More Reading on the Refugee Crisis

The Italy series is still on hold for now because I have been spending my writing time reading and learning instead. A few more refugee-related links:

Not Afraid - Hannah Anderson
[I want to quote the whole thing on this one--it is SO GOOD.]

I understand that we cannot solve every geo-political crisis. I understand that we may not choose to involve ourselves in a ground war in Syria. I understand moral proximity and the order of loves. I understand that refugees must undergo strict a process to enter this country, whether they are Syrian or not.

But what I cannot understand is how easily we can turn a deaf ear to the wounded man lying on the road to Jerusalem just because of ethnicity. I cannot understand how quickly we’ll cross to the other side. I cannot understand how, like the young lawyer, we can justify our lack of compassion by asking “Who is my neighbor?”

Your neighbor is anyone who God brings into your life–Muslim, Christian, Syrian, French, or Iraqi. When someone is lying bruised and beaten beside the road and you’re taking that same road, he is your neighbor. Run to him. When someone knocks on your door legitimately seeking sanctuary, open it. And if we don’t, don’t be surprised if that same God doesn’t come down in judgment because we’ve failed to reflect his own hospitality. We may fear the possibility of a terrorist slipping through the cracks, but Jesus reminds us that we’d do better to fear Him who can throw both body and soul into hell.
 
Being pro-life is not about holding onto our rights, protecting ourselves, or insisting that a choice is legitimate simply because it is legal.  This is the rhetoric of the pro-choice movement: Protect yourself first. Don’t risk your sense of security to provide a safe place for another human being.
Instead, being pro-life means having the faith to believe that the God who calls us to do difficult things is big enough to care for us in the midst of them. Being pro-life means being people of courage and self-sacrifice. Being pro-life means being people of hospitality.

Six Reasons to Welcome Refugees After Paris: America Must Demonstrate Moral Courage (Foundation for Economic Education)

After the attacks on Paris, many politicians — including (so far) the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, and Texas — have called for stopping refugee flows to the United States from the Middle East, claiming that the refugee process poses a major threat to America’s security. Here are six reasons why ending US refugee resettlement is a mistaken and reactionary approach.

Something Christian Millennials Don't "Get" (Life in Progress Ministries)
[The headline is terrible--clickbait-y and misleading, irrelevant to the content--but the content itself is provocative.]

I find myself today witnessing some Christians who seem to want to be as not like Jim Elliot as possible. I do not understand this. ...For years and years and years it has been nearly impossible to get missionaries (even sneakily) into parts of the Middle East. It’s so dangerous, some, assuming they can even get in, are likely to be killed so quickly they can’t do much evangelizing. And now, hundreds of thousands of beaten, hurting, orphaned, widowed (google “pure and undefiled religion") and broken people are trying to come to US. Is it possible that a small percentage of them want to kill us? — Let me counter that question with another question: Does it matter?

...Open up a Bible and make a convincing argument that Jesus wants us all to be safe more than he wants us to reach the lost and help the hurting.

Responding to the Mounting Refugee Crisis
Responding to the Mounting Refugee Crisis (BONUS FEATURES) from FAI on Vimeo.


The Refugee Crisis and Christian Hope - Reformation21
[This one is heavy and hard to get through, but pointedly explores some of the challenges that come through accepting refugees. The author strongly warns against sentimentality and distinguishes
 between what the state can and ought to do and what Christians can and ought to do.]

We should be under no illusion: in the name of blinkered compassion we are at incredible risk of creating an angry and powerful underclass that is resolutely hostile to Europe and its values, and a popular swing to the far-right in reaction against it. Many of these refugees seem to recognize Europe's guilt-driven 'charity' for the cultural emasculation that it is and, rather than showing gratitude for their welcome into other people's places, manifest an attitude of angry entitlement to and hostility towards Europe's places, people, customs, and societies. While this is by no means universal, it is widespread enough to justify genuine concern.

...Few moral issues facing us in our day require such careful navigation between treacherous hidden shoals of false virtues and well-intentioned folly as that of the mass movement of refugees. Fulfilling our calling to be both wise as serpents and harmless as doves is an immense, yet never more pressing, challenge.

Thinking and Praying About the Syrian Refugee Crisis

I was going to put a post up today about how crossing the street in Italy caused me to fear for my life.

That feels so inappropriate in light of all I've read today about the Syrian refugees who have far more dramatic and significant cause to be terrified for their lives, however startling Italian traffic may have been.

Instead, for tonight, I think I want to share a few of the links I've read today. I understand this is an incredibly complex issue that cannot be easily solved, certainly not in a 140-character tweet (though this man admirably tried, and I have to say I snort-laughed over his attempt...it was either that or cry):

if only we had a seasonally appropriate story about middle eastern people seeking refuge being turned away by the heartless

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 16, 2015

In all seriousness, though--I do realize that there's far more nuance than can be communicated in a Facebook status or a 500-word article. What a Christian/church should do is not necessarily the same as what a government should do. I don't know all the answers. But what I do know is that some of what I have been reading has the aroma of Christ...and some of it just does not. At all. I grieve over the posts I have seen with a whole lot of “we’ve gotta look out for number one” and “they/them/those people,” but very little Scripture or empathy or compassion…a whole lot of fear and worry and self-protection, but very little love or courage. 

It’s not a simple argument. Still, I think at minimum, any Christian who is vehemently shouting “CLOSE THE BORDERS!” needs to take a long, hard look at Matthew 25 and the dozens of other Scriptures like it that call us to welcome the stranger, to love, to lay our lives down, to not be afraid. I'm really not sure what we do with those verses, however uncomfortable they may make us...


Should We Really Close the Border to Refugees? Here's Why Fear Drives Out Compassion - Trevin Wax

Fear leads to hatred; courage leads to convictional compassion. And convictional compassion means differentiating between the radical Islamists who would destroy us and peaceful Muslim neighbors who stand with us in deploring such violence.

We are in a war. An unconventional war, of course, but a war nonetheless. Wars always bring out the best and worst in humanity. When future generations look back in time, let us hope they will see that we met these challenges with courage, not fear. In doing so, we obey the most frequent command in the Bible, “Do not be afraid.”

Questions Regarding Waves of Terror and Walking on Water - Shawn Smucker

Protecting ourselves, protecting our best interests, that’s the logical thing to do. Even if it means turning away people with legitimate needs. But it’s not the Christian thing to do.

...It’s actually rather upside-down, rather silly. But that’s the Kingdom of God for you, because the Kingdom of God doesn’t make sense. In the Kingdom of God, we do good for those who hate us. In the Kingdom of God, the smallest of things can move mountains. In the Kingdom of God, we are told to return violence with non-violence. The first will be last, the last first. The meek will inherit the earth. It’s a Kingdom that belongs to the poor in spirit. It’s a Kingdom that doesn’t make any sense.

What does make sense? Well, it would make perfect sense to stop welcoming refugees – after all, they might be ISIS! It would make perfect sense to stop taking in the needy, the orphans, the widows – after all, they might simply become freeloaders! It would make perfect sense to turn our back on those we consider enemy, those we consider other, those we don’t understand. ...It would make perfect sense to turn inward. But it doesn’t make Kingdom sense.

Jen Hatmaker on Facebook:

Let me tell you something, Jesus: LOW BLOW. I do NOT want to see your face in the faces of these complicated, hurting, needy people. When I see a prisoner, I want to see "criminal." When I see the homeless, I want to see "addict." When I see a refugee, I want to see "threat" or at least "financial drain." What I do not want to see is your sweet face.

Why couldn't you identify with more stable people? We like you in the faces of our children and best friends, for example. We like you in our government and in our Family Friendly Movies. We like you in our pretty churches and gated neighborhoods. We do not want to see you in the faces of the poor. That sucks. Now you are really messing with us. You do realize what this sort of holy identification will cost and require, right?

Suspicious of Syrian Refugees Coming to the U.S.? Here's a Reality Check - Janell Ross

Refugees are subject to more scrutiny and background checks that any other group admitted to the United States.  ...simple changes to the order of certain steps in process would leave a robust clearance program in place but eliminate unnecessary redundancies, red tape and difficulties.

What we do know is that extended waits can contribute to the number of people desperate enough to undertake a highly dangerous journey and enter a third country illegally. People in refugee camps cannot legally work. In some camps child mortality rates are alarmingly high and people live in tents. Many others are housed in buildings without heat or running water.

...While...7 in 10 refugees making their way across the Mediterranean are adult men, the overall refugee picture is much more balanced. (The adult-male skew above makes more sense when you consider the danger involved in the journey.) Among the 4.05 million Syrians who have fled their country and then registered with UNHCR (the United Nation's refugee agency), there are actually slightly more women than men. 

No, Thousands of Syrian Refugees Are Not Arriving in New Orleans - Aaron Earls

...do you care about the truth and do you want to undermine your credibility and reputation so conspiracy theorist bloggers can make more money on pop-up ad revenue? ...You cannot lament the dishonesty of mainstream media outlets while promoting and sharing stories from conservative blogs that do nothing but exaggerate, mislead and blatantly lie to push their agenda.

The Islamic State Wants You to Hate Refugees - Adam Taylor

What seems almost certain is that the Islamic State wants you to equate refugees with terrorists. In turn, it wants refugees to equate the West with prejudice against Muslims and foreigners.

Immigration Policy Must Be Based On More Than an Appeal to Compassion - Kevin DeYoung
[much helpful balance and nuance here, which I am able to hear and consider when it is prefaced with "I too am turned off by the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that sounds more like Pharaoh in Exodus 1 than the “love the sojourner” commands in Deuteronomy 10. It is a commendable response to see hurting people and think, 'Let’s do all we can to help.'" YES. Thank you.]

...The issue of immigration—both for those inside the country already and for those wanting to get in—is bound to be a pressing political, international, and humanitarian concern for many years. We need Christian writers, thinkers, pastors, scholars, and activists to be a part of the conversation. My plea is that the conversation reflect the complexity of the situation and goes beyond the familiar dichotomies of love versus hate, inclusion versus exclusion, and fear versus compassion. There are too many important things, and too many human lives, at stake to move quite so quickly from solid Christian principles to simple policy prescriptions.

Parent Tantrums and Merciful Love

Six-thirty a.m. on a school day. No amount of sugar-coating will make it less ugly, so I'll just be frank: I threw a colossal temper tantrum. Complete with name-calling and kicking a kitchen cabinet. I yelled. I slammed dishes around. I shamed and belittled a seven-year-old. Just seeing this description of myself in black and white makes me want to crawl in a hole...but there it is.

By the time we needed to leave, I wasn’t yet truly feeling sorry. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t have a sincere desire to repent and reconcile with my kids. I was still angry—a combination of anger over the original trigger, and anger at myself for acting so irrational and out-of-control. Mercifully, I had a moment of clarity, realizing that if something happened that day, and the last interaction I had with my son was this shameful tantrum, I’d never be able to live with myself.

So I knelt down and looked in his eyes. I told him that although I had been angry, that didn’t make it OK for me to yell at him and call him a baby, and I was wrong to treat him like that. I apologized and asked him to forgive me.

Elijah didn’t hesitate to extend forgiveness. It frequently blows me away how quick my children are to accept my apologies, even when I’ve been horrible to them. I hugged and kissed him, and also hugged and kissed my four-year-old (who had suffered collateral damage from my tantrum, receiving a few harsh words of his own for minor things that ordinarily wouldn’t have been such a big deal), and we got in the car.

While the instant forgiveness was beautiful and impressive, that wasn’t what struck me hardest. The really remarkable thing happened later that morning.

[Head over to Ungrind to read the rest!]

Listening to #Ferguson

I had yesterday's post set to go before the Ferguson grand jury announcement...I wish I hadn't. Today it feels wrong to talk about anything else. Today I need to keep silent and listen. Below is a sampling of what I've been listening to.

This link-dump may overwhelm you. We *should* feel overwhelmed by injustice; we should mourn with those who mourn. We *make* time for things that matter to us. Please, will you take some time to listen? Will you open your heart to care? Will you dare to hear perspectives on this besides Fox News or Matt Walsh? Any one of these links would be worth your while to consider. Maybe you could skim through the quotes below and choose even a couple of articles to ponder. Maybe you could realize your privilege means you get to choose whether to care about Ferguson and racism and police killings. 

A Decision in Ferguson: How Should Evangelicals Respond?

"White evangelicals must listen because there is a context to this tragedy, we must listen to feel the pain behind the problem and finally we listen so that we might acknowledge that injustice really exists.

"...Rioting is wrong and stupid—but so is using rioters as an excuse to ignore the hurts of so many. For many, this is about an incident. Yet, for many African Americans, it's about a system. It's worth listening to why people are responding differently to the situation in Ferguson."

The Ferguson Grand Jury Has Given Us Our Marching Orders
"We saw an American prosecutor fail the principle of 'blind justice' by handling court procedure in a way most legal experts found a dereliction of duty. Over and over again we heard that the grand jury bar for an indictment is so low all it takes is a ham sandwich. Prosecutors who want to prosecute don’t 'present all the evidence;' apparently, they present only that evidence that gets them the indictment and commences the trial. If that’s true, and I have to trust the majority opinion of legal experts since I’m not one, then Ferguson’s prosecutor failed to even live up to the low-bar ideals of his profession, much less America.

"...a grand jury indictment depends largely on the recommendation of the prosecutor. If he/she wants an indictment, they tend to get one. They present the parts of the evidence that lead to the conclusion. In this case, a prosecutor with a history of close affiliation with police officers and no record for ever bringing an indictment, 'rigged the system,' according to one analyst, to get the result he wanted. He took the unprecedented steps of giving the grand jury 'all the evidence' and allowing the accused to testify to the grand jury for hours instead of leading a prosecutorial effort with integrity.

"Here’s how I wish the President had ended his comments and what I pray the remaining movement in Ferguson, New York, LA and other  parts of the country would commit itself to.

• Forming a National Commission for Reviewing the Use of Deadly Force by Police Authorities
• Federal Requirement and Funding of Police Body Cameras
• Creation of a Mechanism for Appointing Prosecutors
• The Demilitarization of Local Police Departments"

Most White People in America are Completely Oblivious
"I think this, more than anything, is the source of our trouble when it comes to racial division in this country. The inability of white people to hear black reality—to not even know that there is one and that it differs from our own—makes it nearly impossible to move forward. But how can we expect black folks to trust law enforcement or to view it in the same heroic and selfless terms that so many of us apparently do? The law has been a weapon used against black bodies, not a shield intended to defend them, and for a very long time."


Race and Policing in America
"Generally, people of color have an understanding of white perspectives because they live in and among the dominant culture. But most whites have no significant relationships with people of color. An August study by Robert Jones of Public Religion Research Institute notes that 75 percent of whites in the United States have no friends who are people of color. Three-quarters of whites never discussed racialized policing with those most directly affected by it. Ignorance is breeding more ignorance.

"...the New York City Police Department made more than 5 million stop-and-frisk stops from 2002 to mid-2013. African-Americans and Latinos accounted for more than 80 percent of them. In 88 percent of the stops, no arrests were made nor was there evidence of a crime."


Mike Brown’s shooting and Jim Crow lynchings have too much in common. It’s time for America to own up
"...the rate of police killings of black Americans is nearly the same as the rate of lynchings in the early decades of the 20th century. About twice a week, or every three or four days, an African American has been killed by a white police officer in the seven years ending in 2012...That number is incomplete and likely an undercount... Even though white Americans outnumber black Americans fivefold, black people are three times more likely than white people to be killed when they encounter the police in the US, and black teenagers are far likelier to be killed by police than white teenagers."


#Ferguson: A Gospel Issue
"What I’ve seen is that in my privileged white world, the ‘Gospel’ is domesticated.  Ferguson is not on our radar.  I’d dare say for many white evangelicals, today is just another day.  The real scandal would be if some prominent evangelical wrote a pro-LGBTQ book, for instance.  The Gospel is tamed, reduced, narrowed.  It becomes a balm for guilt-ridden souls who crave 140-character tweets reminding us that we’re accepted, but it hardly seems applicable to what is happening in Ferguson. And, after all, isn’t what is happening there really just about some angry black folks who’ve, once again, made a much bigger deal out of something that clearly was the result of a young black man’s aggression against a police officer?

"We don’t get it, friends.  And we can’t, and won’t, until we walk a hundred miles in the shoes of someone very different than us or until our friendships reflect the diversity of society.  Statistics show, in fact, that we have the least diverse social network – 91% white, and only one-percent black.  We naively think that changes in voting rights some forty years ago solved the problem of race.  And as Christians, we become incensed at a Facebook dialogue about abortion or homosexuality, but hardly understand the fury of young black men and women in the streets last night who feel so powerless that throwing stones and burning things provide some outlet, albeit a tragic one, for a voice.

"...Far more hinges on how we meet one another from here on out than on an indictment in Ferguson, MO.  Until my white (mostly evangelical) brothers and sisters are as impassioned by this as they are the next Rob Bell book, I don’t see much changing.  And when I say that, I’m not saying that you need to get behind an indictment but get behind your black brothers and sisters, to get into their worlds, their realities, their sufferings.  I’m saying we need to ask questions, to listen, to exercise holy curiosity.  I’m saying that we might have blindspots, might not see so clearly."


A Prayer for Ferguson
"Forgive us for not weeping with those who weep. Forgive us for judging others with a measure we do not use to judge ourselves. Forgive us for speaking when we should be silent and being silent when we should speak. Forgive us for being hard-hearted and dim-witted. Forgive us for loving our comfort more than our neighbor. Forgive us for being too often indifferent to injustice in our world and unrighteousness in our lives."

This All Happened Before

"We all love to think we would have marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We all get misty eyed at the 'I Have a Dream' speech. If you get all inspired by Rosa Parks, Dr. King and Diane Nash, but are repulsed by what’s happening in Ferguson and cities all around the U.S. (LA, NYC, Chicago, Seattle and more are already marching tonight), realize you would have had the same feelings in the 60s. It’s easy to look back and see the pictures of the CRM & think it was a bunch of one day marches and then we passed some laws, everyone was equal!

But it looked like TONIGHT. It felt like tonight. It was scary and exhausting and long. It started over a kid who was “no angel”. It was at least 14 years long."

Violence of Whiteness
"How do we even summarize the damage the criminal justice system has done to black communities over the course of American history? It is white supremacy that has found ever creative ways to shut out and shut down black folks from being considered fully American, fully human. It is white supremacy that has been historically violent.

"It was not blacks who enslaved millions of people for financial gain. It was not blacks who lynched thousands of people for entertainment. It was not blacks who regularly invaded the neighborhoods of other communities to wreak havoc. It was not blacks who created laws to disenfranchise others. These are the violent inventions of white supremacy.

"And this is why we sit in anticipation of every decision that involves unarmed, dead, black bodies. This is why we sit on the edges of our seats and wonder whether or not America will acknowledge our humanity this time. This is why we anxiously watch Ferguson."


And some Tweets:

Neil Postman eat your heart out #nowthis RT @aadragna: What's wrong with this country, in one tweet: pic.twitter.com/CuH6XH0IaT
— Jon Ward (@jonward11) November 25, 2014

If your child were killed, under what circumstances would you accept there being no trial for their killer? Not just no conviction—no trial?
— Anil Dash (@anildash) November 25, 2014

Christian, if your first response is triumph & not sadness, dismissal & not empathy, then you're not in sync w/ the mind of Christ #Ferguson
— Jim Essian (@JimEssian) November 25, 2014

Grand juries not resulting in indictments: Police Officers: 80 of 81 Civilians: 11 of 162,000 #Ferguson http://t.co/rmHtPlNlun
— Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) November 25, 2014

Today is not a day for the privileged to ignite a debate, but to seek understanding and reconciliation.
— Efrem Smith (@efremsmith) November 25, 2014

SOMEONE CALL IN THE NATIONAL GUARD TO PROTECT OUR- oh, that was after the World Series in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/21PgkOrFbJ
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) November 25, 2014

MOBILIZE THE MILITARY WE NEED- oh, that was in Seattle after the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/snTGzqlDKv
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) November 25, 2014

End of the night thoughts. pic.twitter.com/eDf3PMHRgf
— Lecrae (@lecrae) November 25, 2014

Dear TV media, "Protestors" protest. "Looters" steal. "Arsonists" set things on fire. Please use the appropriate label to match your video.
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) November 25, 2014

In case you still don't know why there's so much outrage in #ferguson... (via @creativerobd) #handsup #DONTSHOOT pic.twitter.com/lNXtBsSwCT
— Crystal S. Lewis (@CrystalLewis) November 24, 2014

My piece on Ferguson: "White Christians: It's Time to Stand in Solidarity With Your Black Brothers and Sisters" http://t.co/4oWBLdkk9v
— Christena Cleveland (@CSCleve) November 25, 2014

"What do we do about it?" (White)People cry? Wake up to the deep issues. Struggle to understand them. Work to be part of the solution.
— Micky Jones (@iammickyjones) November 25, 2014

#BlackLivesMatter not because I say so. Not because of my arguments but because we are an important piece of the Imago Dei.
— Austin Channing (@austinchanning) November 25, 2014

Made for More: Author Interview

Hannah Anderson's book had me shouting YES! out loud as I read. I repeatedly scribbled "wow" and "AMEN!" in the margins. I think Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image is a deeply important contribution to the church's conversation about gender roles, femininity, and identity.

I am delighted to direct you to Ungrind today, where you can find a recent interview I did with Hannah about her book--and a giveaway from her publisher! Hannah begins by saying:

When I first entered adulthood, life was pretty easy; I had my nice, neat categories. I knew who I was and where I belonged. And then life happened.

Ten years later, the roles and categories that had once given me security weren’t working anymore. I felt uncertain, out of sorts, and restless. When I looked around, I saw my friends going through very similar struggles. So I started asking myself, What have we missed? What has been absent from the conversation that would explain why so many of us are longing for “more”? It turns out that the “more” we needed wasn’t more opportunity or different roles; the “more” we needed was God Himself.

 Head over to Ungrind for more, plus a chance to win one of two copies of the book.

...And stay tuned, because I'll be revisiting this next week with more of my thoughts about the book and some "bonus material" from my interview with the author!

NOT for Common Use

Upon visiting the local studio to ask for advice, I found out how much I didn’t know about dance shoes. The strappy heels I’d seen on display during our lessons weren’t merely “shoes that are good to dance in”—they were “shoes that are ONLY for dancing in.” Our instructor informed me that you never, ever wear your dance shoes outside. You bring them in a bag and put them on when it’s time to dance. They have suede soles, perfect for both spinning and traction, but also easily ruined. In other words, if I chose to purchase some ballroom dance shoes, they would most certainly not double as party shoes. If they were to retain the very features that made them good for dancing, they would have to be kept aside, reserved for special use.

A similar rationale accompanies the worship regulations described in Exodus 30. The anointing oil is sacred; God instructs Moses to use it for consecrating priests and objects within the tabernacle only. And God means business. The recipe isn’t a guarded secret; it’s clearly described here—but anyone who tries to make his own sweet-smelling oil or put the real stuff on an outsider “shall be cut off from his people” (v. 33). God’s instructions are explicit: “This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person” (v. 31-32).

The holy incense was protected by similar regulations: Make this exactly according to instructions, and don’t you dare mix up any for your own common use. This specific blend of spices was carefully hoarded, not to be used anywhere but in the temple.

These stringent restrictions were dismantled in a stunning way a few centuries later. And after Jesus had risen again, He would do something unbelievable, something vaguely akin to letting my little niece wear my ballroom dance shoes to an outdoor princess party.

Head over to Pick Your Portion today for the rest of my reflections on Exodus 30 and the shocking way God turned His own rules upside down. 

The Stuff of Good Stories

There's a reason I don't write fiction. Ask my favorite writing professor from college, who once called my short story "flat," "tedious," "obvious" and "corny." If she'd been Southern, she definitely would have scrawled "Bless your heart" at the bottom.

That old anecdote, and my chronic inability to create believable characters, came to mind a few weeks ago as I was reading in the Old Testament and marveling at God as Master Storyteller. I am continually amazed at how these centuries-old stories virtually shout Jesus' name, if I have eyes to see it and ears to hear!

Shortly after that, I read Matthew 17 and Acts 17 back to back for my next Pick Your Portion assignment, and the repeated references to suffering brought my mind back to storytelling again. Click over to read my reflections on how God's story is infinitely better than the one I would write, because of the way He doesn't shy away from suffering like I do.

My Two Cents on the Duck Nonsense

I’ve tried to ignore this whole Duck Dynasty kerfuffle. I really have. But my Facebook friends keep blowing up my news feed with links and comments and articles about it, and I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer.

Three things:

1. I find it highly ironic that the Christians who are so agitated about A&E’s suspension of Phil Robertson are, in all likelihood, the same Christians who have been appalled at the recent court cases involving Christians who are fighting for their rights not to do certain types of business with gay or lesbian couples. The photographer in New Mexico, the florist in Washington, the baker in Colorado—all have argued that they should not be compelled to provide services for a same-sex wedding. They believe they should have the freedom not to work with people whose beliefs and lifestyle are in conflict with theirs.

Um. Does A&E not have the right to the same freedom? This is not a First Amendment issue. Phil Robertson is not going to jail or being killed for saying what he believes. This is a private company saying, “Hey, we don’t want our name and brand associated with your beliefs.” Which is pretty much the same exact thing the photographer and the florist and the baker are saying. We can’t have it both ways, folks.

2. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of homosexuality, please do not claim that Phil Robertson “simply said what Scripture says” or “was only stating biblical values.” As a Christian, I found his remarks offensive. He displayed a lack of compassion for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, a disturbingly demeaning view of women and marriage, and a staggering ignorance about race. That last one was what startled me most when I read Robertson's quotes, and Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan summed it up well:

 I don’t even know where to start with this one. Comparing black people to white trash is cringey, but suggesting that black people were happier during segregation? That because Phil never heard a black person publicly complain BACK IN THE ERA OF LYNCHING means that they must have been satisfied with the state of things? This is so racially tone-deaf that it reminds me of the time Paula Deen romanticized the slaves as being “like family”. Not to mention, the subtext of his remarks is that black people nowadays are entitled, unGodly, discontented welfare recipients. So when I see people as “standing with Phil” based on their Christian values, I really have to ask . . . how does an apologist for our country’s ugly Jim Crow legacy represent Christian values? 

3. Really, church? This is what we’re going to get ourselves all worked up about? How about we save our energy and outrage for things that are truly, unarguably outrageous. Like, I don't know, human trafficking. Also, can we just stop crying “persecution” all the time? THIS is persecution. A millionaire being suspended from a cable TV show for making crass and ignorant statements not even about the gospel (please, for the love of all that is good and holy, PLEASE do not confuse “the gospel” with “morality”), is not persecution.

I know a lot of ink has been spilled over this already, but I couldn't scroll through the slew of "I support Phil Robertson, the righteous martyr" posts on my Facebook feed any longer without throwing in my two cents. Thanks for indulging me.


Further worthwhile reading:
The Duck Thing: Is There Another Way?
Duck Dynasty, First Amendment Rights, and Christian Values
This is Not Worth Quacking About
Dear Kids: Never Forget the Power of Words

Like Father, Like Son

In many ways, Steve is just like his dad--and at Thanksgiving, he got called out on it by my five-year-old niece. That little anecdote came to mind when I read John 8 in preparation for this month's article over at Pick Your Portion. Click over for the story, the ultimate Storyteller, and a little about our favorite Christmas tradition!

The Look of Love

Some of the most evocative wedding photos I've ever seen were on BuzzFeed last year, in a collection titled "24 Grooms Blown Away by Their Beautiful Brides." In the pictures, the men clap their hands over their open mouths. They weep. They are unable to hide their awe and joy and amazement. Each man is captivated by the beauty of his bride, stunned that this incredible woman is actually his.

As sweet as it is to see the way a man takes pleasure in his bride on their wedding day, I think this is a mere shadow of something even more breathtaking. Click over to Pick Your Portion today to find out why these pictures came to my mind when I read Psalm 149 recently, and how I think these emotional grooms offer a tiny glimpse of a far more incredible love story.

Inheritance, Injustice, and a Greater Story

A king, dissatisfied with the riches he already has, attempts to buy a vineyard from an average citizen. When the citizen refuses, holding his family inheritance too dear to sell it even to a king, the king pouts like a child.

"What's your problem?" asks his queen. "You're a king--you can do whatever you want." She promptly makes arrangements to have the vineyard owner falsely accused of blasphemy and executed. "Problem solved," she tells her husband. "The vineyard is yours."

On the surface, 1 Kings 21 is a straightforward story of two wicked rulers scheming to commit injustice and offending a holy God. But if you look a little more closely, you see another main character. Ahab and Naboth and Jezebel aren't the point of this story--and, for that matter, I am not the point of my story.

Check out my post at Pick Your Portion today to read about how I see Jesus in the story of Naboth's vineyard. 

And while you're there, subscribe! I count it a privilege to be a part of Pick Your Portion. The concept is brilliant and unique: a group of writers and artists gathered around the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan. Each weekday, a contributor offers an essay or a piece of artwork as a reflection on one of that day's Scripture readings. Founder Lisa Velthouse explains:

There is sitting at his feet, and there is everything else. His word is the good portion, other things are distraction. They are distraction even in the shape of a welcome wagon for the Lord of the universe. Christ’s implied question to Martha—to anyone—is clear: Are you here for what you’re doing, or are you doing what you’re doing because of me?

Pick Your Portion is an effort in sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to his teaching. Our aim is to provide a pause among the everyday fragments of life, reminding ourselves and others to stop and long for God’s voice as it echoes all around. We’re here to be mindful—among relationships and responsibilities, troubles and anxieties, grocery lists, meeting requests, and laundry piles—of the good news of our Redeemer. This site lives in wonderment about who God is and what, through Christ, he has accomplished.

The contributor lineup features almost two dozen women - single and married, younger and older, in the workforce and staying home, mothering and not. And these talented women from various seasons of life are helping me see the beauty of Jesus all over Scripture, helping me remember the Main Thing.

If you're like me, you barely read any blogs these days unless they show up in your Facebook feed--so follow Pick Your Portion on Facebook and you won't miss a post.


[This post is part of the series "31 Days of Seeing Jesus"--click here for a list of all posts.]

A Lesson in Art Appreciation

Earlier this month, I got a lesson in seeing Jesus by way of a lesson about art appreciation.

I have the privilege of being part of a group blog project that has recently launched, called Pick Your Portion. Lisa Velthouse (you may remember my review of her memoir) has gathered a group of writers and artists around the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan. Each weekday, one of the women offers an article or a piece of artwork as a reflection on one of that day's Scripture readings.

I love the concept, and I've been excited to see what the various women have come up with. The art contributions especially intrigue me, since I am decidedly *not* an artist.

True confession: When I first glanced at the painting published as a response to Ezekiel 34, I thought it looked like a sloppy mess--the kind of thing highbrow art critics applaud, but regular people like me find difficult to appreciate.

But before clicking away, I scrolled down to the comments and saw two other contributors effusively praising it, remarking thoughtfully. “This is beautiful. So beautiful,” the first one said. Really?! I thought, eyebrows raised in disbelief. The commenter continued, saying the painting “reminds me of the trust required if we are to fully see God’s blessings as the gifts they are. Sometimes his work of provision in our life feels a little scary—a little wild and uncontrolled. But, wow, is it beautiful.”

Hmm. 

The second commenter weighed in: “There’s so much movement in this, and at the same time, there’s something subdued about it too. So often I think God’s blessings should come at me like a crash—and they do, but it always looks a little quieter than I initially expected. I love the way this art is helping me think about God’s showers of blessing.”

Well, I thought. Clearly these women are more mature than me, more humble, able to see God’s truth everywhere. They have eyes to appreciate what was certainly a careful piece of work, not a haphazard creation, however it may initially appear.

I scrolled back up to reconsider, and I saw the tree, bent over with the weight of all this color. Showers of blessing. How often does my life look like a mess? I can’t see or make sense of what God is up to in all this. But if His grace is all these colors running together, my tree can hardly be seen for the abundance of it. He overwhelms my life with grace. At first glance, His blessings don’t always seem beautiful. Some are dark, streaked with pain. He pours out grace that humbles, bends these branches low.

Clearly it takes the skill of a practiced, careful painter to make a painting like this. It takes the vision of a creative, talented artist to produce deliberate strokes, layered with meaning. I am not an artist; I have no idea how pieces like this are created, how beauty is brought from a blank canvas and some paints, a brush, a cup of clear water.

And I am not the Artist, the Storyteller, the Creator whose thoughts and ways are far above my own. Dare I ever call the holy masterpiece He is producing ugly? Dare I pronounce his downpour of blessings a mess?

Life is a beautiful mess: because He is beautiful and I am a mess. And He hides the tree of me in the brilliantly colorful glory of His Son, grace running off the page because my one life is too small to contain it.

In the end I was amazed by the painting after all, and it indeed helped me think about God’s showers of blessing in ways I did not imagine. I thanked the artist, for sharing her gift, and the commenters, for setting a reflective example that made me look twice so I didn’t miss beauty.

Fine art isn't made to be glanced at and passed over. I imagine its creators intend for viewers to gaze carefully, linger long, reflect. Similarly, the value of the masterpieces God is at work producing in this broken world can't be immediately discerned with a casual glance. Sometimes we have to look long and hard to see Jesus; sometimes we have to admit He does not look like what we expect. But He is there, and He is beautiful--and unlike with fine art, which is arguably subjective, if ever I do not find His work stunning, the problem is my blindness.


 [This post is part of the series "31 Days of Seeing Jesus"--click here for a list of all posts.] 

Things I Learned in July

Emily at Chatting at the Sky does a roundup every month of "things I learned this month." It can be anything--her examples include "educational and informative...mindless celebrity connections...new services or products...weird quirks you have...inspirational and introspective." There are no rules, Emily says; "whether profound or ridiculous, all lessons are welcome and celebrated." I thought it sounded like an interesting prompt, so without further ado...here are a few things I learned in July.

1. "Pilau" is pronounced "PER-loo." Thank you, Southern Living, for setting me straight that the traditional Southern chicken and rice recipe I printed off six years ago or so is not actually "pee-lahw." Seriously? I mean...seriously? PER-loo?!

2. HTC One phones purchased on eBay cannot be activated on the Ting network. So sad. I want a smartphone mainly for the camera, and after a lot of research concluded that the HTC One was the way to go. Found a good deal on eBay...and was unable to activate. Le sigh. #firstworldproblems

3. Otherwise, Ting is AWESOME. We switched our service from Sprint and we are SO pleased. We can have smartphones and use as much or as little data as we want, rather than paying minimum $30/month for data with Sprint. We pay *actual* usage instead of a plan with overages--if we use fewer minutes or texts than our plan, they bump us down, and if we use more, they bump us up to the next tier rather than charging $0.20/text like Sprint did. This past month we used a whole lot more texts than we ever did before, plus some data, and paid half what we paid monthly with Sprint. HALF! If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you a referral link. We got $50 credit by using a referral link from a friend when we signed up.

4. When you see a really great airline ticket price, you should snap it up instead of deliberating for a few days, because when you go back to book it, you'll hate yourself and the world when it's gone up by over $100. #morefirstworldproblems

5. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, a monument on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, celebrates the longest undefended international border in the world. And that peace was secured through disarmament after the War of 1812. Steve and I visited there for our anniversary getaway a couple of weeks ago--hoping to post about it with pictures soon.

6. Everybody does better when Daddy's around. I am so not cut out for single parenting, and thankful I so rarely have to do it.

7. Sonic is not the place to go for milkshakes. A friend told me I had to try their chocolate fudge bacon milkshake, and I was irresistibly intrigued, but it was a disappointment. Sonic doesn't mix their milkshakes well enough, so it's like trying to drink soft serve ice cream through a tiny straw. Not so satisfying when you have to work so hard that the insides of your lips end up hurting. #firstworldproblemsagain For the record, Hardees has better milkshakes...we got free milkshake coupons from the library's summer reading program or I'd never have tried theirs.

8. I will never again attempt a road trip with the boys without a couple of good audiobooks. We got two Ramona audiobooks from the library this last time and didn't hear a peep out of Elijah for four solid hours. Amazing.

9. Maple syrup separates when frozen. Really weird and fascinating.

10. Peaches tan like people do. I bought 25 pounds of peaches from "The Peach Truck" last Saturday and the man pointed out a yellow triangle on an otherwise-reddish peach. He said that was where a leaf had been covering the peach.

11. A dance lesson with my husband is the best way to get me out of a funk. Steve bought some lessons for my birthday and we took our second one last week. Can hardly wipe a silly grin off my face the whole time we are dancing. So much fun.

How about you--what did you learn in July?

Book Review: Christ in the Chaos

Kimm Crandall is wild about grace, obsessed with pointing desperate moms to Jesus. Again and again I've printed off posts or copied quotes from her blog to preach to myself. So when I found out she had a book coming out this spring, I knew I would want to read it.

Christ in the Chaos isn't your usual guilt-inducing book about motherhood. Instead, it's oxygen for the soul--and it's not just for mothers.

Kimm begins by helping readers root our identity not in motherhood, but in our place as His beloved daughters. A mom of four, Kimm doesn't pretend to have it all together; she knows she's desperately inadequate and isn't afraid to shout out that truth. Like the Apostle Paul, she gladly boasts in her weakness so that Christ's power can rest on her. And as she hides herself in Him, she brings something heavy to her readers: not the burdens of guilt and shame, of "should" and try harder and do better, but the weight of glory--the reassurance of love and holy welcome and finished work to rest in.

As Kimm explains, whether we are consumed with guilt and despair over how we have failed our children, or whether we are patting ourselves on the back for being Awesome Moms, our love for our kids is tainted with selfishness and pride. Chaos reigns when we are worshipping self, focused on our own abilities and successes. Our chaotic, sin-tainted hearts need the good news of the gospel--that we are beloved; that our identity, our righteousness, is in Christ.

Kimm sets out to dismantle our idols, to point readers away from themselves and toward Jesus. We’re often so focused on doing better, trying harder, but Kimm exhorts, “The key is Jesus. The key is not in somehow ‘being better,’ because being better is all about our invariably sin-tainted performance. ‘Being better’ is all about me. ...We must trade in our performance obsession...for a SAVIOR obsession.”

She acknowledges that readers may be looking for some concrete guidance on how to live in light of the gospel. But she outlines the dangers of providing a “Godly Motherhood Checklist”—in short, pride when we live up to it and despair when we don’t. Instead, Kimm writes,

“my desire is that God would use this book to free you to rest in Christ's outrageous grace, love, and mercy for you--not to motivate you to try harder. Freedom from the stain of sin. Rest from our strivings to be worthy in ourselves. Love that never changes. Mercy for all our failures. Grace that saves eternally. These are things that Christ lived, died, and rose again in order to give us--precisely because we can't get them any other way.” 

She continues:

“Are you walking the Christian life because you want to get to a place where you can think, Finally! No more chaos in my life. I’m so glad I learned to get all of that under control? If so, you are merely using the Bible as a stepstool to glorify yourself. If so, you want the rules of Christianity to help you become self-sufficient so that you no longer need Christ. Is that really what you want? If I said, ‘Follow these steps to find Christ in your chaos!’ I would be saying there is a way to live beyond the gospel. A place we can get to on our own that nullifies our very need for Christ. But this is…about living in the gospel, not beyond it.” (emphasis original) 

All this talk about grace can make some people twitchy: Are you saying obedience doesn’t matter? But Kimm's heart is clearly to see you walking in obedient trust. She simply believes that grace *must* be the foundation, the motivation, the air we breathe whether we succeed or fail.

Though I was encouraged by what I read, I found myself squirming a bit uncomfortably a couple of times. I’m not honestly sure if that’s because Kimm’s words were actually off-base or misguided in their emphasis, or simply because grace is so counterintuitive and I have lived so much of my life on the basis of my performance. It may be some of both. I do struggle with a performance orientation and need to humbly lean on grace…yet I also believe we can’t ignore the *transforming* nature of grace. The grace God gives us is grace that enables us to change, not only grace that forgives and covers our failures.

Right after reading this book, I read a challenging article by Dr. David Powlison in the Journal of Biblical Counseling. In “How Does Sanctification Work? Part 1,” Powlison argues against overemphasizing the doctrine of justification to the neglect of other beautiful, life-changing truths in Scripture. He contends that for certain types of people with certain struggles (like Kimm, or me), the constant reminder of justification might be exactly what is needed—but for others, other messages (built on the foundation of justification, but not exclusively about it) may be more timely and helpful.

I then read a friendly debate between Tullian Tchividjian (who shares Kimm’s perspective) and Kevin DeYoung on the role of effort in sanctification. I’m still processing all this, and eagerly awaiting part two of Powlison’s article. Powlison knows how to apply the gospel and keep it central as well as or better than anyone I’ve learned from, so I can’t dismiss his concerns.

In the end, I do wholeheartedly recommend Christ in the Chaos. Kimm’s courageous honesty about her weakness and inadequacy does exactly what she hopes it will do: points readers to what a great Savior she has and the beauty of His mercy and grace.

[full disclosure: Cruciform Press provided me with a complimentary e-copy of this book to review--but the Kindle edition on Amazon is only $5.78!]

Parenting Food for Thought

Since I can't seem to manage to put up any original content these last few days, I'll leave you with some links to other interesting blog posts. These are all old (in fact I think they are leftovers from NaBloPoMo last year), so I don't remember vividly enough to say I'd vouch 100% for all the content--but there is some great food for thought here about children and parenting:

Do Unto Your Children as You Would Have Them Do Unto You ~ Sally Clarkson

"If I want my children to honor me and respect me, I must treat them honorably first to show them what honor is.

"If I want them to work hard, they must see me work hard. If I want them to have godly character and not complain, they must observe me making the choices to not complain and to not create strife. How can I teach them to be gentle and long-suffering if they do not receive this from me.

"Of course all of us are selfish and struggle with our own sin and lack of training, which means we will fail often in carrying out these noble displays of love. But if we understand this principle–that the law and prophets are defined by this rule, it simplifies our choices, our behavior. And the interesting thing is that it reaches and opens hearts.

"Our home, our relationships, our family will become what we live by, what we practice."

10 Things Not to Do to an Upset Child and a Couple of Things You Can Do ~ Authentic Parenting

"When children become upset - no matter the reason - it seems as if all polite adult behavior goes out the door. Suddenly, because it is a child, it's normal and accepted to be rude, rough and plain intolerant. Our children's emotional outbursts bring out our inner child and unhinge a lot of discomfort, they remind us of our powerlessness and the reactions of the adults in our lives and often create atrocious response. children are humans too, and if we want to break this vicious cycle, these are a few of the reactions we should try to repress..."

Perfectionism ~ Ann Voskamp

"Sometimes we must speak or the stones will cry out. I have cried. It is now time to speak. To speak of our family’s personal experiences applying the teachings of Michael and Debi Pearl.

"'Always Obey. No Mercy.' I am not faithfully, unfailingly obedient. I fail…miserably. Often. You know it, Lord. The letters on the screen eddy in pools of tears, testifying. Then why did I ever think our children could be perfectly obedient? 100% of the time?"

Even God Does Not Break Our Will--and why "breaking a child's will" is NOT biblical ~ Elizabeth Esther

"When humans attempt to break another human will, they desecrate the likeness of God in that person and violate their God-given gift of freedom.

"I find it remarkably beautiful that we actually need our intact, unbroken wills to “make progress on the way to goodness.” Indeed, the road to holiness requires strong, powerful wills. It’s such a different thought than the kind of thoughts from my childhood. The difference is a yielded will versus a broken one. When your focus is breaking the will, the only obedience you can ever really expect is obligatory, perhaps even begrudged. But when your focus is winning the heart, obedience becomes a joyful love offering—a heart and will freely given."

Fabulous Blogs

Day 2 of NaBloPoMo and I am already posting somewhat last-minute...this is a rough start. Oy!

Part of this month will be playing catch-up with things that have been in my drafts folder for months (or in some cases, years). Back in July, the lovely Zoanna of A Penchant for Pens honored me with a "Fabulous Blog Award." I thanked her then, but am just now getting around to participating in the accompanying meme.

Zoanna is one of the delightful women I have come to know and enjoy through blogging, but have yet to have the pleasure of meeting in real life. Someday, I hope! I appreciate her sense of humor (especially her knack for puns), her love of good grammar, her honesty. I'm also glad for what she brings to the blog-world in terms of wisdom and life experience. It's so easy to surround ourselves with women who are in the same season of life as we are, and while that can be valuable and encouraging, we miss so much if we are not seeking out and listening to the voices of women who have "been there, done that." So stop over and check out her blog!

Next I'm supposed to give you a few lists:

Five fabulous moments in my life...

1. hearing Steve recite wedding vows to me
2. seeing Jude pink up after his beautiful birth and several moments of a gray, motionless baby
3. my first stuff-block in junior high volleyball
4. giving my testimony as a college ministry team member at the youth camp where I got saved
5. listening to a high school girl I'd informally mentored over the years read a tribute to me as an influential person in her life

Five things I love...

1. my kids' belly laughs
2. the anticipation of beginning a new journal/the satisfaction of filling one up
3. long talks with kindred spirits
4. photo Christmas cards all over my refrigerator
5. having my hair played with

Five things I hate...

1. typos and other errors in official, published works
2. misrepresentations or distortions of my theological beliefs
3. seeing my kids sick and feeling helpless
4. doing things I suck at
5. olives

And then, as is usually the case with unofficial "blog awards," I am supposed to pass it on. Like Zoanna, I too feel a little goofy passing the award along because, as she said, "Some folks don't feel so much honored as pressured to reciprocate." So I'm going to link you to five blogs I enjoy. If you see yourself below and you want to participate, have fun playing along--and if you don't feel like it, just know that I think your blog is fabulous, and enjoy the tiny bit of extra traffic I may drive your way!

All This Every Day
I met Robin at the aforementioned youth camp, when I was a senior in high school and she was a freshman (I think...right?). We were then at college together for a year before I graduated. The more I read her blog, the more I wish our time at college had overlapped more--or rather, the more I think I'd enjoy spending time with the lovely and interesting woman she has become! At her blog, you'll find foodie posts, beauty reviews, travelogues and poignant reflections. I loved the letter she recently wrote to her 14-year-old self--in fact I may end up riffing off of it later this month.

A Passing Glimpse
Jenny and I were acquaintances in college; one of her best friends was my senior-year roommate. I have so enjoyed hearing her heart and getting to know her better in the years since via her blog. She writes with piercing beauty and grace--first about her painful journey through infertility and pursuing adoption, and now about her precious new son Tedy, who I think is the cutest baby I have ever seen other than my own. Jenny hasn't been a mom for very long, but she definitely convicts and inspires me! The perspective she has gained through the long wait and the hard road to motherhood have, I am quite sure, made her a uniquely wonderful mother--Tedy is a blessed little guy.

Glory Itches
Ali is married to one of my husband's many wonderful cousins. Steve has such an awesome extended family! Unfortunately we rarely get to see or spend time with Josh and Ali, since they live so far away, but I am glad for the glimpses of Ali's heart through her blog. I definitely think that if we lived closer, I would be wanting to spend a lot of time hanging out with and learning from her!

Ten Thousand Things
I just stumbled across Megan's brand-new blog a couple of weeks ago, and I immediately subscribed. Her title comes from a fabulous John Piper quote: "God does ten thousand things in every deed. Perhaps we know a dozen. Maybe two. But not enough to judge before He's through." I don't know Megan at all, but she's been through a whole lot of heartbreaking trials in the last few years--and she writes about them with vulnerability and grace.

Dancing By the Light
Danielle is another blog-friend whom I hope to meet someday. I don't remember exactly how we got connected, but we've followed each other through the last five years or so--her twin boys are just a couple of months older than Elijah, and her baby girl is Jude's age. She doesn't blog all that often, but I love her "slice of life" style--slowing down to notice the simple things; looking for Christ in the everyday moments. You can also count on finding gorgeous photography (she has a side business) at her place. I think of her and wonder, WHY has God scattered all my kindred spirits all over the country?

Ladies, your blogs are fabulous :) Everyone else: Happy weekend reading!

My Book: A Visual Journal of Everyday Moments

This is "my book." Or as beloved Ann writes:

"This is the story of a Type-A personality finding serenity in playing about with glossy pictures and glue and paper. Child’s play. Yes, true: it’s a pretty simple story."

I am so, so glad she told that story so that I could begin my own!

It was nearly three years ago I started doing this, found a big stash of lovely magazines in the twenty-five-cent bin at the library, bought a big black sketchbook and started chronicling. Last week I opened volume six. The row of filled coilbound books lined up on my shelf makes me smile. And the current volume has a permanent home lying open on the end of my kitchen counter. I put off the project for a while after I first heard of it, but once I got over my intimidation and jumped in, I couldn't stop.

Ann explains the value in a personal visual journal:

 ~it’s a place to play, and yet practical: it’s a place to record the workings of your household
 ~a place to make beautiful, so when everything else is unraveling (or is that only at our house?) there’s a pretty place on the counter to write down the date and all the lovely little snippets of the day...
 ~a keepsake day journal for children and grandchildren, a container of simple memories, the best kind
 ~an aesthetically pleasing place made with your own two hands that invites you to write down when the dentist appointment is today, which phone calls to make, and it makes you smile evey time you look at the page
~ the ordinary tasks of our lives find themselves chronicled for what they truly are: important ceremonies… daily celebrations.

Yes. So here we go: I start with a blank book like this (only it's one of the few things I *don't* buy online; with a 40% off coupon for JoAnn, I never pay full price). Sometimes I decorate the cover with a printed article or quote, some patterned paper and a jar of Mod Podge--

 

--sometimes not. Then I collect magazines. Don't spend a lot of money on this! My favorite sources are Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens and Real Simple. I've also enjoyed Midwest Living and Martha Stewart Living. But I don't subscribe to any of these, unless I can do it for $5 or less (which does happen occasionally). Ask friends and family or even doctors' offices for their discards. Check the castoffs bin at the library. Sign up for free preview/sample issues. (Lowe's has a free magazine called Creative Ideas that comes five times a year.) The magazines above tend to have a higher number of things I like, but this will obviously depend on personal taste--and really, you can find fun pictures anywhere you look. I've used pictures from Pier 1 catalogs, Compassion magazine, even Snapfish or Hobby Lobby flyers. I also occasionally glue in my own photographs of neighborhood trees in the fall, or our peony bushes.

I go through the magazines whenever I get them and tear out anything I find pretty or visually interesting, including (but not limited to):

• flowers 
• food 
• landscapes/scenery 
• interior decorating 
• significant words/quotes 
• cities/travel 
• random household items (colored bottles, books)

Now that I've built up a huge collection, I keep these sorted in folders, with the above headings plus seasonal ones (Autumn, Spring, Winter/Christmas). And then I flip through them, spread them out on my table, and go to town. I glue in just a few pages at a time, less than a month's worth. I learned that lesson after my first journal, when I decorated the whole thing at once and then ended up looking at tulip pictures in November. I prefer to match the season, so not doing too far ahead allows me to (roughly) match flowers in season, holidays, etc. But I'm a little anal-retentive that way...if you like pumpkins in February or snow in July, more power to you.

Once I've got pictures glued in, I put the open book in its place on the end of my kitchen counter, and I start scribbling. With a pretty pen in a coordinating ink color (because we know pens are a little important to me). Cello pens won't do for this; for a while I was partial to Sharpie pens but now I'm addicted to these pricey but gorgeous Staedtlers...but keep the caps on! The tips of the Sharpies and the Staedtlers *will* get ruined when dropped on the floor...sadly I have learned this the hard way.

Sorry. Pen digression. Anyway, so I start scribbling, and I keep coming back throughout the day. There's no end to the variety of things that can find a home here:

• daily/weekly to-do lists as well as long-term project lists 
• gratitude lists 
• funny things Elijah and Jude do and say, their developmental milestones, etc. 
• Scripture verses 
• quotes from books, blogs, song lyrics 
• printed out blog posts or excerpts (if it's more than a few lines I love), most frequently from Ann Voskamp, Christ in the Chaos, Femina or Scotty Smith 
• lists of and brief blurbs about books I’m reading 
• notes from important phone calls (asbestos abatement contractors, preschools, chickens, etc.) 
• gifts received for birthdays/Christmases (people needing thank-you notes) 
• hospitality plans 
• recipes or meal plans 
• parenting inspirations/reminders

In addition to all these lists and quotes, occasionally I'll do a little more traditional journaling, writing just a paragraph or two about a special event or activity that day. If I remember and have space, I also use this like a scrapbook and glue in mementos (ticket stub, cut-out logo from a brochure, etc.).

Really this can be anything you want it to be. No rules--it serves you. And oh, can it serve you (and your family)! For me, this journal isn't just play, and it isn't a time-suck. It's a visual anchor, a place to refocus. It's a way to chronicle my journey, not in long chunks of set-aside quiet time (though I do love those, and journal differently during those when they come) but in moments. It's a place to preach truth to myself, a reminder to choose gratitude, an opportunity to pause for a moment and really *see* my life, my children, my Savior.

And, I hope, it will become a family heirloom of sorts. Maybe it's just me, but I think if I could get a glimpse of my mother's or grandmother's ordinary daily life this way--what she was thankful for thirty years ago, what Scriptures spoke to her, what books she read and loved, what funny things I said--wouldn't I love that precious keepsake! Even if my boys don't appreciate these books, I know I have loved having and revisiting my own journals over the years, rereading stories of God's work in me and looking back on sweet moments of my life.

So there it is--my often-mentioned visual homemaking journal. Now it's your turn! Grab a sketchbook, a pen, a glue stick and some magazines and have at it.

Surfin' Saturday ~ 12.17.11

It's a shame I haven't done this feature in a few weeks, as I've read and seen some really interesting things lately! Here are a few...

BPA Rises by 1200% After Eating from Cans ~ Food Renegade
I love how the FDA has admitted that BPA is dangerous, and we've recognized that it's enough of a problem that all the baby-product manufacturers make a big deal of advertising that their bottles, sippy cups, etc are BPA-free...yet most canned goods are still loaded with BPA and the FDA isn't doing anything about it.

For the record: bisphenol A (BPA) is "an endocrine-disrupting chemical pervasive in our food supply thanks to its use in lining canned goods. Over the years, studies have linked it to breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, reproductive failures and behavioral problems." In the study this article references, participants ate a single serving of canned or fresh soup for five days. And those who ate the canned soup had 1,221 percent higher levels of BPA.

I want to scream when I think about the unbelievable things our government wastes time regulating, and then things like this that they simply ignore.


Completely unrelated, two posts that confirm the perspective on education which I read and found persuasive in Leonard Sax's excellent book Boys Adrift:

"Your Baby Can Read" Costs Too Much ~ Janet Lansbury

“When we instruct children in academic subjects at too early an age, we miseducate them; we put them at risk for short-term stress and long-term personality damage for no useful purpose. There is no evidence that such early instruction has lasting benefits, and considerable evidence that it can do lasting harm."

My Children Can't Read ~ Huffington Post

"Infants and toddlers have much more valuable things to be doing with their time: finger painting, running in circles, jumping on couches, pot-and-pan beating, and annoying their siblings (to name just a few). Children, especially at this young age, learn through everything they do. Playing with dirt and water inspires scientific discovery and dipping their fingers in yogurt to smear across the freshly washed table motivates undeveloped artists. There will be plenty of time for them to learn i before e, except after c when they are sitting in school desks for the next seventeen plus years of their lives."

You'll Be Sorry: Children and Apologies ~ Janet Lansbury

Finally, some food for thought as I constantly think through discipline and how to handle Elijah's wrongdoing:

"Over the years I have heard many of these forced apologies. I understand the parent’s need for them, but I have to admit they always make me squirm. To truly apologize requires empathy, and empathy develops in its own way and time, at a different pace for each child. So, often the child is not developmentally ready to understand, much less own the words she’s saying.

"What worries me most is the child who, because his caregiver has pushed him to always say ‘sorry,’ receives the message that apologizing fixes everything. He punches another child, but as long as he says, “I’m sorry,“ he’s excused and can move on, or even do it again. We are wrong to believe we teach empathy by forcing an insincere apology."