Saint Patrick's Day + One
I spent much of January reading about Saint Patrick. I read How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill, which I loved because he is just so dang bold in his thesis. I mean, that's a topic sentence, eh? (And a catchy title.) Another great book was Philip Freeman's excellent biography of Patrick called St. Patrick of Ireland. The book I liked least was Stephen Lawhead's historical-ish/fictional account of Patrick called Patrick: Son of Ireland. In his story, he had Patrick become a druid during his years of slavery and then become a pseudo-Christian/druidic priest when he returned to Ireland. But...his lavish detail and characterization were a lot of fun to read.

Dispelling the myths:
- We have no idea if Patrick actually used a shamrock to teach the Trinity, although it's certainly possible. He never wrote about it. It's just one of those legends that's been around for eons.

- The "Lorica" or Breastplate of Patrick, which begins, "I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity..." was probably not written by Patrick as scholars date it back to around the 7th century (Patrick lived in the 4th). But it certainly captures the spirit of Patrick's teaching and confession.

-Of course, Patrick magically ridding the island of snakes is ridiculous.

-But the leprachauns...they're real! :)

The thing I love most about reading his letters is this: here is this Christian bishop and missionary who lived fifteen centuries ago, confessing the faith with urgency and orthodoxy. We are blessed to have his faithful witness speak across the ages to us.

Here is an excellent Trinitarian section from his Confessio. (From the translation of Patrick's letters by John Skinner, p. 77)

There is no other God—there never was and there never will be. God our father was not born nor did he have any beginning. God himself is the beginning of all things, the very one who holds all things together, as we have been taught.

And we proclaim that Jesus Christ is his son, who has been with God in spirit always, from the beginning of time and before the creation of the world—though in a way we cannot put into words. Through him everything in the universe was created, both what we can see and what is invisible. He was born as a human being and conquered death, rising into the heavens to be with God. And God gave to him power greater than any creature of the heavens or earth or under the earth, so that someday everyone will declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and God. We believe in Him and we wait for him to return very soon. He will be the judge of the living and the dead, rewarding every person according to their actions.

And God has generously poured out on us his Holy Spirit as a gift and token of immortality. This Spirit makes all faithful believers into children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Here's a little summary of St. Patrick that I wrote up.

Saint Patrick: The Man Behind the Legends

St. Patrick lived in fourth-century Briton, and his home was probably on the west coast of modern-day England. His grandfather was a priest (in the days before priestly celibacy) and his father was a deacon in the church.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was captured by slave traders and sold to a slave owner in Ireland. There, for six long years, he labored in the woods and pastures of Foclut near the Western Sea where tended sheep. At first, Patrick, traumatized by his capture, sank into deep misery. But in time, his faith, which had been shallow as a child, grew and deepened. He prayed night and day, a hundred times a day and long into the night. Then he had a dream that a ship was ready to take him back to Briton. He likely escaped during the summer months, making his way through the forests and bogs of Ireland, trying to hide his slave torc, the gold ring around his neck, as well as his foreign accent. Indeed, when he made it to the coast, his ship was ready, and after a little convincing, he climbed aboard and headed back home.

Back in Briton, Patrick decided to study for the priesthood. But he had missed important years of his education. Late in life, he still regretted missing those formative years and lamented about how poor his Latin was.

But Patrick did not become bitter about his years of slavery. Instead, he had another dream. In this one, the Irish begged him to come back to them. Surprisingly, Patrick decided to do just that—return to the land of his captivity to bring the good news to Jesus to the Irish people.

Many years later, after becoming a priest and then finally a bishop, Patrick's dream to return to Ireland was realized. He returned to the land of druids who still performed human sacrifice. He returned to the land which was poor and uncivilized (unlike his Romanized Briton). He returned to the land which at that time was considered "the ends of the earth." He returned to the land where he was a slave.

Unlike the legends, he did not drive snakes from Ireland. He did not find pots of gold or leprechauns. But he did bring the message of salvation through Christ to a people lost in sin and darkness.

Did Patrick explain the concept of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—with a shamrock? Perhaps. It's not known for certain. But what we do know by letters that Patrick himself penned is that he believed, confessed, and preached about God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that that Irish people clung to this message of salvation.

In that time, when Roman civilization was crumbling, many people believed that the end of the world was near. So Patrick took the message of the Christian faith with urgency to Ireland, and God blessed his work.

In the years after Christianity spread in Ireland, the country was transformed. As Thomas Cahill writes, "Ireland became a Christian culture, where slavery and human sacrifice became unthinkable, and warfare, though impossible for humans to eradicate, diminished markedly." Slavery and human sacrifice was all but eradicated, women began to have more status in society, and monasteries became centers of learning.

That one man—a former slave—could have accomplished all this is remarkable. But it wasn't one man who had achieved so much. It was a gracious God who blessed the humble efforts of a man whose message of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness and mercy of God transformed history.

Sources:

· Patrick's own writings: Confessio and Letter to Coroticus (The Confession of Saint Patrick, translated by John Skinner, foreword by John O'Donohue; Image Books, Doubleday, 1998.)

· St. Patrick of Ireland by Philip Freeman, Simon and Schuster, 2005.

· How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill, Doubleday, 1995.

A Slight Caveat
I mentioned a couple of days ago that I am reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I'm still reading it, although as I go along, I'm not liking it as much as the beginning. The book is not exactly G-rated, FYI. Still, it's an interesting read. Her writing is fresh, lively, conversational, witty, smart--everything a New York editor is dying to see.

The Blessings of Sleep
So, I was cranky and tired last night, grouching at my family, etc. This is the kind of crankiness not even a bowl of ice cream will fix. Not a pretty picture. Then I got a good night's sleep. When I woke up, everything just seemed easier to tackle. You know what I mean? It's not so much that I couldn't manage to wash the dishes last night. It just seemed so LARGE of a project. Sleep is a blessing in that way: it gives us perspective.

Now, an interesting thought about sleep and breathing. Did you know that some animals are conscious breathers? This means that they have to consciously think about every breath they take. Dolphins and whales are conscious breathers. Wouldn't that stink?? I mean, I have enough to think about. Thankfully, my body breathes without me making the decision to do so.

So then the question becomes how do dolphins and whales sleep? See here, and here for more info. Scientists have found that half of the dolphin's brain is asleep, while the other half is sort of dozing. That way they can still come to the surface when they make the decision to breathe. Then, I guess, the other half snoozes at some point too. Isn't that wild?

So, that's how dolphins are able to sleep and still breathe consciously. I'm so glad I'm an unconscious breather. Aren't you? Now I'm thinking about all the things that I wish were unconscious too. Wouldn't it be great if meal preparation were unconscious? I would just show up in the kitchen, and then I'd just sort of unconsciously figure out what to make, how to make it, avoid burning it, etc. Then I'd show up at the table, and I'd think, "Cool, I hadn't really thought about having chili for dinner, but here it is!" That'd be awesome.

A Warm Day
It was a mild weekend here in Pittsburgh. Yesterday was sort of a Seattle-ish day, pouring in the morning, and rain hung in the air all day. The kind of humidity that makes your skin stop itching constantly from being so dry. This morning, I took my dog on a long run in shorts and a t-shirt (I was in the shorts and t-shirt, not the dog).

If you don't believe me that the weather is worthy of conversation, check out Pr. Petersen's post for today.

I'm reading a slightly bizarre but intriguing book called Julie and Julia. It's interesting for us bloggers. The author, Julie Powell decided to--in the span of 365 days--try out every Julia Child recipe in her first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Then Julie Powell blogged about how the recipes turned out. It's really smart and insightful and makes me want to try some of the recipes. It also shows how blogging can sometimes lead to bestselling books. The most humorous part so far is when her husband, brother, and friend track down a piece of a cow bone. Then Julie has to scrape the bone marrow out of the bone to cook down (with butter, of course) a sauce for the steak she's serving. (And, no, I absolutely will not be trying that recipe--although the steaks did taste good, she said.)

Chirp! Chirp!
Ever wonder what birds you hear waking you up in the mornings? Check out this cool link to listen.

Today's the Day!
My newest book, Cheep! Cheep! is officially released today. Cheep! was illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee, who is not only a wonderful friend, but also a fabulously talented artist and writer. We were very excited to be able to work on this project together. This is the first of at least three books we will be working on with Bloomsbury USA. The thing I love most about this book (in addition to the adorable illustrations) is that I wrote the whole story in 12 words or so, which all rhyme, of course! There aren't too many phonemes in the English language that can be used this way.

Here's one of the really nice reviews we got. We also saw write-ups in Parenting and Child magazine, which were very nice too.

Cover art copyright Carol Baicker-McKee

Publishers Weekly, February 13th (starred review)
"Take a family of adorable, three-dimensional chickens-constructed from velvety, cozily domestic terry cloth-add a text made up entirely of words with a giggle-inducing "eep" sound, and the result is this irresistible, inventive paper-over-board book. "Sleep" starts off the first spread, where a chicken family tries to get some shut-eye. A turn of the page shows a "Cheep" coming from the egg below their perch. Making a joint "Leap!" (the smallest chick uses its blankie as a parachute) the peeping protagonists land in a comic "Heap" and eagerly welcome their newest addition. Baicker-McKee (the FussBusters series) gives her absorbent cast minimalist facial features and highly streamlined appendages (the two-color backdrops are equally spare). But she comes up with an amazing array of expressions and comic poses; when the reconstituted family settles down on the perch for a group slumber party, the two smallest downy siblings share a priceless conspiratorial wink and hug. Young children will undoubtedly view the chick family as toys come to life and be thoroughly enchanted. Here's hoping another diphthong inspires a follow-up from this talented team."

Revisiting Old Projects
I've lately been reworking an story I wrote a few years ago about a Japanese girl whose family moved to the US. I wrote it while I was teaching ESL to international students several years ago. I brought into the story an element of Japanese culture which I love: origami. Origami is paper folding, and to see the perfect corners and folds of those who are good at origami is fun to watch.

Over the years, I've also come to love Japanese food, particularly the careful presentation of the food. My family and I ate at the home of a Japanese family several years ago, and I remember the cook's attention to detail in every aspect of the meal. I asked if I could help. She had me arrange seven different items for the appetizer. The carrots were cut just so, the cucumber sliced at an angle, etc. I started putting the seven items on the plate, but right away, she corrected me. The carrot was not aligned with the cucumber just right. That kind of attention we American cooks don't often have patience for. But I love it when a beautiful meal is laid before me at a sushi restaurant. Somehow, that's lost when we dish up tuna casserole!

A Good Movie
We watched The Great Raid a couple of nights ago, and I really enjoyed it. It's not fabulous, but a good war movie. Joseph Fiennes stars in it. It's about a little-known rescue of POWs who were being held by the Japanese in the Philippines during WWII. Some of the violence is a little brutal, but they don't show much close up. I liked how it showed the importance of the tactical planning that goes into successful military battles. I recommend it.

Stupid Church Signs
Well, today was the big victory parade for the Steelers. There was a lot of talk around town about whether or not to pull kids out of school for it. One school district even cancelled school for the day. Brother. It is just a football team. My son says everyone in his class was there, so way to go Brentwood. I heard one person on the radio say, "Well, I pulled my daughter out of school because this is just as important a day in history as she would study about at school." (sigh) If we as a society really honored the people who invent medicines and preach the Gospel and do important things, I suppose I wouldn't be feeling a little rankled today.

That's all bad enough. But as I've been driving around the past couple of days, I've noticed several church signs that make comments about the Steelers. And at this point, I must say, PUH-LEEEAZE!!!

The first one was: "God bless our Steelers!" When I drove by that with my ten-year-old, he said (not with my prompting, mind you): "Oh brother--you think Jesus cares about a football game??"

Another one: "Thy will be done--Go Steelers!" To which I say: do you think Jesus cares about a football game?

The next one: "Steelers fans, pray here first." Okay, now this could mean, let's pray and then go have fun at the game. It could also mean let's pray for the Steelers to win. To which I say: do you think Jesus cares about a football game???

I like this as a possibility: "Haul your sorry butt into church and pray for forgiveness!"

I don't normally rant and rave, but this is just getting a little much. I have no problem with church members enjoying a football game, but do these churches have nothing better to put on their signs? Apparently not.

Steelers WIN!!
That game was a nail-biter, but it was great for our city that the Steelers pulled it off. After the clock ran down, we banged on pots and pans on the front porch, which scared the dog and cats half to death. Then, even an hour or so after the game was over, we could still hear screaming and honking. So, we went up to our main street to check it out. People were thankfully just happy and celebrating in the street as cars went by and not turning over cars and burning them. I saw people this morning with super bowl Steelers shirts already and asked where they got them. The one woman I talked to said she got hers at Dick's last night at 10:30 or so, where there were at least a couple of hundred people buying Steeler gear. Anyway, it's crazy, but we're happy for the city.

Star Trek Quiz - Which one are you?
This was hilarious. Thanks to Cyberbrethren for this funny link.

My results:
You are Uhura

Uhura 85% Beverly Crusher 60% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 50% Jean-Luc Picard 50% Deanna Troi 50% Geordi LaForge 45% Will Riker 45% Chekov 40% Data 36% James T. Kirk (Captain) 35% Spock 32% Mr. Sulu 20% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 20% Mr. Scott 15% Worf 10%

You are a good communicator with a pleasant soft-spoken voice. Also a talented singer.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz

Who Knew, Part 2 - A History of Rhyme
I just finished How the Irish Saved Civilization (intriguing book, by the way), and discovered that rhyme was really not used in Greek and Latin poetry. Augustine liked rhyming words, like bona dona ("good gifts"). But check this out:

Rhyme appeared only occasionally in classical Greek and Latin poetry; it was used more extensively later, in songs of the medieval Roman Catholic church. Rhyme was not established as a technique in English poetry until the 14th century.
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Cool, eh?

Who Knew?
Every once in a while I take a look at names of groups of animals. You know, a pride of lions, a pack of wolves, that sort of thing. Well, yesterday, I came across these fun websites that give all the names of every congregation of animal you can think of.

Here's a fun (and impossible) quiz. To look up all the names so you can complete the quiz, see here and here.

The most poetic ones are for the birds, literally:
- an unkindness of ravens
- a covey of patridges
- a host of sparrows
- a flight of swallows
- a bouquet of pheasants
- a parliament of owls
- a murder of crows (!)
- a dule of doves
- a murmuration of starlings
- a charm of finches

And some strange ones:
- a mob of emus
- a sounder of boars
- a shrewdness of apes
- a rhumba of rattlesnakes

There are lots more that are interesting, unexpected, and strange. It makes me wonder how these words came to be. I'll have to research into that.

About Moi!
My dear husband (who knows I hate being left out) has tagged me, so here goes:

Four jobs I have had (in chronological order)

• Assistant for a woman with disabilties
  
• Typist/copier/asst. for the English Dept. at Concordia College, Ann Arbor
  
• Receptionist at a veterinarian's office (which included doing odd jobs like taking 5 dogs at once out from the kennel to tinkle; monitoring a kitten getting claws surgically removed; being present with families as they put their sick/old animals to sleep)
  
• Secretary for a law firm in Fort Wayne, IN
  

Four places I have lived (chronologically)

• Lakewood, CO
  
• Seattle, WA
  
• Ann Arbor, MI
• Fort Wayne, IN

Four of my favorite foods:

• M & Ms with almonds
  
• I love to sample just about any kind of ethnic food
  
• Pizza
  
• Cake/brownies
  

TV shows that I like to watch:

• Alias
• CSI (Sometimes--when the gross-out factor doesn't gross me out)
• Seinfeld reruns
• the news
  

Four Movies I could watch over and over:

• The Lord of the Rings
• Band of Brothers
• You've Got Mail (It's got everything: bookstores, children's books and a golden retriever!)
• It's a Wonderful Life
  

Four places I would rather be:

• In the mountains
  
• On a beach
  
• In the hot springs pool in Glenwood Spring
  
• curled up with a book, hot chocolate and a warm fire
  

Four websites I visit:

• www.higherthings.org
• www.scbwi.org
• www.dictionary.com
• www.rhymezone.com
  

A New Sunday School Curriculum
Many of you know that I've been working for two years on a new Sunday school curriculum for Concordia Publishing House. The curriculum called "Growing in Christ" begins this fall--Fall of 2006. It's been a joy to work with the editors and other writers on this new project. The samples of the completed curriculum we're seeing are awesome. Here's a link.

I write for the Middle grade (3rd/4th grade) level along with two other writers. It's been a lot of fun especially putting together the Bible Discovery Guides, which give a lot of historical and geographical background to the Bible lesson for the day.

AFC Championship - The story of my two cities

I wrote the following essay over the weekend. The muse struck a little too late to get my reflections into the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but I thought I'd post them here:

Last week I watched the local news with interest as reporters from both Pittsburgh and Denver compared the merits, not only of the Broncos and the Steelers, but also of the cities of Denver and Pittsburgh. Why did that interest me? Because I'm a Denver native who has lived for the last six and half years in Pittsburgh.

A columnist from the Rocky Mountain News visiting here from Denver last week made the mistake of calling Pittsburgh a "butt-ugly town." He backed off his crude statement later in the week, but the sentiment behind it rankled me.

I have often thought about the differences between Denver and Pittsburgh. Colorado's beauty is dramatic—the skies are intensely blue, the sunsets are nearly always spectacularly red and pink and orange, and the mountains provide a gorgeous backdrop to the trendy and growing Denver metro area. My home state is full of variety too—the wide open plains, the bold granite peaks, the Aspen trees quaking on the hillsides. The Great Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde National Park are in the southwest section of the state. Further north, Rocky Mountain National Park (one of my favorite places on earth) bursts with natural beauty—streams, breathtaking vistas, tons of wildlife: elk, moose, beavers. There are great college towns like Boulder and other cities nestled up against the peaks, like Colorado Springs. Colorado is nothing if it's not dramatic and full of variety.

Pennsylvania's beauty is more subtle. Here I've discovered the incredible variety of trees (hence the name "Pennsylvania"—Penn's woods), the delicate ferns that grow on the forest floor, the wild turkeys that roam through neighborhoods. In South Park, I discovered that the sassafras tree bears leaves in three distinct shapes. I saw firsthand the age-old process of maple tapping at Round Hill Farm.

I also love that Pittsburgh's neighborhoods retain their old world charm. Pittsburgh is full of fabulous restaurants tucked away in neighborhoods that have been serving the same tried and true recipes for who knows how long--places like Max's Allegheny Tavern on the North Side, and unique spots like Primanti's on one end of the spectrum and the Grand Concourse on the other.

I've always loved (as much as my cars haven't) the brick-lined streets in our neighborhoods, like the gorgeous Hornaday Road in Carrick. When you step on a brick street, you know that it's been here longer than a decade. And it makes you wonder what life was like 50, 100 or more years before.

Other charms: the Strip District, with its specialty food shops—the train that runs through Wholey's, the delicious aroma of fresh-ground coffee at Presto George's. The lovely Heinz Hall with our jewel of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Some neighborhoods, like the area around Zion Lutheran Church in Lawrenceville seem like they've been pulled out of old Europe, with an American flair. These are things a casual observer who's in the city for a three-day stint isn't necessarily going to appreciate. But I know Pittsburghers do.

And many Pittsburgh homes retain their uniqueness with archways, stained glass, and interesting nooks and crannies in even modest homes. Every house is different, unlike many cookie-cutter newer suburbs in places like Denver.

A non-charming aspect of this "old-worldliness" is the fact that streets can change names numerous times within the span of just a few miles. This can make navigating the city tough-going. I must admit that my first couple of years here were difficult as far as getting around. I learned the hard way that I should never leave home without 1) a map, 2) detailed directions, and 3) a cell phone.

Yet, when I have gotten lost, I find people who really try to be helpful (they say: "you know where that old King's restaurant used to be?"—not exactly a good landmark for a newcomer) and always-friendly drivers—drivers who go out of their way to outdo each other in being friendly.

Every place is unique in its history. Colorado is known for its lively characters—people like Molly Brown of the Titanic or Doc Holiday who died in the mountains near Glenwood Springs. Colorado's gold rush is historic and many ghost towns that were built and died almost overnight attest to this part of Colorado's history. The homesteaders on the prairies of Colorado must have been hardy souls. The ancient Anazasi people scraped a city out of the sandstone in Mesa Verde in southwest Colorado.

Pennsylvania's history holds its own charms, especially its importance in American history. WQED just produced a television special on the French and Indian War and Pennsylvania's role in that "war that made America." And "George Washington slept here" is a sign that Pennsylvanians could boast. Within our borders is the Liberty Bell, that wonderful symbol of American freedom.

So, you ask: who did you root for in yesterday's game? Well, put it this way: I almost bought a black and gold shirt for myself today. (And I was glad the Steelers won!)

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Japanese scientists are planning next month to explore the center of the earth. Here's another link. They are going to drill into the sea floor to try to punch a hold through the rocky crust in order to help predict earthquakes.

Like Paul Harvey mentioned today, I wonder if they'll get to the other side of the world by drilling through?

Writing Like Groundhog Day?
I just read a great article by Marvin Olasky here. In it he talks about how writing is all about persistence and determination. One writer in the article says:

Moneyball author Michael Lewis says, "The most common pleasant thing people say to me about my writing is that it looks 'effortless.'" Then he confesses, "It is the opposite of effortless. . . . I probably do 20 drafts of each chapter. I write something over and over. It's like Groundhog Day. My writing process is sweaty and inelegant."

Ain't that the truth! I also like the quote from Michael Crichton: "Books aren't written. They are rewritten." That is so true. The fun of writing is the initial spark of the idea, the process of figuring that idea out, fleshing it out into words, and finally producing a draft. Then, it starts getting ugly. Change this, change that. Most of the time the rewriting fine-tunes the work, sharpens the vocabulary and overall, improves it. But sometimes the writing just dies from overworking it too much.

Quote for the New Year
I just started reading a book called "How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Thomas Cahill. It's a few years old, but was the beginning of a series he wrote called "Hinges of History." The second in the series is "The Gift of the Jews." It looks like there are at least two or three others in the series, one on the world before and after Jesus and another on the Greeks. They appear to be intriguing books, and I'm looking forward to getting into this one on the Irish.

Anyway, here is the great quote of the day (or year), which appears opposite the dedication page in How the Irish Saved Civilization:

"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love."
- Reinhold Niebuhr