Happy Friday!

I saw this over at Brittle Crazy Glass, and like Molly, I found it encouraging:



PalmBoy would sum it up by quoting Rocky, "It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you can get hit, how much you can take, and keep movin' forward. That's how winnin' is done!"

Enjoy your Friday! I know I will! :-)

That's a First

I grew up in a small town in rural South Georgia, and I went on to college at Auburn University, a place sometimes called a "cow college" because it's a land grant university with roots in agriculture. But, never in all my days of school in the south have I had to shoo chickens away in the parking lot until today when I went to Windward Community College to take my mid-term exam for the online class I'm taking from the University of Georgia. Yes, chickens. It made me smile as I walked to the testing center. It's not what you picture when you think of paradise, is it?

Quote of the Day

I'm reading Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France, and I've come across many a timely quote. This one is particularly so given our new Secretary of the Treasury:

Those who execute public pecuniary trusts, ought of all men to be the most strictly held to their duty.

Yep.

So Many Books...But Not These

Via Curly Curvy, I see that Entertainment Weekly says these are new classics. Clearly, I'm an old classics kind of gal! Or maybe a classic old gal. The ones I've read are in bold, and the ones I own and want to get to are in italics.

1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars’ Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding (1996)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1999)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996) (The first one..)
47. World’s Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (199
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1999)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators’ Ball, Connie Bruck (1989)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

What about you? Have you read any of these? Can you recommend any?

When Depressed Poodles Attack

When I was a little girl, my mom embroidered a saying that hung on the wall in our breakfast room. From my place at the table I saw it every day, and I remember it clearly:

If all our troubles were hung on a line, you would take yours and I would take mine.

That certainly rang true today when I read that former French President Jacques Chirac was mauled by his clinically-depressed poodle:

Former French president Jacques Chirac was rushed to hospital after being mauled by his own 'clinically depressed' pet dog.

The 76-year-old statesman was savaged by his white Maltese dog - which suffers from frenzied fits and is being treated with anti-depressants.

The animal, named Sumo, had become increasingly violent over the past years and was prone to making 'vicious, unprovoked attacks', Chirac's wife Bernadette said.

Ah, so many jokes, so little time. But seriously, even though I've been down in the dumps lately, I wouldn't trade places with him. It's bad enough to be attacked by a crazed poodle. It's even worse to have it splashed all over the news.

(Hat tip: April)

"...then we are in deep trouble"

Victor Davis Hanson, one of my favorite writers, has an uneasy feeling that I share. Here's a peek:

I distilled from the press coverage and the crowds and the punditry yesterday that for all too many suddenly a vote for Obama redeems America. Now, to paraphrase Michelle Obama, for the first time in their lives they are apparently proud of the United States. (Had we not had the financial meltdown in mid-September, and had Obama stayed three points back in the polls, would millions have stayed soured on America and now in sullen silence licked their wounds?).

So I am surprised that suddenly the election of a single individual means that we are united, patriotic, proud of America? Suddenly Okinawa or Antietam, or all those who died at the Argonne, are ours to claim again? (This reminds of elementary school, when our third-grade split up into two sides, as the teacher quizzed us on geography–and the losers of the contest cried and said unfair and how they didn’t like school or Mrs. Wilson, and then when they won the next day, how suddenly third grade became glorious, and Mrs. Wilson and her games were once again wonderful).

But America was always ours, the public, and the nation transcends the proposition of whether Obama gets elected or not—given that the United States, in its worst hour, was better than the alternatives at their best. So I think it would be wise to cool it on the “I am now proud of America” rhetoric. If getting your way means suddenly the dead at Iwo or those who were blown up in B-17s over Germany are at last your own and matter, then we are in deep trouble.

Go read the whole thing.

Thank You, President Bush

I have disagreed with many of your positions, especially the economic ones, but you are a good man . You remained above those who so relentlessly and crassly attacked you, never stooping to their level. You kept our nation safe, and I truly believe that you tried to do what was right. I respect you and thank you, and I pray for you now as you leave the White House.


Oh, and you have one classy wife! Thank you both.

UPDATE: Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song to thank President Bush. The lyrics are here. (Hat tip: Challies)

Study Break

I'm studying today for my Latin mid-term next week. It's my first mid-term in over 19 years. I'm studying in our sugar shack to minimize distractions. But this view from my desk is distracting me plenty:

Okay, now back to making sure I know my demonstratives...

(By the way, the PalmKids looooooove that I'm having to study.)

The Coolest Cake Ever

It's here.

Life

Go check out the ad that CatholicVote.com is running on Black Entertainment Television (BET) on Inauguration Day.

(Hat tip: Julie)

Reading Round-Up

I've accumulated a collection of links on reading that I'm passing on to you:

~ How to read 462 books in one year. Well, maybe if I gave up teaching, feeding my family, doing laundry, and threw away my computer, I could do it. (Hat tip: Brandywine Books)

~ Seasonal Soundings recommends The Reading Room, a movie I've never heard of. It's in my Netflix queue now.

~ Some insight into Thomas Jefferson's library and its influence on the man who could not live without books

~ Justin at Between Two Worlds posts some helpful links from Tony Reinke on how to read. He recommends writing in books, a practice that used to make me twitch. But now I don't feel like a book is really mine unless I've underlined and made notes in it.

~ Don't you want to know how to read an average-sized book in 2 hours? I do! (Hat tip: All Things Being Made New)

And now, I'm going to bed to read.

I've Got a Word or Two

I subscribe to A.Word.A.Day, and I've enjoyed it. Until tonight. I just got tomorrow's word of the day, and included in the commentary was this:

Tomorrow Barack Obama will become president of the U.S. and not a moment too soon.

For some of us, actually, it is. Here's a newsflash for some folks (especially if they only get their news from ABC, CBS, PBS, NPR, and the New York Times) : a lot of Americans did not vote for Barack Obama. And yet, here we are, still Americans. And just wanting to read a word a day and not a snotty political comment a day (this post excepted, of course) or this pabulum, also in the email:

He's not one who sees the globe in black and white. He has lived outside the US and has been exposed to other cultures. He realizes that just because someone has a different set of beliefs, just because someone looks different, doesn't mean he's wrong -- sometimes there can be two ways to do something and both can be right.

Unless you voted Republican, right? Because none of us have lived outside the US and been exposed to different cultures.

And the irony? The word of the day is:

cohere: to be united; to work or hold together

I guess that won't happen until Tuesday, right? Because then Mr. Garg at A.Word.A.Day won't be insulting the president anymore. And all will be well with the world. What will Wednesday's word be? Hope? Change? Audacity?

Music That Soothes the Savage Beast(s)

Have you ever been to a concert and heard the singer stop to preach talk about how music has the power to bring people together, end war, and make us all live happily ever after? I've heard it at several concerts, and I always roll my eyes because rock stars aren't known for the personal peace in their own lives so I don't think they've got much chance at ending war in general. But PalmGirl just told me that she and PalmBoy have a song that always brings them together when they're arguing. She said it makes them laugh and get over what they're fighting about. The song?
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Jukebox Hero by Foreigner

Now I'm laughing. That song came out when I was just a little younger than PalmGirl is now. Makes it a classic, right?
And let's give a shout out to Foreigner for bringing peace to the PalmHouse. :-)

It's a Conspiracy

(See, I told you I was irrational.) Early this morning while it was still dark, my phone rang. I was sound asleep. Did you catch that? SOUND ASLEEP. As I fumbled to answer the phone I dropped it, and the phone crashed. I had to wait while it rebooted and did a diagnostic check, all the while my heart pounding, afraid of what emergency this might be. Finally, the phone came back up. I checked the call log. Nothing. Then a voice mail notice popped up, so I dialed the number to my mail box. All I got was some static, and then a woman in the background (with a voice I don't recognize) asking, "Did you leave a message?" And then a young child whines, "Yeeeeees." Then the woman says, "Hit the red button to hang up." And he did. I have no clue who it was, so I'm going to assume that it was a wrong number, as often occurs when you let a young child handle a phone.

No, I couldn't get back to sleep. I just lay there trying to solve the mystery of the early morning phone call. And by the way, it's 59 degrees here! That means it's 59 degrees inside our house. I don't care who you are, that's a cold house.

It All Adds Up

What do you get when you add nights of sleeplessness to the realization that your son is midway through his junior year in high school and you're his teacher/guidance counselor? Anxiety, that's what. And that really doesn't help with the sleeplessness. It's a vicious cycle that makes me irrational. I'm on the verge of a panic attack here trying to figure out his senior year and how to get him into college. I'm overwhelmed. And this is all on top of a lot of other things going on here. Our regular routine doesn't pause so that I can figure all of this out.

It occurred to me today as I tried to counsel PalmBoy with this that I could use a good dose of Proverbs 3:5-6 myself:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

I've tried to make lists and to think methodically. I've been in research mode. I've tried to do the next thing without thinking about the big picture. I've even tried to divert my thoughts with books, a movie, and my favorite tv show (Friday Night Lights is back!!) And all in vain so far. I'm just plain overwhelmed, which proves that I'm not seeing all of this as coming from God for our good. I obviously haven't cast this all on Him. And I must repent of that.

The first line of Proverbs 12:25 is certainly true:

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.

The second line must be true, too. So I need a good word, friends. Got any? Any of you been there, done that? Do you have Scriptures that help you to trust God more during seasons like this? I'm all ears.

Obama's Blackberry

That Obama won't give up his Blackberry is troubling to me. It strikes me as a bit immature that he doesn't think he can live without it in light of security and legal considerations and the nature of his new job. As an adult, sometimes you have to sacrifice preferences, and I would think that would go double for U.S. president. I've tried to see both sides, and I understand that his argument is that it will help him stay in touch with what's going on out of Washington. But this quote made me laugh out loud:

"If I'm doing something stupid, somebody in Chicago can send me an email and say, 'What are you doing?'

If he thinks that Chicago (and I'm thinking Chicago politics here, with all its sordid past and present), is going to keep him grounded and give him insight into "real" Americans, I'm even more troubled.

7 Quick Takes Friday - January 16

1. One of my students approached me after class the other day and told me to pretend I'd never seen him or met him before. Then he showed me the palms of his hands and asked me to guess his age. He thinks he has old hands. Teen brains are fascinating, aren't they? :-)

2. I know you folks on the mainland who are freezing your fannies off will not sympathize at all, but it's cold here! Remember, whatever the temperature is outside, it is inside. And a house in the 60s is a cold house! Especially when you don't have winter clothes. And when the wind is gusting up to 60mph.

3. I am losing my mind. For probably the fifth time in the past two weeks, I have forgotten to start dinner in my slow cooker. I've come home after school and realized it -- much too late to do it. I am guess I'm going to have to leave my slow cooker out on my counter all the time so I remember it.

4. I finally got a massage for my messed-up neck and shoulders. My masseuse told me that judging by the state of my shoulders, I'm more stressed than I realize. This validation is satisfying on one hand (I'm not crazy!) , and disturbing on the other. Why is my body holding on to stress like this?

5. I have not been looking forward to reading Reflections on the French Revolution by Edmund Burke for Omnibus III. But after reading the Omnibus essay and then beginning the book, I'm amazed at Burke's wisdom. Already I've scrawled notes in the margin. One of them is "just like Jimmy Carter!"

6. I'm at that point in our homeschooling year in which I begin to figure out next year's material. I'm stumped. And that's adding to my shoulder/neck tension.

7. I'm incredibly thankful for my friends here. God has richly blessed me with sisters in Christ who encourage and inspire me and make me laugh. They have been very thoughtful and intentional in the choices they make (a rare quality these days!), and I love them.

For more Quick Takes, click here.

52 Days

Until Target comes to Hawaii!

Quote of the Day

From a great post & book recommendation at Considerable Grace:

Remember that God's love for you is not based on YOU but on HIM.

Do go read the whole thing. There's a great Martin Luther quote, too.

Why I Homeschool: Reason #73,733

I love many things about homeschooling, not the least of which are the moments with my children that I probably would miss if they were away all day. You know, like the moment this morning when I opened _______'s* door to find that ______ was sitting at ___ desk working on Latin AND using scotch tape on ____ nostrils in order to look like a pig. Yeah, moments like that make it all worth it. :-)

*names and pronouns removed to protect the weird

Awe

Even though I've lived here for over 6 1/2 years, I'm still stunned by the scenery in Hawaii. This morning as I was driving PalmGirl to her musical theatre troupe practice and we were singing along to the Once sountrack, I was stunned once again. Yes, Hawaii is always beautiful, whether raining or sunny. But today is one of those days that just take my breath away, and I'll file it away in my memory.

The sky is a clear blue that is a thousand times more intense and beautiful than Crayola's sky blue crayon. The jagged and giant Koolaus, usually obscured in some way by clouds, are completely standing out today, very green after all the rain of winter. And then we came over a hill and looked down at Kaneohe Bay, as still and flat as I've ever seen it, reflecting back all that scenery I just described. I was so lost in it that I missed my turn!

I thanked God for eyes to see it. I am blessed. He's been far better to me than I deserve.

7 Quick Takes Friday - January 9

If it's Friday, it's time for 7 Quick Takes:

1. I'm tired. It's been a week of very little sleep. Part of the problem is my messed up neck and part of the problem is a mind that won't rest. I'm going to work hard to rest on Sunday. Is that an oxymoron or what?

2. Speaking of Sunday, a new season of 24 starts! Yeah! I'm looking forward to hanging out with friends and watching Jack do his thing.

3. PalmGirl had had the opportunity to take some voice lessons this week from a visiting teacher. When I picked her up this afternoon, she sang Ave Maria for me. Wow! Wow! Wow! It was beautiful!!!! And I promise that I'm being completely objective.

4. I think I too often take my children's maturity for granted. I've become accustomed to them getting themselves up in the morning for their online classes or for worship team practice on Sundays. When my parents were here, they were impressed at the PalmKids' self-discipline in setting their alarms and rising early when necessary. PalmBoy did it again today, getting up at 5:30 to prepare for his online class and then be ready to head straight to the orthodontist. See, teenagers ARE developmentally capable of getting up early! I'm proud of their maturity in this area, and I need to tell them that more often.

5. PalmBoy is finally getting his braces off next month! He's been a trooper for the past 3 years, waiting for all of his permanent to come in. I remember when I got mine off years ago, and it will be a big day indeed.

6. All I want to do is curl up and read Soul of a Chef. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and I'm passing it along to PalmGirl, an aspiring chef, when I finish it.

7. Do you Twitter? I've been trying it out, and I'm going to stick with it a little while longer. If you Twitter and we "know" each other, let me know. I'm trying to avoid having a giant list of followers/following who are complete strangers.

Check out the other Quick Takes at Jen's blog.

Words Matter

PETA apparently knows this and is trying to change the name of fish to sea kittens so that we'll think they're too cute to eat. Seriously. I wondered if they've thought about folks like me who despise cats. As I type, I'm trying to come up with ways to keep the neighbor's 27-plus cats off of my property. Some of those ways are not PETA-approved, I assure you. No, I haven't hurt any cats. But I've wanted to.

And now I'm really craving sashimi sea kitten tartare.

(Hat tip: Tim Blair, who speculates this could cause people to want to eat cats.)

Side note: I'll think about taking PETA seriously when I hear about an organization of animals for the ethical treatment of people. ATEP :-)

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin is feeding her kids sea kitten sticks for lunch!

Quote of the Day

From Tullian Tchividjian:

Isaiah 6 teaches us something foundational about public worship. If you read the first few verses you’ll notice the first thing Isaiah encounters in the house of God is the glory of God. It doesn’t first say he encountered friendly faces or hot coffee, or soft bagels or a booming sound system. It says he encountered the glory of God. In the Bible, the glory of God is God’s “heaviness”, his powerful presence. It is God’s prevailing excellence on display. In God’s house, Isaiah meets a God who is majestically in command.

What does this mean for our worship services? It means we ought to come, first and foremost, expecting to encounter the glory of God–his powerful presence. We should come ready to sing of who he is and hear of what he’s done. We come to feel the grief of our sin so that we can feel the glory of his salvation. We come, in other words, to see God on display, not preachers or musicians. A worship service is not the place to showcase human talent. It’s the place for God to showcase his Divine treasure. A worship service that contains the power to change you is a worship service that leaves you with grand impressions of Divine personality, not grand impressions of human personality.

Isaiah did not leave the temple thinking, “What great music, what a great building, what a great preacher.” He left thinking, “What a great God.”

Do go read the whole thing.

No Latte Left Behind

Did you read about the Chicago Public Schools' coffee machine spending spree?

Chicago public school bureaucrats skirted competitive bidding rules to buy 30 cappuccino/espresso machines for $67,000, with most of the machines going unused because the schools they were ordered for had not asked for them, according to a report by the CPS Office of Inspector General.
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In the case of the cappuccino machines, central office administrators split the order among 21 vocational schools to avoid competitive bidding required for purchases over $10,000. As a result CPS paid about $12,000 too much, according to Inspector General James Sullivan. "We were able to find the same machines cheaper online," he said.

This part in particular cracked me up:

"We also look at it as a waste of money because the schools didn't even know they were getting the equipment, schools didn't know how to use the machines and weren't prepared to implement them into the curriculum," Sullivan said.

"Weren't prepared to implement them into the curriculum!" What kind of teacher isn't prepared to implement coffee into the curriculum? That's what I want to know. :-)

Quote of the Day

From a prayer in The Valley of Vision:

Nothing exceeds thy power,
Nothing is too great for thee to do,
Nothing too good for thee to give.
Infinite is thy might, boundless thy love,
limitless thy grace, glorious thy saving name.
Let angels sing for sinners repenting, prodigals restored,
backsliders reclaimed, Satan's captives released,
blind eyes opened, broken hearts bound up,
the despondent cheered, the self-righteous stripped,
the formalist driven from a refuge of lies,
the ignorant enlightened,
and saints built up in their holy faith.

I ask great things of a great God.

Quote of the Day

From J.I. Packer's Knowing God:

...are we sure that the God whom we seek to worship is the God of the Bible, the triune Jehovah? Do we worship the one true God in truth?...You may say, how can I tell? Well, the test is this. The God of the Bible has spoken in his Son. The light of the knowledge of his glory is given to us in the face of Jesus Christ. Do I look habitually to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as showing me the final truth about the nature and the grace of God? Do I see all the purposes of God as centering upon him?

Quote of the Day

From today's reading in Day by Day with John Calvin:

...we ought not to judge of the love of God from the condition which we see before our eyes. When we have prayed to him, he often delays his assistance, either that he may increase still more our ardor in prayer, or that he may exercise our patience and, at the same time, accustom us to obedience.

Changes in Attitude

I'm a spoiled brat. Truly. Here I am -- in Hawaii!! -- with all the modern conveniences of life. All kinds of appliances and devices to save me time and effort. And every time my dryer buzzes (this usually happens just as my fanny hits the sofa cushion), I grumble and complain, as if it's really putting me out. While my mom was here, I did this verbally, and she told me that whenever my grandmother heard her dryer buzz, she called out, "Thank you!" I can just hear her sweet southern voice saying that. What a contrast to my moaning and complaining.

So I've been trying it out. And you know what? It sure sounds better, and it makes me stop and think about how grateful I should be for all that I have. It's certainly a better model for PalmGirl. And it makes me laugh as I say it, and I think of my grandmother.

If you're a complainer like me, give it a try, and let me know how it goes.

The Theology of the Cross

Do you ever have deep thoughts about something and you begin to see those ideas everywhere? And do they ever scare you because you think that God just might be preparing you for something hard. I've been thinking a lot about suffering lately and it seems that everything I read or hear points to it and its way to Christ. Today Jollyblogger posted something that at once amazes me, encourages me, and scares me. He recently learned that he has advanced cancer, and he's beginning to blog about the details:

Today I thought I would tell you about how I think God may have been spiritually preparing me for this a few weeks in advance.

He goes on to share what he has studied on the theology of the cross versus the theology of glory:

The theology of glory looks for God in the midst of the big, the spectacular, the powerful, the victorious - it is a triumphalistic approach to the Christian life. The theology of the cross says that God's clearest revelation of Himself is in the cross - therefore if you want to find God you will find Him in the midst of suffering, He will hide Himself from the world rather than display Himself before the world in great glory, and He is present in defeat as much as or more so than victory.

Counter-cultural, yes? And even counter-what's-going-on-in-many-churches-today. As I mentioned yesterday, Elizabeth Prentiss's biography testifies to the fact that Christ is found in suffering. And, man, did she suffer. And her thirst for Christ grew so much that at the end of her life, all she wanted was more of Him.

This morning I prayed that I might truly know Christ as Elizabeth Prentiss did -- not just knowing about Him, but REALLY knowing him. That's a hard prayer to pray that terrifies me as much as it fills me with hope because I know that a cross is involved. And when I opened up Knowing God (a book that I'm trying to read and digest slowly) this morning, I was comforted by reading that, yes, I can know Him because He already knows me:

There is unspeakable comfort -- the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates -- in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.

I want to know this God! And He knows what I need to know Him. Believe that, Anne!

Please pray for Jollyblogger and his family. I'm thankful that he's sharing his story.

UPDATE: See, these ideas are stalking me and turning up everywhere I look!

Paul placed a premium on suffering, not in a masochistic way (although it can sound like that to our comfortable modern ears), but in a this-makes-you-like-Jesus way.

When I read Revelation it is the martyrs I see being highlighted. (This is more significant if you don't believe the "tribulation" is a literal 7 year thing right at the end of days, but rather representative of the current age.)

I'm not saying I want to suffer. Nobody in their right mind would want to. But Bible Belt Christianity is so freaking comfortable, I don't know if any of us really know what "To live is Christ, to die is gain" really even means. It sure doesn't mean taking a stand to keep "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love to Thee by Sharon James

Elizabeth Prentiss's Stepping Heavenward is my favorite book, so I very much enjoyed reading about its author in Sharon James's biography of her. Just as fans of Stepping Heavenward would expect, Mrs. Prentiss was a woman who loved her Lord and her family, and she knew suffering. She knew that suffering was part of our sanctification, and she had great faith in God's sovereignty:

Lay down this principle as a law, -- God does nothing arbitrary. If he takes away your health for instance, it is because He has some reason for doing so; and this is true of everything you value; and if you have real faith in Him, you will not insist on knowing this reason. If you find in the course of everyday events, that your self-consecration was not perfect, -- that is, that your will revolts at His will, -- do not be discouraged, but fly to your Saviour and stay in His presence till you obtain the spirit in which He cried in His hour of anguish, 'Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.'

Her whole adult life seems to be that flying to her Saviour in the trials of life and also in her everyday service to her husband, children, and her husband's congregation.

Whether you've read Stepping Heavenward or not, this biography is worth reading, but those of you who love Stepping Heavenward as I do will especially appreciate it. I was particularly interested in the influences on Mrs. Prentiss's theology. During her lifetime, the teaching of perfectionism was gaining popularity, which makes her constant theme of growing in sanctification through the mundane and through suffering even more powerful.

The Sugar Bowl Was Sweet

I guess a War Eagle would be tacky, but you know I've always been a big Utah fan. :-)

Because Meat in a Can Just Isn't Convenient Enough

I'm sure this will sweep the islands. (Hat tip: April)

7 Quick Takes Friday - January 2

1. I'm devoting today to Latin -- working and studying for the class I'm taking through the University of Georgia, planning the PalmKids' Latin for this coming semester, and planning Latin for the third quarter at the classical Christian school where I teach. I'm also sending in the application for the National Latin Exam.

2. Our house feels very bare without Christmas decorations. I miss our tree, and so does PalmBoy. He's sad because it was here while his grandparents were here, and now they AND the tree are gone.

3. The rims of a few pieces of my Spode Christmas Tree china are flaking. Yesterday, I emailed Spode, and today they replied with a form for me to submit to get replacements. I like that kind of service.

4. I'm proud of my husband and the job he's doing.

5. Hauling packages around Ala Moana last week really messed up my neck and shoulders. And I can't get in for a massage for another week. I'm glad I have the big bottle of ibuprofen from Costco.

6. With Christmas money, I bought myself a fancy new slow cooker that I plan to use often. Now I'm looking for some new recipes. Can you recommend some (without cans of cream of mushroom soup, please)?

7. I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee, having withdrawals from these.

You can check out other Quick Takes at Jennifer's Conversion Diary.

Another Reason I'm Thankful I Live in the US

Sometimes I think that our country doesn't fully appreciate what makes it unique among nations. Maggie Gallagher comments on one of those things we take for granted:

Drudge Report is highlighting a Military Times poll showing 60 percent of active duty military personnel are "pessimistic or uncertain" about Obama as commander in chief. The glory of the American military is that this poll does not matter. A tribute to our military: we do not need to be afraid they will not do what Obama, as commander in chief, orders, regardless of their personal feelings about it.

Yep. And it's so woven into the fabric of our nation that we won't even notice.

Public Service Announcement

Whatever you do, don't ever buy any of these. And if anyone gives you any, run! I got some before my parents came because I thought my dad would enjoy them. And now, I'm hooked. I just finished the last ones, and I'm wishing for more. Macadamia nuts, toffee, milk chocolate, and powdered sugar. They're especially good with coffee in lieu of oatmeal. :-)

2009

I've only just now had time to stop and think about this new year and the one that just ended. Every new year I'm amazed at the twists and turns that life took in the previous year, and 2008 certainly held its surprises for the PalmFamily. It's been difficult in a big way, but it's also been rich. I end 2008 and begin 2009 very grateful for my many blessings. I love my husband more than ever, and I appreciate him every single day. The PalmKids are maturing, and they make me laugh all the time. I really enjoy their company, and they are proof that the teen years can be good ones. I love my job as a Latin teacher. I am richly blessed to have the parents that I have, and I'm very thankful they were able to come here for Christmas. As more and more folks I know face serious health challenges, I'm thankful for the current state of good health in our family. I'm thankful for friends who have meant more than ever to me during the past year. I'm grateful -- eternally so -- that my Heavenly Father has pursued me, not because of any goodness in me, but because He is good and faithful.

What will 2009 bring? I have my hopes. And I know I'll be surprised this time next year. After all, life is a series of adjustments.

Un-Decorating Day

Today is the day I take all the Christmas decorations down and try to restore some order to this chaos. I love to organize and declutter, so it's not all that terrible a task, but it's not restful, either. I acquired some more decorations this Christmas (thanks, PalmMom!), so I've got to make some storage arrangements for those. This is the only time each year that I wish we had a Walmart nearby.

Happy New Year!

The PalmParents left today, and we had a really good visit. We miss them already. We're ringing in the New Year with baked macaroni & cheese and grilled hot dogs, as the PalmKids requested. Now we're playing Wii Fit, and it's hilarious. After it told me my Wii age was 28, I became a big fan. :-) I just maxed out the hula hoop game, and I didn't know that while I was doing it, PalmBoy was filming it! That should NEVER fall into the wrong hands!

The folks here in Hawaii celebrate with hours of fireworks, and it sounds and smells like we're in a war zone right now. I really don't understand the attraction.

Now, to get back to the ski jump and kick some fanny...