Rules of the Jones House

Based on actual commands given in recent weeks:

1. Do not put CDs into the printer.

2. Do not put a nail up your nose.

3. Do not throw a pig.

4. Do not stand on Daddy's Bible during church.

5. No, Stuart does not have to obey Addie.

6. Do not put a brownie in your ear.

-- SJ

The Monday After Christmas

(Note: Don't try to sing this at home. The meter could cause injury.)

On the Monday after Christmas, my husband said to me,
"You need to get up -- it's seven-thirty."

On the Monday after Christmas, my daughter said to me,
"Can I watch a video?"

On the Monday after Christmas, my son said to me,
"FRUIT BAR! SPRITE! NOOO! MINE! WAHHHHH!!!"

On the Monday after Christmas, my house said to me,
"Vacuum all my carpets!"

On the Monday after Christmas, my body said to me,
"Why get out of bed?"

On the Monday after Christmas, the stores all said to me,
"You're missing our great sales!"

On the Monday after Christmas, the desserts said to me,
"Throw us out or you'll eat us!"

On the Monday after Christmas, my new books said to me,
"Why don't you ever read us?"

On the Monday after Christmas, my pantry said to me,
"There's nothing in here worth cooking."

On the Monday after Christmas, my son said to me,
"WANT GOLDFISH! NO NAP!! NOOO!"

On the Monday after Christmas, my daughter said to me,
"Can I watch another video?"

On the Monday after Christmas, my husband said to me,
"I'm home now. You go lie down."

-- SJ

An Update to the Blog List

I've been meaning to update my blog list (below left) for a while, and now that Christmas vacation is here, I finally have some time.

Mark Shea is off to write a book and thus has no time to blog anymore. Too bad; I liked him.

Church of the Masses is Barb Nicolosi's site. She runs Act One, which tries to get Christians into Hollywood. I like what she has to say, usually, and I like even more what she's trying to do: promote excellence, so that the secular world will have no choice but to accept that Christians can do Art. Which we should be able to; after all, if God Himself is a master poet and sculptor, shouldn't we ascribe to such a height?

The View from the Foothills is a blog by Will Duquette, who apparently reads books like some people drink water. As one who's always in the market for new books to read, I like that.

--DJ

An Apologetic for Harry Potter

In response to Kendra’s comment below, here is an apologetic for the Harry Potter books. I don't have a well-thought out answer (to say nothing of a “logical and godly” one) on this one, I'm afraid. But I'll try.

First of all, many Christians oppose the Harry Potter books simply because they are fantasy. To many Christians, any use of magic in a book is automatically bad, because we as Christians are forbidden from using magic. I don’t agree with this principleIt seems to me to be that such a principle taken to its logical conclusion would restrict all writing to non-fiction. After all, Christians are forbidden from lying; thus, all fiction would be off-limits. Honestly, if this is the reason that a Christian opposes Harry Potter, I won’t even take the time to argue with him or her. I don’t think it’s worth the effort.

Magic can be presented in fiction several different methods. Method 1: Magic can be based on the calling up of other beings. Such books come uncomfortably close to real magic, i.e., magic that could actually work in our world, and I don’t generally read or recommend books like this.

Method 2: Magic can be a manipulation of natural forces by mental/psychical strength, usually (but not always) inborn. The benefit to the writer here is that he or she can show struggle, progress, and personal growth in the main characters, but in a different way from an author who is writing in a non-fantasy genre.

Method 3: Magic can be simply mechanistic, i.e., Magic equals Technology. The magic in Potter is like learning to use a computer – enter the correct words with the correct motions and magic stuff happens; use the wrong words or the wrong motions, and either nothing happens or it messes up (such as a feather exploding instead of floating). In my opinion, magic of this kind is not morally harmful in fiction, as long as the reader keeps in mind that this is fiction.

The second reason that many Christians don’t like the Potter books is directly related to the mechanistic magic, however. In Method 2, magic is often a moral force (see, e.g., Star Wars, where the Force has both a light side and a dark side). Those who use magic must choose to use either white or black magic. In the Harry Potter universe, it is solely the intention of the user that determines whether it is good or bad magic.

To me, this is actually a logical and moral outgrowth of Rowling’s choice of Method 3. If Magic = Technology, then magic is morally neutral, just as technology in our world is generally morally neutral. For example, I can use a pen and paper to write a letter of encouragement, or I can use the same pen and paper to write a hurtful and slanderous note. It is not the pen and paper that is good or evil; it is my decision. Again, though, I think this is simply a logical outgrowth of Method 3, and I see nothing immoral with promoting the idea of free will (which is one major reason I’m not a Calvinist).

The third reason many Christians oppose the Harry Potter books is Harry’s marked tendency to ignore authority and play very fast and loose with the truth. To me, this is probably the best argument against the series. Harry definitely is not a good role model in these areas, although his loyalty to his friends is an excellent example. When our kids start reading them, this will definitely be an area of discussion. Thankfully, in the last book, Harry finally started realizing the very negative consequences of his actions, a sign of maturity.

I think in general the controversy about the Potter books can often be boiled down to a difference in viewing Christianity vs. the world. I will here indulge in a huge over-simplification: Some Christians view themselves as under siege by the world, so they live their lives building protective walls. Other Christians view the world as good, so they look for redeeming elements in everything. I think you will find more Potter-opposers in the first group. I am in the second. That is my major reason for enjoying the books and recommending them.

Here’s a question: If you heard about a set of books written by a Christian that is flooded with Christian symbols, that taught core values of loyalty to friends, the importance of free will in making morally good choices, and the vital necessity of fighting hideous evil with everything in you, would you at least try it?

For more information, I’ve posted links below that may be helpful to you. I’ve tried to include both sides.
http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/2003/06/18/
http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel062003.asp
http://www.christianfantasy.net/harrypotter.html
http://www.johnankerberg.org/hp-articles/hp-articles.htm

Note: If you want to get me started on a real rant against a set of children’s books, just mention Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Now that is truly scary, anti-Christian propaganda – and what’s worse, it’s actually well-written.

--DJ

The Countdown Begins!

Book 6 is to be released on July 16.

Note to self: Remembering the length of Book 5, request July 16-19 off from work.

--DJ

A Saviour has been born to us this day!

A great quote: "We, beloved children in the Lord, believe and know well that salvation is to be found nowhere else, but in Christ, and that there is no other name by which we may be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ. Our certainty is not shaken by the fact that the Saviour of the world appeared on Earth as a humble man, a weak infant, a lamb carrying the sin of the world, and accepting the cross and death. We are not alarmed by the fact that most of the people do not accept the message of love and humility, which, as He taught us, we must accept in order to be saved."

A wonderful gospel message from the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. Read the whole proclamation; it's worth it.

--DJ

Thanks to Bill Cork of Ut Unum Sint for the link.

A fun personality quiz

I always love quizzes, and personality ones are fun. And I love fantasy, and Harry Potter in particular, so I liked this one. Unlike some personality quizzes, I actually agree with this result. Long live the bookworms of the world!


Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

--DJ

Do You Really Mean That?

In a fundraising letter from a Volunteer Fire Dept.:
"Come to the station, look around, and visualize our equipment."

Seen on a bumper sticker:
"Drinking, Driving, and Drugs. They Kill. Don't do it."

-- SJ

Warning: Invisible Roadblocks Ahead

Darren mentioned this week that while I've managed to trim the kids' video-watching to a limited time every day, his goal is to cut out videos except for once or twice a week.

"Oh," I said. "I wasn't aiming for that."

"Oh. When I was growing up, videos were special. And I got only an hour of T.V. a week."

"Oh. I watched videos whenever I wanted to." We didn't watch as much T.V., mostly because our set picked up only two channels, and they were both fuzzy.

"Oh. I thought we were working toward cutting them out completely."

"Oh. I thought we were just trying to keep it down to a reasonable time."

"Oh."

I don't feel so bad, though. My sister Rosemary says that she and her husband have had to learn how to leave to go somewhere: Get ready and wait in the car? Get ready and wait in the living room?

I don't recall any marriage manuals addressing these danger areas. Long live communication. -- SJ

Anne Geddes Is Evil

An interesting interview that raises questions about what we as Christian parents should think about when we think "family."

"Look at the Ann Geddes pictures, an image of a child as pumpkin, or a child as flower: the baby as the commodity you get to consume or pluck and put in your vase versus the kind of images you have with Norman Rockwell. Almost all of his images of children are children with skinned knees, are of the chaos of kids..."

It's an interesting point, I think. Can a view that sees children as commodities or accessories really Christian? I don't necessarily agree with her arguments, but she raises some good issues for meditating on.

And now, having riled people up, I will once again retreat to the shadows and go do battle with the Evil Attorney on the Other Side.

--DJ

(The female half of the Joneses -- who, due to various technological circumstances, is the one actually posting this from home -- thinks that branding Ann Geddes as bad because of her interesting, if often nauseatingly precious, baby pictures is serious hypervigilance. -- SJ)

The Christmas Party

As reminisced by Rachelle: The HSLDA Christmas Party was last night.

It's the one time of the year that most of us deck out in formal dress, so part of the fun is seeing what everyone is wearing. (Being translated: I got to show off my cool evening trousers to lots of ladies.) The traditional entertainment at these events is always in-house: singing, playing, and skits. It's such a small, close-knit office that everyone knows the in-jokes that litter the skits, so we're always roaring over seemingly inane, toss-away lines (how funny can the phrase "insurance company" be, anyway?)

I even got to see Dana, who is officially PHC, not HSLDA, but was providing background music. But I didn't talk to her long -- as she pointed out, I was an invited guest, but she was merely hired help.

The danger of recounting the Christmas party, especially the entertainment, is that it doesn't translate well into print. "There was a slide show about how the Operations department goes on vacation, and these different photographs of what life at the office would be like -- you know, Rhonda using a typewriter and Jonathan shredding paper by hand, and... well, anyway, it was really funny." So I'll spare the readership. Suffice to say that a good time was had by all.

But there were a lot of important people missing this year -- many of those mentioned in Rachelle's post aren't here anymore. I for one felt the loss. But, on the bright side, just think of the cool parties we're going to have in Heaven! -- SJ

P.S. Kevin, I'm aware that we don't know Heavenly policies on parties, so I'm not asking you to R.S.V.P yet.

A Minor Drawback of A Large Family

I've just finished decorating Addie's wall with rub-on stencils, which are wonderful inventions and don't get nearly enough media attention, in my opinion.

Being the person I am, I didn't buy pretty pictures for Addie's enjoyment. I bought sheets of alphabet letters. Yeah, there's a sun and some stars and a few bugs... Addie loves bugs... but mostly there are names. Surprise.

I laboriously rubbed, one letter at a time, each name of each cousin on both sides of the family. That's three for the Jones side and seven for the Roberts-McAdory side, plus my own two. It's not that any of my own siblings have a lot of kids, really; it's just that there are a lot of siblings having kids.

(Note: I am well aware that many don't regard a family of six as that remarkable. Those people have never memorialized the family's offspring with rub-on stencils.)

When you're engaged in a task like this, you notice certain things that otherwise would go, um, unnoticed. Eight of the nine Roberts-McAdory cousins have A's in their names (Katie, Garrett, Maegan, Emma, Addie, Stuart, Camie, and Claire). The NH Jones kids, on the other hand, have hardly any repeating letters among the three of them (Jed, Chloe, and Tucker). There are a lot of C's in the cousin lineup (Courtney, Chloe, Camie, and Claire). And all children should come with short nicknames for stencilling purposes. ("This is your cousin Court and your cousin Tuck.")

To finish off the project, I stencilled "Jones" and "Roberts McAdory" in the middle of the great cloud of cousin names. The finished product, a reminder of the many blessings my kids have on both sides, is quite satisfying. -- SJ

It's a Rainy Day -- Smile!

Today is rainy, grey, and cold. And it makes me happy every time I look out the window.

It makes me happy because today is what yesterday wasn't. Yesterday we held a "Stroll-By" party for the neighborhood, with hot chocolate, cider, and cookies out on our front lawn. We both prayed very hard for good weather. Nothing would ruin a yard party like a rainy day with the signature Virginia Winter Wind (which can be fierce). Yesterday dawned... and remained... clear, calm, and somewhere in the mid-50s. I told Darren, "This answer to prayer is in overdrive."

We had about sixteen people come by, and a fun time was had by all. The party was my idea, but Darren did all the planning and behind-the-scenes work. It's really not fair to him that I, as the female, get all the credit for our parties. Anyway, looking out at what yesterday could have been, I'm a very happy person.

***

Speaking of being a happy person, I awarded Darren several Husband Points last week. He saw that I was running on low by the middle of the week, and suggested that I take an evening to go shopping for my outfit for the upcoming HSLDA Christmas party. I did. After three stores and three hours, I found... well, if not the perfect outfit, at least one of the more interesting ones. The pants (couldn't find a skirt or dress I liked; a limited budget means limited selection) have a free-hanging panel on each leg, front and back, so the effect is a combination of flowing and brisk. The top, of course, is black with sparkles. I always end up with sparkles; it's one of the consistencies of my character. Anyway, I got an evening out and a new outfit, not to mention a great party and good weather, so I guess the average score for this week ends up pretty good. -- SJ

A Side Benefit of A Large Family...

...is that the media is fascinated by the sight of more than four children.

One of our favorite families made it into print. You'll agree that life with them is "a blast" if you've ever spent any time at the Hall House... wherever that happens to be at the moment. -- SJ

Kreative Kristmas Trees

While we're talking about Christmas trees, I couldn't help thinking of my mom's contribution to the controversy. All my growing-up years we had live trees... really, really big live trees.. if they'd been any bigger or more alive they could have auditioned for a horror movie. But once we kids trickled out of the house, Mom revealed that she had, well, a different Christmas tree orientation than we thought.

Away went the conifer trees. In came magnolias, wax myrtles, and even shapely bare branches, all draped with white lights and a few ornaments. We said, "That's interesting, Mom." Mom just sat and gazed at her trees, and smiled. Six months later she'd ask if we'd gotten all the needles up out of our carpets yet. -- SJ

A Disturbing Article

This article about infant euthanasia is scary.

Even scarier is this: "Experts acknowledge that doctors euthanize routinely in the United States and elsewhere, but that the practice is hidden."

Domine, misere nobis.

--DJ

Mundania

I can't think of anything to blog today. Life is definitely at a low ebb in terms of interest. A random sampling of current events:

- I spent an hour yesterday holding a spoonful of split-pea soup, while a two-year-old whined, cried, wailed, and screamed, all without his tongue actually touching the soup. He finally took a blob in his mouth, after which he of course gagged, but I pretended that he'd eaten it and that I was, therefore, triumphant.

- My neighbor is moving to South Carolina. I saw her in the mall today, and she's going to bring me the stuff from her freezer that they couldn't use up, and I'm going to see if there's anything I want.

- Since Darren was out of town last night, I got some writing done. I retrieved my heroine from under a couch, where she's been hiding for the past two weeks while I tried to figure out what happened next. She was rather put out with me. "Maybe you could plan ahead next time, and leave me stranded somewhere a little less oxygen-free?" she snipped. Characters get really cocky once you get to know them.

- Our most faithful babysitter is going to be confirmed soon (she's Catholic), and evidently it's a condition of the class that you have to put in community service hours. So she volunteered to come help us set up for a neighborhood party we're having this weekend. It's not only a relief to know I'll have able help, but I like Sarah a lot and look forward to working with her.

- It hasn't dropped below the mid-40s here all season, usually hovering in the 50s.

- We got our first Christmas card, from Darren's grandparents, yesterday.

That about covers it. -- SJ

Mysteries of Children's Literature

Reading to my children is great fun, but unfortunately, the books they seem to be most interested in don't generally engage the adult mind on a deep level. So I have time, as I'm reading "Green Eggs and Ham" for the 86th time, to meditate on eternal mysteries like these:

"Green Eggs and Ham" - Who is going to pay for the loss of the car, the train, and the boat? Why does the train track end where it does, over the water? Who in their right mind would want to eat green ham? And what in the world is the narrator's name?

"Goodnight Moon" - What parent sits in their small child's room for over an hour while the child wanders around saying goodnight to various objects? Why does it take this child 10 minutes to say goodnight to a brush?

"Oh the Thinks You Can Think" - Did Robert Jordan read this book before writing "The Wheel of Time?" Because the picture of "stairs in the night" looks remarkably like his description of the Ogier Ways.

"Ten Apples Up On Top" - Has anyone else ever noticed the temperaments of the three characters? The lion is obviously a Phlegmatic; he just goes along with things. The dog is a seriously-competitive Choleric, who refuses to be bested by the tiger, a happy-go-lucky Sanguine. And my sympathies, by the way, are all with the lady with the mop. Down with apples!

"Are You My Mother?" - What in tarnation happens to the shell?? The baby bird comes out of the shell, leaves the nest, and when he comes back, there's no egg shell! Is the dog male or female? And why is the car the only object that's never mentioned in the baby bird's litany at the end? It's also the only object that the baby bird rejects himself as obviously not his mother. Did P.D. Eastman have a bad experience with a car and decided to make it the villain?

Deep thoughts. Off to go read some more to the kids!

--DJ

A Plea for Emails

I am terminally ill and I want to see how many emails I can get before I die... oh, wait, sorry, that was somebody else.

Juno crashed a couple of weeks ago and I lost all my backlog of emails, plus my address book. So all you friends who assume that my silence is because I just don't email regularly, you're wrong this time. Now I have an excuse: I don't have your address anymore.

So if all my neglected friends could dash me off a quickly email so I can have your address again, I'd appreciate it. Well, not *all* my neglected friends. At least, not all at the same time. I don't want Juno to crash again...

-- SJ

Amoral Adventures

I've just finished another Young Adult book. YA fiction, along with collecting names and launching random tirades on obscure topics, is one of my interests... as the readers of this blog have no choice but to find out.

"Artemis Fowl" features a criminal mastermind (Artemis himself) who is descended from a long line of organized-crime bosses. He's brilliant, ruthless, clever, and -- oh, yes -- twelve years old. He's determined to regain his family's fortune, and targets a lesser-known market for exploitation: fairies.

Of course, these fairies aren't your Rent-A-Fantasy types. The police unit carries superweapons and operates on phenomenally advanced technology. This is who Artemis tangles with when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon police unit.

Artemis is greedy, and never lets his occasionally-active conscience get in the way of his evil schemes. The fairies and their consorts (a centaur tech guy, a dwarf, and a couple of trolls) fight back just as dirty. As the author comments when introducing a housebreaking dwarf, "As if this story isn't already littered with amoral characters..."

It's got an edge to it: parts are violent, parts are vulgar, and there are a few swear words (even a non-translated fairy swear word. Junior high boys must love these books). But it's lighthearted and well-written. I'll probably look up the second in the series. And if I start blackmailing and extorting in a few weeks, I guess you'll know why. -- SJ

The Unconquerable Optimist

Darren got up with Addie this morning, as is usual. What isn't usual is that Addie greeted him with, "My pillow and blanket are dirty." In some recently-past moment, Addie had thrown up on them. Darren changed her and threw her bedclothes in the washer, and took her into the kitchen so she wouldn't wake up Stuart and me. Ten minutes later he cleaned up a "dirty" counter in the kitchen. (These incidents don't bother Addie in the slightest. She leans over, rids herself of the material, and then says cheerfully, "Clean it up, please!") This all before 7:30.

Stuart woke up clingy, with a slight fever. So here we were on an extremely grey and rainy morning, two sick kids, tired wife, and husband rushed to get to work. And the upcoming holiday didn't look all that bright to me, either, as we're celebrating without any family nearby. And Darren, who had borne the brunt of the dreary start of the day, spoke.

"It's a good thing," he remarked, "that we aren't going anywhere or having anyone over for Thanksgiving, with the kids sick."

Thanksgiving was invented by optimists. I'm glad I married one. -- SJ

Key Concepts for Evil Overlords

Several years ago I wrote up a job application for a Rent-A-Villain, the discount villain warehouse where most cartoons, sci-fi/fantasy, and action movies get their bad guys. My sister Rosemary and our friend Becky even taped ourselves enacting it; it was pretty obvious that the actors and the film guy came from Rent-A-Crew.

Anyway, I've lost my application by now, but my brother Neil sent me this link to reminisce. Check out these few rules to keep in mind if you have ambitions toward world domination. -- SJ

Young Man Attains Another Year

NORTHERN VIRGINIA... Stuart Jones, son of Darren and Sara Jones and brother to Adelaide, turns two years old today, according to the family.

The Joneses have released a statement addressing the occasion. "Family records are clear on this matter," the press release states. "Stuart -- known variously as Stuart-Boy, Stuart Michael-Man, Little Boy, and Goofball -- was born near 12:00 noon on this day two years ago. Today's occasion has proven more enjoyable than the original, because this time there wasn't a C-section involved."

Stuart is known for his ready laugh, his attachment to a formerly pink bear (currently in an unpalatable state of existence), and his low pain tolerance. Reports indicate that he was rushed to the ER last night with a split lip, but returned home without seeing a doctor once his parents realized it wasn't as serious as he made it out to be. He sports a very masculine fat lip today.

"We plan to memorialize this special day of Stuart's," the family statement reads. "Tonight he will have a cupcake with a candle in it, and will recieve a gift."

Older sister Adelaide is expected to request a birthday herself tomorrow. -- SJ

The blessed game of Riven

Myst, Riven, and Exile: utterly cool games, if you enjoy spending your free time fiddling, twiddling, and clicking. Which I do, at least when it's accompanied by cool graphics, ingenious machines, and scattered hints of otherworld cultures. I am joined in this fascination by Addie.

She saw me playing it about a week ago, and it's now her most-requested computer game. "Want to play Blue's Clues? Or Thomas the Tank Engine?" "No, I don't think so. How about the Riven game?" Then she'll sing "Riven, Riven" to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle" while I'm loading it up.

It's not a child's game at all; I have to be careful what I show her, so eerie images don't resurface at night. But we have lots of fun riding a minecar and elevators. And besides, the games are sanctified now, thanks to Addie's nightly prayers:

"Dear Jesus, please bless my night, and Daddy and Mama and Riven and Stuart and going up and down in the aldegator [elevator]. Amen."

Currently, the first Riven disk is missing, which means that the game is unplayable for now. So I loaded up Exile to tide Addie over. She called it "Exercise" and wasn't interested. But even when we do find Riven 1, I'm inclined to keep playing Exile. Just so I can tell Darren when he gets home, "You'll be so impressed! I spent all day doing Exercise!"

I doubt I should, though. "Exercise" hasn't been blessed. -- SJ

The Happy Jones Family

My mother-in-law, Miss Bev, liked our family portrait. And she's something of an authority on this style.

After the birth of Darren's sister, Lindsay, Miss Bev was in the hospital for a longer stay. So she used some of her time to create a booklet for Darren and Evan entitled, "The Happy Jones Family."

A nurse came in and asked what it was, so Miss Bev explained. The nurse looked at it and asked, "Why are you drawing like that?"

"This is the best I can do," Miss Bev answered.

"Oh, you can do better than that."

"No, really, this is how I draw."

The nurse refused to believe that the drawings really were the top of Miss Bev's form. Which leads me to hope that that nurse, whoever she is, doesn't have my blog address. -- SJ

Addie enjoys comissioning family portraits. And this is evidence that my older sister isn't the only Roberts who can draw! My pictures don't take as long, either. -- SJ 

Modern Romance

"The thing I like about him is that he's, you know, really steady. I mean, he knows who he is and everything. I mean, he's had the same IM name for five years!" -- SJ

Where Is Our Confidence?

I finished the Titanic book tonight. It's a quick read, especially after I realized that I and the author have read the same exhaustive commentary on the wreck ("Destination: Disaster") so I could just skip the final fourth of "Unsinkable."

The author got preachy at the end, pointing out what (to me) is the obvious lesson from the Titanic: That it slammed a complacent world with the realization that man had not Arrived. But it did start me thinking.

The world that produced the Titanic viewed technological advancement as man's path to perfection. A couple of wars and a Depression battered that view. Then Science took up residence as the answer to all our questions. It's only my opinion, but I think that view is showing its age also. We know a great deal about our world, but still have not conquered the old human ills that plague us: anger, apathy, hatred, selfishness. Science can't perfect us.

So I'm wondering, what will the next era place its trust in? Political unity? Racial harmony? A clean environment? Darren suggested Medicine could be a current confidence. I'm curious as to what y'all think. Where is the Western world's confidence?

-- SJ

Books

I just finished a great book.

Actually, I've finished the book about eight times. I come across it periodically and spend a week reading my favorite parts, finally reading the end, closing the book with a sigh, and announcing, "I love this book!"

Before I recommend it, however, there are a few caveats. Firstly, you have to enjoy the young adult genre of literature. Secondly, it helps if you've had a fascination with fairy tales, and princesses in particular, since childhood; and thirdly, you most likely have to be female.

So, to the three people still interested...

"Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine. It's a retelling of Cinderella, very enjoyably done. The protagonist, Ella, isn't really as compliant and eager to please as she seems. She was cursed at birth with the gift of obedience, which compels her to obey any command she is given. Of course the story includes the wicked stepmother and her two daughters; the likable, if not actively charming, prince; and the fairy godmother. Also there's a giants' wedding, a skirmish with ogres, an idealistic fairy who wreaks havoc, and a slide down a bannister.

The best part of the story, though, is that it incorporates one of the sadly underused elements of romance: Two Friends Who Fall In Love. It's easy to see why Ella falls in love with the prince, and why he is so determined to find the owner of the glass slipper. You can actually believe that they live happily ever after.

Levine has written shorter stories called "The Princess Tales," which are lighthearted renditions of various other fairy tales.

Note: From all I've heard, the recent movie version of "Ella Enchanted" isn't worth seeing. Boy, isn't that a surprise.

Since the title of this post is plural, I'll add another book I'm reading: "Unsinkable: The Full Story." What could it possibly be about...? Ever since I learned about the Titanic in fourth grade, I've suffered from periodic Titanic fevers, when I get interested in it all over again. By this time I even recognize the names of the officers on the ship. I've only just started -- no iceberg sighted yet -- so I don't know how readable this version is. I'll probably read it regardless until the fever breaks.

Note: There was a movie about this, too. I haven't seen it.

-- SJ

Another One

Driving home at this time of year seems to inspire haiku. The sun has just set, and everything is stark against a light sky.

Trees in the sunset
Lacking leaves, are like God-blown
Dandelion puffs.

--DJ

An article worth reading from Christianity Today Magazine

This article: has a very good point: "Short-term decisions to forego children may bring immediate economic benefits, but the long-term results impoverish existence."

I am very thankful that my parents didn't decide to have just one child. I would indeed be impoverished if I didn't have my brother and my sister. They bring joy to my life every day!

--DJ

A Fall Haiku

Pterodactyls fly
Against a darkening sky
Sharp-edged falling leaves.

--DJ

New Addition to the Family

No, this isn't as exciting a post as you think it is.

We went on a family walk on Saturday, since the weather was beautiful and mild (at which point, in a conversation with Darren, I would insert, "Like me!" because however much Darren has raved about my beauty, he persists in denying my remarkable mildness and pure sweetness). Along the way, Addie found a true treasure: a live earthworm.

She was quite charmed, and tried to show Daddy, who wasn't. As we headed back to the house, it was apparent that the worm was going with us. I asked, "Does the worm have a name?"

"Yes," answered Addie the Literal Person. "Worm."

"Oh."

So she elaborated. "Worm Jones."

I regret to report that Daddy did not welcome this new family member with great enthusiasm. Worm Jones now lives somewhere in our flowerbed. -- SJ

Score One for St. Peter

At the All Saints' Day Party last night, one of the games required everyone to address everyone else as "Saint." So, milling around our living room, we had St. Nathan and St. Jonathan and St. Leah and St. Will... plus the hosts, Sara and Darren, neither of whom could remember to call anyone "Saint."

It was sounding pretty ridiculous already, and then Peter arrived.

Jonathan: "St. Peter is among us!"

Peter: "Ha. Hey, has anyone seen my keys...?"

Sarah: "Did you bring a rooster, St. Peter? You know, I thought that when the bell chimed and the cock crowed, you'd have to go home."

Peter: "True. Otherwise I turn into a pumpkin-eater."

-- SJ

Feast of Saints

So how do you celebrate All Saints' Day, anyway? I have no idea -- we just make it up. But the results always justify doing it again the next year. All Saints' Day is the reason Halloween is so named -- All Hallow's Eve. Throughout church history, saints have been honored on their certain "feast days"; on All Saints' Day, it's a general celebration. We like it because it's something different, because we learn new things, and because it's a good excuse for a party.

Our favorite feature of the party is the food. In the three years we've done this party, the food has gone from good to great to fabulous. Before the party, Darren assigns everyone a saint. Guests find out what country the saint is patron of, and bring a food related to that country. Sounds simple, but often isn't; therefore, we see a lot of "creative linkage."

Leah, for instance, had St. Stephen, but couldn't find his "country." So, reasoning that Stephen is a Greek name, she brought a baklava platter. Kelly and Kate were given St. Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of Turkey (and also very well-known in the West, of course). Kelly couldn't find a Turkish recipe that suited, so she made a cranberry-chicken "in the spirit of," and nobody could complain because their mouths were full. Sarah and Nathan discovered that St. Therese of Lisieux was connected with both France and Russia, so they brought French bread, sparkling lemonade, and Russian pancakes. I didn't get any of the lemonade; Darren said it was good.

Will was a bit mystified as to how he could represent South America with Our Lady of Guadelupe, and happily decided on an array of tropical fruit. (As a side note, pomegranates are excessively odd fruits, and it's hardly a compliment to have temples like them.) Charlessa brought a chocolate Michaelmas pie in honor of Michael the Archangel. Two years ago we named Charlessa the patron saint of desserts.

Jonathan wondered what on earth he was supposed to do with Joseph, the patron saint of China *and* the Vatican. He brought egg rolls and pizza bites. Darren and I assigned ourselves Our Lady of the Assumption, patron saint of India: then we ordered a dish from the local Indian restaurant, a curryish soup with lamb called "rogan josh." Dana and Brooks arrived with their representation of Irish patron Brigid: Irish soda bread flavored with carraway seed (think rye bread) and raisins. Made a great breakfast bread.

The award for most prepared presentation, however, goes to Peter. He was given Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. We thought he'd choose one country of the four or five she patronizes (one of which is the U.S.) Instead, Peter concocted a Brazilian dessert made of avacado and lime, but added coconut and cocoa from a couple of other countries (I can't remember which, I'm afraid), passed out manila folders to represent the Phillipines, and included a spam email involving the Bank of Tanzania. And figured that since he's American, he counted as a country also. We were very impressed. We also liked the dessert.

We played games, had our usual trivia fix, sang "For All the Saints" -- a marvelous hymn -- and did lots of visiting. Darren and I look forward to these parties all year. Of course, in the midst of the eating, laughing, talking, and playing, what makes these evenings so special is that everyone leaves us the leftover food.

No, wait, I meant to say that it's special because we have very enjoyable Christian friends who really get into the spirit of things, and make it a joy to host such a party.

But the leftovers are really good, too. -- SJ

Eye Troubles

The first event of my morning was what every socially-conscious junior-higher wishes for: I picked up my glasses, and they fell apart in my hands.

Not being a junior-higher, or even very socially conscious at 7:30 a.m., I was distinctly unpleased. Fortunately I had a single left-eye contact hanging around, so that got me through the morning until I could super-glue and tape my glasses back together. It's a very precarious union, and now I look like every junior-higher's nightmare.

Funny, this is the second time a pair of glasses has simply broken unexpectedly. Both, I suppose, were due to their rough treatment; but I am less guilty now than I was at fifteen, because now I have two kids who routinely bump into my face.

Then there are the other glasses in my past -- three separate pairs over a period of several years -- which all fell victim to, variously, a softball, a basketball, and a soccer ball. And I don't even play sports all that much. Which I guess is obvious.

And I won't even go into the time that my contacts evaporated. -- SJ

Seen Around Town

On a sign at a small business:

*** WWJD?
Vote Bush ***

So I guess that's how we know Jesus is a Christian, eh? - SJ

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Khmer Rouge embraces Jesus

This article was linked to on one of my favourite blogs (Mark Shea) today, and I was encouraged by it. I read a book about the Khmer Rouge back a couple years ago, and it was horrifying to hear about an entire country going mad and killing all the "intellectuals" (if you had any higher education, you were killed; if you had glasses, you were killed) because they were "counter-revolutionary."

Now those same soldiers are coming to Christ. I just love it when God writes final chapters!

--DJ

Fresh-Baked Blog

www.letsdolunch.blogspot.com

There's the page. All it needs now is filling. Email me at sallysara77@yahoo.com with suggestions. -- SJ

You Have Been Haunted By the Phantom Ghost!

So I was informed by a rolled-up photocopy stuck into a little candy bucket, all of which appeared mysteriously on our porch last night. It's a neighborhood Halloween game: now it's my turn to leave three treat bags and three copies of the Phantom Ghost at others' houses tonight. Meanwhile, I display the Phantom Ghost on my door so people know I've already been haunted. I find it rather charming, even though I still haven't figured out what other kind of ghost there is. -- SJ

See, Lindsay?

We DO love you as much as the Reitzes and Koonses do. -- SJ

Hi, My Name is Sara, and I'm a Blogoholic...

A good friend told me, "You know you're addicted when you think, 'I'm just not complete with only one blog.'" Here is my admission of addiction: I want to start another blog.

But (as Steve says in "Blues Clues,") I'm going to need your help! "You" being those people who serve the meals in your house. I'd love to have a blog for us to exchange meal recipes, lunch ideas, and "leftovers: remix" suggestions.

Nothing very structured, just whatever occurs to anyone as a good idea. If anyone is interested, let me know in the Comments section. If it looks like it's a go, I can set up an email account for the purpose.

And if you're concerned that I'm sliding downhill and you don't want to contribute to my addiction, by all means refrain from doing so. But see if I ever invite you over to make toffee and watch a movie. -- SJ

English Toffee and British T.V.

So the husband leaves town, as he's done for most weekends this month. What's a wife to do? Well, in the same spirit that motivated Amy: Revert to my inner Single Girl and have girlfriends over for the night.

As Sarah mentioned, she and Leah came over Friday night. We ate supper and made toffee without the benefit of a candy thermometer (but with the very willing assistance of two very small chefs). Additionally, I got to make the dessert while my kitchen got cleaned (Sarah) and my kids got watched (Leah). Who could ask for more?

Afterward, while Leah hacked off bits of toffee for us (cold toffee is amazingly stalwart), the three of us watched an episode of "The Avengers." For anyone who is unfamiliar with this series -- and most people are -- it's a great quirky British show from the 60s. You likely can find it at a library. Try it.

Sarah left around midnight (I was glad to see her post, as it meant she did get over the mountain safely). In the very best sleepover tradition, Leah and I talked until 2 a.m. Throughout the visit and among the three of us, we got a lot of topics covered, if not quite as much sleep as usual. Long live sleepovers! -- SJ

Emergent Slang

Now that Addie is talking, a project that took her two and a half years to embark upon, she seldom makes complete sense. For instance, there's a Bob the Builder episode about "crazy paving." The words caught her fancy, and became employed as all-purpose adjectives:

"Addie, who is this boy in this picture with the coat of many colors?"
"It's a crazy crazy pavin' little boy with a coat is named Joseph."

"Addie, where is Stuart's pink bear?"
"Where's crazy pavin' pink bear? I donno."

Showing considerable future in cultural leadership, she has now created another slang word: "fuzzy" (also, "fluffy"). As with most slang, its meaning is derived from the context:

"Look! There's a dirty fuzzy truck!"

"I'm chewin' on a fluffy rock."

Yep, that's conversation in our house. So, all you crazy pavin' people, don't let a fluffy day get you down! -- SJ (with AJ)

Health Food: 1963

Recently I bought an old Reader's Digest, May 1963. Talk about readable history! It's fascinating reading what was once current (one author writes of his dilemma in "the hat department" of a local store) and what was the general conservative opinion of the nation ("The Real Truth Behind the Federal Budget" -- that being JFK's budget, of course).

Here are some excerpts from an article entitled "How Much Health Is There In 'Health' Foods?", by Ronald M. Deutsch. I'm not careful enough about what I eat to know how valid this article is, so I'm interested in what everyone else thinks. From our perspective forty years later, how does it hold up?

(I'd type it in italics or a different color, but my browser doesn't give me that option. And keep in mind that it's all excerpts, so I don't have to litter this post with ellipses.)

Many dishonest promoters [of health foods] deliberately spread falsehoods in order to sell their special foods and supplements...

>Claim #1: Much American soil is deficient in nutrients; food grown in such aoil lacks qualities needed for health.< When soils are worn out only the yield is affected. The farmer will get fewer carrots and each carrot may be smaller. But ounce for ounce, the carrots will be every bit as nutritious as any others! As for chemical fertilizers, iron is iron, nitrogen is nitrogen, whether present in the soil or added as fertilizer.

>Claim #2: Foods are robbed of essential nutrients by over-processing.< "Modern processing methods preserve nutritional values or restore them to food," says the FDA. "Americans will have to go out of their way to avoid being well-nourished."

"Whole-wheat flour," said Dr. Stare of Harvard, "has not been proved superior to enriched, refined flour... It is not necessary for the American diet today."

More later, if anyone is interested. -- SJ

An Apology to MWTK

Back before I had a household to run or kids to raise, I used to know a lot more about how to do it. And I'm ashamed to admit that I laughed behind my hand at those moms-with-two-kids who seemed to be so overwhelmed.

My sister and I babysat for a young couple when we were teens. They had two young boys. In the omniscience of my youth, I shook my head at the house that always seemed to be in disarray. The bathroom never smelled quite clean, and laundry was never quite put away. More than once my sister washed the dishes for them. Plus, they went out all the time -- sometimes twice times a month -- and never paid us a whole lot. I was baffled: How hard could it be to manage with a mere two kids?

Ten years later, I am at home with two young kids. By the end of the day, especially one when a babysitter is coming, the house is a mess and I don't feel like picking up. There's laundry in the hallway, in front of the washer, in the washer, in the dryer, and in our bedroom. And with a potty-training three-year-old, our bathroom doesn't smell very clean. We desperately need date nights, and go as often as we can, but once a month is about what we can manage; finances just don't allow any more.

So this is an official apology to all those Moms With Two Kids who feel overwhelmed and wonder how anyone can possibly have any more kids. Now I know what your life is like. Now I can put myself in your shoes, and kick my know-it-all teenage self all over town. -- SJ

Grey Days

Today is a sulky, grey day. These days magnify the distance between me and my family (it's up to about 4,000 miles now), makes me wonder why nobody ever calls me, and turns the email notification "0 New Messages" into a personal insult. With the additional fun fact that 2003 was grey almost every single day for about nine months, it's needless to describe the state of my life that year.

This year I can meet a grey day fighting, though. Today the kids and I baked apple bread together, bought pumpkins at Wal-Mart, and will go for a walk after naptime to collect fall leaves. The time passes much more pleasantly, and I don't look back on a string of wasted days behind me.

Something tells me that God is not calling me to live in the Pacific Northwest. -- SJ

License Plates, part III

I can understand a vanity plate advertising the year and make of your car:
65MSTANG
76MRCDES (Ah, Sadie!)

But (as we saw the other day): 03ACORD?

XTRMLE UNCR8TV -- SJ

In Defense of Martha

I was reading in John 11 today, and feel compelled to clear Martha's sullied reputation in the Christian Living world.

Martha, if you recall, had a sister, Mary. Martha was rushing about getting things ready for company, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him. When Martha complained (and I always secretly sympathized with her), Jesus said that Martha was too distracted by worldly cares and that Mary had chosen the better way. So Bible studies, sermons, and articles in homeschooling magazines exhort us to be like Mary.

But in John 11, Martha proves her mettle. Her brother Lazarus has died, and Jesus inexplicably didn't show up in time to heal him. He gets there four days late. Who is it who runs out to greet Him? Martha. Who is so disappointed that she doesn't even acknowledge He has come? Mary. It's Martha who goes to Mary and says, "He wants to see you." Only then does Mary run out to speak with Him, and that's only to blame Him for Lazarus' death.

It was Mary who knew how to listen to His words. But it was Martha who knew how to cling to her faith when life turned bitter. While we're busy being Marys in a Martha world (as the title of a popular book has it), don't neglect to be a Martha in Mary circumstances. -- SJ

Numbered Days

In the interests of equal time, I thought I'd come up with a math memory. Several thoughts sprang to mind immediately:

* In first grade, I drew princess hats (wimples, as I now know them) on all my sixes, because six was the nice princess in the number line. Nine was the mean princess. Her wimple was very small.

* The boy sitting in front of me once did an assignment completely on his own, adding Big Numbers like 100 and 200. Once he showed me how he did it, I wasn't impressed; you just added 1's and 2's and threw in some zeros. I should have paid more attention. I'm always scrambling to keep up with my zeros now. ("I read that somebody bought a painting for $1,000,000. Or maybe it was $10,000. I don't remember how many zeros there were.")

* Story problems disturbed me. I always wanted to know why A wouldn't finish the job with B.

* My math teacher in sixth grade was left-handed.

* My stepfather had a master's degree in mathematics. He did not think my way of looking at math was endearing.

* My husband thinks I'm weird. The scary thing is, my family doesn't. -- SJ

First Words

Both our kids' first words were "Amen," not as much out of piety as that it meant the blessing was over so they could eat. But actually I was thinking about words that I remember learning for the first time. Not including "condiments."

Three words I distinctly remember learning are "belligerent," after my mom was complaining about the parents at one of my softball games; "oblique," a great word to use as a sort of backhanded compliment, such as, "Marti has an oblique sense of decoration."; and "succumbed," when Mom sent a note to my fifth-grade teacher (Mrs. Kirkpatrick, for you homebuddies) saying, "Sara's paper was thrown away, and by the time she rescued it, it had succumbed to its surroundings."

Another fond word memory was during our homeschooled years, when Rosemary and I discovered just how funny we were. Mom was teaching us that the meaning of the word "manifest" was "to make apparent." Rosemary remarked, "Hey, Mom, we manifested you! We made you a parent!" I have to say, Mom's response, while not belligerent, certainly proved that her appreciation for Rosemary's oblique point of view had succumbed to the pressures of the day.

Funny that I don't remember learning any algebraic formulas for the first time. -- SJ

The Case of the Missing Dumplings

For Darren's birthday supper, I made him chicken and dumplings (which makes him love me). I've made chicken and dumplings many times, all successfully. But last night I decided to be innovative.

On Sunday, I'd tried a new recipe that involved dumplings, using a slightly different recipe than I was used to. The result was really good. So I adapted the new recipe to my old standby, and envisioned thick broth with fluffy white dumplings to set before my husband.

He got home, and we were catching up on the day, when I stirred the pot to see how the dozen or so dumplings were looking. I stirred more. I scooped the bottom. And with an anguished cry, I wailed, "My dumplings disappeared!"

Too late did I realize why Sunday's recipe called for simmering, not boiling, in the broth. Every last one of my special new dumplings had disintegrated.

I quickly made up a batch of regular dumplings, and saved the dish. It was a success after all, especially with the specially thick, smooth broth thanks to my exciting recipe innovation. -- SJ

Note: leftover dumpling dough, even if containing butter, baking powder, and seasonings, does not transform into biscuits. You end up with, well, baked dumplings. Just a random recipe note.

A Special Birthday Poem

In the spirit of the tributes published in the George County Times:

Happy birthday to Darren,
A man kind and carin'.
His love with others he's sharin',
And he's lots of fun.

He doesn't mind if it's told
That he's getting sort of old.
He's still made of gold,
Even at thirty-one.

I love you a lot,
You sure are real hot.
What a treasure I've got,
Better than anyone.

Happy birthday!

-- SJ

License Plates, part II

This last weekend, I went to a men's retreat up in Pennsylvania (counterpart to Sara's women's retreat from a couple weeks ago). Of the 14 cars or so there, at least 6 of them were personalized.

PEN-GAVL - that's ours.
NONOBIS - quote from the Latin version of Ps. 115:1 - "Non nobis Domine."
EUCHRST - that's our pastor's car.
2KNOHIM - took me a little bit to figure out, but a great goal.
SLYTHRN - okay, so what's Draco doing here associating with us mudbloods*??

* Note: This one is a Harry Potter joke. If you haven't read or seen the HP stories, just ignore it. But it's kind of like having a NAZGUL plate in Minas Tirith's parking lot. **

** Note: This one is a Lord of the Rings joke. If you haven't read or seen the LOTR stories, please stop what you are doing and GO READ THEM! Or at least see the movies.

--DJ

America's Moral Decay

At one time in my life, I confused the word "condiments" with another word of a much more intimate and controversial nature. At the same time, I was just beginning to understand all the talk about America's rapid decline in morals. So imagine the shock to my twelve-year-old soul when I saw -- right there in a McDonald's drive-thru -- "Condiments upon request." How low America had sunk, that you could request such a thing while picking up hamburgers! I wondered why I hadn't seen any outraged commentary on this deplorable condition yet.

Fortunately I didn't feel compelled to publish my own outrage before my vocabulary improved. -- SJ

Laughing with a Lawyer

When Darren called me from work yesterday, he said he was working on a complaint to file. I said, "That's all you do at work. Complaint after complaint. Do you have to whine so much?" And I laughed and laughed at my own joke.

That evening as we were getting ready for bed (you know you've been married a while if you can carry on a conversation while both are brushing teeth), Darren finished up by explaining what the complaint entailed. It was full of picky little things, and why Darren enjoys it is one of those charming mysteries about him. I said, "And you find this appealing?"

"Oh, no, that's later. We don't appeal unless the complaint..." At which point I chased him out of the bathroom and slammed the door. His gleeful laughter haunted me, though: "Hee, hee, hee! I win! I win!" -- SJ

As requested...

This quiz, What's Your Spiritual Type, is the one that Sara was talking about below. I enjoyed taking it, even though, like every multiple choice quiz, there were questions where I had to choose the "least wrong" answer.

I hope you have fun with it. Oak Brookies, isn't it nice to have quizzes that don't affect your future livelihood? :)

--DJ

About being a grownup

One of the great things about being an adult is that now, when I have a subject I'm interested in, I can read all I want (or have time) to about it, but I don't have to write up a report for school.

Last week, I finished a book I'd picked up at a library book sale. The book was printed in 1936, and the title was "al-Baghdadi." The book contained 15 newsletters from 4 Christian teachers who went to Baghdad, Iraq, in 1932 to found a Christian school. It was fascinating reading; Iraq was just gaining its independence, the Kurds and Iraqis didn't get along, and Persia had recently changed its name to Iran. No one in the States knew where Baghdad was; the editor of the newsletter complained several time that donations took a long time to get there because people thought it was in Australia or Brazil.

I've put out a request via Inter-Library Loan for a book about the school, which lasted until 1969, when Sadaam Hussein's Baathist Party took over Iraq, nationalized all the private schools, and gave the teachers 5 days to leave the country.

So now I know something new, and I don't have to type up a report for anyone! (Makes you wonder why I'm blogging - isn't that reporting? Ah, yes, but it's not mandatory :))

Quizzical Spirituality

Darren found a quiz yesterday that determines your "spiritual type," which both of us enjoyed. This post is merely a reminder to him to link to it from our blog, if you wouldn't mind, sweetheart.

We enjoy our blogohood, the circle of friends we share blogs with. Our "catching up" at the end of the day always includes the blogosphere. "Wasn't that great what he wrote about that guy at his office?" "Did you read her post about that movie?" "You really need to go to their site -- a hilarious post today." What a great way to keep up with distant friends. We're such nerds. -- SJ

Around the Neighborhood

Now that it's cool in the evenings, kids on bikes swarm the street. Last week we took a walk through a jungle of at least seven bikes, three of which lined up for a race. They raced to the purple car; once there, the bike in the lead declared that they had to race back to the starting line to finish. He won.

Addie likes picking at those dark blotches on the road, despite being strictly forbidden. A lot of them are gum, but surely not all of them are. You won't believe how many of those blotches are on our street alone. I can't say I ever actually noticed them before now, but Addie keeps us vigilant.

Lots of houses are decorating for Halloween, everything from lighted pumpkins and orange lights to a full graveyard in the front yard, roped off with yellow tape reading, "Enter if you dare."

The other day we saw 12-year-old Kelly, in roller blades, straddling a toddler bike and coming toward us at a pretty good pace. She was being pushed along by Rachel, also 12. The girls moved into the neighborhood within a month or two of one another and share a backyard. You rarely find Kelly without Rachel.

It was Kelly who entered the jungle of bikes the other day and won instant popularity. She was taking her pet, Marlow, for a walk. Everyone likes Marlow. He's a guinea pig, and rides around the neighborhood on a skateboard. -- SJ

What's in a Name? III

The following are real, verified, and actual names we've recently come across. Note: This material is not recommended for weak hearts or susceptible pregnant women:

* Galaxy
* Theocracy
* Joshua Courage (which my sister and I decided it was the Christian Alternative version of Joe Cool)
* Maverick
* Carondelet

Actually, I *like* Carondelet (pronounced "Ca-RON-day-lay"), but Carondelet Jones just doesn't sing. -- SJ

P.S. Darren, looking over my shoulder:

"I thought you were doing a post about the guinea pig on the skateboard."
"I did, but it was a boring post."
"Oh." Darren hates watching me write; paragraphs aren't cut with so much abandon in his world, probably because more thought goes into them to start with.
We really did see a guinea pig on a skateboard, though.

First Impressions

(Which any good Jane Austen devotee recognizes as "the original title of...")

Tomorrow, four years ago, was the day I married... well, not the man of my dreams. In fact, he was fairly opposite from what I'd dreamed of all those years. Part of my confusion in this area began about three years previously.

We met over a gameboard. Several gameboards, actually. Our good friends Earl and Geni Hall began a weekly Game Night for interested parties -- namely, those of us who didn't go out dancing. (Young ladies, please notice the improving moral: I didn't dance, so I got a husband.) He was spectacularly good at every game we played. Plus, in the few conversations we had apart from my railing at him during Game Night, I found out that he'd read stacks of books. Even a couple of Jane Austens. (*Ping* goes the extra-points meter.)

It wasn't long before I could see the man he would become. I even edified him with a description: He would be a bachelor professor surrounded by dusty old books. I didn't add the rest of my vision, which was that he would hide from the female world behind his books, finding himself at a loss anytime a woman entered his sanctuary. Eventually, I imagined, he'd get married, but I foresaw the proposal running along the lines of: "Pardon me, but I've just noticed that you are female. I think the customary step in these situations is to get married. How does that strike you?"

The part that I missed, astute judge of character though I was, was that he'd already singled me out as a fair prospect by that time.

It wasn't until a couple of years later that the dusty professor shed his clever disguise to reveal the guy who wrote poetry, liked his books to have romance in them, bought me chocolate-covered-cherries, and could make me relax and smile just by being present.

Four years, two kids, and a minivan later, I'm completely unrepentant that I cost the world a good bachelor professor. I love you, Darren. You're the best surprise I've ever had. -- SJ

The Victorians

Ironclad social rules, strict morality, and seriously overdone ornamentation: the legacy of the Victorians. I've lately been reading a fascinating book dealing with the very heart of Victorianism: the home. Judith Flanders, the author, hardly touches on politics, military, or any of the big issues of the day; instead, she delves into the myriad of details that defined daily life in the years between 1830 and 1860.

The book is engrossing, while the life it describes sounds horrid. From dirty coal fires that turned their hair filthy after an outing; to the constant battle against crickets, roaches, and beetles; to the idea that the man of the house should not be bothered by domestic trifles, including the children; to the backbreaking work the servants endured to make the ladies' lives easy... it makes my 21st century world seem utopian.

But I remind myself, as I gawk over how stupid they were to wear clothes dyed with an arsenic base, that our age is just as self-satisfied as theirs, and another hundred and fifty years will reveal our follies and vices. It's an informative book, both in spelling out a vanished way of life, and offering a glimpse as to why the world -- never known for its moderate reactions -- has swung so far away from the Victorian ideals. -- SJ

The Dance

Hey, I could use that for the title of a song or something...

This weekend was our church's Ladies' Retreat, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The theme was "Staying in the Dance," using dancing as an analogy for our spiritual life. It was a weekend full of new experiences, one of which was learning "The Electric Slide."

I'm not sure which surprised me more, learning a dance at a retreat, or the fact that the dance is the Electric Slide, which means people are still doing it. (I first heard of it back in the early 90s. I was sure it had gone the way of all the world by this time.) But, anyway, we learned it.

You know how in movies where the heroine finally gets an opportunity to do something she's always wanted to, and it turns out that she has an amazing natural knack for it? Well, that has nothing to do with how I danced The Electric Slide. That floor was littered with the steps I missed, not to mention my faulty sense of direction that sent me going right when everyone else headed back, or left when everyone else was turning. Mr. Collins and I would have made ideal partners.

When we all sat back down, giggling, my introverted roommate remarked, "Well, I really think I enjoyed that." -- SJ

Another reason I am happy working at HSLDA

Logging of Blogs and Other Timely Activities

Sky

Reptilian clouds
Bumpy, warty lines of grey
With pale blue background.

Sometimes the sky is beautiful. Sometimes it just looks strange.

--DJ

The Prayer of Addie

"Dear Jesus,
Please bless my food
And Addie and Mama and Stuart.
Old McDonald had a farm,
E-I-E-I-O,
And sing forever.
Amen."

CRE8TV CARZ

Personalized plates recently spotted:

HYCINTH (appropriately colored van)
2MB IZMT (obviously a Christian family)
BG DOGZ (remarkable mostly because of the cat prints on the hood)
CERTI5D (Jennifer, is that you?!)
DMTIML8 (so is this use justified?)
BCRE8TV (not a mathemetician)
JONESES (just try to keep up...)

Any further contributions? -- SJ

Bible Translations

Another chart caught my eye today (I warned you, I'm a sucker for the things).

This one is put out by an actual Bible publisher, so of course they tout their own products. Pretty heavily, actually. But I thought it was pretty neat.

A couple comments of my own:

* The NIV is the "Most read, most trusted" version? Maybe most read in English, although I'd want to see statistics on the New American Bible before accepting that claim. But most trusted? By whose count? I've heard a lot of criticism of it, mostly by people who liked it when it first came out, but now tend to go for either the NAS or the ESV.

* I was interested to see that of the 6 Bibles I own, they all fall toward the "word-for-word" end of the continuum.

* Of the 6 I own, I like the New American Standard for my main reading, the New Revised Standard or the King James for public reading, the New Jerusalem Bible for getting a fresh look especially at the Psalms, and the New International when I'm trying to find a verse I remember learning when I was young (it's the one I grew up on). The Amplified sits lonely on the shelf; I bought it at a book sale and haven't looked at it yet. (I'm a sucker for book sales and new Bible translations, which is why I snapped it up.)

* And a last personal note: if you ever get cornered by a "King James only" person, look over their shoulder, gasp, and when they're distracted, run. I can still remember being nailed by a gimlet-eyed man at a homeschool conference who accosted me by asking (before we knew names or anything about each other) what version of the Bible my pastor used in church. When I told him that it was the NIV, he launched into a blistering tirade about it. And unfortunately, I had to listen; I was manning the HSLDA booth at the time.

God's Word is eternal and infallible. Man's efforts to express it are neither. But I praise God that there are many men and women who have devoted their lives to bringing His Word to me in a format that my mind and my spirit can both appreciate. --DJ

Taste (or Sip) of Another Era

Touchstone Magazine's blog had a good article a couple days ago regarding an old Temperance hymnal from 1900. The songs might be rather funny - if they weren't so blatantly racist and incredibly self-righteous.

An example:

I know a good old preacher, he’s a staunch Republican,
He argues that his party is the only one that can
Do anything or ever has done aught for temperance,
He makes the facts and figures pile up high in its defense.

But he votes with Jimmy Doolan, Paddy Ryan, Teddy Flynn,
All saloonists, and his ballot counts and helps these men to win; With
brewry and distillr’y men,his vote is just the same,
And means perpetual hell on earth and everlasting shame.

And another one:

I’se a ‘Publican niggah, yes I is, An’ I votes dat ticket eb’ry time;
But de Mastah, he say, I am his, An’ my ‘legiance in de heb’nly clime.
So I votes fo’ de man, if he’s all right, An’ takes no likker at de bar;
But ef fo’ de whisky sid he’ll fight, Den I draws de line right dar. Yah! Yah!

The most disturbing thing about it to me was the absolute conviction that a political means had become a spiritual end. In fact, the spiritual end, superseding even the Lord's command "Take and drink, all of you:"

Who is on the Lord’s side, who? Who is on the Lord’s side, are you?
Not if it is your business to sell, liquor that fits the drinker for hell.
E’en though the State permission may grant, ‘Tis a satanic--a vile covenant.
Not if you drink the poisonous cup, E’en but a small, occasional sup.
While you yourself may be very strong, You may lead weaker ones into the wrong. Not
unless you uphold with your might, All that is good and noble and right.
Not unless you oppose all you can, Ev’rything evil and hurtful to man.

As the author points out, this points out a serious danger to Christians of all ages - don't get so caught up in a political fight that you begin twisting Christianity to fit your political needs. C.S. Lewis warns against this in The Screwtape Letters.

Politics is important. I'm delighted to work for an organization that believes in full-blooded participation in the political process. But when the political party of Caesar demands that the Church of Christ bow and scrape to his tune, the answer is not just "No," but "Hell, NO! Get thee behind me, Satan!"

--DJ

A couple P.S. (1) Please note that it's from a sacramental perspective, so naturally he views Communion differently from many Protestants.
(2) Of course, Christians have been squabbling over the proper elements to use in Communion for years now. See "Schism, the Great 1054."

Plot Holders

I'm just getting over a nasty cold bug, and so I didn't feel like doing anything tonight. Thankfully Sara understands this and just lets me read.

So I started a new fantasy book (The Fifth Ring, by Mitchell Graham) I just got through interlibrary loan (one of the wonderful perks about working in the same building as Patrick Henry College is free ILL). The book has been on my list of "Books to Read" for a few months now (the list is currently about 3 pages long, so some books tend to stay on it a while).

And it starts with a young man seeing dark strangers who give him an uncomfortable feeling. Hmmm. Let's see. What books have used this plot device in the past?

* The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
* The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
* The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
* Pawn of Prophecy, David Eddings
* The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
* Children of Amarid, David Coe
* and if I remember correctly, Wizard's First Rule, Terry Goodkind. But I regret ever having read that book, so I won't go back to see if I remember rightly.

Evidently, this particular plot device is supposed to be a signal to the reader: "This is Epic Fantasy. I can imitate the Great Ones."

Actually, the book isn't all that bad. But I'm getting rather tired of young men who see ominous dark figures. --DJ

P.S. If you can think of any others to add to the list, I'd love to hear them. I'm a list type of person :)

Certified Success

Yesterday I went to my new playgroup for the year. I'm part of a MOMS Club -- yes, indeed, a support group for stay-at-home moms, an invaluable resource that keeps us from going insane on grey winter days -- and every fall the board creates several playgroups according to the age of the kids. We meet every Monday. Last year I loved my playgroup. This year it got off to a rocky start.

Jennifer arrived. As soon as our personalities came in contact, mine shrieked and hid behind the couch. I could see immediately that we ran on different operating systems -- probably incompatible ones. Confirmation came when she asked where my husband worked.

"Oh, homeschooling," she said (following the usual script.) "Are you planning to homeschool?" I said yes. "Are you a teacher?" No, I've worked with kids a lot but I'm not a formal teacher. "You have to be certified in Virginia, don't you?" And off she went, holding forth on what a great thing it was that Virginia requires certification. She had friends, she said, who told her they were going to stay home and homeschool, and she said they had only high school diplomas; how did they think they could do what she did, after she went through four years of college and recertified every year?

So, thanks, Jennifer, for grabbing my personal ambitions and wiping your muddy feet on them. It made for an enjoyable playgroup, and makes me hope you don't think our kids are stimulating enough for Brianna so you'll switch to another group. But at least it ensured that I prayed nice things for you all the way home, because otherwise I'd have spent all day beating you up mentally.

Can't wait till next Monday. -- SJ

* P.S. -- Yes, Neil, I know you're dying a thousand deaths every time you read the word "playgroup." Sorry, your sister actually is involved in something so trendy and enriching.

The Christian Liberty Film Festival Guidelines

After musing upon this subject for some time -- "musing" being defined as the random moments when my mind lighted upon this particular topic before meandering away again -- here are the guidelines I'd set for my own film festival.

These aren't necessarily the guidelines that govern my own movie choices. These are the standards I, personally, think appropriate for an American Christian filmmaker. (My imagination balks at the thought of my film festival spanning continents and cultures.)

1. No profanity. Watch the old movies, and see how creatively they express what the same script today would spell out in four-letter words. Note: I believe that some scenes justify the limited use profanity. But if you, the filmmaker, include swearing or blasphemy in your film, it should be, um, darn well justified. The more daring your language, the greater your risk of being docked a few points.

2. Honor authorities. It isn't a stipulation of our festival that all authorities be portrayed as good, honorable, and obeyed without question. Nor must all disobedience, by default, be cast in a bad light. But authorities should not be held up for ridicule merely for being an authority. Besides, a character who respects his superiors could be considered innovative and exciting in the world of modern movies. (For an example of respectful disobedience with consequences, see "Bend It Like Beckham.")

3. Sexual references, scenes, and nuances must be avoided, although they not prohibited. Correction: a sex scene is not appropriate for this festival. Sex is great, Godly, and not a spectator sport. However, a little light banter between a committed couple could be entertaining (as C.S. Lewis says, sex is genuinely funny. It's also genuinely fun), and it's difficult to portray a romance without sexuality coming into play. Again, see the old movies. They're full of nuance, but a child can watch them without understanding it. Such inclusions will bring your submission under closer scrutiny. It's permissible, but risky.

4. Modesty is desirable. Attempt to portray other cultures as accurately as possible while still conforming to our culture's perception of modesty. Don't even try to say that America has no concept of modesty; why do you think half-dressed women and bare-chested men are so attractive? Because our culture considers them to be showing what they're not supposed to!

5. We don't care what kind of music you use. Be as daring as you like, always realizing that if it's offensive, we'll dock you some points.

I think that covers it, at least for a first run-through. Never having run a festival before... or made a movie... or done anything with filmmaking other than criticizing what I don't like... these guidelines may have some gaping flaws. What do you think? -- SJ

For anyone else irritated at Christian fads

This article describes my irritation at people jumping on the latest Christian bandwagon pretty well. For examples of "bandwagons," think WWJD, Jabez, Left Behind, and now the Purpose-Driven Everything. Or simply go to Christian Book Distributor's latest magazine to find out the current one.

Okay. [/rant off]

Thanks for Praying

I just talked to my sister, Lauren, who was sitting in our uncle's house, without power, eating a bologna sandwich. Everything is fine, she said. Evidently Ivan weakened to a Category 3 storm, then shifted eastward so Lucedale got only the edge. So far, there doesn't seem to be much damage to the various family homesteads -- no broken windows, no missing roofs, no diner-on-Main-Street damaged. I'm feeling enormously relieved today, obviously. Thank you for praying. -- SJ

(And please join me in feeling guilty that my family was spared because people farther east got hit. The usual dilemma.)

A cool chart

I'm a sucker for charts and spreadsheets, and also for comparing Christian denominations, which is why one of my favourite presents for Christmas last year was a chart from my brother Evan that shows core beliefs of all the major denominations. I have it hanging on my office wall.

Here's a chart from today's Washington Post showing different beliefs and practices on the central practice of our faith: Lord's Supper/Communion/Eucharist/Mass. I thought it was fascinating.

Addition and Subtraction

I decided it was too much of a bother to keep the list up to date of which books I've recently read. I decided this because I've now completed about six books that aren't on the list, and I don't feel like taking the time to change the list every few days.

However, shamelessly piggybacking on Sara's idea, I have put up the list of websites that I check regularly. I didn't include the ones on Sara's list, although I read those as well.

Disclaimer: The sites tend to be pretty eclectic. If you're a Protestant, you may want to avoid Mark Shea and Amy Wellborn. If you're a Catholic (Roman or otherwise), you may not like Dawn Eden. If you're Orthodox without a sense of humor, definitely avoid The Onion Dome. Orson Scott Card is a Mormon who also happens to be a very fine columnist and science fiction writer. Ancient-Future Catholics and Touchstone Magazine have something to offend everyone, especially people who think "ecumenical" is a dirty word. And Snopes, while the best resource on the Net for debunking urban legends, has a lot of the more risque urban legends too - just stay away from obvious topics on its table of contents and you'll do fine.

So, with that disclaimer, dig in!

In the Path of Ivan

Please be praying for my family down in Lucedale, Mississippi. Hurricane Ivan is predicted to sweep right through the town. Ivan is a Category 5 storm -- really big and mean. My entire family lives down there, while I'm a 1000 miles away and safe, so all I can do is round up as many prayers as possible for them. Please do! -- SJ

Anniversary (Un) Surprise

The anniversary present I bought for Darren was delivered yesterday. Although it's still two weeks till the day, I was excited, and took it out of the box immediately. (No, I am not going to tell you what it is. It's for a *fun* anniversary.) Then I left it on the kitchen counter.

I was happily visiting with a friend who lives about 30 minutes from my house when I glanced at the clock and realized it was after 5. Darren gets home at 6. The anniversary present was still in plain sight on the kitchen counter. I made a scramble for the van.

I rushed home in a flurry, hoping Darren's carpool wouldn't make good time, hoping he'd just sit at the computer when he got home, hoping he'd be struck blind if he went into the kitchen.

All to no avail. He got home about ten minutes earlier than usual. And being the blasted good husband he is, he spent the entire time in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. When I got home, it was all too late.

I'd had to stop for gas on the way home, which is probably what made the difference between "in time" and "too late." Darren said, "Oh, I meant to fill it up over the weekend." "Ha!" said the daughter of Eve. "Then it's YOUR fault you saw your present!" -- SJ

Find a Book -- Listen to the Radio

Yesterday I was listening to my country radio station and heard an advertisement for a new book. It's the third in a "chick lit" trilogy ("Bridget Jones' Diary" was the inaugural "chick lit" book). It's very rarely that I hear a new book advertised on the radio. But I'm thinking they know their market. After all, I've actually read the first of the trilogy. Obviously, the women who read these books are the ones who listen to Kenny Chesney after shopping at Kohl's. -- SJ

addie (typed all by herself! Two kids in my lap. Done.)

Modern Romance

"Last night we exchanged PIN numbers and internet passwords. He *has* to marry me now." -- SJ

Pretty Pictures

We're figuring out how to post pictures on the blog, so here are my trial runs. Naturally I chose pictures that were of most interest to us. :)



Ponytail girl. 

Three cherished members of the family: Stuart, Addie, and the Double Stroller. 

Best friends always share. 

Ways of Worship

Today in church, for the first time, I knew what to do with myself while singing "I Exalt Thee."

Last week sometime, Darren said that on his commute home, he was thinking about church music. "Hymns," he said, "allow me to worship with my mind. They have doctrine and theology. I love them." He continued, "But praise songs allow me to worship with my emotions. I don't have to think, just feel." And, he added, for such an even-keel intellectual as he is, that's a good thing.

It was a good realization for me, as well. I never learned how to worship with my emotions. It was considered bad form, a cheap substitute for real worship. But that's a wrong way to look at it. God is a God of emotions as well as the mind, and we can worship Him in both ways.

So we sang an excellent hymn, "Before the Throne." Wonderful words, great tune, solid confirmation of our faith. And then we sang "I Exalt Thee," and for the first time I let go of my mind, and just let myself feel as I sang. Both were worshipful, and I felt as if I'd given more of myself than usual.

Our God is a great God, and today I both knew it and felt it. -- SJ

A Better Home with BH&G

Dear Better Homes and Gardens,

I have had a subscription to your magazine for about four years now, and as the mother of two small children, I haven't been able to incorporate many of your ideas. But today I'm writing to thank you for your September 2004 issue ("Small Space, Small Budget, Big Impact"). This issue was an exceptional value. It's hardly an exaggeration to say that every page gave me something useful with which to better my home.

We ripped your magazine to shreds.

Not literally. We actually tore out each page whole and wadded it up into a little ball. Your magazine, in its several parts, became coal to shovel into a tank engine; freight to haul across the room in a small plastic wagon with a Mardi Gras necklace for a pull; a bubble bath; leaves to rake up; and when all else failed, something to throw up in the air and make a mess. My children have enjoyed the creative avenues that your magazine provided. As a grateful mother, I am writing to thank you for your work in putting together such a high-quality publication.

Sincerely,
SJ

Alternative Guidelines

The Queen of Carrots inquired as to what my guidelines would be if I were to host a film festival. It's a stretch of the imagination even to put me in charge of such an event:

A. Because ever since third grade I've had "firstophobia," and always took the *second* spot in line so I could follow instead of lead. I still operate under this principle today. That's why I married Darren.

B. I'm a very occasonal movie-watcher, and am far more accomplished at finding movies I dislike rather than like. I'd be the Judge from Hell at my movie festival.

But I have ample imagination (ask me someday about what I thought Darren was like before I actually got to know him) so, presto, I'm in charge of my own film festival. What would my guidelines be?

Very good question. I'll muse upon it and get back to you. Any suggestions meanwhile? -- SJ

Here We Go 'Round the Censors' Block

My mother and I had a civil disagreement a few weeks ago over the guidelines to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. I complained that the rules were unreasonably restrictive. Not all stories can be told with modestly-dressed women, clean-mouthed men, and classical music. And who decides exactly what these guidelines mean, anyway? I went on a good Roberts rant about it.

My mother said she thought it was a good idea. "Look at the old movies. The women were covered up and the language was clean, and they still told the story."

We ended without agreeing.

Well, Darren and I just watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's." (1963, I think.) This movie deals with serious moral cesspool sort of people. But of course at that time they couldn't come right out and tell you exactly what Holly Golightly's and Paul Varjack's professions are (and if you don't catch it, the movie is unutterably dull). Once we caught on, however, I was amazed at how creatively the storytellers got their points across. They even managed to have two characters sleep together without ever showing them go to bed. This sort of storytelling took real skill, and it was very well done.

So I'll concede to Mom that, yes, you can tell a grimy story without wallowing in the mud, and that it's far more enjoyable to watch it that way. But I still object to the guidelines mentioned above as too specific and too restrictive... I guess because it's obvious they're looking for a certain ideological result, and no other kind is acceptable. -- SJ

* My sister, Lauren, suggested an easy way to identify the rebellious girls without having them dress immodestly: "They can just wear a t-shirt that says 'Rock and Roll' on it."

This Is Only a Test

"... Each and every one of us was put on the earth to fulfill some divine purpose, and life is essentially a test to determine an individual's eventual destination -- Heaven or Hell ..."

I came across this quote in a novel. What do you think about it? Do you agree that it is a good basic description of Christianity? -- SJ

Tutter With Your Boast?

Darren and I are both prone to occasional migraine headaches. My vision goes strange, then the pain sets in, and about two hours later it fades and I'm left pretty wiped out. Pretty standard and not very interesting.

Darren, on the other hand, gets "painless" migraines. His vision goes strange and sometimes his head gets a little sore, and then he's pretty wiped out afterward. But -- I hate to say this -- it's actually funny when Darren gets a migraine.

Evidently the connection between his brain and his tongue shorts out for the duration of the migraine, and he simply can't say what he's thinking. Today he was trying to quote a remark about three guys who have "their fingers on the pulse" of general opinion. "Three guys who have their feelings on the... their pulse on the feeling... their fingers on the feeling..."

Once he called me from work with a painless migraine. By the end of the difficult conversation, I was very sympathetic, which I couldn't express enough because I was laughing too hard to talk. Finally he said he was going to "get off the fan... get off the phone." I gripped my self-control and said calmly, "I hope the migraine is over soon."

"Oh, yes," he replied cheerfully. "Me, toast!"

He hung up to renewed peals of laughter. But he didn't mind. He still loves me. At least, I think that's what he said. -- SJ

Another Book Review

I finished V. Synan’s “The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition” last night. It’s required reading for the class “Life in the Spirit,” which starts next weekend. Synan is a Pentecostal who is the dean of Regent University’s School of Divinity, and he’s a good writer. I have a much better understanding of the holiness/Pentecostal/Charismatic/Third Wave* movement of the last 150 years, and I appreciate it much more than I have. I still think that Pentecostalism tends to go overboard in claiming as manifestations of the Spirit’s work actions that are Scripturally questionable, but then again, all the streams of the Church tend to go overboard in some ways, in my opinion. To give just a couple examples, I see standard Reformation Protestantism as having a tendency to ignore the sacramental and liturgical roots of the Church, to the extent that some I know deny that Catholics and Orthodox are even Christians; while Catholicism tends to ignore the personal evangelical relationship that is so important to our growth “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13). Orthodoxy, at least to the limited extent that I have seen it in practice, tends to go overboard on conflating Church and Culture, even to the point of holding services here in Winchester in mostly Greek even though most of the parishioners (at least to my eyes) appear to be at least second-generation American.

Synan does make a convincing case that the charismatic movement (including Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Third-Wavers) should be considered a separate tradition alongside Reformation Protestantism and Catholicism (he doesn’t mention Orthodoxy). The charismatic movement has in some cases been further on the cutting edge of Church unity than the Protestants, because they have been willing to recognize Catholics as brothers in Christ, due in large part to the fact that the Catholic Church accepted the charismatic movement in the late 1960s and 1970s rather than rejecting it like some of the mainline churches did earlier in the century.

It’s always fun to learn about an area of history that I know almost nothing about, and it’s even better when it’s Church history! I’d recommend this book highly. Synan knows his subject well, and he’s fairly balanced at presenting the (at times wild) history of the Spirit’s moving in the last 150 years.


* “Third Wave” is used by some to describe those Christians who accept the up-to-date manifestation of the Holy Spirit through His gifts, which can include the “sign gifts” of tongues, prophecy, and healing, but who do not accept the Pentecostal doctrines of “entire sanctification” or a separate experience of being “baptized in the Holy Spirit.” -- DJ

Is God a Hippie?

Evidently God
Is in divine ‘Sixties mood -
Tie-dyed cloud above.

Last night on the way home from the Christian bookstore, where Sara and I had drooled over pre-school Bible studies, we saw a small cloud up to the right of the setting sun. The end away from the sun was a brilliant rainbow. It looked like it had been tie-dyed. It also looked like a colorful version of the Christmas cookies that have one end dipped in chocolate. I’d never seen something like that before. -- DJ

Prime-Time Re-Run

The opinion has been expressed that the Soap Opera Identity Game was too easy without anonymous posting. Now you can post without a name. Give it a shot! Note: some sort of additional hint is appreciated, as Darren and I *are* both genius but not quite psychic.

-- SJ

P.S. Rose, I'd have guessed you anyway, knowing you couldn't resist a name game. :)

You can be anonymous, too!

We've changed the settings to allow anonymous comments (we didn't realize that it wasn't set to allow them to start with). This means that you can comment without registering for your own blog account. So please do. :)

-- SJ

English Deficiency

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, there should be a collective term for aunts and uncles, as well as neices and nephews; after all, we have "grandparents," "cousins," and "in-laws." I and others have worked on this problem over the years, coming up with a couple of suggestions:

* (From my sisters, Rosemary and Lauren, and myself): Aunts and uncles can be "Grandsibs" (grandsiblings is the long form). The term could apply the other way for neices and nephews, also, but then it would be difficult to distinguish which generation you're referring to.

* My sister-in-law, Lindsay, has announced in the past that she was waiting for a "neicephew" to arrive. It's a very handy word with the added benefit of being feminine-dominate, a virtue in today's gender-conscious world.

Any other suggestions? Leave your comments below. Maybe we can change the way the Western world speaks! Or maybe we can just seem a little more weird. -- SJ

Life Is Bitter: A Poem in Haiku

Since our poetry was so well-received, I thought I'd post another that came about during our weekend on the lake. This work is a child's cry of realization of the sting of life.

Life Is Bitter: A Poem in Haiku
Inspired by Addie Jones

I stand on the shore
As they sail away from me.
My tears stream freely.

They would not take me
They said there was no more room.
But Jed got to go.

Ah, life is bitter,
For I wanted to be there,
In the boat with them.

I stand on the shore
As they sail away from me.
I see Jed waving.

Catching Up...

...with the other Joneses.

Maine was great and the Joneses were even better. We stayed at Darren's aunt-and-uncle's house (there really ought to be a collective term for parents' siblings.) Uncle Rick and Aunt Kath fit six family groups/individuals in their house and on their grounds with ease. They live on a lake, so the kids played in the water and the adults took turns taking out kayaks.

A word about kayaks, as opposed to canoes. Kayaks are good, canoes are evil. Kayaks are accomodating and careful not to rock too much, whereas canoes take malicious pleasure in tipping over. Kayaks work with you to get where you're going, while canoes subvert your efforts. We are glad that the Lakehouse provided kayaks for our use and edification.

Along with the big meals, speedboat rides with Uncle Rick, a bonfire, and lots of actively sitting around and talking, we got to watch the cousins together. There are five Jones cousins now: Jed, Addie, Stuart, Chloe, and Tucker, ages 4 years to 7 weeks. Darren's parents (known to the important people as "Grandpa and Nana") were happy spectators.

It's always a good time with the Joneses because they feel like my own family, and like my own family there's very little tension or one-upmanship among us. Well, okay, there was that game of Cranium where the guys won by a mere fluke -- they had to draw a menorah, whereas we lost because Lindsay couldn't get us to recognize the first few bars of "I Got You, Babe" when she hummed it. Or maybe it was when she tried to get us to guess "salmon" while drawing with her eyes closed, and we couldn't figure out what her salmon steaks were supposed to be. Otherwise everything went fine.

We got home about 10:00. The kids get the Super Excellent First Place A-1 Tip Top Rocky Top Grand Prize for good traveling. Fortified with Teddy Grahams and two interminable CDs, they rode quietly and happily for the majority of the trip. Have we ever got good kids.

And, boy, is it good to be back online! -- SJ