More Than Stone

My friend over at Calacirian, who always makes me think-by the way, awarded me The Thinking Blogger’s Award.

Now, I’ve been following the blogging awards as they’ve been passed around from John, Phil,
and then to Calacirian. I feel honored, as all of those blogs make me think.

As I understand the rules, I am to pass the honor on to 5 blogs that make me think. So, drum roll please,

5 Blogs That Make Me Think, (in no particular order)…

Evidence of Grace
The Margins
Unfinished Christianity
One Hand Clapping
Jesus Trips

Your mission (if you are one of the tagged), should you choose to accept it, is to pay it forward as well … the rules are simple and they are three:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is the gold version and the silver to better meet your needs for blogolicious decorating).

And enjoy the blogs……

The term “meme” (IPA: /miːm/, to rhyme with “theme”, not /mɛm/ or /mimi/), coined in 1976 by the zoologist and evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins, refers to a unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another. Dawkins said, Examples of memes are tunes, catch-phrases, beliefs, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. A meme propagates itself as a unit of cultural evolution and diffusion — analogous in many ways to the behavior of the gene (the unit of genetic information).

Thanks to Paul for this particular meme.

A-Available or Married? Married to an old guy that just turned 47 on 2/6.
B-Best Friend? The old guy I’m married to.
C-Cake or Pie? Ummmm…neither, really.
D-Drink of Choice? Coffee, red wine, grey goose vodka martini’s and water, not necessarily in that order.
E-Essential Item? That depends. Where am I? What year is it?
F-Favorite Color? Again, that depends. Am I wearing it, is it on my walls, or am I eating it?
G-Gummi Bears or Worms? Yuck.
H-Hometown? Born in Toledo, Ohio. Grew up primarily in Cleveland.
I-Indulgence? I guess my favorite indulgence is sitting with a stack of books at the beach….for days…weeks….months, if possible.
J-January or February? February, I guess, but neither are very good choices, are they?
K-Kids and Names? Erin Nicole, Hannah Elizabeth and Becca Caitlyn.
L-Life is Incomplete Without? My IPOD!!!!!!!!!
M-Marriage Date? 9/4/1989
N-Number of Siblings? 1 sister
O-Oranges or Apples? I like both, but it’s so much work to peel those oranges.
P-Phobias/Fears? I hate bugs. Of all kinds. Why do I like Africa, you ask?
Q-Favorite Quote? It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
R-Reason to Smile? It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
S-Season? Read letter J and I and then figure it out.
T-Tag 3 People Please don’t hate me….. John, Cindy (again), and “The Creature”.
U-Unknown Fact About Me I’ve never lived in one house for more than 5 years.
V VIVACIOUS
W-Worst Habit? That’s a little personal, isn’t it?
X Ummmm…xylophone?
Y-Your Favorite Food? Seafood, pasta, a good steak. mmmmm
Z-Zodiac? Scorpio (which, by the way, are gross and scary)

Virgil tagged me. I hope he sees that I tagged him a few days ago! This tag game is getting out of control!!! So much so, that I’ve added a new category of blog post-tagged. I guess I’m supposed to name 5 of my favorite contemporary theology books. Contemporary can be such a broad term. I’m posting books that have been published very recently. Nothing over 5 or 6 years ago.

Hmmm…this will be tough.

The Last Word by N. T. Wright

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell

A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren

Anything by N. T. Wright

Anything by Walter Brueggeman

and I would have to say Waking The Dead by John Eldredge because that book may have been the first book I read that opened my eyes to new possibilities, and I read it at a time that I needed something new!

I tag: Shannon, Cindy
, (who tagged me last and deserves this), and Phil. Have fun guys!

Technorati Tags: N.T. Wright, Tom Wright, Brian Mclaren, Rob Bell, Walter Brueggeman, John Eldredge

Cindy from Tracking the Edge tagged me. So here goes nothing.

1) What’s the most fun work you’ve ever done, and why?

I teach doula and Lamaze classes. I’m passionate about birth and early parenting and just love teaching.

2) A. Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did?

Fit in a size 6 jean.

B. Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?

Go back to school.

3) A. What two things would you most like to learn or be better at, and why?

Well, as trivial as it sounds, my current undertaking is knitting. I find it fascinating that you can take a string and create something out of it.

I’d like to be more organized because it seems that it might make my life a little easier.

B. If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?

I think I’m going to have to copy Cindy’s answer and say that I would love to sit under Rob Bell and learn how to study the bible. I think another would be Tony Campolo. He seems to have this innate ability to see need and act on it.

4) A. What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you?

Funny you should ask….I recently had some friends participate in a Johari window, a personality mapping model. Three words that were used were: able, witty, loving. Intense wasn’t on there, but I definitely think that would be one.

B. Now list two more words you wish described you…

Wise and patient.

5) What are your top three passions? (can be current or past, work, hobbies, or causes)

I hate these kinds of questions. How am I supposed to categorize? When I’m working with pregnant families, one of the questions I ask them is “Assuming mom’s health and the baby’s health, what are the 3 most important things to you regarding your upcoming birth?”

So, I’m changing this question to—

Assuming love of God and love of family, what are your top three passions? (It’s my blog, I can do what I want)

Birth and early parenting. Africa. Changing the world.

6) Write–and answer–one more question that YOU would ask someone

If you could do anything…without regard to logistics, money or real life, what would it be?

I think I would live in Africa for at least a year, doing something really powerful and useful. Something to bring the Kingdom of God to bear. I’d love to do something working with the thousands of rape victims in East Congo or work in Southern Sudan.

I now tag: Virgil, Paul, Erika and aBhantiarna Solas.