You will be thankful for a small beautiful church in Carlsbad, New Mexico, playing “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” as you head back out into your smelly minivan with your chicken butt children. You will also regret not accepting their invitation to a Green Chili Potluck. But you are Southern and so you do not […]
The Grace of Ordinary Dog Days
It’s summer and the liturgical calendar rolls through Ordinary Time. True enough, the phrase “The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time” doesn’t exactly titillate the senses. But this “ordinary” does not imply commonplace or routine events. It refers to a sequence of ordinal numbers—first, second, third and so on. For followers of Christ, this “ordinary” denotes […]
G. K. Chesterton Presents: Christmas in July
Gilbert Keith Chesterton has become rather blasé in Evangelical culture. It’s no longer fashionable to spout Chesterton quotes, as myriad books like “The Quotable Chesterton” (eclipsed only by the coveted “More Quotable Chesterton”) and other anthologies make pinpointing the perfect Chesterton quote for the situation all but trivial. And thus Chesterton (along with Lewis, who […]
Crafting the Soundtracks of Our Lives
The world’s jaw dropped when Apple announced the end of iTunes as we have known it these past eighteen years. For some it was simply a surprising move — splitting up Music, TV, and Podcasts across three app services was unexpected but sensible enough — but for a noisome contingent (and who can know the […]
The God Days of Summer
It’s safe to say that Robert Capon is not a fan of summer. In his hilarious and profound The Youngest Day he writes concerning the season, “‘Nothing too much,’ said the ancient Greeks; and ever since, wise men have called moderation the key to a happy life. Yet summer is immoderate in everything.” He elaborates: It […]
The Tyranny of Summer Expectations
For the first time in recent memory, my kids are at loose ends this summer. As a parent who works full-time, with children who aren’t ready to stay home all day by themselves, I’ve relied on a complex network of expensive day camps and summer activities to keep them supervised and occupied. My parents moved […]
Identity and Summer Selfies: A Reminder
It’s that time of year again, when all of us at some level look at our bodies and realize that we’ve been more, let’s say, “relaxed” about our health during the colder months. We also see — well, some of us do, anyway — our offensively pale skin or winter-weight and dread the first day […]
Am I Doing Summer Wrong?
A timely reflection from Lindsey Hepler. With the solstice behind us and the 4th of July upon us, there is no denying that summer is in full swing. This means, among other things, that the question du jour is: “What are you up to this summer?” Whether you have big plans or not—whether you had the […]
The Legalism of Swimsuit Season
For 6 months of my life I looked really great in a swimsuit. I was 18, eating mostly fat free jello and running like there was a fat monster chasing me. After that season of inexplicable joy, I began to loathe wearing swimsuits as much as the next American woman. Two things have happened to change […]
Don’t Worry, Just Dance!: The Songs of Summer ’13
Summer is always an amazing time for music, and this year has been no exception, with several notable releases. Usually there’s a single track that is unofficially crowned “the song of the summer.” It’s that one song you can’t escape. You hear it on the radio all the time and you can’t get it out […]
Mockingbird at the Movies: A Quick 2013 Summer Blockbuster Preview
It’s April, and you know what that means? A mere four weeks away till the start of the summer blockbuster season! By no means complete, here’s a list of “big” movies to look out for this summer, based upon trailers, the likelihood they’ll merit a fuller Mbird review after they premiere, and my personal taste […]
