The Kingdom of God and the Modern Mind

I am so proud of my husband!  He just finished, and published, his second book!!  This time he diverged from his initial subject, Physics, and took on another hefty subject:  He looked at contrasting the Gospel (the Kingdom of God) and the Modern Mind (skeptics and popular cultural beliefs about man and God).

I had the pleasure of editing his book for him, and was thoroughly encouraged and challenged to reassess my reasons for believing.  I questioned, argued, laughed, nodded in agreement, and thoroughly enjoyed reading his essays.  His writing is first-person, and he engages his readers in following his process in debating the modern mind.  Whether you agree with him or the Modern Mind he takes on, you won't be disappointed in the read. He'll challenge you to see both sides, and ultimately choose, and be strengthened in your convictions.  The one option Jesus doesn't offer us is to remain luke warm.  In his own way, Isaac emulates this by calling his readers to take a stance and be encouraged.  Skeptics beware, you may find your foundations shaken.  Christians and believers, take heart and be encouraged as he takes on the difficult topics of today's post-post-modern society and shows the Gospel to be relevant and true even today.

I've included his synopsis here as it beautifully captures the themes of the book:

What does the Kingdom of God look like? 

What does the Modern Mind stand for? 

This collection of essays on faith, reason, God, man, science and philosophy, asks these questions and many others.  Christians will be encouraged to seek God more fully and to proclaim their faith with renewed boldness, while skeptics will be challenged to look honestly at matters of faith and to question the premises of their own unbelief.

Order your own copy today, and while you're there, buy one for a friend or family member. You will not be disappointed! 

Paperback or Kindle copies available here: The Kingdom of God and the Modern Mind

And to read more from Isaac, you can find his blog here: http://godandthemodernmind.blogspot.com/ 

Read and agree, or even better, read and disagree, or challenge, or question!  Isaac loves to engage with his readers to honestly discuss issues of faith, reason, science, the Gospel, and so much more!  Then once you do, please share this on your blog, facebook page, twitter, google+, instagram... Just share the book love, and support an aspiring local author!

Two Little Bear Cubs

Last year I made Ava a bear hat/cowl.  She gets a ton of compliments on it when they go out, and Noah wanted in on some of that action.  Sarah and I talked and decided he needed a bear hat all his own.  Enter the "Darling Little Ear Flap Hat" (available on ravelry for a very small fee) pattern, and I just knew I had to make it for Noah.

Tonight he got his hat... I'd say he's pretty happy with it!  I always breathe a sigh of relief when a project is done, delivered, and proves a success!!  

I love these two crazy cubs! 

They are officially TOO MUCH!

8 Months!

I'll officially have completed eight months of pregnancy on Thursday!  I'm trying to record my thoughts and feelings throughout this pregnancy, mostly for myself, so feel free to skim through my ramblings below. :)

I still feel pretty great -- no nausea!  I have a lot of achiness now in my finger joints, my feet (all the time), my lower back, my legs, sometimes my belly...but these are typical aches from having a growing person in my belly and having added 30ish pounds to my frame in less than six months.  When else will I have these unique circumstances?  All in all, I feel pretty good!

My energy levels are hit and miss, but I'm to the point that I feel the need, nay the compulsion to prepare for this little one's arrival!  Isaac, bless him, is trying to keep up with my project list, and has been a trooper through my restlessness, even in the face of exhaustion.

Typical conversation between us:

"I'm sooo tired."
Isaac: "Just sit down and relax"
Me (after a few minutes of attempting to sit still): "Yeah, I just need to be DOING something"
Isaac: "Yeah, I can see that." (Bless him for not kicking me off the couch as I attempt to snuggle with him and relax, while constantly shifting and twitching).

I just cannot sit still. I'm either doing something, or sleeping.  This has necessitated coming up with creative ways to prepare without spending a ton of money.  I'll show all the projects in another post, but let's just say, there have been plenty in addition to a huge increase in my cleaning. Suddenly it's imperative that our house be very, very clean all. the. time. All the time. I'm trying to temper this so as to not make my husband insane. I don't think he'd appreciate me cleaning up his plate as he's trying to finish his meal. So I'm trying to be okay with a few dishes here and there, and not putting the laundry away the second I hear the dryer beep.

Sleep is getting more tricky. It's hard to find a position that's comfortable for more than a few minutes. Turning over is a monumental event that leaves both of us awake for several minutes.  Though last night I slept the clock around. I know these days are numbered, so I fully enjoyed it, though when I finally woke and got up at 8:30 this morning (yes, this means I was asleep before 8:30 last night), I had quite the sleep hangover.

And now what you probably wanted, a few photos of my penultimate month of pregnancy!!  My shirts are getting too short, and my pants are down to two pairs that will fit over my belly (more or less)...my coat is struggling as I ask more and more of that second button to keep me warm and dry through the rainy season. I figure by next week I'll be forced into wearing Isaac's hiking coat, which is positively tent-like, but it's December, and I'm really pregnant. I'm sure I'll be thankful for it the first time I step out in it in the rain and don't end up completely soaked!

In case you thought I was joking about my giant belly, and no longer fitting my shirts, I give you exhibit D: 

The Baby Shower that Wasn't

Yep, from the title of the post, you might know that my baby shower was cancelled. It was a bit of a sad day for me.  When we planned it, neither my wonderful friend and hostess, Brook, nor I took into consideration that it fell smack in the middle of a three-day weekend.  Oops!  Everyone was either traveling or home with sick kiddos.

But she and Logan (and Lindy June) still made us feel so very loved with a special visit that afternoon, and a sweet gift of a high chair! It's already set up and makes me smile every time I see it!  It reminds me of what's to come, and also of the love and fellowship we have with one of our most favorite couples.

Also, special thanks to Kelly who, though unable to come to my shower (it was also her nephew's birthday), made me a beautiful and delicious cake! It was almost too pretty to cut into -- almost!!

We ended up eating about a quarter of it, and then serendipity! We were set to bring the meal to our Missional Community group (Church community group) that week, so we were able to sugar up all our new friends' kids (you're welcome).  :) So, Kelly, if you're reading this, the cake was very much enjoyed by all! :) Thank you!!