In Which I Say Goodbye...

...but only to this site.

I've moved!!!

You can now find me at thiscloudyglass.com

Hope to see you there!

"Not Knowing is Half the Fun"

Anyone out there get my Big Bang Theory reference in the title?

I don't remember the storyline of the episode, but Penny tells Sheldon, "Not knowing is half the fun!"  His reply: "Was that the motto of your community college?"

Hilarious.

Anyway, I picked up this book because the title reminded me of that scene.

Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing



Jamie Holmes nailed it with the title and his book did not disappoint.  Holmes makes a somewhat difficult topic easily accessible to anyone with his down-to-earth writing style.  He appeals to enthusiasts of psychology, art, education, history and science in one fell swoop.

The two highlights of this book for me were the chapter about Waco and his applications for educators, the former because I didn't realize how little I knew about the events in Waco and the latter for obvious reasons.

This review is intentionally vague because Holmes covers so much ground in a little over 200 pages.  You just need to read it for yourself.

And, I would argue that if Holmes had been in the room with Penny and Sheldon, he would have said, "not knowing is ALL the fun."

***I received a copy of this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for this review.***

Sunday Song: Kind

I've had a great deal of time this week to listen to new music.  This lovely snowstorm is likely giving me a five day weekend which gave me ample time to do all my homework, clean the house, and read for pleasure.

Bethel Music's Amanda Cook has a great album "Brave New World" that is a perfect background for writing.  Fortunately/Unfortunately, there were many times I had to stop writing academic papers and meditate on a lyric.

One that keeps giving me pause is "Kind".

You are not a tyrant King
You do not delight in suffering
Your power doesn't compensate for insecurity
'Cause You are not a tyrant King

You are not an angry man
You do not treat us with contempt
Your voice is sure, Your eyes are soft, Your smile confident
'Cause You are not an angry man

You are kind
You are kind
You are kind
You are kind

Your love is a fury all its own
Sweeping the dust and turning feet towards home
Carrying the orphans and resetting broken bones
Your love is a fury all its own

You are kind
You are kind
You are kind
You are kind

And love is powerful enough
Without the fear of punishment

Be at rest, oh my soul.  My God is not a tyrant.  He is kind.

Sunday Song: Broken

Better late in the day than never...

I love me some Lecrae and I've been listening to Anomaly while cooking lately.

This song, "Broken" has some beautiful truth.

I'm just a broken instrument in the hands of the Greatest...

...All the pieces on the ground
I shattered all the dreams I thought I found
And you put me back together
I need your grace for my flaws
God, I'm broken in this mess I've made
I need You to restore me...

...Tryna hold onto our lives with these clumsy hands
Fell off the wall of purity doing the Humpty dance
Forget the king's horses, forget the king's men
The King is coming to put us back together again...

Your presence in me
Is all the strength that I need

Sunday Song: Out of Hiding

My dad introduced me to this song while I was home for Christmas.  It's absolutely beautiful and goes along well with what I am currently studying: the concept of shame.

I'm slowly working my way through Shame Interrupted: How God Lifts the Pain of Worthlessness & Rejection by Edward T. Welch...and this week happened upon the Fall and Jesus' first miracle in my Scripture reading.  I never thought about the role of shame in turning water into wine and it is an altogether beautiful picture that I plan to share in the coming days.  I'm still studying the idea -- I don't want to post something that is entirely off- base theologically.

So here's the song, with the lyrics in the video.

Oh, as you run,
what hindered love
will only become
part of the story...