Friday 6 April 2012

84 days

Yep, times is flying!
84 days until I marry Iain.
In the meantime, I just turned 27 so I am now getting quite old (quite regularly, Iain finds a gray hair or two amongst my brown ones) I am collecting RSVPs and going to bridesmaid dress fittings, preparing to go to the Scottish babies and toddlers show at the SECC in Glasgow to exhibit AnnaJoyPhotography, I am editing photos from Jeanne and Paul's wedding in Paris last weekend and a million and one other things. This is a very happy time in my life, but an exceedingly busy one too.
So speak soon, but probably not too soon!

Tuesday 11 October 2011

What's going on arond here these days...

Will you marry me and It's a girl is what's going around here. Yes, in that order, and no, not both to the same people.
On 17th September 2011, Iain asked me to marry him. I said yes. We're getting married in 263 days. A long time to wait. But when you say "June", it doesn't sound quite so long to wait. It would be good if it was tomorrow though! That said, we're enjoying being engaged, and it only happens once so I'm determined to make the most of every moment!
Yesterday, 10th October 2011, I became an aunt when my sister-in-law gave birth to a little girl three weeks early. My niece is called Emilie and she has lots of brown hair. The birth was sickeningly easy and straightforward. Beki didn't actually realise she was in labour, and it was over and done with in 2 hours. Easy as pie!
So that's the news around here these days... no wonder I've not blogged much! Though I suppose I'd probably have quite a lot to say!

Saturday 20 August 2011

Why God Won't Go Away by Alistair McGrath

A book review

Why God Won't Go Away is a short book by a world renown apologist, Alistair McGrath, on the subject of New Atheism. New Atheism is a movement that has predicted before that religion would be extinct by now, something which has clearly not happened. It is characterised by a hatred of religion; indeed, more than atheist, it is anti-theist. As well as hating religion, New Atheists seem to hate anyone who disagrees with them on this, saying that any belief in God is irrational, and using all sorts of unpleasant names to characterise believers of any faith. McGrath also points out the difference between atheists and New Atheists which I thought was insightful and helpful.
McGrath has an informed point of view as a biology professor at Oxford University who has read a great deal of books on the subject from both sides of the argument, himself gone from being an atheist to a Christian, debated with the Four Horsemen (Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens) and been a regular reader of New Atheist online forums, which is where the majority of the debate and talk is going on.
Though I have heard a fair amount about the New Atheism before, I cannot say that I know all about it, nor about how it came to be what it is. I have only read a couple of other books on the subject of apologetics, and only one of those dealt with New Atheism. This book was an excellent introduction to its protagonists and to its (short) history. Through the pages of this short, very readable book, McGrath sought to enlighten those who perhaps think that Christianity is silent or has no valid, logical and rational answer to New Atheism's beliefs and claims. He does this in layman's terms, while most other books on the subject seem to be significantly more scholastic in their style. I particularly benefited from the first few pages introducing some of the main ideas of the New Atheism and the Four Horsemen, using their own work and debates that McGrath himself has had with these men. Though McGrath disagrees with them, the tone of the book is courteous and respectful throughout, and argues rationally with their beliefs.

*I was provided this book for free through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thursday 4 August 2011

A Plethora of adventures

I have stories to tell and anecdotes to recount. But first, I must go and drink tea and eat cupcakes at JoJo's Danish Bakery.

Thursday 28 July 2011

My favourite person in the world.

That's him, and I get to sit (or stand in this case) next to him. :)

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