When Answers Aren't Enough

I have to admit I've been really intrigued by this book ever since it came in the mail. Of course, I haven't gotten to it yet. I picked it up again yesterday when I was cleaning off my desk and moved it to the top of my TBR pile. So I should crack it open tonight.

I'll be curious to see how the author handles the subject of pain and problems in this world. To me, this is one of the biggest issues I come across when talking to non-believers about Jesus. And frankly, as a believer, I have a hard time with pain and suffering too. I think many of us do.

So for all those reasons (and it's got a great cover for a non-fiction book) I can't wait to pick it up. I'll let you know what I think of it when I'm done.



It's the 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 15th, we will featuring an author and his/her latest non~fiction book's FIRST chapter!

The feature author is:

Matt Rogers

and his/her book:

When Answers Aren't Enough Experiencing God as Good When Life Isn't

Zondervan (April 1, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Matt Rogers is copastor of New Life Christian Fellowship at Virginia Tech. Eight hundred students call it home.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

On April 16, 2007, the campus of Virginia Tech experienced a collective nightmare when thirty-three students were killed in the worst massacre in modern U.S. history. Following that horrendous event, Virginia Tech campus pastor Matt Rogers found himself asking and being asked, ìWhere is God in all of this?î The clichÈ-ridden, pat answers rang hollow.
In this book, Matt approaches the pain of the world with personal perspectiveódealing with his hurting community as well as standing over the hospital bed of his own fatheróand goes beyond answers, beyond theodicy, beyond the mere intellectual. When Answers Arenít Enough drives deeper, to the heart of our longing, in search of a God we can experience as good when life isnít.


Product Details

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (April 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310286816
ISBN-13: 978-0310286813

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A Heavy,
Sinking Sadness

Embracing the World That Is

One

Lately Iíve been walking in the evenings. I tend to do that when stuck on a question. Maybe Iím trying to walk it off. On days when I have time, I drive out to Pandapas Pond in Jefferson National Forest to be in nature. Once there, I set off through the woods or slowly stroll along the waterís edge, deep in thought or prayer.

Most days, because of time, I have to settle for the streets around my home. I can quickly climb to the top of Lee Street, turn around, and look out over Blacksburg, the Blue Ridge backlit by the setting sun. From there, I can see much of Virginia Tech. The stately bell tower of Burruss Hall rises proudly above the rest.

On nights like tonight, when I get a late start and the sun is already down, I head for campus. At its center, separating the academic and residential sides of the school, sits the Drill Field, a wide-open grassy space named for the exercises that the Corps of Cadets practices to perfection there. After dark, old iron lampposts, painted black, blanket the ground in overlapping circles of light.

It was here on the Drill Field, the day after the shootings, that students placed thirty-two slabs of gray limestone rock ó Hokie stones, as theyíre called ó in a semicircle in front of Burruss Hall, to commemorate the lives of loved ones lost. Thousands of mourners descended on the place, bearing with them a flood of condolences, a mix of bouquets, balloons, and poster-board sympathies. They came sniffling, clinging to tissues and to one another, and lifting their sunglasses to wipe tears from their tired, red eyes. The world came as well, vicariously through television, watching us, kneeling with us in grief.

I also came, revisiting the stones day after day, and sometimes at night, drawn to them by a need to connect with the dead whom I never knew. Always there was something new here, some trinket that had been added. At times the items seemed odd: a baseball for every victim, an American flag by every stone, though some of the dead were international students.

People took their time passing by this spot. There was no need to rush; there were no classes to attend. It would be days, dark and long, before there would be any distractions from the pain. For a time, there was no world beyond this place.

By day, soft chatter could be heard around the memorial. After sunset, no one spoke a word. During daylight, masses huddled near the stones, peering over shoulders to read the notes left there. At night, however, mourners passed by in a single-file line, waiting their turn, patient with the people in front who wished to pause at every name.

The masses have since receded. The Drill Field now is vacant (except for these stones) and silent. The semester has ended, most of the students are gone, and only the sounds of insects disturb the stillness of the summer evening air. If I close my eyes and take in the quiet, I can almost imagine nothing happened here.

Almost. Except for the stone reminders that lie at my feet. On one is written a simple, anguished note.

Jeremy,

We love you.

Mom and Dad

These stones are more than rocks. Each is all that remains of a son, a daughter, a husband who will never come home again. I picture my mom and dad, heartbroken, kneeling by a stone for me, had I been among the dead. Moreover, I imagine myself by a stone for my dad, had he not survived his fall.

This is a summer of mourning. I am grieving the world as it is. And I am asking, ìIf I embrace the world as it is, in all its sadness ó if I refuse to bury my head in the sand, pretending all is well, but rather think and speak of the world as it actually is ó can I, then, still know God as good? Can my experience of him be more consistent than my circumstances, which alternate between good and bad?î

Is this too much to expect?

Before I can know, I must face the world at its worst.

Wordless Wednesday

I loved the golden sunlight streaming through the rain drops on my back screen door. When the image is enlarged, it's even cooler.

Un-Labor Day Part 3

The remnants of hurricane Gustav are visiting us, giving us much needed rain. About as close as I've ever been to a hurricane.

So back to my story... Sunday we went to a Silverhawks game, the local minor league baseball team. It was Community Day so we had vouchers to get in free. We sat in front row seats next to the bullpen and one of the kids caught a fly ball.

After that, we went to the Blueberry Festival, the area's biggest weekend festival. We listened to Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. They're a modern horn band with a style that ranges from Big Band to swing to echoes of Chicago. I've really enjoyed this band for years, even before they were on TV's Next Greatest Band or whatever that was called. They are also made up of local boys, which just adds to the enjoyment. And the fact that they love Jesus and are open about it with their music and during their concerts is just icing on the proverbial cake.

After the concert, I got a custom fitted toe ring which I have been wanting for over a year. Yeah, it doesn't take much to make me happy.
Finally, we watched one of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen. It lasted nearly 30 minutes. What was so odd to me, coming from an area where fireworks are so strictly regulated because of the fire danger, was to see the embers floating down over our heads and through the trees like showers of pixie dust. It was beautiful but I kept waiting for something to catch on fire.

Monday we went to another Silverhawks game, the last one of the regular season--they did make the playoffs. It was Dollar Day so we got the same cool seats for a dollar each, plus dollar dogs and sodas. It was pretty hot though, mid-90s, so I was quite happy when Calvin wanted to leave early.

So that was my Labor Day. Winter can come now (not really, but it'll be here far too soon, I'm sure). Anyone else do anything fun or interesting?

Un-Labor Day Part 2

Jumping ahead a bit I just had to say, I had sushi today from Martin's, prepared freshly by a sushi chef. I was in a bit of OC heaven :). And, I didn't even mention they had a olive bar, which Sissy and I also partook from.

Okay, so back to Saturday. It started with breakfast at Krispy Kreme (yes, I raised my children to be addicts too). Then, coming home I saw a (one of many) garage sale that had two couches that looked like they might be halfway decent. When our house flooded we lost pretty much all our furniture. Since I moved to Indiana not too long after, I didn't bother to replace much of anything. I did replace my bookcases. I do have priorities! But I didn't have a couch. So I'd been looking.

After thinking about it, I went back to the garage sale and checked out the couches. They were in good shape, didn't smell, and had decent fabric. I wouldn't even need to recover them. I figured I could afford $100. So I went up to the owners and asked what they were looking for on the couches (there was a couch and a love seat, and while I really only needed the couch I figured they wanted to get rid of both). The gal said, "How about $80 for both and the couch covers?" Sold! Guess it pays to wait until about 3 PM and wait for them to get desperate.

While getting the big couch into the house was a bit of a pain (literally--I messed up my knee), they looked even better inside my house than on the lawn at the garage sale. The colors matched other items and they fit nicely in the living room (that pillow in the picture above was one I already had). And you can't be that price at all!

A Good Un-Labor Day Part 1

Did you all (being very generous in the use of the word all, referring to the few hardy souls who still read my sorely neglected blog) have a great Labor Day weekend? I actually did and had a restful time.

One thing I've learned in the Midwest is to appreciate summer. Labor Day is the last hurrah for the season. Even the sun has just about given up, shining warmly during the day but tucking itself quietly in bed by 8:00, which seems early after 10:00 dusks.

So we did Labor Day with a blast. Of course anything would have been better than last year when I was getting my gallbladder removed. So this year we went big. Friday night we grilled steaks. Not a super huge deal in itself but it was what I found at the store when I got the steaks that thrilled me to my toes. The Martins in Granger has sushi and a sushi chef! I know I made little moaning sounds when I saw it. I think it even brought tears to my eyes. Real sushi in Indiana? I couldn't believe it. I thought I had died and gone back to the OC.

But let me just say, that was just the beginning of a very auspicious weekend. Stay tuned for more (yes, now that I actually have something to blog about, I'm going to drag it out as long as possible!)

I'm Not Crazy

Well actually, I probably am. Yeah, yeah, those of you who know me, be quiet. Anyhow, this post is actually in reference to this month's NONFirst post, not my mental health, no matter how entertaining that might be.

On a personal note, I'm working a full 40 hours a week now designing websites and doing graphic-type stuff (that's the technical term) and the kids are back in school (where did summer go?) so I'm working on getting us adjusted to the new schedule. Hopefully I'll have some cool things to talk about. I just started reading Leif Enger's So Brave, Young, and Handsome. And I listened to One Month to Live on CD. Both great books that I'd love to discuss. Also, I'll be leading worship for our children's church starting next month. Very excited about that! I can act like a goofball for people who will actually appreciate it.

And without further ado, this month's NONFirst post.








It's the 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 15th, we will featuring an author and his/her latest non~fiction book's FIRST chapter!

The feature author is:

Charles Marshall

and his book:

I’m Not Crazy, But I Might be a Carrier

Kregel Publications (April 17, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charles Marshall began his career onstage as a singer/songwriter. When his singing voice gave out, he turned to stand-up comedy and was much more successful. He is now a nationally syndicated Christian humor columnist and has contributed to Focus on the Family magazine. He is the author of Shattering the Glass Slipper: Destroying Fairy Tale Thinking Before It Destroys You and has filmed two stand-up comedy videos, I'm Just Sayin' and Fully Animated.

Product Details

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (April 17, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 082543419X
ISBN-13: 978-0825434198

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter 1 Going to the Dogs



My wife and I have been thinking about getting a dog, lately, and discussing what type we might get. For me, there is really only one possibility—and that, of course, is a real dog.

For the uninitiated, there are three basic types of dogs:

1] Real dogs. These are dogs as God originally made them—monstrous, made-for-the-outdoors hunting machines that are perfect for intimidating neighbors and attracting lawsuits.

The ownership rule for guys and dogs is simple: the bigger the dog, the cooler you look. Walk down the street with a Pekingese and you might as well be wearing a tutu.

When you observe a man walking down the street with a massive real-dog, his message to you is clear. “Yes, I’m overcompensating for my insecurities and lack of masculinity but I’ve got a really big dog.”

Now that’s the kind of attitude I can get behind.

2] Mutant rat-dogs, otherwise known as Chihuahuas. These poor creatures are the unintentional result of secret experiments conducted by the Mexican army in a failed attempt to create the ultimate weapon by cross-breeding bats and Great Danes. The only surviving result of these experiments is a group of nervous, angry little rat-dogs that decided to take their revenge on humanity by being annoying on just about every level known to mankind.



If you are approached by one of these aberrations of nature, know that it despises you with a hatred rarely seen outside the Middle East, and that it won’t hesitate to tear your ankles to shreds. These dogs are the piranhas of the canine world and would nuke


mankind tomorrow if they thought they could get away with it. Under no circumstance should one of these animals be allowed to run for public office.

3] Kitty-dogs, which is every kind of dog that does not fall into one of the first two categories. I’m all in favor of this type of dog because, hey, girls have to have dogs, too.

The curse of the kitty-dog is that there are those who take a warped delight in dressing them up like people. Most dogs would rather be subjected to Mexican weapons experiments than go through this type of torture.

I cannot say this in strong enough terms: You should never, ever dress up your dog for any reason whatsoever. Take it from me—even if it were thirty below outside, your dog would rather die with dignity in his own fur coat than live while being seen in a little poochie parka.

If you dress your dog, you need to know two things:

1] The rest of us are making fun of you behind your back.

2] Every day your dog prays for a heaven where he gets to dress you up in humiliating costumes while he and his doggie friends point at you and laugh for all eternity.

If you feel you absolutely must dress an animal, go dress one that at least has a chance of defending itself like a cougar or a wolverine or a Chihuahua.



One of the most amazing things about the three dog types is that for every one of them, there is someone that likes that kind of dog. At this very moment, there are people risking the loss of fingers and eyes while they stroke their vicious little rat-dogs, all for the sake of love.

That’s a mysterious kind of love, isn’t it—the kind that embraces the unlovely, that sees through the imperfect and loves without regard?

Let’s face it, the human heart isn’t very attractive either. Every thought we have is consumed with self. If you peel away the layers of even our most noble deeds and acts of kindness, you will find thoughts that circle back to ourselves like homing pigeons. In our hearts, we are all mutant rat-dogs.

And yet God loves us.

In the Bible, you find that same theme of an indefatigable, undefeatable love reaching out to a vicious, ungrateful humanity over and over again. I’ve found it’s a love well worth pursuing.

And so the great dog debate rages in my household, and I think my wife is coming around to my point of view. But, if by chance, you happen to see me in the neighborhood walking a Pekingese that is wearing a teeny hat and sundress, you may safely assume things did not go my way.

Shadow Shot Sunday

On Hey Harriet's blog she does something fun called Shadow Shot Sunday. She takes all the photos people post and makes a collage out of them. And personally, I love photos of shadows. It's such an interesting juxtaposition of ideas, considering photos are made by light, so by shooting a shadow, you're doing just the opposite. Anyhow, I like it!

So here's my contribution to this week.


This was "Calvin" at the Chicago Children's Museum last year.

Check out Hey Harriet's blog to see the other participants in Shadow Shot Sunday.

Living Leviticus

Most people who have studied the Bible would agree, I think, that Leviticus is one of the most difficult books for our era and culture to grasp. Many people simply dismiss it as not for our time. Yet, if we believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, we can't pick and choose which parts to pay attention to and which parts to ignore. Certainly Leviticus was written to the Jews living under the Law, but as Jesus said, He came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it.

So where does that leave us 21st-century believers?

That is a question which Pastor Daniel Harrell of Park Street Church in Boston attempted to answer with a group of people from his congregation. After all, Leviticus was written to a community and the Law was meant to be lived in community.

Their journey is covered in this Christianity Today online article. It's a fascinating article, discussing how different people chose to interpret Levitical laws today. But what I found most interesting was the conclusion many of the participants came to:

"Everyone was surprised on one level or another at how the practice of simply "doing what the Bible says" led to insights as to why some of the more obscure laws made it onto the books to begin with."

It probably shouldn't be surprising at all, but in our culture in particular, we almost flippantly use grace as our get-out-of-jail-free card to avoid doing hard things for God, to avoid practicing holiness.

"Leviticus isn't in the Bible merely to show you your need for grace. It's in the Bible to show you what grace is for."

I've been thinking a lot about grace lately, giving and receiving it. But even more, I've been thinking about doing hard things for God, living out holiness when it costs us. As the participants in the Leviticus project found out, obedience, despite its cost, has an unmeasurable reward in growing closer to God.

And that is worth any cost.

Encouraged

God gives us encouragement in the strangest ways. Yet He is always faithful to give it.

I've been reading Milton Dyke's journal of Kristy's illness and home-going. His post Saturday was truly an encouragement to me. Over and over he said, "God met me there, and I was not alone."

The last month has been painful for me in several ways. Yet God has met me in each one of those circumstances, and I did not go it alone. I love Milton's wording, and I'm keeping it close to me because of the essential truth of it.

In the following post Milton talked about not letting the pain become despair and bitterness, but finding the cause of celebration in the midst of it. That was powerful for me too. I told one of my close friends that despite the pain, I felt victorious, because I had been faithful to God and He was ever faithful to me.

Certainly what I've gone through is nothing like what Milton is having to deal with. Yet loss and pain is so much a part of this life that it's good to have words of comfort to hang on to. Maybe words don't do it for everyone. Some people need company, or a hug. But I'm a word person and they speak powerfully to me.

I've faced pain, and God met me there with words so I didn't have to go it alone.

He is enough.

Food for Less

I found this MSN article on Money Saving Mom. Like her, I got a chuckle out of the story, though I don't think it was supposed to be funny. The premise was, could a family of four eat on $100 a week, all three meals. I had to laugh. Even though there's only 3 of us, I only spend $40-60 a week at the store, don't go every week, and we eat pretty much every meal at home or brown-bag it to work and day care.

Granted, when I shop, I shop for bargains and I stock up. Then I plan my menus based on my pantry, not on shopping each week at the store. This, I think, is the biggest reason we're able to save money. It's much better to buy stuff on sale than to pay full price.

It made me wonder what she normally ate for meals, since the meals she described seemed pretty typical to me. Also it made me wonder, who is more typical: her or us "frugal" types? Anyone want to weigh in on either side? And if there's interest (or maybe even if there isn't!) I'm thinking of relating my weekly or semi-weekly shopping excursions.

Home Going

Fellow ACFWer Kristy Dykes went home to be with Jesus yesterday after battling brain cancer.

Her dear husband Milton had been keeping up a blog on her progress and sharing about their life together. It is one of my daily reads and is truly an inspiration. That sounds so trite but I can't think of a better word. Milton is vulnerable and honest about his feelings and about his relationship with Kristy. When most people put up a front and try to make you see them the way they want you to, his honesty is refreshing.

Please keep their family in your prayers. Even though we know Kristy is healed and in an amazing place that we can't even imagine, the loss for those left behind is so hard. I know they will miss her terribly.

What's the Big Deal about Other Religions?

Okay, it's really the 16th and I haven't gotten to this month's book yet but it looks intriguing. And anything that helps Christ-followers know why we believe what we believe, and why Jesus is the only way to God is a good thing.
It's July 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 15th, we will featuring an author and his/her latest non~fiction book's FIRST chapter!

The feature authors are:

John Ankerberg
and
Dillon Burroughs

and their book:

What's the Big Deal About Other Religions

Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Dr. John F. Ankerberg is the President and founder of The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute. He is also the producer and host of the nationally televised John Ankerberg Show, a half-hour program seen in all 50 states via independent stations, the DAYSTAR Network, the DISH Network, DirecTV and on the SKY ANGEL Satellite, numerous cable outlets, as well as on the internet. The program can be seen each week by a potential viewing audience in excess of 99 million people. John presents contemporary spiritual issues and defends biblical/Christian answers.


Writer and communicator Dillon Burroughs is author of fourteen books and serves as a staff writer and research associate for the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute. In the past two years, his books have sold over 113,000 copies while his edited works have sold more than two million copies. On subjects related to spirituality and culture, Dillonís written projects have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salem Radio Network news, Moody Radio Network, James Dobsonís Focus on the Family, iLife Television Network, Prime Time America, Leadership Journal, NBC affiliates, The John Ankerberg Show, Discipleship Journal, Group Magazine, and many other media outlets.

Dillon Burroughs is a ThM graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary in addition to graduating with a B.S. degree in Communications from Indiana State University. As time allows, he also serves as an adjunct professor at Tennessee Temple University. Dillon lives in Tennessee with his wife, Deborah, and two children, Ben and Natalie.


Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736921222
ISBN-13: 978-0736921220

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Christianity:

Whatís the Big Deal About Jesus?

ìChristianity is good for you, but itís not right for me. I think you ought to believe whatever makes you happy and gives you peace.î

ìChristianity is the ërightí religionóisnít that being naive?î

The label Christianity covers a broad range of people today. While over 2.1 billion people are statistically considered followers of Jesus Christ, polls by religious researcher George Barna have observed that only four percent of American Christians hold to a biblical worldview (that is, beliefs consistent with the Bibleís teachings), and just 51 percent of Christian clergy hold to such a view. As a result, even many who call themselves Christians have agreed with the quotes that appear above, asking if it is perhaps naÔve to claim Christianity is the only way to God.

However, the above quotes are inconsistent with Christianityís origins and founder. In this chapter weíll briefly review how Christianity began, consider its early beliefs, introduce its founder, and investigate the reliability of the New Testament, which is part of the Bible.

A Firm Foundation

All of Christianity is built around one basic belief: the resurrection of its founder, Jesus of Nazareth. On Passover Friday around A.D. 30, Jesus was executed on a Roman cross on the accusation of conspiracy against the government. The Sanhedrin (Jewish leaders) had insisted that the Roman leader Pilate condemn Jesus, though Pilate had not found him guilty of any crimes worthy of death. After the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus in a tomb, the body disappeared three days later. Immediately this was followed by many ìJesus sightingsî reported over the next 40 days. A social revolution began ten days later in Jerusalem, Israel, as over 3000 people joined the movement after a street message given by the apostle Peter (Acts 2). Christianity was off and running, and has been growing ever since.

Oxford University theologian Dr. Alister McGrath has noted,

The identity of Christianity is inextricably linked with the uniqueness of Christ, which is in turn grounded in the Resurrection and Incarnation.

How do we know Jesus came back to life? First, the 27 books of the New Testament are based upon this one eventóthe resurrection of Jesus. Despite the attacks of many, the writings of Christianity have been shown to have emerged during the first century with the courageous message that Jesus, a man executed by the government, was alive. This carried many implications about his life and death and beyond. What other motive did these writers have except that they truly believed all this had occurred?

In addition, many individuals of that day claimed to have encountered Jesus after his death. According to the Gospel writers and the missionary Paul, Jesus appeared a total of at least 12 times after his return from death:

The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ

# Sighting Source

1. Mary Magdalene--Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18

2. Women returning from the tomb--Matthew 28:9-10

3. Two men walking to Emmaus--Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-32

4. Peter--Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5

5. 10 disciples; two men from Emmaus--Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23

6. 11 disciples (including Thomas)--John 20:24-29

7. 7 disciples--John 21:1-24

8. 500 people at one time--1 Corinthians 15:6

9. James, the half-brother of Jesus--1 Corinthians 15:7

10. 11 disciples Matthew 28:16-20

11. 11 disciples before Jesus returned to heaven--Luke 24:50-53

12. Paul-- Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8

In just one of these sightings, over 500 people claimed to see Jesus alive after his death. Did you know that if each of those 500 people were to testify in court for only six minutes, including time for cross-examination, we would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand testimony? Few other events from over 2000 years ago find this level of support. None offer the number of witnesses the resurrection does for a supernatural event.

Further, the changed lives of the early followers of Jesus supported their report that Jesus was alive. All but one of Jesusí 11 followers died for his belief in the resurrection of Jesus. Hundredsóif not thousandsóof other Christians suffered or died within the first century of Christianity for their beliefs as well. The killing of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, led to the persecution of the Jerusalem church, which eventually forced many Christians to flee the area for safety.

ìCould you convince thousands of people in our own day that President Kennedy had resurrected from the dead? Thereís no wayÖunless it really happened.î

The amazing phenomenon of Christianityís growth also stands as a powerful testimony that this faith is based on a supernatural resurrection. How could a crucified Jew (Jesus), former tax collector (Matthew), Jesus-hater (Paul), and small town fishermen (including Peter) establish a movement that has resulted in the largest religion on Earth? How could this happen?

When Christianity began, the Roman Empire was the greatest government of the time. Yet 300 years later, the Roman Empire had crumbled, and Christianity was continuing to grow. This, in spite of its humble beginning as a grassroots network of individuals who witnessed that Jesus had come back to life. Even though the proclamation of Jesusí teachings produced persecution of the greatest kind, Christianity continued to spread across the Roman Empireóall the way to the palace of Caesar in Rome, the worldís political and social capital.

Christianity 101

So Christianity originated from a group of Jesus-followers who spread the message that they had personally witnessed his three years of teaching and miracles, watched him die on a cross, and then personally met, saw, talked to, ate with, and received instructions from him after his resurrection from the dead. But what are the core beliefs of Christianity? There are six central elements of
traditional Christianity.

First, there is the common understanding of Jews and Christians that there is only one true Godówho is infi nite, holy, loving, just, and true. In addition, Christians believe that in the nature (presence) of the one true God there exists three personsóFather, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christianity does not believe in three gods, but one. As Dr. Norman Geisler, bestselling author and cofounder of Southern Evangelical Seminary, has written,

The Trinity is not the belief that God is three personas and only one person at the same time and in the same sense. That would be a contradiction. Rather, it is the belief that there are three persons in one nature. This may be a mystery, but it is not a contradiction. That is, it may go beyond reasonís ability to comprehend completely, but it does not go against reasonís ability to apprehend consistently.
Further, the Trinity is not the belief that there are three natures in one nature or three essences in one essence. That would be a contradiction. Rather, Christians affirm that there are three persons in one essenceÖHe is one in the sense of his essence but many in the sense of his persons. So there is no violation of the law of noncontradiction in the doctrine of the Trinity.

Traditional Christianity also accepts the 66 books of the Holy Bible as revelation from God, perfect and authoritative for all spiritual matters. While Roman Catholicism accepts the additional authority of the pope and church tradition, and Eastern Orthodoxy accepts church tradition as equal in authority to the Bible, the earliest traditional Christianity and later Protestant Christianity have been based solely on Godís written revelation through his apostles and prophets.

Third, Christians believe every person who has ever lived (with the exception of Jesus Christ) has been born a sinner separated from God. It is our sin nature that keeps us from knowing and experiencing God and creates a need for reconciliation through a means only God can provide.

Fourth, in his infinite love, God has provided the solution to the barrier between himself and humanity through Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the death of Jesus provides payment for our sins, and on the basis of our believing, he is our sinbearer and he will forgive us the moment we believe. All this is confirmed by Jesusí resurrection from the deadóhe has paid the penalty for sin and conquered death. In this way God offers a basis for a person to place his or her faith in Christ and to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, in which he enters your life and you walk through life with his power and guidance.

Fifth, this rescue or salvation God offers through Jesus is based solely on what God has done rather than on what people do. In other words, salvation is a free gift based on Godís grace to us (unearned favor) rather than good works or deeds we can accomplish, though these will accompany a person once he or she becomes a Christian. One of the major points of contention during the Protestant Reformation resulted from the Roman Catholic Churchís unbiblical teaching
that Godís grace consists of humans cooperating with Godís grace to merit salvation, rather than receiving salvation in full as a gift on the basis of faith alone the moment a person believes.

Sixth, Christians believe in an eternal afterlife. God allows individuals the ability to choose or reject him, and after death, that decision is final. Those who have chosen to believe in Jesus will enjoy eternity with him in heaven, while those who decline will spend eternity in hell, separated from God. God will accept every personís decision and not force him or her to change their mind. While all this may sound politically incorrect in our culture, it has stood as an essential component of Christian teaching from the earliest times. The choice we make here on earth will have eternal consequences.

Jesus: Founder and CEO of Christianity

Christian philosopher Dr. C. Stephen Evans points out that ìit is an essential part of Christian faith that Jesus is God in a unique and exclusive way. It follows from this that all religions [that disagree] cannot be equally true.î7 Again, if different religions teach contradictory things about who God is, salvation, the afterlife, and
even Jesus, then one or another could be true, but they canít all be true at the same time. What are the big super-signs that help us decide which religion is true? According to biblical Christianity, if Jesus claimed to be God and proved his claim by his resurrection, then he is God and Christianity is true. No other religious leader in history has claimed to be God and risen from the dead.

Further, there are at least seven concepts Jesus taught about himself that stand unique to Christianity. First, Jesus communicated that he fulfi lled biblical prophecy, given hundreds of years in advance, that he was the promised Messiah. He repeatedly claimed to be the person that Godís Messiah was predicted to be, and many scholars have created extensive lists of these prophetic connections. Here are some examples of prophecies Jesus fulfilled:

Prophecy--Old Testament Prophecy--New Testament Fulfillment

Born of a virgin-- Isaiah 7:14-- Matthew 1:18,25

Born in Bethlehem-- Micah 5:2-- Matthew 2:1

Preceded by a messenger-- Isaiah 40:3-- Matthew 3:1-2

Rejected by his own people-- Isaiah 53:3-- John 7:5; 7:48

Betrayed by a close friend-- Isaiah 41:9-- John 13:26-30

His side pierced-- Zechariah 12:10-- John 19:34

His death by crucifixion-- Psalm 22:1,11-18-- Luke 23:33; John 19:23-24

His resurrection-- Psalm 16:10-- Acts 13:34-37

Second, Jesus stands as a unique, unparalleled individual among the leaders of various world religions. He made predictions about the future that could only be made by someone who claimed to be God. Further, he noted in advance several of the things that would occur at the time of his death and resurrection. Unlike anyone else, he also promised to one day return to earth to set up his future kingdom.

The Seven ìI Amsî of Jesus in Johnís Gospel

? ìI am the bread of lifeî (John 6:35,48; see also verse 51).

? ìI am the light of the worldî (John 8:12).

? ìI am the gate for the sheepî (John 10:7; see also verse 9).

? ìI am the good shepherdî (John 10:11,14).

? ìI am the resurrection and the lifeî (John 11:25).

? ìI am the way and the truth and the lifeî (John 14:6).

? ìI am the true vineî (John 15:1; see also verse 5).

Further, Jesus is unique in his nature, being fully divine and fully human nature in one person. Jesus was born as a man without sin through a miraculous virgin birth. He challenged his own family, disciples, and even his enemies to prove him guilty of sin, but none could do so. Think of the reaction you would receive if you asked your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends, ìCan any of you point to one sin I have committed?î Those closest to us know our faults. We all have them. Yet Jesus lived a perfect life free of sin.

As Godís divine son, Jesus performed miracles, healings, and exorcisms; fulfi lled Jewish prophecies; and accomplished his own resurrection. In these ways he affi rmed his divine nature, displaying power far beyond that of any person who has ever lived. Today people downplay the miracles, but they are documented in careful detail in the Bible, and even Jesusí enemies did not deny his miracles. They werenít able to. So they just claimed that he performed them with
the help of evil powers (Matthew 12:24).

The Exorcisms of Jesus

Exorcism-- Source
1. Healed a demon-possessed man at Capernaum ---Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37

2. Drove out demons and evil spirits Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 1:32-39; Luke 4:33-41
3. Healed the man possessed by demons at the Gadarenes-- Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39

4. Drove a demon out of a mute man, who then spoke-- Matthew 9:32-34;
Mark 3:20-22

Christianity is also the only major religion whose founder sacrificed his life for the sins of those who would choose to believe in him. Jesusí horrifi c death on the cross stood as proof of his statement that ìthe Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.î

The Nature Miracles of Jesus

The MiracleóSource

1. Calming the wind and waves-- Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39; Luke 8:24

2. Walking on water-- Matthew 14:25; Mark 6:48; John 6:19

3. Money in the fishís mouth-- Matthew 17:27

4. Withering of the fig tree-- Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:14

5. Miraculous catch of fish-- Luke 5:4-7

6. Turning water into wine-- John 2:7-8

7. Second miraculous catch of fish-- John 21:6

8. Feeding the 4000-- Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9

9. Feeding the 5000-- Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:34-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-12

Sixth, as mentioned earlier, Jesus also rose from the dead. Those in his time could never account for his empty tomb and the disappearance of his body. Jesusí followers spanned the known world testifying of his resurrection (his actual bodily appearing to them), teaching his words, and dying for their belief in him.

Finally, Jesus promises, at the end of time, to personally judge every person who ever lived. It would be eternally disappointing to have Jesus look at us, fairly judge us, and conclude, ìI never knew youî (Matthew 7:23).

Christianity by the Book

Those who want to investigate the truthfulness of the original Christian message can look to a wealth of manuscript evidence regarding the transmission of the 27 books of the New Testament through the years. The New Testament manuscripts offer more supporting evidence than any other ancient book. Christians also accept the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament) as part of their holy book, the Bible. Traditional Christianity believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, meaning the original words of the Bibleís books are without error and perfect in every way.

As a result, Bible translation, distribution, and teaching stand as important responsibilities within Christianity. The Bible is the most translated book in history, has been used as the script for the most-watched fi lm in history (the Jesus fi lm), and has enjoyed greater distribution than any book in the world. Over 100 million copies of the New Testament or Bible are sold every year worldwide.

Interesting Statistics About the Bible

The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years,

? by more than 40 authors of every sortókings, peasants, fi shermen, poets, shepherds, government offi cials, teachers, and prophetsó

? in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek),

? on three continentsóAsia, Africa, and Europe.11

What Makes Christianity Unique?

ìChristianity isnít about people in search of God, but rather God in search of
people.îóSTEVE RUSSO

Many have suggested that Christianity is about having a personal relationship with Jesus, and not performing good works and following rituals. Religious movements throughout history ultimately hold to a signifi cantly different common threadóthat certain actions or works are required to obtain a blissful afterlife. In Christianity, however, the key to reaching God here and now and dwelling with him for eternity is to receive and trust in a gift already provided by its founder, Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul made clear to Christians at Ephesus, ìGod saved you by his grace when you believed. And you canít take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.î

Godís gift of salvation also brings assurance. If Jesusí righteous life and atoning death on the cross is the sole basis for Godís gift, then a Christian doesnít have to worry about earning or losing that gift. Once the gift is received, it belongs to the Christian forever because it rests on what Jesus didónot what the Christian did or does in the past, present, or future.

Christianity in Summary

As we compare and contrast the beliefs of various religions throughout this book, we hope to make the distinctives of each one as clear as possible. Here, we summarize the key teachings of Christianity:

Belief-- Basic Description

God-- One God in three personsóFather, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Holy Book-- The 66 books of the Holy Bible are the authoritative
works of Christianity.

Sin-- All people have sinned (except Jesus).

Jesus Christ-- Godís perfect son, holy, resurrected, divine (second person of the Trinity) yet also fully human.

Salvation-- Obtained only by Godís grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by human effort.

Afterlife-- All people will enter heaven or hell upon death based on whether they have salvation in Jesus Christ. The Bible does not teach reincarnation, annihilation (ending of the soul), or the existence of purgatory.


Some people assume that biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism are essentially similar. But is that the case? What differences exist? Are these differences really a big deal, or only minor details? Our next chapter will address these questions head-on.

Tackle it Tuesday

Don't ask me why I started back blogging again with the topic of housework. Ugh! Anyhow, today is Tackle it Tuesday. I think the only reason I got so much done was because I was actually off work today.

So I tackled grocery shopping, banking, cleaning the bathroom, doing all the floors, and tackling that big mountain of laundry that has taken over the laundry room. "Calvin" was out of shorts yesterday so I knew I had to get something done.

Also, I took Charlie, the black beast, for a walk. We walked Sissy to the Boys and Girls club, about a mile away. And it's 81 degrees and pretty humid. He hasn't stopped panting yet. We both needed the exercise, and it ain't nearly as hot here as in Arizona. Still...I think I might reserve our walks for later in the evening. I have to admit, however, I was pretty proud of the dog. Considering I haven't been very consistent about taking him for walks and teaching him to heel, he did very well and didn't chase down any neighborhood dogs or neighbors. Yippee for us! It's not that he's an aggressive dog, he's just super friendly. But he weighs almost 90 pounds. So friendly or not, 90 pounds of Black Lab coming at you tends to put off most people a bit.

Our House

Finally, a picture of our house. We're mostly settled in, pictures up on the walls and boxes unloaded. We have more flowers on the porch than when I took this picture. There's also a deck off the back and a two-car detached garage that you can't see in the photo. All in all, we feel very blessed to have this house.

Don't know if this means I'll be blogging more or not, but hopefully!

Exposing Darwinism's Weakest Link

It's June 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 15th, we will featuring an author and his/her latest non~fiction book's FIRST chapter!

The feature author is:

Kenneth Poppe

and his book:

Exposing Darwinism's Weakest Link: Why Evolution Can't Explain Human Existence

Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A career biology instructor, Kenneth Poppe holds a doctorate in education and taught in secondary schools for more than 25 years. He is now senior consultant with the International Foundation for Science Education by Design (www.ifsed.org). In addition to working in teacher education and assisting in DNA research of stream ecology, he has authored Reclaiming Science from Darwinism.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (March 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736921257
ISBN-13: 978-0736921251

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The majority is not trying to establish a religion or to teach it—it is trying to protect itself from the effort of an insolent minority to force irreligion upon the children under the guise of teaching science.

—WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN


BRYAN WAS THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PROSECUTION AT THE 1925 “SCOPES MONKEY TRIAL” IN DAYTON, TENNESSEE THAT MADE EVOLUTION A HOUSEHOLD TERM. THE ABOVE WORDS ARE FROM HIS
WRITTEN CLOSING STATEMENT, WHICH WAS NEVER READ IN COURT.

1

EXAMINING YOUR FAMILY TREE

A Monkey for an Uncle?

Click here to read the first chapter. You'll have to scroll down a bit.

Do Hard Things

Which would seem to include, for me, updating my blog. I do have a good excuse. Right after Calvin's Festival of Faith and Writing I moved. Only about 30 minutes away and nearer my church but to a different time zone. And the kids are still playing soccer in the old time zone. Needless to say, most nights I'm not getting home until almost 8 and then scrounging around in boxes and cupboards trying to remember where I've put things.

So. Hopefully things will soon be better. Or I'll lose my mind. One of the two.

I recently joined the NON First alliance and I really enjoyed this first book by the Harris brothers. I'm about half way through it and found it had great things to say to teens and adults. I hope to post a more thorough review later, but needless to say, I'm going to be recommending this book to the teens I know and to our church youth leader. Below you can find a bit more on Do Hard Things and the Harris brothers and even a taste of the first chapter. And hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later!


It's May 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 15th, we will featuring an author and his/her latest non~fiction book's FIRST chapter!

The feature author is:

Alex and Brett Harris and their book, Do Hard Things:

ABOUT THE AUTHORs:

Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com in August 2005 and today at age 19 are the most popular Christian teen writers on the Web. The twins are frequent contributors to Focus on the Family’s Boundless webzine, serve as the main speakers for the Rebelution Tour conferences, and have been featured in WORLD magazine, Breakaway, The Old Schoolhouse, and the New York Daily News. Sons of homeschool pioneer Gregg Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett live near Portland, Oregon.

Click here (you might have to scroll down a bit) to read the first chapter.

Bad Blogger Outta Town

Not that you'll miss me since I haven't been posting much (okay, AT ALL) lately. But this time I have a good excuse. I'm actually in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing (not to be confused with my son, AKA Calvin).

Michelle and I got in last night and helped Coach and Kimberly set up the Relief booth then had dinner and a lot of laughs with them.

I've already decided that Michigan has odd driving rules. You can't make left turns at lights, but you make U-turns in the middle of the street. Huh? And when you are waiting to make a left turn on a green arrow, the light flashes red instead of a steady green. Very bizarre.

I've also decided I've stayed at too many motels. At breakfast, I seemed to be the only one who knew you had to turn the self-serve waffle maker over to get it started. I had to help several people. Mostly, it was the incessant beeping of the waffle machine that was driving me nuts and I was trying to stop it. But it appeared that I was being nice.

Not sure when I'll post again, but I'll be sure to update you on my experiences here. With Michelle and I together, who knows what will happen.

The Kroger Art Gallery

You gotta check out Jeanne Damoff's post today at Master's Artist.

I've always loved how she finds beauty in the ordinary, and this post just expresses it so beautifully.

Plus, I would have paid money to see her taking pictures in the produce section and seeing the expression on the other shoppers' faces.

Did I mention I envy her her camera too?

Laughter as Carbonated Holiness

That line comes from this Christianity Today article. It also contains this gem:

...laughter is the Elmer's Glue that attaches us to the goodness that inhabits this world, and to the gladness that hints at the world to come.

I found the article particularly timely after one of my favorite young people said last night, "Jennifer loves to laugh." Yeah, I do. And I have a lot to laugh about, thank You, Jesus.

Anything made you laugh lately? Share, because you can never have too much laughter.

"Heart Surgery" up at Mused

My short story, "Heart Surgery" is up at BellaOnline's literary magazine, Mused.

I have to admit, it's pretty cool seeing my name up there. My only regret is that the submissions process stripped the italics out of my work and apparently they didn't make it back in, so I think that makes the time shifts in the story a little more confusing than they need to be. But still, it's pretty awesome to see my story in print and the photo that accompanies the story is just right on.

Check it out if you have some time. I'd love to know what you think.

Wordless Wednesday

Can you tell I'm ready for summer?

Tackle it Tuesday

I'm sorta done tackling the flu, though I have that lingering, nagging cough that I would be so happy to be done with.

Today I'm going to be out of the house running errands that have been piling up: getting dog food (the dog has to have special prescription food because he's allergic to everything else--he's so high maintenance), having lunch with a friend, getting the car inspected, shipping stuff off to sell on eBay, and going grocery shopping.

Makes me tired just thinking about it! But I know I'll be so glad when it's done. And the kids can stop whining that there's nothing to eat :)

Heard in the Hall

Because I'm still fighting this flu/bronchitis thing, I've been coming home from work and crashing for a nap for a couple of hours. I was in that weird state between sleep and wake when I heard "Calvin" outside my bedroom in the hall.

"Santa, you're sentenced to the lava pit. Any last words?"

Santa: "Merry Christmas everyone. Try to have a Merry Christmas without me."

Then assorted sounds of wailing and crashing. I'm guessing Santa went into the lava pit.

So at that point I'm up and awake. But you know, I have this short term memory problem, so by the time I stumble out my door I've forgotten about Santa. Until I step on him. Then I'm about ready to send him to the lava pit too. He was a little plastic pencil topper and he hurt!

I'm still not sure why Calvin sent Santa to the lava pit, but he's definitely inherited my warped sense of humor.

Quotable Quotes

I think credit for this grammarial gem of a blog goes to Neil Gaiman. But heck, I've had it in my file so long I can't be sure. However, it's funny and worth sharing if you're fond of words and grammar.

Or even if you're not. Reminded me a little of the Chris Farley SNL character who kept making quote marks in the air with his fingers and telling the kids they were going to live in a van down by the river. Is there a law against abusing punctuation marks?

Check it out.

And tomorrow, maybe I'll tell you why Santa got sentenced to the lava pit. Never a dull moment around my house.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless seems appropriate today since this flu has left me with little voice.

I'm so ready for summer and this picture of my kids on a covered bridge reminds me of that. Of course I look at it and see how much they've grown in the nine months since I took that picture. And they're being loving to each other!

Not Tackling Tuesday

Usually I'd have a Tackle it Tuesday post up here today, but the only thing I'm tackling today is the flu, the nasty respiratory kind that sends me into a coughing attack every few minutes.

I hate being sick. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Did I mention how much I hate it? And it's not like you can take a day off from being a mom, so I'm playing hurt. Ah well, this too shall pass, but probably not soon enough for me.

Posting may be thin this week. Or it might be cold-medicine induced rantings. Guess you'll just have to find out.

Reading for Comfort

Happy Leap Day!

I'm not having a lot of time to read lately (see that Midwesternese slipping in there?). Pretty much just before bed. And then I listen to books on CD while I'm driving to and from work and various other places in the Heartland.

I've got a lot of design projects going on right now. I've not had to be so creative on a deadline so consistently for such a long period of time before. And by the time evening comes, I don't have much attention span left. There's probably more to it than that but I'm too creatively depleted to think of what it could be.

So I find myself turning to my literary equivalent of comfort food: suspense novels. Now this ca be a bit tricky because I get nightmares easily so I have to have more suspense than horror since I'm reading right before bed. Maybe letting my mind turn over a different kind of problem--a who dun it, one I'm not likely to face in life--gives my brain a break from the problems it does have to solve. I don't know.

And it's not to say I don't still have a taste for my more literary favorites. But after a long day, I'd rather have a good pizza than a gourmet meal.

Though I'm thinking by next week, a steak is going to sound really good.

Tackle it Tuesday

Today we have a snow day. Lots of heavy snow! I hope the power doesn't go out.

I have a lot of miscellaneous tackles, those kinds of things that are perfect to get caught up on on a snowy day, like cleaning under the couch cushions and vacuuming the baseboards in the living room.

But my big tackle for the day is finishing my taxes. Ugh! :( At least I know I'm getting money back which makes the process a little less painful.

I also put some ribs in the slow cooker with onions and barbecue sauce. I'll let you know how it turns out. The house should smell really yummy in a couple of hours.

Happy tackling!

A Passion Most Pure--a Review

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman (Revell)

I have to admit I'm a historical fan from way back. But I have a Bachelor's in history so I get picky about details that are wrong and pull me out of the story. So while I like historicals, I find it hard to find ones I can fall in love with.

A Passion Most Pure fits the bill. The spicy sassiness of Deanne Gist and the sweeping saga feeling of Gone with the Wind, A Passion Most Pure manages to capture the World War I era while still creating characters that we love, relate to, and root for. While the page count may seem high, there is no fluff or padding here. You come to feel like part of the family and the pages just breeze by.

On a personal note, it was fascinating for me as a crit partner to see the progression of this novel from manuscript to finished-novel form. It was a bit like looking at a scrapbook of our crit group, remembering the changes and brainstorming we'd done over certain parts. Other parts were new, but I could see that they were the fruit of the seeds Julie had planted in earlier versions of the manuscript.

All in all, it's like standing on the sidelines cheering as your friend finishes a marathon you saw her start.

Congrats, girl! You did great!

An Acceptance at Last

I got some good news Saturday. My short story, "Heart Surgery" was accepted by Mused, the online literary journal of BellaOnline.

This thrilled me to no end. First, of course, because it was an acceptance and those are few and far between in my life lately. But this piece has an interesting history. I submitted it to a Christian contest last year where it didn't place (but fellow Misfit Angie Poole did).

Also, it was the seed that started the novel I'm currently working on. I don't normally consider myself a short story writer. But as I have less time to write, I find that it is an interesting way to play with characters and story ideas.

But what I think is really cool is that Mused is a secular publication, an area I've been thinking about moving toward. So it was wonderful feedback that my writing can succeed in the secular women's fiction world.

I'll post the link to the issue when it comes up, around March 21 I believe.

Biddy Basketball

As I've mentioned before, Hoosiers take their basketball seriously. And they start them young. Calvin (not his real name) started playing biddy ball last week for Pre-K and K. He's one of the oldest, already being 6, but still one of the shortest. Wait for the growth spurt, Son, around 9th grade.

Unlike other little kids sports where all the kids move in a pack following the ball, their first game actually looked like a real game with dribbling, shooting, running up and down the court, and falling on the ball.

The cutest thing is how they teach them to play defense. They give them and an opposing team member matching armbands and that's who they're supposed to guard. Calvin of course thought his was either a Power Ranger or some super power wrist band and kept pointing it at the other kid. Not sure if he thought it would vaporize him, or what.

Of course like other little kid sports there were kids not paying attention, kids who didn't wnat to play, and parents "coaching" from the stands. My personal pet peeve. Let the kids have fun, okay?

There was some confusion over which basket belonged to which team. And the ceiling started to leak which lead to an interesting variation on the sport: Parents had to stand on towels in the leaky spots.

Personally, as long as Calvin can run off some of his energy that builds up from being cooped up inside all winter, I'm happy. Otherwise he tends to be a little too much like the creative-but-destructive Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes (thus, the nickname).

Wordless Wednesday

In keeping with my theme to post non-wintery pictures, here's one I took last year of an Arizona cotton field at sunset. Ah the sun! I miss it!

Tackle it Tuesday

My tackle this week was to cook 7 meals in advance. I like to do this because afternoons are my low energy time. Defrosting and throwing something in the oven is right up my alley. And 7 meals can easily last us two weeks.



I use Cyndy Salzmann's book The Occasional Cook because she gives you menus, recipes, shoppings lists, and a game plan. It cuts down on the thinking for me.

For this week I made Nebraska Shepherd's Pie, Taco Soup, Barbeque Cups, Chuckwagon Quesadillas, Porcupines, Swedish Meatballs, and Sloppy Joes. All are family friendly.

I photocopy the recipes to use on the counter while I'm cooking because I'm a messy cook and I'd rather replace a splattered photocopy than a whole cookbook.

The whole thing took me 2.5 hours including clean up, which works out to about 20 minutes a meal. Quite a time saver!

My New Phone

Considering I'm a web designer, you'd think I'd be more embracing of technology. And I do like gadgets. But I'm also a creature of habit.

I've had my Motorola ROKR for over two years. I loved it. I knew how to use it. It worked as an iPod and did everything that I needed and wanted it to do.

Except it stopped taking a charge. The charger port had some pins that got damaged and I couldn't get it to charge at all. Not very useful to have a phone that is dead. Especially considering it's my only phone. I don't have a land line.

So I went into AT&T to see what could be done. They couldn't fix the phone and I could get a free one--a bottom of the line that now does everything my top of the line ROKR did--if I renewed my contract. Okay fine. Free is good.

But I still haven't figured out how to work this phone. I can answer it. I did get all my info transfered over. And it does have the cool, old-fashioned phone ring on it. (I had to explain to my kids that, yes, phones did used to sound like that.) I suppose I should read the manual to figure out how to access my music and photos. I just don't have the time. Although I guess I could do it instead of writing this blog post!

I'm probably pouting a little. I still have my old ROKR in my purse. I don't know why. Not sure what to do with it. Maybe give it a decent burial?

Any ideas for a phone that doesn't work?

Wordless Wednesday

To remind those of us trapped in the middle of the winter blahs that summer does indeed exist, here's picture of a roadrunner that was in my back yard when I lived in Arizona.



Make sure you head over to Michelle's Wordless Wednesday. She's giving away prizes if you can guess her photo.

Four Tag

This is the latest meme going around like the flu. I saw it first on Heather's blog, then Mich tagged me. So, here is goes. Or you can skip it. Not sure my answers are overly fascinating.

4 Jobs I've Had: (just a few of the man)

1. Learning disabilities tutor
2. College community service officer
3. Mom (hey, hardest job ever!)
4. Web site and Graphic Design Firm Owner

4 Movies Watched Over and Over: (I don't really watch movies over and over unless forced to by my children because they're playing constantly on TV. So, do I answer with movies I like, or the kids movies I've seen a zillion times? Hmm, going with movies I like.)

1. Waitress
2. O Brother Where Art Thou?
3. When Harry Met Sally
4. Mystic Pizza

4 Places I've Lived:

1. San Bernardino County, California
2. Orange County, California
3. Gilbert, Arizona
4. Indiana

4 TV Shows I Watch:

1. The Unit
2. NCIS
3. The Office
4. My Name is Earl

4 Places I've Been:

1. All over California
2. Phoenix, Arizona
3. London, England
4. Maui

4 People Who Email Me Regularly:

1. Mich
2. The Weather Channel warning me about the weather
3. The Fly Lady warning me about the state of my house
4. Writerly types. Probably some of the same as Mich.

4 Favorite Things to Eat:

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Chocolate
3. Seafood
4. A really good steak

4 Places I'd Rather Be:

1. On the beach in Hawaii
2. On the beach in Florida
3. Anyplace in the Valley of the Sun, Arizona
4. Anyplace with a spa

4 Things I Look Forward to This Year:

1. Turning 40 (not!)
2. Seeing my first real spring
3. Watching my son play organized sports (term used loosely) for the first time
4. Summer and Fall!

4 People to tag:
1. Diana
2. Malia
3. Jenny
4. Sabrina
And anyone else who wants to play!

How Cold Is It?

So, I've experience my first couple of 20-below-with-wind-chill days. And I have a couple of observations.

IT'S REALLY COLD!

Surprising, huh?

1. The inside of my garage door ices over.

2. The driver's side door of my car froze shut. Had to crawl in and out of the passenger side for two days.

3. The inside of the windows ice over while you're driving.

4. You can't get your car remotely warm. I had to keep checking the air vents to see if the heat was even on.

5. Even with multiple layers of clothes, coats, gloves, and hats, and the heat on in the car, it's still REALLY COLD!

6. The dog doesn't want to pee outside.

7. The previously-melted snow in my garage turned to ice.

8. They cancel or delay school because it's too dangerous for kids to walk to school in the cold.

The good news is, my garage can double as a freezer.

And best of all, it makes 30 feel almost warm!

Luckily, the super cold days don't last too long so I've been able to survive. However, I'd really like to be able to feel my toes again sometime soon.

Book and Color Lover

Photo by: Chotda

To keep up with the world of design I read blogs. Big surprise, huh? One of my favorites is Colourlovers.com. Even if you're not a graphic designer, go check it out. It's a feast for the eyes.

The picture above comes from a post about organizing your bookshelves by color. And they're serious! This particular line caught my eye: "If you’re really anal, you can create sleeves for your books and code them by color (fiction=yellow, textbooks=blue)."

I love color and organization, but I am NOT that anal. I have to admit to loving the effect though.

Two Tag

This tag was on Georgiana's blog back in November. You can see how behind I am on these things. Still, I kept it because it seemed like a fun thing to do. And since today is a snow day and I'm feeling lazy--okay, procrastinating getting any actual work done--I thought I'd post this meme.

Two names you go by: Jennifer and Jen (or Mom in my house)
Two things you are wearing right now: pajamas and socks. Hey it's a snow day and I slept in and made pancakes.

Two of your favorite things to do: read and sing

Two things you want very badly at the moment: To find more time to write, and I wouldn't object to a little more money or some better design software.

Two favorite pets you have/had: I've had a ton of cats and two dogs and I've loved them all. Doesn't seem fair to pick a favorite. They all had their unique qualities. Right now I'm going my longest period in my life without a cat. Charlie, aka Dog Vader, is more than enough animal for our little house.

Two people who will fill this out: Mich and Diana.

Two people you last talked to: Calvin and Sissy, who are here at the dining room table with me. Calvin is using his inhaler/spacer as a weapon to shoot bad guys while watching Justice League. And Sissy is popping in and out of here while doing a Jane Fonda step aerobics tape of mine from the 80s. I tell you, the workout clothes and hair are enough to make you bust a gut laughing. Sissy doesn't seem to appreciate that though. She takes her work outs very seriously.

Two longest trips you've been on: Now, is this time wise or distance wise? Road trip with Mich from Arizona to Indiana. It was only three days but almost 2000 miles. And a two-week trip to London. That was fun.

Two favorite holidays: Christmas and Fourth of July.

Two favorite beverages: A really good Merlot and Earl Grey tea. Alas, my poor Diet Coke doesn't make the cut anymore.

I think we got about 6 inches of snow last night and they're calling for about 5 more inches today. It's 26 degrees right now and not snowing at the moment. The snow plow already sent my trash can flying. Luckily the trash guys got here at 4 AM, only a day late. Charlie kindly informed that they were stealing my trash at that early hour.

So, if we get all our chores done around here while it's still halfway decent, we'll probably head over to Mich's where she's got a wood stove and more room for rowdy kids.