For those wondering. . .

Praise God, Adrian is fine. We have been fielding numerous e-mails and phone calls today, from concerned people telling us they were praying and hoping Adrian was fine. Please pray for the students and faculty of Virginia Tech, as they deal with this tragedy, and that God will be glorified even in this great sadness.

A Side-by-Side Comparison

The greatest (because it's so awful!) movie proposal in all of cinema, in my opinion, is Darcy's first proposal to Lizzy, a la A&E. That scene is absolutely delightful. Hehe. Here is the approximate text:

In vain I have struggled; it will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. In declaring myself thus, I am fully aware that I will be going expressly against the wishes of my family, my friends, and I hardly need add my own better judgment. The relative situation of our families is such that any alliance between us must be regarded as a highly reprehensible connection. Indeed as a rational man I cannot but regard it as such myself, but it cannot be helped. Almost from the earliest moments of our acquaintance, I have come to feel for you a passionate admiration and regard, which despite all my struggles has overcome every rational objection and I beg you, most fervently, to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife.

I much prefer this version:

In vain I have struggled; it will not do. My feelings can not be expressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. In declaring myself thus, I am fully aware that I will be going expressly according to the wishes of my family, my friends, and I hardly need add my own better judgment. The relative situation of our familes is such that any alliance between us must be regarded as a highly commendable connection. Indeed as a rational man I cannot but regard it as such myself, but it cannot be helped. Almost from the earliest moments of our meeting, I have come to feel for you a passionate admiration and regard, which despite all my encouragement has only added to all the other rational reasons we should be married; and I beg you, most fervently, to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife.

What do you think? I rather think the second proposal is a great improvement, and terribly romantic. Especially if delivered on both knees, at sunset, by a duck pond, in a circle of stones under a cluster of trees. Now really, what girl could ask for a sweeter proposal? :-D And of course, really the more important detail is who is doing the asking. To complete the lovely scene, one must assume that the man doing the asking is the woman's man of her dreams. Just imagine in your mind's eye that he's sweet, sensitive, godly, handsome, intelligent, well-read, full of God-given grace, and wonderful in uncountable other ways, perfectly suited for the woman in question. Now that would be a romantic proposal. Why didn't Austen think of that?

Hi there from Sister Dear!

Hello, Blogger World!

Mother Dear and I just thought an update would be nice. :-) So, Susan is very nice to let me take over her blog and post a short update, pictures, and a poem from yours truly. We had a lovely visit with Adrian. For part of his visit, we had to take him to Stone Mountain. We spent a lot of time there growing up, so it's a memory-filled place for us, plus anyone visiting down here has got to see Stone Mountain if you ask me. It's just cool! We hiked up and showed him around a bit and had a picnic. And, can you believe it, he hadn't ever eaten at Chick-fil-A! Down here, that's a real oddity, like not having e-mail or something. So, we stopped by there on our way back from Stone Mountain. It worked out quite nicely.

I was so struck with the wonderfulness and beauty of friction while we were walking up Stone Mountain (with some rather steep parts) that I just had to write an Ode to Friction. Here you have it! And then pictures below that. :-)

An Ode to Friction

Away we look up the great big rock
Our destination is the very top!
We march away with firm determination
To get to our great destination

Though the first part up is rather un-steep
Still Friction must assist and guide our feet
As we travel further and the going gets rougher
Keeping a sure foot-hold gets even tougher

Friction, my friend, my ever-present helper!
What a blessing you get the further upper
That we trod upon this great big rock
For you keep me from many falls and unpleasant shock

I place my foot with confidence and trust
I know you won’t let me fall to the dust
My feet are set on an incline so great
And your God-given powers keep me standing straight

Friction, friction, what wonders you bear!
What this world would be without you there
We’d have slipping and sliding and all things colliding
Thank God for you, our companion, ever-abiding

1. Playing Apples to Apples. Ashley, Paul, and Amy (Ashley's sister) came over for a fun evening of food, chess, comic books, and sewing!

2. Resting while hiking up. (Friction is even hard at work here, while we're sitting!!)

3. At the top, holding hands (everyone say, "aw!"), looking at the amazing view, and pointing out certain landmarks to Adrian.

4. I think they're kind of happy.

5. In front of the carving! Sadly the carving isn't all that clear in this picture.

6. In front of my dream house. ;-)

7. I think Adrian likes Susan's hair a little too much. He took this picture.

That's all for now, folks!

--Hannah, aka Sister Dear

To keep him or not to keep him?

Sooooo . . . I haven't visited the Garrisons' home in years. It's not that I don't love them, I've just been busy, I suppose. However, this strange guy decided to come into Susan's life and since he's here on a visit, well, someone had to make sure he's okay. With guys these days, you just never know.

He's a friendly sort of fellow. His beard is passable, I suppose. At least Susan likes it. Or at least that's what she claims. Not much she could do about it unless she decided to shave it off when he falls asleep sometime - now that would be a grand idea!

He talks about math as if he was in love with it - that kind of scares me. You'd think it was his life or something. I've always said that anyone who loves math is crazy, so...he's officially CRAZY! Once I get home, I'll see if there's a medical description for this symptom, and if so, I guess he'll be admitted to a hospital for crazies. Then poor Susan will be without a man. Or she could go along with him because she just might be crazy herself for liking him.

Which brings me to something else. Who needs a man anyway?! Come on, all they do is require attention, time, food...and all sorts of work. If a girl wants flowers, she only need move into a cottage covered with roses and then she can have roses anytime she wants...without the hassle of a man.

But to each her own. If she likes him, I suppose he'll do. I've always thought they were perfect for each other, so there's really no way for me to stand in the way of PREDESTINED love. Since there's no way she can resist it, how can I fault her? Or him for that matter. Of course, he's obviously the blessed one here. Any guy who gets a girl is beyond lucky - well, actually he's just out of his element because he does not in any way deserve such a wonderful, amazing, intelligent, beautiful, better-than-him lady! (Adrian just received a bonus point for saying AMEN to the last comment!) I mean, I don't mean to sound cocky, but after God created Adam, he, I assume, realized he could do better. It's well known that before every masterpiece you always produce a rough draft!

As we close, it looks like Adrian just might get to stay because he agreed that women were better! What a somewhat good guy! ;-)

So rest assured, everyone, Adrian is allowed to *drumroll please* stay. He's not being kicked out of the Garrisons' home...and he's not being told that he doesn't make the cut. I've always wanted to tell some guy that he wasn't good enough for my friend, but...what can we say except he gets to stay. And yes, he's paying me good money for this endorsement - or maybe that's just me wishing. To require money, I'd need good blackmail on him. If anyone has some (Lane??), please submit ASAP.

With all the love of a happily single, concerned friend,

Esther, Inc.
Helping Boys Mature Into Men since 1984

Sabbatical

In need of some R&R. I've really been unable to thoroughly read or cogently comment to blog posts of late. I've been busy. . . and distracted ;-). I'll have a very pleasant distraction for the next week and a half, with an additional person in the house. Then only a week after Adrian leaves, my friend Emily comes for a few days. Then I go on two weeks of Spring Break and hope to be traveling some during that time. All in all, I think it would best for my time, sanity, and productivity if I disappear until early April, perhaps the second week.

I'll still be on e-mail, undoubtedly, so I welcome links to blog posts that you think would particularly interest me; I just don't plan on keeping up with blogs in general, though I will probably be making guest appearances on Cucumberland Island, as the opportunity presents itself :-). And I'd love to hear from anyone by e-mail, unrelated to blogs :-). My e-mail is in my profile.

Ta-ta for now :-).

Narcissism

Join the conversation on Ashley's blog.

Picture from my VA visit

I admit that I didn't have my camera readily available for snapping pictures when Jessie and I posed in NC (it may or may not have been locked in my car. . . ), so to see a picture from my visit with Jessie, you'll have to go to her blog :-).

Meanwhile, here is one from my visit with Adrian:



I've given up on getting Blogger to load a picture to my profile, by the way. I'm not trying to be visually elusive; I'm just at my wit's end with Blogger picture profiles!

Abundance

Just over a year ago, on Valentine's Day, I posted a Valentine's Day Prayer from a Maiden-in-Waiting. I meant every word of it. I felt so incredibly blessed with love last year on Valentine's Day, and the Lord truly did allow me to count abundance, not drought. I was more content in my singleness probably than I ever had been. God had just recently opened my eyes to the vastness of His grace, and I was overwhelmed with His love. There was not lack in my life, but abundance. And Adrian agreed with my sentiment by commenting with a simple "Amen." Hehe. Little did we know. . . :-)

Why does God give good gifts to His children? And why does He not stop after a few token gifts, instead of continuing to pour them upon me? Or a better question, why did He not stop after giving me the greatest gift possible? No words nor sentiments can ever truly express my thankfulness for Christ's sacrifice for me on the cross. He paid the debt I could not pay and gifted me the righteousness I could not earn. That is love. God owes me nothing, yet He offers me righteousness, eternal life, a place at His table, co-inheritance with Christ. Why? Then I remember: He loves me, and more importantly, He does it for His glory. The only being in the universe who deserves to be given glory chooses to use me, a broken sinner, to bring Him glory. Wow.

But God doesn't stop with salvation, though such a gift would alone be enough to leave my cup overflowing. He gives me family, friends, food, shelter, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. And He even chooses to fulfill so many of my little girl dreams by sending me a man I do not deserve. Adrian's love for me astonishes me, and it gives me a human picture of Christ's love for me. Adrian accepts me for who I am. He loved me first, when I did not love him. He loves me in spite of the fact that he knows I'm not perfect. He overlooks the imperfections I have of which he is aware, and he genuinely does not remember them. He stands not only willing, but eager, to forgive my sins - past, present, future, and to help me turn from them, to Christ. His assurance of his readiness to forgive makes me even more secure in his love and therefore more able to love him in return. It's a picture of the Gospel, a beautiful weaving of law and grace.

Why has God chosen to bless me beyond measure? I'll never quite be able to answer that. God delights to give good gifts to His children, though they don't deserve them. He uses them to show His children a visible representation of the Gospel. And He does it for His glory. Sometimes, rather than trying to figure out the "why" of God's actions, all I can do is whisper "thank you," and then fall on my face in front of His throne.

Bread-Winning Mum

I'm back from Virginia, where I had a marvelous time. Thanks to all for the sweet comments while I was gone. I easily had as much fun as Adrian indicated he had in a comment to my last post :-). I'm still trying to get things back in order after my return, but I wanted to share this article that really interested me. It was one of those articles that I kept recalling to mind and mulling over in my brain, long after I read it. Here are a few excerpts:

So what, I hear you say. In this enlightened age, why should we care who earns the most - who actually funds the children's piano lessons or who pays for new tyres on the car? Well, my husband cares. And if I'm honest about it, so do I.

. . .

But it left us staring at one very pertinent fact - we would be relying solely on my income. So far, so right on.

I was smashing the glass ceiling, Craig was breaking the mould. We (nervously) patted ourselves on the back. After all, we said, it doesn't matter who brings home the bacon. It'll get eaten just the same.

That was the theory. What we didn't bank on, as we sat in the French sunshine doing our sums, were the tensions and surprising pressures that would come with our new roles.

Make sure to read the whole article here. I'm interested in my readers' thoughts :-). You can easily guess mine. *grins*

HT: *scratches head trying to remember* I think Zan sent the link to Crystal or Mrs. B?

I'm going to be a bit too busy to blog in the next several days :-)

Tomorrow , Lord willing, I'm driving up to Jessie's house in NC, to spend a night on my way to Blacksburg, VA. Yes, that's right: I get to spend the weekend before Valentine's Day with my sweetheart :-). I'm planning on driving back early Tuesday morning, in time to return for tutoring later that day. I'm afraid I may be a bit too blissfully preoccupied in the next several days, just to explain my blogosphere absence in advance :-). Although, if you check here on Sunday, you may be able to read a joint post by Adrian and me :-). For now I'm off to pack, do laundry, and grade math papers. . . so I'll be ready to leave tomorrow.

Net Finney

I thought this article was hilarious.

It is a situation that is becoming all too common. An unsuspecting individual begins to innocently search the internet for information on a particular subject and suddenly finds his or herself faced with the perils of Reformed theology.

"I was helping my ten-year-old son do a report on American Government." Said Kenneth Lyons, a concerned parent. "We were about to research America's election process, so we went to Google and typed in "election." The phone rang and I stepped out for no more than 5 minutes, and when I returned I found Eric reading some article by a guy named R.C. Sproul about believers being "elected" and "predestined" by God for salvation. I just freaked out! I didn't know what to do."

Lyons' story is not unique. Families and entire churches are discovering daily the theological risks of surfing the internet.

Hehe. Read the whole article here. It was especially funny to me because I've developed a lot of my theology through internet resources. I grew up in PCA churches, but I really didn't personally take hold of reformed theology until late high school and beyond, as I increased my own theological studies, largely through the internet. My adult Sunday School teacher was also largely responsible for my developing beliefs, but the internet was my main tool for theological study. Net Finney was invented too late to help me. Hehe.

Silly Me

Apparently, it would be far better for my health and wealth if I stay single, so I admit I'm such a silly girl for wanting to get married. *slaps self for insanity* There are even 10 reasons why I - and other singles - should stay just that - single.

The interesting thing is, the reasons are rather self-centered. Hmm. Of course it's easier in many ways to not be accountable to someone else, and to not have to serve someone else! This shouldn't be news! It's a pity that that is the only side that many can see, though :-(. Really, I found the whole article incredible, but then, why should I? This is the "me" generation, who considers everything in light of what is "in it" for "me." What's the easiest way out? Here are a few tidbits:

Attention, unmarried people of America: You can splurge on a fancy new wristwatch without having to explain yourself. You can stay out till 3 a.m. without having to phone home. You can leave the toilet seat up. In fact, there are many, many ways that single life rocks, though you may forget that fact when your relatives are grilling you about settling down.

You do less housework. . .

So the message here is for unmarried women to enjoy their less chore-filled life; fill those free hours with classes, good books, blabbing with friends—whatever makes you happy.

You can do what you want with your money. . .

Go ahead: Splurge on that pricey moisturizer or that obscenely large plasma TV you’ve been lusting after. You don’t have to justify your purchase to anyone but yourself.

You're more self-aware. . .

“People who aren’t married are still investing in themselves,” says Davis. “It’s not selfish—it’s giving to yourself, and that’s something married people can learn from single people.”

Since I have a few young readers, I won't post the most blatantly unBiblical reason, for fear of offending, but to my mature readers, I reference #5 in the article, which really gets to the heart of the matter. Can you say "sowing wild oats"?

To read the whole article, go here. HT: Ashley

Now, certainly God has given some the gift of singleness, and many other singles would like to get married but haven't found that "special someone." I'm not speaking against that! I'm irritated by the "stay single to rule your own life" mentality. I'm speaking against the mentality that says that marriage and children, two wonderful blessings from God, are inconveniences and not worth the sacrifice.

So, I decided, as a young single girl who hopes to be married soon, that I'm going to retaliate and write "10 fascinating benefits to being married, to counter the article's "10 fascinating benefits to being unmarried." Here we go:

1. You have someone to admire you for more than just your body, someone to stay by your side when you're old and wrinkled and no longer care about looking perpetually 21.

2. You're more likely to achieve great things. I totally disagree with the article's point #2, and I've seen data to prove my point. Men are far more likely to do well in business if they have a supportive wife and family. And women? What greater impact can you have on the world than to raise its future inhabitants?

3. You have someone beside you to share life's burdens. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.

4. The living cost for one person, versus averaging the cost for two people in one household, is far more. Economically, it is far more economical to share living costs. And children that may come along later? They're cheaper by the dozen :-D.

5. You are given a picture of Christ's love for His church, which is Holy and exclusive. Husbands have the opportunity to be a vessel of God's love to their wives, loving them, cherishing them, and laying their lives down for them, as Christ laid down His life for the church. Wives have the opportunity to serve their husbands and families as the church serves Christ, in loving devotion and honor.

6. You have a life-size teddy bear, and you have someone to challenge you intellectually. You have someone to work with you to solve life's puzzles and to seek out new knowledge with you.

7. You have a shoulder to lean on when you are down, and a listening ear to hear your troubles. You have open arms when you need comfort.

8. You get to live with your best friend.

9. You have a partner on life's journey.

10. You get to spend the rest of your life getting to know someone inside and out.

Now, I'm not saying all 10 of these benefits come easily. Even I, who have not been married, know that. And I think the author of the article knows many of the benefits I mentioned. But she, like me, knows that those benefits don't just happen. Marriage is hard work, as I'm sure any married person would agree. Remaining best friends with someone when you see his very worst faults is not just going to happen without a lot of love and a lot of grace. We'd all like someone else to be there to serve us, but living your life as service for another isn't quite as appealing. It sounds like. . . work. And it is :-). But work can be a drudgery or a sweet calling, and I think the author of the article completely missed that second choice.

Georgia on My Mind

I'm an Indiana Hoosier. My parents were both born in Indianapolis, IN, and Brother Dear and I continued the family tradition. I consider myself a Yankee, and my favorite place in th U.S. is Southern Indiana. . . during the late summer when there are ripened corn fields as far as the eye can see. *happy sigh*

So, the irony of my strong attachment to Indiana and the North is that I've only lived there for four months of my life :-D. In August of 1984 my family moved to Georgia, where we've been ever since. I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood wishing to be back in Indiana. . . or at least somewhere in the North. . . and certainly somewhere far away from Atlanta. But in the past year or two, I've really finally decided that I'm happy here. Georgia is home for me. Atlanta (ghastly city that it is) is home for me. I've even come to appreciate a lot about Southern culture, and although it took me 15 years in the South before I gave in, I now allow "y'all" to slip off my tongue like a pro ;-).

Lydia posted a fun conglomeration of Kansas facts over at Renewed Day by Day, and she asked me to do the same with Georgia facts. It's probably best she asked me to post for Georgia, not Indiana, because even though I've pined for Indiana all those years, I know far more about Georgia :-). So here we go:

10 Facts About Georgia

1. Georgia is known as the Peach State, due to the great quantity of peaches grown and sold in Georgia every harvest season. This symbol is used throughout the state, and during elections, our "I Voted" stickers feature our state symbol. Ironically, though, I found out a few years ago that Georgia doesn't win the award for most peaches sold per year; I think South Carolina has that distinction, though I can't currently confirm that. Since Hannah was born in Georgia, she is a "Georgia peach" - the only one in our family!

2. One U.S. President was a Georgian: Jimmy Carter. He was the 39th president, and was in office from 1977 - 1981.

3. Georgia proudly lays claim to Vidalia onions. Vidalia onions are named after the Georgia town of Vidalia. By the way, Vidalia is NOT pronounced "vuh-dale-yuh"; if you pronounce it like that, you'll instantly be identified as a carpetbagger. The authentic pronunciation is "vah-day-yuh" - the "l" is silent. Vidalia onions are sweet onions, making them preferable for eating. A very interesting fact about Vidalia onions is that legally, Vidalia onions can only be marketed under that label if they are grown in a limited number of Georgia counties. If the same onions are grown elsewhere, they are sold as "sweet onions." This is to protect the Vidalia trademark.

4. The Appalachian Trail begins in Northern Georgia. The famous 2174 mile mountain trail begins at Springer Mountain and ends in Maine.

5. Atlanta is home to Coca-Cola. Down here, "coke" is a generic term for any soda pop. It's not at all considered weird to ask someone what type of coke they would like to drink. . . And it's perfectly acceptable to reply "root beer" or "Mountain Dew." While not everyone considers Coca-Cola to be the sacred Georgian drink, you may want to be careful about uttering the "P" word (Pepsi) in certain places, for fear of being labeled a traitor :-D.

6. Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies and one of the confederate states during the Civil War.

7. Georgia boasts the world's busiest airport - Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. If all roads lead to Rome, all flights go through Atlanta's airport, or pretty much. While I try to avoid the airport at all costs, just because of its sheer enormity, it does come in handy at times, and it is nice that Atlanta offers so many direct flights, without layovers. Hartsfield-Jackson offers more nonstop flights than any other airport in the world.

9. Georgia is, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong!), the only U.S. state that shares a name with an independent nation.

9. Metro Atlanta is home to the "Mount Rushmore of the South," as Stone Mountain is affectionately called. Stone Mountain is the largest exposed piece of granite rock in the world, and on the mountain's face are carved three confederate heroes: Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee. Every year, Stone Mountain hosts laser shows that are displayed on the carving after dark during the summertime. Songs are played over large speakers set up on the lawn below the carving (Georgia on My Mind, Proud to Be an American, Devil Went Down to Georgia, Dixie, etc.) while light pictures are depicted on the carving.

10. Georgia's weather is weird. The summertime is ridiculously humid (think "sauna"), and if you step outside from late May - late August, you will feel like a dog is breathing on you. . . a "hot" dog. Bleh. The winter can become quite dry, though. Right now my 40 inches of hair cannot pass something without automatically sticking to it!!! Aah! And any fabric I handle crackles and sparks from static electricity. Ick. My favorite seasons in Georgia are spring and fall. March and April are absolutely gorgeous here, with azaleas, dogwoods, and Bradford pear trees in bloom. The North Georgia mountains are breathtaking in the fall, and there are few sights more beautiful. Back to a more negative note, Georgia is overrun with chiggers and mosquitoes in the summertime. One especially warm and humid summer evening, I obtained a record 240+ mosquito bites in 4 hours. That's more than one per minute. Yes, I counted my bites - over 100 per leg. And yes, my legs were puffy the next day.

I'm officially addicted to Wikipedia.

:-D

Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand

Ten thousand times ten thousand in sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints throng up the steeps of light;
’Tis finished, all is finished, their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates, and let the victors in.

What rush of alleluias fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation and all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes a thousandfold repaid!

O then what raptured greetings on Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendships up, where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle, that brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless, nor widows desolate.

Bring near Thy great salvation, Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect, then take Thy power, and reign;
Appear, Desire of nations, Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heaven Thy promised sign; Thou Prince and Savior, come.

I'm Going to Strangle Blogger

(but please don't tell anyone)

Grr. Blogger has been bugging me for weeks to switch to the new version, and since I don't like change, I've been ignoring the pleas. Plus, I did try once or twice, and Blogger said to try again because my blog couldn't be switched yet. But yesterday I logged onto Blogger and stupidly clicked yes when asked to switch (I didn't realize what I was doing until it started the switch, actually!), so it switched over, supposedly painlessly. They had touted that my old posts and comments would transfer over effortlessly. Blah. Now all the comments (except mine) read "Anonymous" on the recent comments tracker, and if you click the permalink for a post, the comments are all from "Anonymous." But if you click the comments link, it shows the author, except for Sherrin's comment on my most recent post. You're still "Anonymous," Sherrin, apparently. Anyway, this is why I hate change!

Okay, thank you for letting me rant. I'm fine now :-).

And for those who thought this was going to be a nice, pithy post, I have one thing to say to that: *laughs* There ;-). I know, I know, I've been a very inconsistent Blogger since. . . I started e-mailing a certain young man. Hehe. It got even worse after I met him :-). I admit that, but I've decided not to apologize. I'm still keeping track of blogs through Google Reader, and I'm commenting occasionally. And I'm occasionally posting to mine. But no promises on resuming regular and frequent blogging. I'm sort of distracted and busy right now ;-). I will post as I have time and as I feel motivated on a subject. I have never been able to write under pressure or within a limited time frame.

Tata for now!

Defiant Birth

Yay! Sherrin is back from South Africa and posting again :-). She just posted an excellent book review of Defiant Birth.

Here are two of my favorite excerpts from her post:

It is impossible to attempt to combat abortion for long without realising that our society presents to women a huge number of times when it is "wrong" to have a baby. You can be too young, too old, too busy, too ill, not educated enough, too poor, or have too many children already. If you have a baby at such times, many people deem you unwise or just plain stupid. Couldn't you have planning things better? With such thinking, the majority of time in a woman's reproductive life is defined as the "wrong time."

Read this book. It will make you aware of where our society is headed. It will challenge your eugenicist assumptions about who should reproduce and who should be born. It will inspire you to encourage and support pregnant women. It will empower you to believe that having babies is really OK. Giving birth is what women have been doing since Eve, and it is not a disability.

I encourage you to go read the entire post.

Two Great Posts on Courtship

Adrian has written two excellent posts on courtship, one from a grace perspective and one from a law perspective. Both very good. And yes I'm prejudiced :-D.

That the Land May Not be Defiled

One thing I love about repeat readings is that there is always something new to glean from a truly good piece of literature. This is especially true of the Bible! There is so much beauty, truth, and goodness packed into that book, that one could not glean it all in a lifetime of diligent study!

Lew Wallace painted an especially poignant crucifixion scene at the end of Ben-Hur. I've read the Gospel accounts times untold, and I've seen many many visual dramatizations. Yet when I read Lew Wallace's account some weeks back, two previously-known details struck me with new force.

First, here the high-priest directs the centurion to make haste as Jesus and the two thieves are ready to be crucified:

"Bid the men make haste," said the high-priest to the centurion. "These" -- and he pointed to the Nazarene -- "must be dead by the going-down of the sun, and buried that the land may not be defiled. Such is the Law."

I've heard this notion before, so it was only reiterated to me when I read Ben-Hur. I know it is mentioned in the Gospels that Joseph of Arimathea makes haste to bury Jesus before the sun goes down, in preparation for the Sabbath, for example. But I would greatly appreciate any insight shed on the notion that the unburied dead would defile the land if left until sundown. I've heard that before, but I can't find it in the Gospels, or in a cursory glance at Leviticus. Help? Is "the Law" to which the high-priest refers the Mosaic law, or the Pharaseeical law, I wonder?

Regardless, I find it interesting to consider the irony of the high-priest's statement. He is essentially saying that a dead Jesus will defile the land (if not buried). Ponder that for a moment. In Genesis we learn that the creation was made good, but that with the fall came corruption and death. The curse of the fall extended to every facet of the creation, and our formerly-good earth is corrupt. . . and defiled. And man is responsible for this.

But God provided a cure for this corruption, and mercifully gave Adam and Eve a glimpse of this promise even as they had just fallen! To the serpent is threatened: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. The earth was defiled by the first Adam, but it was promised that it would be renewed and purified by the second Adam: Jesus Christ! Not only was Christ's body not a cause for the earth to be defiled after His death, but in fact it was the only hope for the earth to be purified! I love irony :-). I think the high-priest, sadly, was concerned about the wrong kind of defilement!

A second point of interest I gleaned from Lew Wallace's retelling of the crucifixion: I never really grasped the beautiful imagery of the crucifixion, as the earth was cloaked in darkness the three hours before Christ's death. In my mind in the past, the darkness was during and after Christ's death, as if the whole earth was mourning Christ's death. But that's not the image at all! We have a dark earth in the three hours before Christ's death, as He is in agony on the cross. It is as if the earth is weeping with Christ, and sympathizing in His sufferings. But as soon as He dies, consider what happens! The scriptures tell us it was dark until the ninth hour, when Christ died. This implies that at Christ's death, the earth was made light again. Christ's death brought back a physical light to the earth, just as it brought spiritual light to His sheep. What a beautiful, literal fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:

The people who walked in

darkness have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of

deep darkness,

on them has light shined.

Family Christmas Picture 2006

Finally! For weeks I've been intending to post my family's Christmas photo. Here we are :).


Believe it or not, this is in our suburban backyard. I love the way the picture looks all woodsy and country-ish. From left-to-right: Ben (24), Me, (22), Hannah (20), Mother Dear (32), Father Dear (33).

Or something like that ;-).

Population Problems

I know, I know, as a confessed conservative one would think I would not freely admit that our globe is facing population problems. I've always tried to admit problems on both sides of the aisle, though. Besides, we are facing population problems, so there's no use in denying it. However, the population problems that I am talking about are not what you may be thinking :).

Mother Dear and Ashley always keep me well-supplied with interesting news articles from online sources :). Not 2-3 days go by that I don't get an e-mailed link from one or both of them. And many of the articles they send me have motivated some of my favorite blog posts.

This morning's article was send to me by Mother Dear and can be found here. The article discusses China's growing gender gap. It is estimated that in 15 years, 30,000,000 Chinese men will be unable to find marriage partners, due to the use of gender selection in pregnancies. The truly ironic part of the article comes at the end:

China Daily said one way to solve the problem would be to create a proper social security system so rural couples would not feel they needed a son to depend on when they get old.

Hmm. I can think of better long-term solutions to this problem. More government control is not the solution!!! Aaaaah!!!!! (Breathe, Susan.) Less government control would actually work better. Sheesh. The Chinese government's one-child policy created this problem, so why would they think more control would also provide the solution?

Here are a few of my past posts on population growth/decline:

Interesting Article on Population Growth and Decline

Mixed Concerns of Population