Book Review: “The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Adventure” by Caroline Alexander

The Endurance Cover

I’ve written about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic adventures before when I reviewed Frank Worsley’s Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure. Caroline Alexander’s coverage of the story couldn’t be more different–but is still perfectly satisfactory.

While Worsley’s memoir focuses on the main characters involved in the adventure (from Worsley’s point of view), Alexander’s history gives a clear chronology of the events of the failed Antarctic Expedition. Alexander makes liberal use of the various adventurers’ journals and memoirs to compile a straightforward history of the events the Expedition endured.

Although I’ve read several books and watched several movies and documentaries covering this story, I still learned a good deal as I read The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Adventure. I was able to get a feel for the boredom of being stuck in the ice, for the distress and loss of hope after being stranded on a floating pack for months on end, for the tireless vigor with which several men stepped up to overcome impossible odds.

Worsley’s memoir brought the leaders of the expedition into sharp relief and emphasized the acute attacks of the elements. Alexander’s history helped me understand the less exciting, but certainly no less perilous odds the men had to overcome: the monotony of daily life on a floating pack, the weariness of seeing the same landscape day in and day out, the shock having to kill daily in order to eat, the delirium of seeing land for the first time in a year. This history brought the psychological elements of the Expedition into focus, emphasizing the delicate path Shackleton was forced to trod to maintain morale.

Frank Hurley’s breath-taking photos of the Endurance, its crew, and the Antarctic landscape are sprinkled throughout this book, increasing the depth of its already fantastic coverage of Shackleton’s Expedition.


Rating: 4 Stars
Category:History
Recommendation: A spectacular overview of Shackleton’s Antarctic adventure, this is a must read for lovers of history and adventure.



Simple Sunday: Medical Textbooks

Medical textbooks

Thankful for my sister’s medical textbooks (on the right) that have allowed me to get a good background on a disease before I figure out how to treat it with diet. I don’t know what I’d do without them (see my books on the left?)

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A Time to Cry

I’ve been a bit emotional lately, crying at the drop of a hat–and no, it’s not about the car accident. It’s just that I’m so blessed.

Tuesday at work was insane. My pedometer read that I had walked 1400 steps during the 9.5 hours that I was there. (Yep, I stayed an extra hour.) By the time it was over, my feet were killing me and I was tireder than tired. I went to the library, where I finished the book I needed to return. On the drive home, I contemplated the dishes. I’d been too busy or tired to dishes in almost a week–and we’d managed to use nearly every pan in our cupboards (I think there were 8 or 9 unwashed pans sitting on the counter). I entertained a little dream that a fairy would come and do the dishes like the Shoemaker and the elves–or that maybe my roommate would do dishes. When I opened the garage door to find that Casandra’s car wasn’t there, I knew that the latter couldn’t be true. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that the light was on in my kitchen and Grace was elbow deep in dishwater. I almost cried.

Wednesday, I walked into work at 6:25 as usual and the greeter at the front door said hi. Then he stopped me to tell me how much he appreciates that I’m always happy and friendly when I come in. I teared up.

As I was about to leave Wednesday afternoon, my office-mate told me that I was the most professional intern they’ve had yet. He struggled to explain himself, mentioning how I was task oriented and stayed busy. Which, to me, is a pretty high compliment. I turned my face back towards my computer as my eyes got watery.

Then came the car accident. I was rear-ended, pushing me into the car in front of me, giving me a bit of whiplash, and decimating my car. It took the police 45 minutes to show up (of course). I was so thankful that I had several books in my bag and could read while I waited. I read two (long) chapters of The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, a chapter of The Cost of Discipleship, and a Taste of Home Magazine before all was said and done. I didn’t cry, but I felt pretty blessed to have those books there with me.

After I couldn’t start my car, I called my parents to see if someone could come and get me. Dad came along and we dropped by Simply the Best Autos to talk to our good friend Robin. Robin and Dad went out to see if they could get Jack (my car) while I watched the shop (gulp!) They brought Jack over to the lot and I only looked stupidly, stammered, and handed out business cards to two gentlemen who were asking about the prices on cars. Then Robin loaned me a car for today and gave me the information I needed to deal with insurance agents. I could have cried.

I got to the folks house and soon had a concerned bevy about me. Mom, Dad, Josh, and Dan all wanted to hear. They asked questions and shared reassurances. And they laid hands on me and prayed for me. I cried again.

Dad did the hard work of calling the last guy in line’s insurance company and getting the ball rolling on insurance claims. I’m so thankful he was willing to go through the insurance rigmarole for me.

Daniel went to my house and got Schindler’s List from my desk so we could watch it together while I re-cuped. I cried all the way through.

We were hungry but didn’t feel like making anything (imagine that!), so I called the kids to see if they could pick up Popeye’s on their way home from youth group. My roommate paid for our meal, even though she had errands to run and couldn’t join us for it.

The movie got over and the kiddos started telling me about how Jeremy said something in his sermon that evening because I wasn’t there. He said that Eve sinned first–and that he could say that because I wasn’t there (I would, naturally, protest that Eve was deceived per I Timothy but Adam was the first to willfully sin.) Then, the kids tell me, he went on to tell the students that I was one of the best sponsors he’d had and that I was just wonderful–telling them anecdotes about stuff I’d done and everything. I cried as they told me.

Anna called, concerned once Daniel told her the news, and gave me all sorts of advice. She told me I shouldn’t be stoic and should go to the doctor to get some narcotics if they pain got too bad (by God’s grace, it hasn’t been that bad yet). She worried over me a bit, and told me I could sleep in her bed tonight (since climbing into my loft is not exactly the easiest thing when my back and neck are screaming at me.) Then she texted our other part-time roomie, who promptly Facebooked me her concern and that she was praying. I’m too blessed.

Perhaps I should be worried because I’m without a car and starting my community rotation (in which I will have to do a great deal of traveling) on Monday. Perhaps I should be upset that my wonderful, reliable Jack is totaled. Perhaps I should be overcome by the pain in my back and neck. But instead, I’m overwhelmed by the grace and favor of God.

Some days are just a time to cry.


Simple Sunday: Jonah

Jonah

Thankful for Jonah. While I was playing Noah’s ark with him this afternoon, he showed me the toucan and named its many colors–green, blue, yellow, pink, white, and black. I asked him how old he was. “Two and a half,” he said, and then counted his fingers for me. “One, two, three, four, five.” I’m thankful for the opportunity to enjoy this delightful little guy.

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Safe on the Other Side

It’s February 15, and I have safely traversed yet another Valentine’s Day–this year, the smoothest trip yet.

I can’t know precisely, but I think it helped that I wasn’t forced to sit through a youth group “Love Month.”

This year, I didn’t have to listen to anyone tell me to “don’t worry, you’ll get married someday.” I guess maybe it’s easier to not have to continually remind myself that just because well-intentioned believers promise me marriage doesn’t mean God has promised me marriage.

This year, I didn’t have to listen to anyone tell me that the trick to getting married is “being content in your singleness.” Apparently, they were really fast learners–they figured out how to be content in the entire six months they were single after high school.

This year, I didn’t have to listen to anyone tell me that “some people are called to be single–which means they’ll be single for the rest of their lives.” I didn’t have remind them that all of us were originally called to be single. And that singleness is a gift every single person has–until God decides to exchange the gift of singleness for marriage, should he choose to do so.

It’s amazing how much easier it is to be content with singleness when I’m not being told, explicitly or implicity, that singleness is second best.

I grew up in the church, attended youth group every week, sponsored for the youth group for several years during college, and estimate that I have heard at least 40 “Love Month” sermons or teachings. And I’m pretty sure that I am a better person for not having heard them this time around.

The creators of “love month” had good intentions. They thought they’d use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to talk about touchy subjects. The problem is, they were too uncomfortable to talk about the really important touchy subjects–so they conjured up unimportant dream worlds to talk about instead.

“Love Month”–at least as I remember it–included one teaching that wasn’t quite on sex (often relegated to a video), one teaching on praying and preparing for your future spouse, one teaching on courting (NEVER dating), and one evening where girls and boys split up to discuss “gender-related issues.” The boys talked about lust, pornography, and masturbation. The girls talked about modesty.

The problem with the sex talk was that no one really talked about it frankly. They euphemized and trivialized and glossed over things to the point that the only take home message you could get was that apparently girls and boys were not supposed to do anything together. Or something like that. Oh, there were a few good points–“If he loves you, he won’t try taking advantage of you” being a key example.

But by and large, the really important (although somewhat awkward) points weren’t made. Nobody talked about the serious medical complications associated with STDs. Plenty of people mentioned not kissing until you were engaged, or married or whatever–because it was the fad thing in the church in those days (maybe it still is, I don’t know). But nobody shared that some STDs can be shared through kissing, without genital contact. Now that’s information that might come in handy. Nobody talked about how every time you have sex with a person, it’s like you’re having sex with every person they’ve had sex with before.

They talked about praying and preparing for your future spouse. They shared the sweet story of our pastor’s wife, who prayed eight years for her future husband before she and Jason got married. They talked about keeping your room clean and not being a slob. I don’t remember exactly what else they thought was “preparation for marriage.”

I do know that they didn’t say anything about how to live the single life. They didn’t talk about learning how to have healthy relationships with your own sex. They didn’t talk about learning to be hospitable. They didn’t talk about learning how to manage your time and money wisely. They didn’t talk about using your giftings. They didn’t talk about humbling yourself and submitting to authority. Preparation for marriage is all right and good–but since marriage isn’t a guarantee and singleness (at least for a time) is, wouldn’t it be better to prepare for singleness? (Especially since by “preparing for singleness” I mean preparing for adulthood?)

They talked about courtship and not DATING. They talked about how the guy talks to the father and they’re both serious about marriage and blah-da-de-blah. They didn’t talk about how nobody needs to be worrying about dating OR courting in high school. They didn’t encourage the students to discover their callings and giftings and passions before they started looking for a mate. They didn’t caution students to not base their life’s course on a guy or a gal.

And then they split the guys and the girls up for some frank talk about issues. Or at least so the guys could have a frank talk about issues. The guys talked about lust, pornography, and masturbation. The girls talked about not causing their brothers to sin by being immodest. Once, they were especially bold and let me talk to the girls about guarding their hearts.

What they didn’t ever discuss with the girls? Lust. Pornography. Masturbation. Yes, we heard that guys were visual–that’s why we were supposed to cover up. But we never heard that girls can lust too. We never heard that we too need to guard our eyes and our thoughts. We were never cautioned against sexually explicit novels, intimacy-laden movies, and daydreaming about guys. Nobody would countenance mentioning masturbation to the girls. After all, what if some of them didn’t know what it was and got ideas?

So we were led to believe that lust was man’s sin. Immodesty was woman’s. The girls weren’t given any tools with which to fight the lust that attacked us. Thinking that we were abnormal and unnatural, we tried to fight the battle alone–or gave up on trying to fight. If a leader couldn’t even mention the word masturbation, how could a girl gain the confidence to go to the leader for prayer and accountability?

Just thinking about it gets me riled.

Perhaps now you can understand why not having to do “love month” has made February a great deal easier for me?

Even if not, allow me to share a few quick tips for talking “relationships” with single people:

  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep–Don’t promise them marriage when God hasn’t done so.
  • Redirect their focus back to what God has made clear is their calling right now. That means encouraging them to learn to be the best student, child, roommate, friend, or employee they can be. That means encouraging them to discover their purpose and passions and to get connected within the church.
  • Be willing to speak frankly, and listen openly about the many issues they’re dealing with. Don’t give quick, pat answers. Talk about lust. Talk about the joys of marriage (honoring your spouse by not going too far, of course). Talk about the trials of marriage (once again, honoring your spouse by not going into details). Go ahead and remind them that marriage is great but it’s not the promised land. Learn for yourself, if you need to, that a spouse is not the answer to all of life’s problems.
  • Above all, work to keep the focus on God–and their relationship with God. Don’t encourage single people to “be content in their singleness” (especially not as a means to marriage)–instead encourage them to discover God’s purpose in their singleness. Keep redirecting the focus of your conversations about relationships back to God.

Thanks for bearing with my little rant–and thanks to all of you who have been such a blessing to me (single person though I am ;-) Oh–and thank you, Lord, for the privelege of being a single woman (and that I didn’t have to do another “Love Month” this year).


Random Experiment

There’s this “random” meme going about Facebook, asking individual’s to list 25 “random” facts about themselves. But I don’t believe that the human brain is capable of true “randomness”–what passes as randomness is merely subconscious or uncommunicated connections.

So instead of giving the typical meme spiel in which I answer the questions and then tag others to answer them as well–I’m going to give you 25 non-random facts about myself that might seem random because I chose to skip a fact or two in the logical progression of my thoughts. Then, at the end, I want to invite you to join in by commenting–giving a fact about yourself that is related to the last fact (about someone else) but is a couple of generations removed.

So here goes…

  1. I am a social drinker of coffee–I’d never make myself a cup, but will gladly take a cup when offered it.
  2. I think my vanilla (homemade) is almost done–I let Grace use it the other night, at any rate.
  3. Christian was a tired little boy at Life Group last night.
  4. I’ve worn a baby.
  5. I’m not sure I’m green enough–or bold enough–to give DivaCup a try.
  6. I *heart* homemade crab-applesauce
  7. I’ve never met my next door neighbor.
  8. I’m not sure what species of drug “hash” belongs to
  9. So there was this guy I had a crush on in Jr. High… It was bad.
  10. Once upon a time, I stole a construction cone.
  11. There are additives in laundry detergent that make your whites glow under a black light (but not mine–I make my own laundry soap.)
  12. I’m allergic to cats.
  13. I used to play in a drainage ditch.
  14. To me: Grilled Cheese + Tomato Soup = Comfort Food
  15. Lots of people think me and Anna look like twins–or else they think we don’t look anything alike.
  16. I’ve never done a claymation–but I’ve heard it’s fun.
  17. I think the beast in Beauty and the Beast is totally hotter than the Prince
  18. My first pet, a fish, was named “Apollo Erato”–after the muse of love songs or something like that.
  19. I don’t possess a credit card.
  20. I have a weakness for the $1 a yard table at Walmart–but they recently upped it to $1.50 a yard–and that doesn’t really appeal.
  21. I have a sibling who is employed at McDonalds (once more.)
  22. I cringe every time someone finds my website via a Google search for fun essay topics.
  23. Clouds are pretty much amazing–they have so much personality.
  24. I wouldn’t mind returning to Yellowstone.
  25. Speaking of permafrost…The walk between my house and my parents’ has a permafrost-like character.

Now it’s your turn. Take that last comment about me and follow the trail a couple steps down and write your own (apparently) random comment (about yourself) below.


Hungry

Can anyone else feel the hunger, or is it just me?

I’ve battled with discontent for almost a year now–chronicling some of my struggle on-line. But this is a different discontent, a rustling ache in my belly. This is a cry from deep within proclaiming “There must be more.”

Just today, it struck me with a vengeance–gnawing away at my insides. “This isn’t what life was meant to be. There has to be something more.”

Not more talking. Not more doing. Not more meetings. Not more books. Not more blogging. Not more cleaning.

More Christ.

Surely I was not born to keep up with the laundry. I was not created to fill a seat in the service. My purpose is not to do dishes. I was not placed on this earth to teach people how to eat.

These things are all things that I do, but I cannot be satisfied with the doing of this life.

Discontent strikes me, but this time it is not a desire for more things or different circumstances. This time it is a desire for more of God. I desire that I would walk daily–no even more, moment-by-moment–in relationship with Him. I desire that He would penetrate every ounce of my existance to the point that my doing dishes would be worship. I want to be so consumed by Him that He overflows into every aspect of my life–work, church, school, friends, family, blogging, crafting, cleaning, filling my car with gas.

I want to live an “other” life. Not “my” life, consumed by my worries. An “other” life, consumed by the glory of God, glorifying Christ, being led by the Holy Spirit.

A holy discontent. A discontent with mediocrity. A discontent with living without reference to Christ. I’ve caught a discontent, I know not where–but I pray I’ll never lose this hunger.

Hunger for God.


A Higher Standard

SALT, Z-360’s student leadership team, is being called to a higher standard. (Just for the record, I’m in favor of the motion.) Of course, this means that the students will be expected to not listen to secular music, to avoid movies or tv shows that display immorality, and to not cuss. Standard youth group “higher standard” items.

I’m sure the call wasn’t too different many years ago. Youth groups were called to give up dancing and card playing in the call to a “higher standard”. Maybe they gave up “Golly” and “Gee”. Girls and boys alike were encouraged to dress up more–girls in longish skirts, guys in ties. Standard fare, you know.

But when I think about being called to a higher standard–I wonder if our high standards aren’t, well, a little low.

I mean, imagine if a youth pastor (or a normal old pastor) called his people to this kind of standard:

  • to always let others go first in line (Romans 12:10)
  • to never honk your horn or get upset when someone cuts you off (Romans 12:17)
  • to always follow the speed limit exactly (Romans 13:1-5)
  • to NEVER become indebted to ANYONE (Romans 13:8)
  • to let yourself be cheated (I Corinthians 6:7)
  • to follow through with what you’ve promised in the past (II Corinthians 8:10-12)
  • to take captive every thought that is disobedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:5)
  • to not walk in lewdness (raunchiness), contentions (arguments), outbursts of wrath, and envy (Galatians 6:19-21)
  • to never speak corrupt (twisted) words (Epehesians 4:29)
  • to not tell dirty jokes (Ephesians 5:4)
  • to obey your parents without begrudging–every time (Ephesians 6:1-3)
  • to pray regularly for the body of believers–and especially for missionaries (Ephesians 6:18-20)
  • to never be conceited (Philippians 2:3)
  • to never complain (Philippians 2:14)
  • to never worry (Phillipians 4:6)
  • to stop “stretching the truth” and telling “little white lies” (Colossians 3:8)
  • to recognize and esteem those who work among us (I Thessalonians 5:12-13)
  • to work in quietness and earn our keep (II Thessalonians 3:12)
  • to regularly pray for all who are in authority (I Timothy 2:1-2)
  • (for women) to learn in silence (I Timothy 2:11)
  • to provide for your family members who are in need (I Timothy 5:8)
  • to not listen to gossip (I Timothy 5:22)
  • to not answer back to your parents (Titus 2:9)
  • to not pilfer (even a pen or a paper clip) from the office (Titus 2:10)
  • to never speak bad things about anyone (Titus 3:2)
  • to entertain strangers (Hebrews 13:2)
  • to remember prisoners AS IF WE WERE CHAINED WITH THEM (Hebrews 13:3)
  • to visit orphans and widows in their trouble (James 1:27)
  • to never discriminate against ANYONE–black, white, poor, rich, clean, smelly, cool, uncool (James 2:1-9)
  • to not make plans without taking God’s plans into account (James 4:13-16)
  • to confess your sins to another believer (James 5:16)
  • to have a good reputation among the world (I Peter 2:12)
  • to be courteous (I Peter 3:8)

That is just part of the standard which God calls His people to.


Book Review: “A Single Thread” by Marie Bostwick

A Single Thread cover

After her husband divorces her, Evelyn Dixon packs her bags and heads across the country to open a quilt shop in a town she’s only visited once. She’s overworked and alone–trying a last ditch promotion to keep her store from going under–when she receives news that could change her life forever.

Abigail Burgess Wynne lives a comfortable life as town patroness, socially active but aloof. That is, until she’s given custody of her delinquent formerly estranged niece Liza. When Liza blackmails her aunt into attending Evelyn Dixon’s quilting event, Abigail’s isolated life changes course.

A Single Thread tells the story of the unlikely community formed when four women are brought together at a quilting event. Each woman’s life is changed by her interactions with the others.

A Single Thread is a well-written book–the plot is interesting, the characters strong–but the beauty of this book is in its depiction of community. Most novels use their characters like game pieces, manipulating them to fit the plot. In A Single Thread, the character’s interactions MAKE the plot as each woman grows through relationship with the others.


Rating: 4 stars
Category:Novel
Recommendation: A novel of the highest quality, I highly recommend it to all lovers of general fiction.


Sick Song

Norovirus is going around the state of Nebraska–and I just might have it. I can’t say for sure, as my immune system seems pretty strong and I’m not spewing from both ends as someone with a weaker system might do if faced with Norovirus–but still. With a mild fever, gastrointestinal cramps, and a touch of diarrhea, I’m staying home from church.

Hopefully you will escape the bugs that are traveling about this winter, but in case you don’t, I figured I’d share a little ditty that I wrote myself. It’s called the “sick song”.

Sung to the tune of WestSide Story’s “I feel pretty”:
I feel icky
Oh so yicky
I feel icky and yicky and gross