Wise + Innocent

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

Recent Posts

  • From Fish to Fishers of Men

    From Fish to Fishers of Men

    What would motivate a graduating senior to write a 110-page thesis in high school? Growing up, I never questioned the compatibility of the Bible and evolution. I went to a Catholic school for pre-K through 8th grade, and Catholics are very receptive of evolutionary thought. In 1950, Pope Pius XII stated in Humani Generis that…

    CONTINUE READING: From Fish to Fishers of Men
  • Invisible Women

    Invisible Women

    Caroline Criado-Perez, 2019 I had very mixed reactions to this book. First off, do not read this book if you want to feel good. I felt horrible and dismal after reading this. Each chapter just made me feel more and more hopeless to be a woman, yet Criado-Perez’s writing was so good, and the content…

    CONTINUE READING: Invisible Women
  • Friendship

    Friendship

    Friendship is the greatest form of love.

    CONTINUE READING: Friendship

Who am I?

I was born and raised in Sugar Land, TX (a city bearing little resemblance to Candy Land), right outside of Houston. I am currently in my second year at the University of Notre Dame where I am majoring in electrical engineering with minors in bioengineering and theology. I love working out, whether that be running, lifting, or my most recent athletic adventure—boxing. I enjoy brush lettering, doodling, and anything artsy. I’ve visited Greece for a week in 2023 to follow the footsteps of Paul (Thessaloniki, Philippi, Athens, Corinth), and more recently, I spent six weeks in Ireland studying abroad during the summer of 2024. Dark chocolate and peanut butter is the greatest combination to ever exist, followed closely by the enthusiastic duo that is me and my amazing boyfriend, Luke.

Irish countryside + CS Lewis

What Is This Website?

It feels like every other day I am telling a friend “Oh my goodness, I just thought of the most interesting thing, and then I follow that thought as deep as it goes down the research rabbit hole. This website is a place for those findings, which will mostly be aligned with my main interests: Christianity, feminism, and science. Additionally, I hope to include comprehensive summaries and reviews for some of the heavily detailed books I enjoy as a good way to look back upon my key takeaways.

Why Wise + Innocent?

I feel like for pretty much all of my life, I am out of the loop about certain things. I rarely get the references to the latest pop culture trend or the dirty jokes, and for a long time, this made me feel left out and honestly, dumb. Reading Matthew 10:16 was exactly what I needed. It made me realize that I can be innocent in many ways. I can be “in the world but not of it.” However, this does not make me less intelligent. Rather, this innocence can help in the cultivation of true wisdom, turning my eyes and heart to the things that truly matter (hint: Jesus!) Another way I have interpreted this is in the context of evangelization. I love the image of a sheep in wolf’s clothing. I can be the shrewd serpent, assessing this world and looking for the ideal opportunities to share the Gospel, but this does not mean losing the innocence and goodness that is the News I profess. Either way, I love the phrase innocent and wise and hope that this website offers both innocence (the pure truth that is the love of God) and wisdom (applications of the faith and wonder in the natural world).

Goodreads @thedamreader

Instagram @_.lynley