"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
Hey everyone, I’m afraid there’s no substantial episode this week as I’m packing for my trip to England tomorrow.
Bonus: Packing for England! (Download)
If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe manually, or any place where good podcasts can be found (iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, Stitcher, TuneIn and Overcast).
Read more
I was fortunate enough to spend Christmas 2015 with my family back in England. One of the many things I enjoy about taking trips to England is the plane ride because the time spent at 30,000 feet is usually very productive! I’m not sure if it’s simply because I’m stuck in a seat for nine hours, or because people are waiting on me hand and foot, but for whatever reason I tend to get a lot of writing done. The fruits of previous transatlantic plane rides have included my series on Catholic dating, the top 11 reasons why every man should learn to dance and, one of my personal favourites, the article which explains how the He-Man cartoon teaches transubstantiation.
This last return trip to the States was a little different, however. Rather than spending my time writing, I spent it reading. Over the course of this flight, I read Room 24: Adventures of a New Evangelist by Katie Prejean from cover-to-cover. The book is available through Ave Maria Press and Amazon, and hopefully after you’ve read this review you’ll go order a copy, visit her website and follow her on Twitter.
On the return flight to America, I had the entire row of seats to myself which made for a much more comfortable flight. As I write this review, I am once again on a plane, this time from New York City, and once again I have the entire row of seats to myself. Now, I’m not promising that if you buy this book it will automatically entitle you to extra leg room, but please allow me a few minutes to explain why I enjoyed this book so much…
We finally come to the last chapter of Book I of “Mere Christianity”! The chapter bears the ominous title “We have cause to be uneasy”. Thus far, C.S. Lewis has demonstrated that there is a Moral Law which we did not create and that we violate this Law continually. Now Jack explains why this should give us cause for concern…
If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe manually, or through a service like iTunes, Google Play or Podbean. As always, if you have any objections, comments or questions, please send us an email through my website or tweet us @pintswithjack.
Episode 7: “We have cause to be uneasy” (Download)
So far this year I haven’t posted any updates regarding my new year resolutions. Well, I’m pleased to report that things are going pretty well…
Resolution #1: Read the entire Bible
I have been sticking with my Bible study reading plan and I’m actually a little ahead of schedule. I’ve finished the entire Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), Matthew’s Gospel, Acts of the Apostles and I’m nearing the end of the Psalms. On the subject of Bible reading plans, Meg Hunter-Kilmer recently posted an article about an alternative reading plan, which I might tackle next year.
Resolution #2: Get back into martial arts
I have now been doing Kung Fu (Choi Li Fut) for three and a half months. I’ve already got my first three stripes and I should be taking my Yellow Sash test sometime in May, after the Kung Fu tournament this weekend.
Resolution #3: Run a marathon
Out of my three resolutions, this is the only one which is a little shaky. I have been building my fitness back up. As well as Kung Fu, I have returned to playing Ultimate Frisbee each week (far more enjoyable than just running sprints) 🙂 I have also been having some intensive massage therapy to sort out some of my muscle issues in my right side. I hope to start actually going out for runs sometime next month.
Probably the most important thing to consider when preparing for the Camino is your pack. In assembling mine, I consulted the list of recommendations found in a companion book I had bought, as well as some other lists I found online. Here is a categorized list of everything I carried on my back along the Camino:
Walking Gear
Backpack (with rain sheet)
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof trouser/pants covers
Hat (for sun/rain)
Sunglasses
Suntan lotion (SPF 30+)
Buff Headwear (great for keeping the sun off your neck)
Trainers/sneakers for exploring the town in the evenings (Optional)
Clothes
Long sleeve (quick-dry) tops x2
T-shirt (quick-dry) x1
Trousers which convert to shorts x2
Underwear x2
Socks x4
A pair of shorts to be used as pyjamas
Sleeping
Sleeping bag (liner)
Inflatable pillow
Washbag
Flip-flops for the shower
Toothpaste/Toothbrush/Floss
Nail clipper
Quick-drying towel
Laundry
Concentrated washing liquid
Scrubba (Optional, but very convenient and a great conversation starter)
Plastic Clothes Pegs
Other
First Aid Kit (Compeed, scissors, band-aids/plasters, tape)
Phone (and charger)
Camino Scallop Shell (Buy in St. Jean)
Camino Guide Book/Maps
$300 in Euros and an ATM card
I’ll be drawing particular attention to some of these items in subsequent posts.
Equipment | Before you leave home | On the road | Staying in Hostels
As a Christmas present, the three co-hosts recorded a short section from a Lewis work of their own choosing and shared it with the listeners for Christmas!
S4E22: “Wonderful Christmas Time” (Download)
If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe manually, or any place where good podcasts can be found (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Podbean, Stitcher, TuneIn and Overcast), as well as on YouTube. The roadmap for Season 4 is available here.
More information about us can be found on our website, PintsWithJack.com. If you’d like to support us and get fantastic gifts, please join us on Patreon.
Read more
I know I said I wasn’t going to be blogging, but here are some memes I created to mark the beginning of the Year of Mercy. I hope you like The Karate Kid…
Please share your favourite 🙂