This Classical Life

An interesting post on the power structures within the PCA by Jon Barlow. If you’re in the PCA, you may consider giving it a read.

I know that the ESV isn’t the perfect bible, but I like how ESV is trying to use technology to help Christians in their devotional life. Through the ESV website, you can get the readings for most popular bible reading plans in a fairly manageable format.

They are now making the BCP readings available online. You can go to their website or subscribe via RSS, web page designers can integrate it into church websites, etc…

Anyhow, if this is up your alley, read ahead …

MLS

We really enjoy having people over for meals and also cooking meals for those who need them but after an unprecedented few weeks of serving others and hospitality before we left for North Carolina, I’ve noticed its taken quite a toll on the grocery budget. When we have people over I love cooking things I wouldn’t normally make and serving dessert, etc. Food is a love language in my family and cooking special things is a way I am used to saying that someone is special.

So I’m looking for ideas for being hospitable on a budget and other methods of coping with the practical expense of loving others, without losing the character of hospitality. Anyone?

In anticipation of the upcoming movie, “The Nativity Story”, Taylor Marshall brings up the question of whether or not Mary suffered in her labor. Marshall, quoting Thomas Aquinas, writes that Catholic tradition teaches that Mary “did NOT experience birth pains when giving birth to Christ our Savior.” (emphasis his) Apparently the movie, which will premiere at the Vatican, shows Mary suffering through child birth.

Has anyone read anything about this from a Reformed perspective? My first thought is to lean in the other direction. The writer of Hebrews seems to go at length to show how Christ was ‘just like us’ in our humanity. God did not deliver Christ from the natural suffering coming from crucification, why would we suppose that he spared Mary from the natural suffering that accompanies child birth? Taylor makes the point that Mary could have been delivered from the curse of Eve as was being used to bring the new Adam into the world.

What do you think?

I was given the letter T by the lovely Rachael to list at least 10 things I am thankful for beginning with T.

• Toddlers - I love the curiousity and personality of toddlers, especially mine.
• Teachers - especially my dear husband 
• Time - that I am able to stay at home and care for my children
• Tar Heels - a special group of people united by a special university
• Technology - I am working on photo Christmas cards from my parents’ couch.  I like that.
• Teenagers and Twentysomethings - like my siblings
• Tunes - Music of all kinds
• Trail Mix - especially Archer Farms Harvest Mix, which I have been pigging out on tonight
• Thanksgiving - time to spend with family, over food, in fellowship

Do you want a letter?  Leave a comment

We’re about to travel for the holiday, which reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post about this video which made the rounds a few weeks ago.

It frustrates me to no end that manufacturers, doctors and others promote the MINIMUM safety standards in regards to car seats. Children are safest rear facing and in five point harnesses as long as possible. Why do we as a society race to flip them around at 1 year old and then stick our preschoolers in belt-positioning boosters, that are cheaper than carseats and not as safe? There are a number of carseats that allow for children up to 65 pounds in a five-point harness and one that goes up to 80 pounds but I don’t think doctors or manufacturers promote them nearly as much as they ought to. In most European countries, they sit rear facing for much longer and then in five point harnesses for longer as well. They get it. Why don’t we? It can really be the difference between life and death for a child in a car accident.

Life has been really busy lately.  It’s Christmas card designing time so I am busy with WFD orders.  You can see some of the recent designs in the portfolio, but that’s a little misleading since I am not uploading many copycats and people are liking what they see enough to go with old designs — I’ve done two “yardleys” in two days.  I really like renaming people I know to anonymize them.  The girls keep me busy, too.  Kate is such a chatterbox and her daily commentary never ceases to amaze and delight me.  Lexi is full of personality and bursting at the seams to run and dance and talk.  I can’t wait to see what sort of little person she becomes as she moves into toddlerhood.  We’re heading back to North Carolina for Thanksgiving this week and I am really looking forward to it.  My mom makes the most wonderful holiday dinners, truly classic American cuisine at it’s best.  Everything’s from scratch but nothing too pretentious.

And with all that whirling around, it’s hard to blog.  I’ve been thinking about my blog a lot lately and will have some reflections on blogging sometime soon.

Speaking of blog negligence, my dear husband is threatening to move out of our happy co-habitating blog.  If you like having his perspective here from time to time and like the idea of us co-blogging, speak now or forever hold your peace.

In Henri de Lubac’s eulogy of Hans Urs von Balthasar, he writes that Balthasar “is perhaps the most cultivated of his time. Classical antiquity, the great European literatures, the metaphysical tradition … ”

What is meant by the ‘metaphysical tradition’. I suspect that this refers to a specific corpus of work, but which in particular?

Last weekend I made the cider-brined pork tenderloin and served Ann Barlow’s apple coffeecake with caramel frosting for dessert.  Tonight we are having risotto with squash and pancetta.  Just a few recipe ideas for those who might need one!

A few nights ago Mike and I were talking about how he exaggerates and teases much more than I do. He was even having trouble coming up with examples of me using hyperbole. That led him to exclaim, “I can’t wait ’til they come out with Google Brain!” “Google BRAIN? You have totally sold out to the man.” “No, it would be really great. You could tell me a grocery list: milk, eggs, bread, yogurt - starred. I’d remember. And all the things I read and hear and…”

Yeah. He’s got it BAD.

Carol tipped me off to Oprah’s show yesterday about crying. I’m a firm believer that babies cry for a reason (not just to exercise their lungs) so I’d be interested to hear any parents of newborns experiences trying this out. I missed the show, but here are the basics, via Carol. Apparently, listening closely to the first letter is key.

neh = hungry
owh = sleepy
heh = discomfort
eair = lower gas
eh = burp

He passed away this weekend. His name is Edward. Please pray for his sweet wife, Margie, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.