five internet finds

I've read some good articles, blog posts, and seen some good videos lately that I'd like to share with you. Isn't the Internet great?

1. Dear God, Let Me Be 'Skinny' Pregnant I read this post on Christianity Today's women's blog, her.meneutics. The title piqued my interest since I'm (a) pregnant, (b) self-conscious about my weight right now especially since I'm in that limbo state of not really showing yet, but regular clothes don't fit (this stage of pregnancy is definitely known among pregnant women!) The author of the post speaks about the fat-shaming of Kim Kardashian, and the pressure in our culture on pregnant women to be 'cute pregnant.'  Here is an excerpt from the article: "Celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Gloria Steinem have spoken out against the media's treatment of Kim Kardashian. As Christians, we shouldn't stand for bullying and fat-shaming of anyone, whether she's sitting next to us in church or has a reality show on E! We should care because we are all created in His image, but also, because how our culture discusses and defines beauty impacts us, too. Slowly and subtly, it can influence what we believe, what we say, and how we behave. "Experts say humiliating pregnant women for their weight gain hurts all of us in the long run," according to a Today Show piece. "They perpetuate a society in which we judge people for their body mass index and fat-shame 'real people' we see on a regular basis." 

2. The Golden Age of Television  Everyone's a critic. :) "The new season of Arrested Development came out last week, and let’s make one thing clear; it is amazing. It’s what it’s always been, while full of new gags and tropes that made me excited to go back and watch again (because I’m sure I missed plenty). The return of Arrested marks another exciting notch in what critics have called “The Golden Age of Television.” 

3. As an INFJ, this video that popped up in my Facebook news feed, via Brittany, definitely caught my attention. I found myself identifying with Carey's actions and the way she was responding and interacting with Andrew. Kind of interesting.



4. The New Legalism I loved this post by professor Anthony Bradley, and I'd love to discuss the topic with anyone who is interested!

"I continue to be amazed by the number of youth and young adults who are stressed and burnt out from the regular shaming and feelings of inadequacy if they happen to not be doing something unique and special. Today’s millennial generation is being fed the message that if they don’t do something extraordinary in this life they are wasting their gifts and potential. The sad result is that many young adults feel ashamed if they “settle” into ordinary jobs, get married early and start families, live in small towns, or as 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “aspire to live quietly, and to mind [their] affairs, and to work with [their] hands.” For too many millennials their greatest fear in this life is being an ordinary person with a non-glamorous job, living in the suburbs, and having nothing spectacular to boast about." 

5. This post by Tim Challies, Ordinary: Christian Living for the Rest of Us, so resonated with me. There are days that I feel so boring, so ordinary, but I realize that there is nothing wrong with that. I read this post the same week I read the article by Anthony Bradley (see above), and I couldn't help but think that maybe God was trying to hammer a point home in me. :)

"I am thrilled to live this ordinary life. Nine days out of ten I wake up in the morning overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to live a life like this. I live it without guilt and regret. I live without the desire to be extra-ordinary and without feeling the need to do radical things. But then there is that other day, that one out of ten, where I feel guilt and discontentment, where I want life to be so much more than it is, where I am convinced that I am missing out on a better life and missing out on God’s expectations for me."