Mon raison d'être

When I began this blog I was certain that I would post content mainly related to the integration of theology and psychology. However, as my different posts took shape, some of them were purely religious while others were secular in nature. Some were personal and talked only about familial experiences and some were just for fun. I tried to narrow my subject matter, but I just couldn't seem to commit!

I went through a couple different titles for the blog with the most recent being “La Famille Batson”, which gave tribute to my French ancestry and gave the inkling that posts would be mainly about our family. However, that is not exactly a match with content either.

Because I want to call the blog something that accurately reflects the content being published, I am changing the name once more. All I can promise from what I will write about is that I will write only about things that I believe are crucial and central to existence. For this reason I am renaming the blog “Raison d'être” which is literally, “reason for being.” It refers to anything that is central to our existence. It’s a perfect fit, and it still sounds beautiful because, well, what doesn’t sounds alluring en Français!?



One of my prime raison d'être....Thomas and I promising to "train our child in the way she should go..." (proverbs 22:6).

Gossip Girls

How strange. Last night I was lying in bed thinking that I wanted to blog about gossip. This morning I got up, sleepily turned on the nationwide news, and was surprised to see them doing a report on, you guessed it, gossip. That is not a common topic to report on, so I knew I would now definitely be posting on it. After all, it had already been on my mind and what the media had to say about gossip just drove my thoughts all the way home and walked them to the door. The popular morning news show (whose name I have politely omitted) reported that gossip “can actually be quite healthy” (this statement was not backed by research). One man on the show said “if someone is not a gossip, I won’t talk to them....because if someone isn’t gossiping, they must be dead! Every one gossips!” The show went on to talk about how gossip is a harmless pastime that can, at times, even serve as a bonding agent in relationships.


The truth is that gossip, like a tick, has imbedded its heinous little self into the core of our culture. While it does come naturally to most of us, it is far from healthy. Gossip has ruined many lives, broken thousands of hearts, and shattered relationships worldwide. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.” I happen to whole-heartedly agree.

High school was full of it, and I had hoped that would be the end. To my horror, I discovered the world of gossip was only growing larger. When I worked at a bank for several years, some of the individuals I worked with there were harsher gossips than those that I went to school with. I wish I could claim to never have partaken, but there were times I would listen intently, and even pass along something that was none of my business. Each time it happened I wanted to slap myself silly. I have since made it a goal to never discuss individuals’ lives in a hurtful manner. None of us are exempt from the temptation, but all of us are responsible for bettering ourselves and our character.

So how do we avoid it? One rule of thumb I follow is that if I would not want it said about me, I would not say it about someone else. I am also aware that if someone is gossiping to me, they will likely turn around and gossip about me. Trying to put ourselves in others’ shoes really plays a central role in halting gossip. In The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, there are two statements that really apply. The first is, “Gossip is passing on information when you are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution.” And the second, “Your character is essentially the sum of your habits.”

Milestone 25

It's official. Well, it will be in about half an hour anyway. I'm a quarter of a century old today. It really isn't that old, but because I still feel 18, 25 just sounds strange coming from my lips. Nonetheless, I dug up a few pictures from the last few years of myself and my partner in crime. What I've gleaned from doing this is that Thomas and I both need to change our hairstyles. In the last four years I've gained a college degree, a husband, a daughter, a few laugh lines, and a little wisdom too. I really couldn't ask for anything else.

2008


2009


2010


2011

Books I Read in 2010

Someone once said that "Who you will be in the next five years depends on three things: the books you read; the people you meet; and the choices you make." I decided to keep track of the books I read in 2010 (since I can't exactly keep track of the people I meet or the decisions I make.) Below is a list, and at the bottom with corresponding numbers I have written a brief opinion review for those interested. I would love to hear what good (or bad) books you have come across this year!

1. Bible- The New Testament.
2. Fear Fighters
3. Believing God
4. Traveling Light
5. The Makers Diet
6. Baby Proofing Basics
7. Blink
8. The Irresistible Revolution
9. Six Hours one Friday
10. A Framework for Understanding Poverty
11. Making Judgements without being Judgemental
12. Falling for God; Saying Yes to His Extravagant Proposal
13. Disciplines of the Holy Spirit

1. It took me all year to get through reading only the new testament. I'm amazed by people who read the whole bible in a year or less! All I can say is God is wonderful in so many ways...and that small statement in no way does Him justice.
2.An excellent book by Jentezen Franklin for anyone who worries too much. As a worrier, I found it very helpful. I also plan to read Fearless by Max Lucado in
2011; a book written on the same premise by one of my favorite authors.
3. A book about the ways that God is still working in our everyday lives, all we have to do is choose to believe in him! I LOVE the author, Beth Moore. This was the second time I've read this book and it was just as good the second time around.
4.Also the second time reading this one. A book by one of my favorite authors Max Lucado about how to get rid of old baggage. His writing style is so down to earth and easy to read. If you have never read this book I strongly recommend it.
5.I don't believe in diets, but that is not really what 'The Makers Diet' is about. It does include a diet plan toward the back of the book, but I didn't read that part. What I really enjoyed reading was the author's (Dr. Jordin Ruben) personal story of triumph over tragedy and the extremely interesting nutrition information he provides from a medical stance.
6. A short and practical read by Vicki Lanski that is a must for parents of babies and/or toddlers. There are lots of dangers I never would have even thought of!
7. The first half of this book by Malcolm Gladwell is INCREDIBLY interesting. I lost interest about half way through because it seemed highly repetitive. It's a book of stories and scientific information regarding how our body processes things automatically and how we should trust our instincts (most of the time).
8.About half funny and half extremely deep, this read by Shane Claiborne is an eye opener to say the least. I recommend this book for every one. Shane is quite radical and while I don't agree with everything he says, I admire his heart and appreciate that he made me ask myself some of the hard questions in life that need to be asked. I also learned quite a bit about other countries AND the good ol' USA that I was very unaware of.
9.Another Max Lucado read. Max breaks down Christ's crucifixion and puts it into a fresh new perspective. Very insightful.
10.I can't ask enough people to get their hands on this book by Ruby Payne. If you have ever had a desire to help the poor, you MUST read this book! The most interesting part to me was the information about the hidden class rules that exist within our society.
11. I read this book by Terry Cooper for school. The first three chapters successfully communicated what the book's main point was (self explanatory by title) which was incredibly USEFUL information, especially for a counselor. However, the rest of the book was made up of opinionated and repetitious "fluff".
12. Gary Moon wrote this book in attempt to inform christians how to really live for God in every way. I liked the book, but didn't love the book.
13. Although a bit dry in places, this book by Tann and Gregg is full of good stories and EXCELLENT information for any Christian. Some of the practices I read about in this book were things I have never even heard of, and I have been a Christian for 8 years.



Of course I read text books as well for different classes throughout the year, but as interesting as those were I won't recommend them for the general public...unless you just have a strong desire to learn about ethics in the counseling field, diversity, or the history and systems of psychotherapy!