Exactly one day plus one decade ago we started one of these newfangled things called an online weblog. We were reading quite a few famous and not-so-famous blogs at the time, so we decided to join in the fun. The whole thing slowed down significantly once we had kids and sadly has been going in fits and starts ever since. If nothing else, you can expect a year-end list of books we've read over the past twelve months. Exciting, I know. But I just can't kill it yet...
Exactly a year ago, on this date in January 2013, I got myself out of bed at 5:30 am on a morning so cold I could see my breath but couldn't feel my fingers, and I gathered my new mat and dumbbells and a bottle of water and drove to a parking lot across from a large church. There was a lighted pavilion and two trainers barking orders for a warm-up. "THAT was just the warm-up?!" That morning, I attempted to run a mile for the first time in 20 years. I failed.
I had won a month of free boot camp sessions and was determined to make a change in my lifestyle. By the end of January, I was hooked. I began working out three times a week, and the combination of varied workouts, personal training, and a collection of people who missed me when I slept in has kept me going steady all year. Sometime this fall, I beat my personal best and ran a mile in under 9 minutes (don't ask me to do it this week, though!). I'm in much better shape now, less tired, stronger, faster, tougher -- all those things I never thought I'd be if you'd asked me in December of 2012 about my new year's resolutions. I still get up willingly at 5:30am while it is still dark, dress in as many layers as I can and brave freezing temperatures for someone to force me to do "just one more minute" of burpees or squats or whatever exercise is currently kicking my behind.
Well, this year, in 2014, I want to exercise my writing muscles right here on this blog. Like boot camp, you will never know what to expect. Also like boot camp, I plan to post something at least three times a week (M, W, F) with an occasional extra day thrown in for kicks. I have quite a few things waiting in the wings -- half a dozen book and album reviews, some "catch up on our family posts" and thoughts on whatever latest hot topic is traveling around the internet these days. It is quite funny to look at our archives and see how far we've come. Some things never change, though, so always expect a list of what we're currently reading on the right sidebar (I usually have at least three books going at once).
Welcome to Team Redd's writing boot camp. This was just the warm-up!
(Update July 2015: Hahahahaha! I laugh at myself. I have no discipline. I haven't even written a "books I read" post and it's already July a year and a half later!)
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Monday, January 13, 2014
Friday, January 14, 2011
Building Cathedrals
Seven years and two days ago we started writing on this blog. We named it Team Redd because some friends gave us the nickname. It stuck. You might notice the Star Wars reference in the header. Think "Red Leader." Yep, we are geeks. But it fits. At the time, we had been married a short while and hadn't dreamt of expanding our family. It was just us. We're up to Redd-4 now.
Back then, blogging was just becoming popular and soon hit its stride. Some say with the advent of Facebook and Twitter and other social media that blogging is dead. My Google Reader and Bloglines tell a different story, but no longer are the posts so self-centered. Now the bloggers that survive give you tips and tricks, useful information. The mom bloggers or the cheapskate bloggers or the technology bloggers. There are still Christian bloggers (I avoid those who like to pick fights) and even tell-all bloggers and celebrity-smitten fan blogs. Here, though, very little could be described as "informative" writing. We've discussed books, music, small children, theology, television, family, happenings and the occasional recipe. And lately, not much of that.
But, somehow, I keep getting drawn back into writing something, usually late at night or during naptime when I should probably be doing something else, like sleeping. Or tutoring. I know maybe three people still check this blog, and I'm married to one of you.
I admit that I'm the one who really wanted to start this thing, so I've always felt a burden to keep it up. Gaines has had his share of awesome posts and I always wish he would write more because I like to know more about what's inside his brain and the wisdom and hilarity that come forth. Still, I think I used to write here to validate my existence. Not so much once the boys came along -- then I always had the excuse that I was "too busy" to post much. But before, when it was just me, I think I wanted people to see that I actually did something, thought something, had a life outside of the everyday me.
But a friend sent me this video again today. I'm sure you've seen it. It's called "The Invisible Woman." I'd like to label it "Building Cathedrals," since that's really what it's all about. How no one but God knows the names of the builders of the great European cathedrals and how for many of them, God is the only one who will ever see their handiwork. Even they never got to see the end result of their labors, the stone buildings that took centuries to become fully realized.
For me, the thought unlocked freedom not only in my life but also with my writing. Of course, I still write many things that no one will ever see, scrawls in journals or in Word documents that I hope to destroy long before I pass from this life. But here, in this "public space" called the internet, I have this desire to craft words. And when I was writing for an audience, however small or imagined, it was always more of a load to bear. What will people think? What will they say about these thoughts in my head? Did I spell everything correctly?
Today, though, once I watched that video, I decided to just start writing again. Just for the sheer joy of it. And yes, I always need a good editor -- the length of this post being proof of that -- but I'll try my best to keep future posts to a reasonable length. I just want to write. To whoever reads this. Like little letters from my life to yours. (With correct grammatical restraints, of course.) I hope I'm entering into a New Way in this eighth year of our blog. We shall see.
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Back then, blogging was just becoming popular and soon hit its stride. Some say with the advent of Facebook and Twitter and other social media that blogging is dead. My Google Reader and Bloglines tell a different story, but no longer are the posts so self-centered. Now the bloggers that survive give you tips and tricks, useful information. The mom bloggers or the cheapskate bloggers or the technology bloggers. There are still Christian bloggers (I avoid those who like to pick fights) and even tell-all bloggers and celebrity-smitten fan blogs. Here, though, very little could be described as "informative" writing. We've discussed books, music, small children, theology, television, family, happenings and the occasional recipe. And lately, not much of that.
But, somehow, I keep getting drawn back into writing something, usually late at night or during naptime when I should probably be doing something else, like sleeping. Or tutoring. I know maybe three people still check this blog, and I'm married to one of you.
I admit that I'm the one who really wanted to start this thing, so I've always felt a burden to keep it up. Gaines has had his share of awesome posts and I always wish he would write more because I like to know more about what's inside his brain and the wisdom and hilarity that come forth. Still, I think I used to write here to validate my existence. Not so much once the boys came along -- then I always had the excuse that I was "too busy" to post much. But before, when it was just me, I think I wanted people to see that I actually did something, thought something, had a life outside of the everyday me.
But a friend sent me this video again today. I'm sure you've seen it. It's called "The Invisible Woman." I'd like to label it "Building Cathedrals," since that's really what it's all about. How no one but God knows the names of the builders of the great European cathedrals and how for many of them, God is the only one who will ever see their handiwork. Even they never got to see the end result of their labors, the stone buildings that took centuries to become fully realized.
For me, the thought unlocked freedom not only in my life but also with my writing. Of course, I still write many things that no one will ever see, scrawls in journals or in Word documents that I hope to destroy long before I pass from this life. But here, in this "public space" called the internet, I have this desire to craft words. And when I was writing for an audience, however small or imagined, it was always more of a load to bear. What will people think? What will they say about these thoughts in my head? Did I spell everything correctly?
Today, though, once I watched that video, I decided to just start writing again. Just for the sheer joy of it. And yes, I always need a good editor -- the length of this post being proof of that -- but I'll try my best to keep future posts to a reasonable length. I just want to write. To whoever reads this. Like little letters from my life to yours. (With correct grammatical restraints, of course.) I hope I'm entering into a New Way in this eighth year of our blog. We shall see.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Sad News for the Internet Monk
Internet Monk is the website of Michael Spencer, whose writings Team Redd has enjoyed for some time. Sadly, Michael's health has rapidly deteriorated over the last few months, and the latest update is that his cancer is terminal. Please pray for Michael and his family.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Blogiversary
So, the six-year anniversary of this blog came and went last week with nary a word from either of us. 'Tis a pity. I've been enjoying reading some of our earlier posts. If you're new around these parts (or reading this on Facebook) feel free to check out our archives.
I intend to make up for it by actually posting something, with the hope of more to come. I refuse to believe blogging, or even our blog in particular, is dying out.
Six years ago...
This blog was one week old.
We were in our second year as a CARES Team.
We had no children (yet).
Our blog posts did not have titles.
We were closet Calvinists.
We were completely obsessed with a particular JJ Abrams TV series. (Hmmm. Perhaps some things haven't changed!)
We apologize for this interruption in our service and hope to continue to bring you quality programming like "what we're watching," "what we're reading," "what our kids are saying that makes us laugh," "sunsets, puppies, walks on the beach" and "deep theological posts from Gaines" (perhaps).
Stay tuned.
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I intend to make up for it by actually posting something, with the hope of more to come. I refuse to believe blogging, or even our blog in particular, is dying out.
Six years ago...
We apologize for this interruption in our service and hope to continue to bring you quality programming like "what we're watching," "what we're reading," "what our kids are saying that makes us laugh," "sunsets, puppies, walks on the beach" and "deep theological posts from Gaines" (perhaps).
Stay tuned.
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Monday, December 07, 2009
The Pioneer Woman Signs Books
Have I told you about The Pioneer Woman?
Surely I have. I've certainly made many of her recipes! Perhaps you enjoyed one. (But perhaps I just took the compliments and sneakily passed them off as mine. Oops.)
The Pioneer Woman is otherwise known as Ree Drummond, a midwestern gal, mom to four kids, who blogs about food, photography, and her life on an Oklahoman cattle ranch. I've been reading her blog for about three years now, mostly the recipe section (I remember when she first posted that chocolate sheet cake), but her story of how she went from an uptown city gal to the wife of a rancher, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is quite riveting. She's got a wicked sense of humor and a great eye for composition. Her fame has steadily grown (I voted for her to get those Bloggy awards!) and she recently published a book. Isn't this just the happiest cookbook cover you've ever seen?
See that lovely design on the brown background underneath her book? That's a t-shirt. How did I get it, you might be wondering? Well, that, as they say, is the rest of the story...
Tonight, I met the Pioneer Woman. She was at her booksigning here in Atlanta. She is just as warm and friendly in person as she comes across on her blog. And she was signing books like Babe Ruth signed baseballs while carrying on completely gracious and intelligent conversations, maintaining poise and composure with Sharpie in hand and cameras flashing. How does she DO that?
(I actually asked her if she uses Vaseline to help her keep smiling through all those photographs. She said, "No, but I probably should." And then she proceeded to execute a proper "pageant wave." I love that woman.)
My friend Sarah is probably blogging right now about all our experiences, so I will let her share all the details about how we ended up there at the perfect time and made it smoothly through the line in only a little over an hour. Sarah brilliantly researched the fact that we should show up way early and get armbands so we could go in with an earlier group, rather than getting there at the start time. Apparently, some of PW's recent book signings have lasted until the wee hours of the morning, so at least Borders was prepared.
The Pioneer Woman definitely draws a crowd. But it's also a very nice crowd. Mostly ladies, quite a few adorable kiddos, one or two lone males. We were diverse and chatty and super excited to be there. I have been to other book signings (mostly obscure poets and authors that only my fellow English majors would appreciate) and it was nothing like this. Tonight was like a big party. You couldn't meet a stranger. Perhaps it was because we all felt we knew her from reading her blog.
Upon meeting the Pioneer Woman, she made me feel instantly at ease. When my friend Sarah, her sis-in-law Vickie, our friend Shanna and I all went up together, Ethan was sleeping, strapped to my chest in a Beco carrier. The very first thing she said to me was, "You are too tiny to have such a big baby!" That is the nicest compliment I think I've received in months!
I was just beaming. And struck dumb! How could I compete with such a compliment? Wasn't I, as the fan, supposed to be the one praising her? I think I said something lame about how I enjoy her blog. Then she said, "Was that all your milk?" and it took a second to register that she meant did I breastfeed him and all I could say was "Yup. Pretty much." Tongue-tied, I tell ya.
Still, that, too, was a compliment I couldn't beat. I tried to follow up with "And it was all from your food, too!" but that came across as kind of weird. Still, perhaps she, as a fellow mom, understood. At least she didn't shoo me away or anything.
There was some chatter about a Marlboro Man coffee mug that Shanna brought her (who doesn't like coffee?). And something about her hand getting cramped from signing all our books (we had 8 between us, but some people had that many by themselves!). Then we were gone, thanking her for coming, gathering our things so the next group could meet her. We chatted for a minute with her friends and were given these amazing t-shirts. For them, it's like residual fame. Kind of neat. And they are just as graceful and charming as PW.
And then it was over.
Afterward, we went to Figo for a late dinner. I think PW would've liked the food, minus the stale bread. I just enjoyed chatting with my friends and watching Ethan try to eat a piece of bread with his pacifier still in his mouth.
I'd like to think that the reason this collective adventure was so enjoyable for all was because the Pioneer Woman writes about and photographs what she loves, and we all just happen to love the same things.
I'm grateful I have a whole slew of new recipes to try out on my unsuspecting friends and family. Thanks, PW!
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Surely I have. I've certainly made many of her recipes! Perhaps you enjoyed one. (But perhaps I just took the compliments and sneakily passed them off as mine. Oops.)
The Pioneer Woman is otherwise known as Ree Drummond, a midwestern gal, mom to four kids, who blogs about food, photography, and her life on an Oklahoman cattle ranch. I've been reading her blog for about three years now, mostly the recipe section (I remember when she first posted that chocolate sheet cake), but her story of how she went from an uptown city gal to the wife of a rancher, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is quite riveting. She's got a wicked sense of humor and a great eye for composition. Her fame has steadily grown (I voted for her to get those Bloggy awards!) and she recently published a book. Isn't this just the happiest cookbook cover you've ever seen?
See that lovely design on the brown background underneath her book? That's a t-shirt. How did I get it, you might be wondering? Well, that, as they say, is the rest of the story...
Tonight, I met the Pioneer Woman. She was at her booksigning here in Atlanta. She is just as warm and friendly in person as she comes across on her blog. And she was signing books like Babe Ruth signed baseballs while carrying on completely gracious and intelligent conversations, maintaining poise and composure with Sharpie in hand and cameras flashing. How does she DO that?
(I actually asked her if she uses Vaseline to help her keep smiling through all those photographs. She said, "No, but I probably should." And then she proceeded to execute a proper "pageant wave." I love that woman.)
My friend Sarah is probably blogging right now about all our experiences, so I will let her share all the details about how we ended up there at the perfect time and made it smoothly through the line in only a little over an hour. Sarah brilliantly researched the fact that we should show up way early and get armbands so we could go in with an earlier group, rather than getting there at the start time. Apparently, some of PW's recent book signings have lasted until the wee hours of the morning, so at least Borders was prepared.
The Pioneer Woman definitely draws a crowd. But it's also a very nice crowd. Mostly ladies, quite a few adorable kiddos, one or two lone males. We were diverse and chatty and super excited to be there. I have been to other book signings (mostly obscure poets and authors that only my fellow English majors would appreciate) and it was nothing like this. Tonight was like a big party. You couldn't meet a stranger. Perhaps it was because we all felt we knew her from reading her blog.
Upon meeting the Pioneer Woman, she made me feel instantly at ease. When my friend Sarah, her sis-in-law Vickie, our friend Shanna and I all went up together, Ethan was sleeping, strapped to my chest in a Beco carrier. The very first thing she said to me was, "You are too tiny to have such a big baby!" That is the nicest compliment I think I've received in months!
I was just beaming. And struck dumb! How could I compete with such a compliment? Wasn't I, as the fan, supposed to be the one praising her? I think I said something lame about how I enjoy her blog. Then she said, "Was that all your milk?" and it took a second to register that she meant did I breastfeed him and all I could say was "Yup. Pretty much." Tongue-tied, I tell ya.
Still, that, too, was a compliment I couldn't beat. I tried to follow up with "And it was all from your food, too!" but that came across as kind of weird. Still, perhaps she, as a fellow mom, understood. At least she didn't shoo me away or anything.
There was some chatter about a Marlboro Man coffee mug that Shanna brought her (who doesn't like coffee?). And something about her hand getting cramped from signing all our books (we had 8 between us, but some people had that many by themselves!). Then we were gone, thanking her for coming, gathering our things so the next group could meet her. We chatted for a minute with her friends and were given these amazing t-shirts. For them, it's like residual fame. Kind of neat. And they are just as graceful and charming as PW.
And then it was over.
Afterward, we went to Figo for a late dinner. I think PW would've liked the food, minus the stale bread. I just enjoyed chatting with my friends and watching Ethan try to eat a piece of bread with his pacifier still in his mouth.
I'd like to think that the reason this collective adventure was so enjoyable for all was because the Pioneer Woman writes about and photographs what she loves, and we all just happen to love the same things.
I'm grateful I have a whole slew of new recipes to try out on my unsuspecting friends and family. Thanks, PW!
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Monday, March 24, 2008
My New Project
I just wanted to let you all know that your encouragement about our party planning ideas inspired me to start a new blog!
Very Merry Events is all about frugal event planning. I hope it will become a website for people to find ideas for their celebrations, get their questions answered, be an outlet for me to share my creativity, as well as hopefully become a helpful resource as we (hopefully) transition back into being a CARES Team in the summer.
If you would like to have a party-planning question you would like answered, or have some ideas you want to share, please let me know! Criticisms, comments, suggestions, ideas and links are all greatly appreciated! You can comment here or there or e-mail me at verymerryevents[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Very Merry Events is all about frugal event planning. I hope it will become a website for people to find ideas for their celebrations, get their questions answered, be an outlet for me to share my creativity, as well as hopefully become a helpful resource as we (hopefully) transition back into being a CARES Team in the summer.
If you would like to have a party-planning question you would like answered, or have some ideas you want to share, please let me know! Criticisms, comments, suggestions, ideas and links are all greatly appreciated! You can comment here or there or e-mail me at verymerryevents[at]gmail[dot]com.
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Andrew Peterson Week
Andrew Peterson's new book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, releases tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18!In honor of the AP Blog Tour that is taking place, we have deemed this Andrew Peterson Week here at Team Redd. So, along with our regular programming, we will post something related to the multi-talented AP (be it about this book, music, songwriting, etc) EVERY DAY this week. That's right, you're guaranteed at least one post a day! (I've been working on following through with things that I've promised lately, so thank AP for helping me aspire to higher standards.)
I finished reading our advance copy of his new book Saturday night, and I'm working on a review this morning, which I hope to have posted soon.
Until then, be sure to check out our friend Travis' blog, The Hog's Head, which normally features Harry Potter-inspired content, but is also highlighting Andrew Peterson this week (I swear, I thought of it before he did.). He'll also be posting a review and a giveaway as well as the ones here, so stay tuned.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Books and Worms
Calloo, Callay! A blog about worms! Oh, wait. No, scratch that. A blog by bookworms! Yay! And they are two people I know in real life! This is going to be fun to watch.
Worm's Book Report
The name of Jen and Susanna's blog reminds me of three things:
1. That worm character with glasses who used to appear on posters in my elementary school library.
2. The computer game.
3. How to Eat Fried Worms
But I digress. Vice-Worm. hehe
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Worm's Book Report
The name of Jen and Susanna's blog reminds me of three things:
1. That worm character with glasses who used to appear on posters in my elementary school library.
2. The computer game.
3. How to Eat Fried Worms
But I digress. Vice-Worm. hehe
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Monday, February 04, 2008
Blog Tag!
TulipGirl tagged me to play!
I hardly ever participate in these sorts of things, but since maybe more that the half-dozen family members and real-life friends might be reading, I thought I'd give it a go.
7 Random Facts About Me:
1. I was born 12 weeks early. I weighed 1 lb 8 oz, was only 11 inches long, and was known in my small town as "The Miracle Baby," appropriately.
2. My elbows, according to my husband, are abnormally sharp.
3. One summer in college I was the Director of a Ropes Course at Riverview Camp for Girls, which consisted mostly of climbing trees and swinging from wires. It was my dream job.
4. I have been known to eat leftover brownies for breakfast.
5. In sixth grade I met Norma Fox Mazer at a creative writing competition and she personally autographed my copy of When We First Met. It is the only book of hers I've kept.
6. I lived in the same house my entire life until I got married; my parents still live there.
7. The first dinner I cooked in our apartment as newlyweds was a meal of French toast.
I'm tagging:
Jen, Mary, Melissa, Amy, Courtney, Rebecca, and Sarah!
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I hardly ever participate in these sorts of things, but since maybe more that the half-dozen family members and real-life friends might be reading, I thought I'd give it a go.
7 Random Facts About Me:
1. I was born 12 weeks early. I weighed 1 lb 8 oz, was only 11 inches long, and was known in my small town as "The Miracle Baby," appropriately.
2. My elbows, according to my husband, are abnormally sharp.
3. One summer in college I was the Director of a Ropes Course at Riverview Camp for Girls, which consisted mostly of climbing trees and swinging from wires. It was my dream job.
4. I have been known to eat leftover brownies for breakfast.
5. In sixth grade I met Norma Fox Mazer at a creative writing competition and she personally autographed my copy of When We First Met. It is the only book of hers I've kept.
6. I lived in the same house my entire life until I got married; my parents still live there.
7. The first dinner I cooked in our apartment as newlyweds was a meal of French toast.
Game of Blog Tag Rules:
*Link to the person that tagged you.
*Post the rules on your blog.
*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
*Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.
I'm tagging:
Jen, Mary, Melissa, Amy, Courtney, Rebecca, and Sarah!
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Five Favorite Craft Blogs
I'm not sure if "craft" is the right category, since it always brings to mind hand painted wooden heart creations from local hometown festivals, but it'll have to do. (Besides, "funky, cool, fabric-loving creative types" was just too long.)
Over the last few months, I've become drawn in to the world of kntting, sewing, fabric-designing, artsy, creative blogs. I've taken up knitting upon receipt of a most-awesome gift of needles, yarn and The Knit Book at Christmas, and I plan to expand my seamstress abilities beyond button-sewing to make something(s) from Amy Butler's In Stitches, another exciting Christmas gift. One day, I'd like to undertake the massive task of reupholstering our swivel rocking chair, but that may have to wait. I'll start small, and hopefully get around to finishing some of the things on my short list, like cards and scrapbooks and such. I have to finish my bib first, though.
Here are some of my creative inspirations, who all happen to be moms as well:
Angry Chicken
Anna Maria Horner
Soule Mama
Two Straight Lines
Wise Craft
And now maybe I'll finally complete my long-overdue blog series...
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Over the last few months, I've become drawn in to the world of kntting, sewing, fabric-designing, artsy, creative blogs. I've taken up knitting upon receipt of a most-awesome gift of needles, yarn and The Knit Book at Christmas, and I plan to expand my seamstress abilities beyond button-sewing to make something(s) from Amy Butler's In Stitches, another exciting Christmas gift. One day, I'd like to undertake the massive task of reupholstering our swivel rocking chair, but that may have to wait. I'll start small, and hopefully get around to finishing some of the things on my short list, like cards and scrapbooks and such. I have to finish my bib first, though.
Here are some of my creative inspirations, who all happen to be moms as well:
And now maybe I'll finally complete my long-overdue blog series...
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Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Is it 2008 already?
Where did the holidays go? I've got lots to share from the last few weeks, including pictures. More on that tomorrow.
For now, I'm looking ahead: Jacob's First Birthday, the Olympics in Beijing, and a Presidential election. It's going to be quite a year!
Some of my resolutions:
1. Attempt to have a regular schedule, especially at bedtime.
2. Read more, watch TV less (thank you, writers' strike!).
3. Show hospitality more often.
4. Do something creative every day.
5. Blog about all of the above and more, if only to fulfill #4!
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!
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For now, I'm looking ahead: Jacob's First Birthday, the Olympics in Beijing, and a Presidential election. It's going to be quite a year!
Some of my resolutions:
1. Attempt to have a regular schedule, especially at bedtime.
2. Read more, watch TV less (thank you, writers' strike!).
3. Show hospitality more often.
4. Do something creative every day.
5. Blog about all of the above and more, if only to fulfill #4!
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!
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Monday, October 29, 2007
On Comments
So we've had a bit of trouble moving from the old Blogger to the new "improved" Google/Blogger. Besides the fact that I messed up and didn't save our old template properly causing us to lose important things (like lists of books read) that we're now having to recreate, our old comments, while saved at Haloscan, are not loading properly into the new template. I've installed Haloscan multiple times in different templates and tried everything suggested at that site, and have only come up with a temporary fix. Apparently, it is a problem lots of folks are having, but I'm not getting any answers at the forum, so this will have to do for now. New comments can be made on new posts and will be saved (and appear in the sidebar), but I am unable to get the old comments to appear on older posts. If anyone who is more computer savvy than me knows how to fix this problem in the new Blogger template, please let me know! (I really don't want to have to go back and manually add some Haloscan code to every old post, but if someone could let me know how to do even that much I'd be grateful!)
To everyone else, thanks for abiding with the long interruption. We will now continue with our regularly scheduled blogging.
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To everyone else, thanks for abiding with the long interruption. We will now continue with our regularly scheduled blogging.
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
So, this blog contraption has been up and running for a couple of days now, and I'm feeling the pressure to post something profound or eloquent. I think Redd-2 is way ahead at this point. But that's no reason to give up!
One thing that has struck me recently is the pervasive stereotype of the "elitist Calvinist." That is, I think many people have the perception that so-called "Reformers" are usually arrogant, "smarter-than-thou" jerks who are pre-occupied with drilling their dogmas into the brains of all the lesser folks who disagree with Saint Calvin. Granted, their perceptions are not without basis. There are a whole lot of argumentative Reformed folk out there, and a fair number of them would rightfully be labeled as jerks. Of course, you could easily make the case that people of all ideological stripes can come across as condescending, etc. A real-life example: Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man. Hank is definitely not aligned with the Reformed camp on many of the crucial issues (i.e., of soteriology). And granted, he has done a great service to the Church by researching various aberrant movements, both inside and outside of the stream of Christian orthodoxy. His desire to equip believers with the tools to defend their faith is to be commended. But, at the same time, he really comes across poorly over the radio. Intentionally or not, he often talks down to callers, and he can come across as arrogant.
Nevertheless, the stereotype of the mean, elitist Calvinist remains. My question is, why is this generalization so often true? Certainly, not all Reformed types fit this mold, but there are undoubtedly a lot that do. Why is it like this? One thought I had concerned the dangers inherent in knowledge and learning. The Reformed tradition is most definitely steeped in scholasticism, and the weight of sound Scriptural exegesis is definitely in its corner. Admittedly, this is the strength that I find most convincing. However, as Paul warns us, knowledge without love is quite unprofitable. Without love, the pursuit of knowledge - even the study of God and His revealed Word - can de-volve into a sort of Gnostic quest for the "secret knowledge" that is reserved solely for the spiritual elite. Our great learning may not drive us mad, but it can stoke the embers of pride that are always lurking in our fallen hearts.
The solution, though, is not to jettison the learning. Unfortunately, this approach is all too-prevalent in modern evangelicalism, which is rife with anti-intellectualism. Evangelicals have properly identified the problems with too much learning, but all too often, they have come up with poor solutions, usually involving a "love is all you need" mentality. In olden days, the scholars who studied the Sacred Writ were given the highest regard. Nowadays, though, "theology" is a dirty word, often visualized as stuffy, lifeless doctrines contained in dust-filled tomes of boring academia.
Instead of forsaking our God-given command to diligently study His word, the Biblical solution is to guard our learning with love. Instead of using our doctrines as weapons to assault the less-learned, we Reformed folks (and all Christians, for that matter) need to extend the same grace to others that we believe God has already given to us. This includes patiently discussing the Scriptures with people who disagree. This includes trying to understand the other person's point of view, even if it is incorrect. We didn't come into this world with a correct view of God, and hopefully, we don't see ourselves as currently having a perfect grasp on His truth. If we can show leniency to ourselves for not having 100% pure doctrine, is it so inconceivable that we should cut others a break every now and then?
Michael Spenser, the Internet Monk, wrote a great article on this subject. Perhaps he said it better than me. But then again, I'm trying to make good use of this blog. As we all know, there are plenty of stuffed animals that need to be preached to. ;)
http://www.internetmonk.com/argument.html
One thing that has struck me recently is the pervasive stereotype of the "elitist Calvinist." That is, I think many people have the perception that so-called "Reformers" are usually arrogant, "smarter-than-thou" jerks who are pre-occupied with drilling their dogmas into the brains of all the lesser folks who disagree with Saint Calvin. Granted, their perceptions are not without basis. There are a whole lot of argumentative Reformed folk out there, and a fair number of them would rightfully be labeled as jerks. Of course, you could easily make the case that people of all ideological stripes can come across as condescending, etc. A real-life example: Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man. Hank is definitely not aligned with the Reformed camp on many of the crucial issues (i.e., of soteriology). And granted, he has done a great service to the Church by researching various aberrant movements, both inside and outside of the stream of Christian orthodoxy. His desire to equip believers with the tools to defend their faith is to be commended. But, at the same time, he really comes across poorly over the radio. Intentionally or not, he often talks down to callers, and he can come across as arrogant.
Nevertheless, the stereotype of the mean, elitist Calvinist remains. My question is, why is this generalization so often true? Certainly, not all Reformed types fit this mold, but there are undoubtedly a lot that do. Why is it like this? One thought I had concerned the dangers inherent in knowledge and learning. The Reformed tradition is most definitely steeped in scholasticism, and the weight of sound Scriptural exegesis is definitely in its corner. Admittedly, this is the strength that I find most convincing. However, as Paul warns us, knowledge without love is quite unprofitable. Without love, the pursuit of knowledge - even the study of God and His revealed Word - can de-volve into a sort of Gnostic quest for the "secret knowledge" that is reserved solely for the spiritual elite. Our great learning may not drive us mad, but it can stoke the embers of pride that are always lurking in our fallen hearts.
The solution, though, is not to jettison the learning. Unfortunately, this approach is all too-prevalent in modern evangelicalism, which is rife with anti-intellectualism. Evangelicals have properly identified the problems with too much learning, but all too often, they have come up with poor solutions, usually involving a "love is all you need" mentality. In olden days, the scholars who studied the Sacred Writ were given the highest regard. Nowadays, though, "theology" is a dirty word, often visualized as stuffy, lifeless doctrines contained in dust-filled tomes of boring academia.
Instead of forsaking our God-given command to diligently study His word, the Biblical solution is to guard our learning with love. Instead of using our doctrines as weapons to assault the less-learned, we Reformed folks (and all Christians, for that matter) need to extend the same grace to others that we believe God has already given to us. This includes patiently discussing the Scriptures with people who disagree. This includes trying to understand the other person's point of view, even if it is incorrect. We didn't come into this world with a correct view of God, and hopefully, we don't see ourselves as currently having a perfect grasp on His truth. If we can show leniency to ourselves for not having 100% pure doctrine, is it so inconceivable that we should cut others a break every now and then?
Michael Spenser, the Internet Monk, wrote a great article on this subject. Perhaps he said it better than me. But then again, I'm trying to make good use of this blog. As we all know, there are plenty of stuffed animals that need to be preached to. ;)
http://www.internetmonk.com/argument.html
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