27 October 2008

Fun

While wandering around Facebook catching up with some friends I saw this and had to try it. Why don't you find out what reading level your blog requires:-)

blog readability test

TV Reviews

10 October 2008

From the Desk of Rebecca: Random Friday Thoughts

Fridays seem to be the best time to collect random tidbits, so here are mine. Like my earlier post, it seems more fun to share those things that have provoked thought, laughter or... as referred to earlier today, lust. Have fun!

Erik Redmond at Irish Calvinist often has interesting or provocative posts, but I really enjoyed his brief reflection on the irony that he spent his single life being macho with his guy friends only to marry and have a woman for a best friend:-)

Good ole JT had another great post that led me to an online PDF about loving God with your heart AND your mind. I am looking forward to exploring this at greater length.

As if I didn't already have enough to read, Practicing Writer pointed me to an online community of readers and writers that looks like it should yield some interesting reads... Maybe I'll even comment if it is worth it...

Some of you know my passion for godly marriage--eventually my own , but mostly the support of marriage-mindedness in singles and marriage-committedness in my married friends. Boundless provides another interesting post about why they are so vocally in support of marriage.

JT had a post earlier on Nichols' book on the Blues and what an African-American pastor thinks of this exploration of a minority view of Christianity. Recently J and I were discussing what it feels like to be a minority when there are a very small number of Christians in a setting where there are systematic thought patterns that keep people from even seeing their prejudice. We discussed how it requires much grace, patience and genuine love to help someone see their faulty thought patterns and systematic beliefs for what they are.

It made me think of those unconscious prejudicial patterns in my own thinking that I rarely see because they seem so natural. I have been repenting daily since then. There is no way around it... my heart harbors prejudices, particularly racial and intellectual ones. Now I am struggling to change those patterns, but I can see it will take a lot of grace and patience on the part of those who are the objects of this prejudice and a great work of the Holy Spirit to redeem my thinking.

That leads me to Parchment and Pen's interesting post on one argument against atheism that may not be very effective.

Finally, I close with my friend April's ode to her beloved father. Her attitude, if not her specific examples could all be spoken about my own father. I don't know what I would do without his love and loving relationship with me. He has taught me much about what a man can be by the grace of God. In addition, my sisters and I experienced some of adventures in the company of April, Stacey and their incorrigible dad:-)

Enjoy the weekend! It should be beautiful weather here in the Chicagoland area, and hopefully good weather for the Marathon. May God be with anyone who thinks running 28 miles is a good thing:-D

Extreme Bible lust!

I am again in the throes of extreme Bible lust (see Websters 1828 dictionary definition here). It is definitely an "inordinate desire." On several blogs that I subscribe to there have been mentions of the new ESV study Bible's imminent release. Today, at least twice already, I have heard that Westminster books has some in stock and ready to ship. Their prices are the best by far--40% off the price of the premium calfskin and the leather bound version. I want to go buy one for myself, but that is not in the current budget. Besides, my birthday is exactly 4 weeks from today, so I should wait at least until then to buy it. Who knows, someone may be prompted to get one for me, or there may be birthday cash best devoted to this sort of purchase.

A new Bible is not the only book on my list. After many promptings from my dear friend TulipGirl, I am also desiring a copy of Grudem's Systematic Theology. They have it at Westminster Books, but it is also on my Amazon wishlist. Never one to pass up on a little light reading, it seems like an ideal bedside companion. As I grow in my faith I see a greater and greater need to have a firm grounding in Biblical theology. I need to chew and savor...

Note: I recently split my wishlists on Amazon--one is of books that I want to purchase and the other is for books I want to read/get from the library. They are often completely different types of books:-)

Edit: TulipGirl reminded me that it was actually Berkof's Systematic Theology that she recommended.... So now that has been added to the wishlist as well! Don't know who it was that recommended Grudem...

07 October 2008

Astronomy Picture of the Day


Astronomy Picture of the Day is another one of my favorite sites! Today's picture, which you see above, will be my new desktop for awhile. I subscribe on my igoogle homepage and find myself praising God for the awesomeness of His creation! I encourage you to check it out!

From the Desk of Rebecca

http://techbuddy.us/images/womancomputer.jpg

I have gotten in the habit of emailing Jon my favorite blog posts every few days, occasionally wishing I would have bookmarked them so I could go back and read them again. Then I hit upon a wonderful idea: if I write a blog post every time I email him, I'll have them right there:-) I scan a lot of blogs via my RSS feed on google reader, but I only read a few. Here are some that actually were read today!

Jon and I read the first chapter out of
Abolition of Man by CS Lewis on our way home from MO over Labor Day and had some lively discussion about worldviews and the training of young minds to be prepared for answering difficult questions. Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds posted some links to more interesting dialogue about worldviews here.

Another interesting post from JT concerned adhering to Biblical truth even when you may have emotional disagreement with it. This is not something you hear about very often and is definitely worth thinking about. What do I believe even though it doesn't resonate with me? What do I NOT believe because of the way it makes me feel, rather than because I have a firm conviction that it is not true? It reminds me of some of the conversations that I have had with non-believers and believers alike who don't believe in hell. They just don't think it fits with the idea of a good God.

Finally, any conversation about theology or philosophy eventually leads Jon back to naturalism, which he loathes. My own forays into worldview studies and my interest in philosophy and the understanding of truth was one of the first things Jon loved about me;-) He also finds that sort of conversation very romantic, so I like to make sure it is in good supply! Here was
an interesting article on Parchment and Pen that makes a good argument against naturalism's ability to provide a foundation for morality.

There is always more to write, but that will have to wait for another post.

03 October 2008

Interesting ideas from the blogosphere

One of the things I love about blogs is subscribing to google reader and being able to catch up on my favorite blogs without having to remember to visit them. Normally I do this at work when things are slow.

The other day one of the blogs that I read regularly suggested subscribing to a read through the Bible plan as a way to incorporate more Bible reading into your day. I had been thinking and praying about that so the timing was providential. I have started doing that and it has already been quite a blessing. I encourage you to try it, especially if you work most of the day on the computer, like I do:-)

There is so much more on my mind but I don't have the time to post it. I will try to get somethings out here more regularly. Also, I am bringing the camera with tomorrow as Jon and I apartment hunt, so hopefully that will equal more pictures on here as well!

edit: Just to clear up any possible confusion, the apartment hunt is for Jon, whose lease is up in November. For now I am very happy and comfortable with Beth and the cats.

Life.. but no pictures


Autumn has arrived in Chicago and I LOVE it! Just one more month until the big 3-0 and I am excited about that as well. My plans have crystallized .... I will be celebrating my joy at the turn of a decade with some dear friends that I see far too infrequently: TulipGirl and her riotous clan! Jon has agreed to come along as well, so it should be a good party.

Thanks to my generous boss I have access to my vacation several months early so I am taking a long weekend (Thursday to Monday) to visit Sarasota. We fly out the day before my birthday and then have all weekend to celebrate and catch up.

My heart pines for some international travel, but my pocketbook and vacation days do not allow it right now:-( I am hoping to possibly do some travel in March to destinations yet unknown.... Another friend is going to be moving from Cyprus to southern Spain and I've never been to Spain before... So many options and so little time (or money)!