Unwanted

There was a ceremony yesterday, where hundreds of Indian girls named Nakusa or Nakushi (meaning "unwanted" in Hindi) got to choose new names for themselves, according to an article in Fox News.

And yet the real hope...the Hope that is carried beyond this world's names still lies out of reach for many of these young women.

from Isaiah 62 -

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.

2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.

3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.

5For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Finished: The Seventeenth Swap

Eric Greene is a terrific character who, through his unexpected interactions with people, grows into thinking outside of the box. His motivation is the desire to see a disabled friend obtain what he cannot have. Well written and delightful.

I'd give it a 5th grade reading level for the internal struggles Eric endures. Would appeal to male or female.

The Seventeenth Swap, Eloise McGraw, 1986

Excerpts: Bloomability

"At about four o'clock in the morning, this is what I decided: I hadn't had to struggle for those skis. Someone had given them to me out of their own generosity, without my having struggled for them, without my having earned them.

I thought maybe I should give them back and tell Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max that first I'd better earn the money for them. I'd wash floors and windows and chop wood and do all the laundry and all the cooking. What a struggle!

But in the end, I decided that it was Christmas and people liked to be generous at Christmas, and maybe I ought to just accept this struggle-free gift. It might be hard to do -- wait! That would be my struggle. I would struggle to accept their generosity. Yes I would."

So I consider how free the gift of grace is, and how I keep going back to trying to earn it now that it's been given to me.

Bloomability, Sharon Creech, chapter 19

Musings on Medical Ethics

I had a random thought this morning. (What a surprise!)

If one changes their body medically for convenience or pleasure, is that ethical? Is there a difference between a non-medically necessary nose job and a changing of gender surgery?

Beautiful Feet

My sister-in-law forwarded some thoughts on how to make yourself beautiful through your actions. (for attractive lips, speak words of kindness, and the like)

This got me to thinking about Romans 10:15 "...how beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news." I've done a Bible study on this passage twice, and never before have I understood what this would have meant for the immediate hearers.

Beautiful feet was an oxymoron in Biblical times. Feet were dirty, grimy, smelly and certainly never beautiful. You'll recall this was the coup de grace for the disciples - that Jesus, the Christ, would wash their feet.

How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news. Read Isaiah 52. It only gets more beautiful.

A Freudian Link

Some great thoughts on mothering from a blog that linked to a blog. (Thanks, Megan.)

Et Ampersand

Because I find it fascinating, here is a link to the history of the ampersand, as well as instructions on how to correctly configure and use it.