My Big Fat Greek Vacation

Where to begin...I haven't written in a few days because we have been running around like crazy! We don't get home until the evening, and I go to bed uncharacteristically early when traveling (Mollie will remember the "travel schedule").

On our second day in Athens, we explored the Acropolis. It was amazing!


The Theatre of Dionysios was one of my favorite parts. This past semester I studied quite a bit of Athenian Drama from the Festival of Dionysios. Thus, I was enthralled with the theatre as I imagined the Trial of the Dog in "The Wasps" or Clytemnestra's cold-blooded murder of Agamemnon! I couldn't believe I was actually seeing the place I had been imagining for so long!



My family finally managed to drag me away from the theatre even though I wanted to stay and re-enact the entire Oresteia! We made the hike up to the Acropolis, and let me tell you, it was quite a hike! As she panted up the slope, Emily exclaimed, "If I was climbing all this way to pray for something, I would expect to get what I was praying for. This is exhausting!" I agreed with Emily, but then, I've never liked having to over-exert myself. :-)

When we got to the top, we rested for a moment on the steps of the gate before heading inside:


Once through the gate, it was SO windy! We feared we might be blown away! Despite the wind (and ongoing restoration efforts), the Parthenon was majestic. I could imagine it in all its glory years ago!



After running around on the Acropolis a bit more, we explored the Temple of Zeus, which was very impressive. As you can see in the picture below, only a few of the once 104 columns remain, but they are enough to convey a sense of awe at what was once there.

If nothing else, we are certainly learning a lot about columns. :-) Oh yes, we can now tell you all about the Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, etc. You may have even read Emily's theory on Doric Columns on her blog.

We finished our day with a trip to the Parliament Building. Now I have an interesting history with guards of this type. When we go to take a picture with them, I always want to say something because it's too awkward not to say anything. In London, I went up to the guard and said, "Hello," but my family claims it was not a normal hello, but a very strangely pronounced hello. In any case, this meeting went off slightly less ridiculously because I focused on saying "Hi" in a normal voice.


The guards do a strange little dance, which is pretty entertaining expecially when coupled with their "traditional outfits." Mom says we shouldn't laugh at their outfits since that's "culturally insensitive of us." We really can't help being a bit mirthful about it, however. Lest you think me "culturally insensitive," I shall not make any direct statement regarding the outfits, and you may make your own judgment based on the picture below.

Thus ends Day 2.

Day 3 began early in the morning with another ride on the Metro. I shall grant the Metro to be intriguing even if it is rather disgusting in every other respect. Label me as a snob if you must, but I am not particularly fond of squishing myself into an enclosed compartment with a large group of people all the while moving at disconcerting speeds underground. Nevertheless, the Metro has made our visit to Athens much easier than it might have been, and I am grateful for that.


Once reaching the port of Pireas, we boarded a ferry for Aegina and an hour later landed in "Aegina Town." Yes, they're rather ingenuitive when it comes to naming...I mean, "Aegina Town," that's deep. :-)



After eating at an adorable cafe where we sat on the veranda overlooking the port, we contemplated our options for exploration. I was at first in favor of hitting the museums and such as usual. Emily, however, nearly had a breakdown claiming, "We always have to visit the nerdy, educational sights!" Lest we lose Emily's attention, we determined something other than museums would have to be attempted. Thus, we arrived at the idea of renting mopeds and exploring the island. Unfortunately, Mom had forgotten her driving license at the apartment in Athens, so she couldn't rent one. I found that very ironic--they rented a moped to the 16-year old girl who told them she'd never driven a motercycle (me), but they refused to rent one to the 46-year-old woman with years of driving experience (Mom). I was a bit nervous because I generally only do very safe, normal things (like museums). I knew Emily would be extraordinarily disappointed if we didn't do this, though, so I threw caution to the wind (literally because it was intensely windy on that island!)Dad took Abby on the back of his moped, and I had Emily for a passenger. It was quite a frightening experience because the driving on the island lacked regulations to say the least. People kept nearly running us over as they insistently passed at the most inconvenient moments. As if this passing and watching for traffic wasn't enough to keep me busy, we were also driving along a twisty road on the edge of a cliff looking into the water. It was incredibly beautiful and scenic, but you can imagine the stress of such an undertaking! Fortunately, half-way through the drive we at least got into the mountains where it was steep but less cliffy. Despite all of this pressure and stress, the mopeding was quite an experience, and we had a BLAST!



The day ended with this lovely sunset as we floated back to Athens on the ferry:


Today is our last day in Athens. We briefly hit the town to explore the Ancient Cemetary and the National Gallery of Art, but those pictures will have to wait for another day because I think I've done plenty of blogging for one day. We have LOVED every minute here, and I think Dad speaks for all of us when he says, "I've kind-of fallen in love with Greece myself." Now we're back at the apartment packing up and getting ready for the 12-hour overnight train ride to Istanbul, Turkey. Emily is going to be my sleeping car partner, so I'm sure I'll have many interesting stories to tell by the time we reach Turkey! Our time here in Greece has given a whole new meaning to the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"! This has become "My Big Fat Greek Vacation!"

Philosophizing with Socrates

Let's see, I left you as we were about to head for the airport. Let it suffice to say a lot has happened in between now and then.

My super-cool new backpack:


In the Doha Airport at 3:00AM! Woo-hoo!:


Abby's chillin':

We survived the flights, only because we flew Emirates to have Video-on-demand. Seriously, no other airway even comes close to matching Emirates high-quality service and entertainment options. (If this was an Emirates commercial, this is the part where the head dude would come on and say, "They're flying Emirates. Why don't you?"...

We got to Athens, searched out the apartment to drop off our stuff and then dashed out into the city for dinner. After dinner, we walked around our area.

Of course, one cannot stay in Athens without philosophizing:


Abby and I enjoyed pretending to be eskimos:


After getting some sleep, we started afresh this morning. Figuring out which direction to go can be difficult. Fortunately, however, we have several people looking at the map (and one guy in the backgroud doing something questinable??):


We finally arrived at the National Archaeological Museum:


We saw this amazing statue, which I remembered from my High School Humanities textbook:

So Dad says, "Do you know how we can tell these guys have been working out?" We reply, "How?" He giggles, "Because they have stone hard bodies...". Wow, Dad. That's all I can say, Wow.

Yay! I found Zeus's head!:


I said, "Mom, stand next to the head and I'll take your picture." Instead of just standing next to it, however, she started hugging it or something...the guard was like, "MADAM! STOP! DO NOT TOUCH THE STATUES!" Haha.:


Next, we headed to the Ancient Agora where Socrates would sit and philosophize. If Socrates philosophized there, we couldn't be left out... Here are a few of our shots in the Agora:



Emily found this interesting Corinthian column, which spawned the creation of her new theory on Greek columns, specificully columns of the Doric Order. Check out her interesting, if a bit specious, theory on her blog (emilykent.blogspot.com).


We then made the hike up to the Temple of Hephaestus, picured in the background of this shot:

While we were up at the Temple, my family basically tried to eliminate me from the picture. Emily and Mom dragged us into this wooded area, and I had a terrible allergy attack (I mean a serious attack here, people). They didn't even seem to care, but when I finally managed to lure them back out into the open ground, Emily "credit-carded" me right as I was on the edge of the cliff so I almost fell off. I think they were secretly trying to make me fall off while I was at my weakest as my eyes poured from the allergies...

Here are a few shots of us with the Acropolis in the background:



Finally, we diecided to grab dinner at a quaint, Greek taverna. I ordered a simple salad, nothing fancy. Soon after we ordered, they brought us a large salad, and Mom thought it was complimentary with our meals. My family quickly downed the entire salad. When our food came, however, there was no salad, and we realized they had eaten mine. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled. This picture shows us in from of the taverna with Emily and Abby grinning while I pout:


I think that's all the happenings so far. It's been amazing, and I've got to get to bed because tomorrow we're hitting the Acropolis!

Rewind: Leaving for Austria

At this time last year . . .

I had two grumpy ladies to deal with. It was 2:30AM at the Doha International Airport. When Emily gets tired, she has two emotional possibilities--extreme hyper or extreme grumpy! I'm not sure that either option was preferable, but the picture speaks for itself. Mollie, on the other hand, just likes to be crazy, so she was spazzing on me along with Emily.

Needless to say, we survived. I'm hoping tonight will not be a repeat. OK, I'm off to bed for a little nap before heading to the airport.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

I hope you are having a wonderful day! Our celebration has been crazy, but fun!

I got one really interesting gift that I just can't resist sharing . . . Do you ever worry about your clean and dirty underwear getting mixed up in your suitcase? Does the mere thought of this nightmare keep you tossing and turning in that hotel bed? Are you one of those obsessive compulsive people who freaks out if anything is moved in their suitcase because they suddenly aren't sure what's clean and what's dirty. Yes, I'm sorry to get personal here, but it happens to the best of us. I mean underwear are about as personal as it gets, and sometimes organized underwear can make the difference in helping you feel at home. Thus, I present to you . . .

THE SENSATIONAL, THE SPECTACULAR, THE STUPENDOUS . . . TRAVEL UNDERWEAR PACKER!!!!! (A special thanks from Hailey for this useful yet fun gift!)

Run out and buy it people because this thing is a true gem!!! It's already packed tightly in my new travel backpack, which by the way, is very exciting!

Dad is a "bag man." Every Christmas we end up with some kind of bag. Last Christmas we got travel computer bags. This Christmas, things got cooler with travel backpacks designed for heavy-duty backpacking in Europe! Dad got tired of carting around large suitcases full of clothes, so we've now stepped it up a notch with these sophisticated but trendy backpacks! They're large enough to facilitate a fairly long trip without too much difficulty. There's a large duffel bag type section which connects to an actual backpack section. Very fun!


Unfortunately, however, with the advent of these new packing instruments, I've had to forego packing my traditional 5 or 6 scarves and their matching hats. Indeed, this is a hard blow, but I shall just have to manage. :-(

In other news, apparently Santa thinks I have sinus problems (perhaps he read my recent blog on the NeilMed Sinus Rinse...). Everyone's favorite "man with reindeer" brought me this little beauty...


Abby took off her "cute clothes" before we could snap a picture, but here's Emily and I on Christmas Eve . . .


Christmas morning went off without a single problem. Here's the lovely Brenda (Mom) preparing to host the brunch . . .



Well, that's all for now, folks. I've got to hop in the shower and get ready to head to the airport! Next time I post I'll be in the beautiful Athens, Greece. Until then, don't forget to be on the lookout for your very own special "travel underwear packer" while you're doing that after-Christmas shopping!! ;-)

I hope your Christmas has been filled with family and friends, but most of all, a realization of the amazing gift God gave to us in His son, Jesus Christ! I am reminded of that breath-taking moment in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." As the characters suddenly begin asking what the true meaning of Christmas is, some say "getting presents," etc. Then, Linus steps out of the crowd, blanket in hand, and reads the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. When he finishes, he says, "that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Perhaps we too need a Linus in our lives to remind us "what Christmas is all about."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life," (John 3:16) "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13). "While we were yet sinners, Christ" came to earth as a lowly man, and "died for us" (Romans 5:8). As Linus would say, "that's what Christmas is all about."

Creating Christmas Traditions

How do you have a “Traditional Christmas” in the Middle East? There are no pork loins to cook for Christmas Eve. We don’t even have eggs this year (due to bird flu in Saudi). As Mom noted, “Have you ever been to a brunch without some sort of egg dish??” I didn’t think so… Yet even with these inconveniences, Christmas in the Middle East provides interesting positives. For one, there aren’t a lot of distractions, so you have more time to do what you want. Plus, since you’ve suddenly moved halfway across the world, it’s a great opportunity to create a whole new “Traditional Christmas.” These are some of our family/friend’s favorite traditions. And yes, we are “tradition people!”

Gingerbread-Housing (Week before Christmas, At the Franklin’s): Yes, you’ve recently seen this one. It marks the beginning of Christmas festivities and is an absolute blast! Besides decorating the houses, we have a special story-time done by none other than the fabulous me. :-) Last year Mollie and I read the Toot & Puddle Christmas Story not forgetting, of course, our own special changes, which included a magical glowing pearl…pretty amazing! After story time, we delve into the food (as if we hadn’t already eaten enough candy during the decorating). Corn Chowder, Chili, and Cornbread are only the beginning of this delicious array of chow. :-) To top off the night, we watch a Christmasy movie, this year the Charlie Brown Christmas collection.

After Gingerbread-housing, there’s a short break for everyone to catch their breath and gear up for the big rush. The craziness begins on December 22nd. There is always a party on this evening. Last year it was the infamous “Bunko Party.” Just ask Mr. Franklin if you want more details on the joys of Bunko. All of our friends threatened not to come if we had the Bunko Party again, so we opted for something a bit less bunko-ish and went to the “Polar Express Party.”

Worker Shopping (Dec. 23rd, morning): Every year we put together bags of goodies for the workers in our compound. These are the people who clean our pools, sweep our streets, drill holes in our walls to hang pictures, landscape our yards, and generally make Al-fardan Gardens II a better place to live. On Dec. 23rd, Mom rushes around the city finding fruit, nuts, blankets, toothbrushes, and everything else she can think of. When she returns, we move on to . . .

Worker Bag Stuffing (Dec. 23rd, early afternoon, Sheehy’s House): The kitchen is stacked from bottom to top with every kind of fruit imaginable. The living room overflows with bags of stuff. Every ounce of dust in the house is stirred up. Everyone runs around madly stuffing things into bags and exclaiming, “We don’t have enough Oranges!!!” only to realize we have five extra… It’s quite a sight.

Caroling Party (Dec. 23rd, evening, Kent’s House): Half of our acquaintances look forward with great anticipation to the caroling party. The other half pray we’ll get sick so they won’t have to come. Just kidding, it’s always a really fun evening. You read about it in one of my recent posts, Karoling with the Kent’s.

Brunch at The Ritz (Dec. 24th, morning): In Doha, we don’t have most of the things we traditionally ate for Christmas Eve dinner. In the wake of this loss, we struggled to find a substitution and eventually came up with eating brunch/breakfast at The Ritz. It’s a little unorthodox (to say the least), but we’ve grown attached to this little tradition, and The Ritz has great breakfast food! Plus, it gets us out of cooking a Christmas Eve dinner…

Handing out Worker’s Gifts (Dec. 24th, afternoon): We head over to the clubhouse with all the bags of gifts and the workers gather together. We sing, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (since we rehearsed it throughout the caroling) and then hand out the gifts.

Christmas Eve Service (Dec. 24th, evening): Last year we hosted our own Christmas Eve service since our church couldn’t have one, but this year we’ll be heading to church…

Opening Presents! (Dec. 24th, late evening): Yes, we’re one of those weird families who open presents on Christmas Eve. Part of this tradition has to do with celebrating the true meaning of Christmas on Christmas Day instead of presents and part of it has to do with the fact that we always traveled to Houston on Christmas Day. In any case, presents get unwrapped on Christmas Eve!

Stockings (Dec. 25th, early morning): Yes, I believe in Santa . . . don’t you?? ;-)

Christmas Brunch (Dec. 25th, morning, Kent House): After ripping open all their presents and loading themselves full of those red and green m&m’s from their stockings, everyone comes over to our house for brunch. It’s a relaxed get-together, and everyone just chills out. Tomorrow we’re having a group of 25 people. This is also a great chance to show off your new Christmas outfits and toys . . .

Work Out (Dec. 25th, afternoon): Seriously, after all that eating, it’s time for a work-out! Mollie started this tradition. I didn’t want to go to the gym, and I told her “it’s Christmas. So what if we gain a few pounds today.” She didn’t give in, however, so now the gym is a Christmas afternoon tradition.

Packing (Dec. 25th, late afternoon): With Christmas almost a checkmark on the schedule, it’s time to finish packing for the “super amazing after Christmas trip”!

Nap! (Dec. 25th, evening): After a week of parties leading up to a super amazing (albeit sleepless) Christmas, we definitely need a nap before heading to the airport! I insist that everyone lay down for an hour or two.

AIRPORT! (Dec. 25th/26th, around 1:00AM): “We’re leavin’ on a jet plane”!!! Off to another amazing adventure, this year to Greece and Turkey!

That’s our version of a “Traditional Christmas” in Qatar--and those are just not highlights, not the details. Lots of fun. No sleep. Parties, parties, parties. Running around like crazy! It may sound insane, but it really is fun once you try it! With all these activities, I can't even believe I found time to write this post! Until tomorrow, then. :-) Merry Christmas!

Stylin' and Profilin'

Christmas shopping means lots of trips to the mall! While picking out presents, I’ve made some interesting observations about mall natives. In my experience, most shoppers can be categorized into one of several categories…

Super-ninja Shopper: Oh yes, we’ve all seen this category. This is the woman who walks so fast she accidentally trips little Timmy in the aisle at Dillard’s and doesn’t even realize what she did. This is the woman who looks down at her shopping list and when she looks up, her eyes have that singularly creepy, intense red glow—the look that says, “I know where I’m going, so don’t get in my way!” As the super-ninja shopper maneuvers through the mall, she breaks out in little beads of perspiration. Speeding up to get around the Sluggish Shopper, she begins sweating profusely, but doesn’t even realize because she’s so focused on getting to Macy’s to buy that sweater for Aunt Margo’s birthday before she has to pick up Bobby from baseball practice. Fortunately, the sweat becomes useful as a lubricant when Super-ninja Shopper needs to squeeze in between two sluggish shoppers.


Specious Shopper: You see her trying on Christmas dresses in Dillard’s. When you go to look at the leather jacket display in Wilson’s Leather, she’s there too. You see her repeatedly across the mall, but you haven’t seen her make a purchase yet. She gets in your way while your trying to choose a scarf for cousin Betty at Abercrombie, and she acts like she’s in a hurry, but once again she doesn’t buy anything. Pretty soon you start to think, “Hmm… her shopping seems a little specious.” She looks like she’s shopping, but she’s really just messing around leaving us no choice but to label her, the Specious Shopper!



Schizophrenic Shopper: One minute she’s looking in Gap, the next moment she’s dashed across to Annie’s Pretzels. You continue walking, but by the time you’re ready to check out at American Eagle, she’s in front of you in line. You slip into Starbucks, and she’s spilled her “Carmel Light Frappachino with Whipped Cream.” You slip on the spill and end up with Whipped Cream all over your new sweater dress. You leave before you get angry with her, but you find her once again at Foley’s with a huge cart full of shoes. You realize she is actually shopping, but her behavior is so sporadic and unpredictable that you just can’t get away!





Sluggish Shopper: This is the person who said to herself, “I don’t have anything to do today. I’ll go to the mall.” Oh yes, you cringe in horror as I mention this shopper. She’s the woman who blocks the red sweaters in Macy’s for what feels like 15 minutes because she can’t decide which one to try on. Of course, she ends up taking one of each. She’s the woman who walks SO SLOWLY past the Christmas display in the center of the mall that you simply HAVE to get around her. When you make your move to step around her, however, she randomly veers in your direction slowing you down even more. She’s shopping, but at her own rate… This shopper may be sluggish, but she leaves you wanting to slug her!

As fascinating as each of these species are, they’re behavior in a controlled environment leaves you yawning. In order to truly understand these different breeds, you must observe them in their natural habitat, THE JUNGLE (otherwise known as The Mall).

Let me recreate a typical convergence of these beasts for you… the Schizophrenic Shopper swerves across the un-written “walking path” between Banana Republic and H&M. She nearly runs into the Super-ninja Shopper whose brow knits into a furious little line at being thrown off track. As the Super-ninja Shopper attempts to maneuver speedily around the Schizophrenic Shopper, the Specious Shopper comes up behind the convergence and pretends to be upset because she too has been thrown off track (even though you’ll remember she’s not really doing anything). Super-ninja Shopper and Specious Shopper successfully bypass Schizophrenic Shopper—not without a few ugly glances, of course. Super-ninja Shopper and Specious Shopper start to have an un-spoken little race towards Express. Just as it appears Super-ninja Shopper will win, Sluggish Shopper cuts her off, and Specious Shopper enters Express masquerading as a Super-ninja Shopper. The real Super-ninja Shopper barely avoids running into Sluggish Shopper, who tells her to slow down and take a breath. Ignoring Sluggish Shopper, Super-ninja Shopper dashes into Express in a foul mood and out of breath. The Jungle is to be sure an undomesticated place full of riotous, unruly animals!!! What type of animal are you???

As you can see, I’ve been busy stylin’ and profilin’!!!

Karoling with the Kents!

Christmas party preparations are well underway, albeit a bit behind schedule this year. With Mom's trip to the land of cold weather, we have been thrown off the track of our usual planning. This leaves me feeling rather like a short-order cook as we rush to accomplish the many tasks still on the list. Most recently, I've been drafted to compose our Caroling party invitation. Since I don't have time to write any interesting blog posts today, here's the invitation I've been cooking up...

Are you feeling like a scrooge?

Do you detest that Christmas CD to which your family ebulliently sings along?

Are you secretly cursing Christmas as you fiercely maneuver the crowds of the mall in search of last-minute gifts?

Is your daily routine becoming somnambulistic as you prepare for the big day?

If you answered yes to one of the above questions, you need help! Don’t worry though. The Kent family is more than willing to provide psychiatric assistance, which is why we’re inviting you to . . .

Karoling with the Kents!
~Our annual Christmas Caroling bash~

Please Note: Singing is not required, but a pleasant, festive attitude is mandatory! (I’m not making any allegations, but the perpetrators know whom they are.)

When: December 23rd, 7:00 PM
Where: We’ll start from the Kent house and return to the Kent’s after caroling for hot chocolate and dessert.

Why Does Total Depravity Make a Difference?

My theology class recently read an “Introduction to Christian Theology” by Bradley Hanson, a Lutheran minister. While I found it an interesting read, I disagreed with Hanson vehemently on several issues, most prominently the nature of man. I know I often return to the nature of man in my theological blog posts, and I am sure this becomes tedious for the reader. However, I find this point crucial in understanding Christianity as laid out in the Bible. If man is not inherently sinful, man can save himself. And isn’t that what every religion except Christianity suggests in the first place? For example, in my ongoing debates with Muslim friends, we recently had this discussion.

Friend: “Our religions aren’t very different. It all comes down to being a good person, and both Islam and Christianity require that.”
Me: “No, there is one crucial difference. Islam suggests that you as a human being must choose to follow Allah and be a good person within your own autonomy. The Bible, however, does not propose it is even possible for us as human beings to be good people. Of our own volition through Adam and Eve, we are completely sinful from birth. Our very nature is sinful, and we cannot do anything about it on our own. That’s why we need a Savior, Jesus.”
Friend: “But doesn’t the Bible say you should do good deeds and be a good person?”
Me: “The point is that we cannot be a good person on our own, without the saving work of Jesus. Yes, our purpose is to glorify God, but it is God who works in us to make this possible (Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 1). “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand” (Eph. 2:10). Our good works are a result of the work of God within us, not our own flawed human capabilities.”

OK, I know you are wondering what this conversation has to do with Hanson’s theology book. When Hanson discusses whether human beings are inherently good or evil, he says, “It is impossible for sound Christian theology to choose only one of these alternatives over the other” (Hanson 117) . After reflecting on this statement, I believe it is impossible for sound Christian theology not to affirm the total depravity of man. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, not even one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). This quote does not even question the depravity of man but states it in a decided manner. In the words of the Westminster Catechism, “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him” (Q. 22).

Furthermore, I am convinced that if mankind was not inherently sinful, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross would be severely demeaned if not pointless. Actually, this is considered in Galatians which says, “If righteousness comes through the Law [our own goodness], then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:21). As Paul points out, “For as through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). Clearly, the Bible indicates that man is fallen, desperately in need of a Savior, and Hanson’s refusal to affirm this is highly offensive and contrary to scripture.

Besides, the nature of God suggests the total depravity of man. If humans are not inherently sinful, how can God hold us accountable for sin? If we claim that society causes us to be sinful, then the sin is not our fault. Would a completely Just God punish us for sin which we are not responsible? Herein is the confusion, for the Bible states that, “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). The only way that this wrath and punishment could be within the nature of a perfectly just God is if humans are inherently sinful.

The Heidelberg Catechism states this issue well when it asks, “Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?” (Q. 8). The reply claims, “Indeed we are; except [when] we are regenerated by the Spirit of God” (A. 8). Therein lays the beauty of the Gospel, the fact that we are completely helpless and “inclined to all wickedness” yet we are “regenerated by the Spirit of God.”

I love to dwell on and think about the first question and answer in the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q) What is thy only comfort in life and death?
A) That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

Hanson, Bradley. “Introduction to Christian Theology”. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997.
Holy Bible: New American Standard Version. World Publishing Inc., 1995.
Westminster Larger Catechism. 1647
Heidelberg Catechism

Basking in the Glow of December Sunlight...

After boo-hooing yesterday about not having any rainy days here, I figure I'd better say something positive about the weather. In all honesty, I don't have much to complain about. Today I made an executive decision that Abby and I needed some sunlight, so I dragged both of us to the pool.

The weather was balmy, warm, and sunny. How could I complain about that considering it is December 16th? Basking in the glow of December sunlight, I perused InStyle magazine and did some reading. Abby skimmed through a few chapters of Sense and Sensibility before hitting the pool. She had the whole pool to herself, so she splashed around and did whatever 10 year olds do in the pool. Here are a few pictures to make you insanely jealous that you're stuck in the cold, wintery winds of North America... just kidding. ;-)


My hair is truly Anne of Green Gable-ish! I was hoping that the sunlight might bleach it towards a whiter color, but no luck in that area...

Gingerbread-Housing

The floor is covered in little dots of gingerbread dough. Frosting globs are flying across the kitchen. Candy is appearing in strange places around the house. All of this can only mean one thing--LET THE GINGERBREAD-HOUSING BEGIN! Yes, "gingerbread-housing" is a verb in my vocabulary.

Once a year for practically as long as I can remember, we have pulled out the cookie sheets and begun the baking. The process is long and arduous, but always yields satisfying results! Early this week, Abby and I whipped up the dough. Then came the most difficult step. In order to ensure successful architecture, the pieces must be the exactly perfect thickness. Too thick of pieces leads to a house that will not stand up or stick together. Too thin of pieces means broken pieces. Indeed, the pressure for perfect rolling is intense! While this pressure has been known to drive some to insanity, I do not balk in the face of such intimidations. If you don't mind a bit of boasting, let me just say that my pieces were the perfect thickness. Truly, it was masterpiece rolling!

The baking also requires talented artisanship. The pieces simply cannot be too soft or they will fall apart. However, one must be extremely careful lest they overcook and become too crispy (leading to cracked, broken pieces). Of course, all of this pressure must be balanced out and managed by stuffing one's emotions with lots of gingerbread dough! ;-)

Creating the concrete also presents a difficulty. If your frosting is too thin or liquified, the houses will not stick together. But if it is too thick or doesn't contain enough moisture, the houses refuse to comply. Actually, even if one manages to create the perfect "concrete," there is no guarantee one's house will stick together. So as you can see, the construction phase is extremely trying. Sticking the pieces together requires intense perseverance and patience. You have to hold them until the frosting dries enough to stay hard.

Now those of you who know Emily...I am sure you cannot imagine her putting together a house. You are correct in that assumption. I had to enlist the services of Emily's best friend Nicole for the house construction. While Nicole and I held the houses together and held our breath in anticipation of any problems, Emily went flitting around the room stirring up all sorts of trouble. She did, however, capture a little video on the construction sight. Please note: we did not originally plan on posting this video on the blog, so it's kind-of silly. You have been fairly warned.



After much hard laboring, the houses were finally put together (and if you're wondering about my orange hair in this picture, please refer to my last blog)...



Now all of this baking and constructing leads up to the annual Gingerbread House Party at the Franklin's. Here are a few shots of Emily, Abby, and I decorating our houses. We decided to coordinate our houses this year to create a little storefront street. I made a little Cigar Shop. Emily chose a Skate Shop with a skating pond out back, and Abby devised a cute, classic candy shop...




A quick flashback to the Gingerbread Party 2006...


And now back to 2007, here are the finished houses...