January 2010
60 posts
Let the Great World Spin
For the past few weeks I’ve been reading Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, sipping it like a latte, hoping to draw out the pleasure, to preserve the intensity. I’d list this book as a contender for the great American novel if it weren’t written by an Irishman. But then maybe an outsider can see us most clearly. Maybe we need an objective third party to tell our story.
...
Love Story
Yesterday, my sister-in-law posted the song Justin sang to me at my wedding—it’s sitting there on her blog right this moment. The version she selected is beautiful, simple, well-sung. But it’s nothing like the version I remember.
I remember a song sung like a promise and an altar, both at once. I remember a man who’d just become a man making a man’s commitment. But I...
A Lesson in Praise from Eve and C.S. Lewis
Lately, Eve’s in a “You have to see this!” phase. Whether it’s a really great cracker or a cool toy or a bug or a blade of grass or an old waffle she found under the toy box—everything good is worth sharing. She lifts it up to you, beaming: “Look! Isn’t it wonderful?”
Makes me think of a passage in C.S. Lewis’s Reflections on the Psalms. He...
My daughter has one shoe. I know.
Last night, in the hustle of studying for class, getting two kids fed, cleaned and dressed for church, packing the diaper bag, making a bottle, etc. Justin and I forgot to put both of London’s shoes on her feet. When we arrived at the church building and hauled everybody (and everything) out of the car, we realized it—one shoe.
Hmph.
It didn’t bother London too much, and it...
5 Cities That Ruled the World
So, I didn’t think this book was all that interesting. Feel free to skip this post. I would.
Read Douglas Wilson’s 5 Cities That Ruled the World yesterday. It’s a fine but superficial review of metropolitan history considering Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York.
Each city receives approximately 40 pages of attention. So, not much new or deep here (a quick look at...
“Whoever said sunshine brings happiness never danced in the rain.”
– (via jesspoland)
Love this.
“The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined,...”
– Maria Montessori
A Tumblr Party!!!
Justin and I were talking about our cute little tumblr family, and we were thinking it would be cool for all of us to get together.
So, what do you think? To party or not to party?
I go to church with people like me. Am I missing... →
Found this article about segregation and the church on the Christian Chronicle’s website. It’s a compelling argument for racial diversity in a church body.
At one point, the author writes, “The reasons for separate Sundays have nothing to do with God. They are about what we want — what we want to sing, what we want to hear and what we want to control. Too often we are unable to...
What Part are You?
Talked last night with a new friend about almost everything two people can talk about. At some point, I asked her, “If the church is a body like Paul says in Romans, which part are you?”
She hesitated and then said her passion was photography, that she’d love to find a way to serve God and His body as a photographer. We then spent a little while brainstorming what that might...
God Bless the Preacher
Last night I was sitting in the pew waiting for church to start, watching people file in and try to find a seat. Sunday nights at Henderson are crazy when school’s in session. We sometimes pull out folding chairs for the aisles.
Anyway, tonight I was struck by the gutsiness (or craziness) of what my husband does for a living. I very suddenly realized that all of those people were listening...
Just Stop
I am a nail biter. Have been for as long as I can remember. When I was young I’d bite my nails until they bled. I still bite them until they hurt.
Anyway, I was driving home from Memphis last night with a car full of sleeping loved ones, listening to a podcast about Joseph and biting my nails—vigorously.
At some point I realized half my hand was in my mouth (it’s gross, I know)...
Will I?
There’s this gorgeous song in Rent. It’s sung for the first time during a support meeting for men and women with AIDS. There are only three sentences in the song. For two and a half minutes these same three questions repeat and repeat and repeat:
Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?
The repetition represents both the cries of thousands...
“I’ve been insanely, positively happy almost every single day for the last thirty...”
– Seth Godin (via sunshineandrainbows)
What is Good Writing?
Lectured today and yesterday on the surprisingly easy to answer question: “What is good writing?” Likely, you have an answer in your head right now. We all have opinions on the matter.
I asked earlier in the week on twitter and facebook for your thoughts. Here are a few of your responses:
Katy Sauer Lellelid: Good writing is when you read something twice, but not because you...
On the Road to Fat
Where you end up later depends entirely on where you’re going right now. Or, to phrase it like Andy Stanley: “Direction not intention determines destination.” The choices you make today have much more to do with where you’ll be tomorrow than your plans or goals or hopes.
After some direction evaluation, I’ve realized something significant: I’m on the road to...
Teaching My Daughter About God... with Words!
When do you start teaching your kids about God?
I know, I know. NOW. I’ve heard that answer from every good Christian woman ever to raise a child. And of course it’s right. Teach them from the moment you hold them and never stop.
But that’s proven harder in practice than in theory. Teaching infants about God isn’t easy for a teacher who likes desks.
In the past few years...
Why I've Never Called My Husband a Moron in Public
One of the most important rules in my marriage is this:
NEVER EVER say a negative thing about your spouse in public.
Our reasons for this rule are simple: We don’t want to be hurt, and we don’t want to hurt each other.
Early on in our marriage, I remember laughing with some friends about our husbands. The men were hanging their heads, laughing, and snapping back as we women giggled...
Just saw Leap Year with my mom.
I do not recommend it.
I do, however, recommend spending time with your mom.
Go see a lousy movie.
Talk through it.
Just Now:
Jen: I feel like Tuesdays and Thursdays are odd numbers, and Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are even numbers.
Me: Really? I've always thought the opposite. Tuesday is definitely an even number.
Jen: What? Sunday is one, right? So Monday would be two.
Me: Technically, but come on--everybody knows Sunday is 7.
Jen: I guess you don't love Jesus.
Refresh
So, I’m going to be teaching Comp II at Freed this semester. And I’m stoked.
About two months ago Justin and I were eating sushi, and I was telling him how frustrated I felt about wanting to stay home with the girls but also feeling like I never got a chance to think adult thoughts. It’s always been a real war inside me, me feeling like my first priority is raising my kids but...
The Dangers of Blogging
Lately I feel like this blog thing may not be worth all the stress.
When I started, this was just a place for me to write about what I think. I didn’t filter anything. If I thought it, I wrote it.
I guess I was naive enough to believe that people would take what I wrote with a grain of salt, give me grace for being human, and realize that tomorrow I may feel completely differently than I...
Things I'm Awesome At
Sometimes I get grief for talking a lot about my weaknesses. I do that for my pride’s sake. I think it’s much better to talk a lot about your faults than to talk a lot about your awesomeness.
But you asked for it and here it is. A list of ten things I’m good at. No, GREAT at:
1. Playing football. While I am an adequate quarterback, I am an excellent tackle and a pretty stinking...
My sister-in-law's excellent blog →
A mom, photographer, Christian, and cook—this chick can do anything. And she talks about it so articulately. Be sure to check her out!
Just a quick clarification on today’s post: The person who made the “hill of beans” statement wasn’t actually talking about God. He was talking about people. Just made me think about God and the generous way he responds to our saying we’re sorry.
Saying You're Sorry
Last night I heard a guy say, “If you hurt someone accidentally you can say I’m sorry, but if you hurt them on purpose, sorry doesn’t mean a hill of beans.”
Really?
I have college kids come to me regularly who feel like God won’t forgive them because they purposefully chose to disobey Him. They get carried away in a lifestyle of wrong-doing and while they know God...
If I Were a Car
So, car shopping has me soul searching.
As I sort through the ads for Cadillacs, Mazdas, and Hyundais I keep thinking, “Which of these is most me?” Not, which do I like best. No—Which matches me? Which car could mistaken for my sister? Or my soul mate?
I have narrowed the possibilities down to the following. I am fully aware that I could be completely mistaken.
* A 70s Ford...
Where Has The Tumblarity Gone?
Just noticed that my tumblarity has disappeared from my dashboard. As Justin said so eloquently, “How will we feel good and bad about ourselves now?”
Nine Months Pregnant and Waiting for Jesus
Yesterday while reshelving some books I came across my pregnancy journal—Eve’s. I flipped it open to the last entry, something I’d written just a few hours before the onset of labor pains. Of course I didn’t know labor was so close at the time.
Here’s what I’d written:
“I was thinking last night at church about how waiting for you is like waiting for...
GOD IS HERE →
Thanks for all the warm fuzzies since my car broke down. Truth is, it’s no big deal. We laughed when it happened. Because, when it comes to stuff, I know enough about God to know He’ll provide. No worries here. At all. This Is a post from Justin about the many ways God has already shown up in the midst of this very small inconvenience.
My Preacher Said "Stripper"
In his lesson last night my preacher, Daniel Hope, encouraged us to reach out to strippers with Christ’s good news.
He actually said the word “stripper” from the pulpit. Like three or four times.
Maybe that’s no big deal where you go to church, but I was stunned (in a good way) to hear someone talking about drug abusers, drunks and prostitutes in a “please invite...
“Mama hurt”
– London, frowning, clearly sad, pointing at my pimpled, no make-up face. Thanks, London.
Dying--or--When Your Stuff Conspires to Abandon...
My car died last night. It was peaceful, no pain. The Acura gave out half way between Huntsville, AL and Henderson, TN. It’s sitting alone (and probably sad) at a gas station in Tuscumbia. I’m not sure we’ll return for it, it being pretty much worthless and all.
It was our only car.
In other news, I left my computer on the top of my then-working car on Friday, pulled out of the...
Resilience: My Mom's Superpower
Thinking today about stuff I’ve learned from my mom—miles and buckets and tons of stuff.
I blogged yesterday about wanting a mentor, but I thought I’d mention that it’s not for want of one. It’s because I know first hand how much a person can learn from a good model. (So, like London with cookies and chocolate, and anything good, “I take two.”)
My mom...
Married White Female Seeks Older, Wiser Woman For...
I need a mentor.
For years I’ve made excuses, tried to come up with reasons why I don’t need one. But I do. I need a wise, articulate, godly woman willing to let me pick her brain over chai tea.
I have questions about God and about mothering and about books. More than that, I just feel like I need what my husband’s been so purposeful about seeking for himself—fresh eyes....
Let's Build a Porn Bonfire
Studied Acts 19 in Bible class last night, the part where all the Corinthians get out their magic books and burn them in a huge, church-wide repentance party. They burn (it’s been estimated) 2 millions bucks worth of sorcery stuff, because now that they have God they don’t need magic.
In the middle of reading this I had a fabulous idea: Let’s build a porn bonfire!
This may...
Parents: God's Ambassadors to Children
I have a 19 year-old friend who was just recently released from prison. If you met her, you’d never guess she’d lived on the streets, abused drugs, experimented with all kinds of harmful behaviors.
She’s beautiful. And she looks so innocent.
When she comes to church she sits right next to her parents and her sister, and their family looks normal. Very middle class suburban....