7 Things You Should Never Say in a Paper

Funny moments while grading student papers:

Who wrote that?

"Paul says in James 1:22..." 

The circular sentence...

"When a person is engaged in spiritual formation, what they do will not be contrary to what they are engaged in." 

Oh really?

"Jesus himself is telling us if you have faith you can do so many things and more. " 

The Glow-in-the-Dark Christian

"As a person engaged internally in spiritual formation, it should radiate from within." 

The Hipster Christian

"External actions are things like going to church, attending a bible study, or talking to someone about what Christ has done for you over a cup of coffee." 

What does God do?

"God provides provision for his followers."

Answering the prompt: "Make a plan to promote your spiritual formation in the next 6 months."

"I personally don't think a 'six month plan' is really a good idea." 

Every Other Day: A Short Story

It all began with Tib - as things often did. And like all good stories, the conflict came with a young man. His boyishly handsome physique - and perhaps, his heart for the mission field - made Carter Reichart the near perfect recipient of my friend's affections. There was only one flaw Carter possessed; he had a history. He had dated most of the girls in our youth group - those he hadn't, probably because they had "kissed dating goodbye." This fault was nearly overcome by his persistent pursuit of Tib, but one ill-judged decision made his fate nearly final.

Tacy's fancy was proven to focus on a less attainable target; the youth group's philanthropist. The problem was that tender-hearted Jacob had no apparent interest in my love-sick companion. When Owen came knocking - however lightly and undecidedly - a slightly disgruntled Tacy warmed to the idea of him more readily, perhaps in part for the pleasure of finally being acknowledged. Owen seemed, at least at first, to be a very viable option, his only fault being that he was the best friend of Betsy's ex, and said the words "covenant" and "penal" in great excess. However, his subsequent disinterest in missions and also somewhat shady past made him an object of suspicion by both Tib and Betsy.

Top 5 Posts of 2012

Enjoy what you've been reading? Take a look at the Northern Belle's top 5 most viewed blog posts of 2012.

A Love Story You'll Never Forget

Why Won't the Link Work? Depends on Who You Ask...

The Cost of Comfortable

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Part 2

Book Review: Freakonomics

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a fun and interesting read. Like economics, psychology also deals heavily with asking questions about incentives, trends, and why people do what they do--thus, I found the questions asked by Levitt and Dubner quite appealing. The book was well-written, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it  well balanced and unbiased. The authors have a gift for explaining complicated (and possibly boring) material in an easily understandable manner that is both fascinating and entertaining. I will look forward to seeing how their theories and predictions play out in the future.


View all my reviews

Most Popular Baby Names for 2012

The Social Security Administration has released the official rankings of the most popular baby names in American for 2012

RANK	BOYS	GIRLS
1	Jacob	Sophia
2	Mason	Emma
3	Ethan	Isabella
4	Noah	Olivia
5	William	Ava
6	Liam	Emily
7	Jayden	Abigail
8	Michael	Mia
9	Alexander	Madison
10	Aiden	Elizabeth

To compare to the name rankings for 2011, visit this page. 

From the website: http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2013/5/the-most-popular-baby-names-in-america-for-2012

Dr. Johnson Quote of the Day!

"I'm so sorry! I was only trying to make fun of a stereotype...and there you happen to be it."