Top House Dem Says She'll Take Communion

From Yahoo: "I fully intend to receive Communion, one way or another. That's very important to me," Pelosi told reporters during her weekly press conference.

But, apparently, not as important as abortion.

Pregnancy Stuff

So, I don't know if we ever posted about this, so here goes. I know that this will severely disappoint some readers, but whatever. We're giving birth in a hospital with a doctor. This decision was made when we weren't sure where we were going to give birth (since we knew not where we would be moving, and when we'd have to move). It seemed easier to transition traditional care than a midwife. Also, I never considered having a home birth in the one bedroom apartment we live in. It's not comfortable to live in day to day, let alone to give birth in. Anyway, we're taking Bradley classes and trying for the whole natural-birth-in-a-hospital thing. I actually feel way less confident about giving birth now than I did before we started the classes. I don't think that's how it's supposed to happen. I feel very overwhelmed with the thought of birthing, and of parenting. I really still feel bad all the time, though in quite a different way than the first twenty weeks. My body does not agree well with pregnancy. Nine and a half more weeks until the due date.

Changing My Mind About Kerry

John Kerry is slowing working his way into my heart. Well, no, perhaps just his hands around my vote. Today, in the NYTimes, I learned just how similar Kerry and I are. I mean, he has his butler Marvin taking care of him, and I have, well, um, .... okay, maybe John Kerry is NOTHING like me. Shesh, reminds me of the article in The Onion about Kerry campaigning from a yacht.

Tuesday Night Trashy Novel

I admit it: I spent almost two hours curled up at Barnes and Noble reading The Devil Wears Prada. It's not a particularly great book, but I enjoyed it. I like to escape from my little world and B-contemporary literature is the new primetime lineup for me in this post television era. At least, as my husband told me, my trashy novels are New York Times bestsellers. I did notice several errors the copy editors should have caught, and I found the writing to be a little weak considering that the main character was aspiring to write for the New Yorker, but most of the time I was just enjoying the distraction of the story. I give it 3.5/5 stars on a scale devoted solely to trashy contemporary fiction.

Italian Soup - For Jen

So, my mother's best friend, who is 100% Italian, gave me this soup recipe. It tastes fabulous, and everything in it is frozen or canned or what have you. And I don't feel bad, because the true Italian told me to make it this way! (I'm only a measly 1/4 Italian).

In a pot combine, and bring to a boil
8 cups of Chicken Broth (two cartons, if you use Swanson's)
1 can of herb diced tomatoes (different names for different brands, whatever sounds like its seasoned Italian style will do)
1/2 box of frozen spinach (I use chopped)
2-3 cloves of garlic

After the soup is boiling, add and cook until warm
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Prayer For Rick and Rachel

Rick and Rachel are having trouble with their server, hence the inability to blog or comment. Therefore, I was asked to make the request: pray for Rick, Rachel and her family.

Rachel's heresy trial is on Friday -- her little sister's birthday. Pray for her trial and her parents' trial, which is later in May. Pray also for the presbytery's commission set to investigate the complaints issued by Rachel's parents for how her church has handled the case.

While you're at it, just pray for that entire pacific northwest region. They all need it.

The Archbishop himself ...

Oh no. After slamming it, and his sons unsuccessful satire of it, the Archbishop of Moscow, Doug Wilson, does indeed have a blog.

Lord have mercy. May it be exhorting and encouraging. May he save the satire for C/A.

The Planned Parenthood Machine

When are people going to wake up to the fact that Planned Parenthood is a money-grubby machine preying on women who are confused and feel trapped, particularly black women? Pregnancies among black women are twice as likely to end in abortion as pregnancies among white and Hispanic women. I read somewhere that the "average" (statistically, of course) black woman in America will have five pregnancies in her lifetime and end three in abortions. What makes the black community more vulnerable than the rest of American women to the pain and sorrow of killing their own children?

Feeling Ambitious

Tomorrow's Sabbath Dinner Menu
Spinach Tortellini Soup
Caesar Salad
Challah Bread
Lasagna
Tres Leches Cake

Good Week

It's been a good week. One of my oldest friends (someone I met soon after coming to NC) came into town this week and I got to visit with her. She came bearing gifts including a tarheel onsie. :o) Mike took me out on a real date to a nice Italian restaurant last night, it was very fun and romantic. And now it is the weekend. How glorious!

New Photos

I've uploaded a few more albums recently you can access from the photo index. Just so you know.

Things I Will Miss When We Leave Austin

+ our church
+ my friends
+ Central Market
+ Casey's New Orleans Snowballs (at 51st and Airport, noon to 9 daily)
+ good Tex Mex
+ good margaritas
+ Blue Bell ice cream

It's telling that most of this list is food and drink items.

Our Little Girl ... Already Lobbying?!

There was also a faint sound on the doppler: "Unborn Babies for Bush: Four More Years!"

We're Keeping Tabs on It

After the disintegration of the college basketball season, it seems that Mike and I are focusing more on my belly button's slow ascent to an outie than to any other sport including Giants baseball. We'll see what happens as Barry's homer count continues to climb...

Great News!

Two great announcements were made after service today at Redeemer Presbyterian. The first announcement was that we have a piece of land under contract. It is a long and narrow stretch of undeveloped land just east of IH-35 along Manor Road. There will be a Q/A later in the month.

The second great announcement is that Rev. Wes Baker has agreed to become a candidate for the position of senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. We are all very excited about this. There were even some claps after service ... and, well, we're Presbyterians and clapping is unusual. Rev. Baker is a great guy. He preached at Redeemer earlier in the year and I really enjoyed it. He has a tremendous vision for how to do parish-driven mercy ministries. I'm really sad that we are leaving, but perhaps God is now planting the seeds for our return. I'd love to see what Wes can do with City School and New Start, both which, for various reasons, seem to be more like parachurch non-profits than Redeemer's ministries of mercy. The parish-focused model which Wes has used in Peru, would be brought to Redeemer. I've heard visions (in many, many years to come) of morning and evening prayer/homily services during the week ... a very open church that is available whenever. Speaking of Peru, Wes will still be going to Peru on trips during the summer, and many in the congregation are excited about the possibilities to take short-term mission trips. This looks very exciting indeed.

The congregation still has to vote on both of these things. The voting will take place in a congregational meeting on May 23rd. No word yet on possible terror threats before these elections.

Finance Software?

Now that we're married, have real jobs, and are having kids ... it's time to update my finance software from Excel to something real. Does anyone have experiences they are willing to share? It seems that everyone on Amazon.com HATES Quicken 2004, but I want something that can track all my accounts -- banking, credit card, loans, investments -- and can be directly updated. It would also be nice to have software that would help with taxes each year. Quicken seems most logical, but it received such negative reviews. Any comments?

Update

Okay, I suppose an update is in order. Two week ago, we flew to Philly. Well, not together, but on the same day. I was supposed to fly out at 6 am on the Friday before Palm Sunday. However, Kristen and I both awoke at exactly 6:12 am. Ergo, I was a touch late for my flight. I found a later flight, through DFW, to Philly which worked out better for the headmaster and I.

Around 3 pm or so, I arrive in Philly. It is raining, and it will continue to rain, our entire trip. I meet Mr. Ty Fischer, headmaster of Veritas Academy in Lancaster, PA in the baggage claim. A fine man. Well dressed, very hospitable. We leave the Philly airport (the international airport ... there are actually two, this will factor in later). We then drove past the Philly sport arenas -- past and present. Mr. Fischer tells me all about Philadelphia; why it is a great city; etc... We then parked in a terribly cramped parking lot ("you want me to back into THERE?"), and walk down downtown Philly. We grabbed some cheesesteaks (provolone, mushrooms, onions, and peppers), walked down the street a little, saw the cafe whence came "the cafe scene" in Sixth Sense. A good time was had.

Actually, it was a great time. I got the sense that Mr. Fischer had done this a couple times before. My theory about Veritas Academy is that if anyone turns down anyone, it will be the Academy turning down the teacher. They treat their applicants very well, as to make sure that the teacher is head-over-heels in love with the school.

Later that night, I drove with Amy Eaton BACK to Philly (around midnight or so) to pick up Kristen. I felt bad for Amy. I'm a terrible conversationalist. It is probably my biggest flaw. Unless you can talk endlessly about peculiar things in Reformed Theology, good Californian wines, or Classics, I am miserable person to talk to. Thanks be to God, He gave me a measure of grace and enabled me to be a decent conversationalist that night. Due to our talking, the ever present rain, and the novelty of driving to Philly for BOTH Amy and I, we got lost. Then we found signs directing us towards the airport -- yes, dear reader, that SECOND airport -- and were even more lost. Finally, we asked some nice people for directions -- clearly we don't have to drive through NJ to get to Philly? -- and picked up Kristen around 12:30 am, or so.

Kristen and I had lovely accommodations. We stayed in the apartment about the Detweiler's garage. Such a nice place. Loads of antique books, pictures, maps, etc... Very nice indeed. I discovered that most of the Veritas Press artwork most likely comes from the antique, public domain books they have ... as some of the oldest seemed to have pictures cut out of them. Back to the Detweilers, they are great people. Again, it must be the philosophy that they really want you to love the area, because they -- and everyone else we met -- were simply terrific. Even the Detweilers' kids were fun to hang out with.

We also spent time with the Eatons. That was a blast. They have this huge oak table that sat us and their entire family. I was also scared of having a large family, but after seeing how much the Eatons get along with each other and love each other, I was slightly encouraged. I have never seen siblings who are as selfless and loving towards each other, as those Eatons are. They really enjoy being with each other, talking, listening, enjoying each others company. Dinner was marvelous, but the best part was after dinner. We played Dutch Blitz, which was a blast. It was a great time to talk, tell jokes, and just have fun. We truly enjoyed our time with the Eatons and wish we could visit with them always.

On Sunday we attended All Saints' (CRE), which is a wonderful church. To Kristen and I, it felt like a combination between Redeemer and Christ Church NC. It was far more liturgical than Christ Church and used Cantus Christi. I don't think it was as liturgical as Redeemer, but I can't put my finger on the difference. On paper, they seemed similar, but it didn't have the same feel. It somehow, to me, still felt like a CRE church. Maybe it was the slow tempo. I think the greatest impact on me occurred, not during the service, but in the "Head of Household" meeting afterward. Reformed men have a reputation -- a well-deserved one, I might add -- for being very intelligent and very good at theology. I thought this is what the men's meeting would have been like. I was delightfully surprised. First off, don't get me wrong, these men are very smart. They have well educated men in their midst. Yet, they focused on their evangelistic prayer list. People they were praying for in their family and communities. People they wanted to reach and talk to about the gospel, especially with their Easter service on the horizon. The men's book study was studying Jay Adams' From Forgiven to Forgiving, and actually putting it into practice. I also noted that the elders, Pastor Strawbridge and Mr. Detweiler, make pastoral visits to all the families two or three times a year! I was duly impressed with the way these Christians come across in a humble, loving way.

However, the end result -- dear, gracious, and patient reader -- is that despite all these things, the school didn't feel right for Kristen and I. It also seems that the Academy agreed. Talking with Mr. Fischer later, we agreed that I didn't fit the school ... and the school didn't really fit me. I was a little nervous about that -- I mean, it is THE Veritas -- however, Kristen and I were both sure that it was not the right place for us. We actually visited the right place back in December. That's right, Smithfield's BBQ, home of some great BBQ and sweet tea. Oh, wait, no, not exactly. Actually, we visited Veritas Classical Christian School -- please don't get confused -- in Richmond, VA; dined with the headmaster (Mr. Taylor) and one of the upper school faculty members (Mr. O'Brien) and have been hooked ever since. Since that meeting in December, we have wanted to go there and they have wanted us. I have accepted a position that makes me the official Latin teacher. The school is rather young, and Latin has been taught by well-educated, bright teachers, who simply don't have the training to keep up with the students any longer. They will be K-9 in the fall, adding a grade each year, and my job is to teach Latin and design the Classical Languages (I am determined to bring Greek eventually!!) program. I'll probably get to hire another Classicist in the future, and plan European trips, etc... All things I'm sure you'll be able to read about in the future. So this all means that mid-summer, about four weeks after our baby is due, we Stewarts will become residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the fair City of Richmond. We're excited about that.

A Day Full of Parenting

Today was crazy. We both took off work early to go to a doctor's appointment, which isn't unusual, since we go every two weeks now. What was unusual was that the doctor was very concerned about decreased fetal movement, so they sent us in to get an emergency sonogram to make sure everything is looking right. She's fine. We got another picture (to be scanned soon) and better confirmation that she is, in fact, a she. We also learned that she weighs about 2 lbs., 8 oz. and measures up just right for her due date.

After that crimp in the schedule, we spent the afternoon and evening being suburban surrogate parents to our friends' children, aged 4, 7 and 10. We juggled two practices and dinner between 5:30 and 8. These kids are hilarious, and yet respectful and obedient. I love hanging out with them. A good time was had by all.

Earlier in the day, I randomly acquired educational placemats from the mother of my favorite semi-anonymous bloggers. Now our sweet daughter can learn about the states, math facts, the branches of government, the parts of the body, the solar system, and so much more! That definitely makes me feel more like a mom.

What I'm Doing Lately

I'm Reading:
+ Lectures on Calvinism by Abraham Kuyper
+ Creating a Christian Worldview by Peter Heslam
+ Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
+ Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters by Tom Wright

I'm Listening to:
+ the radio
+ my husband say silly things such as: "I wish you wouldn't eat cottage cheese." "Why? It's cheaper and more nutritious than ice cream." "So's dirt!"

I'm Teaching:
+ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in literature
+ the solar system in science (Today, we studied the relative size of the planets. It was quite fun!)
+ punctuation in grammar
+ the k/ck generalization in spelling
+ Greek and Latin roots in vocabulary
+ How not to ask annoying, repetitive questions

Interview with Wael Al Rukadi, vice-secretary general of the Council of Irai Tribes

No, no, not my interview, but one on Asianews.it. He speaks of Imam Al-Sadr, the opinion of the majority of Shiites, the necessity for troops in Iraq. Here's a goodie:

As a Shiite how do you view the presence of foreign troops in Iraq?

Any withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq at this time before a transition of power, elections and return to stability would only lead to chaos and all-out civil war in Iraq.

But Italian carabinieri troops were attacked in Nassiriyah ...

The Italian soldiers are much loved by the people of Nassiriyah. Triggering the violent incidents were people from the outside, to be exact, from Falluja and the western part of the country. These were actually people from Falluja who brought sophisticated weapons to the city. "The (Italian) soldiers never opened fire first nor did they act as the aggressors. They only defended themselves.

I'll say it again: Italian soldiers are much loved by our people. The local population is in favor of returning to stability and the disarmament of those troops who shouldn't be in possession of weapons.

Reading Too Much Potok

I've been thinking lately about what I might like to do in fifteen years or so, when all my kids are in school. Yeah, I know, I've got a little time. But it never hurts to brainstorm. So far, I've considered returning to teaching, writing, and pursuing further education. Either of the first two options would suit me, but the third is the most fun to me, because I like being a student. I'm thinking about getting a Masters in Social Work. So, my mind is racing about all the things that I could do, and Mike is open to any and all of my ideas, as the highly supportive husband. Of course, the spiritual notions of vocation also come into play, and I wonder what God would have me do. So, I was just thinking, it would be nice to be a Hasidic Jew, because then the Rebbe would tell me what God wanted me to do, and I wouldn't question it. Maybe I'm reading too much Chaim Potok.

9/11 -- take 2

Interesting alternative history by Gregg Easterbrook:

A hush fell over the city as George W. Bush today became the first president of the United States ever to be removed from office by impeachment. Meeting late into the night, the Senate unanimously voted to convict Bush following a trial on his bill of impeachment from the House ...

Oops:

Can you spot the theological error in this AP caption?
Israeli police in blue uniforms push back pilgrims and Evzones, right, members of the Greek Presidential guard, who escorted Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Irineos I, unseen background right, as he exits the tomb, during scuffles in the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in east Jerusalem's Old City Saturday, April 10, 2004. Thousands of Christian Orthodox pilgrims wait outside the tomb, where Jesus Christ is traditionally believed to be buried, for hours until the Greek Orthodox Patriarch opens the doors carrying the holy flame which is then used to light all the other candles of the faithfull. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Hostile Takeover

Dave King of IdeaJoy has just debuted Who Reads What, which compiles the books read/discussed on blogs by bloggers registered at blogs4God. If you would like to participate in the overthrow of RW's The Purpose-Driven Life, first, join blogs4God by filling out a simple form, then start blogging about books, linking them to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. As long as the ISBN number is in the link, it will show up on the list.

Courtship, Daughters to College, et. al.

As someone who graduated in the last year with a degree from a large, public university and who is a newlywed who did not court her spouse, I wanted to weigh in on the dialogue about such matters that has been lurking in the corners of Reformed blogdom.

Going to college was one of the best things I ever did. Due to scholarships, cheap tuition, parental support and working, I graduated without a dime of debt. I was able to read and think about a broad range of things, truly pursuing a liberal arts education. Just sitting at home and reading the same books wouldn't have cut it. I thrived on the interaction and discussion with learned professors, graduate students and fellow undergrads. A lot of my theology was hammered out in the college years, and studying in a secular environment helped to keep a balance. How theology fleshed out in the real world, with real people, was important to me. Knowing and loving a lot of these "real" people (the general population: dispensationalists, mainline protestants, catholics, jews, muslims, etc.) helped me to get a better perspective on some theological movements as I read about them and considered them. I was able to develop deep friendships with people I otherwise would have never met or been interested in knowing. Mike has often said that he couldn't have married me if I hadn't went to college, because that experience makes me a better match for him as we discuss philosophy and history and culture and literature.

My dad and mom are Christians. They are evangelicals, of the baptistic variety. They aren't courtship people. To force that on them would have been, in my opinion, dishonoring. So also would asking my elders to oversee a courtship when my parents are Christians. However, lots of people explicitly told me I ought to do this, as if there were some shame in not courting. If a daughter and her parents both think that it's a good idea, I think that courtship is a great thing. However, what is a great thing for some doesn't need to be the standard for all. I think the best way for those who espouse courtship to prove their point is to practice it, and show the rest of the Reformed community that it works. I've seen nearly as many courship experiences that were just plain awful as I have seen real "successes" in the sense that all the parties involved were happy with the situation and the outcome. Prove that it works. Then you can argue that the rest of us ought to be doing it.

The Ever Watchful Butterflies to Be

One of the parents in my class bought our class a painted lady kit for Christmas. Now that it's spring, I dutifully got someone to send away for the caterpillars. They've arrived. The class is excited, though caterpillars are rather dull creatures. They've been just hanging around in my classroom all week, but with the three day weekend, I felt compelled to bring them home. Now they're perched on my desk, right in front of my monitor, observing my surfing patterns. I feel responsible for the context that I expose them to. No, can't click on the comments to that blog. They might just turn into fundamentalists on crack.

Must Eat More Vegetables

I've heard rumors of this, and suspected it, but now science agrees: taste preference is developed by what infants taste in breast milk and amniotic fluid. I need to start eating a greater variety of foods!

Seconds At God's Table

Someone smart should write an article about finishing the communion elements after the service. Some at my church -- including myself -- really enjoy eating the remaining bread, and there is the joke about the Anglican deacons getting tipsy after they had to finish the chalices of wine.

My thoughts: my earthly father lets me take seconds, why not the heavenly father?

Do Pray, with an update

Things are going well in Lancaster, PA. We are staying with the Detweilers of Veritas Press fame. I'm currently sitting at his big oak table, drinking a glass of Cabernet, and working on my lesson plan -- which brings me to my request.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be teaching a section of Greek and Algebra. No, dear reader, I haven't been given an immediate position against my wishes -- unlike poor Augustine's case in Hippo. Instead, part of my interview, is that I teach some Greek and Algebra to eighth graders and am observed. Pray that I do well. I was woken from a nap on Saturday afternoon, handed two books, and told I would teach 3rd declension nouns in Greek and Binomial Squares in Algebra. I wasn't exactly told HOW the students are accustomed to learn, but, as the headmaster said, "don't worry about it. We have it built in to the system that if you screw up royally, we'll fix it with the students the next day."

Kristen and I will give a report once we return home. Our plan is to know our Fall home by Easter. Lord, have mercy.