7 Quick Takes: Responses to the Newsweek Article and Not Quite Seven Takes

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

The Newsweek article. If you’ve been living under a rock or have been taking care of sick kids lately (my life), you might not have heard about the Newsweek article by Kurt Eichenwald about the Bible and why it is so misunderstood. I could write about a years worth of posts addressing every inconsistency in his arguments and how completely skewed his information is but I have too much on my plate right now so… read the article and then read these commentaries by Peter Enns, Daniel B. Wallace, Rachel Held Evans, and Albert Mohler.

— 2 —

For those whose New Tear’s resolutions involve the gym… There were a couple of articles that piqued my curiosity. One was about the ten things that personal trainers don’t tell you and the other was on what you should be drinking when you work out.

— 3 —

My cuddlebug. Daniel is having a lot of coughing and a runny nose due to allergies so we’re having to do breathing treatments. Not feeling his best has made him extra cuddly and he actually fell asleep in my arms last night about 5 minutes after finishing the breathing treatment. When he is up, he has been a muted version of himself which is lovely but I can tell that he would like to be doing more. I’ve been praising the really good behavior that comes as part of his muted self in hopes that some of it might stick around.

— 4 —

Ending here. I have nothing left to say so I’m going to call this good and link up.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (XXV)

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Five Favorites

Un

A quiet house. I’m the only one awake right now other than the cats. Everybody in the house (with the exception of Daniel) is going to have a wonky schedule tomorrow so most everyone is asleep and I’ve stayed up changing cleaning pads on the Mints. Once I get all this written, I’m heading to bed because I’ve got a meeting in San Dimas tomorrow for Daniel’s triennial IEP paperwork at 7:30 a.m. (Translation: they have to do some pretty extensive evaluations for students’ IEP’s every three years and I have to go sign the paperwork consenting to this. Oh yeah… IEP = “individualized education plan”.)

Deux

The various NCIS franchises. The original NCIS is still my favorite but I’ve also gotten into NCIS: New Orleans and I’ll watch NCIS: Los Angeles if I need something semi-brainless on while I crochet.

Trois

In-N-Out. I pity those who don’t live near an In-N-Out location (which would be most of the US). I’m kind of meh about their fries but their burgers are AWESOME. They also have a secret menu which is actually not really a secret as much as it is how they will gladly customize your burger, fries, or shake.

Quatre

Doing some form of exercise while Daniel is in school. I’m back to walking in the mornings after I get Daniel off to school and adding in some core work and weights every other day. I still get plenty of walks with him in the afternoon but the morning is “me time”. It’s also a way to try and neutralize the pound of See’s candy on my nightstand that I discovered when I got home from San Jose.

Cinq

Stalking my online orders on various shipping company websites. I used to work for an import brokerage owned by UPS so I get totally geeky about how my orders arrive at my house. 🙂 Currently, I’m awaiting the delivery of my copy of Kelly’s planner which should arrive tomorrow or Thursday. (Ahem… FedEx!)

Go love up Jenna and the others.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: January 5, 2015

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY January 5, 201

Outside my window… dark. It was pretty warm today — warm enough to wear short sleeves. *ducks the flying debris thrown at her from places in the country with windchill warnings around -40F*

I am thinking… about the silliness surrounding Kanye’s announcement of his collaboration with Paul McCartney. Generation gap, anyone?

I am thankful… for a good visit with my family and for Daniel going back to school today.

In the kitchen… the dishwasher is running.

I am wearing… plum-colored shirt and running shorts.

I am praying for… Mary Lenaburg, some special intentions, a call for Jon, and a few other things.

I am going… to have a full morning of meetings on Wednesday. Whee!

I am pondering… the comma in the first article of the Nicene Creed: “of all that is, seen and unseen” and the theological ramifications of most people skipping the pause it signifies. (I’m serious… it’s hard being a grammar nazi with 1.5 degrees in Religion and Theology!)

I am reading… Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs. I think I was the first one in the LA County library system to get to read it, given that I called up the main number and requested it before it was even officially listed on the website..

I am hoping… I don’t wake up with too much of a kink in my neck.

I am looking forward to… my mother-in-law’s Birman coming in so I can go to bed. (I offered to stay up and wait for him.)

I am hearing… the humming of the refrigerator and the Mint cleaning my bedroom floor. (If I’m going to be torturing myself with my yoga mat and Core ball tomorrow, I’d kind of like a clean floor on which to beat myself up whilst working out.)

Around the house… my mother-in-law and Jon moved the dining room and kitchen furniture around. I think it looks fabulous.

A favorite quote for today… “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” ? William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

(Wasn’t that line at the beginning of the Veggie Tales video on Esther?)

One of my favorite things… a quiet house.

A few plans for the rest of the week: walks with Daniel, working out for me, triennial IEP evaluation meeting and paperwork on Wednesday, choir practice on Wednesday, and a few phone calls and errands thrown in for good measure.

A peek into my day… So a few things came in for me at the library while I was in San Jose…

My library holds.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: New Year’s Resolutions, Prayer Requests, and Clergy Appreciation

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

New Year’s Resolution #1. I’m doing this 30-day plank challenge. Today’s installment was easy — only 20 seconds — and I did a couple repititions. I’m expecting it to get harder next week.

— 2 —

New Year’s Resolution #2. I’m going to read the Bible through this year according to this plan. They recommend starting on a Monday (Sundays are days off of the reading so you can hear the Scriptures read in church) so I’ll be starting this one on January 5th.

To be fair, I do some Bible-reading daily through my devotional but this will be a pretty nice challenge.

— 3 —

New Year’s Resolution #3. This one kind of goes along with the plank challenge but I’d like to get consistently back to walking and/or working out every day on my own while Daniel is in school. I do a pretty decent amount of walking with him but my walking during his school hours used to also be some morning prayer time for me and I’m finding that I’m missing it.

— 4 —

For my fellow mamas who are introverts. I don’t homeschool Daniel but I love this list of New Year’s resolutions for those of us mamas who are introverts. I need to do some of them myself as just a way to deal with having to have so much quiet time while having a kid that needs me more than the average one.

— 5 —

Clergy appreciation. This got posted in response to a question in the #Cathsorority group but this list of ways to let your parish priest know that you appreciate him is pretty spot on. And seriously, #1 is one that needs to happen across the board — pray for your priest/pastor/rabbi/imam because we all live in a fishbowl and can always use the prayers.

— 6 —

Prayer request. Mary of Passionate Perseverance just buried her daughter Courtney yesterday. Please pray for her, her husband Jerry, and her son Jonathan. Courtney is whole again, healed, and with her Father but that doesn’t make the pain of grief all that much easier.

— 7 —

Another prayer request. I head back down to Claremont on Saturday. I heard today that the Grapevine has snow so I’m going to take 101 back. Could y’all pray for good traveling mercies for me since I’ll be driving by myself with my boy child?

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 31, 2014.

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 31, 2015

Outside my window… cold. According to my dad’s weather station, it’s in the mid-40’s outside. I wondered how I managed -20F (not counting wind chill) when I lived in the Midwest until I realized that I never spent any significant time outside when it was that cold.

I am thinking… about the various things I might attempt to change about myself in the new year.

I am thankful… for many things: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood episodes on YouTube so I can catnap in the mornings while Daniel is off school, a shopping trip to Kohl’s for new jeans that fit (my old ones are falling off of me), and an opportunity to go visit my grandma in Seattle over MLK Day weekend. (I haven’t seen her in 4 years and she’s 94 years old.)

In the kitchen… instant breakfast for me, oatmeal with various stuff for Mom, and various greasy things for Dad. I had to politely veto him making bacon and potatoes for me (no eggs due to my allergy) because my body does not do well with grease. (My gallbladder gave up the ghost 9.5 years ago.)

I am wearing… my jammies (my Run for the Little Flowers shirt and black sweats) and my Jameson fleece because I had to go out and take something to the trash this morning.

I am praying for… the Lenaburgs as they bury Courtney today. I’m grateful for Mary’s honesty (especially during this time) because I think it’s a ministry to a lot of us mamas who don’t know how we’re going to parent our kids with special needs and scary conditions. I know she gives me a lot of hope and encouragement and I’m wishing I could do the same for her.

I am going… on a walk to the store in a bit for milk. Long walks with Daniel to do errands are a benefit of visiting my parents.

I am wondering… about how my SSI appeal for Daniel will go.

I am reading… Cast On, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton. It’s the last of the murder mysteries in that series. After I finish, I’ll probably re-read something on my NOOK.

I am hoping… for an easy drive back home on Saturday.

I am looking forward to… Daniel going back to school on Monday. As much as I love spending time with him, he needs to get back into a routine… badly.

I am hearing… Daniel playing with his trolley from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. He is bringing me the characters individually and telling me their names as best he can. (For those not familiar with Daniel, he deals with apraxia due to his autism so him attempting to speak and tell me all of this is beyond cool.)

Around the house… smelling wood smoke from my dad’s fire in the fireplace last night. It’s a wonderful smell that I associate with my grandparents’ house.

A favorite quote for today… “The Incarnation is the manifestation of the love of God, not merely in the person of the Child of Bethlehem, but in the persons of all whom Christ attaches to himself. We are each of us incarnations of divine love, since we are members of Christ.” — Richard Meux Benson, SSJE

One of my favorite things… my silly boy snuggling with me.

A few plans for the rest of the week: decorating a gingerbread house, walks with the boy child, driving home on Saturday, and whatever else comes up.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

Tetelestai (It is Finished)

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I’ve been trying to write this blog post since Saturday when I got the news that Courtney, the daughter of Mary of Passionate Perseverance, had taken her last breath at 1:51 a.m. She is no longer a slave to her body which worked against her for pretty much her whole life and she is now healed and whole.

From the Lutheran Book of Worship:

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Courtney. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

I wish I had adequate words to describe how much love, respect, and gratitude I have for Mary. She was devoted to Miss Courtney and through her blog, she managed to show the world how to live with joy, grace, and faith while taking care of a kid with special needs. She encouraged all of us mamas with kiddos who weren’t typical not just through her writing, but on Twitter and Facebook. She and I had Facebook messaging conversations while one of us was sitting in the ER with a sick kid and she shares my gallows humor (which is rare).

The information about final arrangements for Miss Courtney is here. If you want to make a donation in memory of Courtney, Mary gives you the options for that. (She also writes the BEST thank-you notes.) If you can give, please do. If you can’t, your prayers are more than appreciated.

Mary, we love you and my family wants you to know how much your witness, encouragement, and all-around awesomeness mean to us.

7 Quick Takes: Three Days into Christmas…

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7 Quick Takes

Kelly is taking some time off of blogging for Christmas but I thought I’d do Quick Takes anyway.

— 1 —

Saint for 2015. I decided to do Jen Fulwiler’s Saint Generator to see who my patron saint should be for next year. When I first did it, I got St. Paul Chong Hasang, a Korean martyr. I did it one more tme and got St. Rita who is a little less obscure. We’ll see how 2015 unfolds and how these two figure into it.

— 2 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Sunday. I had the blessing of being able to attend both performances of the You-Sing-It Messiah put on by the Claremont Symphony Orchestra. My mother-in-law, bless her, watched Daniel for us so we could go. I had a fabulous alto behind me for the first performance but had to hold my own for the second performance because the altos were scattered. (They had seating by vocal section and the altos were supposed to all be behind the sopranos instead of scattered.) My choir director is the conductor of the symphony and he pitched it to the choir members as a way of practicing for Christmas Eve. I got lots of practice and was able to firm up some sections that were giving me problems.

— 3 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Tuesday. Our Christmas cantata on Christmas Eve was the Christmas section of the Messiah and we had an extra practice session on Tuesday because our regular choir night is Wednesday which was Christmas Eve. The awesome alto that was behind me on Sunday turned out to be the professional mezzo-soprano that was singing the “Messiah” with us. She was absolutely fabulous to work with and I appreciated hearing someone else singing who was on-key and not getting lost.

— 4 —

Handel’s “Messiah” on Wednesday. Ohmigosh… I can’t believe how completely amazing it was. I got to sing it with four opera singers from all around southern California who were so much fun to sing with and who sounded better than some of the professionals on the recordings that I own. We also had a bass player from the Claremont Symphony Orchestra joining us and the richness of his bass seriously rocked. Of course, the glue in all of this was my awesome choir director, Dr. Sage, who pulled all of this together. There is seriously nothing better than good church music sung by people who believe and affirm that about which they sing. Midnight Mass was wonderful and it took forever to get to sleep when I got home because of all the adrenaline. Our priest’s homily was fabulous (she preaches like an NPR commentator) and so incredibly relevant. Jon made it to church after the worship service he was part of and was able to join us for the Hallelujah Chorus during the Offertory.

— 5 —

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My sister-in-law Joanna, her husband Chris, and my incredibly cute nephew Patrick came up on the afternoon of Christmas Eve to hang out. They brought Daniel one of Patrick’s toys that is interactive and has doors and light switches. That kept him occupied pretty well that afternoon, evening, and the next day. 🙂 Patrick is in that stage that seems to occur around 18 months where kids flip out if a parent leaves the room so he was not a happy camper; but it’s all good — at least we got to see him.

On Christmas Day, I got to sleep in which was good — I’ve had a crazy week taking care of sick people and I needed the sleep. We opened presents in the late morning and Daniel got some books and craft stuff from various relatives. Jon and I went and had dinner with some family friends who also brought dinner over to my in-laws who were watching Daniel. It was nice to have a dinner with adult conversation.

— 6 —

In San Jose now. Yesterday, Daniel and I drove up to northern California to spend time with my parents. It was a vastly easier drive on I-5 than it had been at Thanksgiving. It’s good to see Mom and Dad again. We have no firm plans for the week other than church on Sunday and possibly having a coffee date with my friend (and Daniel’s godmother) Rebecca.

— 7 —

Sarah’s stockings. I am so glad I can finally share this story on this blog now! For those not in the know, my parents are University of Washington alums (as are some of my extended family and adopted family) and Sarah is at the OTHER school (Washington State University) where she plays in the marching band. The two teams play each other in the Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend and the family Facebook walls get pretty humorous during the week beforehand.

Anyway, we usually have a family gift drawing and as I usually organize it, I was going to cheat and give myself Sarah. The plan was to crochet two Christmas stockings, one in each team’s colors. I was going to stick the Washington State one into the University of Washington one along with some of Sarah’s favorite candy. The drawing didn’t end up happening but I had already made one of the stockings, so I just made the other one and my Mom used them to house Sarah’s present from her. Ironically, I finished them on the night of the Apple Cup… which the University of Washington won by a decent margin of 31-13 and Washington State didn’t even score until the 4th quarter. (It was pretty brutal.) My mom and my sister-in-law Jeanette had the idea to stage them on either side of the TV:

The stockings were hung by the TV with care, in hopes that an Apple Cup win would be there.

I had wondered if Sarah had liked them and saw this on my Facebook wall this morning:

Sarah and the stockings.

Had a wonderful Christmas with my family! I got some beautiful crocheted stockings from my cousin Jen! I’m just going to consider the purple one my high school stocking.

🙂 Whatever. Love you too, sweetie!

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.