Duncan's End of Year Survey

What was the best part of last year? - Our one year anniversary at Middleton Place-- not only because the place was awesome, but because of why we were celebrating.

What was the worst part of last year? - I stubbed my toe pretty hard one day...

What was the biggest surprise of last year? - An anonymous scholarship was pretty unexpected, and extremely wonderful

What are you most looking forward to next year? - A chance to not forget Valentine's Day! (Ok, that was the worst part of last year...)

Is there anything you are not looking forward to next year? - Umm... not really. That may be a lie, but I'm sticking to it.

Which new years resolutions did you keep last year? - HAHA!

Which new years resolutions did you break last year? - Have to make 'em to break 'em. We did make some, but having forgotten entirely what they were, I guess we haven't done so hot...

What will be your new years resolutions next year? - Be less lame.

Which resolution are you most likely to break? - Already failed.

Which resolution are you most likely to keep? - Not that one.

What will you be doing on new years eve? - Drinking too much champagne?

Who will you be with at new years eve? - My wife!

Who do you want to kiss to see the new year in? - MY WIFE!!

Who will you probably end up kissing to see the new year in? - My wife?

What was the best song of last year? - No comment... the shame would be too great.

What was the best TV show of last year? - Community, Dexter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, American Dad, Modern Family, Bones... oh wait, just one?

What was the best book you read last year? - John Calvin's Institutes. What a page turner! But really, the graphic novel Watchmen was excellent, and one of the few books I could read in free time.

What was the best film of last year? - Didn't see enough to make that call.

What change would you like to make to your life next year? - Be more assertive and have more initiative.

What change would you like to see in the world next year? - That all the guns would disappear overnight would be a good start.

Whitney's End of Year Survey

End of 2009 already? How can this be? Well, here's the recap...


What was the best part of last year? - Working with refugee families—new passion in life found.

What was the worst part of last year? - 2009 was generally pretty awesome; I can't even think of anything!

What was the biggest surprise of last year? - Duncan is an amazing preacher. I always knew Duncan was extremely intelligent, but I never knew he would be commanding from a pulpit!

What are you most looking forward to next year? - Traveling abroad. There are a couple of possibilites on the table, so hopefully one of them will work out.

Is there anything you are not looking forward to next year? - Nothing that I'm dreading!

Which new years resolutions did you keep last year? - I don't even remember my resolutions. Therefore, I'm pretty sure that I didn't keep them. Oops.

Which new years resolutions did you break last year? - See above...

What will be your new years resolutions next year? - Better time-management, exercise, creating more time to read (one book per month!)

Which resolution are you most likely to break? - Exercise, duh. That one is always on there, and it never lasts though January.

Which resolution are you most likely to keep? - I'm on schedule for one book per month, so I think this will work out.

What will you be doing on new years eve? - Having a few friends over, i.e. having fun!

Who will you be with at new years eve? - My sweet husband and my dearest friends

Who do you want to kiss to see the new year in? - My one and only!

Who will you probably end up kissing to see the new year in? - Wow, we're focused on New Years...

What was the best song of last year? - Hahaha... so many lame answers: I have stayed in my car to finish singing "The Climb" and any Taylor Swift song. I realize these answers only reinforce the thought that I am only 15.

What was the best TV show of last year? - Dexter, by far. This season owned all other television shows. Best new show of the year is definitely Modern Family

What was the best book you read last year? - The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

What was the best film of last year? - We haven't watched too many new movies... best one we saw in theater was UP.

What change would you like to make to your life next year? - Not overbook my schedule quite so much

What change would you like to see in the world next year? - World Peace. Duh. But seriously, peace prevailing.

Why We Haven't Been Doing Regular Blog Posts

This blog was a super-useful tool when we were in Ireland and had exciting happenings to report every day. Now I find that we just don't update it that often. I'll make a commitment in 2010 to do better (especially since we're sending out the URL on the Christmas card this year!), but I thought I'd reflect for a moment on what's changed. Obviously, being in adult mode in regular life is just not nearly as exciting as living in Dublin Ireland where everything felt new and like an adventure. Life right now for the Meadows isn't exactly boring either. Perhaps we are just so busy that we haven't found the time to be relaying what's happening in life. Between church functions, small groups, refugee families, work and school, or schedules are pretty busy. Somehow, we seem to only find time to update when our cat is hilarious, but trust me, we are experiencing life in full, rich, and fulfilling ways.

All this to say: sorry for lack of real updates on life, and I promise to do better... starting soon :)

Whitney

Whitney's Philosophical Ponderings of the Day

Currently Reading: The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

Quote That Sparked This: "...Jesus honored the dignity of people, whether he agreed with them or not."

This concept is one of the most compelling cases to me for Jesus' divinity—or at least other worldness. It is true that he offered dignity to the social outcast, religious fraud, thief, traitor, and friend alike. Who else is capable of such? I am certainly not. I am quick to judgment, definitely more so than an offering of love. How do I change this about myself? How do I make my first reaction to someone a feeling of love, or honoring dignity instead of taking offense at whatever may strike me in an odd manner? Can I simply train myself? The reaction just seems so instinctual.

What if upon every meeting or encounter, I ask myself: How can I extend love or honor dignity to this person? While this quest may be somewhat easy with chance encounters with strangers (a smile, compliment, word of encouragement, or act of mercy when something inconveniences me), what about the social outcast, religious fraud, thief, or traitor in my life?

There are two thoughts that assist me in overlooking someone's current faults and flaws: 1) God created this person, and as God's creation, this person is worthy of love and admiration. 2) This person was once someone's child, who was pure, innocent, full of hope, and completely reliant on others' mercy and care (i.e. vulnerable). The latter thought is often what I think about when I see people begging for money on street corners. I wonder what happened in life to get them to this place. Some mother (hopefully) loved this person—and this person was, at some time, unblemished. That train of thought usually breaks my heart (as I am sure it breaks God's heart), and leaves me sad. But it does make me feel sympathy, and some sort of love for the person.

Of course, these thoughts are always from the shelter of my car with locked doors. While I may be conjuring feelings of love, my doors are still locked, and I offer no money or assistance as I believe that won't really help the person. And then I drive away, never to think of that person again. So, I have not offered love or honored dignity. I don't think "it's the thought that counts" here.

And then there are the people in my life whom I just don't like for one reason or another. I find him/her obnoxious, our politics or theology don't match up, they have done something I view as reprehensible. What then? With a stranger I can make up a past where they were once innocent and find that core to love. But with people we know whose cruelty, closed-mindedness, or arrogance blind-side us before we have a chance to try to center ourselves to offer love—what do we do with them?

And to take it to the extreme, what about Hitler... rapists... murderers? What of these persons who have imposed such evil upon other innocent people? How can we offer love in the face of such offenses? How can we offer love to a Hitler in the height of his power and pinnacle of his atrocities? And what role does justice play in this? My wise husband said, "Justice does not have to impart hatred." But can we truly "hate the sin and not the sinner"?

Is it possible to love everyone? Jesus offered the thief next to him on the cross a place in paradise. He even asked forgiveness for those who gruesomely nailed him to a hunk of wood—even as he painfully faced a horrifying and unjust death. How? How is that he did this? And how I am to emulate such a radical and gracious love?

Proof for My Husband

...that the cat does actually love me, even if it's only when he's not home:

I had to document that Moki climbed into my lap while I was trying to upload some photos on my computer. She NEVER does this to me when Duncan is home. So, while he may be the favorite, I am still loved :)


In other news, the Meadows are glad that fall has come! Though it's a bit gloomy outside today, these lower temperatures have been a nice treat! I'm glad to be able to break my sweaters out!

Highlights from the past few weeks:

• Duncan is really enjoying Hebrew, even more than Greek. He's such a good ancient language scholar.
  
  
• Whitney got to welcome fall at the Apple Festival in Ellijay with some girls from core group last weekend. It was COLD, but so much fun.
  
  
• Whitney also got to experience a "first time movie" with her World Relief family this weekend. It's a little hard to explain what "going to the movies" to non-English speakers, but everyone seemed to enjoy Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
  
  
• There came a breaking point in which my clothes were piled so high outside of my closet, that Duncan mandated that something be done. I spent yesterday re-organizing my closet (with Duncan's help) and it's undergone a miraculous change! Anyone who has seen any of my closets ever can see why this is worthy of note.
  
  
• Duncan's birthday is only a few weeks away. He is quite excited and will surely have an update following!

And now, for your funny Moki closing photo:

(Moki likes it when TOMS come in the mail as she get a new sitting box).

Family Photo Shoot

All the Meadows crammed in onto our tiny Ikea couch this afternoon...
so we took this golden opportunity to take a few photos. Enjoy!


Shot # 1
You'll notice who the only one who is entirely in the photo is Moki Cat.
This seems appropriate somehow.






Shot # 2
Moki has already posed for one photo, and has had enough.
Notice our death grip on her.






Shot # 3
Whitney is intent on making this work.






Shot # 4
Whitney is so intent on making this work that she has started to make
strange hand movements to get Moki's attention. Not working.






Shot # 5
Whitney and Moki (but where is Duncan?)






Shot # 7
Both Whitney and Moki annoyed at each other and this process






Shot #8
Whitney got the memo to look at the camera, but Moki did not.






Shot # 9
Close enough.





Shot # 10
Moki didn't want me to upload these, as you can tell
she is sitting on my laptop. But she lost the battle, and now
you get to enjoy the Meadows Photo Adventure.

Baking Gluten-Free

We documented the Blondie baking process just for the blog :) Mom and I visited a Harry's Farmer Market in Marietta today which had a plethora of gluten-free goodies including blondie mix! This dessert is something I miss most about no more wheat (and Applebees will just never be worth going to without the possibility of eating this delicacy). So, imagine my joy when I found this (AND gluten-free hamburger buns to make our veggie burger dinner complete!).

Mom will be glad to know the stand mixer is used nearly every weekend (at least).

Mixer in action. How did we ever mix without it?



Initial entry into the oven



Finished baking (turned out nicely, no?) When substituted applesauce for oil and added a few white chocolate chips to the mix.




I don't even want to tell you what's in the sauce. It made my heart hurt (probably because of blocking an artery, and in sadness at the absolute unhealthiness of this necessity to make the blondie truly good.).



Final product. It wasn't quite as good as the Applebees version, but they have had time to perfect it, right? BUT, it was still delicious and definitely worth making again.




And now, we close with a brief Moki series. This is her sphinx pose... which is what she does while I'm baking. I think she looks quite satisfied.




Moki also benefits when we get now TOMS. We're thinking about decorating the box as Moki's house. When this happens, we'll post more photos.



Duncan tried to feed Moki and a cracker last night. You see how well this went over. She's way to smart for that :)