature Travels - Grandad's Prayers of the Earth

Grandad's Prayers of the Earth - Douglas Wood

"Most prayers are not really questions," he said. "And if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer. Like the trees and winds and waters, we pray because we are here--not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves . . . that the world is changed."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about children's books and the impact that they have on a young reader. Many of the lessons that I learned as a child came as my parents read picture books to me.

I have loved this book since it came out in 1999. It is incredibly special because it teaches without preaching and it uplifts without being unrealistic. Grandad's prayers show our relationship with the world and our relationship with God in simple, sweet terms. And perhaps, more importantly, it takes the focus away from God doing what we ask of Him to our reaching toward God.

The world changes when we change, and there is no greater change than the one affected with the hand of God touching and softening our hearts. By the time that we can hear the prayers of the trees, the winds, and the waters, we have softened and stilled enough to hear the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

I recommend this book as one to share with your children and to read yourself. It is beautifully illustrated, wonderfully written, and touches my heart each time I open its pages.

Let this book carry you to that far-off place of peace; let it travel with you into nature as you listen for the sound of silent Prayers of the Earth. Let it change you and the course of your journey.

Sailing through Summer

August 2015

Summer draws to a close, and adventures were rife. We flew, we ran, we drove, we canoed, we conquered.

The summer began with the greatest adventure--one long overdue. It actually deserves a little back story.

When I was still applying for college, the one thing that made BYU palatable (it was the marriage school) was that they offered the perfect study abroad: a six-week back packing tour through Great Britain that focused on the literature of the country. They read Wordsworth in the Lake District, Dickens in London, write original poetry in the shadow of Stonehenge, and Austen in Bath. It was with this study abroad in mind that I applied for admission.

And then came Sky.

Before I could get to England on my study abroad, I was whisked away to the temple. But, Sky promised that we would do our own study abroad. He'd let me have my dream, and he'd even read the literature that I wanted to discuss on those hallowed grounds.

So my prince made me the promise, and we have finally followed that personal dream to visit the land of the great writers, and this time, we expanded our literature quest beyond the traditional English-course canon (but more on that later).

We landed in London early in the morning May 29 after an over-night flight. Without stopping to rest, we journeyed into the streets. For brevity's sake, I'll suffice it to say that we spent a week seeing the highlights that London has to offer, on a college budget of peanut butter sandwiches.

We saw Peter Pan at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park,  Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, and listened to evensong at Westminster Abbey.

        

We walked through museums, castles, and parks and ate in pubs and cafes. London was beautiful and I loved every moment.

From London, we traveled to Windemere in the Lake District. Here we spent a two nights at a youth backpacking hostel and hiked about the lake and the hills. Gorgeous!!!

Then we ventured further north to Edinburgh, Scottland. Here we found absolute joy and excitement as we seemed to step into history itself as we walked the Royal Mile, entered St. Giles Cathedral, the hilltop castle, and the Palace at Hollyrood House. It was here, however, that I pulled a muscle in my hip. 

Rude!

Sky then had to hike to Arthur's Seat on his own. He battled raging winds, stinging rains, and sheer heights to view Edinburgh from above. It was a lovely view, he said, and worth it, but it was challenging.

But it is now that I tell of the most incredible part of our voyage: Cruden Bay. I've made quite a bit of noise concerning a historical fiction set around the 1708 Franco-Scot invasion. By renting a car to drive up to Cruden Bay, we enjoyed the sights and tastes that were immortalized in The Winter Sea. We walked where the author walked, saw what she saw, and communed with the ghosts that still dwell there. 

Well, I won't speak much more of the adventures in England; they'd take too much of your time and my space to do so. But we loved every minute of this grand adventure.

When we returned home, it wasn't to stay home long. We had a family reunion in San Antonio the following week, then a brief respite before Sky, Kyle, Kayley, and I pulled out to drive up to Utah, then California and Arizona before returning home 4 weeks after leaving.

Literature Travels - The Ravenous Gown

The Ravenous Gown - Steffani Raff

"The King smiled. 'You are like that stained glass window, my dear. Whatever beauty you had before has only been magnified by the darkness you have experienced in your life. A stained glass window sparkles when the sun is out, but when darkness comes, it can only remain beautiful if there is a light from within to illuminate it.'"

This book of short stories is absolutely darling! I don't think that I can express how much.

Raff is a storyteller in Utah, and her craft shows brilliantly in this book. Not only are her stories original and clever, but Raff's voice and style are versatile and expansive. In one story, I'm touched and teary, and in the next, I'm suffering from a humor-induced asthma attack. And, perhaps best of all, Raff has sewn each story with the thread of true beauty. As it says on the back cover, "The Ravenous Gown captures the essence of a stronger, smarter princess--the kind that actually lives happily ever after."

I have to recommend this book to everyone who has a little girl, everyone who once was a little girl, and everyone who has known a little girl. Beyond being a delightful read on its own, this book would be incredible for bedtime stories.

You might now be wondering how a book of new fairy tales has lead me to travel, but I assure you that Raff's beautiful language sends me to a new world with each story. Perhaps it is not much different from the Rogers & Hamerstein's Cinderella song, "In My Own Little Chair," because in reading The Ravenous Gown, I find myself in a dragon's lair, in dark wood, or climbing a rainbow. The journey is one of the imagination, but it moves my heart.

Captain's Note: I have to admit that I'm biased to this book because I served as an editor for Steffani. I will say this, though: the stories were brilliant and beautiful long before I took a red pen to the manuscript. And I am Steffani's #1 fan.