Easter Breakfast

Every Easter, for as long as I can remember, Mom has made it a tradition to set out a special breakfast, decorations and all. Now Ashley has taken up the tradition, and she and Mom go all out for the day:

After reading all of the Easter posts on Femina, we plan to make the Resurrection celebration even more meaningful next year for our family.

Singleness

While at the Ligonier conference last week I had the privilege of working with and getting to know some new friends, and in particular a girl my age who I especially enjoyed talking to over the entirety of the weekend (hey SW!!!). She raised a very thought provoking question during the conference and then again in an email this week, one which I have given a lot of thought to lately so it was amazing to hear someone else asking the same questions I have been for the last few months. Namely, what about singleness and the role of young, reformed Christians in this area? On the part of the single men, I wonder why more are not seeking out a marriage partner from a seemingly large pool of qualified, dedicated women in the church. What about women? What is our role in encouraging without flirting and being a friend and listener without compromising our emotional purity?

One thing God has definitely convicted me on as I have pondered singleness is the false assumption that I am currently waiting on his will for marriage. I hear the term thrown around a lot in evangelical circles, that singles who do not currently have a prospective partner in view are "waiting" on God's will. If the will of our omnipotent God does not involve the here and now, but only the future, then what comfort and hope can there be found in his sovereignty? Obviously I am in God's will, it is just that his will now dictates that I am single during this time. Perhaps I am waiting on marriage, which is a correct statement, but not on God's will, for his will is now, this day, and not just tomorrow or for specific life events. I think this has been one of the most comforting assurances God has given me as I visit again the question of using my singleness to glorify him while I hope for future marriage.

Florida

I just returned yesterday evening from a mini vacation to Florida. I attended the Ligonier National Conference, an arts festival, spent time on a quiet beach, watched dolphins (they came very close to the dock I was watching from), got sunburned, had an airline adventure, visited with friends old and new, stayed in 4 different locations (it's a story), and had a great time overall.

Unfortunately, I forgot the camera...

(above photo taken last year)

Secret Believers

If you are interested in witnessing to Muslims or are just curious about how Christians live in the Middle East, then I highly recommend this book by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen. I had started reading it after hearing Brother Andrew speak last fall and had only made it about halfway through as other books demanded my attention (my book club keeps me busy!), but was able to finish it while lying in bed sick yesterday.

Here is the book summary from Amazon.com:

In his letter to his protégé, Timothy, Paul says, I have fought the good fight. In Arabic, those last three words are translated jihad. In Secret Believers, readers are introduced to Brother Andrews protégé in the Muslim world, Butros. In this riveting true story of the Middle Eastern Church struggling to come to grips with hostile governments, terrorist acts, and an influx of Muslims coming to Christ, readers will meet a group of men and women they never knew existed. The names and places have been changed to protect the real people in the real places. But the stories are true. In his most incredible and eye-opening book to date, Brother Andrew invites you to meet: Ahmed, a young Muslim terrified by nightmares until he is introduced to Isa (Jesus) Mustafa, a former leader in a fundamentalist Muslim movement that persecuted Christians Salima, a privileged young Muslim woman who is held captive by her family when they find a Bible in her possession Abuna, a priest faced with an aging congregation and constant threats to his beloved church and many more. Secret Believers not only gives readers a glimpse of the lives of these courageous believers, it also proposes four practical initiatives for Christians in the West to help these persecuted brothers and sisters. It calls us to join this new kind of jihad, leaving vengeance behind in favor of forgiveness, radical love, and unyielding prayer.

I was very surprised to read in the book's epilogue that although the US set Afghanistan free from Taliban rule, the new constitution in place there strikingly resembles the old Taliban constitution. So why are we over there if we are not changing things? Christians are very much oppressed, even under US supervision. Here is a recent report from Open Doors:

The status of religious freedom for Christians deteriorated in 2007 in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan (from No. 17 to No. 15), Libya (from No. 26 to No. 23), Jordan (from No. 40 to No. 39), Belarus (from No. 42 to No. 41) and the Palestinian Territories (No. 42).

In Afghanistan, the major incident of the 23 South Korean Christians who were abducted in July 2007 gave the country a worse mark than in 2006, though other incidents also contributed to this.

Again, why did we go into Afghanistan to free people from oppression if they remain still under oppression?

I came away from this book very much impressed with the fact that I need to be more informed on what US policy is and is not doing in the Middle East. I encourage you also to do your own research and not be complacent hearing the news reports, which almost always fail to make us aware of the persecution of believers in other countries. Definitely not "news worthy" for our celebrity-saturated, consumerist driven news reports (I'm sorry, but I am still shocked to check news websites only to get celebrity gossip. It's why I visit international news sites now).

Go take a look at the Open Doors website. If you have never heard of Brother Andrew, I recommend you become acquainted with him by reading his autobiography, God's Smuggler.

Also, we need to pray for the persecuted church. As the book Secret Believers reminds us, do not pray for, but with them, for they are not just fellow believers but our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Easter 2008

Dr. Grant explains why Easter is so early this year and why it is an especially memorable occasion: Rare Easter

Kathryn at 1 Month

It's hard to believe that she is a month old already!

Pawpaw and Kathryn

Kathryn and Mimi
(and Uncles Hunter and Landon trying not to get in the picture, but who make it in anyway)

Aunt Lexi gets a moment with her niece.

Uncle Parker and Kathryn

Kathryn looks over my shoulder as I help her tummy get rid of it's bubbles. ;)

Who is Fat?

From the NYT yesterday, an article detailing a new trend of overweight people fighting discrimination and lies perpetrated by pop culture.

For years, health experts have been warning that Americans are too fat, that we exercise too little and eat too much, that our health is in jeopardy. Some fat people beg to differ.

On the growing acceptance fat people are finding in online communities (emphases following are mine):

The message from the fatosphere is not just that big is beautiful. Many of the bloggers dismiss the “obesity epidemic” as hysteria. They argue that Americans are not that much larger than they used to be and that being fat in and of itself is not necessarily bad for you.

And they reject a core belief that many Americans, including overweight ones, hold dear: that all a fat person needs to do to be thin is exercise more and eat less.

“One of the first obstacles to fat acceptance is breaking down the question of whether being fat is a choice,” Kate Harding, founder of the blog Shapely Prose, said in an interview. “No fat acceptance advocate is saying you should sit around and wildly overeat. What we’re saying is that exercise and a balanced diet do not make everyone thin.”

The reality that those who diet and exercise don't necessarily become thin:

“You relapse, and then you go on a diet again, and this time you’re going to do it, it’s really going to be it this time,” Marianne Kirby, a 30-year-old blogger from Orlando, Fla., who writes The Rotund (therotund.com), said in an interview. “And it still doesn’t work, not long-term — you end up heavier than before. And you say to yourself: Why did I fall for this again?’ ”

The unacceptable, cruel prejudice and hate directed towards overweight people:

The blogs have drawn their share of negative, even vicious comments...

And:

Fat acceptance bloggers contend that the war on obesity has given people an excuse to wage war on fat people and that health concerns — coupled with the belief that fat people have only themselves to blame for being fat — are being used to justify discrimination that would not be tolerated toward just about any other group of people.

The obvious contradictions and paradoxes surrounding scientific obesity findings/claims:

But some experts say this sort of message is dangerous and undermines public health efforts to rein in obesity. “We do have to be careful not to put all the blame on the individual,” said Dr. Walter C. Willett, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. But he added, “The large majority of people who are overweight are overweight because of lifestyle.”

And:

“We accept that some people are tall and some people are short,” said Rachel Richardson, 28, of Cincinnati, who writes a blog called The F-Word (the-f-word.org). “Yet we seem to think all people should be thin — it just doesn’t make sense.”

Rejection of truth by popular culture and media:

The bloggers argue that changes in definitions over time, along with flaws in the body mass index formula, have pushed more Americans into the “fat” and “obese” categories, and they point to provocative studies suggesting that there may be benefits to being overweight, including a large study that found that underweight Americans are more likely to die than those who are moderately overweight.

Several other recent studies on heart patients and dialysis patients have also reported higher survival rates among heavier patients, suggesting that the link between body size and health may be more complex than generally acknowledged. Another study of people over 60 found that being fit has more bearing on longevity than simply being thin.

The way that weight is a morality and "qualified because you're thin" issue:

The bloggers’ main contention is that being fat is not a result of moral failure or a character flaw, or of gluttony, sloth or a lack of willpower. Diets often boomerang, they say; indeed, numerous long-term studies have found that even though dieters are often able to lose weight in the short term, they almost always regain the lost pounds over the next few years.

You may read the article in it's entirety here.

I would like to say here, as someone who struggles daily with food consciousness when my thin counterparts in this world never give it a thought, that I have had to accept that I will never be thin because God did not make me thin. I think that anyone who starves themselves or spends inordinate and unhealthy amounts of time exercising has a poor understanding of the sovereignty of God. I am not saying don't try to lose weight. I'm saying God gave you your metabolism, your bone structure, your height and your preset weight. You can never change those, just like you cannot change your bone structure and your facial features, your skin tone or the hairs on your head. God never said it's a sin to be fat, He only says it is a sin to overeat. He never said there is a perfect weight. He never set a perfect weight. And besides, just saying here, but some of the godliest people I know are overweight by the world's standards. Those who aren't I don't consider any more or less qualified because of their skin depth. I'm tired of the Christian market capitalizing on the false assumption that because you are overweight means that you don't have enough self-discipline and that if you're thin, you are a disciplined and spiritual person. I reject any such teaching that tells me I am less of a person because of the way GOD made me.

Beauty is only skin deep. Why have we ignored what God says about beauty and accepted the world's definition? The world says you are only beautiful, qualified and successful if you are thin and wealthy. God says you are all those things and more when you listen to His words and follow His commands, because His definition of beauty and success are in His Word. Read it to see how the martyrs, the sufferers, the persecuted, the rejected, the homely (Jesus was one!), the meek, the humble, the patient, the loving, the truthful, the peaceful, the faithful will inherit His kingdom one day.

To the world, suffering isn't beautiful, Christians being martyred or tortured daily isn't beautiful, homely isn't beautiful. But to God, these people posses His blessing, His love, His promise and His kingdom.

Disclaimer: I am not saying thin people are excluded from these things, certainly not - God made them too! But no one is waging a war against thin people, or demeaning them because of their thinness. Overweight people need confidence and reassurance in this world. I tend to be one of them, thus this post, which is for me just as much as it is for anyone who I hope receives comfort from it today.

Not Persuaded

For over a year now I have anticipated four new film adaptations of Jane Austen's six novels. It's not that I don't already love the existing Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion adaptations, but I felt that both movies, as good as they were, had their weaknesses and could use a new interpretation that would remain faithful to the novels. Northanger Abbey doesn't even exist in a watchable version (so I have been told of the old BBC adaptation) nor does Mansfield Park (I refused to watch the newer one, as it deviated from the book too much for comfort). Imagine my excitement to find that ITV and the BBC were doing not one, not two, but FOUR new adaptations of Jane Austen's magnificent and underrated novels named above. I kept up hope all year that the various filmmakers would stay true to the novels. What could you possibly add to such great literary masterpieces? I kept up hope that they would not feel the need to "Americanize" the movies in order to have successful ratings. Why would anyone feel as though Austen's work should be "improved" on - as though her works have not stood the test of a couple hundred years of delighted readers?! I kept up hope even when the British critics and bloggers met the films as they were shown last summer and fall with great skepticism; and then, when the subsequent reviews dripped with disappointment, I hoped that it was just because the British have very high expectations that no human filmmaker could meet. I knew better, though, because my expectations as a long-time, passionate Jane Austen fan probably exceed those of the Brits.

So now you have guessed this long intro to my review. Do I still need to write a review after all that preambling? Thankfully, this critic at the Boston Globe wrote one for me that sums up in a precise, neat article what I never could find the breath to express in so many words as I recover from this first Austen adaptation to show in the US. I'm not sure I have courage enough to watch the rest, although I have no doubt my curiosity will overcome my reluctance in the coming weeks. :-)

Kathryn and Her Mommy

Okay, I confess that I stole all the pictures from this evening's posts from my brother. Here are two he took of Kathryn and my sister-in-law that are so far my favorite pictures of Sarah and her baby girl:

Precious duo.

What beautiful girls! Doesn't Sarah look radiant?! Being a new mom becomes her beautifully.

Kathryn and Pawpaw

Kathryn kept us waiting on the edge of our seats for almost the entire month of December. Dad would take a trip and keep his fingers crossed that she would not arrive until he was home again. Unfortunately, his last expedition in December was a hunting trip that he had planned for months with a friend, and he missed being here at Kathryn's birth by a mere two days. Kathryn met her Pawpaw the Monday following her birth, when they made up for lost time together. It looks as though she made a hit, and has wrapped her grandfather around her little fingers already (as she has us all):

Dad has always cherished holding his sleeping girls. Kathryn sure knew the way to his heart!

Happy 300th to me and more of You-Know-Who!

Wow, I hit the 300th post mark in my last entry and I didn't even realize it! It looks as though pictures of niece are what put me over. :) Lest you think I am finished, let me just say that perhaps I will make it to 400 posts very quickly thanks to my precious niece.

And yes, here she is again! The star of the new year according to us (even though she slid by as a 2007 baby):

Kathryn takes a bath - her very first one! Doesn't she look very relaxed? :)

Yard Decor

Kathryn and Her Uncles

Kathryn and Her Aunts

Kathryn and Her Grandmother:

Their First Day Together

Looks like mom loves being a grandma!

Isn't she precious?

Rocking together in the nursery.

Look Who Arrived:

Kathryn Louise Starnes was born this morning around 6:30 am. She weighs 7 lbs, 13 oz. and is 19 3/4" long.

She has dark hair, blonde eyebrows, beautiful skin and a very sweet disposition. We spent as much time as possible with her today and expect to be with her again tomorrow, holding her, making over her, and running to her side every time she so much as whimpers. She started to cry a little today while her grandma was holding her and suddenly the room was full of her aunts and uncles demanding: "What are doing to my niece?!" Yeah, she's got us wrapped around her little finger... already.

You can see why. Need a proud aunt say more? ;-)

Christ is Born:

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music: Noel

Josh Groban's Noel is the perfect background music to the Christmas season. Suffice it to say, it is a favorite already and I look forward to playing it all the way through Christmas.

You gotta hear: Little Drummer Boy and It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Not on this cd, but Josh Groban sings what has become my favorite rendition of O Holy Night here.

Buy it here.

Saint Nicholas

George Grant writes about the life and legend of an extraordinary man: Saint Nicholas, whom our modern-day Santa is based on, but in few ways resembles.

"The fourth century pastor who inspired the tradition of Santa Claus, may not have lived at the North Pole or traveled by reindeer and sleigh but he certainly was a paradigm of graciousness, generosity, and Christian charity. " Read on.

Christmas Movies: We're No Angels

Last night I was at the Starbucks downtown behind a CBS tv reporter. I had no idea who she was, I gathered my info while standing in line behind her after her camera-woman found her and was discussing location footage they were going to do down there. The reporter didn't seem like a very nice person to me, but then, it's hard to judge someone's personality when you are in line behind them. After we had both ordered our drinks and were waiting at the bar, we struck up conversation. Remember, I had never seen her before as I don't watch the news (I prefer to read it) and I think my ignorance was showing, because she became more friendly and at ease the more we talked. Everyone else in Starbucks was gaping at her, obviously they had seen her before. I reveled in the fact that I was possibly the only one there who hadn't. It's good, because it keeps people like that who are used to being watched, at ease when they get over the fact that you did not know who she was. (gasp!)

Anyway, her camera-woman had been discussing things like "okay, we'll put you on the corner here, that will look really good" and was also trying to find people in Starbucks who would oblige her by standing outside for the newscast. It was funny to think about the way that this reporter would be standing on a particular corner where the wind is channeled between the skyscrapers, and only that corner, because they had to show how cold it was down there. And the camera shot of a little girl they finally found, bundled head-to-toe for dramatic, sympathetic effect. Oh, the drama of news reports, the "news" they present to us on screen is usually anything but the entire truth, or is at best exaggerated truth.

So, what does this have to do with the movie above? Because I came home last night and was laughing my way through it, when we came to the scene where Humphrey Bogart, who was "fixing the books" in an effort to get a business man out of trouble, quipped in response to said business man's objections: "In business, as in all things, there is appearance and then there is reality." I had to laugh, thinking about the way that the news report last night probably showed the reporter on the windiest corner downtown, wind-blown and shivering, the little girl from Starbucks standing all bundled head-to-toe, and whoever else they found to help them embellish their story, and all for on-location reporting to make a really otherwise dull report ("um, it's cold down here tonight") suddenly interesting.

Rent this Christmas comedy here or buy it here.

Christmas Music: Angel's Glory

I could never tire of hearing this holiday recording featuring Kathleen Battle's angelic voice coupled with Christopher Parkening's classical guitar playing. Both are magnificent artists in their own right; together they make a team that lifts and transports you into a world of peace, harmony and beauty. This is a great introduction to both artists if you have never heard either of them perform before.

Listen to their rendition of Mary Did You Know? for free here.
(Be sure you click to launch the free web-player if your browser blocks pop-ups)

Purchase the cd here.

Also recommended: Grace Like a River: An Autobiography by Christopher Parkening with accompanying cd.

Christmas Movies: Miracle on 34th Street

We always start the holiday-movie-watching-season in November with this classic since it starts with Thanksgiving and ends with Christmas. In case of some very rare circumstance (like you have been locked up in a tv-less home for your entire life) that has prevented you from viewing this classic Christmas movie long revered by tv networks and movie-rental stores alike, you can view the trailer here, rent it here, or just visit it's imdb page for more info.

Christmas Music: Handel's Messiah

The greatest listening experience ever, in person or on cd. This version by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and choir, conducted by John Alldis, is my personal favorite out of the three versions that we own.

To learn more about Handel, visit this site or his wikipedia page.

Christmas Music & Movies

Although I have been listening to Christmas music for a couple of weeks already, I feel that now we are past Thanksgiving it's officially time to start listing some of my favorite holiday music for those of you who may be interested in what I and my family listen to and enjoy during the holiday season. I also plan on profiling our favorite holiday movies (warning: they are mostly classic films!). I am always looking at what other people are watching and listening to, so feel free to leave in the comments your favorite holiday movies and/or cd's you watch/listen to every year, old faves as well as new.

Happy Thanksgiving

Food At the Fair: A Critic's Review

Some people go to the fair for the Midway. Some go for the autos. Some might have been there to see a football game. We go for the food. Seriously. We open up the fair program and begin mapping out where the food vendors are. We think that we are foodies enough to be self-appointed critics of the various edible offerings at the State Fair, therefore we formed a panel of judges consisting of ourselves and the taste results are below. We have rated the various foods on a scale of 1 - 5 corny dogs, with 1 being not worth the bite and 5 a mouth watering experience.

Fried Banana Pudding:
4 Corny Dogs

Fried Oreos:
4 Corny Dogs

(One of our judges taste-testing)

Fried Latte:
5 Corny Dogs

Fried Frito Pie:
5 Corny Dogs

(Another judge taste-testing)

'Taters:
3 Corny Dogs

Fried Cheesecake:
4 Corny Dogs

Not Pictured:
A Texas sized drumstick
4 Corny Dogs

Fletcher's Corn Dogs
5 Corny Dogs (of course)

Plate of German food prepared by a local chef
5 Corny Dogs

And thus we conclude the review. We hope that this enables you to consume and enjoy as many fried products as are offered at the fair, and to avoid the icky fair-healthy stuff like corn-on-the-cob slathered with butter.

After all, the fair - like Christmas - only comes once a year.

And please don't be surprised if we have put on a few pounds since the last time you saw us...