Study Prevention Bibles
I have to be honest, I love bibles. They are the only Christian consumer products that suck me in. Give me study notes and concordances, outlines and charts, mini-articles and extra-wide margins, and color maps (I love those color maps), and I'm a happy girl. I'm not sure why it is, but I love to hold a real bible, especially one with a leather cover and lots of pages.
More often than I would like to admit, I am tempted to buy a new one because of its pretty cover or extensive study notes. At such times, I have to remind myself that one Bible is enough for any person (and I already own at least five or six), that any version I might like to read is available online for free, and that the study notes are usually a disappointment.
Yesterday, as I was wandering around the internet, I stumbled upon the soon-to-be-released NLT Study Bible. Despite my scholarly pretensions, I actually like the New Living Translation and a blogger I read and enjoy, Scot McKnight, was a contributor, so I was interested in what this new Bible might be like. Fortunately for me, the Tyndale House website had a free preview of Genesis. Unfortunately for me, it was a complete disaster.
As I read, I became ever more convinced that this so-called study bible should be relabeled a study prevention bible. It's not just this particular study bible I'm down on; I think that most of them are bunk. The study notes don't present interesting research or thought-provoking questions. Instead, they spoon feed readers whatever theological agenda the editors happen to approve. Naturally, I don't expect study notes to be free of perspective, but it would be nice if they could, at least, inspire further reflection and, dare I hope, study, rather than handing out authoritative sounding interpretations.
Here is a paragraph from the introductory materials of Genesis:
Most scholars, however, do not accept that Moses wrote Genesis. The prevailing critical view, called the Documentary Hypothesis, is that Genesis was compiled from various sources by different groups of people. In such approaches, there is seldom a word about divine revelation or inspiration. For those who understand the Bible as God’s inspired word, such theories often seem unnecessarily complicated and conjectural. Genesis can be understood much more straightforwardly as the product of Moses’ genius under God’s inspiration with later editorial adjustments.
Later in his article, the author goes on to explain myth, giving an over-simplified and disturbingly narrow definition, and again dismisses all scholars that would even consider classifying part or all of Genesis as myth. Brief study notes are going to be over-generalized as a matter of course, but the author doesn't even attempt to treat scholars who have spent years developing alternate theories of authorship with respect. The opinion of "most scholars" is dismissed simply because it's too complicated. Not to mention the fact that people who agree with such theories are summarily lumped together as those who don't believe in divine revelation or inspiration. This paragraph might as well say "Don't listen to scholars; none of them believe the Bible, anyway." The anti-intellectual bent of the article makes me wonder why the authors and editors of this bible are even involved in the task of compiling what they call a study bible.
I don't think one needs a Ph.D. to interpret Scripture, but I do think any person who intends to interpret Scripture should be willing to consider the opinions of scholars who have spent the better part of their lives studying the text and context of the bible. We need to beware of accepting any explanation merely because it is the one that takes the least amount of thought. The Bible doesn't need to be defended against thought. A book labeled a "study bible" should inspire learning and inquiry. I've sat through too many bible studies where study helps were treated as gospel truth. The scholars who write these things should be held to a higher intellectual standard.
It's definitely good for my wallet that the NLT Study Bible was so infuriatingly unbalanced, but maybe not so good for the church.
It's July 11!
As I get older, I find that sometimes it's difficult to keep track of the date. Days slip by so quietly that I don't notice an entire week has gone by until I look up at the calendar and promptly fall out of my chair. How is it that an hour can seem like an eternity, but then you check and another week has disappeared, never to be seen again? Existential crisis much? Blah.
Emily was here yesterday. We went to the coast. Not knowing Salem very well, it's difficult for me to think of anything else to do. Our first stop was at some tourist shops. It was chilly and since our trip was rather spontaneous, neither of us had warm clothing, so Emily bought a fleece and I bought a hoodie. Big surprise: new hoodie! The best part is that this one screams "TOURIST!!!" and I plan on wearing it everywhere around Salem, even if the temperature is over 100 degrees. It's a personal mission.
After walking down the beach for a while, we headed to Kyllo's Grill for lunch, where we were seated by a window overlooking the ocean and ate a delightful meal. I had Dungeness crab alfredo. It was delicious! Emily laughed at how much I was enjoying my food, but after the disgusting meal I had at Maxwell's only two weeks prior, Kyllo's was wonderful. For only three more dollars than my meal at Maxwell's, I got food that actually tasted great and didn't make my stomach all wonky.
When we got back to Salem, we went to the mall to see "Get Smart." There were only about twenty people in the entire gigantic theater, so we got prime seats to enjoy the film and our smuggled in candy. The movie wasn't a constant laugh riot, but it was definitely entertaining. If you like the awkward humor of Steve Carrell, I would definitely recommend a matinee. Don't pay $10 for an evening show.
Other than my visit with Emily, the rest of the week was busy with church stuff. I've been planning events for kids and this past Wednesday we all learned more about patience and kindness by baking brownies. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and I was glad when it was over. It's not that I don't enjoy them, but I get more worked up than I should be sometimes. Fortunately, I had some great helpers who cleaned up after us so that I could keep my head in the game instead of worrying about the messy trail we were leaving behind.
I also had a brief encounter with a concerned mother who was worried that I might be teaching her children it's okay to be gay. I was able to assure her that whatever my personal opinions, I wasn't going to be doing any sex education with kids whose parents I barely know and who barely know me. It wasn't a conversation I expected to have this summer, but I'm glad she came to me rather than pulling her kids out of the program and not telling me why. Perhaps I was naive to think that I wouldn't have to deal with sexuality issues this summer considering how much they are being talked about in the Presbyterian Church USA these days.
Now I should get to writing my children's sermon about the different kinds of soil. Did I ever tell you I hate children's sermons? Well, it's true.
Emily was here yesterday. We went to the coast. Not knowing Salem very well, it's difficult for me to think of anything else to do. Our first stop was at some tourist shops. It was chilly and since our trip was rather spontaneous, neither of us had warm clothing, so Emily bought a fleece and I bought a hoodie. Big surprise: new hoodie! The best part is that this one screams "TOURIST!!!" and I plan on wearing it everywhere around Salem, even if the temperature is over 100 degrees. It's a personal mission.
After walking down the beach for a while, we headed to Kyllo's Grill for lunch, where we were seated by a window overlooking the ocean and ate a delightful meal. I had Dungeness crab alfredo. It was delicious! Emily laughed at how much I was enjoying my food, but after the disgusting meal I had at Maxwell's only two weeks prior, Kyllo's was wonderful. For only three more dollars than my meal at Maxwell's, I got food that actually tasted great and didn't make my stomach all wonky.
When we got back to Salem, we went to the mall to see "Get Smart." There were only about twenty people in the entire gigantic theater, so we got prime seats to enjoy the film and our smuggled in candy. The movie wasn't a constant laugh riot, but it was definitely entertaining. If you like the awkward humor of Steve Carrell, I would definitely recommend a matinee. Don't pay $10 for an evening show.
Other than my visit with Emily, the rest of the week was busy with church stuff. I've been planning events for kids and this past Wednesday we all learned more about patience and kindness by baking brownies. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and I was glad when it was over. It's not that I don't enjoy them, but I get more worked up than I should be sometimes. Fortunately, I had some great helpers who cleaned up after us so that I could keep my head in the game instead of worrying about the messy trail we were leaving behind.
I also had a brief encounter with a concerned mother who was worried that I might be teaching her children it's okay to be gay. I was able to assure her that whatever my personal opinions, I wasn't going to be doing any sex education with kids whose parents I barely know and who barely know me. It wasn't a conversation I expected to have this summer, but I'm glad she came to me rather than pulling her kids out of the program and not telling me why. Perhaps I was naive to think that I wouldn't have to deal with sexuality issues this summer considering how much they are being talked about in the Presbyterian Church USA these days.
Now I should get to writing my children's sermon about the different kinds of soil. Did I ever tell you I hate children's sermons? Well, it's true.
The Kingdom Is Like...
In another few weeks, I'll be preaching for the second time this summer. The first time went over well, so they're giving me another shot. I haven't decided on my passage quite yet, but I think I'll work with the New Testament this time around. So, what does that have to do with the title of my post?
Well, I was reading through the lectionary texts for July 27 and was struck by the Gospel reading, Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52. These verses contain four parables that describe what the kingdom of heaven is like.
It's like a mustard seed...
and yeast...
and a pearl...
and a net...
I couldn't help but laugh about the variety and the seeming contradictions contained in these descriptions. Obviously, the kingdom of God cannot be described in one way or in comparison to one object, but I can just imagine the disciples looking confused and scratching their heads at Jesus' words.
Despite the humor I see in this passage, I don't think I'm going to preach on Matthew because the Romans text for that week is just too tempting. Maybe I should jump out of the lectionary box, though. There probably wouldn't be that many people who'd notice.
Are there any passages that strike you as funny, laugh-out-loud funny?
Well, I was reading through the lectionary texts for July 27 and was struck by the Gospel reading, Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52. These verses contain four parables that describe what the kingdom of heaven is like.
It's like a mustard seed...
and yeast...
and a pearl...
and a net...
I couldn't help but laugh about the variety and the seeming contradictions contained in these descriptions. Obviously, the kingdom of God cannot be described in one way or in comparison to one object, but I can just imagine the disciples looking confused and scratching their heads at Jesus' words.
Despite the humor I see in this passage, I don't think I'm going to preach on Matthew because the Romans text for that week is just too tempting. Maybe I should jump out of the lectionary box, though. There probably wouldn't be that many people who'd notice.
Are there any passages that strike you as funny, laugh-out-loud funny?
To See Your Face
I just discovered the wonders of Skype. It's so much better than the phone! So much of what I hate about the phone is the inability to see gestures and facial expressions. Even though the webcam is a little grainy, I can still see the other person's face while we're talking.My first conversation was with my lovely roommate Rebecca and her beautiful baby girl. Jenna didn't talk so much as lay there, but if we had just been on the phone, I wouldn't have seen her at all.
If anyone else has Skype and would like to have a chat, let me know and we'll get it together...unless I don't want to talk to you at all. ;)
A Weekend in Review
Since my last post was full of whining about my preaching engagement, I'll get that part of the update out of the way immediately. It went well. To be perfectly honest, I was more nervous about the benediction (something I've never done) than about the preaching (which I've done four times). The service felt so short. It felt a lot like a musical performance or a fancy meal: lots of time to prepare and then it's all over in a moment. Most people gave me positive feedback. Apparently, my clear, slow speech makes me an excellent preacher for the hard of hearing. There weren't a lot of comments about the content, but I'm sure I'll get more of that when I meet with my supervisor tomorrow.
My weekend was pretty full even without the preaching assignment. DJ, a friend from college who's now studying in Spokane, came out for a visit and one of his friends from Corvallis got a ride to Salem to join us. They both arrived on Friday evening. Getting everyone together was sort of a comedy of errors involving lots of people unfamiliar with Salem. It only took us about an hour of calling back and forth and driving hither and yon to gather everyone in the same place. I cooked for the first time in months and had a great time doing it.
Since neither DJ nor Keun Ha had been to the Pacific Coast before, we drove west to see the ocean. We went toward Lincoln City and turned north once we reached the coast and headed up Route 101. Our journey took us to various places, but the one stop where we spent the most time was at Cape Lookout, where we hiked the Cape Trail. It was an easy to moderate hike, which zig-zagged across a peninsula for two and a half miles. The weather was nice and cool and the sun was shining. My feet were killing me because the Chacos I recently acquired either weren't adjusted properly or simply are not made for hiking, but it was still a fun time. Having lunch high above the ocean, looking back at the Oregon Coast, enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water was spectacular.
After our hike, DJ wanted to stick his feet in the ocean, so we continued north. Along the way, we stopped at Tillamook Cheese Factory and got some ice cream. Even further north, we stopped at Rockaway Beach, where DJ and I stuck our feet in the water. On our way back to the car, we stopped at the shower to rinse our feet. There was one button that operated the shower and another that operated a lower faucet to clean feet. Without thinking, I pressed the wrong button and gave myself an unexpected shower. A little surprised and disoriented, I tried to press the correct button and gave myself another shower. Third time was the charm. Fortunately, there were plenty of people around to enjoy the show.
Before we returned to Salem for the night, we went to dinner in Lincoln City. We were hoping for some delectable seafood, but ended up getting overpriced, sort of bland seafood instead. If you're ever in Lincoln City, I do not recommend Maxwell's. It's not bad, but it's definitely not good either.
Yesterday, I preached, but I already told you about that, so we won't go there again. After the service was over and I'd met with a few people for some extra feedback, DJ, Keun Ha and I went to Pita Pit, my favorite lunch place in Salem, to eat. There was a festival by the river, so the place was packed, unusual for a Sunday. After finishing lunch, DJ and I went to see Wall-E. The movie was super-cute. It's definitely worth the price of a matinee and the big screen adds to the viewing experience. It would actually make a really terrific date movie.
After the busy weekend, I was glad to get back to the place I've been staying and just veg on the couch. I might do some more of that this evening. Sitting in the back yard reading a book sounds like just the thing to do.
Btw, Daniel, several people here have recently schooled me on the proper nomenclature for the land abutting the Pacific Ocean. They assure me it is "the coast" or "the beach" and never "the shore." I demur to your greater experience of the West Coast. The people talking to me about it before must have been mimicking my own incorrect usage. ;)
My weekend was pretty full even without the preaching assignment. DJ, a friend from college who's now studying in Spokane, came out for a visit and one of his friends from Corvallis got a ride to Salem to join us. They both arrived on Friday evening. Getting everyone together was sort of a comedy of errors involving lots of people unfamiliar with Salem. It only took us about an hour of calling back and forth and driving hither and yon to gather everyone in the same place. I cooked for the first time in months and had a great time doing it.
Since neither DJ nor Keun Ha had been to the Pacific Coast before, we drove west to see the ocean. We went toward Lincoln City and turned north once we reached the coast and headed up Route 101. Our journey took us to various places, but the one stop where we spent the most time was at Cape Lookout, where we hiked the Cape Trail. It was an easy to moderate hike, which zig-zagged across a peninsula for two and a half miles. The weather was nice and cool and the sun was shining. My feet were killing me because the Chacos I recently acquired either weren't adjusted properly or simply are not made for hiking, but it was still a fun time. Having lunch high above the ocean, looking back at the Oregon Coast, enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water was spectacular.
After our hike, DJ wanted to stick his feet in the ocean, so we continued north. Along the way, we stopped at Tillamook Cheese Factory and got some ice cream. Even further north, we stopped at Rockaway Beach, where DJ and I stuck our feet in the water. On our way back to the car, we stopped at the shower to rinse our feet. There was one button that operated the shower and another that operated a lower faucet to clean feet. Without thinking, I pressed the wrong button and gave myself an unexpected shower. A little surprised and disoriented, I tried to press the correct button and gave myself another shower. Third time was the charm. Fortunately, there were plenty of people around to enjoy the show.
Before we returned to Salem for the night, we went to dinner in Lincoln City. We were hoping for some delectable seafood, but ended up getting overpriced, sort of bland seafood instead. If you're ever in Lincoln City, I do not recommend Maxwell's. It's not bad, but it's definitely not good either.
Yesterday, I preached, but I already told you about that, so we won't go there again. After the service was over and I'd met with a few people for some extra feedback, DJ, Keun Ha and I went to Pita Pit, my favorite lunch place in Salem, to eat. There was a festival by the river, so the place was packed, unusual for a Sunday. After finishing lunch, DJ and I went to see Wall-E. The movie was super-cute. It's definitely worth the price of a matinee and the big screen adds to the viewing experience. It would actually make a really terrific date movie.
After the busy weekend, I was glad to get back to the place I've been staying and just veg on the couch. I might do some more of that this evening. Sitting in the back yard reading a book sounds like just the thing to do.
Btw, Daniel, several people here have recently schooled me on the proper nomenclature for the land abutting the Pacific Ocean. They assure me it is "the coast" or "the beach" and never "the shore." I demur to your greater experience of the West Coast. The people talking to me about it before must have been mimicking my own incorrect usage. ;)
I Chose This
This Sunday will be my first time ever preaching a sermon outside of an academic environment. I've been in Oregon for about a month, have met more children than adults, and yet will be trying to bring a message from God to this congregation I barely know.
All of that is not so daunting, until I remember that I chose the Old Testament passage for the week. What's the problem with that? you ask this woman who claims to love the OT? Well, the problem is that the passage I'll be preaching on is Genesis 22:1-14, known as the sacrifice of Isaac to some and the binding of Isaac to others.
We all know the Sunday school answers for this passage about how God knew beforehand that Isaac would not be killed, that provision was made in advance. Unfortunately, such easy statements just don't cut it for me anymore.
If it were you asked to sacrifice your son how much solace would you find, after three days of torment, in the fact that God provided a ram at the last moment?
If it were you bound, laid on a pile of wood, prepared for sacrifice, would you ever be able to trust your father again?
What do I say to this congregation expecting a word when I don't even know what I think of the words I'm interpreting? Is it possible to challenge, encourage and assure without confusing and killing faith?
All of that is not so daunting, until I remember that I chose the Old Testament passage for the week. What's the problem with that? you ask this woman who claims to love the OT? Well, the problem is that the passage I'll be preaching on is Genesis 22:1-14, known as the sacrifice of Isaac to some and the binding of Isaac to others.
We all know the Sunday school answers for this passage about how God knew beforehand that Isaac would not be killed, that provision was made in advance. Unfortunately, such easy statements just don't cut it for me anymore.
If it were you asked to sacrifice your son how much solace would you find, after three days of torment, in the fact that God provided a ram at the last moment?
If it were you bound, laid on a pile of wood, prepared for sacrifice, would you ever be able to trust your father again?
What do I say to this congregation expecting a word when I don't even know what I think of the words I'm interpreting? Is it possible to challenge, encourage and assure without confusing and killing faith?
Weekend
It was a rather uneventful weekend, but after a week herding nearly fifty children, it was a welcome lack of events. I had some plans, but I decided that the rest of the summer would have more than enough plans to suit my taste, so maybe it would be a good idea to rest up. Of course, I was also making an effort to conserve gasoline, since it's so expensive and I am a poor grad student who would like to take a major trip down to Crater Lake National Park later.In other news, over the past few days, I've developed a pain in my shoulder. Hopefully, it's just a muscle thing that will get better in the next few days because I don't want to have to use my entirely-too-expensive insurance policy out-of-network. Does anyone have any experience going out-of-network with the PTS student policy? How'd it work out for you?
Enrobed
In the few months immediately after graduating from Houghton, I had several "odd" jobs, including sample lady at Sam's Club (where I was the youngest by nearly 40 years) and pretzel sorter at a chocolate factory (I'm not exaggerating folks...). Even working at M&T as a customer service rep seemed like one long odd job because I disliked it so intensely.
This pastor thing is different. It's odd, but not because I haven't got enough gray hair to qualify or because I have a college degree or because it's so terrible customers make me cry at least once a week.
It's odd because there's a level of authority that goes with the job/calling/vocation/whatever that I'm not comfortable owning.
It's odd because people expect me to know things about life and God, things I'm not sure I'll ever be able to speak about with any confidence.
It's odd because most people seem to be under the impression that we (the staff) sit around in our offices all week and then do the real work on Sunday.
It's odd because a premium is placed on everything remaining the same from day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year. Of course, this particular oddity isn't the exclusive territory of the religious. Most of us don't want things to change. Routine is easy, comfortable, reassuring... addictive.
This Sunday, I'll be standing in front of the congregation offering the prayers of the people and giving the children's sermon. The novelty of my presence will be interesting to some, but it won't even matter to others. What will matter is that I'm standing in the right place, following the right format, and wearing the right clothes.
No judgment, my life is full of routine and lacking in spontaneity. I'm just wondering what it would take for all of us to break this addiction or if it's even necessary to do so. Is religion the one area of life in which we should be the most conservative, the most routine? Or is it odd that we try to keep it as similar as possible from generation to generation?
Anonymous Calls
So, someone at a church in Minnesota called me twice this morning before 8:30 a.m. They didn't leave a message or anything, I had to look it up on Switchboard.com. Weird...
PAWs
The current project at church is a musical in four days.
A musical about Joseph.
In four days.
No, I'm not kidding. We started yesterday and will finish up with a performance on Thursday. We have kids entering kindergarten and a couple going into their senior year of high school. There are some (boys) who were tricked into participating and others who are all-star performers. It's quite a crew, let me tell you.
The show's not going to be perfect, by any means, but I think it will be good. Even the kids who didn't really want to be here at first are finding it difficult to resist the catchy tunes (that all sound almost like another song you know, like Celebrate Good Times or The Flintstones Theme Song) and the peppy dance routines.
There is an incredible lack of boys, so we have girls cast in the roles of Joseph and Jacob and most of the 12 brothers.
We'll see how it comes together, but I'm beginning to think that the process is the most important part. The performance will go by in a flash, but the kids will keep cracking the same jokes and talking about the time they spent participating in this at least for a while. And many of them will come back next year, ready to start all over again.
A musical about Joseph.
In four days.
No, I'm not kidding. We started yesterday and will finish up with a performance on Thursday. We have kids entering kindergarten and a couple going into their senior year of high school. There are some (boys) who were tricked into participating and others who are all-star performers. It's quite a crew, let me tell you.
The show's not going to be perfect, by any means, but I think it will be good. Even the kids who didn't really want to be here at first are finding it difficult to resist the catchy tunes (that all sound almost like another song you know, like Celebrate Good Times or The Flintstones Theme Song) and the peppy dance routines.
There is an incredible lack of boys, so we have girls cast in the roles of Joseph and Jacob and most of the 12 brothers.
We'll see how it comes together, but I'm beginning to think that the process is the most important part. The performance will go by in a flash, but the kids will keep cracking the same jokes and talking about the time they spent participating in this at least for a while. And many of them will come back next year, ready to start all over again.
Friday Fun
I spent a good part of yesterday in Portland, specifically at Powell's City of Books. Kat, the associate pastor's daughter, who just graduated from high school, came along with me. It was a fun trip, though I wish I'd taken the time to explore Portland a bit more. There are more weekends and there shall be more trips.The cost of gas is a little depressing, though. Not that I have an intense need to travel all over the countryside, but I'm here and I'd like to do so without completely breaking the bank. My internship pay is generous, so I have no complaints there; I'm just wondering how people who commute an hour each way for a job that doesn't pay all that well are dealing with shelling out $4.20/gallon at the pump. It's unfortunate that such prices seem to be the only real motivation many people have to hope for the development of new fuel sources. A hit in the wallet always seems to work.
Despite the cost of fuel, I've decided to make a trip down to Crater Lake National Park in late July. If I bring all of my own food and camp at the cheapest place, I should be able to do a three day/two night trip for under $200, most of the expense being gas for the four hour trip there and back and driving while there. Hopefully, I'll be able to rack up enough hours at church to take that Thursday off. If anyone is interested in joining me, let me know. Most of you would have to pay for a plane ticket, too, but that's a small price to pay to enjoy a weekend in nature with me. ;)
From the Left Coast
Here are a couple pictures from my long past trip to Cape Meares Lighthouse.
The first is the lighthouse itself (duh...) and the second is of a rock about a mile and a half off the coast called "the old man." What appears to be stubbly hair on top of his head is actually a large flock of common murres.
Enjoy!
What Are You Taking?!!
Every year since I was in eighth grade, the end of school brought the excitement of signing up for new classes. In college and grad school, that excitement doubled, as we had all new classes at the beginning of each semester. Inevitably, for the last few weeks before final exams, if cafeteria conversation wasn't about papers or exams, it was about which classes everyone would be taking in the coming semester or school year.
Because of some of the recent curriculum changes at PTS, my classmates and I didn't really get a change to have that kind of conversation. After all, what's the point of getting your hopes up about a class only to find out later you have a scheduling conflict? Anyway, we didn't begin registration until today...over a month after finals were finished. So, we didn't get to discuss the merits of various classes and compare schedules.
To stave off the sadness that engenders in my little heart, I am going to tell all of you what classes I'm taking.
First, I'm signed up for Christian Ethics and Modern Times with John Bowlin. In this course, we'll be dealing with exciting and difficult questions like: How shall we love our neighbors, show hospitality to strangers, bear the burdens of sinners and enemies, and speak truth to power in these modern times? Are the ideals of neighbor love and prophetic justice compatible with the norms of liberal democracy, with individual freedoms and equal rights, or not? I've heard great things about Bowlin.
Next, there's Religion and Time with Fenn. This course focuses on the contribution of Judaism and Christianity to the experience of time in Western societies, with special reference to the Sabbath, the fate of the soul, purgatory, millennium, and apocalypse. I can't even imagine what we're going to discuss, but it sounded like the most interesting course to fulfill a requirement.
Third, I'm taking Healing Relationships with Norbert Wetzel. NORBERT!!! This class focuses on family and couples therapy, a field which I'm considering as a career, so an appropriate class. Unfortunately, Dykstra isn't teaching anything first semester, but I do plan to take one of his offerings in the spring.
Finally, I might sneak into Historical Hebrew Grammar with Dr. Seow. I'm the only person enrolled at the moment and I don't know if I'll be able to do it with my three other classes plus field ed plus TAing Hebrew...so, we'll see.
Anyway, all you students out there, whether high school, college or grad school, what are you taking next semester?
Because of some of the recent curriculum changes at PTS, my classmates and I didn't really get a change to have that kind of conversation. After all, what's the point of getting your hopes up about a class only to find out later you have a scheduling conflict? Anyway, we didn't begin registration until today...over a month after finals were finished. So, we didn't get to discuss the merits of various classes and compare schedules.
To stave off the sadness that engenders in my little heart, I am going to tell all of you what classes I'm taking.
First, I'm signed up for Christian Ethics and Modern Times with John Bowlin. In this course, we'll be dealing with exciting and difficult questions like: How shall we love our neighbors, show hospitality to strangers, bear the burdens of sinners and enemies, and speak truth to power in these modern times? Are the ideals of neighbor love and prophetic justice compatible with the norms of liberal democracy, with individual freedoms and equal rights, or not? I've heard great things about Bowlin.
Next, there's Religion and Time with Fenn. This course focuses on the contribution of Judaism and Christianity to the experience of time in Western societies, with special reference to the Sabbath, the fate of the soul, purgatory, millennium, and apocalypse. I can't even imagine what we're going to discuss, but it sounded like the most interesting course to fulfill a requirement.
Third, I'm taking Healing Relationships with Norbert Wetzel. NORBERT!!! This class focuses on family and couples therapy, a field which I'm considering as a career, so an appropriate class. Unfortunately, Dykstra isn't teaching anything first semester, but I do plan to take one of his offerings in the spring.
Finally, I might sneak into Historical Hebrew Grammar with Dr. Seow. I'm the only person enrolled at the moment and I don't know if I'll be able to do it with my three other classes plus field ed plus TAing Hebrew...so, we'll see.
Anyway, all you students out there, whether high school, college or grad school, what are you taking next semester?
Churches Are Funny
My summer internship seems to have begun in earnest today. The first big event I'm involved in for the summer begins next Monday, so we're gearing up for that. I have a mailing that needs to go out by tomorrow, for which I still need to make another flyer and a permission slip. My learning-serving covenant is due to PTS by Wednesday, so it must be completed by tomorrow's supervisory meeting. Anyway, it all seems to be coming at once. Ten weeks is not a very long time and, as of tomorrow, I will have completed my second week.
I'm a little stressed and definitely hungry, so here's a photo to tide you over until I'm more reflective. Poppies line the roads around here. My wildflower book arrived on Thursday, so now I know they are of the Mexican Gold and California varieties. This photo contains only California poppies that I can see.
I'm a little stressed and definitely hungry, so here's a photo to tide you over until I'm more reflective. Poppies line the roads around here. My wildflower book arrived on Thursday, so now I know they are of the Mexican Gold and California varieties. This photo contains only California poppies that I can see.
Another Day, Another Trip...Cancelled
So, I was going to take my little self up to Mt. St. Helens today, but looking at the weather forecast has given me a change of heart. It's snowing up there. I do love the snow, but it wouldn't make for great conditions for taking photos. So, I guess I'll try to find something closer to Salem to occupy my day off so that I'm not wasting my days in Oregon. Mt. St. Helens is still on the docket for the summer, but I think it's something I'll do in July, when it's warmer.
You Want to Live Here...
This picture was taken on May 30, near Oceanside, OR, the place where I first dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean. You know you want to move here.
First Photo from Oregon
This isn't a picture of Oregon, but it is a picture I took from the plane on my way here.Things are going swimmingly. It's always a little bit weird to get used to a new job and a new place, but everyone here has been very welcoming and helpful. For all intents and purposes, today was my first work day at church. The entire morning and part of the afternoon was spent in staff and worship meetings.
I'll be preaching on June 29th. Today I discovered that the lectionary text for that day is the story of the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. This will be my first sermon in any venue other than preaching class...should be interesting. The congregation isn't huge, but it's definitely a lot bigger than preaching class.
My big project for the summer is planning a weekly activity for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade for each of six weeks between June 25 and July 30. My thoughts so far include a rainbow theme, with a color for each week, somehow tied into the fruits of the spirit, with a few fruits sharing weeks. Feel free to offer any suggestions as this is my first time being in charge of something like this.
Well, I should get this letter written so that it can go out relatively soon. More pictures tomorrow...promise!
I Lied to You and You and You...
I was going to post some pictures today, but that would mean getting them off my camera, editing, finding some way to transfer them to my host family's computer, and so much more. So, instead, I'm just going to tell you what's going on here in Oregon.
My days off are Friday and Saturday. Woot! So, taking advantage of my supervisor's offer to borrow her daughter's car, I traipsed around northwestern Oregon today.
The first stop on my journey was Tillamook National Forest. I love driving along winding mountain roads, so the drive there was a blast, nerve-wracking at times, but still tons of fun. The forest was absolutely beautiful. I hiked around for nearly two hours, enjoying the sounds of the river and taking pictures of all the wildflowers I could find. (RGR - I bought the little one a gift there. I shall send it Monday!)
My next stop was Tillamook Cheese Factory. Not that exciting, but I got plenty of free samples and a tasty lunch for less than three dollars.
To finish out my journey, I headed down Three Capes Scenic Route, first to Cape Meares, where I climbed into the lighthouse and watched the common murres through one of those quarter-fed binocular stands. My last stop was at Oceanside, where I dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life.
It was a wonderful day. I'll start posting some of the pictures I took on Monday. I filled an entire memory card, so there are bound to be some good ones.
My days off are Friday and Saturday. Woot! So, taking advantage of my supervisor's offer to borrow her daughter's car, I traipsed around northwestern Oregon today.
The first stop on my journey was Tillamook National Forest. I love driving along winding mountain roads, so the drive there was a blast, nerve-wracking at times, but still tons of fun. The forest was absolutely beautiful. I hiked around for nearly two hours, enjoying the sounds of the river and taking pictures of all the wildflowers I could find. (RGR - I bought the little one a gift there. I shall send it Monday!)
My next stop was Tillamook Cheese Factory. Not that exciting, but I got plenty of free samples and a tasty lunch for less than three dollars.
To finish out my journey, I headed down Three Capes Scenic Route, first to Cape Meares, where I climbed into the lighthouse and watched the common murres through one of those quarter-fed binocular stands. My last stop was at Oceanside, where I dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life.
It was a wonderful day. I'll start posting some of the pictures I took on Monday. I filled an entire memory card, so there are bound to be some good ones.
I'm Not Going to Apologize
I'm a delinquent blogger, and I don't care.
Really, what would I be writing, anyway?
I've been packing.
My room's almost totally stored
in cardboard boxes
and plastic totes
in the basement and above my closet.
The walls and shelves are bare
and the floor is a mess.
My flight to Oregon leaves at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
It will be a very early morning, indeed.
A friend is driving me;
she's a saint.
I've been working a bit.
Nothing too fancy,
just some catering and waitering.
Easy money, free food, and human contact...
not bad for a campus job.
The dorm is empty.
Only two of us remain on my floor
and the other one is house-sitting right now,
so only here during the day, sometimes.
A cookout is in the forecast for Monday.
It will be nice to not be alone.
Split infinitive, amen.
Really, what would I be writing, anyway?
I've been packing.
My room's almost totally stored
in cardboard boxes
and plastic totes
in the basement and above my closet.
The walls and shelves are bare
and the floor is a mess.
My flight to Oregon leaves at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
It will be a very early morning, indeed.
A friend is driving me;
she's a saint.
I've been working a bit.
Nothing too fancy,
just some catering and waitering.
Easy money, free food, and human contact...
not bad for a campus job.
The dorm is empty.
Only two of us remain on my floor
and the other one is house-sitting right now,
so only here during the day, sometimes.
A cookout is in the forecast for Monday.
It will be nice to not be alone.
Split infinitive, amen.
In One, Out the Other
The first time I watched the film Schindler's List,
I was in ninth grade.
It was rated "R."
My mom signed a permission slip.
The librarian made a copy of the tape for me.
Even at 15, I knew my mother wouldn't want to see it.
I was careful to watch before she came home.
The first time I saw the movie,
I was a junior in college.
It was assigned for Sociology of Film.
I was taking a history class on twentieth century Europe.
There was nothing better to do
and it seemed to fir,
so I watched with the girls next door.
There's an old saying,
"In one ear and out the other."
Is it possible for something to go in one eye and out the other?
At fifteen, watching along,
the images flashed before my eyes.
I shed no tears.
I felt no horror.
Presented with the jagged pieces of a bygone era,
I could barely bring myself to shrug.
Six years later,
seated comfortably between two friends,
I saw
and wanted nothing more than to un-see.
I saw the cattle cars full of human cargo.
I saw the stripping:
of their candleholders, toothbrushes, eyeglasses, and spoons
of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters
of their hats, coats, shirts, pants, socks, and shoes
of their dignity...
of their lives.
I saw the people who stood on the train platforms
and those who operated the gas chambers,
the ones who made "selections"
and those who tossed live babies into pits,
too many of whom attended church,
sang hymns,
and offered prayers in the name of Jesus.
And I saw the broken man, Oskar,
who knew he hadn't done enough...
that he could never do enough.
I saw and wept and wondered
the questions we all have.
Who made the heart capable of such evil?
What more could one mad expect of himself?
Where was God keeping Moses and Elijah?
When would justice flow down like water?
Why was there silence from heaven?
How how how could God let us be
when it's so obvious we don't know how to get it right?
And I wondered
would I have been capable of the same.
Am I capable of the same?
Could I have made the selections that sent people to death of life?
Would there have been Jews hiding in my basement?
Unanswerable questions
that could not be quenched with tears.
At least for that night, my hope died
because I finally saw.
-I wrote this poem for a class on Spiritual Autobiography. We had a public reading tonight that was sparsely attended, but powerful all the same. If you're wondering where Jesus is in all of this, I have to say that the night I really saw this aw(e)ful movie, Rebecca was Jesus to me. There was no comfort in knowing that nothing had stopped the bureaucracy that slaughtered over 6 million people, but Rebecca lay with me and let me cry and didn't try to pretend it was all okay. I think this particular poem ends appropriately, but there's probably another one in my somewhere about what happened to my hope after that night.
I was in ninth grade.
It was rated "R."
My mom signed a permission slip.
The librarian made a copy of the tape for me.
Even at 15, I knew my mother wouldn't want to see it.
I was careful to watch before she came home.
The first time I saw the movie,
I was a junior in college.
It was assigned for Sociology of Film.
I was taking a history class on twentieth century Europe.
There was nothing better to do
and it seemed to fir,
so I watched with the girls next door.
There's an old saying,
"In one ear and out the other."
Is it possible for something to go in one eye and out the other?
At fifteen, watching along,
the images flashed before my eyes.
I shed no tears.
I felt no horror.
Presented with the jagged pieces of a bygone era,
I could barely bring myself to shrug.
Six years later,
seated comfortably between two friends,
I saw
and wanted nothing more than to un-see.
I saw the cattle cars full of human cargo.
I saw the stripping:
of their candleholders, toothbrushes, eyeglasses, and spoons
of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters
of their hats, coats, shirts, pants, socks, and shoes
of their dignity...
of their lives.
I saw the people who stood on the train platforms
and those who operated the gas chambers,
the ones who made "selections"
and those who tossed live babies into pits,
too many of whom attended church,
sang hymns,
and offered prayers in the name of Jesus.
And I saw the broken man, Oskar,
who knew he hadn't done enough...
that he could never do enough.
I saw and wept and wondered
the questions we all have.
Who made the heart capable of such evil?
What more could one mad expect of himself?
Where was God keeping Moses and Elijah?
When would justice flow down like water?
Why was there silence from heaven?
How how how could God let us be
when it's so obvious we don't know how to get it right?
And I wondered
would I have been capable of the same.
Am I capable of the same?
Could I have made the selections that sent people to death of life?
Would there have been Jews hiding in my basement?
Unanswerable questions
that could not be quenched with tears.
At least for that night, my hope died
because I finally saw.
-I wrote this poem for a class on Spiritual Autobiography. We had a public reading tonight that was sparsely attended, but powerful all the same. If you're wondering where Jesus is in all of this, I have to say that the night I really saw this aw(e)ful movie, Rebecca was Jesus to me. There was no comfort in knowing that nothing had stopped the bureaucracy that slaughtered over 6 million people, but Rebecca lay with me and let me cry and didn't try to pretend it was all okay. I think this particular poem ends appropriately, but there's probably another one in my somewhere about what happened to my hope after that night.
Strange Things Are Happenin'
Well, in the past few weeks, lots of interesting and fun things have been happening in my life.
First, I was approached by the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine with a request to use one of the blueberry photos I shot last summer. They don't pay a lot, but the point is that a magazine bought one of my photos!
Next, I got an internship in Oregon. I will be in Salem from the end of May until the middle of August. My housing situation will be better sorted out in the next few weeks, but if I end up with a house all to myself, people will need to visit me.
Then, last Monday, one of my favorite professors here asked me to apply to be a Hebrew TA. We still haven't gotten word yet, but I'm hoping that since a professor asked me to apply, I might have a little extra in.
The very next day, I received a letter in my mailbox notifying me that I'd been chosen to receive the Benjamin Stanton Award, which is given to a Middler who excels in Old Testament studies. It was completely unexpected and wonderful. I sort of bounced all the way to the cafeteria after reading it.
And then, the book sale I was running with a fellow student, brought in just a little over $26,000. Minus expenses, that means we can send nearly $21,000 to fund projects at seminaries overseas.
Most recently, today in fact, I learned that the photo above has been selected as an entry for the Schmap map.
Sorry for tooting my own horn, but I figured some of the people who read this might like to have a newsy post and since I don't feel right posting about the one huge crappy thing going on, I thought I would post the million little things that are going well.
Navigate
I'm finding it difficult to navigate the path between honestly sharing my feelings and laying on a guilt trip. It's not easy to decide when I've moved from letting someone know how they've hurt me to giving unnecessary details so that they'll be hurt. Any hints?
My Summer Vacation
The title of this post may be making some of you question whether you've stepped through a time warp, but let me assure you, it is, in fact, the middle of March. The weather is very rainy and indecisive. School is still in session. And flowers have just barely started to bloom.
But! I have news that pertains to my summer vacation and it is very exciting news. Around 2 p.m. today, it was decided that I will be spending my summer working at First Presbyterian Church of Salem in Oregon! Getting my internships lined up has been weighing on my mind this semester, so it's great to finally know that both of them are set. I'm so excited to spend some time living in the Northwest because it's someplace I've always thought I'd enjoy.
Anyway, it will be great to have some time away from the hurry and pressure of Princeton and to be paid to visit a place I've always wanted to go. Woot! I will be required to work on the weekends, but I'm hoping that I might find a few friends with "alternative" work schedules who might like to make random, midweek trips to the mountains or the coast. Mostly, I'm just glad that I won't have to spend another miserable summer living in Central New Jersey where the concept of humidity was perfected.
But! I have news that pertains to my summer vacation and it is very exciting news. Around 2 p.m. today, it was decided that I will be spending my summer working at First Presbyterian Church of Salem in Oregon! Getting my internships lined up has been weighing on my mind this semester, so it's great to finally know that both of them are set. I'm so excited to spend some time living in the Northwest because it's someplace I've always thought I'd enjoy.
Anyway, it will be great to have some time away from the hurry and pressure of Princeton and to be paid to visit a place I've always wanted to go. Woot! I will be required to work on the weekends, but I'm hoping that I might find a few friends with "alternative" work schedules who might like to make random, midweek trips to the mountains or the coast. Mostly, I'm just glad that I won't have to spend another miserable summer living in Central New Jersey where the concept of humidity was perfected.
Coming to Get You!
I love how these flowers appear to be moving toward the camera, ready to leap off the screen and into your face!
Dianthus Red and White
I don't want my readership of 10 people to get bored with all the photos of my books, so I thought I would pull something from the archives. Here's to Spring, friends.
I've Never Said This Myself...
...but I can understand why someone might feel it.Don't worry, friends, I'm not despairing of love.
Signature Covers
My new favorite thing to do when making books is to wrap each signature in a piece of decorative paper. With the visible binding, it looks particularly nice. It also helps provide strength for the stitching.
Want to Buy Me Things?
If any of you ever felt like buying me a belated birthday present or a we're-so-sad-your-heart-is-broken present, this would be perfect. It's from one of my favorite Etsy shops, takae, and it's beautiful! If you click on the picture, it will take you directly to the listing even... pretty please :)
Plum Fields
Yeah, it's a lame title, but I'm not that creative... This is one of the books I made this week. It already sold, but I have five more for sale in my Etsy shop.
New Bag
If you click on the photo to get to the flickr pages, you can scroll over the picture and see where I got my things!
LittleMary's Stars
This is the other set of books I made for LittleMary. It was a lot of fun to work with her. Anyone else in my life may feel free to patronize me, too.
LittleMary's Rainbows
My new patroness, LittleMary, recently purchased seven books from me all! at! once! Pictured here are the four with rainbow pages.
Each book is 5" wide x 7" tall. One cover is black, the other is white and the paper in between makes a lovely rainbow. With 168 pages, these notebooks should serve the average person for a year or two. To ensure that they would be unique, I used a different color thread to bind each one. I happened to have some rainbow ribbon lying around, so I included a ribbon bookmark with each book. I was very pleased with the outcome and definitely plan on making more of these in the very near future.
All in a Line
One of my favorite parts of going to Jordan's house is seeing him interact with his brother. It's not that they don't have normal sibling conflict, but you can definitely tell that they respect and enjoy each other. It's a wonderful thing to behold.
Oh, the Insanity!
I don't know how and I don't know why, but after almost two months of being an Etsy seller, in the past two weeks I've sold nine books, seven on Etsy, one to Jordan's mom, and one to a classmate. I'm beginning to wonder if someone with a good readership blogged about me or if the new search engine on Etsy is really working in my favor. This morning, I listed a new book before I went to class and it was sold by the time I got back. Crazy!If I could guarantee that such high interest would keep up, I would be tempted to leave this seminary thing behind and become a small business owner. Unfortunately, I would have to raise my prices pretty dramatically in order to make a living from this hobby. For now, I'm happy to make a little bit of money from each sale. It gives me more money to make books and a little ego boost every time I get to tell my friends that I just sold another book.
It is really tempting to just spend my days making books, but I am not going to screw up this semester.
Brown is Beautiful Binding
This one just sold. That's two books in like five days. Also, there is a woman on Etsy who wants a custom scrapbook, who will be giving me the details soon, and Sarah's sister wants one of my journals.
This Is My Book
My ramblings have already begun to fill this book. It contains about 480 pages. That should last about a year.
Made By Me
I didn't taken this picture, but I did make this book. Sarah commissioned me to make it as a wedding gift for her sister. In my opinion, it is the prettiest book I've ever made. The orange opalescent paper coordinates extraordinarily well with the blue polka-dotted paper. It's just beautiful to look at and beautiful to hold. I hope Marci likes it.
Two Weeks In
Another semester is well under way, so it seems like a good time to give my first impressions of each class I'm taking. I'm only taking four classes, plus preaching.
Preaching - This class is going to be a little different from last semester because they switched professors on us. Before I had the professor who preached a sermon every class whether he meant to or not. Now I have the professor who begins weeping on a regular basis.
Theology of Paul Tillich - I am intriqued with this man's thought, but reading it makes me feel incredibly stupid. Much of it is really dense, philosophical stuff. Fortunately, I am taking it pass/fail, so I feel a little more freedom to get creative and be dumb.
Theology, Cosmology, and Creation - Interestingly enough, most of what we've read so far has been from a book called Cosmic Jackpot, which gives a really good layman's overview of physics. I am gaining a greater respect for my friends in college who were ballsy enough to study physics and I kind of wish I hadn't asked them to stop talking about physics at dinner. It will be interesting to see if any of my theology is fundamentally changed based on what I learn in this class. Jordan is in this one with me and listening to him talk I am in awe of his ability to understand and integrate seemingly unrelated concepts.
The Biblical Canon - This might be my "easiest" class. Not that we're not going to deal with some tough concepts and work through some tough questions, but it is a large class with a visiting professor, who is possibly the cutest old man ever. His wife is taking the class with us. Anyway, it's not a lot of reading and there's a whole lot of repetition from other courses I've taken on the Bible.
Spiritual Autobiography - This is going to be my best class. We are reading about 10 different autobiographies and working with them both as literary and theological works. The professor is Yolanda Pierce, who just started her career at PTS last semester and is already in high demand. She's this fabulous, earthy, real African-American woman who is not afraid to get into the real stuff of life. Several of the books we are reading are repeats for me, but I never tire of re-reading and discussing good literature.
I think this is going to be a good semester. There are already a lot of connections coming out between my various classes, especially Paul Tillich and Theology, Cosmology and Creation. Last semester was a little boring at times, so it's nice to have a semester in which I am genuinely interested in every one of my classes.
Preaching - This class is going to be a little different from last semester because they switched professors on us. Before I had the professor who preached a sermon every class whether he meant to or not. Now I have the professor who begins weeping on a regular basis.
Theology of Paul Tillich - I am intriqued with this man's thought, but reading it makes me feel incredibly stupid. Much of it is really dense, philosophical stuff. Fortunately, I am taking it pass/fail, so I feel a little more freedom to get creative and be dumb.
Theology, Cosmology, and Creation - Interestingly enough, most of what we've read so far has been from a book called Cosmic Jackpot, which gives a really good layman's overview of physics. I am gaining a greater respect for my friends in college who were ballsy enough to study physics and I kind of wish I hadn't asked them to stop talking about physics at dinner. It will be interesting to see if any of my theology is fundamentally changed based on what I learn in this class. Jordan is in this one with me and listening to him talk I am in awe of his ability to understand and integrate seemingly unrelated concepts.
The Biblical Canon - This might be my "easiest" class. Not that we're not going to deal with some tough concepts and work through some tough questions, but it is a large class with a visiting professor, who is possibly the cutest old man ever. His wife is taking the class with us. Anyway, it's not a lot of reading and there's a whole lot of repetition from other courses I've taken on the Bible.
Spiritual Autobiography - This is going to be my best class. We are reading about 10 different autobiographies and working with them both as literary and theological works. The professor is Yolanda Pierce, who just started her career at PTS last semester and is already in high demand. She's this fabulous, earthy, real African-American woman who is not afraid to get into the real stuff of life. Several of the books we are reading are repeats for me, but I never tire of re-reading and discussing good literature.
I think this is going to be a good semester. There are already a lot of connections coming out between my various classes, especially Paul Tillich and Theology, Cosmology and Creation. Last semester was a little boring at times, so it's nice to have a semester in which I am genuinely interested in every one of my classes.
I Sold a Book...
to someone other than Jordan's mom.
Woot!
Good bye, Blue Monday.
Check out my Etsy shop. These would make fabulous Valentine's Day gifts!!!
Woot!
Good bye, Blue Monday.
Check out my Etsy shop. These would make fabulous Valentine's Day gifts!!!
My Most Recent Books...
Another post in less than two weeks. Imagine that! So, here are some pictures of the books I made most recently. Enjoy!
This flowered one is teeny, but still big enough to write in, only 3 x 4 inches. I used the scraps from the other books I made while at Jordan's house. My favorite detail is the way I placed the holes for stitching. It's a bit difficult to see in this picture, but I made reverse Vs, in opposite directions on each side.
This one is 4 x 6 inches. As far as I'm concerned, it's the perfect size to carry everywhere you go to be used as a journal, a sketchbook, a dayplanner of your own design. And, like the flowered book above, it's reversible, you can choose which side is the front and which side is the back.
Here we have one that's a little less traditional. It's 4 x 7 inches, which isn't unmanageable or weird looking, but it is a little thinner than a book would normally be. The thread I used is a vibrant blue. If you look closely, you can see that I pasted an extra dot on the front. That's because I made a mistake. Glue is sometimes not my friend.
You might not think about it much, but square books are a lot of fun. I love the proportions of them. The pattern on the front is beautiful and I used a complementary red metallic paper for the back. It wrinkled a little from the glue but, as far as mistakes go, it was a fortuitous one.
Now we have a smallish one, 4 x 5 1/2 inches, covered in blue, white and purple flowers on one side and blue, brown, purple, and green stripes on the other. I originally picked the paper for myself, but now realize it would probably be more appropriate as a gift for a little girl.
I've used the paper covering the book to the right before. I love how there is just one heart in the middle of all those dots. This one is the same size as the red dotted one above, just a few pages thicker. I love the back cover, too, but I didn't want to include to pictures.
And, finally, there's this lovely 5 x 7 job that is covered on the front with an abstract floral print and on the back in creamy paper with darker flecks throughout. The grass green thread may not seem to coordinate in this picture, but it looks great in real life.
I've listed a few of these over at Etsy and should have the rest up in the next few days. I've been getting a lot of hits, but no purchases on books so far. Maybe when Valentine's Day gets a little closer some folks will be poking around for a great gift and will decide one of my books would be perfect. Here's hoping.
If you would like to see some more shots of these books, you can hop over to my flickr page and check out my set called Bound and Determined.
This flowered one is teeny, but still big enough to write in, only 3 x 4 inches. I used the scraps from the other books I made while at Jordan's house. My favorite detail is the way I placed the holes for stitching. It's a bit difficult to see in this picture, but I made reverse Vs, in opposite directions on each side.
This one is 4 x 6 inches. As far as I'm concerned, it's the perfect size to carry everywhere you go to be used as a journal, a sketchbook, a dayplanner of your own design. And, like the flowered book above, it's reversible, you can choose which side is the front and which side is the back.
Here we have one that's a little less traditional. It's 4 x 7 inches, which isn't unmanageable or weird looking, but it is a little thinner than a book would normally be. The thread I used is a vibrant blue. If you look closely, you can see that I pasted an extra dot on the front. That's because I made a mistake. Glue is sometimes not my friend.
You might not think about it much, but square books are a lot of fun. I love the proportions of them. The pattern on the front is beautiful and I used a complementary red metallic paper for the back. It wrinkled a little from the glue but, as far as mistakes go, it was a fortuitous one.
Now we have a smallish one, 4 x 5 1/2 inches, covered in blue, white and purple flowers on one side and blue, brown, purple, and green stripes on the other. I originally picked the paper for myself, but now realize it would probably be more appropriate as a gift for a little girl.
I've used the paper covering the book to the right before. I love how there is just one heart in the middle of all those dots. This one is the same size as the red dotted one above, just a few pages thicker. I love the back cover, too, but I didn't want to include to pictures. 
And, finally, there's this lovely 5 x 7 job that is covered on the front with an abstract floral print and on the back in creamy paper with darker flecks throughout. The grass green thread may not seem to coordinate in this picture, but it looks great in real life.I've listed a few of these over at Etsy and should have the rest up in the next few days. I've been getting a lot of hits, but no purchases on books so far. Maybe when Valentine's Day gets a little closer some folks will be poking around for a great gift and will decide one of my books would be perfect. Here's hoping.
If you would like to see some more shots of these books, you can hop over to my flickr page and check out my set called Bound and Determined.
A New Semester Is Underway
It's been a long time since I actually wrote a post on here that wasn't short and completely lacking in news, so I thought I'd take the time for a real update.
Last semester was hard, not academically, but emotionally. It's over now and I'm glad of that. My classes weren't so bad, but they weren't spectacular either. Of course, that probably had to do with my inability to concentrate on much of anything, so I won't blame my instructors.
Just a quick rundown:
Preaching - I like preaching, surprisingly enough, probably because I love spending the time in preparation and feeling inspired with something to say.
Hebrews - The class was structured in such a way that we barely used our Greek, which was a tad frustrating considering that's why I took the class in the first place.
Systematic Theology - Dr. McCormack is my new theology hero and Barth's doctrine of election has made the Reformed tradition a bit easier for me to swallow.
Women in OT Narrative - Hebrew is the bomb and we used it a lot in this class, so I was pleased with it from start to finish. Some people complained about having a paper and a final exam, but I liked having the grade spread out a bit more.
American Church History - Dr. Moorhead is a fun little man who knows more stuff than any one person should know. I loved trying to scribble down every important thing he said and thought the tests were completely fair.
My grades haven't come in yet, so maybe I'll feel differently in a few days...
I'm still having some difficulty finding a field education placement, but at least I've gotten the process underway by contacting a few sites. There's a church in the West End of New York City that I'll be visiting this Sunday. Commuting to NYC every Sunday is not my idea of a good time, but being in an urban, ethnically diverse setting would probably be a good stretch for me. We'll see how that goes.
Break last week was fun and relaxing. Emily's generosity allowed me to spend a long weekend in DC and Northern Virginia, an area I haven't visited since I moved to school in 2006. We did a lot of laying around her lovely apartment watching Melrose Place and football and some haunting of familiar places, like Chipotle and Bangkok 54 and the Falls Church. Mostly, it was wonderful to see Emily and Mary Katharine and enjoy time with friends knowing that there was no schoolwork to be done.
The rest of my week was spent at Jordan's house in Pennsburg making books. Over Christmas I used a gift card from his mom to purchase enough supplies to make a bunch. So, while I was there, with no schoolwork, I managed to make nine, of which I will be posting photos in the next few days. My goal is to get them listed on Etsy by Wednesday afternoon. My other goal is to actually sell one. The problem is, now that Christmas is over, Etsy sales are moving rather slowly. Worst case scenario, I have a huge stock for next Christmas season. One of the books I made was a photo album Sarah, Jordan's mom, commissioned as a gift for her younger sister's wedding gift. It's one of the best and prettiest books I've ever made, but I forgot to take pictures. DOH! This semester, I plan to make one book a week for fun and, hopefully, for just a little profit since I can't keep them all and not everyone I know wants a book for his or her birthday.
If there's something I left out and you'd like to know, just leave a comment and maybe I'll answer with a blog post dedicated to you!
Last semester was hard, not academically, but emotionally. It's over now and I'm glad of that. My classes weren't so bad, but they weren't spectacular either. Of course, that probably had to do with my inability to concentrate on much of anything, so I won't blame my instructors.
Just a quick rundown:
Preaching - I like preaching, surprisingly enough, probably because I love spending the time in preparation and feeling inspired with something to say.
Hebrews - The class was structured in such a way that we barely used our Greek, which was a tad frustrating considering that's why I took the class in the first place.
Systematic Theology - Dr. McCormack is my new theology hero and Barth's doctrine of election has made the Reformed tradition a bit easier for me to swallow.
Women in OT Narrative - Hebrew is the bomb and we used it a lot in this class, so I was pleased with it from start to finish. Some people complained about having a paper and a final exam, but I liked having the grade spread out a bit more.
American Church History - Dr. Moorhead is a fun little man who knows more stuff than any one person should know. I loved trying to scribble down every important thing he said and thought the tests were completely fair.
My grades haven't come in yet, so maybe I'll feel differently in a few days...
I'm still having some difficulty finding a field education placement, but at least I've gotten the process underway by contacting a few sites. There's a church in the West End of New York City that I'll be visiting this Sunday. Commuting to NYC every Sunday is not my idea of a good time, but being in an urban, ethnically diverse setting would probably be a good stretch for me. We'll see how that goes.
Break last week was fun and relaxing. Emily's generosity allowed me to spend a long weekend in DC and Northern Virginia, an area I haven't visited since I moved to school in 2006. We did a lot of laying around her lovely apartment watching Melrose Place and football and some haunting of familiar places, like Chipotle and Bangkok 54 and the Falls Church. Mostly, it was wonderful to see Emily and Mary Katharine and enjoy time with friends knowing that there was no schoolwork to be done.
The rest of my week was spent at Jordan's house in Pennsburg making books. Over Christmas I used a gift card from his mom to purchase enough supplies to make a bunch. So, while I was there, with no schoolwork, I managed to make nine, of which I will be posting photos in the next few days. My goal is to get them listed on Etsy by Wednesday afternoon. My other goal is to actually sell one. The problem is, now that Christmas is over, Etsy sales are moving rather slowly. Worst case scenario, I have a huge stock for next Christmas season. One of the books I made was a photo album Sarah, Jordan's mom, commissioned as a gift for her younger sister's wedding gift. It's one of the best and prettiest books I've ever made, but I forgot to take pictures. DOH! This semester, I plan to make one book a week for fun and, hopefully, for just a little profit since I can't keep them all and not everyone I know wants a book for his or her birthday.
If there's something I left out and you'd like to know, just leave a comment and maybe I'll answer with a blog post dedicated to you!
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