Mablog Reminds Us, Complex Is Not Inscrutable

Today over at Blog and Mablog, Pastor Wilson points out a very difficult balance to strike:

"God has built predictability into the world -- every covenant comes with blessings and curses. We are encouraged to look at how we fare in order to understand whether we are living under the blessing of God. At the same time, our analysis of such things must not be wooden. We must be balanced and not veer off into extremes" (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 207).

Global Warming in Our Neck of the Woods

 Since it was our third snow in about as many weeks, some of us only looked outside.

 Others of us still needed to get out in it.

 Emily did her hair up special for the occasion.

 Snow does make a nice landscape feature.

 An action shot in more ways than one.

 

These furry friends aren't ours.  Cocoa and Sparkles belong to our neighbors.

 

Both the kids and the cats seem to have trouble remembering that, though.

Public Service Announcement:


The Canvas People are running their $55 off special again--at least for first-timers like me.  That makes an 8x10 free and an 11x14 only $10.  Shipping runs $15-$20, but it still seems like a great deal for having one of my favorite photographs turned into wall art.  I hope it's a great deal, because I just did it!  Here's hoping this gem of Ruthanne's looks as good on canvas as it does with conventional developing.

www.canvaspeople.com

Simply True

"There is no situation so bad that we, through a bad attitude, cannot make . . . worse" (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 179).

Douglas Wilson, Blog and Mablog

Bonhoeffer Warns Against Idealism

Rick posted a great  Bonhoeffer quote on his blog (Dry Creek Chronicles):

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, in Life Together:

God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So he becomes, first and accuser of his brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself.

My Top Ten Books, First Edition

I've never done this before, but the inspiration came from a friend who's ten years younger.  Gil's probably had his list for nearly a decade already!

This post is mainly to indulge my own curiosity as to what would currently make the cut for me after more than a quarter century as a voracious reader.  This list is in random order as I can't imagine trying to place a more specific order on my favorites.

All-Time Favorites
*Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl by N.D. Wilson
*Pretty much anything by C.S. Lewis, but especially The Great Divorce and his space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength)
*Emma (and most others) by Jane Austen
*Witch Wood by John Buchan
*Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
*Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
*Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
*Little Pilgrim's Progress adapted by Helen Taylor from John Bunyan's story
*The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
*Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

It's interesting to note that though I don't currently lean toward a desire to read fiction, pretty much everything listed above is fiction with the exception of the Tilt-a-Whirl book (and it reads like fiction).  Ah, the power of story!  It's just hard to find a conjured story that satisfies me these days for some reason.  



Instructive writing doesn't lend toward the kind of emotionally involved page turning that happened with the books listed above, but these books definitely deserve some extra attention for the record:

Honorable Mentions
*I eagerly  peruse any and everything I come across by Douglas Wilson (mastermind of Blog and Mablog linked in my side bar).  His insights on faith and culture in his vast plethora of books, articles, and blog posts are invaluable.
*Debi Pearl's Created to be His Helpmeet had a powerful impact on my understanding of marriage. 

It will be fun for me to revisit this post every once in a while to see if I have any changes to make as I remember other old reads and get some more page turning under my belt.

2010 Photo Round-up

Below are some of the photos I woulda, coulda, shoulda posted before now:

 

Ian, Anna, and Lewis tearing up D.C. with Grammy and Grandad in October

 Cael's naptime modeling of Ms. Natalie's "Blue Crocheted Shoes" while singing "Heartbreak Hotel."

 

McLeran Family Christmas Girls

 

McLeran Family Christmas Boys

 

Christmas Break Puzzling--Anna and Ian participated in the sun room.

 

Eva graduated to 100 pieces over Christmas break.  She still wants help sorting edge from middle, though.

 

Anna with Mrs. Holst, flute teacher extraordinaire

 

Anna says she practices until she gets dizzy.  :-)

 

Happy New Year!!!