George Holford

I just read a very good article on the Fall of Jerusalem by George Peter Holford. It's kind of long, but definitely worth the read. Here's the link: http://www.preteristarchive.com/Books/1805_holford_proof.html .

Hope you have a good Sunday!

Currently Barchester Towers: Library Edition (Chronicles of Barsetshire) By Anthony Trollope see related

Catching Up.

     Thought I'd give a brief update, since I still use this thing to comment on various others' sites.

I've been writing a family newsletter twice a month, which is why I've not posted in so long. I'm still going to school part-time, trying to get on with the ultrasound program but having a difficult time threading through the bureaucracy at school, despite the 4.0. I work for three families, minding the children, doing kindergarten, and cleaning house. I love the work and the children and their families. I started learning Greek from a great teacher in October and finished the grammar nearly a month ago. Now I'm reading the New Testament and doing a little prose composition (just translating paragraphs and sentences from English to Greek). My parents and eight younger siblings are all doing well. I just finished reading Kristin Lavransdatter, and have moved on to Anthony Trollope's Barchester Chronicles. I set up communion every third month at church (we have it every Sunday, common cup). The basement flooded a couple weeks ago, so we're in the middle of painting and recarpeting. Annd Whimsey the cat is going to have kittens sometime this week or early next.

So there you have it. Hope this finds you well.

Just back today from whitewater rafting in West Virginia. It was a Boy Scout trip, but as there were two empty slots, two older sisters got to go along. It was immensely fun, though a little cold and wet for a nonfish. The weather was perfect, the Boy Scouts were happy, and nobody drowned. Everybody jumped off a giant (!) rock. It was high enough that you had time to think about three or four related topics while falling. A cut on my foot inflicted by a malicious ladder got a little infected. I seem to have developed a tradition of coming home from vacation with swollen feet. *yawns* Anyway, it was a good week off of school, which doesn't start again till Wednesday. I'm going to bed.

  This was in a Carepages article entitled Why Men Rule. Number seven is a little iffy, but I like the rest.

10 male traits we could all use in daily life

Some people accuse men of being lazy for sitting on the sofa, but men argue that they’re merely using the time to regenerate and take care of themselves. Summarizing classic male traits may seem like shameless generalization, but we could all learn a thing or two from male-specific behaviors. Here are 10 to get you started.

Keep emotions in check
Certain situations require emotional detachment, especially at work.  Sometimes, a poker face can help prevent others from getting overly-stressed out or overwhelmed. If you stay calm, everyone else will stay calm, and you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand.

Ask questions and challenge
Men like to ask questions and play devil’s advocate sometimes—not to antagonize or to argue—but to explore different points of view. It can help to get a new perspective on things.

Be confident
From an early age, boys may feel more comfortable than girls in speaking out without the fear of mistakes to hold them back. Later in life, some see this as men being more aggressive than women. But we could all learn from a little more self-confidence. Everyone has worthy contributions to make in daily life. A little bit of cockiness every once in a while doesn’t hurt.  

Focus on solutions
Women often communicate to vent or share, while men look at communication as a means to an end to provide a solution. While venting certainly has its place, it can help to focus on a game plan when you’re really trying to make an important decision. Break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks and keep your eyes on the prize.

Make eye contact
The next time you’re faced with an uncomfortable situation, don’t avert your eyes. Instead, face things squarely. Staring down a situation for what it is can help you get through it with grace and positive energy.

Be the strong, silent type
We’ve all been there: feeling uncomfortable with silent pauses. Men don’t feel the need to talk just for the sake of talking. Standing back and being quiet sometimes means that you’re just taking it all in. Don’t feel the need to fill up the air with words. But when you do have something to say, by all means, say it!

Be a team player
Men might understand the spirit of teamwork faster than women. Many played organized sports while they were kids and have learned how to set common goals and work together. Not a bad skill to have.

Express anger sometimes
It’s okay to express a little anger to blow off steam. Women can sometimes bottle up their anger, only letting it pop long after they've built up a reservoir of resentment. Don’t worry so much about the other person. It’s okay to show you’re not happy. Then you can be done with it and move on.

Be a straight-shooter
Women are sometimes accused of expecting men to be mind readers. They hint and used veiled metaphors—then get hurt when men don’t figure things out. In reality, men are literal creatures who ask for things directly and specifically, so they expect others to do the same. What a refreshing concept.

Accept a compliment
You seldom hear a man replying to a compliment with a “Oh this old thing?” retort. Men love compliments and even fish in the conversation to get a few. Women have a tougher time accepting compliments without shooting back a qualifier. We all should own it. Smile and say thank you.

If I ever graduate from this school, I swear I will never again write a single paper that has to have a sources page. No research. And I will never go back to school, either. Deadlines are icky, big square buildings are icky, cities are icky, traffic is icky, most of the people there are unpleasant to say the least. 

But I shall persevere.

Without complaining. *bites tongue*

On a better note, I think that today was one of the nicest sort of days. Church and music and badminton and friends and clear sunshine and kittens and mud and bare feet. Now tell me, can it get much better than that? I suppose it would be a little better if I could wind down enough to sleep.

I have been reading all sorts of lovely things lately, Present Concerns and The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (I couldn't find A Grief Observed, Mrs. Butler, I looked), and Whose Body and The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers, and Ezekiel, and listening to George Grant's Modernity lectures in the car. All this is caused by *gasp* school. Not that they would actually assign A Grief Observed. I listen in the car on the way, and then I read while walking up the hundred-some steps to school, and while waiting for classes, and sometimes in classes if the teacher's computer quits, and then at home for breaks from trying to pick the least ridiculous articles to use for a paper, or from math, or housework. I really am learning quite a lot.

Mom and I are getting ready to go to Texas for the Anglican conference in July. Should be fun. There has been a lot of debate over Bp. Sutton's teaching re: the sacraments in Sunday school, and it'll be interesting to hear him talk about them while remembering the discussions. I tend to shy away from communion debates now. Once I liked it, to argue fiercely over things like that. Now I look for excuses to leave, but there were none in Sunday school, so I listened and learned what I could.