It's Almost Reformation Day!

Okay, so I'm bummed that no-one wanted to take a chance on my Covenantors Quiz, but I guess I should have offered a prize for it or something. :) I understand that most of your lives are revolving around the things you do, not around the Reformation like mine is right now. Just spent a lovely 7+ hours at the church working on setting up for the big night, and I was so encouraged to have so many great friends from Clifton show up to lend a hand. I think it would have REALLY been a lot for Annie and I to carry the whole load this year -- thank you, Lord!

Here are a couple pictures that show some of the stuff we worked on. It's a bit hard to tell quite how cool it is on the 4th floor of our church building where everything still looks . . . well, OLD. I'll be sure to put up some fun pictures of the night of next week to show the cute kiddos in their costumes and such. For now, here are some people-less shots.
Here is what greets you at the gates of Edinburgh. You come up some large stairs to this sight, so it was a little hard to get a shot that was broad enough and high enough to include the banner. I figured you could imagine the rest of the castle gate look. I am very happy with the Christ's Crown and Covenant banner, which was drawn free-hand by my sister Emily and then painted in by willing volunteers.

This is one of the adjoining rooms -- the Great Hall. Several sort of carnival games are in here, which I'm sure I'll get some good photos of on Wednesday. A couple of super-generous Seminary guys came and hung all the brick wall paper in the room, which was AWESOME. If you can see through the doorway into the room in the background, you may notice something that looks rather like gravestones on the wall, which is what they are. That booth is the "Last Words" booth in which the kids remember the martyrs who died for their faith by reading their last words. It seems a little strange, but a really great way to emphasize how they persevered to the end.

Well, it's still a few hours until Josh gets off work, so I think I'll do some organizing in my bedroom and watch "Luther" while I'm in the Reformation Spirit!

Reformation Party Update!

I've got a one-track mind these days -- The Reformation Party! Here is a picture of my sister Emily beginning to sketch out the highlands landscape we painted last Saturday. It's not quite done, so I'll wait until it's complete to give you some updated pictures.

Here's a quiz I wrote for the kids about the Scottish Reformers. Feel free to use wikipedia or whatever and answer the questions yourself! You can even put the smiley and frowny faces in your comment box by the villains and covenantors. Sorry, I could not control the size or spacing of the quiz.

Scottish Covenanters Quiz

Kids, you will find the answers to these questions in your Scottish Reformation booklet. Parents, feel free to give aid to children who need it.

1. What did Jenny Gedes throw at the Dean when he began to read from the Book of Common Prayer?

a. a pillow

b. a rotton tomato

c. the Bible

d. her stool

2. Who offered to die in the place of George Wishart? (hint: it was his bodyguard)

a. Patrick Hamilton

b. John Knox

c. John Graham of Claverhouse

d. King Charles the II

3. Draw a frowny-face next to the villains listed below, and a smile beside the covenantors:

a. John Graham of Claverhouse

b. James Turner

c. Jenny Gedes

d. Hugh McKail

e. Archbishop James Sharp

f. James Renwick

4. What churchyard did Presbyterians gather in to sign the National Covenant and declare their commitment to the Reformed Faith in 1638?

a. Greyfriars Churchyard in Edinburgh

b. St. Giles Kirk

c. Clifton Baptist Church

5. What did some churches do when the King sent young, inexperienced and less-than-holy preachers to take over for the Reformed pastors? Put True or False next to each suggestion

a. they threw a big potluck dinner to welcome them _____

b. they boarded up the doors so they couldn’t come in _____

c. they made them climb through the windows to get in _____

d. they liked them better than their old preachers _____

6. The people could still gather to hear the preaching from their preachers who had been expelled. In what kind of places did they gather? (circle all that apply)

a. at night

b. in the pouring rain

c. in the hills and valleys

d. in the king’s house

7. What was the name of the brave young preacher who did not recant his beliefs even under severe torture, and was eventually hanged?

a. Richard Cameron

b. Hugh McKail

c. Samuel Rutherford

d. Archibald Campbell

8. The years 1684-1685 were known as:

a. The Killing Times

b. The Restoration

c. The Revolution

9. What were the names of the King and Queen that finally brought peace and religious freedom to Scotland?

Reformation Party Time!

Every year our church, Clifton Baptist, hosts a Reformation Party near October 31st (the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door in Wittenburg). I get to help organize the event, and now that I've been around a whole year, I've got an idea of how it goes, and I can really help my friend Annie administrate the event (she is the main brains behind the operation).

This year our Reformer we're focusing on is John Knox, and along with him, the tradition of the Scottish Covenantors. Even though I remember studying about Knox in college, I didn't know much about the persecution the Covenantors underwent over the course of a couple hundred years. It has been fascinating! I read an excellent little book based on the true story of teenage martyr Margaret Wilson, who died near the end of the "killing years" for her faith. The amazing thing about Margaret, and her younger brother and sister, who were also Covenantors with prices on their heads, was that their parents were loyal to the Parish church, and signed the oath saying the king was head of the church. I was awed by the faith of these KIDS who stood for what they believed, and in Margaret's case, to the DEATH. I highly recommend Danger on the Hill by Catherine Mackenzie, Christian Focus Publishers. It tells Margaret's story in a fictional way, adding in characters or details where history is not certain, but of her death it is quite precise.

Here are past posts I did last year about our Reformation Party, and I'll keep updating this year as things emerge and become more set in stone. Today we're going to start on setting up some of the decorations, including painting a mural of the Scottish Highlands! Hope to be back with some photo updates! Also, I'd be interested in some costume suggestions. I'm probably going to go peasant (with a plaid shawl or something) again unless I can come up with something better.

Favorite Children's Bibles Article

It's been awhile, since I've posted, I know! My husband had fall break last week, so he was doing a ton of homework, and I just had less access to the computer. Sorry about that.

I've been meaning to post a link to this article by Justin Taylor on favorite children's Bibles. I've found more and more adults mention reading children's Bibles as a great source of encouragement to their faith! My sweet friend Jen even added The Big Picture Bible by David Helm to her wedding registry.

Think about reading from one of these Bibles along with your morning devotions. When you read your child a bedtime story, consider how that story applies to YOU! I remember so vividly my friend Christen telling me how she was convicted when she read her daughter Hannah the story of Jesus calming the storm from The Jesus Storybook Bible. I hope you are likewise blessed with reading these good books.

Christian Fellowship

One of the highlights of my year came and went last weekend with our Women's Retreat at Clifton Baptist Church (where Josh and I are members). Once again, I was overjoyed by the time away, to take time to be quiet and focus on Christ, to grow together with my sisters in Christ, and to enjoy fellowship with them. And once again, even though I took my camera, I barely remembered to use it. Not every good moment at a retreat is a good photo op as well, you know? The best things of all, are the quiet moments of reflection, and you can't exactly take pictures of those times. (Note: This picture looks crooked because the camera was up on a hill near where we hiked).

I really tried to be intentional with my time at the retreat. First, I printed off some good discussion questions from GirlTalk to promote edifying conversation in the car ride (a little over an hour to the retreat center) with the girls in my car pool. It was great! I felt like I grew a lot in my understanding of these friends during our trip there. Another thing I tried to do was sit with a variety of people during meals and worship time so I could get to know a range of women. I have been at Clifton long enough, I guess, that I knew almost everybody at the retreat this year! Even though I stayed up kind of late Friday night, I still rose early on Saturday to enjoy that early morning quiet in the pretty lodge we were sleeping in. To aid my reflection time, I brought along this Personal Retreat I downloaded from GirlTalk. I had brought these questions with me last year, and was very glad I'd taken the time to reflect on my priorities. This year was even better, because I'd managed to get up so early, that no one else at the retreat was up yet -- not even the girls making breakfast for us all. I had plenty of time to read my Bible, work through the Personal Retreat, and write a note of appreciation for our speaker before the coffee was ready. I am so thankful for God's grace to enable me to rise early that morning!

At lunch, that day, one of my favorite ladies, Doris Stam, led those of us huddled around a round table with our soup and sandwiches in a conversation where we each shared where we lived when we were 6, how we heated our house, and when we first began to warm towards the Lord. It was a great time of sharing! I always love to hear how friends have come to Christ.

Our speaker was a lady I respect greatly, Gretchen Wright. She has been a friend to me here at Clifton, and impacts the younger women with her genuine and open life. She spoke to us about being rooted in Christ from Colossians -- which was just amazing. Her teaching was profound, and yet very practical and applicable. She suggested we filter life through 3 thoughts -- God's sovereignty, glory and grace, which was SO HELPFUL! I'm still chewing on these thoughts. When her talks get uploaded to our church's website, I'll be sure to put up the link.

I was WIPED OUT when I got back from the retreat, but overflowing with joy in Christ. The Lord used this time to convict me of areas of sin, and grow my affections for Christ. What a weekend!

Sweet Sacrifice -- an Evening with Jani Ortlund

Last evening, Pendergraph Women's Ministry here on campus hosted speaker and writer Jani Ortlund (author of Fearlessly Feminine and His Loving Law, His Lasting Legacy). I had been so blessed when I read FF last fall for a class, and eagerly anticipated hearing directly from Mrs. Ortlund. We were so richly blessed by her years of experience and wisdom! It is occasions such as these that cause me to reflect on how blessed I am to be here at Seminary with my husband. Here is a photo of me with Mrs. Ortlund -- doesn't she look like a movie star? She is beautiful inside and out. You'd NEVER guess her age. :)

One sacrifice that Jani emphasized in her address was the sacrifice of your reputation -- being willing to turn one deaf ear and blind eye to any unkind rumors. She encouraged us to determine to live our lives in such a way that if people hear rumors, they would automatically dismiss them because of the testimony we bear. However, this is no guarantee that we won't be falsely attacked and misunderstood! She gave us several examples from history of great leaders who were treated poorly even when they lived lives of purity. We are promised suffering, right? Christ, who made Himself of no reputation, when reviled, reviled not again. Or as Romans 12 (which I have been memorizing and meditating on this week) tells us "Bless those that persecute you -- bless, and curse not. . . Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."

I was so challenged with this wise advice. I know I am guilty of being defensive when I am misunderstood! It also challenged me to consider how I use MY tongue.

After Mrs. Ortlund spoke, we went over to Dr. and Mrs. Mohler's gorgeous home for dessert and (MY favorite) exploring the library in the basement! Here are a couple photos from the rest of the evening.

Me, with our lovely hostess, Mrs. Mohler.

This one is a little far away, but I like how it captured the scope of one of the rooms in the library. My friend Jena (with me in the picture) did a little video tour of our exploration of the library last night. It was great fun. Here is the post I wrote after my first visit to the Mohler's house 2 years ago. Kind of fun to see how my perspective has changed a bit. Not entirely, though. I'm still in awe!

Poetry Reading

My lovely friend Virginia hosted an evening of poetry reading and sipping tea last Saturday night. We dressed up, shared desserts and read aloud to one another (some quoted by heart) a wide variety of verse, reminding me how much I enjoy good poetry. One guest had been a literature major in college, and brought a nice stack of thick anthologies to browse through, so we continued to flip around and find more and more forgotten favorites.


Several people brought original verses they had composed for the occasion, including myself. Mine was a tongue in cheek limerick written in answer to a challenge from our friend Micah. I had mentioned the kind of poetry I'd written in college wasn't edifying -- more man-hating and obsessed with eating disorders. Micah suggested I write a poem contrasting my old mentality with my current happy state. I'm truly not a good poet, but these are the lines I dashed down:


There was a time when I nibbled on leafs
And glared at you all snarfing beefs
but now all that has changed
Josh my heart rearranged
So I guess you could say "love's a feast".

***Edit: Girls, you're quite mistaken if you imagine reading poetry to be a chiefly serious activity. Of course, there were occasions to ponder the words read, but for the most part, everybody read things that drew more than a few chuckles. Josh's original work "Deep Darkness", which was a satyr on the dread life of singlehood (clearly a JOKE) brought hearty guffaws, and I must say I got not only a standing ovation, but also a couple tee hees. One girl read this horridly hilarious poem called "The Lady's Dressing Room" by Jonathan Swift in which a devoted young man discovers, to his disgust, all the gross things his young lady does to beautify herself. We roared. So let me dispel any "refined" myths.

Meditations on Sin and Mercy

Tonight I'm just about overflowing with joy and blessings, not because of any one event or happiness, but because of God's grace measured out to me all day today. I had an extremely long work day today with a myriad of events and conversations (several really meaningful ones) followed by my discipleship class tonight where I was blessed beyond measure by God's goodness to me through the women in my class. So I can't pinpoint it to one THING that is making my cup overflow, but I think I can pinpoint it to one idea.

This morning I "randomly" picked up a new book to sort of thumb through and see what it was about. This is the sort of thing people do in bookstores when they consider making a purchase, but I had been given this book by a kind soul and I set it on my "to read NOW" stack because of the author and title. The book is Whiter than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul Tripp. I read the intro, the "story" about David and Bathsheba (which I had recently read in my Bible, as well as considered when reading through another good book) and then the Psalm that David wrote after he was convicted of that sin. Then I skimmered through and read chapter 3 "Something in my hands I bring" which is like a streams of conscience-type poem about bringing words to the Lord. Hm. Very original thought.

So I think I have been chewing on this idea of my sin and God's mercy ALL DAY. Sometimes I've been more aware of it and sometimes it's been more seeping in my sub-conscience. But now I come to the end of this long day and I am nearly in tears for all the mercies that have been new to me -- nearly each hour this day. I am so grateful for the opportunity to SEE the mercies. I stumble around so blindly trying to make things happen by my own effort so often that I miss them.

Book-Themed Birthday Party

My sister-in-law Kari threw a first birthday party for her son Max, last weekend. She chose Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? as the theme, because it is Max's favorite book. Guess which Auntie bought that book for him? :) Kari did a great job, and the party turned out really well. I'm so proud of Kari for being such a great mom, and among other things, reading to Max so much. He's sure to grow up loving books and reading with this kind of care! Here are a couple pictures from the party:

If you look closely, you can see the blue horse on the side of Maxy's little cake. He wasn't so sure why EVERYONE was looking at him and singing, but he fell to once the cake was in his reach! (and the candle safely out).

Story time! Kari reads Max's favorite book to all the guests. She has it memorized, and quotes it to him all the time. Maxy was pretty excited and lunged for the red bird page! I just love it when babies love books!







Here is Maxy playing with his present from Uncle Josh -- a real Louisville Slugger with his name on it! Good thing it's still a little bit heavy, or watch out!

Great party, Kari! I wish I had some more pictures of the cake and things, to show the Brown Bear theme, but you get the gist. Have any of you done book-themed birthday parties? I think it's such a fun idea!

Lessons Learned in the Dark

So Hurricane Ike sent some of his winds up to us last Sunday -- no rain, just wind -- and wiped out the power in our lovely city. A couple pockets were not affected, but hundreds of thousands of people lost their electricity for a few days -- many have still not been restored! We were out for 3 days, and I tried to take a few pictures here and there to document the lessons I learned in the dark. Some are practical, some more thoughtful -- but here they are:

Lesson 1: You can do a lot of cleaning without electricity. For instance, look at how great my freezer looks!
Lesson 2: Unbelievers can be enormously generous (often putting Christians to shame). Josh and I were fed like kings at the Louisville Slugger Factory where Josh works as a tour guide. They gave us tons of ice as well. Lesson 3: You don't need electricity to enjoy the warmth of friendship -- in fact, you bond quite closely without it. We had a lovely campfire with several friends, singing and telling ghost stories around the fire. No outlets needed!
Here is a picture of me with my sister Emily and her roommate Faith. We had some nice bonding time charging our electronics at the local coffee shop. I appreciated their positive attitudes. Emily didn't complain once even when we had to hike to Java carrying all our earthly goods in backpacks.
Lesson 4: Our school has excellent leadership. Now I knew this before, but it was really good to see firsthand. After the first 24 hours passed without the lights, Dr. Mohler called a meeting on the lawn (where it was light) and updated everyone on how the place would run without power. Free food, canceled classes -- what did I say about generosity?! I really appreciate how everything was quickly addressed and organized. We are so blessed to have this kind of humble leadership on our campus!

Kingdom Kids Prayer Festival

Wednesday night was our end-of-the-summer festival for the kids at church. We had a prayer Festival around the world, as a fun conclusion to learning about unreached people groups in the 10/40 window. The kids got boarding passes and passports, and traveled around the world with their pilots. Each classroom was set up to represent a different people group in a different country. Here's a picture of my room. We were the Khamba people in Tibet. So use your imagination, that is my tent. My room was probably the most creative and imaginative and the LEAST accurate. Ha ha! We can't all have it all. Here I'm serving the cute kiddos Tsampa to eat when they visit my home. I bet when the Khamba make tsampa, it doesn't taste EXACTLY like cookie dough, but that's what it was when I made it. So mostly everyone really liked it. Also, the Khamba do not wear saris exactly. But that is all I had and I tied it differently so it's not so traditional-Indian.
Doris Stam hosting the China room. She's so cute! Her husband, Chip, is our Worship Pastor and the nephew of the John and Betty Stam who were martyrs in 1934. The Stams are some of my favorite people in the world! My friend Amelia, hosting the Turkey room (the kids had just come from the India room where they were shown honor with flower necklaces). Her husband went to Turkey this summer, along with a number of people from our church, Clifton Baptist. What a blessing to be in a community of believers who are so aware of God's movements in the world, and who desire to be a part of that!

Thanks, everybody, for helping! It was a great night of co-operating with a great team of competent , like-minded servants. I'd highly recommend the Caleb project material. The DVDs about unreached people groups are fabulous. Check out their website. I think you could even just use this for your family, or for a geography class in your homeschool group.

Comforts from the Cross

I just found out about this new title by Elyse Fitzpatrick, being published by Crossway in March. I was so blessed by her book Because He Loves Me that came out last spring -- this looks like it will be along the same lines: shorter passages to read everyday to cause us to reflect on the gospel! I would read a few paragraphs of Because He Loves Me each morning right before work, and it was so encouraging. This will be just the same thing. Here's a review I read (not sure why the font, spacing and color are doing this):

"Nothing comforts a woman’s soul more than a fully understood and embraced gospel. But many women aren’t finding solace in their relationship with

Christ because they don’t see how his life, death, and resurrection connect

with soccer practices and swim lessons. Besides, they just don’t have time

to sit down and read a theology book, no matter how much they might hunger
for God’s truths.

That’s where Elyse Fitzpatrick’s latest book comes in. Comforts from the
Cross provides those well-intentioned women with bite-sized readings to
remind them of their place in Christ and of his love and ministry in their
busy lives. It also dusts off the facts of the gospel to show how ancient
truths such as justification, sanctification, and redemption can free and
enliven their souls every day. Even more, these five-minute celebrations of
the gospel relieve readers of legalistic condemnation and empower them for
joyful obedience by engendering fresh love for the Savior.

A perfect choice for gift-giving or personal encouragement, Fitzpatrick’s
book helps active women grasp the practicality of the gospel message and
experience its deep comforts."

Looks like a good one!  Here I am with Elyse last March when
she came to campus.

Begin Reading!

Last night marked the kick-off of my junior high Reading Roundabout, with excited squeals from several of the girls -- okay, well at least from Chrissy. There was a bit of a skirmish over The Scarlet Pimpernel but since it was Caitlin's suggestion, I'm letting her read it first. We do ALL get to read them ALL!

I made some little bookmarks for each book. Here are some pictures of the books, journals and bookmarks. We're planning to get together and discuss after we've passed everything around a bit. I think booklovers cannot help but bond together over a cup of tea -- don't you think?

I've changed the first-round list for the RR, adding and dropping a couple books. For this small group, I figured we'd be better off to go in smaller rounds and change lists more often. For anyone who's interested, here is the updated list:

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
2. Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom
3. These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot
4. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald




In other business, I've removed the post I wrote about Michelle Obama because it was getting the kind of attention I did not want it to get. I know now I should never write about anything political unless I can back it up with some sort of fervent conviction. That post was simply my observations about a speech I watched -- not meant to reflect any sort of political affiliation whatsoever. I realize that for many people anything written about politics is backed up by strong feelings, so it was natural for this post to be interpreted in that light. I'm sorry for anyone I've offended -- I certainly didn't mean to do so. I appreciate the few who commented and knew what I meant and where I was coming from. You won't hear anything even bordering on political from me here henceforth! Even though I was rolling around in my mind a "First-Lady-Fashion-Contest" post . . . just kidding.

Pastor Daddy Story Hour

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting the authors and illustrators of the book Pastor Daddy for story hour at the bookstore. Lindsey Blair, Bobby Gilles and Tessa Janes were delightful to meet, just the sort of folks I knew I'd be friends with. You can read a good interview and more insight to their ministry and collaboration on the book here.

We had a great crowd come out for story hour, which was great! Here are some of the kids listening to Lindsey and Tessa read. I think it's hilarious how the little boy in the front is more interested in the gummy bears the girl next to him is eating. She clasped them to her chest and shook her head every time she wasn't eating one because of his steadfast gaze.

Here I am in my maroon-ness with Tessa (the illustrator) and her husband, who was the original model for the dad in Pastor Daddy. What great people! I love this little book! Let me know if you are interested in getting a copy, because I'd love to help you out.

Reading Roundabouts

I am still working on my who all will be involved in our Reading Roundabouts, but I have finally settled on the book lists for them. First, for the Ladies' Roundabout with some women at church we will be reading a nice variety:

1. Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes
2. Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Horger Alsup
3. If by Amy Carmichael
4. He Gave Us a Valley by Helen Roseveare
5. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
6. Marriage to a Difficult Man the Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds

These are all books either I have or am able to get from my bookstore. I have a 33% off coupon for LifeWay right now!

Caitlin, Chrissy, Grace and I are having our own little Roundabout. Since there are fewer of us, and the girls are such voracious readers, we will be exchanging books every 2 weeks! I've started us with 6 books, which should take us to the end of the school semester. Here's what we are reading:

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
2. Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
3. Mimosa by Amy Carmichael
4. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
5. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
6. Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom

This weekend I'm going to work on making bookmarks and little notebook journals to pass around with the books to keep everyone on schedule and to give us a way to communicate about the books. I'd also like to put together little Reading Roundabout parties, so I need to look at a calendar and try to schedule those.

Thanks again to MummyMac for the outstanding suggestion. Many good cups of tea to you all!

Reading a Play

While finishing off Hamlet, and preparing to read Faust, I've come to realize that I've never really been taught how to read a play. Shakespeare is enjoyable regardless how you read it because so much of the phrasing and characters are familiar and his play with the English language is a treat for the eye and ear. But now I'm looking at Goethe and I'm a little tentative. How should I tackle this work?

The only tactic I know to employ is to imagine the play taking place before me. Sometimes I even read aloud so I can hear lines I'd otherwise struggle to follow. This works well with most plays that I have seen before, or whose story lines with which I'm at least somewhat familiar. I am only slightly familiar with Faust, and the fact that it's been translated into English makes me think it's possible some things might be lost in translation. In German Faust is probably an incredible treat, but Clifton Fadimore (Lifetime Reading Plan) assures me that it is worth the effort in English as well.

Surely there are those of you who have loads of experience reading plays, and you might have some helpful tips. Please, anything!

In other news, I'm putting together 2 reading roundabouts for some friends at church. One is for the junior high girls in the youth group and the other is for some girlfriends at my church who are not in school. I'll say more later, but let me encourage you to consider doing a roundabout this fall. Why not start now, during this time that everything is transitioning?

Roasted Tomatoes and Ikea stuff

Last week the Courier-Journal (our newspaper in Louisville) had a whole big article on garden tomatoes, along with lots of photos and recipes( including the tomato tart). The article made me want to attack and eat the newspaper itself! The writer waxed eloquent, describing the flavor and color of summer's gems. I have since attempted to eat tomatoes at every meal since they are in their peak, and it's really almost like eating another food compared to the pinkish bland things that come around in the winter. I haven't been entirely successful, not because I am sick of tomatoes, but because they are fragile guys and they only last so many days from when I buy them at the farmer's market! I never run out of ways to eat tomatoes -- here's one of my favorites (okay, so we've veered off the book path, but it's tomato season right now, so please come along!).

Roasted Tomatoes

Cut small to medium tomatoes in half. Lay them open side up in a baking pan (I use a bread pan). Drizzle with EVOO, add salt and pepper. Roast them in a lowish temperature oven (300 or so) for 40 minutes or so. You may stop them sooner if the smell makes you stand in front of the stove salivating! I add pine nuts and a touch more EVOO for the last 10 minutes.

Holy cow! These things are amazing. I usually eat them with a hunk of bread to dip in the juices, but since I was out, I ate them with some steamed ravioli. It was amazing! I drank every drop of juice from the bottom of my bowl.



I also wanted to show you where my dear husband put up my recent Ikea purchases. I love that place. When we were there, my sister Anna said she wished she had a little house like me so that she would need some of their storage things. Ha ha! You crack me up, Anna! I was glad to find a few things that would help us get a bit more organized that also didn't break the bank.



Here are some hooks and things to keep stuff handy I need at the stove. These cute green mugs were only 58 cents! And I love the hanging basket that keeps the seasonings I use most over the stove.

Back to books next time, I promise.

The Lifetime Reading Plan

I've found a little gem in this book by Clifton Fadiman. Most of you who have been reading in this world even just a little bit longer than I have are probably already familiar with The Plan, but in case you're not, I'll introduce it to you.

Fadiman was a personality in the 40's and 50's in print and on television and radio, mainly for his opinions about books and reading. He wrote book reviews for The New Yorker, chose books for the "Book of the Month" club, and hosted a show called "Information, please!" He was asked to write a little plan for the average American, choosing the best books from 100 of the best authors, which was published as this little book, The Lifetime Reading Plan.

I was immediately struck by Fadiman's gentle wit and pleasant style of writing when I read the introduction -- it was like sitting in on a very fine lecture on the pleasure of reading good books. He humbly admits that any very well read person could make up such a plan, and that many other authors might be suggested or added to his list, and he would not argue about that -- if there are others you like, please, read them!

Fadiman gives short bios of each of the 100 authors, followed by a bit of a plot line and concrete reasons why the modern American should gain by it's reading. "Why should you read Dante?" he asks in the introduction "Jane Austen? Lucretius? Voltaire? Because they are great? That is no answer. Their greatness is what we feel after we have read them, often years after. I have tried to give a more concrete, less lofty answer to a natural and proper question."

He gives this tip on how to tackle difficult books: "If you try a book, say Hobbe's Leviathan and find it too difficult, put it aside for a year or so. Then take it up again. You will find that the other books you have read in the meantime will somehow have made Hobbes a little easier. That is one of the miracles of this kind of reading: each original communication helps us to extract a bit more from all the others."

Fadiman also lectures on our approach to reading: "Reading is not a passive experience, except when you're reading trash or the news. It should be and is, one of the most vigorous modes of living. A good book, like a healthy exercise, can give you that pleasant sense of fatigue that comes of having stretched your mental muscles."

The plan is not meant to be a checklist which earns you a bachelor's degree when you have completed it. Fadiman is clear about his intention "I would like you to feel The Lifetime Reading Plan as an exciting adventure of the mind, as well as a discipline. If I have communicated to you any of my own enthusiasm, you are ready to sit down for a lifetime of conversation with some of the liveliest talkers our civilization has produced." If these books are not enjoyed, then reading them is vanity.

I have always liked to hear reading spoken of as a conversation between the reader and writer. Choosing a book is often choosing a new friend -- not just in the characters, but behind them their author. Fadiman nods to that concept in the book's dedication: "For Mortimer J. Adler who first taught me, and has never ceased teaching me, how to listen to the Great Conversation."

If you're wondering, How to Read a Book by Adler is #99 in The Plan.

My friend Christen

I got a package in the mail yesterday from my dear friend Christen, who works in Brazil as a missionary. It was for my birthday, and I can't imagine a sweeter gift than this.

She sent me this jewelry that I'm styling here in this picture, which is made from coconut shells. I just love it!

The rest of the package was filled with an assortment of different tea bags from Brazil, all labeled by Christen so I would know what flavors they were. For instance, "Cha Verde com sabor de Pessego" says in Christen's girly handwriting that looks somehow the way she talks: "Fav! Green Tea w/Peach". MMMMmmmmmm . . . I'm sipping some of the tea you sent me right now!

Chris, your card brought me to tears, thinking of God's Providence in our lives that crossed our paths 2 1/2 years ago. That first night I sat and talked with you, drinking tea in my kitchen, I KNEW God was bringing me a true friend. I thought of praying together on Monday afternoons drinking green tea with pomegranate in the Barnabas house kitchen. There is no time or space that separates the love of the Father from His children, and likewise, His children from one another. We are bound together in Christ! I feel myself standing shoulder to shoulder with you, working joyfully to serve our Savior, no matter how far apart the map says we are.

Fellow readers, would you pray for my friend Christen today -- consider her as you drink a cup of tea this morning. She is just beginning her second year serving in Brazil, learning the language, and salivating with her husband to begin making plans where they will go serve and work when this phase is through. May the Lord use you to bring glory to Himself wherever you are serving, Chris! I pray that He will make you happy in Himself.

Thank you so much for the birthday presents!

Tomato Tart and Book Sale at the Jewish Family Center

My friend Annie scans the internet all week for any promising weekend plans (she's the one who found out about the Jane Austen festival), and this week she found a used book sale at the Jewish school here in Louisville. Of course, the sale was on Sunday, so we had to wait to check it out until the afternoon.

For a quick lunch, I had fixed everything last night, including a tomato, onion and zucchini tart that I'd seen a recipe for in the newspaper this week. I'm on a tomato spree, endeavoring to eat them in all 3 meals each day. I'd say the tart turned out well, though I think I'll add even more tomatoes next time.

***EDIT: See end of post for Tomato Tart recipe.

I found a nice handful of books at the sale (the Judica and language books were rather picked over, according to the Hebrew scholars in our group). I was excited to find a good little variety of stuff I'm not already familiar with, like Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore in 1931 or Daybreak at Sampey Place by Frances Fitzpatrick Wright published in 1954. I'm eager to peruse, and I anticipate being unable to put down The Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman (books about books are just amazing!). This little collection of reviews of the greatest books of all time is dedicated to Mortimer J. Adler, author of How to Read a Book.

Finally, I do like to grab books purely for their aesthetic quality. For instance, when I saw the spine of this particular copy of Rudyard Kipling's Kim, I knew at once that it would be perfect on this shelf with these other books. It coordinates with the wallpaper! Similarly, I envisioned the illustrations of Will You Take Me to Town on Strawberry Day being matted and framed in a little girl's room, for their red and pink hues in every picture (we'll see if I ever get around to it. It's a cute book nevertheless).

Tomato and Onion Tart (please forgive -- I give out recipes the way I remember them)

• Saute 1 1/2 sliced onions in a little butter and pinch of sugar until they start to carmelize (medium heat). Set aside and let them cool.
• Prepare a pie crust, roll it out and bake it in a tart or pie pan (I WISH I had a tart pan) for about 8 minutes so the bottom can toast a bit.
• Layer the tart with: Carmelized onions first, 1 medium sliced zucchini, and 3 whole sliced tomatoes. I added garlic salt, basil and oregano in between layers as well. Top with your favorite cheese.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. You may cover the crust with foil and bake longer if you want to make sure the veggies are nice and done.