what we're reading wednesday: something other than god

(Okay, it's early Thursday morning for me, but I wrote this post yesterday.)

I'm sure most people reading this post have already read or started Something Other Than God by Jen Fulwiler, so I don't need to provide a synopsis. I really, really enjoyed it (*cough*readitin24hours*cough*) and was actually brought to tears more than once. A few things about it really struck me:

1. I thought she did a phenomenal job of really giving us a look inside the head of an intelligent atheist. Reading the early chapters, I really felt like I was truly seeing things from that worldview, not just looking at it from the outside. That's a pretty remarkable thing, especially for someone who's never not believed in God.

2. The final chapters made me excited to be a Catholic convert again. There was a recent post by Katrina at The Crescat talking about the glow and enthusiasm of the new convert, and how that enthusiasm can fade a bit over time. She points out that the excitement often transforms into a deeper familiarity, which isn't a bad thing... but I think the periodic renewal of that excitement is very valuable, too. We're rational beings, but we're also emotional. Knowing the True and striving for the Good are great things, but it's also great to thrill to the Beautiful. And this book helped me find that thrill again. 

3. I was really struck by the passage where Jennifer comments on how much easier it is to strive to be good after reading about the lives of the saints, rather than reading about theology/philosophy/morality in theory only. I don't know why this never occurred to me before, but when I read that paragraph, it hit me like a thunderbolt. I suspect it's also an excellent remedy for those feelings of superiority and holier-than-thou smugness that can creep in when you're not looking-- there's nothing like looking straight at undiluted goodness and bravery to serve as a healthy slice of humble pie. Of course the life of Christ is the ultimate story of goodness and bravery, but we've heard it so often that, sadly, it can sometimes lose its shock value. Fortunately, the Church is just brimming with holy people to read about, each one gloriously unique and bringing a fresh perspective to holiness. 

4. I would, in a second, recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Catholicism-- especially if they're skeptical about it. As is pointed out in the passage where Jen and Joe are reading the blog comments from Steve G., the only thing that really distinguishes Catholicism from Protestantism is the belief in the authority of the Church (if you believe in that authority, everything else follows naturally), and this book explains that so well. (I loved the analogy to the Supreme Court and the Constitution.) I'm seriously considering giving a copy to my Evangelical parents because it's such a great, clear explanation. I think my dad, especially, would like it.

Now I just need to nag Jack to finish it, because I'm so anxious to have someone to discuss it with!

Linking up with Jessica at Housewifespice! 

the sotg margarita

Since almost no one reads this blog, and CERTAINLY NO PLAGIARISTS, I feel pretty safe in posting my submission for the SOTG drink-inventing competition. ;o)


The SOTG Margarita
In honor of Texas, Mexican restaurants, and the color scheme of the book cover.

(I bet you didn't even notice these pictures aren't identical.)

Ingredients:
margarita salt (or kosher salt, or flaky sea salt)
zest from 1/2 an orange
1 oz gold tequila
1 oz Hpnotiq OR blue curaçao (I am 100% certain that blue curaçao would make it more authentic, margarita-wise, but the Navy Exchange didn't carry it, and it's the biggest liquor store on the island. So mine is made with Hpnotiq, which was the only blue liqueur they had. Sad. It still tasted good, though.)
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
orange wedge, for garnish

Directions:
Combine the orange zest with the margarita salt, and spread out on a plate. Rub the rim of a margarita glass with an orange wedge, then dip in the zest/salt mixture to coat the rim. Combine the tequila, Hpnotiq/curaçao, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until blended. Place a few ice cubes in the prepared margarita glass, then strain the drink into the glass. Add orange wedge and enjoy!

what we're reading wednesday: the giver

Can you believe I never read The Giver by Lois Lowry before now? I have a weakness for "young adult future dystopian" novels, and this one was, as far as I can tell, basically the first book of that genre.

It starts off following Jonas, the main character, who lives in a seemingly ideal community where everything is organized, everyone follows the rules, and all citizens are useful, content, and cared-for. Jonas is about to undergo the Ceremony of Twelve, when all twelve-year-olds in the community are assigned their future careers by the Elders-- who carefully take each youth's personality and ambitions into account, so that everyone gets exactly the right job. Jonas is selected for a job of special honor-- he is to be the next Receiver of Memories.

It is as he starts to receive Memories from the previous Receiver-- now the Giver of Memories-- that Jonas realizes his community may not be as ideal as he once thought.

I really enjoyed this book. Obviously it's won awards and become something of a modern classic, so you don't need me to tell you it's well-written and thought-provoking and troubling (in the best sense). If you haven't read it and are wondering whether it's appropriate for your child, be aware that it does address mature ideas, including euthanasia, death/war, and (quite subtly) sexual attraction. But I think it does so very appropriately, bringing to light the horror of the circumstances that should be horrifying, but not gratuitously.

Linking up with Jessica at Housewifespice! (Next on the list-- Something Other Than God, which FINALLY CAME IN THE MAIL!! I'm already 1/3 of the way through... after owning it for approximately 16 hours, a large proportion of which was taken up by annoying things like cooking dinner for my family, my workout group, and sleeping. I told my husband he could read it after I'm done, which will probably be when he gets home from work today.)

marian ramblings

This post has been lurking in my drafts for awhile, but after reading this post by Daniel Stewart, I thought it was time to bring it into the light!

I'm not a cradle Catholic.  My family attended a Lutheran church when I was little, but when I was in third or fourth grade we began attending an evangelical "mega-church" (this one, to be exact). It was great, in all the ways that those kinds of churches tend to be. Everyone brought their highlighted and dog-eared Bibles to church every Sunday, there was a band that played worship songs that were both catchy and moving, the sermons were relevant and Scripture-filled, and you could be fairly certain that your neighbor in the pew was either "on fire for God" or wanted to be. I attended the affiliated Christian school from 6th through 12th grade, where every semester we had a required class on Christianity (or "Bible class" as we called it, because, you know, evangelical)-- one year on marriage and family, one year on in-depth Bible reading, one year on apologetics (that was a good one-- the stuff I learned in apologetics class still influences my life).

But then, in 2009, I converted to Catholicism.

This post isn't going to be a "conversion story"-- I'll save that for another day. Suffice it to say that my beliefs haven't "lost" anything in the transition, but have only gained scope, depth, and assurance. (The only thing I "lost" was the guarantee of an "on fire for God" congregation. Sad but true, but obviously not limited to Catholicism. See: mainline Protestantism.)

When I converted, I embraced fully the teachings of the Church. Because, I mean, what would be the point otherwise? If you don't believe everything the Catholic Church teaches, then you don't believe in the Catholic Church and there's no point in calling yourself Catholic. It would be like saying, "Yeah, I'm Republican, except I'm in favor of graduated tax rates, and I think health care should be single-payer, and I'm pro-choice and in favor of gay marriage and affirmative action, and I think we should have tighter gun laws and looser immigration laws, and we should cut funding to the military. But, you know, my family is all Republican, so it's cultural." That makes no sense. But it makes MORE sense than calling yourself Catholic and disagreeing with the Catholic Church, because the Church isn't just a set of ideological views from which you can pick and choose... the whole concept behind the Catholic Church is that it's the church established by God and therefore contains the fullness of truth and His authority on earth.

BUT (and here's where we get to the whole point of this post... longest. introduction. ever, amiright?) despite intellectually agreeing completely, and consciously trying to adjust my actions accordingly, sometimes I find myself having trouble getting emotionally on board. Devotion to Mary, specifically, has been on my mind lately. It's not that I have any difficulty believing in the teachings about Mary. It's that I have trouble feeling devotion to her-- I know of course, that "feeling" something isn't required, but it something that can be helpful-- and something that can be cultivated.

I'm sure that this difficulty is related to my evangelical background. Now, I was never part of the subculture of Protestantism that disparages Mary (a subculture that makes no sense to me-- if God chose her, who are we to disagree?). In my church growing up, she was considered important in her role as Jesus' mother, and she was someone who was considered admirable and virtuous. But we just didn't think about her that often, other than at Christmas. Not nearly as much as, say, the writers of the New Testament.

So I've been trying to think of ways to increase my devotion to and just day-to-day awareness of Mary. I've got this book lined up in my books-to-read pile, and a couple more in my Amazon Wish List:
- Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross
- Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom
(And thanks to the post I linked to at the top, I'm adding Mary and the Fathers of the Church to my list.)

Any other ideas? If any of you have been in this situation (which I suspect is common among converts, especially former Protestants), what have you found that helped you?

pediatrician confessions

Ever wonder what your pediatrician is secretly thinking? WONDER NO LONGER!

- I don't care which brand of formula, diapers, or baby food you use. I don't even care if you use cloth vs. disposables, or jarred baby food vs. home-pureed. (I do care somewhat about breast milk vs. formula, but I'm not going to judge you. It's really okay either way.)

- You're never going to convince me that letting your newborn sleep on his stomach is okay.

- You're never going to convince me that an alternate vaccine schedule is justifiable.

- If your child is old enough to talk, and still refuses/fights swallowing medication, I judge you as a parent. Sorry, but it's true.

- I almost never care what color your child's snot is.

- "She'll only eat junk food-- candy, chips, ice cream-- I don't know what to do!" Here's an idea: DON'T BUY IT! 

(Sorry if this post appears twice. I have publishing issues sometimes.)

seven quick takes friday - ed. 19

1. Spotted a link to this personality profile testing site on a friend's Facebook page. It's less of a comprehensive Myers-Briggs-type personality test, and more of a "what-makes-you-tick-at-work-or-school" test. It's pretty fun though. Here was my result:

Don't make my mistake and go to www.talenttoday.com, which is apparently for wannabe actors. I was very confused for a few minutes.

2. Jack has a "talent" for making up ridiculous songs that he sings to the girls. Sometimes Faith joins in. (Feel free to "awwww.")

3. This is disgusting but also really cool. See what happens when a bloated dead whale gets poked with a stick. Not for the squeamish, obviously.

4. I'm longing to join in the Something Other Than God release party activities, but... Amazon only shipped my pre-ordered copy TODAY. And we live on GUAM, so it's going to take EIGHT DAYS to get here.  WTF, AMAZON?!!????? *insert angry face here* 

If you also want to buy the book and be frustrated by Amazon, click here.

5. I'm a couple days behind, but I just got around to watching this video. Have you seen it yet? This Might Just Be The Best Defense Of Catholicism Since Aquinas. It's worth the 12 minutes. Obviously you don't need to homeschool (or have a lot of kids, for that matter) to be a faithful Catholic, but it kind of emphasizes the joyful counterculturalism of it.

6. Here, read this and laugh:

7. Sometimes I forget how beautiful this island is. Here's an un-edited photo I snapped at the beach last week:

My deepest apologies to those living in the northern half of the US.

But to make you feel better, head over to Conversion Diary for more quick takes!

what we're reading wednesday: miracles

I recently finished Miracles by C.S. Lewis and it was, of course, wonderful. It was a bit denser than some of his other books, with points and arguments that make you read slowly so you can really think about them. (Not like, "What was he saying? Let me go back because I didn't understand," but more like, "Wow, I never thought of that... it makes so many things make sense that now I want to stop and think about everything in this new light.") 

He starts off first by defining miracles, and what each "side" (those who believe in them and those who don't) really means, and the worldviews behind those beliefs. Then he systematically addresses the logical and philosophical errors-- mainly the errors of those who don't believe (since he obviously does), but sometimes the errors of those who do. He ends by discussing the miracles of Christ and how they relate to the "old creation" and the "new creation."

When I describe it like that-- "systematically addressing logical errors"-- it sounds as if it will be dry and boring. But Lewis is always so clear and conversational that it's less like reading a philosophical treatise, and more like having an interesting discussion with a wise friend. I highly recommend it!

Linking up with Jessica at Housewifespice!

(I swear I published this on Wednesday, but Blogger is strange sometimes.)