Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures

Last Saturday, at about 3pm, I hit “send” on my PhD application. I want you, my dear reader, to know it was one of the scariest moments. It felt larger than I was – I was asking these people an ocean away to believe that I had a voice and my ideas were worthy of exploring. If any of you would like to read my formal application proposal to know what I’m attempting to study, I’d be happy to send it.

In light of that possible future step and the idea of spending the next three years in a library cubicle, I have decided to “train” for a PhD. Thankfully, I have professors and friends who are well acquainted with the specific form of sadomasicism higher education entails and they’ve given me some guidelines. I’m reading more this semester than I’ve read in the past and I’m writing specific exercises to get me used the rhythms of what I’m about to encounter.

I only have one formal class this semester and then two independent studies where the ‘training’ is contained. I’m asking questions about the nature of religiously based violence for one class and discussing adolescent faith development for the other. Look for future blogs to ask questions about those topics.

As it’s halfway through January and I haven’t written a word on this thing, I thought I should make a start of it. New Year’s and the following week was spent in South Africa (specifically in the Pretoria/Johannesburg region) and there is much to say about that. I attended my first professional academic conference as a potential future PhD candidate and saw many zebra while on safari.But before I jump into discussions of either of those things – let me tell you about the journey back to Waco.

Getting back from Johannesburg was an adventure to say the least. I was traveling with Brother-in-Law, so thankfully I had someone else to help me navigate the shenanigans. Upon arriving at Johannesburg International (JNB) on Sunday evening, we were told the weather in Atlanta was turning ridiculous and our flights leaving ATL were all cancelled. We stood in line for about 45 minutes to be told that fact and then were directed to stand in another line because we were trying to fly anywhere by ATL. As any seasoned American traveler knows, getting stuck in ATL when there is ice on the way is to be avoided at all costs. That line took another few hours to be told that no, in fact, we had to go to ATL and get stuck there and Delta didn’t care for how long we’d be there

Charming of Delta, eh?

So, after all of that, we had about five minutes to check our bags, find our gate and board the plane. Thankfully, that all happened and we settled in for a 17 hour flight which we knew was only leading us to more headaches.

Upon landing in ATL on Monday morning, there were even more lines and we stood in them for about three hours to find out that the earliest we could leave was possibly Tuesday afternoon but most likely Wednesday or Thursday. Awesome. So my quick-thinking brother-in-law called Amtrak to see if there was a train going from ATL to Philly and could we have a seat on it. They said yes and there was much rejoicing. The train left that evening at 8, so we had about 7 hours to kill in the airport. We found plugs for our phones, snack and coffee and settled in to wait.

Around 5 we decided to make our way to the train, taking the MARTA to the closest stop to the Amtrak station. That still meant we had to walk a mile or so in snow to get to the train. For me, the best part about this part is our attire. Remember we had been in South Africa for two weeks, which is in the throws of summer. Our footwear were TOMS and flip-flops and I had on linen pants. There are some ridiculous pictures of our jaunt through the ghost town the ice turned the town into.

We finally made it to the train and boarded for our 16 hour journey to Trenton where my wonderful mother was there to collect us. We thought we were leaving Philly the next morning for Waco, but weather once again had other plans. More snow hit Philly on Wednesday morning, pushing our flight to Thursday morning. This delay was frustrating, but at least we were someone safe and warm and we were well fed. There was also a puppy to cuddle with and a fireplace to enjoy.

Thursday morning was spent racing to a very early flight out of Philly to DFW and then waiting in DFW for a few hours to finally return to Waco. So, after many detours and an extra 52 hours, we landed in Waco early on Thursday afternoon.

The moral of the story? Due to ATL’s complete inability to deal with snow, it should be avoided as a connection city during the winter at all costs. Which means one must also avoid Delta at all costs. Lesson learned.

So, I read a lot. I decided to start keeping track of the books I read – partially as a challenge to myself to see if I could make 150. While I fell short of that goal by a few (I’m reinstating the goal for next year), I still read a lot. I read some truly excellent ones and some truly horrible ones. I really do recommend the ones I’ve bolded – but some of them may not be your particular passion. If you’ve got some recommendations for me – I just got a new Kindle and am prepared to fill it! Also, don’t judge me for some of the fiction I chose. We all have our coping mechanisms. One of mine for graduate school is mindless reading.

Books recommended are in bold. If I wrote a separate entry, the link is embedded.

January

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson (pleasure reading on the ship)
2. Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble (pleasure reading on the ship)
3. Strength in What Remains by Tracey Kidder (‘pleasure’ reading on the ship)
4. Voice of the Irish: The Story of Christian Ireland by Michael Staunton (preparation for a paper)
5. Plenty by Alisa Smith (pleasure reading)
6. Dublin 24 by Maeve Binchy (pleasure reading)
7. Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson (pleasure reading)
8. God and the Gun: The Church and Irish Terrorism by Martin Dillon (preparation for a paper)
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (pleasure reading on the ship)

February

10. Encountering The West: Christianity and the Global Cultural Process: The African Dimension by Lamin Sanneh (read for Cross-Cultural Living)
11. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries by Rodney Stark (read for Story of Christian Mission)
12. Mohammed: Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong (read for Religion & Worldview)
13. The Myth of Religious Violence by William Cavanaugh (read for Scriptures 2)
14. In The Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor’s Journey into the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta Ahmed (read for Religion & Worldview)
15. Swimsuit by James Patterson (read for pleasure)
16. Torture and Eucharist by William Cavanaugh (read for Scriptures 2)

March

17. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (read for pleasure)
18. To the Golden Shore by Courtney Anderson (read for Story)
19. Hope Against History by Jack Holland (preparation for a paper)
20. Between Vengeance and Forgiveness by Martha Minnow (preparation for a paper/Scriptures 2)
21. Jesus Freak by Sara Miles (read for pleasure)
22. Northern Ireland After the Troubles edited by Colin Coulter and Michael Murray (preparation for a paper)
23. Scripture, Culture & Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible by Ellen F. Davis (read for Scriptures 2)
24. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read for pleasure)
25. Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark (read for pleasure)
26. The Heart of Islam by Seyyed Nasr (read for Religion & Worldviews)
27. Greater Love by Robert Wicklow (read for Thomas Nelson Publishers)

April

28. House Rules by Jodi Piccoult (read for pleasure)
29. Hinduism by H.L. Richards (read for the trip to India)
30. Northern Ireland After the Troubles edited by Coulter (read for Story paper)
31. Young People’s Opinions on Northern Ireland (read for Story Paper)
32. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (read for pleasure)
33. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson (read for pleasure)
34. Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber (read for pleasure)
35. The Church and Cultures by Louis Luzebetak (read for Cross-Cultural)
36. Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion by Dana L. Robert (read for Story)
37. The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith by Andrew F. Walls (read for Story)
38. The Story of Christian Missions by Stephen Neill (read for Story)

May

39. Understanding Hinduism by Dayananad Bharati (read for India)
40. The Traveler’s Guide to India by Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda (read for India)
41. India: From Midnight to Millennium by Shashi Tharoor (read for India)
42. Gora by R. Tagore (read for India)
43. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patrillo (read for pleasure)
44. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Patrillo (read for pleasure)
45. Going Bovine by Libba Bray (read for pleasure)
46. Walk Like You’ve Got Somewhere To Go by Lucille O’Neill (read for Thomas Nelson publishers)
47. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (read for pleasure)
48. Still the One by Robin Wells (read for pleasure)
49. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell (read for pleasure on the plane from LA to Hong Kong)
50. In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern India by Edward Luce (read for pleasure in India)
51. Living Water, Indian Bowl by Swami Dayananad Bharati (read for India)

June

52. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (read for pleasure in Calcutta and Jaipur)
53. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham (read for pleasure in Calcutta Train Station)
54. The Way We Were by Elizabeth Noble (read for pleasure in Calcutta)
55. One Day by David Nicholls (read for pleasure on flight from SFO to DFW)
56. How to be Single by Liz Tuccillo (read for pleasure / jet lag fighter)

July

57. Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow (read for pleasure / jet lag fighter)
58. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (read for pleasure)
59. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell (read for Bethany House Publishers)
60. The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Sterns (read for Thomas Nelson Publishers)
61. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (read for pleasure and because I’m the best sister ever)
62. A History of God by Karen Armstrong (read for pleasure/academic excercise)
63. Second Chance by Davis Bunn (read for pleasure and because Mom thought I’d like it)
64. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs (read while laying next to the pool, embracing summer)
65. The Winter’s Lodge by Susan Wiggs (also read while laying next to the pool)
66. Dockside by Susan Wiggs (once again, pool reading)
67. Earth Democracy by Vendana Shiva (read in Colombia)
68. An Unbroken Agony by Randall Robinson (read in Colombia)
69. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (read on the plane to Colombia)
70. Oh My God Just Went By! by Ben Pearson (read for research in Colombia)

August

71. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (read for pleasure)
72. South of Broad by Pat Conroy (read for pleasure)
73. At the King’s Command by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
74. The Open Secret by Lesslie Newbigin (read for BTT)
75. The Maiden’s Hand by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
76. At the Queen’s Command by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
77. Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
78. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (beach reading)
79. The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield (read for pleasure)
80. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt (beach reading)
81. Africa United by Steve Bloomfield (read for pleasure)
82. The Horsemaster’s Daughter by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
83. The Drifter by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
84. A Summer Affair by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
85. Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
86. Fireside by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
87. Summer Hideaway by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
88. Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
89. The Mistress by Susan Wiggs (beach reading)
90. To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds (beach reading)

September

91. Paul Unbound edited by Mark Given (read for Scriptures 4)
92. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta (pleasure reading)
93. The Pysick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (pleasure reading)
94. Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? by Roland Allen (read for Principles, Methods and Strategies)
95.  A Broad Place by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)
96. The Borrowed Bride by Susan Wiggs (pleasure reading)
97. A Bridge to Dreams by Sharryl Woods (pleasure reading)
98. Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery (pleasure reading)
99. Arise! Sun of Righteousness! by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)
100. Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn (read for Principles, Methods and Strategies)
101. Missions and Money by Jonathan Bonk (read for Principles, Methods and Strategies)
102. The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke (read for pleasure)

October

103. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (read for pleasure)
104. Spontaneous Expansion of the Church by Rolland Allen (read for Principles, Methods and Strategies)
105. Lip Service by Susan Mallery (read for pleasure)
106. Colossians: Remixed by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmat (read for Biblical and Theological Themes)
107. Missions After Christendom by David Smith (read for Biblical and Theological Themes)
108. Graceling by Kristen Cashore (read for pleasure)
109. Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (read for pleasure)
110. Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (read for pleasure)
111. Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan (read for pleasure)
112. To Change the World by James Davison Hunter (read for Principles, Methods and Strategies)
113. Church and the Power of the Holy Spirit by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)

November

114. Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (read for fun)
115. Is Religion Killing Us? by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer (read for BTT paper)
116. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (read for fun)
117. Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice and the Domination System edited by Ray Gingerich (read for BTT paper)
118. Dance of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)
119. After the Abduction by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)
120. Married to the Viscount by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)
121. Trinity and the Kingdom by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)
122. My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Olivera (read for fun)
123. Hope for the Church by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)
124. Experiences in Theology by Jurgen Moltmann (read for Missional Church)
125. Must There Be Scapegoats? by Raymond Schwager (read for BTT paper)
126. The Bible, Violence and the Sacred by James G. Williams (read for BTT paper)
124. Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery (read for fun)
125. Curse of Cain: The Violent Legacy of Monotheism by Regina M. Schwartz (read for BTT paper)

December

126. Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs (read for fun)
127. Fire by Kristin Cahsore (read for fun)
128. Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin (read for fun)
129. Mockingbird by Suzanne Collins (read for fun back in August, re-read for fun this month)
130. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (read for fun)
131. The Truth about Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)
132. Enchanted Afternoon by Susan Wiggs (read for fun)
133. Fallen by Lauren Kate (read for fun)
134. Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (read for fun)
135. Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)
136. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (read for fun)
137. A Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs (read for fun)
138. Home Before Dark by Susan Wiggs (read for fun)
139. Ocean Between Us by Susan Wiggs (read for fun)
140. Beware a Scot’s Revenge by Sabrina Jeffries (read for fun)

I hope you all have enjoyed the guest posts this month. I had planned on writing more this particular season, but realized that most of my thoughts about advent were being echoed throughout those of my friends. I wrote a lot about advent and incarnation last December, so I am going to let those stand for now. However, I will offer some favorites, not only for this week, but for this entire season.

1. Pursuit of the Nut. For anyone who doesn’t know my family’s kind of ridiculous and yet completely awesome tradition involving nuts and pudding, please click here.

2. Stories and how this season inspires them. Starbucks has a sticker on their front doors right now which proclaims that stories are for sharing – I heartily agree.

3.Christmas tree ornaments : Ornaments are a huge part of my familial traditions surrounding Christmas. Each child is given an ornament each year which symbolizes a major event that year and then recently we’ve also been given ones from our favorite realms of popular culture. Last year, for instance, I got one of Harry Potter and one for my MSW graduation.

4. Christmas cookies. My mother is a cookie maker and Christmas is when she pulls out all the stops. Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without Danish Jam Cookies or Caramel Nut Bars.

5. Family. I really do love my family. My bio family is really fantastic – with all our quirks and ridiculousness. My formed family – flung across oceans and time zones – is pretty stupendous as well.

(this is part of my series of guest posts on advent, christmas and other such things. if you want to contribute, please comment below)

i have known emmy for a long time. as in, i used to babysit for her and her fantastic brother long time. over the years, i have had the privilege of watching her grow and journeying with her and she is legitimately one of my favorite people on earth. she is also always one of my favorite parts of visits to bucks county. we share a love of harry potter, helping people become healthy creatures and food. emmy also writes a great blog on beauty that i’ve talked about before on here, but here’s another link: a lady in love.

In Defense of Crafts: Handmade Christmas 2010

My boyfriend was sitting at his desk perusing online shopping websites when he called over to me while I was half asleep on his bed,

“Em, what does your brother want for Christmas?”

Without skipping a beat I whispered back:

“Justice.”

It’s true—if you were to ask my brother Peter what he most wanted for Christmas his answer would be something along the lines of “clean drinking water for all children,” “to free a slave,” “to ban Glenn Beck from public life”—oh wait that’s all I want for Christmas.  Anyway… the point is that my brother has a huge heart and is so much better than seeing the bigger picture than I am.

Inspired by my brother’s ability to see the bigger picture I have committed to celebrate Christmas in a healthier, more responsible way by making as many handmade gifts as possible.

I know that making a lot of your gifts sounds really intimidating especially during the super busy holiday season but let me try to convince you that making your gifts will make your holiday season more jolly.

Making your gifts keeps you away from the angry crowds. Of course it’s impossible to avoid all crowds—the shoppers in JoAnn’s, Michaels and Hobby Lobby can be just as unruly as the mom’s in JC Penny’s—but the craft stores usually aren’t as hustle & bustle-y.

Making your gifts fosters a spirit of thanksgiving.  Ironically handmade presents often cost more in the end than their assembled-in-China counterparts but I think that the important difference between the two is that taking time to hand make gifts gives you time to think about the person you are giving the gift to.  It’s impossible not to think about the time you Dad waited in line for 6 hours at Toys’R’Us to get you a Furbee when you are 3 hours into making him a snoopy ornament.  You’ll have plenty of time to think about all the wonderful things your significant other has done for you over the last year while assembling an awesome scrapbook.  And by the time you lay the last ceramic tile on that jewelry box you made your best friend you’ll have already thought about that time she was on the phone with you til 4 am listening to you cry over that guy who works at Starbucks and the time she picked you up when you had a flat tire.

Making your gifts ignites your creativity. It’s the most beautiful and inspirational time of the year but so many of us miss out on incorporating that beauty into our lives—crafting your gifts allows you to appreciate the beauty of the holiday as well as develop your creativity and skills.

Making your gifts gives you an outlet for holiday stress. It’s no secret that the holidays can be stressful—family gatherings, shopping, sleet, dark nights and cold mornings can often bring out the worst in people so finding a way to de-stress around this time of the year is essential.  Escaping is about as important a part of the holidays as Santa and plastic Jesus lawn ornaments so take some justifiable alone time to work on your handmade gifts—people can’t argue with your disappearance if they know you are working on a present for them  Also, I should point out that crafting is a cathartic experience for most (as long as they set do-able goals and crafting boundaries for themselves).  Cutting, gluing, sowing, stapling, and designing although sometimes tedious can restore a sense of calm and purpose which is what we are all striving for during the holidays!

Making your gifts makes you a more mindful consumer. When I decided to make most of my presents this year I felt a bit… guilty.  I thought that everyone would resent my handmade gifts or think that I was cheap but then I asked myself “What would a handmade gift mean to me?  Would I be happy accepting a handmade present?”  and the answer was “YES!” and a resounding “YES!” The more I thought about it the more I came to realize that I have everything I could ever really need from a consumer’s standpoint—most of us do.  So rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what to get a person who already has everything I decided it was ok to give them something that only I could ever give them-something I handmade.

Anyway, I hope that you have a holiday filled with inspiration, thanksgiving and joy!

xo

Em

1: Read. Wrote. Rinsed. Repeated.

2: My sleep pattern was all wonky and so I did what I never do – I napped! Then spent the evening on the couch reading for one of the major papers coming up. Also, I voted.

3: Got a henna tattoo in the morning and had massive flashbacks to my time in Hyderabad. Time with Bucket in the afternoon was a little less fun for her because we couldn’t play outside.

4: I had one of those days where the whole world was awful and little managed to make me anything but angry. I’m sure I was a peach to be around. The day was partially redeemed by going to see Easy A with sister in the afternoon. Funniest movie of the year.

5: One of those days which was supposed to be lazy but got filled with a lot of nothings.

6: Sinus infections are lame. Especially when one has a “to-do” list the length of an entire piece of legal paper.

7: Surprisingly, had an incredibly productive day. Finished three papers and began a fourth, finished a novel and even managed to cook a meal!

8: Had some depressing appointments and ones which injected hope into my world. Ying and yang medical day.

9: Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester were marked with 9:30 dates at Starbucks with some of the most brilliant men at Truett. This morning also included phone calls of planning for South Africa. Such a good day.

10: We celebrated food and community that evening at the Onion and I made my famous (at least amongst my friends) Irish Stew for the occasion.

11: Was family for a favorite in the morning and then spent the afternoon snuggling with my sister while Singing in the Rain lulled us into a blissful nap.

12: Discovered that Panera has lost it’s productivity mojo for me this semester. Bad. News. Bears.

13: Worked on my last two papers I will submit to Dr. Stroope (which is a ridiculously weird thought) and read for another paper for Dr. Still. Also spent most of the day anxiously waiting for my phone to ring : BabyWatch 2010 is on for some precious Onionites

14: Breakfast with sister in the morning (at Cafe Cap, clearly) and then sequestered at my kitchen table for the rest of the afternoon to work on assignments

15: BabyWatch 2010 ended wonderfully with the safe arrival of the wee one. Precious, precious button.

16: Class. Coffee. Class. Lunch. Class. Nap. Glee.

17: Packed in a whirlwind after leaving it for far too long and watched several episodes of MI-5.

18: Woke early to drive to Austin to catch a flight to Nashville to recruit for Truett at the National Youth Worker’s Convention. Not only was it great to travel with the brother-in-law, but I got to spend time with favorites from Asbury whom I have not seen in several years. Love. Oh, and I broke my toe. Oops.

19: Had fantastic conversations with potential Truett-ites, ate a few fantastic meals and worked on a paper.

20: Got to interact with Asburians and talk about the hope of the Kingdom. Also got free ice cream and to meet boyfriends of favorites. Great day.

21: Wrapped up the conference and got to eat amazing Indian food with a fellow Baylor Bear whom I adore. Excellent evening.

22: Broken toe and my general inability to walk on it grabbed us priority boarding for flights home. Score. That evening was full of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One; a film I still do not have words for.

23: Parents arrived for Thanksgiving and we caught up on some of the TV we had missed whilst recruiting.

24: Ignored all work I had to do and spent the day with family. Excellent choice. We also watched Get Smart that evening since the parents had never seen it and much laughter happened. Brother-in-law also made Mom laugh so hard that she cried. This bodes well for family vacay next summer.

25: Our celebration of the national day of thanks was marked with too much food and a pretty epic game of Hide-And-Seek with Bucket. Very thankful for family in its varied forms and a mother who took over many of the hosting duties. Also pretty thankful for surprise phone calls that day.

26: Hauled out the holly and put up that tree before my spirits fell again! Accompanied by my Christmas music station on Pandora, the parents and I decorated my dwelling for my favorite time of year. Also exciting was the discussion about how I’m throwing my artificial tree away in January because I will not live in this house next Christmas.

27: Bid adieu to the parents and then sat at the kitchen table for the following seven hours as I finished crafting a paper.

28: Another day spent at the table, crafting a paper to turn in on Tuesday.

29: Had an excellent work-out and then a long nap to celebrate being finished with the papers. (Theme of this point of the semester is papers, can you tell?)

30: Turned in the papers, made my final presentation of the semester, arranged things for an independent study and then went to see Burlesque with favorites. I deeply hope professors find my offerings worthy.

Semesters in grad school are exhausting. We can use all sorts of sports metaphors – marathon, world series of academia, etc. – but the important thing to understand is that one is never really finished until final grades are posted. Thus, rest and victory must be claimed after major obstacles because if you waited until the very end of each semester to find pieces of peace you would never rest.

I say all of that tonight to say that I just cleared one of the largest hurdles of the semester : two research papers due on the same day for the same professor. After multiple edits and several editors, both papers are as ready as they are going to be and I will submit my offering tomorrow. I will then have a few days of brief rest before the last hurdle of this semester – final exams.

Tonight, however, I am resting in the beauty of hitting the “print” button by slowly sipping my tea and enjoying some mindless television. Thanks to How I Met Your Mother and Chuck for helping with the emotion detox process.

The prompt for the day regards your worst habit. I’m tempted to put down the fact I still bite my nails, but that seems a bit of a cop-out. I could also put my inability to believe in myself, but that sounds like an article written for Seventeen magazine back in the day. My need to be right is not one of my favorite traits about myself, but I think the thing I am the most annoyed with right now is that I interrupt people.

I fill in silences and gaps in conversation. When someone is searching for a word, I feel the need to suggest options. Besides my compulsive need to fiddle with my hair, this may be the most socially inept thing about me. I wish I didn’t do either, I wish I was content with silence and with stillness. I wish I wasn’t a ball of kinetic energy, feeling the constant need for motion.

I’m sure some of you can come up with worse habits for me, things about me that drive you crazy. I apologize if I’ve ever interrupted you and that’s been annoying or if watching me play with my hair in class makes you want to climb walls. Really, I’m sorry.

what’s your bad habit?

1. nothing is more exciting this week than the fact that Elizabeth Keliah has graced us with her presence! it was a high honor to be a small part of the process of her transition from womb to world and one I will never forget. I love this family and who they are in my life.

2. the fact that as this posts I am in Nashville recruiting for Truett. the recruiting is not as exciting as seeing favorites I have not seen in a while.

3. Parenthood is the best show on TV you’re not watching. I’d recommend starting immediately.

4. Harry. Potter. Or I should say the anticipation of the movie, which releases TODAY but I probably won’t see until I’m back in Waco.

5. getting hand-written letters in the mail. i have a beloved who is not tech-connected for the next few seasons and to write back and forth to him is becoming one of my favorite daily rituals.

~*~

special shout-out to my favorite baby brother today who turns twenty-four! he’s definitely also a favorite.

Last summer, So You Think You Can Dance featured a song by Sara Barellies called “Gravity.” I had heard the song before (the CD is one of my favorites), but I had never thought of it that particular way before. Choreographer Mia Michaels envisioned a routine about addiction as the evil entity in the song. The video below is K’upono dancing as addiction and Kayla dancing as the addict.

I SOBBED at this video. We watched it in silence and paused the television after, rewound at watched it again. I cannot express how profoundly this dance and this song describe what I know of addiction. The desperation to get away, the need to not be controlled by the addiction anymore; these are daily realities for addicts.

There’s something to be said that we’re all addicted to something and that some addictions are just more socially acceptable than others. That’s true. But this video talks about the debilitating addictions; the ones that rob you of self and security and family and hope. The ones that kill you even while you’re still living. I love people who live with those addictions and I can tell you that I’ve seen those looks on their faces. I pray I can continue to be a voice of hope in this midst of their darkness and to help them provide the strength they need to not be pulled down by the gravity of the addiction. Some days I am very good at this, but most days not.

Loving addicts is not something which is talked about often enough and someday I hope to remedy that, but today I want to focus on my beloveds who know what it’s like to not be the one who inhabits their own skin. May we all love graciously and provide healthy communities and speak honestly and help provide them the strength to stand on their own and not fall apart into that gravity.

~*~

The prompt I’m following was ‘a song that makes you cry,’ so allow me to include the lyrics.

Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do I’ll still feel you here ’til the moment I’m gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.

Set me free, leave me be. I don’t want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I’m supposed to be.
But you’re on to me and all over me.

You loved me ’cause I’m fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you’re everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you’re neither friend nor foe though I can’t seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that you’re keeping me down
You’re on to me, on to me, and all over…
Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.