Note From The Editor

The 7 deadly sins:

• Lust? Check.
  
• Gluttony? Check.
  
• Greed? Check.
  
• Sloth? Check.
  
• Wrath? Check.
  
• Envy? Check.
  
• Pride? Check.
  

What can I say? I'm a sinner.

Or at least I would be if I believed in God.

I think it would be fair to say that I have committed every single one of these sins and then some at one time or another (possibly 2 already this morning) and might even have made up a few more to add to the list, but what does this say about me? Are these sins really relevant in the modern world? Are they still considered deadly sins? Does the fact that I have committed them make me a bad person destined for the gates of hell?

Personally, I believe not (especially the gates of hell thing being an atheist), I think we all have a little anger, envy and pride in us. I would hope so at least, these things are what make us human. Would we rather be perfect, flawless specimens of humanity? Wouldn't the smugness and do-goodness of it all drive you insane? Make you want to drive sharp, pointy implements into the eyes of the next person you witnessed being oh so good? I think it probably would me.

What about you, are you a sinner? Do you find yourself committing one or more of these on a regular basis?

Anger Management

by Beth from Sense & Sensibilities

As is typical in religious or moral theology, what we are taught to believe often differs greatly from what is actually written in the Bible. Almost every list of vices, whether it be classic literary works, such as Dante and Chaucer, or modern day films like Se7en, contains wrath or anger as a sin. Yet, when we refer to Proverbs 6, the origin of the now infamous Seven Deadly Sins, neither are mentioned.

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

This prompts the question: Is anger a sin?

No matter how much we try to control it, every person on the planet has a temper. Why is that? Did the devil create anger? I don’t believe so. He doesn't have the power to create. All he does is pervert the godly things God created.

It's God who gave us the capacity to get angry. Anger has a godly function.

There is a righteous use of anger. Not understanding this has rendered many of us so passive, we don't get mad at the evil in this world. After all, it’s not politically correct! Therefore, Satan is having a free shot at everything we hold dear and holy. Our society is under attack, and our righteous anger that God has given us as a weapon is kept in its sheath and not used. This needs to change.

So what is a proper use of anger?

"Ye that love the LORD hate evil". (Psalm 97:10)

"The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate". (Prov. 8:13)

"The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom". (Psalm 111:10)

"The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge". (Prov. 1:7)

"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good". (Rom. 12:9)

“Hate” is a pretty strong word, yet it is clearly stated that there are things in this world that we should hate. Note that I said things, not people.

Jesus was sinless, but He had hate and anger. In John 2:14-17, which took place at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, and then in Mark 11:15-17, which took place the last week of Jesus' earthly ministry, Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple. He didn't approach them calmly and say, "Guys, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt or offend any of you, but I have to do this to obey my Father." Not quite. He made a whip and beat the people and animals and turned over their tables. He was mad.

So, if God is perfect and there are things that He hates, and if Jesus was sinless but had anger, I ask again: Is anger really a sin?

To truly answer this, we need to examine what makes us angry.

We can't always change circumstances, and we don’t have the authority to control others, but we can control what's inside of us that makes us angry. The key is found in Proverbs 13:10:

"Only by pride cometh contention".

It's not what others do to us that makes us angry; it's the pride inside of us that causes us to get mad. That’s probably not what most people believe, but that's what the Bible says. This verse doesn't say that pride is one of the major reasons for anger — it's the only reason.

Pride is not only thinking we are better than others; pride can be thinking we are worse than others or just being self-conscious. It doesn't matter if the self is always exalting or debasing. It's all self-centeredness, which is pride. Like it or not, understand it or not, pride is the source of all of our anger. As we deal with our own self-love, anger toward others will be defused.

Anger itself is not wrong, but rather the pride behind it. Humility is truly the best anger management. Next time you find yourself feeling anger, look deeper and find out why.

Beth is the author of Sense & Sensibilities, where she writes about her life with her family, her dog, hormones and stalkers. She also turns the Big Four-Oh today, giving her all sorts of new bloggity goodness!

How to Achieve The 7 Deadly Sins in One Day

By Pickle from My Two boys.

Ahh....but this can be done, especially if one is a stay at home mom.

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. I, myself, scurry from vanity, being the dowdy housewife that I have become (quick, hide!). However, check this post out from Silicon Valley Moms and you'll see how my summer at the pool was. (Yes, on the opposite side of the vanity mamas!) Yet, despite trying to stay clear from Ms. I Lost All My Baby Weight and Mrs. I've Got to Hire a Nanny, I found myself making sure I showered, applied my make-up, and even attempted to shave my legs (although that is hard when showering with a toddler at your feet).

Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. Have you never coveted your neighbors sleek and spankin' new Saab, retro coffee maker, or better yet...Prada? Come on, don't lie. Everyone keeps up with the Joneses.

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. One word...Chocolate.

Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body. hmmmm....can you say McDreamy, McSteamy, McLowe? McSeeley? hmmmmmm...

Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath. And this Blogging Mom has a mighty good reason to be angry. Personally, I think you rock.

Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. Yes, we have all done this at some point or another. Why else would we buy a lottery ticket or ask for that raise?

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Yes, I admit it...I DON'T EXERCISE and I avoid it at all cost. I do, however, carry laundry up and down stairs, chase a toddler 24 hours a day (he sleepwalks too), walk around the block about 50 times a day (Diet Coke in hand) while said toddler rides bike, do keyboard finger plays (does that count? uh-oh), mow the lawn, spy on the Joneses new possessions, and some days I even try to find the vacuum.

Thanks to The Seven Deadly Sins for the definitions.

Lust: "Just Looking"

by John of altjiranga mitjina

It was one of those parties where Lisa knew almost no one. They were there because Jason said it was good for his job. She was on her second rum and coke while Jason was across the room talking with some bleach bottle blonde with a top that was cut too low for Lisa’s tastes. Jason said something that caused the girl to laugh and Lisa watched as her breasts jiggled in reaction to her husband’s words.

Jason arrived with a fresh refill for Lisa, which was the purpose of his trip in the first place. “A new friend?” Lisa tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but failed.

Her husband handed her the drink, ignoring her tone. “She works for Tuttle, she was giving me some pointers on how to handle the new presentation I have to go over with him next week.”

Lisa sighed, but Jason was already turning away from her. He watched as another woman walked by.

A voice called out Jason’s name and he waved at the man calling him. “Look, Honey, I gotta go talk to Henderson. I’ll only be a few minutes, ok?” He left before waiting for her response.

She stood on the side of the room and watched her husband talk to Henderson. They were deep in conversation when a young woman in a short dress walked by. The two men stopped talking and Lisa watched as their eyes ranged up and down the woman’s body as she moved away from them. They laughed and looked one final time at the retreating form of the young woman. Lisa could feel the heat from the two men all the way over on her side of the room.

Another woman, slightly older than the one that had just walked past them, joined Henderson and her husband. She was dressed in slacks and a blouse. The two men said something to her and while she answered them their eyes dropped to her blouse. Replying to whatever she said Jason reached out and gently took ahold of her arm, giving it a slight squeeze. Moving his hand away he gently grazed her breast.

By the time Jason rejoined her Lisa was finishing up her drink. He asked if she wanted a refill but she declined. He knew she was mad at him but the look in her eyes and the angle of her shoulders. “What’s wrong, Honey?”

She turned away from him. He really had no idea what she was pissed about. Well, he had an idea, but to him it was silly. “I’m only looking, Lisa. Would you rather I do something?”

To him that was the answer. As long as all he was doing was “just looking” it was okay. He wasn’t acting out on his lusts, just drooling whenever he got the chance. “Do you have to act like such a school boy when I’m around, Jason? Couldn’t you at least rein it in when I’m with you?”

Jason laughed, a little louder than he meant to. A few people turned towards them, but he just smiled and they went about their business. “I’m sorry, Lisa, but do we have to get into this now. These people are people I work with, people I do business with. It doesn’t look good if I’m having a fight with the wife in front of them.”

Lisa smiled at him and kept her voice calm and level. “But looking down a colleague’s shirt is acceptable behavior. I guess as long as she has a good set of tits it’s alright.”

A few heads turned on Lisa’s words, but she just smiled at them like her husband had and they went back to their conversations.

Lisa handed Jason her empty glass. “Get me a refill, please.”

_____________________________________________________________
While he was at the Shannon McNally concert tonight John discovered he couldn’t escape the theme of this week’s issue. The concert was at the Parish at the House of Blues. The Parish is a smaller venue upstairs that the HOB uses for acts that couldn’t sell out the main hall. While waiting for Shannon to come on he noticed seven paintings around the room. Guess what they were paintings of? The Seven Deadly Sins. Read more about Shannon and other things at altjiranga mitjina.

Superbia in the Suburbs

Written by Liz from Three Bright Stars

I'm loath to identify myself with any particular Cardinal Sin. I'm pretty much Condemned, with all sins attaching themselves to me like flamboyant alphabet fridge magnets. I'm atheist. It has to work that way.

However, if you wanted to know which sin best fits me as a mother, it must be Superbia, pride. Isn't that a great new Latin word to add to your vocabulary? I plan to replace "excellent" with it, in the sense of tapping my fingertips together consecutively repeating, "Su-per-bia" as Mr. Burns says "Eg-cellent." To honour it as a sin, I suppose I'll have to fill my heart with the pitch of evil first, and on second thought, that sounds like entirely too much work. (Oh dear, I've just qualified for Acedia, sloth. Sins like fridge magnets.)

Daniel never fails to amaze me, and it does fill me with Superbia. His brain is so big! He is constantly trying new things - new sounds, new combinations, new actions – all on his own. About a week ago, he was drinking water from one of our Tupperware cups with lids and straws, which are pretty leak-proof unless you shake them upside down over your face, which Daniel was doing while Husband was changing him. Of course he soaked himself, but when he realized what had happened, he looked up at Husband and said, "Uh oh," so perfectly.

He's suddenly so good at negotiating stairs that he brings your heart into your mouth, partly from Superbia, and partly fear that you've let him go too soon. At the bottom, he sits on the stairs so nicely, patting it as though to say, "This is the perfect size for a new chair." I broke out the foam toddler chairs, and he practices backing up into them, learning spatial judgement right in front of me.

And I must not omit the continued fastidiousness of replacing fallen petals on the correct flowers, applying my used Breathe Right strip to Husband's nose, putting toys and plastic containers back where they belong, and helping me empty the dishwasher. These actions imply a superb level of intelligence.

So sue me, I'm proud. I'm proud of Daniel, for the tiniest of accomplishments, of Husband, for working so hard and being such a great dad, and of myself, for (apparently) doing a good job as a mom.

Surely, I'm misinterpreting the sin, but really, what did you expect from a heathen? I would offer to eat humble pie, but then I couldn’t help exclaiming, “I make the best humble pie!” Not humble, Liz. Try again.


Liz will include a recipe for the Best Humble Pie, which her family can’t get enough of, on her Monday Cooking Blog at Three Bright Stars.

Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy

It seems, according to All Things Blog, that mommy bloggers must write Birthday Letters. (Dooce, we all bow down to you in unison!) As Finn, my fourth baby and only boy, was born a year ago this week, here goes:

Dear Finnian Jude Badru Zen,

I'm sorry. Right after I give birth I'm tired and more interested in getting to know the creature who, only hours earlier, was cradled in the confines of my body. I give in to his Madness, and thus you will spend the rest of your life explaining four names, especially the last one, which is not a name but an entire philosophy. No pressure.

I'm sorry. They were just so crazy about you, and every time I turned my back, one of them was sitting on you, carrying you by your neck, biting you (with love), or feeding you a lollipop. I tried to keep them away in the beginning, but you were just so damn cute! I checked with the pediatrician -- no permanent damage from sucking lollipops in the first week of life, and your neck was most likely that long before the incident. We just hadn't noticed.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to spend so much of your first year in a shopping cart; it just happened. There's a whole lot of stuff you need when there's six of you who all insist on eating three times a day, who lose shoes on a daily basis, and also go through approximately six rolls of toilet paper in twelve hours. I'm sure I've read that the mall is a very stimulating environment for babies and that shoe stores are mostly decorated in colors that infants can see!

I'm sorry. I didn't actually take you out in dresses, or the pink onesies, or the lace socks, or the flowered bonnets, at least not when you started looking like a boy! It's just that baby clothes are so expensive, and I already had so many, and I didn't want you to spend any more time in the shopping cart. I've also read that it's okay for boys to play with dolls, and believe it or not, those floozy hooker figures count as dolls! It allows you to express your inner female. I'm sure any day now we'll get you some cars and trucks.

I'm sorry. That whole sanitizing and boiling stuff is really over-rated. They say dogs have cleaner mouths than humans anyway. I probably should have never given you a pacifier or a bottle or a teething ring seeing how Ezra is so crazy about them. And I promise I only mixed your formula with Sprite once! I was desperate!

I'm sorry. I never really let the others cry it out, but I'm tired, Man! I'm just over the sleep deprivation! How was I supposed to know your knee was stuck between the crib slats? You have to parent boys differently, you know! You have to teach them to work out their issues themselves, to problem solve. Buck up, Soldier!

I'm sorry. I wish this year could stretch on forever. A day will come in the not distant enough future when I will forget the precise weight of your fuzzy head on my shoulder, the smell of your milky breath on my neck, the feel of your tiny fingers twisting in the curls at the nape of my neck. In place of my arms, those little feet will have carried you down a road less traveled by me, and I will be sorry, very, very sorry.

"Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling [Finn.]"
(John Lennon)
Love,

Mama

Written by Meg Fitzpatrick

Meg is a writer, editor, teacher, and mom to four little menches. You can tune into her cyber sitcom at www.simplynutmeg.com.

Blog Review: Live.Awake

The Blog: Live.Awake

The Reviewer: Sarah from In The Trenches of Mommyhood

The blog I’m reviewing this week is called “Live. Awake” written by married couple Ben and Heather Cotton.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I could immediately sense this was a Christian-living/family blog. My assumption was confirmed as soon as I clicked on the “About” button. Ben, a Pastor, and Heather, his wife are keeping this blog as a reminder for them, and all of us, to LIVE, not just sail through LIFE.

DESIGN:
The design of this blog is pretty plain. That is, no bells and whistles or frills. Simple, basic, to-the-point. Very easy on the eyes, but certainly not containing any sort of “WOW” factor.

CONTENT:
Heather seems like a down-to-earth mother. Some of her tips and ideas are useful (see Job Jar entry) and it’s interesting to read about her childhood growing up in a family with six (!) children.

Ben’s written sermons and Bible teachings were a little dry. They’re not something I would choose to read. That being said though, all his entries are clear, concise and well-written.

BEST AND WORST:
Best—The Cottens are a typical American family raising 3 children in North Carolina. They are truthful, honest and real. And not too preachy, for a Christian-centered blog. I got quite a kick out of Ben’s post titled Reconnecting With Family. He’s so down-to-earth.

Worst—There’s too much mouse-clicking to do to read the posts! A reader can’t get a feel for what a post is about until they actually click on it, which takes them to the entire post, including comments. I’m a skimmer. Give me a little bit on the main page, and let me decide whether I’m going to click for more…

BLOGROLL-WORTHY:
I have a feeling that the Cottens have a following from their families and Ben’s congregation. Again, this blog didn’t have that “wow” factor for me to include them on my blogroll.

SCORE:

SUMMARY:
A Christian family’s blog about “living life with eyes wide open.”

Music Review

Written by John from Altjiranga Mitjina



You know those times when you hear a voice that you don’t recognize but it reaches out and just grabs a hold of you. One of those voices that you can’t get out of your head. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s magic. Sometimes when I’m shopping, checking out the music bins and I don’t have any particular cd or person or group that I’m looking for, I’ll just stroll through the bins, skipping around and looking through names that I don’t recognize or sometimes finding a name that I vaguely remember reading something about. I was at Borders one day, doing just this, when I came across a cd by a group called the Waifs. No idea who they were. Now I do a lot of reading about music and musicians, so I generally have some clue to a lot of names in the record bins, but there are still some out there that for one reason or another has escaped my eye. This group called the Waifs was one of them.

I was looking at a double album, a live album by them called “A Brief History.” They got marks for having a Dylan song on the album. The price was good for a double album. I didn’t have anything else to buy, nothing else reached out and spoke to me, so I decided to give this album a chance. After getting in my car and fighting with the packaging (why do they make cds so hard to open?) I finally managed to get the cd out and in the player. The last time I was so moved by a new voice that I didn’t know was when I heard Joss Stone. The sound coming out of my car stereo captivated me. The voices did more than just reach out to me, they reached out and shook me. I didn’t just like this cd, I feel in love with it. There was something in the music, something in the voices that sang it, that just made me want to listen to it over and over.

The Waifs are Donna and Vikki Simpson and Josh Cunningham. They are from Australia and sing folk rock. The two sisters started singing as a group called Colours. After they met Josh and he joined the duo they changed their name to the Waifs.

In Australia they built up their fan base until the release of their fourth album Up All Night in 2003 which debuted at number 3 in Australia and went double platinum in their home country. Later that year Bob Dylan toured Australia and the band opened for him. Dylan was so impressed by the band that he offered them the opening spot for them on his U.S. tour.

The single for this week is “Bridal Train” and tells the story of Vikki and Donna’s Grandmother, a war-bride of a U.S. sailor during World War II.

After the release of their double live album in 2004 the Waifs have been quiet on the album front. The two sisters have been busy having children and getting on with their lives. But this month so the group releasing a new album entitled Sun, Dirt, Water.



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These words are being typed just hours after coming back from a concert by Shannon McNally that was just as good as expected. Shannon was one of the first voices to hear, back before this column had a name. Check out John’s altjiranga mitjina this month for more about Shannon.