Recap

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• A Year of Blind Dates by Megan Carson

Photo Albums:

• Winter 2010
  This is a shorter show than many because most of my pictures from this winter are of us working on Dan and Debbie’s wedding quilt. And I don’t want them to see those until after the rehearsal dinner (where we’ll be gifting them the quilt). So, look forward to seeing quilting photos after June 18!

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• Carrie has some great reading-related funnies. My favorite:
  
• Jon Acuff of Stuff Christian’s Like to his daughter:
  

  “John Piper just quoted the entire book of Philippians in a sermon? How do you know about John Piper? You’re six, are you a Calvinist? You can tell daddy anything. Are you secretly listening to Mark Driscoll and John Piper when I think you’re playing on the My Little Pony website?”

  Read the rest on memorization

Books for the TBR list:

• Discovering God in Stories from the Bible by Philip Graham Ryken
  Studying God through the stories He’s chosen to record (for that purpose).
• Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline
  One woman buries her twin sister alive and assumes her twin’s life in order to escape the mess of her own. Not my usual reading, but this book has me REALLY curious.

News to take note of:

• Lack of food skills = poor nutrition. That’s what I’ve been saying–and why my focus as a dietitian is on practical skills!
• Outbreak of measles in unvaccinated community. Little upsets me more than those who continue to promote the idea that MMR vaccination is linked to autism. There is NO scientific evidence for this position (the one article that sparked the debate was later retracted because of faulty research technique.) Please, pay attention to the science and do what’s actually best for your child (and consequently for the health of your community)–vaccinate your kids!
• A text from my sister regarding one of her clients at the Community Health Center (CHC) reproductive clinic she works in:
  

  “Baby’s heart will begin to beat in the next few days. Please pray with me that it will be allowed to continue beating.”

  I regularly pray for Anna’s clients who are considering abortion–and am thankful that Anna has the opportunity to be a voice for truth and life in that arena. This news about how the new health care bill may affect CHCs worries me. What will this mean for Anna? What will it mean for the dozens of children we war over in prayer? Lord, let life prevail, even as the war intensifies.

Projects to try:
Because we all know Rebekah needs more projects! :-P

• Adorable Flower Hairclips
  
  HT: The Long Thread

Thought-provoking posts:

• Sam Crabtree on priorities in Christian environmentalism
  

  “More important than preserving wonderful national park settings for people to see is to preserve souls in order that they may see the new earth, which will be superior to the wonderful old earth. It would be a tragedy to preserve the planet for people who would dwell in hell and never see the new earth, when they could have been born from above and lived forever in the glorious new earth. Saving souls is more important than saving whales—though saving one need not preclude saving the other.”

  HT: Desiring God

• J.D. Greear answers the question: “On what grounds should I move to another church?”
  

  “It is infants and toddlers, not adults, whose primary concern in being fed and having their bottoms wiped by others… Ironically, some of the “seasoned” Christians who complain the most about “not getting anything out of their church” act more like toddlers than mature believers! The church is not about you… and being fulfilled as a Christian is not about hearing spine-tingling preaching each week, but about using your spiritual gifts in the church.”

  HT: Vitamin Z

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

Photo Albums:

• Winter, 1986 (Anna turns two and more sister pics)

Recipes:

• Caribbean Roast Chicken
• Honey-Glazed Root Vegetables

On the web

Books for the TBR list:

• Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
  I’m honestly not sure if I’m brave enough to read this thriller about a young autistic boy who witnesses the murder of his friend. But I *want* to be brave enough to read it.
• The Journey to Truth by George F. Garlick
  Big Bang, superstring theory, higher dimensions, and God. I want to read this but I’m afraid it might be over my head. I love science and how it testifies to God’s nature–but I hail from the softer sciences and wonder how much I’ll understand of this.
• The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
  A housekeeper who can’t cook, a teacher who runs off with a revival preacher, and three boys in all sorts of trouble? Sounds fun–and intriguing. It was written by a guy?

News to take note of:

• Music as effective as massages at reducing anxiety–but maybe I’d rather have the massage!

Thought-provoking posts:

• On Joyce Meyers:
  

  Isn’t He so good? Even in our ignorance/disobedience/foolishness He can use us; He can bring forth good.

  Read more at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee

• Are you believing a Counterfeit Gospel? I find myself slipping into formalism or legalism on way too regular a basis.
• Men: check out the three guitar chords you’ve just got to know how to play
• Eric continues on his way through McLaren’s New Kind of Christianity and comments on a chapter about homosexuality:
  

  “Yes, Jesus is open and accepting of all kinds of people, and particularly those who are regarded by society as sinners and outsiders. He welcomes them in the midst of their sin, but he never leaves them there. Every person who would follow Christ in the gospels, whether rich and religious or poor and broken, is called to die before they can live.”

  Read the rest here

• “But at a deeper level, our new life in Christ is all about our visceral selves coming alive to his spiritual realities….Let’s pursue him with all our intensities. It is impossible to do that without becoming wonderfully filled.”

  Um, wow! Check out the rest of this post from Ray Ortlund

Videos worth seeing:

• Not being from the South, I can’t say I understand the obsession with Chick-Fill-A. But I am highly in favor of Tim Hawkins–and his latest Chick-Fill-A song is pretty funny.
  
  HT: Jolanthe

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• John 3:16 by Nancy Moser (Book Review)

Recipes:

• Quick and Easy Cream-Soup-Free Casserole
• Whole Grain Oatmeal Pancakes

On the web

Books for the TBR list:

• Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini
  Memoir, Italy, food, depression. How can it get any better? I think I’m going to like this one.
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova
  A novel about a still-young college professor who finds out she has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. I think this’ll be a fascinating read.
• Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
  This memoir sounds like fun.

News to take note of:

• Is your gut bacteria making you fat? Exploring the strange links between genetics, disease, obesity, and…intestinal microflora?
• “It’s more likely that humans are designed to be conservative and religious.” Oddest statement I’ve ever seen from an evolutionary psychologist. But from what I’ve seen of evolutionary psychology, I’m not sure the field is really that keen on thinking (pun and slight both intended.)
• Is there a sixth taste?–for fat?

Thought-provoking posts:

• Are you more productive when you’re tweeting? (or Facebooking?) This essay suggests that maybe it’s good for our brains–despite office efficiency experts naysaying. What do you think? (HT: Buzzard Blog)
• Does the devil have a favorite verse? Check out one man’s take.
• Lincoln police chief Tom Casady responds to the assertion that legalizing pot would reduce police workload:
  

  “And then, of course, we’d be dealing with bootlegged pot operations to avoid the taxes, thefts of pot in interstate transport, sales of pot before noon on Sundays, selling pot without a license, failure to pay the occupation tax on your pot dispensary, possession of pot with no tax stamps, underage pot smoking, procuring pot for minors, providing pot to a person already intoxicated by a substance, attempting to purchase pot with false identification, toking while driving, and all the other criminal and regulatory violations we deal with concerning legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. This is what I think about whenever one of these legalization advocates tries to convince me that legalizing marijuana would free up police resources. We’d still be up to our necks in it.”

  He has a point.

• Is Christian doctrine boring? No way!
  

  “It is the neglect of dogma that makes for dullness. The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man — and the dogma is the drama…. This is the dogma we find so dull — this terrifying drama [in] which God is the victim and the hero.” ~Dorothy Sayers

  HT: Buzzard Blog

• In Defense of Marriage.
  Have we over-corrected for the idolatry of the married state by making it a cross to bear? Eric has some great thoughts on the topic.

Videos worth seeing:

• Thank you, Abraham Piper, for warning us: This video does contain tobacco consumption.
  
  from Twenty Two Words
• Dogs can do all sorts of things humans can’t–because they’re animals, and we’re not.
  
  HT: Vitamin Z

On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

• Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Book Review)
• When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke (Book Review)

Photo Albums:

• Christmas 1985 at Grandma and Grandpa Cook’s house and at Grandma Menter’s house

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• A little marriage enrichment for you married folk (and fun for singles, too!) Be thankful for your spouse’s faults.

Books for the TBR list:
Is this for real? Am I actually emerging from this week with only one additional book on my TBR list? This is amazing!!

• The adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–I like YA fiction. This one sounds like it’ll be a deeper and more complex read then most–but it sounds good!

News to take note of:

• People with purpose don’t get Alzheimer’s.
  This is good news for a goal-oriented but family medical history heavy gal.
• The odds for a successful marriage
  Wanna be married for a good long time? The odds are best for highly educated couples from two-parent families who married after age 26 but did not cohabit prior to marriage. It also helps if they have kids after marrying. Looks like the odds are in my favor (assuming I hold off on marrying for another year–but I think that’s probably a reasonable assumption!)

Thought-provoking posts:

• Justin Buzzard on processing life like David in Psalm 3. I’ve been doing a bit of this Sight–>Belief–>Remembrance–>Resolve–>Prayer–>Praise/Assurance stuff in the last couple of months.
• Staying Faithful when life gets worse: Reflections on the life of Joseph
  

  Sometimes faithfulness to God and his word sets us on a course where circumstances get worse, not better. It is then that knowing God’s promises and his ways are crucial. Faith in God’s future grace for us is what sustains us in those desperate moments.

Videos worth seeing:

• Validation: a short film
  And by short film, I really mean film. This is 16 minutes long, but it’s a FANTASTIC romantic comedy.
  
  HT: Collateral Bloggage

On bekahcubed

Photo Albums:

• Baby Bekah (Photos from my first month of birth–March 1985)
• People Pictures (Photos of myself and Anna, myself and Mommy, myself and Grandpa, etc. during that adorable early toddler stage :-P)

On the web

Books for the TBR list:

• Crowned by Julie Linker.
  YA fiction holds a soft spot in my heart–and according to this reviewer, Crowned is a pretty good depiction of the high school scene these days.
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
  I like project memoirs–and I tend to like self-help (just a bit too much!) So this memoir on trying to apply the wisdom of the ages and more recent stuff on happiness sounds like fun.
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
  I’ve read quite a few reviews of this one, all of them complimentary. This one pushed me over the edge. I’m adding The Help to my TBR list.
• The Power of Half by Hannah Salwen
  I’ve seen this one reviewed before too–and couldn’t decide whether I wanted to read it or not. I’m still more curious than actually determined that I’ll enjoy this book. The idea of a family downsizing from a 6000 square foot house to a 3000 square foot house to give the rest to charity is great–but how were they so selfish as to amass all that in the first place? I fear the book will be a little too self-congratulatory for my tastes. But who knows?
• Recalling the Hope of Glory by Allen P. Ross
  This book sounds amazing–an exposition of all the passages on worship throughout the Bible. I’d love to read this one, but I’m sure the library doesn’t have it. (Ah, well, what is ILL for but this?)
• Saving Cee-Cee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman
  Another one that I’m surprised isn’t on my TBR list already. Southern ladies, somewhat eccentric. Surely I’m going to love it.
• The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens.
  Perhaps it’s just morbid curiosity, but the thought of a sympathetic book about a morbidly obese woman (who doesn’t experience magical fat melting once she “finds herself”) intrigues me.
• Why we love the church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
  I love the church. God designed the church to be something special–something that would collectively spread His fame throughout the world. I am saddened and distressed by the current vogue for leaving behind “organized religion”–and with it the church. This book addresses that issue. I’ve ILL’ed it and look forward to reading what DeYoung and Kluck have to say about the church.

News to take note of:

• Science says it is not good for man to be alone. Hmm…seems to me someone else said that first.

Videos worth seeing:

• A revolutionary music video: Too late to apologize
  
  Thanks Vitamin Z.

On the web
Remember how I didn’t have much time for blog reading last week? Well, that means you might be getting two weeks worth of links as I catch up on ALL my reading. Enjoy!

Laugh out loud funnies:

• The Youth Pastor Dress Code: Identify the youth minister amidst the crowd (plus a special bonus feature on how to tell your youth minister from a Marxist.)
• I really did laugh out loud at these ideas for how to respond when people apologize for swearing around you.
• “Mommy, I need to be changed. I pooped in your closet.” Best. line. ever.

Books for the TBR list:

• Ten Big Lies about America: I like reading politics, but I haven’t read much recently. Maybe this one will be good.

News to take note of:

• Drowsy Driving is a real issue for teens. Think drunk driving–only without having to drink.
• Yep, I know cigars are cool among the “emergent” and other such non-judgmental types. But, seriously, is the benefit of being “edgy” and “uninhibited” worth pumping poison into you’re body? Cigars aren’t any safer than cigarettes.
• Are you who you say you are on Facebook? This study says most people are.
• Wanna shadow Lincoln’s police chief? He says he’s not gonna turn down anyone who [asks]. I personally think Tom Casady is the best.

Thought-provoking posts:

• On Contemporary Christian Music:
  

  I would suggest that listening to mainstream radio with your guard up and your worldview filter on is safer than listening to Christian radio with your guard down. Subtle, bad theology is more dangerous to unsuspecting Christians than is blatant bad theology.

  Thanks to Vitamin Z for directing me to this article.

• Sometimes you just gotta vomit. I love SCL’s Serious Wednesdays–and this one’s majorly good.
• What are we to do about college debt? By God’s grace, I’ll make it through my masters with far less than $155,000–but what does the slavery I’ve sold myself into mean for my ability to glorify God with my future? Will I ever have to choose between him and my other master, the United States Government (thanks to federally subsidized student loans)?
• Making me feel hopeful for our soon to be reconfigured family. I think several of us are having some bleary eye moments as we prepare to become a military family (John’s enlisted in the Marines, Tim’s waiting to hear from Navy ROTC-Marine option.)
• I’m loving Davene’s “good thing” post–way to see the bright side and give thanks instead of complaining!
• Does your devotional time look like this? Oh that I might be greedy for God again as I was when I was young. (Thanks to DG for pointing me to this article.)

Videos worth seeing:

• T-shirt wars: very amusing
  
• How to start a movement (via Buzzard Blog
  
• Oh. my. goodness. Absolutely hilarious!
  

On bekahcubed

Photo Albums:

• Kolache Days
• Coat-Burning Party aka B.E.T. (Burn Evil Things) Party

On the web

This time, I really do have a short list–because I spent my Saturday quilting instead of catching up on blog reading. So enjoy a lighter day–on me!

Laugh out loud funnies:

• I love the meanest Mom–she and her husband finally finished up the kid’s bathroom. Not that she’s letting the kids anywhere near it!

Books for the TBR list:

• After Ever After. Guess what this one’s about? (If you guessed marriage, you guessed wrong!)

News to take note of:

• Use of Glaucoma Drugs correlated with increased life expectancy–oh how I wish I could see a good eye doctor instead of a creepy quack. Someday, when that happens, I’m gonna ask again if we should be treating my glaucoma.
• Fat kid, fat kid–is there anything we can do? Try family meals, less tv, and better sleep.

Thought-provoking posts:

• On Facebook and the meaning of “friend”
• Have you set your heart on the Word of God?
• “Things may come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.” Abraham Lincoln, quoted on The Art of Manliness

Videos worth seeing:

• The big red tractor: a modern-day parable.
  

  The Big Red Tractor from Jacob Lewis on Vimeo.

I’ve been uber-busy this week, so I haven’t had much time to do my normal blog reading and internet surfing. As a result, my recap is pretty slim.

I wrote that before I caught up on my blog-reading over the weekend. So there are now plenty of links to the wide web–but still only a few changes made to bekahcubed itself.

On bekahcubed

• Now offering comments on photo albums! Plus three new photo albums

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

• Stuff Christian’s Like on “the scared straight marriage speech” (Don’t worry, I’ll be giving one of those, or having someone give one of those towards the end of the month–possibly with a book review of Sacred Marriage accompanying.)
• What would you do if a snake started talking to you?

Books for the TBR list:

• So, I know some people really like The Princess Bride (the book)–but this fellow’s review makes me wonder if it’s any good. Arguments for or against?
• This book–True Deceivers sounds fantastic. Alas, Eiseley Library does not own it (and neither do any of Lincoln’s other libraries.)
• Another book that sounds great but isn’t at Eiseley. I love humor and Celia Rivenbark’s You can’t drink all day if you don’t start drinking in the morning sounds very humorous. But maybe this is the grace of God for my already bloated TBR list.
• Finally, a book my library has–and if it didn’t, I think I’d probably request that they buy this Sense and Sensibility adaptation
• What looks to be a heartwrenching and faith-inspiring tale of God’s power amidst the Rwandan Holocaust as seen through the eyes of one woman.

News to take note of:

• Airlines pad their flight times to up their “on time” stats. We just discussed this in our statistics class. Weird.

Thought-provoking posts:

• What are we converting people to, anyway? A great article on emphasizing the gospel. Thanks, Vitamin Z
• Do you have an unhealthy addiction to celebrity gossip
• A hundred pianos tuned to one fork. Reflections on worship.
• Tips for writers. Especially pertinent for bloggers, I’d say…Oh, and more here
• Is it time to push away from the table?
• Quote from George MacDonald: “What if the main object in God’s idea of prayer be the supplying of our great, our endless need — the need of himself? What if the good of all our smaller and lower needs lies in this, that they help to drive us to God?” (Lord, may my every desire lead me to You, You the source, nay the reality that fills my every need.) Read more MacDonald here.

Enjoyable videos:

• I got nothing

I’ve decided to start a new little thing to get everyone up to speed on what’s been happening on my website (and online in general) over the course of the week. So, look forward to seeing a recap arriving at 11:59 pm each Saturday night–a recap of new pages on my general website (book reviews, recipes, Bible studies, etc.) and a recap of some of the best articles I’ve read in the last week.

On bekahcubed:

Book Reviews:

• Leo Tolstoy’s Resurrection
• Cathy Marie Hake’s Fancy Pants
• Luci Swindoll’s I Married Adventure
• Polly Shulman’s Enthusiasm
• Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study
• John Tierney’s The Best Case Scenario Handbook

Recipes:

• Beef and Cider Stew
• Chunky Vegetarian Chili
• Cuban Black Bean Soup

On the web:

• Lincoln Criminal gets caught orange-fingered
• I want some PZT to power my house
• Sojourner on the late pope’s practice of flagellation
• A sweet and thought provoking story told by Ravi Zacharias: A postmodern foundation?
• If I had more time, I’d be watching Emma
• As it is, I’ve been watching this:
  

Don’t forget to come back and comment a lot on LOVE MONTH…
First post February 1, 2010 at 6:00 am.