Journey By The Inner Light Summary

Always have compassion, be humble in what my assigned duties are, give respect and reverence unto God, and continue to equip myself for mission work unto God. Keep up with my prayer life, daily devotion and meditational times.

There has been a notable amount of conversation on the internet on the rebirth of the natural hair movement. Cherise Luter (2014) states that despite afros and the natural hair movement not being a new concept (i.e. the Black Power Movement), it has gone under what she calls a “refreshing change”. Furthermore, what used to be “I’m black and I’m proud”, has been replaced with “I’m me and I’m proud” (Luter 2016). So, what is the natural hair movement? It is defined as a movement where black women decide to not conform to the social norms of chemically altering their hair and wearing it in its natural, kinky, or curled state (Joignot 2015). The movement could also be considered as an outlet for black women to display their racial and cultural pride or to articulate their “political position (Brown 2014:297). However, simply the terminology “movement” is something that should be shocking to many. There is a great amount of historical context behind the continuous influence Eurocentric beauty ideals have had on black women for centuries. According to Nadia Brown (2014), Black natural hair throughout history has proven to be recognized as “either unintended or intended personal and political statements” (298). the beauty standard in Western society which praises European hair textures, has influenced many black women to be critical of other black women who choose to chemically straighten their hair, accusing them of being subservient to the dominant and pervasive racist

It is apparent from the black female actresses that Chris Rock interviewed, like Nia Long, that black women are not aware of what Asian women go through in order to provide black women with straight hair. During this scene, it is revealed that many Indian women often give up their hair for religious purposes. However, this is not always the case. Some Indian women are often subjected to having their hair cut off and stolen. This is how black women in the United States are getting their hair, and it is unfortunate that some Indian women are being victimized in order to help black women assimilate to Western ideologies. Therefore, black women are appropriating the Asian culture whether they know it or not. They are trying to obtain this straight hair that society has deemed as good hair. Thus, they are not considering what Asian women or Asian workers are going through in order to get them this hair. However, I cannot completely blame black women for victimizing and appropriating Asians. This appropriation is the result of society convincing black women that their hair is not good enough. Hence, societal notions of what good hair looks like causes black women to lose self-confidence in their natural

In an autobiographical story, “Journey by Inner Light,” the author Meeta Kaur shares her audiences her rebellion against her cultures of Sikhism. With her life feeling lost, Kaur began feeling dissatisfied and decided to cut her hair against her cultural belief in order to fit the young American lifestyle. She felt like she had lost her self-identity and her inner connections to her principles. As Kaur comes back home to her family, a mixed feelings of guilt and shame filled her when her mother saw her hair. After realizing her mistake, she returns to her mother and ancestors’ way of life to find a solid ground and foundation based of her people’s way of life. This autobiography made me realize that as much effort we give to run away from our

“Janie ties her hair up in the store un- der her husband’s orders so that other men will not touch her. Hair is a tool for sexual desirability across races and ethnic groups; however, the issue within the African community is that the “type” of hair that is often de- sired. However, hair is a marker of femininity, so to restrict or demean one’s hair is a direct attack on women’s being. This implies that when the hair is covered—as it had to be on the plantation or other places where African women existed, they were deemed less feminine and thus less womanly”

The attitudes and arguments towards and against black hair in “Balm” by Lonnae O’Neal Parker and “My First Conk” by Malcolm X are contingent because they express two distinct views on black hair. Malcolm X pleads that manipulation of our hair by straightening or covering by wig is self- degradation. While Parker believes that the time she spent doing her daughters hair is translated to the love she has for them. This time not only assures the girls that they have a loving mother, it assures Parker that she could send them out into a world that would appreciate them because they had someone who put time (love) into the girls. Parker is aware of the scary truth that our worth by outside world is one dimensional and fuel by aesthetics. Both Lonnae O’Neal Parker and Malcolm X have analyze the importance of hair in the black community. Parker praises the “black hair ritual” while Malcolm criticizes it. Even though their topics differ, both essays share the act of taming natural hair, and the motifs of love and pain

Beneatha is intrigued by Asagai’s culture and his firm belief in his Nigerian heritage, and she somewhat longs to find this dedication and interest in her own ancestors and native culture. Asagai comes over to the house to give Beneatha authentic Nigerian robes, and the two continue to talk. Asagai helps her put on the robes and then comments saying, “You wear it well… very well… mutilated hair and all” (Lansberry 61). Beneatha is quite shocked when he says this, and responds asking, “My hair- what’s wrong with my hair?” Asagai alludes to the fact that Beneatha straightens her hair, instead of letting it be curly and crinkly as a black woman’s hair should naturally be. Beneatha’s tendency to straighten her hair elaborates on the fact that she is struggling to find her identity and camouflages any indications of her

Richard E. Miller, the author of The Dark Night of the Soul, is an English professor/executive director of the Plan-genre Writing Center at Rutgers University. He studies the English curriculum in the U.S and questions if it is successful or a dying art. This is evident in The Dark night of the Soul,

-The book setting is in New York City at the beginning and at the end of the twentieth century. This story is about burglar from Ireland, Peter Lake, and a young rich woman, Beverly Young. I think this would be a good book for me because I like the whole concept of the time changing and Peter trying to save the dying love of his life.

In the first chapter of How to Read Literature like a Professor, Foster gives an example of a quest by making up a story about a boy named Kip. On the way to the supermarket to get some white bread, Kip encounters various difficulties including a German shepherd, the girl of his dreams hanging out with someone else(Karen), and his deeply humiliating bike in comparison to Tony Vauxhall’s Barracuda. After Kip reaches the store, he decides to lie to the Marine recruiter about his age in order to get away from his current way of life and the fact that the society he lives in revolves purely around wealth. Here Foster points out that a quest has already began and further enhances the concept of it by listing the five things that it consists of: the quester

Primo Levi was a Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor from the concentration Auschwitz. Primo Levi talks about in his book called “Survival in Auschwitz” about what it means to survive. There are many quotes that stand out in his book and have strong importance to them.

Spiritual disciplines will prepare us for our journey in Christ. I feel if understanding correctly, the classical Christian Pilgrimage remind us that we all have issues requiring regular examination. In chapter eight, the classical Christian Pilgrimage tells us we are at different stages on the path of wholeness in Christ. However, in my thoughts some areas of our Christian journey we may be doing well, but in other areas we have not touched at all. Not to mention, these are the place we are not ready or capable of handling yet, however, as we mature in God and He knows what we can handle, then we are awakened. God awakens us to our true selves which have not been completely revealed. In reality, once we reach maturity to God, he reveals all that is hidden deep inside of us (the real us/you). By the same token, he let us see the inner behaviors, attitudes, desires, in fact how we measure up in them being Christ-like. I feel the awakening stage deals with the comfort of being set free of these issues that are holding us back also causing detours on our path to wholeness in Christ. Equally, the threat is being afraid to see who we really are; also how far from Christ-like we really are. We must first be awakened from our separation also alienation from God (Mulholland 79-82).

Book Review of To Heaven and Back To Heaven and Back, a nonfiction narrative by Mary C. Neal, MD, addresses the claim that God has a plan for everyone and that He will always be by ones side to nurture and lead them onto the right path. Dr. Neal writes that she had died on a kayaking trip in Fuy River, Chile, because her kayak got trapped and weighed down underneath a waterfall. She later comes back to life, which was described to have been God’s plan for her— he allowed for her to remain by her family’s side. This second chance at life also allowed Neal to spread the word of the existence of a beautiful afterlife known as Heaven. While the author’s relationship with God has changed throughout her life, she has no exclusive authority in the field of religion.

I would like to reflect on a few key moments of my spiritual journey from childhood that has led me to my call to ministry. I do believe that as the prophet Jeremiah was called before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5) that some are called and know their purpose from an early age while others find their path later after stumbling through life. Perhaps it might be that they have heard the call but were uncertain or unwilling to answer the call. Looking back on my life’s journey, I can see the “God moments” and how they have influenced my faith journey.

Stafford furtively conceals the profound meaning of his poem behind a story of the narrator, who stops alongside the road to care for a deer. The genius behind poem is better understood when the superficial meaning is expressed deeply.