Posted in general
Silence is a novel set in 17th century Japan. The feudal system in Japan had welcomed missionaries for a few decades but had turned against the Christians, both foreign and Japanese, at that time. The narrator is a missionary priest who sneaks into Japan during this time of persecution in search of a former teacher who was rumored to have apostacized.
For a translation, the prose is good. It wasn’t difficult to read and captured my attention, two problems I’ve encountered with some modern translations. The writing passes muster, but I wouldn’t read the book for it alone. It’s worth reading because it deals in such a gripping and insightful way with the questions, “What is apostacy?” and “What does it mean to be a pastor?” Every Christian ought to read it at some point in their lives. It does contain accounts of violence, but they are not gratuitous, and it doesn’t dissuade me from recommending it, even for the faint at heart. (10/10, borrowed from the library.)
My husband sent me this dook news this weekend. We’ll see how it plays out on Sunday.
Posted in sports
I enjoyed the retreat, thanks for asking. After the retreat on hospitality I did spend some time practicing it, and life is a little busy across the board. Rare morning naps, so I may try to catch up on some book posts!
Posted in family life
I really need to post about the books I’ve read lately, but I’m going tonight to hear Andi Ashworth and hang out with the women of my church and sleep without children nearby.
Posted in books, family life
A blur of children, a hint of the red dining room with the crazy linoleum.
Posted in home sweet home, photo love
I uploaded some pictures of the playroom to flickr with lots of notes.
My favorite thing about the playroom is the vertical storage of a HUGE Ikea bookcase and Rubbermaid bins. It helps all the toys stay organized and helps the kids play better.
Still a work in progress.
Posted in home sweet home
Many hours of deliberation. Factors to be weighed, opinions to read. A choice. The wait. Expectation. Naptime. The hiss of brakes. A thud at the door. “Perfect timing!” Dragging in heavy weights. Gathering tools. Blue Bell for fortitude. Instructions without words. Days worth of turning clockwise.  Anticipation. Completion.  “Good afternoon, mommy! Where are you?” “Oh mommy, a table and two chairs! One for Lexi and one for me! You found them!”
Posted in family life
+ I finally finished painting the dining room (2 weeks, 3 coats of red paint, after the primer, with a roofer in the middle.)
+ William Willimon preached at our church. Why a Methodist bishop preached at a smaller-side-of-medium PCA church that meets in the late afternoon/early evening on Super Bowl Sunday is a mystery to us, but we enjoyed it.
+ I made “dorm food done right” for dinner in honor of the Super Bowl: pesto pizza with chicken and sundried tomatoes, my mom’s buffalo wings & the blue bell flavor Jen recommended. I make pizza often, but the rest is a total treat.
Posted in family life
For some time, I’ve been having a blogging identity crisis. I don’t know what to write about and what not to write about. I feel like this blog is a pretty poor reflection of who I am in many ways. I like theology and I think about it pretty frequently, but this is not a theoblog, nor will it ever be. I am a mother, but I don’t feel like this blog quite fits in with the bloggin’ Christian momma crowd. I think quite a bit about a variety of issues, but this blog is not where I process those thoughts.
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Posted in general
I never would have made it to China. But this nifty tool told me where I’d end up. Thanks, Anne!
Posted in technology
Have some money invested? Want to make a difference in Darfur? Consider divestment. http://www.sudandivestment.org/home.asp
Posted in culture, in the news