The Quotable Lewis

After two weeks of mid-term madness and 15-page research papers, I am very thankful to see this weekend nearing. Please pray for us; Kyle and I are exhausted, but thankful.

As mentioned, I just completed a 15-page research paper for my Theology I class. The topic I chose is "C.S. Lewis and the Problem of Evil." Lewis has long been my favorite author and apologist, and this tedious and difficult paper has revived my admiration of his writings. I thought it worthwhile, in light of this, to post a few of my favorite quotes from the man who called himself Jack...

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."   -The Problem of Pain

"Tribulations cannot cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless."   -The Problem of Pain

“Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”   -The Screwtape Letters


"Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind." -Letters to an American Lady


"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."   -Mere Christianity 

"When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right."   -Mere Christianity 


"Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable."   -A Grief Observed 

I may be a bit biased, but I would highly recommend that you pick up a book or two by Lewis. They read quite easily, and he writes everything from essays to apologetic literature to fairytales. Unless you are willing to die on the hill of distinctly Southern Baptist doctrine, there is much that you can stand to learn from this Episcopalian Oxford don.

Some of my favorites include:
Mere Christianity
The Screwtape Letters
A Grief Observed
Till We Have Faces
The Great Divorce
The Four Loves 



Cheerio.

A Troubling Rant from Fellow Christians

I've tried and tried to ignore it, but after today, I cannot help but express my opinion on this matter. 


I have heard many Christians - friends and family members included - ridicule the media, fellow Christians, and myself for giving any attention to the two dogs in Japan who stuck by each other's side in the aftermath of the recent disaster. At every turn, I'm hearing Christians say, "Why are you reporting on dogs instead of the tragedy?" or "You should be more worried about the 500,000 Japanese people without a place to live than about the lives of two animals." 


On some level, these are fair assertions to make...but it also involves a tremendous amount of assumption on the part of the accusers. Nobody ever said that the media isn't reporting on larger issues tied to the disaster or that I don't care about the families without homes or the spiritual condition of those whose lives were lost. This story is a small, sweet reminder that there is still HOPE for Japan; that, despite everything, all is NOT lost. If it takes two measly dogs to remind the world of that, then so be it. 


So, unashamedly, I'd like to invite you to watch this news clip from Japan. Yes, it's about dogs. And no, I'm not less of a Christian for caring about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_8yIPLAJZQ

Lately.

Life never slows down.

There is much that I could tell you about our adventures over the next few weeks. In short, Kyle got a new job, I got a raise, and London met a new best friend. In the way of school, it's slowly taking over our lives once again. In the way of future plans, well, there's a lot to be said there. So, let's take these stories one at a time...

JOBS
-Kyle and I have been praying for him to become a barista at a soon-to-open coffee shop in North Raleigh for some time now. This is no Starbucks-seeker gig, though - the owner is Christian who will be sending a percentage of his profits back to coffee growers in Africa. Anyways, the grand opening is currently set for March 19, and you guessed it...Kyle will be behind the counter.

-My job, which is wonderful and a great blessing to Kyle and myself, had begun to consume my time, thoughts, and energy. While this was beneficial for our bank account, it has been taking its toll on the rest of our lives. My boss is a sweet and understanding man, and he recognized this problem before it began to affect my work itself. As a solution, he offered to cut back my hours, give me a raise, and hire an evening trainer.


LONDON
-Our sweet dog has finally met a neighborhood friend! In fact, Kyle and I may have met some new friends as well. A couple living across the street from us recently got a sweet Sheltie named Khloe, and she and London are having quite a wonderful time together on walks and at the dog park. The couple, Clark and Sara, are newlyweds with no children and were married on the same day as Kyle and myself. I think that this little friendship may bring great blessing.

SCHOOL
-I should be more honest...school really isn't that bad - it's just frustrating. It takes up a lot of time, quizzes are impossible, and I've come to the somber conclusion that the reading is never, never done.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Outer Banks, NC

FUTURE TRAVELS
- We've recently booked a weekend getaway to the Outer Banks for our anniversary. We are extremely excited about this, but pray with us that our financial discipline will prevail, that we may save wisely for this trip.
-Kyle and I are praying about a short-term mission trip in October. Please pray with us for discernment, finances, and a place for London to stay should we go.
-Our 2013 2-year deployment is set for the North Africa/Middle East region. We don't yet know what country we'll be going to, but, in case you haven't noticed, things aren't looking too peachy over there right now. Please pray with us for the gospel to break through during this time of unrest, and pray, of course, for peace.

Toodles.

Reflections on Asheville

Last weekend, Kyle and I had the great privilege of traveling to Asheville, North Carolina for a couple of nights. There, we were able to put aside reality for 48 hours and spent our time battling six inches of snow, exploring this eclectic mecca known as downtown Asheville, and reliving the enchanted history of the Biltmore estate.

First of all, the hotel was wonderful. Artsy, modern, and unique, it fit right in to the backdrop of downtown Asheville.

 Asheville was blanketed with about 6 inches of quality snow...a fitting addition to our getaway to the mountains. This beautiful scenery is only an extremely small portion of Biltmore's 265,000 acre estate.

Oh, and we ate a lot of really wonderful food, too.

When it was all said and done, we could have happily stayed in the mountains for several more days. But, as is always the case, life can't stay on hold forever, and there was a very sweet puppy anxiously awaiting our return Sunday evening. To those who have thought of visiting the Biltmore, I highly encourage it. Words cannot describe its expanse, and pictures wouldn't do it justice (which is probably for the better, because my camera battery died before we made it to the house).

And, should you find yourself in the hills of Asheville, we recommend a few tasty eats, including The Corner Kitchen, The Chocolate Fetish, and Tupelo Honey Cafe.

                                               Cheers.

Remembrances

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my freshman year of college. To say that life was different then would be a severe understatement. Girls, remember this picture from Old Venice? I believe it was taken the night before our very first Ole Miss home game in 2007. As I look back through pictures from this epic journey through college, I am finding that there are many pieces of freshman life that I can never recover and deeply miss.

For example:

1. The Fab Four pictures


2. Suffering through rush with Emily Gasson


3. Playing intramural soccer with the greatest coach in the world


4. Creating adventures to Sardis...and starting illegal campfires on the beach


5. Sharing with others the wonders of Graceland Too


6. My very first Derby Day sunburn with Sarah and Claire


7. Seeing an old camp friend in an Ole Miss uniform


8. Leaving my heart in China with beautiful friends and a beautiful mission


8. Meeting my future husband for the very first time at Survival Weekend


Yep, there are a lot of memories that can never be recreated. But, on some level, that's the very beauty of them. The fact that they are irreplaceable guarantees that they might also become unforgetable. My life now is very beautiful and very blessed, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Nevertheless, I think it humbling and profitable to look back over the most wonderful moments in our lives. If we forget them, no matter how simple they may seem, we are doomed to forget how far we've come and from what path we have arrived at today.

So, here's to you, beautiful friends. May we never forget eachother, and may this new year bring with it precious memories, invaluable lessons, and overflowing grace.

Claire

Christmas in Carolina

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

 Some of our Christmas cards!

 The breakfast table...

 London says...
Bundle up - it's cold outside!

 

Merry Christmas, beautiful people.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Surprise snow day in the Carolinas! We were very excited, but London was not so convinced...