Last night we saw a lunar eclipse, a celestial show put on by the Lord to display His glory. Every fifteen minutes or so, we would walk outside and watch the earth gradually overshadow the bright moon until its white had turned pink. The greater light and the lesser light dancing in the sky. And my daughter three hours away was watching the same things. Admission: free.
Lunar eclipses are science. So is entropy. And inertia and nuclear fission and the laws of planetary motion and brain surgery. Science is good.
In the other corner, we have 'science': macroevolution and global warming and psychotherapy (emphasis on psycho) and time travel. Call it 'quantum mechanics' if that makes you feel smart and legitimate, but tuna fish in an easy-to-swallow gel cap is still fishy. And you find the Virgin Birth troublesome? Pardon my mirth.
I am no scientist. I am, however, a born skeptic, and my battle cry has always been, "Prove it." Majorities mean nothing to me. When four out of five dentists agree, it's that other one who has my attention. One day, there will be a grand reshuffling, and all the 'science' masquerading as science will be shouted from the rooftops and summarily kicked out. Oh Glorious Day.
There is much in God's creation that is worthy of our respect. Great white sharks and grizzly bears and icebergs and Kilimanjaro. But 'harmful'? As in, with intent to harm me? Um, no. And you would all agree, yes?
How about sunlight? Worthy of our respect? Sure. Harmful? Um, no. But scientists agree! Sunlight is harmful! Slather yourself with sunscreen! Wear your large-brimmed hats and sunglasses! Better yet, just don't go outside!
Um, no.
And I say that even as I keep an eye on a couple dermatological spots of my own.
Well, well, well. Enter dermatologist Richard Weller of the University of Edinburgh. Turns out, kids, that sunlight gives us vitamin D.
Yawn. Yeah, tell us something we didn't know. I take a million grams a day in a gel cap.
Um, no.
Turns out again, kids, that your gel cap does next to nothing. You actually have to absorb vitamin D through your skin from the sunlight.
And turns out yet again, that absorbing said D via sunlight does a few good things for you:
1. reduces risk of cancers like prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic
2. improves circadian rhythm
3. reduces inflammation
4. dampens autoimmune responses
5. 'reduces virtually every mental condition you can think of'
6. lowers blood pressure
7. improves moods
But four out of five dermatologists....
Melanoma, you know?
So get this. People out in the sun can get melanoma--AND THEY ARE EIGHT TIMES LESS LIKELY TO DIE FROM IT.
'Dermatologists'...
And I quote: "Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor of similar magnitude as smoking, in terms of life expectancy."* In other words, you can give up sunshine, or you can take up smoking. And the days ordained for you will protest, Big diff.
I knew it! I knew it, I knew it , I knew it!!! I've always watched in horror as people slather on sunscreen at the rate of a bottle per outing. But I couldn't say anything. Four out of five dentists, blah, blah, blah....
Truth be told, I don't care about the science--or even the 'science.' What really yanks my chain is when people call something God made 'harmful' Yank, yank, yank. What matters most to me is that a good Creator gave us a great big ball in the sky not just for His glory but for our good. I would expect nothing less.
And who are you, o dermatologist, to call good evil and evil good?
Enjoy your tuna fish; as for me and my house, we're going outside to play.
God made two great lights, the great light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:16-18
-------
*Data and quotes in this post taken from:
Jacobsen, Rowan. Is Sunscreen the New Margarine? Outsideonline.com. January 10, 2019.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Books! 2018 Reading List
My year in books:
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. More wonderful Inspector Gamache.
Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder at God's Spoken World by ND Wilson. I loved this book, lovedlovedloved. This was the best book I read all year, and I already have it on my stack to begin tomorrow as my second annual read. Beautiful.
This Changes Everything by Jacquelle Crow. Really good challenge to teens to live like gospel-informed believers now, not 'when they grow up.'
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I did my duty. They heard one Ingalls read-aloud. Can I quit now?
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Beautiful book.
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. Dragged a little.
Dead Wake by Erik Larson. Fantastic book about the sinking of the Lusitania.
Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. It was only February, and I was certain this would be the second best book I will have read all year.
Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Bloom where you're planted. Even if you're planted in the Gulag. Wow.
David Livingstone by John Hudson Tiner. I am puzzled and saddened by a man who would sacrifice his family for evangelism and exploration. Not impressed.
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang. Tough but good autobiography of a young girl in the Cultural Revolution
Mary Slessor: Queen of Calabar by Sam Wellman
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. A boy comes of age during the Vietnam War with the help of an English teacher and a little Shakespeare. Loved this book and want to read more by Schmidt.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Three Hostages by John Buchan. Buchan! Yes!
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. Ung recounts her own story of living through Khmer Rouge. One of those necessary reads but excruciatingly sad.
That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis. Really enjoyed the first in the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. Pressed through Perelandra; did not really get it. Then on to enjoyable That Hideous Strength. A few words, I think, are necessary on Lewis. His stories are mostly interesting, but read him theologically with a bucket of salt. Great writer, not a great theologian. He was also an evolutionist, and no one who doubts God right off the blocks can be taken seriously as a theologian.
Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Well, just rip my heart out and stomp that sucker flat.
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer.
Read-Aloud Family by Sarah McKenzie. Good how-to's on developing a family read-aloud culture. A little mystified by some of her book titles. I recommend The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by Laurie Bluedorn for that. Laurie has never steered me wrong.
Dragon Tooth by ND Wilson. Second time through; this time I 'got it'; much better!
How the Nations Rage by Jonathan Leeman. When American Christians write guides to politics, I always get the impression that they started with their presuppositions and then prooftexted them resulting in insufferable, moralistic tripe. Then along came Leeman. He starts with how God covenantally relates to both the believer and the nonbeliever, and we get this gem. If you are looking for a guide on how Americans should engage in politics, this is the best out there.
Conscience by Andrew Naselli. Great exploration of weak and strong consciences, training the conscience, and how all these consciences live together in community called the Church. I had a serious learning curve on this one.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Lord Tony's Wife by Baroness Orczy. More Scarlet Pimpernel!
The Drowned Vault by ND Wilson.
Confidence by Stephen Nichols
The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson. This was THE paradigm shift of the year for me. Left me sitting in my Snake Garden, just smiling and amazed at Who Jesus is and what He did for me.
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle. Weird book written by a weirder chick. By the time I was halfway through, it was the author, not the plot, that was on trial. Would she be faithful to the Biblical text? Meh.
The Prayer That Turned the World Upside Down by Al Mohler
Empire of Bones by ND Wilson. Finale of the Ashtown Burials trilogy. Really odd sci-fi but really profound spiritual truths as only Wilson can write. I'm a big fan.
City of God by Augustine. Started as an Augustine skeptic but ended an Augustine fan. Helpful to remember that Augustine didn't have a Luther to build upon, but as my daughter-in-law Linda reminds me, he was a pioneer.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. What if you could get inside the heads of the major players at Gettysburg? Couldn't put it down.
Getting the Gospel Right by RC Sproul. ECT was an gospel catastrophe, and the ensuing Gift of Salvation didn't clarify anything. Sproul takes both to task for their sloppiness, and points us to scripture for clarity, truth, and precision.
Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent. True story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the tragic legal events that followed. Maybe not the best book for the mother of a naval officer to read, but I couldn't put it down.
Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges
Birth of a New Physics by Bernard Cohen. Read everything but the last chapter. Just couldn't slog through anymore.
Wingfeather Tales edited by Andrew Peterson. Members of the Rabbit Room take a crack at the world of the Igibys. Good but should read the Saga first so you have context. That last tale. Wow.
Sir Percy Hits Back by Baroness Orczy
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Love. But this time, I bought my own copy and struck through the offensive language with a dark pen, of which there is quite a bit, so stay on your toes if you do it as a read-aloud.
Prodigal God by Tim Keller.
The Green Ember by SD Smith. Had the privilege of seeing Smith, a funny and gentle soul, speak in the spring. This first in a series is a sweet eschatological treatment of good v. evil for the littler ones.
Long Way Gone by Charles Martin
Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken. Liked this book more than I thought I would. The Puritans have gotten a bad wrap forever. But Ryken uses oodles of primary sources to demonstrate who they really were, for better or worse. Recommend!
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Easily the best sermon ever preached, this was assigned to me in high school, and it profoundly impacted me then. It aligned with the God of the Bible far more than any sermon I had heard in any of my churches. I think I probably became reformed in that moment. Read it again this year since my high school sophomore had to read it, and I regret not assigning it to all of my previous students. Love, love, love.
The Scandal of Father Brown by GK Chesterton. Read the Father Brown books; do NOT waste your time on the horrid Netflix series.
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
This is Our Time by Trevin Wax. Good book on millennial issues.
Island of Sheep by John Buchan. Great!
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Fourth time. Brilliant story that follows its worldview to its logical end
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. Growing up black in the Great Depression south. Heart-warming and heart-wrenching.
Deadliest Monster by Jeff Baldwin. There is Christianity and there is everything else. Coexis.
Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand. Continuing the story of Back on Murder.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord. Cute.
Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney.
Fiddler's Gun by AS Peterson. Man, those Brothers Peterson can write, though this is nothing like Wingfeather Saga. Similarly thoughtful, however. Really, really liked it though I need to read the conclusion in Fiddler's Green, so stay tuned for my 2019 reading list. ;)
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. More wonderful Inspector Gamache.
Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder at God's Spoken World by ND Wilson. I loved this book, lovedlovedloved. This was the best book I read all year, and I already have it on my stack to begin tomorrow as my second annual read. Beautiful.
This Changes Everything by Jacquelle Crow. Really good challenge to teens to live like gospel-informed believers now, not 'when they grow up.'
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I did my duty. They heard one Ingalls read-aloud. Can I quit now?
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Beautiful book.
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. Dragged a little.
Dead Wake by Erik Larson. Fantastic book about the sinking of the Lusitania.
Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. It was only February, and I was certain this would be the second best book I will have read all year.
Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Bloom where you're planted. Even if you're planted in the Gulag. Wow.
David Livingstone by John Hudson Tiner. I am puzzled and saddened by a man who would sacrifice his family for evangelism and exploration. Not impressed.
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang. Tough but good autobiography of a young girl in the Cultural Revolution
Mary Slessor: Queen of Calabar by Sam Wellman
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. A boy comes of age during the Vietnam War with the help of an English teacher and a little Shakespeare. Loved this book and want to read more by Schmidt.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Three Hostages by John Buchan. Buchan! Yes!
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. Ung recounts her own story of living through Khmer Rouge. One of those necessary reads but excruciatingly sad.
That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis. Really enjoyed the first in the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. Pressed through Perelandra; did not really get it. Then on to enjoyable That Hideous Strength. A few words, I think, are necessary on Lewis. His stories are mostly interesting, but read him theologically with a bucket of salt. Great writer, not a great theologian. He was also an evolutionist, and no one who doubts God right off the blocks can be taken seriously as a theologian.
Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Well, just rip my heart out and stomp that sucker flat.
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer.
Read-Aloud Family by Sarah McKenzie. Good how-to's on developing a family read-aloud culture. A little mystified by some of her book titles. I recommend The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by Laurie Bluedorn for that. Laurie has never steered me wrong.
Dragon Tooth by ND Wilson. Second time through; this time I 'got it'; much better!
How the Nations Rage by Jonathan Leeman. When American Christians write guides to politics, I always get the impression that they started with their presuppositions and then prooftexted them resulting in insufferable, moralistic tripe. Then along came Leeman. He starts with how God covenantally relates to both the believer and the nonbeliever, and we get this gem. If you are looking for a guide on how Americans should engage in politics, this is the best out there.
Conscience by Andrew Naselli. Great exploration of weak and strong consciences, training the conscience, and how all these consciences live together in community called the Church. I had a serious learning curve on this one.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Lord Tony's Wife by Baroness Orczy. More Scarlet Pimpernel!
The Drowned Vault by ND Wilson.
Confidence by Stephen Nichols
The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson. This was THE paradigm shift of the year for me. Left me sitting in my Snake Garden, just smiling and amazed at Who Jesus is and what He did for me.
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle. Weird book written by a weirder chick. By the time I was halfway through, it was the author, not the plot, that was on trial. Would she be faithful to the Biblical text? Meh.
The Prayer That Turned the World Upside Down by Al Mohler
Empire of Bones by ND Wilson. Finale of the Ashtown Burials trilogy. Really odd sci-fi but really profound spiritual truths as only Wilson can write. I'm a big fan.
City of God by Augustine. Started as an Augustine skeptic but ended an Augustine fan. Helpful to remember that Augustine didn't have a Luther to build upon, but as my daughter-in-law Linda reminds me, he was a pioneer.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. What if you could get inside the heads of the major players at Gettysburg? Couldn't put it down.
Getting the Gospel Right by RC Sproul. ECT was an gospel catastrophe, and the ensuing Gift of Salvation didn't clarify anything. Sproul takes both to task for their sloppiness, and points us to scripture for clarity, truth, and precision.
Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent. True story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the tragic legal events that followed. Maybe not the best book for the mother of a naval officer to read, but I couldn't put it down.
Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges
Birth of a New Physics by Bernard Cohen. Read everything but the last chapter. Just couldn't slog through anymore.
Wingfeather Tales edited by Andrew Peterson. Members of the Rabbit Room take a crack at the world of the Igibys. Good but should read the Saga first so you have context. That last tale. Wow.
Sir Percy Hits Back by Baroness Orczy
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Love. But this time, I bought my own copy and struck through the offensive language with a dark pen, of which there is quite a bit, so stay on your toes if you do it as a read-aloud.
Prodigal God by Tim Keller.
The Green Ember by SD Smith. Had the privilege of seeing Smith, a funny and gentle soul, speak in the spring. This first in a series is a sweet eschatological treatment of good v. evil for the littler ones.
Long Way Gone by Charles Martin
Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken. Liked this book more than I thought I would. The Puritans have gotten a bad wrap forever. But Ryken uses oodles of primary sources to demonstrate who they really were, for better or worse. Recommend!
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Easily the best sermon ever preached, this was assigned to me in high school, and it profoundly impacted me then. It aligned with the God of the Bible far more than any sermon I had heard in any of my churches. I think I probably became reformed in that moment. Read it again this year since my high school sophomore had to read it, and I regret not assigning it to all of my previous students. Love, love, love.
The Scandal of Father Brown by GK Chesterton. Read the Father Brown books; do NOT waste your time on the horrid Netflix series.
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
This is Our Time by Trevin Wax. Good book on millennial issues.
Island of Sheep by John Buchan. Great!
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Fourth time. Brilliant story that follows its worldview to its logical end
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. Growing up black in the Great Depression south. Heart-warming and heart-wrenching.
Deadliest Monster by Jeff Baldwin. There is Christianity and there is everything else. Coexis.
Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand. Continuing the story of Back on Murder.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord. Cute.
Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney.
Fiddler's Gun by AS Peterson. Man, those Brothers Peterson can write, though this is nothing like Wingfeather Saga. Similarly thoughtful, however. Really, really liked it though I need to read the conclusion in Fiddler's Green, so stay tuned for my 2019 reading list. ;)
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