Team Redd

Part 1: Love at First Listen

2012-01-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

(This is the first post in a new autobiographical series titled The Roadtripper's Guide to Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Live Music. Indulge me. It releases weekly on Tuesdays. You can read the Prologue here.)

My relationship with unique quality tunes began the day I received a cassette tape in the mail from Release magazine. I had just gotten my first set of wheels -- a deluxe 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix, burgundy, previously a prize for a Mary Kay rep, complete with a futuristic dashboard resembling something from Flight of the Navigator. It might have been better if the car actually WAS pink. CD players did not exist when the folks made it in Detroit, mp3 players were a distant glimmer in some programmer's future, and the radio brought slim options, so tapes were still a delight to receive. As soon as I heard the songs on side A of this particular little cassette, I played them for anyone I thought might want to listen.

I distinctly remember sitting in my car in the FUMC church parking lot one afternoon after some youth event, asking Mrs. S, the mom of two kids I used to babysit, to hear this amazing new band I'd discovered. They came from somewhere out in Texas. A couple of guys and some girl with a pretty voice. They rocked. They used weird percussion instruments. They had a literary name. And I swooned.

As the first strains of Danielle's voice singing "This world has nothing for me..." resounded from my vintage stereo, I couldn't tell if Mrs. S was pleased at what she was hearing or just amusing a sweet little teenager. But as I preached the gospel of this new brand of smart folk-rock, I knew I would be forever changed.

Up until this point, my musical tastes consisted of my parents' do-wop classics, Kasey Kasem's Top 40 hits on Sunday afternoons, a casette tape of The Monkees, whatever was on the million country stations available (including lots of Garth), and a large dose of CCM, the pop hits that only came to us via radio on Sunday mornings, when local radio station KMX played music for puttin' on church clothes. I was stuck in a small south Alabama town where Dave Matthews hadn't quite yet made his presence known, the boys all listened to gangsta rap like it was Jack Daniels, and concerts were like a foreign country. Even the Christian music I thought I liked had to come by mail order or a trip to a shopping mall almost an hour away. At least we had Jars of Clay. That year you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing "Flood" pour out of the speakers. I remember posting lyrics to "Like a Child" on my dorm door when I went to a science camp back in the summer of '95. I thought I was so cool.

Don't tell anyone that my first actual concert of any kind, in middle school, was Ray Boltz. You'll shatter any illusions they might have had about my social stature. I followed those up with regular attendance at performances of Point of Grace, Rebecca St. James, Clay Crosse and somebody named Greg Long (who?), complete with all the paraphenalia they could sell me. One notable exception might have been a visit to my hometown from the guy who would later write all those songs for Casting Crowns, but even then I can't seriously count that a brush with stardom. Anyone remember Skillet? Yeah, there's a reason I consider the moment I first heard Derek and Cliff as a conversion experience.

My junior and senior years of high school I spent too much time on messageboards for want of like-minded music lovers. Not only was I already a pariah in local cliques for intently following something called CCM Magazine, but I was about to jump ship and enter the world of slightly-independent music of which no one outside of a select few had even a remote interest. Mind you, the internet had only recently been introduced, but all us crazies tended to find each other there, so I forged ahead. My few real-life close friends at the time either could care less about music or were away at college, making their own discoveries. The one guy I dated in high school liked Nine-Inch Nails, for crying out loud. Not a paragon of musical taste. I'm still thankful to the youth leader from the Bible school formerly known as FBTC for giving me a poster of the album cover from this particular band's first label release. He was the first person I'd met in real life who actually knew who they were. It was a lead of love. (And if you just got that, then you do, too.)

And so I entered my senior year of high school armed with a new homemade binder for my AP English Lit class (where we began by studying early British texts), appropriately emblazoned with album covers and the band's name across the top: Caedmon's Call.

Photo from http://caedmonscall.net/

Little did I know that there was a fellow Caedmon's Call fan from Alabama who was attending college just one state over and that in a few short years, our worlds would collide.

If you are still in the dark about this band (or any other I mention in this series) please go check them out at their official website. You don't even have to wait for someone to send you a tape or CD to listen to their music. We have iTunes now. And NoiseTrade, where you can download songs from their latest album for free!

Books Read in 2011 (Gaines)

2012-01-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality -- (My review)

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning

Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People -- (My review)

The Acts of the Apostles (Sacra Pagina Commentary Series)

Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ

Confessions and Catechisms of the Reformation

Introduction to the History of Christianity: First Century to the Present Day

Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought [Selections]

Peter Martyr Vermigli 1499-1562: Renaissance Man, Reformation Master

Colonial Presbyterianism: Old Faith in a New Land

The Color of Magic

The Orthodox Church

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression

The Monster in the Hollows (The Wingfeather Saga Book Three)

Let's Study Hebrews

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

I'm a bit behind in getting this post up - a fact which pretty much sums up my entire reading effort in 2011. Oh well.

Looking over the list, most of my reading was school-related. I guess that counts, but it just doesn't feel the same. Not that there weren't some good selections in there. The L.T. Johnson commentary on Acts was simultaneously brilliant and infuriating. I've almost finished all 4 volumes of Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics, and it has been worth the read. The collection of monographs on Colonial Presbyterianism provided some great insight on a period I am woefully ignorant of. And speaking of history, I especially enjoyed the Peter Martyr Vermigli biography - the book itself was okay, but the subject was very fascinating: Vermgli deserves much more attention than he gets!

Of the non-fiction books that weren't for school, I especially enjoyed Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression -- though it is easy to lament how quickly we forget the lessons of the past. Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets was often tough to read, but was an utterly captivating look inside the world of criminal investigation in a major U.S. city.

My biggest regret: only two fiction books in 2011! Granted, one was Andy Peterson's thoroughly enjoyable third installment of his Wingfeather Saga. But I'll have to do better in 2012.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

Prologue

2012-01-03T23:38:00.002-05:00

If I ever write a memoir (because my life has been SO exciting), it shall henceforth have this title: A Roadtripper's Guide to Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Live Music.

Okay, I confess. I've already started.

Everyone likes a good love story, right? And I figure most of the folks reading this blog weren't there for all those years before we became the awesomeness that is now known as Team Redd.

So, if there's one place you can be self-indulgent and write your autobiography, it's a blog.

I've been dashing out ideas for months and creating chapters in my head while I'm in the shower or drying my hair (those are excellent moments in which to actually THINK for us moms, rather than just respond mindlessly to an oft-repeated request). However, the problem is that not many of those ideas make it to paper, or in this case, the pretty internets.

But this is the time for resolutions, so by golly, I'm going to try!

It's Tuesday, Music traditionally releases on Tuesdays. Hence, I submit this to you on a Tuesday. Look for Chapter 1 next week. And break out some nineties rock.

Everyone's life has a soundtrack. Mine just might be a little less well-known.

Stay tuned, folks.

Gladys Herdman and the Book of Joshua

2012-01-02T01:06:00.002-05:00

What does it feel like when God's Word speaks to you? To me, it's always like a smack on the forehead. "Listen Up! This is for YOU, silly!" Or maybe it's more like that Herdman kid from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, whose strange proclamation somehow sounds like the best news you've ever heard: "Hey! Unto you a child is born! And he's in a barn!"

Well, this past Sunday I heard a sermon that spoke to me like Gladys Herdman. (I highly recommend you take a listen to it if you have the time.)

During the past year, our little church has been blessed by much change, some heartache, a search for new senior leadership, multiple guest speakers who have taught us from God's Word, an awesome associate pastor who has stepped up in a big way, and a long process of church revitalization. I'm on the Vision Team, and though I've put in many long hours (and Calvin, too, once he arrived), I think every minute has been valuable. One of the first parts of the process we've undertaken is to discern why God has placed us where we are. Why are we in this community? On this corner? In this building? And how can we use that to be part of what God is already doing? I thought about all this as I listened to the pastor draw together the grand picture of God's plan of redemption with events going on both across the world as well as in our own little corner as he exhorted us from the first chapter of Joshua.

The last time I really meditated on the book of Joshua was 12 years ago. The summer of 1999 was coming to a close, and I was at a leadership retreat for our college's InterVarsity chapter. Just before arriving at the retreat center, I'd returned home from a summer away working at camp to find out that a childhood friend of mine had been killed in a car accident, killed by a drunk driver. She was only 19. Like Joshua mourning Moses' death, I was grieving. And yet, our IV leader showed me Joshua chapter one, and the encouragement there. It helped me not to focus on my own sorrow and loss, but on the task ahead and the work God had for me. And I needed to hear it then, just like I needed to hear it again yesterday, but for slightly different reasons these days.

As he read from that first chapter, I was struck again by the oft-repeated "be strong and courageous," but also, for the first time, the parts surrounding the phrase:

"Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 6-9) And also, in verse 3, the Lord tells Joshua that "every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you."

For the first time, I connected those truths to my own life. Yes, I know intellectually that God owns everything, the mountains and the valleys are His and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The earth is His and all the fullness thereof. And I know that in Christ, the promises were extended so that now the promised land we are to inherit is not just a tiny patch in the Middle East, but the entire world. "For God so loved the world..." That is his promise -- His kingdom shall have no end. But on Sunday, I finally "got" that it applies to me. To our church. Right where I am, right now. Wherever I go, God is with me. God has people in this city that are His. If we commit to His Word and "meditate on it day and night" He will bring us people to share with, to love, to tell about the good news of Jesus. People in our neighborhood. People in our streets. People at the grocery store and the gym and at schools and parks and restaurants. Every place that the soles of our feet (or our tires) tread upon He has given to us. It seems like such a "D'oh!" moment to me now, writing this. Of course God is with you where you are! He's everywhere! But sometimes I just need someone to put it in slightly different words, like a betrodden kid dressed in angel wings who takes over the part of Gabriel and shouts the Gospel. "Emmanuel! God with us! PRESENCE!"

Why I Blog: Because My Brain is Too Full

2012-01-01T23:59:00.001-05:00

While trolling through old blog posts to try to remember what my life was like before kids when we posted over 200 times a year, I just read this excerpt documenting our Christmas travels circa 2004:

Highlights of the day included playing Nerf N-Strike (it has an interactive DVD!) with his young cousin (and almost suffering a concussion when he shot me at point blank range, while Gaines almost had a broken tooth when the little boy head-butted him). Avoiding any more near-catastrophes, we traveled back down to Montgomery to spend time with Gaines' parents and sisters and their dog.

A few funny things:

1. That cousin we played Nerf with is now a junior in high school. His name is Austin and he also happens to share a birthday with our oldest, Jacob. This past Christmas, he tried to manipulate Jacob into telling everyone he was his best friend. "Who's your best friend, Jacob? (Say 'Austin'.)" Well, after some time of this he thought he'd sucessfully brainwashed him, so Austin parades Jacob out in front of the entire family. "Who's your best friend, Jacob?" Jacob: "Cole." Mwahahaha.

2. Oh my goodness I am much more prepared for violence these days. Gaines almost had a broken tooth? No way! That was nothing. I did grow up next door to three boys and I practically lived at their house, but perhaps by that time I'd lost my adaptation to testosterone. It's definitely back, now. I've got three boys of my own! Head-butts are like a daily occurrence around here!

3. Both Gaines' sisters and his parents still live in Montgomery, though now each in their own homes, but I can barely remember that they, at some point, collectively, only had ONE dog. (Lucy, who liked to bite the UPS packages to make sure they were safe.) Now, his sisters have three dogs between them (Zoe, Chewy, and Cody) and his parents have Zeke, who probably misses all the excitement from our recent visit. See why we don't need a pet just yet? We can visit four any time we'd like!

Books Read in 2011 (Allison)

2012-01-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality

By the Pricking of My Thumbs

The Scriptures, the Cross, and the Power of God: Reflections for Holy Week

The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis

The Case for Classical Christian Education

When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling

Out of the Silent Planet

Perelandra

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples

Son of Laughter

Many Waters

That Hideous Strength

The Power of Words

1776

Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Disciplines

The Pressure's Off: There's a New Way to Live

Her Fearful Symmetry

The Help

Hoping for Something Better: Refusing to Settle for Life as Usual

The Politically Correct Guide to American History

Though not quite the least number of books since we've been keeping track, 24 is still below my average.I'm seeing a trend, here:

2004: 40
2005: 47 (I count grad school and beginning teaching for padding my numbers that year.)
2006: 35
2007: 34
2008: 36
2009: 21
2010: 23

I am on a slight upswing, so that's progress! (And if you're curious, I linked to all the past lists.)

Favorite first reads from 2011: Jayber Crow, Simple Church, and The Narnian

Favorite re-reads: The Case for Classical Christian Education and Mudhouse Sabbath

Best fiction not by Wendell Berry that I liked so much I read it again this year: The Help

They all deserve a post, or at least a paragraph, of their own. Someday.

Book Review - Children and the Lord's Supper

2011-12-30T15:58:00.003-05:00

Children and the Lord's Supper is a collection of essays addressing the issue of (as you can probably guess) children's participation in the Lord's Supper. Specifically, the book provides a critical assessment of the doctrine of paedocommunion, defined as "the admittance of a covenant child to the Lord's Supper on the basis of his descent from at least one professing Christian parent." Edited by Guy Waters and Ligon Duncan, Children and the Lord's Supper offers both a rebuttal to pro-paedocommunion arguments as well as a defense of the historic Reformed position that covenant children should be admitted to the Lord's Table only after providing a credible profession of faith. The collected essays address the topic from Biblical, theological, historical and pastoral standpoints.

The book is released under the Mentor imprint of Christian Focus Publications, indicating that its intended audience includes pastors, seminary students, and other serious readers. The book would also be most appropriate for those examining the issues from within the Presbyterian and Reformed traditions, as the historic Reformed confessions form a starting point for much of the book's arguments. The book's contributors include a number of respected Reformed authors, including Derek Thomas, Joel Beeke and Cornelis Venema (in addition to Waters and Duncan). The collected essays address topics including the nature of the link between the Lord's Supper and the Passover, the application of the critical "self-examination" passage in 1 Corinthians 11, an examination of relevant portions of the Reformed Confessions and liturgies, and a survey of historical evidence for the practice of paedocommunion in the Patristic era.

I would recommend Children and the Lord's Supper to anyone looking for a succinct defense of the traditional Reformed view on admission of children to the Lord's Supper. Those outside the Reformed tradition will also benefit from reading the book, particularly the essays on the Passover, 1 Corinthians 11, and the history of the practice in the early church. For non-Reformed readers, the essays dealing largely with the confessions and Reformed liturgy may be interesting but not as helpful in evaluating the practice of paedocommunion. (Admittedly, I have not read much in the way of pro-paedocommunion literature, especially the works critiqued in this collection, so I will have to defer to others to indicate whether the pro side has been fairly represented.)

Personally, the issue of children and the Supper is one I have not firmly settled in my own mind, and instead of settling the matter, Children and the Lord's Supper gave me further food for thought. I am a member of a Presbyterian church, so I do hold the Reformed confessions in high esteem. Yet they aren't infallible, so I would have appreciated if the book had spent more time examining the relevant Biblical texts than it did. I also found the historical survey most interesting, as it pointed to a diversity of practice in the early church. Perhaps this points toward a way forward on the issue of children and communion? Either way, the book provides a great starting point to a conversation on an important topic, and I look forward to hearing the other side present their case.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for writing a review. I was under no compulsion to provide a positive review.)

Hot Doughnuts Now

2011-12-21T00:57:00.001-05:00

So, last Saturday we traveled to Alabama for our first family Christmas celebration with Gaines' Grandmama. And we came home from playing dirty Santa with...a doughtnut maker.

And not just any doughnut maker. A Sunbeam one, bright yellow, that looks like it came straight out of the Simpsons!

It's complicated how we got it, actually. I opened it when it was my turn, but then someone stole it from me. However, Jacob was so distraught at losing the doughnut maker ("Noooooooo!") that his dad and Aunt Amy conspired to get it back for him after the game. He was almost as upset that Amy stole it away until he realized it was really for HIM. Such a sweet aunt! Glad Uncle Mike was so agreeable about swapping gifts! (We promise to share some with you!)

This Tuesday morning I felt well enough to try it out. It's quite simple, really, you just preheat, make a batter, spray the hot molds with cooking spray, add batter to the pan, and heat until done. Just like the sandwich maker I used to have growing up, except this does get really hot, in order to bake them up all crispy, so watch your fingers!

I didn't just use any old recipe that came with the book, though. If I was going to make doughnuts, I was going to MAKE DOUGHNUTS. Baked Apple Pie Cinnamon-Sugar-Covered Doughnuts, to be precise. This recipe made about 15 of our mini-sized doughnuts. Perfect for hungry little boys who ate at least two each!

We will be trying this again very soon, with glazed doughnuts, per Ethan's request! Yum!

Year in Review: January

2011-12-19T23:50:00.001-05:00

This has been the sparsest year yet on our trusty old blog. With these few weeks left in 2011, and in anticipation of more blogging to come in the new year, I'm giving you a recap of all the things I might have forgotten about if I didn't take a few pictures. Most deserve a blog post of their own, but as it is, you're lucky to get this much. So, without further adieu, I give you: January.

Last New Year's Eve we spent the long weekend driving up to Kentucky to attend Gaines' cousin's wedding. It marks the longest road trip we've ever taken as a family. It was also the perfect place to read my first Wendell Berry novel. Snow still clung to the mountainsides near the interstate as we drove, and the crisp air and mountain vistas made me want to return again during the fall. And the boys -- miraculously -- sat through the ceremony quite well. They also enjoyed the reception, but I heard we left too early, before the real dancing began. Still, here are the highlights:

Ethan really really wanted some food. Stat.


Jacob and his 2nd cousin Kaden making funny faces.


Me and my oldest boy starting off the New Year.

Nana dancing with Ethan. He was getting so sleepy...

I don't even want to know what this was about. Cake?

Ethan dancing with his 2nd cousin Charlotte. So sweet!

Back home, the older and younger women of our church started meeting together each Sunday evening to participate in the Apple of Gold mentoring program. There was lots of laughter, yummy dinners, and much sharing of life, love and recipes.

One of many demonstrations. Lauren taught us knife skills. Two of the women in this picture, Becky and Lauren, now have newborns! Later, we wondered what exactly WAS in those recipes?!

Some of my favorite ladies watching from afar. There's my friend Lindsay smiling for the camera, and she, too, just had a baby this past summer. I love seeing the nursery so full of little ones!

Ok, so right in the middle of all this January fun came THE GREAT SNOWPOCALYPSE of 2011. If you didn't hear about us snow-trapped Southerners you were either in a snowstorm yourself of living under a rock. But we made the best of it!

Our back porch covered in inches. INCHES! of snow.

Jacob loved being out in the white stuff and could've stayed all day.

Ethan, however, was not so pleased and looked like this for most of his half-hour outside. "Too cold!" We were glad Daddy got to stay home, even if he did bring work with him. But we let him out to play with us for a little bit!

Jacob the red-nosed reindeer?

Question: Will winter outerwear still go on deep discounts in January if we have another one of these freak storms this year?

Ok, moving on to more fun things...like our field trip at the end of January! A fellow homeschooling mom and mother of five, a good friend from church, had two extra tickets to the Georgia Aquarium and asked us to go with them at the last minute! We were delighted! We also got to make a trip this past week (in December) and it was so fun to see how they've grown and how much more they enjoyed seeing the different exhibits now they are older. Still, I think our January trip will always be remembered for who we got to see it with...

Ethan studies a starfish. I love he still had a mullet!

Hanging out with a friend of ours from church!

Watching the deep-sea creatures with some siblings from the same family. The manta rays were a favorite!


Attempting a family photo, but the tropical fish were more interesting.

And that sums up our January of 2011 in pictures. I'm sure we did lots more wonderful things, like paint pictures and play trains and read books, but I was also in that first trimester zone where I was TIRED ALL THE TIME (thanks, Calvin) so mostly I remember staying inside, where it was warm. And taking naps. Can we do that again this year?

How to Get the Giveaway Fairies to Like You

2011-12-16T11:39:00.001-05:00

This week, despite being a bit rough in the general life category, turned out to be quite prosperous online. I won not one, not two, but THREE online blog giveaways.

If you've been a reader for a long time (and bless you, because this blog has been basically dead for three years) then you might recall I had a spree of winnings back when our oldest boy was a newborn. I was online all the time and blog contests were just getting started, so I think I just got lucky. I won baby gifts and toys and all sorts of things -- some I still use and enjoy and some I gave away as presents! But this week I proved that the magic can still happen.

Not only did I win the previously mentioned camping gear, I won TWO prizes from Half-Pint House Handouts. I've been following Megan's blog Half-Pint House for years now and started entering her contests only recently, whenever I saw something that struck my eye. Earlier this week, I won a $50 Spa Gift Card, which I fully intend to use on myself once I recover from surgery.

Plus, this morning Megan let me know I won a Baby Bullet! I've secretly wanted one for a while, ever since my previous mini-food processor bit the dust after the birth of our second boy. Our oldest, 4 year-old Jacob, will probably be the most excited about this since he has been declaring for months, even before Calvin arrived, that "We NEED to buy a Baby Bullet, Mommy! To feed the new baby!" I think he's been watching too much Sprout. He even quotes the commercials. He's going to be psyched!

Well, all this happened because late one night last week I went on a twitter-flurry of entering giveaways. And I'm here to share my secrets with you.

1. Enter contests only for things you actually want to win.

2. Enter often, maybe a few times a week, but only if you feel it is worth your time. If a contest takes me a few minutes to enter without too much effort, I'll do it. But if I don't really like the product or the entries are too complicated, I usually don't bother. But even if you only enter once in a blue moon, you have a chance.

3. Enter small, blog-based contests. Half-Pint Handouts is a great site, and she has multiple giveaways each week! The contest I won from Southern-Savers had about 1,000 comments, which are pretty big odds in my book -- it might be the biggest contest I've won yet. Definitely the biggest prize I've ever gotten. I like to stick to smaller contests, usually from people I know. But I will still enter the Pioneer Woman and Money-Saving Mom Giveaways. Just because they have really cool stuff.

4. Go all in! If there are multiple ways to enter, use them all -- Facebook, Twitter, etc. I have a Twitter account mostly for the purpose of giveaways. And you can always un-like or un-friend something after a contest is over. Rafflecopter, a service that many blog giveaways use, makes this easy -- it tells you what to do for each entry and then you just check that you've completed that step.

5. Don't be disappointed. There are lots of contests out there, and lots of people entering them. For me, it's a fun diversion that I take part in every now and then, but I don't count on winning. Ever. Which is why it is such a great surprise when things like this happen! I count it all joy!

Alright, now that I've shared my tips and tricks my odds of winning are sure to decrease sharply since you found me out. But please show Megan some love at Half-Pint Handouts. And read all her other stuff, too. You'll like her. It's my way of saying "Thanks!"

Camping, here we come!

2011-12-15T19:14:00.000-05:00

Back in October, I entered a contest at Southern Savers, one of my most favorite coupon websites.

Today I got the exciting news that I won $500 in camping gear from the Boy Scouts of America!

They haven't given exact details of what is included in the camping gear, but I hope it's enough for this family of five to go camping this spring!

We don't have any of our old gear (not that I had much to begin with -- a small tent and maybe some sleeping bags), and we haven't been camping since before we had kids -- so this is a wonderful blessing to us, especially right now. Yay for the great outdoors!

I am so thankful for Jenny at Southern Savers for hosting this contest and for the Boy Scouts of America for sponsoring the prize. I'll be on the lookout for packages in the coming weeks!

Brothers in Blue

2011-11-20T00:59:00.023-05:00

Three locations. Same sofa.
Three brothers. One outfit.
Oh my, how the years go by.

Jacob, age 4 months. Arbors at WC apartment.

Ethan, age 2 months. Centennial Ridge apartment.

Calvin, age 4 months. Lockridge house.

Spooky Spider Cookies

2011-10-25T00:31:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for something fun and simple to make with your kids this Halloween week, I've got a tasty treat that takes no time at all. We actually made these back at the end of September. The idea came from a class that Jacob took last fall at a local nature center the week they studied spiders. (Forgive the ill-lighted photos -- it was an overcast, rainy, PJ day.) Here is my version of these arachnid-shaped snacks.

Chocolate Spider Cookies

You will need:

chocolate sandwich cookies (we prefer Trader Joe's version)
pretzel sticks (also good for spreading)
mini M&M's (the regular ones work OK in a pinch)
something sticky (we used Nutella, but peanut butter works fine)

This is a very hands-off project for the adults, so just set out the supplies, make an example, and let the kids go to work!

To assemble, just open up your sandwich cookies, like so....

Arrange the pretzels in the icing so they form eight spider legs. You might want to break the sticks in half. (This moment affords an excellent opportunity to discuss the difference between how many legs spiders have versus insects. Numbers! Science! Comparison! Counting! We are "learnding."

Next, put the cookie back together (You may need some extra "glue" here to hold it together, so spread on some extra Nutella. Because you can.).

Using a pretzel stick, dab on two dots of Nutella and add the mini M&M's as eyes. That's it!

Here comes the best part...the eating! (They look so tired in this photo, but really, they were excited!)

We finished off the theme by singing "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and reading Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider before taking naps. We may make these again this week, and if so, I hope to include a reading of Mary Howitt's poem, "The Spider and the Fly," which, though morbid, could make for an interesting inclusion in the cookie. Maybe the spider could swallow up a regular-sized M&M for the "fly"?! However you make these and whatever you do, please enjoy!

Book Review: 365 Great Bible Stories

2011-10-21T23:50:00.000-04:00

The opportunity to review 365 Great Bible Stories The Good News of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation came at just the right time in our family. After the birth of our third son, things have become more hectic than usual, and so I've been looking for a way to incorporate more Bible reading time into our family's daily routine. This larger compilation by Carine MacKenzie, who has written numerous other children's adaptations of Bible stories, seems a natural fit for our family.

Things I appreciate about this Bible story book:

the depth of theology -- the commentaries, particularly in the OT section, point toward Christ and the stories remain faithful to the truths found in Scripture
the breadth of stories -- her selections include highlighting lesser known passages, yet they are almost always connected to some aspect of faith in Christ without simply moralizing
the brevity of each selection -- no story is more than a few paragraphs long and each fits on a page, yet the content is sound and requires close listening
the option of reading the stories thematically -- you can trace stories about Jesus, wars and battles, the Holy Spirit, journeys and travels
the illustrations are also thematic (dove for Holy Spirit, road for journeys, etc.) which allow even pre-readers to recognize the larger threads of the Bible

Overall, I found this an excellent format for our purposes. These brief yet powerful stories will provide ample discussion and lead us to search the appropriate Scripture passages further. Though the illustrations were not in a style I particularly favored, I was glad that they refrained from attempting to illustrate Jesus, since that almost always turns out badly. And the repetition of iconic illustrations to assist in identifying the common themes of the stories turned out to be quite helpful to our children. The target age seems to be younger elementary students, but I think our almost-5-year-old will easily be able to understand the main points and the "Think" comments. We are looking forward to reading through these daily selections over the course of the next year as we grow together in our study of God's Word. MacKenzie's 365 Great Bible Stories is a great jumping-off point to guide your reading of Scripture as a family.

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this story Bible from the publisher, but these words and opinions are completely my own. I really do appreciate it and plan to use it in our family's devotion time.

Support Slugs and Bugs

2011-09-22T00:45:00.000-04:00

You've probably heard us extol the virtues of Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame and their kids CD, "Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies." But maybe you haven't?

We've known about and loved both of these talented singer-songwriters for years, but it wasn't until they turned their awesome lyrical prowess toward the kid scene that we realized they found a niche that no one else could do better. Hilarious lyrics. Non-annoying music. In fact, the tunes are quite catchy, but yet somehow remain free from the cloying repetitiveness of other music aimed toward the toddler set. And they share the love of Christ, to boot.

The first time we heard one of the songs from the original Slugs and Bugs album was at Andrew's Behold the Lamb of God concert in Nashville in December of 2006. I was pregnant with our first son, and I distinctly remember listening to "Matthew's Begats" and thinking that we should choose our kid's name from the lineage of Christ. Apparently, Gaines had the same idea, just a different name. (He won.) Anyway, during the "in the round" portion of the concert where all the artists take turns sharing their original songs before the Christmas musical is performed, Randall Goodgame began singing "Bears, bears, they got no cares. Bears don't drink from a cup..." I was instantly hooked. It was the beginning of a revolution in music written for rugrats. After the concert, we bought a copy of the CD and listened to it for the first time in a car with our good friends Chandra and Kennan. And we laughed our heads off. Especially at the not-so-subtle references to kids getting eaten by something (orcas, panda bears, a tiger) and the background vocals by someone named Anklejelly Jones. And since then, the refrain of "Tractor, Tractor" has been heard on the lips of at least two Redd children almost every day of their lives. Possibly a third. So far, he's inaudible unless screaming.

Last year, Randall produced a Christmas album and began touring the country in earnest doing Slugs and Bugs only shows. Among appropriate holiday-themed tunes, Randall included new verses to the perennial classic "Jesus Loves Me," which is a household favorite. But did you know that they are producing a third album this year? Oh, yes. And YOU can help make it happen! Andrew is back as part of the action and they've got a page on Kickstarter where you can make a donation to support the new album as it is being made. You can also check out some of their new songs! "Mexican Rhapsody" may be one of my new favorite homages, especially since I spent all those hours on high school trips listening to Queen blaring from someone's boom box.. And we te gusta us some Mexican food.

You can also check out Randall's attempt at a support-raising video here. Yes, he is that funny in real life.

Lil' Brudder has arrived!

2011-08-18T23:14:00.000-04:00

One week ago today, our third son, Calvin Harris, entered the world at 1:48 p.m. He weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs and 9 oz and 22 and 3/4 inches long. See? The photo doesn't lie.

Not bad for being only five days late -- his brothers, both born at 41 weeks, weren't even nine pounds! I'm so grateful for the answered prayers -- he came all on his own without the need for a repeat c-section and labor kicked in only a few hours shy of a scheduled induction. In fact, his was probably the easiest delivery out of all three and he was the biggest by far! (I plan to share more of THAT story soon.) We are so proud to be at home now with our "little" guy, and he's eating like a champ already and figuring out this sleeping thing. Jacob and Ethan are enamored with him (who wouldn't be?!) and are very sweet to the youngest Redd brother, though perhaps not so much to each other.

Here are a few more shots from the hospital. This is one proud Dad:

I love this next picture. Look at this kid! So young, so handsome -- so much hair! Sideburns like Elvis. Big blue eyes. Chubby cheeks. So much to love! (This also may be my best-ever photo in a hospital gown.) Current nickname: Chunk-a-munk

Perhaps you are wondering about his real name. The middle name, Harris, was Gaines' great-grandfather's name, and we just liked the way it sounds. We've had this tradition so far of using family names for our sons' middle names and were trying out different ones for months. Finally, someone mentioned this and it stuck. The coolest part we found out only after the birth -- that Gaines' great-grandfather was actually named for the minister that married his parents. What a neat idea!

As for the first name's inspiration, I'll let you guess. Was it...

A) the imaginative and irreverent six-year old boy whose best friend was a stuffed tiger, created by cartoonist Bill Watterson?

B) the amazingly agile former Georgia Tech wide receiver, who now plays for the Detroit Lions? (given his size, this might not be a bad guess!)

or C) the famous 16th-century theologian and Protestant Reformer, whose best known work is his Institutes of the Christian Religion?

Of course, he is Redd 5 after all, and if we were true nerds, we might have named him Luke:

Summer Fun, Summer Sun

2011-08-08T22:57:00.000-04:00

This may be the hottest summer on record in Atlanta. I don't know, but for me, it has certainly felt like it! I've never had a summer baby before, but now I know that the complaints are justified. Last week, I spent time in two different air-conditioned buildings and was still incredibly hot.

However, we have found some ways to beat the heat and enjoy some time out-of-doors.

May wasn't so bad. We enjoyed racing in the driveway:

Finding bugs:

Eating ice cream with friends:

Discovering new ways to enjoy the baby pool:

Hanging out by the swimming pool at a friend's apartment:

June found us taking many trips to the local sprayground/splash park:

Practicing our mad bubble-blowing skillz:

The boys made a new game of racing toy cars down the slide into the pool:

And Ethan developed a fascination with his dump truck, bringing it from the sandbox to the pool:

Jacob also took swimming lessons the first week in June, and since then we've been spending at least one day a week at a friend's pool, but I always forget to take pictures there.

July came and went much more quickly than I expected, with little energy for photos. But I found one of those sprinkler spray beach balls on clearance a few weeks ago and it, too, has brought much joy:

I'm so behind on pictures, I barely have covered half of our summer. Some events and excursions that deserve their own post (hopefully soon):

May's inaugural field trip to the Botanical Gardens

Memorial Day weekend visit to Alabama to see DeeDee and Gaga

June day trip to the annual Moore family reunion, also in Alabama

The story of our new swagger wagon

Preparations for little brother's arrival

40 Weeks and Counting

2011-08-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

In the words of the illustrious Homer Simpson, "The waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"

We haven't been playing that particular childhood favorite (though Candyland and Chutes and Ladders have been popular), but we have been keeping busy this last week to stave off this pregnant Mama's restlessness.

Jacob showing off one of his drawings while we were attempting to document my basketball-like belly last Tuesday. If one more person asks me if I'm having twins...

I'm very grateful to my mom, who has been able to be here now for an entire week, and we have filled it with many fun things, including naps for moi. Here's just a taste of what we've been up to:

Last Monday morning, while Jacob played at a friend's house and I had a mother's helper, we rearranged the boys' bedroom, in anticipation that it will eventually become the nursery once we clean out the office and move them into bunk beds.

On Tuesday, we attended a good friend's birthday party at a fire station. Ethan knows something is up, so he's been uncharacteristically mommy-centric lately. He didn't even want to wear a hat or climb in the fire truck! (Though almost ALL he's done ever since is wear his hat and play "fireman" in their room!)

The festivities continued at a jumpy place, to burn off some energy.

In the afternoon, I went to my checkup and also had time to squeeze in a pedicure!

On Wednesday, we went swimming. But not before I snuck away to get a haircut! I have a whole other post on that, because I actually won the haircut in a contest...

On Thursday, we mostly stayed in, but due to a wonderful surprise package from my Aunt Cindy, Jacob got to try out a new slip n' slide! They also have new matchbox cars and racing tracks to keep them occupied.

On Friday, we took a trip to "our mall," as Jacob calls it, found Ethan a much-needed new pair of shoes, walked around a bit, and enjoyed the A/C, the food court, and of course, the carousel!

Jacob and "DeeDee" (my mom) riding the carousel. It's amazing what a difference a year or so makes. It's only very recently that he's been willing to ride the horses!

Ethan's milestone was that he chose to ride an animal for the first time! Yay! He predictably chose a frog. (One of his latest past times is hopping around the house and either saying "Hop like a frog!" or "Hop like a bunny!") Until now, I have had to hold him or sit on one of the benches. I apologize that this was the best photo I could get. You'd be amazed how hard it is for a pregnant woman to squeeze between the camels and horses, not to mention juggling a purse and camera and a 2 year old...

On Saturday, we played under the sprinkler and slip n' slide some more. And then that evening, Gaines and I got to go out to dinner with a bunch of our old friends from West Merritts, the church we attended when we were first married. It was a send-off for a couple we dearly love, Ben and Kristen, who are leaving to go to Charlotte, NC. Kristen is a labor and delivery nurse and stayed all through my first labor with Jacob, but she was going out of town the day Ethan was born and apparently, will be headed out of state by the time I go into labor with this one.

Sunday was filled with one last chance to worship at church. I had one last afternoon meeting and came home and gratefully took a nap. Two out of the other four got naps as well.

Today, we went to my last prenatal checkup. I'm technically "overdue" at 40 weeks and 2 days, but since both of the other boys made it to 41 weeks it shouldn't surprise me. We actually received some great news. Instead of the previously scheduled repeat c-section (I had a cesarean with Jacob, and then a VBAC with Ethan), I am actually on a list for an induction for this Thursday! That is a big praise and an answer to many prayers. I know birth is unpredictable and many things could happen, including surgery, but just being given the opportunity to labor on my own is wonderful. For me, recovery from a c-section is just not on my list of things I would prefer. Plus, I'm showing way more readiness this week, even some contractions, so who knows when this baby might arrive?!

We also got to eat dinner at Slopes tonight with some good friends, Gordon and Christy and their adorable son Joshua, who are in town visiting. I'm hoping the magical properties of the Slopes' BBQ sauce will induce labor. In fact, I'm going to go walk around the house and see what happens. :)

My Misadventures in Hotlanta

2011-07-12T21:57:00.002-04:00

Today the heat index in Atlanta was 105 degrees. Apparently not quite as high as yesterday, but still, that's HOT in my book. And I'm 9 months pregnant. Those little internal heaters are not much of a boon this time of year as they are in winter.

In my wisdom and in spite of the heat I met a friend and her little boy, as planned, at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this morning. It was hot, but it wasn't too bad yet. The thermometer only hit 90 at 11am (!). The walk was shady, the conversation stimulating and the company pleasant. The boys wanted to walk around a whole bunch which I was hoping would tire them out. Plus, they got to play in the sunflower fountain at the Children's Garden -- a perfect day to get drenched. I got my share, too, since helping them change into dry clothes only served to get me soaked! It was a good morning, but by the time we headed home for lunch it was about 12:30. I had brought snacks, but they don't let you eat in the Gardens unless you buy their food (a major drawback in my book), so I let them eat grapes while the car was cooling off. At this point, I was trying to stick to my rule of "No eating in the van... at least while Mommy is driving."

You may remember we got a minivan quite recently. As in, a little over three weeks ago. (I still have yet to post that story...but I'm working on it!) Well, I am used to driving a little Civic, so sometimes parking and other maneuvers are a bit unwieldy in such a large vehicle. Apparently, I had such issues today as we were leaving the Gardens. Just before we reached the booth to pay for parking, I heard the unmistakable sound of the van hitting a curb. Perfect.

I thought to myself as we pulled away from the ticket booth, "It sounds fine, it can't be that bad." Then Jacob noticed a "bump, bump" sound as we turned onto Piedmont Avenue. At first, I thought it was just the condition of the road because of all the recent construction. I drove slowly, but as I turned onto 14th street, it became worse. My fears were beginning to be realized. I started looking for a place to pull over to the right. There was none! I was in the middle of downtown Atlanta in the middle of the lunch hour, plus there were construction cones everywhere, blocking access to the side. Strangely, I kept thinking if I could just make it to Einstein's on the left, or across the bridge... Then, I noticed two women motioning to me from the sidewalk. I rolled down my window and heard, "Hey, do you know you have a flat tire? It's on the rim! There's a Shell station not far up." "On the right?" "Yes!" So we pulled slowly into a parking space at the gas station and I called Gaines and he reminded me about our AAA membership. Ah, yes. I blame pregnancy brain for my lack of coherent thought.

So, there I was, 9 months pregnant with two kids under the age of five in a van with a tire that had been almost completely shredded, waiting in 100+ degree heat in the middle of July, with nothing but some snacks to sustain us well after lunchtime. I checked the tire (Yep, it was a goner! I was praying the rim wasn't damaged from driving on it so many blocks!), made sure the kids had water and figured a NutriGrain bar, some grapes and pretzels might hold them over until we could get home. There's no way I was going into the Shell station with those two to get something just for me, so I helped finish off the grapes.

Just as I'm deciding that I'm in pretty rotten circumstances, a lady walked up to the van. I had seen her and a man try to use the pay phone. They were pushing a double stroller with two kids inside who couldn't be more than 3. She approached and said that she and her family were evicted this morning from their apartment and only had enough money to pay for one night in a motel. She said her kids were hungry and asked if I had anything to give them. Well, leave it to God to give us a little of His perspective now and then when we start feeling sorry for ourselves. So I rummaged around in my bag for whatever little food I had left and handed over a meager fare of cookies and fruit snacks. She thanked me and walked back to the shade of the gas station overhang. And my heart just dropped. What could I do? Where could I send them to get help? So, I got out of my air-conditioned van (which I had the liberty to leave running while waiting for the AAA guy on this hot day). I asked her if I could call some folks and find someone willing to help. I thought of our old church not far away and of people I knew who lived downtown who might know of a shelter or something nearby. As I was leaving messages and using my phone, she came up and said they would return to the motel and try to get help there. I asked her if she knew someplace to go for help and she said they would try 211. I'd never heard of it until today, but I hoped they would get the resources they need. I watched them slowly walk across the 14th Street Bridge in the sweltering shimmer, pushing two kids in a stroller, and wished I could have asked her more about their story. I wished I'd had sandwiches to give her. I wish I'd thought to offer her some diapers. Instead, I just said a prayer and hoped they would find some more assistance along the way.

The rest of the day seemed a blur in comparison with that moment, watching the slumped shoulders and sweaty brows slowly push a stroller to seek help from strangers and try to sleep during what might be their last night with a roof over their heads for a long while. I ached for them, wishing the Church could somehow step up at that moment and embrace them, help them, love on them.

I, on the other hand, didn't have to wait too long for help from AAA, and once the spare tire was successfully installed, we made our way slowly back towards home, stopping at a local tire store which had plenty of toys and TV to distract the kids for an hour and a half. Thankfully, the flat just happened to be one of the back two tires and we had been warned when we bought the van that those particular tires would probably need replacing soon. So the expense of two new ones came quite a bit sooner than expected, but we'll survive.

I just pray the family we met will survive. And find some shelter, soon. We are blessed beyond measure, and one day's loss of naptime and a couple of cranky kids are nothing to going hungry and without a home. Though Ethan was distraught over having to give up his cookies, Jacob, it seems, understood that the family needed them more than we did. Cookies seem like such a small thing, but to a preschooler they are a prize. I hope that when he remembers this day (because he remembers EVERYTHING) he will think about how we helped others and not about having to sit in a car or a tire store for hours without relief. Just this past Sunday a guest preacher talked to the children about how Jesus calls us to give up our "crowns" for others, giving them the best even though we might want it for ourselves, and I think he got a visceral lesson in that today. Hearing him recount the story to his Daddy was one of the proudest moments I've had as a parent, and I hope that I can learn from this experience as much as he seems to have done.

Thirtysomething

2011-06-18T23:00:00.000-04:00

It's my birthday, y'all.

Yes, I'm 31. It's a milestone year, I tell ya.

This year is the first year I have had the delight of being extremely and/or knowingly pregnant on my actual birthday. As of today, I am 33 weeks along! This bundle of boy is coming soon, folks!

(Obligatory belly shot, since I think I've failed to post one anywhere. I can't imagine why...I mean, I'm obviously looking my best here. Ha!)

Though the boys were a tad bit too eager to wake me up this morning (Jacob had a nightmare at 3am that woke all of us up eventually), it was fun to see them come running at me at random times today, shouting gleefully "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" (Imagine the cute little-kid voices. Especially Ethan.)

Many thanks to my mom drove up from Alabama for a helpful turnaround trip. She arrived Friday and left Saturday afternoon, but despite its brevity her visit brightened us all up considerably! She agreed to watch the boys last night so we could go out for a "birthday dinner." She's the one who encouraged the boys to wish me a happy day. Plus, she stayed with them all day while we made our first real vehicle purchase as a couple. (Our previous purchases were either at auction over the phone or just Gaines by himself.) We realize we cannot fit three car seats in the back of a Honda Civic, and so now I am officially a mini-van mom. Van shopping took up a considerable part of our day, but I hope to tell you all about it tomorrow when I get a chance to take a picture of the new swagger wagon.

Have I mentioned my parents' have been running a restaurant for a year? Well, my mom brought us some yummy pulled pork to enjoy. BBQ birthday dinner!

She also brought furniture. (More on that later.) We are in full-on nesting mode around here at the Team Redd home.

A highlight of my day: the boys and my mom surprised me with homemade cupcakes, homemade cards, and a familiar-looking kid-crafted bead necklace. I wore it proudly while enjoying my feast of BBQ sandwiches, home fries, and the aforementioned cupcakes. Ethan did the "sprinklers."

The Redd boys serenaded me while I blew out my candles.

Gaines, leading the choir:

Ethan, singing dutifully:

Jacob, pausing mid-note to pose:

Me, enjoying the festivities:

(Question: Do the numbers on the necklace mean that Jacob thinks I am 127 years old?)

(Q2: How did I spend all day with Gaines and it took me until just now to realize that our shirts matched? Oh yeah, we were up late last night planning that one.)

What a fun family I have! I love my boys and can't wait to add another one to the mix. What a year this is going to be!

Easter has broken through!

2011-04-25T23:11:00.001-04:00

This past month, and really the entire season of Lent, caught me somewhat off guard this year. I made a half-hearted attempt at giving up fast food and failed miserably within a week. I think I expected, since I was in the second trimester, to have a bit more energy. Or to want to do more, to write more, to be creative. To cook. Something different than the way it has been. Of course, we were kept busy with all sorts of fun things like a family wedding and a trip to see Thomas the Train (which I plan to write about soon!). But I hope that nesting phase kicks in soon because our house is nowhere near where it should be if a new little one wants to join us in our humble abode. Thankfully all nausea and sickness is behind me, just lethargy remains. Every day I wonder why I am so tired. It might have something to do with not being able to sleep, you know, because of the little kickpuncher inside my belly.

Thankfully, just before Holy Week, I found my stride. Or at least, started walking again, getting back on the path to being somewhat productive and making our home more of a haven than something I'd like to run screaming from everyday. Signs of new life:

I actually got out the box of Easter decorations. (Not that we put them all up this year, but it was a start!) We put up the egg tree.

Both boys had baskets for our church's Easter Egg Hunt. (I did have to dump out stuffed animals from one of them, but at least they had a place to stash their finds.)

The entire family was together for one whole Saturday. We hunted eggs. We ALL took long naps.

On Palm Sunday, we started a tradition of doing a hacked version of Lenten Lights. We used the readings as a guide, but since they didn't hold the little ones' attention all that well, we alternated between the "official" readings and choosing relevant passages from The Jesus Storybook Bible, by far the best children's Bible I've ever read. Have I raved about it yet? I should.

By the grace of God I faithfully started and finished N.T. Wright's Holy Week devotional: The Scriptures, the Cross, and the Power of God. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the small but powerful chapters taken mostly from Matthew and John's account of Jesus' last week leading up to the crucifixion and I hope to share more thoughts with you on that soon. It was a first for me -- to read something so regularly.

I bought (free with CVS bucks) an egg-decorating kit, fully intending to use it before Sunday. Oh, well, maybe next year? I did buy some little goodies for their bags and didn't spend ANY money on candy this year, thanks to coupons and sales and some surprises that showed up at our door from a kind neighbor.

I was glad for the Maundy Thursday service, which I think got me back into a right way of thinking about and living out all that Holy Week entails. That, and the generosity of a friend who helped me clean my house that morning helped prepare me for the weekend festivities.

On Good Friday, I spent much of the day at home, but had an unexpected opportunity to peruse Marshall's and Home Goods in the evening--sans kids-- to spend a gift card and help add some small touches that make our home a bit more livable. (Hint: I will gladly accept gift cards to said places and any and all cash upon occasions which call for celebrations in the near future -- the day of mothers, my birthday, etc. I have bunk beds to buy and to outfit with linens! Rooms to redecorate! A new baby! Did you know they even have hedge clippers there, apparently seasonally?!)

Saturday was spent shopping in preparation for our Easter meal and for our friends' annual Lamb Roast. Yay for Greek food and good friends and beautiful weather and bubbles! And swings!

On Saturday evening, I actually ironed the boys' adorable seersucker Easter outfits (that I had purchased in March for a steal!) and put together baskets of goodies that I then hid around the house. I think this is the first year I really made a big deal about Easter baskets. No real "bunny" talk (they knew it was from us) but we did see an ACTUAL bunny hanging out in our yard over the weekend.

We were up early Easter morning. Gaines left around 7am to practice a song for the "sunrise" short service at 8am. Jacob got up and dressed on his own not long after, yelling "Christ is risen!" while somehow not waking up Ethan, who slept until it was almost time to go. J waited for his brother to get up before beginning to look for his basket, which I thought was sweet. (It also gave me a chance to get a shower and get ready!)

As soon as E woke up, they both found and opened their baskets! They were delighted! Lightning McQueen socks! Buckets! Sand toys! Candy! Money! ($.50 each) books and goodies galore!

I managed to get both boys dressed and out the door in time for the breakfast at 8:30. And I even remembered to ask someone to take our picture BEFORE church.

I had a moment of pure inspiration and thought to bring large t-shirts so the boys' could put them over their outfits to keep them clean during the breakfast. Genius, I thought! However, Jacob didn't want to wear anything BUT the t-shirt and Ethan wouldn't wear anything at all (bib or shirt) and so his was quickly stained with OJ. Sorry, no cute photos of just the two of them this year. Still, they managed to stay mostly decent and I even got Jacob to wear his little seersucker jacket to the 11am service. (Over just his plain white t-shirt instead of the peter pan collar button-up, but who really noticed?)

The rest of our Easter Sunday afternoon was spent lazily. We ate leftover biscuits from the church breakfast (thank you, kind cook!), added ham and jelly and called it lunch. Most of us napped. We played outside while I cooked a ham in the oven. I threw some sweet potatoes in the same pan, heated up some green beans, served Hawaiian rolls, and called it a meal. Very casual and laid-back for the biggest party of the year, but it was just what we all needed.

Of course, today brought overcast skies, thunder, most of our time spent indoors and a bit less productivity, but I figured we all needed a break after the hectic weekend. And so, the Easter season begins!

I think we all forget that Easter shouldn't just be celebrated one day, but an entire season in the church year. I'm hoping we can keep that joy of resurrection life (and some of the leftover ham) reoccurring in our home over the next several weeks before Pentecost. And I still just might dye those eggs.

Stats

2011-04-06T15:25:00.000-04:00

A little over two weeks ago I took the boys to the doctor's office (together) for their yearly well checks. I don't recommend doing this by yourself -- I'm thankful a friend went with me to help since Gaines had to work! (There were vaccinations and hearing tests and drawing blood and all sorts of things involved with the 4-year.)

Here are their current weight and height measurements, if you care about that sort of thing. Since I wrote them on a piece of paper torn off of the patient table, I need to record them before they disappear and so I won't forget. You see it already took me this long to record them!

Ethan, age 2:

24 and 3/4 lbs

32 and 3/4" tall

They were taking every quarter inch into consideration since he's such a little dude.

Jacob, age 4:

35 lbs

41 and 1/4" tall

He's upwards of 80 percentile in height. Must get it from his grandfather Lee, certainly not his parents! Both of the boys are on the slim side. Thankfully, that means I can just pass down pants from one to the next...

Healthwise, both boys are doing well, though Ethan had a mysterious ear infection (no symptoms that I noticed beforehand) which required antibiotics, so his shots had to wait until this week when we got the all-clear. After that long stretch this winter where we had antibiotics for 6 weeks in a row, I'm hoping we can stay away from them for a while. And so far, the boys don't seem to be allergy-prone...yet.

We're hoping to enjoy this glorious spring weather as much as we can!

Passion Sacrificed to Keep from Going Crazy

2011-04-04T22:06:00.073-04:00

All the recent wedding preparations and celebrations brought to mind one of my favorite songs of all time. As I was driving from Atlanta to Montgomery for a bridal shower a few weeks ago, I broke out Waterdeep's album Sink or Swim while the boys were napping. And I cranked it up. While grooving to some great songs like "And" and "18 Bullet Holes," I finally get to my absolute favorite: "Both of Us'll Feel the Blast."

Really, who else would equate the experience of a newly married couple to an explosion? And include admissions of our brokenness and need for Jesus and a picture of the final marriage supper of the Lamb? Only Don Chaffer, that's who. And the lyrics still all ring true so well, even after being married for over 8 years, that I had to put it on repeat for a while. I feel like there are still many days when I wake up and think "we ain't never done this thing but but I guess that's how it goes/ You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows..." In a few months we're going to be a family of five and I can only imagine how bringing up another new life is going to rock our world.

I've been considering doing a series on all the music that has shaped my life over the last several decades. I hope you will find some new-to-you artists to appreciate, since our favorite artists will likely never be featured on Glee. Mostly, too, I've realized that people who have only known us in the last 5 years or so have no idea about our history with the independent music scene and how Gaines and I met, so I plan to combine it all somehow. I need to call it something less cheesy than "My Musical Journey," but give me time.

I suppose this song is an appropriate introduction, since I think we included it in our wedding rehearsal dinner slideshow lo those many years ago. (But I can't check, because the presentation was saved on a laptop that was stolen out of Gaines' trunk one night while he was eating dinner in Midtown, not long after we were married. Backup your files, people!)

I wanted you to be able to hear Waterdeep perfom, so I've included a video from a live show they played last year. You get an idea of the song, but they cut off part at the beginning, so I included the full lyrics below. Seriously, if you buy one album this week and don't have this one yet, go get it. Or just get the song off iTunes. Waterdeep will thank you.

Both Of Us’ll Feel The Blast
Written by Don Chaffer

We're both dirty, baby- that's just the way it goes
We'll try to cut the fuses off before everything blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
But dying's overrated, it's a ticket on a train
And as long as I can hold your hand, I'll know that I'm still sane
Maybe I'm an idiot for thinking that that's true
But I believe that Jesus knew what He was doing when He gave me you

Lately I've been wondering- what are we gonna do
When we wake up in the morning and its just me and you?
Cause we ain't never done this thing but I guess that's how it goes
You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
And dying's underrated, it's a ticket to the feast-
The one we're all invited to, from the greatest to the least

I hope we sit together when Jesus serves the wine
So I can look into your eyes when I taste it the first time
And I know there's no secrets when you're sitting at that table
But I believe we'll smile real knowingly when we read the label
And it says "passion sacrificed to keep from going crazy."
We'll tip our glasses to the Host who used to look so hazy
And drink it down all sweet and slow and slip inside His mind
And realize as it goes down- this is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine

First Comes Love

2011-04-04T00:31:00.000-04:00

...then comes marriage!

We traveled to Alabama this weekend for Gaines' youngest sister Erin's wedding. Her now-husband Kevin has already been like part of the family, since they have been dating as long as we've been married (almost 9 years!). It was appropriate, then, that all of us took part! Gaines gave a Scripture reading, I was one of the bridesmaids, and the boys -- well, they were bell-ringers! Thankfully they were escorted by their Daddy, who had to be up front to give a Scripture reading. Here is Gaines holding Ethan just before their big debut:

Saturday was the perfect way to send the Mohajerins off into their new life together; the wedding took place at Jasmine Hill Gardens, near Wetumpka. The azaleas and other flowers were in bloom after a week of rain and clouds and overall "lousy Smarch weather." Thankfully, the day was filled with glorious sunshine and we could not have asked for more perfect weather! (I suppose God answered all our fervent prayers!) Here's our handsome oldest son in front of some of the fauna that was arrayed in all its splendor in other parts of the garden:

Kevin's family is originally from Iran, and so there were many Persian touches throughout the weekend, from his parents' delicious meal on Friday night at the rehearsal dinner, to the incorporation of some Persian wedding traditions and delicacies at the reception. And I can't be certain, but I believe the chosen theme also has Persian ties. From the invitations to the bridesmaids dresses and bouquets, Erin incorporated peacock feathers into every aspect of the wedding. It was beautiful! The mothers and grandmothers' even managed to fit the theme, wearing shades of aqua, deep blue, and turquoise to match our teal bridesmaids' dresses. The most gorgeous and elegant array of peacock feathers, though, had to be Erin's dress, which was designed and handmade by her friend Mara. Here's a picture from the dressing room, where you can see a bit of her peacock-feathered "tail":

Apparently, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the peacock was seen as a guardian to royalty in the Persian culture. Doesn't Erin look very regal here? A princess about to become a queen!

Also, in Christian tradition the peacock is associated with eternal life and resurrection -- some link it to the mythical phoenix. Either way, it made for some beautiful displays and the English major in me appreciates the symbolism. There were peacock feathers in the cake toppers, on the programs, in the groomsmen's boutonnieres, and on the bridal party's shawls and headpieces. Erin is quite the creative gal and it showed in every aspect of the wedding!

We hope Kevin and Erin are enjoying their time together as a new couple. Before we sent them off for their honeymoon, Jacob had to "steal some sugar" from Erin! I didn't take many pictures over the weekend, but I am certainly glad I captured this moment!

Book Review - Keep Your Greek

2011-03-18T14:53:00.005-04:00

Seminary and religious studies students are notorious for focusing intensely on the biblical languages for a few years and then gradually losing that mastery over time. In an attempt to remedy this problem, Constantine Campbell has written Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People, a helpful little book intended to help readers ... well, to help them keep their Greek. Campbell teaches Greek and New Testament at Moore Theological College in Australia and is author of several books, including Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek , which is a useful introduction to contemporary developments in understanding Greek verbs. All this to say, he's more than qualified to write a book on Greek. Additionally, he is a musician, and it is this area that ends up providing a significant contribution to the book.

As Campbell remarks early in the book, he's not offering a foolproof 10 Easy Steps kind of plan, but rather an exhortation to fundamentals and discipline. The underlying theme is that consistently reading Greek is the best strategy for keeping proficiency. He draws a parallel to playing a musical instrument, where the gains achieved by disciplined daily practice far exceed intermittent concentrated effort. In music, as with many other skills, the repetition and reinforcement that come from regular practice work in intangible ways. Thus, the foundation of Campbell's approach is developing a habit of reading Greek regularly, preferably daily. The key is to actually read the Greek text, without the aid of an interlinear Bible or software. Though appropriate at time, these tools can also serve as unhelpful shortcuts that prevents true mastery. As Campbell notes, regularly reading Greek will go a long way to helping keep your skills; however, true proficiency will also require periodic reinforcement of things like vocabulary and verb parsings. These can be studied separately or better yet integrated into daily reading. Campbell gives tips for each of these.

The book is a quick read, due both to its short length and Campbell's engaging and humorous style (see Chapter 2, entitled "Burn Your Interlinear," which declares "The interlinear is a tool of the devil, designed to make preachers stupid"). Some may find it repetitive, since it is largely a series of variations on the underlying theme of "read daily!" But it really isn't long enough to get tiresome. Campbell includes several decent lists of various kinds of Greek resources, from vocabulary builders to parsing guides to Greek readers. I almost wished he would have included more details on a Greek-keeping regimen (he gives some examples of his own practices), but as he rightly observes, different people have different learning styles, and one size does not fit all. My only real complaint about the book is on the format: the book is an expansion of material that Campbell originally published on his blog, and the end of each chapter includes reader comments from the original blog posts. While there are a few useful tidbits here and there, in general I didn't think the format enhanced the book. But this is a minor criticism.

Overall, this was a good read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to regain or maintain their Greek language skills.

(Disclaimer: Zondervan provided me with a copy of the book, but I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.)

Book Review - Washed and Waiting

2011-02-25T20:22:00.004-05:00

After reading several reviews, I was very interested to pick up a copy of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill. The topic of homosexuality is certainly a relevant one in our culture, but I was especially intrigued by Hill’s struggle with being a “gay Christian.” Usually, those who use such terminology view homosexuality as perfectly compatible with Christian faith and practice. But as an evangelical, Hill affirms the biblical prohibition against homosexual practices. Yet, despite this affirmation, he still struggles with same-sex attraction. As such, he has concluded that the only biblically faithful course of action for a “gay Christian” is to remain celibate.

Washed and Waiting is largely memoir, and as such is both readable and engaging. Hill does devote some space defending the traditional Christian prohibition against homosexuality, especially against recent claims to the contrary. But the book largely explores Hill’s own challenge to be a faithful Christian despite his own inclinations. Especially poignant are his descriptions of his own fears about telling fellow Christians about his struggles. I think too often, evangelical Christians think of homosexuality as a problem that exists outside the church: that is, if homosexuals would just come to Jesus, God would remove their same-sex attractions and it would cease to be an issue. And as Hill notes, sometimes this does happen. But other times, like in his own case, he has not yet been delivered from those sinful desires. I think many Christians would benefit from reading this book to get a better perspective on fellow Christians - possibly within their own congregations - who live under the oppressive weight of knowing the reality of their own sin yet finding no relief; worse yet, they feel that the stigma of their sin is too great to share their burden with fellow believers.

Despite its specific focus, I felt Hill’s book spoke to many broader issues as well. All Christians struggle with the persistence of sin in their own lives, and parts of the book could easily have substituted a host of other sins for homosexuality. Hill does a good job explaining how Christians have been “washed” from guilt for their sins by Jesus’ sacrifice, and yet they still live a life “waiting” for God to completely remove sin from their lives. It is in this interim period that God’s strength is made manifest in our weakness. The book also had some great reflections on Christians and loneliness, and how we find our fulfillment ultimately in Christ (with assistance from His Body). While Hill’s own experience of profound loneliness is in many ways linked to his life as a celibate gay Christian, his reflections on the matter speak to a more fundamental need for acceptance common to all people.

All in all, Washed and Waiting is well worth the read. It’s actually a short book, but provides much food for thought, not only on the specific questions of homosexuality and Christian faithfulness, but also on the larger issue of how Christ’s people can best glorify Him in the midst of a fallen world.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for writing a review, with no obligation to provide a positive assessment.)

This Guy Read My Mind

2011-02-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

For a long time, I've had this dream (vision, idea, call it what you will) of seeing Christians open schools in poor urban neighborhoods. Or just in neighborhoods in general where the public option is less than desirable. Schools that are rigorously academic, possibly classical, but most importantly strongly Christian.

It doesn't have to be based out of one church. In fact, I think it is better if it's not, and instead is a collaboration between different local churches, though a local congregation may have the space for the facilities. But it must have a statement of faith that is solidly Biblical, to which all the teachers agree. Perhaps the parents don't have to sign the statement of faith, just agree that their student may be taught there with an understanding that it is based on God's Word. Of course, Christian education and education in general should begin and end in the home, with the parents, but perhaps that could also be a role of the Christian school (as it already should be of the local church)-- to equip parents to teach their children in the Lord as they go about their day. Because without God's Word as the foundation education is futile.

And it would most certainly be a neighborhood school, serving the community around it. (All these recent local ATL discussions about busing and rezoning and redistricting notwithstanding, I think there is a place for the "school down the block.") Not quite the same thing as the parochial Catholic schools, but a worthy, well-run firmly Christian school that would offer deep discounts, possibly even free education to needy students nearby. That last bit it the important part. Can't all those wealthy suburbanites and upwardly mobile inner-city yuppies get together and agree that this is a worthy cause to support with their disposable incomes? Could they send their children there? I'd hope so. What a great way to benefit the larger advancement of the kingdom, by supporting one or more of these schools, like Paul asking the Christians to send money to Jerusalem to help out those who were struggling.

I know, I know. I'm an idealist. That's why I married a realist, to balance me out. But then I read this article by Anthony Bradley that advocates the same idea -- missional education -- and I find out that some people are already doing this sort of thing! So, my only question now is, since Philadelphia's program seems to be working, how can we get this going in Atlanta?

Some Things I Don't Want to Forget

2011-02-08T22:10:00.001-05:00

So, the boys have really been into knock-knock jokes lately. Jacob likes the "Orange you glad?" one but can't quite get it right. Still, we usually say them in the car to pass the time on short trips. One day last week the boys and I were on our way to a morning activity at church, and I hear them laughing at each other in the back seat. Jacob's been telling knock-knock jokes but apparently Ethan wants to get in on the action. This is what I overheard:
E: Knock-knock (while knocking on the window!)
J: Who's there?
E: Peachttthh. (I think he said something resembling "peach")
J: Peach who?
E: Knock-knock.
J:Who's there?
E: Peacthhh.
J: Peach who?
E: Peachttthhyoumumblegladmwahahahahahahaha.
J: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
[Apparently, Ethan enjoys laughing at his own punchlines.]

Sunday morning, the boys and I made it to the early service pretty much on time. It was a rare occasion for us, but we walked into the sanctuary just past 8:30 and they hadn't sung the first song yet. I think I missed some announcements, but at least we got to sing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," which I've been singing to the boys since they were newborns. I think Jacob tried to sing along, but he was more interested in watching Daddy up front with his guitar. So was Ethan! The little guy was pretty good until the offering time, where he ran down the aisle to "help" me put our envelope in the plate. Plus, he started talking during the prayer, so I had to take him back to the nursery. Jacob sat during the rest of the service, alternating between Gaines and my lap, and only had a few loudly whispered questions. I do love having the boys with me in worship as much as possible. Another mom even asked me after the service, "Was the nursery worker not here this morning?" But I just smiled and told her they were right where they were supposed to be. Maybe we will try a family worship time at the 11am service in the near future.

Sunday afternoon the sky was blue and sunny and we thought this perfect for baseball. Mostly, Jacob and I took turns pitching and hitting, while Ethan was off in his own little world, mowing the lawn, toddling off toward the fence and back. He was good about finding stray balls and bringing them back to us. Jacob had some good hits and "ran the bases" around the three trees and back to "home plate." Somehow I never could quite get him out!

Sunday night we were all pretty tired and Gaines seemed to be fighting off some sickness so we stayed in and enjoyed our football sandwiches all to ourselves. We had a little picnic in front of the TV for the first quarter. Ethan just kept jumping up and down and yelling "Football!" whenever they began playing. They both LOVED seeing the "Robot!" that appeared after each commercial break. Jacob kept getting excited whenever they threw a flag. And right away (maybe in defiance of who we were cheering on) he decided he liked Green Bay the best and began rooting for them. I guess he just knows how to pick winners. (Sorry Pastor John. We tried. We really did.)

Monday morning, while I'm getting dressed, I hear Jacob and Ethan playing in their room. The conversation goes something like this:
J: I've got the remote. Let's turn on the "TV" and watch, Ethan. (Pretend TV)
E: Yay!
J: It's the biggest game of the year. It must be....the Superbowl!
E: (begins to leave the room after a minute or so)
J: No, come back, Ethan! It takes longer than that! I want to watch the WHOLE THING!

So, I go over to his door and ask him what they are doing.
J: We're watching the Superbowl on our pretend TV, Mommy.
Me: Who is playing in the game?
J: Pastor John's favorite team and my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.
Me: So who is winning?
J: (in all seriousness, said with his head down) Pastor John's favorite team. :(
Me: But Daddy told me that Green Bay won the game.
J: (lights up) Yeah! The Green Bay Packers are my favorite team. And I like the Bulldogs, too.
[Uh-oh! I think we have some re-education ahead of us!]

A few minutes later:
Me: What about the Atlanta Falcons, Jacob? Don't you like them? Do you think they might play in the Superbowl next year?
J: I don't know! Let me ask them! I'm going to call them on my pretend phone!
(uses his hand like a pretend phone)
Hi! Atlanta Falcons? Yeah. Uh-huh. How are you? Oh good. Are you going to the Superbowl? Yeah. Okay. Bye.
J: (running up to me) Mommy! Mommy! The Atlanta Falcons told me they are going to the Superbowl! Yay!

[Can someone pass that on to them from us? Okay, thanks!]

Later that day, we're in the car coming back from the gym or the store and Jacob asks me: "Mommy, have you heard the rhyme about Petey Piper?"
Me: "Why no, Jacob, I don't think I have. Can you tell it to me, please?"
J: Petey Piper sat on a hill
eating a snack.
A big spider came and ate it.
And he ran away.
Me: That's great, Jacob! Did you make that up all by yourself?
J: Yes.
[I'm still wondering if the spider or Petey ran away.]

Small Victories

2011-02-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had a party. Well, at least that's what Jacob called it. We are celebrating the fact that for the first time in over six weeks both boys are completely free from ear infections, eye infections, and any type of antibiotics. We made it through four rounds of meds, and I guess the last (most expensive) kind stuck. This morning, the doctor said if he saw four clean ears we should throw a party, so I think that's where the little stinker got the idea.

Every time we visited the doctor over the last several months I kept thinking "Surely they are all better now? Look at how they are acting! Sure, they look thin and tired, but that's probably from the medication." No more. Today I went in expecting the worst and I got such great news I could hardly stand it. Lollipops for all! Stickers for everyone! I'm buying beef for Thursday's dinner! By golly, we are going to have CHOCOLATE tonight.

Really, the only thing that made tonight different from any other dinner is that I actually made and served dessert. I also asked Jacob what he wanted for dinner and he replied, "Pizza!" So, we made a brief stop at Publix for the makings of homemade goodness before heading home. For lack of any creativity on my part, we had cheese pizza. But we spent a good hour working on the chocolate and peanut butter squares which added the life to our little humble kitchen-table meal. (Don't worry, church family, you may see them tomorrow night at potluck. If there are any left!)

I am, of course, incredibly grateful that we have been spared the latest round of strep and other things making their way through our community and friends. (I feel for you all, I do!) However, I think it is only due to the fact that we have been on some form of antibiotics since well before Christmas and so all the germs have been kept at bay. We also discovered three-fourths of the way through that Jacob is allergic to penicillin. Sigh. I will not celebrate too long or too prematurely because I know in the world of small children, the next illness is just waiting around the corner. But when it is over, I will still celebrate!

Kindred Grit

2011-01-23T23:32:00.001-05:00

This is trivial, but today I need some trivial.

Last Monday, we had the rare opportunity to go on a date -- dinner and a movie out! My mom was visiting for a few days and offered to keep the boys, and Gaines was off from work. So we headed to Smyrna and ate a fabulous Mexican meal at The Border and then stopped over at the AMC theater where we had a free movie ticket (those AMC points do add up eventually, even if you only see about 2 movies a year in the theater!).

So, we watched True Grit. Amazing. Scenic. Redemptive. Yeah, it's rough and there was a moment I had to cover my eyes because I hate imagining pain, but oh my goodness it's the best movie I've seen in a while. Those Coen brothers outdid themselves. I don't even want to watch the original. I just want to read the book. And then go see the movie again.

Still, the entire movie I kept thinking that Hailee Steinfeld, the actress who plays 14 year-old Mattie Ross, reminded me a little too much of another child actress, Megan Follows, otherwise known as Anne of Green Gables from the 1985 film. Both characters showed great tenacity, pride, determination, and the ability to wear braids and yet be taken seriously. Plus, I thought that they sounded alike, too. They both had great diction.

I know I'm not alone in this.

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Words on a Page

2011-01-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the first time you acquired a treasured object? There are many things around my home that people have given me or I have purchased that bring me joy, but my favorites are the tattered copies of paperback books that fill our shelves to overflowing. These will never be featured on any first-edition booksellers lists, but they are important to me. And there are some I can never give away.

My book-love started early. I remember my first purchase. We were walking through the shops at the Gulf coast resort town on Seaside, still in its infancy. I was probably 6 years old, and since I grew up only an hour or so from the Florida coast, it may have been just a day trip. My childhood friend Jami was with me. She's the one who taught me to keep my blonde locks from turning green by soaking them with Pantence conditioner. But that didn't last long -- I was only blonde until about third grade. At least for that moment, we were two blonde suntanned beach-going little girls on a summer morning. We both liked books.

As we wandered through a wonderful open-air bookshop (I'm not sure Sundog even existed back then), I picked up a paperback copy of Scott O'Dell's The Island of the Blue Dolphins. The purple cover and female protagonist caught me instantly, but the story captured me forever. I still have that book, just like I still have a battered Weekly Reader edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice I acquired in seventh grade by mail-order. It has a purple cover, too.

Ever since, I've loved browsing bookstores and looking at titles, reading great reviews, handling books, picking them up, flipping through the pages and checking out the cover art. Staff picks are usually worth a look. What is it about reading a dust jacket on a gem of a hardback book in Goodwill or perusing the literature sections of a Barnes and Noble that always make me giddy? I just love books. The smell, the feel of the paper, the weight of it in your hands.

In the midst of my adoration of the printed word, here comes the onward march of the e-reader. For Christmas, my wonderful parents got me a fourth generation ipod Tourch. And what's one of the first free applications I downloaded? Yes. The Kindle App. How hypocritical of me.

I'm torn, honestly. I read a few chapters of Dicken's A Christmas Carol over the vacation to get a feel for the thing. (Hey, it was free.) Obviously, an iPod screen is much smaller than an actual e-reader, but you can adjust the font and I was comfortable constantly scrolling. It was nice to read short bits while keeping an eye on the kiddos. And knowing I could pick out almost any book I wanted instantly if I only had the money is a nice bonus. Plus, now you can borrow books from your friends who also have Kindles! Cool! One of my friends received a Kindle as a new-mom gift from her husband which I think is quite brilliant. She says it's great for nursing because you can hold it in one hand. Unlike my paperbacks, which I always seemed to drop while trying to get my baby fed. So I resorted to TV.

The more expensive B&N Nook Color, while it is still a great reader on its own, especially for magazines and children's books, also functions the same as a tablet computer and is way more affordable than the iPad. Or so I've heard.

Still, I returned home after my sojourn into the world of electronic novels and picked up a copy of a book that had been sitting, hidden amongst my collection, on a jam-packed shelf crammed with too many others of its kind. Perhaps it is the book itself that captured me, the level voice and soothing descriptions of the rolling hills and rivers of Kentucky. Maybe it was enjoying the wonderful surprises and turns of phrase that you discover in reading a new author. Perhaps. But there's something about turning the pages at night, staying warm under the covers with a lamp nearby, that just isn't the same if you're looking at a glowing screen.

And so I have been obsessed with this most recent read, devouring long chapters at a time, reading late into the night, absorbed completely in the world of Port William while my iPod sits above me, resting idly on the shelf behind our bed. Yes, some of you have guessed -- the author is Wendell Berry, the famed agrarian and lover of simpler things. I'm still not sure how it took me this long to read any of his works--I won't make excuses here--but I am simply loving every second I have spent in the pages of Jayber Crow.

I finished the final chapter during the snowstorm last week. It was a fitting way to absorb those final, touching moments, and I was glad for the chance to enjoy some leisure reading time (mostly uninterrupted) during the afternoons and late evenings, while a rare white blanket covered the world outside my window.

So, for now, my allegiance lies with real books. Words on a page, not a screen. Somehow it is fitting that Mr. Berry reminded me of my first love. He's a principled Luddite, refusing even to buy himself a computer. I do see the irony in typing this out on a keyboard and knowing people may very well read it on their phones. But still, books are my one holdout to technology. Say what you will, but I always hope to have a full library.

P.S. Please don't tell me Mr. Berry bought himself a Nook. I'd be heartbroken.

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Books Read in 2010 (Allison)

2011-01-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

Alice in Wonderland

Hebrews for Everyone

Sidetracked Home Executives

Your Church is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission is Vital to the Future of the Church

Love That Dog

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

The Help

Wise Blood

Saint Julian

The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

Anne of Ingleside

The Color of Magic (Discworld #1)

Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline

Your Three-Year Old: Friend or Enemy?

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World

Little Lamb, Who Made Thee?: A Book About Children and Parents

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles

Ragman: And other Cries of Faith

Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes

Twenty-three books. That's barely two a month. I used to read three times that many books in a year -- or more. Sigh. This is also sad -- I was so bad at keeping up with what I read here on the blog I had to go check my Goodreads account to make sure I remembered everything.

I did read quite a variety, from a story about the recent past that reflects my own, a young adult novella, a homemaking manual, some beautiful works of fiction from Wangerin and O'Connor, some encouraging parenting reads, some old favorites, and a new book about a particular Baltimore cake shop. Maybe I'll share some thoughts on those in a later post. Maybe.

This year my resolution is to watch less TV and try to read more often. I also plan to keep myself accountable to writing about what I read, especially by Blogging for Books.

Look for a review of Michael Spencer's book from me in the next few days. I finished it last night and need some time to weigh my words.

Happy reading, 2011! May you be filled with many more than this meager list!

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Books Read in 2010 (Gaines)

2011-01-14T22:57:00.004-05:00

Christ and Culture (Niebuhr)

People and Place: A Covenant Ecclesiology (Horton)

Ring For Jeeves (Wodehouse)

The Eucharist and Ecumenism: Let us Keep the Feast (Hunsinger)

The Undercover Economist (Harford)

By Faith, Not by Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation (Gaffin)

Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision (Wright)

Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 4: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation - Excerpts (Bavinck)

The Book of the Dun Cow (Wangerin)

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit (Chan) (Audiobook)

The Pressure's Off: There's a New Way to Live (Crabb)

Irenaeus: An Introduction (Minns)

Eusebius: The Church History

The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Boice & Ryken)

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification: Growing in Holiness by Living in Union with Christ (Marshall)

(Note: List does not include numerous articles and excerpts for seminary classes.)

Not nearly as much fun reading last year, sad to say. Not that the assigned readings for school were wholly dull: the Hunsinger book was challenging, frustrating and enjoyable; Wright is always a treat, even when unconvincing; and Minns' book on Irenaeus was a great introduction to an era of church history of which I am woefully ignorant.

On the non-school front, I regret that it took Hutchmoot 2010 to expose me to Walter Wangerin -- all those wasted years! Wodehouse never disappoints, and learning a little more about economics is always a good thing. I'm going to try to balance about my academic reading this year with other subjects, fictional and non-.

This time last year, I made a half-hearted promise to post more thoughts on what I'm reading. That obviously didn't happen, but we'll see what the new year brings.

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Building Cathedrals

2011-01-14T14:32:00.006-05:00

Seven years and two days ago we started writing on this blog. We named it Team Redd because some friends gave us the nickname. It stuck. You might notice the Star Wars reference in the header. Think "Red Leader." Yep, we are geeks. But it fits. At the time, we had been married a short while and hadn't dreamt of expanding our family. It was just us. We're up to Redd-4 now.

Back then, blogging was just becoming popular and soon hit its stride. Some say with the advent of Facebook and Twitter and other social media that blogging is dead. My Google Reader and Bloglines tell a different story, but no longer are the posts so self-centered. Now the bloggers that survive give you tips and tricks, useful information. The mom bloggers or the cheapskate bloggers or the technology bloggers. There are still Christian bloggers (I avoid those who like to pick fights) and even tell-all bloggers and celebrity-smitten fan blogs. Here, though, very little could be described as "informative" writing. We've discussed books, music, small children, theology, television, family, happenings and the occasional recipe. And lately, not much of that.

But, somehow, I keep getting drawn back into writing something, usually late at night or during naptime when I should probably be doing something else, like sleeping. Or tutoring. I know maybe three people still check this blog, and I'm married to one of you.

I admit that I'm the one who really wanted to start this thing, so I've always felt a burden to keep it up. Gaines has had his share of awesome posts and I always wish he would write more because I like to know more about what's inside his brain and the wisdom and hilarity that come forth. Still, I think I used to write here to validate my existence. Not so much once the boys came along -- then I always had the excuse that I was "too busy" to post much. But before, when it was just me, I think I wanted people to see that I actually did something, thought something, had a life outside of the everyday me.

But a friend sent me this video again today. I'm sure you've seen it. It's called "The Invisible Woman." I'd like to label it "Building Cathedrals," since that's really what it's all about. How no one but God knows the names of the builders of the great European cathedrals and how for many of them, God is the only one who will ever see their handiwork. Even they never got to see the end result of their labors, the stone buildings that took centuries to become fully realized.

For me, the thought unlocked freedom not only in my life but also with my writing. Of course, I still write many things that no one will ever see, scrawls in journals or in Word documents that I hope to destroy long before I pass from this life. But here, in this "public space" called the internet, I have this desire to craft words. And when I was writing for an audience, however small or imagined, it was always more of a load to bear. What will people think? What will they say about these thoughts in my head? Did I spell everything correctly?

Today, though, once I watched that video, I decided to just start writing again. Just for the sheer joy of it. And yes, I always need a good editor -- the length of this post being proof of that -- but I'll try my best to keep future posts to a reasonable length. I just want to write. To whoever reads this. Like little letters from my life to yours. (With correct grammatical restraints, of course.) I hope I'm entering into a New Way in this eighth year of our blog. We shall see.

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Where all Men are at Home

2010-12-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I subscribed to a daily poetry website which sends out little gems each day, usually by theme each week. This week's theme should be obvious. Today's poem is by one of my favorite authors, G.K. Chesterton. If you like poetry like this, you can subscribe at Davey's Daily Poetry. I thought some of you might enjoy this, too.

Christmas Poem
G.K. Chesterton

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.

Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule take was begun.

A child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost--how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wife's tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place then Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

Day 2 and Counting

2010-11-29T22:51:00.003-05:00

We are waiting. Some folks say that they don't like to rush Christmas because they might miss out on truly enjoying Thanksgiving. But this year I'm trying an experiment in not rushing Christmas by purposefully celebrating Advent. Oh, we won't go so far as to withold decorations until Christmas Eve, especially since we won't even be around to enjoy them! But perhaps I will space things out a bit over the coming weeks. Do a little at a time, room by room, piece by piece. Maybe I will make this part of the 25-day advent calendar I'm setting up for December. And before we even begin really decorating anyway, I'm cleaning house! We're "making room" for Jesus in our lives, in a quite physical and obvious way. I hope.

Today is the second day of Advent and so far we have put up just a small Christmas tree given to us by a relative and have lit one candle on the advent wreath. (If you are not familiar with the liturgical or church calendar and why we celebrate this season of longing and anticipation, there's a good collection of explanations at Go to Bethlehem and See, our favorite advent blog.)

Yesterday, our pastor used the children's moment to light the first advent candle and handed out little toy advent wreaths to all the children, complete with plush candles stuck on with velcro. I was glad that Jacob has something to put in his room as a reminder of this season, but there's just something better about real candles! Yes, even with a one and a three year-old.

The mystery, the twinkle of the light, the darkness that slowly gets pushed back as Christmas day draws nearer...those are the things I love about this season and the gradual lighting of the wreath.

It also helps teach me patience. And apparently advent is a proper lesson in patience for the little ones as well. Yesterday afternoon we read some of the section from Isaiah from The Jesus Storybook Bible as we "lit" the first plush purple candle on Jacob and Ethan's toy advent wreath. We talked about how God had sent his prophets to anticipate the coming of the Messiah, of Jesus, and how now we are waiting to celebrate his birth, just as we wait for His second coming to earth. And I explained that now that we have lit the first candle we have to wait an entire week to light the next one.

A whole week?! That's an eternity in a child's eyes. And sure enough, not only did Jacob want to light the second candle of the Advent wreath TODAY, he also wanted to open his presents (I have some very organized relatives who sent us home from Thanksgiving complete with wrapped gifts!). So, hopefully, each week his anticipation will grow as he awaits the celebration to come. Since he has been denied yet another immediate pleasure, just imagine his joy on Christmas morning as he receives those gifts and relishes in the delight of opening them and celebrating God's greatest gift of His Son.

The following from this Advent devotional is a good reminder of why we give our children gifts at Christmas in the first place. (As are these thoughts on the generosity of the season.) But I think what struck me the most is that I'm reading them at a time when we are finishing up a study of I John, the letter against the Gnostics. May I be reminded that Christ came to demonstrate his love for us in a real, physical way while we were yet sinners, and so we who are in Christ should also demonstrate that love in real ways to our family, our friends, and everyone we encounter this season.

The Advent of Jesus Christ is the most materialistic, the most physical, the most worldly message of the Bible. The Word, who we know is Jesus Christ, became flesh. He became human, a person, a baby, flesh and blood; yes, a real, live, crying, eating, sleeping baby boy. For a period of some thirty plus years, God the Son lived here on planet earth. John says that he and his friends beheld Jesus' glory. Like Bobby squealing with delight over a new bicycle, the disciples experienced the excitement of standing next to Jesus, eating lunch with Jesus, sitting at a lesson listening to Jesus, and watching Jesus teach, preach, and perform miracles.

Jesus is the ultimate Christmas gift. But the gift of Christ is not something that we can put into a holy box labeled "Spiritual." Rather, a flesh and blood Christ came into this physical world to save us in the here and now, as well as in eternity. His coming here on earth in the flesh gives us the greatest of reasons to truly enjoy all the physical gifts of God, including bicycles.

Everybody's Favorite Christmas Mammal

2010-11-16T23:36:00.005-05:00

Though there were many more thoughtful or profound moments of Hutchmoot 2009, one of my favorites has to be watching Randall perform this song for the first time without busting out laughing at his own hilarity. He came pretty close. Afterall, silliness is next to godliness, don't ya know? What?! You don't like the "Camel Song"? What's wrong with you?!

If you think I'm crazy, you can listen to the "Camel Song" here. This is also a not-so-subtle reminder to go pre-order the new Slugs and Bugs Christmas CD.

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Senate Vanity Index

2010-11-02T14:33:00.002-04:00

Just in time for election day!

Is it possible to objectively measure a U.S. Senator's egotism based on his office decorations? You be the judge.

I find this oddly fascinating.

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The End of October

2010-11-01T23:36:00.005-04:00

It's November already? Really?!

Well, then. Happy All Saints' Day.

Apparently, I've been living in the season of life where I only compose blog posts in my head. Many, many blog posts. But if in this brief moment I can't catch you up with all the things rattling around in my brain, I can at least post some pictures from the last few days.

All Hallow's Eve Eve (Not Redundant)

Our church hosted a fall festival and chili supper on Saturday night, and I rested up all day for the big event. My head had been feeling like it was squeezed between a vice grip and I'd been hacking and dripping and congesting for a few days, but a good long nap and some OTC meds helped me recover enough to tag along, enjoy the fun, and take some pictures. Though we'd planned for Ethan to wear Jacob's giraffe outfit, no amount of cajoling could convince him to wear a costume.

Sad Jacob/Elmo before the church festival. He won't show his face. Or maybe he just likes looking at flowers and pumpkins.

We actually had a blast and I am so glad we all got to attend as a family. Seeing our extended church family was a treat as well, as the place was so packed they had to add extra tables. There were bouncy houses, cotton candy, bubbles, pumpkins to paint and cookies to decorate. What more could any kid want? Oh, yes. Elmo.

Daddy and Ethan hanging out (with "Melmo" in tow.)

Little Elmo, or "Melmo" as Ethan named him, traveled everywhere that Ethan went. Elmo is a new-found love. Besides books (right now the perennial request is "Cookie Book" aka If you Give a Mouse a Cookie) or cars, he'd never specifically requested a toy before. Once Jacob got the costume, however, Elmo is a must-have, even at naptime. At least an Elmo doll is easily replaceable if damaged. (Shhh. Don't tell Ethan!)

Melmo enjoyed the swing.

"Oh, no! Don't drop me! Ahhhh!"

Melmo jumped in the bouncy house.

Big Elmo liked the bouncy house, too! This is the first year Jacob has actually worn a costume for more than 30 seconds, so we were elated. He did change his mind last week and instead of a homemade giraffe he wanted to be the fuzzy friendly red monster from Sesame Street. What can I say? He wants to be popular, apparently.

Jacob's cookie decorating skillz.

Jacob and his friend N--er, Spiderman. Can't reveal his secret identity!

Halloween Parade

On Sunday evening, we participated in our neighborhood's annual Halloween parade. In this tradition, everyone meets at a particular intersection and walks down to the swim/tennis center for a hotdog dinner before trick-or-treating. They even had a sweet lead car. Since this is the first October we've been in our house, we weren't sure what to expect.

We actually walked all the way from our side of the neighborhood, arriving promptly at 5:15 per the e-mail. There were a few families milling about. (Note to self: next year, DRIVE to the start of the parade. Less toll on the parents.) Well, by the official start time of 5:30 there were hundreds of kids and parents filling up the streets! They stop traffic in that part of the neighborhood just for this event! According to some old-timers, this was the largest group they've had in a long time. Jacob seemed a bit overwhelmed by the size of the crowd but enjoyed himself nonetheless.

I was glad to see some familiar faces that we've gotten to know through our playgroup and summer Bible study. Jacob kept running up to kids saying "I know him! Hey, that's not a pirate!" or "Oh, she's a princess!" One little kid we'd never met just wanted to meet "Elmo!" Plus, a family from our church lives on the main drag and we got to go trick-or-treating at their house on the way back. We even got called out by name as we walked by. Seriously, it felt like I was in small-town America again.

Here's E at the start of the parade. Again, you notice that he has no costume. We tried, really, we did. Also, we attempted to substitute Cookie Monster for a (temporarily) missing Elmo, but to no avail. As you can see, he was delegated to the next seat over.

Here's a photo Jacob took from his seat in the stroller. This doesn't even give you a hint at the masses of people since by this time the crowds had thinned out and we were at the back. I thought about taking pictures earlier, but wasn't sure how I would feel about strangers posting pictures of my kids. But here I am putting them up for all the world to see anyway, so I suppose it wouldn't have mattered.

So. tired. Must. finish. hotdog. (He did!)

More swings. We really like swings.

We arrived home just before dark. Daddy finished carving the pumpkin while I took Jacob trick-or-treating next door and across the street. We were the first visitors at all three houses! I guess all the action is at the other end of the neighborhood. More candy for us!

Our snaggly-toothed jack o' lantern.

J and Gaines on the porch with our handily carved pumpkin. Way to go, Daddy!

Me and the boys.

Hope you had a happy Halloween!

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Things Looking Up For the Jackets?

2010-10-11T13:52:00.003-04:00

Georgia Tech Defeats Virginia, 33-21

Paul Johnson's squad had a much better showing this weekend than the last. The defense continues to improve, and was actually better than the final score shows, as 7 of the points they allowed came in the waning seconds of the game, much too late to change the outcome. But the real story is that the offense seems to finally be breaking out of its funk. The Jackets put up a record 477 yards on the ground, and Anthony Allen rushed for 195 yards and three scores -- exactly the kind of performance we've been hoping to see from him in the post-Dwyer era.

Some problems linger on, though. In the first half, Tech had several promising drives fizzle deep in Virginia territory, in part due to sloppiness on the pitch. Hopefully the Jackets can tighten things up next weekend against Middle Tennessee State. After that, it's back to the ACC grind. Tech is still in the running to repeat as Coastal Division champs, but there's a long road ahead.

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From the Jaws of Defeat

2010-10-04T00:55:00.002-04:00

Georgia Tech Rallies Past Wake Forest in Final Moments, 24-20

I honestly don't know what to make of the Jackets this season. The game against the Demon Deacons was supposed to be a prime opportunity to snap back after our miserable loss to NC State. Yet the first three quarters against Wake were absolutely pathetic. The defense did okay, but the offense just couldn't get things together at all. And then suddenly, Tech delivered a fantastic fourth quarter, largely due to Joshua Nesbitt, and it was enough to scratch out a win. Tech definitely has some problems this year, but we seem to have the solutions, too. We're going to need them pretty soon. The next two weeks should be manageable -- UVA and Middle Tennessee State. After that, Clemson, VA Tech and Miami. Oh boy.

I won't even bother to mention that the Dawgs have lost four straight.

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Chunky Chicken and Chutney Pizza

2010-09-27T12:59:00.005-04:00

We've been making homemade pizza about once a week. I've been using PW's pizza dough recipe for a few months, but yesterday I was completely out of olive oil. So, instead, I picked up a package of Publix pizza dough, the plain kind, which was on sale for $1.79. If it stays about that price, it is worth it to me to buy it rather than make it. I will gladly pay the dollar for my time! And the flavor was excellent. (They'll never know it wasn't completely from scratch. Unless you tell them.)

For my Chicken and Chutney Pizza, I used this recipe as my inspiration, but then added some twists of my own.

Chunky Chicken and Chutney Pizza

Crust:
Make your own or buy pre-made ball of dough, but treat it like homemade:
1. Put a little olive oil in a large bowl.
2. Put dough in bowl, cover with towel, and let rise 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.

Chicken:
1. In a square or rectangular metal baking pan, add 1 Tbsp EVOO.
2. Coat 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with oil and sprinkle S+P on top.
3. Drizzle with Worchestershire sauce.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 375 degree oven (yours may vary) or until cooked through.
5. Chop chicken into small, bite-size squares.

Chutney:
The "sauce" in this pizza is a homemade chutney. Me like.
1. Dice 2-3 plum tomatoes.
2. Combine with 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 tsp Garam Masala* in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened.

Other toppings:
Chopped green onions, sharp white cheddar cheese, and fresh diced plum tomatoes work well, as per the original recipe. But you could experiment. I might try chickpeas.

To assemble:
Spread crust onto a pizza stone or baking tray. Use your fingers. Get kids to help.
Bake crust for 3 minutes at 400 degrees to prepare the crust to hold toppings.
Spread the prepared chutney on the crust. Add chicken, onions, tomatoes and cheese.
Bake assembled pizza at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy! Even the leftovers are delicious.

* Garam Masala is a smoky-sweet blend of Indian spices and I bought it a while back for a curry dish. The original called for Jamaican jerk seasoning, which I don't have, so I opted for this which gave it a nice, mild kick.

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Thank you Mr. Anonymous Cooking.com Warehouse Packager

2010-09-23T20:57:00.001-04:00

Someone should write a "Real Men of Genius" song with that title.

A few weeks ago, one Saturday morning, a box arrived at our doorstep. It was filled with goodies from Cooking.com. I ordered about five items using a gift card from some reward points. Included was an OXO mandoline and a new easy-grip peeler, both of which I desperately needed to make my life easier (think: scalloped potatoes). Among the other things I ordered was a single 8x8 square metal baking pan.

When I opened the box, there was actually a separate, smaller box from the manufacturer that listed four new baking pans, straight from the original warehouse. It was still sealed. Sure enough, when I opened it, there were FOUR metal baking pans inside. Sweet! Free baking pans! (16 layer cake, anyone?!)

But, because I'm me, I actually called customer service and asked them what I should do. Part of me thought that if I ran a large warehouse like that, I'd like to know it happened. The other part probably felt guilty and wondered if they would somehow find out and charge me for them. Still, I had a hunch the shipping would not be worth the cost of sending it back. I was right! The lady actually told me, "It's your lucky day!" And it was.

Though I am grateful for the three extra pans, someone in their warehouse department needs to be a bit more careful when filling orders. The box I received clearly said that there were four inside. Since each pan sells for around $8, if a mistake like that happens too often the losses could certainly add up. But hey, I just got $24 worth of free merchandise and so I am not complaining!

The customer service representative actually made a joke about making me send them something baked in the pans to make up for it. Though it was an empty gesture, I might actually get around to making some cookie bars one day and sending them off. I'm that grateful!

By the way, I did receive everything else in my order and it is all excellent. I highly recommend using Cooking.com if you need anything for the kitchen. (They did not pay to say this, with baking pans or otherwise. I just thought I'd give them a plug because they are so nice.)

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Dear Fall,

2010-09-23T14:27:00.004-04:00

My calendar says you arrived today, but I just won't believe it until I see you and your bags on my doorstep.

Though we do have quite a bit of leaves in our yard that go crunch, crunch when we walk outside, they are brown and dry. And the 90-degree temperatures do not make us excited about raking them up.

These pictures are from your visit last year. Remember what a good time we had? We hope you get here all dolled up and ready to party, perhaps in something red:

Please come back and visit us soon, won't you?

Sincerely,
Your Favorite Leaf-Pile Jumpers

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A Shaky Win Is Still a Win

2010-09-20T00:10:00.002-04:00

Yellow Jackets Top Tar Heels in Wild One, 30-24

All in all, a solid effort, yet plenty of room for improvement. The offense looked good, and had some moments of greatness (see Orwin Smith's 73-yard TD run on the third play of Tech's opening drive). Yet there were some killer mistakes, including a couple of drive-ending flubs on the pitch. Nesbitt completed 75% of his passes -- but he only threw four of them. (Granted, they were for 76 yards and a score.) The defense gave up tons of yards, yet ended up saving the day in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

Up next: at home versus NC State.

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Milestones

2010-09-14T09:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Ethan went to the potty all by himself without any prompting. We hadn't even been considering potty training, really. We'd just put the little blue potty in the bathroom because he asked for it one day. He's been sitting on it sometimes, usually clothed but sometimes without a diaper, though so far there had been no success. So when I had to change him after lunch yesterday, he just sat himself down on the little seat naked as a jaybird and went tee-tee all on his own. We clapped and cheered and did the potty dance and I think he was as shocked as we were! Nineteen months old, I tell you! I love the thought of having NO kids in diapers...

This morning, as we were getting into the car, Jacob climbed in by himself as always and buckled the top part of his 5-point harness. He's been doing that for a while now and just hadn't been able to manage the two parts of the buckle at his waist. Well, I ran back inside the house to grab a sippy cup and when I came out he said, "Mommy, Mommy! I buckled myself in ALL THE WAY!" And sure enough, I checked it and he had! We are raising some independent kids, I tell you. Three and a half years old. At least he can't UNbuckle himself from his carseat yet. I imagine that could be dangerous right now until he learns a bit more restraint.

Still, I have to admit I am proud of my boys!

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The Agony of Defeat

2010-09-13T00:05:00.002-04:00

Georgia Tech Falls at Kansas, 28-25

Whether Kansas was fired up after their upset loss last week or Tech just got caught looking ahead, the result was four quarters of uninspired football by the Jackets. The offense just wasn't clicking, and the defense needs to get their act together, quick. The dumb mistakes didn't help, either. (Roughing the kicker? Seriously?) Saturday was an epic fail for the ACC, and Tech unfortunately contributed to the mess.

With the loss, Tech tumbles out of the Top 25. There's a lot of work to do to get ready for next weekend's ACC opener at UNC.

But, at least the Bulldogs lost.

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So Goes Bloglines

2010-09-11T00:43:00.004-04:00

As of October 1, Bloglines will be no more.

Most of you are probably saying, "Huh? I have no idea what that is," while the rest are thinking "Why aren't you on Google Reader already?"

Well, now I am. For YEARS, probably since around 2004, I've been using Bloglines to keep up with my favorite blogs by subscribing to their RSS feed. (Gaines got me hooked on it originally, I think.) But now that blogging is dead, so goes the RSS readers, I suppose. I'm hoping Google keeps theirs around for those of us who actually like to organize what we read rather than get it all through Facebook or Twitter. Though I can't say I like the format as much.

Since I never kept up a real blogroll here at Team Redd, my Bloglines list has been the place I've visited daily to keep up with the outside world. I have bookmarked 297 blogs to date. I have categories called "All People We've Met in Real Life" (to keep it at the top of the alphabetical list) and "Theology-Minded Blogs" as well as "Home Decor Ideas" and "Bookish Blogs." Some of my go-to categories are "Musicians," the ever-present and not-as-boring-as-it-sounds "Favorite Blogs," and my latest addition: "Hutchmooters." Of course, I never have time to read the dozens of new posts each day, but it's nice to know they are there if I need them.

All this seems so mundane, and frankly, unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But still, I mourn its passing. The end of a digital era. Just like BASIC and floppy disks. Perhaps a better metaphor would be card catalogs in libraries. Remember those?

However, like many things in life, I choose to view this change with a positive outlook. This is my chance to determine my priorities, clear out the clutter, and knock down my list to a respectable 250. Or not.

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First Day

2010-09-09T23:32:00.005-04:00

Wednesday morning was our first day back at Community Bible Study.
This is about the closest we're going to get to a first day of "school" for Jacob anytime soon, so I thought a quick photo would be a good idea.

Until I tried to get Ethan to look at the camera, too. This is the best I could do.

This is our second year as part of our local CBS, thanks to a persistent friend who asked me three years in a row until I finally decided to try it out. I'm so glad I did. Last year, though, I had a baby and a toddler so was not quite self-aware enough to take a picture. I was just lost and running late. This year, however, felt wonderful. I knew where to go and what to expect and was even (almost) on time.

I love our Community Bible Study. I get to venture into the Word with a group of women from various churches (we're study a collection of NT epistles, starting with James) and the boys get to be loved on and taught by Christian ladies. One of Jacob's teachers this year is a good friend of mine so it was great that he already knew someone. I think he knows some of his classmates from last year, as well. He definitely remembers the songs, because he was singing them for me before we even got to the car.

"Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? We go to CBS, yes!

What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS?
We learn about Jesus Christ!"

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And So It Begins

2010-09-04T23:20:00.002-04:00

Jackets rout South Carolina State 41-10 in the 2010 season opener

An easy win, but also a showcase of weak spots that Tech needs to remedy, and soon. Like the passing game. And stopping the run. Still, this team has the potential to have a fantastic season.

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RIP, Paste Magazine

2010-09-02T11:42:00.003-04:00

Paste Magazine Suspends Print Publication

Local Atlanta coverage here.

They intend to continue their online publication for the foreseeable future. Here's hoping things can pick back up for them soon.

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Nesbitt For Heisman!

2010-09-01T08:50:00.001-04:00

Seriously.

Oh football season, how I've missed you!

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Lord knows I needed a laugh today...

2010-08-25T17:15:00.002-04:00

And I got one.

Thank goodness it was only lip gloss and not nail polish.

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Book Review: The Last Word

2010-08-18T15:44:00.004-04:00

Another long overdue book review. I finished this in May of 2009. Here's my thoughts from Goodreads that I'd saved as a blog post over a year ago.

Whatever you may think of his works on justification, Wright certainly has written much that benefits believers, including his more popular works such as his For Everyone commentary series. This particular book is about the authority of Scripture and is intended for the non-academic.

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture by N.T. Wright

Fantastic overview of the place of scripture in the life of the church. Wright examines the phrase "the authority of scripture" and details how it is more about the relationship of the Father as revealed in the Son working through the Spirit to communicate and complete His work in the world than it is about oft misunderstood words like inerrancy and infallibility. Wright touches on recent scholarship as well as plenty of historical context and church history. I learned that to the Reformers, a "literal" reading meant the original literary intent of the text (metaphorical, pastoral, narrative, etc.) rather than what we think of today when we speak of "reading the Bible literally" and all the negative associations. Wright encourages his readers to encounter scripture holistically, in its context and proper framework, by hearing the word proclaimed in and through the church, and encourages liturgical efforts while not downplaying the importance of personal study.

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Hutchmoot Explained. Mostly.

2010-08-10T00:45:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we drove to Nashville for an event called Hutchmoot.

Why? Well, let's flashback a bit. About nine years ago I had the privilege to attend a summer program at St. John's College in Oxford, England. The college just happens to be located across the street from The Eagle and Child (a.k.a. The Bird and Baby), a local pub. If you are a C.S. Lewis fan, you might recognize the name. Lewis and his friends, including J.R.R. Tolkien (a.k.a. The Inklings), would meet weekly in a back room of The Eagle and Child to discuss their writings and shared interests. The room where they met was called The Rabbit Room. (I'm going somewhere with this, trust me.)

Flash forward to the present day. Andrew Peterson, the singer/songwriter/author, has created an online community to discuss art and music and literature. In light of his appreciation for C.S. Lewis, he calls it The Rabbit Room.

A few months ago, Andrew and his brother Pete invited some people to a real-life version of what has become a thriving online community. They called it Hutchmoot -- a hutch being a place where rabbits congregate and moot an Old English word for an assembly. Hence, a gathering of folks associated with The Rabbit Room would be called a Hutchmoot*. Get it? Yeah, it's geeky. But we roll that way.

At Hutchmoot, we had good company and good conversation. We listened to exceptional music and profound thoughts from Andrew Peterson and other Square Pegs familiar 'round these parts, like Eric Peters and Randall Goodgame. We ate excellent food prepared lovingly and with care. We enjoyed humorous LOST references, The Far Side comics, discussions about the nature of art, and we basically walked around in awe all weekend that no one else thought we were in the least bit odd. We most definitely "got our nerd on" and "geeked out" --two phrases we heard oft repeated from the speakers-- over characters like Sam Gamgee and the works of an author named Walter Wangerin, Jr. We got to hear Mr. Wangerin speak. I'm still reeling from that last one.

More to come, more to come, but I need sleep to continue processing.

*A miniature robin told me that Clay Clarkson, the author, is the one who came up with the name Hutchmoot. Not only do I appreciate he and his wife's books on parenting and motherhood, but he just shot up on my coolness meter like a gazillion points. Plus, his daughter Sarah came and spoke at the event. She's a writer and a fellow kindred spirit who is a huge fan of Anne of Green Gables. I liked her already.

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Eight Years Ago Today

2010-08-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

We got hitched.

And yes, we really are still that happy.

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What We Did This Summer

2010-07-27T20:46:00.011-04:00

Travelers and wanderers are we, with little time to reflect. Our summer has been surprisingly busy, but I kind of like it that way. Otherwise, I might get stuck inside, trapped by a heat-induced malaise. This way was much more fun. Here's a quick rundown of some highlights from the last two months.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we dogsat for some friends. The boys LOVED playing with Sam, but we realized we are not quite ready for pet ownership yet. Too much maintenance required.

One of my good friends and fellow mom of boys, Sindhu Giedd, played a concert of some original songs at a very unique venue. I went with my friend Jessica, who originally introduced me to Sindhu, to hear her play late one Saturday evening. I was transported instantly back to my days of following indie musicians around the Southeast and going to concerts in the most random places, but this one beat them all. On the third floor of a nondescript Dunwoody office building, the owner has created an attic listening space, complete with wood-paneled ceilings, a bar area, silent "phone booths" for checking messages, and an entrance door that looks like you've stumbled upon a London underground pub. And hearing my friend pour her heart out to God through song was a great blessing. The best were her renditions of Psalms and other Scriptures set to her own original music with both classical and Indian indfluences.

The Three Mom-keteers:

Jacob attended VBS for the first time at our church back at the beginning of June. He still requests to play and sing the theme song, "God is my Hero." It's funny, though, when he sings the part that spells out "H-E-R-O," because he says "Itch-E-R-O" which we find hilarious.

He has worn this VBS shirt at least once a week since he received it:

The second weekend of June we traveled to Alabama for Gaines' family reunion. Every year we drive to McCalla and set up a picnic across the road from the family cemetery. I kid you not. Gaines says he and his cousins used to play games among the gravestones. This year I was especially proud because Gaines gave the message during the memorial service. Christ and the Gospel were loudly proclaimed. You can never hear too many talks about grace, I think. (There's a recording of it somewhere, I hope.) :) I was glad his sermon was short and to the point, as well, because it was HOT out there.

See? H-O-T.

Ethan armed himself with multiple fluids. Smart boy:

Gaines and his parents, plus Ethan. Three generations of Redds:

June was also a month of birthdays! We celebrated my 30th with a night out to see Toy Story 3 and dinner at a local Cuban place. We went to at least 3 child birthday parties that I remember, just within a week: Annabel Crane, Samuel Suber, and Scarlett Vaughan (If you ask Jacob who his girlfriend is, he answers "Scarlett," though possibly only because she's the "girl" friend we play with most often. We know a lot of boys.)

We enjoyed much cake:

Jacob spent an entire week away from us, first with Gaines' parents and then with mine down in Geneva. I know he had a blast and I'm thankful he had that time with them, but he was sorely missed. I don't know how to be a parent to only one anymore! Ethan and I got some quality time, though. And when we drove to Montgomery to pick up Jacob, my parents took me out for Chinese and Gaines' family surprised me with a cake! And a cookie in a skillet! Yum!

In between the travelling, we had playdates and picnics and mornings at various local pools. We have not been idle, though we have enjoyed our share of lazy days spent soaking our feet in a baby pool or running under a sprinkler. It's what summer should be, I think. I plan to enjoy these days as much as I can, despite the 100 degree heat indexes we've been having lately.

Splashpad! But wait, is that a diaper leak?! This photo cracks me up.

One of our favorite local parks:

On a family ice cream date:

Ethan has become adept at using a spoon:

For the fourth of July, we drove down to Montgomery again and watched the fireworks from this Seaside-like place out in the middle of some pasture land near Pike Road. They've created a little town with a post office and a town square and are building a school. It's surreal, set amidst these beautiful lakes. It was a peaceful, perfect evening with family. (I won't mention the experiences we had taking Jacob to go potty. Outside. In the dark.)

Watching "firecracks" with Uncle Mike.

Speaking of potty-going, our one big accomplishment this summer is that Jacob is now potty-trained! Completely! (Insert potty dance!) He stays dry all day in his big-boy underwear (with the rare exception) and refuses to wear a Pull-Up at night -- and he stays dry then, too! Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night, but usually he sleeps just fine and then goes in the morning.

We have a big kid now!

The boys and I took two short trips without Daddy this past month. We missed him greatly, and look forward to vacationing with him in August. Still, it was great to visit my hometown for a few days and see some old friends. Then, last week, I drove us to Birmingham for two nights to visit with Gaines' grandmother. While there, we also got to see my friend Kami and her boys (before her third arrives!) at the McWane Center. On the way back, we stopped by the home of my college friend Mary Virginia and her adorable kids. If we ever get the chance to live in Birmingham again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's just the right size.

This summer so far has been full of celebrations, but we were sad to say goodbye to some dear friends, the Cranes, who are moving out of the big city into small-town life in the Deeper South. I have more I wish to say devoted just to them, but for now I'll wish them well in their new life in Mississippi, and if they ever want to drop off Annabel to stay with us again, we wouldn't complain. :)

We're looking forward to a rare weekend at home and a visit from my mom. August is full of family travels, a trip to the lake, a wedding, and a most anticipated kid-free anniversary adventure in Nashville. Life is good.

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World's Strongest Beer?

2010-07-23T09:40:00.004-04:00

The "End of History" is upon us, and it's inside a stuffed squirrel.

I imagine the creative process went something like this:
110 proof beer? Check. Taxidermy? Check. Francis Fukuyama reference? Check.

Be sure to watch this video released by the brewery.

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Mystery

2010-06-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

While changing Ethan's diaper tonight we noticed his legs were peeling. I knew he got some sun on Saturday at the waterpark, but surely it wasn't enough to be blistering?! Especially on his legs and nowhere else.

Upon further inspection, we discovered it was just dried-on Elmer's glue.

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Brothers

2010-06-26T23:05:00.003-04:00

Both of my boys are hilarious. I love that they are close enough together to be friends and playmates. It's so funny to see their personalities as they run around and interact with each other.

Ethan likes to try new things and is never hesitant to dive into an unfamiliar situation (unless it is a strange dog who wants to be petted.) He frequently wanders off the driveway, off the sidewalk at the park toward the woods, and will quickly get away from me in public places. (This is not always a desired trait.) He is not shy, that one. At the same age Jacob was making sure all the cabinet doors were closed when we left the kitchen, Ethan is opening them up to climb inside. He laughs constantly at his older brother's antics and will eat almost anything we put in front of him, except sandwiches. He is not quite verbal yet, but he points and grunts and signs to make his will known. And he usually gets what he wants. Mostly shoes and bananas. And he has started putting his hands together when we pray or say a blessing before meals!

Jacob, unlike his brother, has a unique way of staying in the lines. He has a routine and a practiced way of doing things. Everything must be done the RIGHT way (which really just means his way). At the park, when Ethan and I will walk across the grass in the most direct route to the swings, Jacob will run "as fast as he can" on the sidewalk, following it as it curves around the playground, taking him a further distance to get to his destination. We have to get him to STOP pressing the blinking light on his toothbrush or he would still be there now, brushing away, just because he likes to brush his teeth. And wash his hands. Repeatedly. He also likes the clean a little too much, so we can't use it as punishment. Somehow, though, all these little rituals translate into an abundant imagination and creativity. At the water park, the joy and abandon he showed when he started playing was delightful! He was literally dancing and skipping through the water and making up his own games. He told me afterward that he was pretending to be a racecar in the water. And at dinner tonight, he brought along his buddies "Maff" and "Daff" (a California raisin and a miniature sock monkey) who we had not met in the flesh until this evening -- I'd always assumed they were purely inivisible friends!

Though my little guys have their moments (that whole learning to share thing is difficult right now), they can be the sweetest boys at times. When Ethan leans in to give Jacob a big kiss goodnight, or Jacob brings Ethan a diaper or a lost sippy cup or a missing toy, I just want to snatch them both up forever into a giant hug. Two of my favorite brother moments were caught by the camera the last two months, and I wanted to share them here.

Ethan's first popsicle break one hot afternoon in May:

Jacob teaching Ethan how to slide at the park on Friday afternoon:

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Proofreading

2010-06-25T23:46:00.003-04:00

Motherhood, and parenting in general, I think, is like a series of edits. You revise and reread, and revise again, always trying new tactics, new approaches to a topic. You could keep going on forever, continually revising, seeking perfection. But one day you realize that your time for making changes and forming your words into something meaningful is over. You have to let them go. Your words live on, of course, and sometimes take on a new life of their own in the hands of others. But they are still yours. And always will be.

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The Perfect Park

2010-06-24T22:56:00.003-04:00

For years it has eluded me. The perfect park. To be honest, we do live in an area with an abundance of parks -- we even have one at the swim/tennis center in our neighborhood, plus two that I know of within a few minutes drive. There's a park with lots of activity centers and mazes of slides and climbing structures, all relatively new. One park has a nature-ish area near a river with a small creek, though it has been under construction since last year's floods. Another park within driving distance is right beside an airport runway. Still, I never found one that I wanted to visit every day. Until now.

A nearby city publishes a weekly paper which keeps me up on happenings in the community. This week there was an article on how some of the former county parks have recently been bought by the city. And they listed a small park that is less than 2 miles away from us that I had never heard about, though I've driven by the street a million times. So, Jacob and Ethan and I went on an adventure on Wednesday and when we discovered it, we had so much fun that we came back today and brought Gaines with us.

Top Ten Reasons I Love The Perfect Park

1. It's within a reasonable driving distance. Fairly short, actually. It's even closer to us than our former first choice for a park.
2. It is SHADY. There are trees all around the playground area, a nice shaded pavilion, and very quick access to a wooded area with some walking trails. Even in the middle of a 90-degree day we never felt like we were in the blazing sun. One metal slide got hot, but the rest were plastic.
3. Nature abounds. It feels very wooded and there is no artificial ground cover. For me, that used to be a drawback, but now that my two are walking around, I love that they can get dirty and have fun. Plus, we love walking on a well-worn path through residential woods. It's not a strenuous hike, but I feel like we get some exercise and enjoy being outdoors without getting too much sun.
4. It is in a neighborhood. Even when it was just me, the boys, and a lone tennis player in the middle of the day I didn't feel like I was secluded. There are houses directly across the street and you can see them through the woods. It fits my comfort level, since I can let the boys play without hovering.
5. It's just the right size, slightly enclosed, but with an open feel. There are only two "stations" and they are close together. Ethan can climb and slide ALL BY HIMSELF on one set and I can see Jacob sliding on the big slide nearby. One of our regular parks is just too spread out -- if one kid wanders off in a different direction I feel like I might lose the other one, especially on crowded park days.
6. The park is not crowded. The days I've been there this week, we've seen maybe one or two families (some from the neighborhood--who walked there!) but not an entire horde of summer children. The park isn't flashy or well-known enough for that. It's our hidden gem!
7. One of my favorite things -- it has a zipline! (Ok, well, sort of. It has one of those metal bars that slides across while you hang from it.) Jacob loves it. And so do I! Maybe if I come enough I can get work on my arm muscles. I'm such a weakling I can't even cross the monkey bars anymore.
8. Stroller access is excellent, but not intrusive. You can bring your stroller close to the action while staying on the sideway and it doesn't get lost admid too many play areas. This is a well-designed small park.
9. The equipment is decidedly old-school. I love it! The monkey bars are high and there are wooden platforms. It's "dangerous" enough so kids can explore and climb and yet I feel like Jacob is safer there than on some of the newer configurations. Some helicopter mom might deem it unsafe, but it's just the way I like it.
10. Family friendly. Today, since Gaines had the day off from both work and school, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch near a guy who was working "from home" with a laptop. A dad from the neighborhood walked his two kids to the park while we were there. And when we took our short hike on the nature trail, we left our cooler on the picnic table bench. It was still there when we returned, of course.

There might be one drawback -- no facilities. The first day we were there we met a mom and her young son leaving for that very reason. (That's not a problem for Jacob, though, apparently, since there are an abundance of trees not far off the wooded path(!), but I can see how if you don't plan well it could be an issue for little girls or pregnant women. Or me, if I drink too much water.)

One thing I didn't understand, though. Why did the house directly across the street have this giant new modern jungle gym in their backyard that was VISIBLE from the park?! I mean, seriously, is the public park not good enough for your little darlings? They can't cross the street to play? They might get too dirty? Now, I would love to have something like that in my own backyard, of course, but if I lived directly across the street from a place like this? I just don't know. I understand the desire to have a place to play that you can see from the kitchen window and that is completely enclosed and private. Still, I defend "my newly discovered park" as the perfect public play area. And if I lived in that house across the street, (once my kids were old enough) I'd send them across the street to play, invite some neighborhood kids, and watch from my front window. Pretty soon you'll be calling me a "free range parent". Perhaps I'm just an old-fashioned park lover.

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Grape Juice

2010-06-23T19:21:00.001-04:00

The following involves frugality, theology, and good music. Not a bad combination, eh?

My task for today was to buy grape juice for Sunday's communion at church. Communion at our church happens quarterly and monthly (depending on the service), though we wouldn't mind one bit if we celebrated every week. :) Since Gaines' current elder duties include Worship Committee, that means planning for communion, which means checking the supply of bread and wine*, which means buying more, and as the shopper in the household, the task really fell to me. Though you should know by now that I actually had fun.

*Yeah, yeah, so it's just grape juice. I have no problem with wine, myself. But that's a conversation for another day.

With a little extra effort on my part, I picked up a 64oz bottle of Welch's for all of nine cents. Here's how I did it:

1. Check the sale pages. Brand name grape juice 2/$6 at CVS.
2. Print out a coupon from the Welch's website for $1 off.
3. Take along 2 kids and 2 Extra Care Bucks (I just happened to have).
4. Buy grape juice and only grape juice. No snacks, toys, or sunglasses!
5. Combine coupon and ECB's and pay only 9 cents out of my pocketbook.
6. Get an extra $1 ECB back because I've been using my Green Bag Tag. Woot!

The anticipation of the Lord's Supper has gotten me thinking about my favorite songs and hymns concerning the Eucharist. Either these are songs appropriate to sing after partaking (it is a celebration, after all!) or songs perhaps not fit for worship, but the lyrics still speak to some aspect of the supper.

Take to the World

"Go in peace to love and to serve
Let your ears ring long with what you have heard
May the bread on your tongue
Leave a trail of crumbs
To lead the hungry back to the place that you are from"

Arise, My Soul, Arise (Indelible Grace Version)

"Arise, my soul, arise,
shake off your guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice,
in my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Surety stands,
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His hands."

A New Law

"I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me

I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law

And don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
I prefer a shot of grape juice
And don’t teach me about loving my enemies
And don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
No, just give me a new law."

Both of Us'll Feel The Blast

"I hope we sit together when Jesus serves the wine
So I can look into your eyes when I taste it the first time
And I know there's no secrets when you're sitting at that table
But I believe we'll smile real knowingly when we read the label
And it says "passion sacrificed to keep from going crazy."
We'll tip our glasses to the Host who used to look so hazy
And drink it down all sweet and slow and slip inside His mind
And realize as it goes down- this is communion wine."

These are some of my favorites. What are yours?

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Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion

2010-06-22T13:16:00.007-04:00

A childhood friend of mine (who posts hilarious things about her twin girls) is having a contest with a buddy to blog something every day during the summer. Since yesterday was the first day of summer, I sort of missed out on that. But I do like the idea of blogging more regularly, so let's see if I can go most of the summer blogging every day.

Here's something I learned about this afternoon (again, I'm late to the game): Rayovac has a giveaway for 30 days this summer where you can win great prizes like gift cards and camping gear. Full disclosure: "The first 99 bloggers to promote the Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion won a prize package from Rayovac."

So, I'm going for a prize package. But hey, I figure you, our half-dozen loyal readers might appreciate the chance to enter as well!

You just visit the Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion site each day and answer a question.

Today's was: "13 millions Americans go camping each year. What is your camping style? Backyard, adventurous, roughing it?"

The actual entry is limited to 25 words, but I thought I would indulge here and give you a short history of my relationship with camping.

As a kid, I'm not sure we ever went camping as a family. Fishing, yes. Trips to the beach, yes. There was an old cabin down by the bay where the "boys" used to stay when we went to Phillips Inlet, but I don't remember if I actually spent the night there. The women and we kids would always stay across the water at a condo. (Cheaters!)

I remember setting up a tent in the backyard once or twice, and I of course had access to woods and a creek behind our house. I might have spent the night in my tree house on one occasion (though I could be making that up). I vaguely remember sleeping in my oversized outdoor dollhouse. But it had electricity and insulation, so that seems like it wouldn't count. (I'll tell you about that someday. It was cool!)

As a young adult, I still loved the outdoors. In college, I worked at a camp for two summers, but of course the bunks did have electricity and running water. I remember actually going camping once or twice with some friends in places around Birmingham and once out in Texas. Though camping in a field in December in below freezing temperatures was not wise. We should've stayed in the barn.

Here's proof that I once camped out and slept under the night sky:

I've often wondered what became of that tent -- it's probably in storage somewhere along with my parents' things.

Even if I didn't get to go camping often, I always liked the idea. I enjoyed rapelling and hiking whenever I got the chance. When we got married, we registered for a few camping items. We ended up with a lantern, a gas camping stove, and some camping pillows. No sleeping bags. And, like I mentioned before, we had no idea what had happened to my tent. So, our plans languished. We got busy with apartment events and other activities and never made time for the great outdoors. I get jealous reading Kami's posts about their family camping trips.

Now, though, we have two boys and I would love to take them camping. Gaines was a boy scout, I enjoy being outdoors. This is plausible. We don't have much (read: any) gear, though. I think I sold or gave away the camping pillows a few moves back. I'm selling the camping stove on Craigslist as I type. At least we still have the lantern. So, if we win this contest at least we'll be ahead of the game with some supplies.

We do have one tent, featurning none other than Lightning McQueen, but so far it has only been set up indoors. I am getting to be really good at setting it up bleary-eyed at 7am, though.

Remember, you can enter the promotion that inspired my ramblings here: Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion

Faithful readers, what are your camping experiences like? I'm curious!

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Thirty Years Ago Today

2010-06-18T15:02:00.005-04:00

I was born.

Now, birth's always a miracle, but for me it was a special kind of miracle. You see, I was born early. Way early. Which makes it ironic that I am always late to things.

Here I am as a baby. (I'm not sure when this picture was taken, but since I was alow to crawl compared to normal timelines I'm going to guess about 10 months.)

I've heard the stories, of course, since even though I lived this miracle I wasn't self aware enough to remember all the details. So if I get some things mixed up, please excuse me. But I am sure of one thing: God has been at work in my life since he knit me together in my mother's womb. And he had tiny knitting needles.

My mom was put on bed rest about the time most moms find out the sex of the baby, around 20 weeks. Then, after two months of book reading and watching soap operas, her blood pressure suddenly spiked. She was at 28 weeks. Combine the preeclampsia with placenta previa, and off she went to the emergency room. My mom tells a better story of how they rushed her in an ambulance three hours to Birmingham from south Alabama on June 17th. All I know is that the next day, probably very early in the morning, they performed an emergency c-section and I came into the world on Wednesday, June 18, 1980. I was born at UAB hospital weighing only 1 pound, 8 ounces and was only eleven inches long, like a hefty sheet of paper.

My favorite photograph after my birth probably still sits on my dad's desk. It is a picture of his hand (or someone else's, I don't know), holding me, while I was connected to all manner of tubes and machines. My head is cradled in his fingers and my miniscule feet barely grace his wrist. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of the God who holds us in the palm of His hands.

The doctor who performed the surgery at the moment of my birth didn't believe that I would live. So it amazed him, a week later, when he came by to visit me and I was thriving and off oxygen. My mom still keeps in touch with him. Perhaps it was the first time he'd ever believed in a miracle.

I am ever grateful for all the things people did and reminded me of throughout my life. The prayers and tiny knitted caps and the doctors and nurses that helped sutain me. They say that the preemie girls are fighters. I know I must've been. Mostly, though, I've realized that it was God's grace that abounded and kept me alive. He upholds all life and His glory is revealed in His good Creation. Especially babies. I know this because now I have two of my own.

When our friends came to stay in my little hometown on the eve of our wedding, the hotel keeper remarked, "You here for the Miracle Baby's wedding?" Yep, that's me. The Miracle Baby. And I'm proud of it.

The picture below was taken when I was about four months old. After months in the neonatal unit in Birmingham and then intensive care in Dothan, I had finally come home. I think I weighed about 6 pounds. Maybe I was unhappy because I wanted clothes on.

Here I am a few years later, no worse for the wear. At that point, I was catching up to my peers. I imagine I was a pretty normal toddler. Don't you see that mischievousness behind the smile? I probably was thinking about how fast I could get that dress off so I could go climb a tree.

Happy birthday to me. God is good! All the time. And I am grateful.

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Not-so-mundane moments in May

2010-06-08T01:31:00.010-04:00

May was mostly wet, with splashes of sunshine and a hot day or two reminding us that summer is near. We enjoyed our attic fan. We read stacks of books. Sometimes we went without TV for a day. Gaines finished another semester of graduate school. Hooray! And every now and then I remembered to grab the camera. As you can see, life around here is anything but boring.

Enjoying breakfast casserole with Mr. Eric Peters. Our Captain Adorable is his biggest fan in the preschool crowd.

Meeting Clifford "The Big Red Dog" at storytime. (Two celebrities in one month! He's going to be star-struck!)

Jacob's favorite rainy-day attire. He chose this ensemble himself, right down to the "lellow" boots that matched his "lellow" shirt.

While comparing prices for VBS crafts at Michael's, I suddenly discovered a swamp thing in my aisle.

Making a wish in the fountain at the Forum on a drizzly day. I hope it came true.

Ethan enjoying his first taste of pork ribs. One of our friends from church made some of THE BEST ribs we've ever eaten. Mmmmm. Carnivorous.

Jacob being a tiger. WROAR!

He went a little overboard with his tiger "costume". I had too many art supplies out in reach this month...

Ethan mows the driveway regularly.

One of our many tricycle excursions.

Front porch sitting is good for the soul. We like to greet EVERYONE who walks by. "Hello! My name is Jacob. I'm three years old!" At least our neigbors are friendly.

See you real soon! More memorable highlights coming up shortly. Plus, an elusive "book review" post or two are in the works!

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The Day Draws Near

2010-06-04T15:25:00.003-04:00

Four Game Times Announced for Georgia Tech Football Schedule

Football season approacheth ...

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LOST -- End and Beginning

2010-06-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

So ... I thought about posting my take on the LOST finale, but here we are, a week and a half later, with nothing to show. Like Allison, I thought the finale was well done and a fitting end to the series. Other folks were disappointed. And that's cool. I've kind of burned out on reading the various pro and con assessments, so I'm just going to say I loved it and leave it at that. Even with its faults (both with the episode and as a finale to the series), "The End" held up well to a second viewing. In fact, it left us wanting to re-visit the entire series, though probably not anytime soon. We did re-watch the pilot, though, and it was pretty cool to see how well these two bookends held together.

Which brings me to the main thing I wanted to mention:

Mark T. aka the Foolish Sage has some great thoughts as part of a LOST Retrospective. The best part is that he actually is re-watching the series from the start, and providing comments with the entire series in mind. Should be good. He's got three episodes done already, and I think it really shows how well the show coheres from start to end. Do check it out.

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LOST Finale Quick Thoughts

2010-05-23T23:56:00.002-04:00

1. Jacob & the Man in Black really weren't the focus of the show after all -- it really was all about the characters we know and love.

2. The writers are postmodern Lewis fans: The Great Divorce without the "divorce" part.

3. "Live together; die alone." It is ultimately a show about caring for and helping those you love and the people around you, and then letting go.

Well done, LOST. Well done. Thanks for a fun ride.

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The Bringer of Shoes and the Face Maker

2010-05-12T23:50:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I get discouraged in this motherhood. I sleep very little. Sickness sets in. The television stays on too long. The simple task of sitting at a table together and eating a meal becomes nigh impossible. Afternoon naps? What are those? Cleaning up potty "accidents" becomes tiresome. The laundry overflows. I get on the computer to do something important but can't for the life of me remember what it was. I regret my tone of voice.

And yet, despite all those things (which all happen to be ongoing at this moment), my boys are growing up around me. And there are little signs of grace. Those moments that make you laugh or realize that God is working in their lives in unexpected ways.

On Sunday morning, after Jacob woke me up to this quip: "Mommy, your breath smells. Come see the card I made you! In the kitchen!" He returned with only an open glue stick. Uh-oh. I bolted for the den. There was a card his dad had helped him make the day before. He is his mother's child because IT WASN'T QUITE FINISHED. Not yet. It wasn't perfect. He needed to "add some more shapes." So, I helped him. At a bleary 6:30 a.m. on Mother's Day I supervised the gluing of pieces of yellow construction paper to my very own card. There. All done! And we proudly displayed it next to a vase full of roses and daisies. Some of the shapes were too big and weren't glued down so we folded them. "A pop-up card!"

Before we left for church, Ethan brought me a pair of sandals. This is his latest gift, the shoe-bringing. He understands simple and some complex commands for a fifteen-month old, but this part of the getting-out-the-door process doesn't need one. At all times of day he will surprise me with offerings of my discarded footwear or Jacob's rain boots or Gaines' tennis shoes. When someone even whispers the word "outside," there goes Ethan toddling through the house, returning with his little white loafers. He sits, obediently, with a large grin and a giggle waiting for you to put them on. He claps, expectantly. And as soon as you fasten the straps, he bolts for the door. More than just the shoes themselves, they are his key to exploring the world outside. If only I could learn from his pleasure in small things. I love that boy.

At the restaurant on Mother's Day, we came prepared with a backpack full of playthings, including a small wallet for Jacob that I picked up at an outlet last month. We filled it with pretend cards decorated with stickers and one lone American Express fake card received with the junk mail. He found it while we were waiting to be seated and decided that HE was going to pay for dinner. He called it his "honey-dollar bill." (Where has he heard about a $100 bill? Oh, wait, TV.) He proudly showed it to the hostess, asking her to take it. We told him to wait until after the meal, and thought he had forgotten. He didn't. He was crestfallen when the waitress took Daddy's Visa instead and when the card holder returned, he put his card inside. "When is she coming back?" he asked. My little gentleman, so chivalrous. Don't worry. One day, dear boy, you will be old enough to buy my lunch. Just not yet.

Tonight, as I was putting Jacob to bed, bringing him a cup of water despite our previous forbidding of a nighttime drink, I was hoping to find him asleep. He's been cranky and sick and desperately needs the rest since naps are non-existent right now. Some nights it is so easy and other times he stalls. He often wants me to lie down with him. "Sleep with me! Not somebody small, like Ethan. I want somebody big!" Neither imaginary friends not stuffed animals will do. When I entered his room tonight, I discovered him drawing on a MagnaDoodle. "Look, Mommy!" And he had created the most amazing collection of circles and dots and lines. "They are faces!" (They really were wonderful faces. I took a picture of it before it got erased. To be uploaded...eventually.) And then the kicker, after handing me his drawing: "One of them is sad because he misses his Momma." Oh, my. I love that boy.

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A Perfectly Cromulent Evening with Eric Peters

2010-05-08T22:59:00.006-04:00

When I think of Eric Peters, a few things come to mind.

Geolly Chester and the revenge of the birds

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."

the most outrageous homemade nachos this side of the Mississip

a Mr. Rogers sweater, a coin purse, and cheat sheets

chili cheese Fritos and bean dip from the QT

a Snoopy diary from the 1980's

and a collection of profound songs that stir my heart and encourage my soul

If you have no idea what anything in the list above is referring to, that is okay. Usually I am not sure myself. But on that last one, I will enlighten you.

Yesterday our friend Eric drove the four hours from Nashville to Atlanta. He left his amazing wife Danielle at home with their two boys, Eliis and Monroe (so close in age to our own two young sons). He does this often, leaving behind home and family to play in odd corners of our country and sleep on couches and rack up miles on their Honda Odyssey instead of his beloved Karmann Ghia. All for a chance to share his songs, returning with a few dollars in his pocket, a few CD's sold, another connection made.

Last night we had the privilege of seeing him play his heart out in front of a local Atlanta audience. In his songs I constantly discovered grace -- whether in the silliness of a misguided thoroughbred, the forlorn longing of a forgotten bicycle, the lament of an incarcerated lover, the anguish and honesty of a reality that bites. Somehow, despite hard years and hard words and hard earth, he keeps plowing songs from the rough ground. For that, I am thankful.

I racked my brain all week to come up with a song request. Something new, something old? At the last minute, I came up with "These Hands," a song about a man named Wilton Reeves. I cannot listen to it without remembering a little spot on the Georgia Tech campus where a certain engineer/theologian used to serenade me by playing that and other Peters tunes on his guitar. And hearing that song in a room filled with friends who knew us then was remarkable. We now have kids and careers and bedtimes, but still Eric's music meets us where we are.

(The Peters and the Redds. Pre-kids. But just barely.)

It's true that not everyone can be a top-40 artist or a CNN anchor or a Fortune 500 CEO or play a doctor on TV or be a Supreme Court Justice or a Pulitzer-winning author or be a household name for whatever reason fame and prestige come one's way. But you can do something you love and do it well. Like Eric.

If you have never heard of Eric Peters and would like to check out his music, please let us know. We have CD's and we know how to share them.

Thanks again, Eric. We shall try to do it again soon.

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Food for Thought

2010-04-23T23:41:00.006-04:00

A while back I read Michael Pollan's book An Omnivore's Dilemmna. While I haven't yet foraged for mushrooms, I did appreciate his adventures into how our food is made and where it comes from and his attempts to eat in ways that keep a close connection between the field, forest, or farm and our kitchen table. Yes, he can be a bit preachy and ponderous at times, but hear me out. Tonight, I was reading an article on thinking Christianly about economics and came across this paragraph:

What might it look like for our communities to engage with creation as a partner and not a resource? Michael Pollan gave a talk in 2007 in which he challenged his audience to imagine the world from the perspective of other species. ... Pollan tells the story of a farm in Virginia where industrial agriculture has been rejected in favour of an approach where the crops form a complex and sustainable ecosystem or permaculture. The complex relationships between the species result in organic crop yields which are multiples of the yields produced by intensively managed factory farms. Might Christians be at the leading edge of such exciting projects? What radical impact might this have on our economics?

I'm not sure if the article's author is aware that Christians ARE at the leading edge of such exciting projects. At least as far as that farm in Virginia is concerned, the Salatins are a Christian family. I'm not saying that I think we should all haul ourselves out of the cities and start living this way. By no means! A famer's life is not for everyone. And I don't think that the Salatins have "the perfect farming method," though I do find their commitment to creating a symbiotic relationship between the farmers and the animals and crops compelling. Plus, they have a consistently strong work ethic, working long hours, yet still find time to read great books. (If only I could be so productive!)

I do believe that supporting these smaller family farms is a good idea, even if our pocketbooks can only do so in small doses. Christians should be leading the way, taking on these projects when possible, but at the very least teaching our children to be good stewards and caretakers of the earth. Even if the farms aren't overtly Christian, our support of such projects might help encourage others to do the same.

During the summer, I plan to support a CSA (community-supported agriculture)/farmer's market in my neighborhood that I discovered through Local Harvest. A few years ago, I bought extra shares from those farmers and have been on the mailing list ever since. This summer I hope to visit the market each week with the boys since our usual Wednesday activity is on hiatus. I think it will be educational for the boys and a start at seeing where our food comes from. Also, since we have such great outdoor space now, I hope to plant a small garden or, at the very least, some tomatoes. (Give me a few weeks and maybe I'll do something about that.) If nothing else, I will pause more often in the produce aisle and consider how and where I spend my grocery budget and what that means for the kingdom.

(I do want to add that I understand that choices of whether or how to implement these ideas are, like education, specific for each family. Maybe you don't buy this and just want to get all your produce from Publix? Okay, that's cool, too.)

Still, I've learned over the last few years the truth that what we do with this place we live matters. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. We have been called to be good stewards, whether in a city windowbox or a rural garden plot, and not to damage or abuse what we have been given. We're currently renting our house and I've noticed how I desire to improve it rather than let it remain as-is. (The analogy breaks down, of course, because if you own something you usually want to take care of it more since you have to fix it yourself. Perhaps it's only someone like me who would lament previous neglectful tenants and long to make it better.) It's the same with the earth, though -- our world belongs to the Lord so we should trod carefully and leave it better than when we arrived, not treat it like a garbage dump.

When we tend a garden, we are proclaiming that our role as caretakers matters. When we do research about local farmers and buy produce from a farmer who shares our stewardship values, we are supporting others who take care of the earth. When we nourish new plants with decaying compost in our backyard, it is a reminder that Christ overcame death and points us toward the day He will come again to create a new heavens and a new earth. May our gardens be redeemed into something glorious. Until then, may He find us faithful.

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Win a Waffle Maker

2010-04-20T20:53:00.004-04:00

Here is proof that we once had one of these beauties. Doesn't Gaines' grin make him look like some sort of evil-genius chef?

In hopes of winning a new one, I promised to blog about Becky's contest to win a waffle maker. She's written 1,000 posts on their blog. That's cool. Us? I have no idea how many. Not enough, probably.

I just thought I'd share how our old waffle maker met its demise: We were unpacking supplies from the car to take into our latest Apartment Life brunch sometime in the fall of 2008. Suddenly, the waffle iron, which had been sitting on the trunk of the car for some thoughtless reason, fell to the ground and broke. I think Gaines actually tried to make waffles in it one more time. Sadly, it was non-functioning and those who came looking for waffles along with their breakfast casserole were sadly disappointed. And no one came to our events ever again.

(Ok, so maybe I made that last part up.)

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Something New

2010-04-14T23:26:00.008-04:00

A new season. A new dress. A new family picture. A new blog post.

I promised myself I wouldn't go to bed tonight without posting "something." So, here's a little something for you.

Early this morning, about 2am, I awoke to find a little boy pattering into the room. Jacob laid his tousled head on the bed and said he wanted to lie down next to me. He was whimpering. I asked him if he had a dream, and he said "Yes." Then he began describing it to me. This is a first, since I have often asked but never received an answer to the question: "What did you dream about?"

A rough paraphrase from what I hazily remember:

Me and you were walking in the woods and we were so far away from our new house we couldn't find our way back to the house. [Were you scared?] Yes. We found a car in the woods and I had to push it so you could put both hands on the wheel and drive us back home. Next time, Mommy you need to find someone else to turn the car. You need to put both hands on the wheel and go home faster.

I wish I had written it down exactly as he said it. It was so funny how he went from describing this strange dream in a scared little-boy voice to bossily telling me exactly what I should do the next time I show up in his dreams!

And then we both went back to sleep. Gaines later woke up and tried to return him to his bed, only to have him protest groggily and end up sleeping at our feet.

In other news, Ethan now has two new teeth, with more on the way. (He's up to 10, currently. He just might sleep through the night again soon. He made it from 7:30p.m. to 5 a.m. last night. Fingers crossed for more of the same.

Update: I woke up this morning just before 7am (around here, that's sleeping in) without a peep from either boy since bedtime last night. That hasn't happened in ages. I am rejoicing! And I hope it happens again!

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RIP, iMonk

2010-04-06T08:55:00.002-04:00

Michael Spencer, 1956 - 2010

Update:
Coverage from Associated Baptist Press

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RIP, Jaime Escalante

2010-03-31T08:54:00.004-04:00

'Stand and Deliver' teacher dies of cancer

Back in high school, my calculus teacher showed that movie repeatedly to get us ready for the AP test.

Update: This Reason article from 2002 is worthwhile reading for background on Escalante's accomplishments in the classroom. That he was a devoted and innovative educator is beyond dispute. However, there are plenty of dedicated teachers who experience a far smaller measure of success. As the article notes,

It is less well-known that Escalante left Garfield [High School] after problems with colleagues and administrators, and that his calculus program withered in his absence. That untold story highlights much that is wrong with public schooling in the United States and offers some valuable insights into the workings -- and failings -- of our education system.

In short, Escalante's success depended in large part on the freedom his administration gave him to craft his program. Once that freedom was restricted, the program suffered.

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March Madness I Can Really Appreciate

2010-03-29T23:42:00.003-04:00

For all my fellow English majors, teachers, and bibliophiles, this one is for you. If you've ever opined on which Bristish dystopian novel is better, Orwell's or Huxley's, then now's your chance to let your voice be heard.

The Tournament of Novels

I just found it, so it's too bad I missed out on Round 1. I'm pulling for the Brits, Austen, particularly. Though I have a feeling one of the Russians will win.

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Friday Funnies

2010-03-26T06:49:00.000-04:00

Jacob made this up in the car the other day, completely out of the blue, to the tune of big bad wolf: "Who's afraid of the big bad crows, big bad crows? Who's afraid of the big bad crows? I AM."

I've told you how Jacob likes to hide, right? Last week we were trying to get ready to leave the house, but I couldn't find Jacob. Ethan was playing in their room and so I said "Ethan, do you know where Jacob is?" Ethan said something unintelligible and pointed to the closet. Sure enough, I opened the door and found Jacob hiding inside. Ethan totally gave him up.

Note: Gaines' parents have a dog named Zeke, who we see every few months. He apparently has a strong influence on our son. For example...

1. Jacob has a little plastic puppy pull-toy. As he was dragging it around the house, one day I asked, "What's your dog's name?
Jacob (even though it had been weeks since we'd seen him): "Zeke."

2. When Uncle Mike came to visit last weekend, Jacob pretended his tent was a dog house. Jacob, to his uncle: "I'm Zeke and you're Zoe. Woof. Woof." (Poor Mike. Zoe is a girl doggie.)

3. Jacob loves to play hide and seek, though he's not sure of the name just yet. Lately, whenever his dad gets home he usually yells out: "Let's play 'Hide and Zeke!'"

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Missional-Ecumenism: What Does it Look Like?

2010-03-25T14:20:00.006-04:00

In his new book Your Church Is Too Small (read my lengthy review here), John Armstrong suggests that one path to unity among believers is what he calls missional-ecumenism. That is, that God's revealed desire is that we (the church) would be relationally one with Him in the sending out He has called and equipped us to do. Armstrong gives some real-life examples in the book of how he has seen this lived out in communities, which got me thinking about how I have seen efforts toward church unity in my own spiritual journey.
(Mr. Armstrong, if you're reading this, is this what you're talking about?)

Fifth Sundays

The churches in my very small (under 5,000 population) Alabama hometown were an embodiment of the rampant sectarianism described in the book. We attended one of two Methodist congregations, but there was also a Baptist church almost across the street, another Baptist congregation on the highway, a large black AME church, a small Prebyterian church, an even smaller Catholic congregation, and any number of Pentecostal, Holiness-type churches spread throughout the county. However, there was one intra-church event I remember: Fifth Sundays. On those evenings, about 5-6 churches would gather to worship together, rotating through different ministers and locations each time. The service included songs and some elements of worship from different traditions, (I distinctly remember gospel singing with some folks from the AME), though I mostly remember it being scaled-down, casual and Protestant/evangelical. I believe the services were promoted to the community at large, but I wonder if someone ever intentionally invited the Catholic church down the road? Is this a pattern for others to follow? I'm not sure, but I am curious as to how it might work in a larger city setting where communities are more spread out and Christians rarely have the opportunity to interact (much less hold a joint service!) with believers from other streams of Christianity.

Apartment Life

For a number of years we worked with Apartment Life, and one of the stipulations was that the couple be connected to and supported by a local church congregation. However, we also found it beneficial to reach out to other local churches to partner with us in ministry (most often, though, God led them to us!). During our 5+ years in two different apartment communities, we saw volunteers from our own Presbyterian church and a local Methodist church work together to sponsor a Kids' Club, we raised donations for a local Catholic charity during one of our service days, and we were supported by a Baptist congregation and a local "Bible church" for some larger social events. The result, I think, was that God brought together individual believers from various congregations to witness and interact with one another. In addition, during organizational monthly large group meetings, we shared ideas and prayed together with local believers from diverse faith traditions, including some with which we had strong doctinal differences. However, by praying for the Spirit to work in their apartment complex and seeing how God used them to impact His kingdom, I think it helped us become more loving towards fellow Christians.

This ties into one theme I took away from the book: to see true unity among individual believers over just figureheads or groups. Armstrong said something to the effect that it may be easier to join together for a cause or a social justice type movement than to actually do the hard work of sharing together, learning together and praying together for true unity. "The primary progress is to be made in the trenches of shared life -- person to person, school to school, congregation to congregation, movement to movement, and, sometimes, denomination to denomination" (169).

At the end of the book, Armstrong lists seven ways that he sees the church in America converging toward a more Christ-like unity:

1. a restored commitment to the sacraments
2. an increased appetite to know more about the early church
3. an obvious open expression of love for the whole church and a real desire to be the church become one
4. the blending of practices of worship, devotion, and prayer from all three streams [Protestant, Catholic, Eastern]
5. an interest in integrating more liturgical depth and structure with the spontaneity and freedom in the Holy Spirit
6. a greater involvement of sign and symbol in worship through banners, crosses, Christian art, and clerical vestments
7. a continuing commitment to personal salvation, solid Biblical teaching, and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit

I appreciated what he calls this "informal ecumenism" and wanted to share them here to further the discussion about how this can be done. Upon reading #5, I immediately thought about our friend who was part of a downtown Vineyard church which had regularly been using the Book of Common Prayer, now the church has officially become part of the Anglican Mission in America. I thought of a neighborhood Christian cooperative coming together and treating the local community as their "parish," adopting it and serving the needs of justice and mercy among neighbors. I think of friends we know who are working toward racial reconciliation among Christians and how embracing the ancient-future aspect of our faith might help smooth that path.

Dear readers, if you have made it this far, have you seen anything along these lines in your communities?

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Desert Island Supply

2010-03-22T07:26:00.002-04:00

File under "individuals making a difference."

Just discovered the Desert Island Supply Co., a volunteer organization in B'ham that assists young writers. I was overjoyed to learn it is based in the Woodlawn community, a place my heart still is drawn to help. Every time I drive by on the interstate, I send up a little prayer.

Has it really been 11 years since that first BSC Woodlawn Service-Learning Interim? That spring I was one of only a handful of students who went to Woodlawn high school to tutor. I was often alone and I admit that I did not continue for very long once others stopped coming. I know our hopes of an ongoing service project from the college fizzled out, at least while I was there. But this organization seems to be well-supported and a needed resource and outlet for those kids.

Maybe one day I can go back and help. At the very least, I love hearing about what is happening there now. If you're in the Birmingham area, consider it something to embrace.

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Birthday Boys

2010-03-21T22:42:00.008-04:00

We've celebrated two milestones around these parts in the past two months and I have been remiss not to post any pictures.

Our boys-- this was taken on a mild February day not long before the oldest brother decided to push his younger sibling off the wagon. Literally.

Ethan turned one year old on February 11th and we celebrated with a family party in Montgomery a few days later. The requested gift? Favorite childhood books. We received some wonderful titles, both treasured and new, that I know our family will enjoy reading for many years to come.

I took very few pictures, but here are some highlights. Aunt Amy, our official photographer, celebrates her birthday in February, too! Jacob loved helping her blow out candles.

The one-year old birthday boy pondering something tasty.

Did Jacob really turn three years old on March 9th?

We celebrated by having our first (really big) party in our new home the following Saturday. Friends from church and elsewhere collided in our little space. I loved it because everyone seemed to settle in different parts of the house -- the den, the living room, the porch, the kitchen-- and it never felt crowded. Chaos ensued, but it was comfortable. And fun! Many thanks to the parents who, after the cake had been served, had the bright idea to march them all out in the front yard to get the sugar rush out of their system.

My limited, last-minute attempt at themed decorations. Jacob said he wanted a "car party" with a "train cake." I give the people what they want.

With my beginner cake-decorating skills and some patch-up work after the birthday boy took a handful of cake for himself, this is the end result. I like to think of it as a locomotive logo cake. (Yeah, it's not just that I ran out of time to make more than one color of icing...) At least he appreciated it. I love this age!

The quintessential birthday photo -- blowing out candles surrounded by friends (or eager, sugar-hungry kids, whatever you decide.)

A picture of all four of us together at Jacob's party. It's a miracle!

Warning: tricycle is actually larger than it appears. (Thanks, DD and Gaga! We're hoping for some more sunny days soon.)

Jacob's new tent. (Thanks Nana and Papa!) He's sleeping in it tonight to protect him from the "pretend rain" that might fall inside the house.

After the party, Ethan decided he liked the trains so much he wanted to live with them. Or bite them.

I need a break from birthdays for a little while. Thank goodness the next one is mine.

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Book Review: Your Church is Too Small

2010-03-20T21:53:00.003-04:00

Your Church is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission is Vital to the Future of the Church by John Armstrong

(Full disclosure: this is a pre-publication copy sent to us by Zondervan. I was grateful to read J.I. Packer's foreword online since its absence is an example of a variation from the final published form.)

Recently, while studying Ephesians chapter 4 in a women's group, the question arose: "How can what Paul says about the church being 'one body' be true when the church appears so fractured and divided, especially among different denominations and faith traditions?"

If you have ever struggled with this issue of unity in the visible church (or perhaps you have tried to avoid it!) then I would suggest Armstrong's book as a good starting place for discussion. The "smallness" to which Armstrong refers in his title is not about the size of the local congregation, but the narrow view of what the word "church" means. Mostly aimed at Protestants but encompassing the two other main streams of Christianity (Catholic and Orthodox), the book acts as a guide for how to think historically and Biblically about church unity.

One of the first things that struck me about this book is the personal investment of the author in this quest for unity in Christ's mission. This is not just a book of abstract theological ideas, but is grounded in Scriptural principles he lives out among Christians from various backgrounds. I found his own story mirrors my own in some ways, and appreciate that he comes from a tradition that has a high view of Scripture. Refreshingly, he seeks to restore balance between truth and unity, not favor one at the expense of the other. This is not some feel-good ecumenism of the last century, but one rooted and grounded in the historical creedal confessions of the early church.

The book is divided into three sections, covering the past (Armstrong's own personal journey and the church's historical unity), the present (where we are now and some of the reasons behind why we are so divided), and the future (some ideas on where the church is headed and a new paradigm of how we might get there). Each chapter ends with helpful questions that expand on and personalize his points rather than just rehashing them.

He begins by reminding the reader of the catholicity of the church --the quality of universality in which the church spans thousands of years and exists in all parts of the world. Sadly, this has been forgotten or ignored in many evangelical circles who believe their local, contemporary expression is the one "true" church.

According to Armstrong, the starting point for unity should be a return to classical definitions of Christianity (what has been called paleo-orthodoxy), especially as defined by the early confessions of the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. By confessing "one holy and apostolic church," believers align themselves with the historic faith. In addition, reading the early church fathers reminds us that we face many of the same issues today, while their writings continually point us back to Scripture as the basis for unity. Another strength of the book is that it introduces the reader to theologians and thinkers from all three major Christuan traditions.

Armstrong also brings up the important concept that the story of Scripture is not an individualized narrative. He writes: "Jesus' primary purpose for coming into the world was not to save us and then take us to heaven; his central mission was to manifest the reign of God over all creation." Until recently this was a very new concept to me, but the author almost takes it for granted that it will be widely accepted. Though it has been covered by others, I think might need a bit more emphasis here since it undergirds many of his points about the kingdom of God.

This is not a book about creating boundaries or drawing lines in the sand, but it seemed more could be said about dealing with error and false teachers. He does discuss the ancienty heresy of Gnosticism and how the early church responded. But how are we to respond when cults or other groups outside the historic faith seek to join in with missional efforts of local churches? Such situations call for much wisdom and prayer, but even so, some more guidance in this area might have been helpful.

Overall, I think there is much to praise in this book and would recommend it to anyone who seeks to work harmoniously with other Christians. What I appreciate most about Armstrong's book is that it is not intended to be a 5 step "this is how to achieve unity" type of work; instead, this book is a platform on how to begin thinking about ways we can reach out to other Christ-followers in our community. Unity of the body is first and foremost a relational unity among individual believers, not a coming together merely of different organizations or representatives. We must actively learn and grow together, knowing Christ and making him known through an honest, Spirit-led desire to work toward unity among different faith traditions who share the common creedal beliefs.

If you would like more information about the book or would like to order a copy of your own, please visit the book's official website: Your Church is Too Small.

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Wordsworth Would Be Glad

2010-03-16T11:14:00.004-04:00

Our own "host of golden daffodills" is blooming! We took pictures yesterday as they fluttered and danced in the breeze.

Spring is drawing nigh. Thank goodness!

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Cheese Toast Boats

2010-03-11T09:43:00.001-05:00

Come, sail away, come, sail away...

Inspired by a friend's idea of making tuna melt boats for her children, a lack of sandwich bread and Kraft singles, and the necessity of something toasty and cheesy to complement our tomato soup on a dreary day, I came up with these fun concoctions.

I sliced some Publix soft rolls in half, topped them with shredded cheddar and parmesan, and tossed them in the oven. (Make sure you sprikle the cheese liberally while they are on a non-stick baking sheet, because the extra that falls off will become crunchy, delicious little cheese straw thingys. Yummy!)

I told Jacob, "We're going to have cheese toast boats today!"
He replied, "They need sails!"
Of course! Why didn't I think of that?

So, we got out the craft supplies. Jacob colored the paper and then we cut it into little triangles and taped them to toothpicks. Voila. Instant "sails" for our cheese toast boats.

Bonus: it keeps little hands busy whilst Mommy fixes lunch.

Perfect for a rainy day. Thank you, local NPR station for reminding me of my favorite comfort food -- grilled cheese with tomato soup. Just like mom used to make!

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There's a three-year-old living in our house now.

2010-03-10T22:51:00.005-05:00

His name is Jacob and he likes planes.

Thanks to my friend Jessica's inside scoop, we took him to a very cool playground at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport for a picnic lunch on his birthday. Here he is with a friend from church on one of the ride-ons.

PDK is like the secret mecca for savvy moms. How did I not know about this place before? The park is right next to the tarmac, you can see the planes taking off and landing right in front of you, and there's a great picnic spot under a big tree. Plus, the restrooms are covered by an old hangar and have cool signs on the walls.

By the time we left the airport in the early afternoon, the place was teeming with children and the parking lot was full. On a Tuesday in the middle of a school week.

Though we'd never really hung out with this family outside of church before, I think Jacob had a great time. He and the other little boy are close in age and Jacob would call to him to follow him in and out and up and down and around the playground equipment.

Jacob's become a brave kid. He likes to climb on things that might've given him (and me) pause a year ago. But he's very careful. If he gets stuck, he just climbs ever so slowly back down...and then tries to go up another way. He also has the most vivid imagination.

Here he is smiling proudly atop his newfound castle. Or treehouse.

The boy scouts had it right: always be prepared. You just never know when your little boy might suddenly turn into....an airplane! Vroooooooom!

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Sad News for the Internet Monk

2010-03-09T13:33:00.003-05:00

Internet Monk is the website of Michael Spencer, whose writings Team Redd has enjoyed for some time. Sadly, Michael's health has rapidly deteriorated over the last few months, and the latest update is that his cancer is terminal. Please pray for Michael and his family.

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Confinement

2010-03-05T23:40:00.001-05:00

Ethan took his first steps today, Friday, March 5, 2010.

I don't have pictures of that. Sorry.

But I did find these adorable photos I took on August 25, 2009, when he was happy as could be in the bargain Exersaucer. He was six months old. Those days are long gone...now he just walks around it. I tell you, it really does go by faster with subsequent children. My baby is becoming a toddler!

And yes, he is still this happy most of the time.

And yes, that is Jacob's hand, reaching in to do SOMETHING to his brother, but I don't remember what.

(It's too bad that I never got around to posting all these things AS THEY HAPPENED. Oh, well. Better late than never, right?)

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Jacobean Logic

2010-03-04T15:52:00.002-05:00

Things our firstborn has been saying over the past several months...

Overheard while getting ready for bed one evening:
Daddy: "Let's read a Bible story."
Jacob: "How about Go, Dog, Go?!"
Daddy: "That's not a Bible story."
Jacob: "But it's got cars!"

Anything that has happened in the past: "Three months ago..." as in, "Three months ago I ate pancakes." Even if it was this morning.

Anything that is going to happen in the future: "Next week..." or "Tomorrow..." as in, "Put me to bed next week." or "I'm going to sweep those leaves up tomorrow."

Said to our friend Mary who was babysitting him and playing outside:
"I want to play with Daddy. Football is too hard for you."

(These are the ones I remembered to write down. I need to take a cue from the Carsons and post them every Friday!)

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The Snowy Day

2010-03-03T17:40:00.006-05:00

Technically, we've had three snow days here in Atlanta this year, one each month. In January, the entire family was at home and enjoyed the views.

Jacob's favorite pastime was making footprints in the snow.

In February we were driving to Alabama to celebrate Ethan's birthday so we kind of missed out on playing then. Apparently, it was a good snow. I was a bit bummed that we missed it, so was actually glad to see snow on the ground yesterday. Even though most of the snow was wet and miserable, the snow stuck, so we took full advantage, even attempting to sled down a hill in the recycling container. (I had to push.)

Here are some highlights from our March snow day adventure:

Tentatively exploring the backyard with bucket and shovel in hand. Somehow, Jacob has decided these two tools are necessary to all snow outings, even though they reside in the clearly labeled "summer toys" box.

After this first excursion, during Ethan's morning nap, we made cookies-in-a-jar and drank hot chocolate. "Hot cocoa" is also apparently necessary after coming in from the snow, even though Jacob doesn't really like it. I think he's seen the snow episode of Curious George too many times.

Jacob practiced catching snowflakes on his tongue.

He wanted to stay and play in the snow, but we settled for half an hour of throwing snowballs at trees. Besides, Ethan was stuck in the stroller under the carport and kept dropping his mittens.

Ethan's first experience outside in the falling snow. He seemed to enjoy reaching for the camera more than tasting snowflakes.

Afterwards, we watched the Scholastic version of Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, since we don't have the book. Jacob painted a picture of his adventures with watercolors. It was a nice way to close out the afternoon.

Will it snow again this year? Let's hope not. Although snow is a good excuse to bundle up and go outside, I'm ready for some warmer temperatures. Springtime, here we come!

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Thoughts on Alice, LOST, and the Book of Job

2010-03-02T17:21:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday I finished reading a book. In former days that was not a rare occurence, but this year it seems I can barely find a moment to curl up with anything other than a short magazine article. Though I am keeping up with my Bible study lessons better now...

Anyway, the book that I finished? Alice in Wonderland. Fantastic. I definitely enjoyed it for what it was, a rambling story to entertain some children on a summer's boat ride, but upon this reading I was seeing it more through the eyes of an English teacher. You can tell that Lewis created the plot on the fly, but his inside jokes and literary references are clever and witty. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of The Annotated Alice, for two reasons:

1. Annotations. (Duh.) I'm a literature geek and think that all the puns, allusions, farces and satire in the book are hilarious, and though I am actually familiar with some of the references that Carroll spins in the book, I'd really like to know what all the songs, poems, and rhymes are all about. The real versions, anyway.

2. LOST connections. They blatantly threw the book at us on last week's episode of LOST with Jack's son. And we'd also seen it once before with Jack and Aaron in an earlier season. Plus, there were all those mirrors. Either the writers REALLY want us to get the connection between the show and Through the Looking Glass, or, someone there also worked for the new Alice movie coming out and wants everyone to read the book, too.

(I actually do want to see the film, though with Tim Burton it could go either way. Plus, my cousin Lawson worked with the art department so it'd be kind of cool to watch the credits and go "Hey, I know that guy!" rather than just making fun of the weird names.)

Just so you know, I started this post well before I saw Doc Jensen's column today about this called "Go Ask Alice," and though he's always CRAZY, he makes some points I agree with, especially in light of the aforementioned allusions.

On to a different theory concerning LOST. Two weeks ago we saw some spooky ghost kid come running up to the Smoke Monster/Locke and say, "You know the rules. You can't kill him." Now, I'm still not sure who the "him" is referring to, though my hunch is Sawyer, since he's one of Jacob's candidates. It could also be Richard. But, upon watching it a second time, it struck me that perhaps this is similar to the scene between the Lord and Satan in the Book of Job, where God only allows him to torture Job to a point -- he can't kill him (see verse 12 in this passage).

And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand."

So is Jacob the God-figure in this retelling? I'm still not sure. But it does make me think that perhaps SOMEONE only allows the Smoke Monster so much freedom on the island. We already know he can't go inside the ash. But I wonder if he's only allowed to kill certain people? Like the pilot (AKA that guy from Felicity and Alias), and Mr. Eko. If he wants to kill someone "on the list," he has to get someone else to do his dirty work. Think: Michael killiing Libby and perhaps even Ana Lucia when she killed that love-interest of Juliet. What are those "rules" exactly? And who made them? And when?

This is turning out to be a most intriguing final season. I am not ashamed to proclaim where I like to spend my Tuesday evenings. :) Anyone else care to offer their thoughts and theories in the comments? (No spoilers on tonight's episode until after 10pm EST, please!)

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Where is the Outrage?

2010-03-01T11:11:00.005-05:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics have now drawn to a close, but questions still linger. Although several media outlets have catalogued the games' various mishaps (ranging from the amusing to the truly tragic), there's one question that I have not seen addressed:

Where was RUSH?

Seriously! The Vancouver Games featured a plethora of Canadian musicians and entertainers at both the opening and closing ceremonies. But no sign of the most awesome rock trio of all time. (Granted, performing at the 2010 Games would have meant sharing the stage with Nickelback and Avril Lavigne. But I digress.)

I mean, Rush even had a headstart on the little totem/logo thing. Compare:

Anyway, Canada missed a prime opportunity to showcase one of its greatest cultural exports, and we are all poorer for it, eh?

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A Hymn for the First Sunday of the Lenten Season

2010-02-22T00:22:00.004-05:00

We've been in a blogging drought, but I'm hoping this season of reflection inspires me to write more. (Gaines, though not entirely lost to the internets, has way too much reading for school this semester. But one can hope.) Maybe he'll link to something lighthearted like Rock Sugar. Anyway, on to the meaty stuff I've been mulling over this week.

Last Wednesday night I attended an Ash Wednesday service at Gaines' grandmother's church. The Hueytown United Methodist church happens to be one of my favorite sanctuaries because it is circular, just like Yielding Chapel, which my fellow BSC alumni may also remember fondly. In a circular sanctuary the entire congregation can see each other. You are reminded that everyone -- choir and congregants alike -- are participants in the service. You can see everyone singing. You can see the toddlers and the kids and the adults and the babies and the elderly all joining in together during the responsive reading. Everyone is on the same level except the minister, whose podium is elevated. I like this because it elevates the preaching of the Word, while still focusing on the Table in the center, which reminds us of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Marva Dawn, in her book Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down, describes how Christ should be both the subject and the object of our worship. There are many ways to emphasize this in the service, but I think that the layout of the sanctuary certainly helps, especially if it reminds us that we are participants in worship and that our worship is directed toward the Lord. It helps take away that whole stage mentality. But I digress.

The other important thing to remember about a circular sanctuary is that everyone can see everyone else. They can see your cute baby. They can see your cute baby when he's crying. They can see your cute baby when he bonks his head trying to crawl under a pew. And they can see when you're the one whose phone goes off -- twice -- during the scripture reading and you can't figure out how to turn it off -- twice. Also, circular sanctuaries make it really easy to hear everything, like when your almost three-year old comes up to the altar for the "Imposition of Ashes" and proclaims, "I don't want a cross on my head!"

Thank goodness no one seemed to mind. They were nice to this visiting mom of two and even were gracious when I had to trade off kids halfway through -- I went back to the nursery to leave Ethan and ended up bringing back a clingy, sick Jacob, who mostly sat on my lap. Surprisingly, he paid attention to even the message, because when the minister repeatedly talked about how the ashes were made from last year's Palm Sunday branches, Jacob asked me, "Where are the palm trees, Mommy?"

One of the highlights of the service for me was singing this hymn, a children's hymn. I'd never heard it before, but was grateful for the words as I help my youngest in my arms and thought about how much I am in need of a reminder, especially in this season, to die to self and hope only in Christ. I thought some of you might appreciate it as well.

"Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days"
Words: Claudia F. Hernaman, Child’s Book of Praise; A Manual of Devotion in Simple Verse, 1873.
Music: St. Flavian, Day’s Psalter, 1563

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins
And close by Thee to stay.

As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.

As Thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and chiefly live
By Thy most holy Word.

And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy passiontide,
Yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.

Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last.

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The Beginning of the End

2010-02-02T09:19:00.003-05:00

With much fanfare and anticipation, mixed with a little angst, the final season of LOST is now upon us. Allison and I have finished our re-watch of Season Five, including all the cool DVD bonus features. I think we are ready. I hope we are ready.

As far as predictions for the new season go: it just dawned on me that the premiere is on Groundhog Day. (Aside -- thanks to Gen. Beauregard Lee for not seeing his shadow!) So maybe each episode this season will start with the crash of Flight 815 and feature all the wacky things that could have been.

Nah.

Seriously, I've given up on making too many predictions about LOST, since the show keeps surprising me. Each new season takes the show in an unexpected direction, and the overall result is simply fantastic. I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

Also, just in time for the premiere, the Sky1 channel in the UK commissioned the always-excellent Reduced Shakespeare Company to distill five seasons of LOST into ten minutes of awesome: LOST REDUCED.

Update: It just dawned on me that LOST isn't the first show to end a season finale with a nuclear detonation* -- Sledge Hammer! ended it's first season with an atomic blast. I'm going to trust that LOST's writers know what they're doing, and haven't used Sledge Hammer! as a prototype for resolving their own story arc!

(*Disclaimer: Okay, I assume that Season Five ended with a detonation, but things on LOST are rarely as they seem.)

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