Breast-feeding in the Back Pew – I subscribe to CT’s updates, but my husband beat it to the punch with an e-mail stating this was a “good, solid” article. “How widespread the no-breast-feeding rule is in U.S. churches is hard to say. But one thing’s clear: Our squeamishness over breast-feeding has little precedent in the church. Instead, Christians have long celebrated this aspect of Jesus’ early life. Church father Ephrem the Syrian wrote a collection of hymns on the Nativity, including this, which connects the humble picture of Jesus nursing from Mary’s breasts to Jesus’ generous provision as King of all creation: The Lofty One became like a little child, yet hidden in Him was a treasure of Wisdom that suffices for all. He was lofty but he sucked Mary’s milk, and from His blessings all creation sucks.” Martin Luther celebrated the physical bond between Mary and Jesus, noting in his famous Christmas sermon that Mary “nourished the child with milk from her breast and not with strange milk … her breast being filled by heaven, without injury or impurity.” Following in the footsteps of the church fathers, our sacred spaces should likewise embrace the human body in all its mess. In a culture where breasts are perennially on display—but where breast-feeding is often regarded with disgust or at least embarrassment—allowing mothers to breast-feed in worship would counter how sexualized breasts are in modern culture. It would also communicate respect for mothers, many of whom feel shunned or outlawed when asked to use segregated rooms to feed their babies. The earthy eloquence of breast-feeding, even in church, would also remind us of both the humanness of our Savior and of God’s loving sustenance of us through all the seasons of our lives. I think, too, that much of the problem with our contemporary squeamishness can be found in what this commenter points out, and one on which we are often oblivious of how it clouds our perspective: “God created women to feed their young by way of breast-feeding and we did it for thousand of years without thinking twice about it. It wasn’t until someone introduce [sic] unnatural means of feeding our children that people started thinking breast-feeding was awkward, uncomfortable and embarrassing.” In Wake of the Tragedy – Johanna offers her thoughts of entering into this national sorrow. “I can only love my neighbor as myself. And right now that means putting…

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Social Media Is Eating Our Lives (And Pinterest Is Chewing Fastest)  – This is interesting, if nothing else. “If you find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, thank your smartphone and tablet: Americans’ social media use is on track to spike 37 percent this year, driven by a near doubling of consumption on mobile apps, according to a new Nielsen study. The biggest social networks are seeing mobile use explode while desktop computer use remains relatively flat, according to a year-end Nielsen survey of social media consumption. Mobile app usage spiked 88 percent on Facebook this year and 134 percent on Twitter. In contrast, desktop use shrank 4 percent on Facebook and grew just 13 percent on Twitter.” “Pinterest, meanwhile, emerged in 2012 as a growth sensation on all platforms, increasing unique visitors 1,047 percent on the desktop and 4,225 percent on mobile. (It probably helps that Pinterest came out of invitation-only beta only this past August.)” NYPD Boot Homeless Man – For several years, we lived in a run-down neighborhood where we saw homeless people almost every day. When the weather was in the extremes of cold or hot, it was a stark reminder of some of the particular hardships that are prevalent when this is the way of life. It’s easier for me to forget this is life when I don’t encounter it as often, but it is nonetheless reality for many Americans. This is a neat article about a police officer who, apparently unaware he was being photographed, showed a random act of kindness for a shoeless homeless man. “On Nov. 14, NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo, who was on counterterrorism duty in Times Square, saw the older homeless man without shoes sitting on 42nd Street. DePrimo, 25, left and then returned with a pair of $100 boots he bought at a nearby Skechers store. “It was freezing out, and you could see the blisters on the man’s feet,” DePrimo, a three-year veteran of the department who lives with his parents on Long Island, told the New York Times. “I had two pairs of socks, and I was still cold.”  

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Do Jews Have a Divine Right to Israel’s Land? – In light of the recent increase of conflict between Israel and Palestine, Christianity Today’s two-part article series from June proves a timely read. “Do Jews have a divine right to the Promised Land? Are American pastors dismissive of Arab Christians in Israel? Should Christians treat the Israeli-Palestinian dispute differently than other conflicts? As pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, John Piper has been addressing these contentious questions for years. After he began informally discussing them with David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus, we invited them to share some of their discussion with our readers. We begin today with Brickner’s response to some of Piper’s recent writings and sermons, and will continue…with Piper’s response.” Part 1: David Brickner of Jews for Jesus Part 2: John Piper’s response Why Ditch The Infant Cereals? – It seems the push for infant cereals is beginning earlier and earlier (though, it’s certainly not new; I’ve heard of stories of infants in my own and my parents era having cereal put into their bottles at just weeks old!), and the early introduction of food is usually done with grains. This article explains a few reasons why that is not a good idea and suggests alternatives. (Note: I do not advocate for all of the alternative starter foods given here, and prefer to primarily extend breastfeeding when possible; it is the first part of the article I concur with, rather than the latter half.) “Undigested grains wreak havoc on your baby’s intestinal lining. It can throw off the balance of bacteria in their gut and lead to lots of complications as they age including: food allergies, behavioral problems, mood issues, and more.” “If you feed your baby cereal or other grains, you’re doing more than simply sticking them with an indigestible food. You’re feeding them an indigestible food in place of something more nutrient-dense. You’re feeding them something their body can’t really use and starving them of the nutrients they need to grow a healthy brain, nervous system, and bone structure” Meanwhile Justus has introduced himself to two-solids: tissue paper and magazines, neither of which I’d advocate for, either. 🙂

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Waiting Is Usually Better – If we could just grasp this concept, we would save ourselves, our families, and our children a boatload of frustration and trouble. From womb to tomb, our culture (and others) seem to be lived at emergency room pace. Johanna shares some helpful insight on learning to patient in teaching our children: “We’re in a hurry. As an entire culture, we are consumed with how we can make things go faster. From technology to, and here’s the pitiful part, our children, we are desperate to rush the normal cycle of life. Faster. Everything needs to be faster and sooner. “ “Are you having a difficult time waiting for your child to mature at his own rate and in his own individual way? Are you impatient with the normal cycle of life?“ “I fight this tendency to rush my children along, but one thing I have learned is that waiting is usually better. When you start something too early, before the child is physically, emotionally, or intellectually mature enough to handle it, you will eventually teach him what you want him to know. But it will be a long process. It will be slow work. And there will probably be some frustrating tears in the process.” Panicking About Preschool – While searching for another article (that I forgot to save), I came across this one, which is very much in line with the theme of the above article, as well. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with printing fun activities and crafts for your preschooler. Not at all. There are a lot of wonderful resources out there that simply weren’t available to former generations of homeschoolers. If you and your little person are having a blast then keep up the good work. Just don’t panic. Don’t feel that you have to do so many forced “educational” activities with your very little one. Don’t let the pressure of mastering the basics stress you out. Preschoolers eat and breathe the basics. If you create an environment of creativity and availability your preschooler will pick up the skills they need simply by living.”  

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