Church

Is It OK For a Woman to Breastfeed in a Church?
parenting

Georgia Woman Compared to a Stripper For Breastfeeding in Church

When a Georgia woman was told to get up and relocate to the bathroom to nurse her baby during a church service, she was stunned.
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When a Georgia woman was told to get up and relocate to the bathroom to nurse her baby during a church service, she was stunned. When her actions were compared to that of a stripper, she knew she had to take a stand. According to WSAV, Nirvana Jennette was told to "go nurse in the bathroom" during a recent service. "I was going to church — it was a biker church of all places, and I thought we would be accepted," she said.

According to Georgia Code 31-1-9, "A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location where she and the baby are otherwise authorized to be." However, there is currently no existing policy for enforcing the law.

"Do they realize the germs that are in there? Would someone else want to eat in a bathroom?" Jennette asked. "If I say, 'Here is a sandwich, go on into the bathroom to eat,' that person would be disgusted! But it's OK to treat a mother and baby like that? That's sad."

Kate Middleton and Prince William Have Marriage Counseling With Church
Marriage

Would You Take Marital Advice From Your Church?

While Kate Middleton's princess training is already in session, she and her prince will soon have joint sessions on how to have a successful marriage with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London.
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While Kate Middleton's princess training is already in session, she and her prince will soon have joint sessions on how to have a successful marriage with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London.

The clergy's advice is likely to include setting the correct tone at their April wedding, the dynamic of their relationship, family planning, and role-playing scenarios for situations they could face.

This doesn't sound terrible since they will have a unique marriage, but I've always been wary of church-sponsored marriage training. Mostly because I grew up Catholic, and lots of churches require a six-week course called Pre-Cana if a couple plans to marry in the church. Really, why would I take advice from someone who's never been married or, probably, never even been in a relationship?

I realize that's not the case for every religion, but what about being a God expert makes someone a marriage counselor? Catholicism's Pre-Cana sessions are supposed to cover compatibility, basic principles of Catholic marriage and family life, conflict resolution, and rules couples should follow, yet my mother's course in 1975 included this tip: never go to breakfast without lipstick on.

So regardless of your religion, would you take advice from your church?

Fab Stylist of the Week: Stylish Church Outfit
community

Fab Stylist of the Week Is . . . StefanieDubois!

First, a big thank you to everyone who participated in this week's challenge — you helped out a fellow Fab fan who had written in asking for a stylishly demure outfit she can wear to church and other functions.
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First, a big thank you to everyone who participated in this week's challenge — you helped out a fellow Fab fan who had written in asking for a stylishly demure outfit she can wear to church and other functions. I was overwhelmed by the sophisticated ensembles you all created. But, there can only be one winner, and this week it's StefanieDubois. Her ensemble is just what the preacher ordered. That Erdem skirt has church chic written all over it, and her accompanying pieces help complete the look with major style.



Fogal, Ileana Makri, Marc Jacobs, Sergio Rossi

Depressed Woman Angry at Friend For Telling Others About Her Depression
relationships

Ask Someone Dealing With Depression: Should I Be Mad at My Friend For Telling People I'm Depressed?

Conventional Wisdom is a different kind of advice column.
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Conventional Wisdom is a different kind of advice column. Your questions will be answered by people from all walks of life rather than by advice experts. This week, someone who deals with depression gives advice to a woman who is mad at her friend for telling people in her circle that she is depressed. If you have a question, you can submit them here.

This week's question:

I shared my struggles with depression with my closest female friend and told her that I did not want anyone else to know about it. She decided that because I wasn't answering her calls she would call the wife of a leader in our church and ask her for my husband's cell phone number so she could call him, asking about me. My "best friend" told the woman that I was going through something serious and when the woman said, "At least she's not seeking outside help" my friend said, "Well, I don't know for sure if she is or isn't."

Why else would she call her and say those things unless her intentions were to let her know about my situation and to inform her I "might" be seeking outside help for my depression? I found out about this conversation from the leader's wife and she only admitted to it after she knew that I knew about it. She insists that she only had my good in mind.

The thing is, it was a really huge deal to me that these people not be in on it because I know that they would attack me for being depressed in the first place, and also if I sought help outside of the church. The last thing I needed at that time was some church discipline. I was really suffering! I am so mad at my best friend for saying anything; should I forgive her?

Signed,

Angry and Depressed

To hear what someone dealing with depression has to say, read more

Would You Like to Live in a Converted Cathedral?
Poll

Would You Like to Live in a Converted Cathedral?

In past two years or so, I've written about several churches, cathedrals, and chapels converted into homes and, in one case, a bookstore — see here, here, and here.
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In past two years or so, I've written about several churches, cathedrals, and chapels converted into homes and, in one case, a bookstore — see here, here, and here. In each case, the architectural transformation was flawless. I just spotted another holy conversion, and although I am disappointed with the décor, I am now convinced that it is my destiny to live in a converted place of worship. You can't find arched windows, stained glass, and "cathedral" ceilings like that any where else. There's actually a former Gothic church up for sale here in San Francisco, and as soon as I collect $9.95 million in indulgences, it'll be mine!
Source

Coveted Crib: A Converted Church in London
london

Coveted Crib: A Converted Church in London

I've shown you several converted churches in the past, and they always seem to be a hit.
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Coveted Crib: A Converted Church in London

I've shown you several converted churches in the past, and they always seem to be a hit. So, when I came across a church that was converted to a home in Kensal Green, London, I couldn't help but share it with you. This beauty features large floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding a huge open space, a large fireplace, a gorgeous courtyard garden, a balcony overlooking the main space, and best of all, great light! I'd have to say it's a more desirable pad than most of the coveted celebrity cribs in London. To take a tour, check out this slideshow.
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The Nosebleeds Supersize It Keep it Simple Mirror Image Salve Age Lounge in Style Large and in Charge
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Helping Kids Behave During Religious Ceremonies
Behavior Tips

Get Your Kids to Behave in Church or Synagogue

My grandma used to pinch her children if they moved a centimeter or made a noise in church.
by babysugar

My grandma used to pinch her children if they moved a centimeter or made a noise in church. My mom used to allow me to draw on the offering envelopes with the matched up pencil.

Since Easter and Passover are upon us, here are some tips to help you get through the worshiping hours without devilish screams or whining.

To see what the secret weapons are, read more

In the News: A Renovated Cancer Hospital Chapel
home renovation

In the News: A Renovated Cancer Hospital Chapel

Cynthia and Dan Lufkin turned the chapel of New York City's first cancer hospital — New York Cancer Hospital, built in the 1880s — into a three-level Manhattan apartment.
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Cynthia and Dan Lufkin turned the chapel of New York City's first cancer hospital — New York Cancer Hospital, built in the 1880s — into a three-level Manhattan apartment. The hospital had been in a state of disrepair for 25 years, with "rats, holes in the roof, dust, a wooden ceiling that was falling apart, missing windows, [and] plaster walls that had rotted away to the bricks." Instead of trying to recreate all of the original architectural details, they "tried to preserve a feeling of its history." What that resulted in was a vaulted wood ceiling mimicking one in an old photo of the place, period hanging globe lamps, a new spiral staircase and Gothic-style fireplace, and stenciled plaster walls actually inspired "by a medieval tapestry in a 19th-century British abbey," not original to the house. To see an interior shot of the house, and find out some more interesting details about this couple's story, read more

A Sign From "God"
Humor

A Sign From "God"

Perhaps those lines on either side of the cross are just for decoration, or maybe they're supposed to symbolize spiritual radiance.
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Perhaps those lines on either side of the cross are just for decoration, or maybe they're supposed to symbolize spiritual radiance. But they look so much like quotation marks, I can't help but wonder if this is some unholy operation masquerading as a "church."

Source

Coveted Crib: A Converted Chapel
Church

Coveted Crib: A Converted Chapel

I once brought you a cathedral converted to a bookstore which the general public could enjoy, but this Coveted Crib is a chapel converted to a private residence by Dutch architecture firm ZECC Architecten.
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I once brought you a cathedral converted to a bookstore which the general public could enjoy, but this Coveted Crib is a chapel converted to a private residence by Dutch architecture firm ZECC Architecten. ZECC, who once made a house with a water tower, are accustomed to working with unusual mediums. The converted chapel in question is located in Utrecht, Netherlands, and a single family now calls it home.

At its height, in the mid-20th century, the structure was part of a large housing complex for the Friars of Utrecht, housing a total of 217 residents. When 13 elderly friars moved to a nursing home, the complex was split up and converted into 40 apartments. According to Freshome:

"The design team chose to keep many of the original features like the high gothic stained glass windows and the original choir organ. To allow more light to enter the space, they cut a Mondrian-inspired glass window into the front of the house facing the street perhaps paying homage to Rietveld’s nearby infamous Schroder House. The entire living area has been whitewashed, while the private spaces above were painted dark."

The result is modern, stylish, sleek and maintains the original spatial qualities and historic and architectural elements that truly make the structure unique. To see the transformation, read more