I got a Kindle!

I got a Kindle for Christmas! I am entering the 21st century…a blog and a Kindle! Who knew I could be so modern?

Anyway, I just wanted to share my exciting news. I already read one book (The Perfect Storm – SO good) on my Kindle since Christmas. I was a lot more comfortable with it this time than I was with the last book I read, and I wonder if it’s just because it’s mine and not Adam’s and so I’m not worried about accidentally pressing something I’m not supposed to and messing up his stuff. I also enjoyed being able to turn up the light and read in the dark AND I have an awesome pink cover 🙂

This also means I’ll be able to accept novels in e-book format for review, which is really great. I had to turn down quite a few requests in the last couple of months, and some sounded so good that I was really disappointed. I will, of course, still accept hard copy books and I will continue to read hard copy books of my own – I got about 5 as Christmas gifts 🙂

PS – No Munchkin Monday tomorrow. I’m feeling uninspired.

PS again – I’m going to get rid of these really lame ads that are showing up at the bottom of my posts. Ew.

Book Review: Love and Self Discovery

Love and Self Discovery by Samantha Fischer is a raw, emotional look into the life of a teen struggling with her sexuality and a thought-provoking read for Christian parents.

I struggled for some time to decide how to write this review. On the one hand, I fundamentally disagree with the story’s take on sexual morality, and I questioned whether I can, in good conscience, post a positive review of a book that states immorality as objective fact. On the other hand, the story is well-written and painfully realistic, and it made me think. A lot. That is, in essence, why I read – to think. To learn. To grow. Ultimately, this book caused me to grow, and so for that reason I decided to share my thoughts.

The story focuses on Adama, a senior at a conservative Christian high school, who begins to question her sexuality. Unable to discuss the issue with her parents, classmates, or anyone at her school because they all believe homosexuals go straight to hell, Adama turns to anonymous Tumblr users for help. As the story unfolds, we see Adama’s (seemingly short) journey of self-discovery, her venture into love, and the challenges and consequences her decisions bring.

Ultimately, the story hits home for me as a parent, and more specifically as a Christian parent. Adama’s parents—and her entire community—fail her immensely. The specifics of the story involve sexual orientation, but it takes little stretch of the imagination to extrapolate to any moral issue. Her parents are so rigid in their beliefs that they effectively close the door to communication with their daughter, and they greet Adama’s moral missteps with condemnation rather than love. As a result, she seeks—and finds—knowledge and guidance elsewhere. At the end of the story, the author includes a dedication “to the thousands of LGBT youth who face rejection by family and friends,” and reminds them that “there is a way out and that there are those who care about [them] and will help [them].”

Reading this story made me think seriously about how I would react if Adama were my child. Do I create an environment and espouse beliefs that would lead my daughters to feel comfortable talking to me about their thoughts and feelings, even if they knew I disagreed? The story illuminated the potential consequences of mishandling such a situation as a parent, which, I think, was part of the author’s point. The lesson for me and, I think, for Christian parents in general, is to avoid repeating those mistakes. Hold to our moral values, and teach them from a place that is rooted in Christ’s love, not human condemnation. Guide our children spiritually and morally without imposing our beliefs in a manner that leaves no room for questioning or discussion. Hold the door to communication with our children wide open. Strive to create an environment in which our children trust us, feel secure in our love, and know that even should their actions, thoughts, or beliefs differ from ours, we will never turn them away. It’s a tall task.

Rating – 3 stars

**Thank you to author Samantha Fischer for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin’s NatGeo Higlights – December 2015, Part I

There are two articles in December’s National Geographic Magazine that stood out to me. In a departure from how I “usually” do it (can I say “usually” when there have only been a few of these posts?), I’m going to write my “highlights” in two posts, and give a little bit longer treatment to each of the articles.

One only needs to look at the cover of this month’s issue to see the first of my two highlights: Mary, The Most Powerful Woman in the World (text here). When I first saw the cover I was at once thrilled and suspicious, wondering what on earth a scientific magazine had to say about the Mother of God. It turns out the author herself, who is Catholic, had similar concerns.

Overall, though, I think the article is fairly well done. It focuses on Mary’s universality: how she is so many things to so many people. It touches on her numerous titles, talks a lot about Marian apparitions and healings, and includes pictures and explanations of Marian devotions from places around the world. These are all good, and emphasis on Mary’s approachability, love for us, and motherly protection is crucial to understanding who she is.

I do take issue with how the article looks at what Mary “can be” as opposed to what she “is.” For instance, the article states that Mary “can be the grieving mother, the young virgin…” (37). It is her identity that allows her to have the universal appeal spoken of elsewhere in the article: she “can be” so many things to so many people because that’s who she is. To a certain extent, though, this makes sense and is expected since the article is not written from a faith perspective.

The magazine’s intention in writing the article was to explore “what is it about Mary?” (From the Editor). Last year, the National Museum of Women in the Arts hosted a temporary exhibit on “Picturing Mary” which had the most visitors of any exhibit ever at the museum (Adam got me tickets for Christmas last year and we went together! What an awesome gift!). After seeing this, NatGeo wanted to know why people are so drawn to Mary. The problem with that quest is that the answer cannot come from a purely scientific exploration. Rather, the answer is one that is based on Faith: Mary is a global phenomenon because she is the Mother of God; people venerate her and turn to her in times of need because her power is real, not imagined. Ms. Goldberg sums up her editor’s note thus: “There’s a unifying power in the faith that Mary inspires in so many. And that, it could be argued, is in itself something of a miracle.” If by “miracle” she means supernatural, then yes. By the power of God, Mary is forever without sin and the vessel through which God became man. Also, by Christ’s words from the Cross, her motherly role was expanded to all of humanity. Mary has this seemingly miraculous power to be universal because of who she is: the Mother of God and the mother of us all.

 

*Highlights, Part II forthcoming. We’ll completely change pace and look at the evolution of New York City!