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The Stranger
A few things...
 This is my blography - simply my personal thoughts; this blog is just a small part or purpose of this website. The chief aim of this site is to bring glory to God and good food of His Word to families. May each visit fill you with fresh bread and lingering words to savor.
Someday maybe my children will read "mama's blog" and catch a glimpse of some of what was "important" each day, "snap-shots" of the day, what was going on in the world and what really stirred up some of my thoughts. Whatever is "documented" here will pale in comparison to the importance of their lives to me: really, my husband, my children —they are my story — they are my legacy. So... I'm a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ, my LORD and because of Him, I'm a help-meet for my husband, the mother of eleven children and a daughter-in-law and happy gramma to three. I share slices of life because of what God is doing and has done --- and with the hope of being an encouragement to others to press on toward the mark (Philippians 3.14)
Some days I find it difficult to escape to the quiet area to write. But, it is on those days I am most likely perfecting domestic skills or the craft of being a keeper at home.
But that's one of my life goals after all... that of being a quintessential keeper at home and all it connotes.
Would that it be said of me in my home and of you in yours:
Proverbs 31.28-30 "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."
I've not "arrived," but in the course of following and serving the LORD Jesus, and being a help meet for my husband, that's where I'm headed.
dear-to-me Blogs
I try to read at least every couple of days:
in no particular order
no particular agenda;
some thoughts might
surprise the reader,
some might astonish;
but all inform.
Homemaking on the Homestead
And do you know that there's like a gazillion other great blogs?
Be careful...  you'll end
up like this: at your computer all day. Do you think I am kidding??!!??
top
I'd probably link to Phil Johnson's stuff but... which would I choose to post here?
(as always... my disclaimer:
As with any link on our site: we don't necessarily endorse everything that's said and, of course we don't endorse every link that may be posted on a site.
As Sarg (hillstreetblues)
used to say: Be careful out there!
Political:
These are a few of the places we regularly visit on the Net!
A few websites...
(I have more to add when time allows)
Verse For Loving Hearts
Glenys Robyn Hicks writes quality Christian verse for all occasions. 'Verse For Loving Hearts' is a home-based business in Melbourne Australia, offering a compassionate and confidential service for expressions of heartfelt emotion... personalized house plaques, words for greeting cards, in fact,
anything at all that you need to express.. examples of glenys work
♥ cmomb.com
Christian Moms of Many Blessings
♥ parentingwithpurpose
Titus 2.3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
oikourov
oikouros, oy-koo-ros'
from 3624 and ouros (a guard; be "ware"); a stayer at home, i.e. domestically inclined (a "good housekeeper"):--a keeper at home.
Hence this blog:
Views and slices of life; and thoughts,
between sips of coffee,
of a quintessential keeper at home
Those who know me better, know that I tend to remember things by how the moon looked at the time of the event...
or that wherever my loved ones happen to be, we can look up and see the same moon... the same moon smiling at them is smiling at me.
CURRENT MOON
moon info
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I'll be Seeing You
I'll be seeing you
in all the old
familiar places
That this heart
of mine embraces
all day through
In that small café,
the park
across the way
The children's carousel,
the chestnut trees,
the wishing well
I'll be seeing you in
every lovely
summer's day
In everything
that's light and gay
I'll always think of you
that way
I'll find you in
the mornin' sun
And when
the night is new
I'll be looking
at the moon
But I'll be seeing you |
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As
years go... this one's been fairly
uneventful----that is, until I take a
look in the rear-view mirror. And
when I do that, I realize just how much
has taken place, how many things have
changed and how many things have stayed
pretty much the same. I think if I
were to highlight the year, perhaps the
one event that tops my list would be the
trip back to Indiana to visit Mother and
Bill and to spend time in their home, to
sit at their table and talk together, to
see their favourite sights and to attend
the dinner theater production of Beauty
and the Beast at Beef & Boards in
Indianapolis along with the day trip to
Shipshewana to the "Amish country" to
visit shops and see the farms. We
so enjoyed day trips to special
historical sites including James
Whitcomb Riley's home, Lincoln's boyhood
home and a tour through the Benjamin
Harrison house. Then adding to
that, the opportunity to meet one of our
"online" friends face to face, to spend
a bit of time with their family---well,
that was a sweet highlight.
But
when I think back on other things that
were done in the past year... how could
I forget the months of the now infamous
"while you were out (of your mind)
Family Bathroom Project" that was the
generous gift from our son and
daughter-in-law and other family
members. I nearly forgot all the
days of
tear-it-up-clean-it-up-tear-it-up-clean-it-up-tear-it-up-clean-it-up.
And then Timothy was gone... and gone
and gone... A couple of language trips
to Mexico, and working at Catalina for
most of the summer. Our family
seemed to function fairly well without
him, but he surely was missed as we went
to the different Bible Conferences and
camps. It's amazing the particular
influence of each family member and the
way they sort of colour their part of
the picture... and when they're absent,
how obvious it is.
The
year saw the passing of one of our
grandparents along with one of the
dearest saints we've ever known and the
woman for whom our dolly 'melia is
named. It was a sad farewell for
her prayers and faithful walk with the
LORD surely were inspirational to us
all. At the first of the year, we
hit the five year milestone of the
passing of Wes's dad and that was quite
a surreal time as we reflected on his
life and influence on ours.
Pondering these things and many more, we
saw the faithfulness of the LORD.
While we've had many disappointments in
things and people and circumstances---we
surely have seen the LORD utterly
faithful and entirely merciful to us
all.
We've continued our weekly Bible
studies, exploring life as a fellowship
of believers... and being "outside" the
church as we've known it has had its
challenges and its joys.
It's been richly rewarding to grow with
the girls in our Wednesday night dinner
and study. Other times of
weekly gathering have been a blessing as
we've met with different friends through
the year. We continue to seek the
LORD and His leading as we walk with
other believers and serve the LORD.
We
celebrated lots of birthdays,
anniversaries, accomplishments and other
milestones----there were lots of home
comings and goings away. In a
family this big, there're also lots of
other funnies that go on most every
day... kids graduate to bigger beds,
learn to sleep in their own bed (for a
night or two), kids learn to tie shoes,
they lose teeth, learn how to climb up
the kitchen doorway and do a chin-up
there, too. Kids learn to hide in
the laundry basket, covering themselves
with laundry and pop out at precisely
the right moment to scare the daylights
out of their mama----happens every time!
Kids learned to swim, hold their breath
under water and ride a bike without
training wheels. Kids learned to
read better, write better, spell better
and pick up the milk cap and put it back
on the bottle. We memorized movie
lines----actually so many movie lines
that Daddy was forced to invoke a "movie
fast" for the last six weeks of the
year. No kidding. Can you
imagine what the first New Year's
activity will be (after banging on the
pots and pans and yelling Happy New
Year!! to the world outside)??
We
didn't do all the stuff we intended to
do and we didn't write letters we
should've written or make calls we
should've made. We stayed up too
late and ate too many treats. We
read the Word, but didn't memorize
passages as we should've and we didn't
get all the projects done that we'd
intended to do. Our garden was
small, our yard work barely kept up with
the weeds and the tares. But...
when we had opportunity, we laughed a
lot, played a lot and worked hard when
opportunities presented themselves.
I guess that's okay------gives us much
more to hope and plan for in the coming
year. We know lots of ways things
don't work out very well... so, we're
ready to implement the things that do!
The
past year has afforded us many
opportunities to walk with and wait upon
the LORD... and so we close this
year the way it began... with a prayer
of thanksgiving and praise. We
want to be found faithful and waiting on
Him. And so, I guess, more than
anything... we want to be quiet in the
year ahead... quiet enough to hear the
LORD and still enough to listen and
eager to be vessels for His use. I
don't know what the year ahead will
bring... I have a few guesses and there
are some plans on the drawing board, so
to speak. But, I don't know about
tomorrow---I just know Who holds
tomorrow in His hands.
I am
thankful to all who read this blog for
the kind encouragement throughout the
year. I look forward to the new
year ahead and to what the LORD may
bring our way. So, thanks and
blessings to you all.
A
glimpse of pictures in the rear-view
mirror
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More
of the absurd
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December
30,
2005
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I suppose the silliest news story has
been saved for last---if samesex
marriages are not pitiful enough, what's
gone from indecent to absurd is the
story of a woman who married a dolphin.
No, I couldn't make this up---truth is,
indeed, stranger than fiction.
Seems a 41 year-old Jewish millionaire
married her long time sweetheart.
As children are prone to do---one of the
children in the crowd asked:
"But what kind of children would they
have?"
I am sort of wondering what kind of
life could they have?!?!
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December
29,
2005
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Note: thanks to all who've written
regarding yesterday's (12/28) post
on the movies. I so appreciate all
your thoughtful letters, the comments
left on the comment board and in the
guest book. I have a couple more
posts to do regarding this issue and a
couple regarding the 'church' today.
I pray to be an encouragement in doing
so.
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More subtle and absolute social
engineering
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December
28,
2005
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(the following was begun a couple of
days ago... interesting collision of
connected events or thoughts this week)
It's
another one of those "I have no mouth
and yet I must scream" moments. I
just completed the reading of
David Kupelian's commentary on
the movie "Brokeback Mountain."
Arrrrgh, I think and bleck, and then I
pray to the LORD and say:
O God---please help this land!
And then I see it again... the diaprax
--- more and more and more as each day
passes: the extraordinary broad brush
manipulation of society by the marketers
of immoral and depraved teaching and the
gross exploitation of guaranteed
emotional reactions and the
reassigning preconceived notions.
It's as if hollywood is goading the
masses of "conservatives" into watching
their productions and then subtly
or cleverly tucking in some emotionally
arresting scenes---pushing the envelope
just a tad more with each passing year.
Well, I wrote the above a couple of days
ago---last night as we were closing our
eyes to sleep for the night, my husband
was praying for wisdom, for the LORD's
direction and for His help as we live
and move in this society that's
essentially a modern day Sodom.
Our senses had been punctured with a
searing iron earlier last night.
We had gone on a date and decided to go
to the movies---a rare enough occurrence!
We didn't have a particular movie
in mind but had seen an advertisement
for what looked to be a
"Christmastime family event" movie. I know, I know... I should have used
Screen It before we left so that I
would know what was not initially
obvious in the movie---but even now,
today, after reading the review on
Screen It, I realize that we
probably would have decided to see it
and would not have thought we'd be so profoundly affected.
It was to me, much like
David Kupelian wrote in his
commentary regarding the move he was
addressing... the screen writers are
very clever in introducing material that
has to be "accepted" by the viewer
because to not do so would be to have a
narrow minded view or a "homophobic"
attitude about people and their actions.
The
sincere and "sensitive"
manner in which the homosexual couple is
presented in the movie is
incredibly cunning and could be
emotionally captivating---the plot also
demands acceptance of a few other
emotionally assaulting circumstances.
The grown children are gathering at the
family home for Christmas and the oldest
son is bringing home a woman the other
members completely dislike. The
family is very typical of many American
families---very liberal, loyal to one
another, very accepting of immorality
and defensive of homosexuality.
The very subtle way the writers demand
acceptance of the "couple" is that one
of the sons is deaf and his "partner" is
of a different race---so for the viewer
to disagree would be not only
intolerant, not only homophobic, but
racist and bigoted as well----and then
to judge their desire to adopt a child
would be to deny them the happiness of
having a family that every couple deserves
to have
(see the stacked deck?). Then... because
(as you learn from a very tender and dramatic and emotionally
arresting scene between the mother and
father) the mother has obviously had a
mastectomy (and is attempting to keep
secret the fact that she's sick
again) you come to understand she is
terminally ill and so you're pulled into her
struggle---you're led to identify with
her pain. The strongly opinionated
mother is convincing during a dinner
scene/confrontation as one who hoped
all her sons would be homosexual so that
they'd stay with her (and never marry?). What
a gross self-serving, selfish
desire---how indicative this
thought-pattern is in our society.
Regardless of how actions will affect
others or how actions will influence
others---self is satisfied or gratified
first.
So.... All
day today I've felt as though I saw
things last night that I so disagree
with---or, rather, that I am so
completely convinced are sinful and
indecent---though I know they are
present in countless families, I wish I
never saw the images I see today. I feel
the attempted manipulation and
deception by what we saw and what I really should've
known would've ended up that way ---
given
the actors that made up the cast of the
movie. So I find myself affirming
what I know to be true and right and
righteous altogether. To be
against homosexuality is not
homophobic---it's not judgmental; the
Bible calls it sin and that's why a
believer would and should stand against it---just
as a believer should and must take a stand against
any other sexual sin or immoral
behaviour---regardless of the physical
conditions or limitations of the people
involved. So, would I recommend
the movie The Family Stone? No---and for
many more reasons than I shared briefly
here.
Christians are being bullied into
submission to societal "norms" and
coerced into accepting lifestyles,
situations and decisions that they know
are immoral and/or ungodly but do so
just to keep peace or save face so as
not to appear legalistic or judgmental.
Movies, clothing, music, magazines,
television shows----and on and on.
Sadly, the conditions worsen because of
failure to make and take a stand against
them. This is sort of like the
terrorism that's going on all over the
world---only this is terrorism of a
different sort. People are gagged
by fear to speak the truth and
constrained by those who seem to have
authority over them but in reality, they
do not have authority over them at all.
Terrorists have great power by their
threats and occasional acts of
violence---liberals do the same.
So, in fear of man, Christians don't
take stands against adultery,
pornography, homosexuality, and a myriad
of other matters common to man.
Perhaps it's because so many are
involved in them themselves(!).
The church, so busy with building bigger
barns and meeting "felt needs" is
missing mercy and truth, putting fear of
man before reverential fear of God,
accommodation of desires ahead of denial
of self, and entertains the compromise
of Truth rather than declaring and
defending Truth. Hollywood is
subtly setting the course of the nation
by covertly pleasing the eyes,
satisfying the flesh and whispering in
itching ears. Until Christians end
the preoccupation with popular opinion
and become occupied with following Jesus
and knowing and obeying Truth, we will
see in epic proportions far more
devastating and greater than the pages
of Scripture reveal about Sodom and
Gomorrah. It's grievous: the
disregard for consequences of sin and
folly and the arrogance of man over the
Living God.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10.31
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happy Christmas!
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December
25,
2005
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A happy 9th birthday for sweet Naomi
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A bit of sense...
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December
21,
2005
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Finally, knowledge and common sense is
displayed by a judge who's rightly
dividing the laws of the land and is
recognizing the clarity of the first
Amendment to the constitution---that the
First Amendment does not erect a wall of
separation between church and state as a
freedom from religion, but rather
protects the free exercise thereof.
Why is this so difficult for scholars to
decipher as if it were some vague and
mysteriously written piece of
legislation?! In what surely
proves dialectic praxis, a case of an
erroneous and oft repeated phase (the
wall of separation between church and
state) being repeated over and over
until it's adopted and accepted as
truth.
One
of the greatest misnomers of all would
be the American Civil Liberties
Union---which is any thing but!
So, the story's about a A U.S. appeals
court that upheld a decision by a
lower court regarding allowing the Ten
Commandments to remain in a courthouse
display. This,
from the Worldnet Daily piece: "The
county display the ACLU sued over
included the Ten Commandments, the
Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of
Independence, the Magna Carta, the Star
Spangled Banner, the national motto, the
preamble to the Kentucky Constitution,
the Bill of Rights to the U. S.
Constitution and a picture of Lady
Justice." Once again I
am thinking: ACLU, leave. Go---go
to where there are no freedoms, where
there is no reverence for God and His
righteousness. Go to where there
is no freedom to express faith in the
Lord God. Go to where it's
dark---see what real oppression is like.
Our country is at war because of
oppression such as that. Our
country was founded by those who bravely
sought freedom of religion and fled
religious persecution---only to, two
hundred years later, have that freedom
assaulted and denied. The
ACLU continually barges its way into
American's lives, meddling in people's
affairs, dismantling every vestige of
religious freedom and expression in an
attempt to sterilize this nation from
all the things that built it. It's
pitiful and shameful that these
ravenous, malicious buffoons are
continually given the platforms and
power to devastate everything in their
path and leave such deception and
destruction in their wake.
 As
my children say... no strong opinions
here, eh, ma? |
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blog comments |
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More
Cookies, cookies, cookies...
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December
21,
2005
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 I
was remiss in not including the frosting
recipe for the Sugar Cookies.
If you sift 5 cups of powdered sugar
(confectioner's sugar) and then add
three egg whites, and 1/4 cup of lemon
juice, and then whip it for several
minutes in the KitchenAid or with a hand
mixer, then you'll
 have a great icing
for cookies which will be thin enough to
pipe around the edge of each cookie (use
a pastry bag with a plain line tip---a
#4 or 5 or so),
and then if you want to flood the inside
of those piped lines (once the piped
lines are set a bit they form a great
boundary), you might thin the
frosting a bit to fill each cookie---or
add powdered sugar to thicken the frost.
This works really well for solid cookies
or cookies you will strongly define and
then perhaps add a couple of decos
---like for snowflakes or bells or
gingerbread boys & girls (press the
mini-choc chip buttons or red hots or
sparkly sugar or whatever on the cookies
just before they're 'set' and the
candies will stay in place).
This frosting will harden nicely and you
can "stack" cookies on a plate and not
have them stick together. If you
don't have pastry bags, then you can use
zip-lock bags filled with frosting and
just snip the ever tip of one of the
bottom corners. This is a simple
solution, and works adequately, but I'd
recommend investing in a few pastry
bags. If you wash and dry them
properly, they'll last for many yeas.
I have some bags that are at least 10
years old and they're just fine today.
So, it's beginning to look a lot like...
whew... we're running out of time!
Naomi's birthday is coming up so
quickly! ~smile~
Daddy...
lookit what we did... cuhdjew taka
picher of us---please, Daddy?!?!?
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Cookies, cookies, cookies...
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December
20,
2005
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Sugar Cookies
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking
powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
extract
or 2 teaspoons
fresh lemon juice and zest
of 2 lemons
1/4 cup fine sugar, for
decorating (optional)
In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Set aside. Cream
butter and sugar until
fluffy. Beat in eggs and
vanilla or lemon.
Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly
combined. Wrap dough in
plastic or put in zip-lock
bags---flatten and chill for
about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°. On a floured [mix flour and some powdered
sugar] surface, roll dough
to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into
desired shapes. Lift to
un-greased baking sheets;
refrigerate while rolling
rest of cookies;
Remove from fridge and
decorate with sugar or leave
plain and bake just until
edges just start to brown,
about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool
on wire racks. Frost with
frosting, let set to
"harden" and store in an
airtight container up to 2
weeks.
Makes about 16 large or 32
small cookies
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Everybody's Favourite
Butter Cookies
2 Cups Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 teaspoons
Vanilla
5 egg yolks
(save whites for
Lemon Meringue
Pie!!)
5 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt |
Cream the
butter and
sugar, add
yolks, one at a
time; add
vanilla.
Stir the four
and salt
together and add
to the butter
mixture.
Roll into "logs"
(can roll the
logs in chopped
walnuts, too)
and refrigerate
for a few hours,
slice and place
on baking sheet,
and bake for 10
minutes at 350°
Decorate the
cooled cookies
with frosting or
pipe decorative
frosting onto
each cookie or
pipe green
leaves in a
circle onto the
cookies and
place 3 red-hots
for berries to
make a wreath.
OR ---
Refrigerate for
an hour, roll
out on
flour/sugared
board and cut
with cookie
cutters and then
decorate with
frosting when
cooled.
OR ---
Roll into walnut
sized balls and
press into the
ball a half a
candied cherry,
or a walnut half
or pecan half
---OR--- mix 1/2
the dough with
red food
colouring paste
and form 6 inch
ropes of red
dough and 6"
ropes of plain
dough and set
them together,
side by side,
twist and form a
candy cane and
bake.
Repeat till all
the dough is
used up. |
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Watch... the winds are blowing...
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December
20,
2005
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And
if you're not real careful, real
prayerful, real watchful and real
spiritually discerning, the winds will
blow and tickle your ears. Listen
long enough, and you might accept, adopt
and apply the winds of doctrinal change
and the dialectic praxis will blow you
away. Interestingly enough, the
winds are blowing from some unlikely
corners and are blowing along some very
clever lines.
I
like the work of Discernment Ministries
and look forward to reading their
newsletters. I look for sites like
these bcz of the prevalence of
new-age-driven-emergent-purpose-name-it-and-claim-it
sort of sites. I stand against
them and make no apology for that---but
I do attempt to not be obnoxious about
it all---but I understand that those who
do not jump on the bandwagon of purpose
or the couch of the emergent
conversation are offensive and narrow to
those who've bought into the whole one
emerging purpose world. So, I was
reading the newsletter that I receive by
email and then went on to read their
blog entry for today.
I
also like to read articles at a couple
of other sites that amplify what's going
on in the "church" today---and what's
*not* going on. One site I really
like is
Eastern Regional Watch---Discernment
Resource Ministries and the wide
variety of articles listed in several
categories. I do a bit of
looking for good apologetics sites and
for conservative theology sites, too.
But... I suggest very careful scrutiny
and caution when just searching sites on
the net----there are many that *seem* so
good on the surface and then tragically,
it becomes apparent that they're aligned
with false teachers. So caution...
always caution.
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It's
Christmas week...
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December
19,
2005
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So,
instead of lots of blogging...
lots of baking's going on! I'll
attempt to put up a few more recipes and
Christmas writings in the next couple of
days. For today... I made the "(Dumb)Three
Ingredient Cookies." There's a
story behind these. Shortly after
our son's wedding, I realized that my
attempts at meal preparation and
presentation were feeble, at best.
O, I had thought I was a competent cook,
no one had died from my cooking and
actually, many really thought meals were
pretty okay coming from my kitchen.
Well, so that first Christmas, our new
daughter in law was making one of her
over the top gourmet desserts (no,
really, she makes fabulous entrees and
deserts!!) and so, there she was in our
kitchen --- which is spacious enough for
a few projects to be going on at a time.
She was preparing the chocolate
orange truffle sauce for the chocolate
meringue torte that was layered with
chocolate mousse filling and shaved
chocolate topping---and not cheap
chocolate, either. So I was
standing there... observing the creation
and the procedures taking place in my
kitchen and was gathering the
ingredients for my cookies while the
white almond bark was melting in the
microwave oven. Then I used pan
spray on the foil that I had placed on
the dryer to prevent the cereal balls
from sticking...
and then it dawned on me... here I was,
married all these years... had had a few
accomplishments---though I couldn't
remember a single one at that
point---and I had hostessed hundreds of
gatherings and made a gazillion meals
and on and on... So, there I was making
those dumb three ingredient
cookies---melting the package of white
bark, and getting ready to add to that
bowl 4+ cups of CocoaPuffs, 1 Cup of
peanuts and a cup+ of miniature
marshmallows.
Slaving away, I stirred the cereal,
peanuts and marshmallows---using the
rubber spatula to both clean the bowl
and stir the cereal, peanuts and
marshmallows until they were all coated
evenly. The kitchen was buzzing...
Kathryn was washing dishes, utensils and
measuring items. Our
daughter-in-law was busily dredging the
orange peel through the dark chocolate
in the double-boiler to flavour it just
a tad. I was busily dropping the
soup-spoon sized mounds onto the sprayed
parchment. Little ones were
walking off with the mounds as soon as
they were set.
She cooled the chocolate to the
precise temperature for the heavy
whipping cream---and whipped it to the
precise consistency. I dropped the
last snowball shape onto the paper and
went over to the sink that contained
half my kitchen and washed my bowl and
spatula and put them away. I threw
away the wrapper to the bark, the box to
the cereal and capped the peanuts and
probably tried to hide the remaining
marshmallows. Her superb
creation was taking shape beautifully.
Slowly and carefully, all the layers
were assembled. It was
spectacular. I can't exactly
recall now, but when her magnificent
dessert was completely assembled, and
the chocolate was elegantly drizzled
over it and the chocolate curls were
added and the top was lightly dusted
with sifted sugar... well... it was
beautiful!
That
was the Christmas I realized I was in a
new place---and it didn't feel lofty.
It wasn't all that grand---I felt as dumb
as the cookies. I had a lot
to learn and nothing to prove. Now
I see I really have nothing to prove and
yet still a lot to learn. But, I
learned somewhere along the way that
it's not all about me and not all about
what I think's happening or how it feels
to me---it's really all about whatever's
going on at the time for
everyone---everyone's story's being
written simultaneously and uniquely.
That day was a day for our
daughter-in-law to shine and she surely
did---very much so. That was seven
years ago... and just this afternoon I
made a few batches of those dumb
cookies. This time, alone. I
mixed them up and dropped them onto the
counter... let them cool and when they
were set, I put them in plastic 'storage
boxes' for the cookie trays for later
this week. The kitchen was
quiet.... only two children were home
and the kitchen wasn't abuzz as it
usually is. So, those dumb cookies
fill several plastic boxes. I'm
pretty sure the grandchildren will be
among the first to eat them up... along
with the pretzels I coated with the
white almond bark today and all the
other cookies, breads and candies we're
planning to prepare throughout the week.
In the news... Who'da thunk it?
As I was perusing the news, and after
reading several pieces, I was struck
by the blatant audaciousness of what
will become societal norms in
America---all in the name of political
correctness. I was further struck
by the astonishing power of a relative
few---by the political sway of a small
percentage of the population and by the
normalization of once radical--even
obscene practices. And so...
America. Poor anemic, hemorrhaging
America. Ameriraq or perhaps
Muslimerica will one day be the name of
this country if the weakening and the
perversion of original intent for this
nation continues.
I am marveling today at the news
regarding the eavesdropping on phone
conversations of people with
al-Qa'ida connections. It's
surprising to me the uproar about it all
and perhaps just as surprising is the
continual disarming or the debilitation
of American soldiers by those who, in
the name of political-correctness, are
undermining the war effort---true war,
with appropriate boundaries already in
place, cannot be made kinder and gentler
and still be effective. What seems
to be going on is what's been going on
for some time---a sort of feminization
of military, thus a weakening of
military. Interrogation techniques
or tactics already had sufficient
boundaries in place. Can you
imagine what it would have been like to
have Viet Nam on the daily play-by-play
then as is done with this war today?
Can you imagine the way the war effort
would have gone had any number of US
presidents, FD Roosevelt, Truman or
Eisenhower just to name a few, had
armchair ambassadors and
political-correctness watchdogs in
force? Bill Clinton did---and
seemed to have listened to them.
It seems that spying on members of a
known terrorist organization seems only
prudent---eavesdropping on their phone
conversations, likewise. I guess
it's not upsetting to me bcz it's sort
of a given that people's lives are easy
to track---businesses do it all the
time---financial institutions trade
information daily, and there is really
very little anonymity anywhere.
And for those that have something to
hide, I guess I think it's permissible
to discover it---we *are* at war.
Speaking of former president Clinton...
So, I continued reading through the news
headlines and thought: what a mess
society is in! I can't get over a
line in a news story: " "Mr Clinton congratulates Sir Elton, 58,
and David Furnish, 42, and says: "If
there were more people like Elton, the
world would be a better place." "
A better place. Hmmm. The
world would go no place... in a hurry.
But there would be music.
|
Thank you...
|
December
18,
2005
|
|
|
to Kelli for the beautiful
cobalt-blue butter dish with matching
lid. Note to self: Do not put the
butter dish on the back of the stove...
the back part of the stove where the
control knobs for the burners are
located forms a neat little shelf.
And it gets warm.
|
Some home front ramblings...
|
December
16,
2005
|
|
|
Naomi joyfully proclaimed, this morning,
that in eight days she'll still be
eight, but in nine days she'll be nine.
Darling girl... that one!
I
am pretty amazed how the days have just
passed so quickly---almost like 2/3 of
them never occurred---at least that's
how it feels to me. I strain to
remember days gone by and feel like many
months are just a blur. Then I
look at the photographs, the journals,
the notations in my Bibles and other
books I've read... then I marvel at all
that's been done, all that's happened.
It's quite miraculous, really, the Hand
of the LORD.
There I was... adamant that we'd have
*no* guns.... they're bad. They're
dangerous. It's not right to
play-act things that you cannot do.
It's just so aggressive and mean and
rough and violent and brutal to make
sport of killing and to play so
viciously. So... like most all
little boys, my boys shot each other
with graham-cracker guns, peanut butter
and jelly sandwich guns and squirt guns
and Lego guns and vacuum-cleaner
attachment guns and broom guns and
faucet handle guns and scrap lumber 2x4
machine guns with sixteen penny nail
scopes and cup-hook triggers.
So
today, I glanced in my rear-view mirror
only to see a veritable arsenal of
pistols, a rifle and a machine gun being
opened and fixed up by the two older's
who'd just bought these weapons of mass
destruction for their younger brothers.
In addition to these guns with their
laser scopes, they also purchased
buckets of pellets for the guns.
So... we go home (all the while I am
thinking: Omygoodness, omygoodness, I
surely pray I do not get stopped by an
officer today and have to try and
explain that we are not with
al-Qa'ida and that these are really
darling boys---really they are!)
and before the car was even parked and
the emergency brake was set and before I
shut off the lights and removed my
seatbelt (the ever safety-conscious,
law-abiding citizen that I am), the
older's were out of the car handing the
guns to the overjoyed younger's.
Immediately, they all suited up for
war play and the
Airsoft guns were loaded with plastic
bb's and off they went in the frozen
yard to destroy play
with each other. The older's
had more fun than the youngers I think.
I
still have a no guns policy.
Really, I do. In my dreams.
|
More scathing attacks on
Christianity...
|
December
15,
2005
|
|
|
When
I read documents or official papers
written throughout much of this nation's
existence, I am thankful to see the
acknowledgement of the Hand of God,
foundational Christian principles, His
providence and blessing on this nation
through the years. I am heartened
to see even His chastisement on this
nation when this nation's actions have
been rebellious. It is
further amazing to me the absolute
assault on Christianity. I
guess that's why it's so annoying to me
and why I take issue with the catch-all
phrase: "happy holidays." It's not
that I am so pro-Christmas (meaning the
trippings and trappings) or think it's
such a sacred day---it is, though, the
day that's come to be designated as the
day we celebrate the birth of our LORD
and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
And *that* *is* a very big deal!
I
understand, really I do, the intent
behind *some* people* using the phrase:
"happy holidays" in greeting others.
They want to convey a cheerful greeting.
But I also understand that for others,
the phrase is to eliminate Christ, it's
the denying of "Christmas" and
it's an
attack on Christ-followers---and an
assault on Christianity. For the
government to be involved in the
abolition of things Christian, or of
Christ (-ianity) and then embrace or be
sympathetic to other religions is a
pathetic misunderstanding of the laws of
this nation and a misapplication of the
Constitutional Amendments.
|
But in one of the sickest
displays, yet, the
Washington State Democratic
Party offered a magnet for
sale on its website.
It's no longer available
there due to a storm of
objections. Blatant
anti-Christian rhetoric is
so common in our society.
But I keep thinking that
it's not really an attack on
Christians... it's an attack
on God. Satan hates
God---Satan hates Jesus and
because of this, he will do
anything to attack God.
But satan is a defeated
foe---though he gains
followers every day.
People buy into the
anti-Christian ideas because
they have turned their backs
on God and do not want to
yield to Him, fear losing
freedom to do and think
whatever they want.
The are wise in their own
conceit. The Bible
says, the fool has said in
his heart, there is no God
and Jesus warned to not be
surprised if men or the
world hates you (because you
follow Him) for they hated
Him first. So---sad,
yes, but not surprised at
this vicious attack on
Christianity. I am,
however, a bit surprised at
the audacious, guile of
those who placed the item
for sale at that site---and
that it was such a high
profile site. Shame on
the state Dems. there.
I don't think many of their
constituents are aware of
their agenda. |
The item was removed
from the Washington State
Democrats website. |
|
[This,
from the Seattle PI - Wednesday
December 14, 2005
(even the PI mocks... the
article file is "fish flap".
It figures.)]
Wash.
Democrats apologize for magnet
THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The state's
Democratic chairman has
apologized for a political
gimcrack [sic] that parodied a
popular Christian automobile
adornment.
The fish-shaped magnet was
posted for sale alongside other
political paraphernalia last
week on the state Democratic
Party's Web site.The magnet also
bore the image of a cross and
the word "hypocrite" over a
background of flames. State Rep.
Doug Ericksen, R-Bellingham,
called it an "anti-Christian"
symbol.
Paul Berendt, the state
Democratic chairman, said he was
surprised to find the item
advertised on the Web site. He
told The Seattle Times the
magnet was not properly vetted
and was removed from the party's
site after less than 48 hours.
He apologized for offending
anyone, and called the item
embarrassing. "We didn't sell
any of them, and we're not going
to," Berendt said.
The fish magnet is
copyrighted by a Mount Vernon
company. Berendt said he was
unsure of its meaning, but said
he thinks it is aimed at "people
who claim to be pro-life but are
for the death penalty." |
|
Blog
Awards... a lot of internet hugging
and kissing...
|
December
14,
2005
|
|
|
going around here!
I just "voted" for my favourites in the
latest contest:
HomeSchool Blog Awards.
I sure think these these contests are
interesting and informative. It's
sort of a "best of the best" listing of
great blogs available to families who
(do or don't) homeschool. I
was glad to see some of my favourites
(so I could vote for them) and to be
able to check out a number of blogs
whose names or logos intrigued me.
I was happily surprised at all the
encouraging "kindred hearts" and the
good articles I read. I think all
are winners... regardless who takes home
the prize (or webpage graphic, as it
were). So, go ahead, if
you've got time, take
a look at the different blogs in the
various categories of homeschooling (it
really ends up being a very broad
category of bloggers since for most
homeschooling families, it's just a way
of life and not a separate, isolated
activity or season.
 |
There's a whole lot of knitting and
crocheting going on here at our house.
Naomi received a
Singer Knitting Machine from
my mom for Christmas (which is also her
birthday). She loved making a
scarf ---and the speed with which it
could be made sure was a plus for a
little girl. O, poor little girl, when
things take a long time, she's
discouraged. She just learning the
value of work and of excellence in
crafting and so to have a project turn
out so well was really a blessing and to
have it done so quickly, well---that was an
added bonus! ~smile~
(Thanks, mama---she loves
it!)
Kathryn just completed
crocheting a second scarf of
a beautiful soft and fuzzy
black yarn. This is in
addition to the beautiful
crocheted wash cloths she's
made for me and others!! |
 |
|
sifting through tidbits
on the ground...
|
December
13,
2005
|
|
|
When
I say that I'm "sifting through tidbits
on the ground," I really mean it.
Several times a day, after a couple of
youngers have done a quick pick-up, the
whole downstairs is swept by one of the
older children or myself, and for many
years, we've just taken to sweeping the
whole floor and collecting the sweepings
into a couple of piles---that means
whatever's on the floor---large or small
items---everything gets swept.
Though I've often entertained the
delightful thought of having a place in
the baseboard to click a button and have
the vacuum activated and the little pile
sucked into a
sort of vacuum dustpan to some
receptacle somewhere. In addition
to many other factors, financial,
notwithstanding, we do not have a
"central-vac" system in our home---and
not that dustpan feature, either.
We just sift through the pile to find
any treasures --- everything from hair
barrettes and rubber bands, coins,
clips, pen caps, library cards, pencils,
shoes, sippy cups, lego pieces... and
occasionally a small child gets scooped
up.
|
I don't get
around much
(on the web)
most days
weeks
|
December
13,
2005
|
|
|
...
And so I was sort of surprised at the
number doing the seven-seven's in their
blogs. I'm thinking I've been
sitting on this project for several days
and need to get to it. So, after
this brief entry, I do my seven (or so)
sevens. So, it was
neat to see the number of "cross-links"
on the different blogs doing the "seven
seven's"---many of which are listed in
the
dear to me blogs.
Two Talent Living has presented
"Blogs of Beauty" awards in different
categories or for different aspects of
blog styles and purpose.
Boy-o-boy, when I first began posting
blogs, I sure never thought anything
much about who'd read them, let alone
who'd link to them. I just blogged...
not originally saving the month's posts
in retrievable files. Even now, I
don't consider this a "real" blogger's
blog since I do not use blogging
software or a blog program/site. I
just never thought it was that big a
deal---and I never thought there'd be
anything like there is today as far as
blogging or blogging styles goes.
So anyway,
back to my browsing around today. I was
sure encouraged at the number of people who are
blogging, sharing what God is doing in homes and
families and that there are so many encouragers
on the net. After I visited Barbara's
Mommy Life,
sort
of my springboard to other sites, and took a
look at all I've been missing, I visited
Two Talent Living. At this
site, Sallie had recently offered a "Blogs of
Beauty" contest for the "best of" various
categories on the net. You can browse the
winners, the finalists and the nominee's
here. There are terrific
blogs/families represented! Imagine
my surprise that my blog was "nominated" in the
category of "The Best Encourager."
No, I didn't win anything---and would've been
amazed if I had! Blog or no, award or no,
I sure would like that (an anything good
encourager) to be part of my epithet---as
unworthy as I feel of that description some
days! So, thanks bunches to
whoever nominated this blog and blessings to
whoever reads it. And many blessings
to all the "winners" of the awards---the writers
*and* to their families who give them
material for the blogs each day.
So... my Seven Sevens
So that's my
list.... it was sort of simple to do... and then
I thought of many other things to write.
And... maybe I will a bit later. First, I
need to gather the children... it's time to
spotlitize the house----the ham and lentil soup
is ready and it's almost time for dinner!
|
 Guess
you realized some time ago that in your
websearching for homemaking or Christian
blogs of keepers-at-home, this site is
surely no 'whole-foods' site and not an
offshoot of Christian organics or
Christian health today [fictitious
names, btw]. I *am* learning,
though!! Over all, we're just a
middle of the right side of the right
lane family as far as most things go.
So... an update on the Crisco deal...
Kelli just sent me a note suggesting an
alternative to Crisco: Spectrum
Shortening. I figure if anyone is
researching healthy alternatives, it's
Kelli --- and she's got suggestions for
alternatives to most everything.
[I still think the recipes I'm planning
on making with the remaining Crisco will
cook up pretty tasty, though!
Maybe we should just break all the
cookies in half and just eat half the
shortening we would have eaten in the
whole cookies.]
 This
is a product description:
When we say
our Organic Shortening is good, we
really mean good. It’s better for your
body than
ordinary
shortening because it’s never
hydrogenated, has zero grams of trans
fat, and is made from palm oil, which is
naturally cholesterol free and a good
source of heart healthy monounsaturated
fat. Even better are the dozens of small
family farmers in Colombia who cultivate
and press our palm oil in an
environmentally sustainable manner. It’s
good for you, the farmers and the
earth...just imagine what it does for a
pie crust.
INGREDIENTS: Mechanically pressed
Organic Palm Oil.
|
 Cooking
with Crisco
|
December 12,
2005
|
 I'm
attempting---I will say it again,
a-t-t-e-m-p-t-i-n-g, to say good
riddance, so long, adiós,
farewell, auf wiedersehen,
goodbye---parting is such sweet sorrow
[omygoodness, that almost sounds like a
Willy Wonka line] ciao, to C-R-I-S-C-O.
Yes, Crisco, the perfect food.
~wink~ My friend, Marsha, is
probably gagging as she's, in the past,
encouraged me to *not* use it! Bcz
of the hydrogenated oil---it's not good
for our bodies!
I will have to swallow
pride, own up to mediocrity, face the
music, take the dive and use my
"healthier" options.
I, a diehard Crisco fan and aficionado
for *some* things, am going to make a concerted
effort to make this my last Christmas
baking with Crisco. I will have
less flakey pie crusts (unless I switch
to *lard*, and the little secret
to perfect cookies (add a little Crisco) will become a pitiful
memory... for I've treasured the results
of the delicious, flakey, made with
Crisco pie crusts and the angel
cookies, and the date bars, and the
french fries and, and, and.
We, quite possibly even used it as
tanning oil at one time or another.
Yes, I know... sick. But in
Southern California it used to be: use
*anything* for a great tan. Maybe
it's still that way today with some
people.
I
know friends who would no more cook or
bake with or eat Crisco than they would pour anti-freeze
in their children's milk juice glasses
before sending them out to play on a chilly
morning. They would no more use or
eat Crisco than they would lie down on
the Interstate at rush hour. They
would no more use or eat Crisco than
they would jump off the Snohomish bridge
in the middle of winter.
So,
I'm down to the last bit in the can.
Yes, the fifty five gallon drum from
Costco. Okay, well, maybe it's not
a fifty-five gallon drum, but the six
pound can from Costco. I am
thinking it's probably best to start
making things a bit healthier.
Healthier... hmmmmm. Now, I
am wondering about some of the
things I am planning to make.
Could I even be talking about attempting
to make any of these a bit healthier?
Say, the chocolate fudge or the almond
roca bars with the two pounds of butter
in the recipe. And then I think
about the peanut brittle with the mounds
of butter, sugar, corn syrup and
peanuts. Then I consider the
pecan pies (even sans the shortening)
with the sugar, butter, eggs and pecans.
Then there's the frosted sugar cookies,
the Oreo snowmen dipped in white
chocolate bark; or the butter cookies
with the two pounds of butter per recipe
I'd planned to make as the base for
several types of cookies. O, and
the peanut-butter balls dipped in
chocolate to which a tablespoon of
paraffin (gasp!) has been added [that,
in addition to what's probably *already*
in the dark chocolate chips.
Hmmmmmm. For some of these and
many other recipes that are
not-so-good-for-you, visit our
Recipe Pages.
So,
I'm wondering if my plan to eliminate
the Crisco at Christmastime is really
the best time to do it. Maybe I
will wait until January 2nd to make the
change. No, January 2 is not such
a good time either, for there will be
too many other resolutions vying for
that place of eradication. But
maybe, by then, enough other
things will have already failed to be
eliminated that it will be easier to
stick with the new conviction to
eradicate hydrogenated oil.
I can just hear
Paul Harvey right now... promoting
the benefits of
Smart Balance.
Many thanks to Heather for sending this
one along... sad part about it
is... it's not all that farfetched,
except that the first two are probably,
more often than not, not an inexcusable
action and not likely to result in a
trip to the principal's office or
expulsion from class.
|
Quasi
- Days.
|
December 11,
2005
|
 Happy
Holidays... bleck. What nonsense.
You hear it too? Happy holidays...
just rolls off the tongue... happy
holidays.
I'm
driving along listening to the radio and
at each station identification, the
announcer would share something about
playing "your favourite holiday music,"
or "your holiday favourites, coming
right up." And then immediately
some song would come on... have yourself
a merry little Christmas... I'll be home
for Christmas... and so on; song
after song about Christmas. And
then the announcer would say more about
the holidays and more Christmas music
would play.
It's like someone has just come to the
table where everything has been
exquisitely prepared and beautifully
arranged and the newcomer starts
clearing the table of every vestige of
the purpose for gathering in the dining
room. In fact, the newcomer also
declares that the room shall no longer
be called a dining room---instead, it
will be called simply "Another Room."
Soon, the table is cleared and taken out
of the room and there is left no indication
of the reason for the gathering around
the table was to share a delicious meal
together and celebrate the special
occasion. In time, no one
even knows why anyone started gathering
in the room at all---and it was really
empty and without purpose. Soon
even the gathering diminished for there
really was no point to it all. But
one thing remained... hunger. The
people were still hungry.
More and more people are buying into the
propaganda... more of that dialectic
praxis. Anything but Jesus.
Anything but Christ. Christ-ian or
Christ-mas or Christ-ianity. It
seems as if this country will one day
politically correct itself right out of
existence. Soon, it seems,
people will wonder what in the world are
people celebrating, anyway? Why go
to all this extreme work and devotion for:
HOLIDAYS??? Why do we celebrate
Quasi-Days? Where did Quasi Days
come from anyway? There is no point to
it at all... we celebrate HOLIDAYS?
Why? Why all the lights,
door-buster sales, candy canes and
candles and who are all those old songs
about, anyway? [yes... and
many believers are wondering the same
thing about Christmas]
[this is just one possible scenario]
Then it will probably come to pass that
it will be described as an old religious
event that used to be called "Christmas"
where people celebrated by giving gifts
to one another symbolizing the
gift that God gave the world.
But, there will be some to tell the
truth. And they'll share...
the stories about how He was born in a
manger to (as unbelievable as it is: a
virgingirl named Mary) and how as it had
been foretold centuries earlier that a
Saviour came in the flesh and dwelt
among men and that He came to save them
from their sins.
Then, if that weren't enough, they even
believe that that same Jesus, that baby
born in a manger with a star pointing
the way to the place where the babe
was---that same Jesus would later die on
a cross as an atonement for sin.
And if that weren't amazing enough,
those people who celebrated the birth of
that man, Jesus, also celebrated again
another day that marked another
remarkable event. That man, that
Jesus, who died on the cross---whose
blood was shed for the remission of
sins---that man rose from the dead on
the third day and then---here is the
astonishing thing: he ascended into
heave and lives eternally at the right
hand of God the Father. They
believe that whosoever ---really,
whosoever--- believes in Him---confesses
their sin and believes He is Lord will
not perish but have everlasting life.
That's really all they do---they just
believe. They don't work their way
there, they don't pay their way there,
they don't wonder if they're good enough
or work to be good enough.
They simply, through faith, believe.
They believe and become a new creation
in Christ Jesus. And... wait,
there is more... He, by His Holy Spirit,
forgives them of their sins, all
the sins they ever committed or ever
will commit --- and He stands in their place
before God, will live in their heart all
the days of their life, and ever lives
to make intercession for those who
believe in Him. And when they die
they will not face eternal
damnation---no! They will be welcomed
straight into heaven---they won't wait
in a holding place, they won't have any
tears, any sadness, for the LORD will
wipe all tears from their eyes and they
will rest forever with the Saviour in
the place He promised to prepare for
them. That is amazing love.
I
often wonder how many Quasi-Days people
will endure before they are totally fed
up with the emptiness of it --- all flogging
they get in the checkbook and credit
card statements --- and decide to never
travel the Quasi-Day frenzied road
again... Or... will people begin to
say---as I suspect many are saying... O,
please just get rid of the junk, get rid
of the facade and the demands for more,
more, more. Get rid of all
the trappings. Just give us
a time to reflect on the greatest Gift
the World will ever know. Just
give us Jesus. O, it might not be
the very actual day He was born, and
sure, the wise men weren't right
there in the stable, and sure, we don't
know a lot of things... but we do know
He came, God came in the flesh and dwelt
among us. He will come again.
And... one day, every knee will bow and
every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is LORD.
So... for all the whosoevers...it's not
quasi-day... or quasi season.. For all
the whosoevers, it's a celebration of
the Gift.
|
For
God so loved the world,
that he gave his only
begotten Son, that
whosoever
believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting
life.
For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn
the world;
but that the world through
him might be saved.
John 3.16-17
|
blog comments |
I don't wish you happy quasi
days, I wish you a
happy celebration of
Christ's birth...
Happy Christmas.
|
|
In
the bright
winter
sunshine I
see...
|
December 8,
2005
|
Things a little differently.
I
had a bunch of things written and just
decided to delete the entry and the
title. This old farmhouse has
windows on all four sides of the house,
so there are very few dark areas in the
house when the sun is
shining---especially what I call the
sideways sun of winter.
Right outside my window is the huge
weeping willow tree with its massive
trunk and limbs and leafless branches
hanging down. I sort of think it
looks like a gigantic straw mop that
swishes around when the wind blows.
Sometimes I think this old tree
represents the lives of old
people---people in the "winter" of their
lives. When all the lush, rich
fullness and various vibrant colours of
the beautiful seasons past have faded. The stunning
presence of spring and the strong growth
and shade in summer seem to defy the
aging that's occurring all the while.
As the roots go deeper into the soil and
the branches grow longer and stronger ,
it's hard to see what the weathering is
doing and how the protective bark is
tougher, making the tree more resilient
and able to withstand the winds of
change. It's in the spring and
summer that the tree seems most useful
with its sturdy branches for swinging
and its shade for enjoying the pleasure
of gathering beneath it for celebrations
and rest. All the while, the tree
just keeps on growing... aging.
Today this old tree with its almost
arresting beauty and starkness seems especially
inspirational to me.
The only thing that seems to give it
life is the bird in its branches.
Its coarse, thick and deeply furrowed
bark that's sort of gnarled and rough.
It sort of a strange contrast of robust strength and
spent energy ---the seeming
contradiction of beauty and the lack
thereof. It's at this time
of year that I wonder if the tree is
beautiful or ugly. And then I see it.
The tree---the mighty old tree, standing
there for nearly a century --- the
tree that's much, much taller than our
home, that shades the entire home in the
summer and shields it from the harsh
winds through the spring, fall and
winter. The tree that's weathered
countless storms --- winds, rains and
floods; the old tree that's endured
decades of sunlight and has danced in
the moonlight. The tree
that's shaded picnics and tea parties on
blankets... the rope of the tire swing
is a permanent part of one of the
branches and a wise old owl can often be
found perched on one of the highest
branches near the center of the tree.
mmmmmm.... I can almost see it now...
dolly on the summer swing in
september...
my "office" windows in the
background. |
[All the while I've been writing this,
I've been sort of entertaining the
thought in the back of my mind that what
I am describing --- this old willow tree
in all it's beauty or its almost
unattractive, yet noble appearance is
sort of like aged people: at once aged,
tired, almost lifeless and then
exquisitely beautiful, wise... deep...
the experience of years etched deeply on
their faces and hands.
O, the curious beauty of age and
experience.]
Before we ever saw any of this and while
searching for a home for our family, I
had written a short list to the LORD.
It was sort of my prayer list of what I
wished He would provide for our family.
On it, I had written that I prayed He
would provide a home with enough
bedrooms for our family, space outside
for them to run and play, a weeping
willow tree, windows on all sides, and a
porch for summertime. When [quite
by "accident" ;-) ] we drove by and saw
a tiny sign on a pole "for sale by
owner" and then saw the house down the
lane, I knew we were home. Though
I had prayed that there would be a
willow tree, I had no idea why I really
liked them so much or what the LORD
would teach me beside the willow tree.
And now, with my desk here in this tiny
8'x7' room with windows on three sides,
right outside my windows I see the giant
willow tree each day and barely catch
glimpses of it at night. Lest it
seem I am worshipping the tree or
falling into some Celtic myth or
superstitions, it must be reiterated
that this tree is simply part of "home"
to me and when I saw the tree... the
porch, the windows and more, all I
needed was one step into the house to
know: welcome home.
It
was that experience, God's provision and
blessing, and then subsequent encounters that led me to start naming
things (like the sub-domain for this
site, my letters and later, this blog)
the welcome home. From that day to
this, this house has always said and has
always been: the welcome home.
|
|
The
sweet little
serendipities
of life
|
December 7,
2005
|
I
received internet hugs and flowers last
week. I'm smiling as I think of
women I'll likely never meet this side
of heaven. Women who've inspired
and blessed me, women who've invested in
my life (though they might never have
known it) and women whose lives have
been used of the LORD to change mine.
A list would be too limiting and might
inadvertently exclude some names.
So the
internet hugs and flowers came from
Carla and Peggy at
Women of Simplicity. This
website and accompanying blog are quite
encouraging to me and through the years
both women have been particularly
inspiring as I guide our children and
work in our home. Having grown up
in many ways in sort of "opposite"
surroundings to the ones I have now,
I find I long for encouragement and
affirmation for the choices we've made
and the path we're traveling and the
activities in which we participate.
Each time I read of what Carla or Peggy
(my mother's name, by the way :-) ) are
making, what's been baking in the oven
that day or things they're looking
forward to doing, I am blessed and my
family is blessed because we're spurred
on to "good works." What I
love is that there's never a sense of
competition or rivalry but simply(!) a
sense of genuine support for the journey
and sort of a shared delight as ideas
are gleaned and exchanged. So,
thank you, Peggy and Carla for this
honour and for your kindness to me.
I'm humbled by your thoughtfulness and I
pray the LORD will immerse you in His
joy and abundantly bless you and your
homes. Again, I thank you both.
It's been many weeks ago now, our older children
gathered here in our home with several
friends to play games on a Tuesday
night. They played games the next
Tuesday night... and the next, and the
next.
Soon Tuesday night became known as "Game Night" at
our house. And the friends began
to bring seldom played games and the
variety increased to where game night
activities have now expanded to two tables.
The group is enthusiastic to play and
patient as the young people learn new
games. Vocabularies and drawing
skills have increased as they've played Pictionary, Guesstures, Scattergories
and Taboo. They'll occasionally
acquiesce to the youngers and play a
little "Go Fish" or "Old Maid" for a
little while. As I
type this, right beside me in the living
room, ten young people are playing
Scattergories and at the dining table
several youngers are enjoying games with
one of the younger teens.
We
ordinarily wouldn't orchestrate such an
evening each week, nor would I have ever
thought we'd do this (actually, it's never
crossed my mind), but this has been the
perfect opportunity for several new
friends to get to know one another and
for all the young people to spend time
together. This is sort of an
overflow from one of our week-night
Bible studies. One was originally
begun for new believers a year and a
half ago.... Wes had been talking
with some of the cashiers at the local
gas station (and the place he *used* to
buy a fritter and coffee each morning) and over a period of a
couple of years, our family had prayed
for them and prayed for an opportunity
to minister to them with the prayer that
they would come to know the LORD and we
could begin a Bible study.
Well, the LORD certainly did answer that
prayer and the young women did accept an
invitation to join us in our home for
dinner and Bible study each week.
What remarkable growth we've seen over
the many months they've been coming and what
joy we've experienced together as
they've begun walking with the LORD and
have literally become like family to
us. So, it's sort of natural to
have these different nights together as
we grow in grace in the LORD. I'll
always be grateful for my husband's zeal
for the LORD and for his tenacity in
seeking the lost and proclaiming the
Good News to them. It seems that no
matter where we go, he can strike up a
conversation and, if nothing else, share
something about the LORD.
Well, that's it for now... I need to go bake
up some cookies real quick---it's Game
Night, Omy!
|
Here come
the
Christmas
Epistles
Letters
|
December 6,
2005
|
This time of year brings all kinds of
Christmas joys --- from phone calls to
letters to cards and family photographs.
Some even brave the dreaded sneers and
write the annual report. Some
avoid the mocking they know they'd
receive were they to attempt to send out
a Christmas letter because they know
that invariably, it would be ready
sometime around March 1.
Still others dream up the magnificent
ensemble of coordinating outfits and a
festive backdrop for a family
portrait---they dream of it, but it
somehow never becomes a reality and
another year passes that their family
pics aren't posted on 125 refrigerators
around the country.
I've written dozens of Christmas letters
over the years --- well, I mean, in my
mind I have written them.
Really. I've thought of the styles
and formats I might use, the pictures
and clipart, too. I've envisioned
the paper and the cutouts and even the
confetti I would put in the envelope and
the beautiful Christmas postage stamps I
would purchase. I've
conjured up some pretty good stories and
have formed humourous anecdotes about
each of the children and have imagined
some clever ways to share that our
family was (again) infanticipating.
I mean, seven of our children were born
between the years 1988 to 1998, so there
were many times I could've shared quite
a tale. And then there was the
year that our oldest son got married and
our tenth child was 20 days old at the
time. I thought the picture
would've made a lovely Christmas card
and I thought a description of the
wedding festivities would've been very
interesting (well to a few, anyway).
And
then it happens. Well, two things
happen: first I begin receiving the
annual bundle of cards and letters and
then, of course the other thing... it's
December 23rd and I start thinking,
Omygoodness, I sure want to get some
cards out!
Okay, so the letters... O, the letters!
After I read the sixth or seventh letter
describing the accomplishments of the
children in the families, I just sort of
set down my pen, put away my paper and
sit back in my chair. And as I
rock in my chair, and look around at the
lovely children who live in our home and
share our name, I think... it's okay...
it's oooookay.
After reading about the twelve year old
with nine years' experience dancing the
Nutcracker, the husband who not only got
promoted to president of the company,
but also wrote a book and runs five
miles every morning after an hour of
devotions before work each day.
Then there was the seven year old
who mastered not only marine biology,
but calculus, too. And about the teenager who
is studying nuclear physics and is building
an airplane, the nine year old daughter
who sheared the family sheep, dyed the
wool in juice from berries they grew and
then spun the wool and crocheted
sweaters and knitted socks and mittens
for everyone in the family during the
month of November. Then I read stories
of the three year old who plays the
violin and the piano with remarkable
talent; and the six year old who
memorized the book of Romans in her
spare time the previous month and after
reading all the American Girl books
decided to make matching outfits for
herself and her sisters and all their
dolls. Then I read of the
eleven year old who decided to study
woodworking and built armoires for each
bedroom. Then I read about the
eight year old who handles all the
father's bookkeeping and accounting for
the year---even files the tax return and
walks to the post office in February to
mail it off! It's
always just more than I can fathom.
Okay... so it's a bit of a stretch.
[no, these are not real letters just
spoofs and not to mock ANY specific
letters we have received---really]
But... every year we do receive letters
that practically rival the skills and
accomplishments listed above. And
I think of the countless hours that the
families have invested in each of those
outstanding children and how their
hearts must swell with joy. I know
that in their sharing, they're not
elevating themselves or their children
over others... they're just beaming
about the way things are going. I
think we all do that from time to time.
Trouble is, sometimes others feel so
inadequate after reading about mammoth
accomplishments compared to their own:
which they consider to be measly.
Measly or mammoth, isn't is good that
God is in control and He's going to work
it all out and use it all for His glory.
We just need to wait and see. And
be gracious about it. I think back
on the hundreds and hundreds of
Christmas cards and letters we've
received over the years and the many
times I've thought: Omygoodness... what
on earth did *we* do this year,
anyway... did we *do* anything? I
mean anything worth writing about?
I
look over at the dry kidney beans (for
counting, adding and subtracting) on the
table and the math sheet that has lunch
and dinner smeared on it and it's nearly
complete with finger prints and an
outline of that son's hand---O, and I
think he really did figure all the
problems correctly. Then I
look over at another one sprawled out on
the sofa surrounded by a stack of books
she's reading. A train set
is whirring along on the floor beside me
and another child is sitting on my desk.
Outside, boys are attempting to sled on
what precious little snow is left in the
yard. Another boy is working on a
Sudoku puzzle at the table.
And then there's Wes on the phone,
getting ready to head out to see someone
in need of encouragement. A
daughter is working on a lesson and
another is crocheting a scarf. The
dishwasher is going, the water is on for
tea, the washer and dryer are going, the
water's running (I hope that's a good
thing) and the woodstove fan is going.
And I.... well, I am blogging. I
guess that pretty much wraps up the
year. Now, that would really be a
short and sweet Christmas letter.
I sometimes sort of think that how life
is... short and sweet.
And... I am still
working on my Seven
Seven's------------seven lists of seven
things...
I'm stuck on my seven most favourite
books and seven things I say most often.
Seven things that attract me to my
husband? I only get to list seven?
More stuff on December 5
Thank you all for your patience as I see
about getting our message comment board
in order. I don't know if it's
going to fly or not. I just may
need to look into some software. I
sure think others would benefit from
some responses I receive to some blogs.
Great encouragement and advise---what a
blessing.
As for the questions regarding the kegel
exercise ---by all means (especially if
you're young!!) become familiar with
these and do them. If done
regularly, they can greatly reduce and
possibly eliminate many problems
associated with
childbearing---especially in grand-multi's. I'll not
describe graphically right now (or maybe
--ever-- ~wink~ ) but I will share a
couple of basic links regarding the
kegel exercise (
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/kegel.html
)
and in a few days I will post more about
this, and about pelvic prolapse (
http://womenshealth.jhmi.edu/gyn/conditions/pelvic_prolapse.html
) and surgical and non surgical remedies.
I'll probably post these in our
"medical" pages so as to be able to post
several links and articles, etc., that I
have found to be informative.
And... by the way... I am *waaaay*
behind in reading blogs---but I did read
through my "dear to me blogs" today.
O, what a blessing. O what a
Saviour we serve! YOU'll be
blessed by reading my
dear to me blogs
, too, I think! Start with
Barbara's Mommy Life
blog. And, Barbara... okay,
okay... when I get back from the doc
today, I will post my
Seven Seven's, too!
|
What
I wish I'd
known (and
believed)
|
December 5,
2005
|
When we began having children, and when
our family size seemed like it was going
to be sort of larger than "normal," I
sure wish I'd thought bigger and I sure
wish I had believed the people who were
lamenting about their poor choice in
purchasing particle board bookshelves.
For those and everything else (almost) I
wish I'd thought bigger. Well,
bigger and commercial. I'm talking
commercial pans, commercial pots,
casserole dishes and toilet-paper
dispensers---commercial refrigerator...
stuff like that. I sort of think
that about a lot more things, like for
example, I would like everything to be
industrial strength. Industrial
strength socks and jeans, tennis shoes
and bedsheets. Industrial strength
sofas and carpets, coat hooks and
curtain-rods. Industrial strength
shoe laces and oven door handles.
I sort of wish I had believed people who
told me about the antics of their
boys... and all the things they would
get into. I used to just
smile that "knowing smile" when, in
fact, I didn't know what they meant at
all.
I
sometimes sort of wish I'd gotten our
dishes from a restaurant supply
house---but I don't really regret buying
a single dish or glass though quite a
large number have broken through the
years. And I sort of wish
our kitchen had a hose and center floor
drain. I wish our porch had a
(warm) shower or a warm hose to shower
everyone off before they came inside.
Well, not the guests---that is, unless
they had also played in the sandbox or
garden.
And
today, I guess above all, I wish I had
believed and known why that child-birth
instructor encouraged each of us
pregnant class members to Kegel every
single day for the rest of our lives.
Then later, when I thought I was keeping
up with the simple kegel exercise, I
wish I had believed more earnestly why
it was imperative that I do that
exercise---or any other strenuous
exercise, for that matter. A
mama needs to have an industrial
strength body---I wish I knew that in
the beginning! I didn't
realize how imperative it would be to
have industrial strength arms, for
example. 50 pound sacks of grain,
oats, flour or beans require that great
industrial strength. Scooping up
an injured toddler requires that sort of
strength and so does moving a
refrigerator when a gallon of milk drops
from the fridge shelf and splits open on
the floor in front of it.
I've been thinking that it sort of takes
an industrial strength heart for a
mother to bear the disappointments her
older children face, but I guess it also
takes a very tender heart to carry their
burdens. I guess I wish I'd known
(and believed) all these things early
on. But, I suppose that all
through the years I've been gaining
industrial strength in many ways... and
in other ways, that industrial strength
has been as strong as a silk thread.
I'm beginning to see the importance of
being strong as steel and soft as silk
at the same time. I don't
recall anyone telling me that.
But I sure wish I'd believed that
childbirth instructor.
December 3,
2005
Wishing
you a happy
Christmas
Looking
around, and
keeping an
ear to the
ground, one
would sure
get the
feeling that
the whole
world's gone
utterly mad.
Consider for
instance,
the current
climate
concerning
Christmas.
Christmas.
It really
doesn't
matter where
you live,
it's
resonating
everywhere:
eliminate
Christ and
anything
related to
Christianity---and
while you're
at it, all
the radical
right-wing
fundamentalist
Christians,
too.
Eliminate
God and all
references
to Him.
Ignore the
foundational
principles
of this
nation.
Ignore the
writings of
the founders
of this
nation, the
pilgrims,
the
pioneers,
even the
early
educational
system.
Write them
off---rewrite
them, but be
sure there
are
no
references
to God or
Christ or
even church.
In fact, in
the hometown
where I
lived in my
early years,
in Southern
California,
there was a
ballot
measure last
month to
eliminate
the phrase:
"the city of
churches"
from the
logo or city
of Redlands
seal.
Now, it's
not that I'm
for the
establishment
of a state
religion---I
mean if the
trend
sticks, it's
only a
matter of
time before
this nation
could become
an islamic
nation.
Seems far
fetched,
doesn't it?
But then, I
must say,
this could
actually end
up being the
most
spiritually
confused
nation on
earth.
I received
an email
from "Beliefnet"
urging me to
cast a vote
for one of
the "Most
Inspiring
Individuals
of 2005."
Rosa Parks,
Rick Warren,
Bono, and
Victoria
Ruvolo were
among the
names on the
list.
Victoria
Ruvolo is a
woman who
was
critically
injured in a
foolish
prank by a
man who
tossed a
frozen 20
lb. turkey
into
oncoming
traffic and
it smashed
through Ms.
Ruvolo's
windshield
and at his
sentencing,
she
requested
leniency in
hopes that
the young
man would
consider his
ways and to
seek an
honourable
life---and
he was given
extreme
leniency
considering
his sentence
of 6 months
instead of
twenty-five
years.
Another "Beliefnet"
finalist is
actually a
duo" Akbar
Ahmed and
Judea Pearl.
The two men,
a muslim and
a Jew, are
among the
most
inspirational
individuals
of 2005 for
their
teaching
that the
three major
world
religions
have Abraham
as a common
source and
seek to
"remind the
world of
this
religious
commonality
as they
break down
barriers
between
their
faiths."
Religious
commonality.
More
dialectic
praxis.
If I tell
you
something
long enough
or often
enough, you
will become
accustomed
to hearing
it and it
will soon
become
believable,
or plausible
or at the
very least,
acceptable
to you.
But if
you're
careful,
wise and
study the
Scriptures,
you will see
the false
teaching and
you'll not
be ensnared
by the
dialectic
praxis.
O, you'll
hear it,
perhaps
you'll even
understand
it, but you
won't buy
it.
The Word
says that in
the last
days even
the elect
will be
deceived if
that were
possible.
For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs
and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive
the very elect.
Matthew 24.24
So... a happy Christmas. I always
say this phrase instead of "merry
Christmas" this time of year. I
guess it's just another way I seek to
separate from the chaotic shopping,
buying, shopping and the breathless,
frenetic commotion that washes over and
practically drowns society this time of
year. After all, it's
Christmas, dontchaknow.
Christmas... the very world conjures up
a well of emotions. Sort of
like the word: Mother. But I
digress. It seems everyone
is trying to get a handle on what
Christmas really is and what it really
ought to be. It seems every year
that Christmas is actually synonymous
with gifts or spending. Just ask
someone... are you having a good
Christmas? Is it going to be a
good Christmas for the children this
year? Read: are the children going to
get lots of expensive gifts this year?
Or did you have a good Christmas?
Answers vary: Yes, it was a
good Christmas, we were able to
"do it all" without breaking the bank.
Or, no, not really... things have been
tough, so it was a pretty paltry
Christmas this year. Or,
well, I hope it's a good Christmas... it
will be small, but at least we'll be
together.
We
haven't had a Christmas measuring rod
for a number of years. I loved it
and I hated it at the same time... every
year, I would decorate it or I would
have help decorating it and after the
children were tucked in bed and the
house was quiet, I would sit in
the soft glow of the living room and
look at the tree with the various old
and newer crystal, metal, glass and
assorted handmade ornaments, the tinsel
and tiny white lights and I'd sort of
classify the year as a success or
letdown based on what was under or going
to be under that tree. You know: a
good or a not-so-good Christmas. I
knew this was a trap every year---and
every year I determined to not let that
be the focus or the criteria. I
began to question this tremendous trap
right about the time other "revelations"
or questions were occurring in our home.
Why do we do this, anyway, we began to
ask. What is it that we
really want to be living, doing, saying,
etc., etc., by all these "traditions" we
have? Are the things we're
doing really right, appropriate,
necessary? Are they honouring to
our LORD and Saviour---the One for whom
we say we're doing all these things?
Well... so... no tree. No frenzy.
No measuring rod. But do we
celebrate Christmas? O, yes, we do
celebrate the birth and life of our LORD
Jesus Christ and we do use the appointed
25th day of December to do it.
The way we figure it... and it was sort
of made very clear to us in a very round
about way, though the Word is not real
clear on the actual date nor does it
imply that a commemorative celebration
be made each year... we do see
celebrations and we do see annual
commemorations.
The
LORD chose to bless us with a Christmas
baby --- appointed the day of her birth:
Christmas Day 1996. From that time
we knew a peace about the celebration of
the birth of not only that child, but
more importantly, the birth of the LORD
Jesus Christ. We do
celebrate Christmas, but our
celebrations are a bit removed from the
way we used to view them. I'll
probably share more on this through this
month of December as the day draws near.
By
the way--- almost as much as I detest
the word xmas, I detest the phrase
"Happy Holidays!' this time of year.
I suggest, save that phrase for
the Fourth of July... when you do have a
real holiday from work; or
use it to celebrate a couple of Mondays
in February along with Valentine's Day.
Happy Holidays... what in the world does
that mean, anyway? What an empty
statement. Look at all the
people who are NOT taking a holiday for
the next four+ weeks---stores open
before dawn and close long after the
employees feet and backs feel like
they're on fire. Greedy
shoppers push through crowds.
Countless thousands are broke and plead
for charity. O... happy
holidays, alright. I'm sure that's
what people are probably saying around
January 20th... after the annual
take-it-all-back-days ( beginning the
day after Christmas ) and after they toy
parts are lost or have broken, it's
obvious the food has settled permanently
in the hips and thighs, the New Year's
resolutions have been made and broken,
and the Visa, Mastercard and AmEx bills
start to fill the mailbox. Happy
Holidays.
But a happy Christmas... well, that's a
different story. That's the Good
News. The ground is level at the
foot of the Cross and that's what the
story of Christmas is really about.
Our Saviour whose birth was foretold by
the prophets, and heralded by shepherds
and angels, Our Saviour, born of a
virgin, the Word made flesh who came to
redeem the lost, who suffered, died, was
buried and rose again the third day as
witnessed by many; Our Saviour,
whose blood was shed, whose life was
given to reconcile man to God, to pay
the atoning price for sin that whosoever
believes in Him will have everlasting
life, eternally secure because of Him
who loved us and gave Himself for us
that we might have life abundant and
free and rest secure in His presence
eternally where there is no more death,
no more tears and no more sorrow.
Happy Christmas. Happy, happy
Christmas to all the whosoevers.
If
the ACLU had its way there would be no
Christmas. The same machine
that's plowing through other freedoms of
life and genuine liberty is plowing
through "Christmas." I
imagine they're receiving a ton of mail
in the form of complaints about their
incessant campaign to wipe out
Christianity. You can send them a
message... not a nasty message, but a
Truthful message... and if your message
is gracious and sincere, you just might
reach the heart of someone needing to
hear the Good News. Just think of
the changed lives. if believers
all across America would share the
message of Christmas to the lost!
You can begin at the ACLU.
Just
before posting this blog, I was doing a
little news-peruse and saw an
interesting collection of groups and
individuals supporting letters to the
ACLU.
Here's a site
that promoting a Christmas card blitz of
the ACLU.
ACLU
"Wishing You Merry Christmas"
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
December 2,
2005
The
great
shaft
shift of the
modern
"church"
I've
often
wondered
(usually
silently) if
I'm
simply in
the minority
when it
comes to the
subtle and
not-so-subtle
shift of the
"church"
today.
And then I
consider the
numerous
articles and
conversations
that remind
me the
"minority"
is not so
small after
all.
Well, so
what
recently got
me
questioning
the change
in the
church was
the
inordinate
attention
being given
to music.
Music: the
great
divider.
Music: the
great
definer in
the church
today.
But it's a
stupid thing
to use as a
plumbline
for the
church
because
church is
*not* what
goes on on
Sunday
morning and
therefore,
music should
not be the
deciding
factor or
the defining
factor of a
church.
Church is
not a Sunday
Morning
activity.
What goes on
during a
gathering of
the church
is not
church.
The church
is the
assembly---God
puts it
together.
Where we sit
at the table
or what we
each for
dinner
doesn't make
us a family
or define us
as a
family---the
table and
dinner is
simply where
and what we
eat; and
further,
it's a very
small,
albeit
important,
part of our
life---but
it surely
doesn't
define us.
If we didn't
eat, well,
then, that
would be a
whole other
matter.
I know that
analogy
breaks down,
but I guess
what got me
thinking of
all this
(again and
again) was
listening to
a radio
program the
other day
where the
guests were
sharing
about the
tremendous
growth of
their
"church."
Many people
were
attending
and it's all
bcz they
stopped
having a
"traditional
service" on
Sunday
morning and
went to a
contemporary
service.
With the
young people
in charge,
they said,
many more
people were
coming to
church.
One thing
they
lamented was
the fact
that the
older people
were feeling
a bit left
out---unimportant.
I sort of
got the
mental
picture that
they were
like a
brilliant
piece of art
drawn on a
"white
board" with
multi
coloured
dry-erase
markers and
they were
slowly being
wiped off
the board
and replaced
with a new
message
drawn with
fewer
colours and
less
knowledge
and skill.
And
amazingly,
the older
generation
seems to bow
to the
younger.
Out with the
old, in with
the
new---regardless
the
incompetence
or lack of
wisdom.
So, these
older people
missed the
old ways and
they were
trying to
express that
their views
were
obsolete---though
deep down,
they knew
better.
Technology,
social
advances and
the
preoccupation
with youth
all make the
older
generation
obsolete.
Or, so it
seems.
So, the
great
paradigm
shift---the
great
redefinition
of the
church.
Purpose
driven
wasn't
enough so
now there's
the emergent
church.
Soon
"church"
will be so
far removed
from the
"early
church" of
the New
Testament,
that the
Bible will
not be a
fitting
guide---at
least it
will become
an
impediment
to the
agenda.
In most
buildings,
as the hymns
of the faith
are set
aside and as
hymnals give
way to
off-the-wall
music and
the Bible is
replaced
with
paraphrases
of
paraphrases,
and one or
more of
recent
"best-sellers"
becomes the
manual or
church
handbook,
human
reasoning
and logic
will
(attempt to)
replace the
Inerrant
Word of God.
I received a
newsletter
from
Discernment
Ministries
and was once
again
reminded of
the attempt
to recreate
the
church---to
redefine and
redirect it.
The new wave
is the
emergent
church... so
smoothly
defined as a
conversation
about the
church.
Really, I
was quite
shocked at
the smooth
delivery and
assumption
of authority
of the
"leaders" of
the
"emerging
church."
It's really
incredible
to me how
the change
has been so
widely
accepted and
so seemingly
unquestioned.
But there
are
questions
and should
be more
questioners!
The site has
numerous
articles
and links.
I recall
attending, a
number of
years ago,
several
"services"
at one of
the most
well known
mega
churches in
America.
While there
was much
enthusiasm,
much levity,
and
acceptance,
grievous to
me was the
absence of
the Bible,
the absence
of children
in the
"sanctuary,"
the absence
of
connectedness
among the
members, the
absence of
brokenness
and sorrow
over sin,
the absence
of
Christ-centeredness.
It was quite
a
production.
In fact, the
order and
precision of
the whole
operation
was with
skill and
choreography
that would
rival any
Hollywood or
Broadway
production---and
it was meant
to.
During one
of the
Sunday
mornings,
the pastor
declared
that things
are done the
way they are
because
people
expect them
to be done
that way.
I recall
thinking at
the
time---that
that's just
exactly
opposite of
what the
Bible
teaches.
The message
seemed to be
diametrically
opposed to
the teaching
of the LORD
when He said
to take up
the cross
and follow
Him---it
seemed
opposite of
brokenness
and laying
down one's
life to
follow
Jesus.
I read an
article by
Dr. Robert
Klenck, and
for a moment
I had
forgotten or
had not
recognized
the name as
he was one
of the
speakers
sharing the
platform
with Dean
Gotcher at
the "Diaprax"
seminar we
attended
earlier this
past summer.
So, it was
in
Dr. Klenck's
article
that I began
to see
further with
even greater
clarity the
grave danger
of the
movement of
the "church"
today---for
all intents
and purposes
(no pun
intended)
it's very
much a New
Age movement
within the
church.
It's
grievous to
me the
direction
and the wide
berth the
church is
going and
creating.
I reread an
article in
which Dr.
Klenck
discusses
"Diaprax" in
the church,
and the
grave
implications
of the long
term
influence
and
consequences
already
being played
out.
It's tough
to take a
stand
against the
great
machine of
purpose
that's
mowing a
wide swath
everywhere
it's put to
use.
It's tougher
still when
it's
embraced
with such
passion and
commitment.
It's
grievous to
me that the
practices of
utilizing
worldly
methods to
propagate
the Good
News is not
even
questioned
by the
majority.
Perhaps more
grievous is
the seeming
unconcern
that the
teachers,
the models,
and the
methods are
not
spiritually
led nor are
they even
Christian----followers
of the LORD
Jesus.
On Judgment
Day, felt
needs are
not going to
matter.
It will only
matter what
was done
with Jesus.
Okay... so here's my giant disclaimer.
The above wasn't/isn't an attempt to
sling mud. It is an attempt to
turn on a light. Not generate
strife, but shed some light.
That's all. See, this candid talk
and transparency is going to be tough.
And, to my children: if you're
reading this, y'all know I am not given
to compromise and staunchly defend the
Word of God---love it, obey it.
The LORD has been utterly faithful.
December 1,
2005
And...
the final
month of the
year
 I
think I'm
going to be
spilling a
little
coffee
this month.
While this blog's a
daily
logging of
thoughts and
comments and
daily slices
of life in
and around
our home,
it's
probably
pretty
obvious
I don't very
often get
too far into
what's
really going
on all
around us
here.
I suppose
it's
primarily
self
insulation
but it's
also bcz
this blog's
a one-way
street (I
don't have
blogging
software-permalink,
trackback,
etc.) and
there's too
much room
for
misunderstanding
if I post
something
controversial---or
too
personal.
Say... going
though the
litany of
struggles,
challenges,
etc.
For example,
I might take
some very
hard line
stands in
many areas,
but I don't
often write
about them
specifically
unless
something
comes up
that
warrants
addressing
one of those
issues.
There's also
the small
but real
matter of
personal
anonymity
for myself
or other
people.
It never
bothers me
when people
ask who I'm
talking
about or
what I'm
referring to
when I share
a story.
I try to be
very careful
when sharing
bcz I never
want to
offend a
brother/sister
and never
have used
this blog to
send a
signal to
someone.
I hate when
that's done
and so, make
every
attempt to
avoid that
arena.
That said,
after thirty
plus months
of blogging
online and
formerly,
many more
months
sending out
a weekly
newsletter,
I'd sure
like to be
able to
share some
strong
conviction
without fear
of
reprisal----though
I know it's
not really a
possibility.
But, I'd
also like to
delve into
some areas
that are on
the top of
our short
list---stuff
that's sort
of on the
front
burner.
I s'pose we
have a bunch
of stuff
that's on
the back
burner that
probably
would make
interesting
fodder for
conversation,
too.
Well,
more on
these
things...
through the
month.
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