Queen Susan the Gentle from the Chronicles of Narnia is a round peg for a square hole. I say that as nicely as I can, for I have never been one to follow the crowd. But Susan Pevensie continues to surprise me, kind of like that onion that you peel and keeps getting bigger. As a child, I didn’t pay Susan Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia much thought. I was too caught up with the battles, the quests, and the adventure. (Spoiler alert: If you haven’t read The Last Battle, here's a twist you won't see coming!) Honestly, when I read that she was no longer a friend of Narnia, I wrote … [Read more...]
Was Queen Susan more powerful than High King Peter?
We know we are not to judge by appearance, but I must admit that I did when I first met Molly the Mustang. (Trust me. I get to Susan Pevensie in a moment. Stay with me for a bit...) In my defense, I’ve only seen a wild horse a couple of times, and I’ve read lots of books filled about the beauty of mustangs. And to be terribly honest, I was disappointed. Molly didn’t have any great beauty. She cautiously lipped the grain from my hand but leapt back five feet when I reached to pet her nose. I decided that there was nothing special about her. Then my two year old daughter joined me at the … [Read more...]
How You can Seize Your Adventure
What does a fierce dragon, pink tennis shoes, and a pebble have in common? As we know, a dragon is a familiar part of a fantasy story. The dragon may be evil as in The Hobbit, or it may be a kindred spirit as in the recent Eragon, but in both stories, when a dragon is present, you don't have to look too far for adventure. My two young daughters put on their pink tennis shoes to leave the house while singing a song about going on an adventure. They never have to look too far to find one. For months now, I joined in with the singing, thinking, “Yep. They are on an adventure. How lucky … [Read more...]
What Father Christmas Packed for Your Narnian
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Father Christmas doesn't always wear red suits and have a white beard. Sometimes Father Christmas is a Sunday school teacher. I don't really remember her face, although I'll bet good money she didn't have a beard. But I'll never forget her. Mrs. Graf. She struck a deal with me that I couldn’t resist. "Memorize the books of the Bible, and I’ll give you one of the Chronicles of Narnia books." Little did she know that I would have memorized the whole Bible to get my hands on those books! It wasn’t too long before I got two … [Read more...]
How to move on after reading The Chronicles of Narnia
I hover behind her, glancing at the words on the pages of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But for once, I'm not reading. I'm watching her as she reads the book for the first time. Wonder fills her eyes as she steps through the wardrobe. She shivers from the cold snow. Tears roll down her cheeks when Aslan dies. Joy erupts with His return. I once was transfixed by the words. Now I watch her. She finds Prince Caspian next, and I watch her journey through the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia. I see the tears fall as she weeps over the ending of Narnia and the joy that arises when old … [Read more...]