It could have been the magenta colored cover or even the bolded words; love inspired across the top of the cover. It could have also been the title, A Perfect Love written by Lenora Worth. This little yet intriguing novel changed my outlook on life.
I was fifteen years old when I checked out A Perfect Love from the local library. When I picked up the book and read the back cover, I was instantly engrossed. I began reading and the main character, Summer Maxwell was attempting to get away from the hustle and demand of New York City. She was a counselor of battered women at the YWCA and she was exhausted both physically and mentally. Physically because she was up when the sun came up and she worked for hours on end. Mentally because of the negative perks of working with individuals who are so troubled. Summer decided she needed a break and decided to take a leave of absence and return home to Athens, Texas. Athens was a small but lively town and that was where her grandparents lived and that was her childhood home. However, just miles away from Athens, her radiator in her car exhausted. Of course that was the last thing she wanted to happen. All Summer wanted to do was get home and be in the comforting embrace of her dear grandparents. Fortunately a pickup pulled off to the shoulder of the road. A tall, handsome man named Mack Riley stepped out and assisted Summer. Mack Riley was a gentle, kind man with a secret in which Summer would soon discover. Summer though made it very clear she wasn’t back in town to fall in love, or so she thought. However, that began to change as the two young people began to grow close throughout the novel.
I am always the friend or the friend who gives the relationship advice. I am never the girlfriend or even the best friend. This at the time was making me exceptionally frustrated, but I began to read this inspiring novel. Fifteen years old is a young and innocent age where everything is changing and this novel gave me a positive outlook on life. The morals and values within this book gave me hope that there are people that I could trust, love and forgive.
Summer Maxwell reminds me of myself. She gives one hundred percent in everything she does and she too is a perfectionist. She also has had disappointment and hurt in her life. She held her heart on her sleeve but it continued to get tattered and misused. Therefore, she closed her heart off and put a protective shield around it. She didn’t want to risk getting her heart broken so she hardened it.
Mack Riley had a secret that would change Summer’s life forever. He bought the one hundred year old farmhouse, her house. He did this to start over in a new town with new people. She found this out when Mack drove her to grandparents’ retirement village, Golden Vista. She was furious in the beginning, but Mack’s charm and generosity changed that. She, despite wanting to hate his guts began to love him and that was what she needed. The lesson was even if Summer didn’t want love, she needed it. She learned that she could love somebody and trust somebody through loving and trusting Mack. That inspired me in a way that even in the toughest of circumstances; I could love and trust someone else. This novel also showed me that I should forgive the person I love even when they have hurt me. Mack bought and took the only home Summer had, but in the end she forgave him. My dad who died of an overdose was the biggest hurt in my life, but I forgave him and now I have peace.
Summer grew to love Mack, a kind, charming, and sincere man. The moral of the story was that even in the toughest of circumstances, one can love, trust, and forgive. Mack bought Summer’s only home and that brought the two of them together. They developed a love that both Mack and Summer needed. A Perfect Love written by Lenora Worth was a book that showed me that I can trust someone, love someone, and forgive someone in a way that I could understand.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sacrifice
Jena Hughes
Mrs. Boresen
Expository Writing, P.4
Definition Essay
24 March 2011
Sacrifice
Everyone has a word(s) that define their life and who they are, nevertheless, the word sacrifice defines who I am and how I apply it to my life. Initially, what does it mean to sacrifice? According to the World English Dictionary, the noun meaning of sacrifice is the surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil. Additionally, the verb meaning of sacrifice according to Dictionary.com is to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else. In my opinion, sacrifice is the act in which something is relinquished for the sake of something of a greater value or significance. Imagine competing in the Iron Man triathlon; 4 km swimming, 180 km biking, and 42 km running. Now imagine attempting that while pulling a 150 pound person, carrying a 150 pound person, and pushing a 150 pound person despite living with a heart disease, that’s sacrifice. “Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love” ~Author Unknown (ThinkExist.com).
Sacrifice, a word that many don’t understand or appreciate when it is put into action. Those who sacrifice most of the time don’t recognize the extent or enormity of their sacrifice. Since the very beginning, humans have sacrificed. Most times to earn respect or acknowledgement of their god(s). The ancient Aztec civilizations had recurring sacrificial ceremonies to show homage to their deity. The most well known sacrifice of the human race was Jesus Christ. Not only was it a sacrifice for Jesus, it was a sacrifice of his father. Modern day sacrifice is not as substantial as it was in the Aztec civilization or the crucifixion of Jesus. While looking closely at people today in America, daily sacrifices are seen. An instance of this is a mother devoting her night of restful sleep to comfort her upset child. A mother and father working staggering shifts so their children don’t have to be in daycare. Additionally, I sacrificed my 18th birthday party to celebrate my grandfather’s 80th birthday party. The sacrifices of today could be considered small, but they are every bit as important as the one they are sacrificing for.
Throughout the world and throughout history, many objects have been sacrificed. Animals, food, time, and lives have all been sacrificed. In early civilizations, the blood of a human or animal was sacrificed to honor, or to please their deity. Many individuals have sacrificed food for health reasons as well. Perhaps, the most common sacrifice of today is time. For instance, an individual spends their entire Saturday helping an elderly neighbor clean their yard or spending an evening visiting those individuals who are ill in the hospital; these individuals are sacrificing their time for others. Furthermore, the biblical story of Abraham and his sacrifice of his son was a powerful story of sacrificial love. Abraham was going to obey the command from God and sacrifice his young son Isaac. He loved his son dearly, but he also loved and wanted to obey God. This story of sacrificial love is probably one of the hardest acts of true sacrifice. However, sacrificial love doesn’t always entail death; it can include pain and suffering.
Pain and suffering is exactly what Dick Hoyt, the father of a twenty year old disabled young man, Rick Hoyt experienced when he competed in the Iron Man triathlon. For it was not only physical pain and suffering it was an emotional sacrifice as well. He knew that his son who had asked him to compete in this race with him could not do it himself. For that reason, the father spent many hours training for this event with his son by his side even with an underlying heart disease. He swam 4 km while pulling his son in a raft, he endured 180 km of bicycling with his son strapped to the front of his bike, and he ran 42 km pushing his son. The Hoyt duo finished the race as a team several hours behind the other competitors, but their everlasting strength and love, and the father’s sacrifice allowed them to finish the most grueling race on the planet.
The ultimate question, why do people sacrifice? The father sacrificed his health and time, because of his love for his disabled son. That is a sacrifice of love. Likewise, the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice of love. Jesus sacrificed his life for the love he had for every person in this world. He gave up his strength, body, and life to obey his father. This therefore, was not only an act of sacrificial love; it was an act of sacrificial obedience. True sacrifice is merely about why they are sacrificing, and it is irrelevant where the sacrifice takes place. With that being said, sacrifice takes place in family homes all over the world. Moreover, sacrifice can be seen on the faces of soldiers in foreign lands. Sometimes the soldiers experience the ultimate sacrifice in these far away places by giving up their own life. Sacrifice takes place anywhere someone is willing to give up something for someone else. The father put his life on hold to train and compete in the Iron Man race for his undeniable love of his son, because he knew his son would never be able to do this race without him.
Understanding the five W’s of sacrifice allows acknowledgment of the depth and significance of the action. Who sacrifices? What is sacrificed? When does someone sacrifice something? Where do these acts of sacrifice take place? Why does someone sacrifice for someone else? Sacrifice in action is truly a selfless act of compassion and love. Sacrifice is love put into action. I sacrifice, because I possess a definite love for that person and it gives me contentment in my life. “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”~James Allen (Proverbia.net).
Bibliography
1. "Abraham's Sacrifice of His Son Isaac Bible Story." JesusAnswers.com Christian Web Site. 2006. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.
2. "Aztec Sacrifice." Aztec History. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. http://www.aztec- history.com/aztec-sacrifice.html.
3. Allen, James. "Self-sacrifice Quotes - Quotations and Famous Quotes on Self-sacrifice." Famous Quotes, Quotations and Proverbs in Proverbia.net. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2011..
4. "Sacrifice Define Sacrifice at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Random House, Inc. Web. 01 Mar. 2011..
5. "Sacrifice." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 03 Mar. 2011..
6. My Redeemer Lives - Team Hoyt - Today's Christian Videos - GodTube. Perf. Dick and Rick Hoyt. Watch Christian Videos - Video Sharing Site - GodTube. 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 01 Mar. 2011..
7. "Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 03 Mar. 2011..
Mrs. Boresen
Expository Writing, P.4
Definition Essay
24 March 2011
Sacrifice
Everyone has a word(s) that define their life and who they are, nevertheless, the word sacrifice defines who I am and how I apply it to my life. Initially, what does it mean to sacrifice? According to the World English Dictionary, the noun meaning of sacrifice is the surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil. Additionally, the verb meaning of sacrifice according to Dictionary.com is to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else. In my opinion, sacrifice is the act in which something is relinquished for the sake of something of a greater value or significance. Imagine competing in the Iron Man triathlon; 4 km swimming, 180 km biking, and 42 km running. Now imagine attempting that while pulling a 150 pound person, carrying a 150 pound person, and pushing a 150 pound person despite living with a heart disease, that’s sacrifice. “Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love” ~Author Unknown (ThinkExist.com).
Sacrifice, a word that many don’t understand or appreciate when it is put into action. Those who sacrifice most of the time don’t recognize the extent or enormity of their sacrifice. Since the very beginning, humans have sacrificed. Most times to earn respect or acknowledgement of their god(s). The ancient Aztec civilizations had recurring sacrificial ceremonies to show homage to their deity. The most well known sacrifice of the human race was Jesus Christ. Not only was it a sacrifice for Jesus, it was a sacrifice of his father. Modern day sacrifice is not as substantial as it was in the Aztec civilization or the crucifixion of Jesus. While looking closely at people today in America, daily sacrifices are seen. An instance of this is a mother devoting her night of restful sleep to comfort her upset child. A mother and father working staggering shifts so their children don’t have to be in daycare. Additionally, I sacrificed my 18th birthday party to celebrate my grandfather’s 80th birthday party. The sacrifices of today could be considered small, but they are every bit as important as the one they are sacrificing for.
Throughout the world and throughout history, many objects have been sacrificed. Animals, food, time, and lives have all been sacrificed. In early civilizations, the blood of a human or animal was sacrificed to honor, or to please their deity. Many individuals have sacrificed food for health reasons as well. Perhaps, the most common sacrifice of today is time. For instance, an individual spends their entire Saturday helping an elderly neighbor clean their yard or spending an evening visiting those individuals who are ill in the hospital; these individuals are sacrificing their time for others. Furthermore, the biblical story of Abraham and his sacrifice of his son was a powerful story of sacrificial love. Abraham was going to obey the command from God and sacrifice his young son Isaac. He loved his son dearly, but he also loved and wanted to obey God. This story of sacrificial love is probably one of the hardest acts of true sacrifice. However, sacrificial love doesn’t always entail death; it can include pain and suffering.
Pain and suffering is exactly what Dick Hoyt, the father of a twenty year old disabled young man, Rick Hoyt experienced when he competed in the Iron Man triathlon. For it was not only physical pain and suffering it was an emotional sacrifice as well. He knew that his son who had asked him to compete in this race with him could not do it himself. For that reason, the father spent many hours training for this event with his son by his side even with an underlying heart disease. He swam 4 km while pulling his son in a raft, he endured 180 km of bicycling with his son strapped to the front of his bike, and he ran 42 km pushing his son. The Hoyt duo finished the race as a team several hours behind the other competitors, but their everlasting strength and love, and the father’s sacrifice allowed them to finish the most grueling race on the planet.
The ultimate question, why do people sacrifice? The father sacrificed his health and time, because of his love for his disabled son. That is a sacrifice of love. Likewise, the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice of love. Jesus sacrificed his life for the love he had for every person in this world. He gave up his strength, body, and life to obey his father. This therefore, was not only an act of sacrificial love; it was an act of sacrificial obedience. True sacrifice is merely about why they are sacrificing, and it is irrelevant where the sacrifice takes place. With that being said, sacrifice takes place in family homes all over the world. Moreover, sacrifice can be seen on the faces of soldiers in foreign lands. Sometimes the soldiers experience the ultimate sacrifice in these far away places by giving up their own life. Sacrifice takes place anywhere someone is willing to give up something for someone else. The father put his life on hold to train and compete in the Iron Man race for his undeniable love of his son, because he knew his son would never be able to do this race without him.
Understanding the five W’s of sacrifice allows acknowledgment of the depth and significance of the action. Who sacrifices? What is sacrificed? When does someone sacrifice something? Where do these acts of sacrifice take place? Why does someone sacrifice for someone else? Sacrifice in action is truly a selfless act of compassion and love. Sacrifice is love put into action. I sacrifice, because I possess a definite love for that person and it gives me contentment in my life. “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”~James Allen (Proverbia.net).
Bibliography
1. "Abraham's Sacrifice of His Son Isaac Bible Story." JesusAnswers.com Christian Web Site. 2006. Web. 01 Mar. 2011
2. "Aztec Sacrifice." Aztec History. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. http://www.aztec- history.com/aztec-sacrifice.html.
3. Allen, James. "Self-sacrifice Quotes - Quotations and Famous Quotes on Self-sacrifice." Famous Quotes, Quotations and Proverbs in Proverbia.net. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.
4. "Sacrifice Define Sacrifice at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Random House, Inc. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.
5. "Sacrifice." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 03 Mar. 2011.
6. My Redeemer Lives - Team Hoyt - Today's Christian Videos - GodTube. Perf. Dick and Rick Hoyt. Watch Christian Videos - Video Sharing Site - GodTube. 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.
7. "Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 03 Mar. 2011.
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