Kitten Love

 Well not all of us love the new kitten.

 This is what I look up on when at my desk.

 This sleeping spot charms us all. 

 So cute and little.

Nothing like homeschooling with a kitten on your lap.

We are now pretty sure Pepper is a boy not a girl but we are keeping the name Pepper.

Books I Am Reading

 I managed to do some reading recently and hit on some gems. I read The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner on recommendation of another author I like and LOVED it and the whole series (there are 4 books so far). Joffre read them too and we both really liked them. The best part is the surprise endings!

 I can't describe them without ruining the surprises so I will just say they are super fun. They are "young adult" books and would be great for anyone over 9 or ten I think.

This book Travels With Charley by Steinback is about his travels with his dog to "discover America"via a long road trip. His insights into some of American culture (1960s America Culture) are very interesting. I am half way through and really like it.

This book, The Gift of Thanks, is sadly disappointing me. I heard an interview with her about her book, The Rituals of Dinner, and wanted to read it and this one. It is about the rituals of Thanks. So far I have been annoyed with how she is avoiding religious influence on thanksgiving rituals. I have not read much so hopefully it will improve.

Hail Storm

                           
                                  Here is a video of the storm we had here Joffre took with the kids.

Christianity and Culture

I really enjoyed thinking about this article. This topic is fascinating to me right now. What should a Christian culture look like today?

This is a terrific article about how to deal think about the timing of affliction and the space of affliction. My favorite part is when he says that God loves cliffhangers and we should too even if we are the ones hanging from the cliff.

Seeking Peace

"We tend to want our hearts and minds to protect the peace of God within us. Paul actually reverses this and says that the peace of God protects our hearts and minds. But this does not happen simply because we present our petitions to God. It is quite possible to be anxious on our knees. We might list all our concerns and have it be nothing but a worry session in prayer. Paul says, in effect, that the thing necessary to keep this from happening is thanksgiving. We must present our petitions with thanksgiving" (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 215).

I read this quote this week and it was a huge blessing to me. I have been having a rough time this year with worry (always a favorite among my sins) and I found that when I forced myself to thank God for things in my prayers I could feel my mind and heart turning toward peace. Then I knew how to seek peace and pursue it.