mosaicsynapse

7 Quick Takes: Volume 54

2011-12-30T00:28:00.000-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

Hello, friends! The semester is done, family celebrations are complete, and I have a couple of weeks to breathe and think about what to write about in 2012. (That's as close as I get to the bloggy version of New Year's resolutions.)

And today, we have a new 7 Quick Takes. Enjoy!

---1---

This week, my cousin Brian posted this video:

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When we were kids, Brian once brought over some Legos. I'd never seen anything like them. I loved them immediately and wished I had some of my own. I had dolls, a tea set, and lots of arts and crafts supplies, but I really liked building stuff. My Lincoln Logs were favorites. I wanted to be an architect.

Lego ad from 1981, found at Sociological Images

---3---

I still like Legos.

So I think this photo series on Bryan Lopez's site is really cool:

The Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William
from 2011 Lego Year in Review

---4---

And speaking of Legos, my friend John made a time-lapse video of his assembly of the 3152-piece Star Wars "Executor" Lego set:

The "Executor" from Coastline Studios on Vimeo.

---5---

Have you been waiting for the annual List of Banished Words from Lake Superior State University? I know I have.

---6---

As always, Calvin College's January Series has an amazing lineup. I was pretty excited to learn the schedule includes Eric Metaxas, N.T. Wright, and several other great speakers.

---7---

So, Happy New Year, friends! Do you do anything special to mark the turning of the calendar? Resolutions, or a year-in-review, or something different?

Speak up in the comments!

~~~~~

The Spirit of Dickens Past, Present, and Yet to Come

2011-12-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

For new friends and old, a repost from two years ago, with new ideas at the end.

~~~~~

I love the story of A Christmas Carol.

We own at least five versions of the movie, and have seen several more renditions of the story on stage and screen.

Each version emphasizes different points — some take a more humanistic approach (i.e. Scrooge had it in him the whole time), and others focus more closely on the story's supernatural aspects (i.e. it took a spiritual awakening to force Scrooge to give up his greed and think of someone other than himself).

Some versions do a better job than others at setting the stage for Scrooge's redemption, unshrinkingly depicting the poverty, filth and horrors of London during the mid-to-late 19th century.

Still, we stubbornly cling to an idyllic, Department 56-like vision of Victorian London.

The 1980 movie Ordinary People contains a line that captures this notion of idealized perfection. The scene shows Beth Jarrett (Mary Tyler Moore) trying to convince her husband Cal (Donald Sutherland) that going away to England for the holiday is the right thing to do: “You know what I think? I think Christmas in London would be like something out of Dickens.”

I've seen that movie a few times, and every time I hear that line I think, "Huh?"

I mean, what part of his work, exactly, would make one want to vacation in Charles Dickens’ London? Is it the air filled with coal smoke and soot, or the streets full of starving orphans and excrement? Puzzling.

In an article entitled The Darker Side of A Christmas Carol, Lisa Toland points out that Dickens' London was "a world more brutal than we sometimes imagine," and that his work was actually a "social tirade" intended to "awaken Britain's collective conscience."

We're far removed from Victorian London. Content to see only the charms of Dickens' writing, we may miss the application in our own day.

Who is Tiny Tim in our time? Toland answers compellingly:

While poor children in developed nations are mostly those living in former industrial centers, worldwide poverty and exploitation have even more faces. These are the modern-day Tiny Tims....

The culture of workhouses still exists, though under a different guise. Exploitive child labor and abuse are alive and well. And human trafficking, which preys especially on children, is a reality. For these children, the workhouse may be a house of prostitution. All of these things make our society look much like Victorian London. Fortunately, many governments, relief organizations, and the church—through various ministries and local congregations—are actively combating these hidden injustices.

Between the horror of reality and the fanciful coloring of his characterization, Dickens's classic maintains the power to awaken our social conscience. Yes, we are drawn to the romance of the Victorian Christmas, but we are also gripped and moved by A Christmas Carol's dark portrayals of real life, then and now.

For Scrooge, the ultimate moment of self-examination comes on the third night of his haunting, when he is visited by a silent, grim spirit. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come leads him to a forgotten graveyard and points to a plain slab of stone engraved with Ebenezer Scrooge. At that moment, sinking in his own grave, Scrooge experiences the desolation of death without the promise of redemption.

Then, having glimpsed the ultimate terror, the spirit returns Scrooge safely to his bedroom, where he bursts with joy, immediately calling out his window to arrange the delivery of an enormous turkey to Bob Cratchit's home—one tangible fruit of Scrooge's regeneration.

It's an ending filled with hope and implicit moral exhortation. Scrooge's newfound compassion pushes Dickens's readers of every age and culture to pursue their own courses of charity. For there will always be faces pressed against our windows.

If the Spirit of the One who is Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come is leading you to make a difference in the life of a Tiny Tim, here are a few organizations to consider:

Compassion International
Heifer International
Women At Risk, International
World Relief
World Vision

And check out Elizabeth's Merry & Bright series, where she highlights goods made by or in support of human trafficking survivors. Her latest post features items in every shade of green, and she's also featured red and orange.

May God bless us, every one.

~~~~~

Conflicted

2011-11-17T15:31:00.001-05:00

Although I'm a counselor, I don't use a couch like the one in the comic below (and I don't know anyone who does).

Even so, I still collect comics showing this style of therapy. I get a kick out of them, despite the unrealistically stereotypical counseling office.

This one's especially fun:

Comic by Dan Piraro.

But the more I look at it, the more conflicted I feel.

Do I:
a) love it because of the personal style statements the therapist is making?
b) cringe because of the misspelling in the speech balloon?
c) suddenly feel the need to equip my office with that chair?
d) all of the above?

If you guessed d), you win a prize — a free therapy session in the egg-shaped chair!

Now I'm off to the Men in Black online catalog to find one...

~~~~~

The tipping point: part 2

2011-11-05T16:43:00.001-04:00

If you read part 1, you know I feel strongly about the subject of tipping.

Writer and psychology prof Richard Beck seems to feel pretty strongly too:

If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know the reputation of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Millions of Christians go to lunch after church on Sundays and their behavior is abysmal. The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth.
— Richard Beck, The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity

What do you think — too strong?

Beck goes on to admit he's exaggerating. He knows he can tend to be over the top when he makes a point. (In the comments on a recent post, he wrote, "I have been asking a lot of categorical questions. And those tend to come across as provocative 'bombs'.... All told, however, the questions I'm asking come out of a soft space; thinking about how people are hurt and trying to ask questions about the things doing the hurting.... For the most part, my pique comes from my compassion. I want to make those who are not seen, seen.")

Modeling a balanced approach to tipping.

Beck may have been exaggerating, but I will tell you, it's a big thing for me. Last April, a well-known money columnist wrote on this topic, opposing the 20% tipping standard because, combined with increased restaurant pricing, this amounts to a raise for servers at a time when other professions aren't seeing raises. Yes, I left a comment. I tried to speak truth with grace. (I had to rewrite my comment a few times to make sure the grace was as evident as the truth.)

So yes, I tip well. I view it as a moral imperative. There's James 2:14-17, if you'd like a Bible passage to work from.

But I think there's more to this issue than money.

Our pastor at Mars Hill once interrupted his sermon to ask if there were any restaurant servers in the congregation. When a few hands went up, he asked if they'd be willing to come up and talk about their experience. Two women stepped up to the platform, and Rob asked them how they felt about waiting tables on Sundays. Both servers agreed Sunday was the least popular day to work, because the after-church crowd tended to be poor tippers.

I was glad he was addressing the issue, but for my part, Rob was preaching to the choir. I was already convinced that tipping was important, and I felt like I practiced it pretty well.

And even as proud as I've been of my tipping practices, a few years ago I realized (thanks to my son) that I still tended to treat servers like servants. I mean, I was polite, but not especially engaging — as if I was caught up in this big disparity of role or status. Or maybe I just allow my natural introversion to take over. Regardless of the cause, the effect is the same.

After my son came to faith in Christ, I noticed he would look servers in the eye and ask them how their day was going — and not just servers in restaurants, but cashiers in the grocery store and various other people he'd come across. It was amazing to see their response — they'd light up at the fact that someone asked about them — as if they were accustomed to taking off their humanity when they put on the apron.

But what does our faith in God have to do with our treatment of other people? In the same article, Richard Beck fires off some sardonic words to make the connection:

...behavior at lunch isn't considered to be "working on your relationship with God." Behavior at lunch isn't spiritual. Going to church, well, that is working on your relationship with God. But, as we all know, any jerk can sit in a pew. But you can't be a jerk if you take the time to treat your waitress as if she were your friend, daughter or mother.

This topic came up yesterday in a different setting. I took a friend for a pedicure as a little thank-you for her help painting my living room. As we sat in the pedi chairs and chatted, the woman doing our pedicures joined in — and then immediately apologized for interrupting. I told her she was welcome to join our conversation, and the three of us chatted like old friends. But evidently this isn't always the case for her.

I know we like to pretend we're not class-conscious, but let's face it — we are.

Going back to James' letter:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
— James 3:9-10

James is echoing the words of Jesus, who summed up the Hebrew law as two intertwined commandments: love God, and love your neighbor. He's asking, can we really claim we're loving God if we're vile to His image-bearers?

My faith is the result of God's lavish generosity. My understanding of that needs to work its way out in the way I treat strangers, outsiders, those who rank lower on the social ladder... people I view as beneath me.

And that, friends, is the point of this tip.

~~~~~

The tipping point: part 1

2011-11-04T18:54:00.001-04:00

Years ago, I was at dinner with a friend. After a good meal and a great chat, we got ready to settle the bill.

I don't remember how it happened, but I saw how much my friend added for the tip.

I know. It's as rude to watch a person pay their restaurant bill as it is to watch them enter their PIN at the ATM. But evidently I was just that rude.

And not only was I rude enough to look, I was rude enough to comment on it.

The tip seemed low. That surprised me, because my friend was a very sweet and considerate Christian woman, the type of person known for her gracious spirit and gentle demeanor.

She was the type of person I wanted to emulate, because I'm... well, I'm the type of person to watch someone pay a restaurant bill and then comment on the size of the tip. You might say I have a few rough edges.

When I asked her about the size of the tip she'd left, she replied, "Why would I give the waitress 15%* when I only give God 10%?"

* This was quite a few years back — I think 20% is customary for tipping now.

I knew my friend to be a wonderful person. I was sure she had heard that rationale somewhere, and just hadn't thought it through. So (because I'm helpful like that) I pointed out the logical flaw in her argument, explaining that her church offering of 10% was calculated on her entire income, and 15% was only based on the dinner check.

And then I followed up with another question (again, helpful!), asking if she'd ever worked in the food service industry. She said she hadn't, so (because I have, and I'm helpful) I explained how hard servers work, and how little they make in hourly wages. (In a typical restaurant, tips are what a server lives on, because the check is laughably tiny.) And moreover, I went on, in a midprice restaurant such as that one, the difference between a 10% tip and a 15% tip would be less than a dollar, and that dollar would make a bigger difference to the server than it would to my friend.

Now, it might seem the moral of this tale is "Ask Pam to dinner and you'll get a lecture." But that's only a sub-point.

Earlier this year, I read an excellent devotional article by my friend Tim Gustafson, tackling a sticky issue: the after-church crowd's reputation as poor tippers. In the article, Tim quotes his pastor: “You are representing Jesus. If you go out to eat, tip generously.” Would that all pastors would preach the same.

To further define that, I'd say "generously" means 20%, at least. I typically calculate 20% and round up to the next dollar. Why so much? A server's tips depend mainly on their tabs and their turnover. Since I usually order water, and I drink a lot of it, the server makes lots of trips to my table to refill my glass, but my drink doesn't show up on the bill. And if I'm involved in a lengthy conversation — which I often am — the table doesn't "turn" as quickly. Since my dining habits cut into both the tab and the turnover, I try to compensate. (Also, if I'm using a coupon, I tip on the amount before the coupon was subtracted, because the tip is on what the server brought, not on what I'm paying for.)

So, maybe being able to tip generously while staying within your budget means ordering the chicken Caesar salad instead of the steak. Do it.

But there's a bigger point to this. For that tip, you'll want to come back tomorrow.

~~~~~

(I still haven't figured out the tipping etiquette for coffee places. So if you ever run into me at Starbucks and you see me pass the tip jar as if I hadn't seen it, that's why. Maybe one of my readers is or has been a barista and can help me out?)

~~~~~

Knitting 101

2011-10-30T23:35:00.000-04:00

I haven't been able to do anything handicrafty for a while. I'm not sure why, but I suspect the pile of schoolbooks has something to do with it.

If and when I ever get back to knitting, I may have forgotten a few things. So I'm glad I found this helpful video:

"We're not making mistakes, we're making experiences."

That has all kinds of therapeutic applications.

~~~~~

...and Justice for all

2011-10-29T01:23:00.000-04:00

Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
- Isaiah 1:17

Last weekend I attended a justice conference hosted by the church I attend.

The topics and actions discussed there seem to get at the heart of what believers are supposed to be doing. Too often, I think, we get caught up in the mentality of control-and-patrol (control the message and patrol the boundaries)... we forget that our salvation has a purpose beyond just our own eternal destiny.

That purpose, I believe, is to be God's hands in this world.

Guest speakers at the conference were Abraham George of International Justice Mission, and Carolyn Custis James, author of Half the Church.

I was very interested in hearing Carolyn Custis James speak, since her book has been on my to-read list since it first came out. Take a look at the promo video and you'll see why:

And she did not disappoint. She was eloquent, challenging, and gracious.

Abraham (Abey) George was also an inspiring speaker. In his sermon on Sunday, he made the point that justice is a divine mandate. The entire sermon may be heard here. It's well worth your time.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 53

2011-10-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Hey! Winter's coming, and needleworkers know that means warm knitwear!

My friend Elizabeth of Things Bright found this awesome video entitled "How to Knit Like an Icelandic Man," in which an Icelandic man is... well, not exactly knitting.

We would call it Tunisian crochet, but it's really cool... er, warm.

How to knit like an Icelandic man from Iceland on Vimeo.

OK, I'm hooked!

---2---

A couple of weeks ago, someone found this blog using the search term "the princess bride holocaust cloak." I'm guessing they were directed to this post. I'm so proud...

---3---

Did you know the smiley is 25 years old? Thank you, Scott Fahlman — this calls for a party! <:-)

---4---

Last week was Banned Books Week! Check out this list of challenged classics. How many have you read?

Just days before Banned Books Week, Amazon.com announced the widespread availability of the Kindle lending library. I immediately went to my library's website and found they are participating — cool! (And even Kindle-free households like mine can participate, using the free Kindle for PC or Kindle for Android app.)

---5---

From the department of Extremely Helpful How-tos:

How to peel an entire head of garlic in 10 seconds.

How to combine various Lego sets to make other stuff: Rebrickable (from Ohdeedoh).

---6---

Go ahead — Draw a Stickman!

---7---

And a little video clip to end your week with a smile:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 52

2011-09-23T02:00:00.001-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

If you partnered with this week's 7 Quick Takes for a game of Trivial Pursuit, your team would be the first to win the little brown wedge.

---1---

Shel Silverstein's family has published a book of his previously-unpublished poems. Here's the feature from NPR, which includes audio of some of the poems being read aloud. Fun.

---2---

Mondegreen alert!

Last night, I was driving home from class, and Aerosmith's Dream On came on the radio. It had been a while since I'd heard the song, so I cranked up the volume and started reflecting on how much more I can relate to the first verse than I could when the song came out. (I was in elementary school. What did I know about lines on my face?)

And then it got to the chorus, and I (uncharacteristically) stopped singing along... just in time to hear "Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away..."

Wait... what?

I always thought it was "Maybe tomorrow, the guitar will take you away..."

OK, it makes a lot more sense now.

---3---

Speaking of classic rock, here's some breaking news:

Posted on All Access Music Group's website yesterday:

Queen drummer Roger Taylor offered singers the chance to upload a video to QUEENEXTRAVAGANZA for "a chance to be a rock star" in celebration of the band's 40th anniversary, according to the website Hypervocal.

Downhere vocalist Marc Martel took up the challenge. His video jumped from 127,000 views this morning (9/22) to over 277,000 this afternoon. Hypervocal is touting Martel as Freddie Mercury reincarnated: "It's safe to say that the contest is over."

---4---

Speaking of Freddie Mercury, did you happen to see the Google doodle tribute on his 65th birthday a few weeks ago? It was, like the man himself, pretty incredible.

---5---

Lately I'm spending a lot of time in the car. When I'm not listening to classic rock (and hearing lyrics as if for the first time), I'm working my way through Pimsleur language CDs. There's a lot of escuche y repita going on during that long, long drive to and from classes.

But evidently my mind isn't satisfied with the disconnected little snippets of conversación provided on the CDs, and I find myself making up stories about the relationships between the speakers to fill in the blanks. (The CDs are giving me some pretty great material to start with: "I don't like Carlos." "Why not?" "He has too much money.")

I'm thinking about occasionally watching a telenovela to build my comprehension. I wonder how it will compare to the drama, intrigue, and resentment on the CDs...

---6---

Did you know your Captcha keystrokes are helping to digitize books? (This video makes me happy on so many levels.)

---7---

One last thing: ArtPrize is back! And there's another mosaic by Tracy Van Duinen!

Metaphorest, by Tracy Van Duinen

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

The outsider

2011-09-22T01:13:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned once or twice, or three or four times, I come from a mostly unchurched background.

It's been many years since I put my faith in Christ, but because I grew up outside the church, I still view things from the perspective of an outsider. Like a person who immigrates as an adult, even decades later I retain the original accent that marks me: "You're not from around here, are you?"

~~~~~

When I came to faith, I began attending a small, conservative church near my university's campus.

I want to highlight the word conservative in the sentence above.

I had spent my first 18 years in a very liberal home.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when I came to Christian faith as a college sophomore, I was a sexually-active gay-affirming pro-choice feminist Democrat.

Every week, I went to church feeling like a party crasher. It was like going to a fancy dinner, with me stealing sidelong glances at the other diners to figure out which fork to use. I didn't know the rules.

And I didn't know much about the Bible, or about Christian teaching.

But I knew — I knew — God had drawn me to Him.

~~~~~

Over time, I learned a little about the Bible and about doctrine — some of it confusing. And by watching and listening, I picked up some of the unwritten rules. Some of those were confusing too.

I learned what it meant to be a Christian woman by watching women around me. They wore dresses and nylons to church, so I wore dresses and nylons to church. They were polite and genteel, so I tried to behave likewise. They didn't voice opinions or anger, and mostly stayed quiet in church settings, so I... well, I struggled with that one.

I took in these unwritten behavioral rules right along with the Bible lessons. Sometimes, it was easy to confuse the two, to feel like maybe I was going to hell for thinking it might be OK to wear jeans to church. (Oh, I kid. Mostly.)

Since then, I've watched many of the dominant thoughts change, and I've come to see some of the rules as traditions and preferences — there's nothing wrong with them, but preferences are not doctrine, and traditions are not scripture.

I've learned to look a little more closely, to question, to deconstruct... to distinguish faith from preference or politics or upbringing.

Maybe I find it easy to ask questions because I'm looking at things from the outside.

I understand how it can be threatening, though. When I question things people associate closely with their faith, it might seem like I'm questioning their faith itself. I get that — my decision to follow Christ came only after I questioned my own beliefs, traditions, relationships, and assumptions about the world, to the point of being willing to give them all up.

So I know firsthand how scary that is.

But maybe there are some things that need to be challenged, with a gracious tone, as one family member to another. We all have blind spots.

~~~~~

Here's what many of those challenges will probably center around:

As I've read and studied the Bible, I'm impressed with the message I keep seeing throughout its pages — God has a heart for the outcast. The poor. The immigrant. The prisoner. The prostitute. The mentally ill. The hurting, the bleeding, the lost. The single. The infertile. The griefstricken. The abused. The minority. The woman. The child. The eunuch.

The outsider.

And the more I trace this thread through scripture, the less sense it makes to me to distance myself from people who look different, speak different, vote different, love different, and believe different from the way I do.

They're outsiders too.

I get the feeling God wants me to welcome them. Not welcome them if they change their beliefs, sexual habits, or politics. Just welcome them, and let Him do the rest.

~~~~~

If at some point you visit this blog and you're tempted to write me off as an infidel because I express an opinion that differs from yours, keep in mind I'm not challenging your faith or your beliefs — though I may be asking you to examine the consistency of those beliefs and how they play out in the world.

And I welcome your challenge in return, but please remember we're family, in the best sense. Even though I am an outsider.

~~~~~

In the Image: Barbie, breasts, & butchery

2011-09-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

This is the second of a series of posts on women, body image, and mental health.
You can read the first post here.

~~~~~

I would've loved to have had a daughter.

(In addition to, not instead of my son. I wouldn’t trade him for anything.)

But sometimes when friends tell me stories of shopping with their young daughters, trying to find clothes that are age-appropriate yet stylish, I’m kinda grateful I didn’t.

If I'd had a daughter, I think we might have butted heads on a few things related to wardrobe and image… beginning with my “no Barbies” rule.

(Yes, I had that rule. Way before I ever became a parent, I decided: no guns and no Barbies. Which is much easier when there's no Santa.)

Vintage Barbie: a whiter shade of fail

Years ago, I was shopping at Target, walking past the toy department — specifically, past that most pink of aisles — when I overheard an African American mom calmly explaining to her tiny daughter (who was three years old at the most) that they wouldn’t be purchasing the pale-skinned Barbies the little girl was requesting, “…because these don’t look like you.”

I wanted to stop and say, “Well, they don’t look like anyone, really… at least, not like anyone who hasn’t had some serious surgical alteration…”

Now, I respect and appreciate what that mother was telling her little girl by declining to buy her the pale, blonde dolls. She was saying that her daughter should have a doll that portrays a realistic image, that mirrors her own beauty, and that having a doll that does neither might set her up for self-image problems later, as she chases futilely after a standard of beauty she can never attain.

Uh...

Yeah.

In Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery, the New York Times reports numbers published by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

The numbers are shocking.

In the 10-year period from 1997 to 2007:

The number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed annually on youths 18 or younger more than tripled, from 59,890 to 205,119
Among that same group, liposuctions nearly quadrupled, from 2,504 to 9,295
The number of breast augmentation surgeries increased nearly sixfold, from 1,326 to 7,882

Keep in mind, these numbers are just for surgeries performed on kids 18 and younger.

Why the sudden rise in popularity? For several years, articles have been appearing in various media claiming that "breast implants and liposuction are now bestowed by parents as graduation or birthday gifts" (Washington Post, 2004).

The Post article continues:

Psychologist Ann Kearney-Cooke, a visiting scholar at Columbia University who studies girls and body image, said the increase in cosmetic surgery among adolescents reflects a pernicious trend that pervades popular culture: the glorification of rail-thin, large-breasted women. It is, she notes, an unnatural body type rarely achievable without surgery.

Artist Chris Jordan depicted the Barbie/surgery connection in his 2008 piece entitled Barbie Dolls from his series Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait. The caption tells us the photo "depicts 32,000 Barbies, equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006."

Obviously, Barbie isn't the only source of women's self-image and self-acceptance issues, and cosmetic surgery isn't the only way our insecurities play out.

Unrealistic media images play a huge role as well, as does a culture obsessed with beauty, youth, and sexual availability. And advertising works by playing into those insecurities, making us believe the advertised product will bring us joy, love, and fulfillment.

Dr. Kearney-Cooke continues in the Post:

Kids... [are] bombarded by the media with these unrealistic images... When you're a teenage girl, there's this whole myth of transformation that's very powerful: namely that cosmetic surgery can transform your looks and your life. It's as though the question "Who am I?" has been replaced with "What image do I want to project?"

What to do?

As parents, we need solid advice for bringing up daughters in a way that honors them as people and reveals the cultural lies that a woman must meet a certain narrow standard of physical beauty in order to be valuable. (And we may need to start by becoming aware of how we've bought into those cultural lies ourselves.)
We need to talk to our sons about the hollowness of that standard, so that they don't place unrealistic expectations on the women in their lives.
As women, we need to work at really encouraging each other. We're good at complimenting each other's hair and admiring each other's outfits. But we need to support each other's strength, appreciate each other's intelligence, reinforce each other's wisdom — we need to teach each other that our value goes beyond our appearance.

Because we're worth it.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 51

2011-09-16T03:07:00.000-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

This week, 7 Quick Takes is about education, with a little crazy thrown in. (Seems fitting, considering my week was filled with long drives to classes at a sprawling and baffling campus.) Enjoy the ride!

---1---

I sometimes get a little over-fascinated with my blog's statistics. (Really, Pam? I'd never have guessed!) Last weekend, I had a visitor from Cebu, in the Philippines. (And it's not the first time someone from there has visited this blog.)

I know nothing about Cebu, so I had to look it up. Beautiful place!

But all I could think of was this multimedia event:

My deepest apologies to the residents of Cebu for my ignorance, and to everyone else for putting that song in your head.

At least I didn't repeat the line where Larry confuses Philistines with Philippines...

---2---

From the Department of Good News/Bad News:

Alton Brown's Good Eats just reached the end of production (that's the bad news) and was featured on NPR (the good news).

Alton Brown. (photo: Gregory Smith, AP)

"I wrote down Julia Child, Monty Python, Mr. Wizard and thought if I could put those three things together, that would be fun."

And it was. The show made me laugh, made me learn, and made me a better cook — success on all three of Alton's goals.

I'll try to keep my mourning quiet. Maybe I'll try one of his wilder stunts, like turning a charcoal grill into a jet engine. Or maybe I'll start talking to a videocamera inside my oven.

---3---

Speaking of cooking and crazy... I've featured Jim's Pancakes on the blog (take #7 here, and here).

Great news! Jim Belosic, the mind behind the crazy pancake creations, has written a book:

---4---

A friend from seminary days (who's just returned to school for another graduate degree) recently posted this in his facebook status: "Pretty soon it'll look like an eye chart behind my name."

Yeah. I'm there. Right now I'm working on the degree that's the equivalent of the copyright line at the bottom of the chart.

---5---

Speaking of school...

We had Back to School night last night and I ended up leaving totally stressed out. Stressed out about third grade. And rumors that it will require making a model of the Solar System. I am from a generation that was led to believe that Pluto was a planet. In fact I’m still not sure that it’s not. Who decides what constitutes a planet and why do they get to just revoke that status all willy-nilly? Because they have “Doctor” in front of their name? I once watched a doctor dump an entire side salad from Olive Garden into his lasagna and eat it all mixed together in a large bowl. Doctors don’t know everything. - Melanie, aka Big Mama

It's so true. And it's nice to see people sticking up for Pluto's planetary status. I mean, I'm from the state where Pluto was discovered... and my alma mater is in the town where Pluto was discovered... I'm honor-bound to stick up for Pluto. (Lowell Observatory itself has been surprisingly quiet about Pluto's demotion.)

Even so, Melanie's interests in the issue may be mostly pragmatic: "And how am I supposed to help Caroline memorize the order of the planets if I don’t use “My Very Excellent Mother Just Ordered* Us Nine Pizzas”? It doesn’t make any sense if you leave off the pizzas."

* Yeah, "ordered" is actually supposed to be "served" — Melanie corrected it the next day, in her inimitable style:

Y’all. I totally messed up on the “My Very Excellent Mother Served Us Nine Pizzas” thing yesterday because I wrote ORDERED instead of SERVED. Maybe some of you thought I did it on purpose to be funny.

I didn’t.

This doesn’t bode well for Caroline’s eventual assignment on the Solar System and also serves as a very good example of why I never need to homeschool. The world doesn’t need another child running around declaring, “THE EARTH IS TOTALLY FLAT, Y’ALL”.

---6---

So I found these on Lowell's website. Please note the children's solar system socks include Pluto.

If that's not convincing, I'm not sure what is.

Lowell Observatory souvenir socks. Click to enlarge and see Pluto at nearly full-size.

---7---

And finally, how about some moo-ving music to get your weekend started?

Happy Friday, friends! I'll be here studying if anyone needs me...

~~~~~

10 years later

2011-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

"On September 10, 2001, many Americans had never pondered our nation's role in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. By the morning of September 12, few of us had not. And 10 years later, we recognize that it is better to embrace the challenges we face globally rather than retreat, build walls, and pretend that America can exist on its own."

— Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S.
Christianity Today, "How Evangelical Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11"

~~~~~

In the image: sex, shopping, & other drugs

2011-09-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

This is the first of a series of posts on women, body image, and mental health. You can read the second post here.

~~~~~

But all of these sexual images aren't intended to sell us on sex.
They're intended to sell us on shopping.
— Jean Kilbourne

A couple of years ago, the short film Dove: Evolution made the rounds on the internet. Have you seen it?

I showed this film to a group of women a few weeks ago as a discussion-starter. Now, the women in the group are working to recover from addictions, so part of what they're going through might be hard for some readers to relate to.

But these women are also dealing with some very common problems like depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.

Like pick-up sticks, these issues are all connected — it's nearly impossible to move one without jostling others. And research shows women's substance abuse is often connected to one or more of these other issues that are so common among women in general.

Does it sound like I'm blaming advertising for addiction, eating disorders, depression, and other mental health problems? I'm not... well, not exactly.

Advertising influences us. Of course it does — that's how it works. If ads didn't work to sell products, they'd cease to exist.

An ad can first create the need, and then promise to fill it: "Well, now that you mention it, my eyelashes are sparse... I need that product!"

But advertising does more than influence purchases. It influences attitudes. It shapes behavior.

[Sidenote: A few years back, I attended a church women's event where a speaker made connections between the images in the media and certain social changes that have transpired over the last few decades. When a friend asked me what I thought of the presentation, I responded, "I see what she's saying, but I don't think she went far enough." Yes, the characters on Sex and the City demonstrate different values from the characters on Father Knows Best, but let's not stop with merely an analysis of changing social roles and sexual mores. There's far more to it than that.]

Here's another little video that deals with advertising's impossible beauty standard in a bit more depth:

This clip is a composite from Jean Kilbourne's film Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. (If you'd like to watch the film in full, which I highly recommend, here's part 1 and here's part 2.)

Kilbourne makes the point that "it's difficult to be healthy in... a toxic cultural environment — an environment that surrounds us with unhealthy images, and constantly sacrifices our health and our sense of well-being for the sake of profit."

Advertising's big message to women is twofold: first, what's most important is how we look, and second, we will never measure up. This is how they sell stuff: you need to look prettier, and that's still not pretty enough.

In other words, advertisers deliberately cultivate insecurity. (Interestingly, this is the same tactic used by abusers to keep their victims in line.)

It's not hard to see the connection to self-esteem issues and eating disorders.

But it gets darker.

Beyond showing appearance as everything while setting an impossible standard for physical beauty, the images in advertising and popular culture tend to do several other things:

they objectify and dehumanize women's bodies
they sexualize little girls while infantilizing women
they eroticize food
they mainstream pornography, stripping, and other types of sex work
they eroticize male-on-female violence

Again, Kilbourne points out, this not only influences buying, it shapes the attitudes that underlie other behavior as well:

As girls learn from a very early age that their sexualized behavior and appearance are often rewarded by society, they learn to sexualize themselves, to see themselves as objects. They're encouraged to see this as their own choice, as a declaration of empowerment, to reframe presenting oneself in the most clichéd and stereotypical way possible as a kind of liberation.

Kilbourne quotes a 2007 report by the American Psychological Association that states that girls exposed to sexualized images from a young age are more prone to depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.

And because self-loathing tends to set a person up for more self-destructive choices, I'd argue they're also more prone to addiction, self-injury (e.g., cutting), and partner violence.

So what can we do about it? Kilbourne recommends a few action steps:

Awareness comes first. (That's why I'm writing this.) Be aware of the messages in the media. Those messages have power, especially with children.
Encourage media literacy in your friends, your kids, your kids' friends... Explain to them about digitally-altered photographs. (Many of the women in the group I led were unaware of this process, and I'd bet most people are unaware of just how many images are digitally altered.)
Discuss the issue, and how it impacts attitudes and behavior.
If you see something you disagree with, speak up! Customers have a voice, as the recent JC Penney t-shirt debacle demonstrated.
Find ways to change norms and change attitudes. Does that seem like an insurmountable task? A few bloggers responded to the JC Penney thing mentioned above with a Twitter campaign, flooding the social network with strong and positive alternatives, using the hashtag #PutThatOnATShirtJCPenney.

We can't afford to ignore this. We have to stand up and demand a change.

The health of our sisters and daughters depends on it.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 50

2011-09-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

This week, 7 Quick Takes is set on "extra-random." I'm working on a couple of posts that are kicking my tail, and...

---1---

What?! School starts next week??!!!

Melonhead. HT: Bryan Lopez

---2---

Yes, it's true. I had a little break from the books, during which I did a lot of reading. (In my world, that makes total sense.)

But now, break's over and it's back-to-school time. I'm not completely sure, but I think this year I'm in twenty-first grade...

"As I prepare to enter the twenty-first grade, I still have wildly idealized notions of what each coming school year will bring."
Back to School, by Grant Snider of Incidental Comics

---3---

...so I guess I probably should have used my break to work up a really great logo.

Instead, I hosted a wedding shower for my son and his fiancée. (Totally worth it.)

At one point, there were 20 people in my kitchen. I do not have a 20-person kitchen. Still, it somehow worked... we made paninis and everyone had a good time.

I made the decadent little morsels shown below, and my son's fiancée's mom* garnished each with a heart-shaped slice of strawberry. (Awwww...)

Truffle Brownie Cups. (photo: Culinary Collie Sue)

They disappeared fast. I should have made a double batch.

* If anyone knows of a better way to describe the relationship between two parents that bookend a marrying/married couple, please let me know. Maybe something in another language. English doesn't seem to have a word for it.

---4---

Sometimes, I wish I lived in Paris. (That wish is intensified when I watch movies like Julie & Julia.) But after reading about the Paris Post-It war, I really wish I lived there:

Hmmm... wonder what's happening on those monitors. (from postitwar.com)

The only videogame I've ever been any good at. (from postitwar.com)

---5---

In garden news, the eggplants are doing well this year... though they're not quite galloping in herds:

Eggplant Zebra. HT: Bryan Lopez

---6---

To honor Steve Jobs' recent retirement, we have this little film of Jobs introducing the Macintosh in 1984:

---7---

My friend Elizabeth recently wrote, "...the more you do that’s bloggable, the less time you have to blog."

She makes a good point. I'm not sure what that means for this blog, but if you check back here in a few days (or weeks) and find nothing but chirping crickets, it might be a sign I'm busy doing other stuff... like my homework.

Or it might mean I have nothing to write about. Though, by the looks of some of my posts, that hasn't stopped me yet.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Happy 91st to the 19th

2011-08-26T00:00:00.170-04:00

And then there was suffrage, which is a good thing, but it sounds horrible.
— Phoebe Buffay, Friends

Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:31 (KJV)

Ninety-one years ago today, the 19th amendment of the U.S. Constitution gave American women the right to vote.

But this right reflects far more than the ability to cast a ballot. A vote represents the ability to participate more fully in society. A vote is a voice.

I recently watched the movie Iron Jawed Angels, which looks at the Women's Suffrage movement during the years just before the 19th amendment was passed. I was struck by how little I knew about this part of U.S. history.

And it made me think a little harder about what it means to have a voice — not only in the democratic process, but in the family, the church, the workplace, and society as a whole — and what it's like for those who still lack that voice.

Longtime mosaicsynapse readers may recall several posts on topics related to women in this and other countries whose voices have been silenced in various ways. And there are a few more posts still in the hopper.

This is not just a women's issue. What happens when half a population's voices are silenced? The whole population loses.

As I celebrate the 19th amendment's 91st birthday, I'm hoping that it doesn't take another 91 years for this whole thing to be seen, not as a women's issue, but as a human issue.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 49

2011-08-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

This week on 7 Quick Takes, I explore just how much mileage I can get from a bowl of soup while claiming this isn't a cooking blog. Join me, won't you?

---1---

Last weekend, I made jalapeño corn chowder with peppers from my garden and corn from a local farm. (And because one member of the family isn't so hot on the hot stuff, I used this recipe to allow each diner to personalize the heat level of their own bowl.)

This season, I've added serrano chilies to my usual pepper lineup. But after a few were harvested, I thought I'd better find out how hot they are before I put them in anything.

Enter the Scoville Heat Scale:

from EatMoreChiles.com

Hm. Turns out serranos are quite a bit hotter than jalapeños. I'll need to use those carefully.

---2---

And talk of chilies means it's time for Fun with Homonyms!

chili: refers to the stew that's so great on a chilly day, as well as the pepper (Capsicum annuum); plural chilies.
Chile: the country.

Even though the name of the website listed above encourages me to eat more chiles, I don't think I could possibly eat even one. Because, you know, it's huge.

---3---

Here's little story that begins with a free kitchen tip:

This is the easiest method I've found to remove corn from the cob:

One addition: I always put the Bundt pan inside a big bowl to catch the stray kernels that would otherwise go all over the counter, floor, etc.

As I was prepping the corn for the chowder, the knife handle kept hitting the side of the ginormous (16" across) bowl. It sounded like I was hitting a gong.

Because we had just watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the 1939 version), the continual clanging of the knife on the side of the bowl reminded me of the scene where Quasimodo introduces Esmeralda to the bells: "Look, look, here, up here! Friends! Up there: Babies! Jacqueline! Gabrielle! Guillaume! Big Marie!" (See this clip, beginning around the 6:00 mark. It's a great moment.)

So my largest stainless mixing bowl is now Big Marie.

---4---

And finally, a few items that have nothing to do with soup.

First, my friend Suzanne talks about the gift of presence:

The way Jesus communicated goes against my natural bent, on so many levels. If I am talking to a young woman battling addiction about Jesus, and her eyes glaze over, I am tempted to talk faster and louder to see if she gets it. If I am counseling someone on entering a vibrant relationship with Christ, I am tempted to rush to the sinner's prayer, instead of helping this person understand the enormity of Jesus' love for them and the cost of following him. This goes against the very teachings of Jesus and his way of loving and engaging people with truth. (read more)

---5---

Speaking of loving and engaging people with truth... Sarah Moon proposes a better way to do pro-life:

You've seen the hateful, bloody battle that both sides have been fighting. You've heard the ruthless attacks and the fear-mongering. And, while I'm not going to change my mind about my stance on this issue, I am going to come out and say, on behalf of my fellow Pro-Life supporters that I am sorry.

I am truly, remorsefully sorry, not for our beliefs, but for the way that we've expressed them. I am sorry for the hate and the ignorance. I am sorry for turning a blind eye to some of the reasons why people get abortions. I am sorry for the hurtful, accusing bumper stickers. I am sorry for calling people "The Mother of a Dead Baby," or "Murderer." I am sorry for not realizing that any woman who feels the need to give up her baby is probably struggling enough as it is without us adding shame and guilt. That isn't our place. I hope you'll forgive us, and I hope we will do a better job of supporting life. (read more)

---6---

Sarah Bessey reminds us of our true name:

There are a million people that like to give us names. But....

Our name is not Failure.
Our name is not Slut.
Our name is not Worthless or Ugly or Fat or Lazy or Rejected or Lonely or Bitter or Angry or Abandoned or Undeserving of Love.

Our name is Precious.
Our name is Beautiful.
Our name is Chosen, Cherished and Created.
Our name has been pronounced, my luv, and we, we have been named Beloved. (read more)

---7---

And just for fun, some amazing bike tricks:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 48

2011-08-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Tuesday I went out to snip some herbs for dinner and discovered the mosquitoes are back, and they've brought reinforcements.

I'm not sure whether send notes of apology to the neighbors, or to bill them for the impromptu dance concert.

---2---

For the record, I feel a little ashamed of complaining about mosquitoes in light of Jennifer Fulwiler's take #1 this week.

---3---

But speaking of the mosquito dance, I just happened across a writeup of this product on the blog of a local retailer. Have you tried it? I'm curious how well it works.

---4---

Last night, I had dinner with ~~an old friend~~ a friend I've known since the early 90s.

On the way home, I drove past a fenced-off parking lot, from which emanated the distinct sounds of 70s/80s metal. And then I remembered this event is going on, and this artist was onstage last night.

It sounded great from inside my car (and I could hear it for several blocks before and several blocks after, with all the windows rolled up), and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. But I couldn't help thinking I'd had a better time spending a few hours catching up with my friend than I would have had at a rock concert.

But after all the catching up, my vocal cords are just as raspy this morning as they would have been if I'd gone to the concert last night.

---5---

Speaking of rock music, here's something for the guitarists in the audience:

If you stand like a certain artist, do you play more like that artist?
Because if so, I'm going to stand like Bonnie Raitt... just give me a minute to find her...

---6---

This next take is a timely reminder for me, especially in light of Wednesday's post and others I'm working on:

Looking back we are frustrated, embarrassed, even angry that we once held certain beliefs or acted certain ways. So, when we see those same traits in others, we are the first to pounce.

We want to fix them, or rather we want to fix us, all at once. We want to pretend we’ve never been there. Our façade of perfection has no room for having once held that view.

And so, like the parent who resents seeing their own failings manifest in their children, we push our baggage on another and all too often make the situation worse.

Never mind that it doesn’t work like that, for anyone.
— Mason Slater, writing for A Deeper Story

---7---

To wrap up this week's assortment, here's a little jazz to help you enjoy the last bit of summertime:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

The other "S" word

2011-08-10T22:57:00.003-04:00

Updated: please see the note at the bottom of the post.

~~~~~

Last week, Donald Miller published a two-parter on his blog.

In a stream-of-consciousness style, Miller advises women to hold out for the right man. (The second part was aimed at the guys.)

The article makes some good points. I especially appreciated the section advising women not to seek male validation through their sexuality.

Sadly, the tone of the article was less-than-gracious. Several commenters (and fellow bloggers) took issue with Miller's use of the word "slutty," and with his implication that such a woman is less desirable as a long-term partner.

And I have to admit, much as I want to like Don Miller, he lost me there.

~~~~~

In my work and in my personal life, I've met many women.

I've met women who dress and act in ways designed to attract male attention.

I've met women who have only one partner, but haven't married him.

I've met women who hop from bed to bed.

I've met women who dance at a "gentlemen's club."

I've met women who trade sexual favors for drugs or cash.

But I have never met a slut.

~~~~~

As a counselor, I work every day with women who have made decisions with their sexuality that would put them in Miller's "slutty" category. And for far too many of my clients and friends, their first sexual experience was in childhood, at the hands of a relative or close friend.

For such a woman, the word "decision" didn't even factor in.

And she begins to think of herself as unlovable... as damaged goods. And she begins to believe that lie, and act as if it were the truth. And over time, the damage can permeate more and more areas of her life, and the self-loathing comes out in every self-destructive way imaginable.

Using a word like "slut" is just piling on. It's not redemptive. It doesn't show Christ's love for her. It doesn't tell her she's worth far more than that.

That word just piles on the hate.

Let's excise it from our vocabulary.

~~~~~

Updated 8/12/2011: Donald Miller has deleted the two blog posts referred to early in this post, and has issued an apology. Thank you, Don.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 47

2011-08-05T00:17:00.003-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

New discovery — a website that combines the visual arts with the culinary arts, and lets you look up recipes by category or ingredient. The illustrations alone are a feast — They Draw and Cook:

Wheatberry Pilaf, by Nate Padavick

---2---

Bryan Lopez believes technology is the new smoking. What do you think?

---3---

My friend Suzanne Burden asks, do women have full access to God?

---4---

Speaking of access to God... and, er... smoking... have you seen the video of the pastor praying before the Nascar race?

I know, I throw movie references and quotes around all the time. But if your prayers start to resemble Ricky Bobby's pre-meal grace, maybe you've seen Talladega Nights one time too many.

---5---

After this, can we be done with referring to our spouses as "smokin' hot?" Please?

---6---

A friend once told me about an article she'd read in More magazine that advised women-of-a-certain-age that they'd look younger (and probably hotter) if they would stop wearing a watch and instead check the time on their cell phones. And, well... being me, I immediately got a visual in my head.

It's like Dan Piraro is reading my mind:

Bizarro by Dan Piraro, 7/31/2011

I honestly don't see how that's going to make me look younger.

---7---

Speaking of cell phones... remember Dot — the world's smallest stop-motion animation movie, shot on a Nokia N8 cell phone? (If not, check out take #5 here.)

Here's Gulp, the world's largest stop-motion animation movie, also shot on a Nokia N8, from Aardman Animations (the maker of Wallace & Gromit):

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 46

2011-07-29T16:18:00.000-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Sorry for the late post. I wasn't going to do a 7 Quick Takes post this week, but my friend R. did one and pointed her readers back to me (and this has happened before — you'd think I'd learn).

So if you're here from Simply Urban Living, welcome! If not, take a minute and read R's 7 Quick Takes. And please make sure to read the article she links to at the end.

---2---

The Boston Globe ran a nice article on literally the most misused word in the English language.

---3---

From NPR's The Picture Show comes this feature on art and ads that can be seen from space.

---4---

A friend and classmate has been posting little videos on Jean Piaget's developmental stages. If you wonder what amuses people in the mental health field, well... take a look:

---5---

So, it's blueberry season here. Our local farmer's market is full of the wonderful little blue orbs. I like them on salad. (Yes, I said the same thing a few weeks ago about grilled asparagus. It's true about blueberries too — but probably not on the same salad.)

The funny and talented Farmer's City Wife posted what looks to be a great recipe for Sour Cream Lemon Blueberry Scones — maybe I'll try this with the next batch I buy.

---6---

While we're on the topic of food, today I'm making moussaka for my son's birthday celebration. (The recipe is somewhat of an amalgamation of this one that I used last year and this one. I have no idea which one is more authentic, but I figure what's "authentic" varies by region and even by household anyway. We'll see how this variation turns out.)

We're actually doing a Greek feast: Greek salad, hummus (made Greek-style with oregano and extra lemon), and stuffed grape leaves (dolmades).

And we'll be capping the evening off with this movie.

---7---

And finally, because culture is important:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

There's always room for cello

2011-07-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

photo: New Cello School

My friend Mandie passes along this gem from Craigslist:

So my sister gave me this cello a couple years ago. It's a nice cello. Actually, it's a great cello. It's probably the best cello, but I don't really know much about cellos. Also the neck snapped off. Of the cello. So it's really more like 3/4's of a cello, but the other 1/4's still there, it's just not attached. It's kind of like you're getting two cellos, only one of them doesn't have a body and the other doesn't have a neck. But if you stand them up next to each other it's like old times. You could probably fix it with like some music glue or something like that.

She also gave me a cello bag that I can give to you too, now that I won't have a cello. It's a really nice cello bag. You can fit everything in it. Actually, there might even be a bow in the bag, I'm not sure. I don't want you to think that there's 100% a bow in the bag. It's way over there, I can't check right now. But if it's in there it's yours.

If you're like me and you don't know how to play the cello then you could use it as a coin bank. It's hollow and there are two S's on the front that you could drop the coins through. Then when it's filled up you could drop it off of your roof or carry it around like a change purse. Ooh, in the cello bag. It'd be like a cello purse. I'd do it but I'm moving across the country and it won't fit in my car. What else could you do with it. You could saw the front off and use it as a sled. Or give the neck to a baby as like a wizard stick for Christmas. Totally give this cello to someone for Christmas. Or Hanukkah.

Please come get it. I'm in Echo Park. I'd actually go somewhere to meet you if wherever we're going is a cool place. Like the desert or something.

I'm 90% certain the bow's in there.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 45

2011-07-22T00:00:00.053-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

This is so cool:

And the rest of the story:

---2---

Great quote from a fellow book lover who moved around a lot as a kid:

"We could instantly judge the quality of life in any town by how many books you could check out of the library at a time." - John Grisham, Parade, 7/10/2011

---3---

A couple of years ago I heard that hummus is the new salsa.

If that's true, what's going to be the new hummus? I vote for baba ghannouj.

---4---

Possibly the coolest house ever:

Piano House in Huainan City, An Hui province, China.
More photos and info here.

---5---

Do you ever wonder what really happened to Stonehenge?

---6---

And speaking of England... did you hear about the Harry Potter-themed corn maze in York?

---7---

And in further Pottermania, how about this little gem:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

On stereotypes and how they drive

2011-07-19T18:50:00.004-04:00

A real woman always keeps her house clean and organized, the laundry basket is always empty. She's always well-dressed, hair done. She never swears, behaves gracefully in all situations and circumstances. She has more than enough patience to take care of her family, always has a smile on her lips and a kind word for everyone.

Post this as your status if you, too, have just realized that you might be a man.

— recently seen on several female friends' Facebook statuses

Lately I've been thinking a lot about stereotypes. More accurately, I've been thinking about the process that causes us to stereotype other people, and what that habit might say about us.

Before I go any further, I have to confess: I stereotype people. I do. I think it comes out most strongly when I'm driving.

If I'm driving past a local retirement community and a Buick or an Oldsmobile pulls slowly into my lane, I make an immediate assumption about the driver's age.

If I see a shiny red convertible sportscar, I make an immediate assumption about the driver's age and gender.

If I'm following a large pickup with a certain accessory attached to the bumper, I make a whole set of immediate assumptions about the driver's age, gender, education level, and probably several other things.

But it doesn't stop there.

Based on those assumptions, I label. I categorize. I judge. And I mentally distance myself from the real people driving those vehicles.

The word stereotype was originally a printing word, having to do with printing from a solid plate of type (rather than movable type). This idea of a printed image being perpetuated without change later came to be applied to human attitudes, meaning "preconceived and oversimplified notion of characteristics typical of a person or group." (source: Online Etymology Dictionary)

The real danger of stereotypes is that they are reductive — they reduce a person to a thing. And once a person is reduced to a thing, I'm no longer obligated to treat him or her as a person, as a full-orbed human being created in the image of God, just like me.

Once a person is reduced to a thing, I'm no longer obligated to treat him or her as I would like to be treated.

Once a person is reduced to a thing, all sorts of horrors become possible: rape, slavery, genocide, trafficking... to name just a few.

What got me thinking in this direction was reading and listening to the words of a well-known pastor. This pastor is loved and respected by many of my good friends, but I find myself having a strong aversive reaction to everything he says. As I was trying to figure out why, I realized that he tends to speak using lots of hyperbole and stereotype.

Hyperbole from the pulpit I can handle. Stereotype, not so much.

Whether based on mannerisms, choice of clothing, mode of transportation, or anything else, stereotypes are an insult to the humanity of the person being stereotyped. And because that person bears God's image, it's an insult to God.

I think that might mean that stereotyping is sin.

What do you think?

* I started composing this post while reading a book during a cosmetically-forced lull. As my hair and face were absorbing the beautifiers I'd applied, my mind was absorbing theology. So stereotypical... yet so not.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 44

2011-07-15T00:00:00.029-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Hey — it's the middle of July! The perfect time for this song:

I won't grow up
I don't wanna wear a tie
Or a serious expression
In the middle of July
And if it means I must prepare
To shoulder burdens with a worried air
I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up,
Not me!

---2---

If I searched my blog archives for the phrase "Jon Acuff wrote a great post on Stuff Christians Like," I'd probably find more than a handful of entries. I love Jon's work. He's quirky and fun, and his writing is consistently great. He manages to write satire without meanspiritedness, which is quite a skill.

Jon recently wrote a post called Seeing People that started one place and went somewhere entirely unexpected. Even after reading his work for — what, a year? two? — I still found myself thinking I knew where he was going as I read that post's opening paragraphs, and I was way off (and happily so). He does stuff like that, and makes it work.

A few months ago, Jon launched a second blog to talk about topics like creativity and writing. His first post was about perfectionism, and included the following gem:

"90% perfect and published always changes more lives than 100% perfect and stuck in your head."

I think I need that stitched on a pillow.

---3---

Speaking of pithy phrases:

Punny bumper sticker found on In a Mirror Dimly.

---4---

Last weekend, we watched a documentary on asparagus.

You're jealous right now, aren't you?

You might not think there's much controversy surrounding asparagus, but the movie touched on several issues, including locally produced food, U.S. foreign policy, and most importantly, the reason behind the veggie's... um... aftereffects.

Plus, asparagus-inspired parades, pageantry, and disco.

Yeah.

Take a look at the trailer:

Asparagus! Stalking the American Life (trailer) from Spargel Productions on Vimeo.

---5---

When I went to the farmer's market the day after seeing the documentary, I made sure the asparagus I bought was Michigan-grown. (Though I probably would have done that anyway.)

Here, Mark Bittman gives a few ideas for what to do with asparagus.

Me? I like it fixed all sorts of ways. This time I grilled it with olive oil, salt and pepper, then cut it into bite-sized pieces to scatter over a salad of mixed greens and strawberries (also from local farmers). It was great.

---6---

Somehow my name got on the mailing list of one of the big casinos in our state. That in itself isn't so unusual, I guess... except that it's addressed to me, at the place where I'm interning. Which is an addiction treatment facility.

I might as well tattoo an "N" on my forehead and an "S" on my feet. I am a magnet for irony.

---7---

Speaking of gambling, who's up for a little horse race?

"The hare wins by a hair!"

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Christian tribalism: looking forward to the "love winning" thing

2011-07-13T21:39:00.007-04:00

For those interested in and affected by the Rob Bell/Love Wins kerfuffle, that book's editor makes several good points in an article entitled Rob Bell's Hell. For example:

As a young evangelical, I was socialized to see the biggest threat to the church as theological liberalism. But now I think the biggest threat is Christian tribalism.... Such is the challenge facing the church today and what the reaction to Love Wins reveals.

This tribalism isn't just about eternal destiny (the subject of Bell's book). It can be about so many other things. A current favorite on the divide-and-bicker list is the topic cluster of masculinity, gender roles, and sexuality.

For example, on Monday, Rachel Held Evans called out a well-known pastor who posted a polarizing statement on Facebook.* That pastor provided the "divide," and some of Evans' commenters supplied the "bicker" portion of the equation.

Later, Brian McLaren, reflecting on Evans' post, wrote about the two tribes in this Washington Post article.

Now, I want to say this next part carefully, knowing that it's likely to be misunderstood by some from both tribes.

As a preface, I come to this whole discussion with a graduate degree from a conservative seminary, including as many credits in Bible and theology as comprise a university master's degree. That's not to wave credentials around, but just to say I know a little about biblical subjects, and I try to approach theology carefully.

image: Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872)
from Pitts Theological Library's Digital Image Archive

But before I ever took a theology class, before I ever even opened a Bible, I was an atheist from a mostly unchurched background. When I first came to Christian faith and started seeing the disagreements between (and within) churches, I was shocked.

To me, it seemed like infighting over small issues. Honestly, it reminded me most of bickering siblings (another subject in which I have some expertise).

I realize there are important theological points to be made, and we Christians don't all see things the same way. But can we please agree to disagree agreeably? When we think of our approach to relationships with our brothers and sisters in the faith, can we be less like bickering siblings and more like suffering servants?

Can we be less about polarizing rhetoric and more about self-emptying?

Less table-overturning and more footwashing?

One of the comments on Rachel Held Evans' post was pretty telling:

"Aren't Mark Driscoll and Rob Bell part of the same outfit?
I'm looking forward to the love winning thing, when's that gonna start?"

Another commenter corrected this misperception, explaining that Driscoll pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and Bell pastors Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids (actually Grandville). To which the first commenter replied, "I guess I thought 'Mars Hill' was a franchise."

And indeed, it should be — at least, in the sense of outsiders being able to see some similarity between the two. Some love. Some Jesus.

~~~~~

* For the record, I don't disagree with everything I've heard from Mark Driscoll, and I don't agree with everything I've heard from Rachel Held Evans. In case you're wondering.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 43

2011-07-08T00:00:00.006-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

~~~~~

With the Summer Term of Craziness behind me, I'm ready to get back into a blogging routine for a few weeks. (At this point, longtime readers will be scratching their heads in puzzlement, as there has never been much of a routine to this blog.)

But, onward!

---1---

This week's episode of 7 Quick Takes is brought to you by multitasking:

by Jessica Hagy of Indexed

---2---

Tuesday, I took a walk through the neighborhood.

This doesn't sound like such a huge thing, but it's my first such walk in a few months. I injured my knee in April ("injured" sounds so much better than "hurt" — as if it happened during my pro football days...). Then my class schedule in May and June pushed all fitness pursuits to the back burner. The way back burner. Right off the stove, really.

But an Important Family Event is coming up in just a few months... one involving a photographer, and extended family I rarely see. And that, friends, is a formula for motivation.

---3---

I figured everyone knew about this duo, since they won a Grammy for Best Album in 2009. But when I mentioned the pairup to my husband and son, separately, they both had the same incredulous reaction:

"Robert Plant and Alison Krauss?!!"

Yes. Old-school rock and roll meets bluegrass. The combination is brilliant. Somehow both their styles come through. And Plant's voice still sounds great.

Check out their cover of the old Everly Brothers tune "Gone, Gone, Gone."

---4---

In the process of shopping online for an outfit for the aforementioned Important Family Event, I'm noticing quite a few items that have "crocheted" as part of the description. Many are not actually crocheted, but machine-made lace. But some are truly crocheted.

It's more than a pedantic distinction. Crochet can only be done by hand, and it's time-consuming. Ever since reading Elizabeth's post on the subject, I can't look at a $20 crocheted sweater the same way.

---5---

But speaking of online/catalog shopping... it's been a while since I featured a post from Catalog Living. This one made me chuckle.

---6---

NPR just ran a series called I Was Absent That Day, based on the stuff people probably should have known, but just recently figured out. They posted a request on their Facebook page asking fans to tell them about "something you were embarrassed to learn as an adult that you should have learned much earlier."

One reader responded, "I was so pleased when I found out that guerrilla warfare is not gorilla warfare. I thought it was so cruel to make gorillas fight in our wars."

---7---

To end on a light note, here's a great quote from Sophie, a.k.a. BooMama: "...sometimes shopping at Kohl’s stresses me out because there’s the “retail” price and then the sale price and then the Power Price and then the extra 10% off that you get if you stand in front of a cashier and do the hokey-pokey and turn yourself around."

If I happen to find an outfit for the Important Family Event there, I might just try that.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Bookworm completes summer term; celebrates by reading

2011-06-30T21:42:00.000-04:00

The book – the physical paper book – is being circled by a shoal of sharks, with sales down 9 per cent this year alone. It's being chewed by the e-book. It's being gored by the death of the bookshop and the library. And most importantly, the mental space it occupied is being eroded by the thousand Weapons of Mass Distraction that surround us all. It's hard to admit, but we all sense it: it is becoming almost physically harder to read books.
Johann Hari, How to survive the age of distraction

I've just finished a summer term that I had packed with more classes than was wise, and I'm wiped out.

Irish Girl Reading, by Daryl Price

But it's done! And what better way to celebrate the end of a busy academic term than by reading a couple of great books?

Yes, real books. Made of paper.

All three of my classes had electronic textbooks, and while I like certain features (linked glossary lookups, quick searches, live links to related websites, etc.), I'm ready to settle in and read something with pages I can turn.

So a few days ago, when a facebook friend linked to the article quoted above, on the necessity of the paper book (yes, I'm aware of the irony there), I had to read it.

The article continues:

In his gorgeous little book The Lost Art of Reading – Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time *, the critic David Ulin admits to a strange feeling. All his life, he had taken reading as for granted as eating – but then, a few years ago, he "became aware, in an apartment full of books, that I could no longer find within myself the quiet necessary to read".... [H] ere's the function that the book – the paper book that doesn't beep or flash or link or let you watch a thousand videos all at once – does for you that nothing else will. It gives you the capacity for deep, linear concentration. As Ulin puts it: "Reading is an act of resistance in a landscape of distraction.... It requires us to pace ourselves. It returns us to a reckoning with time. In the midst of a book, we have no choice but to be patient, to take each thing in its moment, to let the narrative prevail. We regain the world by withdrawing from it just a little, by stepping back from the noise."

So that's exactly what I'll be doing.

For the next few weeks – aside from an ebook I've committed to reviewing – all the books I read will be the paper-and-ink kind.

So far, I have a short list going, but I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

* I think it's funny that this book is available for the Kindle.

~~~~~

On Pentecost and civil rights

2011-06-12T00:00:00.144-04:00

The most decisive impact of Pentecost, where the gift of the Spirit is made clear, is not tongue-speaking but community-formation (oneness).
— Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, p. 77

Today is Pentecost.

In Christian tradition, this is the day the descent of the Holy Spirit is celebrated, fifty days after Easter. (Pentecosté = fiftieth.)

But Pentecost existed before Easter. The reason Peter and the other disciples were gathered in Jerusalem in the first place was for Shavuot (a.k.a. the Feast of Weeks, a.k.a. Pentecost), which took place seven weeks after the second day of Passover... fifty days after the first day of Passover.

(I love making these connections. I'm such a math/language geek.)

Beginning on Pentecost, God demonstrated His intent to bring people from every tribe and tongue to Himself. He pushed the disciples past their narrow understanding of community, proving His purpose was far bigger than the redemption of a single people group.

Some have observed that the Pentecost story of Acts 2 is the redemption of the Tower of Babel story of Genesis 11 — a divine act of reuniting people who had been divided, or made "other," from one another.

Community.... unity... removal of division...

This year, Pentecost falls on another holiday: Loving Day, a celebration of the 1967 Supreme Court case (Loving v. Virginia) which made it illegal for states to enforce laws banning interracial marriage.

What an interesting parallel.

~~~~~

Too young

2011-06-08T23:01:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post on gynecological fistula, a women's health issue specific to very young brides with no access to obstetric care.

Today, NPR featured an interview with Cynthia Gorney and Stephanie Sinclair, the reporter and the photographer behind the June National Geographic piece Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides.

photo: Stephanie Sinclair/National Geographic

Reading the article, listening to the interview, looking at the pictures of little girls with sad eyes... it's heartwrenching.

These are the moments when my desire to respect the practices of other cultures abandons me. At some point, cultural practices become human rights violations.

I'm not sure what I can do about this injustice being perpetrated on my young sisters in other parts of the globe. But I know I can't close my eyes to it anymore.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 42

2011-05-20T00:00:00.002-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

~~~~~

For the next few weeks, my class schedule is going to be a little heavy... so the blogging will be light. Bear with me — I'll be back on track soon with the random assortment of controversy and weirdness you've come to expect.

In the meantime, we have 7 Quick Takes for your Friday enjoyment:

---1---

In this week's episode of Adventures in Academia... last weekend my friend Amber crossed the stage at Eastern University and received her diploma in Community and Clinical Counseling. Congrats, Amber!

Even though it's only been three years since I made the journey of hoods-and-handshakes across the stage, I'd somehow forgotten the odd, druid-like robes worn by master's degree recipients... until I looked at Amber's graduation pictures.

Compare the middle gown to the other two and you'll see what I mean:

Seriously, what's with the sleeves on the master's gown?
They're like pockets... one for your phone, and one for a travel pack of Kleenex in case you get teary...

---2---

While I was looking for pictures of the master's gown, I ran across the blog of a woman who draws paper dolls and outfits for them, including one celebrating her master's degree:

from Liana's Paper Doll Blog

(Liana's work is great, but if you're wondering who looks this shapely in their cap and gown, the answer is nobody. The real gown is a shapeless black sack with a zipper. And druid sleeves.)

---3---

Last week, I mentioned the handmade Mothers' Day accessories one misses out on when one's offspring is old enough to graduate from college. But so that those who did receive lovely handmade accessories of the yarn-and-pasta or shoelace-and-bottlecap variety don't feel too sorry for me, here's my Mothers' Day gift:

"Good for
1 lunch/brunch
1 flat of annuals
Many hours of labor
in yon garden."

---4---

Once again, the NPR blog Krulwich Wonders amazes: check out this completely cool pendulum video.

---5---

So, according to some, tomorrow is supposed to be Judgment Day.

I mentioned my thoughts on this prediction back in January, so I won't repeat them here. Besides, plenty of others have weighed in on it. (I appreciated Jason Boyett's article in Relevant.)

But no-one's written on it quite like my friend Sam Carbaugh, in his journal comic.

---6---

Boba Fett. Accordion. Zelda theme. Could it get any geekier?

---7---

And while we're on the subject of people's weird tricks at public transportation stations:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 41

2011-05-13T21:49:00.003-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Blogger was down for a while yesterday and today, and I had pretty much given up on this week's 7 Quick Takes.

Until I saw my friend R. had done a 7 Quick Takes post late this afternoon, despite Blogger's long nap. And she mentioned me in her post, and directed people over here.

And now I'm doing the blog equivalent of tidying up the living room when unexpected company comes over. Welcome, visitor! Don't mind the piles of textbooks and term papers all over the place...

---2---

Speaking of textbooks and term papers... last week, my son completed his bachelor's degree.

This week, I started the first class for my PhD.

It's all a little surreal.

Not unlike Princess Beatrice's wedding hat.

The hat mocked 'round the world. Photo: Star and Style

---3---

Yes, that was my attempt at being current. And also distracting you from realizing the full impact of the previous statement.

But you, dear reader, are no dummy. It won't take very many posts about late nights and high-test coffee and parallel parking for night classes in sketchy downtown neighborhoods before you realize I'm just babbling. (Kinda like right now.)

But probably better to babble about that stuff than about my actual classes, huh?

---4---

So, last Sunday was Mothers' Day. (Note the apostrophe placement, indicating plural possessive, since the day is in celebration of more than one mother. You're welcome.)

That morning in church, I admired one woman's lovely accessory. It was a necklace made of a length of white curling ribbon, strung with a single bead. And by bead, I mean empty toilet paper roll decorated with multicolored marker. And she wore it proudly atop her outfit.

For a brief moment, I was a little jealous that I didn't have a necklace made of curling ribbon and an empty toilet paper roll. I guess it's one of the things you lose when your offspring is old enough to graduate from college.

---5---

One of my favorite bloggers, Melanie (a.k.a., Big Mama), wrote about her daughter's Mothers' Day gift of a day at the spa. And she also got her pick of great accessories, including bottle-cap necklaces!

---6---

I loved this article:

Breaking this cycle between the poles of anti-intellectualism and intellectual elitism requires a generation who will refuse the temptation to overreact on either side (like on comment streams, for starters!). We need a generation who will persistently commit to keep the two greatest commandments bound together. Love the oppressed and marginalized neighbor… but on the foundation of robust, theological thinking. Love God with all the mind… but turn the pages of books with hands calloused from serving our neighbors.
Andrew Byers, Is Christianity Anti-Intellectual?

---7---

I'm not much for reading bestsellers, whether fiction or non, but when two trusted friends recommended this book, I had to pay attention.

And then the movie trailer came out:

Oh my. Of course, I love stories about strong Southern women. (The ever-quotable Steel Magnolias is only the tip of the iceberg.) But this... Southern fiction, written by a woman, set in civil rights-era Mississippi... and the central character is an idealistic writer hellbent on drawing attention to injustice? Wow. This hits on all cylinders.

(Plus, her hair is what my hair wants to be when it grows up. Not that it really matters to the story, but that's a nice little bonus for me.)

After my summer classes are over, I'll be reading The Help.

And I guess you know where I'll be when the movie comes out in August.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 40

2011-05-06T00:00:00.004-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

This weekend, my favorite offspring is graduating from college. Of all the commencement ceremonies I've ever attended or participated in, I have a feeling this one will be the most meaningful.

And I expect to be hoarse by the end of the ceremony. I'm just that self-restrained.

---2---

Speaking of self-restraint, I don't often blog about my son. Truth is, he's awesome, and I'm his biggest fan (though there might be a couple of people who would cagefight me for that title). Also, he's extremely quoteable. But I try not to be one of those moms.

I try. I'm not always successful, because he says stuff that begs to be captured.

Like during Easter dinner, when he compared our plates to the hotel in Inception.

It might help to know we have three sets of dinnerware; we were using the plates that are nicer than our everyday stoneware, but aren't so fancy that they can't go in the dishwasher. (Give it a minute...)

---3---

Just because of my little adventure in not-fact-checking.

(Not that quote verification was the real point of that post, you understand. But I probably earned a midnight visit from the Ghost of Journalism Classes Past, who would likely resemble my Basic Reporting professor.)

---4---

Tim Keller recently gave a great interview on ABC News This Week, discussing religion and politics. (He even mentions sex, completing the trifecta of topics you're never supposed to talk about in polite dinner table conversations.)

In seven minutes, he captures some excellent and challenging thoughts:

---5---

This week, Rachel Held Evans is hosting a Rally to Restore Unity on her blog as a fundraiser for Charity: water. Tuesday's guest blogger Chad Gibbs describes the virtual rally as being “just like a real rally, with signs and guest speakers, but without the porta potties.” Check out Chad's post here: Calvinism, Celtic, and Us vs. Them.

And check out some of the other contributing bloggers while you're there. Some of my favorites are there, as well as some new discoveries. Plus, Mason Slater (The March to Keep Disunity Alive) and Jonathan Sigmon (Rally to Maintain Division) play Stephen Colbert to Rachel's Jon Stewart.

---6---

Also over at Rachel's, she's got a terrific post on unlikely friendships: "As part of the Rally to Restore Unity, I asked some of my favorite writers and thinkers to respond to this prompt: “In three to five sentences, tell us about a meaningful relationship you’ve maintained with a fellow Christian who doesn’t necessarily share your theological or political views."

Among the contributors to this roundtable discussion was a man whose work I've really appreciated, Scot McKnight. Coincidentally, Dr. McKnight is an alumnus of the university from which my son will graduate this weekend. He also happens to be this year's commencement speaker.

---7---

And since it's been a little chilly this week, we'll wrap up with this video of a four-person knit blanket:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

After the dancing in the streets is over

2011-05-02T23:37:00.011-04:00

A mass murderer is dead. And I'm at a loss for the right response.

Some are rejoicing and calling it justice.

Others are saddened over this reaction.*

It makes for a complex cocktail of emotions.

Interestingly, Osama bin Laden's death occurred on Yom HaShoah, or
Holocaust Remembrance Day. (Like other Jewish holidays, Yom HaShoah moves around on the calendar from year to year; this year it happened to fall on May 1.)

And bin Laden's death came just after the death anniversary of another mass murderer. Sixty-six years and one day earlier, the man who masterminded the Holocaust took his own life.

I'm guessing there was gleeful rejoicing in the streets when Adolph Hitler died. It's a natural reaction.

But that gleeful rejoicing displays a disturbing facet of our humanity. When I see and hear the exulting over bin Laden's death, what it reminds me of most is the rejoicing in the streets of Afghanistan immediately after 9/11.

I'm hoping we can move on from the exultation and figure out something better to do with our post-9/11 emotions.

It seems to me the Jews have the right idea on Yom HaShoah: commemorate the event, celebrate the heroes, remember the victims.

Maybe if we come up with a similar observance, there will be no room for hate-filled exultation at an enemy's death.

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate Multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Strength to Love, 1963 **

~~~~~

* Check out these thoughtful articles:
The Trouble with Exultation by military wife Kara Withee
Bin Laden & Beyond by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Celebrating a Death by Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
How Should We Respond to the Death of Osama bin Laden? by Jim Wallis
Osama Bin Laden at the Nexus of God's Justice and Man's by Jonathan Fitzgerald
Osama is Dead. Now What Should I Feel? by Fr. Peter-Michael Preble
The Christian Response To Bin Laden's Death by Rev. James Martin, S.J.
Should Christians Celebrate the Death of Osama bin Laden? by Jonathan Merritt

** In an earlier edition of this post, I used a quote that was partially spurious. Although I agree with it, it seems "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy" is not, in fact, a quote by Dr. King.

Lesson learned: always do a little research before reposting quotes from Facebook.

~~~~~

Soup Day

2011-04-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

In the movie The Tale of Despereaux, the first Sunday in May is Soup Day.

Mulligatawny Soup, from Life's Ambrosia

It's an annual celebration of soup, in a kingdom known for soup. There's a parade, and everyone wears a hat depicting a favorite soup ingredient.

People wear hats that look like onions, and tomatoes, and mushrooms, and so many things. The scene passes quickly, but, like the rest of the movie, it's visually captivating.

So, tomorrow is the first Sunday in May. Soup Day. I'm making Mulligatawny based on this recipe, making a few little changes, like swapping out the chicken stock for lamb stock — my Easter leg of lamb, resurrected.

And we'll probably watch The Tale of Despereaux.

If we had a parade in honor of Soup Day, what kind of hat would you wear?

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 39

2011-04-29T00:00:00.051-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

While other people file their taxes in February or March, I choose to annually renew my membership in the American Society of Procrastinators. (Yes, the ASP. Our motto is "Just as deadly as an Egyptian cobra.")

Any guesses as to what I was doing weekend before last?

"Is that in the nature of a question? There's a nickel question tax..."

---2---

So, evidently there's a big wedding today that people are all giddy about.

But last week, it was announced that my favorite Oklahoman, Pioneer Woman, is getting her own show on Food Network.

Now that, to me, is a marriage worth getting worked up over.

---3---

From our Why Can't WE Do That?! department, Mason Slater draws attention to the cooperative relationship between England's institutional church and the emergent movement in that country.

Mason's thoughtful post includes a video of Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, telling the story and sharing his hopes for the movement. To quote Mason, "It’s well worth a watch, plus he’s got a great accent so, win-win."

(And if you liked that short video of the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace shows up in the BBC documentary Does Christianity Have a Future?, which touches on the same theme. You can see that video in another of Mason's posts. (Oh, and I guess the A. of C. featured prominently in that little event alluded to in take #2, but we're not really talking about that.))

Mason has written several grace-filled posts about some of the recent antagonisms within the Evangelical community. And he's not afraid to open a post with a quote from The Lord of the Rings.

---4---

On a lighter note, blogger Knox McCoy gives us The Hierarchy of Easter Candy. (And in reading the comments, it's evident that people take their Easter candy very, very seriously.)

---5---

Jenny Simmons of Addison Road wrote a great tongue-in-cheek post about how to get people to comment on your blog.

---6---

And evidently Shakespeare had a few things to say about blogging too.

---7---

And finally, Cookie the penguin from the Cincinnati Zoo:

It gets really adorable after the one-minute mark.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Review: A Collection of Wednesdays

2011-04-28T16:14:00.002-04:00

A Collection of Wednesdays: Creating a Whole from the Parts
by Amy Gaither Hayes
(Zondervan, 2011)

Publisher's synopsis:
Through story, poetry, and song lyrics, Amy Gaither Hayes contemplates the Divine design in the seemingly random aspects of her life. Gain a fresh, simpler perspective on the structure and purpose of your own life, and insights into the heart and ways of the Creator who designed you as his masterpiece.

Available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I love emerging from a book as from a particularly satisfying and eye-opening dream, shaking myself off and realizing I'm not exactly the same person who started reading the book.
Amy Gaither Hayes, A Collection of Wednesdays (p. 116)

~~~~~

A whim. That's all it was.

Several weeks ago, I was looking for something to review. This book was available, and I thought "why not?"

I had no idea what the book was about, but I could tell from the description that it was a departure from my usual fare.

Most everything I've been reading lately relates to either theology or counseling. And then there's this book.

A Collection of Wednesdays is:

Honest and thoughtful
Beautifully written
Reflective without being preachy
Artistically designed (none of my theology books have aqua endpapers!)

For part of each Wednesday, Amy Gaither Hayes takes time to reflect and write. This book contains some of the products of those times — it is, quite literally, a collection of Wednesdays.

Hayes writes as a busy person — wife, mother, college educator, and mentor are among her life roles. Without admonishing, she inspires her equally busy reader to take regular time to reflect.

Reflect on what? A legitimate question.

Hayes's reflections center around certain themes, with chapters titled accordingly: Passion, Calling, Sand, Children, Dinner, Rest, Posse, Church, Mentor, Books, Music, Belief, Wisdom, and Feast.

In 14 brief chapters, each ending with a poem or two, Hayes looks at the influences that have made her who she is. Of course, the Books chapter resonates with me (and resulted in the addition of several items to my reading list). Some chapters, like Posse and Mentor, challenge my stubborn independence. And I know I'll be revisiting several other chapters as well.

I came away from this book changed. For example, after each reading session, I found myself thinking in poetic phrases. That might not strike every person as a practical take-away, but for those in need of an expressive outlet, poetry can be a huge boon — just look at the Psalms.

In other words, poetic expression can be biblical (which appeals to the theologian in me) as well as therapeutic (which appeals to the counselor).

With graduate school around the corner, I'm about to ramp up into a new season of busy. And as life gets busier, I know opportunities for creative outlet will decrease. I think I'd like to borrow some of Hayes's practices.

I'm off to get my calendar to make a weekly writing date with myself.

~~~~~

Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes. I will receive no compensation for this post, nor was I obligated to write a positive review. With the exception of the quoted excerpts, the observations and any opinions expressed are my own.

~~~~~

The Other: reflections on an NA meeting

2011-04-26T13:59:00.000-04:00

In The Blue Parakeet, Scot McKnight writes about how "otherness" entered the world at the Fall, and expanded at the Tower of Babel. Now, we can see and feel the resulting alienation everywhere we go.

A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting of Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

(I'm just going to leave that statement there without explanation and let you think what you will.)

One of the speakers that evening talked about the experience of walking into a 12-step meeting for the first time and finding it "full of people who didn't look like me, talk like me, or dress like me." Another said his first 12-step meeting was full of bikers in their 50s and 60s, and he figured he had at least 30 years more partying ahead of him. The same theme came up again in the talk of a speaker at another NA meeting — these people are not like me, and I'm not like them.

The three speakers' words reflected the discomfort and intimidation of an alien environment — a 12-step meeting — and how that strangeness was magnified by things like the age, dress, and drug of choice of others in the room.

The speakers were very different from each other. The first was male, white, under 30; the second, male, African American, upper 30s; the third, female, African American, early 40s.

Yet they all spoke of feeling like outsiders. They felt "other."

During a break, a young woman leaned over to me and asked if it was my first NA meeting. I said I'd been to AA meetings, but this was my first time to NA. She told me she liked NA better — though the steps and the traditions are the same, she said she felt more comfortable at NA. Her words surprised me, because I honestly hadn't noticed a difference.

Later, as I thought about it, I realized something: to me, because I don't battle an addiction to alcohol or other drugs, AA and NA seem pretty similar — equally strange, equally intimidating — and those in attendance seem equally "other" from me. (Or maybe it's better to say I felt equally "other" from them.)

But I realized that even among those "others," there can be a sense of "otherness" when in the midst of people who are in a different phase of life, or who represent a different race or ethnic group, or whose substance of choice is a different one.

As an outsider (albeit a supportive one) to the experience of addiction recovery, it was easy for me to see the commonalities between the people in the room. To me, their chief "otherness" was the addiction that had led them to this place in their lives.

But as I tried to enter the experience from the perspective of a participant, I saw how every facet of "otherness" that can separate us as humans — skin color, age, lifestyle, etc. — can be a real barrier to people getting better.

And that's in an environment that welcomes struggling people. How much more is this true in the church, where congregational discomfort can send struggling people further into hiding?

How do we lower the barrier?

I think maybe the answer lies in our focus. If we're focused on how we're different from someone else, and how they're different from us, the "otherness" is all we can see. We're living as if the Fall and the Tower of Babel hadn't been overcome by the Kingdom of Heaven.

But if we can focus on our commonalities, on the fact that we are all created by God in His image, maybe we can live in light of the Kingdom rather than in the darkness of the Fall.

My friend Steve Argue words it this way: “There's a difference between a Genesis 1 or Genesis 3 theological starting point. Where you start shapes your youth ministry practices.” (And, I would argue, Steve, this is true of every other ministry practice as well.)

Between you and me, I think everyone should attend a 12-step group once in a while. It might make us a little more compassionate toward people who battle addictions, and a little less smug about our own less obvious battles.

Search here for a local NA meeting, and here for a local AA meeting.

~~~~~

Resurrection Sunday

2011-04-24T00:12:00.000-04:00

"The resurrection was God’s way of stamping PAID IN FULL right across history so that nobody could miss it."
— Tim Keller on the Resurrection

The Maker of the Universe
words by F.W. Pitt; music by Phil Keaggy

The Maker of the universe,
As Man for man was made a curse.
The claims of Law which He had made,
Unto the uttermost He paid.
His holy fingers made the bough,
Which grew the thorns that crowned His brow.
The nails that pierced His hands were mined
In secret places He designed.

He made the forest whence there sprung
The tree on which His body hung.
He died upon a cross of wood,
Yet made the hill on which it stood.
The sky that darkened o'er His head,
By Him above the earth was spread.
The sun that hid from Him its face
By His decree was poised in space.

The spear which spilled His precious blood
Was tempered in the fires of God.
The grave in which His form was laid
Was hewn in rocks His hands had made.
The throne on which He now appears
Was His for everlasting years.
But a new glory crowns His brow
And every knee to Him shall bow.

~~~~~

An atheist's journey toward the cross

2011-04-22T00:00:00.039-04:00

I live in a very church-heavy part of the world.

Most of my friends here grew up going to church every Sunday and hearing Bible stories the rest of the week. When they hear me talk about my faith journey, they react with stunned amazement — as if I had just told them I was from Fiji. Or Atlantis. Or Alderaan.

photo: 123rf.com

The truth is, I may as well have been.

In my little world, the cross — which some have called "the centerpiece of human history" — was a complete unknown.

I mean, I had seen crucifixes, but I didn't know what they were about. I knew it was Jesus hanging on that cross, but I had no idea why he was there. And I'd heard words like "salvation," but they meant nothing to me. (Seriously, nothing. For those words, the English-to-Alderaan dictionary was blank.)

Until The Chronicles of Narnia, The Robe, and Jesus Christ Superstar.

(Some of you just recoiled in horror at the third item on that list. That's OK. This post is for you, too.)

~~~~~

The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis

Friends and longtime readers know of my love for The Chronicles of Narnia, but may not know the backstory. I received the books as a twelfth birthday gift from my oldest brother, and promptly devoured them.

For a sixth grader with an interest in Greek mythology and a difficult home life, the stories of children escaping to another world and having adventures and conversations with mythical creatures were pitch-perfect.

The crucial plot points, the symbols that seem so obvious to Christians — Aslan's substituting himself for Edmund, then submitting to death at the hands of the enemy, and coming back to life — were not at all obvious to me.

And in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Aslan tells the children he exists in their world too, though he goes by a different name, well... when I read that, it stopped me in my tracks. I put the book down, and through tears I begged Aslan to show me who he was. I wouldn't have called it "praying" back then, but now I can't see it as anything else.

~~~~~

The Robe
Lloyd C. Douglas

When I was a high school sophomore, I found this novel in my English teacher's in-class lending library.

The question on the cover drew me in: what happened to Christ's robe after the soldiers gambled for it? I didn't know the story, so even the premise was new to me. And the book begins with a 15-year-old girl, which is exactly what I was at the time.

I re-read the book a few years later, after becoming a Christian, and saw the story in a whole new light. Reading about Marcellus and his journey to faith made much more sense after my own decision to follow Christ.

~~~~~

Jesus Christ Superstar
Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber

I first heard this "rock opera" at my friend Jenny's house when I was 11 or 12. It's the first time I can remember hearing the story of the life and death of Jesus. There were several points Jenny had to explain. It was all very new to me.

A year or two later, my brother gave me a copy of the musical for Christmas and I nearly wore out the grooves. During my freshman year of high school, a local theater company performed it onstage, and I went to see it multiple times. (I may or may not have developed a crush on a couple of the actors.)

The music and the drama drew me in, but the story captivated me... even after the crushes wore off.

~~~~~

If there's a point in all this self-indulgent backstory, it's this: God uses some pretty surprising methods to speak to us. And I'm not just talking about books and music.

The school I borrowed The Robe from was a public high school.

The brother who gave me The Chronicles of Narnia and Jesus Christ Superstar was vocally atheist.

The friend who introduced me to the parts of the gospel story found in Jesus Christ Superstar also introduced me to weed.

None of them intended their words and actions to move me toward the cross.

But God had other plans.

~~~~~

Review: Health, Wealth & Happiness

2011-04-19T23:13:00.006-04:00

Health, Wealth & Happiness:
Has the Prosperity Gospel Overshadowed the Gospel of Christ?
by David W. Jones & Russell S. Woodbridge
(Kregel Publications, 2010)

Publisher's Description:
The desire for a thriving, healthy, and productive life is as strong as ever, especially in tough economic times. As people become more disillusioned at the state of the economy, they also become more susceptible to the lure of the prosperity gospel and its teachings of health, wealth, and happiness for the faithful. But what happens when the promise of prosperity overshadows the promise of the real gospel — the gospel of Christ?

Believing that the prosperity gospel is constructed upon faulty theology, authors David Jones and Russell Woodbridge take a closer look at five crucial areas of error relating to the teaching of wealth. In a fair but firm tone, the authors discuss the history and theology of the prosperity gospel movement to reveal its fraudulent core biblical teachings that have been historically and popularly misinterpreted, even by today’s most well-known pastors, including T. D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, and Kenneth Copeland. After an introduction and assessment of the movement, readers are invited to take a look at Scripture to understand what the Bible really says about wealth, poverty, suffering, and giving.

Theologically sound but accessible to all readers, Health, Wealth & Happiness is sure to become a trusted resource for laypersons, pastors, and Christian leaders.

~~~~~

Last November, Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson dropped a touchdown pass in overtime, costing his team the game. Afterward, he tweeted an angry message, blaming God for the drop:

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

I don't follow football, and I don't know anything about this player or his theology. (Well, I do know a little about his theology based on the tweet, but haven't most of us felt that way at one time or another, even for just a second? I mean, I have. It's one of many reasons I'm not on Twitter.)

But the big thing I notice about that tweet is this: underneath, there seems to be a belief that, more than anything, God is all about my personal earthly flourishing. More to the point, health, wealth and success are God's reward for my faith.

The problem is, when something goes wrong — professionally, relationally, financially, physically — such faith crumbles.

To me, that's the biggest danger of the so-called "prosperity gospel": if my faith is based on God coming through for me, what happens to that faith when I get sick, or slip on the ice, or lose a job, or lose a loved one? When misfortune or disaster strikes, I'm left to assume God hates me, or that He doesn't exist.

Or there's the alternative to blaming God: blaming my own lack of faith. And as a counselor, I can't help but hurt for those who see suffering as evidence of a lack of faith, adding a layer of self-blame to the pain they're already in.

Either way, when stuff happens (and it will), we're left with nothing but despair. And that runs counter to biblical teaching.

In Health, Wealth & Happiness, authors David Jones and Russell Woodbridge discuss the prosperity gospel's recent rise in popularity, not only in the United States, but also in developing countries around the world, where followers connect American wealth with Christian faith.

The authors endeavor to show how the prosperity gospel came about, demonstrate how prosperity teaching is based on ideas outside the Bible, and offer solid biblical correction to prosperity doctrine's claims.

~~~~~

Purpose:

When I began reading this book, I wondered how it was different from others on the subject. So I emailed the authors with my question, and David Jones replied:

Our book tries to be purposefully less polemic than some of the other books on the topic. Many of the books on the PG [prosperity gospel] are self-published and take a harsh tone at times. While we wanted to name names to be helpful, we tried carefully to only quote PG advocates original words, to do so contextually, to give citations, and to overall write in a fair manner. Our goal is not so much to attack error, but to point to truth.

Our book is unique in that it has three critical chapters on the PG, but then three corrective chapters on issues of interest to PG followers. Many reviewers have identified chapters 4-6 as the most helpful ones in the book.

Of course, our book is more current than many of the other texts on the market. It seems that there really hasn’t been much published on the PG in about 15 years. There have been a few chapters in larger books, but not much by way of full length books in a while.

Structure:

Jones and Woodbridge divide their book into two main sections. The first section looks at the prosperity gospel's foundations, teachings, and errors; the second seeks to correct these errors with the biblical teaching on suffering, wealth and poverty, and giving.

The three chapters of correction are followed by a concluding chapter, with tools for self-diagnosis as well as ministry to others who may have been persuaded.

Critique:

The authors do a good job of reviewing the origins of the prosperity gospel and evaluating its teachings in light of the larger context of scripture. Without viewing the movement as a monolith, they reveal the common thread between many prosperity teachers: a distorted view of God, an elevation of mind over matter, and an exalted view of humankind. They sum up the problem as

...a faulty view of the relationship between God and humanity. Simply put, if the prosperity gospel is correct, grace becomes obsolete, God becomes irrelevant, and "man is the measure of all things." Whether it is the gospel, faith, the atonement, the Abrahamic covenant, the mind, Bible interpretation, or giving, the prosperity movement seeks to turn the relationship between God and individual people into a financial quid pro quo transaction. As scholar James R. Goff noted, God is "reduced to a kind of 'cosmic bellhop' attending to the needs and desires of his creation."

The historic perspective is helpful, the evaluation of prosperity doctrine is well done, and the correction of its errors is genuinely compassionate.

However, the authors are not clear on why it is important to correct this teaching. What is the danger to prosperity gospel teachers, and to their followers? In the introduction, they imply followers' salvation may be at stake:

We write from the perspective that, as theologian Millard J. Erickson writes, "Theology is important because correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to the relationship between the believer and God." A corollary to this statement is that an incorrect theology will lead to incorrect beliefs about God, His Word, and His dealings with humanity. More importantly, the gospel must be rightly proclaimed because it is a matter of life and death for those who do not believe. Teaching or trusting in a false gospel has eternal ramifications. (p. 19-20)

This message is stated again, just as forcefully, in the conclusion:

...prosperity gospel teachers promote false teaching about fundamental beliefs such as who God is, the sinfulness and abilities of people, and the way of salvation. These are not insignificant issues. In fact these are beliefs that either lead to God and to salvation, or away from God and to condemnation. The prosperity gospel is not a harmless movement that is slightly off; rather it is a dangerous movement that has eternal consequences. (p. 163-164)

The implication here is that a person's theology could determine his or her eternal destiny. However, a couple of pages earlier, the authors seem to hedge on this point:

We are not suggesting that all (or any) prosperity gospel supporters are not saved... (p. 162)

This is a difficult issue, and one that will not be solved in this post.

But my challenge to the authors is to look beyond the issue of personal eternal destination for a rationale. After all, "People with defective theologies can go to heaven." *

There is no question that false teachers will be held to account for misleading their followers. But for the followers themselves, perhaps the rationale for correction lies less with the issue of their eternal destiny, and more with the problem of basing their faith on earthly successes that are bound to perish.

As Jesus reminded His followers, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34)

* Dr. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, citing Charles Hodge and Cornelius Van Til.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 38

2011-04-15T00:00:00.144-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

Last week's 7 Quick Takes featured a picture of a house by a well-known architect who prided himself on matching a building to its environment.

On that score, I think this house in Wales outdoes that one:

If only the door were round...

If I lived here, I think I'd always be half-expecting Samwise, Merry and Pippin to show up asking for second breakfast. Or elevensies.

(Be sure to check out the designer/builder/owner's website, with lots more pictures and more of the story behind this incredible home.)

---2---

Blogstats news! This week, for no reason I know of, the pageviews of a post I wrote last year suddenly started spiking. I'm no expert on this, but in my (very limited) experience, when a post suddenly gets a lot of traffic, I can usually trace it back to a link on someone else's blog or a popular search.

Not this one. There was one search, and then the thing took off like a rocket.

Or, in this case, like a flying car.

If you're here because of that post, welcome! Please say hello in the comments.

---3---

Beginning this Sunday, Zondervan is launching a daily series for Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter, including audio clips from their The Bible Experience audio Bible:

Starting Sunday, April 17, Zondervan will launch a seven-part blog series that will let you hear the Easter story like never before.

Sign up for the series, and from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday you'll receive a new and exciting part of the Easter story told in dramatic audio. The audio clips, taken from The Bible Experience audio Bible, feature a full cast of actors, sound effects and a musical score. You will be immersed into the Easter events as if they're happening for the first time, in real time.

On Palm Sunday listen to the cheers at Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Later in the week hear Jesus kick the moneylenders out of the Temple. Then join the disciples at the Last Supper and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Be there for Christ's passion on Good Friday, the disciples' fear on Holy Saturday, and God's triumph on Resurrection Sunday.

---4---

Elizabeth showcased the work of artist Bernie Casey on her blog last week. His work is colorful, creative, and packed with meaning. Click over and check out Elizabeth's photos of Bernie Casey's work when it was on display at ArtPrize.

---5---

Susie Hewer, the knitting marathon runner

Need inspiration? Or just plain astonishment?

Check out this story of a 53-year-old British marathon runner who knits as she runs.

Just this week, she ran a marathon in 5:21.

And she runs to raise money for Alzheimer's research.

(If reading that made you fly right past "inspiration" and land on "shame," turn around.)

---6---

Last week Jennifer Fulwiler posted a link to an online version of the AP styleguide. And the journalism major that still lives within me rejoiced!

Yes, I am just that geeky.

---7---

Related to that, my final take this week is a great What You Ought to Know video by The Brothers Winn entitled Spelling Matters:

Happy Friday, everyone!

~~~~~

Lifting the veil on victim-blaming*

2011-04-12T00:00:00.007-04:00

* Disclaimer: This post is not in any way a comment on France's ban on full face veils.

photo credit: pixdaus.com

A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times ran an article about a 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Hena Akhter, who was severely punished for being raped:

"An imam at a local mosque issued a fatwa saying that Hena was guilty of adultery and must be punished, and a village makeshift court sentenced Hena to 100 lashes in a public whipping."

The rapist was also sentenced to a public whipping, but he escaped after the first few lashes.

Hena later died of her injuries, and doctors recorded her death as a suicide.

As I posted the link to the article on Facebook, I thought about what a horror it is that such things still happen in other parts of the world, and how the community of faith needs to work to stop them.

Last Friday, 20/20 ran a story about an American woman named Tina Anderson who endured molestation and rape as a child and young teenager. When, at 15, she discovered she was pregnant by the rapist, she was treated as an adulterer by her pastor. She quotes him as saying, "You're lucky you don't live in Old Testament times," and tells of him pointing to the passage in Deuteronomy that instructs public stoning "because I didn't cry out."

Tina was forced to confess her pregnancy in front of her church, and she was banished to another state for the remainder of her pregnancy. Her rapist, after a confession of adultery (set up as an incident unrelated to Tina's pregnancy), continued to serve as a deacon in the church.

Years later, Tina still lives with the grief and pain of betrayal upon betrayal.

I'm not suggesting that what happened to Tina Anderson compares to what happened to Hena Akhter.

But the similarities are chilling.

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: Beati Quorum Via

2011-04-11T00:00:00.002-04:00

I hope you're enjoying this series as much as I am!

This week, we continue with selections from February's concert. This piece is breathtaking, and the ensemble featured in the video performs it beautifully.

~~~~~

Beati Quorum Via
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
Performed by the Brussels Chamber Choir conducted by Helen Cassano

Beati quorum via integra est: qui ambulant in lege Domini.

Blessed are they whose way is pure: who walk in the law of the Lord.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 37

2011-04-08T00:00:00.016-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

Welcome to this week's Roundup of Random — Happy Friday, everyone!

---1---

Meyer May House, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Last weekend, I took a group of women to tour our local Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house. During the tour, our very informative guide... er, docent... kept referring to "Mr. Wright."

"Mr. Wright was 5'8", which he felt was the ideal height, so he designed buildings with that in mind."

"Mr. Wright was contracted to design a house for the Ambergs, the parents of Meyer May's wife, but he left for Europe before beginning the design." (Uh, yeah... I remember this story...)

"Mr. Wright didn't want homeowners to hang art in his houses. He felt the house was all the art you needed."

Something about being with a group of single women and hearing "Mr. Right" spoken of over and over made me chuckle quietly to myself.

And in reflecting on the personality that came along with his creative talent, it seems Mr. Wright may also have heard his name without the W.

---2---

I've mentioned Sarah at Emerging Mummy before (see take #1 here).

This post is so beautiful.

---3---

Earlier this week, my friend Suzanne posted a great review of Half the Church. And she's giving a copy away — there's still time to enter, if you hurry!

It's a book I've been looking forward to reading since I first saw the promotional video:

---4---

My friend Meredith takes beautiful pictures, including this series she took of Chicago. (I believe I have mentioned my love of that city once or twice.)

The composition of this one makes me think of the Sydney Opera House:

---5---

This week, Rachel Held Evans invited her father Peter Held to write a guest post, For the Parents of Doubting Children.

Here's an excerpt:

Know what’s essential to the Christian faith and leave plenty of room for diversity. This may be the most important advice to follow. I have been surprised to see how many parents have bundled their faith inseparably with a particular political view, economic philosophy, worship style, or the latest social issues.

True Christianity is not about politics, political parties, or personal preferences. Do you really want to lose your child because of differing political views? Does it really matter if they are for big government or less government, universal health care or private health care? If these issues seem to be too emotional for either of you, don’t even discuss them. The Kingdom of Our Lord is not limited to one political system or philosophy.

The essentials of the Christian faith are not dependent on certain doctrinal systems or denominations (Calvinism, Arminianism, dispensationalism, covenant theology, election, predestination, free will, and so on). I make my living studying and teaching these important doctrines and I have convictions about them. But godly Christians throughout the ages have real disagreements in all these areas. Keep your convictions but make sure you’re not making everything an essential. Remember, Christians across the theological spectrum have far more in common than we have disagreement. Again, if these issues seem to stir up too much emotion, avoid discussing them. Given what the Bible says about the deceitfulness of the human heart, humbly acknowledge your own bias and limitations.

---6---

Here's an amazing video — an ad for a Japanese cellphone, featuring Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, as performed by a ball rolling down a wooden staircase:

---7---

And on a slightly different note...

The Rock & Worship Roadshow 2011 presents "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" featuring MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters & Lecrae.

~~~~~

Review: The Blue Parakeet

2011-04-07T15:30:00.001-04:00

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible
by Scot McKnight
(Zondervan, 2008)

Publisher's synopsis:
The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight’s deeply reasoned, compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In reexamining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting “Third Way” that appeals to the millions in today’s church who long to be authentic Christians, but don’t consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.

Available in hardcover, softcover, and ebook formats.

~~~~~

I'll admit, I'm hesitant to include the publisher's synopsis (above) in my review. It seems to confine the book's appeal to a group of Christians that finds itself caught between two extremes.

I'm no expert on book promotion, but I think this book would appeal to any person who wants to understand the Bible better. Is that you? Awesome. Read this book.

Having dispensed with the disclaimer portion of our program, on with the review...

~~~~~

Chance encounters sometimes lead us deeper into thought.... When we encounter blue parakeets in the Bible or in the questions of others, whether we think of something as simple as the Sabbath or foot washing or as complex and emotional as women in church ministries or homosexuality, we have to stop and think. Is this passage for today or not? Sometimes we hope the blue parakeets will go away.... Or perhaps we shoo them away. Or perhaps we try to catch them and return them to their cage.... When chance encounters with blue parakeet passages in the Bible happen to come our way, we are given the opportunity to observe and learn. In such cases, we really do open ourselves to the thrill of learning how to read the Bible. But... we have to get over our fears and learn to adjust to the squawks of the Bible's blue parakeets. We dare not tame them.
— Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, p. 24-25

Anyone who has read the Bible is aware of passages that are difficult to understand, passages that are difficult to put into practice, passages that can raise issues when one group declares a passage to be culturally limited and another insists it is not.

For those who wish to understand the Bible and apply its truths to everyday life, these difficult passages must be dealt with. But how?

~~~~~

Purpose:

Scot McKnight likens difficult-to-understand biblical passages to blue parakeets in a suburban backyard — they stand out and demand attention. His thesis is this: we may think we obey scripture, but everyone picks and chooses. As shocking as that might sound, McKnight provides several examples (Sabbath, tithing, foot washing, charismatic gifts, various contentious issues) to make his point.

For example, on the biblical idea of surrendering possessions, McKnight writes:

There is nothing clearer than this statement by Jesus about possessions: "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have [possessions] cannot be my disciples" (Luke 14:33). Two chapters earlier Jesus said, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor" (12:33). If there is anything that is straightforward, those two verses are. I knew enough about church history to know that St. Francis did exactly what Jesus ordered, or at least he got very close. I also knew that we weren't following Jesus' words at all. In fact, I knew that most Christians were not living below their means and were in fact living well beyond their means.*

The most common explanations I heard were either "but that was then" or "there were special expectations for Jesus' personal disciples." Others suggested that what we could take away from these statements by Jesus was that we should "cut back" on our spending so we can be more generous. However we read them, these are statements made by Jesus, seemingly without condition; we weren't doing them as Jesus said; and they evidently belonged to a different era and a different culture (this principle kept coming up). How did we decide such things? How do we know what to do and what not to do?
— Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, p. 16-17

*I assume McKnight is referring to the Christians he knows; to say "most Christians live beyond their means" ignores vast numbers of believers in developing countries.

McKnight's observations led him to one big question: "How, then, are we to live out the Bible today?" After observing that chance encounters with people who think and believe differently can force us to reconsider our conclusions, driving us back to the Bible (and to our knees to ask for wisdom to know how to live it out), he offers The Blue Parakeet as one such thought-provoking encounter.

Structure:

McKnight divides The Blue Parakeet into four major sections, preceded by two short introductory chapters and followed by an application chapter.

To set things up, McKnight looks at some methods people may use to read the Bible: reading to retrieve, in which all of scripture (or as much as possible) is directly applied to contemporary life; and reading through tradition, in which scripture is read through the teachings of tradition. He points out the problems with both, and proposes a third way: reading with tradition. This approach gives the Bible primacy while respecting the contributions of church history.

In the first section, Story: What Is the Bible?, McKnight looks at how we read the Bible. After he lists some of the interpretive shortcuts we tend to take (such as viewing the Bible as a collection of laws, or as a puzzle we can piece together once), he discusses the importance of reading the Bible as a whole story, and reading it with its context in view.

McKnight outlines the Bible's overarching story in terms of five progressive themes: Oneness, Otherness, Otherness expands, One in Christ, and Perfectly One. (Those familiar with Reformed thinking will see similarities to the Creation / Fall / Redemption / Restoration scheme.)

The second section, Listening: What Do I Do with the Bible? explores how we relate to scripture, and how we relate to God:

I bring it all together into one central focus now: A relational approach believes our relationship to the Bible is transformed into a relationship with the God who speaks to us in and through the Bible.... If we distinguish God from the Bible, then we also learn that in listening to God's words in the Bible we are in search of more than a relationship with paper with words, namely, a relationship with the person who speaks on paper. Our relationship to the Bible is actually a relationship with the God of the Bible. We want to emphasize that we don't ask what the Bible says, we ask what God says to us in that Bible. The difference is a difference between paper and person.
— Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, p. 90-91

In the third section, Discerning: How Do I Benefit from the Bible?, McKnight looks at various issues to allow readers to see how we apply the Bible's teaching in our lives today, and to help us discover a "pattern of discernment":

[A]s we read the Bible and locate each item in its place in the Story, as we listen to God speak to us in our world through God's ancient Word, we discern — through God's Spirit and in the context of our community of faith — a pattern of how to live in our world. The church of every age is summoned by God to the Bible to listen so we can discern a pattern for living the gospel that is appropriate for our age. Discernment is part of the process we are called to live.
— Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, p. 129

The fourth section, Women in Church Ministries Today, serves as a test case for McKnight's interpretive propositions in the first three sections.

He doesn't seek to explore and unpack every verse related to the issue, acknowledging the many volumes, on both sides of the debate, which are devoted to arguing it. Instead, he allows the issue to challenge the reader: pointing out some of the history and tradition that may be influencing our view, he asks us to "put tradition in its (biblical) place" (p. 162).

Critique:

McKnight's style in this book is conversational and engaging. I might even say he writes like a blogger, peppering his paragraphs with personal stories and illustrations. Though occasionally the illustrations are a distraction, his overall style makes the book accessible.

Because the book encourages the quest for understanding how to read and apply the Bible, McKnight uses his own journey to tell the story, and allows his upbringing in a fundamental/evangelical Christian family and church to provide the backdrop.

Though McKnight's background is far different from my own, his descriptions helped me enter into his Bible camp/Sunday school/flannel graph experience. For me, reading his account was a little like reading a travelogue of a country I'd only seen pictures of, but no doubt those with a background similar to McKnight's will appreciate his story even more.

Regardless of your background, if you'd like to understand the Bible better, read The Blue Parakeet. Maybe you'll find you've got some blue parakeets of your own caged up and silenced somewhere. Maybe you'll decide to let them out of their cages.

As Scot McKnight would say, "let the blue parakeets sing!"

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: At the End of the Day

2011-04-04T00:00:00.026-04:00

If you've never seen or read Les Misérables, the Music for a Monday post from two weeks ago — I Dreamed a Dream — probably left you at least a little curious how Fantine was left destitute.

This song, which comes just before that one in the musical, explains what happened.

This video is from the 10th anniversary concert. As is typical in concert versions of musicals, the cast members are in costume, the set and lighting resemble the actual stage production, but the action is minimal. Just so you know.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 36

2011-04-01T00:00:00.081-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

I've been reading and processing some heavy stuff lately.

Now you know why I posted the funny-but-makes-a-point video on Wednesday — I really needed something to lighten the mood. (Evidently, so did a lot of other people — I think that post got more views in a day than anything else I've written... more, even, than the controversial posts.)

And now, it's April Fool's Day. Time for some silliness!

---1---

It's a little late in the season for this (even in my area!), but it's still great:

The Beard Beanie. HOT. Order yours here. (ht: Bryan Lopez)

---2---

Jon Acuff wrote a post about favorite apps. He started this way:

Last Saturday I tweeted this:

Just saw 1st blue bird of spring. Thought, “I bet I could slingshot that thing into a ton of pigs.” #toomuchangrybirds

---3---

Speaking of Angry Birds... here's a cakey homage to the über-popular app:

Angry Birds cake by Laura Finlay, featured on Cake Wrecks

---4---

Actually, the irritated avians seem to lend themselves to edible interpretations. Cute Food for Kids did a feature, leading off with this one made of a Babybel:

He looks cheesed off.
(And yet, delicious.)

---5---

Speaking of animals wreaking havoc... evidently the Bronx Zoo is missing an Egyptian cobra. (Yes, this is the same type of snake, according to legend, that was Cleopatra's chosen method for ending her life. The jokes are all over the place, but I won't be making them.)

And that's not the worst of it. The snake is on Twitter.

Update: the snake was found last night. I wonder... would the zookeeper allow an iPhone in the reptile house?

---6---

You know how you can ask Google anything (for example, "Where are my keys?"), but sometimes the results are less-than-stellar?

The name of this website reminds me of those questions, except it actually works:

doineedanumbrella.com

---7---

I think this video has gone viral. (It's had over 3 million views in less than 7 weeks on YouTube.)

But in case you missed it:

My friend Mike thinks the twins appear to be having "an intense, intelligent, yet friendly debate about the pros and cons of nuclear energy."

I'm pretty sure they're talking about socks.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Women as Transformers

2011-03-30T12:44:00.000-04:00

As Women's History Month wraps up:

Book 'em, Brontës!

Your wordplay contributions are welcomed in the Comments!

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: Holy Radiant Light

2011-03-28T00:00:00.054-04:00

Continuing with selections from February's concert...

This was my first exposure to the work of Russian composer Alexandre Gretchaninoff. I hope it won't be the last — his work is beautiful.

Have a listen to the Atlanta Sacred Chorale performing the English translation of Gretchaninoff's Holy Radiant Light and see if you don't agree.

Holy Radiant Light
Alexandre Gretchaninoff (1824-1896)
arr. Noble Cain

Holy radiant Light! Thou Holy Radiance of the Father, Glorious and Mighty!
Thou Only Begotten Son of God, Eternal, Holy Jesu!
Come we now to the hour of setting sun;
The lights of evening 'round us shine.
O Holy Trinity, Holy One,
We sing Thy praise evermore; We sing Thy praise, Holy Trinity!
With undefiled lips evermore Thy Glory [is] to be praised
Worthy art Thou, worthy to be praised evermore!
Holy Son of God, Source of every life;
Son of God, Thou radiant Light
All the world doth praise Thee evermore; praise Thee, Thou Son of God!
Holy radiant Light: Praise we now, and evermore.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 35

2011-03-25T00:00:00.300-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

It's been a week of catching up on reading, blogwise and otherwise. Some nice gems have been waiting patiently for me — I hope you like them as much as I did!

Happy Friday!

---1---

Quoted on my friend Mandie's blog:

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

---2---

Of course, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross is famous for her five-stage model for grief counseling.

And in case you missed it, last week Jennifer Fulwiler wrote what she calls her "annual meltdown" on The 5 Stages of Daylight Saving Time.

From the Denial stage:

Every year I try to find a loophole that would prevent me from observing the time change. I’ve tried to have my home declared part of Arizona, but the powers that be in the City of Austin seem to be part of the Daylight Saving Time conspiracy.

Brilliant. Not unlike the sun that, in a few weeks, will be setting at 10:00 p.m.

---3---

A few years ago, my friend Andrej moved with his family from Michigan to South Atlanta to live and work with the people there. Soon after they arrived, Andrej set up a bike ministry to help the neighborhood kids learn skills as they work on donated second-hand bicycles, and work toward owning bikes of their own.

Here's a great post from his blog, telling the story of getting pulled over by police on his tricycle. (Be sure to check out the rest of the site, including their goals and values. Of course, if you feel so inclined, consider helping out financially.)

---4---

My friend Dan is writing a series of articles tackling the paradoxes and tensions of Christian faith.

Dan teaches philosophy at a local college. As a Lenten practice, he's reading through Emil Brunner's Dogmatics, and posting quotes from the book along with his reflections. His posts are heady, yet worshipful (paradoxically). I'm enjoying reading his work, because he invites the reader to simultaneously wrestle with those paradoxes and become comfortable with them — another paradox!

One of those paradoxes is that God is revealed, yet veiled. Dan begins that discussion in the post Don't Talk to Strangers, and continues it in The Naked God and The Veiled God.

---5---

Earlier this week, I read two articles that contained homonym misuses. (I know, I've talked about my issues with this before.)

It's easier to overlook grammar mistakes in the writing of amateur bloggers, but these errors were on the websites of major publications. To me, that's a more serious infraction, since the author's work has theoretically been seen by at least one editor.

In these articles, I saw two common homonym misuses: peak (vs. peek) and discrete (vs. discreet). Not to be pedantic, but peak is the crest of a mountain — if you mean "to look quickly," use peek. And discrete means contained — if you mean "quiet and confidential," use descreet.

Not to be pedantic, of course.

---6---

Next month, I'm reviewing a book called Health, Wealth & Happiness. Every time I pick up the book or even catch sight of the title, I get the chorus of Time, Love and Tenderness stuck in my head. And I've never even been a Michael Bolton fan.

This memory of mine is sometimes a curse.

---7---

And finally, a time-lapse video of Arizona (and a little Utah):

Landscapes: Volume One from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

~~~~~

A Walk to Beautiful

2011-03-23T23:37:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month, I alerted you that I'd been working on a couple of posts having to do with women's health issues (see take #7 here).

This is the first.

It may be difficult to read. It was definitely difficult to write. But please stay, even if it's not clear right away how it applies to you or your life.

~~~~~

You are a 14-year-old girl. You've never been to school. You were married to a man in a neighboring village at age 13 — before your first menstrual period — and six months later, you became pregnant. Now you are in labor with your first child.

Labor has already lasted for three days, but still the baby has not come...

L. Lewis Wall, Jesus and the Unclean Woman, Christianity Today, Jan. 13, 2010

~~~~~

view A Walk to Beautiful online

Joining a film midway through without knowing the title or the subject can be a real adventure.

One evening about a year ago, I was channel surfing and I happened across a documentary called A Walk to Beautiful.

I could tell the film was about women in Africa with a somewhat common debilitating condition, but I couldn't figure out what that condition was.

But I've visited Africa, and I'm a woman. Those two sympathies, plus my curiosity, kept me tuned in.

As I watched, I kept hearing a word I'd never heard before: fistula. I gathered that it had something to do with childbirth and long labor. Since that is a topic I have some experience with, I listened intently.

The film talked about how the condition — which affects two to three million women worldwide — makes women into social outcasts, unable to work or bear children, discarded by their husbands and families and ostracized by their communities.

The next day, I looked up the word:

When a woman endures prolonged labor while giving birth, her bladder or rectal tissue rips or tears, forming a fistula, a hole between her birth passage and internal organs. A simple surgery costing $300 can fix the problem, but without access to care — 90 percent of fistula sufferers live in the developing world — the woman is left incontinent, unable to have children, and stigmatized in her family and community.

Elissa Cooper, A Walk to Beautiful: A Must-See Film, Her.meneutics, Jan. 29, 2010

No wonder I wasn't familiar with the condition — it's an uncommon occurrence in areas with readily available obstetric care. It's an epidemic, but a hidden one, because those it affects are poor, obscure, and female — triply voiceless.

A couple of weeks ago, Her.meneutics ran an article about Catherine Hamlin, the physician whose work is featured in the documentary, calling her the Mother Teresa of our age. At first, I thought the author was indulging in a little journalistic hyperbole with that title.

But the more I read and thought about the condition and its social and psychological effects on a person, I realized how appropriate that title is. These women are society's outcasts, pariahs, just as much as the people with whom Mother Teresa worked.

With VVF [vesicovaginal fistula], the first goal is to treat the physical body, but Hamlin and her staff also find themselves administering emotional and spiritual healing. “They think that God has cursed them. They’re so terribly ashamed of this condition,” Hamlin says. Women are thrown out by their husbands. One unknown statistic is how many women with VVF commit suicide. Hamlin remembers one story of a girl who was brought in by her uncle after he saved her from hanging herself.

“Once they get through the gate, their attitude changes,” Hamlin says. “They come with downcast eyes and ashamed to look up, and then they see somebody with the same condition. They think they were the only ones.”

Elissa Cooper, 'Mother Teresa of Our Age' Talks to Her.meneutics, March 16, 2011

Now 87, Dr. Hamlin is working and praying to eradicate obstetric fistula by the end of this century.

I'm praying to that end as well.

~~~~~

As a side note:
March is National Women's History Month.

Last year, I wrote about women in history who spoke up for the vulnerable and voiceless. Looks like I did it again.

Dr. Catherine Hamlin is making history.

~~~~~

Comparison

2011-03-22T22:08:00.001-04:00

If you ever come to my house and look in my pantry, you'll see I'm well stocked with a certain product that bears my name.

So well stocked, in fact, you'd think I owned the company.

Right now, there are five cans of Pam in my pantry. Five. Because you need the original, and the olive oil, and the kind for grilling... and a couple of backups for when the current cans run out.

But as you probably know, like the person whose name it bears, that product is not without its flaws.

One flaw is the fact that it's aerosol (sorry, environment). Another is that the overspray residue bakes on and fuses to cookware in a process called polymerization.

Impressed? Don't be. I learned it here, from Heather Solos.

After she explains how that goo gets there, Heather gives some ideas on how to get rid of it (and when to leave it alone).

But my favorite part about that post is the way she ends it:

Want to take a guess as to the fix?

Quit trying to keep up with Rachel Ray, Ina Garten, and Paula Deen. Yes, they are all good cooks. Yes, they all have beautiful kitchens, but here’s the thing. That kitchen is a TV set, not reality. That gorgeous cookware is replaced as soon as it shows the the slightest sign of wear. Companies send them cookware to feature. What you see is not receiving daily use by people with better things to do than perform upkeep on their tools.

I don’t have a crew, do you?

Hmm. Stop comparing yourself to people who have a crew to help them look perfect.

It's quite possible this advice might have applications outside the kitchen.

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: I Dreamed a Dream

2011-03-21T00:00:00.010-04:00

Today on Music for a Monday, I'd like to feature a song that's become even more well-known in the last year or so.

When we saw Les Misérables last month, we sat in front of a row of teenaged girls. Their whispered comments made us smile, especially when they recognized this song as the one that brought Susan Boyle into the limelight on Britain's Got Talent.

As much as I like the song on its own, it makes much more sense in the context of the larger story. [Insert strongly-worded statement encouraging the reader to see the stage musical or one of the zillion versions of the movie, or even to read the book.]

This video is from a community theater production of the show, and features Holly Kerker in the role of Fantine:

I Dreamed a Dream

(Fantine is left alone, unemployed and destitute)

[FANTINE]
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 34

2011-03-18T00:00:00.120-04:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

My friend Dave responded to a bizarre challenge I issued to him on Facebook:

And here it is.

Dave responded so willingly and did the job so quickly, I sorta wish I'd challenged him to record his cat reading Flannery O'Connor. (Dave? Are you reading this?)

---2---

Early this week, I was out of town for a day-long interview for a graduate program I applied for. We didn't get agendas ahead of time, so I had no idea how they’d fill the entire day, but I was hoping it would include spa treatments… massages or pedicures or something… you know, sending a message about counselor self-care.

---3---

Speaking of self-care, I just read a great article on counselor wellness. Even if you're not a counselor, if you have a role that requires a lot of one-way giving (teacher, medical professional, parent...), there's great advice here for you.

---4---

So... in case you're curious about the result of the interview mentioned in take #2... the process went well (though, sadly, it didn't include a massage or a pedicure), and later in the week I received an invitation to join the program.

Looks like my next few years are... let's just say, booked.

---5---

Here's a graph with so many current applications:

A thought-provoking graph from Jessica Hagy of Indexed

---6---

It's not too late to offer your input on Say This, Not That! I've heard some great responses, and I'd love to hear from you!

---7---

I have a couple of posts in the works that have to do with women's health issues. (Not my own, mind you. There are some places this blog will not go, and that's one of them.)

I tell you that now so that you're prepared, in case you need to do this:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Unforgettable

2011-03-17T00:00:00.013-04:00

Today is Nat King Cole's birthday.

Nat "King" Cole (1919-1965)

We know him best as the velvet-smooth voice performing The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).

But Nat King Cole was originally known for his skills on the piano — check out this early video of the King Cole Trio:

I mentioned Cole briefly in a couple of posts last month, because of the anniversary of his death, and because of his role in African American history.

From William Ruhlmann's biographical sketch on AllMusic:

For a mild-mannered man whose music was always easy on the ear, Nat King Cole managed to be a figure of considerable controversy during his 30 years as a professional musician. From the late '40s to the mid-'60s, he was a massively successful pop singer who ranked with such contemporaries as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dean Martin.... as a prominent African-American entertainer during an era of tumultuous change in social relations among the races in the U.S., he sometimes found himself out of favor with different warring sides. His efforts at integration, which included suing hotels that refused to admit him and moving into a previously all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles, earned the enmity of racists; once, he was even physically attacked on-stage in Alabama. But civil rights activists sometimes criticized him for not doing enough for the cause.

A couple more performances:

And just for fun, an appearance on the gameshow What's My Line:

Happy Birthday, Nat. You're still Unforgettable.

~~~~~

Anti-aging

2011-03-15T15:55:00.002-04:00

In the movie Last Holiday, lead character Georgia Byrd (played by Queen Latifah) thinks she has only a few weeks left to live, so she opts to take a vacation at a luxury hotel in Europe.

In one scene, a hotel employee offers Georgia a menu of spa treatments — massages, facials, seaweed wraps — but when she gets to anti-aging treatments, Georgia turns her down flat.

No need for anti-aging treatments if you're not going to be around next year.

Anti-aging. What a weird phrase.

Are we really walking around with picket signs that read NO MORE BIRTHDAYS?

We may not like aging, but do we really like the alternative?

At this point, you might be thinking, OK, Pam, you're picking the phrase apart much too literally. And you're right. (Though when I searched for an image to illustrate this post, I ran across this cartoon. Obviously I'm not the only one who's made that connection.)

But it's not like the products labeled anti-aging are really going to keep the years from piling up the way they do.

We're not really against aging as much as we're against the signs of aging... especially the more outward physical signs. And we'll do just about anything to ward them off.

I understand. There's a complex connection between age and self-acceptance. And it touches women in far deeper ways than our looks, since how we look is so closely tied to desirability, which is closely tied to our relationships, which are closely tied to lots of other stuff. (Which is why advertising works.)

In her blog Halfway to Normal, writer Kristin Tennant puts it this way:

The problem creeps in and takes up residence, I think, when our understanding of beauty is too narrowly-defined, and doesn’t leave room for the progression of life. Can we broaden how we see beauty, and be beautiful with grey hair? Can we see beauty in the stretch marks that formed when we carried our babies in utero? Can laugh lines (often known as “wrinkles”) around our mouth and eyes make us more beautiful, not less, because they tell a story about who we are and where we’ve been?

I'm working on developing that attitude. Which doesn't necessarily mean that I'm boycotting anti-aging products. But I'm laughing at the irony of the phrase.

And maybe that's a start.

~~~~~

Happy Pi Day!

2011-03-14T00:00:00.068-04:00

I need this plate.

It's Pi Day (3.14)!

How many days of the year do you get to celebrate a geeky math pun with food?

I probably won't bake, but I might make a pizza... or, if you're from New York, a pie. And I will probably tell my pi joke at least once.

It's a day of math, language, and culinary marvels. What more could you add to such a day?

How about music?

Here's a great little video that "plays" with pi:

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 33

2011-03-11T00:00:00.143-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

March 2 was the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. What a talent!

One of my favorite sites, CakeWrecks, ran a great tribute to Seuss last Sunday. Here's just one sample:

...and I would eat it on a train, and in the rain, and in a box, and with a fox...

---2---

If you missed Tuesday's post Say This, Not That, please check it out... your input is needed!

---3---

From our Theology Can Be Fun department, theologian D.A. Carson guest raps on the Westminster Catechism.

---4---

Last weekend, I took a group to our local sculpture garden, which was just featured on Woman's Day's website (scroll down to the fifth garden in the article).

Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

---5---

Speaking of Woman's Day, Tuesday March 8 was the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. (No relation to the magazine with the similar name.)

Join Me on the Bridge event, International Women's Day 2011

---6---

Today, March 11, is Johnny Appleseed Day. (Or, at least, one of them.) Have an apple to celebrate!

---7---

And finally, a video for organizing the bookcase:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Say This, Not That: an interactive post

2011-03-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

You've probably seen Eat This, Not That!, the book that shows how simple food swaps can result in better health.

The book doesn't demonstrate the obvious (plain nonfat yogurt is better for you than a hot fudge sundae? Who knew?!). Rather, it shows how two restaurant items that look equivalent can contain vastly different calorie counts, as well as saturated fat and sodium levels, and how a little education and extra care can make a huge difference. (Really huge. Check out the preview — some of the comparisons are amazing.)

And now, walk with me into the strange inner workings of my mind:

The other day, I was chatting with a couple of friends when the topic of dumb things people say when someone's hurting came up.

We've all done it — said something insensitive when a friend is grieving, given a pat answer to one struggling with infertility — said exactly the wrong thing to someone, inadvertently causing them more pain. It might be that we're uncomfortable with others' suffering, or it might be that we just don't know what to say.

Enter Say This, Not That. Like the pairs of restaurant dishes featured in Eat This, Not That!, two statements can seem somewhat similar, and the intent is the same — but the effect is very, very different.

As with Eat This, Not That!, a little education and extra care to Say This, Not That can make a huge difference.

And that's where you come in.

Instead of "At least he's not in pain anymore" or "She's gone to a better place," say... what?
Instead of "Let me tell you about my miracle baby" or "You can always adopt," say... what?

Tell me your Say This, Not That ideas in the comments (or send them via the contact form), and I'll publish them in a future post. I've used grief and infertility as examples, but your Say This, Not That ideas can be about any struggle, especially one you've been through.

The Book of Proverbs says the tongue has the power of life and death (Prov. 18:21). I figure if people can be shown more uplifting options, we might choose to Say This, Not That.

And we'll all be better for it.

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: When David Heard

2011-03-07T00:00:00.012-05:00

Today I'd like to feature another piece from the February concert of the community choir I sing with.

An ensemble drawn from the larger group performed four pieces, including this one.

~~~~~

Using a recording by The Cambridge Singers, this video sets the music with a slideshow that combines classic artwork depicting King David with contemporary photographs of parents grieving the loss of sons and daughters in wars and other conflicts. The slideshow is hard to watch at times, but captures the universality of parental grief.

When David Heard
Thomas Tomkins (1573-1656)

The text is taken from 2 Samuel 18:33:

When David heard that Absalom was slain
He went up into his chamber over the gate and wept,
And thus he said:
My son Absalom
O Absalom my son,
Would God I had died for thee.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 32

2011-03-04T00:00:00.093-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

ATTENTION: Important news about Les Misérables contained in take #7!

Today, apparently, we're mostly talking about food. Enjoy, and Happy Friday!

---1---

So last week, I ~~talked at length~~ mentioned our trip to Chicago.

Before we left the city, we stopped in at Au Bon Pain for coffee and sandwiches to take on the train. And I know you don't read this blog to hear what I had for dinner on a given evening, but let me just say: snow peas on a sandwich are a revelation.

Farmers' market season cannot come soon enough.

---2---

One funny thing about Au Bon Pain: they have several southwestern-sounding menu items (I'm an Arizonan — I notice these things), but no locations in the southwest. Hm.

They also have no locations in my area — but then the menu didn't include any sandwiches called The Grand Rapidian or The Amway or even La Grande Vitesse.

---3---

I've just discovered food columnist Mark Bittman. His work is a rare combination of social awareness and culinary goodness. How have I missed him all this time?

Here are a couple of video posts from his blog where he's cooking on the Today show:

Three of his favorites (including Spaghetti with Fried Eggs!)
Oatmeal five ways (which includes a link to his NY Times opinion piece on McDonald's oatmeal)

He's also authored several cookbooks, which would look even better to me if I used cookbooks.

---4---

Speaking of cookbooks... this book recently came to my attention via my Biola Alumni magazine:

Don't worry, friends — it's completely tongue-in-cheek.
No imaginary animals were harmed in the writing of this cookbook.

---5---

This video will make you want to bake bread (or take up the accordion):

In fact, Mark Bittman wrote an article that talks about the same slow-rise process as is featured in the above video.

---6---

Can you handle one more recipe site in this post? Smitten Kitchen is another new discovery. I haven't tried any of her recipes yet, but the writing is fun and the photography is beautiful. The site's tagline is Fearless cooking from a tiny kitchen in New York City, but it's so much more.

---7---

Now, if my incessant blathering about Les Misérables has worked its magic (by which I mean, has made you want to see the musical), but your circumstances (by which I mean, location and/or budget) have conspired to keep you from the show, I have great news: PBS is airing the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert this Sunday!

What a perfect way to cap off the weekend!

~~~~~

An imagined phone conversation between Rob Bell and John Piper

2011-03-01T00:00:00.064-05:00

Date: Feb. 26, 2011
Time: around 3 p.m.
Place: Grandville, Michigan

[phone ringing]

"Hello?"

"Rob? It's John Piper. Do you have a few minutes?"

"I, uh... sure, John. How are you? How was the sabbatical?"

"Great, thanks for asking. Hey, I don't want to take too much of your time, but there's something I'm concerned about, and I wonder if we could talk about it."

"OK..."

"It has to do with your latest book. Now, I haven't read it yet, but there's some buzz about it... admittedly, mostly by bloggers who also haven't read it... but what I'm hearing has me concerned. I don't want to react in haste, though. I'd like to read the book, and then set up a time where you and I can talk about it in person, prayerfully, as two brothers in Christ."

"I'd like that, John. Let's make it happen."

~~~~~

Sigh. If only...

Maybe if the everyday rank-and-file churchgoer saw this kind of conversation modeled by the big names, we might be inspired to have similar conversations with one another: humble, genial, gracious... civil.

Who knows... we might even be able to engage in grace-filled conversations with non-Christians, without panicking... and without feeling the need to win.

Aside from my wishful imaginings, I'd like to point you to a great post on this episode, and the bigger issues it exposes, by Rachel Held Evans. Her concluding thought:

At the end of the day, this isn't really about Rob Bell or John Piper or a single book or a single blog post. It's about a conversation that's been rumbling beneath the surface for a while now and has finally found the light.

May it be lively. May it be civil. And may it honor the One who prayed that our unity would reflect the sweet harmony of the Trinity... because the world indeed is watching.

Amen.

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: Bring Him Home

2011-02-28T00:00:00.021-05:00

So last week, I mentioned the concert we sang in, and promised to feature songs from it.

But because we just saw Les Misérables, I feel compelled to share a few gems from that musical.

(Have I mentioned you should go see Les Misérables?)

~~~~~

This song is a favorite for several reasons, some of which are hard to write about. But I will say this: there were several months when silently singing the chorus of this song was the only way I could pray for my son. Now, every time I hear it, the song reminds me of God's faithfulness in answering my prayer, even when I couldn't muster the faith to pray it.

(Valjean is standing over Marius at the barricade)

[VALJEAN]
God on high
Hear my prayer
In my need
You have always been there

He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son.
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone.

Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy

You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 31

2011-02-25T00:00:00.193-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

Today is mostly about The Windy City (which, according to my husband, derives from the political climate, rather than the actual weather... but my hair would beg to differ), plus a couple of bits of random weirdness just to keep you off-balance and remind you of the true purpose of 7 Quick Takes.

---1---

We just got back from a quick trip to Chicago.

And of all the things there are to love about living in our current location, the fact that we can take a "quick trip to Chicago" is right near the top.

---2---

This time, what made the trip even better was getting there by train. Sure, it takes a little longer. But not having to 1) drive in the insanity that is Chicago traffic or 2) sell a kidney to pay for parking made it totally worth the extra time.

---3---

The main purpose for the trip was to see Les Misérables (see take #6 here), but we also managed to pack in a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Both were great — but if you've never seen Les Misérables onstage, you need to do so. Posthaste.

Seriously, buy your tickets now. Right now. Take #4 will still be here when you get back.

---4---

So, reading about last weekend's concert, plus this week's theatre and art museum visits, might lead one to believe we are big culture snobs.

In reality, the closest we usually get to culture is yogurt.

---5---

Need proof? Between the hotel and the museum, we took a quick trip through Milennium Park, where we walked through Cloud Gate (aka, The Bean) (OK, that still sounds a little culture-snobby)... and watched the Zamboni groom the ice rink.

And between the park and the museum, the topic of conversation was Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

---6---

Moving on from the Chicago trip (for now)... have you ever wondered why we say "OK"?

Or how to spell it?

There are many theories as to the expression's origin.

I learned about the "Old Kinderhook" theory in junior high school, and that's why I always spell it the way I do (initials only, no punctuation).

---7---

And now... for something completely different:

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Joining the conversation

2011-02-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Author and speaker Rachel Held Evans

Early this month, Rachel Held Evans visited Baylor University's chapel to speak on her current book project The Quest for Biblical Womanhood.

It's a really great talk, and worth listening to all the way through.

Some memorable excerpts:

"I hate seeing the Bible reduced to an adjective."

"Here's the thing: I have immersed myself totally in biblical womanhood. I have studied, I have read commentaries; I have looked, and I have found no blueprint in the Bible for how to be woman, or how to be a wife, or how to be a person of faith. And just when I think I've found one... a woman comes along in Scripture and she's praised for breaking it."

"God chose not to communicate to us in bullet points. Instead, he uses poetry, history, letters, laws, philosophy, proverbs, traditions, and mostly, story. With the exception of Noah's ark and the temple, there just aren't a lot of blueprints in the Bible, and there's certainly no blueprint for how to be a woman."

"The Bible is meant to be a conversation-starter, not a conversation-ender."

"We're part of this dynamic, centuries-old conversation with one another and with God because the Bible is hard to understand. And I think God wants us to struggle with the Bible because He wants us to be drawn into community with each other and with Him. I think He wants us to have conversations, because faith isn't about being right, it's about being a part of a community."

"We can't really have constructive, helpful, dynamic conversations about the Bible unless we're willing to admit that our interpretation of the Bible is only as inerrant as we are."

"We all pick and choose."

"Questioning somebody's motives is a bad way to end any conversation, especially one about the Bible."

"The best way to engage in better conversations about the Bible is to ask better questions. And I think the Evangelical community has kinda dropped the ball on this one in recent years. We've been so concerned about being ready to give an answer in defense of Christianity that we've forgotten that the Bible is teeming with questions."

"The Bible is a great conversation-starter because it asks the questions that are most important to us as human beings, without providing neat and tidy answers."

"Being willing to look at the Bible from another person's perspective represents a strength of faith, not a weakness of faith."

And possibly my favorite:

"I figure that if the gospel can bring together zealots and tax collectors, and pharisees and prostitutes, and Jews and Gentiles, it can bring together Arminians and Calvinists."

(And maybe, just maybe, it can even bring together complementarians and egalitarians.)

~~~~~

Music for a Monday: Christus Factus Est

2011-02-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, the community choir I sing with gave a concert.

It involved several "firsts" for us: our first time giving a concert in February; our first time with a small ensemble from the group; our first time performing a nearly-all-a capella repertoire; our first time singing in the city's Catholic cathedral.

And we sang some incredible music — so incredible that I can't help but share it with you.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be featuring some of the music we sang, using videos from YouTube of other groups singing the same pieces we did.

~~~~~

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 2:5-11. The text for this piece comes from verses 8 and 9 of that passage.

Christus Factus Est
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem autem crucis.
Propter quod est exaltavit illum et dedit illi nomen quod est super omne nomen.

Christ became obedient for us unto death, even to the death of the cross.
Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him a Name which is above all names.

~~~~~

A burning musico-culinary question

2011-02-19T17:52:00.002-05:00

After mentioning Nat "King" Cole in Friday's post, I went onto Grooveshark and lined up a bunch of King Cole Trio tunes, then went into the kitchen to make dinner.

I was chopping veggies when "The Frim Fram Sauce" came on:

"I want the frim-fram sauce with the ausen fay with chafafa on the side."

Can anyone help me understand what these menu items are, or in which aisle of the grocery store I might find them?

Anyone?

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 30

2011-02-18T00:00:00.212-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

Today's installment of 7 Quick Takes is a bonanza of February fun! Enjoy, and Happy Friday!

---1---

This weekend, the community choir I sing with is giving a concert.

Usually when I'm singing, I'm too focused to notice people's cellphones (etc.) making noise. But when I'm in the audience, it's a huge distraction.

That's why I loved this picture:

And look! They even supplied the bassoon!

---2---

As to what I'll be having for breakfast on concert day, well...

---3---

Rachel Held Evans wrote a great post on Valentine's Day. Here's a sample:

Back when I was single, I imagined that Valentine’s Day was the happiest day of the year for couples. I just assumed that they floated through the day in uninterrupted bliss, their hearts full of joy and peace, their lives as sweet and orderly as a box of Russell Stovers.

I figured I’d be happy once I joined their ranks.

Same goes for publishing. Back when I was an unpublished writer, I watched in envy as online friends nabbed book deals. I offered congratulations and emoticons with the same forced smile I gave the cheerleaders walking down the hall with a carnation of every color.

I figured I’d be happy once I too got “the call.”

And now I’m a published author with a wonderful husband and a burgeoning speaking career and I’ll I can do is hate poor Ann Voskamp for selling more copies of her memoir than I’ve sold of mine.

I figure I’ll be happy once I’m making a decent living at this, once I don’t have to worry how we’ll pay the bills, once I see my name in Amazon’s Top 100, once I’ve stopped doubting, once I’ve figured God out.

I’ll be happy once….

I suppose we’ve all got something with which to finish that sentence—even the richest, most successful, most put-together among us. We’re all waiting for happiness to come to us, for joy to arrive in a bouquet of flowers or letter of acceptance or little pink plus sign on a pregnancy test.

But every now and then I catch a glimpse of the surprising places where joy actually resides.

Read the rest of Rachel's post here.

---4---

In other February news, Melanie (aka, Big Mama) wrote a post about a rodeo-season weekend in San Antonio.

It's just a sweet little photo-album-with-words about a Texas family's weekend, but there are some humor gems tucked in here and there amidst the fair rides and funnelcake.

How is that February-related? I'm so glad you asked. Read on...

---5---

When I was a kid growing up in Tucson, every February brought Rodeo Days: a four-day celebration of calf-roping and bull-riding.* It was big.

So big, in fact, that schools were closed for that Thursday and Friday. Plus, on the first three days of Rodeo Week, we were allowed to wear jeans to school!

That's BIG.

Not as big as the state-fair-carnival-extravaganza in San Antonio, but still, big.

* No bull-riding or calf-roping for me. I'm a musician, remember? For me, this annual event meant marching with my junior high school band in the Rodeo Parade, wearing white jeans and white canvas sneakers that, thanks to the many horses preceding us on the parade route, would never be white again.

---6---

But you know what February holiday has never made sense to me?

Groundhog Day.

OK, so if the groundhog sees his shadow, it's six more weeks of winter, right? Which means Spring arrives roughly mid-March... and that's where I get confused.

Is that a bad thing, or a good thing? Do we want Punxatawny Phil to see his shadow, or don't we?

It's probably my Southwestern roots getting in the way. In my hometown, Spring typically arrives well before mid-March, regardless of what Mr. Phil has or hasn't seen on Feb. 2.

And in my current location, Spring arrives well after that date.

So can someone with a better understanding of Groundhog Day explain it to me?

---7---

Tuesday was the anniversary of the passing of Nat "King" Cole. I'd like to remember him with a full-length post on his birthday next month.

Still, February is Black History Month... and he is certainly a figure in Black history.

Thanks, Nat. Your contribution to American music can hardly be overstated. You are truly Unforgettable.

[Edited: Originally, I'd posted a video of Nat singing this song on his variety show, but that video was removed from YouTube. Though I really wanted to show him singing it by himself, I'd forgotten how sweet this tribute version with his daughter Natalie is. And once the photo album montage starts, well... if you don't need a tissue at that point, you're made of sterner stuff than I am. Enjoy.]

~~~~~

All of life's riddles are answered in the movies*

2011-02-15T13:30:00.002-05:00

For Joe Fox (the role played by Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail), The Godfather was the sum of all wisdom, the answer to any question.

For me, it's The Princess Bride, sharing top honors with Steel Magnolias.

So, if you ask me what to pack for your summer vacation, I probably won't tell you to leave the gun and take the cannoli. But I may very well advise you to remember a holocaust cloak.

Either that, or I'll remind you that the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.

Just thought you might want to know ahead of time.

* Oh, the title? It's a line from (what else?) a movie — Grand Canyon, an otherwise forgettable film. (And I don't really believe it.)

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 29

2011-02-11T00:00:00.206-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

---1---

We begin today's 7 Quick Takes with a video that explains the difference between England, Britain, the U.K. and much more:

The United Kingdom Explained from C. G. P. Grey on Vimeo.

---2---

After watching that video, I don't know if I'm better informed or more confused. Which brings to mind a favorite quote:

“Before I came here, I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture, I am still confused – but on a higher level.” — Enrico Fermi

---3---

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, here's a lovely post from Cake Wrecks.

---4---

Yesterday, I posted on the tendency we have (OK, I have) to limit ourselves (myself) to one viewpoint when we (I) read.

While I was looking for an image to capture that idea, I ran across this on Geekologie:

The Cave, by Sakura Adachi, Yanko Designs

I think this design is really cool, but something was nagging at me about the shape of the seating area. I just now figured out what it reminds me of:

What, you don't see it? OK, try this: cover the right half of the illustration.

There it is.

---5---

Though I am not from the South myself (the Southwest doesn't really count as the South... except for Texas, which is somehow both), I thoroughly enjoy the wit and wisdom of several Southern bloggers.

One of these is Crazy Aunt Purl, who can even find a lesson in a trip to the grocery store. And then tell the story as only a Southerner can.

---6---

Speaking of trying to make a good decision in the grocery store...

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness

The other day, I was out running errands between a class at school and another class at the Y. It was late afternoon and my energy was flagging, and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it through my workout without some nutritional help.

If I'd been thinking ahead, I would have packed an apple and a handful of peanuts. If I'd been home, I might have whipped up a Popeye Smoothie.

Well, I hadn't thought ahead, and I wasn't anywhere near home, but I was near a big grocery store, so I went in looking for something healthy. I tried this stuff, and it is amazing. A little pricey, maybe — though no worse than a latté (which might have been my selection if the afternoon's plans had included a comfy chair and a book rather than a pool and a yoga mat) — but really tasty and full of good things, including "phytonutrients" (whatever they are).

With this stuff and a few roasted almonds, my energy rebounded strong enough to get me through an extra-long workout.

(This is not a paid testimonial for Bolthouse Farms or Green Goodness. Bolthouse Farms doesn't know me from Adam. Or Eve. But if they would like to send me a case or two of their product, I would be happy to accept it.)

---7---

And while we're on the subject of good grocery store decisions...

When I walked into the store that day, I forgot to take my canvas bags with me.

Now, if you go to the grocery store this weekend, maybe you'll do better than I did.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Turning the page

2011-02-10T12:19:00.002-05:00

I'm often struck by how we tend to limit our scope when we read.

Like choosing the same item every time we visit a favorite restaurant, or taking the same vacation every year, it's a little like reading the same page over and over again.

It's easy to point fingers here, but I'm just as guilty.

I'm not saying it's wrong to have favorites. But we tend to read from a single pool of authors (and as tempting as it is to name names, I'm going to resist), all with similar viewpoints and similar emphases.

Those outside that pool are met with suspicion, or even outright contempt. Their work might be read, but only for the purpose of poking holes in it.

Again, as I point a finger at others, three are pointed directly back at me.

I recently looked at a friend's posted reading list, and found myself bristling at one of his selections. Even worse, the title intrigued me, but I cringed when I saw the author's name.

That tendency to limit oneself to reading from a single viewpoint is something that really irritates me when I see it in others. And it's far more annoying when I see it in myself.

More frustrating still is my tendency to quickly justify my reaction: I only have so much time for reading. Why would I choose to read something by that person?

I think of myself as pretty broad-minded. Clearly, I can be just as narrow as the people whose narrowness bothers me.

Maybe it's time to challenge our thinking by reading something from a different pool of authors.

Maybe it's time to turn the page.

~~~~~

7 Quick Takes: Volume 28

2011-02-04T00:00:00.111-05:00

The idea of 7 Quick Takes Friday comes from blogger Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts it weekly at her site, Conversion Diary.

This week's 7 Quick Takes are all about making new friends and keeping the old. (Thank you, Girl Scouts of America. Your cookies last but a moment, but your songs last forever.)

---1---

I've made a new blog discovery: smart and articulate, Sarah writes thought-provoking and artfully crafted posts about parenting, faith, and social justice at Emerging Mummy. (Her blog's name has nothing to do with some B-movie from the 1950s. She's a female parent and a Canadian — that explains the "mummy" part. And she explains the "emerging" part at the bottom of this post.)

---2---

Speaking of moms who write about social justice issues, it's been a while since I last mentioned Elizabeth's blog, Things Bright. Her posts describe her life as a mother, a crafter, and an activist. (And by "activist," I mean "someone who is actually working to end an injustice.")

Here's a recent post reflecting the last item on that list — including a don't-miss clip from The Colbert Report!

---3---

It's also been a while (more than two weeks!) since I've linked to a favorite Stuff Christians Like post. It's time.

Jon Acuff recently wrote on creating your own "Love Languages." It's brilliant. And I'm not saying that just because my own special love language (which I prefer to think of as a spiritual gift, really) is listed there.

---4---

I learned from a friend that yesterday began the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese zodiac, which of course made me think of this song:

---5---

My friend Page Turner (not her real name, but isn't that a great nom de plume for an avid reader?) recently reviewed the book Les Misérables on her blog Lines from the Page. (You might remember I posted on the book and the musical a few months back.)

Page's review is excellent, and challenges a widely-held view on the book's central theme. It's a thought-provoking review, and even more impressive because she read the mammoth tome in a mere 28 days.

---6---

In related news, later this month my husband and I will be seeing the musical Les Misérables in Chicago. This trip was our Christmas gift to each other, and came about because of the research I did for the post I wrote in November.

---7---

And just for giggles:

In case you've missed it, here's the (extremely catchy) song being spoofed in the above video:

Yes, extremely catchy. You might want to scroll back up to take #4 and play The Year of the Cat again just to make sure you don't go to your next important meeting sounding like the animated guy in the "song pitch" video.

As for me, after watching this a couple of times, I'm giving serious thought to using Willow Smith's painting technique on my living room walls.

Happy Friday, friends!

~~~~~

Ending the silence

2011-02-02T23:23:00.001-05:00

I've been working on this post for weeks.

Something bad happened recently, and I feel completely inadequate to comment on it myself. Articles and blog posts about it are all over the internet. I keep hoping to find something about it from Christian therapists and writers.

I wish one of them would write about it, so all I'd have to do is link to their article with a few comments. But either I'm not looking in the right places, or they're remarkably silent.

Bill Zeller (photo: The Daily Princetonian)

Just after the first of the year, Bill Zeller took his life.

Zeller was 27 years old, a PhD student at Princeton, a computer application developer whose projects included Graph Your Inbox and myTunes.

From all appearances, he had everything: youth, talent, education, and a promising future.

But the suicide note he left on his blog tells a different story.

The pain and rage in Zeller's note are palpable. Set aside some time — and some kleenex — if you read it. (I won't post excerpts here, out of respect for Zeller, since he asked that it only be reproduced in its entirety.)

In the note, Zeller wrote of the torment of living with a monster that followed him every day. Zeller calls the monster a "darkness," but animates that nebulous term with the pronouns "he" and "him."

The darkness that stalked Zeller was the result of having been raped repeatedly as a young child.

He also wrote of having cut ties with his parents, and their church. He clearly lays blame for his life's defining event on them. And this may be the linchpin of the whole letter: Zeller believed his parents and their church — and maybe by extension, God — are to blame for the horror that stole his life.

The note does not reveal the name of the one who raped him.

Whoever he is, he isn't the enemy.

Satan is the enemy, and secrecy and silence are his minions.

~~~~~

A couple of weeks after Zeller's death, This American Life ran a story on a man with a similar history. Called When I Grow Up, it features David Holthouse telling the story of being raped as a seven-year-old child and his resulting decision to end the life of the rapist.

The audio version of the story, posted below, begins at the 8:20 mark in the broadcast and ends at 31:00.

Holthouse, once a writer for a Denver newspaper, tells the story in Stalking the Bogeyman.

It's a hard story to hear. But he ends on a hopeful note.

Would that Bill Zeller had found a similar hope.

~~~~~

Much as I'd love to wrap this post up neatly, there's no amount of statistics or personal stories or Bible verses that will do it. It's a messy business, no matter how you look at it.

But we're going to have to look at it.

~~~~~