Inspiration

We feel that it is important to understand where an author is coming from and the major influences behind his or her specific voice and perspective.  Thus here are our top ten major influence-rs:

• 10: Sam Adams - because we write under the influence of great American breweries (uhhh, this is mostly Steve and whenever Amelia isn't pregnant) and because we believe in no taxation without representation (because Steve would really like to be a history teacher).

Just kidding.

• 10 Again: Our Families - The Rodgers, Williams, Kochs, Hajdas.  There are a bunch of people that we love very much.
• 9: Rural Nebraska - it's where we live and the small town atmosphere and experience shape our perspective on life as we enjoy its blessings (i.e. low crime and low cost of living) and its absurdities (i.e. an hour's drive to the nearest Target).
• 8: English Novelists - we're pretty bonkers about P.G. Wodehouse, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, Alexander McCall Smith, A.A. Milne, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis.
• 7: C.S. Lewis - Yeah.  Everything.  Even when he's wrong, he's undeniably brilliant.  He expands the mind and asks the questions that everyone is really thinking but is too scared to voice.  He has saved Amelia's sanity on many occasions.
• 6: Europe - What do we say about Europe?  We have always loved Rick Steves and have had this dreamy idea of Europe, even before we knew each other.  The problem is that every time we have been to Europe...it's just as glorious as we imagined.
• 5: Curt Daniel and Joel Beeke (and other old Reformed guys) - Curt Daniel's history of theology of Calvinism lecture series gave both of us a much appreciated global understanding of historical and biblical theology that whetted our appetites for more.  We read Joel Beeke's Living for God's Glory every night as newlyweds and realized that theology is made for Real Life.
• 4: John Piper - The vision of God we find in Desiring God, This Momentary Marriage, and Dr. Piper's sermons pulls us relentlessly back into desiring and enjoying God and his Word.
• 3: Harriet and Edmund - Every moment of every day and every night is filled with these two wonderful kids.  They are crazy.  They grow us and humble us and make us laugh and we would be totally lost without them.
• 2: Calvinism and Reformed Theology - This is where it all makes sense.  We are members of a PCA church and pretty much the only thing we can't quite reconcile with is paedobaptism (just give us a few years).
• 1. Bible - In so many contexts - in church, at Bible school, in fundie and reformed and purpose-driven and emerger/hipster/facial hair circles - God has given us countless opportunities to read deeply and widely in his Word.  His Word reveals the message of his gospel of grace and we rest every day in the promise that we are saved "not because of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy" through his Son, Jesus Christ.  We earnestly believe that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.