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.

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!

Now Presenting....

Welcome to "Pearls of Wisdom!"

After - like - seven years.... I have changed the name of this blog.

"Deterioration of the fight or flight response" sounded cool (it's the name of an episode of Grey's Anatomy, which I watched religiously in my post-college years), but it was kind of long.  It also wasn't very concise.  I think I had written one or two posts in particular on the ideal of striving to act kindly, rationally, and considerately, rather than brashly and instinctually.

I think that topic fits into the broader scope of wisdom in general.  As I tend to write equal amounts of anecdotes, life lessons, and stuff learnt whilst reading... I decided to "officially" change the title and refine the purpose of my blog.

Therefore... Welcome, readers!  I'm looking forward to discussing and sharing tidbits of knowledge, and having some fun along the way.

Cheers!

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.

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:

Happy Friday!

The menu for this weekend includes:

• baking brownies
• dehydrating apples
• hosting groups at camp
• continuing work on seminary applications

What's on your plate for the Sabbath?

Here's a great, thoughtful essay to start off your weekend:

How Feminism Hurts Men

Shocking

Our state has been secretly taxing us.  On...

http://gastronomes.blogspot.com/2012/09/pa-taxes.html

How sinister!

The Invisible Story Behind Invisible Children

If you've found yourself caught up in confusion about the recent "Kony 2012" video released by the Invisible Children group, you're not alone.  The video is a plea to the public of the United States, asking them to petition the U.S. government to team up with the Ugandan government to catch warlord Joseph Kony.  Upon online release of this video, many response videos were recorded and shared, claiming that Invisible Children's video is incorrect, that Americans have no place to "set things right" for Ugandans and that there may be secret motives for the U.S. government to back this video as propaganda.

As Americans, do we have a responsibility to catching all of the "bad guys" out there?  If we ignore it, are we allowing more children to be abducted, raped, beaten and trained to kill?

As a follower of Jesus, can one justify a military presence in Uganda?  Are army "advisers" there to help infiltrate peacefully and capture Kony, or are they joining the Ugandan army in using force to do so?

Like many folks who've been brought to attention by this media controversy, I, too, am looking for the truth in the matter.  What's the best way to discover what actually happens in a country half-way across the globe?

Eyewitnesses.

We can trust those who've been there and experienced the turmoil in Uganda to tell the truth and get down to the bottom of this matter, bringing possible peaceful solutions to the table.

A good friend of mine has been there.  Phil spent a semester abroad in Uganda, and fell in love with Suzan.  He had to return to Pennsylvania after the semester ended, but he returned for another three months to marry her and spend time with her family and community.  Suzan has recently joined him here, in the U.S., and they're working together to file for dual citizenship for the both of them.

In short, Phil wrote a great article from his and her perspective on the "Kony 2012" video, and I think you should read it.  It brought me some great clarification on the true situation, and it may do the same for you.

The Invisible Story Behind Invisible Children - Phil Wilmot

Obesity contributes to global pollution

Check out this article:

Should Overweight Consumers Pay Extra for Services From Southwest Airlines & Other Businesses?
A number of companies and consumer groups think that overweight adults should pay extra for their services. Do you?
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/95247/should_overweight_consumers_pay_extra.html

Excerpt:

Statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that the American population's weight has been creeping up since the 1990's. More than thirty percent of American adults over the age of 20 are obese. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the average weight of American adults has ballooned by 10 pounds.

The extra weight of these chubby vagabonds has translated into an additional $275 million dollar expenditure to burn more than 350 million additional gallons of jet fuel resulting in 3.8 million extra tons of carbon dioxide released into the air.


your thoughts?