Odds and Ends vol.1

I think I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and create a periodic feature of links to good articles I've found around ye olde internetz.  I read a lot of interesting/thought-provoking stuff, and I sometimes post the links to my personal Facebook page, but I'm thinking it might be nice to share them here too.  I usually have lots I'd like to say about these articles, but not the time to articulate them, but perhaps we can start a combox discussion instead.  I don't know how regular this feature will be, and I'll try to keep the link list reasonable.  I admit, this first list is a bit unwieldy, but there is so much good stuff here!

Rethinking the Nativity Story.  I love this piece, as it uses Ken Bailey's work on understanding the Bible in the Middle Eastern context to explain the Nativity story, and to reframe our ideas about Joseph, who, it turns out, was a good provider and a Godly man.  (Incidentally, I know Ken Bailey from years ago when I worked in the Twin Cities; I worked for Crossways International, and Dr. Bailey collaborated closely with Dr. Wendt.  He's a lovely and fascinating man, with lots of stories to tell).

And speaking of stories to tell, from The Atlantic: What Kids Learn from Hearing Family Stories.  As a historian, I think this is so, so important, not just in terms of how it benefits kids, but how it benefits the wider society to have a shared cultural narrative.  The loss of narrative in the post modern world is something that occupies a fair amount of my brain space.

From the New York Times: The Documented Life.  I'm working on a reflection on the themes of this piece, which resonated so strongly with me.

From Dreher: Exploring the Benedict Option.  Long, but worth reading.  From the article: "The purpose of the cocoon is to prepare the butterfly, not to be wrapped in yourself forever."

From a friend from seminary days: "Dear Stranger: A Sleep Deprived Mother's Plea"  We are thinking of starting a tumblr dedicated to plastic lawnmowers overturned in snow.

Get your tissues handy for this father's video of his son's first year of life, including 107 days in the NICU.


Just for Fun:

Middle Earth PSAs

The Evolution of Dance (parts 1 & 2): If you, like me, learned how to dance in the 1990s, but grew up on the music of the 1960s and 1970s, this is so funny!

Amazing Closet Office Transformation (although how this guy has a spare closet is beyond me)

From the Matt Walsh blog: Why Men are Bad Listeners

Vintage Beach Photos (there are more than 300 photos, covering the late 1890s up through the 1950s, and it is fascinating).  The photos put paid to the notion that women of yester-year were all short, skinny, with perfect 24" waists.  I say that not to defend the current obesity epidemic, which I think is real and serious, but rather to note that women come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, and being healthy is what matters most.  These women look healthy to me.  Plus the bathing costumes are great!

A 10 Month Old's Letter to Santa