Tried With Fire

Happy - That the snow is melting. I am a total wimp when it comes to driving in snow and ice, so there is much rejoicing. Of course we are not out of yo-yo weather yet. Tomorrow will be in the 60's. Friday will be in the 20's. Pondering - Baptist covenant theology. Dr. Jim Renihan of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster California was the speaker at my church's theology conference this past week-end. I'm hoping to post a summary of the sessions minus the one when I was in the nursery. I learned a lot and gained a greater understanding of my theological roots. Audio is available here . Compiling - A wish list of books relating to Baptist covenant theology for the church library. Waiting - For the tea kettle to boil. It's a 3-mug kind of day. Counting -  The bird species in my backyard. They have been consuming vast quantities of thistle and black oil sunflower seeds. To date, I have counted 17 species, not mentioning the visiting squirre...

A little blurry, but clouds at sunset last night Fighting… A cold, I think. Hopefully it will be a mild one. Fluids, rest, vitamin C, and as a last resort, raw garlic. Smelling… Homemade soup simmering on the stove. Recovering... From a busy wedding week-end. Beautiful bride, handsome groom, God-glorifying ceremony, fun reception, and good time had by all. Feeding… The birds. I scattered sunflower seed on the deck this morning because I only have a thistle feeder. The birds enjoyed it until this afternoon when most of it was eaten by this little guy. Hoping… The injured squirrel we took to the emergency vet on Sunday is okay.  I have a soft spot for little furry critters. Finishing… work. Nearly completed… The Democratization of American Christianity .  It's written from a different perspective than Revival and Revivalism, but it's no less insightful. Thinking… How broken this world is in so many respects. Looking... forward to the day when all will be...

Drinking - Honey crisp cider. Enjoying - The 70 degree weather for the first day of December. I was able to wash the car today which was in desperate need of a bath. Listening to - Persuasion by Jane Austen. I've read it several times but listening adds another dimension. Anne's sadness is so moving in her resignation and the maturity with which she handles it. Quite the opposite of Marianne Dashwood. The reader also feels her joy more keenly because it is such a contrast to the beginning of the story. It's tough to choose, but I think Persuasion has moved up to the place of favorite Austen novel. Finished - My 6th NaNoWriMo novel. It's a fun, albeit time consuming diversion. It also forces one to let editing fly out the window and just write! Consequently, it's a good exercise for those of us who tend to edit something to death. Feeling sad - Friends from church are moving this month. Our area has a number of military facilities, so families move in and ou...

Drinking - My first cup of morning tea. Trying - To wake up. I shouldn't have stayed up late watching the election results on Tuesday night, and I'm still feeling it today. As Christians, we don't put our hope in princes, horses, or political parties, but it was rather gratifying that the American people made a strong statement with their votes. Participating - In 2014 NaNoWriMo  - National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This is my 6th NaNoWriMo.  My genre is satire/humor with science fiction and theology thrown in for good measure. (I had previous villains named Darth Pelagius, Darth Finney, and Darth Osteen.) It's been a fun break to give free rein to the nonsense lurking in the back of my brain. Listening in the evenings - To The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  by C.S. Lewis. Audio books are story time for grownups, and familiar stories are like visits from old friends. Reading - A new book for the ch...

Book of Hours: September Drinking: Water. I'm trying to stay away from caffeine after 4 pm. Knitting: The yarn arrived in the mail, so I've cast on a scaled down version of Tom Baker's  Doctor Who scarf . The original was around 12 feet long. This version will still be 6-7 feet and much more practical as wearable scarf and not just a prop. Refreshed: I took advantage of the long week-end and spent some time knitting, reading for fun, and watching past episodes of Doctor Who. Looking forward: To seeing the dentist tomorrow. Yes, the dentist. One of my molars has been giving me some pain, and I don't want to wait until it gets excruciating like the time I had an infected tooth. Anticipating: Autumn. Even though we had a relatively moderate summer, I won't miss the heat. It was mid 90's with humidity today. I eagerly await making soup and pumpkin pudding. Studying: 1 Peter in Sunday school. The elder who teaches inductive studies does such ...

Drinking -  My morning cup of tea as usual. Enjoying - The last gardenias of the season. Thankfully they survived last winter's cold and still had plenty of blooms. Contemplating - A recipe for matcha green tea ice cream with coconut milk. Anticipating-  A break in the heat, a long week-end, and a chance to catch up on some sleep. Finishing - China's Reforming Churches , Bruce Baugus, ed.  Starting - Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals by William Webb Learning  - That human beings are much more complex than we think. We are fearfully and wonderfully made but that includes more than just the workings of our physical bodies. Appreciating - Brothers and sisters who offer godly counsel in time of need. Some say, "It takes a village.", but I would say, "It takes the local church." Not in a weird, cultish, lose-your-individuality sense, but in a healthy, familial way in which we care for one another. Grateful - God's forgiven...

Sitting: At my desk and listening to the birds perform their morning chorus. They sound so happy and cheery. I could use a little of that pep this morning. Drinking A nice hot cup of Uganda tea. Listening: To the whir of my new-to-me work computer. It's amazing the difference sufficient RAM makes. By comparison, my old machine was powered by a snails mired in molasses. Still preferring: Mac environment to Windows. I'm trying to make sense of the ins and outs of the latest version of Word. It's not streamlined or intuitive. Too many unnecessary clicks IMO. Hoping: The weeds grass can wait until this week-end for a trim. It's not a meadow yet. Trying: To finish the reading I had scheduled for May. My reading plan has taken a few detours which isn't unexpected. Needing: Another bookshelf. The books are starting to pile up again. It's so hard to say no when you find a great deal on a used book in great condition. Getting up: To grab some breakfast and...

Drinking - My third cup of tea. I need to get a brown mug to hide the caffeine stains. Returned - From the gym. It's been long overdue. Glad - The snow is gone. I've had my fix, and I'm ready for spring. Looking forward to - Our church's annual theology conference is this week-end with Dr. Timothy Paul Jones from SBTS. The topic is the Church - the Family of God. Finished reading -  Created in God's Image  by Anthony Hoekema. A lot of good stuff regarding mankind, sin, and sanctification, in which he describes sanctification as the renewal of the image of God in the believer. I think it is to our detriment when we forget that all human beings are made in the image of God. Thinking - About logical fallacies and how often we Christians employ them for the sake of making a point. Is this being, perhaps unwittingly, intellectually dishonest? Tempted - To get Prelude to Philosophy by Mark Foreman to learn about said fallacies. I have a book buying morator...

Drinking - Water but wondering if I should make my third cup of tea. Looking - At my new bookshelf. There were too many books piled on top of books, squeezed horizontally in the shelves, on the floor and kitchen table so it was time to get another one. After reorganizing three shelves' worth of books, there's a little space left for a few more. Undecided - About the women's study. I am leaning towards Extravagant Grace by Barbara Duguid thanks to Melissa 's review. Reading - Revival and Revivalism by Iain Murray, Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey, and Homer's Odyssey this week. The first book is because of our current sermon series. The second is because I like Nancy Pearcey's take on culture and worldview. The third is so I can say I've read it. Fiddling - With an autumn blog header. It still feels like summer, but I'm ready for fall. Knitting - A  grenade  in honor of Corky Velveeta. Rethinking - How I think about the limits, constrain...

Sitting ... in the sunroom. This is my favorite room in the house. It gets a bit toasty on summer afternoons, but I love the morning light that streams in. Drinking ... my morning cup of tea, Lipton with one teaspoon of sugar. Listening ... to the wind, the song birds, and my neighbor's dog. Waffling ... over tomorrow's post at Out of the Ordinary . Wishing ... fear of man would take a permanent hike. Finishing ... Joy! by Keri Folmar tonight as we wrap up our last meeting. I've learned much from this study on Philippians. Looking ... at the weeds lawn and wondering how many more days I can let it go before mowing. Waiting ... for files to download so I can start work. Learning ... to pray first. Thinking ... about Romans 8:18-25, groaning, and certain hope. Copying ... Kim , Lisa , and Rebecca .