Posts by Aimee Byrd

  1. Posts by
  2. Posts by

Posts by

Does God Need Mothers?

May 11, 2012
So I was on my way to my Tuesday morning Bible study this week with a lot on my mind. Lately, I feel like I’ve been waking up in the morning to a new game show wondering, “What obstacles are going to be hurled my way today? And in what new ways am I going to fail?” Already before 9:30 A.M., my dog’...

Reading Reflection:

May 9, 2012
Modern Reformation Magazine , Vol. 21/NO.3/May-June 2012 I received my copy of Modern Reformation in the mail today and am so pleased with their theme for the May/June issue: No Girls Allowed. It addresses the lack of women learning theology in our day. This is such a passionate issue for me. As I...

Book Review:

May 4, 2012
Popologetics , Ted Turnau (P&R, 2012) Back in the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college, I dated a guy who I wasn’t all that attracted to. Sure, he was plenty good-looking, and had some great qualities. He just wasn’t my type. But he took me on some really cool adventures that...

Strength to Prevail

May 2, 2012
Think of someone in your life that you revere as strong. They may be someone you would like to emulate; someone who seems to face each circumstance in their life with courage and vitality; someone who you may not even pray for much because, well, they’re strong. I received a prayer request from a...

Reading Reflection:

Apr 30, 2012
Maria Lin, “The Hidden Cost of Counterfeit Goods.” Real Simple May 2012: p.146 The Confessions , Augustine, Translated and Edited by Philip Burton (Alfred Knopf, 2001) Counterfeit Gods , Tim Keller (Dutton, 2009) I was reading my Real Simple magazine the other day and found this very short article...

Babies and Construction Sites

Apr 27, 2012
My husband decided to clean out the attic the other day. After eight years of living here, all three lights finally burned out in the master bedroom ceiling fan. However the glass plate is set on there in such a way that we weren’t sure how to remove it. Proudly, Matt went to the attic where he has...

Reading Reflection:

Apr 25, 2012
The Two Fears , Chris Poblete (CruciformPress, 2012) In this book, Chris Poblete sets out to recover the proper fear of God, pushing back against the “God is my homeboy” crassness of our day and the mild, pushover God that understands we are doing our best. Something he says about a quarter of the...

The Better Me

Apr 23, 2012
I clean up pretty good. By this I mean that I am somewhat skilled in accentuating my better traits, while cleverly distracting people from my faults. Frizzy hair? There’s a product for that. I remember an acquaintance once complementing me that I can pull off wearing funky scarves in my hair in...

Why the Kindle is a Really Bad Kisser

Apr 18, 2012
Kindle and I had our first date this morning. What a letdown! It was the kind of date where you feel compelled to kiss and tell. First of all, I love real books, so I knew that Kindle was going to be inferior. I knew I would miss holding my book with a cradled bend in its pages, perfectly spooned...

Reading Reflection:

Apr 16, 2012
On Paradise Drive , David Brooks (Simon & Schuster, 2004) It’s been a busy weekend. This Saturday we had opening ceremonies for my daughter’s softball and my son’s rookie league baseball teams. After that, of course, they had back-to-back games. Then it was off to get ready for the small group...

C.S. Lewis, The Beatles, and Michael Horton

Apr 13, 2012
I was about to make some supper the other day and needed to find the right mood music. It seemed to be a Beatles kind of day, and I happen to have a pretty good Beatles playlist. So I went about chopping my garlic and doing my best Ringo-head-bop. That’s when Nowhere Man came on…what a sad song! He...

Reading Reflection:

Apr 11, 2012
Modern Reformation Magazine , Vol. 21/No.2/March-April 2012 I never thought I’d say this, But Modern Reformation shocked me with it’s totally hip new makeover. I love the clever size and newsprint-feel of the paper. This month’s issue is replete with “exit-interviews” of those who have left the...

Exercising Your Senses

Apr 9, 2012
Have you ever lost a considerable amount of weight? I grew up in a fitness-oriented family and took for granted the physical lifestyle we lived. Our garage was converted into an “exercise room.” My dad taught Martial Arts; my mom taught aerobics. On vacations, dad would post a sit-up and push-up...

Book Review:

Apr 6, 2012
Fools Rush In Where Monkeys Fear to Tread , Carl Trueman (P&R, 2012) What a great title for a book! In the Forward, "Rev. Rodney Trotter" addresses the difficulty in marketing a book filled with various, unrelated essays. But this is Trueman’s second time at bat with such a book, and I devoured...

Plateau Busters

Apr 4, 2012
Every January, a new schlew of fitness videos hit the market to target everyone motivated by New Year’s resolutions. I love this time of year because I take the opportunity to stock up on the new releases made by some of my favorite fitness gurus. One of the videos I purchased promised to serve as...

Reading Reflection:

Apr 2, 2012
The Envy of Eve , Melissa B. Kruger (Christian Focus, 2012) When I first moved into my home here in WV, I planted some mums in my side flowerbed. I was eager to have their beautiful fall colors greet me, my family, and guests as we drove up the driveway. But I didn’t realize the work they would...

The Bride of Christ is Not the Borg Collective

Mar 30, 2012
Tim Fall has written another great guest post for us, after having a "reflection" from one of my articles. Pretty cool. Aimee, my inter-webz friend and blog mentor, posted an article about sisters and noted: I always say that us sisters really help prepare our brothers for marriage to a woman. I...

Reading Reflection:

Mar 29, 2012
The White Horse Inn Blog just posted Part 1 of an article by Dr. Michael Horton titled, Generation Me and Youth Ministry Today , lamenting the individualism of our youth. By the time they hit early adulthood, they seem to be dropping from the church in droves. But the big question is whether they...

That's Not My Name

Mar 28, 2012
Exhort is such a powerful word. It’s not one used frequently in casual, contemporary language. I think that maybe it is a little too commanding for our liking; and not in the shocking kind of way that we use to get attention, but in the accountable kind of way that we like to avoid. Encourage seems...

Reading Reflection:

Mar 26, 2012
Who Am I? , Jerry Bridges (CruciformPress, 2012) Who the heck am I? A daughter, a wife, a friend, a mom, a sister…a fitness-lover, a blogger, a reader, a talker…somewhat dorky, but too cool to care…Sure, some of the above describes me. Where I really get disturbed is when I try to define what kind...

The Extremist

Mar 23, 2012
No one wants to be labeled an extremist. We perceive people to be wise when they can find a middle ground and comfortably reside there. Unless it is a sport, of course. Extreme sports are cool. And the people who compete in them are venerated. One who looks for a middle ground is willing to...

Book Recommendation

Mar 21, 2012
Giving Up Gimmicks , Brian H. Cosby (P&R, 2012) Reclaiming Youth Ministry from an Entertainment Culture —now there’s a subtitle that catches my attention. In this book, Cosby makes the valid point that our youth are much deeper than we think. They want to learn theology. Their questions about...

Back Road Bliss

Mar 19, 2012
One thing that stinks about moving to a new town is that you are not familiar with the back roads. Matt and I have lived in the panhandle of WV now for going on eight years, and we are still learning some cool new ways to get to where we are going. Frederick, MD, the town I am from, has awesome...

What Goes with the Beer?

Mar 16, 2012
The Search for God and Guinness , Stephen Mansfield (Thomas Nelson, 2009) I committed a gift-giving crime. I bought this book as a birthday present for my friend Dana. I read a good review on it and thought she would love it. When it came in the mail, I was intrigued. The Search for God and...

Soul Sisters

Mar 14, 2012
[caption id="attachment_982" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Me & my seester"] [/caption] I love to consider all the metaphors in life that teach us about God and his church (haven’t you noticed?). Relationships in particular show forth so many Christian themes. Through marriage we learn...

Reading Reflection:

Mar 12, 2012
Family Vocation , Gene Edward Veith Jr. & Mary J. Moerbe (Crossway, 2012) This is a great book explaining how the gospel interrupts the ordinary through family vocation. As an introduction to the doctrine of vocation, Veith and Moerbe explain the value of the physical. Sometimes we are tempted...

Roof Sitten'

Mar 9, 2012
During my last two years of college, five of us girls rented a house off campus. It was an old colonial with a big front porch on 704 Goldsboro Street. The one thing I miss the most about living in that house (besides the pantry door that we covered with laminated cereal boxes) is the front porch...

The Best Laid Plans

Mar 8, 2012
We are treated with another guest post from Tim Fall. Anyone who reads my comments section is familiar with his great insights. You can now find him as a contributor at The Radical Journey . “ Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails ” (Proverbs 19:21). Our...

The Voice and Fruit Salad

Mar 4, 2012
Matt and I found ourselves watching The Voice the other night. Unlike American Idol, everyone who gets invited to try out for The Voice actually has a really great voice. The celebrity judges have their backs turned during the audition, and they only push their button to turn their chair around if...

Reading Reflection:

Mar 2, 2012
Abraham Kuyper , Richard J. Mouw (Eerdmans, 2011) One of Abraham Kuyper’s most popular teachings is a helpful model of how different institutions, or “spheres”, such as family, church, school, business, and the arts each have their own rights and nuances in governmental authority. Each cultural...

My Side of the Story

Feb 29, 2012
My husband, Matt, and I had a busy weekend. Friday night we went on a double date, and Saturday evening our family had dinner at a friend’s home. Do you ever find yourselves repeating some of your same stories when out with friends? Some of them may be defining moments in your marriage, and some of...

Book Review:

Feb 27, 2012
Nehemiah, Rebuilt and Rebuilding , Kathleen Bushwell Nielson (P&R, 2011) There are so many things that I love about this Bible study. As fabulous as the content is, I first have to talk about the construction of the book. For those of you who still like reading books in print, this one has all...

The Waiting Room

Feb 24, 2012
As a mom I have developed a new fondness for the waiting room. My whole perspective has changed. I’ve come to look at these little treasures as a special place where I am not allowed to do anything—except for one of my favorite things. What? The doctor is running 45 minutes behind? Fantastic, I...

Reading Reflection:

Feb 22, 2012
The Meaning of Marriage , Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller (Dutton, 2011) I thought I would share another reflection on this wonderful book. My husband, Matt, and I are faithfully plodding through it together on the weekends. We love it so much that we are going to be sad when we finish! Chapter...

Finding Our Strength

Feb 20, 2012
I think we spend much wasted time trying to protect the identity of our weaknesses—even from our own selves. I’m not suggesting that we wear them on our sleeve, unloading on every person who asks us how we’re doing. But perhaps we need to get real with ourselves and be honest about the image that...

Reading Reflection:

Feb 18, 2012
An Exposition of Hebrews , Arthur W. Pink (Baker, 20 th printing, 2004) The book of Hebrews is chocked full of Old Testament passages interpreted in light of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In Hebrews 2:3, we see a quote from Psalm 18:2. This excerpt from Pink has been one that I...

Teenage Wasteland

Feb 16, 2012
After writing my last article on what a successful teen looks like, I’ve been praying for my children more specifically as they approach their teen years. Honestly, as a parent I have been pretty afraid of these years. My oldest, Solanna, will be turning 13 this summer. I pray often about the...

Reading Reflection:

Feb 14, 2012
The Meaning of Marriage , Timothy Keller, with Kathy Keller (Dutton, 2011) My husband and I are reading through this wonderful book together. It is filled with so much truth and wisdom. For Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share an excerpt about truly loving your spouse: Romance, sex, laughter, and...

Successful Teens

Feb 13, 2012
I don’t know about you, but after church my family is always starving. So today, as I was flipping grilled cheeses, the rest of the clan was sneaking food behind my back. Meanwhile, my six-year-old son, Haydn, asked, “Mom, why don’t dogs get to eat lunch?” Observant questions like these make me a...

Reading Reflection:

Feb 11, 2012
Friends and Lovers , Joel Beeke ( CruciformPress , 2012) First thing: The whole time I was reading this short little book, I had the ‘80’s song ringing through my head. These are the dorky distractions that plague my mind on a regular basis. Most of this book is extremely practical. It is almost...

Book Review:

Feb 8, 2012
Prayers of the Bible, Susan Hunt (P&R, 2011) Prayers of the Bible, Leader’s Guide, Susan Hunt (P&R, 2011) Do you feel near to God when you pray, or are you just shooting down the list? How do you pray for the strength to forgive when you are deeply hurt and offended? Are you a life-giver or...

Because Your Kiss is on My List

Feb 5, 2012
Sometimes planning for vacation can be as much fun as going on vacation. You imagine yourself at the special place you have reserved, away from all the troubles of everyday life, ready to bask in the sun. This might be more of a woman thing, but it officially hits a new level of excitement when it’...

Another Wordsmithy Reflection:

Feb 3, 2012
Wordsmithy , Douglas Wilson (Canon Press, 2011) This reflection comes from tip #2 in Chapter 1: Authenticity in writing will only arise from authenticity in living. One of our great problems today is that we have gotten caught up in our culture-wide quest for authenticity. We want our jeans...

Reading Reflection:

Feb 2, 2012
Wordsmithy , Douglas Wilson (Canon Press, 2011) You know a book’s going to be good when the title alone sets off your spell check. This is a book about writing, but even if you do not particularly consider yourself a writer, you will still find this read a treasure. I’m going to post two Reading...

Fuel for the Thinkers of Today

Jan 31, 2012
Back when I had my coffee shop, The Mudd Puddle, our logo was “fuel for the thinkers of today.” You see, there used to be a golden age of coffee. The coffee houses were the places where people thought, networked, and celebrated. In fact, the custom of the tip came from a coffee-house in London...

Reading Reflection:

Jan 29, 2012
Equipping Counselors for Your Church , Robert W. Kellemen (P&R, 2011) This is a topic that I have been interested in lately, and a book that I’ve been eager to dig into. With my reading stack being rather tall these days, I’ve decided to read this 434-page book in the four helpful sections in...

Book Review:

Jan 24, 2012
Gospel Powered Humility , William P. Farley (P&R, 2011) I’m not perfect. Don’t we love to pithily drop that aphorism? What we really mean is, I’m pretty darn close . In this book, Farley calls us out. He even calls out those prideful people who struggle with low self esteem. He quotes Edward...

The Neverending Story

Jan 22, 2012
Part of my morning ritual is the art of selecting the perfect mug companion for the day. Some moms lunge at their morning cup like a marathon runner on mile 17, paying no matter to the vessel that holds their brew. The one they can grab the fastest is as good as any other. Other moms take pride in...

Reading Reflection:

Jan 19, 2012
Expository Listening , Ken Ramey (Kress Biblical Resources, 2010) Every time you hear the Word of God preached, you are training yourself to either obey or disobey God (98). Unfortunately, our generation is full of lazy listeners. The information age has bombarded us with a cacophony of informative...

Real-ationships

Jan 17, 2012
Social network—that’s the new word for friends. Well, it’s not a word. It’s a target market. A status. A collection of profiles and updates. Sure, there are many benefits to having a “social network” in this day and age. But I hope we are not settling for the false security that 368 Facebook...