I switched the books read list, so the latest books we have finished are on top. Feel free to request reviews via email... the last post was for Katie, who asked me to talk about all the Chaim Potok I've been reading.
Mike is alive, for those of you who are wondering. He walked at graduation, finished his tenure as a PE teacher, and is spending his time working on curriculum and supplementary materials for his Latin classes next year. This weekend, when we were watching the boys (ages 7, 9 and 13) he took on the role of disciplinarian and Super Smash Bros. competitor. He should be returning from his unannounced blog hiatus any time now...
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Chaim Potok
I think this is turning out to be the year of Chaim Potok for me. I am going to attempt to read or re-read all of his novels in 2004. I most enjoy his books about the "Ladover" Hasidim in New York City (a thinly-veiled version of the Lubavitch) and other ultra-orthodox groups. I took 4 or 5 classes in Judaism at UNC, and many of them spent time lingering in the study of these groups. I've been to services at a local Chabad House (Lubavitch outreach). Having a basic understanding of the background makes these stories come alive to me. At the same time, these stories make my study of Hasidic Judaism come alive, in ways that even the best of academia cannot.
There's a magic in the way that man wrote. He's creative and engrossing, and his use of the first person allows me to connect with the protagonists in ways that I can not in other authors' works. His writing has truth and goodness and beauty, and is proof of the common grace that we experience as people made in the image of God. If you want to know where to start, start with My Name is Asher Lev. Read along with me, we'll start a Potok book club.
There's a magic in the way that man wrote. He's creative and engrossing, and his use of the first person allows me to connect with the protagonists in ways that I can not in other authors' works. His writing has truth and goodness and beauty, and is proof of the common grace that we experience as people made in the image of God. If you want to know where to start, start with My Name is Asher Lev. Read along with me, we'll start a Potok book club.
Friday, May 28, 2004
Summer Fun
School's out for the summer, and we're spending the long weekend babysitting three of the four sons of friends of ours, and then we're going to housesit for another family while they go to Italy for three weeks. It's nice to get to live the high life in West Austin while other people trampse around the globe :o)
One more childbirth class, and one more week before I switch to every-week appointments with my OB/GYN. Things are really progressing...
One more childbirth class, and one more week before I switch to every-week appointments with my OB/GYN. Things are really progressing...
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Crazy Life
Tomorrow is the last day of school. After I write narrative report cards and clean up my classroom, I'll be ready for retirement. The end-of-school is accompanied by an enormous amount of chaos. This has been compounded by the fact that my daughter and digestive system, which have always been at odds, have begun a season of more intense combat. There has been some real joys amidst the frantic state of things, particularly having our families here to visit last weekend and being thrown a surprise shower by my class today. Also, I've felt very reassured lately of God's provision and his kindness to us. I can endure the last month or so of pregnancy annoyances. Or at least, Mike thinks so...
Monday, May 24, 2004
Sweet Tea
I've finally found several sources of decent sweet tea in Austin (besides making my own), just before moving away. You can look for Austin's own Sweet Leaf Tea at a store near you!
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Busy-ness
It's the last full week of school, I've just discovered the joy of swimming while pregnant, and Mike is walking at graduation on Saturday, so we have a dozen family members flying in this weekend. Life is hectic, but fun. I owe both Pennocks posts about books I've read this year and I will write them soon...
Monday, May 17, 2004
I Love Launchcast
I started using Yahoo!'s Launchcast Radio and I'm totally hooked. You rank artists, CDs, songs, etc. and they mix it all up for you, adding in some things they think you'll like based on your previous ratings. If they play a song you hate or an artist that grates your nerves, you can rate them "never play again" and it'll never play it again! There's actually a good selection of CDs, from Belle and Sebastian to Wilco to Derek Webb to Jazz to Old School R&B to Bluegrass to Classical...
I highly recommend it. If you are curious to my eclectic tastes, my user name/station is unckristenmarie.
I highly recommend it. If you are curious to my eclectic tastes, my user name/station is unckristenmarie.
Pastor Just An Actor?
I always knew that some pastors were really just trying to give a performance. I mean, American Christianity does have its history of televangelists, but this looks like the read deal. Parkside Church pastor, Alistair Begg, everyone's favorite Scottish radio preacher, had a significant and meaningful role in the new movie with Jim Caviezel (you know, Jesus), Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. According to Christianity Today, "Begg played the cursing and liquor-drinking Maiden, Bobby Jones' Scottish golf instructor" and Begg isn't even Lutheran!
Great quote from Begg:
Great quote from Begg:
I hadn't seen a script until I arrived on the set for the first day of shooting ... When I read the first line, I said to the director, 'What have you done to me?' He had assured me it was rated G or PG and was a family film. But in the end, I was playing a real person and being true to that person's character. Most of my lines were exact quotes from Maiden.
It's an example of a small man having a big influence ... There would have been no Bobby Jones if there hadn't been this rather blunt and taciturn Scotsman to guide him. The national flower of Scotland is the thistle. It's beautiful, but when you grab it, it grabs you back. The smallest of actions can have profound effects on others, for good or ill.
Now, I think I'll go and see the movie. Let this be a lesson to movie producers. If you want to capture the Christian crowd, it must have some decent morals and include either Jesus or our celebrity preachers -- it doesn't matter which one.
Coming this November, Schwarzeneggar and Sproul star in Church & State when a fiery preacher and muscular politician deal with the ethical issues of discrimination and Islamic Jihad.
Friday, May 14, 2004
Want To Be Royalty?
Simple! Go to the local pub and check if there is some Prince hanging around the joint.
Mary Donaldson, the Tasmanian commoner, ... married Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik in Copenhagen last night ... her engagement to Frederik was announced last September, three years after the couple met at the Slip Inn pub in Sydney
[Emphasis mine]
Mary Donaldson, the Tasmanian commoner, ... married Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik in Copenhagen last night ... her engagement to Frederik was announced last September, three years after the couple met at the Slip Inn pub in Sydney
[Emphasis mine]
Thursday, May 13, 2004
On Education
These thoughts were fueled by Jen's post at Blogs4God about public schools, so you probably ought to read it first, if you want to know why I am chosing particular things to emphasize. This is not going to provide compelling theological reasoning as to why Christian parents have a biblical obligation to either send their kids to a good Christian school or homeschool, though I think that such writings are correct and useful.
Practically speaking, other than cost, there is no compelling reason for Christian parents to send their children to public schools if they have other options, particularly for their K-8 education.
1. Children are formative beings, they are imitators and learners. As Paul said to imitate him as he imitates Christ, so also should we be providing godly teachers for our children to imitate. I teach at a Christian school committed to social and economic diversity, a school which does not require families to be Christians to send their children there. We have several families who don't attend church, and even a practicing Ba'hai student in our 70 student PK-8 school. In a lower elementary class where over 3/4 of the students have wonderful, Christian parents and attend church every Sunday, the affect of the 20% who don't means that every child in that class knows every swear word (even f*&k) in both English and Spanish and has seen their share of intense rebellion and misbehavior. However, in a Christian context, the children who are rebellious are taught to turn from their sin and to reconcile biblically with both adults and classmates. They are not coddled, they are not excused, they are not merely branded as troublemakers -- they are loved and corrected, in biblical ways (shepherding a child's heart, etc.) I have seen students grow leaps and bounds in that class as they learn to consider others more highly than themselves and to take responsiblity for their actions. What would happen in a public school classroom, even with a Christian teacher? The teacher would have to use public school sanction discipline, which is usually reward-oriented (and never heart-oriented). Things like sin and God could not be mentioned. For the children who don't misbehave as frequently, seeing biblical correction being administered to others helps them to understand how God deals with our sin, instead of confusing them with notions that we obey for rewards (like candy or extra recess.)
2. Children can not be expected to remember everything they learn and regurgitate it to you so you can evaluate the worldview with them. You send your child to school every day from 8:00 to 3:00. That's seven hours. Your child will come home from school and sit down to do some homework. You'll ask, "What happened in school today?" and receive an account of that seven hours condensed into one to five minutes of what your child selects for you to know. Worldview is subtle. Children aren't going to necessarily get red flags about what their teacher says unless it directly contradicts what you've said at home. However, differences don't have to be direct to undermine your teaching at home. In fact, the small compromises are often the worst in deconstructing a worldview. Jen also suggested parents get in the classroom and volunteer. I'd encourage every parent to do that, no matter what school their child goes to. However, spending one hour a month in the classroom doesn't give you a clue about what the other 139 hours that month are like. You can't fully supervise your child's school education unless you go and sit with them in class, no matter what sort of school you choose. If I'm going to allow someone else to educate our child in our stead, I'm going to make sure that school's philosophy is nearly identical to our family's and church's, so that we are all working in tandem and not pulling the child in three different ideological directions. I don't care how smart your child is, no six to ten year old can be expected to understand a Christian worldview well enough to know when it is being compromised.
3. Children cannot be expected to stand up for the beliefs that they are still just barely beginning to grasp. Christian children are just at the beginning of a life-long process of sanctification. You can't expect them to "do the right thing" in the midst of a crowd doing the wrong thing when they aren't even sure what the right thing is. They need to be surrounded by loving, godly adults who help them to see what choices are right, and what choices are sinful. I can tell you with authority that children who have been baptized, read the Bible and profess to love God and want to obey him still act in remarkably cruel ways. I want my children to be in an environment where this will not be shrugged off as, "kids will be kids" but that they will be forced to confront their sinful attitudes and be reconciled to one another, and to Christ. When my child is the victim of teasing, and they go to an adult for comfort, I want that adult to tell them that they were fearfully and wonderfully made, in the image of God, that Christ loves them, and that they are secure in that. That's truth. "You're a very special child with special gifts" is the best a public school teacher can do.
4. Christian schools can and should be places of diversity. Our school has multiple Hispanic, African-American and Asian families, even with only seventy kids. I'd venture to say that most of the classrooms at my school are more diverse than the classrooms the upper-middle class students would be in if they went to their neighborhood schools. Christian schools need to be proactive about recruiting socially and economically diverse families with aggressive scholarship programs, and it's sad that so few schools accomplish this.
5. Educationally, public schools aren't cutting it. Granted, there are LOTS of mediocre Christian schools. However, the classical school movement has really helped to develop a great deal of rigorous Christian schools where students are taught with their developmental stage and also taught basic skills for the sake of basic skills instead of being taught things based on state testing goals. My class practices narration and other forms of reading comprehension (quizzes on the literature we read, etc.) so they develop the skills to know intimately what they have read. We've never read a random passage to practice reading comprehension. We don't practice every week for standardized tests. We read what is relevant, and learn to comprehend as we go along. Novel idea, no? If you study anything about contemporary US education vs. the rest of the world, or the history of education, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the way public schools operate is a mediocre way of educating children. I could go into examples, but this is way too long as it is.
In conclusion, there are special cases where I would say it might be wise for an individual family to choose public schooling. For example, if the only Christian school around provides a mediocre high school education and it seems detrimental to the goal of getting into college, attending a public high school to be able to take AP classes seems like a reasonable exception. Some parents can't afford private schooling and aren't able to homeschool their children because they just aren't at all gifted in teaching. I recently met a rising fourth grade homeschooler who can't read at a first grade level. It happens. I'd rather see the child go to a public school and be literate than stay home and suffer. A single Christian parent who has to work ought to be given a scholarship by the best local Christian school to support her, but if she isn't, and she can't homeschool (no way to work from home), I'd say that's a failing of the church and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.
Update: I changed the date on this post because I was a mean husband and posted two long things too soon after Kristen wrote this, and this is a better discussion. --Mike
Practically speaking, other than cost, there is no compelling reason for Christian parents to send their children to public schools if they have other options, particularly for their K-8 education.
1. Children are formative beings, they are imitators and learners. As Paul said to imitate him as he imitates Christ, so also should we be providing godly teachers for our children to imitate. I teach at a Christian school committed to social and economic diversity, a school which does not require families to be Christians to send their children there. We have several families who don't attend church, and even a practicing Ba'hai student in our 70 student PK-8 school. In a lower elementary class where over 3/4 of the students have wonderful, Christian parents and attend church every Sunday, the affect of the 20% who don't means that every child in that class knows every swear word (even f*&k) in both English and Spanish and has seen their share of intense rebellion and misbehavior. However, in a Christian context, the children who are rebellious are taught to turn from their sin and to reconcile biblically with both adults and classmates. They are not coddled, they are not excused, they are not merely branded as troublemakers -- they are loved and corrected, in biblical ways (shepherding a child's heart, etc.) I have seen students grow leaps and bounds in that class as they learn to consider others more highly than themselves and to take responsiblity for their actions. What would happen in a public school classroom, even with a Christian teacher? The teacher would have to use public school sanction discipline, which is usually reward-oriented (and never heart-oriented). Things like sin and God could not be mentioned. For the children who don't misbehave as frequently, seeing biblical correction being administered to others helps them to understand how God deals with our sin, instead of confusing them with notions that we obey for rewards (like candy or extra recess.)
2. Children can not be expected to remember everything they learn and regurgitate it to you so you can evaluate the worldview with them. You send your child to school every day from 8:00 to 3:00. That's seven hours. Your child will come home from school and sit down to do some homework. You'll ask, "What happened in school today?" and receive an account of that seven hours condensed into one to five minutes of what your child selects for you to know. Worldview is subtle. Children aren't going to necessarily get red flags about what their teacher says unless it directly contradicts what you've said at home. However, differences don't have to be direct to undermine your teaching at home. In fact, the small compromises are often the worst in deconstructing a worldview. Jen also suggested parents get in the classroom and volunteer. I'd encourage every parent to do that, no matter what school their child goes to. However, spending one hour a month in the classroom doesn't give you a clue about what the other 139 hours that month are like. You can't fully supervise your child's school education unless you go and sit with them in class, no matter what sort of school you choose. If I'm going to allow someone else to educate our child in our stead, I'm going to make sure that school's philosophy is nearly identical to our family's and church's, so that we are all working in tandem and not pulling the child in three different ideological directions. I don't care how smart your child is, no six to ten year old can be expected to understand a Christian worldview well enough to know when it is being compromised.
3. Children cannot be expected to stand up for the beliefs that they are still just barely beginning to grasp. Christian children are just at the beginning of a life-long process of sanctification. You can't expect them to "do the right thing" in the midst of a crowd doing the wrong thing when they aren't even sure what the right thing is. They need to be surrounded by loving, godly adults who help them to see what choices are right, and what choices are sinful. I can tell you with authority that children who have been baptized, read the Bible and profess to love God and want to obey him still act in remarkably cruel ways. I want my children to be in an environment where this will not be shrugged off as, "kids will be kids" but that they will be forced to confront their sinful attitudes and be reconciled to one another, and to Christ. When my child is the victim of teasing, and they go to an adult for comfort, I want that adult to tell them that they were fearfully and wonderfully made, in the image of God, that Christ loves them, and that they are secure in that. That's truth. "You're a very special child with special gifts" is the best a public school teacher can do.
4. Christian schools can and should be places of diversity. Our school has multiple Hispanic, African-American and Asian families, even with only seventy kids. I'd venture to say that most of the classrooms at my school are more diverse than the classrooms the upper-middle class students would be in if they went to their neighborhood schools. Christian schools need to be proactive about recruiting socially and economically diverse families with aggressive scholarship programs, and it's sad that so few schools accomplish this.
5. Educationally, public schools aren't cutting it. Granted, there are LOTS of mediocre Christian schools. However, the classical school movement has really helped to develop a great deal of rigorous Christian schools where students are taught with their developmental stage and also taught basic skills for the sake of basic skills instead of being taught things based on state testing goals. My class practices narration and other forms of reading comprehension (quizzes on the literature we read, etc.) so they develop the skills to know intimately what they have read. We've never read a random passage to practice reading comprehension. We don't practice every week for standardized tests. We read what is relevant, and learn to comprehend as we go along. Novel idea, no? If you study anything about contemporary US education vs. the rest of the world, or the history of education, it becomes apparent quite quickly that the way public schools operate is a mediocre way of educating children. I could go into examples, but this is way too long as it is.
In conclusion, there are special cases where I would say it might be wise for an individual family to choose public schooling. For example, if the only Christian school around provides a mediocre high school education and it seems detrimental to the goal of getting into college, attending a public high school to be able to take AP classes seems like a reasonable exception. Some parents can't afford private schooling and aren't able to homeschool their children because they just aren't at all gifted in teaching. I recently met a rising fourth grade homeschooler who can't read at a first grade level. It happens. I'd rather see the child go to a public school and be literate than stay home and suffer. A single Christian parent who has to work ought to be given a scholarship by the best local Christian school to support her, but if she isn't, and she can't homeschool (no way to work from home), I'd say that's a failing of the church and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.
Update: I changed the date on this post because I was a mean husband and posted two long things too soon after Kristen wrote this, and this is a better discussion. --Mike
Why I Probably Won't Become A Lutheran
I have a nasty habit of tormenting my wife by saying, "Honey, I think I'm becoming a Lutheran." I'm really not, but it is my way of saying acknowledging something I find attractive about Lutheranism. Early today, I was reading some of the info put out by the worship committee for the LCMS. Their liturgy seems pretty nice. I've wanted to work in the sign of the cross. I've never really cared for the Anglican "read four different sections of the bible a day" style of Lectionary. I like that they have adopted the ESV. They don't get wishy-washy about their theology of baptism. This sparked an aforementioned comment to my wife.
Then, I saw a link on Bunnie Diehl's blog to a new book, Why I Am A Lutheran by Rev. Daniel Preus, who is the LCMS first Vice President. At first glance, I'm really interested in the book, but I have a major question. Does he present ideas that pretty much any Christian would affirm, or is he offering ideas that only a Lutheran could affirm. That is, is he convincing me to not be a pagan or not a Presbyterian. I'm looking for something that says, "Hey, you're a Presbyterian? You should read this and considering being a Lutheran!"
Well, to my horror, I found out that this guy appears to be somewhat controversial. Apparently, post-9/11, an LCMS pastor presided in an inter-religious "prayer" memorial. This is an obvious no-no in a denomination that wouldn't accept even Reformed, liturgical, Protestants (a la Jeff Meyers & co.) to communion, question their -- as a LCMS friend put it -- "doctrinal purity." Anyhow, I DO NOT want to get into a discuss as to whether this is right, I only bring this fact as evidence that the inter-religious prayer is obvious a No!No! Well, Rev. Preus spoke out against the LCMS pastor who participated. Therefore, those in the LCMS for doctrinal purity love Preus, those who are (from comments I've read) pro-church growth, etc... don't necessarily love him.
This I found helpful info. If a guy is even *somewhat* controversial in a denomination, I'd like to know.
So, this poor guy Jon, tries to make a comment that he's "not sure that his book would present the most positive view of the Lutheran faith to outsiders" and Preus' "views (at least on that issue) are offensive to a lot of non-LCMS Christians." Well, Bunny Diehl is one of those "loves Preus" LCMS people and so is "Defensor Fidei" (which is actually the title the Pope gave to Henry VIII, how ironic a Lutheran would adopt it as a nickname?). It slowly becomes known that Jon is actually *gasp* a member in the ELCA. This spurs on a 60+ comment discussion about how Jon has no right to criticize Rev. Preus because the ELCA is hotbed of liberalism going to hell in a handbasket. I think something about the Reformed being evil or something bad also slipped in, but I've read enough of Josh's blog to ignore it.
This ALL being said. The ELCA is, sorry Rick, too liberal for me. The LCMS is too closed for me. Not that I think we should bring all the witches, warlocks, and fuzzy bunnies into the pulpit, but to those who are a little theologically confused ... show some love and be pastoral.
Then, I saw a link on Bunnie Diehl's blog to a new book, Why I Am A Lutheran by Rev. Daniel Preus, who is the LCMS first Vice President. At first glance, I'm really interested in the book, but I have a major question. Does he present ideas that pretty much any Christian would affirm, or is he offering ideas that only a Lutheran could affirm. That is, is he convincing me to not be a pagan or not a Presbyterian. I'm looking for something that says, "Hey, you're a Presbyterian? You should read this and considering being a Lutheran!"
Well, to my horror, I found out that this guy appears to be somewhat controversial. Apparently, post-9/11, an LCMS pastor presided in an inter-religious "prayer" memorial. This is an obvious no-no in a denomination that wouldn't accept even Reformed, liturgical, Protestants (a la Jeff Meyers & co.) to communion, question their -- as a LCMS friend put it -- "doctrinal purity." Anyhow, I DO NOT want to get into a discuss as to whether this is right, I only bring this fact as evidence that the inter-religious prayer is obvious a No!No! Well, Rev. Preus spoke out against the LCMS pastor who participated. Therefore, those in the LCMS for doctrinal purity love Preus, those who are (from comments I've read) pro-church growth, etc... don't necessarily love him.
This I found helpful info. If a guy is even *somewhat* controversial in a denomination, I'd like to know.
So, this poor guy Jon, tries to make a comment that he's "not sure that his book would present the most positive view of the Lutheran faith to outsiders" and Preus' "views (at least on that issue) are offensive to a lot of non-LCMS Christians." Well, Bunny Diehl is one of those "loves Preus" LCMS people and so is "Defensor Fidei" (which is actually the title the Pope gave to Henry VIII, how ironic a Lutheran would adopt it as a nickname?). It slowly becomes known that Jon is actually *gasp* a member in the ELCA. This spurs on a 60+ comment discussion about how Jon has no right to criticize Rev. Preus because the ELCA is hotbed of liberalism going to hell in a handbasket. I think something about the Reformed being evil or something bad also slipped in, but I've read enough of Josh's blog to ignore it.
This ALL being said. The ELCA is, sorry Rick, too liberal for me. The LCMS is too closed for me. Not that I think we should bring all the witches, warlocks, and fuzzy bunnies into the pulpit, but to those who are a little theologically confused ... show some love and be pastoral.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Christian Solidarity
Yes! The Catholics get tough and kick out a pro-Abortion politician.
Doh! He becomes a Protestant!
Newsday.com - National News: "I will look for other options to express my faith and will probably join another Christian church,' Kenny told The Inquirer."
Doh! He becomes a Protestant!
The Church and Prison Abuse
For the past week the world has been seething from the pictures of abuse. Pictures of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners. The world has reacted: "Amerika sux!" In the United States, the photos have become, appropriately, political. These pictures have political consequences. However, the response from the church has been silent. The most we've heard is when particular Christians simply repeat whatever their particular political party is saying: the conservatives parrot the republicans, the liberals parrot the democrats. Where is the Christian response?
Also, worse news: Yahoo! News - Lawmakers Say New Abuse Photos Even Worse. Authorities are stressed over whether to release these are not. I, and my pessimistic foreboding, fear the worst. Democrats will demand their release under the pretense that this is a democracy and the people should view the photos. The real reason (smart) democrats will want the photos released is because it will stir a desire for change in the American people, namely a change in the White House. Republicans will try to keep the photos from being released under some pretense (security?), but the real reason will be to protect the White House. In the end, the White House will relent or the photos leaked, and both sides will be totally unprepared for the tidal wave that will come.
First, I fear that Americans will not be even remotely safe outside of our borders, for fear of our heads -- which was made more real this past week. Second, a (righteous?) war against the immoral, unjust Americans -- their words, not mine -- will be unleashed against the United States. How ironic this would be? We portray ourselves as a righteous nation and it will be our moral corruption -- even the moral corruption of a few -- that will be our undoing. And the church will still be silent, as the "separation" between Mrs. Church and Mr. State developed into a gag and restraining order. Lord, have mercy.
Remember: being postmil means the Church will triumph ... not the United States. How quickly we equate the two.
UPDATE: I read Dr. Grant's May 12th post, and I'm starting to feel a little better.
Also, worse news: Yahoo! News - Lawmakers Say New Abuse Photos Even Worse. Authorities are stressed over whether to release these are not. I, and my pessimistic foreboding, fear the worst. Democrats will demand their release under the pretense that this is a democracy and the people should view the photos. The real reason (smart) democrats will want the photos released is because it will stir a desire for change in the American people, namely a change in the White House. Republicans will try to keep the photos from being released under some pretense (security?), but the real reason will be to protect the White House. In the end, the White House will relent or the photos leaked, and both sides will be totally unprepared for the tidal wave that will come.
First, I fear that Americans will not be even remotely safe outside of our borders, for fear of our heads -- which was made more real this past week. Second, a (righteous?) war against the immoral, unjust Americans -- their words, not mine -- will be unleashed against the United States. How ironic this would be? We portray ourselves as a righteous nation and it will be our moral corruption -- even the moral corruption of a few -- that will be our undoing. And the church will still be silent, as the "separation" between Mrs. Church and Mr. State developed into a gag and restraining order. Lord, have mercy.
Remember: being postmil means the Church will triumph ... not the United States. How quickly we equate the two.
UPDATE: I read Dr. Grant's May 12th post, and I'm starting to feel a little better.
Monday, May 10, 2004
The Affect of Fiction
I think Mike is taking his fiction a little too seriously. Reading about Captain Aubrey, et. al. has made him investigate living in a houseboat and he's taken to drinking grog. Well, there's a lot of truth in fiction, so I'm glad he's reading some anyway.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Lazy Saturday
It's 4 p. and the only productive thing I did today was make homemade pesto. Luckily, I make pretty dang good pesto, so I guess that helps up the productivity points.
From Someone Who Has Been There
I'm posting in response to the discussion regarding abortion and if it is ever permissible found on Jake's blog. The posts in question are titled, "Life of the Mother."
One of the things I have learned in academia is to keep the free-flowing, theoretic discussions in the classroom. If they must leave the classroom, or if the discussion takes to a new venue, avoid being dogmatic. Be dogmatic about particulars (e.g., Bob must not do X on Thursday!), but avoid it with generalities (One should always do Y.)
For disclosers sake, let me, um, disclose. First, I happened upon the conversation WAY too late, haven't read most of the comments, and haven't bother leaving any comments myself. Second, I live day-to-day dreading that something is going to happen to Kristen or our daughter. I read of the complications that could go wrong in pregnancy, and the pessimistic foreboding (thank you, Kate Chopin) begins. That all being said, it was really hard for me to read and not get emotional when kids are dogmaticly claiming that it is so immoral to think of aborting a child when the death of the mother is certain.
Yes, I understand that all people must consider situations and ideas. Jake makes an excellent point that he, especially as a young man, should think ahead and try to prepare himself for potential situations he may face in the future. Yes, do think on these things, especially a topic like this. But, please, please, for those of us who may fret about these issues daily, avoid being dogmatic until you have had to make the decision.
I'll confess. In that situation, it may be a sin, God may smite me there in the hospital, but I would rather mourn the lost of my daughter with my wife, than mourn them both alone. You don't have to agree, but surely we can discuss and avoid vitrolic dogmatism.
One of the things I have learned in academia is to keep the free-flowing, theoretic discussions in the classroom. If they must leave the classroom, or if the discussion takes to a new venue, avoid being dogmatic. Be dogmatic about particulars (e.g., Bob must not do X on Thursday!), but avoid it with generalities (One should always do Y.)
For disclosers sake, let me, um, disclose. First, I happened upon the conversation WAY too late, haven't read most of the comments, and haven't bother leaving any comments myself. Second, I live day-to-day dreading that something is going to happen to Kristen or our daughter. I read of the complications that could go wrong in pregnancy, and the pessimistic foreboding (thank you, Kate Chopin) begins. That all being said, it was really hard for me to read and not get emotional when kids are dogmaticly claiming that it is so immoral to think of aborting a child when the death of the mother is certain.
Yes, I understand that all people must consider situations and ideas. Jake makes an excellent point that he, especially as a young man, should think ahead and try to prepare himself for potential situations he may face in the future. Yes, do think on these things, especially a topic like this. But, please, please, for those of us who may fret about these issues daily, avoid being dogmatic until you have had to make the decision.
I'll confess. In that situation, it may be a sin, God may smite me there in the hospital, but I would rather mourn the lost of my daughter with my wife, than mourn them both alone. You don't have to agree, but surely we can discuss and avoid vitrolic dogmatism.
Long Time, No Blog
I've chanced upon a most splendid thing lately. It seems to go by the title: fiction. Yes, my wife has been teasing me because I tend to read non-fiction, but I have stumbled upon a series that I'm becoming facinated with: Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.
I watched "Master and Commander" at the dollar theatre a few weekends ago. Shortly after, Kristen and I went on a "B&N date" to Barnes and Noble. I forget what she was reading, but I picked up the first in the Aubrey-Maturin series "Master and Commander". The book was wonderful. I recently finished it and began the second in the series "Post Captain". I'm about 70 pages into the second, and I can begin to see the differences already. The first was filled with descriptive prose and an introduction to sea life. O'Brian lectures the reader, as the midshipman lectures Dr. Maturin, on the different components of a ship. Particular detail is made regarding the ways of ship and the sea in general. It is a facinating portrait of words.
The second book has started with a good share of dialogue. Most of the action is on land, back in England. The war with France is over and O'Brian seems to be really developing his characters and revealing pieces of them through the dialogue, which is, so far, making the second a faster read.
Another wonderful consequence is a renewed interest in naturalism. Dr. Maturin is a self-described naturalist, but not a philosophic naturalist -- did they exist in the early 19th century? -- but, what we might call, a natural history or scientist, perhaps. He enjoys studying creatures and people, land formations, ecology, etc... A very erudite man who excels in all languages that have come up in the books. In the movie, the shadow of Darwin hangs over Maturin, because of the role of the Galapagos Island, but I haven't detected a trace of Darwinistic foreshadowing in the books or Maturin. He also converses naturally in Latin, which should be the defining mark of a gentleman! This is all to say that reading and discovering the character of Dr. Maturin, has been encouraging me and driving me towards expanding my areas of study. Actually, this is ironic, because it could be the thing that encourages me to read non-fiction again.
Ha ha, off to bed.
I watched "Master and Commander" at the dollar theatre a few weekends ago. Shortly after, Kristen and I went on a "B&N date" to Barnes and Noble. I forget what she was reading, but I picked up the first in the Aubrey-Maturin series "Master and Commander". The book was wonderful. I recently finished it and began the second in the series "Post Captain". I'm about 70 pages into the second, and I can begin to see the differences already. The first was filled with descriptive prose and an introduction to sea life. O'Brian lectures the reader, as the midshipman lectures Dr. Maturin, on the different components of a ship. Particular detail is made regarding the ways of ship and the sea in general. It is a facinating portrait of words.
The second book has started with a good share of dialogue. Most of the action is on land, back in England. The war with France is over and O'Brian seems to be really developing his characters and revealing pieces of them through the dialogue, which is, so far, making the second a faster read.
Another wonderful consequence is a renewed interest in naturalism. Dr. Maturin is a self-described naturalist, but not a philosophic naturalist -- did they exist in the early 19th century? -- but, what we might call, a natural history or scientist, perhaps. He enjoys studying creatures and people, land formations, ecology, etc... A very erudite man who excels in all languages that have come up in the books. In the movie, the shadow of Darwin hangs over Maturin, because of the role of the Galapagos Island, but I haven't detected a trace of Darwinistic foreshadowing in the books or Maturin. He also converses naturally in Latin, which should be the defining mark of a gentleman! This is all to say that reading and discovering the character of Dr. Maturin, has been encouraging me and driving me towards expanding my areas of study. Actually, this is ironic, because it could be the thing that encourages me to read non-fiction again.
Ha ha, off to bed.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Really Great Article about CCM
Read it at your leisure: My Faith is in the Rock and My Name is on the Roll from The New Pantagruel.
She's Back
Go visit The Thought of Being Free Has Entered Many Minds, the latest and greatest blog of my dear friend, Jamie.
Note to Self
I wish sometimes I could send a memo to myself that would arrive ten years from now, reminding me of my pet peeves regarding parents so that I don't do the same thing to my childrens' teachers.
My Life as a Countdown
3 more weeks of school
8.5 weeks until the baby is due
12 more weeks until we're scheduled to move to Virginia
8.5 weeks until the baby is due
12 more weeks until we're scheduled to move to Virginia
Monday, May 03, 2004
No Big Surprise.
The Washington Post will run a story tomorrow entitled "Breastfed Babies Less Likely to Die, Study Finds" which says that breastfeeding decreases the risk of dying during the first year of life by 20%.
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Rick and Rachel Update
Rachel's trial has been postponed. Let's pray that their trial is over swiftly and that they are found innocent on all charges. I'm sure life would be nice having all your old friends back.