The Gradual Commercialisation of the Internet

Today, I logged on to my Twitter account.  It took me quite a bit of scrolling to come across a post from an actual person.  I think I've become disenchanted with the Internet itself.

Reminiscing about the good old days, I do recall when the Internet was fresh, exciting, and new.  I was in junior high, and the anonymity offered by AIM and Yahoo chat rooms made so exhilarating the chance to pick one's own username.  My friends and I discovered a place to create our own, simple webpages for free; this proved to be a place to learn a bit of basic HTML.  We'd impress each other with cool fonts, glorious color schemes, and GIFs of dancing hamsters and bananas.

In high school, the focus turned to LiveJournal and Xanga, the old-school venues for blogging.  Anyone online could post jokes, stories, or plain ol' accounts of fun in real life.  Friends all shared these sites with each other, but we were anonymous to the rest of the world.

In college, Facebook appeared.  Its novelty was found in the disappearance of the former anonymity of Internet users.  We connected with people taking the same classes as us, and posted photos of the ridiculous things we did the night before (which, by the way, required using a USB cord to download the photos off one's camera ...remember those?).  Facebook was the exciting, new social media for anyone with a .edu email address.

Then, high schoolers appeared on Facebook, and it became less cool.  Then, our parents appeared on Facebook, and it lost any "cool" appeal whatsoever.  Then, companies appeared on Facebook, and it became a sea of advertisements and news articles.

As a "millennial" who grew up with the Internet, I find myself scrolling and scrolling through Facebook every few days, hoping to see something interesting - but there is nothing!  It's become so boring recently.  It's all re-postings of Buzzfeed articles, viral videos (of people I don't know), commercials, and ridiculousness.  "Social media" has lost all that once was "social."  It used to be about sharing stories with friends through written word.  Now, our "feeds" feed us commericalism (which we consume enough of when we watch television).

The landscape of the US has been marred by the ugliness of billboards and advertisements (I so prefer driving in remote areas where no company would bother to put up a sign).  We see brand marketing everywhere, from our TV and computer screens to the tiny computers in our pockets to the trash on the side of the road (even there, those McDonald's and Starbucks logos stand out plainly).

I won't tirade against capitalism, but I am tired of companies trying to get me to buy stuff everywhere I look.  Marketing has its place, and gone are the days when companies just had a choice of what size newspaper ad to purchase.  But trust me, dear corporations of the world, I will never buy a new car; I will never purchase a "diet system"; I do not eat fast food; I have no interest in purchasing clothing online.

I still remember the days when I'd sit down at the desk, fire up the computer, and wait for the monitor to warm up to see what new excitement awaited me.  "Going on-line" was a former pastime of mine; and I'll probably continue to remember the "Hamster Dance" fondly.

However, all the noise of the new Internet does give good reason to keep investing in and spending time in books (paper books with ink on pages!); and to spend time playing outside. < / rant >

The Charlotte Chronicles: II

A few lessons from living in a new city for 2.5 months:

1.  Traffic

It's everywhere.  It's constant.  It takes at least 20 minutes to get anywhere before 9:00 PM.

People like to stop.  Just stop.  There's more risk of rear-ending other drivers here than on Amish country roads with horse-drawn buggies beyond every curve.

Drivers don't use turn signals here.  Ever.

2.  Food

It took some time to get used to the grocery scene here.  Fortunately, we have both Aldi AND Trader Joe's within driving distance!  I can find most basic items (beans, dairy, great produce) between those two stores.  However, I have to go to a more "mainstream" grocer (Bi-Lo) to get basic baking items like flour and yeast.

Harris Teeter is akin to Weis, in that it's a local, family-owned chain whose selection is okay and whose prices are unnecessarily expensive.

I really miss the Mennonite health food stores and farm stands of Berks County.

3.  Church

We've visited a few PCA churches (where fellow seminarians are involved), and have figured out that we're truly more in the reformed baptist tribe.  We have been attending a small, young, diverse church that we LOVE (truly a pillar of God's truth in the community, serving in many ways), but we may yet visit a few more.  One congregation that Greg wants to visit is offering a *paid* (!!!!) internship to a seminarian, which is really enticing for us.  I looked at their website, and photos of the staff, choir, and preschool make it appear to be an all-white church. :/. How does that happen in a large, diverse city?

4.  Climate

Spring is beautiful, but pollen is pervasive.  I simultaneously want to play outside and hide under a blanket all day.  *sniff*

Sunday Seven 9-2-2014

Ahoy!  Currently posting from my new home in Charlotte; here are a quick seven things to try:

1.  This book:  Elyse Fitzpatrick's Because He Loves Me.  Elyse is an exceptional speaker (!) and a gifted writer.  Here, she beautifully brings to light gospel truths about how Christ truly transforms us, even in our everyday lives, as we walk with Him.  A very refreshingly truthful book.

2.  This movie:  Wes Anderson's film adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl is AMAZING.  It's basically an adult action movie gift-wrapped as a stop-motion animation children's film.  The hilarious dialogue will dazzle you.  "APPLE JUICE FLOOD."  Treat yourself and rent this movie!

3.  This game:  The Game of Things provided a group of friends with two and a half hours of straight laughter last night.  It plays similiarly to Apples to Apples.  (My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard)

4.  This TV program:  Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

5.  This dip:  guacamole.  I could eat a liter in one sitting.

6.  This cheese:  Brie!  A French classic - try it on those Snaps pretels.  Mmmm!

7.  This organization:  The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Animal Care and Control Division helped us adopt our first baby this weekend!  Meet Phoebe:

Stories of this crazy kitty to follow!

Cheers!
Katy

Sunday Seven 27-1-2014

 Today begins a new series - a way for me to share things I love/enjoy/recommend.  Introducing...  the Sunday Seven!  Read on for inspirations and recommendations...

1.  A book:  Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us beautifully combines biology, poetry, and history (geologic history, the histories of sailing and oceanography).  I read it while in Maine this summer, and it inspired me to closely examine and enjoy tiny organisms (whelks and seaweed-dwelling bugs) in addition to the vastness of the sea.  Ms. Carson's writings motivate me to spend hours scouring seaside boulders, trees, and lichens.

2.  A movie:  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a witty, British drama about a group of 60+ Britons settling in India for their retirement, and discovering that life's biggest adventures can whisk you away in your golden years.  The cast - Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy - initially attracted my attention, and carried the film beautifully.  Seeing Bill N. and Penelope Wilton play a married couple made me wonder if I had discovered an alternate ending to Shaun of the Dead.

3.  A game:  The Sims - using fancy, modern technology to play...  with dolls.

4.  A TV program:  Modern Family is hilarious!  Recently, I enjoyed a scene that overlaid Cam tenderly singing "Ave Maria" whilst Mitch destroyed their living room with a tennis racquet, trying to kill a rogue pigeon.  I haven't laughed that hard since the first four times I watched Arrested Development (no, not the first four episodes...)

5.  This organization:  Defy Ventures, Inc. trains and equips criminal offenders to become entrepreneurs after their release from prison.  Founder Catherine Hoke spoke at church this morning, and told us how the program releases her clients from the cycle of poverty, welfare, and crime; and suits them up as successful business owners, creating new jobs and pumping tax money into the economy.  Did you know that in New York, it costs $167,000 a year to incarcerate one person?  Check out Defy Ventures - the stories of redemption are beautiful!

6.  This news article:  "South Sudan ceasefire takes effect" - hopeful!

7.  These cookies:  SAMOAS and THIN MINTS.  Thank God for Girl Scout cookie season.

One Day

Sometimes I lay under the moon and thank God I'm breathing;

Then I pray, "Don't take me soon, 'cause I am here for a reason."

Sometimes, in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down.

So when negativity surrounds, I know some day it'll all turn around, because...

All my life I've been waiting for, I've been praying for, for the people to say

That we don't wanna fight no more; there'll be no more wars and our children will play.

One day, one day, one day...

It's not about win or lose, because we all lose when they feed on the souls of the innocent,

Blood-drenched pavement; keep on moving through, the waters stay raging...

In this maze you can lose your way; it might drive you crazy, but don't let it faze you, no way...

Sometimes, in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down.

So when negativity surrounds, I know some day it'll all turn around, because...

All my life I've been waiting for, I've been praying for, for the people to say

That we don't wanna fight no more; there'll be no more wars and our children will play.

One day, one day, one day...

One day this all will change; treat people the same, stop with the violence, down with the hate.

One day we'll all be free and proud to be under the same sun,

Singing songs of freedom like...

All my life I've been waiting for, I've been praying for, for the people to say

That we don't wanna fight no more; there'll be no more wars and our children will play.

One day, one day, one day...

Pursuing Peace

I love reading TIME magazine.  They cover news from all around the globe, illustrate figures with infographics (oh, how I love looking at them!), and provide a bit of humor, too (thanks, Joel Stein).

This week, TIME's article, "2014 User's Guide" has some exciting predictions for this year:

• The U.S. Capitol building will begin a two-year restoration process.
• Google Glass will reach national levels of distribution.
• El Nino (Spanish for... "the Nino") will warm the Pacific to record temperatures.
• Kohlrabi will replace kale as the trendy, hipster vegetable of the year.
• More states will legalize recreational marijuana (OR, CA, AZ, and RI, in particular).
• Private space exploration companies will continue to probe the cosmos.
• Girls born in 2014 will have names ending in "-lyn, as in Marilyn or Madilyn."  Children born this year may, for the first time in history, have a shorter life expectancy than their parents... due to obesity.
• Skype will replace non-emergency doctor visits.  Doctors can asses symptoms and diagnose illnesses through "telemedicine" - a technology that's actually been used for years to serve remote fishermen along the Gulf of Maine, by the nurses of the Maine Seacoast Mission.

Besides all these global happenings...  What will you do this year?

It's a question I have been asking myself.

I've been pondering a statement that TIME quoted, from Pope Francis:  "True peace is not... a lovely 'facade' which conceals conflicts and divisions.  Peace calls for daily commitment."

Pope Francis echoes the words of Psalm 34:14:  "Seek peace and pursue it."  As I consider my goals for 2014, a life of peace seems a worthy endeavor.  More than that, a daily commitment to prayer and seeking Christ's peace will be my goal for the year.

Scripture calls us to live peaceably with our neighbor.  Again, peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but a daily commitment to support and love one another.

Romans 12:17-18 - "Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."
II Corinthians 13:11 - "Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."

God reconciles His people to Himself; and He also wants His people to be reconciled to one another.  This can take place at the family level... and at a global level.  A huge part of living a wise, peaceful life is praying for our neighbors and our leaders.

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."  (I Timothy 2:1-2)  This year, I will pray for those in need of reconciliation, and will work toward restoration with those in my own life.  Won't you join me?

Pray for peace in places like Sudan (where civil war rages) and Uganda (whose government has enacted violent land grabs from its agrarian citizens - see SolidarityUganda.com for more info).  Pray for the U.S. government to end its reckless policing of countries around the globe.  Pray for local communities to join in unity, strangers joining as friends supporting one another. Pray for the end of oppression and exploitation.  Pray for missionaries and churches to reach out, love those around them, and bring the peace of Christ to many.

My prayer is that God will change me, giving me more compassion for His people and endurance in prayer. Not only is prayer necessary for peacemaking, but prayer can indeed lead to a deep, godly inner peace. Philippians 4 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I pray that God gives me the wisdom to work toward peace. As I enter a new season in a new place, it will be essential to lean upon the Lord and His wisdom as I seek peaceable relationships with new friends, co-workers, and neighbors. In the fall, I'll begin grad school - academically studying the Word of God. I pray that this new wisdom will bring me a softened heart and hands prepared to work toward reconciliation.

James 3:17-18 - "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

May 2014 be filled with the pursuit of knowledge, compassion, and humility... with much prayer... to better love and serve those around us in peace.

[Be sure to check out other bloggers' aspirations for the coming year at I Don't Have a Clue, but I'm Finding Out!]

Carolina in My Mind

...also, in reality.

Husband (Hubby?  Hubskin?  Hub?) and I spent a week adventuring around Charlotte.  Our intent was to learn more about our grad school and to find somewhere to live.  We thought we'd spend long days perusing dozens of apartments...

...but we fell in love with the first one we saw.

Four things we experienced for the first time:

1. Burning a Christmas tree - MUCH more exciting than composting it.

2. A January thunderstorm - I did NOT know this was possible.

3. Someone calling the Civil War "the war of Northern aggression."  (What does that even mean?). Apparently, Southerners continue - to this day - to justify a war that took place 150 years ago by it being about states' freedom to choose... to enslave people.  This makes NO sense to me.

4. Shrimp & grits.  This was the best thing I have EVER eaten.

All in all, I am pumped to move to the South.  There is such a deep culture of both music and food (when asked what some of my favorite PA foods were, I replied, "...cheeseteak?  Hershey's?  Scrapple?"  Penna Dutch cooking has NOTHING on that of the South) and many, many lovely people.  Getting into seminary to truly learn the Bible and how to study it is fueling my sense of adventure and anticipation for ministry.  "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."  (Proverbs 2:6)

Feeling a sense of solidarity with Mr. Taylor...

Can't you feel the sunshine?

Can't you just feel the moonshine?

The 6 Myths of Christmas

This season, I assisted my mother-in-law to liberally decorate their home with all things Christmas.  I think she owns about four-hundred different incarnations of Santa Claus.  I'm not even exaggerating.  Trimming the tree (and the rest of the house) has led me to a few observations about some inaccurate facets of Americanized Christmas.

6.  Joseph:  husband of Mary, professional shepherd.

  These two nativity scenes (among many others) portray Joseph holding a shepherd's crook.  While shepherds were present that night in Bethlehem, Joseph himself was a carpenter by trade.

5.  Someone received twelve drummers, eleven pipers, etc. for Christmas, and loved it all so much that she wrote a song about it.
  Actually, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is about spiritual gifts, not material presents.  What would you do with those ten lords leaping around your house, anyway?  Read the full story here.

4.  Angels look like either naked babies or winged ladies in dresses.
  I grew up in a home where we placed an angel on top of our Christmas tree.  It was the most beautiful, delicate doll... that I wasn't allowed to play with (too fragile).  She had long, blonde hair; perfect, porcelain skin; and a shiny, white, satin dress.  I'd cluster the other angel ornaments near the top of the tree - cute, glittery angels.
  However, the angels described in scripture seem more like fiery, dangerous warriors.  In many instances of an angel appearing to people, the angel has to calm them down, saying, "Don't be afraid!"  Apparently, angels are pretty terrifying!  Matthew describes the one guarding Jesus' empty tomb as having an "appearance like lightening."  The cherubim in Genesis 3 guard the entrance to Eden with a flaming sword.  The seraphim in Isaiah 6 have six wings each, and fly around shouting about how holy God is.  Wow.  These heavenly creatures sound a lot more exciting than naked-baby cherubs with chubby, pink cheeks!

3.  The Magi showed up the day Jesus was born.
  Matthew 2:1 - "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem."  Verse 11 actually says they went into the house to worship Him - so the Magi never actually hung out in the barn with the holy family)  After this, Herod ordered all male children age two and under to be killed.  (Joseph led his family to Egypt to hide out for a while).

2.  Three Wise Men came to visit baby Jesus.
  The Biblical account's inclusion of the Magi's three gifts for the Christ-child has led us to believe that there were three wise men.  Additionally, the well-known carol "We Three Kings" re-enforces this view by its language:  each man brings one gift.  "Born a King on Bethlehem's plain; gold I bring to crown Him again,"  "Frankincense to offer have I," "Myrrh is mine..."
  However, the Biblical story of Christmas and Epiphany doesn't actually give a number of wise men, only the number of gifts.  It could actually have been two men carrying three gifts, or four men, or twenty.

1.  Santa Claus.

  There's been a myth going around, saying that parents are the ones leaving presents under Christmas trees on December 24th.  Isn't that ridiculous?  I personally think it's just absurd to assume parents would be interested in building dozens of toys, wrapping them all perfectly, and stacking them in the living room in the middle of the night.  Don't you agree?  I can't imagine leaving that great a job of gift-giving to anyone but Santa himself.  You can watch this documentary for more information.

  If you have any additional observations about the holidays, I'd love to hear them - please comment!  I hope your Christmas is joyful, and I leave you to enjoy this video (Michael Caine's finest performance):

Twelve Days of Christmas: Part II

Today is December 20th.  We have decorated our Christmas tree!  It is hard to believe that Christmas is only five days away.  Have you been counting down the twelve days of Christmas?

If so, you may have been led astray by television movie marathons and holiday commercialism!

The Twelve Days of Christmas are actually those days following December 25th.  Traditionally, Christmas was celebrated for twelve whole days, leading up to Epiphany (the day the church commemorates the Wise Men's arrival to visit the Christ-child) on January 6th.

Sadly, Christmas - in America - has turned into an entire month of shopping, busyness, decorating, baking, and anticipation... all for just one day!  As soon as Boxing Day rolls around, the Christmas music is cut off the radio stations, decor is boxed up once more, and we head into the boring part of the winter season.

It makes me sad!  Why don't we have twelve days of celebration?  Why not give people a break from work or school for twelve days of family time and relaxation?  Certainly, the birth of God Himself in humblest human form is worth more than one day of celebration per year.

Well, I know the real reason we don't celebrate Christmas for twelve days.  It's because no one would make any extra money off of it.  All the corporations just want everyone to stress out and buy as much as they can in the month leading up to one day of blowout gift-giving and feasting.

I'd rather we feast for twelve days straight.  I'd love it!  Turkeys, hams, prime rib, duck, goose...

...and the cookies!!  THE COOKIES!!!

Anyways...  I challenge myself (and you, dear reader) to consider Christmas a twelve day-long festival, rather than a twenty-four hour holiday.  Contemplate and worship our wonderful Savior, who "though He was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."  (Philippians 2:6-7).  Compare Philippians 2 and Psalm 8, and be blown away by the awesome power AND complete humility of God.  The all-powerful Creator of the entire universe... was born a helpless baby in a barn... to show that He cares for us.

On the other hand... if you prefer the less Jesus-y, more Santa Claus-y side of Christmas... let's live out twelve beautiful days of gratitude, expressing thankfulness and love to our family and friends; as well as giving generously to those around us.  Merry Christmas, friends!

Twelve Days of Christmas: Part I

What in the WORLD am I going to do with these ten lords who are leaping all over the house??  Why, oh why did my husband hire these guys to jump around?  And they expect to be fed, too!  I am going to have to buy a whole 'nother ham and a goose just for Christmas dinner!

Praise the Lord... I am just kidding.

But who in their right mind wrote a song about getting all sorts of crazy gifts during each day of the Christmas Feast?  Okay, animals can make nice gifts, if you're prepared to care for them.  I wouldn't mind receiving all that poultry.  But... people?  People!  Why would you give dancing ladies as a gift?

Plus, don't all these things combined sound a little expensive?

What does the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song really mean?

As it turns out, that famous song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is about spiritual gifts, not material presents.  What would you do with twelve drummers, anyway?  Start a marching band with them and the eleven pipers?

The story goes like this:  during the sixteenth century, Roman Catholics were facing persecution in England, so they came up with a cheerful holiday tune to secretly teach their children about the tenants of the faith.  Think about this the next time you sing it:

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love" (God) "gave to me"
"Twelve drummers drumming," (the Apostles Creed's points of doctrine)
"Eleven pipers piping," (the eleven faithful disciples of Jesus)
"Ten lords a'leaping," (Ten Commandments)
"Nine ladies dancing," (nine fruits of the Spirit)
"Eight maids a'milking," (the eight Beatitudes Jesus taught)

"Seven swans a'swimming," (the seven gifts of the Spirit)

"Six geese a'laying," (the six days of Creation)

"Five gold rings," (the Torah/Pentateuch)

"Four calling birds," (the four Gospels)

"Three French hens," (the three Persons of the Trinity)

"Two turtle doves," (Old and New Testaments)

"and a partridge" (Jesus) "in a pear tree." (the cross)

Read the full story here.

Next time, in "Twelve Days of Christmas:  Part II,"  we'll discover why there are twelve days of Christmas in the first place... and why we don't celebrate them all anymore.

Change of Address

Well, my husband and I loaded up the ol' Uhaul again this weekend.  It was our second move within the year, and it won't be our last.

No longer in remote Centre County (home to Amish farmers and Penn State), we're living in exurban West Chester.  There is plenty to do here!  The county is filled with apple orchards, independent dairies, wineries, breweries, art galleries, restaurants and markets specializing in local whole foods.  It's a pretty hoppin' place!  And it's pretty great that we don't have to drive forty-five minutes to get to town now.

Although we'll live here only temporarily, we are both excited to enjoy some culture, a time of rest (a "winter break," if you will), and time with family and friends (we can even go to visit some by train!).  Huzzah!

At the Table

Saturday night:  I was cooking a pretty fabulous dinner.  Chicken and mushrooms were braising slowly in a rich, garlic-peppercorn sauce.  Saffron risotto simmered along, absorbing more and more broth by the cup-full.  The smell of brownies wafted up from the oven.  Then... VOOP!  The power went out in our apartment.  The sizzling sounds quickly faded to silence upon the electric stove-top.

This would have been a gastronomic tragedy; however, our current housing above the camp kitchen permitted us to transport our pots and pans downstairs to continue cooking the meal over propane.  God bless propane.  If we have a real house someday, I so wish to have a propane stove!

The other alteration to our plans for the evening was that we ate at the table, by candlelight, over a tablecloth, with clean, cloth napkins.  Our previous plan was to put food on the coffee table and hunch over it, scarfing down dinner as we continued watching episodes of Breaking Bad.

The candlelit dinner (with a nice Zinfandel) was a much better experience for my husband and me.

Sadly, the two of us often resign ourselves to eating in front of the television.  We blame our surroundings for watching television daily (our home is very remote from friends, and it is too dang cold to play outside!); and yet we look forward to beginning school next year, since our work and new friends will keep us busy.  We also talk about how we don't want to watch television in the future when we have children, and CERTAINLY don't want to eat dinner with them in the living room.

I hope to continue the tradition of family dinners.  My parents had us stop homework or tv-watching every night to sit at the table and eat together.  They'd ask us what we learned at school ("Nooothinnggg.") and catch each other up on the events of the day.  Little did I know that this ritual was the foundation of our training as civilized persons.

In our "grain-bag society," people eat anywhere, anytime they want.  It's why we have drive-thrus at fast-food establishments.  It's why people stuff their purses with granola bars and candies.  It is this ubiquitous eating that has taken away any sign of etiquette and communal enjoyment of meals.

As you head into your Thanksgiving family get-togethers, take time to appreciate the effort put into the meal by the cook, the beautiful place-settings, and the faces of those you love.  Enjoy the conversation, in addition to all that gravy!

All this has been brought to mind because I've been doing a little reading about etiquette.  A very convincing. witty book by Judith Martin has been causing me to consider the implications of a "grain-bag society," and how I'd rather implement solid training-in-eating to my future children (forks and knives, not fingers).  Read on for your enlightenment and amusement:

Blue Like Jazz

I read Blue Like Jazz years ago and loved it.  A few years ago, I heard news of the pre-production for a Blue Like Jazz film - which was difficult to imagine, since the book is such a lovely, meandering collection of essays on spirituality and conversations and experiences.  Now that I've seen the trailer, I'm so excited to watch the story come to life on the big screen.

Weddings comprised most of the excitement of 2011.  My own eleven-month engagement took prime focus for most of the year, in addition to serving as a bridesmaid (or rather, matron?) for dear friend Bridget in November and enjoying Adam & Kate's wedding on 12/30/2011.  2012 will bring high school friend Lauren's wedding in March, Monica's Hawaiian elopement in May and Jake's wedding in June (with Greg serving as Best Man), as well as plans for my sister Sarah's wedding to take place on 4/13/2013.

Is this the time of life during which a lot of folks wed, naturally?  Mid-twenties seems to be all the rage for matrimony, nowadays.  However, our parents' generation may have exchanged their vows from age 19 to 30.  Do young people nowadays just consider 24-27 to be the best time to settle down with someone? 



In the news

Truthfully, I can say that I'm "out of the loop."  Folks around me discuss the latest episode of this-or-that prime time program, the best new video games, news stories, the "Occupy" movement, final scores... and my continually repeating response is, "what's that?"

My husband and I do not own a television.  This is partly because of the decision we made upon hearing that it's beneficial to avoid mindless entertainment during the first year of marriage (when you can talk to each other instead), and partly because neither of us owned the television at our prior residences.  Cable is one bill for which we don't pay, and I like that it fits into the ideal of "cheap living."  We also don't subscribe to the internet at home... and we don't have those intellectual mobile phones everyone loves.

Additionally, we haven't subscribed to any newspapers... yet.  We may look into receiving the Sunday Inquirer, since there's no local news here worth reading.

We are living in ignorance... but is it bliss?  I don't toss and turn at night, reviewing national economic problems in my mind.  There is less to worry about, a freedom from concerns about others' situations... but are we missing out, not knowing what's happening in the world at large?  Are we avoiding hearing about conflicts to which we could possibly lend a hand?

Should we re-connect?

Two things

There are two things I wish all Americans would do. The world's cost of food has been rising because North Americans have been using corn for non-food purposes. If I could broadcast myself in the national media, I would ask folks to:

1. Stop using corn-based ethanol to fuel your cars. Sure, it may be a tiny bit more environmentally sound, but it still pollutes and it's wasting food that could be used to feed hungry kids in Africa/Asia/South America. Carpool. Ride a bike. Take a hike.

2. Eat less meat. It takes 5 months of feeding a pig 8 pounds of feed per day to get it to full size - 265 pounds. (http://www.pork4kids.com). 1200 pounds of food (say, corn) create only 265 pounds of meat (less the inedible parts of the animal). Those 1200 pounds of corn can feed a LOT more people than ~265 pounds of pork. Additionally, more energy and vitamins & nutrients are absorbed through eating corn - because the pig has already digested & used much of that energy by the time you get to eating the pork. Seriously, beans & rice will save the world. If we allow it.

Every day, I'm more and more appalled by the wasteful gluttony I see here in this country. I may just learn Spanish and move to a monastery in Peru.

On a more fun note, my friend Matthew has made a fun video to share:

Easter? Not really...

Regretfully, I had never been exposed to multiple forms of Christian spirituality as a child. Occasionally I got to go to mass with my dad, which I found more interesting, but 95% of the time was Sunday mornings at Presbyterian church. Mainline, white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant church. "Middle class" to rich white folks.

And we followed the church calendar all year. Advent (waiting for Christmas), Christmas, Epiphany (arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem), Lent (waiting for Easter), Easter, Ascencion, and Pentecost (arrival of the Holy Spirit). This religious calendar was simply a part of the life I
lived on Sundays before lunchtime. It was all a given. A part of time.

(I do often wish I lived in innocence/ignorance of the church calendar.
Last year I spoke with Greg about whatever church
services were going on, and I mentioned "Maundy Thursday."
He said, "What's that?"
I said, "It's the remembrance of the Thursday
when Jesus had His final Passover meal with His disciples,
and then prayed in the garden and was arrested."
Greg replied, "What is a maundy?"
I had no answer for him - I had simply called it that
my whole life without asking what the word
meant - how ignorant a follower I am! I discovered
maundatum - "command," as in , "A new command I give you: love
one another as I have loved you." - Jesus' final command to His disciples)

When I got involved at a non-denominational church in college, though, all that day-by-day religiosity simply wasn't present. They did Christmas and Easter, sure. But the difference was that Pastor Nate always called Easter "Resurrection Sunday." And that is what it is. It made much more sense than calling it some sort of made-up word that doesn't appear in the Bible. Of course, I decided to go on an internet quest to find out why we call Jesus' resurrection "Easter."

It quite has nothing to do with Him or His resurrection day. Easter comes from Ēostre-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar named after Ēostre, the Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess of spring/fertility/dawn/the dawn star(Venus).

"Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring." - history.com

In America, people who call themselves followers of Christ - the risen One - choose to celebrate His resurrection day by repeating pagan traditions formerly used to celebrate this goddess Ēostre. And only in the English-speaking world do we continue to honor this goddess by name on the resurrection day of Jesus...


From religioustolerance.org:

"Based on Pagan name: In English, "Easter" is derived from the name of an ancient pagan goddess Eostre.

Based on "Pesach:" In most of the remaining languages in countries with a Christian heritage, the name is derived from "Pesach" (פסח in Hebrew) the name for Passover. These include...

Afrikaans: Paasfees
Arabic: عيد الفصح (Aīd ul-Figh)
Finnish: Pääsiäinen
French: Pâques
Greek: Πάσχα (Pascha)
Hebrew: פסחא (Pascha)
Irish: Cáisc
Malayalam: പെശഹ (Pæsacha/Pæsaha)
Spanish: Pascua
Tagalog: Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay, "the Pasch of the Resurrection"

Other bases:
Armenian: Զատիկ (Zadik) "separation" or Սուրբ Հարություն (Sourb Haroutiwn) "holy resurrection"
Chinese: Fùhuó Jié, "Resurrection Festival"
Georgian: აღდგომა (Aĝdgoma), "rising"
Japanese: katakana or Fukkatsusai, "Resurrection Festival"
Tongan (South-pacific): Pekia, "death (of a Lord)"

25x

001. i must eat m&ms in the correct order: blue, green, orange, red, yellow, brown.
002. i thrive on summer activities like hiking, climbing, kayaking; exploring nature.
003. if i had excess money i would buy a taylor guitar.
004. i once punched a raccoon in the face.
005. for years, i settled for a combustible-black marshmallow on my s'more.
006. one time i witnessed a girl nearly fall into the abyss at hershey's chocolate world.
007. the concher is my *favorite* part of the chocolate factory tour ride.
008. donald miller is one of my top 3 favorite authors.
009. green is the color to which i'm most drawn.
010. i have seen the sun set over cadillac mountain on the down east coast of maine.
011. i have not seen a puffin.
012. this summer i saw two bears, two porcupines, and several doe. and the raccoon.
013. i have only heard, never seen, a pack of coyotes (sneaky buggers).
014. wallace and i aspire to drive route 50 from ocean city to sacramento.
015. this spring i discovered how inexperienced arkansasians are at snow driving.
016. my favorite thing about florida is the abundance of anoles *everywhere*.
017. the only time i flew was to visit 2 friends in chicago in 2005.
018. i worshipped God with homeless folks in a church next door to a crack house.
019. my roommate and i once cleansed the waters of the atlantic in wildwood, nj.
020. i have been to 10 weddings, and was the maid of honor in one of them.
021. i am a founding member of the ice cream challenge.
022. i once licked a cave formation that has been filmed for television.
023. one of the best things about camping can be trying to hang up your bear bag.
024. i enjoy driving a 15 passenger van
025. i hope to travel extensively in the somewhat-near future.

One

of the points that Donald Miller makes in his book, Through Painted Deserts, is that too often our culture focuses on answering "how" questions, because they're easier and allow us to be selfish and self-sufficient. How questions seek to fulfill personal goals for personal fulfilment. "How can I get a job? How can I make more money?" Why questions actually require some thought and some selflessness. "Why am I here? Why is there pain in the world? Why does color exist?"

Don said he'd ask, "What is beauty?" and receive the answer "Here are 5 steps to a successful marriage". How questions are at surface level, prone to easy answers. Asking why makes us smaller, makes us a part of the story of creation, not the protagonist of it.

So some women's health magazine periodically sends me emails. I received one today with a list of good resolutions to make for this new year. Various general, non-compelling ideas such as to read books recommended to you by former English teachers, to wear more colors for an attempt at a (false) positive attitude, etc. One said the following:

"Stop with the why-ning. "Why?" is a perfectly lovely question coming from a toddler, but not from you. Why am I stuck in this stupid job? Why don't I have a better boyfriend? A better question: "How?" How do I get a better job, a better guy?"

Oh how right Mr. Miller is about our culture and our simple seeking for simple answers. I resolve this year to dig deeper.

Oh, and I'm also going to start flossing.