It's a gloomy, somewhat rainy Saturday here. We've had a week of cold days, but I'm thankful most of them were sunny. Also this week: celebrating Pi Day (with pies, of course), corned beef for St. Patrick's Day (we're not Irish, but the entire family loves corned beef anyway), and then we went out with my grandparents to help celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday.
So, it's mostly been a good week. But I've also saved a lot of linkage for you so let's get to it:
Learning
- Changes I Wish I Could Make by Nadene at Practical Pages. This is wise, heartfelt advice from a homeschool mama a little further down the path.
- No, Stay at Home Moms Don't 'Waste' Their Education by Anna Mussman at The Federalist. "Being a good parent is not about competing with other women to magically give one’s child everything that seems good. It is about faithfully doing one’s best in all kinds of circumstances."
- Reviewing Anthony Esolen's Out of the Ashes by Jake Meador at Mere Orthodoxy. I recently finished this book and there is still much I'm processing from it. This is frankly positive review and I have to admit that I don't agree with all of Meador's praise.
- Ask Auntie Leila: The Bossiness Cure from Like Mother, Like Daughter. Not only is it nice to read such practical advice, it's nice to know I'm not the only one raising at least one "Manager". (I must admit that I don't really like using the word 'bossy.' Probably because the label fits me, too!)
Living
- Tim Challies wrote this advice with tongue firmly in cheek: How to be a Good Christian with Minimal Effort. But sadly, as is the way with satire, it's funny because it's true.
- 3 Questions to Consider Before You Share by Elizabeth Garn at TGC. It's just so easy to forget to ask ourselves questions like this as we navigate social media.
- Dying Before We Reach the Promised Land by Tyler Huckabee at Fathom. This one really resonated with me. This line is the first thing that seemed to describe the phenomenon of the recent election and its effects on Christians: "I feel like I’m speaking a foreign language to the people who taught me how to talk in the first place." YES, THIS. I listened in the 90's when you told me character matters. I listened in our youth group circa 1998 when you warned me against "situational ethics". And I was dumbfounded in 2016-17 when people I respected seemed to throw those principles out with the political bathwater. Anyway, I didn't necessarily agree with the entire post, but he finally helped me define some of what I think and feel in the aftermath of 2016.
- Related to the above - Wanted: Christians Who Defy Categories by Trevin Wax.
Loving
- Virtue with a Twist: Victoria's Edgy Morality by Geoffrey Reiter in CAPC. This may explain some of the reason why this is our new favorite drama to watch.
- I actually had to take a moment to compose myself after reading this one this week: 'London Bridge is Down': The Secret Plan for the Days after the Queen's Death by Sam Knight. I admire Elizabeth II very much and I have no great hopes for the future of the monarchy in the age of Charles and William. Long may she reign. (And yes, I know, I'm American so it doesn't really change my life one way or another. I'm an Anglophile, leave me alone.)
- Iraq's Grisly Liberation by Mindy Belz in World Magazine. It's easy to forget the real people and places destroyed by ISIS.
- What Christianity in China is Really Like by Colin Clark. I am suspicious of any news or story that treats a country as large as China as homogenous, so I very much appreciated this post.
- In some ways I feel like our little corner of southwest Ohio is on the front lines of a new war: the heroin epidemic. Even in our small community, we are not untouched. So it's no wonder this caught my eye: American Carnage by Christopher Caldwell at First Things.
- After the heaviness of the above links, how about something lighter? Monopoly Trades Three Classic Game Tokens for a Penguin, Ducky, and T-Rex. This mostly seems like a dumb trade off, but I can imagine the board being toppled before the game even starts as everyone fights over who gets the T-Rex.
- In the wake of Daylight Saving, perhaps you will appreciate this post (and yes, it's Buzzfeed, so language warning!): 9 Things You Probably Don't Know About Daylight Saving Time. Farmers should have a hashtag: #dontblameusforDST
From Living Unabridged
One year ago: Learning About Music with Zeezok Music Curriculum
Two years ago: Enjoy the Journey: Flexibility in Homeschooling
What caught your eye this week?
Here's a fantastic new resource from Mystie that all you Myers-Briggs Mamas are going to want to check out. (But even if you don't know what Myers-Briggs is you will find this a great help!)
