We've Moved!

Just thought it was time for a change. Please update your links and join us over at the new and mildly improved Life in the Girls' Dorm.

The New Face of the Micks

Abe and I both underwent some change today. I got new spectacles...boring. Abe got a haircut...not so boring. She'd been growing it out for roughly a year and a half (save a trim or two) but had been growing tired lately of what I affectionately had deemed "yeti head." So she decided to chop it off. However, it wasn't an easy decision. After doing some quick math, she figured that if she decided to grow it out, it wouldn't be that length again until she is almost thirty. Man, we're getting old. While this distresses me a bit, it bodes well because this woman keeps getting more b-e-a-utiful.

123 Book Meme

Jake Bouma has tagged me in this 123 Book Meme. I believe it is a ploy to get me posting again after a rather long hiatus. Well I guess it worked and here's how the meme works:

(1) Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating! (2) Turn to page 123. (3) Find the first 5 sentences. (4) Post the next 3 sentences. (5) Tag 5 people.

"He had a brutal upbringing, being beaten heavily by his father and harassed by the police for innocent games. He became repeatedly arrested for the same offence -- on every occasion, as far as he was concerned, trumped-up charges by policemen who didn't like him. He joined the Royal Navy where he was birched, and ended up in his twenties as a chimney sweep."

This passage is from Callum Brown's The Death of Christian Britain: Understanding Secularisation 1800-2000. In this book, Brown offers an alternative opinion on British secularization theory. Secularization theory posits Enlightenment rationalism and industrialization as the culprits responsible for Christian declension. This, theorists argue, has happened slowly, over a long period of time, since, roughly 1800. Brown’s thesis is that the decline happened not slowly over time, but abruptly around the 1960’s. Quite attached to this, Brown argues that the responsibility for the decline fell not on Enlightenment rationalism or industrialization, but on the social furor of the “swinging sixties.” Particularly, he speaks to the notions of the homosexual law reforms, the feminism, and the sexual carte blanche of the age. Brown argues that it was the combination of social convulsions that resulted in the “death of Christian Britain.” Browns refutation of secularization theory has elicited major interest. This book is a watershed work in the field and the scholarly community has not been able to ignore it: whether they agree with Brown or not.

Now that this post is getting way too long, I must explain the quotation. Brown is particularly interested in oral histories. (interviews, questionnaires, etc...) This passage is part of his discussion of how oral testimony reflects the evangelical narrative. The passage above is about Arthur Turner from Lancashire and it goes on to tell his "salvation" story.

I tag the vis, ryan, brandon, sam, and brad. We'll see if anyone is still reading this old blog:)

Here Comes the Bride

Over Christmas break I had this ridiculous idea to get out my wedding dress. I was thinking about how much it cost and that I only wore it one day! My whole family was together so I talked my sisters and my mom into getting out our dresses and having a fashion show! We laughed so hard putting our dresses on and remembering our wedding days. I think my Mom is just the cutest, her dress fit her perfectly! After that, we put them all back in the closet. Who knows when they will surface again.

I miss this little guy!

This adorable little man is my nephew. My sister moved away from Chicago last month and took this precious little guy with her. We are happy for them that they are starting something new in life, but sad for our loss. We miss them all so much! Come visit soon!

Oprah!

Yesterday morning I got to attend a live taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show. One of the students that lives in my dorm had an extra ticket, and she offered it to me. I was so excited to go. Seeing Oprah is one of the things I really wanted to do while living in Chicago, but didn't think it would happen due to tickets being really hard to get.

We had to be on a bus to the Harpo Studio by 6 am, which is way early for me! We arrived at the studio and they shuffled us through security to a holding room. After about an hour of waiting we were let into the studio. They warmed us up for a few minutes by having us practice facial expressions. Apparently, the more dramatic the better. The audience was mostly female, but there were a few men who looked less than thrilled to be there. I don't have any pictures because cameras weren't allowed. I didn't get any TV time, but it was so much fun!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad and Mom! We love you and wish we could be there to celebrate!