Team Redd

5 Minutes for Mom is having a Fun with Food Photo Contest where you can win a $500 for groceries! That can go a long way at our house with all the couponing I've been doing!

Here's a photo of Jacob enjoying some butternut squash soup in a little ramekin-- all by himself! I was reminiscing that this time last year we were spoon feeding him homemade butternut squash baby food, but now he's graduated to new levels of culinary experimentation. He even ate all of his grilled cheese sandwich today and kept dipping it in his soup (like his Mommy does...). Yay for my super little eater!



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(The following review refers to a pre-publication galley copy, which the fine folks at Canon Press were kind enough to send me.)

Releasing this week is Douglas Wilson's latest, A Primer on Worship and Reformation: Recovering the High Church Puritan. As the title would indicate, the book is a short overview on how the right worship of God is vital to rescuing wayward American Christianity.

The first chapter, "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Schlock," laments the state of American Christianity, which is far too often driven by cash registers than by the Word of God. Wilson applies his usual "serrated edge" to provide a brief inventory of relics, a list of the wackiness that often passes for expressions of Christian devotion. But instead of dwelling on Testamints and praise song hand motions, he proceeds to sketch out the cultural trends that have brought us to this place, such as rugged individualism and pietism. By doing so, he highlights the false dilemma accepted by those seeking to address such issues in the church: endure heresy or embrace schism. However, there is a third way: namely, that of reformation.

To advance this alternate approach, Wilson adopts the term "High Church Puritan." As he explains, he uses "Puritan" in its original sense: "one who has a deep desire to purify the Church, but who has no intention of voluntarily separating from that Church if he doesn't get his way immediately." Hence the qualifier "High Church," which signals a serious understanding of the covenant and the bond it creates between Christians -- even those in error. For those dismayed by the frivolities and idolatries of modern evangelicalism, neither doctrinal apathy nor schism are viable options. Rather, the task at hand is to work within the church to reform it. As always, reformation in the church -- and in ourselves -- begins and ends with Scripture.

As Wilson argues, true evangelism is much more than simply exhorting individual believers to share the Gospel with those around them. Rather, evangelism is the work of the Church, which seeks to transform the culture by first being transformed herself by the right worship of God. To encourage reformation of our worship, Wilson devotes chapters to each of the following:

I've read quite a few books on worship, but I really enjoyed this one. Wilson does not try to prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach to worship, and he freely admits that worship can look different from church to church without sacrificing its integrity. Instead of focusing on the nuts and bolts, he looks at the larger picture of the concerns and values that churches should bring to their worship. Plus, instead of simply berating Christians who worship in a trivial (or even blasphemous) manner, Wilson sees them as brothers and sisters in need of loving correction. Although brief, A Primer on Worship and Reformation packs in quite a bit of great material, all of which is useful for establishing a foundation for the right worship of God. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Christian worship, whether they spend Sunday mornings in the pulpit, the choir or the pew.

(Note: the official release date is November 11, but Canon Press is offering free shipping on all orders placed prior to this date.)

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As an addendum to Gaines' earlier election post this morning, I'd like to add these ten things to remember no matter the outcome, from Doug Wilson.

#1 is obviously the most important:

But I do heartily recommend #7:
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A couple of thoughts before I head to the polls in just a few short hours:

First, a hymn:

Secondly, Derek Webb has some good thoughts on Christians and voting.

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So after a minor setback, Georgia Tech is back in the top 25. Check it:

Yellow Jackets Upset Seminoles, 31-28 This really was an historic win, since Tech hasn't beaten Florida State in my lifetime. Seriously. Plus, it was a crazy-exciting game, complete with a nail-biting finish. Good times.

Plus, the win pushes Tech back into the Top 25 (#20 in the BCS) and back to the top of the ACC Coastal Division. Oh yeah!

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Jacob's costume arrived in the mail today. (Thanks, JL!) Though we didn't go trick-or-treating, we'd already had a full day (handing out Breakfast-on-the-Go treat bags in the early a.m. and throwing a party for the neighborhood kids in the afternoon) so we just took a few shots inside and on the porch. You can even see a glimpse of the gorgeous fall foliage outside our window in the background of this photo. I attempted to be all fall-ish and get a picture of him with a pumkin, but he insisted on tyring to bounce it like a ball. Poor pumpkin!



(And no, he doesn't have pinkeye or anything. Just a sty that won't go away. The doctor even checked it out. Hopefully it'll disappear in a few days.)

This thoughtful pose below is my favorite:

"Hmmmm. What sound DOES a giraffe make?"

However you celebrate, whether reclaiming this holiday for Christ who is over all things, greeting neighbors with hopes of sugary delights, perhaps reenacting Martin Luther's nailing of his 95 Theses, or just staying home with the lights off and watching the tube, I hope you've had a wonderful day!

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October has flown by. Is tomorrow really Halloween already? We've been busy with parties and appointments and playdates and Apartment Life events, and Jacob has survived all the commotion pretty well, considering the amount of time he has been strapped into a stroller or otherwise restrained. Speaking of being restrained...

On Tuesday, I took advantage of the Advance Voting here in Georgia and cast my ballot. However, I apparently chose the wrong site, since it opened late and I waited over 3 hours. Jacob was with me, and he was very good for the first hour, calmly sitting in his stroller, unlike the other toddlers near us in the line. Then the meltdowns began. I almost left at one point, but I had already been in line in the cold for an hour and a half. Thankfully, there were some very patient parents near me in the line, including one who turned out to be a fellow BSC graduate! They watched the stroller for me while we went on extended walks, shared exciting new toys and crackers, and were generally understanding, considering. Next time, I'm finding a babysitter. As a fellow sufferer commented, "To make it this far, we all must REALLY want to vote!"

I'm just thankful I live in a country where I can vote for whomever I like, especially since they happen to be third party candidates! :)

Okay, enough about that. Here's what you guys really came to see--pictures!

At the beginning of this month, we celebrated Emily Jane's 2nd birthday. Here is Jacob mischieviousy hiding in her new play kitchen:


That same week, "Aunt" Jennifer returned from Brazil! She's getting married to David on January 10th, and has been planning like crazy. We were so excited to drive over to Carrollton to see her one Thursday morning. Our time was short, but sweet! We are so excited to be able to visit with her again soon.

Here they are together--Jacob took to his mom's maid of honor quite quickly:


And here's a shot of the three of us, courtesy of Jen's long arms. I hope those aren't gang signs Jacob is making. I was hoping he would be immune to the influence of high schoolers while in utero! ;)


Jacob also spent quality time with his friend Judah, who turned 2 this month, as well. We attempted to get a picture of them together, but, well, you can see the result. Jacob is clearly not amused.


That day at the local park, Jacob decided to be adventurous and climbed up to and went down the slides all by himself. Here's a picture just before he lets go:


He's actually becoming quite the independent little dude. He wants to do everything himself, include buckle his stroller/highchair straps and open doors. Tonight, he didn't want me to read to him, he wanted "Ja-bah" (his name for himself) to read to me!

And, in case you haven't had enough, here are more Jacob tidbits from the last few weeks:

Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here

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