Tid Bits due to the Lack of Substance

I'm sad that the free time I've had this summer has not spurred me to blog more. There's not one thing (at present) that I have lots and lots to rant about, so I'll just let you in on a few of the things that have been on my mind lately.

- Today was my last day of Greek class ever! Translating Philippians with one Todd Still was an all together bearable experience. I can almost quote to you a literal translation of the whole book, but please don't ask me too. Dr. Still is the most pleasantly academic man I've ever had the honor of knowing. His vocabulary is the most expansive I've ever encountered. He's well read and well published and soon he'll be coming out with his own commentary of Philippians. Isn't that something? There's not an ounce of arrogance in him, which is rare for truly academic people and that has been absolutely refreshing.

- My new love in life, thanks to one Grayson Goodman, is the watermelon slush from Sonic. Experience one for yourself. It will make your entire summer! Well, that's probably an overstatement, but they are dang good.

-I'm leaving for the CBF General Assembly in the morning.Maybe I'll get fodder for blogging there. It'll be good to get out of town for a few days before the second term starts. The assembly is in Grapevine at the Gaylord Center, right next to the Grapevine Mills mall. That should be fun. I'm also going to hang out with my family there which will be really nice.

- I saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith the other night, and for what it is, an action/romantic comedy, it's really good.

Hope all is well with you my friends. Peace.

Oh how we loved the adventures of sweet DJ and crazy Kimmie! Those were the good old days.  

Poor, Poor, D.J. Tanner

With the large amounts of free time I seem to have on my hands these days, I've been watching a lot of VH-1. Tonight, Chris Knight, aka Peter Brady hosted a show on favorite childhood stars. First up was everyone's favorite big sister, D.J. Tanner. Candace Cameron has grown up to be a beautiful woman with a beautiful family. Along with her brother Kirk, she has converted to Christianity. When asked about her acting career as an adult she said, "I've been offered roles on several series, but I don't think it's biblically right for me to work when my family needs me so much."

Well Candace, I must say I'm pretty disappointed in that statement. Some friends were having a conversation about this very thing on Saturday night. It seems that more and more Christians are taking on the cause of stay at home moms. It's almost like they've reverted back to the pre-60's expression "the woman's place is in the home."

Two big problems here, well maybe three.

1. Not all of us are married. I'm a woman and I don't have a home to manage or a family to care for. So, where is my place? Will I forever be out of place if I never marry? Some hyper-conservatives are even suggesting that there's no real need for women to go to college. Instead, we should just spend some time in the home, mentoring under professional stay at home moms.
www.matthewmcdill.com (I urge you to read with caution. It may seriously disturb some of you.) But what if those girls never marry? How will they support themselves? Subscribe to Southern Living. Read some good literature on parenting. By all means never forsake a college education.

2. There are several mothers who dearly love Jesus and who are not able to stay at home with their children. They are following Jesus by working hard to support that which he has given to them. Yes, it's hard to work 40 hours a week, keep an immaculately clean house, and pour your life into raising your children. Those last two are difficult tasks for any woman (or man), even those who stay at home. We've just got to do the best with the hand we've been dealt, and for some of us that means taking care of our family by working out in the world.

3. I don't think that in any way a woman having a career leads to "unbiblical" living. Where in the Bible does it say that women must stay at home and not have a career? Nowhere that I am aware of, but be sure to let me know if I've missed something.

I completely admire women who choose to stay at home to raise their children. I also respect those who must work while they raise a family as well as those who choose to work outside the home even though they don't have to. You can follow Jesus in any of these scenarios. It makes me sad that so many in the Christian community cannot acknowledge this and therefore leave so many single women and working mother feel either displaced or completely hacked off.

Slow Summer

I miss writing. I don't feel I've had much to say latley that wouldn't be some sort of whining or complaint about how it sucks to be jobless, broke, and in summer school, so I've just abstained from saying much at all. I don't miss camp however. I'm kind of thankful I'm not there. So now instead of chasing teenagers, my summer consists of sitting in a library, studying, and translating Greek. Whoo hoo. It is an exciting life that I lead.