(Of worthy causes for which to sacrifice...) We are now on Day 11 of "40 Days for Life." I hadn't heard anything about it until a Catholic friend alerted me to it last week. Check out the website at 40daysforlife.com and see if it's happening in your area and if you can get involved.
In Flagstaff, they are organizing round-the-clock prayer vigils at our local Planned Parenthood. I plan to sign up as soon as we get home on Monday, and I'm trying to get our church as well as others involved in our area. We have 29 days left! I really like what I've seen on the website so far as to their approach and philosophy. Let me know what you find out, and I'll let you know how it goes in Flag.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
If you ever planned to donate
I'm sure you all know about the struggle to defend traditional marriage in California that's playing out right now. If you've thought that this is an issue generally that you want to get behind financially, I suggest you do it now. The way this goes in CA will have a tremendous impact on the rest of the country; supporting the cause later may not make much of a difference anyway if we lose there. I spoke with a friend the other day who works with a national marriage organization, and he told me that things are looking, at best, really tight. Public polls (he didn't say which ones) indicate that the constitutional amendment is significantly down, but the internal polling of both sides shows that things are neck and neck. The LDS church, however, (go Mormons!) has recently gotten really involved, and apparently, thousands of Mormons are volunteering to go door-to-door on the weekends. So, the marriage team is hopeful that this will make a significant impact. At any rate, the media campaign is cranking up now, with about 1 month until the vote. Now is a great time to donate. My friend recommends giving to the National Organization for Marriage. You can do so at http://www.nomcalifornia.org/. And for those motivated by efficiency, donating in this case both supports marriage AND fights judicial activism. If this amendment passes it will be a clear smack down of the unconscionably activist judiciary of California (Give me democracy, baby!). And that, my friends, is worth giving up lattes until 2030. -Matthew
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The debate
Wow. When NBC says, thirty seconds after the debate is over, that the debate betwene Palin and Biden wasn't so important after all and would be forgotten in 24hours, you know she did well.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The past few days
Dear Fam,
We went to visit our friend Carrie Vickery in South Carolina last weekend. David was so sweet to do that in the middle of the semester. And between learning to "Shag" (official state dance of S.C.) and meeting Mike (Carrie's boyfriend) he was able to study a bit. We had a lovely, lazy day in Greenville Monday before flying home (totally unaware of the economic situation until we changed planes in D.C. that evening). When we landed in Pittsburgh, the security guard had posted the score for the Pittsburgh vs. Ravens game. The Globe Parking shuttle driver gave us a blow-by-blow update as he took us to our car, and, intrigued, we listened to the end of the game as we drove home (Steelers won by 3 points in overtime). As we pulled into the driveway at midnight, we could see the kitchen lights on in our Jewish neighbors' homes. (The Orthodox Jews are not permitted to use anything electrical during Sabbath or feast days, so they leave it on before the feast day starts.) It is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, and all today Jewish families were walking about, the women and girls in long-sleeved blouses and skirts, the men and boys in long pants, and yamakas.
Tonight our neighbor knocked on our door and asked if I wouldn't mind printing off her homework, which was online . . .and calling the teacher to have it sent to my email. We of course said yes. But David and I have noticed that it seems impossible to live out Orthodox Judaism and "livability in the real world" seems to be an important measure of the truth of a worldview.
We live inside an "eruv", a demarcated area (literally--with bits of string on telephone posts) in which the observant Jew can move freely on a Sabbath. In working for a Jewish person, and in living surrounded by a congregation of them, we've been given a new appreciation for Paul's discussion of law and grace in Romans. We've also started to see how much we have in common--my young neighbor is waiting still for the Messiah--and we really desire to share the hope of Christ with them (His salvation, and also the abundant life that includes beef stroganoff, lasagne, and tacos!) When you pray for us, will you include that on your list--opportunities and grace and love for our neighbors?
We miss you and love you--
D & L
We went to visit our friend Carrie Vickery in South Carolina last weekend. David was so sweet to do that in the middle of the semester. And between learning to "Shag" (official state dance of S.C.) and meeting Mike (Carrie's boyfriend) he was able to study a bit. We had a lovely, lazy day in Greenville Monday before flying home (totally unaware of the economic situation until we changed planes in D.C. that evening). When we landed in Pittsburgh, the security guard had posted the score for the Pittsburgh vs. Ravens game. The Globe Parking shuttle driver gave us a blow-by-blow update as he took us to our car, and, intrigued, we listened to the end of the game as we drove home (Steelers won by 3 points in overtime). As we pulled into the driveway at midnight, we could see the kitchen lights on in our Jewish neighbors' homes. (The Orthodox Jews are not permitted to use anything electrical during Sabbath or feast days, so they leave it on before the feast day starts.) It is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, and all today Jewish families were walking about, the women and girls in long-sleeved blouses and skirts, the men and boys in long pants, and yamakas.
Tonight our neighbor knocked on our door and asked if I wouldn't mind printing off her homework, which was online . . .and calling the teacher to have it sent to my email. We of course said yes. But David and I have noticed that it seems impossible to live out Orthodox Judaism and "livability in the real world" seems to be an important measure of the truth of a worldview.
We live inside an "eruv", a demarcated area (literally--with bits of string on telephone posts) in which the observant Jew can move freely on a Sabbath. In working for a Jewish person, and in living surrounded by a congregation of them, we've been given a new appreciation for Paul's discussion of law and grace in Romans. We've also started to see how much we have in common--my young neighbor is waiting still for the Messiah--and we really desire to share the hope of Christ with them (His salvation, and also the abundant life that includes beef stroganoff, lasagne, and tacos!) When you pray for us, will you include that on your list--opportunities and grace and love for our neighbors?
We miss you and love you--
D & L
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Story
Stories are very much a part of our lives right now. Jackson is always asking us to tell him a story, we read stories in books, and he listens to stories on tape during his quiet times. Matthew has an ongoing story about a badger family that he tells the boys before bed. Often, Jackson will ask if I'd like to hear a story, and this last time I decided to grab a pen and paper and frantically try to capture. . .
Mama, I'm going to tell you the story about Daddy and me hunting in the woods. We were trying to dig a big hole. And then we heard something. And then we got our bows and arrows. And then we shoot it. And then there's a deer because we didn't have anything to eat. Mama, did you know that sometimes we need to do that? Shoot bears and deers because we don't have any meat? And then you know what? We maked ice cream. And then we maked chocolate cookies for you and Harry. And then we heard something and we got our bows and arrows and our shield and knives and shoot a lion's leg off because he was going to destroy us. He smelled us and wanted to eat us. And then we watched Curious George. And Clifford. And Transformers and some other shows and we watched Bionicles* and we watched a lot of shows before bed. And then we go to bed. And then when we woke up in the morning we heard a sound and so we took our bows and arrows and we got up and then we got out of our tent where we were sleeping and then there was a wolf and we shoot him. And then we got out of the forest and we came over the mountains. And then we saw our Mom & Dads and then we saw our grandfather.
* Transformers and Bionicles are toys that our 6-yr. old neighbor Charlie has, and Charlie is the man. Not sure if there are shows about these things? But that's not the point - this is his fantasy, and he can make up all the shows he wants and watch as many as he wants!
Mama, I'm going to tell you the story about Daddy and me hunting in the woods. We were trying to dig a big hole. And then we heard something. And then we got our bows and arrows. And then we shoot it. And then there's a deer because we didn't have anything to eat. Mama, did you know that sometimes we need to do that? Shoot bears and deers because we don't have any meat? And then you know what? We maked ice cream. And then we maked chocolate cookies for you and Harry. And then we heard something and we got our bows and arrows and our shield and knives and shoot a lion's leg off because he was going to destroy us. He smelled us and wanted to eat us. And then we watched Curious George. And Clifford. And Transformers and some other shows and we watched Bionicles* and we watched a lot of shows before bed. And then we go to bed. And then when we woke up in the morning we heard a sound and so we took our bows and arrows and we got up and then we got out of our tent where we were sleeping and then there was a wolf and we shoot him. And then we got out of the forest and we came over the mountains. And then we saw our Mom & Dads and then we saw our grandfather.
* Transformers and Bionicles are toys that our 6-yr. old neighbor Charlie has, and Charlie is the man. Not sure if there are shows about these things? But that's not the point - this is his fantasy, and he can make up all the shows he wants and watch as many as he wants!
Friday, September 26, 2008
I love student housing
The Mommy Brigade - Me w/ boys, Kristin w/Eric, Katharine w/Jacob & Seth, Brigid w/Elliot, Natana w/twins Alora & Rowan, Amanda w/Emily.
My friend Katharine and I take regular walks, and lately other neighbors have been joining us. The other day we had record numbers. When we arrived home Katharine and I took turns watching each other's kids outside while we took showers, later I ran to the library to pick up our book club books while she watched Jackson, and now I'm watching Jacob & Grace while she runs to the grocery. Tonight M & I are taking a date while friend/neighbor Betsy stays with our sleeping boys. I am constantly thankful for this provision of the Lord. It can't be beat!
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