Recap

Book Reviews:

• The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin
  

  “The 2004 tornado that destroyed the nearby village of Hallam, Nebraska is the worst storm I can remember. The tornado was 2.5 miles wide, the largest tornado on record. Thankfully, most villagers were either in town (Lincoln) working or had a chance to get to safety. While at least 95% of residences experienced some degree of damage, only one person was killed in the Hallam tornado.

  Contrast this with the “Children’s Blizzard” that swept across the Great Plains in January of 1888. Homesteaders everywhere were in schoolhouses or out working their farms, enjoying the first warm day after weeks of frigid weather, when a fast-moving blizzard accompanied by the coldest weather yet descended on the plains. The next morning, at least a hundred children across Dakota and Nebraska were dead, frozen trying to find their way home from school.”

I held off on putting together my recap until the end of the week this week instead of compiling it as I read throughout the week. Yeah. I discovered that even with my awesome Diigo account that lets me bookmark, highlight, and comment on articles as I read them (and then saves them for further perusal), I still can’t be lax on writing my recaps–especially not when I have busy weekends like this one (Debbie’s bachelorette party at my house last night, Timothy’s graduation party today–lots of prep for both, not much time for writing.)

Laugh out loud funnies:

• On responding to iffy prayer requests:
  

  “If your friend says, “I need prayer about my habit of over volunteering and helping too many homeless people,” respond with your own request. Say, “I need help too, I’ve been too loving to my wife lately. I have literally lain too many of my own needs down in order to love her like Christ loved the church. It’s a problem.” It’s kind of a mutant version of what counselor’s call “reflective listening” where you reflect back what someone just said so that they can hear how they are sounding.”

Books for the TBR list:

• Let Go and Let God? by Andrew David Naselli
  I’d never heard of Keswick theology until reading Justin Taylor’s comments on this book–but now I’m REALLY curious. I guess Keswick theology is basically summed up in the title of the book “Let go and let God.” A number of prominent Christians have been influenced by this strain of theology. This title (a really thick tome) explores the history of Keswick theology and attempts to make a case that it is NOT Biblical. I’m quite fascinated (but a little intimidated by the length of this sucker–at 459 pages, it is not for the faint at heart.)

Projects to try:

• Hanging Dishtowels
  
  HT: Creamer Chronicles (via Works for Me Wednesday)

Thought-provoking posts:

• What’s the difference between analyzing and criticizing?
  

  “Critical thinking helps us discern right from wrong, better from best, ways to improve, etc.

  But when does it cross over into unnecessary criticism, fault-finding, etc.?”

  Barbara H’s musings on the topic definitely made me think.

Book Reviews:

• Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
  

  “When Cara’s autistic nine-year-old son Adam witnesses the murder of a classmate, Cara’s already stressful life goes insane. Adam has regressed–any advances he’s made fly out the window in light of the trauma he’s experienced. At the same time, the police want to learn anything they can from their sole witness, the elementary school and nearby middle school are doing everything they can to maintain order, and Cara runs into a reminder of her past.”

• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
  

  I saw the video on Vitamin Z and thought “I have got to read that book.

  I did something unusual for me. I didn’t interlibrary loan it. I didn’t request that the library purchase a copy. I went out and purchased a copy of my own.

  For the record, “The Big Red Tractor” is not a book trailer for Forgotten God. No sneak peeks of the book included. But, like any good parable, “The Big Red Tractor” whets the appetite for more. “What do you mean by that?” we ask. “What is the tractor? Who is the farmer? What is the owner’s manual?”

  I have a copy of this and would love to lend it to anyone who wants to read it–on one condition: you have to be willing to tell me your thoughts once you’re done. If you’re interested, let me know via Facebook or email (b3master@menterz.com) and I can figure out how to get it to you.

Photo Albums:

• Sister’s Spa Night (Menter/Brunk girls, May 28)
  The boys went camping and potato-gun shooting (out of town so it wasn’t illegal). It was supposed to be their last hoorah before Daniel gets married and John leaves for boot camp. We ladies decided to have our own fun with a Beauticontrol spa night “catered” by Debbie’s coworker Nikki. We had a WONDERFUL time.
  

Books for the TBR list:

• In the President’s Secret Service by Ronald Kessler
  A friend (Joanna) read this and mentioned that she enjoyed it. When I saw Susan’s review in the monthly Nightstand carnival, I knew I needed to add it to my TBR list. I love behind-the-scenes stuff (and who doesn’t want the scoop on some of our former presidents’ “private” lives?) I have since found this in my library’s online audio book collection and am currently listening to it. It really is pretty great.

News to take note of:

• Olfactory Reference Syndrome: Probably the coolest disorder ever.
  

  “ORS has been described around the world for more than a century,” Phillips explained. “It consists of a preoccupation with the belief that one emits a foul or offensive body odor which is not perceivable by other people.”

• Scientists create the first “synthetic cell”
  Dr. Fazale “Fuz” Rana of Reason’s to Believe explains why the recent creation of “artificial life” by Craig Venter’s team is evidence FOR design in this podcast.

  “This is a third approach that says ‘We think that life is the work of a designer because we know from empirical experience now that to make life requires ingenuity, careful planning, careful manipulation of chemicals in the lab under exacting conditions in order to generate life forms.”

Thought-provoking posts:

• Are we “training our brains to pay attention to the crap”?:
  Please pardon my French. It’s a quote and I wasn’t sure quite how to modify it.

  “Dozens of studies by psychologists, neurobiologists, and educators point to the same conclusion: When we go online, we enter an environment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning. Even as the Internet grants us easy access to vast amounts of information, it is turning us into shallower thinkers, literally changing the structure of our brain.”

  HT: Challies.com

• Sandra talks about “organic mentoring”:
  

  “Organic mentoring is just what the name implies- mentoring that is natural. Women naturally become friends. The “younger” woman begins to ask questions. The “older” woman finds more and more to share. Naturally, organically, they find themselves covering all the topics Paul lists in Titus 2:3-5.”

  I think we all could do well to seek ways to incorporate “organic mentoring” into our lives–both as “older women” and as “younger women”.

Videos worth seeing:

• Wintley Phipps shares about Negro spirituals, the pentatonic scale, and Amazing Grace. This video is absolutely amazing–totally worth your nine minutes. (I had tears running down my face by about halfway through.)
  
  HT: Challies.com

Book Reviews:

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
  

  “Author John Boyne describes his work in an author’s note: ‘Throughout the writing and rewriting of the novel, I believed that the only respectful way for me to deal with this subject was through the eyes of a child, and particularly through the eyes of a rather naive child who couldn’t possibly understand the terrible things that were taking place around him.’

  Naive is right. Nine year old Bruno is completely lost in 1940s Germany. Despite his father being a commandant in the Nazi army, he has no idea what is going on around him. He doesn’t seem to know that the country is at war. He doesn’t understand who Hitler is–and calls him the “Fury” (as if a German child wouldn’t be able to pronounce “Fuhrer”.) When his family is moved to Auschwitz, where his father is to command the concentration camp, he mispronounces this name too, calling it “Out With”. He sees the people walking about inside the camp wearing their identical garb and thinks that they’re wearing striped pajamas.”

• Religion Saves: and nine other misconceptions by Mark Driscoll
  

  And then there are the books that I read a review of, think “Hmm” and do absolutely nothing with.

  That’s what I did with Religion Saves: and nine other misconceptions after Jonathon and Carrie reviewed it at Reading to Know. I read the review, thought it sounded interesting, but neither added it to my TBR list nor bookmarked the page. I just let it lie.

  Until the audiobook version was featured as ChristianAudio.com‘s free audiobook of the month. As one who positively adores almost anything free, I jumped on the opportunity. After all, if I decide not to listen to it, what have I lost? 290 MB of computer space, easily recoverable via the Delete key. Why not?

• Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff
  

  “If you’ve never checked out the Stuff Christians Like blog, you’re seriously missing out. Every day Jonathan Acuff (or a wickedly funny guest blogger) posts a satirical piece about some aspect of modern Christian culture.

  Acuff is certainly not the only blogger who pokes fun at Christian culture. In fact, such sites abound. But Acuff’s “Stuff Christians Like” manages to set itself apart from other sites in that it’s not cynical. Acuff isn’t giving up on Christians or on the church. He’s not setting himself up as a holier-than-thou. He’s just making observations, in love, about our unique culture (which is also HIS unique culture.)”

Recipes:

• Homemade Tomato Soup
  
• Southwestern Turkey Casserole
  
• Tuna Gravy
  
• Whole Wheat Biscuits
  

Books for the TBR list:

• Masterpiece by Elise Broach
  What happens when a beetle draws a picture trying to cheer a boy up–but then the boy’s Mom finds the drawing and thinks that her SON did the drawing? In this story, at least, it leads to bragging, an elaborate scheme to reproduce some famous art, and a mystery for the boy and the beetle to solve.

News to take note of:

• To treat or not to treat thyroid cancer
  Given that one of our parishioners underwent treatment a couple of years back for thyroid cancer, that a cousin of mine had some nodules removed from her thyroid last year, and that two individuals in our church had complete thyroidectomies a couple of weeks ago for what turned out to NOT be thyroid cancer–I’m understandably curious about thyroid cancer. This study indicates that there has been a dramatic upswing in thyroid cancer cases in recent years–but that chances of survival, even if not treated rapidly, are quite high for those with thyroid cancer, suggesting that treatment can be avoided or delayed for individuals who have cancer that is contained to the gland. Very interesting. I’ll be watching this conversation, that’s for sure.
• Is a raw diet right for you?
  What this writer and proponents of raw diets everywhere fail to understand and point out about nutrition is that cooking is necessary to make some nutrients bioavailable. It is true that some nutrients can be destroyed by heat–but others require heat to be made available to our bodies. Cooking serves a vital role of increasing palatability and digestibility of foods. For best health, consume a variety of nutrient-rich foods, both cooked and raw.
• Sea lions and dolphins as underwater anti-terrorism scouts?
  The Navy is out to prove that it’s not a bad idea. Think K-9 units only with really speedy underwater motion.
  HT: Instapundit
• Is free speech a universal right?
  Apparently not. It seems that free speech is only accorded to those who have been trained in the nation’s best liberal indoctrination camps (journalism schools) and who are currently working inside of the nation’s best propaganda machine (mainstream media).
  HT: Instapundit
• Cadmium found in jewelry from China
  I’m not a “buy American or else” kind of person–but there is definitely good evidence that buying from China is NOT good for your health. Lead in more articles than can be counted (at least by me), melamine in milk, now cadmium in children’s jewelry. “Made in China” simply isn’t safe–especially for children.

Thought-provoking posts:

• Should a Pentecostal marry a Calvinist?
  I’ve been following the comment responses to this question since Dr. Russell Moore posted it several weeks ago–now Dr. Moore weighs in with some wise words. I especially liked:

  “If the two of you marry, God has called Calvin to spiritually lead the home (Eph. 5:23, 25-28; 1 Cor. 11:3). Aimee, if you see Calvin as spiritually immature because he hasn’t experienced the “baptism of the Holy Ghost,” do not marry him. He will be leading you spiritually, and if you can’t respect him, as he is, move on. If you would plan to whisper to your children, “Don’t tell Daddy but really serious Christians get slain in the Spirit…” then call off the engagement.

  Calvin, if you secretly think of Aimee’s background as nothing more than ridiculous “man-centered” “holy-rolling,” don’t marry her. She will be, if the Lord wills, the mother of your children, training them up in the sacred writings (2 Tim. 3:15). Your headship isn’t raw force of argument. It is modeled after the way our Lord Christ loved his church, cleansing her “by the washing of water with the word” (Eph. 5:25). How did our Lord Jesus do that with a foundation stone of his church, the Apostle Peter? By kneeling to serve, while teaching (Jn. 14:1-20). You must do likewise.”

• Vitamin Z on the ache of foster care:
  

  “Some dear friends of mine recently have taken two little girls into their home. They are 5 and 6 years old. Things have not gone well. Imagine living a life for five years with zero boundaries and then being placed in a home that is patient, loving, and grace-filled, but has firm boundaries. How would you feel? Of course you would freak out. And freak out they have. Screaming fits for hours, empty haunted eyes, and constant rebellion against their new Mom and Dad. I talked to my friend after they had been in the house for about 18 hours and he already sounded completely worn out and weary. “

  My heart goes out to these girls, to this family. Please pray for them, for the many children caught within the foster system, for the Christian foster parents who have been called to parent them, and for God to continue to call new laborers into this white-for-harvest field.

• On Ergun Caner and ministerial exaggeration:
  

  “Much attention has been paid both to Caner’s sub-standard apology and to the comments of Dr. Towns in the Christianity Today story. I believe, though, that the real story is in the other statement above – the euphemistic characterization of “exaggeration” as “ministerially speaking.” This statement appears without citation; I do not know whether it is traceable to anyone at Liberty. It does not matter, for it is an entirely true statement. What Caner appears to have done is nothing other than what is common among preachers: he has exaggerated, embellished, and perhaps even fabricated the stories about himself which form the backbone of his sermons. That is where our attention ought to be. Liberty University has misjudged the severity of the scandal, but they have done so because it fails to appear scandalous to Christians who have become comfortable with the idea that preachers regularly tell fibs in the pulpit.”

  While this article specifically speaks to pastors, I know we can all be tempted to “embellish” our stories. A number of years ago, I was convicted that I had been making up statistics in conversation with others when I only knew approximations. It wasn’t increasing my credibility to say that I read that 54.2% of people surveyed were in favor of stricter abortion laws, when the truth was I only remembered that over half of those surveyed in this particular magazine were in favor of stricter abortion laws. Nitpicky? Maybe. But if truth is what sets men free, I want to be as close to the truth as I can be.
  HT: Vitamin Z

Book Reviews:

• 703: How I lost more than a quarter ton and gained a life by Nancy Makin
  

  “The title, or actually the subtitle, was more than enough inducement for me to grab 703: How I lost more than a quarter ton and gained a life off the new books shelf at the library. As a reader and a Registered Dietitian, I am curious about people’s weight-loss stories. This story of a morbidly obese, 703 pound woman and her weight loss sounded fascinating.”

• Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist by Sam Storms
  

  “I knew Sam Storms from a book of his that I bought at a library book sale. One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God is a defense of Christian Hedonism recommended by no less than John Piper himself, who proclaims on the front cover that “Sam Storms is right.” The book (One Thing) is well-written and theologically insightful–and Storms is referenced by the Reformed “thinking” bloggers I enjoy so much–so I was inclined to think well of Storms. Then I heard that he was a charismatic–and had written a book about it. I knew I had to read it.”

News to take note of:

• Addiction tied to women’s menstrual cycles:
  

  “A woman’s perception of other kinds of rewards—such as money, food and sex—may also vary during her menstrual cycle. In a 2007 study researchers at the NIH scanned women’s brains using functional MRI as the women played slot-machine games. They found that women’s reward circuitry was more active when they won jackpots during the estrogen-governed phase of their cycles than during the progesterone-infused phase that follows. The ebb and flow of female hormones could thus have broad effects on the perception of pleasures and incentives, influencing women’s motivation to engage in a wide variety of behaviors.”

Thought-provoking posts:

• According to a Wyoming sailor, saying Obama is spending money like a drunken sailor is unfair:
  

  “I object and take exception to everyone saying that Obama and Congress are spending money like a drunken sailor. As a former drunken sailor, I quit when I ran out of money.”

  HT: Twenty-Two Words

Videos worth seeing:

• Even squirrels (evil beasts) can be used to bring God glory.
  

HT: 22 Words

• Go, Wayne Grudem! (I’m a real fan.)
  
  HT: Desiring God

Book Reviews:

• Get Married by Candice Watters
  

  I planned to get married June 10, 2006. I set the date in 1999 and had my dad reserve the time in his PalmPilot. It’d be perfect. I’d be 21, so I could enjoy champagne at my wedding if I liked. I’d have only a year left in college, so unless I ended up with a honeymoon baby, I should be able to finish out my bachelor’s degree. And if I didn’t? Meh. I’m all about the stay-at-home-mother thing, and don’t necessarily need a degree for that.

• Lost in Rooville by Ray Blackston
  

  What do you get when you cross two couples, a trip to the Australian outback, and a quest for the perfect place to propose?

  A perfectly hilarious novel.

• Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
  

  “Beauty and the Beast” was always my favorite Disney fairy tale. I identified with the bookworm Belle–and was absolutely enthralled by the strong and (sometimes) silent Beast. I was disappointed beyond belief when the final ball would come and the Beast and Belle swirl across the dance floor–only to become Belle and, well, whoever that guy is.

  Jessica Day George’s Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is an unparalleled story of Beauty and the Beast. Based on the Norse story “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” rather than the French version used in Disney’s retelling, George’s story has a unique, Scandinavian twist.

Photo Albums:

• Debbie’s Shower (Church and Family, May 1)
  

Recipes:

• Ginger Lentil Stew
  I made this quick and easy (and cheap) stew earlier this week to use up a leek that had been sitting in the bottom of my fridge. It was fantastic–perfect for a rainy spring day!

Laugh out loud funnies:

• The Guy who takes credit for answered prayer:
  

  “Am I surprised that the prayer was answered? Not really. That’s what I do. I’m like the Justin Bieber of answered prayer. I make hits. Am I surprised that it took so long? Yeah, a little bit. I took some time off from my prayer training this winter and probably need to get back in shape. I’ve got a 2.3 week average on getting prayer answered, so that it took Brian 4 weeks to get a job is a little disconcerting.”

  I think I might be guilty of this. It’s just so excited when you pray for something and God says yes. It makes me want to do a little victory dance–“He agrees with me!” (Or maybe it should be–“For once, I agree with Him.”)

• Shakespearean insults for when you’re lacking inspiration:
  Take that, thou puking fen-sucked moldwarp!
  HT: Abraham Piper
• A rather depressing birthday song…
  
  HT: Abraham Piper
• Ted Kluck on Carman’s “Witch’s Invitation”
  This had me seriously busting a gut.

  “Carman is welcomed into the house of the witch, who is wearing some sort of a smoking jacket (red) and has a fu Manchu moustache. He also has lots of scary occultish stuff in his house like “Horoscopes[4]” (Carman’s words), a Dungeons and Dragons board game (apparently he’s a really nerdy witch), and a bird in a cage (some people find birds scary).

  Like all Carman videos, the narrative involves Carman sizing this guy up and then somehow “defeating” him, because as Carman theology has taught me, we’re (Christians) here primarily to dance in abandoned warehouses and win fights.

  My favorite line of dialogue, uttered by Carman (narrating the story): “I sat literally intimidated.”

  Scariest Moment: In a terrifying production value flourish reminiscent of Degarmo & Key’s “666” we learn that Carman also has a skull underneath his face.

  Best Moment: (Spoiler Alert) After preaching to the male witch, Carman leaves the house in a huff and slams the door! The witch’s make-it-yourself-at-home pentagram glass wall hanging falls to the floor in pieces. Cut to the birdcage to reveal a pile of feathers at the bottom. Carman killed the bird! Justice prevails!

  See the video:
  

Books for the TBR list:

• Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
  How have I not heard of this? Apparently it’s a classic parody of the even-older classic romantic pieces where a young orphaned girl goes off to live with her rather awful relatives–you know the stories…
• The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
  The story of a 40th high school reunion. This must be a book club read, ’cause my library has TONS of copies.
• Pearl of China by Anchee Min
  A biographical novel about Pearl Buck’s life in China. Fascinating.
• Radical by David Platt
  A pastor challenges his congregation to live radical lives for the gospel instead of tame lives chasing the American dream. That’s a challenge I/we would all do well to take up. If I wasn’t convinced by Lisa’s review (shown above–which I was, BTW), I’d still have to read it based on these comments to a different Lisa’s post mentioning the book. And then there’s this review from Carpe Libris.
• She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
  Christian romance amidst the flurry of an 1890’s debutante season.
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
  Carrie had me when she wrote of Donald S. Whitney:

  “If you’ve ever read a book by Jerry Bridges and liked it, then I’m pretty sure you will like Donald S. Whitney’s approach to sharing doctrine and motivating his reader to apply it to life. He has the same kind of easy going manner, and yet despite his calm demeanor, he never waivers in his devotion to truth.”

  Jerry Bridges has long been one of my favorite authors. Four years ago, Bridges preached a sermon to a group of Navigator college students in Jacksonville, Florida. God used that sermon to transform my understanding of justification–and to transform my life thereby. If Whitney’s anything like Bridges, I want to read this book.

Projects to try:

• Silhouettes from the Long Thread
  

Thought-provoking posts:

• I mentioned the guilt-motivation for giving when I reviewed The Power of Half a couple of weeks ago. This article from Desiring God talks about true motivation for Christian giving.
  

  “The Bible does not use the guilt-producing motivation, yet it powerfully argues for the ministry of mercy. In 2 Corinthians 8:2-3, Paul tells us that the Macedonian Christians gave generously to the Jerusalem famine victims. He notes that “out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” (v. 2). The Macedonians were not of a higher social class than the needy in Jerusalem. They apparently were going through terrible trials of their own. What, then, was the dynamic that moved them to give? “Their overflowing joy . . . “ (v. 2) and “they gave themselves first to the Lord” (v. 5). It was the Macedonian’s response to the self-emptying Lord. Their gifts were a response, not to a ratio of income levels, but to the gift of Christ!”

• Expositional Preaching. Not gonna lie, I’m a fan. It ensures that we don’t skip or gloss over parts of the Bible.
  

  “That is where expository preaching that is verse-by-verse and text-by-text and chapter-by-chapter and book-by-book doesn’t allow you to ride a hobbyhorse. It doesn’t allow you to enter into that imbalance. It takes you on to the next truth, which you then have to prepare yourself to teach and to preach.

  I don’t think we are very good, arbitrarily, at setting a sense of balance for ourselves.”

  HT: Challies DOT com

• The Simple Wife on being intentional in friendship. This one’s still a work in progress for me.

Videos worth seeing:

• Prodigal. A beautiful song from Sovereign Grace Music accompanied by a beautiful animation.
  
  HT: Vitamin Z
• “At the Red House–where black people and white people buy furniture.”
  
  HT: Abraham Piper
• Sunday morning Trailer–Great ironic piece about the “relevant” “contemporary” service.
  

  “Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

  RT: Stuff Christians Like

Busy week –> Not much blog reading –> Short Recap

Sorry, folks–since I know you all look forward to these recaps SO much! :-P

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• Home by Julie Andrews.

Photo Albums:

• Amy’s Wedding (April 18 in Southern California)

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• A little humor. Period. errr…Period humor. Sorry about that.

Books for the TBR list:

• The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry

Thought-provoking posts:

• Eric does it again, with a beautiful post that brought tears to my eyes. On reading the Bible “in context”:
  

  “The problem with seminary – and with insular churches, self-righteousness, and every other manifestation of Christian isolationism – is that it never reads Luke 4 in this setting. It never sees the bondage of addiction, the blindness of unbelief, or the poverty of the truly poor on their own terms. Since we live in a world that is very good at pretending its problems are small, Isaiah’s promise ends up feeling pretty small too. Put another way, many Christians fail to see the transformative power of the gospel because the only sick people they know hide their cancer behind closed doors and strained smiles. Here, they wear it on their sleeves (sometimes literally – I’m guessing that rainbow on my favorite waitress’s t-shirt isn’t meant to be a Care Bears reference).”

  Read the whole post.

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• Mozart’s Sister by Nancy Moser

On the web

Books for the TBR list:

• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
  A novel about a missionary nun-nurse who gets pregnant (by her doctor?). Set in Ethopia and narrated by one of the nun-nurse’s twin sons, this book sounds like an intriguing story.
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
  A young adult novel about a kidnapped girl who has been abused at the hands of her captor for 7 years. Sounds brutal.
• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
  A doctor delivers his own twins and discovers that one has Down syndrome. He commits one to a nurse to deliver to an institution–but the nurse instead takes the daughter with Down syndrome and raises her as her own.
• Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
  I don’t really understand the appeal of graphic novels. But this is not a graphic novel but a graphic memoir, telling the story of Small’s childhood and the surgery that left him mute. Interesting.

Projects to try:

• My friend Kayla is working on a project. She’s doing a new thing every day–which is a cool project in its own right. But this week, one of her new things was folding little money shirts. These are absolutely awesome. I think maybe I’ll put it on my list for when I decide to try a new thing every day!
  

Thought-provoking posts:

• Jon Acuff on worrying about the little things:
  

  “Like a college student who on the night before a final finds a million reasons to clean their dorm room instead of studying, we clean our metaphorical rooms. We avoid writing the big paper and wrestling with grace by worrying about makeup and dancing and a million little other things that make our faith seem really little and manageable.

  But grace cannot be managed.”

• Tim Challies asks: Is error in doctrine always sin? A thought provoking post on difference is doctrine and the role of conscience.

Videos worth seeing:

• My sister gives a tour of our neighborhood–after running away from the guy at the front door.
  

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• Bible Babel by Kristin Swenson
• Unveiling Islam by Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner

Photo Albums:
In honor of Amy’s wedding this weekend and the reuniting of four of the five “Unveiled Daughters” from Jacksonville STP 2006, I’ve posted some Jacksonville Summer Training Program Photos.

• Ladies Retreat (We camped for a night in Jacksonville for our “ladies retreat”)
• Dying my hair (In preparation for my role as “Posh Spice” in the upcoming costume party)
• Spice Girls (Our team as the Spice Girls for a costume party)
• Team Time (Miscellaneous pics of my team)

On the web

A Series I’m Really Looking forward to…
As someone who has had the privilege of tutoring an underliterate (my word) student and seen her literacy dramatically improve as she grasped hold of the joys of the written word, I’m really excited to hear about Janna’s experiences tutoring a 16 year old boy who couldn’t write the word “remember”.

Check out Janna’s first post of the series–and go back on Monday for the second.

“We set the date and time for our first session. What would I discover about his reading skills? How desperate would his need be? Would I really be able to make a difference? I prayed and told God I was willing, but that He would have to direct my mouth.

He arrived Monday evening and after answering a few “getting to know you” questions, we got started. I asked him to write the word “remember.” He hesitated, twirled the pen in his long, brown fingers, and looked around. I asked him again and he scrawled three letters. “Keep going,” I encouraged.
He added a few more letters and leaned back.

The paper said, “remomble.””

News to take note of:

• Lincoln’s police deal with an auto/turkey accident. My dad mentioned this, but it wasn’t until I saw the diagram that I realized the hilarity of this particular incident that occurred on the road I take to church every week.
• All public tweets to be archived in the Library of Congress. Every public tweet ever made since Twitter’s inception in 2006 will now be housed in the Library of Congress. Which means the humble bekahcubed (along with thousands of others) will make her way into the national collection.

Thought-provoking posts:

• Placing my faith in God, not in His acts. My cousin shares what God has been speaking to her in a fabulous post.
• An open letter to fetal humans. In this pro-life satire, Joe Carter helps fetal humans understand how to reduce their risks of being aborted.

  From the intro:

  “You have made it to the second stage of life. But you’re not out of the woods, as they say, until you’re out of the womb. In America there are roughly 250 abortions for every 1000 live births, which means that you have (all other things being equal) a one in five chance of still being aborted. Here are four reasons you might be aborted and what you can do to avoid this gruesome fate.”

  From the conclusion:

  “Your best hope is to pray and hope that others are praying for you too. With any luck you’ll survive the fetal stage of development and move on to infancy, adolescence, and adulthood. Once you reach this stage of life you’ll be able to join other Americans in exercising one of our most cherished and incontrovertible rights: the right to kill a fetus for any reason you choose.”

  RT: 22 Words

Videos worth seeing:

• Mark Driscoll on the four streams of the emerging/emergent church–in which he makes a distinction between emerging and emergent. I had a conversation with our church’s youth pastor about the church while I was going through the book Why We Love the Church here on my blog. Jeremy (our youth pastor) mentioned Driscoll’s distinction between emergent and emerging. I kept it in the back of my mind–but now I’ve finally found the source!
  

Random:

• Somehow a tweet I tweeted way back in the day made it on to Joshua Harris’s blog. Weird. Amazing the things you find when you google yourself (or your nom-de-plume, as the case may be.)

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• The Blue Zone by Daniel Buettner
• The Ten Big Lies About America by Michael Medved

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• On Media Violence:
  

  “yes, in the cases you cited there is some circumstantial evidence that the alleged perpetrators harbored pre-journalistic tendencies (for instance, violent hatred of George Bush and capitalism, and messianic obsession with President Obama), but it doesn’t appear they were actual professional members of the news media. For one thing, unlike the vast majority of journalists, all of the suspects involved in these crimes reportedly had actual marketable skills — biochemistry, computer programming, growing weed, and so on. Until further evidence of journalism emerges, I believe we can attribute these incidents to a handful of those rare random psychopaths who do not possess press credentials.”

  IowaHawk’s dazzling satire strikes again.

• Pastor or con man? Pick ’em out by their smiles. (Gotta admit, that last smile made me wonder if maybe Challies is right)

Books for the TBR list:

• Bonhoeffer: A Biography by Eric Metaxis
  An extensive biography of the pastor who tried to kill Hitler. I’ve read some Bonhoeffer and would love to read more ABOUT him.
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
  When a teenage boy who’d been bullied strikes back, it irreversibly changes the lives of more than one family. I enjoyed reading My Sister’s Keeper but have shied away from Picoult simply because I’m not sure I have the emotional energy to read her works. But I might have to muster up the emotional energy eventually and read this one.
• Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn.
  Two mice decide to take care of the children of the absent-minded professor-type in whose house they reside. This sounds adorable–and has elicited Carrie’s rant of approval (which means it’s got to be good, right?)

Projects to try:

• I have a few pieces of salvaged embroidery I could “frame”. Thanks, Anna for sharing your tip.
  

Thought-provoking posts:

• Truth for Pity-Partiers: I was thinking this same thing during a pity party of my own Tuesday night. Lisa’s post Wednesday morning was just the reinforcement my pity-partying self needed.
• On reading blogs. Eric comments on the necessity of reading blogs with your filter on. Very good thoughts. (Of course, I know most of my readers needn’t worry about this because I’m the only blog they read–and as you all know, I’m NEVER wrong! :-P) An excerpt:
  

  “[The blogosphere] is a dinner party, where the political scientist is being yelled at by the lout who read one book and had six glasses of champagne.”

• From my sister Anna (brand new to the blogosphere), on immediate obedience:
  

  “Don’t believe the lie: the transtheoretical model is not God’s model. Obey immediately!”

Videos worth seeing:

• On Vegetarianism. Hilarious. “There might be more polar bears left if more people wanted some for breakfast.”
  

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• The Haunted Cabin Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Once upon a Summer by Janette Oke

Recipes:

• Best Burrito Beans
• How to Roll a Burrito Tutorial–Yes, I know it’s not technically a recipe. But sometimes techniques should be shared as well!

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• Make a Students encouraged to participate in food stamp program.
  In a flagrant abuse of taxpayer funds, universities are encouraging their students to apply for SNAP. “The money is there for everyone who qualifies!” they say–and tell students that it’s not charity “It’s a right for every taxpaying citizen who qualifies.” Except that most students aren’t paying taxes–and most students are already living on taxpayer assistance through scholarships, grants, and loans. Please, have a little respect, and only use government assistance if you actually NEED it. (Talk to me if you want to learn more about how to make do nutritionally on less.)
• Is Calvinism back? An interesting article on the “New Calvinism”. HT: Instapundit

Thought-provoking posts:

• David Livingston (a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis) asks “Is Watching a Very Good Sermon on TV or Online the Same As ‘Doing Church’?”
  

  “No doubt there are more than just a few folks who have surfed their way into our services from elsewhere to hear the very good sermons and will stay only as long as the sermons remain very, very good. That’s what “doing church” is for them … they are “auditing” church.”

  This article on what church really is about is quite good.

• Tim Challies on being a better reader. This article has usefulness for voracious readers (like myself) and non-readers alike. I love this particular suggestion:
  

  “We all have our heroes–men or women we want to be like. Most heroes (who are worth emulating) have been shaped by the books they have read. So when you find a person you admire, find and read the books that have most shaped him. If you want to be like John Piper, don’t just read the books he was written–read the books that made him who he is.”

  HT: Vitamin Z