Aspire2 Blog

How to Help Parents of Preemies

2012-03-02T00:13:00.001-06:00

Eighteen months ago my friends Erica and Chris Preskitt welcomed to the world their new babygirl—an entire trimester before the due date. Their daughter, Emma, weighed 2pounds, 14 ounces. For the next two months, Erica spent fifteen-hours days inthe NICU as Emma fought for her life. Recently, eighteen months later, Erica shared withme how people can help moms and dads with preemies.

· Cook and deliver food. Imaginetrying to exist on hospital food. You’d spend between seven and ten bucks permeal, per parent--and more than once a day. Also, especially for the nursing mom, “thesemeals sometimes lack needed nutrients.”

· Call or text. “Whether it’s inperson, by a phone call, or text, know how much it means to be present,” Erica says.“Ask how things are going. It’s so important for couples to feel that they havepeople around them to encourage and support them during such a scary time. “

· Show up. Along with lending anear, visit. Erica says, “Those in theNICU for hours at a time need a bit of normalcy by having contact with peopleother than nurses and doctors. The babies’ parents need to feel that they arestill part of the world that exists beyond the hospital walls.” One of her friends showed up with a video game to help her and Chris handle the boredom.

· Bring preemie clothing. You can’tfind preemie apparel at your typical department store, and everything the parentsalready have won’t fit baby for another three months. Erica says that in Dallas,Burlington Coat Factory has the best selection and prices.

· Listen well. And ask about more than the infant. Ericarecalls, “Many times people were so focused on knowing how our baby was doingthat I wondered if they cared to know how I was doing.” Instead of saying, “Iknow someone who that happened to,” ask, “So what’s it like sitting where youare? What goes through your mind?”

· Pray. Remember the hurting familyin your prayers. And when you visit them, offer to pray for them. They areprobably missing their local fellowship and need the reminder that they are notalone.

· Cook, run errands, clean toilets,and shop. The mom and dad are going to work, when possible, and living at thehospital. No little elves come in at night to mow their lawn and feed theirdogs. Don’t ask, “How can I help?” Ask, “Can I help you by [fill in theblank]?”
One of my coauthored medical novels, False Positive, focuses on a preemie born at twenty-four weeks. When I went to visit Erica in the NICU, she told me something that made all those hours of writing pay off--she said that when she went into labor, she knew her child had at least a slim chance of survival because she was three weeks older than the baby in our story. I love it when life intersects fiction!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Encourage An Author

2012-02-27T09:32:00.001-06:00

Today I am the featured author at Operation: Encourage An Author. Drop by and find out how I answered the question, "To what do you aspire?" And be sure to leave a message!

Back from Africa

2012-02-27T01:30:00.000-06:00

My husband just returned home from two weeks in Africa, during which time he had the privilege of baptizing a new brother, Eric. We feel grateful to have Gary home safely, but also love hearing his amazing stories about the many people and experiences he encountered. He even saw elephants sparring!

And The Oscar Goes To...

2012-02-26T22:55:00.002-06:00

Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, "Hugo"
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schavo, "Hugo"
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, "The Artist"
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, "The Iron Lady"
Best Foreign Language Film: "A Separation"
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Best Sound Editing: Phillip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, "Hugo"
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, "Hugo"
Best Documentary: "Undefeated"
Best Animated Feature: "Rango"
Best Visual Effects: "Hugo"
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist"
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, "Man or Muppet"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Best Live Action Short: "The Shore"
Best Documentary Short: "Saving Face"
Best Animated Short: "The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Best Picture: "The Artist"

Update on Iranian Pastor

2012-02-24T17:57:00.000-06:00

ISTANBUL, February 24 (Compass Direct News) – Lawyers for an Iranian pastor awaiting a final decision on his death sentence have not received communication from authorities that their client will be executed, despite reports that his death is imminent. Rumors of an imminent execution for Yousef Nadarkhani were leaked this week after a source close to one of his lawyers contacted international media, informing them that a lower court had signed Nadarkhani’s execution papers and that his death would be carried out soon, sources told Compass.

“The lawyer is waiting for confirmation, but he understood from a source that the execution was issued,” said Firouz Khandjani, a member of the council of the Church of Iran, Nadarkhani’s denomination. “Now we are trying to understand exactly what is happening.” Nadarkhani’s case had been sent to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei for a decision on his death sentence, but legally the lower court still has the authority to issue an execution order, Khandjani said. “We are waiting for a confirmation, but we have to take action, because we know of people who were executed without notification,” he said.

Some sources told Compass they are skeptical of the credibility of information that Nadarkhani’s lawyers received this week and the certainty with which international press has been reporting his “imminent death.” They say this may be a governmental ploy to gauge international reaction to such a rumor.

"Blue Like Jazz" Movie Coming--Finally!

2012-02-24T00:05:00.000-06:00

The film adaptation of Donald Miller's best-selling book, Blue Like Jazz, finally has a release date. Here's the scoop from CBA's press release:

Directed and co-written by Steve Taylor (The Second Chance) the film will have its World Premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section at the 2012 South-by-Southwest Film Festival before opening in theatres on Apr. 13.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller spent 43 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and has sold over 1.5 million copies to date. The semi-autobiographical story was adapted for the screen by Miller, Taylor, and Ben Pearson.

In the early days of pre-production, the project was forced to be put on hold due to lack of funding, prompting a Web site to be created by fans, for fans, called “Save Blue Like Jazz.” The site urged loyalists to help raise money to fund the movie through Kickstarter, an online matchmaker for filmmakers and financial backers. The campaign went on to raise a record-setting $345,000, more than doubling the original goal of $125,000, allowing the film to start production.

In Blue Like Jazz, Don (Allman), a pious 19-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, impulsively decides to escape his religious upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at one of the most progressive campuses in America, Reed College in Portland. Upon arrival, Reed’s surroundings and eccentric student body proves to be far different than he could possibly imagine from the environment from which he came, forcing him to embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand who he is and what he truly believes.

The film boasts a cast of rising stars including Marshall Allman (True Blood), Claire Holt (The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars), and Tania Raymonde (Lost). Blue Like Jazz was produced by Taylor, J. Clarke Gallivan, and Coke Sams for Ruckus Film.

Additional outreach and grassroots partnerships will continue to dominate the entertainment, college, and faith-oriented landscape in the coming weeks with a number of promotional activities:

Blue Like Jazz will have its World Premiere at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival on Tuesday, March 13^th at the historic Paramount Theatre. Film star and Austin native Marshall Allman is expected to attend along with Steve Taylor and Don Miller.
Steve Taylor and Don Miller will kick off a 30-city bus tour on Feb. 29, during which they will host screenings, events and discussions geared towards fans of the book and early supporters of the film. Please visit: http://www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com/ for more information.
4,500 Kickstarter backers on record, along with other fans and Blue Like Jazz followers are being organized into "street teams" for the purpose of creating awareness for the film. Over 5,000 supporters are already confirmed to participate with offline and online promotion impressions that are set to reach an estimated 2.5 million potential moviegoers.
An unprecedented promotion with leading Christian culture media outlet RELEVANT commenced Feb. 14. The partnership includes promotion across all print, Web, live event, and social media platforms through the film’s opening.

We Are Family

2012-02-23T18:45:00.000-06:00

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 23, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Case of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms reports that Iranian authorities’ reaffirmed a death sentence for Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani for the sole reason of his refusal to recant his Christian faith. This action is yet another shocking breach of Iran’s international obligations, its own constitution, and stated religious values. The United States stands in solidarity with Pastor Nadarkhani, his family, and all those who seek to practice their religion without fear of persecution—a fundamental and universal human right. The trial and sentencing process for Pastor Nadarkhani demonstrates the Iranian government’s total disregard for religious freedom, and further demonstrates Iran's continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens. The United States calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately lift the sentence, release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion. The United States renews its calls for people of conscience and governments around the world to reach out to Iranian authorities and demand Pastor Nadarkhani's immediate release.

Engaging the Culture on Issues that Matter

2012-02-23T11:54:00.000-06:00

Kregel Publications reports that From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology by John Dyer has been named in Outreach magazine's Resource of the Year Awards in the culture category. The magazine made their announcement in the March/April 2012 issue of Outreach.

A Feb. 21, 2012, press release from Outreach magazine describes the importance of this award: "These resources deserve accolades, but Outreach Resources of the Year is about more than that," said Outreach editor Brian Orme. "We strive to help churches share God's love, reach their communities and change the world. Drawing their attention to the best resources available each year is one way we do that."

The top resources were chosen by independent panelists who are each experts in their fields of study. Andy Crouch, an author and member of the editorial board of Books & Culture magazine, says From the Garden to the City is a "creative, unpredictable and surprisingly moving introduction to thinking as Christians about technology" and is "the ideal 'first book' on a topic that deserves much more Christian reflection and attention."

“I'm honored that From the Garden to the City was included in a list of such outstanding resources," says John Dyer. "I hope the book will serve as a helpful introduction for those wanting to know more about how technology fits into the story of God as well as those wanting to know how the church can utilize technology in service of its mission."

Also chosen in the culture category was friend Carolyn Custis James for her work that we've featured here: Half the Church.

Imagine This Happening to You in Church

2012-02-23T03:00:00.000-06:00

That's what happened in Suleja, Nigeria, last Sunday. According to Compass Direct News, suspected Islamic extremists detonated a bomb outside a church building there, a mere two months after Boko Haram Islamists killed forty-four Christians and blinded seven in a church bombing in nearby Madalla.

Sunday’s blast in Suleja, in front of Christ Embassy church during morning worship, injured five people, one seriously, sources said. The bomb, planted in a parked car, was left by suspected members of Boko Haram, which seeks to impose sharia (Islamic law) throughout Nigeria, and authorities arrested some members of the sect the same day.

Triumphant Ministries International Church is also near the site of the explosion. Peter Osema, a search-and-rescue worker with Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, told Compass that the bomb was likely meant to affect both churches, and indeed Compass learned that at least one of those injured belongs to the Triumph Ministries church.

At St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, where the casualty figure has varied the past few months as victims were sought and identified at various hospitals, the Rev. Isaac Achi said Monday (Feb. 20) that 44 church members were killed in the Christmas Day blast. “Of the 127 victims, we lost 44, and of the injured seven lost their sight,” he said.

In this morning's New York Times, Nicholas Kristof has a gripping story about sneaking into Nigeria, and what he found.

Photo: Courtesy Compass Direct News

Calvin Recommends...

2012-02-22T23:10:00.000-06:00

Not Calvin and Hobbes. The Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing, held biannually in Grand Rapids. I'm headed there this April, and here's the "recommended" reading list. The authors listed below will speak at the festival, and the coordinators have selected what they consider the best sampling of those authors' works:

Leila Aboulela: Lyrics Alley or The Translator (fiction)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Purple Hibiscus (fiction)

M. Craig Barnes: The Pastor as Minor Poet (spirituality)

Susan Campbell Bartoletti: They Called Themselves the KKK (young adult literature)

Amy Julia Becker: A Good and Perfect Gift (memoir)

Aaron Belz: Lovely, Raspberry (poetry)

Kate Braestrup: Here if You Need Me (memoir)

Kevin Brockmeier: The Illumination (fiction)

Scott Cairns: Compass of Affection (poetry)

Lan Samantha Chang: All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost (fiction)

Susanna Childress: Entering the House of Awe (poetry)

Shane Claiborne: The Irresistible Revolution (spirituality)

Hugh Cook: Cracked Wheat (fiction)

Debra Dean: The Madonnas of Leningrad (fiction)

David Diaz: Smoky Night (illustrator) (children's literature)

Brian Doyle: Grace Notes (non-fiction)

Tony Earley: Jim the Boy and Blue Star (fiction)

Kathryn Erskine: Mockingbird (children's literature)

Jonathan Safran Foer: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (fiction)

Amy Frykholm: Julian of Norwich: A Contemplative Biography (non-fiction)

Paula Huston: By Way of Grace: Moving from Faithfulness to Holiness (spirituality)

Susan E. Isaacs: Angry Conversations with God (memoir)

River Jordan: Praying for Strangers: An Adventure of the Human Spirit (memoir)

Julia Kasdorf: Sleeping Preacher (poetry)

Kirsten Kelly: Asparagus! Stalking the American Life (documentary film)

John Leax: Grace Is Where I Live (poetry)

Li-Young Lee: Behind My Eyes (poetry)

Patrick Madden: Quotidiana (non-fiction)

Maurice Manning: The Common Man (poetry)

Ruben Martinez: Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail (non-fiction)

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre: Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies (non-fiction)

Richard Michelson: Busing Brewster (children's literature)

Daniel Nayeri: Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow (young adult literature)

Peter O'Leary: Depth Theology (poetry)

Bethany Pierce: Amy Inspired (fiction)

Andrea Pinkney: Bird in a Box or Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (children's literature)

Brian Pinkney: The Faithful Friend (illustrator) (children's literature)

Mark Richard: House of Prayer No. 2 (memoir)

Jana Riess: Flunking Sainthood (memoir)

Marilynne Robinson: Gilead (fiction)

James Schaap: Rehoboth, a Place for Us: An Album of Family Stories (non-fiction)

Gary D. Schmidt: The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now (young adult literature)

Luci Shaw: Breath for Bones: Art, Imagination, and Spirit (spirituality)

Judith Shulevitz: The Sabbath World (spirituality)

Lisa Russ Spaar: Satin Cash (poetry)

Nikki Stafford: Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide (series) (non-fiction)

Francisco X. Stork: Marcelo in the Real World (young adult literature)

Daniel Taylor: Tell Me a Story (non-fiction)

Scott Teems: That Evening Sun (film)

Craig Thompson: Blankets (graphic novel)

Luis Alberto Urrea: Into the Beautiful North (fiction)

Clare Vanderpool: Moon Over Manifest (young adult literature)

Ann Voskamp: One Thousand Gifts (spirituality)

Carey Wallace: The Blind Contessa's New Machine (fiction)

Brian Walsh: Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire (spirituality)

Walt Wangerin: The Book of the Dun Cow or The Book of God (fiction)

Paul Willis: The Alpine Tales (fiction)

G. Willow Wilson: The Butterfly Mosque (fiction) or Cairo (graphic novel)

Larry Woiwode: Words Made Fresh: Essays on Literature and Culture (essays)

Ash Wednesday: "Return to Me"

2012-02-22T03:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent, the forty-day season of reflection before Easter. Ashes placed on the forehead serve as a reminder that while God considers us the crown of creation, everyone with mortal flesh is also a dustling.

A biblical text commonly associated with Ash Wednesday is Joel 2:12-13: "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

CT Gets a Makeover

2012-02-21T17:50:00.003-06:00

CT is more than a magazine.

Christianity Today International,the nonprofit organization that serves over 2.5 million readers every monththrough award-winning content in publications and web resources such asChristianity Today magazine and Leadership Journal, has rebranded asChristianity Today-a global media ministry.

The rebranding, which includes anew visual identity and the launch of a new ministry website,ChristianityToday.org, reflects the powerful history of the flagship magazine,Christianity Today, and creates a connecting point for all of theministry's brands.

The makeover includes two new initiatives:

This Is Our City: The three-yearmultimedia project "This Is Our City" focuses on six diversemetropolitan areas throughout the United States, giving a comprehensive pictureof cultural renewal in business, government, public health, education and thearts by Christians who are shaping American society in creative, dynamic andsacrificial ways. The project includes a social platform for stories ofcultural investment driven by Christian commitment.

Global Gospel Project: ChristianityToday's "Global Gospel Project" is a multi-year, multimedia initiativethat will provide the 21st century evangelical church with compelling ways andmeans of re-engaging the great doctrines of the church so that men and womenwill more deeply grasp, in both mind and heart, the astounding love of God inJesus Christ. This in turn will not only ground them more securely in theirfaith, but also energize them to share the gospel in word and deed ever morefaithfully in the world.

Make Lent More Meaningful

2012-02-21T00:04:00.001-06:00

Today's my day to post on Tapestry. Below you'll find what I posted there. Happy Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras!

It’s Mardi Gras—and you know what that means. Beyond the party-till-you-drop bead-throw fest in Nawlins and costumes for Carnevale in Venice, the day has spiritual significance. “Mardi Gras” means “Fat Tuesday.” And Fat Tuesday precedes Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is the forty-day season leading up to Easter.

In parts of Europe people call Mardi Gras “Pancake Day” (Shrove Tuesday), and they eat stacks of syrup-covered cakes in celebration. Pancake Day is the liturgical polar-opposite of a last-chance workout. People snarf up all the stuff from which they’ll fast for the next forty days. The mentality is sometimes, “Gorge while you can.” Traditionally items included on the “fast” list were sugar, butter, flour and eggs—the stuff that batter’s made of. Thus people consumed "stacks" on Tuesday before austerity set in.

Some of us have grown up in traditions that connect Lent and its accompanying practices with legalism. We tend to make only one association with the season--a question: “What are you giving up for Lent?” I can’t really blame them. So many folks flaunt what they give up. I've seen people who plan to give up alcohol get falling-down-drunk on Tuesday. Really, people? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

Still, some find meaning in observing a season of penance, prayer, and self-denial during Lent. The reason to give up chocolate or snacks between meals or Facebook or new purchases or meat or shoes is constantly to remind our flesh that the Son of God gave up everything for us. In the words of the late Keith Green, “Jesus rose from the dead, and [we] can’t even get out of bed.” It’s this flesh-driven mentality against which we wage war in our Lenten observances.

As my friend Ruth Haley Barton says, "The real question of the Lenten season is how will I clear out the junk and garbage in my life so that I can be restored to God in some fresh way? What are the disciplines that will open up space for God to create a clean heart and new spirit in me?"

Such clearning out and space-opening are worthy goals, regardless of our denominational affiliation. So I offer here some suggestions. Consider these options to help you observe a more meaningful Lenten season.

Begin by asking God what needs a clean-out in your life.
Consider what non-essential activity sucks the most time from your day and/or money from your wallet. Is it Facebook? Twitter? Words with Friends? Listening to your car radio? Eating out? The mocha latte with whipped cream?
Give it up for forty days and use the time and/or money for something meaningful. Give to the poor. Fill the free time with prayer, meditation, or memorization of a portion of Scripture. Do some reflective reading.
Check out the “Lent” section in the Book of Common Prayer and follow the meditations leading up to and including Holy Week.
Familiarize yourself with the Ash Wednesday sermons of seventeenth-century English bishop, Lancelot Andrewes. A contemporary of Shakespeare, the brilliant bishop left us a library of great writings, some of which influenced T. S. Eliot to convert to Christianity. Here’s a prayer Rev. Andrewes wrote that's fitting for the season:

Pleading

O remember what my substance is; that I am:

dust and ashes, grass and a flower,

flesh and a wind that passeth away,

corruption and a worm,

like a stranger and a sojourner,

dwelling in a house of clay,

days few and evil, today and not tomorrow,

in the morning and not so long as till evening,

now and not presently,

in a body of death,

in a world of corruption,

lying in wickedness.

Remember this.

Fast from using words for a day or part of a day. Take a silent retreat and simply listen.
Adopt one of the twenty-five ideas on this list compiled by a group of creative teens, some of whom gave up their beds and in-door accommodations.

Should we feel led to participate in this way, whatever we do, we must draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. In the words of our Lord, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6:6). How cool would it be if every follower of Christ give up something truly significant for Lent, like spiritual pride?

No Parachuting or Seatbelts

2012-02-20T04:58:00.000-06:00

Coolness alert: This is a hyperbaric chamber, and it helps patients with wounds or damaged tissue from radiation that fail to heal due to lack of oxygen to one area. In the chamber these patients breathe 100 percent oxygen and feel pressure like what scuba-divers experience at forty-five feet below the surface. That pressure dissolves more oxygen in the blood, delivering the good stuff to areas that need it.

Why until this week had I never heard of such a thing? I gotta get out more!

Cook Like a Texan

2012-02-19T15:53:00.001-06:00

You know I normally write about ideas and events, but every once in a while I learn something in the food department worth sharing as "edutainment."

Last week our church had a sign-up sheet for volunteers to bring food for today's after-service potluck. Coordinators asked for people to cook brisket, but I had never done that. And it turns out I had company, as I overheard a couple of seasoned cooks in their eighties asking each other, "Have you ever made brisket? Me, either. How do you do that?"

While at the grocery store yesterday, I noticed that the store's only raw brisket meat came in large packages sized to fit my grill, not my crock pot. The only crock-pot-sized brisket was corned beef brisket. And at least I knew corned beef brisket was not the same as BBQ! I saw the butcher setting out packets of meat he had just carved, so I walked over and asked him what cut I needed for brisket. He handed me a four-pound pot roast of beef and said, "Use this. The secret is giving it lots and lots of time."

When I arrived home with it yesterday, I made the marinade. After finding the ingredients on the Internet, I made alterations, adapting the recipe for what I actually had in my pantry:

BBQ Brisket Marinade
1-3/4 c. KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce*
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. Worchestershire sauce
2 t. black pepper, freshly ground
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. dry mustard

*You could probably use any barbeque sauce, but we love KC because it's thick, dark, and sweet.

I combined the marinade ingredients in a dish just large enough for the meat. Then I drenched the meat in the sauce, covered it, and stored it in the refrigerator. About four hours later, I turned the roast over and drenched it again in the marinade. (The recipe recommended letting it sit overnight.) Finally, at bedtime, around 11 PM, I threw it all in the crock pot and turned on the "low" setting.

When we arose this morning, my daughter said, "I smelled something cooking all night." Yes, she did!

When we got ready to leave at nine AM, I turned off the pot and shredded the meat, which easily fell apart. (The recipe called for ten hours, which I had given it.)

Yum! How have I lived in Texas for 30+ years and never done this? Tastes great and it's easy to make. We ate it straight, but we have some leftovers, which we plan to eat on buns like Sloppy Joe's. Y'all have gotta try it!

Praying with the Puritans

2012-02-19T02:00:00.000-06:00

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know that all things are shadows, but Thou art substance, all things are quicksand, but Thou art mountain, all things are shifting, but Thou art anchor, all things are ignorance, but Thou art wisdom. --From The Valley of Vision

Book Review: How would you survive losing a child?

2012-02-18T04:36:00.000-06:00

Exactly one year ago today, Wisconsin goat farmer Terri Stellrechtlearned from her husband that their twelve-year-old son, Trent, had been killed in a skiingaccident. Since then she has joined the millions of self-published authors (thisone with Westbow) who have a compelling narrative to share.

Her book, titled How My Savior Leads Me, introducesreaders to Trent through some of his childhood events before recounting how Terri and her family learned of the accident and the twelve months that followed.

But the book is more than a narrative. It’s parttheological treatise, exploring such questions as, “Can God really be good inso-called accidents?” and “Does He really have a purpose for everything thathappens on this earth?” The title provides a tipoff about where the author lands onthe subject.

HowMy Savior Leads Me is also part journal, as Terri includesposts from her blog entered as she and herfamily have walked through their year of “firsts.”

Throughout, she writes with an in-your-face faithperspective. Don’t expect subtle. She asks straight up, “What if it had beenyou that died in that skiing accident? Where would you be?” before adding, “Doyou know this Savior of mine? His name is Jesus.”

The book,which I received from the author for review, shows some distracting signs typical of self-pubbedworks—like commas outside of quotation marks (correct in the UK, not inthe US) and addressing comments to a group (“those of you who know me…”) ratherthan to the individual reader. But anyone who has experienced grief due to asudden loss will identify with Terri's journey of grief and hope. And we all can benefit from the reminder that life on this earth is precious. And fleeting.

More Hunger Games?

2012-02-16T16:51:00.000-06:00

So I finished book one of The Hunger Games.It's an easy YA (young adult) read. That's not to say only the YA folks readit--just that the target audience is for the YA crowd.

My friend Kelley boughtme the book. And my other friend Kelli has read the entire series. When I told the latter that I hesitatedto keep reading the series as I have a lot of other non-dissertation books I'd like to devour, she wrote me this:

“If you found the firstbook a reasonably good read, which I did, I recommend finishing the series.It's the only dystopian story I've read lately (including [Kelli reads a lot] Brave New World, TheGiver by Lois Lowry, Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood, and “The Books ofEmber” series by Jeanne DuPrau) that ends with (possible spoiler alert:) itslens pointing to hope and real redemption. A friend warned me thatshe didn't like the ending, but I thought the ending completed the characterarcs well. Also, as a bestseller andupcoming movie, the whole series lends itself as a discussion-starter on theethics and habits of war."

I love it when people make me feel as if I'm contributing to society by reading a good story.

Not All the News is Bad

2012-02-16T14:17:00.001-06:00

According to a new World Vision 30 Hour Famine study, conducted online in January by Harris Interactive, more than half of teens (55 percent) say social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have made them more aware of the needs of others. This is a huge increase from 2011 when 4 in 10 (44 percent) said their use of social media made them more aware. The study also says 2 in 3 teens (68 percent) agree that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks. According to the study, more than nine out of ten (91 percent) agree that it’s important to volunteer locally.

My Post on Women's History

2012-02-16T08:16:00.003-06:00

Over at the In A Mirror Dimly blog, I'm featured as the guest columnist today. If you're one of my regular readers, you'll recognize a familiar topic with me--women's history, and especially how we tell the story of women in the church's history. You can read my post here.

Technology and Poetry

2012-02-16T05:03:00.000-06:00

A group of my students did a class presentation yesterday on poetry, and in the process they introduced us all to this video. The artist raises important questions.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-15T08:55:00.000-06:00

Like Handling Explosives...

2012-02-13T09:06:00.000-06:00

That's how I describe writing Bible studies in this interview with Christian Book Review Blog.

Read more and leave a comment to enter a drawing for a free copy of Sumatra with the Seven Churches.

1963-2012

2012-02-11T23:21:00.003-06:00

I'd had a rough month. The year was 1994, and we'd just suffered another failed adoption. But a blessing in the midst of it all came when one of my clients (I was a freelance publicist), the music producer for Barney & Friends, called to say he had been nominated for a Grammy Award. And he invited my husband and me to attend the 1994 awards ceremony with him, his wife, and some colleagues in New York City.

We were broke from medical treatment and adoption expenses. But my husband found me a sequined gown for 1/10 of what it was worth. My father-in-law covered our airfare as far as Washington, DC, where he lives--only four hours from New York. And we managed to scrounge together enough for tickets and the hotel room. Saks forgot me under the hair dryer that afternoon, so they threw in a free make-up artist.

We later referred to the night not as "The Grammy's" but "The Whitneys." Whitney Houston performed several times and took home a cache of awards. To say she dominated the entire evening would be an understatement.

When she sang the song in this video, "I Will Always Love You," I witnessed the most clear, powerful voice I had ever heard and probably will ever hear in my lifetime. Video and audio fail to capture how the notes proceeded from her mouth and shook Radio City Music Hall with the reverberations. We sat stunned at the beauty of it all.

When she received her awards, she would thank her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So sad to see her life and work end this way. I pray that at last she is at peace.

Contraception and Conscience

2012-02-11T09:43:00.005-06:00

The subject of contraception has stayed in the center of thenews this week. As well it deserved to.

It all started years ago with a mentality that went and still goessomething like this: “You don’t like our morals? Hey —you don’t have to live bythem. Go build your own hospitals and make your own rules.”

People spent millions on their religiously motivatedhospitals, offering care as a practical application of a worldview that callsus to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with [our] God.” In Dallasdenominational titles such as “Presbyterian” refer as much to major hospitalsin the area as they do to churches.

But now some Christian-run hospitals hear, “Too bad. We’regoing to impose our ethics on you and you have to abide by them, anyway. We’regoing to force our morality on you, while insisting that no one can legislatemorality (we use that line whenever yourmorals feel limiting to us)."

And the politicos are surprised at the pushback? Seriously?

If you know anything about the contraception book Icoauthored, you know I take a moderate position on the subject. And I’mdisinclined to think the pill causes abortion—certainly not frequently. I actually think a believer can in good conscience usecontraception.

But I also believe in the legal right of those withmore conservative views on the subject to operate within their own free consciences as theyadminister care. That should be a basic American value. I believe we call it religious liberty.

So the administration made concessions—necessary concessionsthat our liberties demand. They did right in making them.

But.

The whole issue raises a huge question that can’t goaway with the concessions: You seriously considered it wise to trample onfreedom of conscience for people seeking to “do good”? As Peggy Noonan wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “If the church isforced to go against its conscience, religious liberty in America is not safe.If religious liberty is not safe, you are not safe” That’s true across partylines. “Religious liberty should not be a partisan issue."

Amen, sister. A-a-amen!

From the Front Lines of Persecution

2012-02-09T12:13:00.001-06:00

NAIROBI, Kenya, February 8 (Compass Direct News) – Islamic extremists from the rebel al Shabaab militia in Somalia beheaded a Christian on the outskirts of Mogadishu last month, sources said. The militants fighting the transitional government in Mogadishu murdered Zakaria Hussein Omar, 26, on Jan. 2 in Cee-carfiid village, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) outside of the Somali capital, they said.

Omar had worked for a Christian humanitarian organization that al Shabaab banned last year. His body was left lying for 20 hours before nomads found it and carried it into Mogadishu, a close friend said. “Last year he mentioned to me that his life was in danger when the NGO [Non-Governmental Organization] he worked for was banned by the al Shabaab,” the friend told Compass. “One of the persons who saw him said, ‘This is the young man who stayed in Ethiopia, and people have been saying that he left Islam and joined Christianity.’”

Omar converted to Christianity seven years ago while in Ethiopia, where he lived with relatives. He returned to Somalia in 2008 and completed his university education in 2009 with a degree in accounting. Omar had married in the latter part of 2010; he is survived by his wife, his parents (originally from central Somalia), a brother and four sisters.

Please pray for this family. And for our persecuted brothers and sisters facing martyrdom.

New Writers Magazine to Launch

2012-02-08T22:25:00.003-06:00

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), the preeminent organization for writers of Christian fiction, announced recently that in April it will launch a new four-color print magazine, the ACFW Journal.

Can you imagine? A new print magazine suggests print isn't dying anytime soon.

Industry professional, Michael Ehret, has been named editor. He said, “As the editor of ACFW Journal, my goal is to provide members with not only an outstanding reading experience but also a tool they can use to improve their writing, enhance their marketing efforts, and deepen their knowledge about the industry. Even more than that, I want members to see the magazine as theirs—to participate in it and interact with it.”

The publication is accepting articles, features, and other types of submissions directly from authors, making it a unique product in the industry—a magazine for writers, written by writers. Content for the ACFW Journal will be broken down into five main sections: Industry/Career, Marketing, Craft, The Writer’s Life, and ACFW News.

For more information, contact Cara Putman, ACFW's publicity officer, at pr@acfw.com.

The 2012 ACFW Conference will hold their 2012 conference in Dallas on Sept. 20-23, 2012. For more information, visit www.acfw.com/conference.

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens

2012-02-07T14:30:00.000-06:00

Today marks the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. What's your favorite Dickens book or character? Mine is The Tale of Two Cities. I also love the musical, "Oliver!"based on Dickens's Oliver Twist. I especially like the version starring Ron Moody as Fagin. But truth be told, the movie-version "Fagin" was much more lovable than the one in Dickens's book.

In keeping with the occasion, Publishers Weekly reports that Oxford University has great expectations for their recent release, Selected Letters of Charles Dickens. It's "a virtual autobiography of a man whose epistolary output rivaled his fictional output."

Can You Help? You Could Make a Difference!

2012-02-06T19:55:00.001-06:00

Themost recent issue of CT explored thetop ten ways to truly make a difference in the battle against globalpoverty. Number four was this: Sponsor a child.

At the moment, we’re working with four Kenyan girls who’vebeen fortunate enough to get to go to school, and they’ve worked hard. But now they’velost their sponsors. Peopleusually have good reasons for dropping sponsorships. They know what it means to these kids! But we receive messages like, “Our family hit acrisis and we are terribly sorry…” and “I’m out of work now!”

Still, the time has come to tell the girls they have to quit school. That is, unless you can help us find sponsors. Or be a sponsor yourself.

I toldmy husband I’d ask my readers before he notifies anyone that these girls have to stopgoing to school! (BTW, zero percent of the sponsorship money goes to us.)

Three of the girls need food, hygiene, meat, and tutoring in addition to tuition sponsorships:

Faith Njamiu Waiganjo – Faith is 15 and lives with heruncle. She lost both parents due to HIV-AIDS. She likes reading story books andwashing utensils. [Update: Completely sponsored!]

Charity Njoki Waiganjo (sister of Faith, so theyshare one food/meat cost) is 14 and has the same guardian uncle as Faith. She likes doing household work and watching drama movies. [Update: Needs only education, tutoring, and hygiene!]

Jovlet Ondesa is 12, and is being raised by a single mother who isvery poor. Jovlet loves music and swimming.

Another girl needssponsoring for school and tutoring only, as someone has covered the rest of her needs:

"Auma" Omolo Filigona Jagongo is 13. She lost both parents dueto HIV-AIDS or related causes. Her guardian is a widow. She likes swimming and throwinga ball.

To be honest, sponsoring a student through ourAdopt-a-Legacy program costs more than traditional programs. Mainly that's because we lack the economies of scale available through large aid organizations.We’re working to reduce costs as best we can. Also, all kids in Kenya have to pay for education--no free public schools there--so anyone desiring to learn must pay tuition in addition to everyday living costs. And in the uppergrades (6th grade+) tutoring is essential for students to pass to the next level.

Sponsoring amounts are as follows:

Education: $480/year or $40/month

Tutoring: $190/year or $16/month

Hygiene: $260/year or $22/month

Food: $200/year or $17/month

Meat: $175/year or $15/month

Studies show that the school with which we’re working providesthe kids with an excellent chance of escaping the poverty cycle once they reach adulthood.

To donate, follow this link and write in the message field the name of the child(ren) and forwhat you are sponsoring her (them). If you wish to give monthly instead of annually, check the box indicating you wish to "auto" repeat monthly. Whether or not you feel led to give, please forward this info to any friends you think might have an interest and pray that we get the sponsors we need by Thursday morning. Thank you.

Oh, By the Way!

2012-02-06T18:02:00.001-06:00

"We have as many as eighteen second-century manuscripts (six of which were
recently discovered and not yet catalogued) and a first-century manuscript
of Mark’s Gospel! Altogether, more than 43% of the 8,000 or so verses in the
NT are found in these papyri. Bart [Ehrman, a scholar whom Dr. Wallace has
debated] had explicitly said that our earliest copy of Mark was from c. 200 CE,
but this is now incorrect. It’s from the first century. I mentioned these new
manuscript finds and told the audience that a book will be published by E. J. Brill
in about a year that gives all the data. (In the Q & A, Bart questioned the
validity of the first-century Mark fragment. I noted that a world-class
paleographer, a man who had no religious affiliation and thus was not biased
toward an early date, was my source.)

--Daniel B. Wallace, Reclaimingthemind.org

Update: You can read more here.

Glass Art: A Visual Feast

2012-02-04T14:15:00.001-06:00

I love the window full of glass flower-like shapes at the Dallas Museum of Art. And recently my friend Alison directed me to more from the artist:

E-books Here to Stay

2012-02-03T09:11:00.000-06:00

Just about everybody I know is reading Hunger Games. Have you read it?

On my friend Kelley's 40th birthday, she sent an e-book copy to my Kindle. I'm saving it for Sunday, when I expect to spend a lazy day avoiding all thought of my dissertation. Don't you love that? It's her birthday, so I get a gift!?

Publishers Weekly's pick of the week was Anne Tyler's The Beginner's Goodbye. The description looks interesting. This week's issue also devoted lots of space to The Age of Miracles, a story about an 11-year-old girl who wakes up one day and realizes the earth's rotation has started slowing. The book is the author's debut novel, so look for more from Karen Thompson Walker. Must. wait. till. my. graduation.

But while I get to do little of my own reading these days, life as an author isn't altogether bad, thanks in part to e-books. All my novels are now available in both print and ebook formats, so I'm seeing activity on a couple of once-comatose titles now brought back to life. Apparently 17% of book buyers bought an e-book last December, up from 9% the previous year. And fiction by a big margin most of the e-book buyers' attention. While e-books accounted for only 15% of non-fiction sales, they made up a whopping 26% of adult fiction sales in the third quarter. I feel confident print will remain with us for a long, long time, but e-books have also certainly settled in to grab a solid share of the market. Still, as Publishers Weekly reports, "every book is a bet. Most advances don't earn out and most books sell fewer than 1,000 copies." So hopefully e-books will cut down on the production-related losses and add to the bottom line.

With All Due Respect to John Piper...

2012-02-02T22:40:00.005-06:00

"the apostles tell the churches that...the head...should be the husband."
--John Piper

Ahem. Actually, no they don't....

At a conference this week, John Piper was talking aboutmasculine Christianity. And he made the above statement, which caused me tosquint. Huh?

Now, I should probably qualify my thoughts by saying I lovemuch of what John Piper has to say. I'm thinking specifically about hislife-changing teaching about loving God.

But when it comes to his views on gender, he has made somestatements that I must respectfully question. Why? Because he makes subtlechanges when he quotes the Bible. The quote above is one of them.

We all know there's a difference between a statement and animperative, right? And there's a difference between literal speech and ametaphor.

In the passage Dr. Piper is quoting, husband and wife form ahead/body picture of oneness. They share the same blood and breath and life.The wife is the body; but she is not commanded to "be" the body.

In the same way, the husband is the head, but he is notcommanded to "be" the head. Jesus is the Door, but he doesn’t “become”the Door. In a metaphor, one thing stands for another. And in the marriagemetaphor Paul lays out in Ephesians 5, he uses a beautiful metaphor of a headand a body.

Think of how interconnected a head is with a body--two shallbecome one. The phrase shows up in Genesis at the creation of marriage, andPaul refers back to that phrase after laying out his metaphor for marriage as ahead/body interconnectedness.

Again, the husband is not, in fact, ever told to be the head. Howcan a human become a body part on a literal level?

To do that some make "head"a synonym for leader. But if we do that, we not only turn a unity picture intoan org-chart picture. We also leave the word "body" without asynonym. How does a wife demonstrate a corresponding bodyship to her husband?

Paul actually uses an equative verb: X= Y. The head is somethingthe husband is. It's not what he does. But that's not to say Paul leaves outreference to what a husband should do. He does include an imperative—love. That's it...he commands thehusband to love. And Paul has in mind something different from feeling-orientedlove. He does not, in fact, use the word for friendship love. He uses the word (root: agapeo)for self-sacrificing, lay-down-your-life love...the kind Jesus showed for Hisbride, the church. That’s not to say husband and wife aren’t best friends. Theyare in this ideal. They are one.

Paul never pairs head and submission in Ephesians. He pairshead and body; and he pairs sacrificial loveand submission—because they are the actions that fit the head/body metaphor, especially inthe Greek world. And they still have ramifications for us today.

The goal of marriage is not a well negotiated powerstructure; it's oneness that leads to the upbuilding of the entire body inlove. The thing the apostles taught that the husbands should "be" was (Paul:) full of sacrificial love, like Christ. And (Peter:) respectful and honor-granting, lest their prayers be hindered.

Children and Poverty

2012-02-02T20:59:00.001-06:00

I just finished writing a letter to one of the kids we sponsor. I hope you sponsor a child(ren). And if you haven't written lately, I encourage you to make that child's day with a letter.

In Kenya, inflation has more than quintupled, from 3.3 percent in August 2010 to 16.7 percent a year later, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. In Tanzania, school attendance is down 60 percent because kids are staying home to help their families earn money in any way they can. And the price of raw grains shot up 16 percent in Ethiopia. Droughts in the horn of Africa, the worst in 60 years, have seriously affected the lives of these at-risk kids. Your sponsorship helps keep food on the table. And your mail serves as a great encouragement.

What do you say? Talk about your life. Your holiday traditions. What you like to do in your free time. Places you have visited and what you liked about them. Subjects to avoid are politics, politics, politics and war.

Get Organized, Help Your Neighbor

2012-01-31T18:14:00.002-06:00

If the new year has brought with it a desire to get more organized, why not dispose of items in a waythat benefits others or at least has the least effect on the local landfill? Hereare some ideas:

Used Bibles and Christian literature. I contacted theBible League about donating my teen’s kiddie Bibles, and they sent me to LovePackages (lovepackages.org). This ministry has a video posted onYouTube that takes viewers on a tour of the warehouse where they recycleBibles, Sunday school materials, VBS literature, and tracts. Each year theysend millions of pounds of literature overseas. And they even have a dormitorywhere groups can stay as they volunteer. You can ship your used materials to:Love Packages, 220 Union Street, Butler, IL 62015. But you also might want totake a team to Illinois. In addition, our local homeless mission constantlyrequests Bibles, especially large-print editions.

Cotton fabric. My sister loves to sew, so when sheaccumulates cotton scraps, she makes pillowcases for the local women’s andchildren’s shelter. She has also made some baby blankets for the PregnancyResource Center. At the start of a new elementary school semester, she pulleddown fabric she had on one of her bulletin boards, washed it, and transformedit into more pillowcases. If you have fabric or gently worn pillowcases you'reno longer using, why not put them to good use? Or maybe you should host a craftnight for sewing some. They’re about the easiest thing possible to make.

Electronics. I found anelectronics store near me that disposes “greenly” of used VCRs, turntables,cassette players, and other electronics; it also pays for used iPods. FYI: They paymore for items that come with cords and aren’t personalized.

Phones. Collect used phones asa fundraiser. Or benefit the troops. Cell Phones forSoldiers is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing deployed andreturning troops cost-free methods to communicate with family while serving inthe United States military.

Laptops. Our local men’shomeless shelter constantly requests used laptops to aid in their job-training ministry.

Eyeglasses. I had three pairs of drug-store reading glasses and somecheap, non-prescription sunglasses cluttering my purse and nightstand. As itturns out, people living near the equator need sunglasses to shield their eyes,and the glasses don’t have to be prescription. I grabbed a padded envelope andsent my contribution to New Eyes for the Needy. They’re at 549 Millburn Avenue,Short Hills, NJ 07078. The shades and specks you send can help kids succeed inschool, enable a senior to read medical labels, or help an adult land a job.How hard would it be to put an announcement in your church bulletin and stick abox in the foyer for the collection of used glasses?

A friend shared, “Last year when we went to Burundi in EastAfrica, I collected about 100 pairs of generic reading glasses in differingstrengths. Our team set them out on a table at the women's leadershipconference we were teaching and let the women try them on and find the strengththat allowed them to read their new Bibles better. One woman had not been ableto read for years for lack of glasses, and she was in tears! It was sobering tome (since I have several pairs scattered around my house because I'm alwaysneeding a pair) that something so simple for me to pick up at the grocerystore, even, could be literally life-changing for this precious servant of God.”

Doing these things can cost nothing and clear out space whilebenefiting others. What stuff do you have lying around that could make adifference in someone’s life?

Dramatized History

2012-01-30T09:25:00.003-06:00

Last night while our daughter had a friend over towatch the season finale of “Majors and Minors,” my hubby and I watched a DVD. The flick: “Made in Dagenham.”

Iwish I could remember who recommended it to me, because I would shout out a big“thank you!” Other than one quick and unnecessary scene that suggested acouple having sex in the back of a Ford (which, along with a couple of f-bombs gave the flick it’s “R”rating), I loved it.

In "Made in Dagenham" (2010) the oh-so-British Sally Hawkins stars in a cheekydramatization that tells the true story of the 1968 Ford laborstrike initiated by hundreds of women. They got fed up with unequal paypractices and went up against their own labor union to take on Ford, insistingthat women receive the same pay as men for their work in a London manufacturingplant.

Bob Hoskins delivers a brilliant supporting performance in portraying a character,sometimes with great humor, who works tirelessly to support the women’s cause.His character keeps the film where it belongs, focused on justice vs. injusticerather than about a clear male vs. female divide.

The 1970s music and bee-hive hairstyles add to the fun. Two thumbs up.

Ten Things 2011 Taught Us

2012-01-27T17:53:00.000-06:00

With 2011 now about a month behind us, we can look back witha bit of perspective on what some of the last year’s top ten stories (accordingto non-scientific ranking) revealed to us, taught us, or reminded us:

The earth is the Lord’s. The 9.0-magnitude earthquake onMarch 11 in Japan, followed by a tsunami and nuclear disaster, brought enormoushuman losses. And deadly tornadoes and endless days of triple-digit summertemperatures again reminded us that we rely on a perfect symphony of God’sprovidence for our safety.
Exorbitant debt enslaves. Remember when S&P devalued theU.S. after the eleventh-hour raising of the debt ceiling? It served as areminder that the lender controls the borrower.
Work is a gift from God. Unemployment remaining stubbornlyat 9.0 has a way of forcing us to recognize again that skilled, hard-workingpeople can find themselves stuck at home sending endless resumes and updatingtheir LinkedIn profiles ad nauseam. Steady income is not a “given.”
Greed leads to injustice. And money is the root of all sortsof evil. No matter what our opinion about Occupy Wall Street, the movementdemonstrated what can happen when people feel disempowered and ripped off bythose lacking in financial scruples.
Some things money can’t buy. The death of Steve Jobs tocancer at 56 reminded us that even if you’re about the most creative person onthe planet and you have pretty much all the money a person could have in thisworld, you still can’t purchase your own life. You can’t spend enough onresearch to stop disease. And you can’t stop humanity’s greatest enemy: death.Only One conquered it, and he had no place to lay his head.
Life is sacred. We held our breaths awaiting news on thecondition of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at a publicevent. Oh, the value of one human, created in the image of God!
Power shifts. North Korea got a new president. And the ArabSpring spread from Tunisia, bringing down regimes in Egypt and Libya. Rememberthat pivotal statement, “Another king arose who knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8;Acts 7:18)? Only one government will last. Sadly, revolution rarely ushers in amore stable, sane form of rule.
Depending on how you define victory, love wins. But thediscussion about it isn’t always loving. Of course I’m not referring to theroyal wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William. I’m alluding to the book byMichigan megachurch pastor Rob Bell.
When the wicked perish, people rejoice. The day U.S. commandos stormed Osama binLaden’s Pakistani compound, Proverbs 11:10 showed up on many tweets and FBposts: “When the righteous do well, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish,there is joy.” The same verse got quoted again when Muhmar Qaddafi was killed.And when Kim Jong Il died.
The world as we know it will someday end. Now we’re on to the newyear, when people already disagree about what we should expect on Dec. 21,2012. That’s when the Maya's "Long Count" calendar marks the end of a5,126-year era. Wait—we’ve seen this sort of date-setting before. How aboutthat California evangelist Harold Camping, announcing the world will end inMay. Or maybe or October. Or…? Perhaps in 2012 Jesus will indeed return on May21. Or October 21. Or December 21. The big question is this: No matter when,will we be ready?

And the Oscar Goes to...

2012-01-24T07:55:00.002-06:00

The Academy has spoken, and the nominations are out this morning. See if you agree:

BEST PICTURE

"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

BEST ACTOR

Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

BEST FOREIGN FEATURE

"Bullhead"
"Footnote"
"In Darkness"
"Monsier Lazhar"
"A Separation"

Six Developments in the World of Bioethics

2012-01-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

‘Three-person IVF’technique moves closer . Public opinion will help decide the future of a controversialgenetic technique to stop serious conditions being passed from mother to child(read about it in the BBC News). The technique involves takingmaterial from two different eggs and combining them to produce a healthy one.Would you want to be the human who gets to be the “trial” to see how well itworks? Me, either.

Brain Support Cells From Umbilical Cord Stem Cells . For the first timeever, (adult) stem cells from umbilical cords have been converted into othertypes of cells, which may lead to new treatment options for spinal cordinjuries and nervous system diseases, including multiple sclerosis. (See thearticle at Medical News Today.)

Artificial Testicle Could Make Sperm for Infertile Men . Researchers inCalifornia are attempting to make an artificial testicle that will producehuman sperm (see ABC News). But the director of the fertilityprogram at USC said it won’t be easy. “The processing of DNA is very complicated to go from aregular cell to a germ cell” like sperm, which have half the number ofchromosomes as other cells in the body. Not only do you have to split thechromosomes in half, but you also have to package the DNA in a very specificway. I think it will be quite challenging.”

Stop gendercide. Selective abortions are prompting a call forultrasound rules . Such rules would require waiting until after 30 weeks or pregnancyfor a fetus’s gender to be revealed. According to an editorial in the CanadianMedical Journal (CBC News), in countries such as India, China, DeKorea, and Vietnam, female fetuses are commonly aborted because of a preferencefor sons. Though by no means widespread, the practice is also carried out bysome immigrants to Canada. Waiting to disclose gender till 30 weeks or latercould help prevent discrimination against females.

U.S. doctors and researchers have too many conflicts ofinterest. That’s the opinion of the U.S. government, which is now poised to require drug companiesto disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking,travel, and entertainment (see story in the NY Times).

Abort half a pregnancy? Abortions—selective reductions—to reduce twin pregnancies down tosingletons bother the consciences of many pro-choicers. The Slate explores why.

iTextbooks

2012-01-20T09:11:00.000-06:00

Did you catch Apple's announcement yesterday about creating interactive iTextbooks? Check it out here.

Coming Soon!

2012-01-17T02:30:00.000-06:00

Reading that Transforms

2012-01-16T03:30:00.000-06:00

Every Sunday afternoon I try to disengage from work and electronictechnology to engage in nap-taking, kitchen-puttering, and/or spiritualreading. By spiritual reading I mean reading that helps me think more deeplyand theologically about a topic. For the past few months I’ve been meanderingmy way through two books during this time—John Dyer’s From the Garden to the City and Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts.

Voskamp’s book focuses on making gratitude a way of life.The author often has astounding insights, but to be honest I have to limitmyself to one chapter per week because she has a nasty habit of writing purpleprose (i.e., writing passages with such flowery language that the words drawattention to themselves, thereby distracting the reader from thinking of theconcepts they illustrate). But it’s worth the work to discover how she sees gloryin the ordinary. In the past forty-eight hours, for example, I have relishedthe taste of hot, homemade crock pot applesauce; marveled at the beauty of mydaughter’s smile; appreciated the design in a pair of Tom’s shoes; noticedwhimsy in cloud formations; and marveled at the fur of my cat. Voskamp takesthe reader one step beyond such discoveries, though, to the point of gratitudefor them. It’s tough to stay angry about something when we’re giving thanks.

Dyer’s book, which I finished this past Sunday, is of a different sortfrom Voskamp’s. It’s subtitled, “The Redeeming and Corrupting Power ofTechnology,” and it provides insight regarding how to think rightly about technology.

In this week's chapter (my favorite) Dyer likened our constantchecking of webtracking stats to King David’s numbering his troops (2 Sam. 24;1 Chron. 21). “What was once available only to kings,” Dyer argues, “is nowavailable to all of us. At any moment we can get up-to-date statistics on ourfans, friends, and followers. Again, the statistics themselves are not sinful.The problem is that the more we use it, the more tempted we are to value whatthe technology values—numbers—over what the Scriptures would have usvalue.” (Or, I imagine, the flip side of devaluing ourselves when these numbers stink.)

Dyer also made application from how the elder John viewedthe technology of his day—letter writing. In 2 John 12 we read, “Though I havemuch to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope tocome to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be made complete.” A letter, Dyer notes, typically goes from oneisolated individual to another. And the elder John’s joy was never “complete” with such isolation. Joy came only when he had face-time with the community. Clearly he viewed technology-mediatedrelationships as inferior to embodied relationships.

I immediately thought of a parallel. I love keeping upwith my niece Heather through Words with Friends, Facebook, and blog comments,but none of that came close to the joy I experienced last month sitting in herkitchen in Portland and later sharing a meal with her and her husband. And it bugs me when I call on someone in their living room and they constantly check out of the conversation to check email on the smartphone. Or students check email during class discussion time.

Bothbodied and disembodied forms of communication are real, Dyer argues, but onlythe face-to-face contact offers real joy. The danger for us, then, is to allowvirtual communication to replace “the kind of life-giving, table-oriented lifethat Jesus cultivated among his disciples.” We should use technology, then, inservice to the embodied life and not the embodied life in service totechnology.

Interestingly the two books have one application or "take away" in common for me: to live fully right where I am. To embrace face time with people instead of checking emails when they're present. And to notice the beauty and give thanks for it in the "today" rather than always looking toward tomorrow.

MLK Jr Day

2012-01-16T02:30:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday, Dr. King! Thanks for not giving up on your dream or resorting to violence to pull it off.

Terrific Documentary

2012-01-15T04:30:00.000-06:00

Remember the Robert Redford movie, "Horse Whisperer"? The protagonist in that film is patterned after Buck Brannaman, the real-life wrangler who ended up coaching Redford in the role. "Buck," the documentary about Buck and his work, is much more than a profile It reveals a lot about human nature and the choice to overcome an excruciating past. Look for this little flick to to pull off an Oscar nomination. It already won the "Audience" award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Good Stem Cell Research

2012-01-14T09:10:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this video of the skin gun, the latest technology for helping burn victims? This flick has gone viral, and it's mostly true. Note that it's a dramatization, and not consisting of actual before-and-after photos. You'll also note the glaring lack of any mention of clinical trials. So it's future, not current tech. That means you won't find the skin gun in your local hospital or derma clinic--yet. But it's on the horizon and amazing to consider. By the way, the stem cells used are adult stem cells taken from patients' own skin. No embryos were killed in the healing of this man's burn.

Bioethics In the News

2012-01-13T17:05:00.001-06:00

Let's Limit Embryo Transfers:
A new fertility-treatment study has found that women who receive three or more embryos have no better odds of giving birth than those who receive only two embryos. (Washington Post)

FDA Warning: About Illegal Stem Cell Treatments
The FDA announced this week that patients' hopes for cures leave them vulnerable prey for providers of illegal and potentially harmful stem cell treatments. (Medical Daily)

Surrogacy: A Growing International Injustice
International surrogacy is a growing business thanks to Westerners hiring poor women in developing countries to carry their babies. But media attention could change that. (Slate)

Skipping the Banks, Making Online Deals
Women are increasingly making online connections with men willing to donate sperm for free, skirting the expensive option of using a sperm bank with all its regulations, tests, and verifications. (ABC News)

Midnight in Paris

2012-01-11T22:16:00.000-06:00

So this engaged couple, Gil andInez, tag along with her parents on Inez’s dad's business trip. To Paris. And as their story unfolds, we learn that Gil(Owen Wilson) is a Hollywood writer, successful financially with an elite joband an elite address. But of course he’s unsatisfied in his work because helongs to write the GAM. Doesn’t everybody? But he’s struggling to make thestory work.

The city of Paris inspires him. Hesees beauty everywhere, even in the rain. Maybe even especially in the rain. Hecan imagine what the place must have been like in the 1920’s, which heconsiders Paris’s Golden Age. So he tells his fiancée (Rachel McAdams) theyshould move there after they get married. And that flies over like a stainless steel baseball.

Not only does Inez disagree withGil’s romanticized view of the city; she also doesn’t share his assessment ofthe golden age. In fact she doesn’t actually share any of his views. On anything. Nor doesshe seem all that excited to be with him.

So she takes off dancing with herfriends. And while she’s hunting excitement, Gil takes a walk at midnight—hisfirst of several. And each time he does, along comes a 1920’s vintage car thatpicks him up. Next thing you know, the guy is meeting T. S. Eliot, GertrudeStein, Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, the Fitzgeralds (as in F. Scott), andEarnest Hemingway. To name a few.

The excursions don’t exactly drawthe couple together. And that’s where I’ll leave their story. Though it comes to a satisfying resolution, their flawedrelationship isn’t the cool thing about this film.

And cool it is. Though I’m not ahuge fan of His Strangeness, Woody Allen, about once every decade he creates atruly great flick. And this is one of those. What makes it terrific is art andlit. First, he introduces Paris in its beauty. The camera lingers. Even theopening shots of the city last longer than your typical pans across alandscape. He provides the viewer with a visual feast. Or perhaps I should say a movable one?

Second, the viewer has the pleasure of meeting all thesegreat visual and literary artists, getting to know them through their own wordsin their own contexts and relationships. The personalities come complete withthe individual quirks for which they are known, like womanizing (Picasso), machobravado (Hemingway), and melodrama (Zelda Fitzgerald). So much art and creativity all in one place. Love.

2012-01-11T19:02:00.000-06:00

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. You'll find lots of resources here. Linda Tomczak's article has lots of helpful ways the average person can do something.

2012-01-10T09:36:00.005-06:00

Today's my day to post over at Tapestry. My topic: No Girls Allowed?

Did you see the Youtube video, “Riley on Marketing” that went viral? Diane Sawyer later interviewed little Riley, who ranted right in the middle of the toy store about how little girls like her get relegated to only pink princess toys while boys get all the other colors—and only the boys get to be superheroes.

Riley, who loves to dress up as Batgirl, pushed back against the kind of thinking that says “girl = only princess; boy = superhero.”

In a related conversation, my friend Rhonda expressed frustration that Crayola had a similar marketing mentality for their Story Studio™. Crayola’s web ad featured only boys for the superhero story lines. Rhonda wrote, “Of course, there is a princess story line. In pink. You know. For the girls. I think I should send Crayola Riley's marketing advice.”

I see a similar version of gender stereotyping in the church. Two examples come to mind: first, only boys were made to be the communicators of truth; and second, that husbands only are designed for final decision-making.

First off, if only men are content providers and women made to receive content, why did any women in 1 Corinthians 11 exercise the gift of prophecy in public? Why did Paul assume women would speak truth at all? And why was it considered a beautiful sign of the Spirit’s presence when women prophesied on the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2, Acts 2)—a sign that will reach its fulfillment in the future? Was it only to men that Paul exhorted, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom” (Col. 3:16)? Was it only about males that the writer to the Hebrews lamented “By now you should be teachers” (5:12)?

As for the husband making all the final decisions, a lot of Christian marriage conference instructors tell couples who habitually make mutual decisions that the husband needs to man-up. As part of such teaching the couple is told that the husband should listen to his wife’s input and then make the final decision as “head.” Such instructors understand “head” as the top of an org chart, not a head connected to a body, operating as one unit with the goal of unity. (Notice sometime how Paul differentiates between “head of” and “head over.”) The teachers even sometimes explain their logic behind “man has final say” teaching by insisting that the couple would have a hopeless power struggle if they shared equal authority, so somebody has to make the decision. Yet some of these same teachers are elders in churches where all elders hold the same level of authority. And these groups of elders somehow manage to come to a consensus.

I saw an example recently of two mature Christians disagreeing. “You sit in the front seat next to the driver,” the husband told his young wife.

“No,” she said. “You sit up there.” She opened the door to the back seat.

They went back and forth another time, each insisting the other have the better seat. Seeing they were at an impasse, they both agreed that the husband should take the front because it had more leg room. That is how a mature disagreement looks. Both consider the other as more important. And they can work it out and come to a place of mutual agreement.

Let’s consider the only New Testament examples given for when a couple actually needs to make a decision. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says the husband does not have final say about his own body; his wife does. And the wife does not have final say about her own body; her husband does. No hierarchy there. In fact it sounds a lot like mutuality. And when it’s time to abstain so they can devote themselves to prayer, the husband as the spiritual leader determines they should do so. Right? Wait. No. What? That’s not what Paul says?

The apostle assumes a mature couple can decide mutually, doesn’t he? He says nothing about the male taking spiritual initiative, being the spiritual leader or priest, having final say, manning up, or exerting his masculine influence. We see no princess and Superman here. It’s more like Batboy and Batgirl.

Some use Romans 5:12-21 as their basis of the idea that the husband has more spiritual authority than the wife. In this section of scripture, Paul talks about how the entire human race sinned through Adam. From Paul’s silence about Eve, people conclude she was held less responsible because Adam takes the heat. But that’s not at all the argument Paul is building! Instead, he is making a case about the first man and the Second Man—with the Second overturning the legacy of the first. Adam and Jesus were both sons of God in ways no other humans can claim. Both had their generation directly from God: Adam had no need for a belly button; Jesus’ biological Father was God. And the Second shall be First.

May we as women be filled with the Word so we may teach and exhort with all wisdom. And may the wives among us be all about unity with our husbands, standing side by side together with them. As we honor one another by Word-filled teaching and decision-making, we will do a better job of glorifying our Lord, who is the Head over all things (Eph 1:22).

Violence Heats Up in Nigeria

2012-01-09T16:50:00.000-06:00

One of our students at DTS is from Gombe, Nigeria. At Christmas he went home to see his wife and three children under age 10. He must now move his family eight hundred miles away to Lagos because of severe persecution of Christians by radical Muslims. Please pray for the safety of this student, his family, and for wisdom as they deal with the situation.

Compass Direct News is reporting that the number of Christians killed in an Islamic extremist attack in Gombe on Thursday (Jan. 5) has risen to nine, and over the weekend the same terrorist group killed at least 21 Christians in neighboring Adamawa state, sources said.

Members of the Boko Haram group that seeks to impose sharia (Islamic law) on Nigeria emerged from a mosque near the Deeper Life Bible Church in the Boso area of Gombe, capital of Gombe state, at about 7:30 p.m. and shot Christians attending a weekly meeting known as “The Hour of Revival,” area sources said. Silas Ugboeze, who was in coma for three days at the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe, died 20 minutes after Compass arrived on Saturday (Jan. 7), bringing the death toll to nine and the list of those wounded in the attack to 19. Ugboeze’s son Gideon was also killed, and his 12-year-old daughter, Victoria Silas Ugboeze, was wounded in both breasts. She has thus far survived along with her brother Daniel, who was also shot.

Boko Haram had published an ultimatum in a newspaper on Tuesday (Jan. 3) threatening violence if Christians did not leave predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria in three days. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for killing at least 44 people in four states. In Adamawa, on Friday night (Jan. 6), 11 people were killed and many others injured at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Nasarawa area of Yola, the state capital. Earlier on Friday, 12 persons were reportedly killed when armed men claimed by Boko Haram shot a gathering of Christian traders holding a prayer session before opening their shops in Mubi, Adamawa. The gunmen also shot at another group of Christians meeting at a town hall to arrange for the transportation of relatives slain the previous day, bringing the total of those killed in Mubi to 21.

Jerry Johnson, one of the Christians shot in the Gombe attack, was shot in the legs. (The photo of Jerry appears courtesy of Compass Direct News.)

The Tree of Life

2012-01-05T17:27:00.000-06:00

Over the holidays, my hubby and I watched “The Tree of Life, a 2011 drama written and directed by Terence Malick. The flick had some big stars: Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain. I liked it; Gary didn’t.

The film begins with the question God asked Job when challenged about the “why” of suffering: Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? And you’ll recall God’s answer, as revealed in the Good Book: He took Job on a nature walk; He never gave a prose response. He just reminded Job of evidences that reveal God’s wisdom and power—attributes far beyond humans’ ability to comprehend. Which is probably where the answer to suffering lies.

“The Tree of Life” explores the same question and answer as Penn’s character reflects on his childhood living in Texas in the 1950’s. Interspersed with that chronology, the viewer also sees footage of outer-space galaxies and an artist’s rendering of the world’s origins.

When the movie finally released at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival after missing ’09 and ’10 release dates, it won the festival's golden prize. But not everybody loved Malick’s artistic images and all-over-the-map narrative with its unclear chronology. Hence hubby’s thumb’s down, and my thumb’s up. Guess you’ll have to see it and decide for yourself. Don't miss the gorgeous post-scoring. A soundtrack worth purchasing.

Golf Flick

2012-01-05T16:51:00.002-06:00

Got a review copy of "Seven Days in Utopia" and watched it with my husband last night. It has a thin plot: Golfer with temper messes up his game and rediscovers it during a week in small-town Texas. Robert Duvall, a terrific actor, carries the film. The script-writing is awful in places; and a lot of the acting, marginal. Safe for kids. Full of good values and pretty scenery (though as someone who has lived in Oregon, I found it tough to swallow the characters' exclamation that the Texas scenery is "magnificent!"). I wanted to like this film. Really, I did. And it wasn't a total waste of two hours. But "Seven Days in Utopia" is unlikely to be anybody's "favorite film ever." Sorry. Two stars.

Fascinating article

2012-01-04T11:03:00.003-06:00

The New York Times recently ran an interesting article profiling a young couple with Aspergers seeking to navigate a relationship. The piece put into words why I bristled recently at a restaurant when the owner expressed frustration that some people just don't have the courtesy to look a waiter in the eye and place an order. Not everybody who has trouble doing that is being rude....

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T16:32:00.005-06:00

Every year I list ideas to help readers be intentional about enriching their new year. Here’s my 2012 version:

. Visit a friend who moved away.

. See an ocean.

. Donate your used cell phone to charity.

. Plant something. (I plan to re-try on the basil the 2011 Texas summer killed.)

. Switch from one less healthy to one more healthy option. I'm thinking less red meat, more fish.

. Make a plan for Bible study. I like anything by Crickett Keith at bible.org (free).

. If married, read a book on improving communication. I love Mike Mason’s The Mystery of Marriage.

. If you have kids, read a book on parenting.

. Write regularly to the child you support overseas.

. Read aloud to someone.

. Catch up on your magazine reading—then take your stack of used mags to Half-Price books or a re-sale book store.

. Choose one book from the best-seller list and order it.

. Choose one classic and read it, too. Have you ever read Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

. Take a class. Want to learn to cook French food? Go for it. Learn Photoshop? Do it! Write for publication? Find a teacher who'll assign deadlines.

. Take everything out of your freezer. Make a list of all you have and figure out a plan to use it all before expiration dates.

. Write a letter to a public official saying something nice.

. Make somebody breakfast in bed.

. Clean your closets and donate last year's (decade's?) fashions, including jewelry, to an organization that can use them.

. Go local. Read a local author; visit your farmer’s market; patronize one of your town’s family-owned restaurants; switch from a bank to a credit union.

. Donate unused books to your public or school library.

. Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that can use them.

. Replace plastic water bottles with a reusable bottle.

. Put bags in your car so you won’t need more plastic next time you go grocery shopping.

. Befriend someone who thinks totally differently from you. Ask lots of questions and really listen. Try hard to understand.

. Soften your tone. If you can’t stand Mitt Romney, read something he’s written and try to see his point of view. If you’re a complementarian, read an egalitarian book with an open mind.

. Load into your MP3 player some songs outside of your normal category. A polka number? A hymn? Some Turkish folk music? The Eagles? I just added 10 songs from the "Majors and Minors" TV show.

. Read a book (or listen on tape) on the history of China or scientific findings since Mt. St Helens erupted or a graphic novel—something about which you know little to nothing. If you can get a friend to do it with you, all the better.

. Attend a lecture.

. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk.

. Take a meal to someone in need. Not a close friend—someone who will be truly surprised.

. Memorize a poem. How about Milton’s “On Blindness"? Or something by George Herbert or Emily Dickinson?

. Resolve to take one photo per day. Select a theme for 2012. Doors? Trees? Faces?

. Make a plan to get out of debt. Tell someone and ask him or her to help you stay accountable.

. Plan ahead for baby showers, birthdays, and weddings. What would you give if you didn’t have to rush?

. Turn your cotton remnants into pillowcases for the homeless. Or send them to me so my sister can.

. Write a letter longhand and send it by snail mail.

. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Stop to chat with anyone you find outside.

Share other ideas you have!

Austria bans donor gametes in IVF

2011-12-31T15:05:00.002-06:00

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld Austria's ban on the use of donor sperm and eggs during in vitro fertilization procedures. You can read more here. Earlier the same court ruled against destroying human embryos for scientific research.

Girls Like Superheroes, Too

2011-12-30T12:47:00.001-06:00

Christmas in Cali

2011-12-29T10:21:00.019-06:00

After our Aussie friends promised to bring the homemade "crackers" for Christmas Eve dinner in Mesquite, I phoned to find out if crackers were appetizers or with-dinner fare. I learned they're neither--they're noisemakers...part of why I love having international students around!

For the first time ever we did the big feast and stockings on Christmas Eve, because...

We rose at 4:15 AM on Christmas morning and joined my sister Mary and her family at the airport for a 7:15 AM flight to San Jose (one big family gift this year). Several months back, we found steal-deal rates, and as Mary's in-laws' health kept them from coming to Dallas, we all went to them.

The pilot was apparently eager to get us to our destination, because he shaved fifty minutes off our flight time. We arrived at Dick and Bernice's in Stockton just in time for (Pacific time) Christmas brunch and "socks." D&B had created a sock/stocking for each of us with fun stuff inside. Following a big dinner late in the afternoon, we worked a puzzle and rediscovered the art of conversation. Oh, and our girl developed some serious muscles sword fighting on the Wii.

I had a fab birthday on the 26th. Our family and my sis's made the gorgeous two-hour drive over to Lake Tahoe. There we had superb weather and enjoyed a lakeside picnic followed by a walk in fresh, mountain air. On our way back to Stockton, we watched the sunset and the moonrise over silhouetted fir trees. And Dick made me a birthday cake complete with a sparkler-fire crazy candle that opened and played "Happy Birthday."

On the 27th my sis, nieces, and husband drove up to Sutter Creek for more beauty and meandering through fun little shops. That night our little family slid into the hot tub and enjoyed watching the moon and stars through fir branches as steam rose from our bodies.

Yesterday morning Dick made us sourdough waffles (my dad always made those on Sundays for us when Mary and I were little). I picked oranges and a lemon from front-yard trees and squeezed a pitcher full of tart juice out of them. Yum.

Our family departed yesterday, but while en route to the airport, we received notification from American Airlines that we had a two-hour flight delay. Perfect. The airport is right on the way to Santa Cruz, so we headed straight for the coast. Dazzling weather. A beautiful drive through more fir trees. And surfer-watching. Our daughter loves all things surfing, and a couple of kind wave-cutters accommodated her request for a photo opp.

We fell into bed last night around 2 AM Dallas time, so we're all dragging a bit today. But we feel so thankful for great family and friends, and a chance to get a West Coast beauty-fix. Ahhhh!

Last night at Les Mis

2011-12-23T09:39:00.003-06:00

We have a Christmas tradition of catching a show as a family. So last night we saw the 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables. Our friends Kelley and John Mathews joined us for a double date. Fantastico!