This Classical Life

We’ve been Sprint customers since the week after we got married and we’ve always loved our cell phone service. Reliable coverage, flexible plans (we added 7p nights and weekends for both phones for $5/mo) and great customer service brought us right back in to renew our contract last August. Then, we moved to Birmingham. It’s been one dropped call after another, no matter where we are (interstate, downtown, at home, etc.) We have 11 months left to go in our contract so we tried everything (free) to make it work. They sent tech support out. They gave us free roaming. Still terrible service.

So, we started looking elsewhere and stopped in the local Verizon store. We were flabbergasted at the price of phones (even with a two year contract.) The Cingular store was closed, so we went home and I checked online. We could save (literally) $250 getting our phones from the Verizon website over in the store. I started price shopping plans and decided Cingular was our best bet. I then started searching around for phone deals and found an authorized retailer who sent us 2 motorola razr v3s (shipping 2nd day UPS) for free for signing up for a two year plan through them. All we have to pay cingular is the activation fee. (~$60 for two phones). Our phones came today as scheduled and now I get a signal in my house.

Lessons learned: (1) No matter how nice your cellular provider is, they will not let you out of your contract. We have to pay sprint $5.95 per phone, per month to not use them. GRRRRR. (2) Talk to people in the retail stores about plans, but buy your phones/plans online.

The point to glean here is that our doctrinal orthodoxy does not save us. Certainly, Scripture puts great emphasis on right doctrine. As a theologian, in the doctrine business, so to speak, I have no interest in depreciating the importance of right belief. But doctrine, even orthodox doctrine, is not the final test of Christian faith. One might be most rigorous in biblical and creedal orthodoxy but spiritually dead. Theological acumen and doctrinal knowledge are no measure of godliness. And as with Abraham, God’s choosing and saving us does not require us to have first attained complete theological proficiency. (Michael D. Williams, Far As the Curse is Found)

I think we are busier in Alabama already then we ever were in Richmond. It’s a good thing. New friends, new organization, new church… just in time for the season of sharp pencils and shiny new shoes. The start of school reminds me that I am getting older. It’s getting harder to remember what those first few days felt like! And Kate is closer to kindergarten than I am far away from Carolina. The rate at which I am aging is baffling to me!

Making new friends reminds me of how awkward that is for me. I’m a pessimist when it comes to making friends and I always think people must find me annoying, obnoxious, strange… wasn’t I supposed to outgrow that in middle school? I saw an old friend this weekend who reminded me of another old friend I haven’t spoken to in many years and I am tempted to try to get back in touch. I will Blingo her and see if I can track her down (Blingo still doesn’t have that ‘google’ ring.)

Having two small children and a household to run is hard work, but one thing I’ve consistently observed is how much difference my approach to my children makes in how frustrated I am and how well our days go. The busy (and sometimes lazy) part of me wants to parent by remote control. I want to say something and *zap* have a small child on the other end automatically hear and comply without a wimper. In reality, between not hearing me, lack of impulse control and general childishness, the remote control parenting strategy rarely works. But I’m busy doing something else and it would be convenient if it did. Most of the time, I try the old “get off your butt” approach to parenting, and this works wonders. I strive to say things once and to follow up with being *right there*, physically assisting the girls in compliance. Is it inconvenient to get off my butt (turn away from the stove or washer or momentarily stop taking care of the other child)? Absolutely. Does it accomplish what I need with mimimal frustration to me and exasperation to my girls? Definitely. The laundry pile will always be there, but the chance to get down on the floor and help my children learn and grow is fleeting. Even though I know this, the temptation to parent by remote control reappears week after week. It’s not easy, this mothering thing.

For the past two weeks my drive home usually coincides with NPR news, which has been dominated with coverage from the Middle East. What has struck me is that the growing threat of radical Islam in the Middle East is not going to go away easily. Dealing with Iran is going to be like dealing with USSR, and I think they see themselves in that light. (more…)

Parenting in the Pew is part memoir and part practical theology as a pastor’s wife grapples with issues regarding children and the public worship service. For individuals and churches who are questioning participating in children’s ministry programs through elementary school, Parenting in the Pew will provide food for thought and conviction that it is good, right and worthwhile for children to worship with their parents.

For those who already worship as a family or have minimal children’s programming, Parenting in the Pew provides encouragement and helpful reminders that the point of having children in worship is to worship, and not to have them sit perfectly still so everyone knows you are the best parent in the room. That can be very important to hear.

Castleman believes that children can be expected to sit through the whole worship service at about age four and everything but the sermon by about two and a half. She does not advocate having children color or look at other books during the worship service. So, if you are looking for practical advice on how to keep your toddler quiet and busy, this book will not meet that need!

I’m glad this book was written and I think it’s helpful for the church as a whole. It may or may not be a must-read for your family. I enjoyed her personal style, but she delved into personal beliefs I don’t share at a few points, so I would not commend all of her theology. I don’t think it was a waste of my time, but I admit, I was looking for toddler tips! (7, acquired from paperbackswap and already passed on)

The week was crazy and the weekend followed suit. We didn’t work today, but worship and fellowship all day wasn’t really… restful.  I struggle with my theology of sabbath rest and my actual Sundays.  In my ideal world, we’d sleep in on Sunday, make breakfast together, have family time reading and hanging out, go to worship after naps and have a large sabbath breaking feast after dinner.  Can you tell I am not a morning person?

If you go to this link, you’ll see the family Flickr photos tagged kitchen, for a before and after effect.

I Need to Blog About
Why I Blog
Book Review: Parenting in the Pew

I’m Excited About
The first week of school ending tomorrow
The Secret Craft Project
Parents and siblings visiting Labor Day weekend
The Mosleys coming into town the following weekend

I Can’t Forget
Playdate tomorrow at 10a
Need to buy chips for back-to-school picnic
Need to buy a gift for girl turning 4 (ideas?)
Upload kitchen pics

So, I’m still designing photo announcements. I haven’t spent a dime on advertising (in print or on the web) but I’m considering it for the Christmas season. I’m also considering doing some sort of contest and giving away a free Christmas photo card design… I don’t want to just do “if you link me on your blog, you get a free entry.” Any ideas? My working idea at the moment is: share why you love sending and receiving Christmas cards on your blog between x and y dates, include a link to WFD (probably will design a contest button or something) and the best entry gets a free custom photo christmas card design and one random entrant gets a $20 gift certificate to WFD.

a recent design

O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — BCP