Hurricane Irene

Photo courtesy of http://www.weather.com/

I live on the eastern seaboard. So, I'm getting a tidbit nervous about what will be happening in the next few days in these here parts with the talk of Hurricane Irene. I live far enough inland that I should be relatively safe, but I'm a Midwestern girl who's never seen a tropical storm before. For the first time in my life I did a pre-storm grocery run. I never even do that before snow storms. I'm pretty good at driving in snow, so I only get excited when snowstorms are in the forecast. Rain, however, is another story. There is also a great possibility for power outtages, so I figured I should stock up on food that doesn't have to be cooked or refrigerated since all of our appliances run on electricity. We also wouldn't be able to use any water if our power went out because our well pump would shut down, so I figured I better stock up. I'm saying all this to justify my preparations. My family always underprepared for disasters like Snowpocalypse and Y2K to proove a point. So, I feel a tad nerdy preparing.

The funny thing was everyone in the grocery store today acted like they were trying to hide the fact that they were preparing for the worst as well. None of us could hide the abnormal amounts of water in our carts, though. There were also several empty shelves in the grocery store. The most concerning was the utter lack of plain old Diet Coke. Forget bread and eggs. We need Diet Coke!

Here's hoping everything works out okay! I must admit I will be a bit disappointed if this storm is a dud. : )

I'll Pass on the Horror Stories, Thank You.

I've never been pregnant, but I always feel sorry for the expectant mothers who have to listen to birthing horror stories. It seems like every few weeks in the teacher's lounge that's the topic of the day. The same teachers telling their same horror stories. Or, every time I work in nursery at church the conversation somehow turns to birthing horror stories.

I don't know about the rest of the women in the world, but I'm already terrified of giving birth. I tell my husband all the time that I hope they have developed technology for teleportation by the time I have to give birth so we can just teleport the baby right out of there. So whenever I hear these horror stories, it makes adoption sound more and more wonderful.

If and when I do ever become pregnant, only my mom, mother-in-law, and doctor are allowed to tell horror stories to me. No one else is. My mom is an RN and had relatively easy births, so any stories she tells me will be accurate and medically-based. My mother-in-law had nine children, so she is a complete child-bearing expert. I have complete trust (unlike most Baptists) in medical professionals, so I trust my doctor to give me non-sensationalized stories.

I may just walk away from or block on Facebook anyone who tries to tell me horror stories while I'm pregnant. It's just rude in my opinion. Some of my pregnant friends have even complained to me about this. They are so happy to have this new life growing inside of them. Why ruin their happiness by making them think the process of bringing this life into the world is a horrific, agonizing event?

So if you are in the habit of telling birthing horror stories, STOP! Tell joyous birthing stories instead.

Practical Theology for Women: For Moms, Former Moms, and Wannabe Moms

Practical Theology for Women: For Moms, Former Moms, and Wannabe Moms

This post is perfection! (Really, it is.) I just ran across it after my other two posts about motherhood NOT being the greatest good. It was so encouraging to read I writer I admire affirm my thoughts on motherhood.

I think it is crucial for women in the church to be sensitive to those who can't or don't have children. I think it is crucial for those in the church who do have children not to make comments that downplay others' childless states. One day I was sitting in church and the man in front of me turned around and asked me how I was. I replied "fine, but busy." I then asked him how he was. He replied, "Really busy. My kids just keep me so busy. You won't understand that until you have kids." So all the extra ministries I take on because I don't have kids aren't making me busy? Working full-time, tutoring after school part-time, and taking grad classes don't constitute busyness? Of course I didn't say any of this at the time. I just fumed to my husband on the way home from church. So people with children, be careful what you say to those who are single or without children. We can be grown-ups with or without husbands or children.

Beautiful Food

Isn't food just beautiful sometimes? My husband and I made these kabobs the other night. I couldn't get over how beautiful (and tasty) they were. My friend Nikki and I used to have to make what seemed like hundreds for our family campouts when we were in junior high and high school. Each of our families had six people in them, and most of them were boys. Our moms always overplanned and made us make all of the kabobs. I didn't enjoy it at the time, but now I'm thankful for my kabob skills. The best part of these were the onion chunks and roasted tomatoes. Yumm-o. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make life oh-so wonderful.

Faith and Babies: Reflections on 1 Timothy 2:15 | SharperIron

Faith and Babies: Reflections on 1 Timothy 2:15 | SharperIron

So, I ran across this article on Sharper Iron. I don't really like that website much. A lot people spend way too much time bickering over ridiculous things on there. Anyways. I agree with some of it but disagree with a lot of it.

I mainly disagree with her tendency to relegate women to motherhood. She doesn't clearly address what single, widowed, or infertile women are supposed to do. I really don't think having children is the most important job of a woman. It is an important job, but I think it ties with other important jobs like caring for the needy, mentoring young women, teaching, etc. Too many women use motherhood as an excuse to avoid serving others.

Maybe my views will change slightly if I have children someday. My mom, who had four children, agrees with most of my points, though. I just want to make sure I'm a well-balanced mother someday. I don't want to be so selfishly wrapped up in my family that I don't see those in need.

What do you think?

Half the Church- A Review

Disclaimer: In case anyone is wondering, I don't get paid for book reviews. I just do them because I like to read other blogger's book reviews, so I figured I would throw mine into the mix.

I recently finished Half the Church by Carolyn Custis James. I think I first heard of it on this blog, but I can't remember and am too lazy to dig through the archives. After I read a review of it, I put it on my wishlist and forgot about it. My lovely sister-in-law, who is an even more voracious reader than I am, bought it for me for my birthday and had it sent to my house.

This book is about finding God's purpose for women in the church and in the world. James specifically addresses the suffering women endure throughout the world whether it be through sex trafficking, honor killings, or domineering husbands. One of James's big issues with Christianity today is that so much of what we focus on for women has to do with marriage, parenting, modesty, and contented singleness. These messages don't apply to ALL the women of the world. What James wants is for the Christian community to recognize is that there is more to being a woman than just being a wife or mother. Yep. You heard that right. Sounds feministic doesn't it?

I can see how many women would balk at this assertion. Surely being a mother is God's highest calling for a woman, isn't it? James doesn't think so (if I understand her correctly), and I don't either. Earlier this year (on Mother's Day to be exact), I disagreed with what my pastor preached for the first time ever. He asserted that being a mother was God's highest calling for a woman. To be honest with you, I sincerely hope that isn't my highest calling in life. If it was, then I haven't been reaching my fullest potential for the past 24 years. If it was, dear friends of mine haven't reached God's fullest potential in the past 50+ years. God calls us to do his work. This can be carried out in a number of ways: sharing the Gospel, teaching children, caring for the sick, encouraging friends, mentoring new believers. All of these can be done through women who aren't mothers. All of these things were done by my mother while my brothers and I were growing up. In fact because my mother went out of her way to serve OUTSIDE of our family, I was able to see what it was to be a true servant of God. My mom took great care of our family, but she looked beyond her comfort zone of family and sought to help those outside of her family. Her greatest calling was to serve God, not just her own family members.

So James believes we as women should seek to move out of our little comfort zones and serve those around us. We should be concerned for the downtrodden and abused. We should take that concern and act upon it. We should be integral members and workers in our churches. We shouldn't sit demurely on the sidelines while our husbands do all the work in the church. James does go a little far, however, in her opinions of what women should be allowed to do in the church. 

She seems to waffle between the complementarian and egalitarian views of how women should serve in the church. From what I could surmise, she seems to think it might be okay for women to be pastors. I'm firmly against that. I believe the Bible clearly states that women are not to hold positions of authority over men in the church. She does, however, make a good point that we spend far too much time arguing over how much women should be allowed to serve. Just let the Holy Spirit guide, and let the women work!

James's main point is that men and women need to work together in what she calls the "blessed alliance" to further the work of the kingdom. I wholeheartedly agree. Too many women are caught up in their families and homes and neglect the work of the Lord. This is not to say that God wants women to neglect their families for strangers. This is not to say that taking care of one's children is not the work of the Lord. This is not to say that women may need to do a little less outside of the home when their children are very young. This IS to say that women need to be furthering the work of the kingdom. Stop making excuses!

I know I don't have children and don't know how hard that can be. I'm sure I'll have to step back from SOME of my outside responsibilities when and if I do have children. I will not, however, stop serving in ALL areas that are outside of my family. If I did, that would be selfish. That would be detrimental to my children.

I know this sounds horrible, but I sincerely hope there is more for me in life than just being a mother. I trust God will use me both inside and outside of my family.

Okay God, what are you doing?

I just got home from church. While at church, I got some pretty raunchy news. You see, I've been waiting all summer to hear if and when my school is going to get a modular classroom for my sixth grade class. You read that right. It's July 27th, and I still don't have a classroom. To make matters worse, this is the second summer in a row that this has happened to me. Last summer I didn't get to move into my classroom until a week AFTER school started. For a week, my 24 6th graders had to cram into the tiny home ec room and had to sit crammed together in a stuffy, worn-out classroom. Then over Labor Day weekend (a week after school started) I came in and set up my classroom. If you're not a teacher you might not fully comprehend the ridiculosity of this situation. Anyways...back to the raunchy news. I had been praying my brains out that my classroom would be approved at tonight's township meeting. I was jittery with anticipation. Half-way through the church service I noticed our director of finance administration was back in the room. He was supposed to be at the township meeting. I though, "Oooo goody! I get to find out that my classroom was approved." I sat in suspense through the rest of the service. The ending prayers took FOREVER! Finally, our DFA spoke up and informed us that the township took us off of the docket. They won't approve us for at least another two weeks. Keep in mind we requested this back in February or March. I just wanted to cry in the middle of the service.

God has really been molding my heart and mind this summer about trusting him. I know he can do all things. I just don't know if he will choose to do all things. He might choose to let me suffer so I can learn a lesson. What if I don't want to learn a lesson? What if I already learned the lesson last summer? I thought I was really making progress. Now I've been slammed back to my old doubting. I love God. I want to serve him. I KNOW he has my best interests at heart. But right here, right now, it sure doesn't feel like it. I think I should probably go listen to some Laura Story and watch some Dog the Bounty Hunter. That'll make me feel better.

Rhine versus the Ants

Ever read the short story "Leiningen versus the Ants" by Carl Stephenson? If you haven't, read it here. Like most short stories, it's rather disturbing. I read it back in high school and have been slightly freaked out by ants ever since. I also watched a documentary on siafu ants found in third world countries. They sometimes eat people who are sleeping or are too sick to fight them off (if I remember correctly). You can check out the Wikipedia article here if you want to read more about them (because if you're like me you have to research every single new piece of information that you come across). This documentary perpetuated my minor fear of ants.

Anyways, I'm taking on the ants in my kitchen. They attack at least once every year. It usually happens in late summer and early fall. I've already had one infestation. I conquered them with grits and ant bait. On Saturday, I came back from a short camping trip to another infestation in my kitchen. This one was worse than the last one. They actually made it off of the counters and onto the floor. I think they generally are encouraged to come when there are excessive heat and excessive dirty dishes. 

Yes, I will admit I didn't wash my dishes before my overnight camp-out. My mom will now give me a short lecture after reading this. I just ran out of time. Fun is sometimes more important than cleanliness. Anyways, my kitchen was primed for an ant invasion. So after cleaning my kitchen thoroughly, I covered the countertops with a combination of grits and cayenne pepper. I also set up my ant baits. I'm not sure if they have any bait left in them. We'll see what happens. If there are still ants crawling around by tomorrow morning, I'm moving on to stage 2 of the annihilation plan. This stage involves maple syrup and more ant baits. I refuse to end up like Leiningen!

My Journey as a Reader

As an English major, conservative Baptist, and avid blog reader, I've come across several individuals who skipped the typical adolescent literature phase and went right on to classic novels. Whenever I come across these individuals, I feel like I somehow am inferior because I didn't start reading classic novels on my own until my junior year of high school. Even then I was forcing myself to because I knew I needed to get caught up if I was to succeed as an English teacher. I had a friend in college who started reading Dickens when she was 7 and Shakespeare when she was 12. I didn't read Dickens until my senior year of high school and still haven't finished A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens is just so wordy!). I read my first Shakespeare play my freshman year of high school when we read Romeo and Juliet for class. I HATED Shakespeare until my junior year of college when I took a Shakespeare class and learned to appreciate his work. 

Instead of reading classics as a child, I was busy devouring Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children, American Girl, Goosebumps, and Babysitter's Club. (Although the last two were either read at school or stashed under my pillow so my mom wouldn't know. I later confessed.) When my mom deemed I was old enough, she let me read the Christian romance novels that she finished. I soon became obsessed with Christian romance novels and wouldn't read any books that didn't have romance in them. A friend of mine encouraged me to eventually stop reading Christian romance novels, and I've only read 1 or 2 since my sophomore year of college. In college, I started reading only classics to make up for lost time. This was fun for about two years when I tired of trying to interpret my recreational literature. Then I took a class called Adolescent Literature. This class reminded me that I could still enjoy middle school level books because many of them are so well-written. I always used the excuse that I was previewing them for my future students. One of my former students still recommends adolescent novels to me and brings me copies of books he enjoyed reading. Since getting married, I've tried reading contemporary adult fiction. Most of the books I've come across in this genre are absolute trash. I've taken many of these books back to the library without finishing them. I've also finished some of them and felt extremely guilty afterwards. Now I read a mixture of adolescent, classic, and modern fiction. I also try to balance my fiction reading with good Christian non-fiction.

I'm slowly starting to realize that I don't need to evaluate my worth against the aforementioned child prodigies. I enjoyed my childhood to the fullest. I read books that interested me. I learned to love reading by reading books geared for my age group. I still love to read and still take time to read classics. I think my approach to reading helps me inspire my 6th graders to love reading as well. I can recommend books for them at their interest level. I can share my unbridled passion for reading with them in a way that they can understand and appreciate.

So what will I encourage my own children to read someday? Whatever they want to read (as long as the book is appropriate). I will challenge them to try new genres and authors, but I'm not going to stand in the way of them finding their passion for reading. I'm thankful my parents let me choose my own books. I'll do the same for my own kids.

Two Years of Wedded Bliss

Yesterday marked my 2nd wedding anniversary. In some ways it seems like 2 months, and in other ways it seems like 20 years. I know everyone says that, but everyone says that because it's true. My wedding day was absolutely perfect (minus the stress of trying to fit as much of my life's belongings into my car as possible). I really felt our wedding was a reflection of who we both were. It was elegant, yet simple. My dad didn't make me skimp on costs because I was his only daughter. I did happen to find my wedding dress for only $99 at David's Bridal. With alterations, it only cost about $200 total. That's incredible considering cheap dresses start at about $500.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Johansen Photography

Our anniversary yesterday was perfect. Ben found a new Mexican restaurant for us to try, which was unbelievably good. Then we went to see a movie afterwards. When we got home from the movie, the toilet started making weird gurgling noises. Then the water pressure slowed way down. Then, there was no water. Our landlord called and said the well pump broke. We were hoping it would be up and running this morning, but no such luck. My landlord's wife just stopped by and said that it might not get fixed until tomorrow. Oh joy. It's amazing how much you realize that you need water when you don't even have it. So, it should be an interesting few days to say the least!

Salsa Fresca

On Sunday I finally made fresh salsa for the first time. It was on my summer to-do list. I went to the local farm market (my husband said it can't be called a farmer's market since it was produce from only one farm) on Saturday to get some fresh tomatoes. Then, I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com. You can find the link here.

It worked out pretty well. I had never even heard of a jicama before and neither did the check-out boy at the grocery store. It's considered to be a root/tuber and can be used as either a vegetable or a fruit. My husband and I tried a raw piece. It reminded me of a grainy, unsweetened apple. It's not bad. I have to figure out what to do with the rest of it now.

The salsa tasted good the first day. I haven't tried it again since then because I had a queasy stomach yesterday from some bad Mexican food the night before. I might try it today to see if it flavored anymore. My husband LOVED it and says it's the best salsa he's ever tasted. He is a bit biased, though.

Nostalgia Before Nutrition

For some odd reason I've been nostalgic lately. It may have something to do with reading memoirs with one of my ESL students. I also end up telling lots of childhood stories to him because he's curious about our culture.

Anyways, I had a hankering for some boxed mac 'n cheese with cut up hotdogs in it. My husband and I both grew up with this "staple." It sure beats PB&J (which I despise).

Now I know there are all sorts of horrible things in boxed mac 'n cheese and hotdogs. But, I don't really care. The flavor is amazing. The saltiness of the hotdogs pairs perfectly with the mac 'n cheese. So, for  Sunday dinner today I made mac 'n cheese with hotdogs. I used my fine china because...well, I could. When you're an adult you can do eccentric things like that. It was a fantastic meal. We both loved it. I'll take nostalgia over nutrition any day.

Time Travel

Do you ever wish you could go back to a certain period of your life for just a little bit? I certainly do. I had a wonderful childhood. Yeah, my parents made mistakes. (Like forcing me to go to my neighbors' parties, or making me have thick, eyebrow-length bangs, or not forcing me to learn how to swim.) But they did some great things too.

We moved a few times when I was a child. One of my favorite homes was a big Victorian home built in 1905. It was pretty junky when we first moved in, but my dad spent thousands of hours remodeling it. Since I was the only girl, I never had to share a room. My bedroom was the very first room to be remodeled. (It pays to be a daddy's girl.) All of my toys were in that room. I could spend hour upon hour in that room playing with Barbies or Polly Pockets (the choking hazard kind) or reading Nancy Drew mysteries. It was right next to my parents' room, so I could make easy pilgrimages to their room after watching a movie that was a little too scary. My brothers always begged to play with me in my room. It drove me crazy. I was always content to play alone. I could be more imaginative that way.

We also had an expansive backyard at that house. My brothers and I decided we would dig an underground church one summer. We dug quite a large hole but couldn't really figure out how we were going to get the dirt back on top of us once we dug it deep enough. Needless to say we never finished it because we had to move the next summer. We also spent hours upon hours with our neighbor playing a game we called "Wonder Woman and Cat Woman." I was Wonder Woman, she was Cat Woman, my brother Kent was Batman, and my other brothers were Ninja Turtles. We would run around the yard essentially solving the same crime over and over again with a few variations here and there. We were so imaginative. I spent most of the time imagining the outfits I was wearing or imagining the boyfriend that I had. Kent would imagine himself ripping the "bad guy" from limb to limb in his typical war-hungry fashion. Our neighbor girl would always be running back home to get some toy. She would say, "Back in a flash!" and return 30 minutes to an hour later. We would sit on the front step patiently waiting the entire time. 

My brother Kent and me

Those were probably the best years of my childhood. I often conjure up images of that house when I'm reading a book about an old house and need a point of reference. I often find myself craving for the simplicity of life back then. Summers spent playing in the backyard all day long. Winters spent watching my dad carve snow sculptures in our front lawn. Afternoons spent pounding out my piano lessons desperate to get back outside. Evenings spent stomping up the stairs to scare away the "bad guys" after reading another Nancy Drew novel. Sometimes I just wish I could rewind my life and spend a few days as a little girl in that big old house. Sometimes I just wish I could recapture the feeling of no pressure, no responsibility. I hope one day my children can have a childhood like mine. Maybe I can live vicariously through them.

Kindle Cover

My dear friend, Bethany, makes purses, wallets, diaper bags, make-up bags, etc. She did this most of the 4 years her husband was in seminary. She does an excellent job! I just requested that she make a cover for my Kindle. I was using a Ziploc bag, and it was kind of pathetic looking. I noticed that she had made a Kindle cover for someone else, so I begged her to make me one too!

Isn't it cute? She does a great job at finding super cute fabrics. Her prices are very reasonable as well. The best part is knowing that you have a one-of-a-kind bag made by a one-of-a-kind woman. Check her shop out at Etsy.

Hinds Feet on High Places- A Review

I finally finished a book I've been working on for awhile: Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I heard about this allegorical book at a ladies' conference that was held at my church. The speaker was speaking on a difficult time in her life and how this book was instrumental in her life. The book piqued my interest, so I went home and ordered it from Amazon knowing I would never find it in any store.

Much-Afraid is a young woman with a disfigured face and crippled feet. She lives in the Valley of Humiliation near her family, the Fearings. Her family tries to force her to marry her cousin Craven Fear. She refuses to marry Craven Fear and meanwhile develops a close friendship with The Shepherd of the Valley. The Shepherd promises her she can become beautiful and leap about the mountain on hinds feet if she follows him. After her family tries to stop her, Much-Afraid manages to follow the Shepherd to the High Places on an intense journey. All along the journey she is met with danger and despair. The Shepherd, however, appears whenever she needs him most. I'd tell you how the book ends, but that would ruin all the fun of reading it for yourself.

I went into this book a bit skeptical. I was afraid it was full of Catholic doctrine and teachings because the speaker who was talking about this book originally read it when she was a Catholic and loved it. I don't want to be a Catholic-basher, but I disagree with much of the Catholic church's teachings and practices. This is not to say that no Catholic will make it to Heaven. So, some of my objectivity was a bit skewed going into this book.

I noticed that there were sections of the book of Canticles quoted throughout the book. I started feeling guilty that I was reading quoted material from the Apocrypha. I was sure that the book of Canticles was an Apocryphal book. I was complaining to my husband about it, and then he mentioned that it was another name for Song of Solomon, which is not Apocryphal. I Googled it, and sure enough it is another name for Song of Solomon. Oops. I should have known that. I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I had known that from the beginning.

I do think the author took some Scripture out of context in order to fit it into her allegory. For example, at the end of the book Much-Afraid says "My Lord, behold me--here I am, in the place thou didst send me to--doing the thing thou didst tell me to do, for where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me" (p. 113). The second half of this quote comes from Ruth 1:17. Ruth is not speaking to the Lord here. She's speaking to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and is telling her that she will not leave her. I think Hunard should have just made up dialog for Much-Afraid rather than use Scripture out of context.

I'm not sure if the allegory of this book is totally theologically accurate. Nothing stood out to me as being grossly against Scripture. There were, however, a few lines that struck me as potentially wrong. As with every biblical allegory there are going to be some plot elements that don't quite line up with Scripture. I do know that I did benefit from reading this book.

Lately I've really been wrestling with trusting God's plan. I know he can do anything. I just don't know what sort of suffering he's going to put me through. This book, along with my daily reading of the Psalms has helped me to understand that God's way is perfect. His timing is perfect. He may not answer my prayers the way I want him to, but he WILL help me get through whatever trial that comes my way. A little analogy that I thought up the other day helps me to understand this a little better. Trusting God is like taking medicine with a lot of side effects. The medicine helps you with your main health problem. You just might have to put up with a few minor discomforts along the way. With God, our main problem is we are sinners destined for Hell. He rescues us from that destination when we choose to follow him instead. We might have to put up with difficulties in our Christian life, but it will be worth it all in the end when we spend eternity with him in Heaven.

I like how Much-Afraid puts it at the end of the novel on p. 128: "Therefore I begin to think, my Lord, you purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason that we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let you teach us so to react to them..." The rest of the quote is a little wishy-washy, so I'll leave that part out. But the first few lines are spot on. I would also add that we are here to glorify God and to share the great news of his love for us to all mankind.

So, do I recommend this book? I suppose so. Just read it with caution. The Bible is to be our sole authority for the Christian life, not some human-penned book. Another thing to keep in mind is that Hannah Hurnard seemed to have strayed from the faith towards the end of her life. She began believing in universal salvation, reincarnation, and other new-age ideals. I don't think her later life completely negates Hinds Feet. I do, however, think it is something for readers to keep in the back of their minds when reading her work.

I finally own a Kindle! Like I said I said in a previous post, I'm the last one on the bandwagon. I first heard about the Kindle back in college when I was the personal secretary to a technology professor. He showed me the promo video for it before it even was on the market. It was like $400 back then. I thought it was the most amazing thing ever but thought it would be sad to lose the new book smell and the ability to see the thickness of how much I'd already read change. I also could never see myself spending $400 on a piece of technology. My laptop at the time had only cost $99. I'm a techno cheapskate.

Then I noticed the Kindle getting cheaper and cheaper and cheaper. One of my 6th graders got one for Christmas. As I was buying textbooks for my grad classes I noticed that some of my textbooks were available for Kindle. My husband downloaded Kindle for PC and started purchasing his textbooks for Kindle. Then wonder of wonder, miracles of miracles...Kindle offered a new model for only $114. The only downside is that it has advertising on it. Who cares? You barely even notice them.

So, I put it on my Amazon wishlist hoping that my dad would pick up on the hint and buy me one for my birthday. He did! He's still pretty skeptical about it because he's a techno cheapskate like me. (Hey, I learned from the best.) He thinks I'll never use it. I'll show him. I plan to flaunt it in his face when he comes to visit me in a week. Maybe he'll buy one for himself.

I've already downloaded several free classics. I, unlike the most of the world, actually do read classic literature for fun. I need to finish my paper copy of a Tale of Two Cities and then I'll have to decide which Kindle book to start first. I'm thinking the first one will be The Scarlet Letter because it's a real crying shame that I graduated from college with an English degree and have never read it. I could probably ace a test over it though, because I know the premise of the story and even know the characters' names.

I'm really looking forward to buying able to buy books cheaper and then not having to store them. My apartment is teeny and my hubby and I are both bibliophiles. I'm also looking forward to reading outside at my favorite park. The electronic ink technology allows you to read off of the screen without a glare. It's pretty incredible. I told my husband that I might just buy a monthly train pass to the large, crime-filled city near my house and then just ride the train and read my Kindle so I can feel like I'm a cool city girl (even though I'm a super-nerdy country girl.)

Lord, Change My Attitude- Book Review

I just finished reading a great book during my daily devotional time. It's called Lord, Change My Attitude Before It's Too Late by author and pastor James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel. MacDonald also hosts a radio program on Moody radio called Walk in the Word, and his church has started several other churches throughout the Midwest. He has a great ministry.

I heard about this book back in 2009 during our Seminary Wives Fellowship meetings. The professors' wives were all reading through this book together and then presented the chapters to the rest of us. During the time, I was having a really bad attitude about my life circumstances. I was living 900+ miles from home, was poorer than dirt because of seminary, had started my teaching career, and rarely saw my husband because of his seminary and work schedule. To top it off, I really didn't want to be at these SWF meetings because they were held in the same building that I taught in. The last thing I wanted to do was come back to the building where I had already spent 8+ hours earlier that day. Needless to say, my heart was ripe for the message of this book. I decided to put it on my Amazon wishlist, and my dad bought it for me for Christmas (we both have a slight obsession with purchasing books off of Amazon).

I started reading it shortly after that, then put it down for a few months, then picked it up again around the next Thanksgiving, then put it down for a few months, and I just finished it this morning as part of my devotions. I wish I would have had the time to finish it in a shorter time frame. Oh well.

The book is divided into 10 chapters with every odd numbered chapter describing a bad attitude and every even numbered chapter describing what to replace that bad attitude with. A lengthy epilogue wraps it all up nicely. The five bad attitudes covered are as follows: a complaining attitude, a covetous attitude, a critical attitude, a doubting attitude, and a rebellious attitude. Upon first reading the chapters, I caught myself thinking "Oh, this doesn't apply to me," and then ended the chapters thinking "Ouch, it actually does apply to me." I really do have an attitude problem.

I really appreciated how MacDonald explained how to fix these attitude problems. I'm all about application. I also liked how he applied the story of the Israelites and their wilderness wanderings to these bad attitudes. He contrasted how the Israelites chose a life of wilderness wandering because of their complaining attitudes. They could have had a life in the Promised Land if they would have trusted God's timing. He didn't just pull random verses out of context to prove his point. He systematically went through the story of the Israelites and applied it to his principles delineated in his book. He relied heavily on Scripture throughout the book. It's easy for Christian authors to fall into the trap of throwing Scripture into their books as an afterthought. MacDonald doesn't fall into this trap. He builds his book around Scripture.

I strongly recommend this book to individuals struggling with contentment in their lives. If you can't understand why you are so unhappy all of the time, pick up this book and apply the principles to your own life. But if you're not prepared to apply what you read to your own heart and life, you will never change. MacDonald says in his epilogue, "If you're not turning to Him (Jesus) and walking intimately and personally with Him, you will never escape the wilderness. Even if you are a Christian, but are trying to do it yourself, it won't work" (p. 262). What a great reminder for all of us!

Next on my list to read...Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.

A Day of Food

I've spent a lot of time focusing on food today. I decided to dig through old magazines with the intention of finding good recipes. I decided to rip out the recipes and through away the rest of the magazines. My friend, Liz, gave me these magazines last summer and last fall and I'm just now digging through them. Here's the lovely stack I had to dig through:

While I was working on this stack, I also whipped up some Honey Mustard Chicken. My husband's aunt gave me a box of laminated recipe cards that came from various members of the family as a wedding gift . She put little notes and memories on each card. I cannot tell you how much I treasure that recipe box. This recipe is probably my favorite from the stash.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:

  6-8 Chicken Thighs, or assorted pieces

1/3 c mustard (honey mustard is the best)

1/3 c honey

3 Tb milk

2 Tb butter, melted

1/2 tsp curry powder

Instructions:

Mixed together above ingredients. Roll chicken pieces in batter and lay in FOIL LINED baking dish. You will regret if you don't line pan with foil! Pour remaining batter over chicken. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Baste about every 15 minutes and the chicken will be golden brown when finished. 

Serving Suggestion(s): Serve over cooked white rice. I usually double the sauce recipe for extra deliciousness.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Every woman needs a rice cooker!

 I also watched 11 Rachel Ray video clips on Swag Bucks.com for three lousy Swag Bucks. I'm trying to rack up as many as I can to get gift cards to help my husband buy us a new TV. Ours was free from my grandma. You can barely read any of the words on the screen because she kept the TV on for about 12 hours a day for several years before she gave it to us. Needless to say, we need a new TV! I did learn a few tricks of the trade from Rachel, though. I'm going to start using a garbage bowl as I cook. It will save me a ton of time and will keep germs and messes from going all over my kitchen. I also might look into grating fresh nutmeg. I may even think about using some EVOO. I do have a slight aversion to olive oil after a camping trip gone awry. It might take a few years before I can eat it again.

It's been a great day foodwise. I think I might go create some sort of dessert out of whatever few ingredients I have lurking in the cupboards.

Coping with Grief

Disclaimer: I don't want to sound heartless and insensitive in this post. I truly hurt for those who have experienced tragedy. I just want to find a way to help all of us know how to deal with tragedy whether we are directly or indirectly affected by it. This is NOT targeted at any one person.

Lately I've been pondering tragedy. For some reason I read several blogs that talk about tragedy a lot. I've been blessed with a life that is relatively tragedy-free. All of my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and siblings are still alive. In fact, my husband and I were able to have all eight of our grandparents at our wedding. All eight of those grandparents are still married to their original spouses. That's unheard of in today's society. Both my parents and my husband's parents are happily married to their original spouses as well. My husband and I both have full-time jobs. So do our parents. Most of our friends are happily married or are happily single. We are truly blessed. Since my life is free from tragedy, I have no clue how to comfort friends in times of tragedy. My typical response goes something like this, "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling right now. I will definitely be praying for you." Or, I avoid the topic all together and try to talk about something else because I figure they are sick and tired of people only talking about their tragedy.

A blog I happened to be reading didn't seem to approve of my method of comfort. This blogger experienced a horrendous tragedy and blogs about it quite frequently. She didn't seem to like those types of comfort phrases because they seemed trite. I understand that, I just don't know what the right thing is to say. She's not the only blogger to do that. Most bloggers who blog about tragedy leave out what they want those of us looking on to do. Us "outsiders," if you will, want to comfort our hurting friends. We are absolutely genuine in our efforts. Some (not usually me) give advice because they feel they are genuinely supposed to help their friend get through their tragedy. Although, I get really ticked when friends post statuses filled with hurt on Facebook and then some well-meaning person totally tries to downplay their suffering by saying, "Just wait until...happens. This circumstance will seem like nothing compared to that." Have a heart. Most of our bumbling efforts, however, are out of a desire to be loving and helpful. Most aren't because we want to lord our superiority over our hurting friends (except for those snarky status commentators).

So, what I'm trying to say is this: hurting people we want to help you.  We love and care about you. TELL us what would comfort you. HELP us understand your needs. As good friends we want to "be there" for you. We would do anything in our power to help you. Let us know what you do want us to do and what you don't want us to do.

What in the world is going on?

Is it pathetic that my only sources of what is going on in the world are the radio show "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and my 6th graders saying, "Mrs. Rhine did you hear about...?" I like to think that I'm blissfully ignorant. I don't really think I'm being selfish and completely wrapped up in myself. If I was, I wouldn't browse my friends' friends' Facebook pictures. (You know you do it too. Don't judge me.)

Every time I try to watch the news or try to read articles online, I get depressed. I start thinking the world is crumbling around me and there is no hope for anyone. I'm a Christian. I believe that shortly before Christ returns the world will be in chaos. I know the world is in a lot of turmoil right now. I think that knowledge is sufficient. I don't think I should be pouring over the gritty details. The Bible does command us to think on whatever is pure and lovely. It does not command us to dwell on all the sufferings of the world so we can be aware of our surroundings.

Now I'm sure lots of people can find flaws in my logic. But for where I am in life right now, I think it's best that I just hear snatchets of what's going on in the world. The most informed people I know (mostly ultra-conservative Fundamentalists) are also some of the most miserable people I know. My own grandmother probably knows more about Obama than Obama himself. She, however,  is not the happiest woman alive.

God commands us to be joyful. I'm choosing a life joy over knowledge. How bout you?

Relaxation

I cannot seem to relax. School is done for the year. I have a three month vacation. I keep thinking about all the projects I want to accomplish and all the responsibilities I need to take care of. Argh.

Instead of relaxing, I browse Facebook, play Mahjong, and watch Monk on Netflix. Aren't those relaxing tasks, you ask? Sure. But they are all worthless, meaningless relaxation techniques. What I really want to do is cook a fancy meal or read one book after another while sipping tea. 

I think I'm going to make a conscious effort to relax in meaningful ways next week. I don't care if I have dirty dishes on the counter or clothes that have been in the dryer for three days. I'm going to sit down with a book and read it until I'm satisfied. Then I'll tackle those dishes.

Sweat and Sunshine

I "sat out" for the first time of the summer today. My pasty white skin was hungry for some good ole Vitamin D. I know all of the health warnings about sun and skin cancer. I actually did a research project on it once. I came to the conclusion that outdoor tanning is slightly better for you than indoor tanning. I've done indoor tanning as well. I was forced to by an unnamed female family member. I had to do it before my senior pictures and before my wedding. I truly hate indoor tanning. I won't go into all of the nasty reasons I hate it, but I hate it. I won't be doing it ever again if I can help it.

Sitting out at my apartment is a bit complex. Our apartment is actually a garage that was converted into an apartment. Our landlord, his wife, and their youngest daughter live in the house attached to our apartment.Our home is right at the edge of a small forest. It's great because of all the wonderful shade and hiking trails right in our backyard. It's not great, however, for sitting out. I decided to set up facing lawn chairs in our driveway as soon as my husband left for for his second job. The driveway is the only spot that receives direct sunlight. I probably looked like a total loser sitting in the driveway desperately trying to get some color, but I don't care.

I had a Mr. Freezie in my hand along with a cup of water with an entire tray of ice cubes (not exaggerating) and A Tale of Two Cities. It was super relaxing. My landlord's wife thought I was crazy for sitting out in this 90+ degree heat, but I don't care. It was totally worth it to me. I think my 3 month summer vacation is probably one of the best perks about being a teacher. Before you non-teachers start griping about that, compare your salary to mine and you'll see that life isn't so unfair after all. : )

Calm my Stomach

Today I found myself asking God to calm my stomach. Most people pray "Lord, please calm my heart in this difficult situation." I, however, asked God to calm my stomach. When I get anxious about something, my stomach goes haywire. I almost push myself to the point of ...well nevermind.

The reason I needed God to calm my stomach was I was going to take the train all by myself to a large city filled with crime. I won't tell you what city because that's "asking for trouble" as my dear mother would say. My husband was originally supposed to go with me, but he had to work. Story of our lives.

My middle brother, Luke, had a jazz band concert in this large, crime-filled city. So, I couldn't not go. (Did you know that many linguists are advocating for the acceptance of double negatives?) I live 900+ miles away from my family. Luke came here with his high school jazz band as a sort of last hoorah before going to college in the fall. No humane woman would pass up the opportunity to see one of her family members perform a concert in a nearby crime-filled city when she lives so far away from said family member.

So, I begged God to calm my stomach and took the train to the large, crime-filled city all by my lonesome. I was freaked out at first because the train system in this large, crime-filled city is confusing and cumbersome. Normally I have my logical husband there to look clueless figure things out with me. I was on my own this time. As usual, I figured out the cumbersome steps easily enough.

Once I got on the train, a new flood of worries swept through me. Where do I sit? What is the proper etiquette? How many rows should I keep between me and the person in front of me? Is it more acceptable to choose the side of the train that has three seat in a row or two? Do I leave my orange ticket on the seat when I leave, or do I take it with me? Is it weird to tell the conductor "thanks" when he punches my ticket? Are the others around me going to think I'm reading my book too slowly? Should I keep my purse on my lap, or put it next to me? Is it weird to lean my head against the window? Is this designated as a quiet car? Are you allowed to text on a quiet car? Should I answer my cell phone? Do I stand up before the train stops so they know I'm getting off?

Those are only some of the questions that were whirring through my brain on my hour-long train ride. I'm obsessed with what others think of me. That's why I need God to calm my stomach.

Even though I was in a mild state of panic most of the trip, I did take time to enjoy the ride...somewhat. I've always harbored this secret desire to have a fancy cubicle job in a big city that involved a long commute on some sort of public transportation. I've always wanted to be able to read a cool classic novel while riding public transportation. So, I brought A Tale of Two Cities to read along the way. I felt so literate. The thought did cross my mind that I could get used to this sort of life. Maybe I'll have to apply to teach in the public school system of this crime-filled city. Or not. My prayers would be more along the lines of "God, please help me disarm my student without the gun going off."

Anyways, the concert was great. The train ride was great. The feeling of accomplishment when I pulled into my driveway was great. God calmed my stomach as usual. I am safe at home watching episodes of Monk. Monk reminds me a little of myself. Maybe that's why I like the show so much. What he needs is some quality nouthetic counseling, as my husband would say. Or maybe he should just ask God to calm his stomach.

Last one on the Bandwagon

I'm always the last one to jump on the bandwagon. I think it stems from my childhood. My parents had this phobia of fads. When I say "parents" I mean my dad. My mom just followed his lead like a good wife should. : )

For example, we were never allowed to own Beanie Babies until they were no longer cool. My dad could not fathom why anyone would even think of spending money on a piece of cloth filled with beans. So, while all the other kids were anxiously waiting in line outside of flowershops, my brothers and I were stuck playing with boring toys like Barbies and G.I. Joes.

Because my father is the third greatest man to walk the face of the earth (Jesus and my husband, Ben, take 1st and 2nd place respectively), I tend to follow his avoidance of fads. I usually buy clothes that stay somewhat in style for a few years. I did not choose blue and brown for my wedding colors. I did not major in international business or marketing. I still haven't seen The Notebook. I haven't joined Twitter. I didn't start seriously blogging until, well, now.

I tried blogging once or twice, but it just never worked for me. I always obsessed over my grammar and syntax because I majored in English. After reading blogs for the past year, I've decided that I can't keep my thoughts to myself any longer. The Facebook status bar only allows 420 characters. I have so much more to say than that.

Thus, One Bright Day in the Middle of the Night was born.

Where did I get this title you ask? Well, one of the reasons I've avoided blogging is the title part intimidated me. Every other blog I've read has these mega-creative titles. I'm not mega-creative. I'm great at copying others. I decided a title composed of nonsense words would best fit my blog. So, I did what any good teacher would do. I googled "nonsense words." This, of course, led me to my secret favorite website, Wikipedia. What? But you're a teacher. Teachers tell their students that Wikipedia is full of lies. We just say that because our teachers told us the same thing. We use it secretly.

Anyways, this lovely poem popped up in my search:

One bright day in the middle of the night,

Two dead boys got up to fight.

Back-to-back they faced one another,

Drew their swords and shot each other.

One was blind and the other couldn't see,

So they chose a dummy for a referee.

A blind man went to see fair play,

A dumb man went to shout "hooray!"

A deaf policeman heard the noise,

And came and shot the two dead boys.

A paralyzed donkey walking by,

Kicked the copper in the eye,

Sent him through a nine inch wall,

Into a dry ditch and drowned them all.

(If you don't believe this lie is true,

Ask the blind man -- he saw it too!)

--Anonymous

My dad used to recite this all the time, so I figured it would be a fitting title. So, there you have it folks. My new blog. I hope it works this time.